Airborne: Back In The Dayz – Airborne Anthology

Album Review: Airborne: Back in the Dayz – Airborne Anthology
By Brian Soergel

You’d expect a contemporary jazz that calls itself “musical peacemakers” to have a happy, upbeat sound. You get that with the veteran band, but as this anthology shows, you also get top-quality musicianship with heft and plenty of sway. The New Haven, Conn.-based band’s eighth CD is a collection of new songs and remastered tracksfrom its 13-year history.

Airborne is led by Gregory Borino (guitars, vocals), Thomas Sansone (sax, flute, vocals) and Thomas Borino (piano, keyboards, organ, vocals), as well as Dave Ramsey (drums), Donnell Roberts (bass), Asher Delerme (percussion) and Randy Bost (trumpet, flugelhorn).

On Back in the Dayz, you’ll find the Airborne recipe intact: world music, R&B, Latin, smooth/contemporary jazz. The title track and “Movin’ Forward,” as well, delve into classic rock with Gregory Borino’s mean guitar work riding over a funky, horn-laden beat. One thing an anthology can show is the breadth of a band’s work. Afterdisplaying rock chops, Borino demonstrates this smooth-jazz acumen with Chuck Loeb-like guitar lines on “Better Days Ahead” and “Smooth Sailing,” two of the band’s standout tracks.

Airborne has plenty of tropical vibe, which you’d expect with tunes with titles like “Island View” and “Sunny Skies.” Especially noteworthy are “Brazilian Praise” with its bossa beat, Bost’s trumpet and Roberts’ pulsing bass line, and “I See,” where Sansome and the Borino brothers harmonize effectively with languid vocalese.

If you’re interested in Airborne, this is a certainly a good place to start.

Brian Soergel
The Urban Music Scene