'How I Remember You' comes from Michael Franks wonderful 1993 album 'Dragonfly Summer' and although not a Christmas song it does have something of a Christmas feel to it. Indeed the shimmering lyric "the silence of snowfall in winter" never fails to send a shiver down my spine and the night I saw Franks perform the song live at Anthology in San Diego remains one of my most memorable musical moments.
Recorded in 1991, and variously reported as being released anywhere from 1991 to 1993, ‘Jazzmasters 1’ from the superb Paul Hardcastle confirmed his mastery of the moods and textures that categorize contemporary jazz. This track, ‘Blue Days’ features Helen Rogers on vocals who, recently, released her own solo collection, ‘Smooth Jazz Meets Reggae’.
In terms of pure musical beauty it would be difficult to surpass the 1979 Eagles smash ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’ yet buried deep in the archives is this splendid cover version that the legendary Larry Carlton included on his 2001 project, ‘Deep Into It’, and which featured vocals from Shai.
Right up there in my top five smooth jazz tunes of all time, ‘88 Ways To Love’ written and performed by Marcus Johnson can be found on his 1998 album ‘Chocolate City Groove.’
Reviewing ‘Chocolate City Groove’ at the time of its release Michael G. Nastos described Johnson as a ‘Ramsey Lewis wannabe operating in his 1974 ‘Sun Goddess’ phase’. He referred to his music as “simplistic, unchallenging melodies that are pleasant enough, but closer to disco than real R&B.” Mr. Nastros is entitled to his opinion. He should however be aware that given the ‘Sun Goddess’ project was a collaboration for Lewis with the band that inspired Johnson as a youth, Earth Wind and Fire, the similarity should not be surprising.
In addition, for the true aficionado of smooth jazz, ‘88 Ways to Love’ is a real stand out track that demonstrates Johnson’s keyboard virtuosity. Although ‘Chocolate City Groove’ features nice side work from guitarist Stan Cooper and sax men Marshall Keys and Bryan Mills, plus vocals from Alyson Williams, he very much goes it alone on ‘88 Ways to Love’. His multiple keyboard programming achieves an easy dance groove that he overlays with excellent smooth jazz piano playing. It’s a wonderful example of smooth jazz that can also be found on the Jazz FM compilation ‘Pacific Coast Highway’.
For those in the United Kingdom who are feeling that October and the next Peter White tour seems an awfully long time away here is a track from his 2004 performance at the Long Beach Jazz Festival that will lift the spirits and gladden the heart. Not only that, with an absolutely killer backing band of Michael Paulo on sax, keyboard player David Sparkman, bass-man Donald Patterson and drummer Lamont Peoples, White has never sounded better.
Darryl Williams has spent the last 30 years performing with the likes of Chaka Khan, Euge Groove, Brian Simpson, Tevin Campbell, Howard Hewitt, Angela Bofill and Evan Marks but back in 2007 he made a tremendous leap forward with the release of his debut solo album, ‘That Was Then’. The standout track and an entry onto the Smooth Jazz Therapy ‘best list’ for that year was ‘When It Rains’ with Reggie Smith featuring on sax.
Back in 2007 drummer, keyboard player, composer and producer James ‘PJ’ Spraggins released ‘The Light Of Day’ an album replete with gentle, lyrical yet groove drenched tunes that somehow (and inexplicably) failed to find its place on the smooth jazz radar.
Make no mistake this was (and is) a top notch collection with this track, ‘Isadore’, being right up there with the best this fabulous album has to offer.
It might date all the way back to 1995 but just one more listen to ‘Burma Road’ by Greg Adams from his wonderful CD ‘Hidden Agenda’ and it is obvious that, in terms of chill music, Greg was at least fifteen years ahead of the curve.
One of my all time favorite tracks from one of my all time favorite albums, this one will never, ever, get old.
All the way from 1976 comes this sensational number from smooth jazz pioneer Earl Klugh. Take from the album of the same name it was jointly written by Klugh and the great Dave Grusin who was was behind some of the greatest smooth jazz tunes of the seventies and eighties.
I came across this track from the sensational Barry White album 'Rhapsody In White' that featured his wonderful Love Unlimited Orchestra and which I am delighted to say still forms part of my vinyl record collection. What is doubly cool is that it sounds just as good now as when I purchased it back in 1974.
While on the subject of Jeff Lorber and his latest collaboration (‘More Serious Business’) with Chuck Loeb and Everette Harp, here is an example of how Lorber has, for a generation, remained on the cutting edge of contemporary jazz. ‘Down Low’ is taken from his 1998 project ‘Midnight’ and is a gem.
The 1999 release by the Michael White Project, ‘Take That’, included the stunning ‘A Sunday Breeze’ with featured vocals from ex Shalamar lead singer, Howard Hewett. It is extremely hard to believe that this extremely ‘current’ track is now seventeen years old and perhaps an indication of how White’s sophisticated music was way ahead of its time.
Perhaps best known, during the period 1976 to 1985, as the former lead singer of R&B group Shalamar, the incomparable Howard Hewett went on to carve out a significant solo career. In so doing he also became a darling of the smooth jazz fraternity, collaborating along the way with Joe Sample, Brian Culbertson, George Duke, the Rippingtons, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Stevie Wonder. In fact his hit song ‘Heaven Sent You’ was originally produced with input from both Stanley Clarke and George Duke.
Taken from the 1997 ‘Vital Force’ album from smooth jazz collective 3rd Force, this super smooth cut is exactly what is required for a somewhat chilly early spring day. 3rd Force is the collaboration of multi-instrumentalists William Aura, Craig Dobbin and Alain Eskinasi while ‘She Whispered To Me’ is a fine example of the vibe that the band has created over a discography that now extends to eight albums.
The second album from production duo Russell Small and James Wiltshire (aka Freemasons), ‘Unmixed’ was released in October 2007 with the lead single ‘Uninvited’ being a house inspired version of the Alanis Morissette hit tune. However the track that did it for me was this, ‘Rain Down Love’ with vocals from the consistently superb Siedah Garrett and more than a nod to the timeless Barry White.
‘Summer Madness’, the standout track from Kool & The Gang’s 1974 album ‘Light Of Worlds’ is considered to be a landmark contribution to the evolution of jazz funk.
Incorporating smooth melodies and spine tingling synthesizer, ‘Summer Madness’ assisted in pushing ‘Light Of Worlds’ to #16 on the R & B chart and #63 on the pop listings.
The ‘Gang’s’ 1993 CD ‘Unite’ included a re-make of the track while elsewhere it has been hugely sampled by a whole host of R & B and hip-hop performers.
The eponymously titled EP from guitarist, keyboard player, writer and producer Michael Vince was released in 2006 and remains a stupendous showcase for contemporary jazz at its best.
It was a project that broke down nicely into two distinct categories with the opening three tracks written, performed, arranged and produced by Vince. For the EP’s final two cuts Vince remained as writer, performer and arranger but handed production to Paul Brown who proceeded to spread his magic all over them. ‘After Hours’ with solid bass from Roberto Vally and back up guitar from Brown ensured an overall quality that was nothing short of hypnotic yet the best track by some distance was the wonderful ‘Slow And Easy’. Shimmering with an aura was just superb, it featured moody sax from Anthony Long.