Smooth Jazz Therapy

The 3 Keys

Contemporary jazz is no stranger to the concept of the ‘super group’.  Constructed around a coming together of established and talented solo artists, it has created the likes of ‘Sax Pack’, (Steve Cole – Kim Waters – Jeff Kashawa), ‘Jazz Funk Soul’ (Jeff Lorber – Everette Harp – Paul Jackson Jr) and even ‘Fourplay (Bob James – Nathan East – Harvey Mason – Lee Ritenour).

Of course in the case of Fourplay, Ritenour gave way first to Larry Carlton and then Chuck Loeb (a founder member of Jazz Funk Soul) who sadly passed away in 2017.

Now, for the first time ever the genre is being blessed by an all keyboard super group’, the aptly named ‘The 3 Keys’ that comprises Bob Baldwin, Gail Jhonson and Phil Davis

The group’s debut album, ‘We 3 Keys’ will be released January 20 on the Shanachie label and ahead of that comes the first radio single ‘That Beat’.

Check back here often for the latest on The 3 Keys.

Smooth Jazz Therapy - Top 20 Of 2022

Seasonal greetings from Smooth Jazz Therapy; The love of music is all about preference and since 2006 I have been sharing what I identified at the time as being my Top Twenty Tracks of the year.  As I reported last year, the search for great new music becomes increasingly fraught with each passing year.  Less albums and more singles are both contributory factors yet with an eye firmly on quality rather than quantity I am delighted to reveal, in no particular order, my Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Twenty Tracks of 2022.

‘Step Into Love’ by Brian Culbertson from the CD ‘White’.  First there was red.  Then came blue.  Finally it was white and Brian Culbertson’s three-phase odyssey that tells of the ups and downs of a long-time relationship was complete.  The first single from it was the sultry ‘Step Into Love’, which, with a killer beat and moody trumpet from the always-excellent Patches Stewart, was classic Culbertson and then some.

‘What You Do To Me’ by Nick Colionne.  When, on News Day 2022, the death was announced of contemporary jazz guitarist Nick Colionne the smooth jazz community was shaken to its core.  At the time of his sad demise Nick had just completed the recording of what turned out to be his final album and the first single from it proved to be ‘What You Do To Me’. A slice of sumptuous easy grooving contemporary jazz it instantly became a Smooth Jazz Therapy favourite.

‘Summer In Blue’ by writer, producer and keyboard player Michael Broening   After two decades of making hits for a veritable who’s who of smooth jazz talent writer, producer and keyboard player Michael Broening is finally stepping out of the shadows.  His debut album is expected in early 2023 and offering it some early publicity was the   truly sensational ‘Summer In Blue’.  

‘Too Close For Comfort’ by Chris Standring from the CD ‘Simple Things’.   It is one thing to be hijacked by a pandemic that refused to go away and then by the small matter of a heart attack but Standring went through all of this and more before arriving at his latest recording ‘Simple Things’.  The wonderful ‘Too Close For Comfort’ simply illustrated why the wait was more than worthwhile.

‘Dreamland’ by guitarist Blake Aaron.  This was everything that smooth jazz circa 2022 should be.  Aaron’s outrageously dexterous playing gelling to perfection with co-writer Adam Hawley on rhythm guitar and keyboards, Eric Valentine on drums, bass player Mel Brown, sax-man and horn arranger David Mann, plus trumpeter Trevor Neumann.  The result was a scintillating summer smash of the highest order.

Read on for the remainder of this years top twenty and if you have your own list of favorites from 2022 why not e-mail it to me at denis.poole@yahoo.com.  Happy New Year!!

Blake Aaron - Dreamland

Deep into dark nights and freezing temperatures what a joy it is to take a look back to what was possibly the most sunshine filled track of 2022.

Topping five charts simultaneously  ‘Dreamland’ by guitarist Blake Aaron was everything that smooth jazz should be.  Aaron’s outrageously dexterous playing gelled to perfection with co-writer Adam Hawley on rhythm guitar and keyboards, Eric Valentine on drums, bass player Mel Brown, sax-man and horn arranger David Mann, plus trumpeter Trevor Neumann.

The result was a scintillating summer smash of the highest order.

