David Wise – TILL THEY LAY ME DOWN: David’s mighty mellow tenor & baritone sax work is thoroughly complimented by his regular players on his debut solo CD; Bruce Forman-guitar, Alex Frank-bass, Jake Reed-drums… along with a whole host of special guests playing Jason Joseph, vocals (track 1); Laura Mace, vocals (track 1); Josh Smith, guitar solo (track 1); Mitchell Cooper, trumpet (tracks 1, 9); Glenn Morrissette, alto sax (track 1); R.W. Enoch, tenor sax (track 1); Amy K. Bormet, keyboard (track 1); Mikala Schmitz, cello (tracks 2, 8); David Wise, vocals (track 8, 9)… though the “label” affixed to the promo sheet is “jazz”, there’s no way it can be so simplified… to my way of thinking, this is some of the most soulful music I’ve heard (yet) in 2017! Just listen to the splendid opener, “What More Could One Man Want?“, and you’ll hear what I’m talkin’ ’bout… (man, Josh Smith’s guitar solo on this one just SCREAMS soul).
The title track, David’s original, “Till They Lay Me Down“, is probably the most laid-back sax work I’ve heard in a great long time (in fact, most of these tunes are originals by David). It’s easy to be impressed by David’s clear tones on the sax, and (like I said), you’ll be mellowing out for the entire 8:03! Of the nine songs offered up for your listening pleasure, I voted easily for “Home“, as my personal favorite. If you’re looking for some ultra-cool & high-talent music to groove out to, this is MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by my ears, and gets an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.97. Get more information about him and his great music at David’s website. Rotcod Zzaj
