NEW ON CD
"Colors of the Heart"
David Choy
Choyce Music
Isle jazz sax player Choy’s
CD was worth the waitWe reported back in July of 2002 that local jazz saxophonist David Choy was recording his first solo album, and was hoping it would be out sometime at the end of that year. Well, considering his busy professional career as a solid and dependable sideman and session musician (Choy just did the New Year's Eve gig here with The Doobie Brothers at the Blaisdell Arena), it's no wonder that it took an additional year's time for "Colors of the Heart" to finally see the light of day.
The Maui resident got an assist from noted songwriter and musician Michael Ruff, who's sinced moved from Los Angeles to Hanalei. Ruff participates on a couple of tracks: Singing his "More Than You'll Ever Know," with Choy assisting on soprano sax, and lending his pianistic skills to the album's best offering, "Get It Right," one of the few group recordings, along with guest guitarists Allan Vilaren and Hiroshima's Fred Schrueders. (There's a clever touch with a section featuring Choy multitracking himself on alto, tenor and soprano saxes.)
Along with regular backup from Vilaren and veteran bassist Bruce Hamada, Choy pretty much plays everything else besides sax, which includes keyboards and drum programming. While financially expedient, it does give the album a rather anonymous, all-purpose sheen, filled with inoffensive music for all occasions.
That's not the case with the opening "Selling Short," a fusion piece that rocks from the get-go. While Choy is a versatile sax player, you can tell from this track and others that he expresses himself best on alto, with a sharp, confident sound that's akin to David Sanborn's.
The songs "Just to Be With You" and "Tell Me Tell Me" (the latter played on tenor sax) are just crying out for lyrics -- both have strong choruses -- but Choy's singular instrumental voice makes for an apt option.
Besides "Get It Right," the sombre (and short) "Desperate Heart" is another highlight and would've made an intriguing closer -- unfortunately, a reprise instrumental version of Lena Machado's "Ei Nei" feels tacked on.
His soprano sax playing shines on an especially well-recorded rendition of the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" -- perfect for that walk-down-the-aisle or reception dance.
"Colors of the Heart" is a good debut from Choy, but I hope to hear his playing in more collaborative groupings in the future. The CD is available from Choy's Web site at davidchoy.net.
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