For the Love

Everette Harp may not be the most popular jazz saxophonist, but his image is etched into the minds of millions of Americans as the ponytailed horn man who was a regular on the Arsenio Hall Show and was immortalized in a famous action photo playing with Bill Clinton at the 1993 inauguration. But if his vocal work on the ballad "We Don't Have to Say Goodbye" here lives up to its potential as an urban radio hit, Harp may become better-known as a singer than as a saxophonist. His singing aside, Harp continues to develop his unique, robust tone on sax that finds him firmly on the R&B side of smooth jazz. In fact, only the first three tracks of For the Love can truly be considered smooth jazz, with most of the others showing meticulously layered pop and funk strains. Some of the busiest session players in contemporary jazz show up, including the highly underrated and very funky Ricky Peterson on keyboards and former Rufus guitar player Tony Maiden. Harp closes the otherwise all original 10-song disc with two cover tunes featuring George Duke on a lush arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "Where Were You When I Needed You," and a grooving version of the Crusaders classic, "Put It Where You Want It." --Mark Ruffin