| Jazz |
The saxophonist Steve Cole offers us a very personal work created entirely in isolation, made necessary by a pandemic. “Smoke and Mirrors” brings together a group of stars including David Mann, producer, co-author, and longtime collaborator of Steve Cole. The ensemble includes guitarist Bernd Schoenhart (Cher, Marc Anthony), trumpeter and flugelhorn player Trevor Neumann (The Eagles, Jeff Lorber), organist Ricky Peterson (David Sanborn, Prince), bassists Mel Brown (Stevie Wonder, The Temptations) and Mark Egan (Pat Metheny Group, Sting), drummers Brian Dunne (Hall and Oates, Ariana Grande) and Todd Sucherman (Styx, Brian Wilson).
Steve Cole explained, with a laugh: “Everyone is stuck at home. There are many musicians I’d like to work with, but it’s impossible because they’re always on the road. So, there was a little positive aspect in the fact that I could call up old friends like Todd Sucherman and Brian Dunne, or incredible artists like Mark Egan, and they were actually available. The energy of writing together can be truly amazing and inspiring, but we often tend to settle for the first good answer and move on. Having the time and space to contemplate and try things gives you the opportunity to discover a better good answer.”
You regularly hear bassist Wayman Tisdale on Bayou Blue Radio. Here’s what Steve Cole has to say about him, having written the title “Wayman” for this album: “In many ways, the theme of being ‘cut off’ runs through the album. Another loss to the music world is represented by ‘Wayman,’ written for the late NBA player turned bassist Wayman Tisdale (with whom Cole recorded the track ‘Loveplay’ in 2001). Tisdale was also an inspiration for the joyful opening track of the album, ‘Living Out Loud.'”
Tisdale inspired the cheerful opening track of the album, “Living Out Loud,” which took a winding path to its final form, with Cole crafting bass melodies in Tisdale’s style. Throughout “Smoke and Mirrors,” Cole reveals himself in both intimate and personal reflections and the outgoing exuberance of his groove spirit. No smoke, no mirrors – just sincere and inspiring music for the soul. This album is a true gem, blending jazz, funk, soul, and smooth jazz, but it doesn’t matter; it’s musically high-energy and delightful. These are just some of the superlatives used by the editorial teams of Paris-Move and Bayou Blue Radio, who deem it worthy of the title “Essential.”
Thierry Docmac
Bayou Blue News – Bayou Blue Radio – Paris-Move
PARIS-MOVE, June 16th 2021
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Site web de Steve Cole ICI
Steve Cole – Living Out Loud (Official Audio):
Steve Cole – Angel (live):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMP7BR5EoMg