New Standards

Reviewed: 2018-07-24
Genre: General
FCCs: none
Review: Ford steps into the spotlight with a full arsenal of well-penned originals and a strong instrument in his voice. It has soul and is technically assured. a lyricist tackling the realities of everyday life. His vocal prowess is the icing on the proverbial cake, a manifestation of a deep message. He combines old school soul, blues, pop, and jazz into a seamless amalgam
If You Like: Sam Cooke, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Gregory Porter
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Loose Cotton Shirt (4:41) – brushes on drums start> midtempo song with chorus> piano solo> flute solo> uptempo song> quick fade on chorus
*2/ Bag Of Rocks (3:55) – horns start> uptempo strutting blues song> quick stop on vocal
3/ Whose Child (0:40) – toy piano> slow song with chorus & children> stop on vocal
4/ Acorns (4:33) – sax starts> midtempo song> trumpet solo> song> quick fade on vocal
5/ Untitled (4:41) – piano starts> slow song swells in volume & soars> guitar solo> midtempo song> fade on vocal
6/ Fatherless Son (5:29) – children’s voices> slow song with horns swells in volume & intensity
*7/ Faith (3:44) – trumpet starts> rocking midtempo song> organ solo> uptempo song swings out> crescendo end
8/ Ocean (4:09) – waves & birds start> strings kick in> midtempo song with soaring chorus> song swells in volume & intensity> crescendo on chorus
**9/ To Be Your Man (4:57) – piano starts> slow song with chorus swells in volume & intensity> slow fade
10/ Truth (0:50) – bells start> short slow song> quick stop on spoken word
*11/ Enough (5:29) – sax starts> midtempo song with hard hitting vocals> raunchy sax solo> song builds in volume> laugh> fade on sax
*12/ Lovely Day (4:55) – cello starts> slow song with soaring vocals & chorus> call & response with chorus builds in volume> fade
13/ The One (4:02) – guitar starts> midtempo funk song with chorus> slow fade
*14/ Not My Brother’s Keeper (4:51) – guitar starts> slow song> builds in volume & intensity> soaring vocals> crescendo end
15/ TBYM (1:06) – piano starts> midtempo gospel song with chorus> slow fade