Kiss under the Moon

by Jonathan WidranOne of smooth jazz's most popular sax stars began his solo career in exciting fashion, as this energetic debut was one of the genre's best discs of that year. He was still searching for his own identity, to be sure. Like Nelson Rangell and Dave Koz, his alto sound hit the mark as an update on the David Sanborn sound, but on the accessible danceable yet frequently tender Kiss Under the Moon, Hill's horn makes all the right moves over all the right grooves. In its search for a crossover pop audience, even the soulful vocal tracks (one co-written with Al Jarreau and Jay Graydon) are memorable. Like Koz and Rangell, Hill could also sweeten it up on the soprano (and the stunning "30 Days" even features both saxes), and a little more venturing into this area could have made this brilliant debut even better. Over the course of five subsequent albums, Hill emerged as an artist who may one day become an influence rather than simply draw from his own.