Kim Waters Rhythm and Romance Review
What were you doing in 1989? Kim Waters was busy releasing Sweet & Saxy, and this was the first time we learned of this talented saxophone player. Since then he has released 34 albums, including three with The Sax Pack. Kim has proved his staying power, and it looks like this will continue with no end in sight!
Waters’ latest offering, Rhythm & Romance, was released in June of 2016. Overall it is full of mid-tempo grooves that has made Kim famous, while securing his spot as an in-demand musician.
The title track, Rhythm & Romance is one of the highlights of the album. The groove is R&B based with a Sax instead of a lead vocal. It could easily have a vocal added and it would surely appear on the adult contemporary charts. It also has a nice piano solo that works well in the track. This song is a good candidate to appear in the next Smooth Jazz Mix.
Forever Yours is a track that will make you close your eyes and just sway to the groove. The strings in the second verse are subtle, but they accompany the Sax quite nicely. You can also hear that the Sax is doubled up in certain parts, letting you experience those lush, rich tones.
If you like a nice, funky bassline, you can get down to Morning Star. The rest of the instruments play nicely off of the bass, and with this track, the Sax is just icing on the cake!
Coming in at just over five minutes, Can’t Let You Go is the longest track on the album. It needs the extra time to take you through the musical bridge that is half way through the song, and also for the extended ad-lib Kim performs for the last 90 seconds. This is soul at its best.
Heaven’s Gate is a track that you will definitely feel. Kim paints a picture, or should I say a motion picture, where someone is going on a journey. This track will absolutely take you on a trip. Those types of songs are the most memorable, and I would say that Kim hit it out of the park with this one.
There are a couple of remakes on the album. No Sleeep, a Janet Jackson track, is covered masterfully. The arrangement stays true to the original, but it is sexier as an instrumental. Kim brings that feeling through with his performance.
Time Will Reveal, a DeBarge original, is also covered here. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest slow jams of all time, and it sounds just as good in 2016.
If you are a Kim Waters fan, Rhythm & Romance is an album that you need to add to your collection. If you are new to his sound, this album will be a nice introduction to the Kim Wasters style.