Customer Reviews

Jazzmasters 4

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Even though I liked Paul Hardcastle's double CD "Autobiography" set and the "Jazzmasters Greatest Hits", for some reason, I never really felt the same about the previous three Jazzmasters releases. Don't get me wrong, I like "Lost Summer" and some other tracks ("Nightcrawler", "The Sound of Summer") but never thought the WHOLE albums were great.

Despite these feelings, I was going to give Jazzmasters 4 a shot anyway. When I first heard track #1 ("Valley of the Harps"), I was like "wow". Most of the rest of album was quite good as well.

I am not sure what Hardcastle did, but the album has a "dreamy" feel to it. Unlike the "harder" sound of "Lost Summer", there is a light, relaxed sound that soothes the senses in Jazzmasters 4.

For me, the instrumental tracks like #1 Valley of the Harps or #4 Puerto Banus stand out. Even though I have not been a big fan of Hardcastle's other vocal efforts with Helen Rigers, even those track are quite good here in Jazzmasters 4.

For those who don't like track #13....well, that's why you have a CD player so you can skip the track if you like. Yes, the track doesn't quite match the rest of the album, but if you listen to it, it's a pretty good song.

So to summarize: Jazzmasters 4 is a pretty inspired effort by Hardcastle with many "solid" songs. I personally don't see a BIG stand out song like "Lost Summer". However, the quality of the overall album more than makes up for this. A must buy for Hardcastle or Smooth Jazz fans.

All I can say is Paul Hardcastle is incapable of making a bad CD.
He is my absolute favorite smooth jazz artist. He has a style like no other. Each CD is better than the last, and this latest is no exception.

Paul and Helen are at their BEST.
Can't stop playing trak 5.

After reading the unfavorable reviews of the closing track "If You Knew" I feel highly compelled to write my opinino of this controversial track. Although I'm NO fan of most rap music by any stretch of the imagination, I really, REALLY love the rap part of the song which places a very talented rap verse over the track "Peace On Earth". Although I prefer the song in it's instrumental version, the rap chorus is really well rhymed and is very good. Although it may at first sound like another ghetto-thumping track, this song actually attacks the glorification of ghetto-life and instead showcases the rappers tough childhood in a very vivid imagination. Many people seem to be offended by this track and view it as "Hell On Earth" but this song isn't anywhere near as disturbing or terrifying to me as was Paul's famous hit "19" was 20 years back. "19" is a classic don't get me wrong but the song scared the daylights out of me when I first heard it but "If You Knew" doesn't do that on such a scale. Overall though, "If You Knew" is one of the most daring moves that Paul has ever done but it pays off well. Wonderful Job!

As for the rest of this album, "Jazzmasters 4" is another inspiring home run for Hardcastle's arc of music over the last 20 years and 14 years since his Jazzmasters 1 album took me by storm when I was a small child when it was released. The fourth entry under the Jazzmasters moniker doesn't necessarily break a lot of new ground but this could perhaps be one of the most inspiring releases of all time, perhaps the best since 1994's "Hardcastle Volume 1" aka the "hands" album.

"Valley of The Harps" is a groovy dance track with those lovely Hardcastle sounds as well as some beautiful harps interspersed throughout the track. The reprise part of the track though while great sounds unfinished. "Feeling Blue" may have a deceiving title as the mood of the song is far from being `blue' as it is a very joyous track with gorgeous keyboards and lovely New Age/pop atmospherics. The vocals of Helen Rogers as always are absolutely lovely. Besides the final track, my favorite standout tracks are "Emerald Stardust" and "How Long Before We Get it Right". "Emerald Stardust" is perhaps one of the strangest songs that Paul has released in a very long time and in fact departs a bit from his trademark sound and instead has a bizarre mix of electronic sound effects and a very light beat. The ambient atmospherics are stunningly beautiful and the lyrics are entrancing such as the "Swimming in Emerald Stardust....So Beautiful" which put me in a blissful trance.

While there aren't major standout tracks like "Northern Lights" "Nightcrawler" or "Lost Summer" but on average, this could very well be the most even and consistent album that Hardcastle has released in a long time.

I really enjoyed this cd!! This is my 5th cd from Paul that I have played from front to back and truly loved in its entirety. The last track "If You Knew" was a great remake of one of my favorite songs "Peace on Earth". I truly appreciate the Smooth Jazz Rap concept as opposed to some of the over rated GARBAGE RAP I hear today. I also love the track "Emerald Stardust", it is one of many songs of Paul Hardcastle's that I play over and over again. Thanks and please keep the Smooth Jazz Rap coming. I Love it ALL!!

THIS IS A NICE SMOOTH JAZZ CD. BUT THE ONLY SONG THAT DOES NOT FIT WITH THIS CD IS SONG 13 CALLED "IF YOU KNEW '. IT IS A RAP THAT IS MIXED ON TOP OF "PEACE ON EARTH" . WHAT A WAY TO RUIN A GOOD SONG. BUT ALL IN ALL IT IS A GREAT SMOOTH JAZZ CD.

Whenever Paul Hardcastle has a new release I am always confident that I will love it and always do. However, Jazzmasters 4 is the best yet. The moment I started listening to it, I became spell bound. I felt as though I was floating in space, a natural high, if you will. The entire cd is awsome.

A friend of mine gave me the cd as a gift, I have been playing it for the last two days and i love the cd. I have not had a hardcastle in several years and I will get more of his stuff now.

This Album is very good. Each tracks sounds fresh and current. I like the idea used in the last track (Putting a rap over a track).....but the rap in that song is just awful. I have heard much better raps than than which were non-violent and positive like the one used by Kid Crab. Who ever he is. Other than that....Album is wonderful.

This album has completely got me under its spell. At first listen I thought, "Been there, done that", but the more I listen, the harder it is for me to get it out of my CD player. The music has a strong downtempo beat that has a dark mystery to it that is very addictive. It is no surprise to me since Paul Hardcastle music does that to me. Paul Hardcastle is a multi-instrumentalist. On all his records he plays all the music, and on his records he intermixes instrumentals with songs with vocals usually sung by a women by the name of Helen Rogers. On this record, "Jazzmasters 4", they simply are magnificant. Let me tell you my five favorites on "Jazzmasters 4". 1)"Quiet Groove". This song is a perfect one to show what Paul Hardcastle is all about. Peaceful, sexy, and quiet. 2)"Puerto Banus". I suggest you play this instrumental loud or you will miss all the subtle and erotic synth waves that Paul weaved in this one. Georgeous. 3)"Time 4 Living". Some of Helens best singing is on this song. She just uses her voice to wrap it around Pauls music. 4)"Emerald Stardust". I have never heard a song quite this one before. Pauls uses Helens voice as a instrument as a background to the great beats. Play this one loud too. 5)"Vision of Illusion". Another great instrumental. The music on this album is one to play no matter whether you are in a quiet mood, or a erotic mood, or a party mood. And after 3 months of buying the damn thing I still can't get it out of my CD player. Buy it and you will see what I mean.