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| TRACKLIST |
| 1. Si Kuku Ni Ta Kuja (A Great Day is Coming) [5:16] 2. Through The Rain [4:25] 3. And The 9 [3:58] 4. Black Ballet [5:01] 5. Poet In The Trash Can [4:07] 6. Who Are You [4:02] 7. Electrified [5:00] 8. Donde Estan Mis Zapatos (Where Are My Shoes) [3:57] 9. Moon Over My Ami [5:07] 10. Smooth [4:39] 11. Moonlight Serenade [4:46] |
It's sad that the disc that offers the best hope for smooth jazz's future comes from an artist most fans of the genre have never heard of (and an album that is currently out-of-print). Nonetheless, the 1996 release of keyboardist Misha Segal's explosive JVC debut, Connected to the Unexpected, marked a bright moment in the history of the music. And the record teaches lessons that must be learned if smooth jazz is going to continue to flourish in the 21st century. Chiefly, smooth jazz needs to reconnect with traditional jazz. Currently, it has drifted too far from its roots. On Connected to the Unexpected, Misha proved he knew his history without being a slave to it. For instance, the album features a very plugged in, very '90s take on Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" and an homage to Duke Ellington called "1 and the 9" that comes complete with a three-piece horn section, jazzy piano, and hip-hop beats. Unlike a lot of smooth-jazz soloists, for whom soloing means basically just playing pretty variations of a song's melody, here, Misha dares to create something real when it's his turn to blow - perhaps, at moments, even getting a little out. Of course, all this was done atop accessible melodies and seductive, urban grooves. The CD also found Misha drawing on authentic Latin (as on "Donde Estan Mis Zapatos?") and African rhythms ("Si Kuku Ni Ta Kuja"). In fact, the recording's eclectic nature is something more smooth-jazz releases need to pick up on in the upcoming millennium. This was a challenging listen in smooth-jazz terms, but in order to survive, the format is going to have to take these sort of chances.
REVIWER: Jonathan Widran, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.
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