Review
Smooth jazz guitarist Blake Aaron is back with his third CD, Desire, and for anyone familiar with his music it was well worth the wait. This collection of mostly original music captivates the senses from the first note and never lets go, as Aaron s love for jazz is apparent in everything he does. Aaron, who got his start as a kid playing rock music on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, has toured with groups such as The Drifters, The Coasters and Little Anthony. He has also been the guitarist for television shows including Mad TV, The Ben Stiller Show, Sunday Night Comics and The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. Desire heats things up with the first memorable note as Aaron lets loose on Bumpin On The Wes Side, dedicated to the genius of Wes Montgomery. One of thirteen original compositions on this fifteen-track CD, Aaron s engaging riffs waft through the air, light as a summer breeze. It s soft in its easy-to-listen-to quality, yet exhilarating in its passion and fine musicianship. Aaron pours his heart into another masterfully composed melody dedicated, this time, to the genius of Thelonious Monk and Grover Washington Jr., aptly titled Harmonious Funk. Will It Go Round In Circles, by Billy Preston, is one of two tracks not written by Aaron, though he makes it his own with his impeccable guitar playing. Pianist/organist Mike Whittaker is superb, as is Jeff Coffin s sassy saxophone. Aaron s take on the haunting Sting classic Fragile is truly inspired. There s a definite Latin flair to Aaron s playing and the backing horns section saxophonist Will Donato, trumpeter Sal Cracchiolo and trombonist Eric Jorgensen who punch up this famous ballad, still clearly done so as not to take away from its original beauty. Not an easy thing to do while keeping the integrity of the original. The title track highlights Aaron s skill with his instrument as it mingles sensually with Guerrero s hauntingly beautiful muted trumpet. TJ Gibson provides soulful vocals on Forever, a timeless love song with Alan Hewitt on keyboards and programming. Switching it up is the hip and bluesy Baby Likes the Blues, which starts off rocking and keeps doing so right through to the last magnificent note. Aaron downright rocks as does saxophonist Mike Todd. Spin Zone closes out this extraordinary collection of music with a bang. It s upbeat, edgy and full of life, with Aaron s exuberance leading the way and a horn section that really knows how to set the groove. Three years in the making, Desire is unquestionably one of the standout smooth jazz CDs of 2007. --All About Jazz
Product Description
...a genius on the guitar The Los Angeles Times Amazingly Talented.... Dave Koz Truly Gifted... Jimmy Sommers ...outstanding guitar virtuoso and composer... Riveting Riffs.com Blake (Aaron) is the next top contemporary jazz guitarist O s Place Jazz News Desire was one of the genre's best releases of 2007 Jonathan Widran (AMG) Desire is unquestionably one of the standout smooth jazz CD s of the year... Jazz Review.com (Desire) captivates the senses from the first note and never lets go... AllAboutJazz.com Desire is exactly what listeners want: The finest guitar entertainment and more than 70 minutes Smooth and Soul ...Blake Aaron is a musician who has paid his dues and is now on the road to fame and fortune as a smooth-jazz guitarist. The Jazz Times Blake Aaron has come a long way from the kid who played rock shows on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and toured with R&B acts like Bobby Womack, Lakeside, Dynasty, The Drifters, The Coasters, Little Anthony, Joe Houston, Mary Wells, and later, the Gap Band, Billy Bass, Bernie Worrell, Fish (Fishbone), and producer Bill Laswell. Aaron, who, even from the beginning and through it all, always loved, played and studied jazz, is a guitarist who is known best for his passionate musical style, his memorable compositions, his soul and technical expression on the instrument, and his ability to connect with an audience. Since those early days, Aaron has been a staple on the national music scene for many years both as a live performer and in the studio. A composer and musician with an edge, Aaron has been the guitarist/ and or composed for such television shows and films as Steven Seagal's Half Past Dead 2, MAD TV (FOX), The Next Best Thing (ABC),The Starlet (w/Faye Dunaway) (UPN), 10-8 (ABC), The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (WB), Gary and Mike (UPN), The Ben Stiller Show (FOX), Sunday Night Comics (FOX), and has more recently recorded and/or performed with such artists as Steve Reid's Bamboo Forest, Eric Marienthal, Bobby Womack and Carlos Santana (Womack-Save the Children), Kuh LaDesma, Gloria Trevi, and The Gap Band. Blake's debut Innervision release, With Every Touch (2001), included special guest appearances by Eric Marienthal and David Benoit. Three singles from this CD would remain in the Top 50 on the Gavin/SmoothJazz.com charts for at least 8 weeks each. The single She's So Fine from his second album, Bringin' It Back (2004), propelled Blake into the forefront of contemporary jazz by remaining in the Top 30 on the Radio and Records charts for 8 straight weeks. Two singles would reach the top 100 of the year on the R&R charts. Blake took a brief sabbatical from solo recording to focus on his studio career. Additionally, with the assistance of All Star Music Lessons, Blake would produce three instructional videos for the guitar. Meanwhile, he continued his studio work with several television shows, which included regular recording sessions and an appearance on Mad TV. In June 2007, Blake released the hot new CD, DESIRE. Packed with 15 songs of sexy grooves and beautiful, unforgettable melodies, produced by the legendary Paul Brown and Hussain Jiffry, and mastered by the renowned Bernie Grundman (Michael Jackson, Norah Jones, Kenny G and more), DESIRE has been on the tip of the tongue of reviewers for some time and is sure to catapult Blake to the next level of contemporary jazz stardom. Desire has remained in the R&R top 30 for 8 weeks and #1 on the Indie charts for 6 weeks!!!
by Blake Aaron 
