Soul Ballet Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
If producer/ composer Rick Kelly had decided to release Lavish under his own name instead of under the name Soul Ballet, it certainly would have been justified. Kelly is Soul Ballet, pure and simple. Soul Ballet has never been a group but rather, is Kelly's project and has always reflected his smooth jazz-meets-electronica vision -- and Lavish, like previous Soul Ballet discs, ends up being more electronica than smooth jazz, which is probably for the best because Kelly has avoided recording the type of outright schlock that is so common in the radio-driven smooth jazz/NAC field. True, Soul Ballet has enjoyed airplay on smooth jazz/NAC stations, but Lavish -- although not terribly challenging -- still has more integrity than the type of saccharine elevator music that the Kenny G/Dave Koz/Richard Elliot/Najee crowd has been famous (or rather, infamous) for. More than anything, Lavish is instrumental club music -- specifically, Kelly favors the softer side of electronica, and Soul Ballet has a lot of chillout and downtempo appeal. Some types of electronica can be harsh and abrasive -- techno, for example, can be every bit as in-your-face as death metal, punk, or gangsta rap -- but chillout and downtempo (both of which are radically different from techno) have epitomized the kinder, gentler side of clubland electronica, and that is definitely where Kelly is coming from on Soul Ballet's lush grooves. Although Lavish has jazz overtones, it should not be judged by jazz standards because it isn't trying to be jazz in the true sense. This 2007 release is not soloist-driven or improvisation-driven; it is producer-driven and beat-driven, which is what one usually expects from clubland electronica. Lavish doesn't break any new ground for Kelly; there are no compelling reasons why anyone who already owns a few Soul Ballet CDs absolutely has to purchase this one as well. But it's a pleasant, if predictable, example of Kelly's mildly jazzy view of electronic club music. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'All the Pretty Lights, Vol. 1'
Release Date 6/7/2005
Tracks 10
Label 215
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What The Critics Say
Producer and multi-instrumentalist Rick Kelly revisits some earlier material on 2005's All the Pretty Lights, Vol. 1. This isn't quite a remix album, in that Kelly doesn't do anything radically different to these songs; instead, they're simply extended versions of the original songs, with the grooves elongated artfully with subtle repetition and rearranging. The songs all come from his first two albums, Soul Ballet and Trip the Night Fantastic, barring two brief linking tracks, "The Revolution/Make the Music Louder" and "Pretty Lights." Together, this album is a fine précis of Kelly's sound: smooth, predominately instrumental music (with occasional and unobtrusive vocals) with light jazz and R&B elements that never quite tips over into unobtrusive elevator music. All the Pretty Lights, Vol. 1 is a fine introduction to Soul Ballet, but for all but the most passionate fan of this sort of thing, it's also a good stopping point. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Soul Ballet mastermind Rick Kelly continues to layer smooth jazz intrumentation over slightly ambient electronica on Dial It In, an album that shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with his previous few efforts. Kelly has his trademark smooth jazz/electronica hybrid down to a science at this point, for better or worse. Each of the tracks begins and ends with a rather bland yet affective electronica rhythm driven by light synthetic percussion and lulling synth ambience; there aren't any boomin' bass beats or frantic rhythms here, just "lite" electronica that should neither impress nor repel too many people (potentially derogatory descriptors such as "generic" and "bland" come to mind). Over these electronica rhythms, Kelly layers smooth jazz instrumentation -- a Kenny G-esque sax here and a world music-esque acoustic guitar there. This jazz side of the Soul Ballet equation may be simple, but it is a bit more interesting and certainly more engaging than the electronica side; in fact, the latter seems almost superfluous, like some sort of "hip" ornamentation to help Kelly's music cross over to a wannabe-hip mainstream audience (the sci-fi font in the liner notes is yet more superfluous ornamentation). Of course, this hybrid of smooth jazz and electronica isn't exactly innovative circa 2002, being practiced to much more acclaim by such acts as St. Germain, but you can't help but sense that Soul Ballet is a bit more accessible, the sort of music you'd find prominently displayed on an endcap at Borders next to the latest Sarah Brightman studio album. However, none of this should be news to anyone who has heard Kelly's other Soul Ballet releases. As mentioned earlier, his music has become as much science as it is trademark by this point in his career, perhaps the one exception being the admittedly lovely vocal track "I Feel the Love." Too bad there aren't more tracks like this on Dial It In. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Trip the Night Fantastic'
Release Date 6/23/1998
Tracks 10
Label ULG
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What The Critics Say
Cocktail jazz with an odd combo of a tinkling piano and a wah-wah guitar performing the main instrumental duties. Classic mood and soundtrack music with enough contemporary juices for play on smooth jazz stations. Electronic effects fill out some, while giving an eerie feeling to other tracks. This is excellent rainy day or thinking music, with Stefani, Annika, and Billy Valentine's voices mixed with brain surgeon precision throughout the 13 tracks. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
