Musicians: Jim Adkins (guitar, keyboards), Bill McGee (trumpet), Greg Terry, Lee Covington (keyboards), Michael Steele (bass), Cham Laughlin (organ), Eric Darken (percussion)
Review: Guitarist Jim Adkins is an artist who has an uncanny ability to continuously hit the smooth jazz mark on a consistent basis. As an award winning musician and songwriter, he has garnered numerous accolades in the gospel and jazz arenas. With each and every visit he makes to the recording studio, the end product is one that strikes another chord of enjoyment. His latest CD entitled City Streets is Adkins' fifth release overall and the second offering on the Clear Image record label. This album by any large measure sizzles with artistic craftsmanship at its best.
As heard on his previous albums, Jim’s appeal is in the smooth melodic grooves he projects and in his passionate display of musical panoramas. This time out, Adkins fills the recording with ten dynamic tracks of funk-filled aromatic grooves. In addition, he augments the funk with some of the most sensitive guitar melodies heard to date. What is even more significant is the originality attached to City Streets, closer examination reveals nine original compositions and one cover song. In many instances, some smooth jazz albums are often clouded by an over abundance of covers and little indication of an artist’s skills as a composer.
The first cut on the CD entitled “City Streets” basically sets the stage for everything Jim Adkins is most noted for. One of the more endearing tracks on City Streets is a tune entitled “Lost In The Moment,” a song that pulls the listener in with a composite appeal and is a smooth jazz radio hit. Another tune made famous by R&B vocalist Al Green is a cut that sticks to the listening palate and is highlighted by an awesome display of arabesque piano logic from Lee Covington. These three tracks are only a taste of Jim’s dynamic appeal.
Overall, City Streets is a CD that provides a window of opportunity filled with lasting appeal. The opportunity to push the envelope of creativity is what Jim Adkins brings to the table. With help from a host of credible sidemen, the mundane offerings usually associated with smooth jazz do not come into play on any level on this release. Without a doubt, Jim Adkins and company have recorded another fine example of musical expertise that zealously takes jazz into another realm of enjoyment.
Tracks: City Streets, Lost In The Moment, Let's Stay Together, Lost In Love, Feels Good, Out & About, After The Rain, Mystic Vista, Manhattan, Curtin Call
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