A talented saxman whose influences range from
John Coltrane to soul jazz/hard bop players like
David "Fathead" Newman and
Hank Crawford,
Gerald Albright showed just how much potential he has on 1991's superb
Live at Birdland West. But sadly, most of his commercial recordings offer little evidence of his considerable improvisatory skills --
Dream Come True being among the offenders. Designed primarily for commercial radio airplay, this pop/R&B/jazz CD is, for the most part, as dull as it is contrived. Instead of taking risks,
Albright embraces a tired, cliché-ridden
Najee-meets-
George Howard formula on such forgettable cuts as "Say Yes," "Sweet Dreams" and the title song. Instead of interpreting
Johnny Gill's 1990 R&B hit "My My My,"
Albright offers a pointless, robotic note-for-note cover. The only decent cut here is the uplifting "Growing with Each Other," which boasts a heartfelt vocal by gospel singer
BeBe Winans.
Albright is too strong a player to be recording albums this weak. ~ Alex Henderson