So what has been happening in the Secret Garden world of smooth jazz over the Spring of 2002. Well, as usual there has been some interesting musical experiences and right at the top of this particular list has been a chance to experience the live showcase for Boney James new album release Ride.

	Boney James - Ride

The Ride Tour, a marathon event that is zig zagging the US throughout the Spring and Summer of 2002 hit McCormick Place, Chicago on March 22. The Secret Garden was in town and on the shores of Lake Michigan to see it.

Boney James is a rare commodity these days, an instrumentalist capable of racking up gold records, his last three Warner discs have all reached this status, and selling 5,000 seats nightly to his shows. With regard to the Ride tour this is promotional event designed solely to boost sales of the album. However, that said, what an event and what an album.

Ride sees Boney James take his music to a different, more R and B influenced level leaving behind some of his earlier, and smoother, work. One has only to listen to his previous albums to detect an evolving style and an intent not to sit on a particular sound or rhythm, as so many of his smooth jazz colleagues have.

The performance sponsored in part by Chicago’s own smooth jazz radio station WNUA 95.5 was exquisitely staged and super charged with excitement. His live line up, David Torkanowsky on keyboards, Larry Kimpel on bass and vocals, Rohn Lawrence on guitar and vocals, Rick Jordan on drums, Micheto Sanchez on percussion and Morris Pleasure on keyboards and trumpet were as tight a unit as anyone would ever care to hear.

James, spending most of the night wandering the stage from side to side while playing his tenor made full use of this backing line up affording them the opportunity for solo time and to duet with him.

Boney live

This was achieved most notably on track 10 from the album ‘This Is The Life’ that James handed over in part to a standout percussion duet between Jordan and Sanchez. In addition, using three of his musicians as vocalists helped to broaden the show's appeal, as did the appearance of Morris Pleasure on trumpet. Pleasure assumed the ‘Rick Braun’ role with James, the extra horn bringing in an added soulful texture, thanks to the sax-trumpet combo on a spirited and extended rendition of ‘Grazing in the Grass’.

With a nod back to some of his previous hits James managed to fit a few favourites from earlier albums into the set and most notable among them was a great version of ‘All Night Long’ from the Body Language CD. He also found time for the Hall and Oates classic ‘Sarah Smile’ as part of his encore set, playing it as he walked amongst the crowd in the auditorium. This was originally included on the 1995 release Seduction and is discussed in further detail in the next Secret Garden.

Centrepiece of the evening was undoubtedly the title track from the album Ride, a high-octane R&B groove from the pen of Angie Stone. Although a subtle indebtedness to William de Vaughan's ‘Be Thankful for What You've Got’ could not be denied this tune stands easily on its own. It builds, it affords James the opportunity to duet with the vocals and on the night had every single member of the packed audience on their feet. Certainly, in the opinion of The Secret Garden, this is the best thing released thus far this year.

In the end the show was not about solos or duets or album tracks, it was about creating moods. Boney James' used his sax to mostly replace the lead singer and to do with his instrument what Luther Vandross would do with his voice. It kept him away from any extended histrionics, held notes or hurriedly repeated riffs. It kept him right in the groove. This was a live performance that will live long in the memory. Catch a ride on the Ride tour if you can. If not be sure to buy the album.

Now for this months contribution to the what’s smooth jazz? series. The purpose of this feature is to draw up a short list of the really great examples of smooth jazz that could be used to explain smooth jazz to someone brand new to the genre.

	Bob James & David Sanborn - Double Vision

This months choice is ‘Maputo’ written by Marcus Miller and performed by Bob James and David Sanborn on their 1986 project Double Vision.

Not only is ‘Maputo’ an excellent showcase for the smooth jazz genre it is also a great insight into the respective talents of James and Sanborn who, together with Grover Washington JR., have undoubtedly been the most influential players over the three decades it has taken for smooth jazz to establish its own identity.

David Sanborn

Certainly, together with Washington, David Sanborn has been the most influential saxophonist on pop, R&B, and crossover jazz over the past 20 plus years. Born on July 30 1945 in Tampa, Florida most of Sanborn's recordings have been in the dance music or in the R and B vein, although time and time again he has proved himself as a capable jazz player. Scott Yanow describes Sanborn's greatest contributions to music as his passionate sound, with its crying and squealing high notes, and his emotional interpretations of melodies which generally uplift any record he is on. Unlike his countless number of imitators, Sanborn is immediately recognisable within two notes.

