★★★★★
Saxophonist Ronnie Laws salutes the hip saxophonist-pianist-composer who electrified the music world in the '60s with Freedom Jazz Dance, Compared to What? and Listen Here. Laws plays tenor and soprano on eight of Harris' best charts, aided by a relatively young rhythm section of Vernell Brown Jr. on piano, Craig T. Cooper on guitar, Mike Elizondo on bass, Jeffrey Suttles on drums and Darryl Munyungo Jackson on percussion...
- www.jazztimes.com
2010-02-19
★★★★★
Ronnie Laws showed considerable promise on his early albums of the mid-1970s, but in the 80s and 90s, the tenor & soprano saxman often wasted his improvisatory skills on overproduced, vapid NAC and lightweight "smooth jazz" fluff. A welcome return to his jazz/funk and "soul jazz" roots, Tribute To The Legendary Eddie Harris is Laws' strongest release since 1976's Fever...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2009-06-05
★★★★★
On many occasions, Ronnie Laws hasn't hesitated to stoop to musical prostitution and record mindless, knee-jerk "elevator muzak" for the "smooth jazz" market. But the tenor & soprano saxman showed signs of repentance in 1996, when he recorded the soul-jazz gem A Tribute To The Legendary Eddie Harris. Saluting one of his main influences, Laws demonstrated that he could still be a riveting improviser and delivered his best album in 20 years...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2009-06-05
★★★★★
"Sheriff" Ronnie Laws brings out the tried and true posse on his Western themed Natural Laws, and the results are completely predictable and just plain ordinary in many respects. Finding fault with Laws is akin to harping on Sanborn, another master of his art who simply misses once in a while. The irony is, Laws' performance is the only thing to recommend on this overwrought, overproduced affair. On all cuts, he is the consummate melodic inventor, solid improvisor and card carrying funkateer...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
Ronnie Laws showed considerable promise on early efforts like Pressure Sensitive and Fever, but sadly, all of the tenor & soprano saxman's albums have been motivated by commercial considerations rather than artistic ones. An especially glaring example is Identity, a contrived, radio-oriented R&B;/pop effort that pretty much wastes his talents as an improviser...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
When Ronnie Laws first started recording as a leader in 1975, one of the saxman's strongest allies was Wayne Henderson. That trombonist and founding member of the Crusaders (originally the Jazz Crusaders) was an expert when it came to combining the accessibility of soul and funk with the freedom of jazz, and his guidance proved to be a definite asset when he produced early Laws albums like Pressure Sensitive (1975) and Fever (1976). The popular Grover Washington, Jr...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
Produced by former Crusaders member Wayne Henderson, saxophonist Ronnie Laws' Friends and Strangers LP showcases his skilled chops on up-tempo and mellow tunes. Standouts are the easygoing title track "Nuthin' 'Bout Nuthin'," " Saturday Evening," and "New Day." Of note is the synth playing of Earth, Wind & Fire's Larry Dunn. Some of the LP's tracks can be found on The Best of Ronnie Laws.
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
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