Smooth Jazz Therapy

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’.

Gerald Albright At The 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise

Over the last twenty years , and with the possible exceptions of Grover Washington Jr and Kirk Whalum, only Gerald Albright can be credited as having made a genuinely genre framing contribution to sax driven contemporary jazz. In fact Albright has been setting the agenda since the advent of his1987 solo debut ‘Just Between Us’. Since then he has released nine more albums and those who witnessed his performances at the 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise could not have failed to be blown away by the rare virtuosity of his playing and the soul that flows from every part of his music.

Lynne Fiddmont At The 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise

During the 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise stars emerged in the most unexpected of places. Indeed this is exactly what happened in the M/S Westerdam’s Ocean Bar when session singer extraordinaire Lynne Fiddmont took the stage. Of course Fiddmont is far from simply being a backing musician. Her 2006 solo release ‘Flow’ was an absolute revelation and despite being full of the shimmering soul sophistication that was a hallmark of that melodic accessible music of the eighties there is not one thing about it that is dated. To the contrary, this wonderful collection of jazz infused soul songs for grown ups has struck an immediate chord with fans of vocally driven smooth R & B and, here in the Ocean Bar, they were out in force to show appreciation for one of the most gifted artists around.

The Philippe Saisse Trio At The 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise

The unique knack that the multi talented Philippe Saisse has for moulding pop classics into passable impressions of jazz standards apparently knows no bounds. His tight cover of the Steely Dan hit ‘Do It Again’ turned out to be one of the surprise radio hits of 2007 and indeed the album from which it is taken, his 2006 ‘The Body And Soul Sessions’ is replete with shimmering examples of familiar, yet delightfully re-imagined, favourites. He brought his very personal brand of contemporary jazz to the three shows he played as part of the 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise and although the audience for his Wednesday gig in the intimate Ocean Bar seemed initially sceptical they rapidly warmed to a performance that was full of artistry plus cameo appearances by Rick Braun and Kirk Whalum.

Tom Braxton At The 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise

When, in January 2007, I witnessed Tom Braxton play his solo gig as part of the Smooth Jazz Cruise it was in the low key atmosphere of the Ocean Bar where he had only a pre-recorded backing track for support. Twelve months on and he was back in that same intimate venue but this time with the backing of Andre Berry on bass, Dave Hooper on drums and Arlington Jones on keys. Also different was the fact he also has a brand new CD on release and although he delved back to his previous album, ‘Bounce’, for his excellent interpretation of Al Green’s ‘Lets Stay Together’ and the equally exquisite ‘Bermuda Nights’ he gave over much of the set to gems from the new ‘Imagine This’.

Mindi Abair At The 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise

With a new CD due out on the Spring it was hardly surprising that Mindi Abair’s show at the 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise was much about revisiting the best of her already extensive back and current catalogue. By no means intimidated by the fact she was playing the hour that preceded the eagerly anticipated arrival of Jeffrey Osborne to the main concert stage, she comprehensively confirmed herself as the leading female protagonist of instrumental smooth jazz. Indeed, perhaps honed in part by her recent success as part of the ‘Peter White Christmas’ tour, Abair’s stage presence seemed that much more confident and self assured than it had only twelve months earlier.

Euge Groove At The Hyatt, Westlake Village

Sax-man Euge Groove has a sound that is undoubtedly the most luscious in smooth jazz today. Underpinned by a funkiness that sometimes smolders and often flares his special brand of contemporary jazz has brought him five critically acclaimed albums, the latest of which, ‘Born 2 Groove’, formed the center-piece of his sell out show at the Hyatt Hotel in Westlake Village CA. As a 90 degree day melted into a 70 degree evening and the wine flowed beneath the gathering stars Groove played his usual ‘high on energy – high on entertainment’ set that, although tweaked to showcase the new music, still retained its fair share of gems from his quality discography.

Brian Culbertson With Steve Cole At The Oceanside Amphitheatre

July 15 2007. Despite the fact that Brian Culbertson was the driving force behind much of Steve Coles early music it has in fact been eight years since they last shared a stage together. Consequently it was that much more special to find the two of them reunited for Culbertson’s ‘KIFM 98.1 Jazz On The Beach’ show at the Oceanside CA, Amphitheatre. With the audience already warmed by Down To The Bone, plus more than enough Californian wine, a party was always likely and Culbertson, as ever, delivered with a performance of huge energy that was laced throughout with his own unique groove. Cole, in the line-up as Culbertson’s sax man, blended perfectly with Jim Culbertson on trumpet and when Brian occasionally joined them on trombone they together created a horn section that could have come right out of Memphis. Instead it was Culbertson and Cole’s Chicago roots that set the tone as Culbertson generously shared the spotlight with his long time friend.