A percolating groove

Reviewed July 2006

The best smooth jazz has always melded the after-hours sophistication of a smart jazz set with the percolating grooves of vintage rhythm and blues. If too many smooth jazz practitioners forget that and turn out music that's unimaginative and flat, saxophonist Marion Meadows' new album reminds what great instrumental pop music ought to sound like. Mostly bright and uptempo, with infectious melodies laid atop dance-ready rhythms, "Dressed to Chill" is easy on the ears without ever growing stale or boring.

And while, as mentioned, most of the songs are definitely in a sunny vein, Meadows does turn a bit introspective on "Scent of a Woman" – providing a nice change of pace.

Review by Jim Trageser. Jim is a writer and editor living in Escondido, Calif., and was a contributor to the "Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD" (1993) and "The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues" (2005).