Patrick Yandall - Dance in the Rain

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:02
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. City Boy
(4:25) 2. Find Your Purpose
(4:17) 3. Dance In The Rain
(4:21) 4. House Party
(4:20) 5. Poly Funk
(4:28) 6. Seascape
(4:37) 7. Cool That
(4:08) 8. East Of Nathans
(4:07) 9. Just Dance
(4:42) 10. Backstage
(5:06) 11. Sabishi
(4:11) 12. Sol Food
(4:21) 13. The Joy In You
(4:33) 14. Summer Sky

I used to review a lot of albums by the American guitarist Patrick Yandall. However, this is only the first time that he is discussed on my site.

Patrick grew up in a military family, but was already playing trumpet in fourth grade. In this way he wanted to escape the nomadic life. After a sports accident in Bay City, Michigan, which resulted in a broken hip, Patrick shifted his focus to the guitar.

His father's fondness for jazz led him to a lifelong fascination. When the family settled there, Patrick developed a preference for the progressive styles of Jimi Hendrix, Yes, Steely Dan and George Benson. But he was also influenced by R&B and soul artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and Rufus.

A revelation was a concert by Jeff Lorber with a young Kenny G on sax and Roy Ayers. Patrick started playing nightclubs when he was thirteen and learned to mix jazz with rock and R&B. In the early eighties he moved to San Diego and played in cover bands. That led to studio work in LA for Kevin Flournoy, Gene-O Cole, Under The Lake, Will Donato, Rocco Ventrella, Nathan Brown, Rod Best, The Ghost Trio, etc. He also performed with J. Michael Verta, Michael Paulo, among others , Scott Wilkie, Carl Evans, Jr. (Fattburger), Hollies Gentry III, Greg Vail (Kilauea), Tommy Emmanuel, Tom Braxton.

Now he has released a new album, containing smooth jazz, R&B and contemporary jazz. 'City Boy' opens with a nice, cheerful guitar playing, after which 'Find Your Purpose' continues in the same atmosphere. Vocalist Gene-O Cole is a guest on the title track. The party atmosphere is clearly there on 'House Party', followed by the very funky sounding 'Poly Funk'.

After that you can experience the tranquility of 'Seascape', which continues in the mid-tempo of 'Cool That'. 'East of Nathans' maintains that relaxed vibe, while 'Just Dance' encourages you to sway along. Then we pop into 'Backstage'to get acquainted. The Japanese inspired 'Sabishi' sounds a bit melancholic, followed by 'Sol Food'. Joy and cheerfulness are the themes of 'The Joy in You', after which 'Summer Sky' closes with a summer feeling.

Again a nice album interspersed with Patrick's guitar skills. It's up to you to discover this!
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Patrick/Yandall/DanceInTheRain.htm

Dance in the Rain

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Patrick Yandall - 10 South Riverside

Size: 133,3 MB
Time: 57:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Mister Bean (3:59)
02. Kona Boy (3:51)
03. Breezin' (4:19)
04. Sunrise In Monroe (4:16)
05. Free Flight (4:13)
06. Thumbs Up (4:00)
07. 10 South Riverside (4:02)
08. Memory Lane (4:14)
09. Momma T (4:14)
10. It's Always Been You (3:45)
11. Thunder Road (4:40)
12. Hermosa (3:39)
13. Albany Park (3:56)
14. Jump Back James (4:08)

One of the most prolific, talented, and –in my opinion – somewhat unheralded guitarists in this jazz/smooth jazz genre is long-time artist Patrick Yandall. His smooth, textured sound and delivery have been recognized and appreciated enough for him to be featured in any all-star lineup of contemporary jazz artists anywhere. Yet, that distinction is not often bestowed upon him, despite having now cranked out 21 quality-filled albums and having received Grammy consideration in the “Contemporary Instrumental” category for his previous two releases. His music was once regularly featured on the former Weather Channel, as well.

Here with 10 South Riverside, yet another gem (this cat can crank them out with blinding speed – meaning his library of unreleased material must be massive), the cool, unassuming masterfully skilled guitarist offers 14 more tracks, 13 originals and a magnificent cover of George Benson’s “Breezin’.” It’s all as colorful and charismatic as anything he’s ever produced. Personally, I feel that, as an indie artist, his longstanding productivity, creativity, and awesome style speak volumes and should serve as solid inspiration for all indie artists with bonafide skill and conviction that perseverance certainly has its merits.

10 South Riverside even has a great nod to the late Chuck Loeb called “Free Flight,” a powerful piece that would certainly make Chuck proud. Other notable tracks include the slick and silky mid-tempo “Thumbs Up,” its melody singing a carefree and happy song; the lead track “Mister Bean,” a poppin’ up-tempo tune that intentionally takes on a Blackbyrds-like feel; the soft, swaying “Sunset in Monroe” – a reference to a Michigan city; and the snappy title track, among many others – including a funky, soulful, mid-tempo nod to King James Brown with “Jump Back James” as his finale. Simply 24-carat stuff.

Yandall makes no compromises on any of his releases in terms of quality, and his level of commitment to his love of this music is firmly unquestionable. If you’ve not yet treated yourself to this guitar master’s musical prowess, you’re truly cheating yourself. This release is as good a place to start familiarizing yourself as any. – Ronald Jackson

10 South Riverside

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