As a rule,
David Sanborn
's
Elektra
output of the '90s had integrity. Whether he was being exploratory and introspective on
Another Hand
or taking a more commercial,
R&B
-minded approach on
Inside
,
Sanborn
avoided recording outright schlock during that decade. Make no mistake:
is far from straight-ahead acoustic
jazz
. Produced by
Marcus Miller
and boasting such guest vocalists as
Sting
Cassandra Wilson
and
Lalah Hathaway
is definitely a commercial album. But commercial isn't necessarily a bad thing, and most of the material is tasteful. Whether he's getting into
instrumental
funk-jazz
grooves on
"Brother Ray,"
"Corners,"
"Trance"
or featuring
Wilson
on a likable remake of
Aretha Franklin
"Daydreaming,"
this CD is certainly not without its pleasures. The high point of the album, however, is
's haunting cameo on a cover of
Bill Withers
'
"Ain't No Sunshine."
Some of
's solos could have been longer, but all things considered,
is pleasing. ~ Alex Henderson