Braxton Brothers - Now & Forever (1999) FLAC

Tracks

01. Kickin' Back
02. A Night To Love
03. Can We Try Again
04. Do You Remember
05. Angelina
06. Just Believe
07. All My Love
08. Saying Goodbye
09. Before You
10. Chance Encounter
11. Now And Forever

Personnel

Wayne Braxton (alto & tenor saxophones, EWI, keyboards, drum programming); Nelson Braxton (keyboards, electric bass, drum programming); Ledisi (vocals); Sun (piano, electric piano, keyboards, drum programming); Peter Horvath (piano, electric pianos); Louis Hinton (acoustic guitar, drum programming); Bill Hampton, Mike Alvarado (acoustic guitar); Carlos Godinez (nylon-string guitar); Gerry Johnson, Ray Obiedo, John Smith, Cedrick Dennis (electric guitar); Tommy Bradford (drums, loops); Michael Spiro (percussion); Yuri Inoo (samples).


Brian Bromberg is the only other bassist in the genre besides Nelson Braxton who modulates his axe to approximate an electric and acoustic guitar. While the Braxton Brothers -- Nelson and twin brother saxman Wayne -- compose some of the most in the pocket smooth jazz melodies around; the most remarkable aspect of their second album Now & Forever is the way Nelson captures a multitude of moods simply by adjusting his tone. On the light funk tune "Do You Remember," he lays down the thick urban groove with the sort of low pitched bounce his instrument is best known for; then he carries certain parts of the melodies with a pitch equivalent to George Benson's, and keeps that going as the harmony line beneath Wayne's honking improvisations. Even more amazing is the way he approximates a balmy acoustic guitar on the Brazilian sojourn "Angelina," whose weaving sax lines gently remind us of Stan Getz. Nelson uses the same approach on "Just Believe," running a subtle, folksy harmony line behind his brother's low toned, sultry horn.
Jonathan Widran