Altoist Eric Marienthal (who is also heard on tenor, soprano and baritone) plays well throughout One Touch but he is the only reason to acquire this disc. The backup, which includes keyboardist-producer
Jeff Lorber
, a few vocalists and guest appearances from pianist
David Benoit
and bassist
John Patitucci
, is mostly pretty anonymous. The originals are forgettable and usually fade out when the music gets too heated. With all of the selections clocking in between three-and-a-half and almost five minutes, potential radio airplay was obviously the main purpose behind the music, which is consistently commercial, accessible, mildly soulful and very predictable. At best, One Touch succeeds as background music but a close listen will frustrate listeners who know that Eric Marienthal is capable of much more.