Smooth Jazz Therapy

David Wells - More Love More Power

For David Wells the CD ‘More Love More Power’ represents a seismic change in the direction of his music. Although this is Wells fifth album his previous releases have demonstrated him to be a trumpet and flugelhorn player with his roots firmly grounded in spiritual songs and hymns. Indeed ‘More Love More Power’ often dips more than a toe into inspirational waters yet still delivers a number of superb and commercially accessible smooth jazz renderings. Not only that, it’s a release that looks like providing Wells with a major smooth jazz radio hit.

Four80East - En Route

‘En Route’ is the latest CD from Toronto-based studio creation Four80East. The band originally emerged as a cool, creative side project of remix producers Tony Grace and Rob DeBoer with its inspiration taken from the acid jazz movement that flourished in the United Kingdom during the 90’s. With a sound geared towards an improvisational dance vibe Four80East earned considerable airplay in both the United States and the UK with its 1997 debut CD ‘The Album’. ‘Nocturnal’ followed in 2001 and although ‘Round 3’ was released a year later it has taken almost five more years for ‘En Route’ to come to fruition. Over this time chill music, an intrinsic part of what Four80East is all about, has established itself as a genre in its own right and this evolution means that the music of Four80East, a rare blend of chill, acid jazz and fusion, is perhaps now more relevant than ever before.

Patti Austin - Avant Gershwin

Rendezvous recording artist Patti Austin crosses all genres. As well as being the ‘go to’ vocalist for a clutch of the biggest names in smooth jazz she has made 17 solo albums and performed her award nominated hit songs at both the Grammy’s and the Oscars. Her extraordinary career continues to transcend boundaries and now with ‘Avant Gershwin’ she is again stepping into fresh territory. This celebration of George Gershwin’s jazz connection is a new and adventurous big band rendering of some of his most loved tunes and, as with Austin’s 2002 Grammy nominated homage to Ella Fitzgerald, she is in the great company of the German based WDR Big Band. In fact the album was recorded live in Germany over two separate performances in Köln and Dortmund during 2006. The result, although slightly outside the remit of her contemporary jazz audience, is a shimmering example of timeless music at its very best. It is also something of a triumph for arranger Michael Abene. He has worked with the best in the business including B B King and Lionel Hampton yet here, bridging together Gershwin standards and building a platform for Austin to overlay her unique and personal interpretations, this is among his finest of hours.

‘Avant Gershwin’ is a million miles away from Austin’s other current success, her radio hit ‘So Amazing’ from the ‘Forever, For Always, For Luther Vol ll’ CD. That said it is of the highest quality and well worth checking out by all those who love good music.

Rocco Ventrella - Give Me The Groove

It’s a long way from the Adriatic splendour of Bari in Southern Italy to the smooth jazz intensity that is Los Angeles but this is a journey that Italian sax virtuoso Rocco Ventrella has made to record and release his latest album ‘Give Me The Groove’. It follows the ‘Tribute To Grover Washington, Jr.’ CD that he recorded, arranged and produced in memory of one of his all time musical heroes and two of the tracks from this five track sampler have made it across to ‘Give Me The Groove’. In fact the album owes much to the LA based producer and arranger Bruce Nazarian who plays keyboards throughout and co-writes three of the tunes with Ventrella. This mixture of well selected covers, Grover Washington tributes and four new compositions all combine to produce an end product that is totally pleasing.

Joey DeFrancesco - Live At Yoshi's

Sometimes, amidst the rhythm and groove that anchors contemporary jazz, it’s worth taking a sideways glance at the classic straight ahead influences that, in many ways, have served as a foundation for much that followed. Such an example is ‘Live at Yoshi's’, the latest CD from Hammond B-3 master Joey Defrancesco. In April of 2006, when Joey set up shop for a four-night stint at the Oakland CA jazz club Yoshi’s, he had no intention of making an album. For his own purposes he decided to document the performance by allowing the house engineer to record the week’s sets. The result is a timeless slice of live jazz that captures the essence of the music with standards such as ‘Cherokee’, ‘Ceora’ and a personal favorite ‘I’m in the Mood for Love’.

For more on Joey DeFrancesco go to www.joeydefrancesco.com and to listen live to the track ‘Autumn Leaves’ that features sax-man George Coleman, click the following link.

www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/AutumnLeaves.asx

Simply Red - Stay

Any band that has already sold in excess of 48 million albums does not need to be into the business of reinvention but for Simply Red, who debuted back in 1985 with ‘Picture Book’, it seems like there is a whole new audience out there who are doing it for them. All indications are that adult contemporary USA beckons and the band, with lead singer Mick Hucknall at the heart of everything it does, is set to make a blazing stateside return. The new CD ‘Stay’ hits record stores on April 24 and follows on from the critically acclaimed acoustic greatest hits package ‘Simplified’ that sold 2.5 million copies worldwide and 300,000 in the USA. It produced a smooth jazz radio hit with the classic ‘Holding Back The Years’ and the advance radio single from ‘Stay’ is already making similar waves. ‘So Not Over You’, a tune that typifies Hucknall’s rare blend of melodic, pop tinged, blue eyed soul, is currently racing up the chart of thirty most played on American smooth jazz radio.

