Randy Sloan – Pop’s Bebop! (Single Review)

In today’s review, a trusted figure in the world of smooth jazz returns with his new single, titled ‘Pop’s Bebop!’. That is, no other than the Randy Sloan, a jazz musician and a guitarist who began his musical journey on the West Coast, performing in rock and Top 40 bands to gain exposure and refine his own technique as well. All of these efforts paid off as he developed his own distinctive sound, coinciding with his own natural inclination to the smooth jazz genre. He then found inspiration in the works of Jeff Golub, Chris Standring, Norman Brown and other jazz greats.

To add on to his intriguing lore, he relocated to the Dallas, Texas area and quickly rose up to make his mark in the local music scene. He went on to perform 15 to 20 shows a month at luxury hotels, wineries, cocktail lounges and private events. His polished tone and melodic sensibility earned him a reputation as a standout performer within the region’s music circuit.

In June 2024, Randy Sloan released his debut single ‘It’s A Vibe‘, covered here on Music Review World. It absolutely captivated me as a listener of the genre, with its multidimensionality embedded into the track and its overall elevated feel. Other listeners felt the same way, as it was met with praise from streamers and fans as well. He then followed up with the sultry ballad ‘Nightlights‘, also featured here, fueled a winning streak with its competency and refreshing perspective, featuring the expressive piano stylings of Torrey Brown. Together, both singles have garnered close to 80,000 streams on multiple platforms and have even been featured on smooth jazz stations.

Perhaps third time’s the charm, as he returns with ‘Pop’s Bebop’, a track that promises to be vibrant and energetic, highlighting his melodic guitar work alongside Torrey Brown’s contributions, this time, on the trumpet and the keyboard.

This track starts off with a nostalgic tone, brandishing its intro with a sparkling electric piano and soothing guitar grooves. The song then picks up, with an existential sounding atmospheric drone in the background while the main instrumental of the song converges in a distinct groove. The tone of the guitar is quite apparent within the track, smooth-sailing and suave as ever. It goes through a journey of melodies and notes, exuding calmness but a little bit of sass and innovation as well.

The trumpets support the song with a lush fanfare, bringing the tone of the song up and brandishing it with a more sophisticated feel, adding more layers to the already potent instrumentation. Both Randy and Torrey’s solo segments within the instrumentation give the song a personal touch, before going back to the chorus segment. There are also synths placed strategically and panned interestingly in the midst of the song, definitely accentuating how ‘alive’ the song feels by bringing it out of a flat perception.

Once again, I can’t help but bare similarities to some of Trammell Starks’ work, in how the track comes off and how well-done the whole song is. There’s enough solos and improvisation to keep you hooked, all til the last measure of the song. The drums are also a key highlight of the song to me, in how crisp it is and how steady it keeps the pulse going. Might I also add that the song is very well-mastered, with none of the components out of place.

A very wonderfully made track, but it’s not unexpected, coming from Randy Sloan’s stellar streak.

Score/Excellent: ‘Pop’s Bebop’ is an excellent track that continues Randy Sloan’s legacy of wonderfully curated releases, full of improvs and solos to definitely capture your ear. The combination of the guitar and the trumpets in this song give it an otherwise lush feel, and it’s hard to deny the intersection of suaveness and poshness within the song.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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