Nfusion - Checkmate
Jazz, Funky
Kortrijk, Belgium
Overall Impression: Nfusion delivers a compelling piece of Latin flavored jazz-pop with their release of "Checkmate." Written in loving memory of a dear friend and mentor, this song carries with it an indelible emotional weight and incredibly stirring sense of gravitas. Delicate finger style acoustic guitar and fretless bass play over a light mid tempo samba groove on this track, with soft synth chords providing further harmonic reinforcement. Haunting vocals convey a message of remembrance with tender grace and affection, qualities that are aptly reflected in the piece's musical tone. A gorgeous nylon-stringed guitar solo rounds out the final minute and a half, providing a fitting coda for this highly emotional composition. Nfusion's "Checkmate" should resonate with adult jazz and pop audiences alike, thanks to its earnest nature and sophisticated musical character.
Strongest Point(s): Excellent production, solid mix. Very thoughtful and engaging composition and arrangement, gorgeous melody and song structure. Nice beat design and drum mix. Bass sounds big and warm. Vocal production is well done, the harmonic layering is effective when employed, and the whole vocal track has nice EQ and the right amount of reverb. Heartfelt lyrics that match the track perfectly. Outstanding solo on the extended outro, great tone and phrasing. Overall, it's a wonderful song and a high quality finished track. Very nice job, it was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to review.
Target Audience Appeal: Fans of Jazz, Pop, Jazz-Pop, Latin Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Adult Contemporary
Artist target suggestions: George Benson, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Tim Buckley, Joan Armatrading, Janis Ian, David Gray, Ricki Lee Jones, Rufus Wainwright
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About the Reviewer:
Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre, from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent among the next generation of musical explorers