 

 

Chance Howard - Buy Me Love

Chances are that if you have seen saxtress Candy Dulfer live in concert you will have seen Grammy-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter Chance Howard.  More than a member of her backing band Howard has very often been front back and center of the high-octane offerings that Candy routinely delivers.

Having survived a horrific car wreck three years ago Howard is currently living in a rehab facility where he is learning how to walk again. Yet, teaming again with Dulfer, he has just released a smooth and soulful R&B re-imagination of The Beatles’ ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ that he has retitled ‘Buy Me Love’.

In fact Howard recorded ‘Buy Me Love’ prior to his accident which occurred when, exhausted from playing shows in the same week with Brian Culbertson in Chicago, Marcus Miller in Los Angeles and Dulfer in Minneapolis he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the median.

It was in Amsterdam while on tour with Dulfer that he and Candy performed an impromptu version of ‘Buy Me Love’ during an informal nightclub jam session. After the gig, a married couple approached Howard and while they were unable to speak English they clearly loved the version of this timeless song. Days after the show, the husband unexpectedly passed away. His wife tracked down Howard and asked if he could record the song to be played at her husband’s memorial service. Howard sings and plays all the instruments on the track except for sax which, of course, comes from Dulfer.

 

 

U-Nam - Make A Wish

Going for adds on August 1, 2022 and out on the 3^rd,‘Make A Wish’ is the latest single from Billboard chart-topping artist and multi-platinum producer U-Nam.  Reminiscent of the stellar work U-Nam was doing back in the nineties with some of the biggest R & B acts around, but with the addition of silky strings to bestow a veneer that is both sophisticated and soulful, this exuberant slice of up-tempo smooth jazz is the perfect accompaniment to the long hot summer days to come.

Indeed it is just the sort of infectious cut that U-Nam seems able to effortlessly deliver and deliver he certainly does where from his CFM Lab in Laguna Hills, CA he is front back and center with lead & rhythm guitars, bass, keyboards, horns, programming and editing.  Not only that, he writes, produces, mixes and masters throughout while in the company of Raymond Gimenes he concocts a sublime string arrangement that in the capable hands of Lyudmila Kadyrbaeva on cello and Maria Grig on violin and viola is a joy to behold.

Truth to tell U-Nam’s production touches are everywhere and when the picture is completed by Larry Salzmann’s tight percussion there is only one thing left to do, close your eyes, Make A Wish and let U-Nam transport you to that special place where a luscious, Motown style vibe meets instrumental smooth jazz in the most sensational of ways.

Cindy Bradley - Drive

Not only was ‘The Little Things’ from Trippin n Rhythm recording artist Cindy Bradley a worthy to successor to her 2017 CD ‘Natural’ it was also her sixth studio project with the label. It delivered the sophisticated ‘Wind Chill Factor’ plus the wonderfully mellifluous ‘Stockholm Summer’ that both went on to become standout radio hits. Now she is back with the high octane ‘Drive’, the second single from her latest album which is expected sometime late in 2022.

Check back here often for more news on Cindy Bradley

Skinny Hightower - Rain

Taken from his 2020 Trippin n Rhythm album ‘Blue Moon’ the intensely rhythmic ‘Rain’ is the latest track to be serviced to radio.  It follows both the similarly disposed ‘Bittersweet’ and the altogether more chilled out title cut as being sublime selections with which to show off this fine collection.

‘Blue Moon’ is Skinny’s fourth album release and follows his 2016 debut recording ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘Emotions’ that followed a year later and ‘Retrospect’ from which came the single ‘One Way Street’ that I described at the time as checking every smooth jazz box imaginable.

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.

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

J3 - Hela

Multi-instrumentalists Justin Lee Schultz, Jamie Lee Schultz and Jaden Baker, aka J3, might only be teenagers but are already leaving their indelible mark on the world of contemporary jazz.  Of course Justin Lee Schultz was only thirteen when he shot to fame with his debut album, ‘Gruv Kid’.  It included featured performances from the likes of Bob James, Harvey Mason, Najee, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, and Pieces Of A Dream but now Justin has teamed with his sister Jamie and musical friend Baker to create the album ‘Opus 1’ that will be released April 15 on the Shanachie Entertainment label.

