Smooth Jazz Therapy

Basia - From Newport To London

Recorded in Łódź, Poland, ‘From Newport To London: Greatest Hits Live…And More’ marks a welcome return for the excellent Basia. With fifteen live songs plus three new studio recordings (written and produced by Basia and her long time Musical Director DannyWhite) the CD is the ultimate showcase for her work and a timely reminder of the sumptuous quality of her distinctive vocals.

Aaron Bing - Out On The Town

Now for something special and certainly one of the best smooth jazz cuts you will hear this year. Laying the foundation for the release of ‘Rebirth’ in February of 2012, sax-man Aaron Bing’s latest single ‘Out On The Town’ is all set to debut mid October on iTunes. ‘Rebirth’ will be Bing’s third album and follows ‘Always’ which was released in 2005 and ‘Secret Place’ that followed four years later. Bing is currently building a reputation as an up and coming player in today’s new generation of smooth jazz artists and although his tone exemplifies a variety of influences, he is nevertheless carving out a sound that is entirely his own. Be under no illusion, ‘Out On The Town’ is a track that you really need to have in your collection.

East Bay Soul 2.0 Gathers Momentum

Now it is official. After a sensational campaign to raise the $25,000 necessary to record and release the album ‘East Bay Soul 2.0’, the funds are now in place, the artistic horsepower is ticking over nicely and Greg Adams is all set for his biggest adventure yet.

Recording is due to start in mid October at Big Surprise Studio in Encino, CA. Plans for the ‘East Bay Soul 2.0’ CD Release Party is also underway with the date and place scheduled to be revealed to backers on November 1. The formal press release will follow five days later.

Of course Greg Adams was the founding member of Tower of Power where his signature sound as performer and arranger made the Tower of Power horn section a sought out entity all it's own. Now, factor in Darryl Walker's powerful soul drenched vocals, add eight other world class artists and the result is a singular vision of instrumental funk, jazz and soul music brought to audiences in a fresh new way. This is new a movement in Urban Jazz; this is ‘East Bay Soul 2.0’.

L J Reynolds - Get To This

Although best known for a golden seven year period in the seventies when he replaced William Howard as the lead singer in The Dramatics, L J Reynolds has a special place in the annals of old school soul. His blockbuster hit ‘Key To The World’ (which originally appeared as the title cut of his 1981 release on Capitol) has become a Northern Soul classic and now, thirty years later, he is back with the sumptuous ‘Get To This’. Featuring an outstanding re-imagining of Marvin Gaye's ‘Get Come To This’ it is an album that proves Reynolds is more then capable of enhancing what previously was thought of as perfection.

George Benson - The Lady In My Life

Sure to be another highlight of what is proving to be a great contemporary jazz year, the legendary George Benson will release his new CD, ‘Guitar Man’ on October 4. With guest artists that are rumored to include Joe Sample, David Garfield, Harvey Mason and Paul Jackson Jr., Benson looks all set to confirm that despite being around at the very beginning of what was later to become known as smooth jazz, he is still capable of hitting it right out of the park. A case in point is the first single to be released to radio, the enticingly languid ‘The Lady In My Life’. Not only does it provide a stunning showcase for Benson’s sublime guitar playing but also confirms how his style, although copied by many, has been matched by but a few.

Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘Guitar Man’.

Mark Stephens - To The Mountain Top

With a debut CD that elsewhere has been described as being ‘unprecedentedly star-studded’, keyboard player Mark Stephens has stepped from the shadows in the most dramatic of ways. Titled ‘The Dream of the Peaceful Warrior’, for this long term member of Boney James’ touring band, the project has been a labor of love and has already garnered the radio single ‘To The Mountain Top’. Despite its easy grooving beginnings this is a track that shimmers with some delightful production touches, splendid arrangement, and a swaggering brass driven chorus. Given the tune was produced by none other than Boney James this is hardly surprising and, as well as almost guaranteeing plentiful airplays, also augers well for the overall success of the album.

Russ Hewitt - Samba Samba

Brand new for 2011, ‘Alma Vieja’ is the latest CD from guitar virtuoso Russ Hewitt. Replete with the rumba flamenco rhythms and lightning guitar runs that have become trademarks of his distinctive style ‘Alma Vieja’ also includes a stellar line up of backing musicians. Former Miami Sound Machine percussionist Raphael Padilla and drummer Walfredo Reyes Jr (who in his time has played with both Santana and Ricky Martin) are both around to lend a hand and are joined by bass player Bob Parr and exciting flamenco guitar prodigy Alfredo Caceres. Other significant contributions come from the Grammy award-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat (who has graced the stage with heavyweights such as The Rolling Stones Yanni and Aerosmith) and, perhaps most notably, contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Lington who featured on the first single to be released to radio, the easy grooving ‘Pacific Sunrise’.

Now, hot on its radio heels, is the intoxicating Latin buzz of ‘Samba Samba’ which as well as being certain to do well also sums up to perfection the magic of what Hewitt’s playing is all about.

