The smooth jazz genre in the 2000s and 2010s has had two very vocal apostles in
Kirk Whalum
and
Jonathan Butler
, who made gospel albums to complement their more mainstream output, and have spoken freely on-stage about their faith. One who has done this more quietly, but no less eloquently, is
Euge Groove
, whose muscular tenor sax-doubling and lilting soprano have helped him score numerous radio hits and develop a ready-to-party audience as he subtly infuses a little church in the mix. In many ways,
House of Groove
falls right in line with the versatile saxman's core array of sounds -- dreamy, lilting, and sexy on the expansive opening track "Knock! Knock! Who's There?" and going for that dark-chorded, midtempo, doubled-tenor sizzle on the title track. One of the coolest elements that sets this collection apart is the length of the tracks, which allow him to offer rich solos to his bandmates -- most notably, the fiery
Neal Schon
-like guitar solo by
John "Jubu" Smith
on the hypnotic ballad "Indian Summer," and the stellar soloing throughout by keyboardist
Tracy Carter
. But the spiritual/emotional core of the songs calls to mind the vibe of his earlier release,
Sunday Morning
. There's the infectious invitation to the "Fellowship Hall," the simmering gospel ballad "God Bless You" (with graceful vocals by
Kate Miner Moebel
), the buoyant "Faithful Central" (a church in the Los Angeles area of which
Carter
has been musical director), and the gentle gospel/whispery soul vocal ballad "It's Only Rain," a passionate plea about keeping the faith. Another R&B-driven delight is "Never Met a Woman (Like You)," featuring the lighthearted coolness of genre great
Jeffrey Osborne
.
keeps its promised rhythms flowing, but the spiritual heart takes
Groove
's game to some exciting new places. ~ Jonathan Widran