Mackintosh Braun

The choice of repertoire is more or less predictable. There are no lesser known arias, and Gott sei Dank they have been grouped by opera but, within the operas, not in the order of appearance. The ordering of the operas seems haphazard, too. "What an ungrateful nit-picker!" I can hear readers mumble. "Of course they have decided the order to achieve as much variety as possible". But I am not so sure. Why, in that case, start the recital, after the Zauberflöte overture with two arias in a row sung by Russell Braun?

Braun's affection for the work of the masterful songwriter has now reached full bloom with Night And Day (The Cole Porter Songbook)- Adi Braun's love affair with the music of Cole Porter runs long and deep. The acclaimed Toronto jazz and cabaret chanteuse has long covered his tunes in her performances and on record. She describes the music of her favorite Great American Songbook writer as "delicious, a great combination of naughty, provocative, sensuous, witty and devastatingly beautiful.

The scent of childhood. The comforting lullaby of the parents. The first kiss. How great it would be if one could preserve the magical impressions of still young life forever! Not in the form of a discoloured snapshot, but in its entire emotional essence. As it were, as an "explosion in the heart", as the lyrics of the Dire Straits song "Romeo & Juliet" say.

It would be hard to find a more pleasing version of The Four Seasons than this one, done in period style with a superb blend of the instruments, making the music spring to life without any striving after effects. Any number of passages illustrate this, but the first movement of Summer with its repeated notes on the solo violin rising through different chords shows the beauty of this unvarnished approach. At a steady tempo, the sheer beauty of the writing emerges, utterly suited to the violin, whose sounds are a source of endless fascination.

The title of the popular trumpeter and composer's latest triumph is a wistful reference to a language created in the late 19th century (by Dr. L.L. Zamenhof, who used the pseudonym "Dr. Esperanto") to facilitate communication between people of different lands and cultures. It's representative of the unique vibe of the collection, which features distinctive Euro influences drawn from the realms of trance, electronica, and acid jazz, with dramatic orchestral touches as well. Before those kick in, however, listeners are treated to an extension of the old-school brassy soul of B.W.B., the Warner Bros. ensemble of Braun, Kirk Whalum, and Norman Brown.

The choice of repertoire is more or less predictable. There are no lesser known arias, and Gott sei Dank they have been grouped by opera but, within the operas, not in the order of appearance. The ordering of the operas seems haphazard, too. "What an ungrateful nit-picker!" I can hear readers mumble. "Of course they have decided the order to achieve as much variety as possible". But I am not so sure. Why, in that case, start the recital, after the Zauberflöte overture with two arias in a row sung by Russell Braun?

All n' all, Braun has made a perfectly acceptable album of contemporary smooth jazz and if you're into that sort of thing you might even enjoy it, but will you remember any of it after it stops playing? If your expectations are this will be pleasant, but not particulary adventuresome, those expectations will be met with Around The Horn. It's not bad enough to actively dislike and not good enough to merit a rave. This one Is okay and sometimes okay is as good as it gets.

From Bob James & David Sanborn's Grammy-winning Double Vision to George Benson & Earl Klugh's Collaboration, Warner Brothers has released some of the greatest dual projects in smooth jazz. Rick Braun's signing to the label this year has paved the way for the label's best tandem project yet, pairing the trumpet star's jazzy sensibilities with the ultra-funk dynamics of R&B saxman Boney James. Rather than simply a clever name, the album title reflects the way the two bounce off of and drive each other to reach artistic heights beyond their typical solo endeavors.