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Najee - Mind Over Matter
- Listening to instrumental jazz can be a daunting affair. The genre has not entirely unfairly been derided as background music, homogeneous and unnoticeable enough to serve as an adequate soundtrack to mundane activities like waiting in line at a coffee shop and trips to the dentist. Muzak, after all, is profitable for a reason: It’s inoffensive, soothing and appropriate for any situation where violent boredom needs to be assuaged.
Most of smooth jazz musician Najee’s upcoming album, “Mind Over Matter,” avoids this pitfall. Though some tracks fail to distinguish themselves from their neighbors, and monotony sets in about halfway through the tracklist, “Matter” manages to elevate itself above mere elevator music by augmenting its conventional structures with catchy instrumentation and above-average hooks.
The first two songs, “Love You a Lifetime” and “Sweet Summer Nights,” not only boast Najee’s superb saxophone skills but also funky bass lines and fine keyboard passages that distinguish the 10 horn-driven songs from one another nicely. The piano work on songs such as the title track also gives the music an often much-needed jolt during the extended sax solos.
It might be a bit of an insult for an artist’s major entry into mainstream culture to be an appearance on the surely spectacular compilation album, “The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz.” However, Najee truly sets himself apart from other, blander jazz instrumentalists with his superior talent and interesting arrangements.
Reviewer: Adam Rowan
new
Reviewer's Rating: 5.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 2-Aug-2009
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