Smooth Jazz Therapy

Summer Horns II From A To Z - Before I Let Go

In 2018, and five years on from the release of his ‘Summer Horns’ project that featured Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot, Dave Koz showed the world of smooth jazz that this big brassy concept was no flash on the pan.  Now, over twelve months on, ‘Summer Horns II From A to Z’ is still catching the attention of smooth jazz fans everywhere.

This stunning set of eleven timeless tunes finds Koz reunited with returnees Albright and Elliot plus new additions trumpeter Rick Braun and trombone player and vocalist Aubrey Logan.  Not only that, Dave has enlisted the input of a who’s who of arrangers including the legendary Tom Scott, Greg Adams and the GRAMMY award winning Gordon Goodwin.

‘This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)’ that was a top ten hit for Natalie Cole in 1975 and the Crusaders 1976 classic ‘Keep That Same Old Feeling’ have all been used to showcase the collection on radio and now joining them is a stunning instrumental interpretation of Frankie Beverly's hit ‘Before I Let Go’.

Make no mistake, this is music to party to and for those who have thus far let this one slip through their net ‘Summer Horns II From A to Z’ is a must.  Not only that, with fifteen concert dates on the schedule between now and the end of September those who grew up listening to bands such as Tower of Power and retain a hankering for the ‘horn-centric’ blockbusters of their youth the message is clear, get out there and make some noise.

Nicholas Cole - Soulmate

As the evolution of keyboard player Nicholas Cole continues apace all eyes are on the release date of his highly anticipated album ‘The Weekend’ that is expected later this year.

It has already garnered the hit single ‘Sugar’ and has now delivered the equally good ‘Soulmate’.

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’, Cole has been quietly building his reputation as one of smooth jazz’s brightest stars and now it is safe to say that his time has come.

U-Nam - Soul Walkin'

To celebrate the release of a very special Japanese edition of U-Nam’s Billboard Top 25 Best Selling Jazz Album ‘Future Love’, Skytown Records is making an unreleased song that didn’t end up on the album, available to radio.

Titled ‘Soul Walkin’’ it is the sort of easy grooving infectious track for which U-Nam is famous and the great news is that the song will be included in a deluxe worldwide edition of ‘Future Love’ which will be out ready for the Holidays.

Allen Carman Project - Carmanology

Although bass player Allen Carman shelved his musical aspirations twenty years ago it was a chance encounter with longtime friend and percussionist Gumbi Ortiz thatled to recording dates with keyboardist Philippe Saisse.  Then things began to get interesting.  Luis Alicea, Marc Antoine, Rick Braun, Andy Snitzer and Grammy-winning guitar legend Nile Rodgersall came on board to create what must be the most surprising super-group ever.

Testing the waters along the way with a series of radio singles that consistently hit the Billboard chart, this collective of musical soul mates morphed into the Allen Carman Project that has recently released it’s debut album, ‘Carmanology’.

Special EFX - Never Ending Love

Despite his award winning contributions to the world of television and film, guitarist, composer and arranger Chieli Minucci has (with the exception of a brief period in the late nineties) been synonymous with the evolution of jazz-fusion band Special EFX. In fact it was back in 1982 when the multi talented Minucci co-founded Special EFX with percussionist George Jinda. They released the bands eponymous debut CD in 1984 yet despite artistic differences, and Jinda’s untimely death in 2001, the impact of this Grammy nominated collective on the evolution of smooth jazz remains nothing short of immense.  This phenomenal musical journey shows no signs of winding down and as Special EFX moves into its 35th year of recording and touring they have recently released ‘Deep As The Night’, the band’s 21st studio recording and first on the Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm record label.

The fifth radio single from this choice album is the Drake inspired ‘Never Ending Love’, which gives Chieli Minucci the perfect canvas on which to paint a musical masterpiece.

Nice track

 

Reza Khan - Next Train Home

Domiciled in New York but born in Bangladesh, jazz guitarist Reza Khan really began to make waves with the CD ‘A Simple Plan’.  It garnered the radio singles ‘Language Of Love’ and the equally good ‘Blue Dreams In Rio’ while the follow up, ‘Dreamwalker’, scored an instant success with the deliciously accessible title track.  Now he is back with his fifth album, the highly recommended ‘Next Train Home’, a project made all that more remarkable for the fact that he balances his musical career with a ‘day job’ of being a United NationsProgram Manager, a role that regularly takes him to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.  In fact Khan wrote the music for ‘Next Train Home’ in 2018 during a six-week UN trip.

Back in the recording studio in New York, Khan surrounded himself with a stunning array of guest musicians including Philippe Saisse and Andy Snitzer who had both featured on Khan’s ‘Dreamwalker’ project.  Also on board were sax-man Jeff Kashiwa, pianist Matt King, bass player Mark Egan, percussionist Gumbi Ortiz,David Mann on sax and flute plus drummers Mauricio Zottarelli and Graham Hawthorne.  The result is a stunning array of contemporary and straight-ahead jazz, world music and Brazilian rhythms.

Mattias Roos - Rising To The Top

‘It Goes On And On’ is the title and ‘It Goes On And On’ is certainly the sentiment as Swedish keyboard player Mattias Roos comes roaring back with this stunning ten track collection that once again finds him at the top of his creative game.The opening number is the vibrant ‘Rising To the Top’ that also happens to be the first single to be serviced to radio.

Check it out.

 

 

Carol Albert - Sun's Out

In 2018 keyboard player and composer Carol Albert proved that in the world of contemporary jazz she was an emerging powerhouse.  A year on and Carol is going from strength to strength, first with the ultra classy and Brazilian-tinged ‘Femme Flight’ that included contributions from flautist Ragan Whiteside and sax player Magdalena Chovancova and and now with the wonderful ‘Sun’s Out’.

This vibrant Latin-spiced summer track is the first of Carol’s songs to be produced by hit-maker Paul Brown who also lends a hand on guitar. Add in Brown’s go-to bass player Roberto Vally and Gordon Campbell and what we have is a top-notch slice of smooth jazz.