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Shades of Grey
1. Wildflower |
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The Beat, vol 23 #6, 2004
Eugene Grey soars on Shades of Grey (Greyphone), the roots reggae version of a smooth-jazz album that showcases his stylized virtuoso electric guitar with soft backing vocals, chunky tracks bedded by real bass, drum and subdued keyboards. If you like players like Peter White, Larry Carlton or Lee Ritenour you'll be pleasantly surprised by the technical dexterity of Eugene Grey working on unquestionable reggae rhythms but playing with the feel of modern jazz at its best. He's not afraid to step out of the mold (as on the intro to "Our Song" where sophisticated jazz voicings drop into a stepped-up rhythm). Recognizable names are in the mix, including percussionist Larry McDonald, and cool solos abound. Two bonus tracks give backing vocalist Tasha a chance to show what she can do out front, my favorite being a nice romp through pop standard "My Baby Just Cares For Me". |
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