Pride & Joy

1	Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours 2:27
2	Pride and Joy 6:27
3	I Can't Get Next to You 5:26
4	Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) 4:57
5	Tears of a Clown 3:33
6	Reach Out (I'll Be There) 2:53
7	My World Is Empty Without You 5:11
8	Never Can Say Goodbye 4:19
9	She's Out of My Life 6:14
10	The Hunter Gets Caputured by the Game 3:30
11	Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) 5:19

Barnes & Noble

Kansas City native Kevin Mahogany has not danced in the footprints of the territorial bands that swung and shouted all night in his hometown. Instead, the vocalist has taken a more modern approach, often coming from the soul era rather than the swing one. On Pride & Joy Mahogany firmly plants his feet in the music of Motown, covering classics like “Tears of a Clown,” “Just My Imagination,” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” But rather than emulate Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson, Mahogany gives the material a light-jazz reading. He scats through “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and strips down “Tears of a Clown” by having only guitarist Dave Stryker accompany his vocals. “Reach Out I’ll Be There” is done as a doo-wop number -- a cappella, with a quartet of singers backing him. “My World Is Empty Without You” has nothing but bass and percussion behind Mahogany, while only James Weldman’s piano backs him for “Just My Imagination.” Even the tunes with a four- or five-piece band -- the title cut, “She’s Out of My Life,” and “Neither One of Us” among them -- have a softness to them. How nice to hear this old pop material revived for folks who loved the originals but have grown tired of their formulaic sound. Roberta Penn

All Music Guide

Kevin Mahogany's decision to cover Motown hits in a jazz setting stems from his desire to not only increase the audience for jazz, but to add new material to the music's repertoire, in addition to the established standards. The results are ear-opening, particularly for those who never seriously listened to the likes of Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson. Mahogany, whose richly textured baritone helped him become one of the top male jazz vocalists to emerge during the 1990s, arranged several of the tracks, including the stark "My World Is Empty Without You," where his only backing is provided by bassist Melissa Slocum and percussionist Don Alias, as well as a swinging treatment of "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game." The singer is backed by a quartet of singers for catchy doo wop interpretations of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" and "Reach Out I'll Be There." Pianist James Weidman, who provides just the right support on six of the CD's 11 tracks, is the sole accompanist and arranger of "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," reworking this huge hit into a lush ballad. Gaye's "Pride and Joy," arranged by guitarist Dave Stryker, is recast in a driving hard bop setting, featuring Mahogany's scat exchanges with the muted trumpet of Jon Faddis. Stryker also contributed the tasty chart of "I Can't Get Next to You" and a startling, very slow ballad treatment of "The Tears of a Clown," where his acoustic guitar is the only backing for Mahogany's magical vocals. This stunning release is heartily recommended. Ken Dryden