Cruisin
Anyone who's ever seen this French guitarist perform live knows that he has yet to record an album that showcases how truly captivating a guitarist he is.Cruisin'comes close and is without question Antoine's most cohesive and thoroughly entertaining disc. It helps that the guitarist has greatly diminished his use of drum machines and instead works with a live sound, which goes a long way in generating more warmth from his strings than was evident in his previous releases. As the title suggests,Crusin'is a record inspired by summer traveling. It is filled with uplifting melodies and energetic grooves just right for driving. The nine-song CD is something of a travelogue too, with stops in Spain, France, and the islands, respectively, on the tunes "Sierra Bella," "Java Montmarte," and "Caribbean Morning." The disc opens with a smooth-jazz reworking of the Brazilian standard "Mas Que Nada" that features exquisite wordless vocal work from Patti Austin. Drummer Peter Erskine, keyboardist Ricky Peterson, and Antoine's fellow  Frenchman, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, also contribute stellar performances. And the work of percussionist Luis Conte also helps make this album a smooth-jazz winner.--Mark Ruffin