Smooth Jazz Therapy

Mel Holder - Crossroads

‘Music Book Vol. III’ is the new album from sax-man Mel Holder and the latest single to be lifted from it is the excellent  ‘Crossroads’ that features contemporary jazz and gospel heavyweight Ben Tankard. 

Those gospel roots are shared with the New York based Holder who has released several spiritually inclined albums including ‘Now & Forever’ in 1999, ‘Gift So Special’ in 2005 plus the first two collections in the ‘Music Book’ series in 2008 and 2015.

Similarly, Tankard has enjoyed recent success with his 2012 project ‘Full Tank’ which featured music from legendary producers and songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis plus his current CD ‘Rise’ that takes its name from the Herb Alpert classic, which here Tankard makes entirely his own.

Smooth Jazz Therapy - Top 10 Covers Of 2018

Here we are at the end of another contemporary jazz year and, despite it being another good twelve months for new music, the phenomenon that is the smooth jazz cover continues unchecked.  No doubt it has a unique place within the genre and although being regarded as both a blessing and a curse, it has now pushed beyond the familiar territory of vintage soul to take in a wider spectrum of popular music. This year’s selections are evidence of that so, looking back on what this year has delivered, here is my very personal top ten Smooth Jazz Therapy covers of 2018.

‘Love Zone’ by Vincent Ingala from the album ‘Personal Touch’.  This was Vincent’s fifth solo CD and the reworking he included on it of the title song from Billy Ocean’s 1986 blockbuster was sublime.

‘Time After Time’, by Marion Meadows from the CD ‘Soul City’.  Imagine a city defined by soul, where harmony resonates and a perfect groove keeps all things moving in stunning synchronicity. Well that is a place that smooth sax superstar Marion Meadows created in 2018 with his album ‘Soul City’.  The collection’s only cover found Peabo Bryson on vocals for an extremely cool take on the Cindy Lauper original.

‘Try A Little Tenderness’ by Greg Adams & East Bay Soul from the album ‘Conversation’.  Greg took the Otis Reading version of ‘Try A Little Tenderness’ and, courtesy of Darryl Walker’s on-point vocal, infused it with new life.

‘God Only Knows’ by Chris Standring from the CD ‘Sunlight’.  This carefully crafted cover of the Beachboys classic was a musical master class by Standring who was assisted in no small part by John Novello on keys.

‘Stay’ by David Garfield from the CD ‘Jammin Outside The Box’. This sensational rendition of the 1978 Rufus smash had original band member and co-writer Richard Calhoun doing an outstanding job on vocals while the brassy veneer bestowed by a hefty chunk of the Tower Of Power horn section was a joy to behold. With added magic from David Sanborn, George Benson and the always excellent Paul Jackson Jr this one was very special indeed.

Read on for the remainder of this year’s top ten covers.  If you have your own list of favorite covers from 2018 why not e-mail it to me at [email protected].  Happy New Year!!

Smooth Jazz Therapy - Top Twenty Tracks Of 2018

Seasonal greetings from Smooth Jazz Therapy and thanks a million to the publicists, the record companies and of course the artists, both established and up and coming, who over the last twelve months have made their music so generously available.  The love of music is all about preference and individual taste so here is my own personal highlights of the year.  In other words and in no particular order, my Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Twenty Tracks of 2018.

‘Gotta Get To You’ by Brian Simpson from the CD ‘Something About You’.  This, the eighth solo project from keyboard player, composer, producer and prolific studio musician Brian Simpson, was a rare amalgam of jazz, R&B, and soul.  With contributions from regular collaborators Steve Oliver and Oliver Wendell, Simpson was impeccable throughout and none more so than with the stunning ‘Gotta Get To You’.

‘Spend The Nite’, by Nick Colionne, from the album ‘Just Being Me’.  With ten choice tunes and input from the likes of Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis and the consistently superb James Lloyd this was one of the best albums of the year.  The soulfully sultry ‘Spend The Nite’ which featured both as an instrumental and with vocals from Buff Burnette, was a real winner.

‘Is That So’ from U-Nam.  As cool as a mint julep and just as fresh, ‘Is That So’ from Billboard chart-topping artist and multi-platinum producer U-Nam was the perfect accompaniment to those long hot days of summer.  With U-Nam’s instantly recognizable guitar sound and his production touches all over it this was a song at the very heart of the best in smooth jazz.

‘Hold On’ by Lori Williams.  Taken from Williams’ brand new CD ‘Out Of The Box’ and featuring understated but spine tingling trumpet from Tom Browne this Bob Baldwin produced number was as good as anything released this year.

‘Follow Me’ by Sam Rucker from the CD ‘Redemption’.  The interplay that Rucker generated with pianist Lucy Kilpatrick made this easy grooving cut the standout moment of the entire piece.

