Oceana

Performer: Till Brönner
Artist: Carla Bruni; Luciana Souza
Engineer: Stephane Prin; Helik Hadar; Erik Reichers
Producer: Larry Klein
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Till Br�nner (trumpet); Dean Parks (guitar); Gary Foster (alto saxophone); Jim Cox (piano); Larry Goldings (Hammond b-3 organ); David Piltch (bass guitar); Jay Bellerose (drums). Additional personnel: Madeleine Peyroux, Luciana Souza, Carla Bruni. For those in America who hadn't previously heard of Germany's most famous contemporary jazz musician, it would only take a few notes from his crisp, distant trumpet to elicit a comparison to Chris Botti. Beyond his tonal approach and penchant for relaxing, atmospheric, and lushly arranged standards, Till Br�nner has much in common with his American counterpart: an extensive catalog (Oceana, originally released in Germany in 2006, was his ninth release), work with top pop producers (in Botti's case, Bobby Colomby; in Br�nner's, Larry Klein), and a r�sum� that includes being a radio personality. Like Botti, Br�nner draws from the sly and shy Chet Baker school of crooning trumpet and fl�gelhorning, but he goes a step further; on a silky chillout cover of "This Guy's in Love with You" and the more obscure Nick Drake tune "River Man," the horn takes a back seat to his soothing lead vocals. Though much of Oceana -- which begins with a tender and seductive blues-flavored twist on Wes Montgomery's "Bumpin'" -- is lovely, romantic, and sweetly atmospheric, it falls short when it comes to Br�nner's vocal guest list. Carla Bruni is billed as a French chanteuse, but her colorless voice on "In My Secret Life" is nowhere near as sexy as any of her legendary work as a supermodel. Madeleine Peyroux fares a bit better on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," but the most authentic guest voice belongs to Brazilian singer Luciana Souza. None of the vocals are as compelling as Br�nner's straight instrumentals, which don't exactly push the envelope but are well-produced and make for good romantic mood music. ~ Jonathan Widran

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