Dressed to Chill
Soprano/tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Marion Meadows comes from the smooth jazz sax tradition paved by Grover Washington, Jr. and George Howard.    Though his sound is not a full as those two, he makes up for it with his lyricism, which imbues the twelve tracks here. Highlights include the "down-low" quiet-storm track "Miss Know it All,"  with vocalist Will Brock, "Dance With My Daughter," Meadows' companion piece to Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father,""and his engaging cover of R.  Kelley's "I Believe I Can Fly." The lively "Steppers...Let's Do This" is a high-energy salute to the disco-house dance genre from Chicago.  With production by keyboardists Michael Broening and Chris "Big Dog" Davis and some instrumental support from guitarists Chuck Loeb and Freddy Fox, this recording is the right fit for Marion Meadows' contemporary fans.--Eugene Holley, Jr.