Richard Elliot - What's Inside (1990)

He's a former Tower of Power sax player and plays new-age flavored jazz that doesn't really fall in any one direction, and never gets all that brave, funky, or flashy. He'll probably cross from new age stations to mild jazz stations to easy listening, which isn't too bad of a fate. Some of his music suggests Motown, some of it Steely Dan, and we get visited by vocals on "Movers & Shakers" and "I Believe You". The best of the bunch is the good-natured, reggae-influenced "Well, Hold On a Second," which has a big smile amongst the instrumental interplay. -- Steven McDonald