Steve Miller Band: Born 2B Blue : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Steve Miller has been a psychedelic San Franciscan, an FM king, a Top Forty wiz and, recently, a relative obscurity. Now he's come back as a crooner of mellow pop, jazz and blues classics. Born 2B Blue, which features songs by everybody from Ray Charles to Mel Torme, is a Kind of Blue for the VH-1 crowd. From the first tune, "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah," Miller sustains a pleasant, fizzy atmosphere, gently reinterpreting a song without dismantling it. Lee Dorsey's R&B classic "Ya Ya" is presented with sleek precision, and on "God Bless the Child" and "Willow Weep for Me," Miller plays an elegant guitar solo reminiscent of George Benson.

The record boasts some pretty snazzy personnel. Ben Sidran (who was in a college band with Miller) coproduced the album; he also plays keyboards. Legendary vibraphonist Milt Jackson of the Modern Jazz Quartet graces the title tune, and saxophonist Phil Woods turns in some sultry solos.

Even when this stuff teeters on the brink of Kenny G's "music for house plants," it's redeemed by an unexpected turn of phrase or a nifty guitar lick. Born 2B Blue may not fly like an eagle, but it certainly floats about eight feet off the ground.