The Chris Saunders Band, Outside My Window Review

Chris Saunders is a singer-songwriter, cornet, and flügelhorn player based in the SF Bay Area music scene. Saunders style is a combination of Blues and Jazz formed while fronting and performing with many bands over 40 years. He cites the music of Louis Armstrong, Dr. John, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, and Jimmy Witherspoon as fundamental to his development as a vocalist and artist. His wry sense of humor, gift of stage comedy, and mercurial improvisation are encased in soul and character. Saunders has four recordings available, with the most recent being Outside My Window on the Bmoki Music label.

Bottom Line: Outside My Window is eleven songs that mix originals and arrangements to form the set. The musicians accompanying Saunders are Michael Aragon- drums, Ken Cook-piano, Rob Fordyce-electric bass, and Luis Carbo-Percussion. Outside My Window is entrenched in the styles of soul-jazz and blues. Saunders is a solid cornet/flügelhorn player and songwriter. His singing is an acquired taste with hints of a smokey, soulful voice whose timbre and phrasing are bluesy, but he is not a polished singer of control. Saunders sites his vocal influences as Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Lou Rawls, Dr. John, Tom Waits, Howlin’ Wolf, and Louis Armstrong. He co-wrote the originals on the album with his collaborator, pianist, and group co-founder Ken Cook. “Butterflies and Chicken Wings” is one of those originals. Featuring a funky piano and organ groove, Saunders’s vocals are at their best in this bluesy setting. The band is solid, and the groove is deep with Saunders playing a beautiful solo. “Am I Blue” is an Akst/Clarke song given a swaying Latin feel. Saunders’s phrasing and melodic embellishments are enjoyable, but his vocal tone does not compare to his flügelhorn’s and cornet’s big warm round sound. Peter/Young’s “Lullaby of the Leaves” is a swinging closer for the set. Once the singing ends, the solos are delightful, and the band sounds polished and cohesive. Overall, Outside My Window has many musical moments; the juxtaposition of blues and jazz is enjoyable. However, Saunders’s vocal timbre would sound more at home if the album focused more on the blues genre as it would yield a higher-level set of music. The playing by the band is strong, and the unrelenting timekeeping of the rhythm section is enjoyable. Outside My Window is both a joy and miss; the melodies manage to keep moving forward when Saunders is singing, but the music is at its best when his flugelhorn/cornet has the last word. That’s the short of it!

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