• Band / Artist : Theo Ross – mySpace
• Genre : Jazz / Nu-Jazz
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8 out of 10

I have to admit I’m not the greatest jazz enthusiast. I like what I like, with few exceptions. However I’ve always had a soft spot for the flute, remembering with great fondness James Galway’s rendition, of John Denver’s, Annie’s Song, when I was growing up. OK so maybe not the best example of a jazz flautist, but a flautist nonetheless. So upon seeing the cover of this CD, Theo Ross, with flute in hand, I had to throw it on the CD player to see what I would find.

“Lovestruck” is the track the opens this EP. It has a wonderful sound and there’s no denying Theo’s mastery of his instrument. There’s just something very soothing about the flutes tone and it’s all the more soothing in the hands of someone as good as Theo. “Nightfalls” reminded me a bit of the classic TV show, Moonlighting’s theme, but this is more down to the Al Jarreau vocals, rather than the actual tune itself, which I have to admit, didn’t do much for me, but the track was redeemed somewhat when the flute finally kicks in towards the end of the song.

“Without You” has a more contemporary sound, with a stronger R&B sound. Vocals are again featured, and while they are very good, I found myself wanting to hear the music more. The CD rounds of with “Could Be” and has a radically different sound, or at least that’s what it seems like at the beginning, with a very spacey feel. The flute prevails however and you get the feeling it’s very much a lullaby, putting the rest of the EP to bed.

Conclusion : Whether you like jazz or not, this is a wonderful CD and maybe one that would provide one of several steps, to an introduction to jazz. Definitely a CD I’ll be playing a lot more of and an artist I’ll be keeping tabs on in the future.