Tom Scott - Too Hot

For what is now almost forty years sax man supreme Tom Scott has been a standard bearer for deliciously accessible crossover jazz. His band L.A. Express became one of the most successful pop-jazz groups of the 1970s and an incredible string of solo albums have often (well before other contemporary jazz artists had caught onto the idea) included collaborations with some of the hottest R & B talent around. His latest project, the excellent ‘Telling Stories’ is no exception and a fabulous case in point is the blistering radio single ‘Too Hot’ that features a sublime vocal duet between Paulette McWilliams and Will Downing.

This consummate cover of the Kool & The Gang blockbuster is a delight and the way in which Scott’s smoky horn captures the true mood of this memorable song may well prove to be a highlight of the musical year.

Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘Telling Stories’.

Skip Walker & Macrorhythm - Funky Cafe

With eight all original compositions that linger in the hinterland somewhere between neo-soul and jazz, the recently released ‘Funky Café’, by contemporary jazz collective Skip Walker & Macrorhythm is proving to be a real surprise packet. It first saw the light of day in 2009 but two years later has now been re-released and re-marketed to tremendous effect. Walker has recorded and performed with the likes of The Fatback Band, Althea Rene, and Onaje Alan Gumbs but now in tandem with his band Macrorhythm is all set to take the next big step.

Acoustic Alchemy - Roseland

Always about innovation and adaptability, the story of Acoustic Alchemy spans almost twenty five years and is all set to add another chapter with the release of the band’s latest CD ‘Roseland’. Produced by bandleaders Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale, the project is their first on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, and has been licensed to Heads Up by AA’s newly formed Onside Records. Not only that, recorded in England at Gilderdale’s newly constructed home studio, the album’s thirteen tracks explore elements of jazz, rock, country and reggae that from beginning to end contain not one weak link.

Dorothy Leigh - A Second Chance

Everyone needs a second chance and consequently it seems totally fitting that vocalist Dorothy Leigh has chosen ‘A Second Chance’ as the title of her debut CD. She attended both Long Island University and Adelphi University where she focused on her studies and enabled what became a successful legal career. Then, two years ago, with her life at its crossroads she returned to her first love of singing. ‘A Second Chance’ captures the swinging, soulful style that is at the heart of what Leigh does best and with ten all original compositions Leigh is indeed taking her second chance with both hands.

Jeff Logan - Black Tie Affair

Born, raised and still residing in the Washington, DC area, the multi talented Jeff Logan is a self-taught musician who launched his own label in 2002 to release his debut recording, ‘Soulitude’. In the intervening years he has been more than busy with five further CD’s and now he is back with number seven, the mellifluous ‘Black Tie Affair’. It finds him playing piano, keyboards, guitar, bass, percussion and drums yet, as if that wasn’t enough, Logan also takes care of drum programming and produces throughout. His ten original compositions sit comfortably along side two interesting covers and although two vocal tracks are included, it is when he turns to instrumentals that Logan proves to be at his best.

Dionne Warwick - Only Trust Your Heart

Those who chose the intoxicating soul of the sixties as the soundtrack to their lives will have long marvelled at the enduring magic of the great Dionne Warwick. Now this iconic vocalist is celebrating fifty years in the music business with her latest album which although remaining entirely soulful moves her into territory characterised by a genuinely jazzy landscape.

‘Only Trust Your Heart’ is her interpretation of songs composed by two of Frank Sinatra's favorite songwriters, Sammy Cahn and Jack Wolf but far from being a journey back into the archives Warwick blesses these wonderful tunes with a distinctly contemporary quality. A case in point is the mellifluous title cut which floats along on an understated Latin vibe and provides the perfect showcase for Warwick’s distinctive voice.

Spyro Gyra - A Foreign Affair

It was back in 1978 that legendary fusion band Spyro Gyra signed with Amherst Records and released the million selling ‘Morning Dance’. Now, thirty three years and thirty three albums later this cultured collective has reunited with Amherst for the hugely eclectic ‘A Foreign Affair’. This foray into capturing sounds and voices of countries around the world is chock full of delectable surprises and with writing credits shared predominately between band members Jay Beckenstein, Bonny Bonaparte, Tom Schuman, Julian Fernandez and Scott Ambush, ‘A Foreign Affair’ is sure to cement the position of Spyro Gyra as one of the true innovators in contemporary jazz.

Brian Lenair - South Street

Now for something new from a saxophonist who for the last ten years has been building his reputation on the local music scene in Washington DC. In fact Brian Lenair has become well known as an integral part of the DC based Spur Of The Moment but now, after a break of four years, is again stepping centre stage with the CD ‘Eye Of The Storm’ It was back in 2006 that his solo project ‘Inspirations Vol 1’ hit the streets to show off a decidedly spiritual side of his musical persona and although a seasonal offering, ‘A Saxy Christmas’, followed in 2008 it is with ‘Eye Of The Storm’ that Lenair has unlocked the undoubted flair he has for R & B tinged contemporary jazz.

The first single from the album to be slated for radio is the extremely pleasing ‘South Street’ which has a terrific vibe, a catchy hook and tremendous playing from Lenair. I am tipping this one to do really well so for a complete review of ‘Eye Of The Storm’ check back here soon.