Smooth Jazz Therapy

Jason Miles - What's Going On

Producer and keyboard player Jason Miles has made quite a career out of paying tribute to his musical heroes. His previous critically acclaimed collections are based on the work of Weather Report, Miles Davies, Ivan Lins and Grover Washington Jr. Now Jason Miles is back with his latest project, ‘What’s Going On’. This homage to Motown legend Marvin Gaye warrants further scrutiny as, given the legacy of Gaye’s music, it could easily be passed off as nothing more than a bunch of covers. In fact it is far from that. Miles has delved carefully and skillfully into the vast back catalogue of Gaye’s material, reworking familiar tunes and revitalizing rare grooves, to produce eleven excellent and eclectic cuts. These lesser known numbers really make ‘What’s Going On’ special yet, in Jason Miles view, its not only the music of Marvin Gaye but what it stands for that makes the CD so relevant to today.

Janita - Seasons Of Life

It’s a long way from Finland to the streets of downtown Manhattan but this incredible journey has brought Janita to the verge of international singing stardom. With May 16, 2006 slated as the date for the release of her new CD ‘Seasons Of Life’ and the advance single from it, ‘Enjoy The Silence’, already racing up the chart of most played on smooth jazz radio this is a year that promises much for an artist who has been favorably compared to the likes of Sade and Norah Jones. Although ‘ Seasons Of Life’ will be Janita’s first non-independent release in the USA, her 2001 debut ‘I’ll Be Fine’ made it into the top forty of the smooth jazz chart. In addition she is no stranger to success in her home country of Finland. Here, as a teen singing sensation, she enjoyed multiple hits and Grammy awards as well as being voted “the most sensuous woman in Finland”. Now, signed to the Lightyear Entertainment label, she has written and executive produced all eleven tracks of the excellent ‘Seasons Of Life’.

Ronald Turner And The Fashion Statement - Its All About Love

Drummer and songwriter Ronald Turner is the leader of the band The Fashion Statement. His music is based firmly in Los Angeles and it’s from there that he has independently released his first solo project ‘Its All About Love’. This interesting collection of soul tinged smooth jazz features several standout tracks and, although a new CD is expected this year, it is worth reflecting on ‘Its All About Love’ both for its variety of music and for the way in which it showcases a superb group of musicians. Notable among these are Andre ‘Jackson State’ Roberson, who raises the stakes whenever his sax is brought to the party, Kevin Flournoy on piano and the excellent keyboard contributions of Mikhal Majeed and Eddie Miller. Of course there is also the jewel in the crown, the vocal magic of Erica Dymakkus.

Homage To Marvin Gaye Heads Chartwards

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending March 24, 2006. As predicted here last week, Enjoy The Silence’ from Finish singing sensation Janita is new in at 29. The CD from which it is taken, ‘Seasons Of Life’, will be released on May 16 and reviewed right here on March 29. Active under the thirty is ‘Sexual Healing’ from producer and keyboard player Jason Miles. Miles has a skill and proven track record in creating projects that draw inspiration from some of the greats of jazz and R & B. His latest offering ‘What’s Going On’, from which ‘Sexual Healing’ is taken, pays homage to his musical hero Marvin Gaye. It will be reviewed here on March 31.

Nick Colionne - In Conversation

For Nick Colionne, pictured here with Peter White, 2006 could hardly have started better. His new CD ‘Keepin It Cool’ is picking up rave reviews and the first single from it, ‘Always Thinking Of You’, is racing up the chart of most played on smooth jazz radio. Since the 1994 release of his debut CD, ‘Its My Turn’, Nicks career has seen its fair share of twists and turns so when I recently got the chance to talk to him about all that and more I first asked him how the genre has changed over those intervening twelve years.

