Peace of Mind
Not to be confused with tenor-sax supremo David Murray, Dave McMurray constitutes the saxophonic division of the Was brothers production team. The "Mc" version is more strictly commercial, but not as void of soulful nutrition as you might think. Smooth jazz is signaled by the air-conditioned synth that opens the album. McMurray borrows his easily-cascading tenor from Grover Washington Jr. and his tight, assertive alto from Tom Scott. However, his drum programs kick sufficient nu-groove booty to rebuff accusations of pale imitation. McMurray's chunky sax lacks Washington Jr.'s fluidity and freedom, but he has a good ear for a funky arrangement. Darrell "Peanut" Smith's muscular bass and Al Martin's chucka-chucka guitar lift his tunes above fuzak. Bob James' two keyboard contributions pack an immediacy that smacks of realtime ensemble playing. "For You" is a torch song. Classical in its simplicity, it finds McMurray twining his soprano about Donald Ray Mitchell's fine vocal. Anyone familiar with the sound of instruments playing together in a real acoustic space will find McMurray's radio-oriented, multi-tracked production compressed and airless. The beguiling luxury of this music is virtual, a technological illusion, yet its crafted cunning still raises a smile. Funk syncopation supplies just enough realism to enable his electro-soul massage to reach the neck muscles.--- JAZZIZ MagazineCopyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.--From Jazziz