City Groove in Bloomington, MN

In the seven years since Munich-born, Los Angeles-based guitarist
Nils
became a fixture in the smooth jazz genre via his massive radio hit "Pacific Coast Highway," he hasn't become the A-list fixture at the big festivals and all-star cruises as he should be -- but his consistency in composing and recording funked-out, super-crisp electric guitar gems that soothe as they groove has been formidable. Perhaps it's because he set a high bar for himself writing a book called How to Make Your Guitar Talk. Or maybe because, as on the dynamic and infectious
City Groove
, he's always working with and drawing inspiration from an incredible array of all-star musical cohorts. From the simmering, brass-fired rock-soul of the title track through the bluesy old-school soul-jazz romp "Funk in da House,"
' fluid and crackling lines dance and dart over the pockets created alternately by
Ricky Lawson
and
Simon Phillips
(drums) working with
Alex Al
Darryl Jones
(bass).
Mitch Forman
's piano and organ spots add a rich jazz and blues depth to
' lighthearted (but just gritty enough) pop/rock vibe. In a happy surprise of a moment, a duet between
and fellow genre guitar star
Jeff Golub
is a soaring thoughtful ballad, full of eloquent expression (think a classic crying
Eric Clapton
ballad) rather than a hard rock free-for-all (which these two could have done in a heartbeat). That single track adds a powerful emotional balance to the set -- and adds dynamic heart and soul to this glorious romp through the city grooves the title promises. ~ Jonathan Widran