Smooth Jazz Therapy

Patrick Bradley - Exhale

When, in 2017, jazz-fusion keyboard player Patrick Bradley released ‘Intangible’ on his own Song Factory label I described it as an album that was sure to find favour with fusion aficionados everywhere.  At its heart was Bradley’s collaboration with Jeff Lorber who, as well as producing throughout, combined with Bradley to co-write all ten numbers.  Now Bradley is back for 2021 with the excellent ‘Exhale’ and although he again teams with Lorber for two choice tunes the main thrust of his artistic interplay is with songwriter, producer and sax-man supreme Darren Rahn.  In fact Rahn produces and mixes nine numbers, performs on eight and co-writes seven with the first of these being ‘Completely Yours’ which is a mellifluous easy grooving concoction that proves to be the perfect showcase for Bradley’s talents.

 

Justin Lee Schultz - Gruv Kid

Multi-instrumentalist Justin Lee Schultz is thirteen.  Let me repeat that.  Justin Lee Schultz is thirteen and has already, dazzled audiences on TV shows such as Harry, Little Big Shots and American’s Most Musical Family.

His debut album, ‘Gruv Kid’, is out now on the Shanachie Entertainment label and, with featured performances from the likes of Bob James, Harvey Mason, Najee, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, and Pieces Of A Dream, is every bit as good as the early hype suggested it would be.

Take for instance his jazzy fusion tinged take on the Stevie Wonder classic ‘Do I Do’ or the foot tapping title cut which proves to be a slice of piano driven smooth jazz of the highest order.  In similar vein is the wonderful ‘Better Days Ahead’ and although the mellifluous ‘Color Blind’ is among the best that ‘Gruv Kid’ has to offer it is when Schultz eases down the tempo that he conjures up the magical ‘Miracle’ that has class written all over it.

 

Jackiem Joyner - Journey Of Passion

Fifteen years and still going strong, smooth jazz sophisticat Jackiem Joyner is back with a cool five track EP titled ‘Journey Of Passion’.  This mellifluous collection of all original music is quickly up and running with the edgy mid tempo ‘J Time’ that is rapidly evolving into a real Smooth Jazz Therapy favourite.  It’s the sort of number that Joyner’s legion of fans will instantly identify with and much the same can be said of the super chilled title cut which proves to be an instrumental ballad of the highest order.

Elsewhere Joyner keeps things mellow with ‘In Your Eyes’ that, quite simply, is beauty personified and although he lifts the tempo for the big, expansive ‘Road To Soul’ another of my personal favourites is the hugely atmospheric ‘The Space Between Us’ that glides along on a relaxed ‘steppers’ beat.

Joyner performed and produced all five tracks while under quarantine and although the original plan was to release it earlier in the year the production ended up taking a bit longer than expected.

Recommended

 

 

Jazz In Pink Featuring Gail Jhonson - Joy

That revolving door of female musical excellence Jazz In Pink was founded twelve years ago by the first lady of smooth jazz Gail Jhonson together with flautist Althea Rene and promoter Kyna Hubbard.   Since then over fifty women have graced the stage with them, both as headline artists or side musicians, and now Jazz in Pink is making its Shanachie Entertainment debut with the CD ‘Joy’ that hits the streets today.   Yet make no mistake ‘Joy’ is very much the Gail Jhonson show.  With ten of her own impeccable compositions this long time Musical Director for Norman Brown produces and plays keyboards throughout. The fact she is joined in her endeavours by label mates Kim Waters. Marion Meadows and Paul Jackson Jr. serves simply as the icing on a particularly tasty cake, a fact that becomes obvious from as early as the opening track, the deliciously smooth ‘Joy Joy’, that incidentally was the first single to be serviced to radio.

Alexander Zonjic - Playing It Forward

 

Flautist Alexander Zonjic has been a shaper of the genre since the release of his self-titled debut CD in 1978.  Since then, and with a myriad of complementary musical activities, he has balanced his solo career with being a DJ and club owner in his adopted city of Detroit.

Yet by birth Zonjic is Canadian.  He grew up in Windsor, Ontario where at age 21, and after playing guitar as a teenager, he discovered the flute.  On leaving college Zonjic often played at jazz clubs in the Detroit area and one evening, jazz keyboardist Bob James happened to catch his act.  It led to an immediate invitation to join James’ band.  Recording sessions with Earl Klugh, Kirk Whalum, Harvey Mason, and Angela Bofill soon followed and as a guest soloist Zonjic appeared on Bob James’ ‘Ivory Coast’ project where he can be heard on the hit tune ‘Ashanti’.

Over the years his discography has expanded with a clutch of intriguing projects that, although jazz based, have also included seasonal and classical offerings.  Zonjic’s 2004 album ‘Seldom Blues’ (which featured Bob James, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber and James K Lloyd) was received to critical acclaim and ‘Doin The D’ which came along five years later was equally well received.  His latest offering is the decidedly jazzy ‘Playing It Forward’, which with tracks written by Jeff Lorber, Bob James and James K Lloyd feels very much like a reunion of like-minded musical friends.

