San Gabriel 7 featuring Femi Knight Red Dress

San Gabriel 7 featuring Femi Knight
Red Dress
JRL-SGS Records
 
The San Gabriel 7 was formed in 2006 by trombonist Jim Lewis, and this is the Southern California based group's tenth album. Lewis, a spacecraft engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech, originally formed the group with other scientists and such who were also musicians. Over the years, the original musicians moved on, and now the group features some of Southern California's top jazz musicians.

For this recording, Lewis is joined by a rhythm section of Chad Edwards, Matt Weisberg, and/or Chris Gordon on keyboards; Steve Gregory on guitar; Jonathan Pintoff on bass; Randy Drake on drums; and Scott Breadman on percussion. Besides Mr. Lewis on trombone, the horn players include Glen Berger on saxophone, and Mike McGuffrey, Jeff Jarvis and/or Kye Palmer on trumpet. Dave Cushman is the arranger. Upfront on this recording is vocalist Femi Knight who, besides being a vocalist, is an arranger, vocal coach, choir director, keyboardist, and songwriter. Ms. Knight has performed and collaborated with numerous jazz and pop legends, including Brian McKnight, Harvey Mason, Bill Cunliffe, Patti Austin, and many others.

Knight wrote six songs (one heard in an original and radio edits), and covers of Bettye Lavette and
B.B. King. From the opening "I'm Going Home Tonight" one is impressed by Knight's singing. The clarity of her phrasing, articulation of the lyrics, vocal dynamics, and her singing's fervor is striking. Her soulful-bluesy performances are set against a funky, jazzy background evocative of The Crusaders. Adding to the flavor of this selection is Gregory's jazzy guitar. On her expressive ballad on "Give a Little," Knight showcases her vocal range and tunefulness. There is a lively original blues, "West Indian Brown (Red Dress)," with punchy brass as she singings about this lady who has a red dress on, no one can bring her down, and is about to go town. Berger takes a gutbucket sax solo on this selection.

The two live performances are sterling. Knight is sensational on a rendition of Bettye LaVette's "When a Woman's Had Enough," as she pours everything in her singing while Gregory's solo is more in a blues-rock vein. B.B. King had a hit with Will Jenning's "Never Make Your Move Too Soon," which Knight puts her own stamp on. The San Gabriel 7 evoke The Crusaders while Berger plays a robust, bluesy solo.

"Red Dress" is an excellent showcase of jazzy-soul for Femi Knight with first-rate funky support by the San Gabriel 7.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is a link to a clip of music from this album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9m6f2gvuJ8.