SMOOTH JAZZ
USA
Since Kilauea first stormed the smooth jazz airwaves in 1991, keyboardist Daniel Ho's lush ballads and lighthearted pop musings have been performed by a band comprised of quickly rotating personnel and the occasional all-star guest. Until the release of Full Circle, it was easy to view Ho as more of a solo artist with great support. But the new disc -- an attractive split between lighthearted originals and beautifully arranged covers of recent pop hits like "Right Here Waiting" and "Forever Young" -- features a tight core ensemble for the first time. In the past, Ho has tended towards giving all melodies to the sax. But while Andy Suzuki's horn gets a great workout, most of the tunes are better balanced this time, with Ho's acoustic piano and Jimmy Mahlis' guitar contributing their fair share and even switching off from verse to verse. Ho also makes his strongest case for a future in film scoring with the heartfelt, synth-string enhanced "When You Grow Up."
Albums:
1996 - FULL CIRCLE
01. Avalon Sunrise 04:13
02. Right Here Waiting 04:32
03. Island Jam 04:27
04. These Dreams 04:49
05. A Time To Remember 05:14
06. Forever Young 04:14
07. When You Grow Up 04:38
08. Full Circle 04:09
09. Without You 03:31
10. Our Last Goodbye 04:24
11. Said I Loved You....But I Lied 05:14
Look!!
(flac)
