Search - Tom Scott, La Express :: Smokin Section

Not bad, great sound quality

Steve Marshall | St. Louis, MO USA | 10/31/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a rule, I normally don't care much for the whole `smooth jazz' genre. You know the type. Every song starts with a sweep of the wind chimes, leading directly into the drum machine and/or the fake fingersnaps. While a lot of Tom Scott's recent music falls into this category, there are a few songs on his new CD that require mentioning. "Cruisin' Bayou" has a nice relaxing feel to it, but with a bit of uptempo funk thrown in to pick things up. The big surprise here is a sultry, laid back cover of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe," featuring Patty Smyth on lead vocals and a gorgeous solo by Scott. This song alone is worth the price of the disc.The other standout tune is "TCB in "E"." This 10-minute fusion workout is a live recording from The Blue Note in Tokyo, with scorching solos by Scott, guitarist Buzzy Feiten, and keyboardist Alan Pasqua. Combine these songs with the disc's astounding sound quality, and you've got a worthy addition to your CD collection."

Excellent CD by Scott

Steve Marshall | 04/16/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It was a great idea for Tom Scott to bring back the L.A. Express concept, because this CD has some wonderful horn charts and some of Scott's most inspired playing and compositions in years. My favorite songs are "Smokin'Section," the Beat is On" and "Just Takin' a Walk" for upbeat material and "If I Could Cry" which is a quiet straight ahead jazz piece that is a nice retort for those who thought he couldn't perform improvisational music. I also recommend Max Bennett's "TCB in E" which clocks in at ten minutes and twenty-two seconds and features scortching solos from Scott, keyboardist Alan Pasqua and guitarist Buzz Feiten. He does a nice job with Bobby Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe" with sultry vocals by Patty Smyth and "I'll Still Be Lovin' You" with vocals from Phil Perry. A last interesting note is the Appearance of 80's pop guitarist-vocalist Robbie Nevil (remember "C'est La Vie") who co-write's "Smokin' Section and appears on Phil Perry's track. His contributions are nice and in the pocket. He shows a flair for writing funky instrumentals. Maybe he's entering a new part of his career. All in all Tom Scott is back to reclaim his popularity on the jazz-rock throne that he held in the 70's."

Tom Scott is Back!

John F. Temmerman | Skokie, Il United States | 01/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been listening to Tom Scott for decades. His mid-70s albums with the LA Express were, in my estimation, fusion classics. At his best, he's an intense player with great technique. He shows that on this CD. I got this initially because of the final track, Max Bennett's TCB in E. What the liner notes don't say is that the song dates back to 1974 when it was the theme song for the movie, The Nine Lives of Fritz The Cat. Unfortunately, the movie flopped so fast and so hard so that the soundtrack was never issued. There's a little more to the story and, if you'd like, email me for a few more details. TCB in E is the best cut on this great CD, 10 minutes of smoldering live jam, recorded live in Japan. My regard for this track is so high, I recorded it and included it on my CD release, The Power Of Two by John Temmerman's Jazz Obsession Quartet (Available from Amazon.com) However, I like nearly all the other cuts. Why? Intensity throughout, on all his saxophones (soprano, alto and tenor), on all the cuts. The 9th cut, Lost Again, was a minor letdown, and I didn't like the wind synthesizer on that track all that much. However, this CD is over 69 minutes and his saxophone playing is evocative from end to end. The genre, I guess, is smooth jazz, but it's funk, with passionate saxophone work. The two vocal cuts (Ode to Billie Joe and I'll Still Be Loving You) are enjoyable and I don't view them as gratuitous at all. He's played great with vocalists before - consider his work on Carole King's Jazzman (not included on the CD). The CD says it's by "Tom Scott and the LA Express". The liner notes reference two different recording studios as well as the live recording. There are a number of different players rotating in and out on the various cuts, so I think the "LA Express" is more of a concept than a band with set personnel. The different supporting casts don't reduce the quality and intensity of Tom's playing, though. Hopefully, this CD signals a resurgent Tom Scott, one of my favorite saxophone players."