Slow Dance
Before Ken Navarro launched his solo career, he honed his chops in the Los Angeles studio scene, a world where guitarists learn to play with superior taste, tone, and technique--or starve. OnSlow Dance, a collection of original tunes in the smooth-jazz vein, the musician reveals a gift for melody that is as well developed as his guitar playing. As the title implies, the mood here is sultry, and even though the sonic textures are mellow, a subtle but insistent pulse drives the tunes. Navarro keeps the sound from becoming too monochromatic by switching between the lush timbres of a nylon-string guitar and the ringing tones of a steel-string electric. On tracks like "Things We Never Say," a moody conversation between guitar and sax, or "Lady's Choice," a slice of slow-burning R&B;, Navarro's playing inspires an emotional response that words alone can't evoke.Slow Danceis not the sort of music you'd play during breakfast, but it would make an excellent soundtrack for a late-night rendezvous.--Michael Simmons