Ahead of that comes the first single, ‘Hela’ which in every respect is a superb slice of rhythmic high end smooth jazz.

Astonishing

Michael Broening - Summer In Blue

After two decades of making hits for a veritable who’s who of smooth jazz talent writer, producer and keyboard player Michael Broening finally stepped out of the shadows in June 2021with his debut single ‘Shine A Light’.

Out on Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm this easy grooving number was co-written by Broening with long time sparring partner Thano Sahnas and featured label mate Mel Brown on bass.

 It offered a tempting taster for his forthcoming album that is now expected later in 2022 and with this in mind the label has just released the second single from it, the truly sensational ‘Summer In Blue’.

Check back here soon for more on Michael Broening.

Norman Brown - Back At Ya

Following on from guitarist Norman Brown’s 2020 project ‘Heart To Heart’ comes the highly anticipated  ‘Lets Get Away’, a fine amalgam of jazz, R&B, pop and blues all delivered with the sort of style that has become Brown’s calling card.  ‘Let’s Get Away’ opens with the exquisite ‘Back At Ya’ that is also the first single to be serviced to the airwaves.  Co-written with Lew Laing, David Torkanowsky and Paul Brown (who plays percussion on the track). Norman’s crisp and buttery riffs are a delight and with subtle sax from Greg Vail this has radio ready written all over it.

Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘Lets Get Away’.

Paul Hardcastle - Wavelength

It was in 2018 that Paul Hardcastle’s ‘Hardcastle 8’ was released and two years later he followed that up with ‘Hardcastle IX’.  Consequently it should come as no surprise that in 2022 ‘Hardcastle X’ will hit the streets and in doing so provide exactly what his legion of fans expect him to.

Indeed the first single to be serviced to radio, ‘Wavelength’, is testimony of this so check back soon for a complete review of ‘Hardcastle X’

David Benoit - A Midnight Rendezvous

David Benoit’s highly anticipated new album, ‘A Midnight Rendezvous ‘ which will hit the streets February 18, 2022 finds him recording for the very first time with a big band under his own leadership.  It is a venture for which he is joined by a plethora of guest artists including Shanachie label mates keyboard player Jeff Lorber and sax man Eric Marienthal while the first track to be serviced to radio is the splendid title cut.  Co-written by Benoit and bass player Roberto Vally it is a fabulous taster for what ‘A Midnight Rendezvous ‘ has to offer.

Check back here soon for a complete review of ‘A Midnight Rendezvous ‘.

Mattias Roos - Can You Feel The Love

‘Can You Feel The Love’ by Swedish keyboard player Mattias Roos is the latest single from the album that is slated for release mid 2022.  Indeed, following as it does the sumptuous ‘Commercial Free’ and the equally engaging ‘You Might Need Somebody’, there seems little doubt that this will be a collection with a gift that keeps on giving.  Not only that, if ‘Can You Feel The Love’ is anything to go by, it has the potential to be his best yet.

It puts into sharp focus the penchant he has for sublimely fusing smooth jazz grooves with an authentic old school vibe that first emerged in 2011 with the band Soweto that he formed with drummer Peter Gustavsson.  Now, in the artistically friendly confines of Skytown Records, he is simply going from strength to strength.

‘Can You Feel The Love’ finds Roos in superb collaboration with regular members of his supporting entourage, sax-man Greger Hillman, guitarist Ingemar Åberg and Wictor Persson on drums.  Add in ‘go to’ bass player Dwayne ‘Smitty’ Smith and here is a combination with what it takes to capture the trademark groove that Mattias has very much made is own.

Mattias Roos made his Skytown debut in 2017 with the critically acclaimed album ‘Movin’ Up’.  The equally good ‘It Goes On And On’ followed two years later yet that wasn’t quite the end of the ‘It Goes On And On’ story.  In 2020 it was released as a deluxe version with four additional tracks and an outstanding reworking of ‘Bring It On’ that this time featured Michael Lington on sax.  Not surprisingly it proved to be a runaway chart success.

Now he is set to ‘Feel The Love’ all over again.'Can You Feel The Love' will officially go for adds on January 10, 2022.

