Love Life
Perhaps it says a lot about the way Warren Hill's personal life is positively affecting his creative drive when the single most unforgettable tune on the saxman's Narada Jazz debut, Love Life, is a charming and overly sentimental little number about how his baby daughter "Olivia" has changed his perspective on both life and music. Hill's voice is breathy and soft compared to his robust sax playing, but the handful of other vocal tunes here show some positive steps toward becoming a full-scale multi-talented singer/songwriter.On sax, Hill continues to learn the art of subtlety, as the title track, a largely atmospheric duet with trumpeter Chris Botti, demonstrates. Beyond that, everything else on Love Life reflects Hill's typically powerful, emotive approach. Funk alternates with steamily seductive passages. Unique stylistic variations are tossed in. A horn-punched cover of Grover Washington's classic"Mr. Magic" is punctuated with a rap about Hill's introduction to the music of his late idol. The bouncy "Why You Gotta Worry" shows off Hill's ongoing love for reggae fun, while "Mambo 2000" begins with a steamy Gato Barbieri flavor before leaping into a festive, turbo-charged Latin-brass-meets-rock jam.--- Jonathan Widran, JAZZIZ MagazineCopyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.--From Jazziz