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.
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.
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.
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.
With a virtuosity that transcends genres, that most sophisticated of pianists David Benoit is again pushing the boundaries of his musical talents with his latest CD ‘Conversation’. This multi dimensional body of work, whilst including input from Jeff Golub, David Pack, flautist Tim Weisberg and acoustic guitarist Pat Kelly, facilitates forays into classical, Latin, Pop and world music that throughout finds Benoit completely in command. In fact the publicity that supports the project describes it as being indicative of where, as a composer, Benoit currently is. That being the case, there little doubt this is a very good place to be.
It was in 2003 that trombone player; vocalist and producer Jeff Bradshaw made a tilt for solo stardom with the CD ‘Bone Deep’. Of course since then he has featured often with many of his Hidden Beach label-mates but now has come roaring back with a double album which might yet prove to be one of the best cross-over releases of 2012. It’s titled ‘Bone Appetit’ and what Bradshaw is really all about can be summed up in the one minute and thirty seven seconds of the opening number ‘Searching’. Atmospheric, urban and hypnotizing, this is what he routinely does best and, in an expansive collection that explores the varying complexions of jazzy R & B, Bradshaw also proves himself to be the undisputed master of urban trombone.
Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley, (aka Take 6) are celebrating their twenty-five years in the business in the best possible way, with the release of the brand new album ‘One’. It is their first project without Cedric Dent who retired from the group last year to pursue a career in education. His replacement, Khristian Dentley, has slipped into the line-up like a hand into a glove and that is hardly surprising, as in recent years, Dentley has, on a number of occasions, been called upon to add his vocal magic to the combined talents of Take 6.
Check out the video of the title cut right here right now.
With the strap line of Tom Scott’s new album ‘Telling Stories’ reading as ‘Tom Scott Presents Paulette McWilliams’ one could be excused for thinking that McWilliams was new to the scene. In fact she is anything but because as far back as 1970 she was providing lead vocals to the band Ask Rufus which, by 1971 (with the addition of the then eighteen year old Chaka Khan), had morphed into the chart topping Rufus. Since then McWilliams has lent her voice to dozens of national TV ads, recorded with Quincy Jones and toured with the likes of Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Marvin Gaye and Johnny Mathis. Now, with ‘Telling Stories’, she is stepping out as a leader, for an eclectic mix of music that is decidedly on the jazzy side.
‘Betcha By Golly Wow – The Songs Of Thom Bell’ by Bob Baldwin could at first glance be mistaken for just another retrospective. However, it is far from that and, much like he did in 2010 with ‘Never Can Say Goodbye, A Tribute to Michael Jackson’, Baldwin is taking some of the finest tunes ever written and embellishing them with his own special brand of what has come to be known as New Urban Jazz. This is a project that has been awhile in the making, in fact as far back as 2000, when Baldwin got the chance to meet the husband of the late writing superstar, Linda Creed. It was his intent to re-imagine some of her greatest compositions, songs that defined bands such as the Spinners, the Delfonics and the Stylistics but now, twelve years later he has gone part of the way to fulfilling that ambition by revisiting the catalog of composer (and Creed’s writing partner) Thom Bell.
From as far back as 1980 jazz funk powerhouse Incognito has been in the capable hands of its creator Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick. Although the bands last CD, ‘Transatlantic R.P.M’, found Maunick reaching back to the inspirations he originally took from 1970’s jazz, funk and fusion, its brand new release, ‘Surreal’ has retained that extremely accessible and retro tinged feel. However, with the inclusion of three of the brightest young talents on the British soul scene: Mo Brandis, Natalie Williams and Vanessa Haynes, ‘Surreal’ is providing an enticing looks into Incognito’s future.
It was through his work with the late Wayman Tisdale that producer, composer and saxophonist Darren Rahn first made his mark. At first his role was very much behind the scenes and behind the mixing console but his studio activities with Tisdale and an assortment of other smooth jazz heavy hitters proved pivotal in launching his solo career. Three critically acclaimed solo albums ensued and now he is back with number four, the high octane ‘Speechless’.
