Turned Into Lemonade

Reviewed: 2018-06-01
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: What a delightful album! Not pushing any boundaries but so easy to listen to and I don't mean that condescending genre - Easy Listening - under which label some of those record stores still standing hide their jazz content. It serves as an example that jazz in 2018 doesn't have to be all guts and gore. Rodriguez is fluid and agile on soprano sax producing an almost clarinet-like sound that relates easily to the album's title. As well as his composing skills, Shulman is a fine pianist.
If You Like: Lyle Mays, Bill Evans; John Klemmer, Paul Horn
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Atmosphere (7:03) – piano starts> mellow midtempo jam> sax solo> midtempo jam> fade
*2/ I Claim My Day (5:01) – piano starts> uptempo jam> bass solo> sax solo>
*3/ Between The Blue And Green (5:33) – piano/horns start> uptempo jam> piano solo> sax solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
4/ The Gifts You Gave to Me (4:49) – female vocal starts> slow song> sax solo> song> fade
5/ For Mom (5:08) – piano starts> slow jam> sax solo> piano solo> slow jam> fade
*6/ No Matter What They Say (3:45) – sax starts> midtempo jam> sax solo> piano solo> jam> slow fade
*7/ Homage To Pharoah (11:44) – piano starts> midtempo jam> female scat singing> gorgeous piano solo> midtempo jam with vocals> crescendo and long slow fade
8/ It’s All Inside (4:09) – sax starts> slow jam> sax solo> slow jam> slow fade
9/ Finding Peace (6:19) – piano starts> slow song> piano solo> slow song> fade
*10/ Buried Diamond (4:57) – sax starts> midtempo bouncy jam> piano solo> soaring sax solo> midtempo jam> slow fade
*11/ Turned Into Lemonade (5:10) – piano/sax start> mellow midtempo jam> piano solo> jam> sax solo> midtempo jam> slow fade
*12/ Sunny Samba (5:44) – sax starts> uptempo jam> piano solo> sax solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
**13/ Write Again (5:34) –piano/ sax starts> uptempo bouncy jam> piano solo> sax solo> uptempo jam> false stop> uptempo jam> quick stop
14/ Nostalgia (2:53) – sax starts> slow jam> piano solo> sax solo> slow jam> slow fade