Smooth Jazz Therapy

Mindi Abair Unplugged

October 11, 2009. Less than 24 hours after playing back to back shows at San Diego’s Anthology, Mindi Abair was in Temecula, CA, at Thornton Winery, to perform the national anthem and open for the headlining Jesse Cook. Minus her regular drummer and keyboard player, but very much with the twin talents of Jay Gore on guitar and Andre Berry on bass, Mindi used her well rehearsed ‘unplugged’ format to take a more considered approach to some of her more significant tunes. Into the bargain she delighted a sun soaked crowd already eminently familiar with her work.

Jesse Cook At Thornton Winery

October 11, 2009. With all the Latin pizzazz you could ever want, Juno award winning guitarist Jesse Cook blew into a fittingly sun soaked Temecula on the latest leg of an ever expanding tour. There to promote his brand new CD, ‘The Rumba Foundation’ (which was released on September 29) this impressive and very different collection is already looming large on both the iTunes and Amazon charts while the first single to be lifted for airplay, the vibrant ‘Bogotá By Bus’, is receiving generous radio exposure. It proved to be the perfect vehicle for this the final event in the Thornton Winery 2009 Champagne Jazz Series and a packed crowd, already somewhat loosened by fine wine and Mindi Abair’s opener, were driven almost to distraction by Cook’s infectious rhythms.

Mindi Abair At Anthology

October 10, 2009. Despite the fact that Mindi Abair took to the stage a fashionable thirty minutes late, her belated arrival did little to diminish the enthusiasm of a packed Saturday night Anthology crowd. In fact her special brand of pop-influenced sax driven jazz found an instant fit with a San Diego audience not typically known for quiet restraint and, as she quickly slipped into her well rehearsed stride, put on the sort of quality performance that those familiar with her live work would instantly recognize.

Jeff Lorber & Jeff Golub At The Pizza Express

July 29, 2009. Jeff Lorber and Jeff Golub became the latest contemporary jazz imports to grace the intimate stage of the Pizza Express Jazz Club when they played a four night residency in the heart of London’s Soho. Smooth Jazz Therapy was there to catch the third night where, despite what at first glance seemed an unlikely pairing, Lorber and Golub struck upon an instant synergy that they used to feed off each others musicality and share highlights from their respective discographies with the often vocal crowd. Indeed, although the music of Jeff Lorber is rooted in jazz fusion and Golub draws his influences from rock, blues and jazz, the two of them worked together previously on Golub’s 2003 release ‘Soul Sessions’ for which they co-wrote several tunes and Lorber played keyboards. The comfortable familiarity that the two players share was immediately obvious and, ably supported by Andy Newmark on drums and Jamiroquai’s Paul Turner on bass, they launched a sizzling set with the the retro tinged ‘Tune 88’ from Lorber’s 1979 album ‘Water Sign’.

Fourplay At The Thornton Winery

July 19, 2009. With a protracted sound check causing the gates of the Thornton Winery to remain firmly locked, an increasingly disgruntled audience remained outside to endure the blistering Southern Californian sun. However this less than auspicious beginning to the latest installment of the 2009 Thornton Winery Champagne Jazz Series in Temecula CA was soon consigned to distant memory as a combination of good food, fine wine and Paul Brown’s knockout opening set laid an immaculate foundation for the incomparable Fourplay to take the stage.

Paul Brown At The Thornton Winery

July 19, 2009. As the temperature simmered at around one hundred degrees, and backed by an incredible band, Paul Brown, although ostensibly there to open the proceedings for Fourplay, left his own indelible mark on the latest sell out audience at the 2009 Thornton Winery Champagne Jazz Series in Temecula CA. Of course the setting of the Winery was as stunning as ever and the champagne did flow like rivers but it was Brown with a clutch of his most memorable tunes that added his own musical magic to this late afternoon event.

Earl Klugh At Anthology

July 17, 2009. Enchantment doesn’t happen often but at San Diego’s superb Anthology it did just that with the appearance of the legendary Earl Klugh. In town for a two night residency at this most exquisite of music venues he thrilled the appreciative audience with a selection taken from every corner of his outstanding discography. Displaying a stage presence that was as warm as the sweet tone of his wonderful guitar Klugh stripped away time for the jazzy ‘Vonetta’ from his 1976 self titled solo debut before fast forwarding all of thirty two years to ‘Ocean Blue’ from the ‘Spice of Life’ collection. He stayed with this 2008 gem for the sumptuous ‘Canadian Sunset’ where, not for the first time, David Lee on keys was tightly magnificent and when Klugh generously afforded Lee the spotlight, the result was his own composition, the excellent ‘Aaron’s ABCs’.

Michael McDonald At The Pala Casino & Resort

July 12, 2009. With the temperature hovering above 80 degrees, and the late afternoon sunshine slipping behind the shadowy mountains, the legendary Michael McDonald hit the outdoor stage of the Pala Resort & Casino to enthral a packed crowd with just about every hit from his considerable discography. This high energy performance which belied his years found massive favour with an audience that showed every indication of having been with him for the long haul and supported as he was by the tightest band imaginable delivered an occasion of accomplished professionalism, Although supplemented on vocals by both the wonderful Drea Rhenee and drummer Yvette ‘Baby Girl’ Preyer, McDonald, from the opening ‘I Keep Forgettin’ to the cascading back to back hits of a blistering finale, remained entirely at the centre of everything.

Dave Koz, Nick Colionne And Brian Simpson At The Pizza Express

April 9, 2009, and only forty eight hours after arriving in London, Brian Simpson, Dave Koz and Nick Colionne had incredibly transformed themselves from being three of the most successful solo contemporary jazz artists of recent times into what might yet prove to be the hottest smooth jazz super-group that the genre has ever produced. In town to play the second of six sell out shows at the legendary Pizza Express Jazz Club, and bolstered by the impressive content of their collective discography, the fact they blew the doors off with a delicious amalgam of energy, sensitivity and outstanding artistry was all the more remarkable for the fact that before flying in from the USA they had never previously shared the same stage.

