It isn't hard to figure out why pianist/keyboardist/vocalist
Joe McBride decided to call this 2009 release
Lookin' for a Change. On most of his albums,
McBride has functioned as a soul-jazz/smooth jazz instrumentalist who occasionally sings. But there are no instrumentals on
Lookin' for a Change;
McBride sings on all of the tracks, favoring a gritty yet sophisticated vocal style that is greatly influenced by
George Benson but also contains hints of
Al Jarreau. If
McBride wanted a change, he got one -- and the interesting thing is that while
Lookin' for a Change is less produced and more acoustic-oriented than
McBride's albums typically are, it is also his most R&B-oriented effort.
Lookin' for a Change isn't jazz with R&B elements; it is really vocal R&B with jazz overtones. So it is best to judge this 66-minute CD by R&B standards rather than jazz standards -- and from an R&B standpoint,
Lookin' for a Change is pleasingly solid.
McBride soars as an R&B vocalist on his own material as well as on intriguing arrangements of
Vanessa Carlton's "1000 Miles,"
Cameo's "Word Up," and
Seal's "Kiss from a Rose." The Missouri native has no problem taking "1000 Miles" out of adult alternative and making it sound like something he heard on one of
Benson's R&B vocal albums of the '80s, and his interpretation of "Word Up" is funky but in a much more bluesy and low-key way than
Cameo's original 1986 version. Some of
McBride's albums have been uneven, but there are no weak moments on
Lookin' for a Change -- which turns out to be one of the most consistent releases in his catalog. ~ Alex Henderson