Though he occasionally branches out into other styles, Chuck Loeb is at heart, a pop-oriented smooth jazz guitarist. Presence finds Loeb smack in the middle of his comfort zone. "Llevame" adds some Latin percussion and murmured female vocals, "The Western Sky" incorporates a vaguely new age synth wash, and "The Music Outside" flirts a bit with quiet storm R&B, but at heart, this is utterly straightforward smooth jazz with Loeb's laid-back, tasty soloing front and center. Even the pair of pop covers, Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and James Taylor's "Shed a Little Light," are transformed into showcases for Loeb's inimitable style. Unapologetically mellow and buffed to a high-sheen gloss, Presence is smooth jazz for folks who think they just don't make smooth jazz records like this anymore. ~ Stewart Mason
Editor: Chuck Loeb.
Personnel: Chuck Loeb (guitar, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, bass synthesizer, drum programming, percussion programming); Mitchel Forman (strings); Andy Snitzer (alto saxophone); Till Brönner (trumpet, flugelhorn); Christian Diener (acoustic bass); Wolfgang Haffner, Brian Dunne (drums); Dave Mann (flute, saxophone); Lizzy Loeb (flute); Matt King, Mike Ricchiuti (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Josh Dion (drums, percussion); Nathan Ecklund, Wolfgang Hafner, Ron "Buttercup" Jenkins, Will Lee , Brian Killeen, Carl Carter, Carmen Cuesta.
Audio Mixers: Chuck Loeb; Dennis Wall; Phil Magnotti.
JazzTimes (p.130) - "[W]here the music is strong, it's positively Herculean....Loeb has made a cool and progressive contemporary jazz CD that does the genre proud."
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Presence Music Review
Customer Presence Reviews
Average Rating: (3 out of 5 stars)
Not Chuck's best. I've been a Chuck Loeb fan for about 5 years now and have several of his cds'. This one was good but not Chuck's best. Missing is the funk that Chuck has sometimes flashed in the past. Some smooth grooves but I guess I was expecting a little more from this latest offering. Chuck is still one of my favorite guitarist and I'll always support him. Submitted by Jerry D. (Orange Park, FL, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 2 of 2 found this helpful.
Under expectation He's a great instrumentalist, composer and arranger. This album is too smooth and most of its cuts are dully, really it's not his best. But you can enjoy it if you like jazzy lounge sounds. On the whole I agree with Jerry D. Submitted by jnc777 (Lima, Peru) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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