Smooth Jazz Therapy

Spotlight On - The Jazz Holdouts

Keyboard player Alan Palanker and sax-man Louis Cortelezzi, (aka ‘The Jazz Holdouts’) are a contemporary jazz super-duo that operate exclusively at the high end of the genre. Often bolstered by featured artists such as Michael Thompson and Nathan East the collective boasts extensive personal discographies of the kind that most artists could only ever dream of. The second single from them this year is the beautifully edgy ‘Ya Never Know’ that is out now. It follows the easy grooving ‘Piermont Nights’ that was mixed by the in demand Darren Rahn and signals a welcome increase in output following the band’s 2014 debut album ‘Intuition’ and ‘Summer Nights’ that followed four years later.

The title cut from ‘Summer Nights’ went No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It has the kind of mesmeric vibe that is present in all the very best smooth jazz tracks and in this respect it is in the good company of another number from the same album, ‘Morning Breeze’.

 

Spotlight On Jason Jackson

Jason Jackson burst onto the scene in 2021 with his debut EP, ‘Movin’ On’. Produced by the ubiquitous Adam Hawley it included the feisty ‘Groove All Night’ that featured Tim Bowman and a year later Jason was back with his first full-length album, the excellent ‘All In’ from where the single ‘Through the Night’ can be found.

This sax driven R&B-infused melody is an absolute gem and tailor made for the outdoor smooth jazz festivals that this time of year invariably brings. Not only that it is in the good company of eight other outstanding numbers that variously feature smooth jazz heavyweights such as Eric Marienthal, Chieli Minucci, Jonathan Fritzen and Gino Rosaria.

Jason grew up in Wilmington, NC where while still in high school he landed a gig working as a member of the house band at the House of Blues. In 2011, Jason enlisted in the Navy as a musician where he was able to play for audiences all over the world. During his first tour, he was awarded the Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award and a few months later he was relocated to the Seventh Fleet Band in Yokosuka, Japan. During this time, Jason was able to play at some of the most prestigious venues in the area as well as volunteer in several local community bands where he was able to interact one on one with young local musicians. After his military service ended in early 2021, Jason teamed up with contemporary jazz star Adam Hawley to create ‘Movin’ On’ and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Jason Jackson burst onto the scene in 2021 with his debut EP, ‘Movin’ On’. Produced by the ubiquitous Adam Hawley it included the feisty ‘Groove All Night’ that featured Tim Bowman and a year later Jason was back with his first full-length album, the excellent ‘All In’ from where the single ‘Through the Night’ can be found. This sax driven R&B-infused melody is an absolute gem and tailor made for the outdoor smooth jazz festivals that this time of year invariably brings. Not only that it is in the good company of eight other outstanding numbers that variously feature smooth jazz heavyweights such as Eric Marienthal, Chieli Minucci, Jonathan Fritzen and Gino Rosaria. Jason grew up in Wilmington, NC where while still in high school he landed a gig working as a member of the house band at the House of Blues. In 2011, Jason enlisted in the Navy as a musician where he was able to play for audiences all over the world. During his first tour, he was awarded the Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award and a few months later he was relocated to the Seventh Fleet Band in Yokosuka, Japan. During this time, Jason was able to play at some of the most prestigious venues in the area as well as volunteer in several local community bands where he was able to interact one on one with young local musicians. After his military service ended in early 2021, Jason teamed up with contemporary jazz star Adam Hawley to create ‘Movin’ On’ and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

 

Spotlight On Eldon T Jones

With the release of the highly addictive single ‘Sweet Serenity’ by sax-man and Portland native Eldon T Jones there has never been a better time to take a look back on the career to date of this talented performer.

In fact Eldon fell in love with music from an early age. Inspired by luminaries such as Grover Washington, Jr., Wilton Felder and Kirk Whalum he started the band N Touch in 1995 that went on to release its debut album in 2001. Attracting a strong local following in the Portland area N Touch opened for the likes of Tower Of Power and Earth Wind & Fire while in 2015 Eldon’s version of ‘Love Will Find A Way’ was featured on the album ‘Bespeak Love’ that reached #1 on the UK Soul charts.

In 2017 the World Arts Foundation recognized Eldon’s music as a blessing to the community with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a year later, in front of a sold-out crowd, the original N Touch members took to the stage of the Alberta Rose Theatre to relive what had proved to be an incredible era.

Eldon released ‘ T’s Jam’ as a single in October 2021. Mixed by Darren Rahn it peaked at number 54 on the Smooth Jazz Network Top 100 and bolstered by this success Rahn signed Eldon to his Side 2 Music label from where this fledgling partnership quickly got to work on capturing Eldon’s signature sound which resulted in the follow up single ‘Captured By Love’ that hit the streets in May 2022.

