The pairing of smooth jazz's premier veteran pianist and trumpeter/producer
Rick Braun is remarkable. The six tracks produced by the latter offer a unique contrast between thick, hip-hoppy bass grooves and
Benoit's peppy, angst-free ivory musings. On the in-your-face "Rejoyce,"
Benoit's swirling, high-register melody combines with
Pat Kelley's
Wes Montgomery-like electric licks (and
Benoit's own Hammond B-3 harmony coloring) for a floating ride above a jumpy retro-soul rhythm. The underpinnings are even chunkier on "Jump Start," which finds
Benoit's piano and
Andy Suzuki's playful alto making light, bluesy conversation over a throbbing hip-hop pattern.
Braun also gives
Benoit space here for some lower-toned piano improvisations.
Braun indeed lets
Benoit be
Benoit on the graceful ballad "Something You Said," whose melody -- enhanced by
Marc Antoine's tender acoustic guitar harmony -- glides over a sparse, easy shuffling percussion scheme.
Braun mostly plays keyboards, but picks up his muted trumpet to go strutting with
Benoit's joyous exclamations over a laid-back but still pulsating groove as if they were joining "Miles After Dark." Longtime
Benoit fans who fear change can rest assured; the four remaining tunes produced by the pianist and longtime engineer
Clark Germain are vintage. "Golden Gate" and "Dad's Room" (a sweeping film score like tribute to
Benoit's ailing father) are simple and sweet, orchestrally enhanced piano reflections, while "Gothic Jazz Dance" combines
Benoit's equal loves for pop, chamber music (the hypnotic piano flurries in the intro), and Brazilian rhythms. ~ Jonathan Widran