From Bob James and David Sanborn's Grammy-winning Double Vision to George Benson and Earl Klugh's Collaboration, Warner Bros. Records has released some of the greatest duo projects in smooth jazz. With Rick Braun and Boney James's Shake It Up, the label's tandem projects have hit a new plateau, pairing Braun's jazzy trumpet sensibilities with James's ultra-funk saxophone dynamics. The album title reflects the way the two bounce off and drive each other to artistic heights beyond either's typical solo work. The two horns dance over a shuffle beat and simmering blues keyboard textures on the opening track, "RSVP," first soaring in perfect unison, then breaking for back-and-forth conversation between James's lower smoky tone and Braun's higher-pitched crackling. Their musical chatter builds slowly, culminating in a powerful end chorus. Similarly celebratory are two versions (one vocal) of the jubilant horn hit "Grazin' in the Grass," which features the two swaying as one over jumpy retro guitar and keyboard parts, then blasting off into percussive improvisations. The disc's gentler moments are equally remarkable, notably the silky "More Than You Know" (in which Braun introduces a tender thought and waits for James to complete it) and a smoky, gently grooving cover of Horace Silver's "Song for My Father." --Jonathan Widran

Product Description

Take virtuoso saxophonist and Smooth Jazz superstar Boney James, add acclaimed trumpeter and Smooth Jazz superstar Rick Braun, mix them together, and shake it up. The NAC-album pairing of the year, Shake It Up brings Boney and Braun together for the first time, and it's a cocktail sure to be a Smooth Jazz blockbuster.