Incognito - Bees + Things + Flowers

Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick has been the heart life and soul of jazz funksters Incognito from as far back as 1980. It was then that the band put out its first demo single, ‘Parisienne Girl’ which, thanks to strong radio and club support, peaked at #73 in the UK charts. Subsequently, and with a panache that has developed through time for including a variety of guest singers, Incognito has continued to push the envelope of its own brand of jazz tinged soul. Its music, often sophisticated, sometimes complex, but always compelling, has helped establish the band as one of the UK’s finest exports. In addition, the reputation of Maunick has also transcended continents and led him to produce for Ray Simpson, Chaka Khan and George Benson. Although it took ten full years from the 1981 release of their debut ‘Jazz Funk’ for the ‘follow up’, ‘Inside Life’, to come along, the momentum since then has been such that their new release ‘Bees + Things + Flowers’ is the bands seventeenth in all. Featuring the largest number of guest singing stars from the Incognito stable ever to appear on one album it is a collection of re-imaged classics, choice covers and original music that finds Bluey turning down the tempo in favor of sumptuous arrangements and poetic lyrics.

Dee Brown - No Time To Waste

Demitris Edwards Brown, aka Dee Brown, was born in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a home where his mother was into the Motown Sound and his father listened to the music of jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk and Charles Mingus. Brown’s own contemporary jazz guitar style is an amalgam of all those influences and his special blend of sumptuously smooth jazz and soulfully urban vibes is presented to incredible effect on his debut solo album ‘No Time To Waste’. Released in October of 2006 it follows on from Brown’s projects as a member of the bands One Wish and Shelby Brown (where he duet-ed with sax player Gentry Shelby) and showcases his skills as a guitarist, composer, producer and arranger.

Slim Man - Solstice

Slim Man is the musical alter ego of Tim Camponeschi who, in addition to a solo career that dates back to 1995, has been an integral member of the Baltimore based hip and funky group Bona Fide since its formation in 1999. This mellow vocalist and former Motown songwriter, whose style lies somewhere between adult contemporary and smooth jazz, views his latest release, ‘Solstice’, as both a return and a departure. Although taking him back to the studio where he recorded his very first CD, ‘End Of The Rainbow’, it also allows him to visit fertile new ground where, thanks mainly to the contribution of Marc Antoine, his newly developed taste for a guitar-based Latin vibe is very evident.

Bar-Kays - Streaming Live

Legendary R&B funksters The Bar-Kays are back with a brand new album ‘House Party’. It hit record stores on February 27th and, coincidentally, is their 27th long player in a career that has seen them garner 1 platinum and 5 gold discs. As well as the 28 Top Ten singles to their name they have been sampled by anyone and everyone including Teddy Riley, Coolio, Cameo and more.

A complete review of ‘House Party’ will follow here soon but for now, and to whet your listening appetite, why not check out the following live streams of just two of the tracks.

For ‘Sho Nuff’, a track that you will find every bit as funky as you expected it to be, click here

http://link7.streamhoster.com/?u=elemental&p=%2Fbar-kays+-+shonuff.wma&odaid=4873

For ‘Superstar’ (no, not the Carpenters track) but just about as sexy and deliciously urban as you will find anywhere, click here

http://link7.streamhoster.com/?u=elemental&p=%2Fbar-kays+-+superstar.wma&odaid=4873

Check back here often for more news on the Bar-Kays.

Victor Fields - Thinking Of You

‘Thinking Of You’ is the brand new CD from soulful vocalist Victor Fields and it is testimony to his talent and professionalism that some of the biggest stars in smooth jazz have hurried in to perform on it with him. This is Fields fourth solo release and represents a further step on the journey to discovering his true musical identity. It has been an adventure that began in 1998 with his debut album ‘Promise’ and which passed a significant milestone in 2002 when he forged a partnership with producer Chris Camozzi. This collaboration led to the release of ‘52nd Street’, a recording which found a place on the Billboard’s jazz album chart and featured guest performances from Chris Botti, Jeff Lorber and Gerald Albright. Three years later Fields and Camozzi returned with an expansive collection of love songs. Simply titled ‘Victor’ it ran the gamut of traditional and contemporary jazz, through R&B to theatrical Broadway like themes. Now, with smooth vocals shimmering over funky tracks, ‘Thinking Of You’ takes Fields through a further evolution and moves him from being a jazz vocalist with overt urban tendencies to the real smooth jazz deal.

Jeff Golub - Grand Central

Jeff Golub is the kind of guitar player that could well drive you crazy. His live shows, supercharged with the influences he garners from Jimi Hendrix, push the envelope to the very limits of what smooth jazz is meant to be yet, with his recordings, he often displays genuine sensitivity. A case in point is the sensational title track from his 2005 CD ‘Temptation’ and he is doing it all over again with his latest and seventh solo release, ‘Grand Central’, that hits record stores across the USA on March 6. It was primarily recorded with a live band in a New York studio by musicians Golub jams with at small, informal club gigs around the city and this natural flare he has for delivering raw and honest recordings spills out into every one of the eleven choice tracks.

2007 Smooth Jazz Cruise - Final Reflections

For this, the final look-back at the 2007 Smooth Jazz Cruise, its worth reflecting on the many and varied moments that went to make this years event the best ever. It was a year when the virtuosity of both Richard Elliot and Euge Groove shone through as, without a new CD to their names in the last twelve months, they had to have to rely on recognizable routines and familiar tunes with which to captivate their audiences. They did this and more as Euge Groove opened a blistering set with the four back to back number ones that have flowed from his first four CD’s and Elliot reached back to generously share vast tracts of his past discography. It delighted the crowd and made them hungry for the new music that both will be delivering in 2007. In fact, right through the week and in all sorts of ways, a subtle blend of the new and the classic could be found. With his late night Queens Lounge show, guitarist Tim Bowman gave glimpses of just how big a star he could ultimately become and Jackiem Joyner, who was called upon to variously perform in both large and intimate venues, wowed his new found fans with his soulful playing.