Alexander Boynton, Jr - Doo Bee Doo Bop

[AC Tones]

Another project where Jeff Lorber shines. Jeff is on quite a roll of late, and I am so glad other artists are utilizing his vast talents. I have always been a big fan, and in some ways, he has been taken for granted over the years. Many forget Jeff is one of the pioneers of this genre but has learned to adapt and evolve as an artist, while still keeping his trademark sound. Finally he is getting the recognition he deserves as a producer and guest musician. Simply put, he turns decent music into great music.

This is a terrific listen!!! A couple of the vocals are throwaways, IMO. But other than that, I REALLY enjoyed sampling this CD and plan on adding a good number of cuts to the rotation. The CD kicks off with the radio-friendly "Beyond The Gate." Then Lorber kicks it into high gear with "Kate," which IMO, is the CD's standout cut. Not far behind is the funky "Frisky Boogaloo", and the equally upbeat title track. The CD ends with the LP version of the quasi-vocal "It Never Rains In Southern California," which, while not ENTIRELY true , is a good listen nonetheless!!!

 

[AnotherCat]

Not feelin this one..too many smooth jazz cliches and not much originality and waaay to many vocals that are pretty generic R&B "oh baby" stuff. Different strokes

 

[AC Tones]

Not feelin this one..too many smooth jazz cliches and not much originality and waaay to many vocals that are pretty generic R&B "oh baby" stuff. Different strokes

Nock and I like it, you and Bill don't. I can see how some might consider this "formula" compared to Cindy and Brian Hughes' releases. But I am a big fan of Jeff Lorber and his sound, and I think there is enough radio-friendly stuff on this one to spin. They may not all hang around in my rotation, but as far as new music goes, there is far less listenable stuff that has arrived in the mailbox of late.

 

[Bill Harmonic]

I agree with your statement that there's lots of far less listenable stuff that arrives everyday in the mailbox but both the labels and artists also have be accountable for what they are working and playing. If it's just OK or it's better than some but not as good as others then there's a good chance it will drag down the sound of my station and I can't afford that especially in this day and age where we (internet stations) are coming into our own and better be on our "A" game all the time. If it's not going to hang around in your rotation then why play it at all? I pick everything with the idea that it sticking around. Even as someone who has always championed new music and who believes it's very important in this format especially, I will still follow the old rule that says rather than play a new song that's crap, I'll play an old hit instead. It's not only important with what you play but also with what you don't play. We will all take a shot at a different project every now (gotta win a lot more than you lose and when you're wrong it better go away quickly) and then but you truly have to be careful to pick and choose wisely. Your future could depend on it. Mine does!

 

[Nock]

BTW Jeff says HELLO. Caught him live tonight in Hotlanta. Yeah C Jazz is dead. They were turning people away from the show because of The Fire Marshall. No C Jazz station left in Atlanta and the place was packed! Nice show!

Nock

and yes Alexander's cd is full of vocals I will never touch but the instrumentals caught me. Wouldn't know formula if it hit me or maybe I just have my own formula?

 

[AC Tones]

I agree with your statement that there's lots of far less listenable stuff that arrives everyday in the mailbox but both the labels and artists also have be accountable for what they are working and playing. If it's just OK or it's better than some but not as good as others then there's a good chance it will drag down the sound of my station and I can't afford that especially in this day and age where we (internet stations) are coming into our own and better be on our "A" game all the time. If it's not going to hang around in your rotation then why play it at all? I pick everything with the idea that it sticking around. Even as someone who has always championed new music and who believes it's very important in this format especially, I will still follow the old rule that says rather than play a new song that's crap, I'll play an old hit instead. It's not only important with what you play but also with what you don't play. We will all take a shot at a different project every now (gotta win a lot more than you lose and when you're wrong it better go away quickly) and then but you truly have to be careful to pick and choose wisely. Your future could depend on it. Mine does!

I know where you are coming from, Bill. I honestly do. But the reason I add tunes that are "decent" to my ears instead of just the best of the best because I'd rather not have listeners hear the same new songs every day. That's terrestrial radio, in my mind, and I don't want to be that. Small categories of music mean those cuts come around faster, and you run the risk of running a great cut into the ground. Terrestrial radio has been guilty of doing this for decades, and I would rather intermingle great cuts in with "decent" ones so not to burn out the great ones. Plus, on first listen was a good cut can grow on me and become a great cut, and go the other way as well, leaving me to say, "What the hell was I thinking when I added that?" So that's why I prefer to add decent cuts along with the great ones because they can grow on me and my listeners. Moreover, there are a lot of listeners that may not have the discerning ears you, Nock, Shannon, or I do. Not saying that we have a better ear for music. We are just more picky about what we like and what we don't like. But a good percentage of my audience get into the overall presentation and vibe of my station, and do not scrutinize individual tunes the way we do. Therefore, I'd like to expose them to the new music that is out there right now from artists they may never have heard. Are they the best cuts ever? Not by a long shot. But my goal is to keep what otherwise might be great new cuts fresh by not overplaying them. I guess what I am saying is, I am going to keep doing my thing and what has been working for my listeners. I have gotten some great feedback both privately and publicly lately, so listeners are taking to heart what I say that this is "their" station as much as it is "mine." Built by a listener, built for the listeners. 8)