This is the debut album from Ed Maina, a multi-woodwind musician, who here provides soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, piccolo, flute, alto flute, clarinet and Akai E.W.I. (Electric Wind Instrument/Wind Synth.) It reminds me very much of the late Seventies, as he and his friends work through multiple styles, including instrumental pop, latin jazz, smooth jazz and funk. There are hints of The Commodores, hints of Earth, Wind & Fire, and way more dance and funk than one might expect from the University of Miami Jazz department. Although this is his debut, he has been involved in literally hundreds of recordings and projects with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Chaka Khan, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole and the Temptations, so he is very much a known and admired entity within the scene.
For me though, this is never more than just background music, as it is just so smooth with not nearly enough passion or rawness to excite me. When I listen to funk, I want it to be hot and hard, and not the styles we come across here, and the same is true with my fondness of jazz, there is just something missing as it is too gentle and emotionless. But, there is a standout song contained near the end of this that demonstrates just what Ed is capable of, and it is glorious. That song is a take on “Amazing Grace”, a song that always makes me think of Scotland and here he provides piccolo against his daughter Priscilla Wagner’s bass flute. It is drenched in emotion, and as I play it I can see the mist rolling over the loch. Priscilla controls the emotion and depth, while Ed is the shining flittering bird that flies from tree to tree. It is just so different to the rest of the album, and if it had been packed full of songs like this then I would have run out of superlatives. As it is, it is very good at what it does, but just isn’t for me. As for this take on “Amazing Grace”? I’ve never heard better, for me this has totally redefined the song.
