Saxophonist Jessy J (Jessica Spinella) has been playing with producer/guitarist Paul Brown’s live band since 2006, and she appeared on his highly successful 2007 CD White Sand. Her popularity with smooth jazz fans has only risen since then, and will likely explode with the release of her Peak Records CD Tequila Moon.

The album, produced by Paul Brown (who also plays guitar on several tracks), combines Latin grooves with ballads and pop instrumental pieces in a pleasing program of gentle music that, while radio-friendly and relaxing, still has substance. One reason for that is that, unlike most jazz pop female saxophonists, Jessy’s main axe is the tenor sax. That alone keeps the comparisons to Candy Dulfer and Mindi Abair at bay. In addition, her sound on the instrument is solid, and she generally plays well. True, she does break out the soprano a few times, with mixed results, but overall Tequila Moon is an entertaining listen for music fans of all stripes.

The title track, which sounds poised to be the disc’s first single, is a slick Latin number that features Paul Brown on acoustic guitar and keyboardist Gregg Karukas. Right off, Jessy distinguishes herself with a mellow tenor sound and solid playing reminiscent of Grover Washington, Jr. The Latin feel continues with “Spanish Nights”, one of the few tracks with overt drum programming. Again, the winning interplay between Jessy’s warm tenor sax and Paul Brown’s sensuous guitar keeps things interesting. “Sin Ti/Without You” and the Sergio Mendes favorite “Mas Que Nada” bring in a smooth samba feel. On “Mas Que Nada” Jessy sings, as she also does on the standard “Besame Mucho.” While her vocals are not bad, her voice is somewhat thin, but works ok on the particular songs she’s chosen. The vocal numbers provide a nice change of pace and will probably be popular concert numbers.

The soprano sax comes out on a cover of Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man,” and an original (co-written, like several tunes, with Brown) entitled “Running Away.” Neither is bad, but a little more pep to her sound might have helped both tracks. Overall, Jessy’s soprano sound is a little too ‘pretty’; a bit too close to Kenny G-land for my liking.

But she closes strong with a nice version of Leon Russell’s “Song for You,” reminding the listener that there is, overall, more musicianship on display on Tequila Moon than on recent releases from many other pop instrumentalists. With its summery, Latin-inspired beats and its nighttime ambience, Tequila Moon should be a definite winner with smooth jazz and pop fans.