Alan Hewitt - Metropolis (2006)

People Magazine recently called him "one of music's best kept secrets." I'm telling you right here and right now that it's time for the secret to be out. Keyboardist/Composer/Producer Alan Hewitt is on his way to becoming a Smooth Jazz superstar. He long ago established his credentials writing, producing, and playing on records from Earth, Wind & Fire to Jonathan Butler to Donnie Osmond. Now he's showing up as a featured artist on Smooth Jazz cruises, which is no small accomplishment, and he's just released his second solo Smooth Jazz album, METROPOLIS. It's a fantastic project, too, full of accessible, radio-friendly tracks that you'll be hearing for a long time to come. I submit the first single (the tasty and in-the-pocket "JoyRide") as strong evidence that he's an artist whose time has come, and you can bet Mr. Hewitt's tunes will be format staples well into the future. Every track on the album sounds awesome and works perfectly, from the ultra-smooth "Velvet Kisses" to the festive "Soleil," featuring Steve Oliver on guitar. His ever-so-fresh and innovative approach to the one cover tune on the disc, "Hot Fun in the Summertime," featuring Sheila "Shea" Chambers on the vocal refrain, is definitely a highlight to my ear, and a perfect example of how you can make something hot sound so cool. Sly Stone's tune never sounded so smooth and sultry! Make no mistake about it; Alan Hewitt's METROPOLIS belongs in every discerning Smooth Jazz lover's library. Highly recommended! ~ SCOTT O'BRIEN