Now, coming full circle Eldon is back with ‘Sweet Serenity’

 

 

Spotlight On Brooke Alford

 

Every now and then, amid the smooth jazz staples of sax, guitar and keyboards, comes an artist who dares to be different.  One such performer is harpist Mariea Antoinette and another is violin player Brooke Alford.

Brooke released her debut album, ‘Expressions’ in 2007 and followed it with the EP ‘The Viosocalist’ five years later.  Although never a performer to chase radio play that all changed in 2018 when she teamed with Bob Baldwin to deliver the single ‘Closer’ that clambered into the top fifty radio play chart. It is a track that (as a quiet storm radio edit) can now be found on Brooke’s latest CD, ‘Heaven On Earth’ that opens with another Bob Baldwin collaboration, the stunning title track.

‘Heaven On Earth’ the album has already been heavily trailed, first by the single ‘Shine’ that Brooke co-wrote with George Freeman and again with another Alford Freeman composition, the appropriately titled ‘New Day’.  In August 2022 ‘On The Move’ became the third Alford Freeman creation to be released as a single while in terms of personal favorites ‘Feeling Love’ certainly gets the job done.  It is a sophisticated and seductive number that finds Alford in the soulful company of vocalist Kelley Andre.  Think Barry White, think the Love Unlimited and let the music take you there.

Elsewhere Alford enlists Grammy nominee Reggie Hines to co-write and produce both the ambient ‘Wanting More’ and ‘Cascade to the Congo’, an eclectic amalgam of sounds that is driven on to great effect by Hines on sax.

With eight original compositions ‘Heaven On Earth’ is very much all Brooke Alford’s own work yet she still finds space for a hip reimagining of the Michael Jackson hit ‘I Cant Stop Loving You’ that, (as a duet with Siedah Garrett) originally appeared on Jackson’s 1987 album ‘Bad’

‘Heaven On Earth’ is out now and comes recommended.

Spotlight On Doc Powell

With the splendid news that Grammy-nominated guitarist Doc Powell will be touring 2023 through 2024 it seems entirely appropriate to take a deeper dive into an artist whose music totally exemplifies what contemporary jazz should be all about.  Indeed the trademark easy grooving style that Powell has made his own marks him out as the real contemporary jazz deal with a case in point being the sumptuous ‘Let Go’ that he co-wrote with Barry Eastmond and which can be found on his 2006 self-titled CD.  It was right up there with the best the genre has ever produced yet, truth to tell, Powell’s artistry can be found both far and wide.  As musical director to the legendary Wilson Pickett, to a stint with Luther Vandross and his group, the B. B. &Q, Powell has rubbed shoulders with the best.  He has lent his distinctive guitar sound to recordings from artists such as Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Teddy Pendergrass, Vanessa Williams, Chaka Khan and Smokey Robinson.

 

His 2016 CD ‘This Is Soul’ was notable for many things and not least the infectiously shuffling title cut and the just as good is ‘Love On Top’.  Produced by the award winning Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ‘This Is Soul’ was a collection that brought together the heart and soul of some of the best music from the present and the past.

Fast forwarding two more years to the single, ‘Steppin Out’ and Powell was in the rarefied company of Snarky Puppy keyboard player Shaun Martin, flautist Althea Rene and sax player Kelley O’Neal for a track that was a little more dance orientated than his earlier work and which opened him up to a whole new audience.

Yet in term of personal favorites it is impossible to look beyond the sumptuous ‘Sunday Mornin’ from his 1996 project ‘Laid Back’.  With Kirk Whalum on sax and Lori Perry on vocals it was also included on his 2010 long player ‘For Old Times Sake’ and the excellent 1996 compilation from Beechwood Music ‘JazzFusions Four’.

Spotlight On Mark Jaimes

Once upon a time, long before lockdowns and pandemics, smooth jazz superstars became increasingly fond of bringing their music to the UK.  The niche audiences that awaited them flocked to venues such as the Stables and the Pizza Express yet the only thing missing was the backing musicians whose travel from the USA proved cost prohibitive.

Step up some of the United Kingdom’s finest performers to lend a hand and lend a hand is exactly what the likes of bass player Frank Felix, drummer Marc Parnell, sax-man Carl Stanley and keyboard player Oli Silk did.

And then of course there was guitarist Mark Jaimes.

From as far back as the late 90’s Jaimes had been making a name for himself.  As part of Mick Hucknall’s famed band Simply Red he enjoyed a dynamic run, both on the road and in the studio serving as Simply Red’s full time guitarist from 1998-2003.  The stint included more than one hundred and sixty dates over two world tours, a greatest hits tour, the 1999 album  ‘Love and the Russian Winter ‘ and ‘Home’ that followed four years later.

Even after he stopped performing live with Simply Red, Jaimes played on each of the band’s subsequent albums right through to ‘Blue Eyed Soul’ in 2019. Parallel with this, smooth jazz trumpeter Rick Braun suggested he should think about recording a solo album.

