Fast becoming one of smooth jazz's hookiest songwriters,
Steve Cole
scored two number one radio hits off his 1998 debut,
Stay Awhile
. No doubt that program directors will continue to favor those tunes, but hopefully it won't be at the expense of the takes-one-listen-only-to-hum craftsmanship of many of the tracks on the follow-up,
Between Us
(
Atlantic
). He has the notion of "quick verse, get to the brassy hook" down to such a science that it may take a few listens to realize that the opening two tracks,
"Got It Goin' On"
and
"From the Start"
are two different songs. On both, producer
Brian Culbertson
provides the simmering retro-keyboard atmospheres beneath a silky, laid-back tenor lines but only for brief respites between the perfect choruses, on which
Cole
textures tenor with multiple alto-backing tracks.
sticks with this approach while varying rhythms throughout the disc, as if holding back on us throughout the verse sections and then making sure his hooks are brass-amplified so that we keep wanting him to return to them. He and
Culbertson
take this technique to new and exciting levels on a slow-simmering cover of
TLC
's
"Waterfalls,"
texturing a horn section lead melody with another multiple horn harmony section; every few beats,
jumps out of the pattern to blow a cool tenor improvisation.
is a muscular tenor player by trade but will no doubt attract the mush lovers with his very tender soprano beauty on
"For Your Love."
~ Jonathan Widran