A couple of weeks ago, while I was making one of MCJN's last playlists, I put in "Who Knows" and followed it up with the title track for Jeff Lorber's new album. I don't know about you, but I found--and still find--the unintentional transition seamless. Since then, if I feel like playing "Who Knows" in WinAmp, I'll queue "He Had a Hat" to follow it.

I think i saw the album at #8 this weekend and climbing on the contemporary jazz chart...

It's not even a month since I've had this album, and I am really liking it. Hardly a day passes without hearing a song or two from this album.

Just before listening to "This Way", I listened to AArt and Arcanum. I am amazed to see how the band has enhanced their sound over the years. I became a fan after hearing "The New Edge", and I really like the new sound as well as the old.

My favorites from this album are Out of Nowhere, Slampop, This Way, Carlos The King.

Now at Number 3 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart!!! Way to go, guys. Great CD. Here's the link.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=Top+Contemporary+Jazz

The good thing is that the music is still moving forward, and progressing, and is sounding phenom.

I am enjoying the new album but am concerned that the songs are being driven by computerized pre-production. I would love to see them write the next album entirely on the guitars (get the melodies first) and then add the other elements. I'm curious to hear what that would sound like today. Hopefully this doesn't peg me as a fan living in the past.

I agree. I have been listening to the new album some time now and for sure it has some nice songs, but overall I am a bit disappointed and in particuluar I am missing the typical AA signature sound with the dominance of the two acoustic guitars.
Many songs appear to be slightly overproduced with too much programming and sound effects. Ok, it gives the album a very modern sound and it prooves that the music is constantly evolving; but mostly the guitars are less dominant than other instruments and they are rarley interacting together.
The opening song and the title song (and also the last track) are a very strange selection; these are surely not the highlights on the album.The best ones in my view are: Who knows, Ernie, Out of Nowhere and Carlos the King.
My only hope is that it takes a bit longer to love this album, as it did for AArt and Radio Contact. I had difficulties with them in the beginning as well, but now they are among my favourite AA albums.
I hope that the next album will be again more acoustic and written around the guitars, like they did on Radio Contact. But I am sure it will sound completely different again and in fact it has alwas been the strength of AA that they are constantly reinventing themselves. I guess this is why we love them so much.

Bought it the day it was available, full price at BB, without really hearing any samples.

My children asked me what group was I listening to, I told them to guess. AA did not enter their minds, enough said . Listened through the CD about three times in total. A couple songs were downloaded to my laptop, the CD has been filed/latent since. Most of my thoughts are echoed with the three star types over at AmAzOndotCoM.

Would I have purchased it if it was not an AA title?......no. It pains me to say it-I will not purchase next time without a thorough/prior taste test.

so as an opinion, what is AA supposed to sound like these days?

On Amazon, there are 10 customer reviews, and 4 of them mention RD&SL, Positive Thinking, Arcanum, Etc... The other 6 liked This Way, as did Jazziz when it was reviewed there.

I was especially amused by the Amazon review from someone who didn't like how Carlos the King was played live because the "trumpet" was missing from the tune during the show and there was no trumpeter on tour.

(LOL, actually there was a trumpeter... Fred plays the trumpet as well as keys, LOL. He plays the horn on 3 tracks from This Way).

So his review of the CD was based on his disatisfaction at how the tunes were played in a live and breathing show. Not that any band actually plays their tunes note for note..... and I didn't mean to giggle a bit , but c'mon, Dude - Carlos the King has Rick Braun on flugelhorn. ROTFLMAO. If you're going to put a review on Amazon and try to come off like an expert ("20-year oeuvre" indeed!), then my advice is to at least get your factoids right, Dude! Rick Braun is a major force and influence on c-jazz and smooth jazz and the co-founder of a record label ... not exactly an unknown waiting to be discovered... or in this case, overlooked. Well, at least he makes his position clear when you read all of his reviews - his last favorite recording was "Positive Thinking". He pretty much trashed everything after that one... The power of the internet at work... where's that rolling on the floor icon when I need it?

(just trying to make a little joke here....)

At least here... people seem to be able to say what they like or didn't like - and pinpoint it.

Anyhow, this discussion has come up before.... and I know that some lurkers are going to jump in soon. Just keep it from flaming - and please remember - to respect each other's opinions. There is no "right" or "wrong".... just opinions.

I say this because I was a bit disappointed at how some of the newer boarders expressed themselves when presented with opposing opinions. In the interest of fairness and not confusing people with moderation vs opinion, I will not state my opinion- but I will continue to moderate the thread.

Looking forward to reading your opinions.

http://www.magicisland.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000068

http://www.magicisland.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000071

Wish the so-called reviewers on Amazon would get their facts straight:

Review #1
"The road to instrumental stardom began when the duo Carmichael-Gilderdale provided the one-off-in-flight entertainment for a Virgin Airlines England to America flight, in search of an elusive recording contract..."

Reviewer #2
"...when AA bought their flight to the States from England by winning a talent competition to play aboard American Airlines(also AA...cute~)"

Bob