Mike Stevens

This British saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist has made several best-selling crossover jazz recordings such as the RCA/Novus albums Light Up the Night and Set the Spirit Free. His efforts have paid off in the United States as well, where sales of these recordings were also brisk. This led to a contract with Dome, something that pleased Stevens to the point where he titled his first recording for the company Joy. Or perhaps he was just happy working with guest vocalists Melissa Morgan and Juliet Roberts, whose stylings add great appeal to the tracks. The tracks include a cover version of the Teddy Pendergrass song that is the actual source of the album's title, as well as a version of fusion jazz warhorse "Jean Pierre" by thundering drummer and extravagantly clad bandleader Alphonse Mouzon. These two tracks are worth mentioning as they provide an indication of Stevens' musical orientation. In addition to his activities recording his own music, Stevens produces R&B, funk, and dance acts. He is one of the main people behind theJunction 14 label, a distribution deal he set up with Dome. He was musical director for Take That, a group that had a fairly typical lifespan as a leading British teen act: i.e., three days, four hours, and 37 minutes. He composed three tunes that this group featured in its live set. Stevens toured Europe, Japan, Australia, the Far East, and the United States with the band. He recorded with Welsh pop legend Tom Jones and American R&B diva Tina Turner in the late '90s.