Midnight Noon
Among instrumental artists tagged with the "New Age" label, formerJefferson Starshipguitarist Craig Chaquico is one of the few who energized the genre with music bearing a distinctive personal imprint. Chaquico's early recordings (Acoustic Highway,Acoustic Planet) were amiable affairs made memorable by their waves of chiming, glistening chords and refreshing pop-rock propulsion. Yet smooth jazz flourishes gradually crept into his compositions, absorbing his guitar into a generic sax-bass-keyboard mix that obscured his individual stamp.Midnight Noon, his eighth release, is a modest but encouraging move toward more of a middle ground. Chaquico, said to play 50 different guitars on this recording's 10 likeable, upbeat selections, still exhibits an allegiance to jazz (with brassy big-band and Latin accents surfacing at random intervals), yet includes a few pop-infused charmers ("Her Boyfriend's Wedding," "Outlaw in the City," "Always with You") that serve as welcomed throwbacks to his original, looser sound. While at times it sounds as if Chaquico is composing tautly structured television themes ("Jazz Noon"), several of his animated solos (try "El Gato") remind you just how well this guy can play. --Terry Wood