Smooth Jazz Therapy

William Woods - The Hear And Now

When, in 2005, I reviewed ‘Every Part Of Me’ by pianist William Woods I challenged the assertion that had previously likened his music to ‘an edgy brand of adult contemporary jazz that exists somewhere between a hip Boney James and a cerebral David Benoit’. Then, and now with his brand new offering ‘The Hear And Now’, this summation completely misses the point of where Williams Woods is at. Certainly there is some Benoit in there and at times a little Culbertson too but what Woods brings to the party is smooth jazz for grown ups and as such is far closer to Bob James. Consequently its totally fitting that one of the standouts of the new album is titled ‘Not Suitable For Children’. Played along on a shuffling mid tempo beat it has a haunting melody running through it and excellent sax from Jeffrey Scott Willis.

Kenny Carr - Turn The Page

Guitarist Kenny Carr grew up in Santa Cruz and it was the inspiring natural beauty of that location which set the stage for his musical career. Carr found himself surrounded by talented and aspiring musicians who became his closest friends. By his early teens he was studying jazz theory with vibraphonist Rob Lautz as well as renowned trumpeter Ray Brown. By age sixteen he was performing at local venues where he met drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Anders Swanson, as well as 2004 Grammy nominated saxophonist Donny McCaslin. In 1981, Kenny and his fellow Santa Cruz musicians were invited to open up for Carmen McCrea and Freddie Hubbard at the Mount Tamalpais jazz festival. After high school, Kenny attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and during his final year in 1986, he received the call to audition for Ray Charles. He toured worldwide with Charles as his guitarist for over ten years. His 2005 debut, ‘Friday At Five’, featured many of the musicians from his time in Santa Cruz. It was a quality collection of music that fell somewhere between smooth jazz and adult contemporary. Now he is back with his follow up CD ‘Turn the Page’.

Hardcastle Up Yet Down

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending November 20 2006. In recent weeks its been Paul Hardcastle and Boney James with their singles ‘Free As the Wind’ and ‘The Total Experience’ that have been switching places at the top. This week is no different with James again edging Hardcastle out of number one place. However, with the announcement that he is to join Broadcast Architecture’s quickly expanding roster of ‘elite presenters’ Hardcastle is very much in the news. From January 2007, as a component of BA’s Smooth Jazz Network's nationally distributed weekend evening shows, the world-renowned composer, producer and performer will be heard 7 p.m. - midnight on both Saturday and Sunday evenings. His appointment follows that of Norman Brown who will host the networks weekend afternoon shows and Brian Culbertson who is the new voice of its nationally distributed weekend morning shows from 6a.m. to 10 a.m.

Park Lane - Check It Out

Park Lane is a group of hugely experienced session musicians with a whole new career ahead of them. Formed by renowned drummer Tony Mason who has played with the likes of Peter White, Ronnie Jordan and Incognito the band have just released their debut album ‘Check It Out’. In fact they played their first gig as a collective at the 2005 St Lucia Jazz Festival and although they were invited back for 2006 they chose instead to remain in London to complete the album. The result is a distinctive fusion of R&B and jazz presented over ten eclectic tracks that taps into the bands inclination for free-spirited music while throughout retaining the basic staples of melody and groove.

Now Culbertson Joins Smooth Jazz Network Radio

Following last weeks news of Broadcast Architectures concept for a smooth jazz radio ‘superstation’ across America, and that Norman Brown had been slated to host the networks weekend afternoon shows, it has now been announced that Brian Culbertson will be the voice of its nationally distributed weekend morning shows from 6a.m. to 10 a.m. Culbertson is quoted as saying that he is “extremely excited about this new territory and can't wait to start working with the incredible team that BA has assembled”. “The handful of radio specials and commercial voice-over work that I've done have really whetted my appetite for going in this direction and with Allen Kepler as my producer, I'm confident that this show will be great!” For his part Broadcast Architecture President Allen Kepler says, “Brian is such a dynamic talent. The excitement that he generates during his live performances and in his recorded music is exactly what our new network is about. Brian will translate his enthusiasm for smooth jazz, and our listeners will love it.

On Thanksgiving weekend and to kick off the holidays, Culbertson will be heard around the U.S. airing his first Special produced by Broadcast Architecture. It will be a two-hour program featuring all smooth jazz Christmas music. Expect see Brian’s brand new Christmas CD reviewed on these pages soon.

Check back here often for all the news of what is hot on American smooth jazz radio.

Jeanne Newhall - Wild Blue

The vast musical roots of well-respected composer and sophisticated vocalist Jeanne Newhall have impacted jazz and new age music since the late ‘80s. She has a credibility that stems from her back catalogue of thirteen CD’s and her 2001 single, ‘Race Through The Clouds’ that features guitarist Peter White. Equally at home in the studio or on the live stage Jeanne has toured far and wide across the USA and Europe. Originally from Phoenix AZ she now bases herself in Los Angeles where, as well as being actively involved in compositions for film and television, she has just released her latest album ‘Wild Blue’. Running the gamut from sophisticated contemporary vocal jazz through pop, country and evocative folk it’s a collection that for the most part is music on the mellow side but which at times injects emotion that is off the scale.

Smooth Jazz Radio - Choice? What Choice?

