May 2005

Will and Rainbow
Harmony
441

By Steve Futterman

For Will & Rainbow's Harmony (441), keyboardist Will Boulware gathered an ad hoc group of fellow session men including drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Anthony Jackson and jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein. Everything's perfectly in sync, but, unfortunately, with professionalism comes sterility. And for all Boulware's good instincts, smooth-jazz versions of "Israel," Horace Silver's "Peace" and Herbie Hancock's "One Finger Snap," among other bids for serious attention, don't bring needed color to this rainbow. Tellingly, for all the instrumental heavyweights onboard, a singer steals the show: Phoebe Snow contributes expressive readings of the Isley Brothers hit "For the Love of You," Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and the venerable blues standard "Trouble in Mind."