Smooth Jazz Therapy

Chester County Jazz Festival - Anita Broady In Conversation

Fifteen years ago Anita Broady attended the Montreal Jazz Festival. At the time she knew little about the music she would grow to love but walking amongst the various stages and hearing a wide range of artists perform she was immediately struck by the global nature of the genre and the way it so obviously brought people together. She vowed to one day bring a jazz festival to her own neighborhood and from that point everything changed. Fast forward to 2012 where now ardent jazz fan Broady has used her considerable business experience in event management to make the Chester County Jazz Festival a reality. It all gets started on the evening of June 29 when smooth jazz superstar Peter White opens up with a performance at the Asplundh Concert Hall on the campus of West Chester University.

When recently I talked with Anita from her home in the lovely town of West Chester, just thirty-four miles west of Philadelphia and nestled in the Brandywine Valley, I asked her more about her motivation to make the festival happen.

Gary Honor - Heads & Tales

Gary Honor is a sax-star in the making and if the CD ‘Heads & Tales’ is anything to go by that stardom is not too far away. It marks his debut on Trippin n Rhythm and includes one well-chosen cover plus twelve original compositions that Honor has written in collaboration with label-mate and producer Oli Silk. Make no mistake, ‘Heads & Tales’ is the real smooth jazz deal and seems a lifetime away from 2004 when Honor journeyed from his native Australia to Fort Lauderdale for a vacation aboard the Warren Hill Smooth Jazz Cruise. Whilst on board Gary entered the cruise ‘star search’ which had been created to find smooth jazz talent from amongst the paying passengers and under the watching gaze of some of the finest musicians the genre has to offer, he duly won. After a spell in the United Kingdom (where he first hooked up with Silk) Honor progressed to work on a whole range of musical projects both in the USA and in Australia. Now with ‘Heads & Tales’ he is all set to take his career to an exciting new level.

Vincent Ingala - He Can't Stop Now!

For writer, producer and multi instrumentalist Vincent Ingala, 2011 was quite a year. His debut CD ‘North End Soul’ made an incredible splash and he stole the show in San Diego where at what became know as ‘The Lemonade Weekend’ Ingala owned the stage at Anthology and jammed with Peter White at the Hard Rock Hotel. His talent is such that, twelve months on, people are no longer talking about his age, they are simply admiring his music. On that theme, Vincent’s next album, ‘Can’t Stop Now’, will be released this coming summer and the first single (and title cut) from what is a much-anticipated collection has just been serviced to radio. Given that he plays every instrument on it this is a tune that serves as a tremendous showcase for his art. Not only that, with a silky smooth and easy grooving vibe it’s a track that is guaranteed to do well.

Check back here soon for complete review of ‘Can’t Stop Now’.

Spotlight On Kool & Klean

Originally from the Ukraine and now domiciled in Holland, saxophonist Konstantin Klashtorni first came to prominence in 2004 with his debut CD ‘Downtown’. Although three more smooth jazz albums followed, it was in 2010, when his project ‘Kool & Klean Volume l’ was released, that he began to move in a slightly different musical direction. Intended as the first in a series of accessible and commercially attractive collections that sat somewhere between smooth jazz, electronica and chill, what the CD actually did was to reclaim some of the ground which previously had been the sole domain of Paul Hardcastle. The year 2011 beckoned in the arrival of ‘Kool & Klean Volume ll’ and now ‘Kool & Klean Volume lll’ is available for download. It is quite possibly the best yet and to discover what I mean check out the sumptuous ‘Everywhere’. In common with much of ‘Kool & Klean Volume lll’ it is a sensation.

Grady Nichols - Destinations

It was in 2008 and the advent of the excellent CD ‘Take Me With You’ that I first latched onto the artistry of sax-man Grady Nichols. In fact the discography of Nichols stretches all the way back to 1996 when his debut recording ‘Between You And Me’ first hit the streets. Since then he has released five more albums with the latest being the superb ‘Destinations’. Co-written and produced by Chris Rodriguez, this hugely accessible body of work checks every box imaginable and not for the first time marks out Nichols as one to watch.

