Festival-sunshine sax lines light up Lil’ Maceo’s groove-loaded jazz-fusion single, ‘Shake It’ –

Lil’ Maceo stepped up the funk in his latest sax-led jazz-fusion composition, Shake It. The contemporary saxophonist brought the sunny-side-up charisma of his aura to a track rooted in funk, smooth jazz, RnB and modern soul, using the saxophone as his voice while keeping the core of his rapturous new release groove-loaded and decidedly for the people wanting to augment their centre of joy.

Serotonin flows freely through the instrumental piece, making it deserve placement on every feel-good jazz playlist with a functioning sense of taste. The grooves roll sparks of electricity through the progressions, while the strident power of the sax becomes cinematic in its ability to uplift. There is a bright-stage confidence to the arrangement, the kind that speaks to fans of Maceo Parker’s funk-sax exuberance and the smoother, soul-warmed side of contemporary jazz.

In his live shows and his recorded material, his personality and talent equally shine, allowing his high-vibe hits to carry a celebratory force without needing a single syllable to spell out the mood.

If the algorithm puts this score on your radar, your soul will undoubtedly fill its reservoir on the sax-slick voltage alone.

Shake It is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast