Sledge Horvath

CTI meets GRP, Bob James meets David Benoit on Absolute Reality What a joy to listen to this album! The second CD by keyboardist/arranger Peter Horvath is an absolutely pleasant effort, full of killer grooves and lovely melodies. Guest stars like Bob Mintzer (shining on Carla and Escape From Oakland and Randy Brecker (who overdubbed a nice solo on Foreign Matter add an extra spice to Horvath's perfectly built tunes, but the disc offers many other pleasures. The main hero is the leader himself, a terrific soloist, specially on the Rhodes electric piano. Norbert Stachel, a superb reedman who co-wrote six of the ten tunes, sounds like an entire horn section. The album also includes some of the last recordings by late drummer Ricky Lawson (1954-2013). Among them, the title track that mixes a James Brown-like riff with a glamorous melody played by Horvath on the acoustic piano. Mintzer and Horvath share the spotlight on the funkyfied Escape From Oakland while Kenny Washington's wordless vocal effects add a special flavour to the laidback groove of Nassau Nights, on which Horvath's hands seem to fly on the Rhodes over a lush horn arrangement.