David Benoit At Thornton Winery

April 26, 2009. For the opener of the 2009 Champagne Jazz Series at the Thornton Winery in Temecula, CA Mindi Abair was not the only show in town. Kicking off this sun soaked late afternoon event was keyboard player and composer extraordinaire David Benoit who, with his own special brand of silkily sophisticated playing, delighted the appreciative crowd with snippets from his considerable discography. In fact, Benoit has been a major influence on the contemporary jazz scene since 1977 and the release of his debut ‘Heavier Than Yesterday’. Now, thirty six albums later, he sits in the venerable position of smooth jazz superstardom and, backed by David Hughes on upright and electric bass, the outstanding Jeff Kashiwa on sax and Jamie Tate on drums (who is also a regular member of Mindi Abair’s line-up), used his performance at Thornton’s to remind everyone who was there of the astonishing legacy his music has created.

Mindi Abair At The Thornton Winery

April 26, 2009. The 2009 Champagne Jazz Series at the Thornton Winery in Temecula, CA kicked off in fine style with headline artist Mindi Abair who brought her own special brand of pop-influenced sax driven jazz to this perpetually sun soaked location. In fact 2009 marks the twenty first anniversary of this summer long series. It provides an unrivalled opportunity for the jazz fans of Southern California to sit in the warm afternoon sunshine, drink champagne by the bottle and chill out to some of the best live jazz anywhere. Indeed, as afternoon blended into early evening the champagne really did flow like rivers and Mindi, ably backed by her usual touring band, put on the show of her life.

Michael Franks At Anthology

April 24, 2009: Despite almost twenty albums to his name, and the huge popularity he enjoyed throughout the 70’s and 80’s, for some inexplicable reason I came late to the music of Michael Franks. It was not until 1993 and his superb CD ‘Dragonfly Summer’ that I latched on to his incredible talent but once the discovery was made I became entirely intoxicated. His unrivalled ability as a songwriter coupled with a unique vocal style has afforded him iconic status in the world of jazz and adult contemporary music so when this San Diego native made a welcome homecoming to play back to back dates at the excellent Anthology the anticipation was colossal. In fact this up market dinner and music venue which boasts big screen projection and superb acoustics proved to be the perfect setting for Franks who, truth to tell, delivered on every front imaginable.

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.

Acoustic Alchemy At Anthology

Just one of the many delights of an Acoustic Alchemy gig is the perpetual uncertainty surrounding which band will actually show up. In the recent past Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale have proffered their classic nylon and steel stringed guitar combinations as a trio in the company of drummer Greg Grainger, more usually with the addition of keyboards and bass or, sometimes, with the different vibe that a saxophone can bring. Those trusted to keyboard and bass duties have also rotated but on October 7, 2008, as ‘the Alchemy’ rolled into San Diego for two nights at the excellent Anthology, it was minus the horns of ‘Radio Contact’ and ‘American English’ days but with the welcome presence of regular band member Fred White on keys and the talented Gary Grainger on bass. Gary, who is the brother of Greg, has played with artists as diverse as John Scofield and Earth Wind & Fire. Here, switching seamlessly from the merely tight to the outrageously funky, he added immense quality to everything that the band did.

The Sax Pack At The Thornton Winery

There can no more atmospheric open air venue for smooth jazz than the Thornton Winery in Temecula CA. Deep in the California wine country, fifty miles north east of San Diego on I-15, this working winery combines the production of fine wines with a high quality restaurant and a large open space that, when the crème de la crème of smooth jazz artists come to town, converts perfectly to a concert venue. For several years now the Thornton Winery has played host to contemporary jazz greats, usually performing on lazy Sunday afternoons under the heat of the California sunshine. On October 5, as the shadows lengthened but the sun remained warm, it was the turn of Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters and Steve Cole (aka The Sax Pack) to take the stage. I last saw the ‘Pack’ perform live in 2004 at the Hyatt Regency in San Diego and, although individually splendid, at the time I found their collaborations to be unexceptional. Now, four years on, with a brand new CD and a well practiced stage act that in equal measures is engaging humorous and professional they have become the real entertainment deal. In addition, the music from the new album has served to add depth to what the trio has to offer and provide a counter balance to their own familiar tunes.

Lao Tizer At Anthology

July 12, 2008 and the appearance of pianist Lao Tizer at Anthology in San Diego gave Smooth Jazz Therapy its first chance to check out this up market dinner and music venue. Boasting big screen projection and superb acoustics it proved to be the perfect setting for Tizer who was joined on stage by Chieli Minucci and the wonderful contemporary jazz violinist Karen Briggs.

2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise - Final Reflections

The ‘All-Star’ night of the Smooth Jazz Cruise is rarely the best concert of the week. Reduced to cameo’s of what each artist is all about it rarely gets under the skin of the music yet this year, in 2008, as the M/S Westerdam lay at anchor in the stunningly beautiful island of Aruba, the formula worked to perfection. Consequently it is the ideal vehicle for this final look back at a superb week which, paradoxically, faces some challenges in the years to come. More of that later but, for now, it is worth commenting on the sheer energy that the mega talented line-up generated throughout the two breathtaking hours of this tremendous show.

Kirk Whalum At The 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise

Of the current crop of contemporary jazz sax players Kirk Whalum is, with the possible exception of Gerald Albright, the most complete. His technical expertise, his virtuosity and the way his music flows from within is unrivalled and he brought all this and more to the 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise where, during but one of a myriad of appearances, he extensively showcased his latest CD ‘Round Trip’.