Review: Antoinette Montague - Behind The Smile

Antoinette Montague - Behind The Smile
2010, In The Groove Records

Newark, New Jersey native Antoinette Montague is back with her latest collection of genre-bending jazz tunes entitled Behind The Smile. With a band that includes Mulgrew Miller (piano); Bill Easley (clarinet/sax/flute); Kenny Washington (drums) and Peter Washington (bass), Montague’s band have collectively played with Woody Shaw, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Branford Marsalis and Isaac Hayes, to name a few. Montague doesn't rest on anyone's accomplishments, turning Behind The Smile into a highly personal and emotive listening experience mixing jazz classics, originals and even some re-interpretations of classic R&B songs.

Montague opens with the title track, a self-penned song that sounds like it walked right out of The Great American Songbook. Montague's warm alto has just a glint of steel and can go from dark and serious to light and campy as quick as the wind changes. I Hadn't Anyone Till You sounds like it might have come out of the 1960's Vegas era. You could almost picture Montague on stage alongside Keely Smith from this performance. Slinky jazz is the order of the day on here, Easley practically steals the show on Clarinet. Ever Since The One I Love's Been Gone hits a strong dinner/cabaret feel, with Miller dominating on piano.

Montague's take on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On inject jazz and a slightly different type of soul into the classic Give Your Mama One Smile. While Montague is outstanding c tune. Montague is excellent, but the song doesn't transition well in spite of the best efforts of the band. The Song Is You is vocally distinctive, but Miller tries to do a bit too much with the piano this time around. The lust for speed becomes something of a mess in the bridge/solo. I'd Rather Have A Memory Than A Dream is melancholy and lush, and Miller is exquisite this time around on the piano. Montague takes on a Smokey Robinson classic in Get Ready in an outstanding swing take that might just play better than the original. The highly pensive Summer Song offers up the loveliest moment on the album, but Behind The Smile ends awkwardly thereafter. Somewhere In The Night didn't really connect, and Duke Ellington's 23rd Psalm came across as soulless, failing to capture the inherent power of the verse of Ellington's original take.

On the whole, Behind The Smile is a very successful effort. It has its weak spots, but Antoinette Montague and her band make the most of their better moments and make it easy to overlook the occasional flaw. Montague's voice will keep you listening as long as she keeps singing, and it would be hard to find a more talented backing band anywhere. Behind The Smile is both serious and serious fun, and well worth digging into.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Antoinette Montague at http://www.antoinettemontague.com/ or www.myspace.com/antoinettemontague. You can purchase Behind The Smile from Allegro Music or Amazon.com.

Review: Human Nature - Reach Out

Human Nature - Reach Out
2009, Sony Music

Forget about the world-wide follow or Las Vegas stage show. You know that any Motown/R&B cover band endorsed by Smokey Robinson has got to be good. Human Nature is that band. Starting out nearly two decades ago in Australia, Human Nature has taken a love of classic Motown music and turned it into a world-wide phenomenon with eight albums generation millions of sales in CDs, singles and downloads around the world. Originally known as the 4Trax Brothers, the band changed their name when they signed with Sony Australia. Human Nature went triple-platinum with their debut album, Telling Everybody (2006), earning support spots for Michael Jackson and Celine Dion for their Australian tours and being asked to stay on for European legs for both artists. Human Nature's stature continued to grow and they were honored to perform the Australian national anthem at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney along with Julie Anthony.

Originally a boy band, Human Nature decided to try a more adult sound for their 2005 Australian release, Reach Out. Reach Out reached #1 in Australia and has been certified platinum five times over. Human Nature made their first adventure to the United States in 2008 with their Motown show, with a two-month stay at Atlantic City's Tropicana Casino. 2009 finds Human Nature with an extended engagement at Las Vegas' Imperial Palace Hotel, and the release of Reach Out in the United States.

Reach Out opens Reach Out I'll Be There, originally performed by The Four Tops. Human Nature could almost be mistaken for The Four Tops at the height of their game, and Reach Out I'll Be There is a spirited and faithful cover. You Keep Me Hanging On (The Supremes) keeps the vibe going; the harmonies here are spot on Human Nature keeps the song moving along nicely. Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through The Grapevine hits the perfect notes on the arrangement, but the vocal line just can't compare to Gaye's original. Smokey Robinson himself makes a guest appearance on Get Ready; proving he can still sing but not really meshing well with Human Nature who threaten to overpower his sweet falsetto. One of the highlights of Reach Out is the cover of The Temptations' The Way You Do The Things You Do. This is a classic song that would be hard to ruin, but Human Nature is inspired and inject the song with a new energy that is virally infectious.

Human Nature packs in another highlight with My Girl (The Temptations); staying very close to the original but altering the vocal harmony work a bit and actually enhancing the sound. The Jackson 5 are represented here, a perhaps unwitting tribute in light of the tragic death of Michael; ABC is done with the vivacity of the original, but the original is so iconic that all covers fall short. Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross) is decent; I didn't get the same sense of energy on this tune as on much of the rest of the album, but it still comes across okay. Dancing In The Street (Martha & The Vandellas) refreshes the classic tune with a chart-worthy performance, although it doesn't have the pure hubris of the Mick Jagger/David Bowie version recorded in 1985. Human Nature closes out on River Deep, Mountain High with guest vocalist Mary Wilson (The Supremes). This turns out to be the best track on the disc. Wilson can still bring it with the best of them, and Human Nature wraps their voices around hers in a bit of Motown heaven.

