Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Seawind were a bunch of American musos whose own music was so good that they soon became in demand as session players for others, most notably the band's horn section who famously supplied all those crisp horn lines for Michael Jackson's biggest albums. This 1980 album was originally recorded for A&M Records with producer George Duke. Drummer Bob Wilson was always the powerful songwriting force behind the band and his wife Pauline was gifted with a powerful, memorable voice. Add into the equation the sophisticated musicianship of the rest of the band and they always delivered catchy yet carefully constructed music. Although major success always eluded them, their albums are well worth hunting out and this CD contains some gorgeous material if you like your R&B flavoured with strong jazz and funk influences. From the infectious bubbly opener "What Cha Doin" to the driving "Everything Needs Love" to the signature sound and horn fills of "Shout", Seawind were always a classy act. I always love the moment on their albums where they break out instrumentally and "Pra Vose" allows them to show off their improvisational jazz chops. This still sounds cool nearly 30 years after the recording and there isn't much music around where that's true.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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