Dance With You
2014 · Kalimba Music (KMI 10002) · CD Album · US
Greg Manning
Tracklist
- Bahia5:01
- Phoenix Rise!4:15
- Say Yes4:50
- For The Love Of You4:58
- Groove Me (Extended Version)5:20
- Cruisin' Down The Road4:29
- I Can't Make You Love Me4:58
- Elegant Lady4:15
- Dance With You3:59
- Wayman4:24
- Look Up5:21
Personnel & credits
- Greg ManningArranged By
- Andrew PapastephanouEngineer [Assistant]
- Jeremy MillerEngineer [Assistant]
- Vanessa ParrEngineer [Assistant]
- Maurice WhiteExecutive-Producer
- Gavin LurssenMastered By
- Erik ZoblerMixed By
- Greg ManningMixed By
- Erik ZoblerRecorded By [Live Rhythm Section & Horns]
About this record
Press
“Manning's understanding of what shapes a really good smooth jazz project is evident here”The Smooth Jazz Ride ↗
Reception
"Dance With You" (Kalimba Music KMI 10002, released July 8, 2014) was keyboardist Greg Manning's debut as the first artist signed to Maurice White's relaunched Kalimba Music label. It is a contemporary/smooth-jazz record blending jazz, funk, soul and R&B, and was well received within the dedicated smooth-jazz press, though it drew no coverage from the traditional jazz publications (AllMusic carries only a catalog listing; All About Jazz, JazzTimes and Down Beat appear not to have reviewed it). The Smooth Jazz Ride gave a warm notice, praising Manning's grasp of what makes a strong smooth-jazz project and his command of feel-good, romantic and introspective moods, singling out the Brazilian-tinged opener "Bahia" and the up-tempo "Phoenix Rise!" Smooth Jazz Daily (Feb 2015) covered it positively, emphasizing the deep roster of guest session players. The German site smooth-jazz.de also profiled the album (page returned 403 to automated fetch, so its text could not be confirmed). Coverage is consistently genre-press rather than critical jazz criticism, and is broadly favorable. Note on personnel: Michael Gassmann's trumpet credit (his role here is "Appearance") did not surface in any press or promotional material located; he is credited on the Discogs release page (which blocks bots) but is not named in reviews, which foreground the keyboards, saxophone guests and named feature artists. No press praise can be specifically attributed to his contribution.
Recognition
The lead single "Cruisin' Down The Road" (feat. Vincent Ingala) charted on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart (debuting #28, later #15), reached #6 on the Mediabase Smooth A/C chart, #5 on Groove Jazz Music, and #18 then #15 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler. The title track "Dance With You" (feat. Mindi Abair) reached #1 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler and was named that chart's Song of the Year for 2013. The album was a spotlight feature on the internet radio show SoundTraxx with Mark Stanley. These are radio-airplay/genre-chart honors, not festival or academic recognition; no awards beyond chart performance were found.
Background
Recorded at EastWest Studios and The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, engineered by two-time Grammy winner Eric Zobler. Eleven tracks blending jazz, funk, soul and R&B. The album was Greg Manning's label debut and the first release for Maurice White's (Earth, Wind & Fire founder) newly relaunched Kalimba Music. Guest features include saxophonists Mindi Abair (title track), Vincent Ingala ("Cruisin' Down The Road"), Elan Trotman ("Groove Me"), Gianni Vannini/Vancini ("Phoenix Rise!"), plus Brad Rambur and Jimmy Reid; guitarists Darrell Crooks, Terry Wollman and Bruce Nazarian; and bassist Chris Golden, with Alex Al (Arsenio Hall TV band) also on the sessions. Released July 8, 2014.