Vail Johnson is best known for his work as the longtime bassist for Kenny G, but he is more than in line to be respected as a straight up solo artist with the release of his latest CD, “Come Together”. The album, as one might be able to guess, is an instrumental re-imagining of classic Beatles songs.

The record benefits, off the bat, from the clean tone that comes from his Kubicki bass. With a tone that has no mud, it is in an optimal position to sing out the melodies. Kenny G is the executive producer on the disc, and he lays in a fair share of soprano sax melodies. Vail’s bass tone complements the sonic spectrum of the soprano perfectly.

“Come Together” isn’t an exact set of record copies, either. “A Hard Day’s Night” is presented against the backdrop of a tight latin groove, while “Penny Lane” is set in a world that very well could have been a Michael Bublé record produced by David Foster. Other songs like “The Long and Winding Road” and George Harrison’s classic “Something” are put in a much closer arena to the way the Beatles themselves played them.

What you won’t find here is any skimping on attention to detail of the melodies. Great harmonies are also chimed in by Vail, which create great emphasis. The drumming here is also perfectly in the pocket. This is very helpful, because I feel that the actual bass lines get forgotten with all the fantastic melodic playing. Thus, the spectacular drumming picks up the slack.

Overall, this CD is a winner. While the background textures are new to some of the songs, the perfectly executed melodies will keep you singing like nothing has changed from the Fab Four.

Do yourself a huge favor. Just get it. Then, sing/smile along!