Jazzing It Up With The Braxton Brothers

STEPPIN' OUT

The Braxton Brothers

Windham Hill Collection

Wayne and Nelson Braxton knew what they were doing (well, almost) when they put together Steppin' Out, their debut jazz album. Known as The Braxton Brothers (of no relation to Toni Braxton), their album is a charming showpiece for 24-year-old twin brothers from the Bay Area. Combining six-string bass, keyboards and drums along with acoustic and electric guitars, the young artists create dreamy, smooth compositions that are perfect for those rainy October nights when you don't feel like going to the Square.

Their strength lies in generating sounds that are New Age and hip while at the same time slightly Stan Getz-y, especially in the playing of the tenor saxophone. This is apparent in the most beautiful piece on their album, "Sunset Bay." The softest and most tranquil by far, "Sunset Bay" takes you to the Bay Area where the artists grew up. Ultra simple drum programming with understated saxophone notes will make you think you are walking down the Embarcadero with your special someone. The same can be said about "Eventide;" yet this time, the brothers add flute and something known as "wah wah" bass, making "Eventide" a much more dynamic and upbeat piece, created in a style reminiscent of the Yellowjackets jazz group. "Steppin' Out," the album's namesake, and "Someday" are also noteworthy pieces, for they contain poetic uses of the tenor saxophone.

One true thing about those Braxton Brothers: their use of the tenor saxophone is powerful in its delicateness. Less is more when this instrument is involved, and this philosophy works wonders with their compositions. Now, what does not work wonders is their use of vocals in addition to saxophone in the other compositions of the collection. To hear the beautiful Braxton saxophone suddenly interrupted by vocalists that are trying too hard not to sound like vocalists damages the overall dreamy mood of the album. It's indeed only a minor tragedy though, as vocal intrusion occurs in less than half of the songs.

In "Givin' My Love to You," Nelson Braxton pours his heart out over some girl who knew his "heart was in desperate need for love and affection." This girl, he says, "looked in me/There's no doubt in my mind that this love is real." The lines are a bit trite. It's almost trite of me to say they're trite they're so trite. And Nelson's voice needs a bit more coaching (perhaps from Toni Braxton?) before he launches himself into another love-stricken psychological miasma. The brothers' remake of "I'll Make Love to You," is torture as well. The uncouth vocals added to the wondrous jazz music would make Babyface cringe. Yet overall, if you ignore the background vocals, the Braxton Brothers' Steppin' Out is a truly engaging debut album, which clearly shows that the brothers might become a household name in the coming years.