As one reviewer said of the cheerful music and personality of this increasingly popular voice of smooth jazz guitar, it's Disneyland all the time with him. In other words, Positive Energy, the name of his second genre disc, wasn't just a happy marketing tool. And the title of this disc is appropriate, too, because with the co-production help of founding Spyro Gyra keyboardist Tom Schuman, Oliver digs deep into a rich variety of influences for a multifaceted romp through the worlds of pop, jazz, urban/hip-hop, worldbeat, Brazilian, and Latin music. While focusing as always on his classic acoustic guitar and brilliant "vocalese" to convey the lead melodies on the instrumentals, he stretches into edgier blues territory with his lesser-heard electric on "In the Shade of Cool." Joining all-star guests like Fourplay drummer Harvey Mason (who adds his gentle rhythmic touch to the lush romantic atmospheres of the title track) and saxophonist Eric Marienthal (soulful harmony on the lilting ballad "She's Got the Way-O," punchy riffs and call-and-response amidst the brass, retro-soul, and party-groove mania of "Funhouse") is a handful of musicians familiar to longtime fans of the Oliver live experience, including Will Donato (sax) and Larry Antonino (bass). It's fun in the sun (with a few romantic respites) from beginning to end, with the jumpy, brass-fired "Chips and Salsa" balanced by trippier pieces like "Magic World," which has a slight worldbeat sensibility. Oliver's growing as a vocalist, too, with three lead vocal tracks that are among his best. He hardly needed to do a cover to get attention (as some smoothies do), but he puts on a subtle charm for "Imagine" that adds a touch of inspiration to the Magic Kingdom.
© Jonathan Widran /TiVo