Euphoria

2014 release, the 17th studio album from the veteran vocalist nicknamed the Prince of Sophisticated Soul. The winning formula of EUPHORIA is not about what gets added, but more a matter of addition by subtraction. A slick 'less is more' production approach by the team of Will Downing, keyboardists Chris Big Dog Davis and Mike Logan, push his rich baritone vocals to the forefront and creates a more intimate Soul-lounge feel, complete with upright bass licks and brushed drum strokes. Within this format, Downing deftly swings from R&B to Blues to Blue-Eyed Soul to Jazz to a Brazilian classic sung in Portuguese. The term Grown Folk's Music is over-used for sure, but there's almost no other way to describe the incredible variety offered on this release or the maturity required to truly appreciate it.