Jim Easton - My Romance in Rome

Hear The Track Here

The final track from Mixposure this month is yet another two-fer effort whihc, as you know, I try and avoid. When Jim Easton (no relation I believe to the Easton brothers) offered this to me for this month what sold it was because it was a collaboration with Mix artist Baracasa who IMHO you can never hear enough of. Well yes, it does help that she's pretty but that isn't my motivation (Ed: that makes a change then). Over the time I've been on Mixposure I've heard quite a lot of Baracasa's music, and indeed a fair bit of Jim Easton's too at this stage of the game. The less senile readers will still remember that I started off this month reviewing Mike Kohlgraf's excellent bossa nova collab with Jim, KE-Nova and that was a smooth track and you know how I feel about them. Just goes to show how much of a pushover I am, doesn't it?

Two tracks in a month tut tut, whatever next...

Anyone who is familiar with Baracasa's R&B/latin style will immediately recognise My Romance in Rome, principally because it is written originally by the lady herself, Jim Easton added guitar parts and he fits right in with the style. Now while I do like that style, I admit it isn't really going to be something I would seek out because - as you know - smooth is not my nirvana buddy. I am also painfully aware that I am in the philistine section of the audience because a great many people DO like smooth, and I'm just an old rock and roller. I think my main problem with the genre (and therefore this track too, I suppose) is that the musicians and producers (Jim and Baracasa are both) tend to play it safe and stick to the tried and tested. OK if you like that, not so good if you don't. Having said that, don't think I am having a dig at this track, I'm not.

In the hands of two experienced musicians even plinky tinkly stuff can sound pretty good, especially to someone like me whose diet is usually unrestrained and raucous as all get out. My Romance in Rome is the perfect earbalm for those 'my ears are bleeding' moments, its unhurried style and tasteful instrumentation a testament to the care and devotion lavished on this track. Its incredibly sweet, underpinned by a very tasty riff from Baracasa, with Jim's guitar adding exactly the right amount of input without stepping all over the track. Lately, I've been listening to a whole slew of Jeff Beck (IMHO one of the best guitarists around in this genre) and Jim Easton has some of that same dash and rhythmic style. Not saying he is Beck of course, but the man is as tasteful on this as the Master himself. Stunning job all round I'd say and I can't normally abide this stuff, has to be REAL good for me to get behind it - and this is all that.

Excellent R&B/jazz combination. Highly Recommended.