Soul Ties

Good Jazz

once again Patrick didn't disappoint.

a must buy for your smooth jazz collection

Very good disc to have in your collection, very happy with this purchase.

Alot of nice up-tempo cuts.

great relaxing music

From the vein of smooth jazz sound mined by saxophonists such as Candy Dulfer, Mindi Abair, Michael Lington, and Euge Groove comes this collection of soulful, funky songs that just might make you dance (or at least feel like dancing). Not much in the way of computers and sampling here, just talented musicians let loose on some great songs. Prominent among the players is Jeff Lorber, whose recent release (Impact) would make a great combined playlist with Soul Ties.

Patrick Lamb wears a lot of hats these days, sometimes as sideman sax player to big name pop stars like Gino Vanelli or Bobby Caldwell, sometimes as pop/rock/jazz singer himself, but here Patrick presents himself in the role of jazz funk composer and bandleader. He really shines here, displaying strong, gorgeous tone, playing all the melodies with a self assured verve that makes the songs memorable. Of all the current crop of sax players, Patrick has emerged as the most individually identifiable. The songwriting is happily heavy on singable tunes, so much that you may find yourself putting your own words to the songs. Ten of the twelve compositions are written by Patrick himself. The vibe lies somewhere Sly Stone and the early Crusaders. Eddie Harris and Horace Silver also come to mind. Soul Ties is a lot funkier than what is often referred to as "smooth Jazz" these days. The otherwise all instrumental album finishes with one of the only two cover songs, Bill Withers' Whatever Happens, reminding you that Patrick is a mighty good singer too. Part of the success of the album is due to the first call sidemen, anchored by Jeff Lorber on piano, who also provided the recording studio, and likely some production help. Bass player Alex Al, guitarist Tony Maiden, and drummer Lil John Roberts all are often Lorber sidemen, and have backed stars such as Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan and Al Jarreau.