Description
On Michael Manson’s new CD Michael has collected the who’s who of Smooth Jazz: Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Brian Culbertson, Nelson Range, Norman Brown, Paul Jackson Jr., the legendary George Duke and many more great jazz musicians. This album is a great mix of contemporary jazz, R&B and even a little gospel. When you are able to call on the likes of Brian Culbertson, Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Nelson Rangell, Paul Jackson Jr. and George Duke to work with you on your album, you’ve obviously made your bones in the music world. Such is the case for Michael Manson, on this, his phenomenal second release, JUST FEELIN’ IT. There are 12 cuts on the album and not one of them is a throwaway… each track has its own unique personality and appeal, with a wide range of influences, from jazz to R&B to gospel. Co-produced by Brian Culbertson, the title track is also the first single. With a colossal hook that will have you humming right along, “Just Feelin’ It” is crisp and confident, bringing to mind a perfect autumn day. Lenny Castro on percussion provides the perfect pinch of spice to “It’s The Way She Moves,” another track that I would definitely want to hear coming from my radio. Manson and Jeff Lorber have a remarkable musical rapport as is evidenced by the ultra cool “Way Back When” which they co-produced. Michael Manson has stated, “There are musical conversations that are intriguing and I hope the audience shares in that… it is great for musicians to communicate in that way. That’s the joy of music.” And JUST FEELIN’ IT is categorically an absolute joy that will undoubtedly be shared many times over.
