Name: Sweet on You
Brand: Shanachie Records
SKU: 64005
Price: 14.88 USD
Availability: InStock

Performer Notes

Personnel: Chieli Minucci (acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars, keyboards, programming); Armsted Christian, Rosanna Vitro, Philip Hamilton (vocals); David Mann (soprano & tenor saxophones, flute); Gerald Albright (soprano saxophone); Stan Harrison (alto saxophone); Lenny Pickett (tenor saxophone); Barry Danielian (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jay Rowe, Werner "Vana" Gierig (piano).
Principally recorded at Nervous and Baci Studios, New York, New York.
Personnel: Roseanna Vitro, Armstead Christian (vocals); David Mann (flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Chris Howard, Paul Wickliffe (recorder); Gerald Albright (soprano saxophone); Stan Harrison (alto saxophone); Lenny Pickett (tenor saxophone); Barry Danielian (trumpet, flugelhorn); Werner "Vana" Gierig, Jay Rowe (piano); Fernando Saunders (fretless bass); David Charles (percussion).
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

Professional Reviews

JazzTimes (10/00, p.120) - "...Offers more of his remarkable trademarks: sweet-toned, melodic and fluid guitar play marked by splashes of classical and Latin colors..."

Album: Sweet on You
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Endless Summer
2)	Sweet on You
3)	Hot 100
4)	On the up An' Up
5)	Everytime You're Near
6)	Breaking Away
7)	Little Squirt
8)	Around the World
9)	My Girl Sunday
10)	Journey to You
11)	Farewell

Album: Sweet on You
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Endless Summer
2)	Sweet on You
3)	Hot 100
4)	On the up An' Up
5)	Everytime You're Near
6)	Breaking Away
7)	Little Squirt
8)	Around the World
9)	My Girl Sunday
10)	Journey to You
11)	Farewell