Make no mistake: Gerald Albright has chops -- serious chops -- not to mention strong improvisational skills (on both tenor and alto sax) and a healthy amount of gritty, down-home soulfulness. But having a lot of positive attributes and actually making the most of them are two different things -- and while the saxman has excelled at times (1991'sLive at Birdland Westremains his most essential disc), he has also delivered his share of forgettable, knee-jerk fluff (1989'sBermuda Nightsand 1990'sDream Come Truewere among the worst offenders). Drawing on both soul-jazz and smooth jazz, New Beginnings is a mixed bag that isn't in a class withLive at Birdland Westbut is still one of his more worthwhile commercial outings. There are some weak tracks, to be sure; Albright's note-for-note cover ofthe Whispers' 1979 hit And the Beat Goes On pales in comparison to the original version -- and a few other automatic-pilot tracks are equally boring. But when Albright lets loose, New Beginnings becomes a treat that brings to mindGrover Washington, Jr.and earlyRonnie Lawsrather thanNajee,Kenny G., orGeorge Howard. Albright really soars on a gospel-drenched performance ofHoagy Carmichael's Georgia on My Mind, and he has some enjoyably funky moments on Big Shoes and We Got the Groove (both of which keyboardistJeff Lorberco-wrote with the saxman) as well as the title track (which featuresPatrice Rushenon acoustic piano). Is Albright capable of much more than what he does on New Beginnings? No question. Albright is quite capable of providing a five-star masterpiece, which New Beginnings is not. Nonetheless, this 2006 release has more pluses than minuses -- and it is certainly superior toDream Come True,Bermuda Nights, and some of the other duds he recorded for Atlantic in the '80s and '90s.