Lindsey Webster - I Didn't Mean It

Ahead of Lindsey Webster’s new album, that will hit the streets Spring 2022 on the Shanachie Entertainment label, comes the sumptuously jazzy radio single ‘I Didn’t Mean It’.   It features Brian Culbertson on trombone, Lil John Roberts on Drums, Lenny Castro on Percussion, Chris Snowden on bass, Chris Harris on guitar and Lindsay’s long time writing partner Keith Slattery on keys.

The recording follows her 2020 outing ‘A Woman Like Me’ which included the smooth and sophisticated ‘Only You’ that not only marked her out a star of the future, but also made her a ‘go to’ vocalist for a whole range of contemporary jazz a-listers.

Check back here soon for more on Lindsey Webster’s brand new CD.

Nick Colionne - An Obituary

The smooth jazz community is mourning the death of contemporary jazz guitarist Nick Colionne who passed away today, New Years Day, 2022.  Throughout his illustrious career Colionne was never anything short of being the consummate live performer and along the way gained a well deserved reputation as being the best-dressed man in smooth jazz.  I was lucky enough to see Nick perform on many occasions so as my very personal tribute to him I am reproducing below my review of a show he performed in 2006 at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. Illinois.  Nick, you will be greatly missed.

The auditorium of Prairie State College is tucked away in Chicago Heights, Illinois, and it is there that former WNUA DJ Denise Jordan Walker is actualizing her concept of Candid Jazz And Conversations.   The opportunity to witness top notch smooth jazz artists perform and talk about both their music and their life is precious and the formula that Jordan Walker has devised by which to do it looks to be a real winner.  On Sunday February 26 it was the turn of guitar player Nick Colionne to step into the Jazz and Conversations spotlight for an evening that firmly positioned him as one of the most engaging, interesting, and talented performers around.  This was an essentially Chicago event as Colionne, happy and comfortable in his hometown surroundings, was interviewed by journalist Mark Ruffin and bass player and fellow Chicago native Mike Manson.  The conversation and the opportunity that the appreciative audience got to ask questions from the floor gave an incredible insight into a career that has had its fair share of twists and turns but through which Colionne has remained true to his principles of playing original smooth jazz with a distinct edge.

Smooth Jazz Therapy - Top 20 Tracks Of 2021

Seasonal greetings from Smooth Jazz Therapy; The love of music is all about preference and since 2006 I have been sharing what I identified at the time as being my Top Twenty Tracks of the year.  For several reasons, not least of which has been the increase in cover versions, the search for great new music has become increasingly fraught.   However, all is not lost and with an eye firmly on quality rather than quantity I am delighted to reveal, in no particular order, my Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Twenty Tracks of 2021.

‘Esselle’s Dance’ by gguitarist Les Sabler from the CD ‘Tranquility’.  Sabler first found his way onto the Smooth Jazz Therapy radar screen in 2007 with the CD ‘Sweet Drive’.  In fact a song from it, ‘I’m Not The Same’, (with featured vocals from Toni Scruggs and Rahsaan Patterson) made it into my top twenty contemporary jazz tunes for that year.  Now fourteen years on he has done it again with this track that reverberates with the sort of spine tingling melodies that have become Sabler’s calling card.

‘Say What’s On Your Mind’ by Larry Carlton and Paul Brown from their album ‘Soul Searchin’.  Relaxed yet edgy this is a number that sums up the entire collection.

‘Night Vibe’ by Greg Chambers from his 2021 project ‘No Looking Back’.  With serial hit maker Adam Hawley on guitar this sumptuous song is arguably the album’s best track.

‘Back In The Day’ the stand alone single from Dreaming In Colour.  Constructed around the band’s core members of Kevin Ellis and Chris Noonan the line-up has often, over the years, been complemented by some of the genre’s top artists and this is particularly so with the band’s latest single where velvety horns and a piano solo from Michael Scherer really get the job done.

‘Better Days’ by Greg Karukas from the CD ‘Serenata’.  This, the thirteenth solo project from original Rippingtons keyboard player and 2013 Grammy winner Gregg Karukas is his very first collection of piano solos.

Read on for the remainder of this years top twenty and if you have your own list of favorites from 2021 why not e-mail it to me at denis.poole@yahoo.com.  Happy New Year!!