James Hardway - Welcome To The Neon Lounge

Welcome to the Neon Lounge, James Hardway’s second album, starts off much as his first did: deep jazz with a drum ‘n’ bass rhythm. Indeed, “Neon,” is deep, jazzy and fast, while “Theo Steps In” has some piano chords to accompany the horns and flute. “If You Really Want” has more of a Cajun jazz flavor -- just a taste – and vocals; “No Can Do” is slightly more mellow, with a nice cello line; “The Illustrated Man” has a flair of melancholy to it, and “Heavy Heart” continues on that theme. The final track, “Velocity Curves,” matches swirling woodwinds with a guitar line and some thrashing drums. It’s jazztastic.