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Debuting a solo project 30 years in the waiting can be a mean setup depending on the artist. With the high potential for failure shadowing such a long-awaited release, bassist and songwriter "Ready" Freddie Washington finally steps from behind the scenes and into the fore with his solo project, In The Moment. For the uninitiated, Washington's beloved bass work and rhythm arrangements are the definitive designs of 80s R&B. He's played and co-written gold and platinum hits for Patrice Rushen, The Cover Girls, and Whitney Houston to name a few. His stamp can be heard on such jams as "Forget Me Nots," "Haven't You Heard" and "Someone For Me." Of course, with this caliber of veteran talent, there is some dread that his classic, better remembered R&B work might be sullied by some last ditch, middle-of-the-road smooth jazz effort. Washington, however, is apparently conscious of the expectations thirty-years of anticipation and his esteemed body of work might raise. Then again, "Ready" Freddie proves that damn talented. The compositions contained on In the Moment, while appropriate for your neighborhood smooth jazz FM, supersede forgettable melodies and grandiose solos of mainstream contemporary jazz. Like Joe Sample's similarly brilliant, Song Lives On featuring Lalah Hathaway, it helps that Washington gets a little help from his friends.

For a debut, Washington's company alone invites more than the usual attention. Patrice Rushen and Joe Sample on keys, Gerald Albright on sax and Ray Parker Jr. on guitar takes us back to the legends who originally introduced Washington to fans. With their help, Washington excels beyond elevator and background music, particularly on the ballad genius of "I Can Make it Better" and Barry Mann's "When it Gets Down to it." Albright's sax, Sample's rhodes and Washington's bass all play like lead members, but never break truly captivating melodies for the sake of grandstanding.

Only a dated moment or two expose Washington's age or handle on the contemporary, most prominently on "Freddie's Groove," which despite its funk comes off like that too old playa in a twenty-something nightclub. If we must be taken back, Washington could at least give us the stellar thumping of his classic "Forget Me Nots."

These geriatric moments aside, Washington deftly survives what would be a burdening task in the hands of a lesser composer and musician. Haven't you heard?

Musicianship: 4 stars
Lyrics: N/A  
Music: 2.5 stars  
Production: 3.5 stars
SoulTracks Call: Recommended

By Reg Jones