Better The Band Perry

If you will allow us to start with the blindingly obvious, Co-Op have Alice Cooper’s son, Dash on vocals…

Terri Lyne Carrington's dual identity as an extraordinary progressive jazz drummer and powerful in-the-pocket groove driver has been presented on her previous recordings. While straddling those lines appeals to different audiences, this CD reverts back to her more commercial roots from 20 years ago, centering on the contemporary, rhythm & blues oriented side of music from an instrumental standpoint.

French guitarist/producer U-Nam is again standing tall and looming large on the smooth jazz scene with another creative gem called C’est Le Funk. In addition to dazzling us with his graceful and funky instrumental work (and one funky delivery with vocals from Tim “TiO” Owens), the album is loaded with strong production and presence. Wasting no time putting the groove into high gear from the start, the guitarist leads off with a driving track called “Smoovin’,” continues plowing ahead with the party groover “Something’s Up” and strutting right through the super-funky, hook-rich title track which features Nivo Deux (Nivo Deux is actually a project organized by U-Nam and wife Shannon Kennedy focusing on the incorporation of 80’s Pop, Smooth Jazz, and Electro-Funk).

John Mayer's 2013 album, the Americana-tinged Paradise Valley, is an introspective if somewhat more upbeat affair than his similarly country-inflected 2012 release, Born and Raised. With that album, Mayer was coming off a rough career patch that found him issuing a mea culpa for an infamously loose-lipped 2010 Rolling Stone interview. Making matters worse, in 2011 the singer/songwriter announced he would be going on extended hiatus from performing while he received treatment for granulomas found near his vocal cords. Subsequently, with Born and Raised, Mayer moved away from the commercial pop of 2010's Battle Studies and toward an intimate, largely acoustic, '70s Laurel Canyon-inspired sound with songs that featured plenty of apologetic soul-searching.

At age 15, Neal Schon landed job offers from both Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton – in the same week! Schon would eventually join Santana where he would meet keyboardist Gregg Rolie. After a short stint with Santana, Schon and Rolie would leave to form the super successful Journey. Despite Journey's ascension to the pinnacle of the rock world, Schon was often criticized for failing to live up to his advanced billing. The adulation of rock luminaries such as Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton left no room for anything but the Second Coming. Million's of fans saw it differently. Journey would eventually become the largest selling act in Columbia Records history; and, a 1983 Gallup Poll named Journey America's favorite band. Even in Journey, though, Schon's contributions were often eclipsed by the unique voice of Steve Perry. It would take him the better part of two decades, and the 1989 release of Late Nite, before he would finally take center stage.