by Jonathan WidranThe veteran R&B sideman and popular smooth jazz guitarist usually lets his listeners know the vibe based on his album titles, from the Grover Washington, Jr.-influenced blues-soul of Inner City Blues to his most popular, Laid Back. On his critically acclaimed Heads Up debut, 97th and Columbus, the native New Yorker -- who titled the disc after the location of the classic Manhattan club Mikell's, where he did some serious shedding in the '80s -- paid homage to his eclectic roots, fashioning a tribute to, among others, chief influences Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Chet Atkins, and Ramsey Lewis. Focusing on touches of hip-hop, old-school soul, and slick in-the-pocket grooves, Cool Like That blends elements of his past successes with a love for classic rock (via a modern twist on the Beatles' "Let It Be"), a taste of East Coast jazz fusion ("To the East"), and a spiritual and densely percussive, African-tinged journey with lyr...