Less than a year after the release of Victor, Victor Fields has teamed again with producer Chris Camozzi and an all-star band consisting of keyboardist Jeff Lorber, saxman Richard Elliot, flugelhornist Rick Braun and multi-instrumentalist Nelson Braxton for Thinking of You, a collection of remakes of soul songs from the 70s-00s. We're all pretty burned out on covers albums these days, but the tasteful take given by Fields and the fine musicianship of the band make Thinking of You a surprisingly enjoyable effort. And while some of the cuts (such as "Creepin'") have been remade a few too many times to be fresh here, Fields gives new life to a number of tracks, most notably the Bill Withers chestnut "Lovely Day," Michael Jackson's "Butterflies" and Babyface's "For the Cool In You." His unassuming, smooth lead plus strong, jazzy arrangements throughout make this a solid effort and fine late-night listening. Recommended.
By Chris Rizik
