Smooth Jazz Therapy

Dave Koz & Friends - The Christmas Waltz

As that revolving door of smooth jazz superstardom, The Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour 2023, wends its way around the USA, the fresh new line-up evokes memories of the 2022 incarnation of what remains a standout event of the smooth jazz year.

Back then it was pianist David Benoit, trumpeter Rick Braun and guitarist Peter White on stage with Dave while vocals came courtesy of rising star Rebecca Jade. The tour was supported by Dave’s eighth seasonal CD, ‘Dave Koz & Friends: Christmas Ballads (25^th Anniversary Collection’) so sit back, relax and enjoy a track from that album ‘The Christmas Waltz’ with Koz, Benoit, Braun and White doing Christmas like only they can.

 

 

David Garfield - All I Want For Chrstmas Is You

When keyboard player David Garfield decided to record a new version of one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time he knew he had to do something that would stand out from the crowd. He did so and then some by enlisting the help of contemporary jazz icon Tom Scott for a version of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ that evokes the classic California rhythms and sounds of a much remembered era.

Saxophonist and composer Tom Scott, as well as being a ‘go to’ pop and rock session player and bandleader in the 70s and 80s, was also a pioneer of what became known as smooth jazz. The cross over success he enjoyed with his own band, The LA Express, laid a platform for a succession of solo fusion tinged albums such as ‘Them Changes’ (1990), ‘Reed My Lips’ (1994) ‘Night Creatures’ (1995) and ‘New Found Freedom’ in 2002. The ‘Night Creatures’ project included the track ‘Don’t Get Any Better’ with a blistering lead vocal from Maysa Leak that firmly placed it in the Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Ten of all time.

David Garfield has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in jazz, fusion, pop, and more. He was born in Chicago in 1956, grew up in New York and has been a West Coast luminary since the '70s. He has worked with a veritable who’s who of talent including Scott, David Sanborn, Cher, Freddie Hubbard, Brandon Fields, the Rippingtons, Larry Carlton, and Hiroshima. He has performed live with the likes of Boz Scaggs, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, and Rick Braun. Along the way he developed a creative relationship with singer Smokey Robinson, co-writing and producing several albums with him, while since the late '80s, he has worked as the musical director for the legendary George Benson.

 

Jef Kearns - ABC

Smooth Jazz Therapy has followed the career of flautist Jef Kearns from as far back as 2009 and his highly acclaimed CD ‘On The Level’. With it the Toronto based Kearns dispelled the myth that flute players can’t do urban jazz and truth to tell he has been spreading that message ever since.

In 2016 he released ‘Soulfisticated’ which included the soulful ‘Through The Rain’. Complete with wonderful vocals from Aria Zenua it was a song very hard to beat and he has re-united with Zenua for his latest single, a high quality re-imagining of the Jackson 5 hit ‘ABC’. Very much the meeting place where old school Motown comes face to face with an engagingly fierce yet fresh beat it is a track that has dancibility written all over it.

‘ABC’ was produced under the masterful touch of Douglas Romanow and mastered at the legendary Sterling Sound by the renowned Randy Merrill who has worked with the likes of Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift.

Check it out.

 

 

Thirsty Howell - The Sunshine Coast

Featuring Thirsty Howell on guitars and Vancouver's David Say on saxophone ‘The Sunshine Coast’ is Howell’s latest single and can be heard worldwide on nearly one hundred radio stations. It is the sort of song where the title tells you all you need to know and, as Howell himself explains it, is the perfect accompaniment for an early morning drive along the coast of British Columbia, Australia or Florida.

It was recorded at GGRP studios in Vancouver and is added to by Peter Clarke on bass, Cindy Fairbank on keys and Chris Norquist on drums.

 

 

Adam Hawley - Up Top

No sooner had I stopped eulogizing over Adam Hawley’s hot seasonal single, ‘Celebrate Me Home’ when he comes up with yet another chart buster. ‘Up Top’ is his 14^th number one as an artist and is everything one has come to expect from a performer who has his finger very much on the pulse of contemporary jazz.

As for ‘Celebrate Me Home’ it is taken from his fifth solo collection, ‘What Christmas Means To Me’ and is the sort of track that will sound great at any time of the year.

Michael Paulo - Here Is Happiness

To those who follow smooth jazz, sax-man Michael Paulo will need no introduction. He has toured and played with a veritable who’s who of contemporary jazz talent from Al Jarreau to James Ingram and Bobby Caldwell to Peter White. He is also the driving force behind the Temecula Wine & Music Festival and despite not picking up the saxophone until age 15 has gone on to make his own special imprint right across the genre.

