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MICHAEL FRANKS
The Art Of Love - The Michael Franks Anthology (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
When Michael Franks hit the scene thirty years ago, 'smooth jazz' wasn't a marketing category, it was just a style of performing that came to him naturally. With a breathy voice, a deft touch on the guitar and a gift for writing melodic songs on a foundation of easy swing, Franks carved out a jazz category all his own. This two-disc set encapsulates the development of his style over the course of his 14 albums for Warner and Windham Hill, along with a couple of tracks from a previously import-only collaboration with Crossfire.
There are also examples of his work with artists like Joe Sample and the Yellowjackets, but for the most part it's Franks front and center, singing simply and swinging easy.
His songs have a tendency to sound like instant standards, and more than a few have found their way into other artists songbooks, but few can best the original performances you'll find here. While every song isn't overtly a love song, the title of the collection is apt, because every song is somehow infused with a romanticism that makes this a perfect companion for those times when you want to share some music with a perfect companion.
Track Lists:
Disc One: Eggplant * Popsicle Toes * The Lady Wants To Know * B'Wana - He No Home * Antionio's Song (The Rainbow) * When The Cookie Jar Is Empty * Meet Me In The Deerpark * Living On The Inside * Sanpaku * Tiger In The Rain * When It's Over * On My Way Home To You * Inside You * Lotus Blossom * Don't Be Blue (live w/Crossfire) * Monkey See - Monkey Do (live w/Crossfire)
Disc Two: Tahitian Moon * Flirtation * When Sly Calls (Don't Touch That Phone) * Rainy Night In Tokyo * Sunday Morning Here With You * Your Secret's Safe With Me * When I Give My Lips To You (w/Brenda Russell) * Read My Lips * Innuendo * Leading Me Back To You (w/ Joe Sample) * The Art Of Love * The Dream (live w/The Yellowjackets) * Monk's New Tune * Somehow Our Love Survives * Mr. Smooth
© 2003 - Shaun Dale