Review

Five years ago, it may have seemed presumptuous for Gregg Karukas to call one of his most popular recordings You'll Know It's Me, but back then, his sugary, ultra-melodic, slightly funkified keyboard style was truly identifiable from the first few notes of any song he played. Since then, however, he's pushed the rhythmic and stylistic envelopes in so many exciting, new directions that the Karukas of 2000 isn't quite the same guy anymore.
Released in 1998, Blue Touch lived up to its title by moving in what Karukas calls a "bluesy, funky, greasy, and organic" direction. His NCoded debut Nightshift - so named for Karukas' propensity to work vampire-like in his studio all night - moves even further in that direction. His melodies are still as instantly hummable as ever, but he varies their surroundings to include Crusaders-inspired retro-soul elements, snazzy horn sections, and more Latin and Brazilian percussion patterns than ever before.
As always, Karukas chose to work with sidemen with whom he felt a magical rapport. When he pays homage to one of his greatest influences on the silky electric-piano ballad "Stevie (Wonderful)," Dino Soldo is right there with the perfect lazy chromatic harmonica solo. And when the keyboardist needs crazed Brazilian jungle effects on the percussive, brass-tinged "Small World," who else could he call but Luis Conte?
Elsewhere, Pat Kelley's snappy, high-tone electric guitar blends perfectly with Karukas' own upper-register, melodic dabblings on "Chasing the Wind," while guitarist Michael O'Neill's gritty fretwork proves the perfect foil for Karukas' soulful Fender Rhodes musings on the brooding "Silent Promise." On "My Favorite Season" Karukas trades off a lighthearted synth-vibes melody with a Rhodes solo and an acoustic-piano interlude, while Paul Jackson Jr.'s subtle rhythm-guitar jangling perfectly compliments the tune's Pollyanna-ish cheer.
--Jonathan Widran, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc. -- From Jazziz, ISBN13: B00004Y6S5 ISBN10: B00004Y6S5 Material Type: audioCD