Search - Dennis Springer :: Rio

Livelier than most "smooth jazz"...a real gem...

William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 01/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I guess I'm not surprised that I'm the first reviewer of this disc, which was released 11 years ago. I had never heard of Dennis until I found this in a bargain bin. I like sax music and the price was right, so I took a chance. This is really quite nice. Every selection is interesting, including the one sensuous vocal, "Love Song." Most of the disc is mid-tempo. It can be used as background for your date or party, but it's not boring. I live in the rural southwest of small towns far apart and just flat brown spaces inbetween, but with this music, I can drive at night and feel totally urban and sophisticated, imagining skyscrapers up ahead. Dennis plays tenor and soprano sax, and the rest of the crew do percussion, guitar, bass, piano and keyboards. My preference is for the traditional jazz of the 1946-66 era, so I haven't paid a lot of attention to the smooth/funk of the '90's, but this item makes me wonder if I've been missing something good."