Just when you thought it was safe to come out from under the covers, Boney James offers up his latest release on Concord Records titled Send One Your Love.  And, yes, it is a CD consisting of covers of romantic and seductive songs by some of the best songwriters in the business, but also includes four new compositions by this sax man extraordinaire.   And, as usual, Boney is accompanied by a tremendously talented group of musicians to make this CD definitely worth some spins.

As mentioned, there are four new songs on this CD.  To kick things off is the spirited “Wanna Show You Sumthin’,” featuring Alex Al on bass, Lenny Castro on percussion, and Sue Ann Carwell on vocals.  It’s a fun track with the tenor sax leading the way and the vocals adding just enough depth to keep things moving along nicely.  “Hold on Tight,” one of this reviewers favorites of the CD, really sets the romantic mood.  The groove of this tune is slow, tight and oh-so sexy.  “City of Light” truly makes you feel like you are parked on a cliff overlooking a city.  Boney’s alto brings all of those images to life, and the solo on vibes by Steton Harris adds a nice feel to this mellow tune.  The last of the new compositions is “Butter.”  This is definitely the “turn down the lights” song and the tenor sax sets the mood.  It’s gentle, yet funky. 

Now for the covers, or tributes, that Boney chose to remake in his own style.  First is the title track, Stevie Wonder’s “Send One Your Love.”  I had one of the first opportunities to hear this played on the recent Smooth Music Cruise and it is definitely a crowd pleaser.  While keeping the essence of the original, Boney makes it sound fresh on the soprano, and with the subtle vocals of Kenya Hathaway.  The Stylistics’ “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)” is up next.  Boney makes it very funky as only he knows how.  Listeners will really enjoy hearing him put his soul and emotions into this one.  “Touch,” from John Klemmer, is an unconventional tune to cover, but Boney finds a way to add some new twists.  A terrific updated version of the James Taylor classic, “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” features Quinn, an up and coming vocalist from Atlanta.  This arrangement takes a more R&B approach, which takes a little getting used to, but works.  My guess is that Quinn will be featured on future Boney James’ CDs!

What romantic CD would be complete without a Barry White tune?  Boney brings us his version of “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More, Baby.”  This not a typical song to cover, so it was a treat to hear Boney take the original and add his personal sound and touch to it.  More R&B, more funk.  Great sound!  And finally, the Bros. Johnson hit, “I’ll Be Good To You” rounds out the CD.  It has an upbeat groove to it with a terrific beat that drives the tune. This is definitely a fun track that gets you up and moving.

To be honest, I was a little nervous thinking there were mostly covers on this new CD, but after hearing a couple tunes performed on the cruise, and listening to the CD, Boney has once again won me over and done himself proud!  I am looking forward to the start of his tour to hear more of this live.