Saxophonist Paul Taylor loves contrasts. He skillfully combines typical smooth jazz phrasing with innovative approaches. This was already recognizable on his debut albums On The Horn and Pleasure Seeker and continues on his all-fresh album It's A Brand New Day (2025).

Producers and multi-instrumentalists Dino Esposito and Barry Eastmond played a key role in the creation of the album. The consistently excellent music quality is achieved by the studio musicians listed in the credits.

The album opens with the title song It's A Brand New Day. Paul's lovely alto sax performance is perfectly embedded in Esposito's modern contemporary sound, which ingeniously processes the actual musical currents.

On Forever More, the already high pitch of the alto sax is reinforced by overdubbing and restriction to the upper octave range, all in the service of romanticism. Paul's preference for the soprano sax is also reflected in the Latin American-influenced Night Delight. A highlight in the course of the piece is the percussion-oriented last part with appealing interspersions of kalimba sounds.

Adaptations of popular hits can often be found on smooth jazz albums. Paul Taylor has chosen Billie Eilish's Chihiro as a particularly appealing template, although its realization misses some of the sound innovations of the original. Movement is the basis for progress and joie de vivre. With Makin' Moves, Paul follows his own path of action and uses his soprano sax as a means of expression.

Paul's lyrical interpretation of Sunlight evoking the warmth of midday sun explores the aspects of cosiness and golden experience. The gentle song Where I Want to Be describes the place or destination of longing with a musical groove. The tonal treatment of the soprano sax raises parallels with Kenny G.

The circle is in itself a closed geometric figure full of perfection, with the inner one forming its nucleus. Inner Circle sees itself musically as a theme that looks at a recurring motif from all sides. What You Do for Me is a mixture of Nile Rodgers funk with a pinch of smooth jazz. Bon appetit.

The album is rounded off with Downtime, a lovely serenade for the lady of the heart.

Paul Taylor's album It's A Brand New Day is aimed at all those who want to free themselves from the worries of everyday life with gentle smooth jazz.

 

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Album Information

Title: It's A Brand New Day
Artist: Paul Taylor
Year: 2025
Genre: Smooth Jazz
Label: Shanachie Entertainment
 

Tracks:

1) "It's a Brand New Day" (4:20)
2) "Forever More" (4:34)
3) "Night Delight" (4:00)
4) "Chihiro" (4:24)
5) "Makin' Moves" (4:15)
6) "Sunlight" (4:34)
7) "Where I Want to Be" (5:07)
8) "Inner Circle" (4:44)
9) "What You Do for Me" (4:19)
10) "Downtime" (4:37)

Credits:

1. It’s A Brand New Day
(P. Taylor/Lortay Music BMI, D. Esposito/ONID Music BMI)) Alto Sax: Paul Taylor
Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito Guitars: Brian Monroney

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

2. Forever More
(B. Eastmond/Melorie Music ASCAP, P. Taylor/ Lortay Music BMI) Alto Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards & Percussion: Barry Eastmond Guitars: Randy Bowland
Bass: Freddie Washington Drums: Michael White Produced and Arranged by Barry J. Eastmond for East Bay Music Inc.

Recorded at White Lightning Studios, Sylmar, CA., Randyland Control Station Studio, Sharon Hill, PA., F&G Lab Studios, West Hills, CA., East Bay Studios, Tarrytown, N.Y.
Recording Engineers: Barry Eastmond, Giovanni Washington, Dennis F. Moody, D. White, Randy Bowland Mixed by Barry B Money Eastmond at East Bay Studios, Tarrytown, N.Y.

3. Night Delight
(P. Taylor/Lortay Music BMI, D. Esposito/ONID Music BMI) Soprano Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito
Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

4. Chihiro
(Billie Eilish/Finneas O Connell AuthorScape, Virgin Music Group, and
Universal Music Publishing Group GEMA) Soprano Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

5. Makin’ Moves
(P. Taylor/Lortay Music BMI, D. Esposito/ONID Music BMI) Soprano Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito
Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

6. Sunlight
(B. Eastmond/Melorie Music ASCAP, P. Taylor/Lortay Music BMI) Alto Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards & Percussion: Barry Eastmond Guitars: Randy Bowland
Bass: Freddie Washington Drums: Michael White

Produced and Arranged by Barry J. Eastmond for East Bay Music Inc. Recorded at White Lightning Studios, Sylmar, CA., Randyland Control
Station Studio, Sharon Hill, PA., F&G Lab Studios, West Hills, CA.
East Bay Studios, Tarrytown, N.Y. Recording Engineers: Barry Eastmond, Giovanni Washington, Dennis F. Moody, DWhite, Randy Bowland Mixed by Barry B Money Eastmond at East Bay Studios, Tarrytown, N.Y.

7. Where I Want to Be
(P. Taylor Lortay Music BMI, D. Esposito/ONID Music BMI) Soprano Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito
Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

8. Inner Circle
(P. Taylor/ Lortay Music BMI, D. Esposito/ONID Music BMI) Alto Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito
Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

9. What You Do for Me
(P. Taylor/Lortay Music BMI, /D. Esposito ONID Music BMI) Alto Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito
Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.

10. Downtime
(P. Taylor/ Lortay Music BMI, D. Esposito/ONID Music BMI, B. Monroney/Yenornom Music BMI)
Soprano Sax: Paul Taylor Keyboards/Programming & Drum Programming: Dino Esposito, Guitars: Brian Monroney Bass: Osama Afifi

Produced, Arranged, Recorded, and Mixed by Dino Esposito for
one16 Productions at The Family Room, Thousand Oaks, CA.