Those who take an interest in the Groove Jazz charts of most played on smooth jazz radio will have noticed the impact rapidly emerging Kenyon Carter is currently making. His smoothly mellifluous ‘Sangria Sunday’ is certainly creating some waves and comes from Carter’s excellent debut album ‘Right By My Side’. With a playing style that is exemplified by his full-ness of tone, this Atlanta based sax-man certainly seems to have a promising future ahead of him.
Ranging from the sounds of gospel, neo soul, R&B, soft rock and contemporary jazz, guitarist Paul Whitley really has it covered. His aptly named album ‘Versatility’ bears witness to this and then some as with fifteen all original and substantially self-penned tracks he serves notice that here is a musical force to be reckoned with.
Who could doubt, for those of a certain age, that the song ‘This Wheels On Fire’ by the Brian Auger Trinity formed part of the soundtrack to their lives. It featured vocals by Julie Driscoll, which for Auger represented a significant collaboration in a career packed full of them. Despite being in the music business for in excess of fifty years Auger has released relatively few solo albums so it is particularly pleasing that he is back on the recording scene with the CD ‘Language Of The Heart’. Produced by Franck Balloffet and Phil Bunch (aka Tea) who also contribute on guitars and keyboards respectively, this eclectic collection includes input from guitarist Jeffrey ‘Skunk’ Baxter who of course was a founding member of Steely Dan and also played with the Doobie Brothers. Joining Baxter on guitars is Julian Coryell (son of Larry Coryell) and talking of famous parents, Auger’s son and daughter, Karma and Savannah, also play a part.
I recently became aware of the music of saxophonist and producer Reinhold Schwarzwald through the release of the radio single ‘Sunset’. Lifted from the album of the same name it is an outstanding example of the best that contemporary jazz has to offer and one of many great tunes in a collection crammed full of them. In fact the CD provides a superb showcase for Schwarzwald’s ultra smooth talents and is embellished by a stellar line-up of backing musicians that include guitarist Doc Powell and the stupendous flautist Valerie King.
Atlanta based and New Jersey born, singer –songwriter Chinua (Shin-Wah) Hawk has been making a mark on the urban scene since 2001 and the release of his solo debut ‘The Beautiful Things’. In 2003, together with his writing partner Kwame Viapree, he won the 2003 Heineken Music Initiative Award for their song ‘I Remember You’ from his CD ‘Sunflower’ and now is using his latest offering, ‘A Beautifully Complicated Life’, to revisit some of his previously recorded material, add a few new tunes along the way and blend them with a selection of well chosen covers.
Well known for his classy virtuosity, sax and flute player Najee has been one of the most influential figures in contemporary jazz for the past twenty-five years. He enjoyed his first big break in 1983 when, with his brother Fareed, he toured with Chaka Khan. This in turn brought him to the attention of producer Charles Huggins and it was through Huggins that Najee cut his debut recording for EMI, ‘Najees Theme’, in 1986. The album went platinum and two years later this success was repeated with the follow up ‘Day By Day’. Since then Najee has added eight more releases plus one ‘best of’ compilation and has garnered four ‘gold discs’ along the way. Now he is back with his latest offering, ‘The Smooth Side Of Soul’.
Back in 2009, when reviewing the CD ‘Pretty World’ from vocalist Anne Walsh, I described her voice as being as clear as a bell and the album as a wonderful amalgam of buoyant Brazilian jazz grooves and poignant heart tugging ballads. Now Walsh has built on this winning formula with her latest release, the sublimely accessible ‘Go’. Again produced by her husband Thomas Zink, this sumptuous collection also features contributions from some of the finest session players around including Brian Bromberg on acoustic bass and the invariably excellent Garry Meek on saxes and flute.
