Jeff Kashiwa - Simple Truth (2002)

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Like trying to divine the gospel from a sea of televangelists, the search for good modern jazz saxophone music is fraught with imposters and imitators. Welcome to the real thing. Jeff Kashiwa is one of the guys that somehow manages to remember to inject serious playing and writing into his albums rather than just stamp out a few more songs whose inspiration rises no higher than the loop on the drum machine. Back when we called this genre "Fusion" or "Contemporary Jazz" and the oxymoronic word "smooth" never entered the equation, Jeff was cutting his teeth with the Rippingtons. One only need to have attended one of those Ripp's shows to know that Jeff had something special. Jeff's got more heart, soul, feel, & melodic sensibility than a hundred Boney Jameses or other soap-star-sax-player clogging the smooth jazz airways. This CD builds on Jeff's last CD and features more outstanding song writing from Jeff and the brilliant Dave Kochanski (Rippingtons, George Duke, Norman Brown, etc.) From the hooky, four on the floor "Three Day Weekend" to the soulful ballads, this CD shines on every level... especially the dying art of songwriting. Oh, yeah, it also uses something really rare... actual live musicians interacting musically with each other. In a genre that has been all but taken over by music to be listened to in elevators and dentist offices, it's great to have one artist stay true to his sound. Here he is, Jeff Kashiwa.

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01. 3 Day weekend
02. Voices
03. Show me love
04. A Quiet Goodbye
05. The Good life
06. Simple Truth
07. Mediterrenean Nights (Intro)
08. Mediterrenean Nights
09. Something About You
10. Thanks To Yo