Eldredge Jackson – Listening Pleasure
Eldredge Jackson – Listening Pleasure
From the moment Eldridge Jackson witnessed a performance from the King of Gospel Saxophone, Vernard Johnson, the then four year old had already figured out his destiny. Another key inspiration in Jackson’s life, a former NBA star turned contemporary jazz star, accelerated that dream. When Jackson first met Wayman Tisdale in middle school, they had several things in common. Both their fathers worked together in church ministry, and both were aspiring musicians who were later rewarded for their dedication to their craft. Their inductions into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame (Tisdale in 2002, Jackson in 2005), has absolutely tightened the respect for one another; even though Tisdale has the more established career. While Tisdale was already an established bass guitarist and producer in the ‘smooth jazz’ field, the New Orleans born Jackson’s fan base was mostly concentrated in the Texas/Oklahoma regional spotlight. Recently the saxophonist, who peppers his sound with plenty of old and new school R&B, and contemporary Gospel, has opened for some major names in the urban genre; from guitarist Stanley Jordan to funksters Con-Funk-Shun. His musical territory should soon be changing with the national release of Listening Pleasure, an independent CD first heard two years ago.
It was only fitting that Jackson chose Tisdale to handle the multi-tasking duties of instruments, arrangements, songwriting, and even some ear-tingling vocals. Tisdale shares the producer credits with veteran producers in their own right – Preston Glass and Brian Jones.
To categorize Listening Pleasure as strictly a smooth jazz thing may be too quick on the trigger. For starters, Jackson chose three tracks representing different styles from R&B’s past; the funk and dance fueled “Rock With You” from Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie’s tender pop ballad “Hello”, and the sensuous “Voyage To Atlantis” from the Isley Brothers. But what makes Listening Pleasure a true pleasure are some popular tunes culled from Jackson’s live sets and other original material penned by himself and Tisdale.
The warm “Island Nights” provides a gentle sway, but bursts midway through into a vibrant saxophone blast. “Sunday Morning @ 10am” pretty much is self-explanatory; dripping with the undisputable joy of loving and praising God in the church sanctuary. On the other side of love, “Love You Eternally” simmers with the solid musical chemistry that Jackson and Tisdale have developed through their musical partnership; exhibited by Tisdale’s falsetto bouncing off Jackson’s intense sax lines.
“My Life” is another highly recommended moment just because of Tisdale & Jackson’s attentive detail to framing bits of straight-ahead jazz into a contemporary arrangement.
Jackson’s also flexes his affection and respect for the newer, rawer urban sound as demonstrated on “The Game” and “El Jack.”
A few pieces including the Michael Jackson and Isleys covers are tolerable, but Jackson’s musicality does not quite find the stretch as he is very capable of.
All in all, this versatile saxophonist is given a welcome introduction by co-producer and close friend Tisdale for Listening Pleasure. From that day admiring the King of Gospel Saxophone as a little boy, Jackson has seriously affirmed his own destiny in every imaginable way.
Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene