Saxophonist Tom Braxton shows a fondness for blending R&B/soul grooves with smooth jazz ruminations on his latest recording Endless Highway from Pacific Coast Jazz Records. The album draws attention to Braxton’s mellifluous tonality and easy flowing narrations as he displays multiple tiers to his talent as a composer, producer and arranger in addition to playing the piano, keyboards and flute on the recording. When Braxton puts himself into his music he does so with everything he has. His jovial mood in the tracks pumps positive vibes into the listener’s ears and puts one in a very bright state of being.

Braxton re-enforces every bolt in his tracks with shimmery hues as he and his band plays with unbridle joy. His tribute to Wayman Tisdale in “That Wayman Smile” recalls his friend and mentor as a vivacious force that radiated love. Tisdale recently passed away while battling cancer and Braxton’s song for him remembers a man who possessed a jubilant spirit. The horn arrangement glistens while blazing across the smooth R&B grooves. Vocalist Arthur Dyer plunges into the smooth soul track “Ventura Highway” with broad brushstrokes that sink into the dulcet curves of the melodic tapestry as the sinuous lines of Braxton’s saxophone in “Open Road” are entwined with the hypnotic flexing of the guitar riffs. “Distant Skies” opens up to a meadow of soothing horns and airy synth effects that shower the melody in soft splendor. Braxton turns up the sensuality meter on “Home Sweet Home” with warm temperatures emanating from the saxophone lifts as the keyboards caress the rhythmic beats gingerly. It is a melody that exudes dreamy soundscapes and weightless sensations.

Braxton seemed driven to make Endless Highway a positive album that enshrouds listeners in sheer joy from the dance-club grooves of the title track to the dreamy atmospherics of “Home Sweet Home.” Endless Highway radiates happiness in every track. Braxton’s music allows facing life’s challenges less daunting and clears the path to finding those positive sensations that ruminate in the human spirit.