Fingerprints – DNA
Fingerprints
DNA
(M&N – 2001)
by Raymond Redmond
Fingerprints may be one of the best kept secrets of the South. DNA is their fourth release and it’s the first I ever heard of them… boy was I missing out! Time Will Tell starts it out, a sweet sax and piano based instrumental. All the tracks on this CD are originals and none are lacking in originality. Soon Enough is a jaunty, summertime piece that features Cheryl Jones on vocal accompaniment. Sharita is a guitar melody (a. la. Marc Antoine) that holds it’s own very well with the big boys. The Smooth Jazz Mafia better watch out… there’s competition a-plenty here! The title track DNA is a funky bass romp, melodized by the sex-a-phone and driven by the pee-ann-o. A smooth groove if there ever was one.
Song For Art Porter lightens it back up a bit, hitting the highway with a truly smooth, mellow Porter-ish sax track. Mind Games drops the rhythm back into funky mode with driving rhythms and a groovin’ organ melody line. So In Love is the only other track with vocals, and the only with a vocal lead, featuring Ardina Lockhart. Nice and Easy is just that, and again features the smooth sax work of Claud Hardrick and strong bass lines from Frederick Nichelson.
Ivory Lane brings the tempo way back up as it struts and claps past leading to the finale, Never Enough. A good track to end with, this is smooth jazz at it’s best. Fingerprints has a good sound and the talent of the individual artists is as obvious as their ability to meld into a cohesive unit. Toss in some good original compositions and you’ve got a recipe for sure success.
Fingerprints current line-up is Claud Hardrick on saxophones and Akai EWI, Tim Jones on Vocals, on bass, and drummer Kennan Wylie.
For more info visit the Fingerprints Web Site.
