Smooth Jazz Therapy

Brian Simpson - Soul Connection

Ahead of what will be his eleventh studio album keyboard player Brian Simpson is back with the hot new radio single ‘Soul Connection’.  This zesty cut is everything you would expect from an artist who enjoys status that might best be described as smooth jazz royalty.  Not only that, the supporting musicians he is able to routinely enlist for all his projects is a glowing tribute to the regard in which he is universally held right across the genre.

‘Soul Connection’ is a case in point with Steve Alaniz on sax, Adam Hawley and Caleb Middleton on keys, Ray Fuller and Adam Hawley on guitars, the ‘go to’ Alex Al on bass, drummer to the stars Michael White and the ubiquitous Ramon Yslas on percussion.

This is a track that is destined to be right up there in my Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Twenty of 2023.

 

 

Vahagn Stepanyn - A New Chapter

Keyboard player Vahagn Stepanyan is an award-winning music producer, arranger, songwriter, film and television composer who, since his arrival in the USA from his native Armenia, has been making waves in the field of jazz fusion.  His latest album, the appropriately titled ‘A New Chapter’, is notable for many things not least of which being the stellar line-up of supporting musicians he has gathered together for what is a truly outstanding project.

Take for example the opening track and the first to be released to radio, ‘Synergy’ that with smooth jazz legend Dave Koz on sax proves to be a sassy upbeat gem. 

Stepanyan keeps the tempo high for ‘Without Limits’ that features guitarist Mark Lettieri and bass player Anthony Crawford while elsewhere ‘Gravity’ is the sort of hard driving brass enriched number to ensure Stepanyan stands out from the crowd.

He keeps his foot firmly on the fusion gas with ‘Motion’ and much the same can be said of  ‘Revolution’ where Feodor Dosumov on guitar is on fire.

In terms of personal favourites the magically mellow ‘Hold My Hand’ is a tranquil triumph and although ‘So Good’ shifts easily from a fusion flavour to melodic smooth jazz it is the splendid ‘Toy’ that, by some distance is the Smooth Jazz Therapy top tune.

 

 

Spotlight On Brooke Alford

 

Every now and then, amid the smooth jazz staples of sax, guitar and keyboards, comes an artist who dares to be different.  One such performer is harpist Mariea Antoinette and another is violin player Brooke Alford.

Brooke released her debut album, ‘Expressions’ in 2007 and followed it with the EP ‘The Viosocalist’ five years later.  Although never a performer to chase radio play that all changed in 2018 when she teamed with Bob Baldwin to deliver the single ‘Closer’ that clambered into the top fifty radio play chart. It is a track that (as a quiet storm radio edit) can now be found on Brooke’s latest CD, ‘Heaven On Earth’ that opens with another Bob Baldwin collaboration, the stunning title track.

‘Heaven On Earth’ the album has already been heavily trailed, first by the single ‘Shine’ that Brooke co-wrote with George Freeman and again with another Alford Freeman composition, the appropriately titled ‘New Day’.  In August 2022 ‘On The Move’ became the third Alford Freeman creation to be released as a single while in terms of personal favorites ‘Feeling Love’ certainly gets the job done.  It is a sophisticated and seductive number that finds Alford in the soulful company of vocalist Kelley Andre.  Think Barry White, think the Love Unlimited and let the music take you there.

Elsewhere Alford enlists Grammy nominee Reggie Hines to co-write and produce both the ambient ‘Wanting More’ and ‘Cascade to the Congo’, an eclectic amalgam of sounds that is driven on to great effect by Hines on sax.

With eight original compositions ‘Heaven On Earth’ is very much all Brooke Alford’s own work yet she still finds space for a hip reimagining of the Michael Jackson hit ‘I Cant Stop Loving You’ that, (as a duet with Siedah Garrett) originally appeared on Jackson’s 1987 album ‘Bad’

‘Heaven On Earth’ is out now and comes recommended.

