Search - Jim Adkins :: License To Play

Smoothjazz.com Review

Sandy Shore | Monterey, CA | 11/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here's a colorful guitar album that deserves to be in your Smooth Jazz collection --  It's got all the ingredients you're looking for; great melodies, energy, groove, passion, and award-winning world-class musicianship. I definitely listened the first time to this disc with a biased ear, having thoroughly enjoyed "Turning Point," his most recent release prior to this one.  (LICENSE TO PLAY is Adkins' 4th album release.) Jim's playing reminds me a lot of Lee Ritenour, Ken Navarro, and, at times, Larry Carlton. Good company to keep! LICENSE TO PLAY is loaded with radio-friendly tunes from this talented Virginian, the first of which, "Ocean Breeze," is sure to garner tons of airplay. On my first listen through the album I marked several other tracks as favorites as well, namely ""Where Will You Go," "Candlelight Dance," and "Nightfall." Then, on subsequent listens, I ended up marking pretty much the rest of the album! When I audition a new album, I categorize it in terms of 1) Whether it fits into the Smooth Jazz groove; 2) Whether it will sound strong on the "air"; and 3) Whether I'll want to include it in my personal library of favorites. LICENSE TO PLAY is a winner in all three categories. This album deserves plenty of attention from Smooth Jazz radio and fans alike.  No doubt about it, Jim Adkins will soon be a household name in the Smooth Jazz genre.  LICENSE TO PLAY should move that agenda along quite nicely! ~Scott O'Brien"