Sunday Brunch

By Baatin

Smooth is the only word that truly describes Baatin's debut album.

The sound lulls you into a dreamy place where you can easily forget how much effort it takes to field a jazz band of this caliber. But that's the whole point. After all, the idea for the CD came to Baatin while he was paying at a Sunday brunch.

"Everyone was laid back but feeling festive," he says. "The audience is in a relaxed frame of mind with good food and good drink and all they need is the right music to match that mood."

Sunday Brunch certainly fits the bill. Baatin has fused all the right elements from the many schools of music he's studied over his long career as a backing musician. And, on this CD, it becomes obvious that he learned quite a bit.

Baatin gets credit as producer, arranger and songwriter for Sunday Brunch. He also shows off his vast musical talent as a singer and by playing keyboard, sax, guitar, bass and flute. In fact, the only other musician on the album is percussionist Wesley Muhammd. Portia Jackson steps in on a couple of songs to lend background vocals.

The rest is all Baatin.

"People always ask me if I have a favorite instrument, but their all equal to me," Baatin explains. "I just pick up whichever one I'm hearing in my head for a particular song. It's like I'm Sybil with a multiple personality disorder when it comes to instruments."

Baatin adds that his ability to provide all the instrumentation for his songs allows him more control over his sound than most musicians get.

"I don't have to call up a guitarist and try to explain to him what I want," he says. "I just do it."

The result is a cool, mellow, smooth sound that helps carry the listeners into the land of daydreams or the easy conversation and camaraderie of a Sunday brunch.

You can hear online samples of Sunday Brunch here.