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When, earlier this year, I visited Boise Idaho for the first time I was immediately surprised and delighted by its vibrant downtown and sophisticated atmosphere. There and then I marked it down as a city I should return to someday and now I have found another reason for doing so. ‘Two Reasons’, the debut CD from smooth jazz trumpeter Jason Parra and his band the X Factor is one of the freshest new releases you will hear this year and its Boise that they call home and where they often perform.
2004 was a good year for adult contemporary pianist William Woods. His second CD, ‘Cobalt Blue’, was released to critical acclaim and picked up a Smoothie Award along the way. In addition, the first track lifted for radio play, ‘Blue Me Down’, was included by WJZW DJ Al Santos in his 2004 Top 50 Year End Countdown. Now Woods is back with his latest release ‘Every Part Of Me’. It is his first on the Whaling City Sound label and is already being embraced by all who hear it.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending November 25. Brian Culbertson is back in top spot with ‘Hookin Up’ from his CD ‘It’s On Tonight’ and that means Euge Grooves ‘Get Em Going’ drops one place to 2. However, for the first time in awhile, something new forces its way into the top five. Rick Braun's ‘Shining Star’ from his latest album ‘Yours Truly’ is up two at 4.
Drummer and vibraphone player Otis Hayes lll has been on the jazz scene for many years so it’s all the more surprising that his self titled debut CD, a top quality piece of work that embraces the genres of R&B, Contemporary, and smooth jazz, has just been released. It’s a mellow and laid back collection of eleven tracks that combine to please the listener on every level and, in a smooth jazz era dominated by sax, guitar and keyboards, the sound of Hayes vibraphone is both different and welcome.
You would think an artist who has performed for Donald Trump, Sting and Sir Paul McCartney, has toured with Maxi Priest and is a regular visitor to NBC’s Today Show should already be a household name. The fact that guitarist JJ Sansaverino does not yet have that level of fame is something of a mystery but with his debut solo release ‘Sunshine After Midnight’ he taking steps to put that right.
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Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending November 18. Michael Lington is certainly becoming the man of the moment in the pages of Smooth Jazz Therapy. First he gets a mention for his collaboration with Brian Simpson on ‘And So The Story Goes’ from Simpson’s current CD ‘Its All Good’. Then comes Lington’s contributions to Jay Soto’s debut release ‘Long Time Coming’ and now, as predicated last week, he has made it onto the chart. He is in at 28 with ‘Pacifica’ from the CD ‘Stay With Me’.
No sooner am I through enthusing about Michael Lingtons contribution to the Brian Simpson tune ‘So The Story Goes’ he’s back, this time collaborating with guitarist Jay Soto on his debut release ‘Long Time Coming’. The fact that Lington is only ever associated with quality projects speaks volumes for Soto who produces ‘Long Time Coming’ and writes nine of the ten tracks. It is, in the main, an astonishing collection of ultra commercial smooth jazz tunes with ‘radio ready’ stamped all over several of them.
It might have slipped in almost unnoticed and unmentioned but ‘Its All Good’, the debut CD on Rendezvous from keyboard player Brian Simpson, is one of the best of 2005 so far. With the title track on the top thirty chart of most played on smooth jazz radio people are beginning to ask who Brian Simpson really is yet this longtime studio musician, who until recently did not even have his own website, is no stranger to those who follow live smooth jazz. For the past 8 years Brian has been the musical director for jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, arranging and playing keys on Dave’s year-round domestic and international tours. Fact is, if you listen to contemporary jazz, chances are, you’ve heard Brian Simpson.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending November 11. Seems the only place on the chart that is up for grabs is the top spot. Last week the top five remained as was with Brian Culbertson’s ‘Hookin Up’ switching places with Paul Hardcastle’s ‘Serene’ to claim the number one. Now the same has happened all over again. Euge Groove leapfrogs Culbertson to put ‘Get Em Going’ in first place with the rest of the pack in line behind.
With a brisk wind ruffling the waters of the River Thames and threatening to blow all four seasons across the city in the space of a single day it was totally appropriate that Peter White should open his Thursday night set at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street Soho with ‘Autumn Day’ from the ‘Perfect Moment’ CD. White was in London as part of his annual UK mini tour and the Pizza Express, this most intimate and rare of venues, was sold out as his fans congregated to witness the welcome return of one the true smooth jazz superstars. He played six nights and seven shows and, in a year that finds him ‘between’ releases, took the opportunity to delve generously into his back catalog for a succession of much loved favorites.
Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending November 4. The top five remain as last week but a deft interchange of places means that ‘Serene’ by Paul Hardcastle relinquishes top spot, falling two places to 3. New on top is Brian Culbertson with ‘Hookin Up’. Euge Groove is up one place at 2 with ‘Get Em Going’.
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Rick Braun describes his latest CD ‘Yours Truly’ as ‘a musical letter’, as ‘songs of my life that for various reasons have made up a special part of my musical landscape.’ It takes just one listen or a glimpse at the liner notes to appreciate how personal ‘Yours Truly’ is and it’s this that sets the project apart from being just another collection of covers. From tunes that evoke great memories to others that Rick simply loves, here is a musical tapestry of his life, the classic story of the promising sideman who went on to become the pre-eminent smooth jazz trumpeter of his time.
A CD well worth looking out for is the latest from Mark Carter. ‘West Coast Groove’ is the second release from this Southern California based guitarist and follows his 2001 debut, ‘About Time.’ In over twenty five years of performing Mark has worked with Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Al Jarreau, Rogers Williams, The Drifters, The Coasters, and Engelbert Humperdink to name only a few. He has played countless venues and worked numerous studio sessions yet now, as a full fledged recording artist, he is really moving to center stage.
‘Smooth Night’ is the new CD from saxophonist Marcin Nowakowski and is notable for the way in which it combines the ‘light’ of commercially attractive mellow smooth jazz with the ‘shade’ of up tempo funk. It is a collection of twelve high quality tunes that blends original compositions with two quality covers and is enhanced throughout by the contribution of outstanding supporting musicians, a line up that includes the guest appearance of Paul Jackson JR.