Smooth Jazz Therapy

Vincent Ingala - Escape With Me

With both the albums ‘Fire & Desire’ and ‘Echoes Of The Heart’ former Billboard Smooth Jazz Artist Of The Year Vincent Ingala cemented himself into the core of everything that is good about smooth jazz. Not only that, for ‘Fire & Desire’, Vincent played every instrument, from saxophones and keyboards to drums, guitar and bass. He also produced, recorded and mixed the entire set as well as writing all but one of the ten choice tunes.

Now, brand new for 2024, he is back with the delicious ‘Escape With Me’. It has already garnered the wonderfully funky ‘Movin And Shakin’, and now it is the turn of the title cut to take the airwaves by storm. This mid tempo gem with a vibe to die for is without doubt one of the best smooth jazz tracks of the year.

 

Lemek - Joint Connection

Time was when Smooth Jazz Therapy was all over the music if of sax-man Quentin Gerard W so it is particularly pleasing to feature his son, Lemek , who, from his base in New Orleans, is forging a career as a contemporary jazz guitarist.

Signed to the Trippin N Rhythm label Lemek made some considerable waves in 2023 with his album ‘Emergence’ ’from which the hugely infectious single ‘Groove Central’ was taken. It featured label mate Ryan La Valette on sax and now Lemek has again dipped his toe into the creative waters of ‘Emergence’ for his latest single ‘Joint Connection’ which checks every contemporary jazz box imaginable.

Make no mistake; this is one to look out for.

 

Jarez - Coming Back Around

In a varied career that now stretches back going on twenty years, Jarel Posey (who performs and records under the name of Jarez) has combined his goal of making smooth jazz cool again with plying his musical trade as the sax player for close friend and hip-hop star Coolio. In fact Jarez first started making waves in 2007 with the much vaunted debut album ‘To The Top’ and since then, with a combination of CD’s and singles, he has continued to articulate what contemporary jazz in the twenty first century should all be about.

His latest single is the up tempo sunshine filled 'Coming Back Around' that features bass - man Julian Vaughn and is well worth checking out

 

 

 

Boney James - All I Want Is You

Described by saxophonist and composer Boney James as “one of the most exciting vocal collaborations I have ever recorded” ‘All I Want Is You’ featuring critically acclaimed R&B vocalist October London is the first single from the highly anticipated ‘Slow Burn’ that will be released October 18 on the Concord label.

It will be Boney’s nineteenth studio album and includes an impressive list of guest collaborators including legendary bass player Marcus Miller who lends a hand on both ‘Arcadia’ and an extremely cool remake of the Herbie Hancock and Bennie Maupin classic ‘Butterfly’. Also around is multi-instrumentalist Jairus Mozee who has worked with the likes of Anderson Paak, Anthony Hamilton and Nikki Minaj. He co-writes and produces four of the tracks including the aforementioned   ‘All I Want Is You’.

Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘Slow Burn’.

 

Jonathan Fritzen - Celestial Summer

Back in February of this year the hot news was that almost two years since Billboard chart-topping pianist Jonathan Fritzén took the genre by storm with his sixth solo album, the outstanding ‘Piano Tales’ he was back with the decidedly atmospheric ‘Into The Source’.

Well, that was then and this is now so it should be no surprise that Fritzen has not only recaptured the mood but also the season with his delightfully chilled new single ‘Celestial Summer’.

Released on his own label, Nordic Night Records, ‘Celestial Summer’ confirms that Fritzen truly is a man for all seasons.

 

 

Jeff Ryan - Love Struck

In little over a year sax-man Jeff Ryan has delivered the Top 10 charting Billboard single ‘How I Feel With You’, the equally good ‘Where There’s Hope’ and now ‘Love `Struck’ that finds him reuniting with keyboard player Greg Manning who, with Ryan, co-wrote and produced ‘How I Feel With You’.

In fact since 2018 Jeff has been on something of a roll. Over the course of what has been relentless hit making this latest stop off with ‘Love Struck’ finds him teaming with new Woodward Avenue label mate guitarist Orianthi who steals the show not only with her unbridled energy but also a blistering rock guitar solo. Factor in the easy grooving help provided by Jay Gore on rhythm guitar and first call bass player Roberto Vally and what you have is a track one notch up from what might be described as your traditional sax-driven smooth jazz ballad and is sure to do well.

 

Kat Hawley - Rather Be

Out now on Adam Hawley’s MBF label, ‘X - IX –VIII’ is the debut album from (Adam’s wife) Kat Hawley. The first single from it, ‘Keep On Keeping On’, was released back in 2023 and included a featured performance from sax-man Steve Cole while her sophomore single, ‘Never Too Busy’ only served to heighten anticipation of the album to come. When it did arrive (in mid June) it was fan-fared by a third single, ‘Rather Be’ that has the sort of easy grooving ambience that is sure to be Kat’s trademark in the years to come.

 

Hank Bilal - Groove Me

Standing in what is a relatively short line of what are specialist smooth jazz trombone players, Hank Bilal is all set to release his hot now single ‘Groove Me’ that features sax-man Michael Lington. Indeed when one discounts the likes of Nick Lane, Jeff Bradshaw and (spasmodically) Brian Culbertson the Grammy nominated Bilal has a real opportunity to corner this niche market. ‘Groove Me ‘ will allow him to do just that.