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Welcome to the webs home for Nate Harasim.
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Album Review - Love's Taken Over
While the very first sounds on the first track of this rich album, Love’s Taken Over, momentarily throw one off, the piece--and the entire CD, for that matter--prove this gimmick to be just that—a tongue-in-cheek sound effects gimmick. Beyond any doubt, this is one quality recording with some of the most proficient, mellow yet moving keyboard work I’ve heard to date.
Nate Harasim proves here that he intends to stick around as a force to recognize in smooth jazz piano and keys. His fluid, buoyant style ebbs and flows as the mood calls for it, bouncing where that honky tonk-like bounce is the order of the moment, and waxing soft and melodic at other points in this fine production. His knack for hooks and phrasings plants a firm exclamation point on his music here.
Just as Harasim tickles the ivories with suave finesse, so he tickles your aural senses with gentle, memorable melodies and hooks. Case in point would be the intimate love-savvy invitation to “Dance With Me.” It’s tunes like this—and the subsequent “Taken It Slow”--that keep lovers at home at night bathed in candlelight and sipping chardonnay instead of venturing out on to that party that had been planned much earlier…before listening to this seductive collection.
Most of the tunes here have been written and produced by Harasim, who proves to be quite the insightful writer and producer, as well. Even his interpretations (e.g., Lionel Ritchie’s gem, “Hello” and the title track originally by Chante Moore) are rock solid. Personally, this reviewer could find no tune here that wasn’t charged and exciting or naughtily sweet. A very fine effort by an artist who truly demonstrates his love of the consummate musical experience as it relates to smooth jazz. You could add depth and color to your collection in one fell swoop with this one. - by Ronald Jackson
Album Review 2 - Love's Taken Over
In my review of Nate Harasim's debut album Next In Line (2007) I wrote, "Nate Harasim is a young musician full of hope and we place our hope in him." Today my hope is replaced by certainty, the certainty Nate will make his way. Shortly after the release of his debut album, David Chackler (NuGroove Music) heard the record and signed Nate on June 1st 2007. Love's Taken Over (2008) is Nate's first album on the anew founded label.
Darren Rahn, Jay Soto, Mel Brown, Frank Selman, and De’Nate’ vocalist Deborah Connors are the fellow musicians joining Nate's new start in a splendid future.
With a fulminate horn arrangement starts nuGroove leading up to Nate's elegant piano play. A very accessible and captivating tune. Just from the start the best impression. Darren Rahn convinces with his brilliant sax performance.
The vibrant Love's Taken Over features Jason Rahn on trumpet and flugelhorn. Mel Brown delivers a propelling bass. Nate's piano play flows like a river and when Jay Soto adds his guitar solo, the door to paradise is open and wide.
Can't Get Enough bases on the popular shuffle beat brought to perfectionism by Jay and Nate. The tempo slows down to the romantic ballade Dance With Me still shuffling around.
On Taken It Slow Nate creates magic layered with a string set. Nate Harasim is a brilliant composer with a great sense for captivating melodies. All tunes have a length around three minutes. Snug and warm the songs are immediately reaching their aim.
Nate Harasim has composed all tunes on this album with the exception of Hello. Lionel Ritchie wrote this tune for his album Cant' Slow Down (1983) which produced incredible five top ten hits. Perfectly tailored for smooth jazz radio stations this rendition will certainly find its lovers.
That Nate's contemporary compositions can stand comparison with such a world hit, is proven by Feel The Love. Deborah Connors seductive vocals are the icing on the cake of Nate's up-tempo piano forte. On What's Happenin' Nate anew indicates his prowess to compose great melodies. Near the end of the song one can recognize Nate's brilliant approach to a great piano solo. Unfortunately the solo soon fades out. We want more!
The absolutely sublime Love Of My Life shows more of Nate's piano skills. However with the support of label mates like Jay Soto on Give It Up the tunes get more vitality. The album ends with an instrumental version of Feel The Love.
Love's Taken Over is a testimony for Nate Harasim's great talent. Nate's signature sound is accessible, seductive and finest smooth jazz. What can we await when Nate will add some edges to his elegant sound?
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