Many smooth jazz artists are leading double lives. On-stage, they conduct themselves like real improvisers; they stretch out, they blow, and they savor the joys of interacting with real musicians in real time. But their studio recordings are another matter. In the studio, they go out of their way to avoid the slightest hints of spontaneity and carefully avoid doing anything that might jeopardize their exposure on NAC/smooth jazz radio stations. Clearly, the play-for-radio approach prevails on this 2005 release, which has "commercial NAC radio" written all over it. Pianist/keyboardist Brian Culbertson (who also plays trumpet, trombone, and percussion) is by no means a bad musician; he definitely has chops, and he has the potential to provide a killer soul-jazz album in the tradition of Gene Harris and Joe Sample (two of his influences). But It's On Tonight, like much of Culbertson's work, favors a very innocuous, totally predictable blend of jazz, R&B, and pop. The material is pleasant background music -- nothing horrible, but far from an adequate reflection of Culbertson's skills as an improviser. Singer Patti Austin has a likable spot on the urban/adult contemporary item "Love Will Never Let You Down" (one of the few vocal offerings on a mostly instrumental CD), and trumpeter Chris Botti's appearance on "Secret Affair" gives that track a bit of Miles Davis-influenced mystery. Botti, for all his commercialism, has more integrity than most people in the smooth jazz/NAC field (which isn't saying much given how appallingly low the genre's standards have generally been since the '80s -- at least when it comes to studio recordings). It's On Tonight does have its moments, but Culbertson is capable of much more. Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Technorati tag: Jazz
Make it funky! That’s the first impression you get on “Shango,” the opening track of Gerald Veasley’s new recording, which sets the tone for an enjoyable hour of music that’s a little bit smooth, a little bit funk, and a lot of groove. With a supporting cast that includes saxophonist Chris Farr, drummer Eric Greene, and conguero/percussionist Pablo Batista, Veasley is clearly in the zone. 
Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Michael Brecker, who has played on many popular smooth jazz recordings, has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, known as MDS. It’s a blood disorder that can lead to leukemia. Brecker, who is 56, is said to be seriously ill and has cancelled all of his scheduled concerts for the time being. He is now undergoing chemotherapy at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center in New York City and is scheduled to undergo a bone-marrow transplant.
Hardcastle 4, the latest album from electronic-music producer Paul Hardcastle, debuted on the contemporary jazz chart this week at number one.
American jazz legend Sonny Rollins survived 9/11 but cannot forget it, the septuagenarian told a press conference ahead of his sole European concert this summer.
Euge Groove, born Steven Eugene Grove, is out to get Smooth Jazz goin' with "Get 'Em Goin'," the lead single from his upcoming CD Just Feels Right. The album, which is slated for release in stores on Aug. 30, is Groove's fourth solo album and second with Narada. After graduating from the University of Miami in 1984 as a classical saxophone major, Groove had his first big break as the sax player on Expose's huge '80s hit "Seasons Change." From there, he had a stint with Tower Of Power and as saxophonist for Richard Marx. But his solo career really got goin' through MP3.com, where within six weeks of posting on the site when it was in its early days, Groove's music went to No. 1 on its jazz chart and was the No. 6 most-listened-to artist overall. By the way, Euge is short for Eugene (his mother-in-law called him Euge), and Groove is a common pronunciation of his last name, Grove, especially in Europe.
The man responsible for the defiant piano lines on Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the U.S.A." is breaking with rock anthems for a taste of smooth jazz.
Ed Gordon speaks with guitarist Paul Brown, who's moved from behind the mixing board as producer to center stage as a smooth jazz front man. Brown's latest CD The City hit record stores Tuesday 7/12. [npr.org]
This Chet Baker collection begins and ends, appropriately enough, with two different versions of “My Funny Valentine.” One is from the pioneering Gerry Mulligan Quartet at the early part of Baker’s career; the other comes from a live performance two weeks before his untimely death. The critics hated his version of the song, as did many of his peers. But it’s the song most associated with Baker, and one that always brought out his fragile and melancholy side, regardless of whether he sang it or played it.
Blue Note Records will release a newly discovered live recording of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with saxophonist John Coltrane on September 27.
There is little previous documentation of Coltrane's brief stay in Monk's group. The 1957 album titled Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane includes just three tracks featuring the two; in 1993, Blue Note released a live recording of the group made with a handheld tape recorder, under the name Live at the Five Spot—Discovery!. 
John Stubblefield, a tenor saxophonist who worked with Mary Lou Williams, Charles Mingus, Tito Puente, Miles Davis, Anthony Braxton and Abdullah Ibrahim, among other jazz musicians, died last Monday at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx. He was 60 and lived in Manhattan.
Pianist Bill Charlap's new collection of Gershwin made its first appearance on the Billboard jazz chart this week at number 12.
Michael Bublé's It's Time topped the chart for the 20th week, with Madeleine Peyroux's Careless Love moving up to number two and Paul Anka's Rock Swing down to number three. 
On the contemporary-jazz chart, vocalist Lizz Wright's Dreaming Wide Awake remained at number one for the third straight week. Saxophonist Richard Elliot's Metro Blue debuted at number two.
"We condemn utterly these barbaric attacks. We send our profound condolences to the victims and their families.
Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on such hits as "Here and Now" and "Any Love" sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died Friday. He was 54.