I Can See Heaven From Here

Editorial Reviews
From Jazziz
This hit-and-miss, half-vocal, half-instrumental project put together by drummer/arranger Howee Gordon is the New Adult Contemporary equivalent of listening to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy. Just as many skip over the Yoko to get to the John, you'll want to skip over the bland vocals of Elysa Sunshine to get back to the colorful, jazzy, poppy instrumentals - the true enjoyment of the disc. The songs are spacey and airy, and her quasi-Basia voice has minimal drawing power.

Perhaps Gordon felt an all-instrumental album might not be able to compete as well as one with vocals - quite a shame because the instrumental tunes here are as tasty as anything on the air today in smooth jazz. "The Charlatan" is a peppy, swinging duet showcasing the speedy alto and piano skills of Peter Anderson and Jim West, respectively, all over a rolling bass line by Dave Anderson.

Steve Kenyon's combination of finesse and intensity on soprano sax is reminiscent of Jay Beckenstein, while "In the Mode" recasts the current big-band craze into modern smooth-jazz terms. Gordon keeps the rhythm pumping on these tracks, but has to slow down considerably to let the Sunshine in. In this case, listeners might prefer to stay in the dark

I Can See Heaven From Here,The Gordon Project,Koch Records,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Smooth Jazz

Jazz Music: