Smoothvibes.com Review – West Coast Groove posted by on October 11, 2012

SECRET GARDEN SNIPPET – MARK CARTER – WEST COAST GROOVE

Readers of Denis Poole’s Secret Garden will know it’s the place to go for a British perspective on all that’s good, and not so good, in the world of smooth jazz and classic soul. In order to bring you more of the news more of the time this latest Secret Garden Snippet delivers another current sound bite from the adult contemporary scene. A CD well worth looking out for is the latest from Mark CarterWest Coast Groove is the second release from this Southern California based guitarist and follows his 2001 debut, About Time.

In over twenty five years of performing Mark has worked with Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Al Jarreau, Rogers Williams, The Drifters, The Coasters, and Engelbert Humperdink to name only a few. He has played countless venues and worked numerous studio sessions yet now, as a full fledged recording artist, he is really moving to center stage. West Coast Groove is a tightly produced set of tracks with a distinctly R & B feel. He is joined on ‘Party On The Pier’ and ‘Walk The Walk’ by Rippingtons sax man Eric Marienthal but it says a lot for the overall quality of the album that the real standouts are elsewhere. Track #6, ‘Santa Monica Sunset’ is, as the title would suggest, relaxed, dreamy and something to savor. Track #9, ‘Night N2 Day’, starts off gently then, with the help of Tim Redfield’s haunting keyboards, hits a loping hypnotic beat into which Carter weaves a smooth rhythm. Finally, on track #10, Carter produces a beautiful cover of the song that made Norah Jones, ‘Don’t Know Why.’ All in all it’s a well crafted collection that deserves to add to Mark Carters quickly growing stature.

Posted by Denis Poole

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