Anyone able to confirm that this incredible name is in fact his real name?
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[5.29]
Micha Cavaseno: That coffee shop jazz-soul refuses to die is fascinating. I’m not interested in Hightower or Hawkley, but I’ll fully admit to going extra hard for similarly produced ‘litework’ from the likes of George Duke or Wally Badarou because I know those folks are capable of doing more and at one point they were expected (and perhaps allowed) to do more. Here, it’s just a further reminder of how dire jazz listening is expected to be, and why it starts to feel like punishment for so many folks.
[4]
Alfred Soto: South Florida’s LUV 94 played stuff like “Taboo” in the early nineties alongside Paul Simon’s “She Moves On,” Basia’s “Cruising for Bruising,” lots of Al Jarreau, and “Lily Was Here.” The piano part and guitar solo are examples of expert musicianship. Rather long, though.
[5]
Nortey Dowuona: Ah.. this feels both soothing and grooving. Kinda feels like one of those Ramsey Lewis songs my dad used to play all the time. Skinny’s piano is trilling, the bass is bucking and sliding, Andrew Hawkley’s guitar is crooning and the drums grooving. Everybody seems to be playing in complete sync, without being pulled in any direction. complete groove.
[8]
Thomas Inskeep: Skinny Hightower’s a jazz pianist (with an awesome name) who doesn’t consider himself a smooth jazz artist, but if you consider the company he keeps, you could most definitely call him one. Andrew Hawkley provides an able assist on guitar on this luscious, cool instrumental groove.
[8]
Ian Mathers: This is, genuinely, one of the nicer elevators I’ve ever been in.
[4]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: The countless hours I’ve spent listening to Japanese AOR, jazz fusion, and easy listening have only solidified what I want from music of this ilk. However, I’d argue that my preferences have been equally informed by all the hold music I had to endure at my previous job. The winding piano melodies and cadences in “Taboo” definitely bring to mind the latter, but I’d argue that they hamper the song regardless of any familiarity. Hightower’s piano functions to guide you through the entire song, and Hawkley’s guitar eventually comes in to take its place. The rest of the instrumentation? It more or less recedes to the background. This songwriting feels like handholding and, more importantly, removes any possibility of intriguing interplay. Jazz is often at its best when we see musical personalities interact. When that doesn’t happen — and it’s not limited to jazz-lite — I’m forced to focus on the musicality and the mood that’s evoked. Unfortunately, “Taboo” doesn’t do much for me either way.
[2]
Edward Okulicz: I don’t listen to a lot of jazz, but that’s not to say I don’t like it. It’s just that it doesn’t fit my patterns, as it’s not simple enough to listen to on the job, rousing enough for the gym, or fun enough to chase the blues away after a hard day at work. It, and this, is fine for sitting in a quiet bar, gin in hand. Within those parameters, it’s delicate and decidedly lovely. I’m reclaiming “dull” from being only an insult.
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