Dee Lucas is an inspiration to musical late bloomers. The 40-year-old from Atlanta picked up the sax at age 28 and, after performing with some of the top names in smooth jazz, offered his debut in 2004, a tribute to the late saxophonist George Howard titled Remembrance. His second CD is not a tribute to Howard, but his ax of choice, the silky soprano, combined with easy R&B grooves speaks to Howard’s undeniable influence.
Unfortunately, there’s not too much going on here to separate Lucas from the pack. If this musical world has too much of one thing, it’s instrumental R&B saxophonists laying down a few jam tracks and a ballad or two. That said, Lucas’ bonus remix of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” sways just about right with its handclaps and spacey keys, while the chillout vibe of “Into the Night” does right by spotlighting Karey Davis’ jazz piano and Joel Powell’s bass solos.
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