Description
Saxophonist Euge Groove is one of the bestselling Contemporary Jazz artists, scoring more than half a dozen #1 Smooth Jazz radio hits and selling over 250,000 albums. His last album, HOUSE OF GROOVE, hit #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, continuing his hit driven chart reign. GOT 2 BE GROOVIN delivers Euge Groove’s trademark Funk/Jazz grooves on a wide ranging set including potential radio hits as well as featuring a couple of vocal tracks by AMERICAN IDOL finalist Elliot Yamin and Gospel singer Chanel Haynes of Trin I Tee 5:7.
The 2014 CD from the incomparable Euge Groove is invariably amongst the highlights of any smooth jazz year so it will be no surprise to hear that his latest offering, ‘Got 2 Be Groovin’ (which will hit the streets August 19 on Shanachie Records) finds him, as ever, at his immaculate best.
In fact it was in 2009 that Euge first partnered with Shanachie Records for the release of ‘Sunday Morning’. In 2011 he was back with the highly acclaimed ‘S7even Large’ and ‘House Of Groove’ followed a year later. Now for this, his ninth solo collection, he writes or co-writes nine of the ten choice tunes, produces throughout and carries out mixing duties in the good company of long time mentor Paul Brown. It is everything one has come to expect from an artist who hit the ground running with his 2000 self-titled debut and has been running ever since.
Indeed, from the very first notes of the opening number, the entirely sublime ‘Forever And A Day’, it is clear that Euge means business. This groove drenched gem features flute from Althea Rene and has already inked itself into my top twenty tracks of 2014 while when Groove hooks up with Paul Brown, Roberto Vally, Jeff Caruthers, Ramon Yslas and MB Gordy they deliver the easy paced ‘Homie Grown’ for which Brown’s guitar solo is a sheer delight.
The album’s one and only cover version is the Edwards and Richardson composition ‘Wildflower’ that over the years has been recorded by artists as diverse as The O’Jays, Johnny Mathis and Blake Shelton. Here it is given a brand new vibe, partly because of Groove’s masterful playing but also through the vocals of Elliot Yamin who is perhaps best known for his exploits on the television show American Idol.
A spine tingling piano solo from Tracy Carter sets the scene for the gospel tinged ‘Rain Down On Me’ that provides a scintillating platform for unmistakable interplay between Euge and another smooth jazz superstar, the one and only Peter White. Later, the lightness of touch that Euge cultivates for the magical ‘Tango In Tio’ is a joy to behold and although the mid tempo title cut is already destined to figure hugely in the set-list of his ‘must see’ live shows, the similarly disposed ‘Groovin’ Up Hip Street’ gets the job done in a way that only Euge Groove can.
Elsewhere the charmingly easy grooving ‘Miss Bane’ is dedicated to Euge’s wife and he keeps it in the family with ‘Hey Hey Lil’ Lilah Belle’ that was written with his daughter in mind. No question, it is right up there with the best that ‘Got 2 Be Groovin’ has to offer and in this respect is in the excellent company of ‘In Love With You’. Complete with vocals from Trin-i-tee 5:7 founder member Chanelle Haynes, it takes Euge into the sort of urban jazz territory that he occasionally frequented with his earlier projects. Not only that, it is a sensational song with which to close out the album.
