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But Beautiful
The cover of Boz Scaggs' latest release, But Beautiful, has a moody black and white photograph of Boz gazing across the black void at a silver toned microphone, his profile illuminated against the darkened backdrop in a soft grey light, his index finger curled pensively at his lips, Boz appears to be staring intently into the dark void as if reflecting on how he got to this point. The music behind this cover finds Scaggs singing jazz standards, backed by a polished and sometimes iridescent quartet (Paul Nagel; piano, Eric Crystal; saxophone, Jason Lewis; drums and John Shifflett; bass). Laid over the restrained melodies, Boz's voice caresses the listener in its soothing verse, delivered in such a professional yet passionate manner that it seems this is what he's always done. To a limited extent, it is. A lot of people think that jazz is something new for Boz. But Beautiful is in fact a result of a meeting of these same musicians at a Bread & Roses benefit three years ago. But it goes back much further than that. When Boz would sing acappella on the street corners of Stockholm, Sweden in 1965, he would include jazz standards. Go back and listen to Finding Her (1969) and you'll hear his appreciation for the genre. Downright Woman (1971), with its subdued essence and jazzy melody, could be put on But Beautiful. Here To Stay's (1971) vibraphone tones, flutes and congas is filled with jazz influences. Sail On White Moon (1974) could have been sung by Ella Fitzgerald or Frank Sinatra, or Take it For Granted sung by Billie Holiday. What he's doing now is not that distant from Harbor Lights or We're All Alone (1976). Night of Van Gogh (1988) has the same light, bright piano, solid bass lines and expressive vocals that speak to us on But Beautiful. Fact is, this recording has been 40 years in the making. From the opening cymbal taps on "What's New", with its beatnik-cool bass lines and clear, lightly placed piano chords, we are taken to a land so groovy that you can almost hear the fingers snap with the laid back beat in the dimly lit club. We have embarked on a lustrous journey into a sound made timeless by Boz's voice and backing musicians. Having been fortunate enough to see him perform this song at February's Bread and Roses benefit at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, I realized then that this endeavor was going to work to perfection, and the recording bears that truth out. Once released from Boz's mesmerizing treatment of the lyrics of "Never Let Me Go", we are introduced to tenor saxophonist Eric Crystal. His rich sound contains shades of John Coltrane and nestles comfortably in the mood initiated by the arrangement. Wow. And just as you think it can't get mellower, we are greeted by the subtle tones of "How Long Has This Been Going On", with wire brushes washing the snare heads like water breaking over smooth creek rock, the sax moaning like the warm summer breeze, and the gentle piano chords playing like sunlight on the leaves of the trees. Then Boz fills the intro with his distinctive delivery of the verse. You can't help but think, "My God, what a beautiful song" as you melt further into the calming effect of the music. By the time we get to the title track's rhythmic rim pops and underlying piano phrasing, I mean, we are into being relaxed. Crystal's sax has taken on more of a be-bop style reminiscent of Wayne Shorter. I can understand why he is considered as a fine talent in the scene. Before I've recovered from the effects of "But Beautiful", "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" comes up, a beloved classic as fresh as the spring's source, and I heartily drink in its clear refreshment. Song after song, we continue to be massaged and seduced by this music. It's not so much that But Beautiful is a radical departure for Boz as much as it's like letting us into his house to show us around. It's dark out, the lights are down, the fireplace flickers across the worn wood floor, and the velvet touch of Boz's voice makes us warm and welcome in his world. With But Beautiful as our soundtrack, we can enjoy falling in love all over again, basking in the beauty of the night, exploring the mysterious foundations of desire, propelled by the languishing melodies, the soft seduction of this sound, finding romance in the empty spaces previously unobserved. Uninterrupted by more up-tempo tunes, this seemingly endless journey in the slow-paced world becomes a welcome respite from reality's demands. But Beautiful is an exemplary triumph for Boz. This is no blind worship, this is admiration for a true talent, a master with few peers. So, if there is to be a Volume 2, we can hope that Boz continues his formal foray into jazz by composing and performing his own songbook, sprinkled with some more standards. To the appreciative ear, he's proven he can pick them and has excelled in performing them perfectly. Gray Cat, 2003
