Patrick Yandall New Day CD

Review is from Smooth Jazz Therapy: If there is one musician whose style typifies the sun soaked vibe synonymous with the city of San Diego it is guitarist Patrick Yandall. When in 2006 I reviewed his album ‘Samoa Soul’ I described him as having rhythm and melody pumping through every vein of his body and his 2008 follow-up ‘Laws Of Groovity’ provided further evidence of his distinct southern Californian groove. Now, with his latest project, ‘A New Day’, he has surpassed himself with a wonderful collection of eleven self penned tracks that is jam packed with some of the best contemporary jazz you will hear this year.Yandall’s music engenders enormous enjoyment and the mid tempo magic of ‘Urban Flight’ is smooth jazz at its immaculate best. In this respect it is in the good company of the superb ‘If You Love Me’ and, whereas the sexy ‘Do You Feel’ allows Yandall to slip effortlessly into tranquil mode, ‘Pistons Stomp’ finds him firmly on funk enriched soil. It’s a tune that from melodic beginnings drives to a compelling crescendo while the tight and wholly ‘in the pocket’ ‘I Am There’ shimmers with excellent horns from Jeff Laasko and the Kickass (yes, that’s right, Kickass) Brass Section.Yandall also takes time out to pay his respects to some of the musicians who have touched his own musical development. He dedicates ‘The Path’ to Carlos Santana and, despite the fact his playing is totally indicative of this legendary guitarist, Yandall still makes the tune entirely his own. The Larry Carlton inspired ‘LC Squared’ is a sheer delight yet perhaps the most poignant of Yandall’s tributes is that dedicated to the late Carl Evans Jr. Appropriately titled ‘Mr. Fattburger’, this beautifully structured number provides a fitting homage to the co-founder and keyboard player of the San Diego based band that, in the late eighties, did so much to shape the then emerging smooth jazz genre.The decidedly retro sounding ‘Full Force’ fizzes along on a jazzy beat and, as Yandall switches to keys, he perfectly evokes the sound of jazz fusion circa 1980. The first single to go to radio is the R & B influenced title track. With a delicious brass driven groove, and Yandall’s tight playing, this cut is a real winner yet just as good and taking us right back to where this review began, ‘Sun Diego’ says it all about Yandall and the city in which he resides. With sunshine dripping from every note, and a horn infused feel good factor that is off the scale, this is what it’s all about.‘A New Day’, which will be released nationwide on March 3, is a total joy and the perfect antidote to these credit crunched times in which we all currently live.For more go to www.patrickyandall.com SmoothVibes review: I have to admit to a certain bias here, as I personally think that Patrick Yandall is one of the most polished and accomplished guitarist around (and I speak from the vantage point of one guitarist to another, although I’m sure we’re miles apart in terms of overall ability and talent!). He wears smooth jazz like a well-fitting suit, and his clear, distinctly melodic sound clearly supports that view. As for his writing talents, we’re talking solid pieces, well interwoven into the very fabric of his music. A New Day, his latest, whose scheduled release date is April 3, bears all the markings of yet another aural treasure.A New Day is simply loaded with shiny excitement right from the very start. The 1st and title track is most aptly named, as it’s just right for starting a new day: Sunny, driving, and with purpose and direction. That’s followed by the rocking, rhythmic “Urban Flight,” a tune definitely designed for getting on your dance groove. Anyone who can sit through “Pistons Stomp” without giving in to—or at least fighting--the urge to get up and get the party started has to be made of some immobile solid substance, like a brick wall! Other tracks that follow are nota