Jeff Golub Soul Sessions CD

Personnel: Jeff Golub (guitar); Marc Cohn, Steve Perry, Sue Ann Carwell, Mindi Abair (vocals); David Woodford (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Richard Eliot, Steve Cole (tenor saxophone); Rick Braun, Stan Martin (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone); Ricky Peterson (Hammond B-3 organ); Jeff LOrber (keyboards, guitar); Mitchel Forman, Chris Palmaro, Kenny White (keyboards); Peter White (acoustic guitar); Dave Carpenter, Lincoln Goines (acoustic bass); Alex Al, Andre Berry, Nathan East, (bass); Steve Ferrone (drums, shaker); Shawn Pelton (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).
Recorded at Castle Oaks, Calabasas, California and Right Track Studios, New York, New York between February & March 2003.
Personnel: Jeff Golub (guitar); Steve Perry, Marc Cohn, Mindi Abair, Sue Ann Carwell (vocals); Jeff Lorber (guitar, keyboards); David Woodford (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Richard Elliot, Steve Cole (tenor saxophone); Stan "Be Bop" Martin, Rick Braun (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone); Chris Palmaro, Al Forman, Kenny White (keyboards); Dave Carpenter, Lincoln Goines (acoustic bass); Steve Ferrone (drums, shaker); Shawn Pelton (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Steve Sykes.
Recording information: Castle Oaks Studios, Calabasas, CA (03/10/2003-04/17/2003); Rupert House Studio, Woodland Hills, CA (03/10/2003-04/17/2003).
Photographer: Rocky Schenck.
Soul Sessions presents Jeff Golub's attempt to recreate the '60s and '70s recording sessions where musicians played live together in the studio rather than the modern way of recording each separately. It makes for a more lively Golub album than usual and does overcome the overly slick and lifeless production that so many smooth jazz albums suffer from. But it's getting harder and harder to lump Golub with other smooth jazz artists as his albums become funkier and more soulful affairs than the competition offers. It's difficult not to think of late-period Wes Montgomery while listening to the opening "Boom Boom," and when Ricky Peterson's Hammond B-3 shows up here and there it pushes the album into the soul-jazz category. Soul Sessions mixes in some satisfying pop with a sunny cover of No Doubt's "Underneath It All," and the Golub original "Can't Let You Go," with Mindi Abair and Journey's Steve Perry guesting on vocals respectively. Marc Cohn's vocalizing on Jesse Winchester's "Isn't That So," and Luis Conte's focused percussion are also highlights. The album falls prey to smooth jazz's clichés only when saxophonist Richard Elliot sleepwalks through "Playin' It Cool," and Abair and Perry are given nothing more than their respective songs' titles as lyrics. Otherwise, the musicians' interaction is satisfying, but Golub's discography now just cries out for a live album. ~ David JeffriesJazzTimes (10/03, p.97) - "...The album features deft ensemble playing by some of the top musicians in the business..."