Paul Taylor brings the funk and a whole lot of soul to his fifth release through Peak Records. Unlike his previous efforts, Taylor utilizes the alto saxophone on nine of the ten tracks on Burnin’ after finding that his soprano sax was damaged. But fortune was on his side as producers Barry Eastmond (who has considerable strength in jazz is producing the tenor) and Rex Rideout spin the saxophonist’s record into a smooth, retro influenced soul session.
Taylor starts off the record with “Back in the Day,” an irresistibly funky track laced with R & B choruses and slick guitar licks that will have any listener moving along with the reminiscent jam. “Revival” continues on a slower tangent with its 70’s inspired soul and chilled vocal choruses supporting Taylor’s confident playing.
What is so unique about Burnin’ is that each track replaces the traditional soul singer’s voice with Taylor’s alto saxophone, backed with traditional vocal choruses rather than jazz vocalizations, and accompanying instrumentation. A quintessential example is “Groove Shack” that also features audience inserts that mirror a live recording, as if the listener was in the crowd, cheering on a soul band’s grooviest performance.
Elsewhere, “Remember the Love” is a guitar influenced slow jam that simmers on romance while the title track “Burnin” sounds like a page ripped directly from Chaka Khan’s songbook with its rhythmic funk influences and subdued bass inserts.
“Juke Joint” is another rendition that is filled with soul and sass whereas “So Fine” is sensual and soothing with Taylor playing with similar intent on bringing the listener into the right mood with smooth playing, surrounded by piano notes and gentle guitar strumming. Tracks like “It’s Like That” and “Me and Baby Brother” take a detour and veer into traditional jazz fare while maintaining the albums retro feel.
“Burnin’” is one of those albums that gets better each time it’s listened to, no small feat given the plethora of jazz music available to listeners. Taylor fills the album to the brim with soul and funk, allowing his saxophone to imbue each track with warmth and sensuality. The album doesn’t take itself too seriously, and in that, lies its charm. Its sweet ode to old school and Taylor’s determination to create an easy and romantic listen will have audiences wanting more of the uncomplicated soul infused jazz created on this record.
November 23, 2009