Reach Out is essentially a re-release, although it's new to audiences in North America. It's a first class cover album with an outstanding guest appearance by Mary Wilson and a strong one by Smokey Robinson. The way for this show coming to the US was likely paved by Broadway's Jersey Boys, and handles the classic hits of Motown in similarly reverential fashion. What a way to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Motown; an album full of the spirit that Motown always exuded from folks who love the songs and treat them with the respect they deserve. Human Nature is a first-class vocal group, and the performances here are generally top-notch. Make sure you check out Human Nature's Reach Out; and if you're in Vegas, see the stage show!

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Human Nature at their webpage or on MySpace. Reach Out is available on CD in North America exclusively through Barnes And Noble. Downloads can be purchased from iTunes. Reach Out will go into wider release on CD on February 9, 2010. Human Nature is appearing at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas through May of 2010. Information about the show, including ticket info is available through http://www.humannaturelasvegas.com/.

Review: Smokey Robinson - Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Smokey Robinson - Time Flies When You're Having Fun
2009, ROBSO Records/ADA Distribution

It's been fifty years since Smokey Robinson stepped into the limelight as one of the ubiquitous faces of Motown Records. Over time the acknowledgements have compounded, whether being honored on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame, receiving an honorary Doctorate from the Berklee College Of Music, a Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from ASCAP or Kennedy Center Honors, Smokey Robinson has had an artistic and personal impact on music and on our culture. Robinson is known for numerous hits with The Miracles and on his own (Shop Around, Tracks Of My Tears, Tears Of A Clown, I Second That Emotion, Cruisin' and many others), but he's also written a slew of hits for artists such as The Temptations (My Girl, The Way You Do The Things You Do), Mary Wells (My Guy), The Marvelettes (Don't Mess With Bill) and Marvin Gaye (Ain't That Peculiar, I'll Be Doggone). Robinson doesn't sit on his laurels, however, returning on August 25, 2009 with an album full of 10 originals and 2 cover tunes: Time Flies When You're Having Fun. The voice shows a little wear from fifty years of crooning but is none the worse for it all. There's no one quite like Smokey Robinson.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun opens with the title track, a poetic monster but melodically a bit less than what I was expecting. Robinson has always had a distinctive talent for lyrics, and his voice is still unquestionable even with the toll of fifty years in the business, but something about this track just didn't click for me. Robinson's take on Norah Jones' Don't Know Why is true to the original but has more of a live feel. Robinson still records to this day with the entire band in one room, giving a more organic feel to the album and to this track in particular. Girlfriend finds Robinson digging into a more modern R&B/Dance feel, played organically. The result is a song with serious commercial value without compromising the timeless spirit that runs through the heart of Robinson's music.

Joss Stone steps in for a duet with Robinson on You're The One For Me. Stone tries to adapt a more lyric vocal style here to meld with Robinson's trademark sound but it just doesn't work out well for her. When singing with Robinson she sounds fine, but the heavy vibrato that creeps into Stone's softer sound makes a mess of the vocal line. This came as a surprise as I generally enjoy Stone's voice, but not here. One Time is an active R&B song that's as smooth as they come. I don't know if it will pull much weight on commercial radio with Robinson on vocals Robinson is a little outside their demographic, but put this song with a young up-and-comer and you've probably got a top ten hit. The biggest treat on the disc is Please Don't Take Your Love; hearing two legends such as Smokey Robinson and Carlos Santana trade lead lines is worth the price of admission on its own.

Whatcha Gonna Do is a soulful love jam with some serious jazz-inspired piano work. The vocal line gets to be a little repetitive late in the song, but overall it's a strong track. Satisfy You had a classic feel, along the lines of I Second That Emotion, but done in a modern R&B arrangement. The melody is archetypal for Robinson's songbook and may well join the ranks as one of his best songs. You're Just My Life features Robinson in a duet with the exquisite India.Arie. India.Arie holds her own alongside the Motown legend, providing listeners with a duet to remember. Robinson closes out Time Flies When You're Having Fun with an unnamed bonus track that turns out to be Robinson's take on The Jackson Five's One More Chance. Whether this was a late add-on in tribute to Jackson or planned ahead of time it's a classy rendition from a classy artist.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun is a wondrous mix of old and new; Smokey Robinson doesn't sacrifice himself or his sound but does manage to mix in a bit of the sounds of today with classic songwriting that would have been at home at any time in the Motown Era. The album has a couple of ups and downs but on the whole is a strong effort that should satisfy existing fans while opening the ears of a new generation to the wonder that is Smokey Robinson. Very well done.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun drops on August 25, 2009. You can pre-order the CD through Amazon.com, or you can pre-order the download through iTunes.