Customer Reviews

The Grace of Summer Light

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ken Navarro has outdone himself (and that's saying plenty) on "The Grace of Summer Light" his best album for some while.
Ken's is a smooth Jazz acoustic guitarist of consummate skill and poise.
Tracks like "Blue Skies Bright Dreams" and the gentle "Perfect Circle Sun" illustrate this acumen wonderfully.
Like most of Navarro's albums, "The Grace Of Summer Light" is primarily instrumental and focus for his guitar.
"Daddy-O" is a nice shuffling Latin tinged (with the persussion) groove with a nice melody and Ken on top form.
"Nomad" and "Looking Everywhere For You" are equally strong smooth grooves, whilst he switches to electric guitar on the Larry Carlton tinged "We Might As Well Dance".
As always, his guitar playing is incredible, powerful, nuanced.
His production skills grow sharper with every CD. As a writer he can stand with anyone out there.
This is a very special CD, with stunning compositions and ground breaking performances from Ken Navarro himself, Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra) on drums, Tom Kennedy on acoustic and electric bass (Michael Brecker, Al DiMeola) and Jay Rowe (Special EFX, Marion Meadows) on keyboards.
I highly recommend this CD.
This is a fine piece of Smooth Jazz which will please his fans and those of the genre.
I would't even call it smooth jazz...it's so much more.

The Meeting Place

This CD is simply phenominal! Imagine your very favorite songs by fellow Jazz Guitarist Pat Metheny, and then imagine Ken Navarro, one of your favorite smooth jazz artists, writing material in that same vein, and you've captured the essence of this CD! I was excited when I heard clips of it, but today I just downloaded it, and have not been able to stop listening to it! Exciting, beautiful, unique, interesting... and quite simply... addicting!! Thanks Ken for a outstanding CD!!

This CD is awesome. Very good recording (I cannot say this about The Meeting Place - fantastic music, but poor recording), amazing tracks. It's one of my best CD's. I love it i strongly recommend it to everyone.

If you could somehow take all of life's complexities... I mean everything... the joy, the sorrow, the mixed emotions, the highs and lows... the ease and the resistance... and somehow filter it all with a forgiving glow that made you more grateful than regretful, the soundtrack for that encapsulated experience would have to be Ken Navarro's epitomical release THE GRACE OF SUMMER LIGHT. An inspirational album from one of the most prolific artists in contemporary jazz. The well-respected guitarist, producer and composer has enjoyed a long, successful career producing some 18 chart-topping, solo albums on his own Positive Music Records label and producing and guesting on countless others. THE GRACE OF SUMMER LIGHT is a pivotal recording for Navarro. Gone are the rules and regulations of what radio requires for airplay. Gone are the expectations and limitations of recording execs. Remaining are 10 deeply moving musical pieces running anywhere from 31 seconds in length to over 9 minutes and ranging from reflective and thoughtful to hopeful and optimistic to cinematic and stirring. I'm reminded of earlier works by Pat Metheny (Last Train Home) and The Rippingtons (Kilimanjaro). I have the word "wow" written by two gorgeous, acoustic numbers "Perfect Circle Sun" and "Just Before The Dawn," I am smitten by the enveloping, "On My Way Somewhere" and I am mesmerized by the balance and poise on "Looking Everywhere For You." THE GRACE OF SUMMER LIGHT: The soundtrack for freedom.

This is an excellent album and the best way to describe it is "Smooth Jazz meets Pat Metheny." To me, this doesn't quite fit into the smooth jazz genre because it goes beyond that. Navarro stretches out on this CD and there is a Metheny-ish sound to this music. I don't think my description does justice but listen to the samples. This is excellent music and Navarro's best CD.

Ken Navarro has managed to capture light in music, no mean feat! This is not traditional jazz, so take note. That said, this music has a timelessness, in my opinion, that will make this CD one of your "keepers".

Just heard him for the first time on a smooth jazz station-On Demand Cable TV-- Checked him out on amazon and found the new cd--I would have liked to hear more of him in the sound mix-- seemed a bit covered up by all the orchestration..but the heart came thru- quite sweet- cool listening on a warm summer evening by the ocean where i live.A few dinner guests inquired qho was playing-- so i feel goot about passing the word about a hip guitar..new to the repetoire..lets hear more.
amazon got here right away as usual why i dont mess with streaming and stealing .. call me old fashioned..i still like the musician in my home.Cheers and Bravo!

I will start by saying i am a Huge Fan of Mr.Navarro but this Album left me feeling rather cold.This sounds like a Personal Quest for Space and Impression rather than the Smooth Fusion of previous outings.
The Meeting Place was in my view the best album of 2007.This cannot compare.