DESCRIPTION:
Personnel: Michael "Patches" Stewart (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Marcus Miller (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, vibraphone, double bass, bass guitar, percussion); Diane Gordon, MC Lyte, Will Downing, LeDon Bishop (vocals); James Walker (flute); Kenny Garrett (alto saxophone); Roger Byam (tenor saxophone); Steve Baxter (trombone); Poogie Bell (drums); DJ Quik (turntables).
Smooth jazz trumpeter Patches Stewart teams up with bassist/producer Marcus Miller on Blow. Sounding like a total blend of mid-'60s and early-'90s Miles Davis, Stewart deftly mixes modal trumpet lines and punchy muted asides with funky processed beats. Taken as a whole, the album brings to mind Davis' Doo-Bop more than Kind of Blue, and in that sense it is a pleasingly adventurous post-bop/funk-jazz meets instrumental pop outing. Notably, Stewart's versions of Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" and Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" showcase the trumpeter's mellow melodicism, while originals like "I Know What You Like" and "Congo Square" bring out a funky hip-hop influence. Alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett and others join Stewart here. ~ Matt Collar