Alexander Zonjic Seldom Blues Heads Up	Bradley Leighton Just Doin' Our Thang Pacific Coast Jazz

The flute naturally lends itself to a relaxed, mellow vibe. With a rich, sonorous background, the flute can bring the right touch of sophistication with an air of passion to an ensemble. It is an instrument that lends itself to pleasant, easy sounds, and it is a mainstay instrument of smooth jazz. Both Alexander Zonjic and Bradley Leighton take a smooth approach to their instrument and the tunes on their respective CDs. But the end results are quite different and will likely appeal to slightly different audiences.

Zonjic’s approach is firmly rooted in the radio friendly smooth jazz/contemporary R&B camp. Surrounded by a bevy of smooth jazz luminaries (Bob James, James Lloyd, Jeff Lorber, Kirk Whalum, Peter White, and vocalists KEM and Angela Bofill), Zonjic’s Seldom Blues is a beautifully-produced sonic stew that relies heavily on drum programming a studio technology but which is gorgeous nonetheless.

The best performances tend to be those with the smaller ensembles. For example on the Peter White/Jeff Lorber composition “Isabela” zonjic is joined by White, drummer Bobby Colomby, and programming, percussion and keyboards from Lorber. The piece is driven by an irresistible chemistry between Zonjic’s overdubbed flutes and White’s guitar. “People Make The World Go Round” features only two musicians (Zonjic and the keyboards & programming of James Lloyd) but the resulting sound is that of a full ensemble. Even so, there’s a decent level of intimacy in the exchanges between the two musicians.

On the other hand, some experiments don’t go that well. The version of “Spill The Wine” that features Zonjic, Lorber, and vocalist Kevin Whalum is pointless—it makes no real change or improvement on the original, and Whalum’s vocal delivery is silly to the point that it becomes funny—but not in the way it may have been intended. One can only wonder why such a version of the tune was necessary in the first place. The arrangement also manages to water down the original’s Latin rock rawness.

On Just Doin’ Our Thang, flautist Bradley Leighton has several secret weapons that keep his disc both entertaining and still musically interesting enough to listen to many times. Whereas Zonjic relies on a heavy sonic background, the richness of Leighton’s band comes from the fact that it is a classic Hammond B3 Organ trio. Organist Rob Whitlock, drummer Duncan Moore, and guitarist Bob Ross provide Leighton with a background over which he can send the beautiful, melodic, mellow tone of his alto flute. Yes, Leighton plays alto flute throughout this CD, making it a real rarity in the annals of recorded jazz.

Leighton and company open very nicely with a Latinesque version of the pop hit “Sunny” that provides a nice blueprint for what’s to come—tightly knit arrangements that still allow room for the musicians to improvise and interact. The group is a little too laid back in their version of the bebop anthem “Now’s the Time,” and the tune surprisingly doesn’t lend itself too well to the inclusion of organ. I wasn’t too sure about the rock/funk beat imposed on Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme,” but after several listens, I think that it does work. Leighton, who makes the San Diego area his home these days, has a true West Coast jazz vibe about his playing that puts him in touch with the jazz flute tradition that includes Herbie Mann and Hubert Laws. Especially noteworthy is the group’s rendition of Bobby Womack’s “Breezin’,” the tune that ushered in the smooth jazz era of George Benson’s career. The tune doesn’t stray too far from the original groove, but Leighton and his band manage to stretch the tune out more languorously allowing the listener to drain every possible drop of pleasure from it. Also excellent is the group’s take on Carlos Santana’s beautiful theme “Europa.”

I’d recommend Bradley Leighton’s Just Doin’ Our Thang to anyone who enjoys cool jazz with a mellow groove, flute (or alto flute in particular) and Hammond B3 groups. Zonjic’s disc can only be recommended to those who seriously enjoy contemporary smooth jazz and contemporary R&B.