Philip Kuehn – “By Design”

I love when a track feels like a real journey, and Philip Kuehn definitely gives us that on his new single, “By Design”. He spent over twelve years tweaking and polishing this composition, which originally started as a musical tribute to driving down California’s Pacific Coast Highway. You can absolutely feel that open-road inspiration stitched into the fabric of the song. It has this wonderful sense of movement and breezy, coastal energy that makes you want to roll the windows down.

Instead of keeping things simple, Philip slowly built the song into a massive, gorgeous production over the last decade. The track blends classic smooth jazz melodies with rich, cinematic strings and woodwinds that give it an incredibly deep texture. Trumpeter Melvin Jones delivers a standout performance on the horn parts, acting as a spark that really anchors the whole arrangement. Combined with some smooth vocal layers and great rhythm work, the music feels grand without ever getting too heavy or crowded. It is just an uplifting, wonderfully crafted piece of instrumental music that rewards a close listen.

Personally, I think it is an incredibly satisfying track that shows what happens when a musician takes his time to get a vision exactly right. Be sure to follow Philip Kuehn to stay updated on his new releases throughout the rest of this year.