DANNY KUSZ is a Minneapolis based sax man who’s been around for something like ten years. With three albums under his belt young Dan’s won a slew of awards (they include two Los Angeles music awards, and multiple Minnesota Music Award nominations). He’s played with plenty of big names too – people like Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Stokley, Jellybean Johnson, Joey DeFrancesco, Althea Renee, N’Dambi, Anthony David, Selina Albright, Bobby Lyle, Morris Day & The Time, Stanley Jordan, and Harvey Mason but right now he’s getting ready to promote his latest release – an eight track mini album, ‘Pink!’.
Released on Innervision Records, the long player was prefaced by the single ‘Can’t Stop The Groove’. Produced by Darren Rahn, the tune does just what it says on the tin and little wonder it hit the top ten on the Groove Jazz singles chart. There’s plenty more of the same on the album. ‘Arrival Of The Lotus’ is another tough groove garnished with tight funk and with a whiff of Clinton madness about it. Then there’s ‘Funky Flamingo’ – funkier than any bird I’ve ever seen, flamingo or otherwise.
Highlight though is the slightly (only slightly) lighter ‘Bubble Gum Love’ – it’s offers a sweet melody and is passionately delivered… little wonder that some savvy commentators have dubbed Danny “the next generation David Sanborn”. There’s a definite Sanborn feel to the whole album though you’ll hear an awful lot more…. notably that unique, classic Minneapolis sound . Other pundits have noted that “Danny is rejuvenating smooth jazz.”… well maybe…. but be certain ‘Pink!’ ain’t smooth jazz like I know it!