In fact he grew up in a musical family (his mother a singer and his father a pianist). Now, with the release of ‘Here Is Happiness’, he has chosen the moment in which to honour the memory of his Dad. ‘Here Is Happiness’ was the biggest hit of Paulo Senior’s career and here, built around an enticing Latin vibe, Michael applies a compelling yet mellifluous veneer.

 

 

U-Nam - Coastline

Taken from his current hit album ‘Sunshine Of Mine’, ‘Coastline’is the latest radio single from the Billboard chart-topping and multi-platinum producer Emmanuel “U-Nam” Abiteboul. ‘Coastline’ is built around U-Nam’s impeccable playing and with regulars Frank Sitbon (Rhodes and piano), Denis Benarrosh (percussion), Fran Merante (drums), Christian Martinez (trumpet) and Joabe Reis (trombone) all lending a hand they together conjure up a track that revolves around an irresistible mid tempo groove.

Well worth looking out for.

 

 

Slim Gambill - Light This Candle

Guitarist Slim Gambill started to build his increasingly impressive body of work four years ago with his debut album ‘Fake Jazz & Theme Songs’. ‘LCD’ followed a year later. The title cut featuring smooth sax superstar Mindi Abair and it was Abair who introduced Slim to then rising star Adam Hawley with whom he collaborated earlier this year to deliver the top twenty charting ‘Heavyweight’.

Now, reunited and with attention firmly on his new long player that is expected to hit the streets in the Spring of 2024, comes the single ‘Light This Candle’. Co-written by Gambill and Hawley (who also produced the track) this foot-tapping gem is fuelled first by Gambill’s cool electric jazz guitar then by Hawley who contributes on rhythm guitar, Rhodes and synths. The entire piece is built from the foundation of the Grammy-winning bass player Mel Brown and percussionist Ramon Yslas while supercharging the whole thing is Carnell Harrell with additional synths.

 

Matt Willard - Nightcrawler

Lifted from his 2022 album ‘Soul Assassin’, ‘Nightcrawler’ by Matt Willard is the kind of hard driving track that fits perfectly for smooth jazz fans who don’t want their smooth jazz too smooth.

Indeed the aim of this 24 year old sax player is to put a different spin on what we recognise as smooth jazz by blending in elements of rock, pop, R&B, and jazz. ‘Soul Assassin’ (and the singles that have already been drawn down from it) is the perfect place to see what this looks like

Check it out.

Jeff Ryan - Where There's Hope

‘Embrace’, the 2018 debut album from sax-man Jeff Ryan paired him with producer, songwriter and keyboard player Greg Manning. It earned him the accolade of JazzTrax Breakout Artist for that year and Smooth Jazz Network’s Debut Artist of the Year.  His 2021 single ‘Sentimental Soul’ from his follow-up CD ‘Duality’ was Billboard’s Song of the Year and it was the ‘Duality’ project that introduced Ryan to the genre defining Paul Brown.

Now Ryan is back with ‘Where There’s Hope’ an easy grooving gem that he wrote with Brown and two of Brown’s regular cohorts, keyboard player Mark Etheredge and bass-man Roberto Vally. Vally also contributes percussion while completing the line-up are Gorden Campbell on drums and Shane Theriot on rhythm guitar.

Good track.

 

Ann Hampton Callaway - Stealin Away

Now, courtesy of vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway comes a slice of contemporary jazz on the mellow side. Taken from Ann’s 2023 album ‘Finding Beauty Vol.1’ ‘Stealin Away’ is a cool collaboration with Tony-nominated composer Dan Levine. In fact Levine’s melody fits to perfection with Ann’s romantically loaded lyrics and given the song was originally intended for Al Jarreau, who sadly passed before he could record it, just adds extra spice

 

 

Adam Hawley - Celebrate Me Home

Smooth jazz fans are well blessed with Christmas albums that stay on the right side of cool and this year have another seasonal gem to add to their festive collection. ‘What Christmas Means To Me’ is Adam Hawley’s fifth album overall and his very first ‘holiday’ project for which he has surrounded himself with family and friends. Take for example his wife, R&B songstress Kat Hawley, who shines radiantly on an emotional acoustic guitar version of ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ and Julian Vaughn who adds bass verses to a seriously funky version of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.’ Hawley also reunites with vocalist L. Young who appeared on his 2016 debut CD, ‘Just The Beginning’. It is right up there with the best that ‘What Christmas Means To Me’ has to offer and although the title track is a high octane take on ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ the Smooth Jazz Therapy top track is ‘ Celebrate Me Home’ which features vocalist Matt Cusson. Never mind Christmas this is a number that will sound great at any time of the year.

