Michael Lington - Soul Appeal (2014) Lossless

Alto saxophonist Michael Lington has released several contemporary jazz albums since making his debut in 1997. The Danish expat has always had a way with a ballad, and here he mines every bit of emotion from the gospel-inspired “Follow Your Heart." Yet he also leans more toward uptempo modern R&B, which recalls David Sanborn more than the glossiness of smooth stalwarts Dave Koz and Richard Elliot. This album starts with the upbeat title track, which features a muscular groove from his band; he also comes seriously close to James Brown territory on “Uptown Groove.” Pal and tourmate Michael Bolton sang on 2012’s Pure, and this time Lington is joined by a soulful crooner Kenny Lattimore on “Gonna Love You Tonite” and lesser-known old-school soul man Ryan Shaw for “Leave Me You.” The saxophonist holds his own next to these dynamic guys and positively shines on the classic-sounding “Taking Off” and the bluesy “Manhattan Nights.” This is definitely one for sax maniacs who like their music smooth but not too smooth.