Smooth Jazz Therapy

Adam Hawley - Just Dance

Adam Hawley’s latest project is ‘Double Vision’ and having already delivered the excellent ‘Can You Feel It’ and the zesty ‘Traveling Mood’ (that features bass player Julian Vaughn) the latest single to be offered to radio is ‘Just Dance’.

‘Double Vision’ has already made it to number 2 on the Amazon Sales chart, the top ten of the iTunes chart, the top 25 of the Billboard Jazz Album sales chart and has garnered two number 1 singles on the Billboard Smooth Jazz airplay chart.

Now ‘Just Dance’ (with Dave Koz on sax) looks like making that three.

U-Nam & Nikki Sax - Havana

A musical trendsetter with nine (yes nine) top 30 Billboard hits to his name writer, producer and guitarist extraordinaire Emmanuel “U-Nam” Abiteboul continues to invigorate the world of smooth jazz with an approach that is both innovative and daring.  A string of solo albums, with another planned for March of this year, plus side projects such as the critically acclaimed Groove Ltd (via which he released the hugely successful ‘First Class’) have marked him out as a perennial trend setter and now, brand new for 2019, he is all set to do it again with ‘Call Me Saxy’.

This cool collaboration that is due for release on the Skytown Records label in the first quarter of 2019 finds him teaming with an exciting all female line-up of sax players including his latest protégé Nikki Sax and it is Nikki who features with U-Nam on ‘Havana’, the first single from the album to be serviced to radio.

The duos’ sumptuous reworking of the song that in 2017 was a hit for Cuban-American vocalist Camila Cabello is a triumph for U-Nam’s production skills.  Gone is the rap that on the original was provided by Young Thug and in its place is the sophisticated interplay, underscored with a smooth Latin lilt, which showcases to perfection the artistry of Nikki on sax and U-Nam on guitar.

All this points to a meteoric rise for Nikki, a classically trained musician, who was raised and educated in the Ukraine and at age twenty-one, has already performed in India, Turkey and extensively within her home country.

Indeed with looks that are stunning, talent to burn and a newly signed recording contract with Skytown Records the stage seems set for Nikki Sax to be the next big thing in sax driven smooth jazz.

‘Havana’ is the first single to be taken from U-Nam’s ‘Call Me Saxy’ and will be going for adds January 28, 2019.

 

Nicholas Cole - Sugar

With a discography that includes the 2010 breakthrough album ‘A Journey Of One’, ‘Endless Possibilities’ that followed two years later and the 2015 blockbuster ‘Night Sessions’, keyboard player Nicholas Cole has been quietly building his reputation as one of smooth jazz’s brightest stars.

He has also featured on recent collections from some luminaries of the genre including Brian Simpson, Steve Cole, Julian Vaughn, Lebron, Elisabeth Mis, Lin Rountree, Jeff Kashiwa and Marcus Anderson.

Now his evolution is all set to continue with ‘The Weekend’ that is expected to be released later this year and from which the hot new single ‘Sugar’ is taken.  This edgy, easy grooving gem is a hit in the making and clearly one to look out for.

Norman Brown - Free

Often compared to George Benson, the always excellent Norman Brown has been effortlessly fusing the finer elements of jazz, R & B, pop and blues for the past twenty years.  In so doing he has created his own instantly identifiable musicology that is about to be added to in no small measure by ‘The Highest Act Of Love’ that will be released February 22, 2019 on the onShanachie Entertainment label.

A real highlight of this choice collection (which also includes the bluesy guitar duet ‘Inside The Garden Of Peace And Love’ with Paul Brown) is a beautiful collaboration with R&B legend Deniece Williams on her signature song ‘Free’.

Check it out and look back here often for more news on ‘The Highest Act Of Love’.

Keiko Matsui - Spirit Dance

Always positioned at the high quality end of the contemporary jazz spectrum, Keiko Matsui will release ‘Echo’, her 28th studio album on February 22, 2019.

Characterised by lush harmonies and global rhythms the collection includes featured performances from Marcus Miller, Kirk Whalum, Robben Ford and, significantly, Gretchen Parlato who Keiko met on a cruise several years ago.

The use of her voice as an instrument of percussion proves to be the perfect fit with ‘Spirit Dance’, which happens to be the first track from the CD to be serviced to radio.  Indeed the song’s chorus seems totally made for her.

Check back here soon for more on Keiko Matsui and ‘Echo’.

 

Allen Carman Project - State Of Mine

A musician turned lawyer who then returned to music, bass player Allen Carman has teamed with legendary producer, songwriter and keyboard player Philippe Saisse, percussionist Gumbo Ortiz, drummer Luis Alicea and highly rated sax-man Andy Snitzer to form the Allen Carman Project.

The collective’s new single is a smooth jazz mix of the Saisse composition ‘State Of Mine’ which, as a pop mix, can also be found on Chic’s new album ‘It’s About Time’ and as if to repay the writing favour Chic front man Nile Rogers lends a hand on guitar.

The shuffling beat is pure Rogers yet this jazzy tour de force is replete with standout performances.  For instance check out the Philippe Saisse keyboard solo that is out of this world.

Good track

John Novello - Good To Go

With hit albums such as ‘B3 Soul’ and ‘Ivory Soul’ former keyboard player with Taste of Honey John Novello has steadily been nudging himself into the consciousness of smooth jazz fans everywhere.  A case in point is ‘Crush’, the lead single from ‘Ivory Soul’ that featured Gerald Albright and which showed off an edgy, high-octane side to his musical persona.  Now he is back with the soon to be released ‘Good To Go’ from which the lead single and title cut is as good a slice of mid tempo contemporary jazz as will be heard anywhere.

One worth looking out for it features smooth jazz heavyweights Eric Marienthal, Adam Hawley and Eric Valentine

Carol Albert - Femme Flight

Keyboard player and composer Carol Albert proved in 2018 that, in the world of contemporary jazz, she is an emerging powerhouse.  Now, fresh for 2019, and with her latest single ‘Femme Flight’, it would seem she has lost none of her momentum.

This ultra classy and Brazilian-tinged number features Carol on piano plus contributions from two of the genre's most acclaimed emerging artists, flautist Ragan Whiteside and sax player Magdalena Chovancova.

Mixed by Paul Brown and produced, written and arranged by Carol Albert this is a nice way to start the New Year