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Guitarist Richard Smith has been part of the smooth jazz experience for ten years, but his solo career momentum has been hindered by label troubles and commitments to his teaching and longtime sideman gig with saxman Richard Elliot. The interracial sexuality (including a bare male behind) depicted in its cover art is indicative of the handful of surprises among the overall easygoing flow on First Kiss, his debut for Heads Up. "Impulsive," for instance, cruises along amiably, with Smith trading verses with trumpeter Tony Guerrero; then suddenly, a synth horn section gushes in, Smith explodes into a crisp wah-wah guitar jam and keyboardist Tim Redfield takes an avante garde solo. The fun in Smith's music has always come from his concurrent love affairs with blues, soul, rock and jazz. He combines the first two on a brassed-up swing version of Joe Sample's "Put It Where You Want It," pays homage to Luther Vandross along with Elliot with a throbbing take on "Never Too Much," and rocks hard on "Midnight Run," a whirlwind of a cut on which composer Redfield matches Smith note for note. Though it's clear that Smith is intent on not being pigeonholed, his commercial sensibilities are intact; "A Minor Love Affair," combining Smith's rich electric timbre with genre star Peter White's distinctive acoustic flair, is as dreamy and airwave friendly as smooth jazz ballads get.
© Jonathan Widran /TiVo
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Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Brandon Fields, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Greg Vail, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter White, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Luther Vandross, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Elliot, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Guerrero, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Michael Lington, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Michael Lington, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - JOE SAMPLE, ComposerLyricist - Paul Brown, Producer, Recording Producer - Richard Smith, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Michael Lington, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Redfield, Producer, Keyboards, Programming, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Richard McIntosh, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - TOM MCCAULEY, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Boustead, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Larry Antonino, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1997 Heads Up International
Album review
Guitarist Richard Smith has been part of the smooth jazz experience for ten years, but his solo career momentum has been hindered by label troubles and commitments to his teaching and longtime sideman gig with saxman Richard Elliot. The interracial sexuality (including a bare male behind) depicted in its cover art is indicative of the handful of surprises among the overall easygoing flow on First Kiss, his debut for Heads Up. "Impulsive," for instance, cruises along amiably, with Smith trading verses with trumpeter Tony Guerrero; then suddenly, a synth horn section gushes in, Smith explodes into a crisp wah-wah guitar jam and keyboardist Tim Redfield takes an avante garde solo. The fun in Smith's music has always come from his concurrent love affairs with blues, soul, rock and jazz. He combines the first two on a brassed-up swing version of Joe Sample's "Put It Where You Want It," pays homage to Luther Vandross along with Elliot with a throbbing take on "Never Too Much," and rocks hard on "Midnight Run," a whirlwind of a cut on which composer Redfield matches Smith note for note. Though it's clear that Smith is intent on not being pigeonholed, his commercial sensibilities are intact; "A Minor Love Affair," combining Smith's rich electric timbre with genre star Peter White's distinctive acoustic flair, is as dreamy and airwave friendly as smooth jazz ballads get.
© Jonathan Widran /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:22
- Main artists: Richard Smith
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Heads Up
- Genre: Jazz
© 1997 Heads Up International ℗ 1997 Heads Up International
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