Back Roads (Bob Berg album)
| Back Roads | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Jazz, jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 44:58 | |||
| Label | Denon | |||
| Producer | Jim Beard | |||
| Bob Berg chronology | ||||
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Back Roads is an album by the American saxophonist Bob Berg, released in 1991.[1][2] It peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart.[3] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance".[4]
Production
The album was produced by Jim Beard, who also contributed on keyboards.[5] Its title was inspired by Berg's travels around his East End home.[6] Berg was backed by Mike Stern on guitar, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Lincoln Goines on bass.[7] Berg decided to focus less on technique and fast tempos, instead concentrating on the tunefulness of his playing.[8] Some of the tracks were influenced by the music of Steely Dan.[9]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [10] |
| Boston Herald | C+[11] |
| DownBeat | [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette | [15] |
The Boston Herald called the album a "calculated crossover affair", stating that "it features the breezy blowing and bright melodies favored by fans of the Quiet Storm radio format."[11] The Philadelphia Daily News said that the musicians "function in the vein of the ECM label's most accessible, tuneful sessions fronted by Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny."[16] The Globe and Mail stated that "most of Back Roads is lighter, softer and indeed more produced than has been Berg's fashion... Chambers firms up a couple of pieces, but the rest comes perilously close to the pop-jazz of someone like Grover Washington".[5] The Chicago Tribune noted that Berg "can sound as lite as they come one minute and like Michael Brecker the next."[17] The Toronto Star opined that most of the tracks "are classy but typical synthesizer-inspired fusion exercises, jazz-tinged energetic rock at best and modish musing at worst".[18]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bob Berg, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back Roads" | 5:31 | |
| 2. | "Travellin' Man" | 6:02 | |
| 3. | "Silverado" | 8:08 | |
| 4. | "When I Fall in Love" | Richard Hayman, Victor Young | 4:10 |
| 5. | "American Gothic" | 5:12 | |
| 6. | "Dreamer" | Mike Stern | 7:19 |
| 7. | "Nighthawks" | 8:06 |
Personnel
- Bob Berg – saxophones
- Jim Beard – acoustic piano, synthesizers, Hammond organ, arrangements (4)
- Mike Stern – guitars
- Lincoln Goines – bass
- Dennis Chambers – drums (1–4, 6, 7)
- Ben Perowsky – drums (5)
- Manolo Badrena – percussion
Production
- Christine Martin – executive producer, production coordinator
- Kozo Watanabe – A&R
- Jim Beard – producer
- Phil Magnotti – recording, mixing
- Kate Braudy – assistant engineer
- Suzanne Dyer – assistant engineer
- Matt Lane – assistant engineer
- Bob Blank – digital sequencing
- Hiroyuki Hosaka – mastering
- Paul D'Innocenzo – cover art, photography
References
- ^ Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. Vol. 1. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2003. p. 709.
- ^ Cordle, Owen (November 29, 1991). "When less is more". Weekend. The News & Observer. p. 3.
- ^ "Jazz Albums". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. Billboard. March 6, 1992. p. 10.
- ^ "Grammy Nominees". Calgary Herald. Herald News Services. January 8, 1993. p. C8.
- ^ a b Miller, Mark (January 18, 1992). "Jazz". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
- ^ Clavin, Thomas (February 21, 1993). "East End Now Inspires Music, Too". The New York Times. p. A4.
- ^ McNally, Owen (November 28, 1991). "Stern-Berg band's post-Davis work showcased in tour". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 5.
- ^ Stewart, Zan (February 16, 1992). "Bob Berg Saxophonist Mellows Out". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 57.
- ^ Smith, Brad (December 7, 1991). "Bob Berg prefers musical ambiguity". Union-News. Springfield. p. 24.
- ^ "Back Roads Review by Alex Henderson". AllMusic. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "Discs". Boston Herald. December 6, 1991. p. S12.
- ^ Tolleson, Robin (February 1992). "Stern Turns". DownBeat. Vol. 59, no. 2. p. 31.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
- ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 100.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette. Penguin Books. 1994. p. 113.
- ^ Takiff, Jonathan (December 16, 1991). "Jazz Notes". Features Yo!. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 39.
- ^ Fuller, Jack (January 26, 1992). "Recordings". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 19.
- ^ Chapman, Geoff (February 1, 1992). "Jazz for all tastes, but with some strings attached". Toronto Star. p. J12.