 

 

Lemek - Lets Get Down

Lifted from his debut album, the appropriately titled ‘Emergence’, comes ‘Lets Get Down’ from jazz guitarist Lemek. This easygoing gem follows on the heels of his previous single, the hugely infectious ‘Groove Central’ that featured label mate Ryan La Valette on sax and talking of sax Lemek is the son of sax-man Quentin Gerard W, aka FnkySax.

‘Emergence’ is an outstanding piece of work and well worth checking out.

 

 

Herb Alpert - Slow Down

Legendary trumpeter and record label executive Herb Alpert may be eighty-eight years old but is showing no sign of slowing down. His latest album ‘Wish Upon A Star’ was released August 15, an eclectic fourteen track collection of songs written in different eras of pop music history, great American Songbook standards and jazz infused gems. The track catching the attention of Smooth Jazz Therapy is the luscious ‘Slow Down’ that Herb wrote with long-time collaborator, and keyboard player Jeff Lorber. Truth to tell it fits Alpert’s style of playing like a glove and with Lorber delivering ‘Lorber-esque’ touches on both piano and organ this is certainly one to watch.

 

Shawn Raiford - Vallejo

Ahead of the release of his new album ‘The Next Step’ comes the intensely rhythmic ‘Vallejo’ from sax-man Shawn Raiford. There’s no place like home and as if to prove it Raiford has teamed with Grammy winning producer Derek ‘DOA’ Allen to create this musical homage to the city Raiford calls home.

As Raiford himself explains, “the only place that felt like home, the only place I felt like I belonged was in Vallejo”. Indeed he was raised by his grandmother in this Bay Area city (just thirty miles north of San Francisco) and is the place he talks about wherever he goes.

What has turned out to be a yearlong build up to ‘The Next Step’ began last January when Raiford released the sensual single ‘Forever’. Momentum built in May when his version of the four-time Grammy-winning hit, ‘Leave The Door Open’ hit the airwaves but at every show he has played this year, during every interview he has given Raiford has talked about ‘Vallejo’.

Here it is.

 

 

Paul Brown - Da Spot

Complete with a barrage of velvety horns ‘Da Spot’ by guitarist and ace producer Paul Brown is the latest single to be lifted from his 2022 CD ‘Promised Land’. His ninth solo project and the first (not counting his 2021 collaboration with Larry Carlton) since 2020, it is a tight ten-track collection of original compositions embellished as usual with contributions from his inner circle of backing musicians plus input from some of the biggest names in smooth jazz. ‘Da Spot’, which is of one of six tunes written or co-written by multi instrumentalist Shane Theriot, certainly does hit ‘da’ smooth jazz ‘spot’.

 

 

Roberto Vally - Last Flight Home

Bass player Roberto Vally is one of those guys. At first glance you may not think you have heard of him but there is little chance you have not heard him play. From back in the eighties with Spyro Gyra to his status as a constant in Bobby Caldwell’s band to being the ‘go-to’ bass player for the two time GRAMMY^®-winning producer and performer Paul Brown, Vally has been and remains everywhere.

His discography glistens with album releases such as his 2013 ‘Boom Boom Boom’, ‘Pure Lines’ from 2017 and ‘Tranquila’ that followed three years later while as of now he is right back on the scene with the wonderful single ‘Last Flight Home’. His co-writers for the venture are Jeff Carruthers and twice Grammy nominated pianist David Benoit. Vally produced the track that is further embellished by the lush tenor sax tones of Jeff Ryan and an acoustic piano solo from Benoit. Another long time collaborator, two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown, mixed the track which is just about the best smooth jazz number you will hear all year.

 

 

Merlon Devine - Shimmer

Fresh off the back of his latest CD ‘Soul Jazz’ sax-man Merlon Devine is back with his brand new single ‘Shimmer’ that he wrote with multi Grammy nominated producer and saxophonist Darren Rahn. Shimmer by name and shimmer by nature this colossal track glistens with a sparkling melody, an R&B groove and a jazzy soprano sax lead which is as good as anything that, currently, the genre has to offer. With Rahn on keyboards, synths, synth bass and programming plus Randy Jacobs on guitar and Tarell Martin on drums this one is the real smooth jazz

As Merlon explains it, “’Shimmer’ is about the positive force that lives in each of us to help others. That force acts like a light shining out of us. That light can bring warmth, direction, hope, calm fears and give peace. Hopefully, this song will encourage those who hear it to do and be something positive in the life of someone else”.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas Devine now calls the Washington, DC area home. He has worked with Ben Tankard and performed with Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr., Tom Braxton and Michael Manson.