Search - Chris Ho :: Growing Up

Chick Corea meets Steely Dan without Fagen's vocals

Dave | Southern California | 10/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As an introduction to Chris you should know he used to play keyboards for Smoky Robinson. Although he is a wonderful accompanist this is not the true measure of his talent. He is a artful composer with an ear for melody and time. His compositions are moving, funky, tasteful and have some real bite. Nowadays much of the jazz played on the radio is so mellow that its fine for background music but its not the least bit challenging or engaging. Chris Ho's music is melodic yet has some punch ala the Yellowjackets. His band burns led by an incredible sax player, Wayne Wayne. No your not seeing double that's his moniker. Wayne plays with an intense soulfulness and is able to blend bop with with fusion. Throw into this mix the tight guitar work of Mike O'Neil and Chris' satisfying soloing and you have an outstanding effort. Give this CD a chance and you'll be extremely happy you did."

CD label misleading, but still a good listen!

smoothjazzandmore | Clay, NY USA | 04/01/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Ho has been playing back up for Smokey Robinson on his tours for many years. Now he's ventured on his own with this solo CD. He recorded this album back in 1998. It's a nice mix of different styles of Jazz, with influences from Spyro Gyra and The Yellowjackets. "Dark Heroes" and "Bada Be Bim Bop" are the highlight tracks on this CD. The only problem I had with the CD was the album cover. It says, "featuring Smokey Robinson" right on the cover. That had me thinking there would be plenty of vocals from the Motown legend. Unfortunately, he only appears on one track and that only featured background vocals. It's a let down that the listener should be aware of before getting their hopes up. Despite the shortcoming, the CD is a pleasant listen. Recommended!"