Urban Knights V
| Urban Knights V | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2003 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 55:05 | |||
| Label | Narada | |||
| Producer | Ramsey Lewis | |||
| Urban Knights chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Jazz Times | (favourable)[2] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [3] |
Urban Knights V is the sixth album by the jazz group Urban Knights released in 2003 on Narada Records.[4] The album reached No. 15 on the US Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart and No. 7 on the US Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[5][6]
Overview
Urban Knights V was executively produced by Ramsey Lewis. Artists such as Kenny Garrett and Michelle Williams appeared on the album.[4]
The Urban Knights covered Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up", Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" and Chicago's "Will You Still Love Me?" on the album.[1][7][3]
Critical reception
Lucy Tauss of JazzTimes remarked "Urban Knights V...showcases burgeoning Chicago talent as well as well-established members of the jazz community."[2]
Adam Greenburg of AllMusic lauded the album saying, "As far as smooth jazz goes, this is an outstanding collection from the all-stars of the genre, complete with some thoroughly worked-out funkiness at the hands of Lewis as the need arises....Both newcomers to the genre or old Ramsey Lewis fans should give it a listen."[1]
Rick Nowlin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took note that, "This band, so to speak -- I put it that way because of the rotating personnel -- is a long-running side project for Chicago- based producer Frayne Lewis, who brought this talent together. Of course, having his father, pianist Ramsey, in the fold makes for good listening."[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Got to Give It Up" (featuring Ramsey Lewis) | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Quiet Heart" (featuring Kenny Garrett) | 5:04 |
| 3. | "Church" (featuring Ramsey Lewis) | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Will You Still Love Me?" (featuring Michelle Williams) | 4:43 |
| 5. | "On the Up" (featuring Kenny Garrett) | 6:26 |
| 6. | "King" (featuring Henry Johnson) | 4:30 |
| 7. | "I Can See Clearly Now" (featuring Steve Zoloto) | 5:00 |
| 8. | "No One" (featuring Paul Walton) | 4:48 |
| 9. | "The New Funktier" (featuring Orbert Davis) | 5:49 |
| 10. | "Dream" (featuring Steve Zoloto) | 4:53 |
| 11. | "Honor Him/Now We Are Free" (featuring Ramsey Lewis) | 5:30 |
References
- ^ a b c Greenburg, Adam. "Urban Knights: Urban Knights V". Allmusic.
- ^ a b Tauss, Lucy (September 1, 2003). "Urban Knights: Urban Knights V". Jazz Times.
- ^ a b c Nowlin, Rick (December 28, 2003). "Urban Knights: Urban Knights V". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ProQuest 390922333. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
- ^ a b Urban Knights: Urban Knights V. Narada Records. 2003.
- ^ "Urban Knights Chart History: Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019.
- ^ "Urban Knights: Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019.
- ^ "On Disc". Jazziz. p. 24. ProQuest 194490040. Retrieved January 2, 2025.