Smooth Jazz Therapy

Chris Standring Back With Third Soul Express Tour

Coinciding with the success of his newest release, ‘Love and Paragraphs’, (the title track of which is currently number two on the chart of most played on smooth jazz radio), guitarist Chris Standring has once again called upon some of the genres top talents to join him for his third annual Soul Express tour. In the line-up for these now familiar evenings of funk, soul and R&B will be saxophonist Everette Harp and vocalist Phil Perry. The series opens up on July 11 show at the Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival in Omaha and concludes on September 27 at Santa Fe Station in Las Vegas.

Robert Harris - City Lights

As a studio musician and sideman Detroit native Robert Harris has spent much of his career making other people sound good. Now, after relocating from Los Angeles, and happily settled in central Florida, this most talented of guitarists is forging a solo career with his remarkably assured sophomore release ‘City Lights’. This very special collection of seven original compositions and three wonderful covers speaks to the very heart of what contemporary jazz should be all about. Its rich mix of rhythm, melody and feel good vibes is at times intoxicating, invariably pleasing and without a weak link in sight.

Travis Vega - Smooth Urban Night

Sometimes, as if out of nowhere, a CD comes along that both surprises and delights. ‘Smooth Urban Night’ by Northern California based guitarist Travis Vega is such a recording. With a title that sums up to perfection the mellow and sensual groove that permeates much of the album, this independently produced release, for which Vega writes and produces throughout, is, in its entirety, a chilled out delight.

Alan Hewitt And His SoulJam Archestra

The multi talented Alan Hewitt has assembled a stunning roster of musicians from the bands of bands of James Ingram, Bruce Hornsby, Chaka Khan, Jazz Crusaders and Gladys Knight to produce what he has named his SoulJam Archestra. Indeed Alan Hewitt and the SoulJam Archestra with special guest Maysa Leak will be in Dallas, TX on July 5 to headline the Southside Holiday Blues and Coltrane Jazz Festival. This 4th of July Weekend event, which celebrates the spirit of American music, also includes Nick Colionne and will be held in the streets of Southside Dallas. Tickets can be purchased by calling 214-428-0025.

David Benoit - Heroes

David Benoit’s brand new CD ‘Heroes’ is his tribute to some of the artists and composers who he regards as his musical greats. The style in which he interprets music from the likes of Dave Brubeck, The Doors, The Beatles, Dave Grusin, Sergio Mendes and Horace Silver is totally indicative of this most sophisticated of pianists who possesses a virtuosity that transcends genres. Benoit has never been afraid to push the boundaries of his musical talents and the diversity of this contemporary jazz icon has recently been demonstrated with the debut of his latest concert work, ‘Dolores Del Carmen’ for Spanish Guitar and Orchestra which he performed with the Asia America Symphony Orchestra. In fact, for ‘Heroes’, Benoit calls on members of this orchestra to provide the string quartet on his faithfully spine chilling rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s ‘She’s Leaving Home’ Indeed, throughout ‘Heroes’, his ethos has been to keep this collection of stunning classics true to the originals. It’s an approach that works to perfection and, with the bonus of a new Benoit composition, the end product is of the highest quality imaginable.

Nick Colionne - No Limits

When, in 2006, Nick Colionne released ‘Keepin It Cool’ it proved to be something of a watershed in his already blossoming career. The first single from the album, ‘Always Thinking of You’, monopolized the R&R charts for most of that year while parallel with this success his reputation as a sensational live performer grew and grew. Those who have seen him play live will have been blown away by the sheer energy that Colionne injects into his music. It’s an element of his persona comes right out of his home town of Chicago and he brings all this and more to his excellent up coming release ‘No Limits’.

Smooth Jazz Radio Back In Denver

Effective from 6-00 AM on June 10, and in a move that is as surprising as it is pleasing; Bustos Media returned smooth jazz to the airwaves of Denver, CO. Broadcasting on 101.9 (the frequency previously occupied by Latin station KGDQ), and with the new call letters of KKHI, it will fill the void created earlier this year when Denver’s 104.3 flipped formats to sports. At the time, 104.3 explained away the shift by citing a fall in audience ratings and corresponding decline advertising revenue. Consequently the question to ask now is ‘what’s changed’? As Broadcast Architecture Smooth Jazz Network’s newest affiliate, it’s likely that KKHI will be playing the same narrow cross section of contemporary jazz and soft R & B that led to the demise of the format in New York, Houston, Baltimore, Jacksonville and Washington DC. In Denver as elsewhere, unless broadcasters wake up to the responsibility they have to showcase the fabulous array of new and emerging smooth jazz talent that currently never makes it to radio then this latest burst of excitement will be a short lived.

Shilts Makes Switch To nuGroove

Earlier this year sax man Shilts announced that he was bringing down the curtain on his long time involvement with funk outfit Down To The Bone. Now, ahead of the release of his brand new solo album ‘Jigsaw Life’, comes the news that he has signed with the excellently re-emergent nuGroove Records. In fact nuGroove was the original home for Down to the Bone and Shilts brings to it a high quality collection of music that opens with the track ‘Piece by Piece’ that he originally wrote for Rick Braun and Richard Elliot but which they never recorded. Now, funk enriched and with tempo suitably cranked, he combines the soprano sax (which he has not played in 20 years) with his more familiar tenor for a slice of what, in every respect, is vintage Shilts.

