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review by Bill Binkelman It's not often that you see a smooth jazz ensemble which features harp, but that's what 2 Tone represents. Harpist Cindy Horstman is joined on Never Turn Back by keyboardist and bassist Michael Medina, as well as other accompanists on assorted instruments (drums, guitar, sax, Fender Rhodes, B3 organ, flugelhorn). The nine tracks on the CD run the gamut from the finger-snapping but light-on-its-feet opening track, "Passing Time," (with great synth work in the bridge) to the sexy bossa nova swaying strains and rhythms of "Gentle Rain," to the retro-futuristic funk of "Reason Enough" to the closing blues ballad "R.D." (in memory of Ronnie Dawson). Through it all, Horstman, Medina and their fellow musicians play together as if they've been at it their whole lives. Horstman, in particular, is more than content to blend into the background and allow guitar or keyboards to grab the spotlight on many occasions. Not that she can't step up and strut her stuff if need be. The albums is mixture of originals (penned by Horstman and Medina) and some cover tunes, including a jazzed-up rendition of "The Look of Love" that manages the impossible task of sounding fresh even at its advanced age! Tommy Nash's guitar solo on this cut is quite the tasty treat, as is Carl Hillman's bass work. Even Horstman takes a turn on soloing, as her fingers work those harpist strings with spirit and verve. Stevie Wonder's sadly romantic "'Cause We've Ended As Lovers" features a mild "old time" spin to it, courtesy of Tommy Young's Hammond B3 and Bernard Wright's Fender Rhodes (Wright's Rhodes sounds oh so cool as his hands play out a smoky mellow jazz riff that speaks of deserted city streets late at night). Worth mentioning to readers of Wind and Wire is the presence of two outright vocal tracks: "Radio Silence," and the title song. Of the two, I preferred the former, which has Tony Wilcox handling the lead vocals. I like the song's gentle rocking nature and Wilcox's voice fits the material perfectly. "Never Turn Back" is a bright sassy jazz-rock tune that, while well performed, is less satisfying for me personally, although it tended to grow on me the more I played it (it reminded me slightly of the more recent work from Brian Auger's ensemble, without his adroit keyboards, though). Besides the solid music contained within, the CD's artwork is trés cool as well, featuring a nifty retro design and color scheme which complement the Rhodes and Hammond B3 heard on some tracks. Never Turn Back should be a welcome addition to your music library if you fancy yourself a smooth jazz lover or someone who just appreciates fine adult contemporary ensemble instrumental recordings, especially with a slight '50s/'60s "hip" texture to them. Either way, I recommend it to all you cool cats out there. |
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