Smooth Jazz Therapy

Smooth Jazz Cruising Feels The Pinch

In these credit crunched times it should be no surprise to anyone that the once magical concept of smooth jazz cruising is coming under increasing financial scrutiny. With the major providers finding it ever more difficult to fill ships and retain a fan base there is a whole range of offers to be had. Two cabins for the price of one and ‘cruise now pay later’ deals are all out there while LLC Cruises, who built on the glorious legacy bestowed by the godfather of themed cruising, Warren Hill, has already made the decision to pare down its 2009 offering by merging its Dave Koz and Wayman Tisdale events. Elsewhere, Smooth Music Cruises is probably rueing its decision to schedule the Norman Brown hosted January cruise just seven days after LLC’s Tisdale sailing yet perhaps this was a problem waiting to happen.

Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards To Honor Earl Klugh

In recent years The Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards has consistently recognized musical excellence and lauded some of the true greats who have served to sustain the genre over an extended period. Introduced in 2005, the first Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to guitar legend, George Benson and subsequently Bob James, Spyro Gyra and Lee Ritenour have all been honored. Now the Nominating Committee is pleased to announce that, at the Awards Show in Mississauga, Ontario on April 24, 2009, the recipient of the 2009 ‘George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award’ will be Earl Klugh.

Joyce Cooling Has Brand New Christmas Single

Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Joyce Cooling has put Christmas firmly back on a traditional footing with her brand new single, ‘It’s Feeling Like Christmas’. Co-written by Jay Wagner and released for radio play across the USA on November 24, 2008 it is the kind of tender tune that evokes crisp white snow and roaring log fires. Cooling’s own Karen Carpenter-esque vocals ensure a warm feeling throughout and with piano accompaniment that is equally special ‘It’s Feeling Like Christmas’ is indeed a seasonal keeper.

Joyce's website is now offering a free download of ‘It's Feeling Like Christmas’ while the video to accompany the release can be viewed at You Tube.

For more go to www.joycecooling.com

Konstantin - Smoothing

Konstantin, originally from the Ukraine and now residing in Holland, is no stranger to smooth jazz saxophone. Recording under the name of Konstantin Klashtorni he released his debut CD ‘Downtown’ in 2004 and followed that up with ‘Led By You’ two years later. His latest project, ‘Smoothing’ is again replete with the sort of easy paced, ultra accessible contemporary jazz that typified these earlier albums and, as well as writing, programming and producing all eleven tracks, Konstantin variously plays saxophones, flute, keys and additional guitars.

Jonathan Fritzen - Love Birds

‘Love Birds’ is the debut CD from silky smooth keyboard player Jonathan Fritzén and, as if from nowhere, it looks all set to take the contemporary jazz genre by storm. With a groove that owes much to Brian Culbertson, Joe McBride and Brian Simpson, this self penned and produced tour de force is an incredible achievement for the Swedish born Fritzén who still calls Stockholm his home. All eleven sumptuous tracks reach to the very core of what great smooth jazz should be and on this evidence it must only be a matter of time before he receives the recognition he deserves.

Adams Plus Brown Plus Taylor Equals The Smooth Operators

Greg Adams is no stranger to musical collaborations. In 2008 this founding member of Tower of Power, and veteran of over 500 performance and arranging credits, has been touring with his new band East Bay Soul that features the occasional association of Phil Perry, Eric Marienthal, Tom Scott and Lee Thornburg. In addition Adams has traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia to play the Java Jazz Fest with Jeff Kashiwa, Gregg Karukas and Lenny Castro, appeared at Berks Jazz Fest and the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival with Richard Smith, Brian Bromberg, Michael Paulo, Joel Taylor and Gregg Karukas and along the way managed to find time to join his former band mates for the 40th Tower of Power reunion.

Now he has accepted an invitation to join guitarists Ed Taylor and Paul Brown in the newly formed and aptly named Smooth Operators. You can check out this stellar line up on November 22, 2008 at the Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, WA where showtime will be 8:00pm.

Brown’s current album ‘White Sand’ has been a Smooth Jazz Therapy favorite since its release in early 2007, Ed Taylor’s excellent smooth jazz CD ‘Songs From A Taylor’ comes highly recommended while Adams own ‘Cool To The Touch’ was one of the contemporary jazz sensations of 2006.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.kwjz.com

Pete Gitlin - Full Circle And The Great Temptation

‘Full Circle And The Great Temptation’ is the intriguing title of the debut album from Phoenix based guitarist Pete Gitlin. In fact it’s no more than a clever pairing of the names from two of the ten choice tracks yet in reality there is more to commend this collection than a catchy moniker. With guest performances from smooth jazz ‘A – Lister’ Jeff Kashiwa, production from John Herrera and a line up of backing musicians that includes George Benson’s former keyboard player Michael Broening and Wayman Tisdale’s touring bass man Mel Brown, the stage is set for something special. Truth to tell Gitlin rises to the challenge and, as he guides the listener through a sequence of his own enticing compositions, never disappoints.

