Smooth Jazz Therapy

Top Radio Plays For 2005

Smooth jazz radio top one hundred most played for 2005. Now it’s official. The final year-end calculation confirms that the title track from Nils ‘Pacific Coast Highway’ CD received most plays on American smooth jazz radio in 2005. In fact Richard Elliot’s ‘People Make The World Go Round’, that finished the year in 11th place, was at the top for more weeks but actually received fewer overall plays. In second place for 2005 was Soul Ballet with the radio friendly ‘Cream’ while Tim Bowman and ‘Summer Groove’ was placed third. Completing the top five was Kenny G’s ‘Pick Up The Pieces’ and ‘Two Of A Kind’ from Michael Lington.

Tony Whitfield - Pleasure Sensitive 2

Soul music is the soundtrack to my life so when I heard that ‘Pleasure Sensitive 2’, the new CD from bass player Tony Whitfield, features not one but two versions of the Van McCoy classic ‘The Hustle’ I wanted to review it for that reason alone. It’s a tune that for me evokes many memories but in checking it out I found that ‘Pleasure Sensitive 2’ is anything but a one trick pony. In fact it’s an excellent collection of edgy smooth jazz and fusion played by a collective of top notch musicians and notable guests.

Cafe Soul All-Stars - Love Pages

What began at the New Orleans-based Essence Music Festival of 2000 as a cool idea by Clarence O Smith to charter a cruise ship for a trip from New Orleans to Mexico has ended as ‘Love Pages’, a superior musical project featuring some of the best artists in the genres of R & B and jazz. Clarence enlisted the help of musician, producer and friend, Duke Jones to recruit a band from the festival to play on the ship and The Cafe Soul All-Stars, a gathering of seasoned session musicians, were born.

Smooth Radio Choices For 2005

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending December 23. For Christmas Day 2005 its Euge Groove with his ‘Get Em Goin’ that retains top spot, Brian Culbertson’s ‘Hookin Up’ that slides two to 4 and Rick Braun that strengthens one place to 3. Brian Simpson, one of the run away successes of the year, is at 2, his highest placing yet, with ‘Its All Good’. As predicted last week both Kirk Whalum’s ‘Whip Appeal’ from the Babyface tribute album and ‘Gypsy Eyes’ by The Rippingtons make it into the thirty.

Ian Martin - The Way

‘The Way’ is the latest release from the broadly talented Ian Martin. Largely written, produced and arranged by this noted bass player it’s a cool cross over blend of soul and jazz and very much an album to take notice of. The stellar line up of guest performers that Martin has gathered together for the project has already led him to being compared in some quarters to Quincy Jones yet growing up in Toronto Canada a life as a professional musician seemed, to him, a world away.

Radio Play List At Christmas

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending December 16. On a smooth jazz chart monopolized by the power of the top five the only newcomer is ‘Winelight’ from Paul Brown’s CD ‘The City’. Those top five are really cornering the airwaves with Brian Simpson in fifth spot a huge 163 plays ahead of Marion Meadows in sixth. From there a total of 95 plays separate Simpson from the top placed Euge Groove and his ‘Get Em Goin’. Brian Culbertson’s ‘Hookin Up’ is static at 2.

Acoustic Alchemy At The Pizza Express

It was not quite the twelve days of Christmas but more, as Miles Gilderdale would put it, the twelve days of pizza, as smooth jazz super group Acoustic Alchemy arrived home in London England for their now annual extended stay at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street, Soho. Smooth Jazz Therapy was there for the second night of their twelve night marathon and as they opened the set with ‘No Messin’ from their ‘Radio Contact’ album it was immediately obvious they were already razor sharp from this years thirty four city forty six night tour of the USA made to promote their latest release ‘American English’.

Joe McBride - Texas Hold Em

‘Texas Hold Em’ is the latest CD from Joe McBride, his seventh recording for Heads Up International and his first since the release of ‘Keepin' It Real’ in May 2002. It is again the classic Joe McBride mix of contemporary jazz and R&B, a blend made to sound that much more special by the contribution of his outstanding backing band, the Texas Rhythm Club. With a line up of saxophonist Wayne DeLano, guitarist Todd Parsnow, John Adams on stand up bass, drummer Dennis Durick and the excellent Dave Von Blohm on trumpet and flugel horn, these guys are simply top notch. Long-time producer of Joe McBride's music and TRC bass player Martin Walters is once again at the helm.

Watch Out For Joe McBride

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending December 9. On a smooth jazz chart that retains the same thirty singles as the previous week Euge Groove regains the top spot from Brian Culbertson who is down one at 2. Brian Simpson’s ‘Its All Good’ holds on to number 5 and in so doing has the highest increase in airplays while the three places climbed by ‘Good Morning Heartache’ from Chris Botti featuring Jill Scott represents the biggest single leap of the week.

Michael Brandeburg - Midnight

A recent release worthy of comment is the latest from the Santa Rosa CA based keyboard player Michael Brandeburg. Written, arranged and produced by him, ‘Midnight’ is a collection of nine tight chill out tracks designed, it would seem, to be played specifically at the bewitching hour. Part of the magic comes from the collection of outstanding musicians that Michael has assembled to support him on the project. Windham Hill recording artist Ray Obiedo makes more than one significant contribution on guitar while Norbert Sachel on sax and flute is outstanding throughout. With Jess Petty variously on trumpet and flugel horn complementing Mark Van Wageningen on bass and Billy Johnson on drums the winning formula is complete.

Airborne - Heavy Vibes

‘Heavy Vibes’ is the latest release from the smooth jazz and fusion band Airborne, a group that has been around since the eighties and consists of family, friends and above all terrific musicians. It is their fourth release and with it they are re-igniting genuine old school jazz fusion in a way that is part 5th Dimension and part Ambrosia with just a hint of Tower Of Power thrown in for good measure. In fact this ultra tight collection of twelve tracks breathes influences from many quarters but in doing so manages to establish a unique identity that is all about Airborne.

Brian Simpson Catches The Eye

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending December 2. When I reviewed the excellent new release from Brian Simpson, ‘Its All Good’, I described it as having slipped in almost unnoticed and unmentioned but also as being one of the best of 2005 so far. Now this Rendezvous recording artist is unnoticed no more as, after being on the chart for a number of weeks, he now leaps four more places to blast into the top five at 5. In doing so he displaces Dave Koz for whom he has been musical director and keyboard player for the past eight years. The Koz track ‘Love Changes Everything’ is down one at six.