CD review of Lane Stowe's "Have Groove Will Travel"
By Joel Perkosky
Many jazzers complain today that they cannot bring jazz into the modern music scene. That the public does not appreciate jazz the way it should because it’s contaminated by artists like Kenny G. While this might be true, there are numerous artists making jazz into a more 'desirable' art form for the new generation. One of these artists, in my humble opinion, is a man named Lane Stowe. With the debut of his first CD, 'Have Groove Will Travel', Lane is setting a high mark for what is to come with the innovation of modern jazz and how the modern generation fits to it.
"Have Groove Will Travel", according to Lane himself, is "a 'groovalicious' vocal mix of smooth R&B, jazz, doo-wop, rock, samba and traditional songs". This couldn"t be more true. When not mellowing out the most stressed-out listener with the smooth, mellow tones of traditional jazz, he is energizing the most distressed person with up-beat, hip-hop charts. Aside from that, there are very soulful songs; like "Amazing Grace" and "The Star Spangled Banner" to stir something within your spirit and make you appreciate music that much more.
The CD itself was done very professionally; using all pro or semi-pro musicians to record the CD, using a professional studio based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and having the photography and liner notes done through a company based in Sanatoga, Pennsylvania. Using a variety of musicians including my own band director, this CD is a top notch product to show the true talent behind Lane Stowe. Lane by trade is a vocalist but he can also play multiple instruments including trombone, flugelhorn, trumpet, and euphonium. Lane also plays a mean bass, having been influenced by Jaco Pastorious and one of his college friends we know as Johnathan Sanborn (son of famous David Sanborn). The CD was cut very cleanly and mixed evenly. No skips, bad takes, errors to my ear, or mistakes with pitch or rhythm. A very fine product indeed.
I encourage you, as a musician or a non-musician, to pick up this CD. Your day will become that much better when the musical genius of Lane Stowe starts flowing through your spirit. You can find out more about Lane Stowe's CD at CD Baby.
