The Grammy Award-winning Norman Brown sound is alive and kickin’ on the guitarist’s eighth solo CD. His fans know what that sound is: an easy, soulful stroll through R&B-infused jazz. Brown’s not one to break too far away from the mold; he’s not one to declare to the press that a new CD is unlike he’s ever done before. Is that a good or bad thing? On Sending My Love it’s all good. No surprises, but who said surprises are always for the best?
The first three tunes, “Come Go With Me,” “Here’s My Number” and the title track, are archetypal Brown instrumentals-the smooth guitar lines, fluttering arpeggios and soulful background vocals. Like his idol George Benson, Brown sings and does it well. The one cover, Kenny Loggins’ “Celebrate Me Home,” is an effortless duet between Brown and his daughter Rochella, backed by the Sounds of Blackness choral ensemble.
Two other vocals, “I’m Pouring My Heart Out” and “One Last Goodbye,” the latter with classical guitar, are produced by the R&B production team of Tha Bizness and songwriters Melvin Moore III and Floyd E. Bentley III. But it’s the instrumentals that are Brown’s bread and butter, and they do the trick-once again.
Norman Brown: Sending My Love
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