Portland-based guitarist Jonathan Smith spent three decades putting out fires, but he lets things burn on En Route. The retired firefighter-cum-jazz guitarist assembled a crew of musicians with whom he'd performed in live settings at various times, to record a debut album which, as Smith himself says, "delivers solid and accessible jazz." Smith's music isn't made to push boundaries and challenge his potential listeners; it's simply straight-up, straight-ahead jazz that's easy to digest.

Blues, boogaloo, swing, calypso, and more come into play here, and the band pitches everything right down the middle. While this approach serves the music well in most cases, as Smith and company produce enjoyable head-nod-inducing, finger-snapping songs, it can be a double-edged sword. A few numbers, like