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Throughout the week we have been running a series of features on Herbie Hancock and, to mark the event, have made some great prizes available. Now is your very last chance to win a limited edition lithograph signed by Herbie or to be one of three runners up who will each receive a copy of the CD ‘Possibilities’. All you need to do to is e-mail me at [email protected] for your chance to win. The names of the lucky winners will be announced on October 31.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending October 28. The top five remain as last week which means that Hardcastle, Culbertson and Euge Groove occupy spots 1, 2 and 3 respectively. As Herbie Hancock week comes to its conclusion at Smooth Jazz Therapy his record ‘Stitched Up’ featuring John Mayer, from the CD ‘Possibilities is up five at 23. Nils latest assault on the chart shows no sign of cooling with ‘Summer Nights’, from his CD ‘Pacific Coast Highway’, leaping a further five places to 21 while last weeks biggest mover, ‘The Juice’ from Chieli Minucci, climbs still further to 16.
Will the real Chris Botti please stand up? The multiple musical facets of this quality smooth jazz trumpeter must at times leave him with a serious headache. In recent times he has juggled his frequent television spots with live performances for Hilary Clinton and has played ‘God Bless America’ at the 2005 World Series. He has combined a hectic tour schedule with his new role as smooth jazz radio’s voice of chill yet among all of that here he is with his new CD ‘To Love Again’ offering up 13 newly recorded pop and jazz standards that feature nine vocal performances of varying appeal.
‘Possibilities’ is the eclectic and interesting new release from Herbie Hancock. It is a wide-ranging collection of studio collaborations between the jazz legend and a multigenerational lineup of artists, from household names like John Mayer, Sting, Annie Lennox, Christina Aguilera, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana and Trey Anastasio, to serious new kids on the block like Damien Rice, Joss Stone and Raul Midón.
‘Possibilities’ is the new release from Herbie Hancock and it cannot have escaped the notice of many of you that the CD is available in the majority of Starbucks coffee shops. This week, being Herbie Hancock week at Smooth Jazz Therapy, not only are we taking the lid off Herbie’s coffee connection we also have some great prizes up for grabs. Simply e-mail me at [email protected] for the chance to win a limited edition lithograph signed by Herbie or to be one of three runners up who will each receive a copy of the CD ‘Possibilities’. The contest closes on October 31. But now back to Herbie and Starbucks.
Continue reading "Herbie Hancock Week - Hancock At Starbucks" »
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending October 21. As this is Herbie Hancock week at Smooth Jazz Therapy it is appropriate to report the continued climb of ‘Stitched Up’ featuring John Mayer, from Hancock’s eclectic and interesting release ‘Possibilities. It is now at 28 and a complete review of ‘Possibilities’ will be featured later this week.
Continue reading "Herbie Hancock Week - Herbie On The Chart" »
Its Herbie Hancock week at Smooth Jazz Therapy and to mark the event we are giving away some great prizes. Simply e-mail me at [email protected] for the chance to win a limited edition lithograph signed by Herbie or to be one of three runners up who will each receive a copy of Herbie's great new CD ‘Possibilities’. Throughout the week we will be running a series of features on both Herbie and his music so check back often and be sure to submit your entry for a chance to win one of those great prizes. The names of the lucky winners will be announced on October 31.
No one better fits that special place between smooth jazz and quiet storm than GRP recording artist Will Downing whose new solo CD ‘Soul Symphony’ was released on October 4 2005. With a string of smooth jazz collaborations that reach back as far as 1990 with Jonathon Butler and continue on to include George Howard, Marion Meadows Gerald Albright and Bobby Lyle, Downing is currently featured on songs from the new albums of both Brian Culbertson and Najee.
The current release from Brazilian vocalist Fernanda Cunha, has been around for a few months and is certainly one to look out for. A tribute album to the compositions of Sueli Costa and Johnny Alf, ‘Dois Coracoes’ (‘Two Hearts’) is a late night moody collection for lovers that sees Cunha weave her vocal magic.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending October 14. With the top three unchanged its Paul Hardcastle who is enjoying a straight month at the top with ‘Serene’. Euge Groove cements his place in the five climbing one place to 4 with ‘Just Feels Right’ and Heads Up recording artist Walter Beasley climbs three to 5 with ‘Coolness’.
Everyone who has seen Wayman Tisdale perform live more than once knows that he always does the same show. With some artists that might be a problem but in the case of Tisdale that one show is so dynamic, so full of energy and so enjoyable that fans would gladly pay to see him every day of the week.
Consequently on October 9 2005, when he opened for Norman Brown at the KIFM 98.1 Jazz On The Beach show at Oceanside CA, a packed audience was there to see him.
With luxury German and Japanese cars filling the parking lot it might have appeared to some that the Thornton Winery 2005 Champagne Jazz Series in Temecula CA is a place for affluent Southern Californians to sit in the warm evening sunshine, drink champagne by the bottle and chill out to some nice jazz. Well, perhaps that is the usual script. The setting of the Winery in the twilight was stunning and the champagne did flow like rivers. However, on this night, on October 8, for the final show in what has been another tremendous series, the temperature dropped to 58 degrees and a certain Euge Groove swept in like a tsunami to blow the doors off with the kind of funky high octane performance that he is rapidly making all his own.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending October 7, 2005; Paul Hardcastle enjoys his third week at the top with ‘Serene’, Brian Culbertson climbs two to 2 with ‘Hookin Up’ and also up two to make it into the top five at 5 is Euge Grooves excellent ‘Get Em Going’ from his CD ‘Just Feels Right’. The climb of Euge up the chart in recent weeks has been steady and relentless and who is to say that he won’t go higher yet.
‘My Point Of View’ is the new release from smooth jazz veteran Najee and, as one would expect from this consistently excellent performer, he has again hit all the right buttons with his special blend of edgy smooth jazz and soul. Najee, a native of New York City, was one of the best-selling instrumentalists from the late '80s through to the mid-'90s and in every respect a true pioneer of smooth jazz.
Readers of these pages may not instantly recognize the name of Dyann Woody but lovers of country music most certainly will. Dyann, with her husband Michael, is part of the Country Music group The Woodys, a band that enjoyed early success when their debut album on Rounder Records climbed to first place on the Americana Charts. They followed this up with a number of other critically acclaimed releases but now Dyann has a solo CD, ‘My Softer Side’. It represents a considerable shift for her both in genre and in style.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending September 30, 2005; the status quo is the order of the day for this weeks top five. Paul Hardcastle continues at the top with ‘Serene’ and in fact four of the five retain their positions from last week. The one artist with an increase in air play adequate to break into this elite ‘five’ is Brian Culbertson with ‘Hookin Up’. Check out the CD Review section for more on the release from which it is taken, ‘It’s on Tonight’.