Frank McComb | A New Beginning
Frank McComb | A New Beginning
By Brent Faulkner
Music artist Frank McComb cannot be clearly pigeonholed into a single genre; instead, he is best described as an ‘urban’ artist, which is an ‘open-ended categorization.’ McComb, both a versatile vocalist and a keyboardist, blends the best of smooth jazz, R&B/soul, and gospel music. The structure of his music tends to possess the harmonic scheme of smooth jazz, the sensualness of R&B, and the grit and unfurled emotion and passion of gospel music. On his new effort, A New Beginning, Frank McComb delivers one ‘knockout punch’ after another, at times rivaling none other than the master of crossover, Stevie Wonder. A New Beginning contains no misses, even when there are better cuts than others, making for quite an enthralling, ‘better than expected’ listen. Jazz and soul lovers alike will ‘dig’ A New Beginning.
“King of Kings (Entrance)” is an intro, that sets the inspirational tone to the album. The production work fuses jazz and R&B while the background vocals chant “he’s the king of kings/he’s the lord of lords...,” referencing the Biblical verse. He follows up with the inspiration full-length opener “Inspire A Life,” which incorporates the harmonic scheme of jazz and soulfulness or R&B well. Vocally, McComb sounds polished, sometimes so much so that the listener desires him to ‘break a sweat.’ Although the songwriting is polished, one wishes McComb alter the ‘samey’ sound of the cut sooner. McComb, the musical talent that he is, atones with the addition of more involved, differentiated production work.
In a similar vein, “Characters of Our God” finds McComb restrained vocally on the first verse, but ‘brings it home’ on the second with more present and commanding vocals. This track is in some regards more satisfying than its predecessor because it is tighter, in part due to shorter duration. More traditional songwriting structure, fine employment of background vocals, and solid production work aid in making “Characters” a success. “Since The Day I Do” is also solid. The highlight? The use of only background vocals on the chorus and the exclusion of any lead vocals. McComb’s ‘voice’ (aside from backgrounds) on this cut is his keyboard skills, which shine through a tasteful, yet soulful performance.
McComb’s ‘crowning achievement’ is “Wishful Thinking,” a performance where McComb truly does ‘break a sweat’ both as an instrumentalist and a vocalist. “Wishful” is characterized by superb keyboard playing, exceptional songwriting, and incredible vocals by McComb. The supporting background vocals yield some great harmonies and are well produced in their own right. This cut does a fine job o crossing over between jazz and R&B. “Deed to My Heart” doesn’t miss another opportunity for greatness, incorporating smooth jazz and gospel. The songwriting is touching, particularly the chorus: “cause you hold the deed to my heart (you’re the owner of my heart), Lord just one mention of your name, makes my flesh not want to act the same...” Inspirational and affecting, “Deed to My Heart” is yet another home run for McComb.
“Wouldn’t Trade You At All” changes the pace with a mid-tempo cut contrasting “Deed to My Heart’s” slower pace and does so with great finesse. It is “Leading You On,” however, that is even more effective, with clearly, sensual driven vocals by McCombs. The chorus pulls heartstrings once again: “my mistake was leading you on, to believe (my love for you was that strong)/ my mistake was leading (you to believe), it was going to be me for you, you for me.” Again, the background vocals add yet another dimension, not to mention the fine production work. Another inspirational cut, this time featuring the great Branford Marsalis (saxophone)follows, “And Now I’m Fighting.” McComb sounds spectacular (both vocally and instrumentally), contributing yet another stirring performance.
“Jealousy and Envy” is a briefer cut than most, but still packs punch. “Open My Heart” is even stronger, finding McComb in top vocal form. The songwriting continues to allure. On “In My Heart,” McComb returns to a ‘smooth-jazz’ sound, a nice contrast to the inspirational cuts. After the interlude “King of Kings (Exit)” (similar to the first), McComb shows off his great keyboard chops on “V12,” a cut clocking in at a lengthy, though enjoyable 6:13.
Essentially, A New Beginning is an exceptional effort by all means. There are no misses and throughout, McComb shows how capable a musician that he is. His inspirational themes touch the heart while his music intrigues. To Mr. McComb, I tip my hat sir.
Brent Faulkner
The Urban Music Scene
Posted by Administration at 12/22/2010 6:54 PM 
Categories: Rhythm and Blues, Contemporary Jazz
Tags: Rhythm And Blues Jazz
Categories: Rhythm and Blues, Contemporary Jazz
Tags: Rhythm And Blues Jazz
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