Painted Media

On Reza Khan’s latest album, the intriguingly titled Mystical, he aimed to create songs as infectious and radio friendly as they are brilliantly performed. Rather than have an overriding narrative concept, his goal was to collaborate with some familiar cohorts (Philippe Saisse, Mark Egan, David Mann, Nils) and others who could bring a fresh, magical, and yes, mystical quality to his songs. His first call was to David Mann, the veteran saxophonist who had brought great horn textures and arrangements to previous albums. He sought his production expertise, but just as importantly, felt that straight on compositional collaboration would be the ticket to unlocking this magic. Mann became an essential co-writer, composer, arranger and producer for the album. The first single, “Language of Love” is a high-spirited mid-tempo funk gem with a snappy lead guitar melody and some playful interaction between Khan and Mann, then Khan with guest star Bob James’ high energy piano. The “magic” that Khan believes happened on every track especially manifests here in James’ whimsical, jazzy improvisation. Towards the end, it becomes a playful jam featuring Khan, Mann and James freewheeling off of each other’s energies.