Byron Miller - Until... (2015)

Honing his chops as a longtime sideman for jazz and R&B greats like Roy Ayers, George Duke, and Luther Vandross has instilled in Byron Miller the concept of teamwork, and his first album since 1991's Git wit Me finds him tradin' fours with names that would make an urban minded smooth jazz marketing person salivate -- Gerald Albright, Everette Harp, Doc Powell, Kirk Whalum and Patrice Rushen. Miller, however, never allows himself to get lost in the shuffle, carrying the snappy melodies most of the time while the horns and keyboards tag along harmonically and step out for the occasional solo. The all-stars will get the attention (and the jamming electric piano solo by Rushen on "All Good" merits this jaw drop), but even more impressive is Miller's duetting with Ayers on the vibist's own "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" and the Nick Smith's playful ivory chops on the soundscape heavy "Rio." For all the funksters present, however, Miller's production is a bit on the easy groove side for the most part, offering a more laid-back seduction than out and out jam session. Grand exception to this is the all-for-fun craziness of "Fufu Girls," a tribute to Miller's daughters, whose spirited playground chanting of the title is hard to resist.