While growing up in St. Louis, Sanborn played with many Chicago blues greats, including Albert King and despite battling polio in his youth, became a skilled alto saxophonist. After important stints with Paul Butterfield, he played with The Butterfield Blues Band at Woodstock, Gill Evens, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and The Brecker Brothers, Sanborn began recording as a leader in the mid-'70s and he racked up a string of pop successes. Over the years he has worked with many pop players but he has made his biggest impact leading his own danceable bands. Occasionally Sanborn throws the music world something out of the ordinary. His eccentric but rewarding Another Hand, a guest stint with avant-gardist Tim Berne on a 1993 album featuring the compositions of Julius Hemphill, and a set of ballads, Pearls, on which he is accompanied by a string orchestra arranged by Johnny Mandel can all catch his listeners by surprise.

For a couple years in the early '90s, Sanborn was the host of the syndicated television series Night Music that had a very eclectic line-up of musicians. British readers will relate the show to a similar project, Later, that appeared on BBC television and was fronted by Jules Holland. Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, James Taylor and heavy metal players all added to the typical mix that Sanborn sought to concoct. It was typical for the featured artists to be given the unique opportunity to play together. It displayed Sanborn's wide interest and musical curiosity even though his own recordings could be at times branded as quite predictable.

Sanborn’s collaborator on Maputo needs even less an introduction than does Sanborn himself.

Bob James

Bob James recordings have practically defined pop/jazz and crossover during the past few decades. If James Brown can be defined as the godfather of soul then Bob James has undoubtedly matured into what can honestly be described as the godfather of smooth jazz.

Although reviewers who have a slightly snobbish view of what jazz should be all about have criticised James for producing music without ‘challenge’ they have very much missed the point of Bob James as a smooth jazz / cross over / fusion pioneer.

Very influenced by pop and movie music, James has often featured, and continues to feature, R&B soloists, vocal and instrumental, a characteristic now emulated by many of the smooth jazz stars of today such as Peter White and Brian Culbertson. Perhaps the most notable Bob James collaborator has been Grover Washington JR. although David Sanborn is right up there also. Each has served to add a jazz touch to what are essentially instrumental pop sets.

Born in Marshall, MO, on Christmas Day 1939 he actually started out in music going with a much different direction. As far back as 1962 Bob James recorded a bop-ish trio set for Mercury, and three years later his album for ESP was quite avant-garde, with electronic tapes used for effects. After a period with Sarah Vaughan, 1965-1968, he became a studio musician, and by 1973 was arranging and working as a producer for CTI. In 1974 he recorded his first purely commercial effort as a leader.

A career defining event for James was probably his 1983 release The Genie which in fact is a soundtrack compilation from the hit TV series Taxi. The theme from the show ‘Angela’ became an anthem for James and remains the song that his audience calls for at live gigs.

Both before and after The Genie came big-selling albums for his own Tappan Zee label, Columbia, and Warner Bros., including collaborations with Earl Klugh and David Sanborn. The 1986 Double Vision with Sanborn is a great example although his work with Klugh is also of the highest quality. These copper plated collaborations have remained a facet of Bob James recording career. His album Joined at The Hip with Kirk Whalum and the track ‘Mind Games’ with Boney James from his solo album Playin Hooky bear testament to that.

Latterly his collaboration in the project Fourplay has added a further dimension to his music. Starting out as the quartet of Bob James, Nathan East, Harvey Mason and Lee Ritenour and redefining their shape (and sound) with the replacement of Ritenour by Larry Carlton, Fourplay consistently produce what can be best described as grown up smooth jazz. James is here again found at what is his very best, collaborating with other musicians to make sophisticated smooth jazz music.

It was yet another regular Bob James collaborator, bass player Marcus Miller, that composed ‘Maputo’ and played on the album on which it appears. The value of this tune to the ‘what’s smooth jazz?’ feature is as much about the age of the track as it is about its undoubted quality. Although produced sixteen years ago it contains many facets of smooth jazz that the up and coming artists of today regularly seek to recreate. It is innovative but above all it still sounds great.