Randy Scott - Elevation

Already fan-fared by the hot radio single ‘Joy Ride’, ‘Elevation’ is the latest project from Detroit based sax-man Randy Scott who burst into the scene in 2015 with the album ‘Serenity’

Perhaps ‘Elevation’ is best summed up by the feisty title cut that demonstrates to perfection the penchant Scott has for big, ballsy sax driven smooth jazz.  Equally fulsome is ‘Sanctity’ that has the sort of hook that could well become infectious yet when Scott turns down the tempo the result is just as good.

This is particularly so with the decidedly moody ‘Day Dreams’ that includes a featured performance from trumpeter Cindy Bradley and again with ‘Intimacy’ which proves to be a sumptuous slice of instrumental quiet storm.

Scott keeps it mellow for ‘Tempo’ that is anchored by vocals from Anesha Birchett and he closes out ‘Elevation’ with the interesting named ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’ that uses Hammond B3 as a scene setter before kicking open the door to more of Scott’s smoky sax.

He again hits the gas and then some with the high octane and appropriately titled ‘Ignite’ and although ‘Step’ has all the attributes of being a dance floor filler in the making the Smooth Jazz Therapy top track is the sublime ‘Affection’.

Take a listen, right here, right now.

 

‘Elevation’ is out now on Trippin n Rhythm and is well worth checking 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.

Paul Hardcastle - Hardcastle IX

Just short of two years since the release on Trippin N Rhythm of Paul Hardcastle’s ‘Hardcastle 8’ comes the logically titled ‘Hardcastle IX’.

All things considered ‘Hardcastle IX’ finds PH in decidedly chilled mode and none more so than with the distinctly ethereal ‘Welcome To The Morning’.  Several tracks later he sends out another welcome, in fact ‘Welcome To The Beach’, that is as light and airy as the title suggests it might be.  It possesses the usual Hardcastle elements of smoky sax and seductive rhythm while elsewhere the moody ‘Outside My Window’ possesses a tension that just builds and builds.

U-Nam - Each Day A Gift EP

Innovator par excellence U-Nam has done it again.  He is releasing an EP built around the track ‘Each Day A Gift’, that originated both in instrumental and vocal form on his hot new CD ‘U-Nam Goes Big Band’.  In addition to these original two versions the EP also includes the associated radio edits plus a brand new smooth funk remix featuring vocals from Tim ‘TiO’ Owens.  With a velvety horn foundation and a mood that has a George Duke meets Earth Wind & Fire thing going on, this really is U-Nam at his very best and is all the more remarkable for the way he has re-constructed the song from its Latin tinged roots.

Reaching out as it does to both smooth jazz stations and more R & B orientated outlets this is an EP that could well be a radio programmers dream.

Euge Groove - Sing My Song

Ever since 2000, when the runaway hit single ‘Vinyl’ blasted him into the contemporary jazz spotlight, the always-excellent Euge Groove has been the real smooth jazz deal.  The song was lifted from his self titled Warner Bros debut CD and set in motion a solo career that can not only be measured by his blockbuster live shows around the world but also by a discography of eleven best selling albums which is all set to become twelve with ‘Sing My Song’ that is released today, June 26, on the Shanachie label.

Kim Waters - Shakedown

For three decades Kim Waters has reigned supreme as one of the premier exponents of contemporary jazz.  Indeed Since 1989, and the release of his debut CD ‘Sweet & Saxy’, sax-man composer and producer Waters has been a constant on the urban-jazz landscape.  With a reputation for being one of the most technically gifted players around, he has released twenty-three recordings as a leader and has just made that twenty-four with ‘Shakedown’ on the always excellent Shanachie Entertainment label.

Oli Silk - 6

With a string of choice albums to his name and a profile that makes him the United Kingdom’s favorite smooth jazz keyboard player, the superb Oli Silk is back with his sixth solo project, the appropriately titled ‘6’.  With eleven 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 biggest names in contemporary jazz.

U-Nam Goes Big Band - The Remixes

In conjunction with Skytown Records, and with all profits going to the fight against COVID-19, jazz guitarist and Billboard chart-topper U-Nam is creating a four track ‘EP’ of remixes from his ‘U-Nam Goes Big Band’ recording.

‘U-Nam Goes Big Band’ is a sumptuous eleven track rendering of sophisticated mood jazz and since its release on March 30 has made a fabulous start in both the Jazz and Smooth Jazz Radio Charts.  This week it became most added on Jazzweek while the first single, ‘Dance’ was most added on the Billboard National Airplay chart.

A second single, ‘Each Day A Gift’ featuring vocalist Steve Brookstein is slated for imminent release while the remix project shines a dazzling spotlight on the creativity that has long been U-Nam’s calling card.

