Artist: Ryo Kawasaki
Title: Sweet Life
Year Of Release: 1996
Label: Videoarts Music
Genre: Jazz / Smooth Jazz
Quality: FLAC (tracks) / MP3
Total Time: 48:55 min
Total Size: 307 MB / 111 MB
Tracklist:
01. Sweet Life
02. Chapel of Love
03. I Found You
04. Together
05. I Like the Way You Are
06. Promise
07. Will We Meet Again
08. Again
09. You're the One
10. Sweet Life / Epilogue
One of the dangers anytime an artist decides to forgo the organic approach and back his primary instrument with electronic effects is relying too much on the machinery. Fortunately, Ryo Kawasaki, as strong a producer as he is a lyrical electric guitar master, makes sure his silky urban rhythms on Sweet Life are simply an enhancement, rather than a burden, to his fluid lines. Whether the track is straight-out funk, smooth late-night seduction, or a loping ride like the title cut, his hypnotic synth lines simply set the mood. Kawasaki's plucky, winding way with a melody is textured over that, working its way toward varying degrees of emotional resonance. While the fully plugged-in mode carries the majority of the collection, Kawasaki earns his most memorable kudos for the simple and sparse acoustic gems, a lush cover of Janet Jackson's "Again" and on "Sweet Life," which improvises a flamenco-like edge over fingersnap percussion that sounds more real than machine-generated. Another edge he gives himself over the competition is his admirable aversion to outside lead instruments like acoustic piano or sax. When a performer advertises a guitar in the forefront, it's nice to see him deliver the goods without any distractions. -- Jonathan Widran
