And the winner of the hippest
Sanborn clone of the year award is...
Andy Snitzer. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. While so many other soundalikes play that gutsy bravura with a lightweight pop sheen covering true passion, on
Ties That Bind Snitzer stresses playfulness, relaxed camaraderie, and surprising improvisational twists as much as MOR hookiness. In short, he has both the sound and loose-fitting trappings of his prime influence. It's hard to turn away from the comparisons -- he shares
Sanborn's old label and cohorts like
Michael Colina and
Bob James -- yet
Snitzer throws in a few curveballs which offer glimmers of promise that one day he will emerge on his own merit. The best tracks here, for instance, are composed and/or produced solo by the saxman. No
Marcus Miller collaborations. And best of all,
Snitzer alternates with a nasty tenor demeanor whose rough edges creep into familiar territory, but then eventually steer in fresh, darker directions. You may not be fully convinced till the last track, however, when said tenor blows methodically in a straight-ahead blues with
Joe Sample and
Christian McBride, with nary a
Sanborn lick to be heard. ~ Jonathan Widran