Wenso Ashby brandishes quality artistry of the first order
By Dwight Hobbes
Got a long road trip you have to take in the car by yourself and are at a loss for some first-class sounds to keep you company on the way? Out at the park taking a walk with the headphones on and need good stuff to feed your CD player? Kicking back at the crib on a lazy afternoon and want something you can put on the box and savor as you plop down in the easy chair and let the world pass you by for the day? Here's an all-purpose cure for what you might lack: It goes by the name of Wenso Ashby, he of such soul sophisticato as is not to be denied.
Songsmith, producer and keyboardist, Wenso Ashby brandishes quality artistry of the first order and he's released three strong albums to prove it. There's Walkin' Midnite (somebody came over the house and helped my copy grow feet before yours truly could even listen to it, which, for my two cents, qualifies as a better review than anything anyone could write), Wenso Ashby Live, featuring Zsamé, Q'Aisha and TaVanni; and his newest, Love Is So Amazing, featuring Zsamé. It's the kind of music you never get tired of – not if you dig laid back, jazz-drenched magic that washes over you in a soothing wave and brightens your spirits like a dose of pure, unadulterated sunshine.
Ashby is one of the most fascinating pianists since Ramsey Lewis; if he don't know nothin' he sure knows how to lay down a tantalizing groove, tickling the ivories with exceptional taste and a world of finesse. For this project, he has enlisted the easy-on-the-ears services of splendid vocalists along with sax ace Willie Moore.
Listening to Wenso Ashby Live, you easily could think the thing was done in a studio – until the applause at the end of each cut --it's that clean and tight. "Philly's Groove" even brings in a sprinkling of funk, beautifully seasoning this straight-ahead, pocket-nailed gem. Look out for a sweet rendition of the Rufus classic "Ain't Nobody."
Love Is So Amazing is, well, amazing. The album leads off with the haunt-your-mind "Not Letting Go". The song is one of those instantly agreeable numbers that from first hearing, is something you just can't get out of your head. As is "Keep On Dreaming" (with incredible bassist Yohannes Tona sitting in). As gifted a songwriter as Wenso Ashby is, he readily might've made the whole disc from original material, but decided to include choice covers of Sade's "No Ordinary Love," Lisa Stansfield's "Been Around The World" and Brian McKnight's "Anytime". Doesn't matter. The entire disc works just fine, it's one of those rare outings you can enjoy from beginning to end without skipping a single cut. And, then, when you're done, you can quite contentedly play the whole thing all over again.
Twin Cities music is renowned throughout the country and, for that matter, some parts around the world, as a wellspring of phenomenal talent. Said reputation is formidably upheld by Ashby, a consummate musician with cast iron chops. He's got that often elusive quality on which the best producer-instrumentalists rely, an infallible ear for intricacies that give an overall sound its irresistibly compelling signature.
Smooth-jazz virtuoso Ashby is available at stores and www.cdbaby.com/wensoashby. You can catch him in action when the release event for Love Is So Amazing throws down at Fine Line Café on Wed., June 18, 8 pm. the Fine Line is located in Downtown Minneapolis at 318 First Avenue North. For tickets: (612) 338-8100.
Dwight Hobbes - Insight Newspaper (Jun 2, 2008)
Black Music Month
Café Tatta Bunna
Friday, June 30, 2006
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Written by Brendon Kelly
When it’s time to sit back and relax there’s nothing more soothing than listening to great contemporary jazz with soul. Great beats from a magical keyboard player and soulful lyrics from a vocalist with a voice of an angel, is the sounds of Wenso Ashby Contemporary Jazz with Soul, features Zsamé at vocals and Wenso at the keys, and there’s nothing you can do but listen in bliss. This collaboration between the two inspires original songs, written by Wenso, such as ‘Take Me Out,’ and ‘Rising,’ which is from their live CD, Wenso Ashby Live. They also pay homage to Neo-Soul artists when they sing covers like ‘Do I Every Cross Your Mind’ by Brian McKnight and ‘Emotional Roller Coaster’ by Vivian Greene. Even when Zsamé is on break, Wenso plays instrumental journeys that would get your foot tapping in seconds.
The performance was held in the beautiful setting of Café Tatta Bunna located in the urban area of North Minneapolis in the Urban League building on the corner of Plymouth Avenue and Penn Avenue. When the temperature heats up out there, great music sounds from Wenso Ashby Contemporary Jazz with Soul sends chills down your spine to cool you down.
In my opinion, Wenso Ashby Contemporary Jazz with Soul featuring Zsamé was great! It gave me a reason to sit in my seat and not miss a beat that smoothly flowed out of the speakers. I gave the performance, “Two Thumbs Up,” and if you ever hear the name Wenso Ashby Contemporary Jazz with Soul, you should definitely check them out.
Brendon Kelly - Brendon Kelly