Smooth Jazz Therapy

Special EFX - Twenty Twenty 2

Just released, ‘Twenty Twenty 2’ from sophisticated super group Special EFX marks the band’s forty years of making music and despite the frequent changes in personnel that have characterised the evolution of this cool collective the creative constant of Chilli Minucci remains front back and centre.  In fact Minucci co-founded Special EFX thirty-five years ago with the now deceased George Jinda and here he writes eleven new tunes, reworks two previous tracks from back in the day and adds a neat remake of the rock classic ‘In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed’.

Christophe Goze - Slow

‘Slow’ from composer, producer and guitarist Christophe Goze is a selection of fourteen of his best slow vocal tracks and soulful melodies. Featuring the voices of Odis Palmer & Cathy Battistessa it is a collection that follows hot on the heels of Christophe’s  ‘Soul To Soul’ which I previously described as a fine example of everything Goze does best, blending contemporary jazz with ambient and world vibes.

 ‘Slow’ is music with which to calm the soul in a world that often seems to be going too fast.  As such is to be complimented.

 

 

Najee - Dr Dolittle

Well known for his classy virtuosity, Grammy nominated sax and flute player Najee has been one of the most influential figures in contemporary jazz for the past thirty plus years.  He enjoyed his first big break in 1983 when, with his brother Fareed, he toured with Chaka Khan.  This in turn brought him to the attention of producer Charles Huggins and it was through Huggins that Najee cut his debut long player for EMI, ‘Najees Theme’, in 1986.  The album went platinum and, as they say, the rest his history.  Since then Najee has added seventeen more releases plus one ‘best of’ collection. Now, on the Shanachie Entertainment label, he is back with his latest offering, ‘Savoir Faire’.

Ahead of this comes the first radio single ‘Dr Dolittle’ that features Frank Wilkens on piano, Freddie Fox on guitar plus a kick ass horn section comprising Mike Parlett on sax and the always excellent Lee Thornburg on trumpet, trombone and flugelhorn.

Nice track.

Ryan La Valette - Closer To You

Taken from his Trippin’ N Rhythm debut recording ‘New Beginnings’, ‘Closer To You’ by Ryan La Valette is a cool collaboration with Chris “Big Dog” Davis and very much in the category of quiet storm smooth jazz.

For ‘New Beginnings’ New Zealand bred and based multi instrumentalist Ryan La Valette enlisted the help of three of the genre’s top producers and keyboard players, Nicholas Cole, Greg Manning and Chris “Big Dog” Davis.  The aim was to showcase his prowess both as a songwriter and performer on guitar, bass and saxophone.  If ‘Closer To You’ is anything to go by he has done this and then some.

 

 

Christophe Goze - Soul To Soul

The latest album from composer, producer and guitarist Christophe Goze is the wonderfully rhythmic ‘Soul To Soul’.  It is a fine example of everything that Goze does best, blending contemporary jazz with ambient and world vibes whilst leaning on the influences he has picked up while living in eight, yes eight, different countries.

The entire collection shimmers with a distinctly cinematic quality that betrays the passion Christophe has for movie soundtracks.  He has scored the music for many projects both in Europe and in the USA yet his versatility does not stop there.  Working in the world of television advertising he was nominated in 2001 in the category ‘Best Music In A TV Advert’ for his work on the Lynx commercial.

In terms of musical highlights the easy grooving title cut checks all the boxes.  In this respect is in the fine company of ‘The Nightfly’ that Goze delivers as a concise three minutes twenty second version and again as an extended five minutes thirty-four second extravaganza.

Elsewhere he teams with fellow guitarist Marc Antoine for the super tight ‘At The End Of The Street’ which is right up there with the best that ‘Soul To Soul’ has to offer yet all things considered the Smooth Jazz Therapy top track is the heavily ambient ‘You & I’.  Served up in instrumental form and with subliminal vocals this one is a real winner.

‘Soul To Soul’ is Christophe’s sixth solo album and comes highly recommended.

 

 

Gary Honor - Deep Blue

Back in February of 2020, during what might be described as the quiet before the COVID storm, Australian sax-man Gary Honor hit the scene with the Latin flavoured ‘The Pulse’.  Produced by Skinny Hightower, it featured Cheili Minucci on guitar and was intended as the first single from what was to become ‘Momentum’.

Then came the pandemic and everything stopped.

That said, just over twelve months later, Gary was back with his follow up single ‘Bang Bang Bang’.  This hard driving number, which was written and produced by serial hit-maker Michael Broening, gave Honor the inertia he was looking for and this momentum carried him into the summer of 2021 and the appropriately titled ‘Summer Cool’.

Now he is all set to do it again with the fourth single from the album, the high octane ‘Deep Blue’.

 

 

U-Nam & California Funk Machine - Rockit

Hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed California Funk Machine Volume 1 and ahead of Volume 2, that is expected to hit the streets later this year, comes a tasty interpretation of Herbie Hancock’s 1983 blockbuster ‘Rockit’.

California Funk Machine is not just a collection of music. California Funk Machine is a concept, a style, a coming together of like minded musical brethren to breath new life into some of the hottest funk, disco, soul and jazz funk classics of the 70’s and 80’s. Much like everything else associated with this groundbreaking project the driving force behind it is none other than Billboard chart topping artist, Platinum producer and multi instrumentalist Emmanuel “U-Nam” Abiteboul who, since moving to Los Angeles from his native Paris, France in 2007, has built a reputation for knowing funk like no one else knows funk.

Indeed his contribution to California Funk Machine reaches far and wide and none more so than with the feisty ‘Rockit’, a track that at the time was characterized by its distinctive scratch style which came courtesy of DJ Grand Mixer DXT.  Here U-Nam calls on LA based DJ, composer, music producer, remixer, and sound designer DJ Puzzle to retain that same vibe.  It complements to perfection his own ultra funky trademark guitar and in doing so makes the impossible a reality by rendering the song even more funky than the high octane original.

 ‘Rockit’ will be going for adds in April 18 so prepare for blast off as U-Nam takes you deep into his very own funkosphere.

The message from him is clear -  “May The Funk Be With U”.

For more on California Funk Machine go to www.californiafunkmachine.com

Brian Simpson - What I'm Waiting For

When, in June 2021, pianist, composer and producer Brian Simpson released the excellent  ‘All That Matters’, I immediately identified it as one of the best albums of the smooth jazz year with the Smooth Jazz Therapy top track being the beat driven ‘What I’m Waiting For’ that came complete with outstanding sax from Steve Alanis.

Well it seems like a lot of people agreed as ‘What I’m Waiting For’ has just been serviced to radio.

Check it out