Mind Over Matter

Performer: Najee
Artist: Eric Benet; Jeff Lorber
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Photographer: Matthew Mitchell. Along with Kenny G, Richard Elliot and the late George Howard, Najee was one of the smooth jazz saxophonists who jazz critics loved to hate back in the late `80s and early `90s. But in 1995, Najee pleasantly surprised listeners with his engaging Stevie Wonder tribute SONGS FROM THE KEY OF LIFE; instead of simply playing Wonder's gems note-for-note, Najee seriously interpreted them and demonstrated that he could, in fact, be a legitimate soul-jazz improviser of the Washington/Turrentine/Harris variety. Which brings us to 2009's MIND OVER MATTER, a smooth jazz disc that often plays it safe but does has its moments. The automatic pilot approach doesn't serve this artist well on radio-oriented tracks such as "Love You a Lifetime," "Sweet Summer Nights" and "Love Forever and a Day," but Najee (who is heard on soprano sax, tenor sax, alto sax and flute) fares much better on "One More Thing" and "Stolen Glances," both of which unite him with keyboardist/producer/composer Jeff Lorber. Other decent tracks on this mostly instrumental CD include the dreamy "Needless to Say" and the funky but laid back "We Gone Ride, "an urban/neo-soul number featuring singer Eric Benet.

JazzTimes (p.72) - "Najee is an expert at the ballad, as he shows again in the pensively jazzy 'The Journey'..."

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