Peter White Headlining In Chester County

Smooth Jazz fans in and around the Philadelphia area have a real treat in store as on the evening of June 29 the multi award winning Peter White will open up the inaugural Chester County Jazz Festival with a performance at the Asplundh Concert Hall on the campus of West Chester University.

Understandably tickets are selling fast so to get yours go to www.chestercountyjazzfestival.com or call (610) 365-1404. Ticket Prices range from $30-$75.

The event will mark the start of three fabulous days of music that, with the theme of soothe the soul, will see featured performances from Warren Hill, Ronnie Laws, Tom Braxton and Philadelphia’s very own Gerald Veasley. Not only that, with the stated aim of strengthening community bonds, bringing people together and offering an outlet for local artists, musicians and merchants, the Chester County Jazz Festival seems destined to be part of this lovely town’s calendar for some years to come.

Only thirty-four miles west of Philadelphia and nestled in the Brandywine Valley, this is the perfect location to witness some of the finest smooth jazz around. Indeed, free open-air all day musical events are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday in Hoopes Park, West Chester so bring your blanket, your lawn chair, your friends and family. Just come on by to Soothe your Soul.

Slow - Art Of Silence

I am indebted to guitarist Tomasz Kaczmarczyk for news of Polish contemporary jazz duo Slow. Formed in 2010 by Kaczmarczyk and pianist Krzysztof Werminski, Slow has recently released the album ‘Art Of Silence’ which, if this You Tube sampler is anything to go by, is a fine piece of work. Included on the recording is an excellent line-up of supporting musicians that includes percussionist Slawomir Berny, sax player Leszek Szczerba, bassist Robert Kubiszyn, drummers Michal Dabrowka and Kenny Martin plus Kasia Piasecka and Ania Szarmach on vocals.

Particularly pleasing is the easy grooving ‘First Impressions’, the sumptuous title cut and ‘Wczesna Sjesta’ which proves to be as cool as a cucumber. Check them out.

Brian Bromberg - Compared To That

Due out June 5 on Mack Avenue Records, ‘Compared To That’ will be bass player Brian Bromberg’s 20th solo collection. Including eight of his own compositions, a ten-piece horn section, a full orchestral string section and a prodigious collective of supporting musicians this is an album that will appeal both to fans of contemporary jazz and those who allude to having a more straight ahead disposition. With the likes of Randy Brecker, George Duke, Mitch Forman, Jeff Lorber, Gary Meek and Tom Zink all involved, ‘Compared To That’ was recorded over two frenetic days and provides the overriding impression that here is a group of musicians at the top of their game and having fun.

Kenny G & Rahul Sharma - Namaste

The word Namaste is a common salutation originating from Indian culture. In this context it is a greeting when individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting but also it’s the name of the title cut from the forthcoming album from Kenny G and master santoorist Rahul Sharma. Due for release on June 26, ‘Namaste India’ is an interesting coming together of musical styles that looks all set to finally explode the myth that Kenny G often plays safe. Quite simply ‘Namaste’ is a fabulous track which blends Kenny’s sweet sax with an Indian rhythm that proves to be quite compelling.

If this is an indication of what ‘Namaste India’ is all about then I can’t wait to hear the rest of it.

Dreaming In Colour - The Dream Merchant

With a hip cutting edge vibe that may well blow you away, contemporary, instrumental jazz group Dreaming In Colour has just released its debut CD, ‘The Dream Merchant’. Constructed around the band’s core members of Kevin Ellis, Chris Noonan and Joe Calandrino, the line-up has often, over the years, been complemented by some of the genre’s top artists and this is particularly so with ‘The Dream Merchant’ for which Ellis, Noonan and Calandrino are joined by Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal and Nelson Rangell.