Brad Clements – For The Love Of You
(US BPM / UK Dome, 2005)
The Hook Up – Straight Chillin’ – For The Love Of You – Good To Go Go – Haven’t I Told You
– SNF – Be Mine – Hold Your Head Up – Ceviche
I wouldn’t normally review something from a few years back as I tend to concentrate on brand
new releases, but I was kindly sent this from the label for review, and Brad Clements
was a new name to me. As it happens I have in the reviews pipeline a FANTASTIC CD by a group
called Krush
(no, not the lot that did the dreadful "House Arrest" back in 1987!)
and Brad is part and parcel of that powerhouse.
This 2003 release is too good not to mention, and so here it is for review! Simple as that.
The overall flavour of this CD is very much NOT smooth Jazz. Brad’s trumpet is very much of the
Herb Alpert / Pharez Whitted / Rick Braun school of trumpetting, and the cover is
highly suggestive of such leanings too; aping Rick Braun’s "Body And Soul" cover artwork to boot!
The tunes are gritty, funky, and would appeal to jazz-fusion fans more than the current
muzak that many artists are slopping out these days. What initially appealed to
me was the punchy, no nonsense "The Hook Up" and "Straight Chillin’" which is the
musical archetype of funky coolness.
The main song on here for me is a real surprise, and the one I think will make
you want this CD. Cliff Dawson is a quality singer and songwriter and has added
his weight to a lot of quality songs since the 1980s, and who could ever forget his "
Don’t You Hide Away From Love" on Boardwalk from 1982? "Haven’t I Told You"
is over 5 minutes of the most excellent seductive and sexy jazz that you will find,
and it will grow on you the more you play it. In fact I sat here and had it on repeat
3 times in one sitting just today. I can’t get enough of this track and it's great to hear
the man back behind the mic after all these years; my compliments to Brad and Cliff for this song.
My complaint is that we don’t hear enough of the man.
The cover of The Isley’s classic is given a rather nice treatment, but I fear all these
sorts of songs are set up to fail as the originals
are simply classic and really should not be touched. Take the absolutely dreadful
"Motown Remixed" project for example (Marvin Gaye’s track excluded, of course.)
This is certainly not down in that level, but at least Brad has done his best to
individualise the song and add his own stamp on it. To a certain extent he does this.
For my money I think the best cover of that song was by none other than Whitney Houston.
Incidentally, the vocalist is very nice and her name is Rosa Russ.
Hopefully she will crop up on something else, as she’s a little gem.
"Good To Go Go" is straight from the Pharez Whitted MoJazz style, and comparable
to his version of TLC’s "Creep" which appears on his 1996 "Mysterious Cargo" album. "
Be Mine" stands up rather well, and the trumpet really takes centre stage here which is a good thing as Brad certainly knows how to work it to best affect. The cover version of "Hold Your Head Up" works nicely in its eerie, acoustic setting and Cliff Dawson returns to
satisfy the vocal demands. More traditional is the slightly Afro-Cuban "Cerviche".
That we’re not going to the extremes of Miguel Quintano and the like suits me and
the edgy, percussive sound is almost a throwback to the late 1960s. Very nice.
Please check this release out, and especially the Cliff Dawson cut. Worth it for that alone.
- Barry Towler