“Although smooth jazz was around in 1994 it contained more pure jazz elements,” he told me. “Today it’s predominately pop based and often shows little resemblance to what some would regard as jazz. However,” he added, “everything changes. Jazz has changed through the years either following or dictating musical taste. My music has done the same. Back in the day I was playing jazz guitar that had straight ahead elements to it. I have played R & B too. To change is not selling out, its moving with the times and keeping it fresh.”

Denise Jordan Walker - Candid Jazz And Conversations

Many regard former WNUA DJ Denise Jordan Walker as the ‘Oprah Of Jazz’. That may sound like quite a label to live up to but she is currently combining her exceptional people skills with an in depth knowledge and love for smooth jazz to realize what, for her, started out as a dream. That dream is to help the real fans of the genre get close up and personal with some of today’s greatest smooth jazz artists, not just in terms of the music that they play but also by scratching away at the celebrity to find the person that lays within. The vehicle by which she is making that happen is her Candid Jazz and Conversations (CJ & C) series that, in part, was born out of the frustrations she felt by the increasing difficulty smooth jazz artists have in gaining exposure in the Chicago-land area.

Janita Getting Noticed On Smooth Jazz Radio

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending March 17, 2006. Perhaps it’s the time of the year but new sounds on the smooth jazz chart are rare indeed. Fortunately some tremendous music is bubbling under and in this respect there is none better than ‘Enjoy The Silence’ from Janita. This version of the Depeche Mode hit is the advance single from her eagerly anticipated CD ‘Seasons Of Life’ that is due out on May 16. Smooth Jazz Therapy will be carrying a complete review of ‘Seasons Of Life’ soon.
Also new and active is ‘Positive Vibe’ from super saxophonist Pamela Williams. It is taken from her album ‘Elixer’ that will be released on Shanachie at the end of this month.

Brand New Fan Club For Brian Culbertson

Smooth jazz superstar Brian Culbertson has always been perfectly in tune with his followers and he reinforces this with the news that he now has a brand new fan club. The cost to join will be minimal and, in addition to the chance of privileged seating at selected Culbertson shows, members will also enjoy a 10% discount when signing up for the 2007 All-Star Cruise hosted by Brian Culbertson. The fans forum will also be updated and improved. For more on the Brian Culbertson Fan Club go to www.brianculbertson.com

Information supporting this feature comes courtesy of Lisa Taylor.

Nick Colionne - Keepin It Cool

‘Keepin It Cool’ is the brand new release from guitar man Nick Colionne. Although his fifth CD in all its his first on Narada Jazz and, in a career that has seen more than its fair share of false starts, looks set to propel him into the upper echelons of smooth jazz stardom. Like Colionne himself ‘Keepin It Cool’ is very much a product of Chicago. With twelve of the thirteen tracks written or co-written by him, and the CD recorded in or around town, Colionne has captured the Windy City’s knack of producing smooth jazz with an edge. He has effortlessly harnessed the cities natural groove and, in this respect, is helped by the fact that many of the musicians assembled for the project are happy to call Chicago home. Consequently the album is never boring and carries a few surprises along the way.

Terry Disley - Experience

Terry Disley seems in every respect the epitome of the Englishman abroard. Faithful to his roots and to his accent he is nevertheless finding renewed success in his adopted home of San Francisco. With a musical resume that is as breathtaking as it is varied he has found a niche on the west coast for his brand of melodic jazz with an edge and while his growing fan base awaits the Spring 2006 release of his latest CD its worth reflecting on his career to date and the quality of his 2003 solo debut ‘Experience’. Indeed ‘Experience’ is an apt label for an artist whose name is tied tightly to his collaborations with smooth jazz super group Acoustic Alchemy and who for five years was musical director for Dave Stewart. These musical complexions combined with the influences formulated by the work Disley has done with artists as diverse as Bryan Ferry, Eddie Henderson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Van Morrison, Tom Jones and English ska band Madness all come tumbling out in the twelve tight tracks that make up ‘Experience’.

