“sax player Michael J Thomas may yet turn out to be the smooth jazz find of 2010”-Denis Poole, SmoothJazzTherapy.com
"Refreshing with a great sound...the sax style and horn licks hook you the second you hear it."-Mark Carter, Owner of WSBZ 106.3
“the hooks throughout are full, catchy, and attractive.”-Ronald Jackson, TheSmoothJazzRide.com
SmoothJazzTherapy.com Album Review:
Raised in Cecilia, Kentucky and now domiciled in Destin, Florida, sax player Michael J Thomas may yet turn out to be the smooth jazz find of 2010. His debut CD, ‘City Beat’, which hits the streets on March 2, is a tremendously accomplished piece of work and, given that Thomas writes or co-writes all but one of ten choice tracks, proves also to be a wonderful showcase for his art. Thomas’s writing partner is guitarist Shannon Wallace who co- produces and performs with him throughout. Together, with a tight group of backing musicians, they deliver a tremendously commercial collection that has every prospect of doing very well.
The album opens with the sophisticatedly cool ‘Midtown Manhattan’. With an enticing mid tempo groove it is an early indication of the accessibility that Thomas routinely builds into his music and more of the delicious same comes in the form of ‘Cali Trippin’ which has a brassy, easy paced swagger and features moody trumpet from Paul Scurto. In fact whether the pace be relaxed or intense the smooth jazz essentials of rhythm and melody are never too far away. This is demonstrated by the urban tinged ‘Mind Your Step’ which balances Thomas’s cool playing with an underlying horn infused urgency and when he cranks up the tempo even further for the feel good title cut the result has ‘radio ready’ written all over it.
‘Wedding Song’ shows off a more sensitive side to Thomas’s musical persona and in similar vein is the contemplative ‘Back Home’ that benefits from the enchanting synthesised strings of Diki Ross and excellent soprano sax from Thomas. Elsewhere Jonathan Davies on drums and Eric Lampley on bass lay a funky foundation for Thomas’s restrained yet compelling rendition of ‘30-A Degrees’ while in terms of personal favourites there is much to commend the Michael J Thomas - Shannon Wallace arrangement of Michael Jackson’s seminal ‘Billie Jean’. Starting out slowly and quickly hitting a familiar beat this could well be one of the best covers of the year whilst just as good is the original composition ‘Amante Del Vino’. This easy paced gem checks every contemporary jazz box imaginable but just shading it as Smooth Jazz Therapy top track is the tranquil ‘Pretty Skin’. With Ross sublime on keys and Thomas at his delightfully melodic best this is one that will play and play.-Denis Poole, SmoothJazzTherapy.com
TheSmoothJazzRide.com Album Review:
Interesting scenario. A man takes pen in hand, writes 9 of the 10 tracks to feature on his debut release (due in stores on March 2), adds one hot cover by the one and only gloved one, Michael Jackson (just for extra flava, I suppose), and boldly steps out into the groove-laden world of smooth jazz and instantly begins making his mark. Hmm… Now, that could work. In fact, in the case of Michael J Thomas, it does. Saxman Thomas delivers on City Beat the kind of self-confidence and stand-up solid material that has ushered in so many of our smooth jazz greats today.
Despite being born and raised in a part of the country that proudly struts its country music like a badge (i.e., Kentucky), Thomas was fed a steady diet of Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Prince by his super-hip parents. Talk about going against the grain!
Thomas obviously knows home when he sees it, as he’s honed right in on smooth jazz like an old neighbor. With equal amounts of sway (the opening track, "Midtown Manhattan," and the title track) and respect for the genre (the soothing allure of the more mellow tracks), the artist thoroughly enjoys his seduction of this music. Stepping to pieces like his warm, hook-sweet tune called "Wedding Song (Forever and Always)" and demonstrating why it should be the song in demand at all weddings, he then takes you on a bright, high-steppin’ walk with “30-A Degrees.” By the way, lovebirds, I have to single out "Wedding Song" only because, yes, you play this one whenever you need to remember why you married him or her in the first place, and you’ll fall in love all over again.
Remember how you felt when you first heard “Billie Jean” by MJ? Well, this is not MJ, and I make no assertions whatsoever that it is, but this young man gets his own groove off the ground with his own movin’ and shakin’ version here. Not a snoozer by any stretch.
A big fan of catchy hooks, I couldn’t help noticing the beauty of the mid-tempo “Pretty Skin” and the slick and funky “Mind Your Step,” with its own hot hook. In fact, the hooks throughout are full, catchy, and attractive. Appropriately so, the album ends on a stout dose of funk and a grabbing hook to take it all “home.”
I strongly know that Thomas’ parents are beaming with pride at the man they had hoped would benefit from that diet of R&B and pop. They have every reason to do so. He has already shown that he’s a natural at this and only needed to be taken lightly by the shoulder and turned in our direction. Thanks, Mom and Dad Thomas! -- Ronald Jackson
MICHAEL J THOMAS City Beat Harbor Breeze Records
What an impressive debut release from this young sax man from Destin Florida! Michael J. Thomas, who grew up just outside of Elizabethtown, Kentucky (the one from the 2005 movie of the same name) has been gigging on the Emerald Coast for the past ten years, sharing the stage with the greats of Smooth Jazz at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, and also Christian artists Sandi Patty and Mark Harris, all the while building his reputation as a Smooth Jazz artist with integrity. CITY BEAT is an outstanding collection of nine originals, plus a strong cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” This is quality Smooth Jazz… melodic, vibrant, extremely well-performed and produced. The man whose goal is to “bless people with my music and have a lasting career with integrity” has taken a giant leap forward with the release of CITY BEAT. This is a must-have album for Smooth Jazz lovers - Album available March 2, 2010! ~SCOTT O'BRIEN
ALBUM CREDITS:
Produced by: Shannon Wallace and Michael J Thomas
Recorded and Mixed by: Shannon Wallace at Wallace Productions, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Mastered by: Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA
Photography by: Gina Yra at www.contagiousphotography.com
Stylist: Angela Smith, Destin, FL
CD Design by: Peter Wong at www.nexuscreative.com
Read more...