Norman Brown - Celebration (1999)

Norman Brown Celebration (1999) - Brown is an urban jazz guitarist/vocalist with a sound similar to George Benson's. You've heard his music on the Weather Channel. (Is that a compliment or an insult?) He's got a good tone and he's a pretty good writer, so that puts him ahead of many artists in the field. One thing I've noticed that distinguishes him from most guitarists is that, when he solos, he uses the full range of the instrument, not just the upper register.

Track list :

     1. Out'a Nowhere 4:52
     2. Together At Last 5:05
     3. Paradise 4:26
     4. You Make Me Feel Brand New 5:45
     5. Celebration 4:23
     6. Getting By 4:54
     7. Rain 4:14
     8. Never Again 4:39
     9. Breaking Out 5:21
     10. It's Time For Love 4:37
     11. Stay Strong 4:42
     12. Rain (Remix)

Tracks: For smooth background music, all the tracks serve their purpose well. There's a unnecessary cover of The Stylistic's You Make Me Feel Brand New which adds nothing to the soulful original. The beautiful ballad Rain is almost ruined by the unusual, distracting electronic percussion track. Still, there aren't any tracks that I want to skip. In fact, I'm usually pleased when a Norman Brown cut comes up during an iTunes shuffle on the work computer.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this used at the Hastings in Nac not long after moving. It most likely provided background music while I finished up my dissertation in '06.

Download : Mediafire