Ready For Love

As formula-satisfying as most of his soft, soulful contemporary jazz is, Walter Beasley allows himself the luxury of branching out. On Ready for Love, the alto saxophone veteran goes on his first reggae outing, "She Moves Me," which with its synth trimmings won't sell any package trips to Jamaica, but still should appeal to his fans. Beasley also continues to find his comfort zone as a singer, channeling Curtis Mayfield via singer William DeVaughn and his 1974 hit, "Be Thankful for What You've Got." Beasley's cast of collaborators is large--eight producers are credited--but at this advanced stage in his career, people know what he wants and custom-deliver it to him. --Lloyd Sachs