Paul Taylor Steppin' Out CD

Personnel includes: Paul Taylor (soprano saxophone); Paul Taylor (alto saxophone, vocoder); Nicholas Lane (trumpet); Lee Thornburg (trombone); Rex Rideout (keyboards, programming); Dwight Sills (guitar); Michael White, Ronnie Garrett (bass); (drums); Luis Conte, Dave Charles (percussion); Darcy Alrdridge (background vocals).
Recorded at East Bay Music Recording, Tarrytown, New York.
Personnel: Paul Taylor (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, vocoder); Sharon Youngblood (vocals); Dwight Sills (guitar, acoustic guitar); Ronald Smith , Abdulhameed Zuhri, Jonathan Butler, Phil Hamilton (guitar); Lee Thornburg (trombone); Rex Rideout (keyboards, programming); Barry Eastmond (keyboards, drum programming); Chris Parker , Michael White (drums); David Charles, Luis Conte, Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Darcy Aldridge, Gordon Chambers (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Phil Magnotti; Steve Sykes; Barry Eastmond.
Recording information: Castle Oaks Studios, Calabasas, CA (2002); Clear Lake Audio, North Hollywood, CA (2002); East Bay Music Recording, Tarrytown, NY (2002); Kar Studios, Sherman Oaks, CA (2002); The Carriage House, Stamford, CT (2002).
Photographer: Sonny Mediana.
Arrangers: Gordon Chambers; Barry Eastmond; Paul Taylor.
Paul Taylor, the sexy saxman of smooth/urban jazz, is back with his fifth solo recording titled Steppin' Out, his second outing on the Peak Records label. Ripe with old-school moods and pop-oriented flavors, Taylor's accompanists bring out the best of his smooth sax work on soprano and alto, his sax harmonies, and his vocoder on three tracks. Produced by Rex Rideout and Barry J. Eastmond, two of smooth/urban jazz's most acclaimed producers, the set jumps off with the radio-friendly single "On the Move," which immediately sets the tone for the remainder of the all-star project. The lovely, reassuring vocals of Sharon Youngblood are both soothing and captivating on "Someone Watching Over You." She provides an excellent foil for the beautiful soprano sax voice of Taylor, who provides delicate background complements. On "Enchanted Garden," Taylor plays a highly imaginative soprano sax and vocoder and captures the listener's imagination with fragrant flourishes and delicate lines. The smooth program is interspersed with a soulful urban bebop-style composition called "Speakeasy" and ends with a bonus track titled "Get Up." And that's exactly what you'll want to do to express your gratitude for this marvelous set. ~ Paula EdelsteinJazzTimes (8/03, p.135) - "...Smooth-jazz saxophonist Paul Taylor possesses an attractive, plaintive sound, which is amply in evidence on STEPPIN' OUT..."