Smooth Jazz Therapy

Vincent Ingala - Shadow Dancer

Released back in September 2021 ‘Fire & Desire’ from sax-man Vincent Ingala is his seventh solo album, his third on the Shanachie Entertainment label, and the follow up to his excellent 2020 CD ‘Echoes Of The Heart’.  Already described elsewhere as his strongest album to date ‘Fire & Desire’ is getting a timely shot in the arm with the servicing to radio of the excellent ‘Shadow Dancer’.  Edgy yet sultry this sublime number offers a mid tempo backdrop to something altogether more intimate and with the release date slated for February 14, Valentines Day, could be the perfect gift for the one you love.

 

 

Paul Hardcastle - Wavelength

It was in 2018 that Paul Hardcastle’s ‘Hardcastle 8’ was released and two years later he followed that up with ‘Hardcastle IX’.  Consequently it should come as no surprise that in 2022 ‘Hardcastle X’ will hit the streets and in doing so provide exactly what his legion of fans expect him to.

Indeed the first single to be serviced to radio, ‘Wavelength’, is testimony of this so check back soon for a complete review of ‘Hardcastle X’

David Benoit - A Midnight Rendezvous

David Benoit’s highly anticipated new album, ‘A Midnight Rendezvous ‘ which will hit the streets February 18, 2022 finds him recording for the very first time with a big band under his own leadership.  It is a venture for which he is joined by a plethora of guest artists including Shanachie label mates keyboard player Jeff Lorber and sax man Eric Marienthal while the first track to be serviced to radio is the splendid title cut.  Co-written by Benoit and bass player Roberto Vally it is a fabulous taster for what ‘A Midnight Rendezvous ‘ has to offer.

Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘A Midnight Rendezvous ‘.

Bob James Trio - Feel Like Making Live

 

Four years after the release of ‘Espresso’ multi-Grammy award winning keyboard player Bob James returns to the trio format with the sensational ‘Feel Like Making Live’.  With Bob’s unique artistry immaculately on show ‘Feel Like Making Live’ reflects a storied career that stretches back fifty-nine years and reunites him with the piano trio format with which he began his professional music career in 1963.

Comprising bass player Michael Palazzolo and drummer Billy Kilson, this blend of youth and experience is an integral component of a collection that reaches back in time to embrace Bob’s musical roots.

Oli Silk - Out To Lunch

When, back in June 2020, I reviewed ‘6’ from the United Kingdom’s favorite contemporary jazz keyboard player, Oli Silk, I quickly identified the Bob James inspired ‘Out To Lunch’ as Smooth Jazz Therapy’s top track’.  Well, it took awhile but eighteen months on ‘Out To Lunch’ is being serviced to radio where it is sure to do well.

As for ‘6’, with eleven brand new compositions plus one carefully crafted cover this cool twelve-track collection not only finds Silk in top form but also in the company of some of the genre’s heaviest hitters.

Add in understated contributions from Oli Silk regulars Mark Jaimes on guitar, Wesley Joseph on drums plus Orefo Orakwue on bass and what you have is an album that was then, and still is now, a terrific piece of work.

 

 

Mattias Roos - Can You Feel The Love

‘Can You Feel The Love’ by Swedish keyboard player Mattias Roos is the latest single from the album that is slated for release mid 2022.  Indeed, following as it does the sumptuous ‘Commercial Free’ and the equally engaging ‘You Might Need Somebody’, there seems little doubt that this will be a collection with a gift that keeps on giving.  Not only that, if ‘Can You Feel The Love’ is anything to go by, it has the potential to be his best yet.

It puts into sharp focus the penchant he has for sublimely fusing smooth jazz grooves with an authentic old school vibe that first emerged in 2011 with the band Soweto that he formed with drummer Peter Gustavsson.  Now, in the artistically friendly confines of Skytown Records, he is simply going from strength to strength.

‘Can You Feel The Love’ finds Roos in superb collaboration with regular members of his supporting entourage, sax-man Greger Hillman, guitarist Ingemar Åberg and Wictor Persson on drums.  Add in ‘go to’ bass player Dwayne ‘Smitty’ Smith and here is a combination with what it takes to capture the trademark groove that Mattias has very much made is own.

Mattias Roos made his Skytown debut in 2017 with the critically acclaimed album ‘Movin’ Up’.  The equally good ‘It Goes On And On’ followed two years later yet that wasn’t quite the end of the ‘It Goes On And On’ story.  In 2020 it was released as a deluxe version with four additional tracks and an outstanding reworking of ‘Bring It On’ that this time featured Michael Lington on sax.  Not surprisingly it proved to be a runaway chart success.

Now he is set to ‘Feel The Love’ all over again.'Can You Feel The Love' will officially go for adds on January 10, 2022.

Lindsey Webster - I Didn't Mean It

Ahead of Lindsey Webster’s new album, that will hit the streets Spring 2022 on the Shanachie Entertainment label, comes the sumptuously jazzy radio single ‘I Didn’t Mean It’.   It features Brian Culbertson on trombone, Lil John Roberts on Drums, Lenny Castro on Percussion, Chris Snowden on bass, Chris Harris on guitar and Lindsay’s long time writing partner Keith Slattery on keys.

The recording follows her 2020 outing ‘A Woman Like Me’ which included the smooth and sophisticated ‘Only You’ that not only marked her out a star of the future, but also made her a ‘go to’ vocalist for a whole range of contemporary jazz a-listers.

Check back here soon for more on Lindsey Webster’s brand new CD.

Nick Colionne - An Obituary

The smooth jazz community is mourning the death of contemporary jazz guitarist Nick Colionne who passed away today, New Years Day, 2022.  Throughout his illustrious career Colionne was never anything short of being the consummate live performer and along the way gained a well deserved reputation as being the best-dressed man in smooth jazz.  I was lucky enough to see Nick perform on many occasions so as my very personal tribute to him I am reproducing below my review of a show he performed in 2006 at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. Illinois.  Nick, you will be greatly missed.

The auditorium of Prairie State College is tucked away in Chicago Heights, Illinois, and it is there that former WNUA DJ Denise Jordan Walker is actualizing her concept of Candid Jazz And Conversations.   The opportunity to witness top notch smooth jazz artists perform and talk about both their music and their life is precious and the formula that Jordan Walker has devised by which to do it looks to be a real winner.  On Sunday February 26 it was the turn of guitar player Nick Colionne to step into the Jazz and Conversations spotlight for an evening that firmly positioned him as one of the most engaging, interesting, and talented performers around.  This was an essentially Chicago event as Colionne, happy and comfortable in his hometown surroundings, was interviewed by journalist Mark Ruffin and bass player and fellow Chicago native Mike Manson.  The conversation and the opportunity that the appreciative audience got to ask questions from the floor gave an incredible insight into a career that has had its fair share of twists and turns but through which Colionne has remained true to his principles of playing original smooth jazz with a distinct edge.