P & J Records

Smooth Sailing by Paul and Friends

“Paul and Friends” second CD is out, and the writing and production is beautiful. Take a listen.

Click the play buttons below to play sample tracks of Smooth Sailing

There are 11 cuts on this easy-on-the-ear CD by Paul and Friends Smooth Sailing. Eight are originals by Paul. Paul has included new arrangements of two standards or classics on the CD – Helplessly Hoping, a Stephen Stills original (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Gold Hill Music, BMI), and In My Life , a Lennon and McCartney tune (Northern Music, BMI). The first features Paul, Martin Hart, and Des Anthony(Three's Company,Australia). The second has become very popular, reaching #25 on the HMG Country Gospel music charts in 2015. It spotlights Martin and Carol Hart. Martin has a gorgeous voice, which will become clear to the listener upon first listening, highly complemented in a perfect blend by Carol. Those who have previewed these tunes have agreed that they are the best arrangements of them they have ever heard. We at P&J agree. The third cover is of Amazing Grace, a Christian standard, featuring Lindsay Melancon Ogle. Paul's arrangement is a set in a jazz-rock framework with rich 6-part harmonies.

Other tunes include the driving anti-nuclear bomb tune What's the Matter with That?, Have You Ever Seen, and the jazz-rock tune Willie featuring Joe Raines on lead vocals. Just One More Time and a new rendition of Thanks for Being There again feature Martin on lead vocals. Lindsay sings lead on Drift Away. There is also a smooth jazz instrumental called Brunch in the Big Easy, dedicated to the rebirth of a great city New Orleans, LA, after the destructive forces of Hurricane Katrina, now still a vivid memory. The title track is unique. Smooth Sailingis a short 6-partacapella piece designed after and executed like some of the best Beach Boys and Manhattan Transfer works.

Once again, Paul wrote, arranged, performed on, and produced the pieces. The overall production of Smooth Sailing took quite a while, but was well worth the wait. We believe Paul and Friends second CD represents another substantial step forward in writing, performance, and production for the group.