Take for example his ‘Nu-Orleans’ remix of  ‘In The Blink Of An Eye’ for which he adds a whole load of zest and guarantees to set feet tapping everywhere.  Not only that, the expansive Latin flavoured ‘Miami Remix’ of ‘The One’ is perhaps an even greater hip swayer than the album original while another track with a decidedly Latin disposition is the wonderful ‘The World To Me’ that U-Nam embellishes with his own special brand of ‘Electro Swing’.

The extended player’s only vocal number is the appropriately named ‘From Estonia With Love’ remix of the vibrant ‘The Dance Must Go On’ which would fit perfectly on any James Bond soundtrack.  Mixing elements of hip-hop and R & B with a distinctly Cab Calloway vibe, U-Nam also makes full use of wah wah trumpet from Christian Martinez to build an inspirational platform for Susanna Eleksandra’s smoky vocals.  Make no mistake, and picking up on the James Bond theme, this is a track that will leave the listener both shaken and stirred.

There are only a few established artists capable of taking a genre busting U-turn to reinvent themselves with a project such as ‘U-Nam Goes Big Band’.  U-Nam is certainly one of them.

U-Nam - U-Nam Goes Big Band

There are only a few established artists who are capable of reinventing themselves and jazz guitarist and Billboard chart-topper U-Nam is certainly one of them.  As if to prove it he will release the genre busting ‘U-Nam Goes Big Band’, March 27, 2020, on the Skytown Records label.

Coming off the back of a scintillating 2019 that saw him enjoy huge chart success with his sensational ‘Future Love Parts 1 and 2’ (that reached #20 on the Top 25 Billboard Jazz Best Selling Album chart and #8 in the Contemporary Jazz category) this is an exciting new direction for U-Nam to take but, with nine top 30 Billboard hits already to his name and an approach recognised as always innovative and often daring, his reputation for shaking the musical world to its core is already firmly in place.

‘U-Nam Goes Big Band’, a sumptuous eleven track rendering of sophisticated mood jazz, is made even more enticing by the amazing back-story that first put it on U-Nam’s radar.  A phone call to his Los Angeles studio from Estonian producer Mikk Targo is all it took.  Targo, CEO and Founder of the Estonian Author Society EAU had, for the past several years, been working with a panel of music industry experts to select from what was generally regarded as the best one hundred songs Estonia has ever produced.  As they did so a body of work emerged that was not only a glimpse into the nation’s musical heritage but also an outstanding showcase for the renowned Lutz Krajenski Big Band.

Under The Lake - Your Horizons Too

Contemporary jazz collective Under The Lake is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Jayson Tipp and after a stop start, evolving line-up, kind of existence the band is back with ‘Your Horizon Too’ that will be released April 3 on the Mind In Overdrive label.

For Under The Lake it all got started in San Diego with the 1993 debut recording ‘Dive In’ and ‘Up For Air’ that followed three years later.  A ten-year hiatus, during which Tipp took time out to raise a family, ensued before the critically acclaimed ‘People Together’ hit the streets.  At the time I described it as being an amalgam of upbeat, joyful melodies and grooving hooks yet when Tipp returned to the studio in 2018 with ‘Jazz Groove & Attitude’ he did so with completely different personnel.

For ‘Your Horizon Too’ Tipp has reconnected with long time collaborators Richard Sellers on drums and Nathan Brown on bass while adding ‘new boy’ guitarist Patrick Yandall to the mix.  Steeped in the laid back musical confines of San Diego, Yandall is a player that has rhythm and melody pumping through every vein of his body and completing the quartet is another Smooth Jazz Therapy favorite, sax man Quintin Gerard W.

Chris Standring - Real Life

Arguably England’s most successful smooth jazz export, Chris Standring has, with a succession of attention grabbing releases, carved out a unique place in the annals of contemporary jazz. Often soulful, always compelling and disposed from time to time to weave orchestral tapestries into his guitar driven melodies he is a performer who never disappoints.  Consequently it should be no surprise that ‘Real Life’, even at this early stage, seems destined to become one of the best recordings of 2020.

Vincent Ingala - Echoes Of The Heart

When, back in 2018, I reviewed ‘Personal Touch’ by writer, producer and multi instrumentalist Vincent Ingala I described him as being the breath of fresh air that smooth jazz fans had long been craving.  Now, with a street date of February 21, he is back with the excellent ‘Echoes Of The Heart’.  This ten-track tour de force includes nine original compositions plus one carefully crafted cover and with guest performances from David Benoit and Steve Oliver is the sort of project that will continue Ingala’s fast track progress toward the upper echelons of the genre.

Konstantin Klashtorni - 7 x 7

Konstantin Klashtorni has done more than most in extending the global reach of smooth jazz.  Originally from the Ukraine and now domiciled in Germany this fine multi instrumentalist has been building an extensive discography for the last sixteen years and is all set to add to it with the February 14 release of the superb ‘7 x 7’.  The date is significant in that it coincides with Klashtorni’s 49^thbirthday, a milestone that he has used to bestow the album with its title.

‘7 x 7’ isa sumptuous eleven track collection of gentle rhythms and compelling melodies that draws on all Klashtorni’s experiences as solo artist, master of chill and king of cool.