Atlantic was obviously going after the new adult contemporary (NAC) market when it released
Steve Cole's Stay Awhile, a contrived and unimaginative blend of pop, urban contemporary and jazz. It's clear that the main goal of this tenor, alto and soprano saxman (who shouldn't be confused with avant-garde saxman Steve Coleman) was appealing to NAC radio, and the result is faceless, boring elevator muzak that has nothing meaningful or personal to say. From the
Kenny G-ish "Say It Again" to schlocky fluff like "Our Love," "It's Gonna Be Alright" and the title tune,
Cole plays cliché after cliché and does nothing to set his album apart from similar releases by
Gerald Albright,
Dave Koz and Najee. This isn't a bad CD because it's commercial; it's bad because it's done in such a knee-jerk, insincere fashion. Lacking even a shred of integrity,
Stay Awhile is a CD to stay away from. ~ Alex Henderson