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CD Reviews: Curtis Haywood Self Titled Debut
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Posted by: editoron Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - 09:05 AM |
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By: Edward Blanco
Smooth jazz saxophonist Curtis Haywood makes a thrilling debut with a twelve track album containing eight new contemporary smooth jazz originals along with a selection of R&B standards given new soulful interpretations. Originally influenced by the likes of Grover Washington, David Sanborn and named after the legendary R&B saxophonist King Curtis, when Haywood plays the sax, you can almost hear a little of each of these greats in his saxophone voice.
A humanitarian and true believer in the healing power of music, Haywood has agreed to donate 1/12 of the sales price of this recording to two charities, Feed The Children and Self Help Africa. Feed The Children helps supply food to the children of Ethiopia and Haywood dedicates his original “Rain Song” for this awareness and marks the music by peeling off cool saxophone phrasings along with Willie Brown’s guitar riffs together making one sensational tune that has already hit the airways as a single.
Haywood is accompanied here by a collection of players from the jazz, gospel and R&B worlds, among them bassist Artie Reynolds, drummer Ainsley Taylor, keyboardist Chris Fischer, Willie Brown on guitar and Paul Aponte on percussions.
On “Heal Our Land,” a tribute to Katrina victims, Haywood shares the limelight with a chorus of children singing a song of hope as he weaves his magic on the sax with stunning clarity. It is the album’s opening track that sets the stage for Haywood’s healing theme through out as he describes the music by stating that “Anytime,” “just screams heartbreak.”
All is not melancholy though as there are several cool smooth jazz takes to familiar standards like his rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Creepin’” and the perky almost funky style of the Bobby Hebb classic “Sunny,” one unique version. There are a lot of good smooth jazz grooves on this album which will more than please those who favor the genre.
Curtis Haywood has emerged as a new force in the world of smooth jazz and this self titled debut makes a powerful statement that this music, whether blessed with the power to heal or not, does provide the right medicine for those in need of stress relief and a dose of relaxation, just in time for a well earned vacation.
Year: 2008
Label: Smooth Sounds Entertainment
Artist Web: www.curtishaywood.com
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