Guitarist
Chuck Loeb
retreats slightly from the somewhat progressive nature of
eBop
on
When I'm With You
. While displaying more of his deft and charming guitar chops, the album is largely a by-the-numbers
smooth jazz
album. Where his previous effort combined some
post-bop
flair into his contemporary
instrumental pop
compositions, here we get a nice if predictable version of
"The Girl From Ipanema,"
a pleasingly moody title-cut
ballad
with vocalist
Carmen Cuesta
and the funky,
gospel
-tinged slo-jam
"And Then Some"
featuring some supple sax moments. While the step-back is somewhat disappointing, longtime fans of
Loeb
should have nothing to complain about. ~ Matt Collar