Blue Savannah + Beautiful Day

I have been a fan of Shakatak since they first came on the scene, but since the 90s I've been very disappointed with the length of the tracks on their albums, it wouldn't take that much effort in composition or recording to make all the tracks a minimum of five minutes. Plus with the CD or mp3 download formats there is easily the space.These days there's far too much computer programming being used. I'm glad I've got their old vinyl albums and can listen to a more natural sound from the musicians without the computer programming.So for me a disappointing couple of albums, both with the length of tracks and the computer programming makes the tunes sound very samy.

If you are a fan of Shakatak them you will enjoy this album. Their music is easy to listen to and very relaxing to have on in the back ground

Excellent, first class service, well pleased, thank you

Blue Savannah (2003) and Beautiful Day (2005) are centred around programmed percussion and soft synth pads, and are appropriately coupled in this attractive 2 CD package. The format is mostly either full-on vocal or fully instrumental, contrasting their earlier style of instrumental verse and a sung chorus. As always with Shakatak the musicianship is top-notch and this is life-affirming music you can listen to at any time of day, in any setting.Blue Savannah is the stronger of the two with its quiet storm songs, Someone I Could Love, and Leee John from Imagination on Fool in Love. The title track is a smooth Bill Sharpe samba with electric piano and flute.Standouts on the breezier Beautiful Day include guitar-led instrumental Java Dawn and the faraway piano of Above the Clouds. You Keep Me Waiting is a Jill Saward composition, a Latin toe-tapper showcasing her vocal talents.Great music, and a must for Shakatak fans.

Blue Savannah, the latest album by Shakatak is one more in a long line of consistently excellent releases.Shakatak have been making albums for more years than I'd like to say, I've made it my mission to try and collect all of them, there isn't one of them that I'm sorry I bought, this album kicks off with a bright and breezy 'summery' sound much like their previous 'under your spell', Jill Sawards voice sounds better and better on each hearing, the album carries on with the cool jazz so beloved by Shak fans, but thats not to say the 'funkier' side has been left out!You can dance to this album, you can sit drink in hand, letting the sounds wash over you, if you like jazz, if you like funk, dammit if you like MUSIC, buy this album and then find everything else that you can and buy that too!If you heard some of their material on the radio it wouldn't sound at all out of place in the charts.......no, scrap that statement, its better played, better sung and ORIGINAL material!Can't recommend this group enough, I have around 2000 CD's to play,all genres, modern and 'oldies', its always these albums that are playing, its the sound of my life.........make it yours too, you won't be sorry!!Glenn

What can be said that hasn't already been said abouot Shakatak throughout the various reviews on this site...All I will say is that it's excellent, it's summery, it's funky, it's original, it's first class in all respects...and it's also cool to see some new musicians teaming up with the band (Leee from Imagination, etc)to bring a different slant to the band's sound whilst still retaining the unmistakable core sound of Shakatak. Some great vocals from Jill Saward(crisp, clear and moving) on the track 'Shadow' with an 'skattish' ending reminiscent of her previous recording with Al Jarreau.Eleven out of ten for this CD!!!!