I used to review a lot of albums by the American guitarist Patrick Yandall. However, this is only the first time that he is discussed on my site. Patrick grew up in a military family, but was already playing trumpet in fourth grade. In this way he wanted to escape the nomadic life. After a sports accident in Bay City, Michigan, which resulted in a broken hip, Patrick shifted his focus to the guitar. His father's fondness for jazz led him to a lifelong fascination. When the family settled there, Patrick developed a preference for the progressive styles of Jimi Hendrix, Yes, Steely Dan and George Benson. But he was also influenced by R&B and soul artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and Rufus. A revelation was a concert by Jeff Lorber with a young Kenny G on sax and Roy Ayers. Patrick started playing nightclubs when he was thirteen and learned to mix jazz with rock and R&B. In the early eighties he moved to San Diego and played in cover bands. That led to studio work in LA for Kevin Flournoy, Gene-O Cole, Under The Lake, Will Donato, Rocco Ventrella, Nathan Brown, Rod Best, The Ghost Trio, etc. He also performed with J. Michael Verta, Michael Paulo, among others , Scott Wilkie, Carl Evans, Jr. (Fattburger), Hollies Gentry III, Greg Vail (Kilauea), Tommy Emmanuel, Tom Braxton. Now he has released a new album, containing smooth jazz, R&B and contemporary jazz. 'City Boy' opens with a nice, cheerful guitar playing, after which 'Find Your Purpose' continues in the same atmosphere. Vocalist Gene-O Cole is a guest on the title track. The party atmosphere is clearly there on 'House Party', followed by the very funky sounding 'Poly Funk'. After that you can experience the tranquility of 'Seascape', which continues in the mid-tempo of 'Cool That'. 'East of Nathans' maintains that relaxed vibe, while 'Just Dance' encourages you to sway along. Then we pop into 'Backstage' to get acquainted. The Japanese inspired 'Sabishi' sounds a bit melancholic, followed by 'Sol Food'. Joy and cheerfulness are the themes of 'The Joy in You', after which 'Summer Sky' closes with a summer feeling. Again a nice album interspersed with Patrick's guitar skills. It's up to you to discover this!
		Tracks: City Boy Find Your Purpose Dance In the Rain House Party Poly Funk Seascape Cool That East of Nathans Just Dance Backstage Sabishi Sol Food The Joy In You Summer Sky Patrick Yandall