Search - Various Artists :: Cti: The Master Collection

Original Smooth Jazz

A. Davis | Greenville, SC | 10/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation of 19 tracks from the CTI vaults is a nice 70's reflection during the time when Jazz was evolving through the early fusion period. Creed Taylor managed to record a cadre of future stars (Benson, Deodato & Autin) in their developing stages and give seasoned veterans (Hubbard, Jackson, Crawford & Turrentine) an opportunity to express their art during changing times. This double disc captures a great snapshot of Creed's work. It also captures the essence of the "CTI Sound."It is a joy to hear George Benson perform without the pop singing that has since overshadowed his guitar playing. His playing on "California Dreaming" and "My Latin Brother" is a testament of his mastery of six-strings. I wish he would revisit this approach in his current recordings. Stanley Turrentine manages to stretch out on Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess With Mister "T"" and "Gibraltar" while laying the roadmap for the saxophone vibe that hundreds of Smooth Jazz artist have since copied. The other standout tracks include the fluid and vibrant "Sky Dive" by Freddie Hubbard, the beautiful "Sunflower" by Milt Jackson and the bouncing "Take Ten" by Paul Desmond. These tracks helped define what the CTI sound was about - mellow & adventuresome with just enough spicy seasoning to stimulate your taste buds. The only thing missing from this collection is a track by Grover Washington, Jr. during his collaboration with a young keybordist named Bob James. That would have put a five-star stamp on this colection. If your music collection is lacking in "original" smooth jazz and you are tired of the current pop instumental offerings, dig into something really cool and check out "CTI: The Master Collection". Smooth Jazz has never sounded better."