All We Need

Album Review

On his third solo album, All We Need, British keyboardist Oli Silk continues to fulfill the demands of the smooth jazz genre without displaying much innovative capacity. Drummer Oscar Seaton and bassists Mark Jaimes and Dwayne Smith set up percolating rhythm tracks, over which Silk solos easily on acoustic piano and/or electric keyboards, although "pleasant noodling" would be an equally accurate description. There is the de rigueur vocal track for radio, "Didn't Know About Love," and the expected Latin variation, "Latin Haze," on which Jaimes plays acoustic guitar; someone speaks in Spanish; and Joe Beckett provides some Latin percussion. Jaimes gets to use his electric guitar on "L.A. to London: The Return Journey" and the unfortunately titled "Lay Back and Think of England," while horn players Cindy Bradley and Gary Honor get look-ins on "Tokyo" and "Ahead of the Weather." The most characteristic track may be "Bring Back Those Days," which alludes to the smooth jazz affection for ‘70s R&B, as singers Rebeca Vega Felipe and Shannon Pearson repeat a chorus beginning, "Feels like an old-school jam." Throughout, Silk tinkles along agreeably, creating a near-generic example of the smooth jazz field.