What do you get when you have a young, very talented sax player teaming up with hit maker, Paul Brown?  You get an indie CD that is chock full of funky grooves, catchy hooks, and memorable melodies.  Justin Young is the sax player, who not only has Paul Brown assisting with this debut Smooth Jazz CD, but also works alongside Gail Jhonson (musical director of Norman Brown), Tom Schuman (keyboardist of Spyro Gyra) and guitarist Tim Bowman.  Together, Justin puts together a superb CD that rivals many other better known artists.

The CD opens with “Sunny,” a very cool, Boney James’ sounding tune.  It sets the mood for the CD.  Justin’s alto sax is crystal clear and comes across very playful.  “Luv Handles,” written by Justin and Tom Schuman, takes a slower pace and features Justin on the soprano sax.  This particular track really showcases the emotional side of Justin’s playing.  You can feel the passion.  Next up is “On The Way Here,” written by Paul Brown.  This one runs the gamut from slow, intense sax playing, to a funky hook.  It definitely allows Justin to cut loose and show his fun side.  “Evening Dance”  is another tune written with Tom Schuman, who provides some really terrific keyboard playing.  Back on the soprano, Justin reels you in with the catchy melody.

For a keyboard/sax funky, upbeat track, try listening to “A Minor Groove.”  Gail Jhonson offers her keyboard skills alongside Justin, which gives it a great melody.  It’s definitely a headbopper.  “JY Funky” is just that!  It’s a truly grooving song that gets you up and dancing, and the highlight of this album.  “Hanna” features Justin on the soprano sax with Tim Bowman on acoustic guitar.  The melody provides a very introspective-type mood.  Right in the middle of the song, Tim’s guitar kicks in with a beautiful addition.  Doing a total 180 degree turn, “New Day” goes right back into the funky grooves that Justin plays so well.  He just makes all of his music so much fun, and this time it’s on the tenor sax.  “Showers” and “Falling” are two songs that are quite peaceful and definitely invoke the images of their titles.  Justin gives all of his emotion in bothe of these songs, taking you along on his musical journey.  Another collaboration with Tom Schuman is “Expressway 94.”  This is a very beat driven song with Justin’s sax playing hard   It’s got a strong melody and had toes tapping throughout.   Closing out the CD is “Just Her and I.”  You can tell this is his most personal song.  I’m not sure if it was a good closing track, following the beat-driven “Expressway 94,” but it is truly a beautiful tune.

This Michigan native may be young, but he is quite talented and destined to make a name for himself.  This CD is definitely one sax album that stands out in the crowd and well worth adding to your collection.  Check out CDBaby for more information on Justin Young.