Les Sabler - Flying High (2023)

Canadian native and Nashville resident guitarist Les Sabler has often been inspired by other musicians during the course of his creative career.

His album Sweet Drive (2007), for example, was produced by Brian Bromberg. Keyboardist Allon Sams was significantly involved in his album Crescent Shores (2010). Jobim Tribute (2014) was heavily influenced by Antônio Carlos Jobim's compositions. His album Tranquility (2021) was produced and strongly supported by guitarist Paul Brown.

The collaboration with producer Paul Brown is followed by the new album Flying High (2023). The album opens with Over The Top composed by Shane Theriot and Paul Brown. Shane Theriot is a multi-instrumentalist, who for example contributed to Paul's album Promised Land or Paul Brown's and Larry Carlton's album Soul Searchin'.

Compared To What was conceived by Eugene McDaniel as a protest song. The song became popular by Les McCann and Eddie Harris and was often copied by artists like Roberta Flack, Brian Auger and hundreds more. Les Sabler's version understandably focuses on the electric guitar.

A special magic emanates from the dimmed light of our earth satellite. Moonlight captures it in its very own way. The result of a successful collaboration between Paul Brown and Lew Laing Jr.

The title song reunites Paul and Shane again in the support of Sabler's performance. Particularly noteworthy is the part of the song where two guitar layers complement each other very melodically.

With Old Friends starts the Spanish-flavored part of the album. How better to express this spirit than with an acoustic guitar. New Bossa, on the other hand, sounds little like a Bossa Nova and relies essentially on the tried and true sound of the electric guitar, a vintage 1967 Gibson Johnny Smith guitar.

Academy Award-winning “The Windmills Of Your Mind” from 1968’s “The Thomas Crown Affair” was often interpreted by artists like Sting, Dusty Springfield, Swing out Sister and more. Les Sabler dusts off the old song and gives it new luster.

Another classic is a song by the American pop band the Lovin' Spoonful, written by John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian and Steve Boone. Summer in the City fits perfectly into Les' overall repertoire. Soft & Smooth is the title of the next song. It could just as well stand for Les' guideline, according to which his album is tailored.

Double Jeopardy actually suggests dangerous tension, but turns out to be a pleasing flatterer with Ron King on muted trumpet. The selection of the final piece of the jazz instrumental A Child Is Born by Kenny Burrell sheds light on Les' musical roots, which are deeply anchored in the past.

Les Sabler's album Flying High offers familiar smooth jazz guitar music that has been routinely recorded and will surely find its way into the charts