Artist: Patrick Yandall
Title: Samoa Soul
Genre: Instrumental Jazz
Label: Zangi Records
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Patrick Yandall’s Website

Patrick Yandall continues to improve with each successive release. Samoa Soul is his seventh album. Yandall is talented in many ways musically however his instinct for applying the rudiments of jazz outweighs everything else. That is the one most important aspect of his makeup as a performing artist that lands him right at the top of the heap for jazz indie artists.

There is something very relevant about being in the right ‘mood’ to listen to certain music. I woke up with a splitting headache and decided to listen to some high-energy noisy guitar oriented rock after I took some aspirin; I figured in an hour that the dose of medication would make it go away, it did help, but it came roaring back with a vengeance once I started to listen to the music. What I really needed was to give Samoa Soul another spin. I know from experience how soothing and relaxing the music of Patrick Yandall can be.Patrick uses a selective group of guitars for his compositions. He employs an Ibanez GB10, Naked Telecaster, Fender Custom Strats, Carvin Contour, Martin Acoustic, and Takamine Classical to give his sound a distinctive tone and texture for each track.

I enjoyed listening to all 11 tracks on this CD; each one was a treat for the mind, body, and soul, not to mention my ears. As one track seamlessly blends into the next you realize that the goal seems to be just that, create a listening experience that has a beginning and an end with no place in between that has any radical transitions or changes that forces you to adjust your thought process and overall mood. This consistent formula works very well for Yandall. The only switch in flow is his instrumental interpretation of the Christopher Cross hit “Sailing,” which is very good considering the lyrics are nonexistent. Every track has a different mood and tempo while offering pure smooth jazz with Latin and R & B rudiments to give it that certain Yandall flavor that is prevalent on all of his releases. His guitar playing encourages rhythms to come forth from other instruments and that is why he is an exceptional composer and leader.

You do not have to be a star to shine in the world of music but this star is bright and one of the most promising in the world of jazz.

© Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

Tracks
01. Samoa Soul (3:31)
02. Fade to Black (3:50)
03. Londons Way (3:48)
04. Funkin’ for Jamaica (3:44)
05. Smile for Today (3:46)
06. Passion Avenue (3:42)
07. The Beat Generation (3:42)
08. Sailing (4:00)
09. Who’s the Bossa (3:39)
10. Back in the Day (3:45)
11. Dawn Patrol (4:28)

Credits:

Partrick Yandall: electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass, synth bass, piano, Rhodes, Sampled strings and horns, Vocalese, Drum and Loop programming

Andre Mayeux: Clavinet, B3, and Piano solo on “Londons Way”

Nathan Brown: Bass on “Passion Avenue” and “Dawn Patrol”