Groovin'
This concept sounds like the set-up for a joke: What do you get when you cross three smooth-jazzers with topnotch straight-ahead players? Turns outNorman Brown,Kirk Whalum, andRick Braunhave the last laugh and a damn good time. While they may be three of the most distinct stylists in smooth jazz, they had to turn up the pots to cook with bassistChristian McBrideand drummer Gregory Hutchinson. KeyboardistRicky Peterson, maybe the funkiest organist in contemporary jazz outside ofLarry Goldings, plays a producing role and is probably the MVP of BWB. The players aren't the only stars. The impeccable choice of 10 well-known cover tunes adds to an unapologetically fun record that allows B, W, and B to stretch out much more than they do on other recordings. Braun quotes Freddie Hubbard on "Povo," while Whalum explores Cannonball Adderley on "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," and Brown pays back Wes Montgomery throughout the proceedings. From the sexually charged "Let's Do It Again," featuring a purringDee Dee Bridgewaterand a scatting Brown, to the inspired arrangements of Alicia Keys's "A Woman's Worth" and D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar," there are no holes in any of these grooves.--Mark Ruffin