As Promised

Alex Bugnon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 1, 2000)
• Original Release Date: February 1, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B0000479CN
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,866 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From Jazziz

Smooth-jazz musicians sometimes get bashed by naysayers who don't believe they possess the goods to play "real jazz" - you know, the kind that's supposed to put hair on your chest. Keyboardist Alex Bugnon gets that rap occasionally, but it's guilt by association only. Dig: Many is the person who thought Herbie Hancock, for example, was selling out, way back when, with his Headhunters band. And many of those people are just now beginning to enjoy the band's innovations. So, the guy who can't hear the beauty of bugnon's music today may just come around to it in, say, 20 years. And here's what Johnny-come-lately will hear when the light finally comes on, if he happens to be checking out "...As Promised": soulful, resonant horns, keyboards, and wah-wah guitars on "Onward, Upward"; a version of John Coltrane's "Naima" that looks to hip-hop without losing the lovely ballad's otherworldliness; Lalah Hathaway's sweet scatting on the gritty "Won't Be a Fool"; and the vibrant sonic landscape of "Simple Song," with Hathaway's warm vocals floating over a deep bass groove and Bugnon's keyboard lines flying like eagles into the distance.

--- Larry Nai, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's Back!, February 8, 2000

By 

Tawana Hawkins (Akron, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Promised (Audio CD)

The question is, with his talent, why does he stay away so long? This is an incredible cd. He has just about everyone who is anyone participating on this one. His interpretation of "All That I Can Say" with Christopher Williams on vocals is brilliant. Angie stone delivers on "Won't Be A Fool." The title song, "As Promised" featuring Gerald Albright on saxophone reinforces why Alex Bugnon continues to be my favorite jazz instrumentalist. Finally, Naima by John Coltrane will absolutely take your breath away. I promise this is a cd that will not disappoint you. ...As Promised. You'll be sorry if you don't buy this one! I expect to hear this all over radio very shortly.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm sure he could hang, July 15, 2003

By 

Winston Chea Langley "zhanzabar" (Rhode Island , USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: As Promised (Audio CD)

Alex is a smooth jazz guy, but even though, you can tell by the way he plays that he could hang tough with some real jazz pianists. This guys stuff really grooves. I listen to cats like herbie, mulgrew miller, and danilo perez, but I would buy this man's stuff along with Joe sample.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Put Together, August 24, 2003

By 

"mkwill1" (London, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Promised (Audio CD)

This album is not just smooth, but has a bit of a hard edge to it which I like. Alex B. does show that he can get his groove on, in this genre, with the rest of a star studied array of artists on this album - Gerald albright, Victor Bailey, Poogie Bell (drummer extraordinare!), Branford Marsalis, not to mention Angie Stone, Lala Hathaway, Christopher Williams - Mr Bubnon really couldn't really go wrong...

From what I've heard, this is his best album to date and doesn't pretend to be anything else than the smooth jazz that it is - although I reckon that it's just a little more soulful and that the musicians are showing more of what they can do on this album than your regular "smooth jazz album".
A good album to have.

One thing I'd say on the smooth jazz argument - I just wish people would just stop comparing smooth jazz artists with contemporary/straight ahead jazz artists. There are similarities, but I'm sure that they don't want to be compared with each other! They are different genres, one never claims to be the other, with the only similarities being the instruments played!

Oh, and that main review (above) by Larry Nai, JAZZIZ Magazine - Angie Stone had the "sweet scatting" vocals on "Won't Be a Fool" .........Also Herbie H. took the flack for changing from straight ahead jazz to jazz fusion, smooth jazz artists are taking the flack for having the word "jazz" as the description of the music they play!! Buy it of you like it, leave it if you don't.

Peace.