The Jazz Channel Presents Jeffrey Osborne (BET on Jazz)
Regardless of how many new tunes pop vocalist Jeffrey Osborne tries to  cram into this performance--and there are too many--this is the work of an artist who's trying desperately to rest firmly on his past. And depending on  whom you talk to, it's either an underrated past or one that has always been shaky. Osborne fans will undoubtedly love this collection. He ventures back to his days with '70s funk outfit LTD for such jams as "Concentrate on You" and "Love Ballad," all the way through the solo material of the '80s that netted him five gold and platinum records. Osborne's reputation has always rested with his velvety voice and heart-on-his-sleeve ballads, such as "On the Wings of Love" (performed "unplugged" here with nothing but an acoustic guitar, and Osborne's passionate reading makes it sound as if he's doing it for the first time, rather than the millionth). However, this performance comes across more like a party. The tunes, like "Stay with Me  Tonight," which foolishly segues into Cameo's "Da Butt," are mostly upbeat. He  opens appropriately with "Party Hearty," and if you are an Osborne fan, you'll definitely enjoy the shindig.--Dave McCoy