Album Review: Ahaya from Brian Hudson

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Artist:  Brian Hudson
Album:  Ahaya
Label:  Lakeside Sound
Website:  https://www.brian-hudson.com

Cooking up an elevating hybrid with components of funk, rhythm and blues, pop/rock, and jazz roots, Brian Hudson produces an attractive commodity rife with spirit and soul for his 3-track EP Ahaya.  A bandleader, drummer and composer, Hudson maintains a magnetic appeal through the 3 scores, imbued with a contemporary vibe at every level from its core to its morphing layers.

Supported by Adam Nitti on bass, Randy Hoexter on keys, Sam Skelton on saxophone, and Anthony Papamichael on guitar, Hudson achieves a smooth jazz sonorous that propels joy from start to finish.  "Luna Sea" opens the recording with a elegant, funky beat shrouded in ruminating saxophone toots and a steady guitar riff.  The lyrical phrasing in Hoexter's keys coasting along "Caladesi" is layered in the extemporaneous versing of Papamichael's guitar riffs, effectively creating a cheerful atmosphere that's infectious.  The final track "Spirit Run" keeps the joyful spores churning as Skelton's swirling saxophone puffs form enchanting spirals across the score, holding the listener engaged.

Having worked with a wide variety of artists over the past 20 years, Brian Hudson creates a jazz hybrid that triggers an intangible joy in the listener's soul.  Bright and adventurous, Hudson exercises his free-thinking leanings as a composer and bandleader.  The interplay resonates with audiences who, without much prodding, dive into his music once the first track plays.

Musicians:
Brian Hudson - drums
Adam Nitti - bass
Randy Hoexter - keyboards, piano
Sam Skelton - saxophone
Anthony Papamichael - guitar


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