The first single to go to radio, and surely destined to be a summer hit, is the upbeat dance track ‘Back on The Hudson’’ while in complete contrast is the stunning ballad ‘A Promise is a Promise’. For ‘Broken Silence’ Shilts enlists the aid of a string quartet. It’s a track that is further enriched by use of Hammond B-3 and he plays a trio of tenor saxophones to generate a bluesy, southern soul sort of sound for the party ready ‘Outside the Box’.

Trumpeter Humphrey Lyttleton Dies At Age 87

Trumpet player Humphrey Lyttelton was not a smooth jazz musician. In fact he had built his reputation in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s as a leading British revivalist of traditional New Orleans jazz. Consequently his music was not my cup of tea yet I received the news of his recent death with great sadness. This, in no small measure, was due to the endless enjoyment I derived from the part he played in BBC radio’s spoof quiz show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. In fact Lyttelton was the host of this comedy panel game from 1972 right through until his untimely death, at age 87, in April of this year. He became famous for his deadpan, disgruntled, and occasionally bewildered style of chairmanship, and for his near-the-knuckle double entendres which despite always being open to an innocent interpretation went much further than most BBC ‘pre-watershed’ humour. His contribution was quite simply hilarious and I will miss him greatly.

Lyttelton was a cousin of the 10th Viscount Cobham and a great-nephew of the politician and sportsman Alfred Lyttleton who was the first man to represent England at both football and cricket. From 1967 until April 2007, Lyttelton presented The Best of Jazz on BBC Radio 2, a programme that featured his idiosyncratic mix of top-quality recordings of all ages, including current material.

As a tribute to Lyttelton BBC Radio 4 will be presenting a series of programmes devoted to him. For more information go to www.bbc.co.uk/radio

Victor Fields VF Express

In a display of tremendous ingenuity soulful vocalist Victor Fields is circumventing the normal channels of record promotion and distribution by taking his music directly to the fans.  In collaboration with N5 Marketing and the N5 Street Team he is using his new sunset orange, shrink-wrapped van, eye-catchingly named the ‘VF Jazz Express’, to get the word out on his excellent discography.  Simply by calling 888-899-9100, all those who see the van, or receive a flyer from one of the Street Team, will get the chance to purchase all four of his CD’s for the price of three.  Fields has named the promotion his ‘toll-free’ special.  He intends to return each call personally and, for $29.99, autograph all four CD’s and add an autographed photo.  This quartet of great albums comprises his 1998 debut release ‘Promise’ plus ‘52^nd Street’, ‘Victor’ and his latest offering, the wonderful ‘Thinking Of You’ which, when I reviewed it last year, blew me away.

Alfonzo Blackwell - Dance To This

Saxman Alfonzo Blackwell first made an impact on the soulful side of contemporary jazz in 1995 with the release of his debut CD, ‘Let’s Imagine’. He has since released five more albums and performed with a ‘who’s who’ of music greats including Gladys Knight, The Whispers and Roy Ayers. Also, as well as appearing with contemporary soul artists such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Brian McKnight, he has composed music for television and film where his credits include co-writing the theme song to the internationally successful network show, "Baywatch Nights".

Now Blackwell is back with his brand new recording ‘Dance To This’. Blending dance inspired urban grooves with hot contemporary jazz he produces rhythms that are sometimes soulful and at others electrifying. The up tempo ‘Back It Up’ features Utopia label-mate Rebecca Buxton on sax while elsewhere flautist Shana Kaye demonstrates just how effective a smooth jazz instrument the flute can be. With notable writing, tight production and stellar performances throughout Blackwell ensures that ‘Dance To This’ delivers at all levels. It’s a notable addition to this year’s crop of sax driven smooth jazz albums.

Joey Sommerville - Like You Mean It

Grammy nominated trumpet player, writer and producer Joey Sommerville has his roots set in gospel music yet it’s a measure of his musical diversity that he was the featured soloist on the Cirque de Soleil's Grammy-nominated (and Juno Award winning) album, ‘Alegria’. In 2006, Joey took his turn to appear on Volume 4 of the excellent ‘Unwrapped’ series from Hidden Beach and has also scored the contemporary jazz hit ‘Business Call’ for keyboard star Bob Baldwin. His most recent production project, Rhonda Smith’s ‘RS2’ , that features both Prince and Sheila E., made the 2007 Grammy Ballot and was voted one of the 10 best albums of the year by the Music Magazine of Japan. Sommerville’s latest solo album, ‘Like You Mean It’, provides the opportunity for him to reconnect with Baldwin and is well worth looking out for. Chock full of standouts it features guest appearances by smooth jazz greats Phil Perry, Marion Meadows and Mike Phillips whilst Sommerville’s cover of the Average White Band classic ‘Schoolboy Crush’ is blessed with the bass vibe of Wayman Tisdale. Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘Like Your Mean It’ and for more information go to www.joeysommerville.com.

Gail Jhonson - Pearls

When I reviewed the CD ‘Keep the Music Playing’ by keyboard player Gail Jhonson I described it as a wonderful collection of edgy smooth jazz tunes that deserves to make her stand out from the crowd.  Now, as well as dividing her time between her staff position at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA, and her role as musical director and touring keyboard playing for smooth jazz superstar Norman Brown, she is back with her debut release on Nu-Groove, the superb ‘Pearls’.