Come On Home
The ideal review of this R&B offering from Boz Scaggs would read, "I really, really like it. I hope you do, too." Because I had the devil's own time to put my finger on why. However, after 30 days in the metaphoric wilderness, I've had a revelation. There's something evangelical about it. Yes, evangelical. This CD is an inspired musical testament from a true 'blues' believer. In fact, it does many of the things one would expect of a well-preached sermon. It offers a liturgy of the orthodox, in this case covers of classics: Sonny Boy Williamson's "Early in the Morning," T-Bone Walker's "T-Bone Shuffle," Jimmy Reed's "Found Love." It awes with erudition and spellbinds with a truly righteous rendition of Earl King's obscure "It All Went Down the Drain." It practices humility -- vocally, Scaggs tailors his voice as closely as possible to what the original artist attempted and the arrangements -- horns, keyboards, and his own guitar -- draw heavily on the originals, as well (making it an album about the music, not the artist). And the message proves broadly ecumenical by showcasing regional styles from the New Orleans piano on "Sick and Tired" to the Chicago harpin' on "Early in the Morning" to the Bobby Bland (Memphis-style) vocals on "Don't Cry No More." But what Come on Home really does well is to manifest the redemptive joy of singing and playing this kind of music, a joy so profound that, even after repeated listenings, it transcends the music's familiarity and resurrects it from the purgatory into which all too many albums quickly fall. Or something like that. All seriousness aside, Come on Home is a real testament to the enduring nature of the blues.
Dig
In 1969, after leaving the Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs released his first U.S. solo album. Over the next dozen years he attained, first critical and then popular success, with the high point coming in 1976 with the release of the multi-million selling Silk Degrees. From 1981 to 1993 Scaggs released but a single album which was neither the critical nor a commercial success of his earlier work. For most artists that would mean game over, or, at minimum, time to start bookings on the Geezer Tour. Fortunately, beginning with the 1994 album, Some Change, we have seen a revitalized Scaggs. With that album he updated his '70s blue-eyed soul sound by adding a darker edge and the work was a modest commercial success and an even stronger critical hit. The follow-up, Come On Home, was a remarkable review of his roots. Largely covers of R&B classics from the '40s to the '60s, the album showed us a stripped down, driven and dynamic Scaggs. The uncluttered settings spot lighted a voice that has deepened over the years yet has retained its clear, seductive edge. While the album sold moderately well, the fact that it failed to reach the commercial success of Silk Degrees is commentary on the music market and not the album. With Dig, Scaggs turns again to R&B, but this time he samples the field from the '70s through the '90s. The album opener, "Payday", in both lyrical and musical stance could have come from a great, undiscovered 1970's Muscle Shoals session. While modern touches, including dance floor bass and a distorted rhythm track open the song, it is the funky guitar work by Scaggs, Danny Kortchmar and Ray Parker Jr., along with the horns of Roy Hargrove Jr. that define and elevate the tune. Miss Riddle is a state-of-the-art studio ballad that also uses Roy Hargrove Jr. to set up a late night shuffle against a layered background of synths, drum programming and acoustic piano highlights. The R&B tour even includes a rap song, "Get On The Natch", wherein we are advised that, "it's not about simple thirsts and hungers but satisfying your soul". Desire, covers the same lyrical ground as Lowdown did on Silk Degrees, but at a slower and more heartfelt approach. Call That Love and You're Not are mid-tempo dance tunes that showcase tight rhythm under tales of soured relationships while the final track "Thanks To You", with pedal steel by Steve Lukather and more horns by Hargrove, is a 2 AM muse on the love that makes living bearable. Interestingly, Scaggs wrote all the lyrics for the album (sharing credits on 3 of the 11 songs) but either allowed others to pen the tunes or to share musical chores on all but two songs, and of all the songs on the album it is one of those two, "King Of El Paso", that is the most distinctive track on the album. Featuring a nasty blues lead by Kortchmar and superb backing vocals by Monet, the cautionary tale of sensual consumption is as classic a track as "Loan Me A Dime" is from his first album. Dig is a worthy survey and demonstration of modern R&B. For those who have followed Scaggs this may not come as a surprise. For the rest of you, check it out. And then pick up Come On Home to complete the history lesson. Enjoyment: 90 Sound: 80
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