Simply put, this set from Concord Jazz collects 11 tracks that reached the top of Billboard's contemporary jazz chart -- we're not sure why Concord's trying to bring back the "smooth jazz" moniker -- from the late 2000s and 2010s. Highlights include
Boney James' shimmering "Touch" from
Send One Your Love;
Fourplay's slick, funky "3rd Degree" from
Let's Touch the Sky;
George Benson's "Livin' in High Definition" off
Songs and Stories;
Mindi Abair's
Grover Washington-esque "Be Beautiful" from her
In Hi-Fi Stereo long-player, and the title track from saxophonist
Paul Taylor's
Burnin' album. Concord did their level best to cross-license the highest quality chart-toppers from these years, and came up with a summery, easy-grooving collection that should satisfy every contemporary (er, smooth) jazz fan's expectations.
