PARIS JEFF

The name Jeff PARIS is undoubtedly familiar to many Hard FM and US Hard Rock fans, thanks to his contributions as songwriter to a number of 80's greats (Lita FORD, Y&T, MR. BIG, VIXEN, XYZ, Stevie SALAS). He also took part in the recording of CINDERELLA's 1st album (Night Songs) in 1986 as an additional musician, playing keyboards. Less well known to the public, this American musician has also had a solo career since the mid-80s. Having started out at the end of the 70s with PIECES, a band that mixed Jazz, Soul and Disco, and then with L.A.X, a Disco band, Jeff PARIS finally found his feet in Rock in the 80s. By the middle of the decade, he had signed to Mercury and was firmly on the road to a hopefully successful solo career. His first studio album, Race To Paradise, was released in 1986. For the occasion, Jeff PARIS was supported by the future drummer of MR. BIG's future drummer, Pat Torpey. Jeff PARIS's first solo album navigates the hard FM/AOR waters of the time, and will not confuse fans of the genre. Tracks such as "I'm Better" and "Race To Paradise", which veer openly towards melodic hard rock, and the mid-tempos "Mystery Girl" and "Hot Love", are fairly classic in both form and content, but are quite well done, as they have all the ingredients to please aficionados (good choruses, biting guitars just right, a few layers of keyboards). Some tracks even stand out from the crowd, notably the mid-tempo "Don't Make Promises", which anticipates what WHITESNAKE will do shortly afterwards in 1987, then MR. BIG with its bluesy overtones, "Give It Away", a lively, punchy Big-Rock/Hard US track with a good melodic framework, Jeff Paris at his best vocally, backing vocals to match, not forgetting a very nice scratch solo, or to a lesser extent "Back On My Knees", in the air of the times, but sufficiently well-written and well-arranged to be convincing. All in all, Race To Paradise is a well-crafted debut album for Jeff PARIS, with its share of good songs, good choruses and good melodies. The American musician has shown his qualities as a songwriter. This reissue will satisfy hard FM/AOR fans.