Dennis Angel - On Track (2014)

Having been brutal on some contemporary artists because the difference between them can be measured by the thickness of a sheet of paper, running across a true original artist can be like a breath of fresh air. On Track is the follow up to Timeless Grooves and it boasts an all star lineup including but not limited to Will Lee, Kenny Barron and James Genus. The tunes are all originals with one notable exception but the sound finds that musical happy place somewhere between straight ahead and what some consider traditional smooth jazz. A release steeped in nuanced textures.

Two standout tracks immediately jump out including the Freddie Hubbard like "Soul Strut" and the more jazz nasty blues infused "Sunset Café." Angel is a lyrical technician with a soulful and soul filled bent on taking one to that contemporary land of rhythm and groove. A smoldering and incredibly consistent flavor runs throughout the release even on the more dialed down tune "Serenity." Producer Jason Miles pulls a warm and incredibly organic sound out of these musical co-conspirators and allows them to simply focus on performance. Having heard major label trumpet / flugelhorn players not pull off originals much better than this, Dennis Angel is the real deal. There is a fresh approach coming to contemporary instrumental music and Dennis Angel should figured heavily in that equation. Chet Baker meets Rick Braun? Maybe!