Spotlight On Madeline Castrey

With musical role models such as Karen Carpenter, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, English singer songwriter Madeline Castrey is making her own mark on the UK contemporary jazz and soft pop scene with her latest single ‘Brand New’.  This sultry yet hugely melodic cut has Madeline’s brand of soulful and sincere smooth jazz at its core and as such sits comfortably alongside output from the likes of Rumer, Norah Jones, Tom Misch and Corrine Bailey Rae.

 

Spotlight On Justin Lee Shultz

Multi-instrumentalist Justin Lee Schultz has already, at age of thirteen, dazzled audiences on TV shows such as Harry, Little Big Shots and American’s Most Musical Family. 

Now he is gearing up for his much-anticipated Shanachie Entertainment debut with the album ‘Gruv Kid’ that is set for release in November of this year and rumoured to feature smooth jazz a-listers such as Bob James, Harvey Mason, Najee, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright and Pieces Of A Dream.

Catch him here with the great Bob James. Impressive!

 

 

Spotlight On Willie Bradley

‘It’s On Now’ is the latest single from urban jazz trumpeter Willie Bradley and with a stunning featured performance from flautist Ragan Whiteside is very much the real smooth jazz deal.

Willie Bradley is a native of Orangeburg, SC and over the course of a rapidly developing career has become a ‘go to’ side-man for many soul, jazz and R & B luminaries such as Betty Carter, Gerald Albright, Walter Beasley, Alex Bugnon, Ronnie Laws, Hiroshima and Marion Meadows.

In 2014 Willie released his debut contemporary jazz CD, the highly acclaimed ‘Another Day & Time’.  It was produced and co-written by keyboard player Nicholas Cole and included a sumptuous cover of the seminal Bobby Caldwell smash ‘What You Won't Do For Love’ which featured Cole on keys plus input from another great trumpeter, Lin Rountree.

Willie has performed at shows around the country including at Catalina Island, The Soiled Dove in Denver, Spaghettini in Seal Beach, CA and the Newport Beach Jazz Festival.  He is also known as a member of the brass section with RJ & The Original James Brown Band with whom he has travelled extensively.

In 2018 Willie’s sophomore project, ‘Going With The Flow’, was considered for a Grammy in the category Best New Contemporary Jazz Instrumental Album and in addition provided radio ready tracks such as the title cut, ‘Bring Your ‘A’ Game’ and ‘In The Meantime’ that featured legendary soul vocalist Gerald Alston.

Spotlight On Chris Jasper

Due out later this year, ‘For The Love Of You’ by Chris Jasper is a covers album that revisits three songs that he co-wrote while with the Isley Brothers as well as reimagining of some of the biggest pop and R & B classics of all time.  This consummate collection is Jasper’s 16^th solo project and is being showcased by the title cut, his cool interpretation of the Isley’s seminal hit that first appeared on the band’s 1975 recording ‘The Heat Is On’. It made #10 in the US R & B charts in that year and went on to be a much-covered staple of the soul and contemporary jazz genre for over forty years.

Spotlight On Hil St. Soul

A former winner of Blues & Soul magazine’s best newcomer of the year award Hilary Mwelwa was born in Lusaka Zambia and at the age of five relocated with her family to London, England.  Growing up, hers was a home filled with the iconic sounds of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to name but a few so it was no surprise that as a vocation she chose music.  Hilary’s breakthrough came in 2000 when, partnered with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr and recording under the name of Hil St Soul, she announced her arrival with the album ‘Soul Organic’ which was followed four years later by ‘Copasetik & Cool’.  Garnering a top 20 placing on the Urban Adult Contemporary Charts with the song ‘Pieces’ it paved the way for more of the silky same, first with the runaway hit CD ‘Soulidified’ that Blues & Soul described as being “as good as it gets” and then in 2008 with ‘Black Rose’ which included classics in the making such as ‘Wash Away’ and ‘Gravity’.

It also cemented what had evolved into a long term relationship with the Shanachie label, an association that endures to this day and which has been responsible for the launch of her brand new single, the sumptuously mid tempo, soul drenched, ‘One Life’.

All in all, with underground soul hits like ‘Smile’, ‘Pieces’ and ‘Strictly A Vibe Thing’ to more commercial numbers such as cool reworking’s of Aretha’s ‘Until You Come Back To Me’ and the Isley Brother’s ‘For The Love Of You’, Hil St Soul continues to be a shining beacon of the UK urban scene.

