REVIEW: SKINNY HIGHTOWER'S "BLUE MOON"

Keyboardist (really, multi-instrumentalist) Skinny Hightower instantly became one of my favorite artists from the moment I first heard track one of his 2017 release 𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦. His intuitive approach to compositions was instantly impressive to say the least. His subsequent releases haven't proven me wrong in my initial assessment one bit. Here with his double CD release called 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯, this mega-talented artist again pours it on as thick as maple syrup with more plenty of funk and 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩. Taking a brief hiatus from the biz to engage in a bit of introspection and to reset his internal GPS (something all serious musicians should do, in my opinion), he steps out here with fresh, creative grooves and melodies that keep you engaged from track one, disc one through track 12, disc 2. I’m not even going to entertain the idea of choosing a fave on this album as I found myself in that head-boppin’, toe-tappin’, finger-snappin’ mode throughout. Some—and I stress some—of the catchy tracks include the high-steppin’ “Blue Moon,” “Spanish Harlem,” the blues-tapped “Sky Blues” featuring guitarist Christone Kingfish Ingram, funky jams like “Boogieman” and “Mr. Sims,” and much more ear candy. Except for help on a couple of tracks by guitarists Brett “Almon” Johnson and the previously mentioned Ingram, trumpeter Simon Beddoe, saxophonists Gene Shill and Rob Mitchell, percussionist “Bongo” Bobby Thomas, and an appearance by British keyboardist Oli Silk, Hightower handles/arranges everything you hear on this well-produced project. Give it a listen, and fall in love again with 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 c-jazz.

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