Genre : Smooth Jazz
Release: April 2016
Label : Blue Flame Records Buy It HERE
A Germany based flutist, Lenny Mac Dowell had actively in smooth jazz stage of local and international scene. He released several albums since 1984. His style recorded as jazz, rock and new age. This album, Lenny Mac Dowell Band Live is his latest release, set in 2016. This live album got a thick jazz and rock portion and some notable funk beat. The band member are Christoph Spendel (keyboards), Peter Oehler, Claudio Zanghieri, and Helmut Kipp.
The first track is Flute Power Pt.2, Which has lovely opening guitar licks and constant leading bass line that enable Lenny to laid down a danceful flute melodies. The middle interlude got some bluesy guitar in it. Please Fasten Your Set Belts is the second song in this live action. Quite a progressive rock fell in it with the guitar taken the lead from beginning. Ain't No Sunshine is melancholy clean guitar jazz tunes. The flute enjoyed his serenity here. Autumn Breath is a lengthy piano jazz improvisation in the intro.Overall, the keyboard preferred to be in piano voices, which made the album bit of "heavier", instead of highly jazz sounds as in electronic piano voice. We also got the Latin bits in Tango for Luca. Then we got some hard rock song as in Thai Stick Restaurant.
Landscape comes next, which is back to smooth jazz with the guitar enjoy his whammy bar moment. There are influence of Jethro Tull in the end, where Lenny done Bouree Electronic (well, Ian Andersson done it before in J.T.) but this version got a big jamming session in the end. Also we got Locomotive Breath. a classic Jethro Tull hit.
Lenny Mac Dowell Band Live is selection of Lenny's best track performed on stage. The selection range quite wide, from standard rock to jazz all the way to Latin. The nice thing is, most of the song are extensively lengthy, some hit 10 to 9 minutes. The whole band contributed equally. Lenny did not dominated most of the time and let the guitar and keyboard blast out some of their best jazz licks. LIVE is highly recommended flute jazz album of 2016. Certainly enjoyable!
Lenny Mac Dowell Band - LIVE (2016)
Buy It HERE
1. Flute Power Pt.2
2. Please Fasten Your Set Belts
3. Ain't No Sunshine
4. Autumn Breath
5. Tango for Luca
6. Thai Stick Restaurant
7. Landscapes
8. Get Ready
9. Unknown Events
10. Bouree Electronic
11. Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull cover)
12. Flute Raga
Christoph Spendel (keyboards)
Peter Oehler
Claudio Zanghieri
Helmut Kipp
Lenny Mac Dowell (Flute)
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