Norman Brown - West Coast Coolin' (2004)

Norman Brown issues his third Warner Bros. date in the last five years, and goes far deeper into adult urban soul by showcasing himself as a vocalist in addition to his prodigious groove jazz guitar chops. Brown works with a host of producers, and his familiar smooth jazz underpinnings -- derived more from George Benson and Hiram Bullock than Wes Montgomery these days -- are present but not prevalent on most of the set. Instead, his slick nu-soul/nu-jazz singing style -- identified by a thin whispery tenor -- gets front and center on more than half the album's ten cuts. There's nothing wrong with this per se, but given how carefully crafted for radio this disc is, there are no surprises whatsoever; it's all safe, polished, and predictable. The highlights are the title track with its spidery groove and laid-back funky rhythm, the slippery hip-hop of "Come Over," and an inspired cover of "What's Goin' On." -- Thom Jurek