So, Jay Leno returned to The Tonight Show, as did Kevin Eubanks but only for a couple of months. After the drama surrounding the Tonight Show shuffle and a desire to spend more time with family, Kevin stepped down as Jay's bandleader. Industry veteran Rickey Minor and his TV Band (hired away from their gig as the American Idol band) took the stage in May 2010. Minor brought with him his television professionalism and complemented Jay by playing energetic pop songs and classics that would reinvigorate the audience during breaks in the recording. He started his career as a bassist, playing in groups and in sessions, and notably joined Whitney Houston's band before becoming her musical director. That job title would become his career as he worked with artists across the pop landscape and on shows like American Idol and The Oscars. In the middle of working for Whitney, he recorded with Jazz Express on their debut album The Songs of Diana Ross released in 1992 by the Japanese label Sound Design Records.
There's not much information out there about Jazz Express—probably because there's not much history. They were a studio band that recorded a series of smooth jazz albums with each album focusing on covering hits by a particular artist. They released five albums in 1992 alone and the "first" release I chose—I couldn't find exact release dates—is only based on the earliest catalogue number (SDCH-1016.) Rather than a band with a vision, Jazz Express looks like and sounds like and jazzes like a session job.
The first three songs are dominated by the soothing sax sounds of Michael Paulo. His saxophone's velvet texture is pillowed with organ chords, shimmering cymbals and a touch of chimes in the opening seconds of "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" and creates that cozy sound perfect for when you're contemplating the wonderful end to a romantic date (in the 80s,) enjoying a bubblebath surrounded by scented candles (in a cheeky Old Spice commercial,) or on hold waiting for your doggy daycare's customer service representative (still.) But then the album of Diana Ross covers drops a couple players favoring a smaller combo. Michael Paulo isn't on the rest of the album and neither is guitarist Buzzy Feiten. The main players left are Rickey Minor, drummer Ricky Lawson and pianist Neil Larsen. Neil Larsen punches up the remaining songs by speeding up the tempo, introducing tension, and allowing the two Rick(e)y's larger roles including a nifty drum solo on "Stop! In the Name of Love" and more melodic and prominent lines from Minor. These tracks veer away from the programmed smooth jazz, though still smooth and perfect for background at a convenience store, to a style with a little more forward motion...though not quite enough to be invigorating.
Here is the discography surrounding Jazz Express's debut album:
The Songs of Diana Ross
The Tonight Show Theme
Kevin Eubanks Discusses His Decision to Leave The Tonight Show
Rickey Minor Leaves American Idol
Pass the Headphones!!
