Les Sabler | "Sweet Drive"

“This is an important record for me and I put everything into it. There were no compromises,” said guitarist Les Sabler about his soon-to-be-released fourth album, Sweet Drive. Sabler elevated his art to the next level on the Brian Bromberg-produced collection of contemporary jazz, R&B and adult pop. He is focused, committed and highly motivated to take his music to the masses with this September 25th release. The CD, which we recently sent you, possesses all the necessary ingredients to catapult him to the forefront of the genre: masterful performances by Sabler and a stellar supporting cast, well-crafted songs, and skillful production that favors a live sound dusted with just the right amount of sheen.

When you listen to Sweet Drive, the diversity and soulfulness are readily apparent. There’s an air of familiarity yet a freshness that invigorates. Sabler derived inspiration from vintage contemporary jazz records from the 1970’s that initially fueled his interest in becoming a musician. He sagely selected Bromberg to produce and tapped accomplished musicians Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Ricky Peterson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna, Jerry Hey, Gary Meek and several R&B vocalists, including Rahsaan Patterson, to help bring his vision to fruition.

Sweet Drive consists of eight originals and four covers. It opens with Sabler playing electric guitar accompanied by a feisty flute on “You’ve Got It Bad Girl.” The title cut is a buoyant pop escapade on which Marienthal’s sax shares the wheel with Sabler’s guitar. “Daydreaming” receives a classy duet rendering by a pair of soulful voices. The first radio sojourn is “Club Street,” a kinetic electric guitar and sax thrill ride that alters its pace between mellow straight-aways and careening downhills. Sabler’s nylon-string guitar delivers an impassioned plea on “Can You Stop The Rain.” A cool-toned guitar shares the spotlight on the ballad “I’m Not The Same” with a sax and an angelic vocal chorus. With Lorber aboard and Hey’s acrobatic horn section getting their groove on, “Struttin’” borders on fusion. Sabler’s nylon takes on lyrical qualities on the gorgeous “Who Am I?,” a track that becomes dreamy when the celestial chorus is crooned. “Twenty-Two” is an aggressive fusion jam featuring Sabler equitably trading in-your-face solos with the other musicians. Ambrosia’s pop hit never sounded as soulful as when Sabler & Company tackle “Biggest Part Of Me.” Sabler wrote “Food Chain,” a fun, rousing contemporary jazz throwback powered by the high octane horn section. Bringing the album to a close, Sabler wields an acoustic guitar on “Could You Be,” an otherworldly song with a unique, mysterious sound.

Soft-spoken and chill, Sabler is a different person with a guitar in his hands. He is animated when performing and has shared concert bills with such artists as Lorber, Spyro Gyra, Richard Elliot, Michael Lington, Diane Schurr and Fattburger. Sabler’s last album, 2003’s Bridge The Gap, spawned a #1 hit in his native Canada along with significant radio spins in the U.S. His sights are set much higher for Sweet Drive.

Find more Les Sabler CDs at amazon.com
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com