“A Certain Beauty” is the 7th solo release from Gil Parris, a Grammy nominated recording artist, notably known in the smooth jazz, rock and blues genre. This collection of music is a blend of smooth jazz, swinging blues and soft rock can that can melt the heart of any die-hard cynic. Though most of the music leans towards romanticism, there are elements of straight-ahead fun with "The Duck Walk," "Sugarman" and "It Feels Good." But mostly the music is all about finding the elusive beauty that Gil seeks with his solos. The CD asks the listener to tune in and tap into the soul of the music which can be sorrowful, hopeful and at times floating and breezy.
"Tears of Goodbye" is a collaborative composition between Parris and Phil Magallenes (drums) and features the saxophone playing of Eric Alexander. This song and another one called "When Love Was New" are smooth jazz with some very nice guitar solo that speaks a deep longing. Parris exhibits virtuosity and versatility as shown by the long list of credits of his collaborative work with other musicians. His fingers on the neck of the guitar dance with quickness and precision. He is a master on the effects and tones he plies from his axe and gear. David Mann also had a hand in the engineering and mixing of the recording. The Bill Withers classic, “Ain’t No Sunshine” starts out as a slow drawl with a laid back funky feel and some eerie effects. (It’s the first rendition I’ve ever heard which I can groove to) Then Parris works it to a frenetic crescendo a la Jimmy Page then slows it right down to how it started. This is fresh.
Gil has recovered with robustness and freshness in his playing since his debilitating accident that occurred after 2001 followed with reconstructive surgery on his hand in 2005. He released a recording titled “Strength” in 2006. During his recovery he walked the empty road searching for meaning and in the processes reinvented himself after the wreckage of an accident that careened his career to a near stop.
These life changing events, to me, make the music deeper because it is born from lifeless ashes and brought to brighter light with a strange intangible beauty as heard in Parris’ work in "There Was A Time" with its dischordant voicings. As such we have the gift of “A Certain Beauty” from Gil Parris.----ANALYN REVILLA