Harbor Nights Easton PA

Harbor Nights

Mbandi

Mbandi Music, 2004

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/10/2004

I guess you could say that the market for romantic pianists iswide open. Ever since artists like Jim Brickman experiencedcommercial success, it was inevitable that others would come tochallenge him for a share of the marketplace.

Cameroon-born Mbandi, an artist who now calls Washington, D.C.his home, hasn't gotten all of the nuances down yet, but his fourthdisc Harbor Nights shows he's on the right track.

If you go into this disc expecting a tropical feeling to thedisc, you'll be disappointed. While there is a bit of new-agejazziness to early tracks like "Tribal Dance" and "Harbor Nights,"Mbandi quickly settles into a pattern where his piano work takescenter stage. There is still enough instrumentation behind him tosuggest a smooth jazz feel to the music, which is sometimes enoughto keep the listener in tune with the songs.

The only drawback to Mbandi's style of writing is that often itfeels like we've heard this all before. Tracks like "By TheFireplace," "In Your Eyes" and "The Forgotten Child" all have anair of comfort to them, like putting on a comfortable pair ofslippers. It's not a bad trait, but not one which would make Mbandistand out in the crowd.