Smooth Jazz Therapy

Boney James - Full Effect

Released in April of this year, ‘Solid’ is Boney James’ seventeenth solo album and follows his 2017 blockbuster ‘Honestly’ which became his eleventh #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album chart.

All eleven tracks from ‘Solid’ were produced, written or co-written by the four-time GRAMMY nominated sax-man while three of them, ‘Full Effect’, ‘Tonic’ and the title cut, were constructed around licks played at sound-check by touring guitarist Kendall Gilder while on the road in support of the ‘Honestly’ project

Check out the result right here right now.

 

 

Darryl Williams - There's Always Tomorrow

It was back in 2017 when San Diego based bass-man Darryl Williams scored a huge success when the title cut from his solo CD ‘Here To Stay’ powered its way onto the Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Twenty Tracks of that year.

Often found playing bass for some of the biggest names in smooth jazz including Peter White, Mindi Abair, Euge Groove, Michael Lington, Everette Harp, Gerald Albright, Keiko Matsui and Richard Elliot, Williams is also one of the main stage bassists for the Dave Koz and Friends Jazz Cruise.  His latest CD, which will be released later this year, is titled ‘Cherish’ and the lead single ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’ pretty much sums up what Williams and his music is all about. 

Fabulous track

 

 

Skinny Hightower - Blue Moon

Earlier this year it was the intensely rhythmic ‘Bittersweet’ that heralded in the album ‘Blue Moon’ from Trippin n Rhythm recording artist and multi instrumentalist Skinny Hightower.   Now it is the title cut that is being serviced to radio and what a track this one is.  On the one hand moody and sultrily hypnotic on the other this  top notch slice of contemporary jazz is well worth checking out.

‘Blue Moon’ is Skinny’s fourth album release and follows his 2016 debut recording ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘Emotions’ that followed a year later and ‘Retrospect’ from which came the single ‘One Way Street’ that I described at the time as checking every smooth jazz box imaginable.

 

 

The Braxton Brothers - Back In My Arms

Written, performed and produced by the Braxton Brothers, ‘Back In My Arms’ is the latest single from the duo’s current CD ‘Higher’.

For this San Diego based pairing the album signifies a welcome return to their smooth jazz roots and is in fact their first overtly contemporary jazz project since 2004 and ‘Rollin’. 

Complemented in no small measure by a big ballsy chorus ‘Back In My Arms’ is guaranteed to start feet tapping everywhere.

Nice track.

 

 

Bob Baldwin - Back To Basics (Family First)

I have been in love with the music of Bob Baldwin since 2002 and the release of the stunning ‘Standing Tall’.  Now, with his thirty second CD Baldwin reveals the fruits of his labours while staying home, staying off the road, locking down in quarantine and immersing himself in the interlocking processes of producing, arranging, writing and performing.  The first single from this soon to be released project is the utterly sumptuous ‘Back To Basics (Family First)’ which might just prove to be the best slice of keyboard driven smooth jazz this year.

Check it out.

 

 

Andrey Chmut - Soulmate

Brand new for the summer is the up-tempo sunshine filled ‘Soulmate’ from sax-man Andrey Chmut.  With all ten tracks written and arranged by Chmut, it builds on the impact this talented player made with his 2018 Skytown Records debut ‘Smoothability’ which included the tune ‘Moving Forward’ that featured the timeless Bob James on electric piano.  Quickly becoming a staple on Sirius XM Watercolors it was also one of the station’s favorite songs of 2019.

The high octane ‘Soulmate’ opens exactly in the way it means to continue with the deliciously upbeat ‘Night Town’ that features superb interplay between Chmut on alto sax and Alex Logvinenko on keys.  It establishes an intensity that permeates the entire collection and this is also apparent with ‘Dance With Me’ that not only finds Chmut bringing it home with his driving yet melodic playing on soprano sax but also Gennadii Bondar making a contribution on guitar that is reminiscent of Peter White at his best.

Najee - Speak Love

Taken from Najee’s splendid 2019 project ‘Center Of The Heart’ the up-tempo ‘Speak Love’ was written by keyboard player Greg Manning whose reputation for delivering big, ballsy and memorable smooth jazz tunes knows no bounds.

This is one such track and well worth checking out.