by Jonathan Widran
Saxmen always seem intent on giving listeners a fair amount of pleasure, as Marion Meadows (Pleasure) and now Walter Beasley on For Your Pleasure demonstrate. Beasley -- who started his career in the '80s as an R&B singer and does a nifty quiet storm dance on &Do You Wanna Dance& -- commits to this concept in the most logical way possible; for two key tracks, he relies on the writing and trip-hoppy production expertise of Scot Rammer and Dino Esposito, who hit pay dirt with Paul Taylor last year on -- what else? -- Pleasure Seeker. On the title track, Beasley winds his swaying soprano melody over an odd meter, skittery percussion bed before going a little out and improvising just a bit. &From This Moment On& takes a similar route, only with more clicking and a deeper bass sound. Elsewhere, Beasley turns to labelmate/guitarist Chuck Loeb, who engages Beasley in a blues meets hip-hop playground on &If You Knew,& restraining his own electric so the saxman can hit all the high notes without producer interference. Beasley pays tribute to his fallen comrade (and stylistic soul mate) George Howard with a spunky cover -- similarly arranged to Howard's version -- of the Jam/Lewis hit &Everything I Miss at Home.& Like Meadows, Howard, and Taylor, Beasley knows how to hit the little adventure spots in the mix, turning even the simplest melodies into truly pleasurable listening experiences.