Chris Standring Hits The Chart

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending March 10, 2006. New at 26 is ‘I Cant Help Myself’ from English guitarist Chris Standring. His latest CD ‘Soul Express’ is due out on May 9 and this advance single from it looks set to climb a lot higher. As predicted here last week Herbie Hancock’s duet with Christina Aguilera, ‘A Song For You’ from the album ‘Possibilities’ enters at 29 while Wayman Tisdale’s version of the Smokey Robinson hit ‘Cruisin’, a track that has been bouncing in and out like cork on water, re-enters at 30. A new entry last week, ‘Do It Again’ from the Phillipe Saisse Trio, is now the highest climber with a five-place leap to 21.

Eric Darius - Just Getting Started

Eric Darius has always been a man in a hurry. In 2001, at age 17, he independently released his debut CD ‘Cruisin’, a project for which he had been writing music over the previous four years. When in 2004 he secured a deal with Narada Jazz it enabled the follow up, ‘Night On The Town’ to be unveiled on the Higher Octave label and moved this incredibly mature saxophonist from playing at local clubs and hotspots in his native Tampa to wowing the crowds at some major smooth events. Significantly, following an impromptu meeting in Los Angeles, he got the chance to join Brian Culbertson’s touring band and has also shared the stage with some of the genre’s biggest stars. Now he is back with the March 8 release on Narada Jazz of ‘Just Getting Started’. It is a high quality piece of work and the number of smooth jazz performers who have gathered round to collaborate with Darius bear testimony to the esteem in which they hold him.

Nick Colionne At Prairie State College

The auditorium of Prairie State College is tucked away in Chicago Heights, Illinois, and its there that former WNUA DJ Denise Jordan Walker is actualizing her concept of Candid Jazz And Conversations. The opportunity to witness top notch smooth jazz artists perform and talk about both their music and their life is precious indeed and the formula that Jordan Walker has devised by which to do it looks to be a real winner. On Sunday February 26 it was the turn of guitar player Nick Colionne to step into the Jazz and Conversations spotlight for an evening that firmly positioned him as one of the most engaging, interesting, and talented performers around. This was an essentially Chicago event as Colionne, happy and comfortable in his hometown surroundings, was interviewed by journalist Mark Ruffin and bass player and fellow Chicago native Mike Manson. The conversation and the opportunity that the appreciative audience got to ask questions from the floor gave an incredible insight into a career that has had its fair share of twists and turns but through which Colionne has remained true to his principles of playing original smooth jazz with a distinct edge.

Gerald Albright Set For Great 2006

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending March 3, 2006. Richard Elliot holds on to top spot with ‘Mystique’ while at 2 and in hot pursuit is Nils with ‘Summer Nights’. Paul Brown’s ‘Winelight’ has been on the up for weeks and demonstrates its staying power by edging up a further place to 6. The mid reaches of the chart are stable but guitarist Nick Colionne advances one to 19 with ‘Always Thinking Of You’ from his excellent Narada release, ‘Keepin’ It Cool’. Wayman Tisdale’s version of the Smokey Robinson hit ‘Cruisin’ entered last week at 28 but now gives way to the Ramsey Lewis version of ‘Oh Happy Day’, an entry perhaps assisted by the fact that Lewis is the host of the daily morning drive time show at WNUA Chicago.

Adrian Conington - Solsonata

Adrian Conington first came to the attention of Smooth Jazz Therapy in October 2005 while playing keyboard for Peter White at London’s Pizza Express. At that time his 2004 debut release ‘Sacred Roots’ was already well established as a quality piece of UK smooth jazz and ‘Storm In Manhattan’, the track from it that he featured as part of Whites show, really gave the audience a flavor of what the entire collection is all about. Now Conington is back with his follow up ‘Solsonata’. It’s a CD that demonstrates a growing confidence and maturity in his work. As with ‘Sacred Roots’, Conington has written, arranged and produced all ten tracks and, with a style that is more Benoit than Culbertson, his light sophistication and most gentle of touches is a formula for music that is both relaxing and in the groove.