Ken Navarro - After Dark (1991)

While the Grant Geissmans and Peter Whites of the pop jazz world got all the raves in the early '90s, Ken Navarro was slowly building a similarly attractive catalog based on the same melodic acoustic guitar spirit. His gem filled After Dark is compositionally in the pocket, and Navarro's lively playing makes for an energizing listen. Fortunately, Navarro can do more than just please the fan of light sounds -- his brief excursions into edgy electric fusion and bop-oriented stylings made me wish for more adventure. A misguided vocal aside, Navarro with this effort filled yet another niche in the crowded acoustic side of the genre. Amazingly, the same basic style kept Navarro chugging along as one of the most consistently popular performers throughout the '90s and beyond. -- Jonathan Widran