Dark Hero (1996)

Anytime a beloved genre artist emerges from an extended layover in label limbo, it's refreshing to see a certain measure of maturity that will help get him or her back in the mainstream. Sam Riney's four Spindletop releases (the last in '91) were primers for the cool soulful sax ideas currently on the airwaves, but he tended to rely too much on outsiders for great productions and material. On Dark Hero, his long overdue return to form, the saxman makes a logical leap from past to present, with a trademark mix of can't miss ... Read More

Anytime a beloved genre artist emerges from an extended layover in label limbo, it's refreshing to see a certain measure of maturity that will help get him or her back in the mainstream. Sam Riney's four Spindletop releases (the last in '91) were primers for the cool soulful sax ideas currently on the airwaves, but he tended to rely too much on outsiders for great productions and material. On Dark Hero, his long overdue return to form, the saxman makes a logical leap from past to present, with a trademark mix of can't miss mid-tempo seductions, easy funk and dreamy ballads. The big difference is, here, he's mostly composing and pulling the switches himself, and to great effect. Alternating between the three saxes, he includes among the sure fire textures some unique touches like "Chaco Canyon," which combines industrial percussion effects with bass flute and clarinet. "Here We Go" keeps that exotic beat going, traveling East with the help of Grant Geissman's sitar. Keeping Riney's keen sense of romance and adventure at the forefront of the new ideas is keyboardist Mychal Lotz, who alternates between lush elegance and jazzy layfulness. ~ Jonathan Widran, Rovi Read Less