Smooth Jazz Therapy

Sweet + Sexy - The Best Of New Urban Jazz

‘Sweet + Sexy’ is the title of the recent compilation from Narada Jazz and, at a time when the compilation format is being edged out by technology, it is more than good enough to warrant a mention. With the advent of iPod play lists, and the ability to hear digital music whenever and wherever, it’s no longer cool to carry around ‘best of collections’ in CD format. The blandness of some recent smooth jazz examples of the art has not helped but if they had all been of the quality of ‘Sweet + Sexy’ then the demise of the concept may have not been as rapid. Taking some of the best releases on Narada from over the last ten years and grouping them, on two CD’s, as ‘sweet’ then ‘sexy’ the label has managed to produce mood music that will work for almost any occasion. Not only that, the tracks are, without exception, some of the best sounds in smooth jazz today.

Gnarls Barkley Is Just Crazy

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending August 21, 2006. Last weeks hot shot new entry, ‘The Total Experience’, from the dream team of Boney James and George Duke continues to prosper. Its this weeks single with the most increased plays on smooth jazz radio but coming in with a real foot-tapping challenge is ‘Crazy’ the new single from Gnarls Barkley. From the album ‘St Elsewhere’ that was released in April of this year it is brand new this week at 29. Gnarls Barkley is in fact a collaboration between Baltimore based DJ and producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and rapper / singer Thomas Callaway (aka Cee-Lo), also based in Baltimore although originally from Atlanta. ‘Crazy’ is the first ever single to top the UK singles chart purely on download sales due, in part, to the fact it was released online a week before hitting record stores as a CD single. It is also the first single to top the charts in the UK for nine consecutive weeks since Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Love Is All Around’ did it in 1994. Based on samples of the 1968 song ‘Nel Cimitero Di Tucson’ by Gianfranco Reverberi ‘Crazy’ is a dance floor filler of some quality.

What's Smooth Jazz? - Maputo

When selecting a recording that could be used as an explanation of smooth jazz for someone new to the genre there could be no finer choice than ‘Maputo’ written by Marcus Miller and performed by Bob James and David Sanborn on their 1986 project ‘Double Vision’. Not only is ‘Maputo’ an excellent showcase for the smooth jazz genre it is also a great insight into the respective talents of James and Sanborn who, over the three decades it has taken for smooth jazz to establish its own identity, have undoubtedly been among the most significant players.

Boney James With George Duke

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending August 14, 2006. Talk about collaborations made in heaven. Boney James consistently produces smooth jazz with an edge while the legendary George Duke is everyone’s ‘go to guy’ when it comes to funk driven keyboard. To put the two together is a guarantee of something special and that’s just what ‘The Total Experience’ by Boney James featuring George Duke is. From James soon to be released CD ‘Shine’ it has blasted into this weeks chart at 18. The Eric Darius cover of the Alicia Keys hit ‘If I Aint Got You’ is up three at 19 whereas Peter White remains at the top with ‘What Does It Take’. Mindi Abair is unchanged at 2 with ‘True Blue’ and, for his 28th straight week on the chart, Nick Colionne holds onto 3 with ‘Always Thinking Of You’.

Lynne Fiddmont - Flow

There was a time when melodic accessible soul music was the order of the day. Artists such as Angela Bofill, Anita Baker, Phyllis Hyman and Patti Austin were recording songs with sumptuous arrangements that often were complemented by huge yet subtle orchestras. Many of these tunes became cult classics but that was then and this is now. With this style of music no longer welcome at its traditional outlet of urban R & B radio it has become marginalized into a sub genre of adult contemporary or smooth jazz. Consequently it’s extra special when an album of the quality of ‘Flow’ by Lynne Fiddmont comes along. Full of the shimmering soul sophistication that was the hallmark of those hits of the eighties it’s a wonderful collection of jazz infused soul songs for grown ups. That said there is not one thing about it that is dated. Very much in the mold of what is popularly termed urban jazz but which I prefer to brand as smooth R & B, the production and arrangement expertise brought to it by Tim Carmon, Freddie Washington, but mostly by Fiddmont herself, makes this very much a piece of 2006.

Bobby Lyle - Hands On

During a career that now spans almost forty years, keyboard virtuoso Bobby Lyle has toured with Young-Holt Unlimited, played keyboards for Sly and the Family Stone, was Bette Midler’s musical director and has performed with George Benson, Phyllis Hyman and Al Jarreau to name but a few. As a solo artist he has a clutch of excellent albums to his name and his latest release, ‘Hands On’ is his debut on that classiest of contemporary jazz labels Heads Up. With nine of the twelve tracks written or co-written by him it is full of the groove driven music that singles out Lyle as someone who can truly capture what smooth jazz should be and in common with his past releases he demonstrates that he also has the knack for selecting significant covers.

Jason Miles - To Grover With Love

Second time lucky might well be the tag line for an album that has already proved it can stand the test of time. The Jason Miles tribute to Grover Washington ‘To Grover With Love’ was re-released on July 18, just over five years since it first saw the light of day with the Q label. Refreshed and focussed by the attention now afforded it by ARTizen, this is a piece of music that needs to be taken seriously and not confused with what at first glance might be passed off as a collection of covers. The production skills of Miles, both in the selection of tracks and the choice of musicians, has succeeded in re-imagining familiar songs into something new and fresh. Yet, in doing so, he has retained the incredible feeling and passion that Grover Washington Jr possessed.

Candid Jazz And Alexander Zonjic

There must be something that draws me to smooth jazz flautists. No sooner have I got over extolling the virtues of Valarie King’s new CD, and commenting on how wonderful Nelson Rangell was when performing in Chicago for Candid Jazz and Conversations (CJ & C,) than I hear the news that Alexander Zonjic will be headlining the next CJ & C occasion. He’s at The University Golf Club, 23520 Crawford Avenue, University Park, IL 60466 on August 31, 2006 from 7:00PM-10:00PM where, in common with all CJ & C events, the show will be hosted by the incomparable Denise Jordan Walker. Of course Zonjic’s 2004 album ‘Seldom Blues’ featured Bob James, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, James Lloyd, Kem and more yet, for all of his success as a musician, Detroit-based Zonjic manages to combine his primary career as a flautist, performing over 100 shows a year, with being part owner of a Detroit nightclub and hosting the popular five-day-a-week morning show on Detroit's Smooth Jazz V98.7. Difficult to see how he is going to find time to make it to Chicago but there he will be so e-mail [email protected] or call the 24 hr Hotline at 708-260-9398 right now for tickets to see this incredible performer.

Heads Up Has Hits On The Way

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending August 4, 2006. If new releases are anything to go by that classy yet often under-rated label Heads Up International is in line for some heavy duty success. The new Bobby Lyle CD ‘Hands On’ is his debut on the label and brim full of groove driven gems. The first single from it, ‘Passion Drive’ is just outside the thirty and a complete review of ‘Hands On’ will follow here soon. Another Heads Up artist who is making major waves is the excellent guitarist, and former member of the Luther Vandross entourage, Doc Powell. Powell, pictured here, who incidentally is responsible for one of my favorite smooth jazz tunes of all time, ‘Sunday Morning’ from his outstanding 1996 album ‘Laid Back’, has a new CD due out on August 12. The first radio single from it is a top notch cover of the Carole King hit ‘It’s Too Late’ from her 1971 classic album ‘Tapestry’. This Powell version has Kirk Whalum on sax, the same Kirk Whalum who, ten years ago, was featured on ‘Sunday Morning’. Expect ‘It’s Too Late’ to be challenging for a place in the top thirty very soon.