Tuesday , March 19 2024

Music Review: RK Dawkins – ‘Journey’

Fluid and ambient, multi-instrumentalist RK Dawkins takes listeners along an aural course on his new recording, Journey. Audiences are engulfed in serene sensations and tranquilizing soundscapes. The songs will remind listeners of saxophonist Kenny G’s effortless fluidity and the reclining strokes fashioned by trumpet player Chris Botti. The recording features all original compositions penned and performed by Dawkins. All instruments are played and programmed by Dawkins, which is a great achievement. How one musician can play these tunes to the best that they can sound is phenomenal.

The sonic musings of the keys stroll with a leisurely strut across “Serenity.” It puts the listener in a relaxing mood. The track transitions into the uplifting palpitations of “Smokin’.” Sprigs of electric guitar spike the cool jazz swells of the keyboards.

“The Jungle” opens with tribal sound effects that move into lounging streaks of vibraphone-toned keys and reposing grooves.  The melody is garnished in an intermittent splash of horns. The soothing ethers of “The Search” interlock the keys and soft-funk tones of the bass beats. The freestyle horns add frilly swirls and depth to the number.

A flute-like flutter emerges at the top of “The Strut.” The track opens into a meadow of wavy riffs wheedled by the horns and keys. The combination materializes into a field of glistening soundscapes. The composition has a dreamy vibe, as though taking listeners on a flight across sonically serene landscapes.

“Arrival” continues the course into serene atmospherics. The soundscape mollifies listeners into a starry-eyed state. Dawkins maneuvers the instruments into a languid glide woven along “Cruise.” The track is driven by ruminating horns, plotting a random meander that flows harmoniously. “Discovery” achieves an entrancing state of bliss that is equally infectious.

RK Dawkins offers a pleasing escape from the burdens of reality for audiences. His experiences as a songwriter and record producer are vast. It has trained him to hone his melodic sensibilities to perfection. He plays with an intuitive edge, knowing instinctively where to take the melodic progressions while making his creations appear random from the listener’s prospective.

About susanfrancesny

Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in eastern Long Island.

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