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COOLING'S THIRD WISH AT LEAST PARTIALLY GRANTED

I didn't expect to like Third Wish much, since at first glance (and listen) it can sound remarkably like the playlist at your local light FM station (or new age station, or smooth jazz station, whichever you have in your town). The title track, which leads the disc off, does little to dispel this notion-it's all rhythm track drums and bass, keyboard accents, and smooooth sounding guitar that makes Breezin-era George Benson sound positively raucous. But then Cooling takes her first solo turns-trading phrases with keyboardist Wagner. There's not a lot there, but what there is lets you know that Cooling is a real, bona-fide guitarist. So do her fills (accompanied, a la Benson, by her vocalese) near the end of the track. By the song's end, I had decided to give Ms. Cooling the benefit of the doubt and a closer listen.

"Tamba", which follows, is a Brazilian-tinged track, but it again suffers from drum-machine precision work from the rhythm section. There is none of the relaxation you'd hear from a real Brazilian rhythm section. But again, Cooling's sound is winning and you find yourself keying in on her playing, trying not to get drawn into the smoothness around you. When Cooling finally cuts loose with a solo, I found myself again longing to hear her playing in a different setting, but appreciating what she was able to do to add substance to the overall sound. "Mm-Mm-Good" is the first track where the rhythm section sounds relaxed and really gels. It's a nice track, with good interplay between Cooling's guitar and Wagner's keyboards, and a trumpet accent is a welcome addition to the overall sound. I first heard this track a few months ago at a Thai restaurant that plays smooth jazz in the background, and I have to admit I rather liked it then-the track stood out from the endless stream of Kenny G and Candy Dulfer the station otherwise serves up.

"Daddy-O" is again firmly in smooth/Adult contemporary land, and the Herb Alpert circa 1980 horns don't help much on this one. But damnit, there's Joyce again, taking a solo that really has some style to it. It's the same on the ballad track "Don't Mind If I Do", the funky "Jelly On My Jacket", and the dusky "East Side" (and some of these grooves sound remarkably alike, by the way)-just when you think you can dismiss this album, Cooling pulls it out of the fire with her guitar work. That leaves "It'll Come Back To Me", on which Cooling abandons all pretense of being a jazz guitarist and becomes a full-fledged AOR singer. She's not a great singer by any means, but in the terms of the genre, she can pull her weight. And you know what else? It may just be the holidays coming on or something, but I didn't find this song too painful. I mean, it's no "All Things Must Pass" or "Yesterday When I Was Young", but it's ok. I wouldn't be surprised if Cooling gets a bona fide hit out of this track.

So what's the final verdict? This disc certainly isn't a blowing session, and no one is going to mistake Joyce Cooling for the next Wes Montgomery or even George Benson on the basis of this disc alone. If you like your jazz straight-ahead, you should probably skip this one, even though I did find it fairly enjoyable. If you like smooth jazz or Adult Contemporary music, you will definitely want to pick this one up. If you are somewhere in between, then you'll have to make your own decision. There is a lot to like here, as long as you aren't overly put off by the production and the sameness of some of the grooves here. Personally, I look forward to seeing what Joyce Cooling does next. My preference would be for more guitar work, a more subtle rhythm section, maybe some guest musicians. More of a real jazz album. But whatever she does, I guarantee I'll listen to Ms. Cooling's next disc with a completely open mind the first time around. You can't ask for more than that.