Smooth Jazz Therapy

U-Nam - Groove Paradise

With choice albums such as ‘C’est Le Funk’, ‘Weekend in L.A (A Tribute To George Benson)’ and ‘First Class’ (from his side project Groove Ltd), Billboard chart-topping artist and multi-platinum producer U-Nam is widely credited as having restored much needed energy into the music we call Smooth Jazz.

He sent shock waves through the genre in 2016 with ‘Going for Miles’ from the CD ‘Surface Level’ and now he has returned to that album to hit another radio home run with the lusciously mid tempo ‘Groove Paradise’.

With an infectious hook that makes this the ultimate ‘driving with the top down’ track, U-Nam’s on-point production uses velvety strings from Maria Grig to shift this joyous drive into an altogether different gear. 

Other significant contributions come from U-Nam’s long-term collaborator Shannon Kennedy on flute, Fran Merante on drums and outstanding percussion from the increasingly ubiquitous Ramon Yslas.

Indeed it might well be described as what smooth jazz circa 2017 should all be about yet U-Nam’s passion to further extend musical boundaries means that ‘Groove Paradise’ will also feature on a download only EP where it will be re-imagined both as a seriously funky ‘XL Groove’ remix’ and as a dance floor filling ‘Paradise’ remix.

‘Groove Paradise’ is the 3rd single from U-Nam’s ‘Surface Level’ project.  The first single, ‘Going for Miles’, climbed to #23 on the US Billboard Top30 chart while the album has reached #18 on the on the smoothjazz.com top 50 chart.

Written, produced, arranged & mixed by U-Nam who also features on guitars, bass, synth bass and keyboards, the aptly named ‘Groove Paradise’ is the perfect Groove to beckon in Spring and open the door to a wonderful Summer Paradise.

Rick Braun - Around The Horn

Out now on the always excellent Shanachie label, ‘Around The Horn’ by smooth jazz trumpet supremo Rick Braun is the product of his many influences and his intent to take the listener on a journey around the world.  In addition it proves to be something of a triumphant collaboration with singer, songwriter, pianist and producer John Stoddart with whom Braun co-writes five of the eleven choice tracks.

Julian Vaughn - Bona Fide

Expected early in 2017, the new album from Trippin n Rhythm recording artist Julian Vaughn is titled ‘Bona Fide’ and is being showcased by the easy grooving title cut. With a beautiful sax fuelled vibe that offers the perfect backdrop to Vaughn’s cool playing this is a tune that bolsters his credentials as the natural successor to the late Wayman Tisdale. 

Check it out.

Brian Culbertson - Hey Girl

Would the real Brian Culbertson please stand up? Undoubtedly right there in the highest echelons of the genre, and equally at home in the studio on the live stage, Culbertson has that happy knack of encouraging his huge fan base to second guess what might be coming next. In doing so he has shifted from the textbook smooth jazz of ‘Modern Life’ and ‘Secrets’ to the off the chain ‘Bringing Back The Funk’, back to the seriously seductive ‘It’s On Tonight’ and on to his latest offering the aptly titled ‘Funk’. It garnered the run-away hit single ‘Been Around The World’ and now, just as his followers were getting a feeling of his latest musical direction, Culbertson has come roaring back with another track from ‘Funk’. Titled ‘Hey Girl’ it has that velvety horn driven backing that typifies much of his ‘funk phase’ but incorporates a silky melody more in tune with his smoother work. 

Maybe the answer is not to over-analyze it but instead simply enjoy what is a truly sumptuous song.

Michael Lington - Midnight Drive

Michael Lington’s 2016 project ‘Second Nature’ is proving to be the gift that keeps on giving. First there was ‘Beale Street’ that Lington co-wrote with Barry Eastmond. It found him paying his own special homage to New Orleans and being ably supported in the venture by Booker T. Jones and the Memphis Horns. Then came ‘Memphis Strut ’ with its easy grooving attitude backed up by Lington’s fulsome horn.

Now, and making it three for three in radio success, comes the decidedly moody ‘Midnight Drive’. This velvety number reveals a softer side to Lington’s musical persona and deserves to do well.

George Duke - Guess You're Not The One

I once spent one of the best afternoons of my entire life, aboard the Smooth Jazz Cruise as it glided through the Caribbean, in a room of less than a hundred people, listening to the late great George Duke with only a piano and a lifetime of musical memories to get him through. 

On that day he was nothing short of magical and this track, ‘Guess You’re Not The One’ from his 2002 project ‘Face The Music’ is a timely reminder of why he will always be number one on my list.

 

 

Oli Silk - Ooh Baby

With a string of choice albums to his name and a profile within the United Kingdom that makes him everyone’s favorite smooth jazz keyboard player, the superb Oli Silk is back with the appropriately titled ‘Where I Left Off’. To answer the question as to where he actually did leave off one need only reference his excellent ‘Razor Sharp Brit’ that was released back in 2013. Now he is doing it all again, and then some, with this Trippin N Rhythm released gem that hit the streets in mid 2016 and which is already promoting him yet further into the upper echelons of contemporary jazz pianists. 

Take for example the zesty ‘Ooh Baby’ that is being advanced to radio on February 13 and which features excellent trumpet from the one and only Rick Braun. 

Nice track.

ThreeStyle - Road To Monterey

 With albums such as ‘Feel The Vibe’, ‘Moving Up Quickly’ and ‘Get It’, the band Threestyle has been doing its bit to disprove the myth that Eastern Europe doesn’t do smooth jazz. In fact this cool collective, the creation of German guitarist Robert Fertl and Czech saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova, have really been turning some heads and look set to continue doing so with their latest CD, ‘Road To Monterey’. In fact the lead single ‘A Little Longer’, became an instant radio favorite and with a stellar line-up of guest musicians that include Paul Brown, Nils, Jeff Carruthers, Robert Vally, Jimmy Haslip, Oliver C. Brown and Nils this looks to be a collection destined for big things.