Keiko Matsui - Euphoria

Always positioned very much at the high end of contemporary jazz, keyboard player Keiko Matsui is currently garnering critical acclaim with her latest CD ‘Euphoria’.  Not surprisingly given the status Matsui enjoys she is joined on the recording by a veritable who’s who of contemporary jazz talent and none more so than for ‘Luminescence’ where she teams with Kirk Whalum on sax and ‘go to’ bass player Alex Al.

 

Michael Lington - Looking Ahead

 

Currently knocking them dead as an integral part of the Dave Koz And Friends smooth jazz cruise (the latest leg of which sets sail from Barcelona on May 15), Danish born sax-man Michael Lington is having quite a 2023.  His new five track EP ‘Looking Ahead’ will be released May 12 and is his first collection of original songs since 2018 and ‘Silver Lining’.

Kim Waters - That Special Touch

'That Special Touch', the current album from sophisticated saxophonist Kim Waters is a ten-track tour de force that has just spawned the title track as the latest single to be serviced to radio.  A standout in its own right this is a number that is special in more ways than one.  Kim’s daughter Kayla Waters joins him to play keys on what proves to be a sublime duet.  Of course Kayla is on her own fast track to smooth jazz stardom and having released the albums ‘Apogee’ and ‘Coevolve’ she has most recently signed with the Shanachie Entertainment label from where her latest long player ‘Presence’ is set for release July 7.

As for 'That Special Touch' eight original compositions sit hand in glove with two tasty covers the first being a spine tingling rendition of the Adele blockbuster ‘Easy On Me’.  Waters, aided and abetted by the soulful vocals of Raynard Gibson, also reimagines Joe’s ‘If I Were Your Man’ to spectacular effect and all things considered this looks like an album that will stay hot for some time to come.

 

 

Jazz Funk Soul - Forecast

The title cut from super-group Jazz Funk Soul’s current CD ‘Forecast’ is going for radio play right now.

Aka Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr, Jazz Funk Soul operates very much at the ‘high end’ of contemporary jazz, a fact born out by the uplifting ten-track ‘Forecast’ that opens with the album’s first single. ‘Hustle’, an original Jeff Lorber composition that not only finds him blowing the doors off on Hammond B3 but also combining with Harp and Jackson Jr. for some truly outstanding interplay.  With the addition of long time collaborators Gary Novak on drums, bass player Mono Neon and sax-man David Mann this is a number that gets ‘Forecast’ started in a way in which it means to carry on.

Much the same can be said of the title track that luxuriates in a stunning brass veneer that proves to be the perfect backdrop for more vintage Lorber on keys.

 

 

Skinny Hightower - Groove Factor

Short of new music since his 2020 Trippin n Rhythm album ‘Blue Moon’ that groove drenched keyboard player Skinny Hightower is finally back on the scene with his latest single the appropriately titled ‘Groove Factor’.

Jazzy and sophisticated it sits extremely well with standout tracks from ‘Blue Moon’ such as the intensely rhythmic ‘Rain’, the similarly disposed ‘Bittersweet’ and the altogether more chilled out title cut.

 

 

Steve Oliver - Skyway

For guitarist Steve Oliver 2022 was quite a year.  Having whetted the collective appetites of his myriad of fans with singles such as ‘Morning Touch’ and ‘New Heights’ he released the album ‘Sojourn’ to critical acclaim. Best known for his use of synthesized guitar to conjure up a whole range of instrumental and orchestral sounds, ‘Sojourn’ was something of a departure in that it delivered up an exquisite range of guitar solos. 

Now he is back with the sumptuous single ‘Skyway’ that finds him at his understated best.

Check it out.

 

 

Keb' Mo' - Taking Me Higher

Featured on the original soundtrack for the motion picture ‘Sweetwater’ which is directed by Martin Guigui and tells the story of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton who, in the fall of 1950, was the first African American player to sign a contract with the NBA comes the track ‘Taking Me Higher’ from five time GRAMMY winner Keb’ Mo’.

Last year, Keb’ Mo’ released the critically acclaimed ‘Good To Be…’ that was nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards. It was his 12th total nomination and followed his 2020 GRAMMY win in the same category with ‘Oklahoma’.