Time was that the range and spread of smooth jazz radio across the USA made searching out stations for new and familiar sounds both a pleasure and an education. It also offered the opportunity for up and coming artists to be heard in their local markets or in those locations where they were touring and performing. Now all that is threatened by Broadcast Architectures concept for a smooth jazz radio ‘superstation’ across America. With a launch date scheduled for January 2007 the idea has the potential to put on the same syndicated shows delivered by the same presenters in the same timeslots across a whole bunch of smooth jazz radio markets. Pre-launch is already underway with Annie Ashe now on the air at Clear Channel's WNUA - Chicago, WZJZ - Ft. Myers, WDSJ - Dayton, KMYT - Temecula CA and KABQ - Albuquerque. The Ramsey Lewis morning show that originates at WNUA launched in several additional markets earlier this week. Latest sign up is Grammy winning guitarist Norman Brown, pictured here, who will join Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network's elite team of air talent on its nationally distributed weekend afternoon shows. Brown's shift will be Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Although Broadcast Architecture president Allen Kepler comments that Brown’s “personal charisma will translate to a very memorable experience for our listeners" the reality will be less choice, more ‘voice recorded’ shows outside of real time and more influence by a few radio moguls as to what gets played. Thank heavens that programmes such as Steve Quirks Fusion Flavours, available in the north west of England on Smooth FM 100.4, and via the internet, will continue to fly the flag for what smooth jazz is really all about.

Check back here often for all the news of what is hot on American smooth jazz radio.

Michael Vince

Currently making a big splash as a performer, writer and producer is guitarist and keyboard player Michael Vince. I was recently introduced to his brand new five track self titled EP by none other than Fusion Flavours own Steve Quirk and since then its rapidly become a Smooth Jazz Therapy favourite. The material for the EP has already attracted the attention of smooth jazz production genius Paul Brown who has produced two of the tracks. The result is an appealing blend of jazz, funk and soul that is centred on Vince’s cool electric and nylon string acoustic guitars. Not only that, it has the thread of quality running right through it.

Paul Hardcastle Back On Top

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending November 6 2006. The stay of Boney James at number 1 with ‘The Total Experience’ featuring George Duke proved to be brief. On a chart that shows just one new entry, the previous incumbent, ‘Free As the Wind’ from Paul Hardcastle’s The Jazzmasters, climbs one place to regain top spot. The single new kid on this weeks block is Lee Ritenour who I recently tipped to have radio success with his version of the classic Patrice Rushen track ‘Forget Me Nots’. New this week at 30 it’s the first single from his new CD ‘Smoke n’ Mirrors’, an album with a World Music vibe and one which features sounds from Africa, Brazil and the U.S.A. Ritenour is joined on the album by no other than Patrice Rushen and that, in part, is what make this fresh new take on ‘Forget Me Nots’ special.

Check back here often for all the news of what is hot on American smooth jazz radio.

Sophia Darcell - Soul Eclectic

‘Soul Eclectic’ the sophomore release from sultry soul singer Sophia Darcell has been described as “one of the sexiest yet socially conscious albums you will ever hear”. While I always caution against hype that approaches the pretentious this CD certainly possesses, to one extent or another, elements of both these attributes and is a huge change of direction from her 2001 debut ‘Love = Pain’. It’s a shift placing her firmly in the area of vocal smooth jazz that in some quarters is referred to as urban jazz but which I feel is better described as smooth R & B. Comparisons with Sade are cheap and easy but the music leans toward many influences with the end product being very much all Sophia’s own work. She is joined in her soulful endeavor by Eric Escanes and Marcello Falconi on guitars, Dave Gabbillet on drums and Kenneth Williams on bass to produce what has been compared elsewhere to a sexy wall of sound.

Jack Prybylski - Window Shopping

‘Window Shopping’ is the latest CD release from Buffalo, New York sax man Jack Prybylski (purr-bill-ski). It was his 2002 effort ‘Soho Strut’ that started to get him noticed and which garnered the Internet radio single ‘Mandalay Bay’ but now, with excellent support from none other than Ken Navarro, ‘Window Shopping’ has the potential to move Prybylski to the centre of where it’s at in the world of contemporary jazz. Prybylski first came to Navarro’s attention when a mutual friend suggested that he should contact Jack for ideas on Internet radio resources. The two hit it off and when Jack asked if Navarro would play a part with the new CD he was delighted to accept. This involvement has extended to production, mixing, performing and, in addition, writing the tune ‘Bright Spot’ that has been selected as the first from the album to be lifted for radio play.

Smooth Jazz Radio Commentary For The Week Ending October 30

Smooth jazz radio top thirty most played for the seven days ending October 30 2006. Boney James who has been tearing up the charts in recent weeks with the track that features George Duke, ‘The Total Experience’, takes over the number one spot from previous incumbents The Jazzmasters and their ‘Free As the Wind’. ‘Morning’ by George Benson with Al Jarreau is looking good at 4 and steady mover of late David Benoit and his ‘Beat Street’ is at 5. This week’s solo new entry is ‘Give Me The Reason’ by Kirk Whalum from the Rendezvous CD ‘Forever For Always For Luther Volume II’. It’s at 24 while already at 21 after only two weeks on the chart is Mindi Abair and ‘Bloom’.