Jason Miles - 2 Grover With Love

When in 2006 I reviewed Jason Miles tribute to Grover Washington Jr, ‘To Grover With Love’, I referred to it as a piece of music that needed to be taken seriously and not confused with what at first glance might be passed off as a collection of covers. The production skills of Miles, both in the selection of tracks and the choice of musicians, succeeded in re-imagining familiar songs into something new and fresh while retaining the incredible feeling and passion that Washington Jr. effortlessly possessed. It was never Miles intention to produce a follow up but after he had again listened to ‘Come Morning’ (Washington’s follow up to ‘Winelight’) and then ‘Strawberry Moon’ he realized that indeed there was another Grover project waiting to be done. The result is an understated masterpiece that in terms of quality and sophistication is ‘miles ahead’ of anything else produced in the contemporary jazz genre this year.

Dave Panico - Joy Rid'N

Sax, clarinet and flute player Dave Panico has his music rooted firmly in his faith yet although his brand new album ‘Joy Rid’N’ displays some palpably religious connections this never gets in the way of the great vibe that his playing routinely generates. Consequently ‘Joy Rid’N’ is a recording that should appeal to both sacred and secular audiences alike.

Project Grand Slam - Play

With five of its thirteen tracks already having been featured on the hit NBC series ‘Lipstick Jungle’ the debut album, ‘Play’, from contemporary jazz collective Project Grand Slam is off to a flying start. Project Grand Slam is in fact the collaboration of Robert Miller, Haim Cotton, Ron Thaler and Gilad Ronen. While individually they have performed with artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Rob Thomas, Taj Mahal, Alicia Keys, and Herbie Hancock their coming together has delivered an eclectic mix of eleven self penned tunes plus, paradoxically, one of the best cover versions of the year so far.

Michael Lington - Heat

Saxophonist Michael Lington has been a force in contemporary jazz since 1997 and the release of his eponymous debut on NuGroove Records. Since then his stature has continued to rise, first with the 2002 project (and his only recording on Marcus Johnson’s Three Keys label) ‘Everything Must Change’ and again during his tenure at Rendezvous with ‘Stay With Me’ and ‘A Song For You’ in 2004 and 2006 respectively. Along the way the debut album has been re-released twice, in 2001 on Samson and then again in 2003 on the Copenhagen label. Now Lington has come full circle by reconnecting with David Chackler and the resurgent nuGroove Records for his brand new CD ‘Heat’.

Spotlight On Kiki Ebsen

It is a huge pleasure for me to reproduce a feature on the multi talented Kiki Ebsen that originally appeared in my regular column at ABYSSJazz. Subscriptions for this top notch smooth jazz magazine, which includes nine issues plus a free CD, can be had for as little as $24-95. For more information send an e-mail to mailbox@abyssjazz.com.

The new CD from singer, composer and keyboard player Kiki Ebsen is titled ‘Introducing Kiki Ebsen’. However, for a musician whose first solo collection, ‘Red’, hit record stores in 1993, and who has been building a stunning and hugely varied career ever since, this is far removed from being an introduction. At the time of its release ‘Red’ was described as the kind of debut most artists can only dream of and the array of jazz talent that collaborated with her on it is fitting testimony to the credibility she has long enjoyed in the warm place between pop and contemporary jazz.

The Sound Of Jazz FM 2008

In an audacious moves that clearly bucks a trend, Jazz FM is now back on the air throughout the UK and (via the internet) across the world. The station is broadcasting on digital radio in London, the North West, the West Midlands, Glasgow, parts of the East Coast of Scotland and South Wales. It can also be heard on Sky television and via Freesat on channel 729. The eclectic mix that Jazz FM routinely delivers was last heard in this format seven years ago and in bringing back shows such as Dinner Jazz and the Late Lounge plus iconic presenters that include Steve Quirk, Robbie Vincent and Peter Young the broadcaster is obviously intent on rolling back the years.

Peter White On Tour In The UK

October 31, 2008. With a fresh new set, a spring to his stride and what was virtually an all start band, Peter White rolled into the Cinnamon Club, Altrincham, on the second leg of his current UK mini tour, in outstanding form. Despite White’s smooth jazz superstar pedigree there is something very special about seeing him play in a small club setting where he often seems at his most comfortable and relaxed. Here was no exception and the generous crowd that filled the Cinnamon Club’s downstairs auditorium were enthralled by two captivating hours of music that drew on the width and breadth of his considerable discography. Indeed, as White explained in his introduction, he has recently purchased the rights to some of his earliest albums and this enabled the inclusion of ‘Reveillez-Vous’ (the title track from his 1990 debut) and ‘Smooth Sailing’ from ‘Excusez-Moi’ that followed a year later. The fact that he was able to intersperse this latter track with snippets of Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ was totally indicative of the fun White enjoys having in a live setting and throughout the show he ensured that entertainment always remained high on the agenda.