‘Morning Star’ by Dreaming In Colour.  Instrumental jazz group Dreaming In Colour burst onto the scene in 2012 with its debut CD, ‘The Dream Merchant’.  This 2018 stand alone single featured Jeff Lorber and the unmistakable, unforgettable, the late, great Chuck Loeb.

‘No Explanation’ by Chris Standring from the CD ‘Sunlight’.  This deliciously soulful song proved to be the perfect platform for British soul diva Mica Paris on vocals.

‘Adriatic Flow’ by German guitarist Robert Fertl and Czech saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova (aka ThreeStyle) from the album ‘Reasons 2 Love’.  Fertl’s mesmerizing guitar, soprano sax from Chovancova and a nice slice of Wha Wha guitar from the one and only Paul Brown all combined to make this very special indeed.

Read on for the remainder of this years top twentyand if you have your own list of favorites from 2018 why not e-mail it to me at [email protected]. Happy New Year!!

Michael J Thomas - Get Your Smooth On

With just a few days to Christmas, that smoothest of sax players Michael J Thomas is sharing some festive spirit with a free download of the sumptuous ‘Get Your Smooth On’ that is taken from his 2017 ‘Driven’ project.  Written and produced by Thomas with guitar player Shannon Wallace it features Oli Silk on keys with the remainder of the line-up comprising Eric Lampley on bass, Frank ‘Third’ Richardson on drums and Paul Scurto on trumpet.

Nice track

Earl Klugh - SleepyHead

When, in 2008, contemporary jazz guitarist Earl Klugh released the album ‘The Spice Of Life’ it was immediately evident that he had lost none of his legendary mellow flair.  He even found time within it for a Brazilian makeover of a Thelonious Monk classic but the track that stood out for me was the wonderful ‘SleepyHead’ that is trademark Klugh and then some.

Smooth jazz the way it was meant to be.

 

 

Jamie Bonk - Who Said It Was Easy?

A long time in the making and more than justifying its title, ‘Who Said It Was Easy?’ from Vancouver based guitarist Jamie Bonk finds him in predominately reflective mood for a collection that is so evocative that it might just take your breath away.  It marks a change of style for Jamie who with a string of smooth jazz orientated projects has earned inclusion in these pages and then some but although this latest venture doesn’t really fit the genre it has merits that are many, varied and totally compelling.

In a lot of ways ‘Who Said It Was Easy?’ can be summed up as fourteen self penned numbers all of which are in search of a movie score.  They are heartfelt and emotional; they evoke love, life, loss and longing yet despite Jamie being Canadian they could equally provide the backdrop to a commentary on the American mid-west, a soundtrack to small town USA.

Particularly so in this respect is the stunningly beautiful ‘You And Me’, the similarly inclined  ‘For This One Time’ and the magical ‘Let’s Go Home’ yet truth to tell the charm of ‘Who Said It Was Easy?’ does not come in the isolation of any single track but rather in the collective splendor of the entire set.

Whatever your musical preference this is an album that is well worth checking out.

Smooth Jazz Christmas Stocking Stuffers

Now for a wrap up of some of this years best Christmas music all ready and in time for you to download, enjoy and make part of your festive celebrations.

First up, the legendary Herb Alpert has released a nice brassy version of ‘Carol Of The Bells’ and a legend of a different kind, John Legend, is in seasonal mood with ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ that features none other than Esperanza Spalding.

The multi talented Johnny Brit brings you ‘Christmas Is Here Tonight’ while up and coming smooth jazz sax star Jazmin Ghent has made ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’ her Christmas cracker.

In terms of personal favorites Kenya teams with Gerald Albright for an ultra jazzy version of ‘Favorite Things’ yet all things considered the track that will keep me warm this Christmas is The Alan Carmen Project’s rendition of ‘River’ that features both Philippe Saisse and Gumbo Ortitz.  This classy cut would sound wonderful at any time of the year.

Major Harris - I Love You

Best known for his smash hit ‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’ which topped the Billboard R&B Chart in1975, Richmond, Virginia’s Major Harris enjoyed a long and distinguished career.  It included both solo success and stints with groups such as The Delfonics, The Charmers, The Teenagers, the Jarmels, and Nat Turner's Rebellion.

Shortly before his untimely death in 2012 he recorded some tracks on which members of the group INGRAM backed him.  Now, released as a five track EP, ‘I Love You’ is a delicious look back to the golden age of old school soul.  There is much to commend this collection, from cool sax from Sam Peake to Harris’s shimmering duet with Cherrill Rae on the Spinners blockbuster  ‘I’ll Be Around’.

Good stuff!