Spotlight On Dan Siegel

Dan Siegel’s career is one of the most storied in contemporary jazz and the wonderful thing is that it continues to flourish. With a discography that stretches back twenty albums to 1980, Siegel set the standards for the early days of smooth jazz. His releases include ‘Going Home’, ‘Reflections’ and of course the 1987 ‘Northern Lights’ from which the still often played ‘Rhapsody’ is taken. He released the excellent ‘Inside Out’ in 2004 and followed that two years later with ‘Departure’ a collection that at the time was described as the ultimate “Siegel Unplugged” experience. Although leaning toward the subtle jazz trio approach, the joint production technique adopted by Siegel and Brian Bromberg (who also played acoustic bass) ensured the project was never shy to push out the boundaries.

Spotlight On Scott Allman

Since 2011 and his debut recording ‘Generations’, keyboard player Scott Allman has steadily been building his reputation with music that has radio ready written all over it. ‘Next Stop Home’ followed in 2013 and now the Chicago based Allman has come roaring back with the CD ‘Elevated’ from which the single ‘Radio Waves’ is taken.

Written by Allman and produced by Darren Rahn (who also features on sax) ‘Radio Waves’ is a stunning slice of mellifluous keyboard driven delight that, with contributions from guitarist Allen Hinds, bass player Mel Brown, drummer Khari Parker and Jason Rahn with horns, ticks every smooth jazz box imaginable.

Spotlight On Kay-Ta Matsuno

Guitarist Kay-Ta Matsuno was born in Osaka, Japan, and at age twenty relocated to Boston, MA where he studied at Berklee College of Music. His career as a professional musician started, as many do, in Los Angeles where he quickly established himself as a ‘go to’ session player. His credits in this respect include Baby Face Edmonds, Natalie Cole, Keiko Matsui, Lalah Hathaway, Chante Moore, Jackiem Joyner, Jody Watley and Yellowjackets stalwart Bob Mintzer.

In 2016 he released his debut solo album ‘Arrival’ a recording that is still garnering considerable airplay.

Spotlight On Solex

Although Bridgeport, Connecticut native Solomon Edmond (aka Solex) spent over twenty-five years on the gospel scene it was in 2007 that he released the CD ‘Together Again’, a tribute to his first cousin (and gospel guitarist) Jonathan Dubose and his first excursion into what is commonly known as secular music. ‘Love Language’ followed in 2010 with ‘The B-Side’ coming two years later. His latest album is titled ‘Liv’ but to showcase what Solex is all about his 2014 project ‘Smooth Soul’ is worth a closer look. Check out the title cut, right here, right now.

 

Bruce Nazarian - Rest In Peace My Friend

Bruce Nazarian was someone special and it is sad he is not around anymore.  Bruce died late last week just when his amazing career was set to take another fork in the road. As many of you know, I guested for several years on his Digital Guy Radio show where he kindly allowed me to present the new music feature.  Bruce was great to work with, the consummate professional and perfectionist who brought a touch of class to everything he did.  I remember a great night (and a great dinner) we had together in San Diego where we met up at a Lee Ritenour gig and then of course back in San Diego for the unforgettable Lemonade Weekend where single handed, and against all odds, he pulled together a sensational musical experience. Thanks for the memories Bruce, thanks for the music but, above all, thanks for your friendship.

 

 

Spotlight On Mark Morrison

Often thought of as troubled, and who from time to time found himself on the wrong side of the law, German born and UK based soul singer Mark Morrison perhaps peaked too early.  Despite his first official recording being the 1993 vinyl pressing, ‘Where Is Our Love’ it was in 1995 when what was classed as his debut single, ‘Crazy’, was released.  It became a top 20 hit in the UK while the follow up, ‘Let's Get Down’ made the top 40. 

However Morrison’s next visit to the recording studio garnered the massive cult hit, ‘Return of the Mack’ that became an international best seller.  His first album, also titled ‘Return Of The Mack’, became a multi-platinum success and although other lesser hits followed the classic status that ‘Return Of The Mack’ quickly assumed meant, in reality, it’s popularity would never be surpassed. 

Check it out right here right now.

 

Spotlight On The Brotherhood

Take the heady musical amalgam of Detroit in the seventies and eighties, factor in some of the hottest musical styles in contemporary jazz and what do you have?  The answer is the The Brotherhood which finds legendary ‘Motor City’ session men Jerry Jones, Jervonny Collier and Bruce Nazarian in the choice company of fellow Detroiters Mark Nilan and Kenny Meriedeth plus noted vocalist “Sir” Harry Bowens, whose distinctive voice has been featured on many hit songs including the seminal Was (Not Was) hit ‘Walk The Dinosaur’. 

Now, drawn together by their mutual love of funk, jazz, and soul, The Brotherhood is poised to break out later this year with their own special brand of funky/jazzy music which, if their collective track record is anything to go by, is sure to be right on the money. Hailing from Detroit, these musicians have collectively participated in hundreds of successful recordings, and played sessions with many of the original Motown Funk Brothers.  Indeed, so deep was their interaction with these legendary Motown musicians, they lovingly refer to themselves as “The Funk Cousins”.