Chieli Minucci - Sweet On You (2000)

Just as Ed Hamilton played it cool and safe when he signed on with Shanachie for Groovology, Chieli Minucci's solo debut for the label features a bit less edge, a bit more pop, and much more of a kick back vibe than his early solo efforts for JVC. It's not that Sweet on You lacks adventure; it's simply a more in the pocket variety. Whereas in the past, he might wow us with wacky multi-movement jam sessions, on tunes like "Hot 100" he opens with an hypnotic, swaying atmosphere, then bursts into a staccato melody featuring muted electric guitar, synth vibes, and horns over a punchy live percussion pattern. The middle of the track features some easy improvisation over a drifting atmosphere featuring a subtle blues keyboard harmony. While past albums featured elongated spiritual passages loaded with space, Minucci's equivalent here is "Breaking Away," which features a gently soaring duet with pianist Jay Rowe that smacks of the Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays approach over a subtle locomotive throb. Minucci also mines wah-wah inflected retro-soul turf on "Around the World," and hits smooth jazz pay dirt on the very Special EFX like "Endless Summer," and the Brazilian tinged title cut, whose easy wordless vocals by Rosanna Vitro make it sound like a classic Joyce Cooling cut. ~ Jonathan Widran