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Thursday, January 31, 2013

A “Sweet Sweet” Valentine from Grace Kelly

 Crossover single from the jazz prodigy bodes to be her first mainstream hit
 
After wowing the straight-ahead jazz world and garnering worldwide acclaim, 20-year-old wunderkind Grace Kelly has set her sights upon winning hearts in the mainstream with an infectious crossover confection that will be delivered on Valentine’s Day.  Putting the saxophone aside to charm with her enchanting voice, the lilting stomp and clap single, “Sweet Sweet Baby,” will be released by Woodward Avenue Records accompanied by a bouncy, colorful video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaHYISe-0_0).  Kelly penned the joyous celebration of love certain to appeal to people of all ages that she produced with Alain Mallet.  The single has already been officially added to Sirius XM’s Watercolors playlist.      

“This song is inspired by the feeling of falling in love with love.  It’s a song that captures that special time when someone is totally infatuated - whether it is with a girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, child, grandchild, pet or musical instrument.  It celebrates euphoria and joy.  But most of all, it’s a song that celebrates love,” said Kelly, who solos on her trademark alto sax on the frolicking, candy-coated track sweetened with morsels of jazz amidst a playful pop panorama.

With eight albums already to her credit – one per year since she was twelve – Kelly’s prodigious skills have won the Boston native who graduated the prestigious Berklee College of Music at age 19 numerous awards, extensive media coverage that spans CNN, magazine covers, features and rave reviews in the pages of Glamour, Downbeat, JazzTimes, and the Los Angeles Times, and glowing praise from jazz titans including Wynton Marsalis, Randy Brecker and Jimmy Heath.  Her mentors include alto sax greats Lee Konitz and Phil Woods, both of with whom she has recorded duet albums.  Kelly’s busy touring schedule is chocked full of gigs around the globe at which she leads her own band or performs with luminaries such as Chris Botti, Harry Connick Jr., David Sanborn, Dave Brubeck, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Esperanza Spalding and Jamie Cullum.  Marsalis was so impressed that he invited the then sweet 16-year-old musician to perform at President Barack Obama’s first Inauguration Celebration.  Her burgeoning trophy case displays five ASCAP Foundation’s Young Jazz Composers Awards and a pair of Boston Music Awards.  Kelly was the youngest person ever named in the Downbeat Critics Poll after being selected as one of the magazine’s Alto Saxophone Rising Stars each year from 2009-2012 and she also has the distinction of being voted Boston’s Best Jazz Act in four consecutive years by the Boston Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll.
 
Currently on a U.S. concert trek that includes a two-night stand in New York City on March 5 & 6 at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Kelly will lead her band at Spaghettini’s near Los Angeles on March 23rd in support of “Sweet Sweet Baby,” which is available on iTunes.  For more information, please visit www.gracekellymusic.com

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Spencer Day "They Mystery Of You" Release on Concord #jazz March 12

[See the EPK video on the Facebook page, JazzHQ] In the three years since the release of his debut recording Vagabond, vocalist-songwriter-pianist Spencer Day has spent some time in the uncomfortable places where light and clarity disappear into the mysteries of uncertainty. He survived the journey, and he’s come back with a story to tell and a wiser perspective about himself and the world. That story – rooted in his own experience, yet filled with revelations and truths that are universal to any human being who has ever put his or her heart at risk – is captured in the 13 tracks of The Mystery of You, his new album set for release March 12, 2013 on Concord Records.

Filled with stylistic nuances that range from smoky noir to Latin jazz to surf guitar to Middle Eastern and Asian melodies, The Mystery of You tracks the sometimes exhilarating, sometimes harrowing arc of a romantic relationship from passionate beginning to painful demise to enlightened aftermath. More than just a survivor’s tale, the album is Day’s affirmation to anyone within the sound of his voice that navigating the human experience is an ongoing balancing act.

“It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with in my adult life, but it’s also been a huge opportunity for growth,” Day says of the ill-fated relationship and the music that emerged from it. “Each of these songs represents a different phase in that growth process. Along the way, I really started trying to understand my own psychology.”

Self-exploration is nothing new to Day, who recalls a troubled childhood in a conservative town in Utah, and a volatile home life resulting from his parents’ troubled marriage. His primary means of escape were music and movies. He grew up listening to a wide cross-section of composers, including Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon and Paul Simon. And the classic MGM musicals in the local theater – the only options available in his G-rated hometown – eventually left their mark on his creative sensibilities.

He didn’t start performing in public until age 21, mostly singing standards in piano bars and retirement homes. “I was probably three or four years into that when I realized that that wasn’t totally satisfying to me,” he recalls. “I realized that I needed to write as well.” That’s when things got into high gear.

His 2004 debut album, Introducing Spencer Day, was primarily a collection of standards, but the title track from Movie of Your Life, released the following year, won the San Francisco Academy of Art University’s 2005 competition for best original song. The resulting video was selected by Dolby Laboratories as a demonstration video for the global launch of the Dolby 7.1 system.

Day performed at the 2007 San Francisco Jazz Festival, and has been a recurring headliner in a number of high-profile Bay Area clubs, including Yoshi’s, the Plush Room, the Great American Music Hall and the Herbst Theatre. On the opposite coast, he has earned raves for performances at the Town Hall, Joe’s Pub and the Canal Room in New York City , and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has also appeared at both the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival.

Vagabond, released in 2009, was a musical hybrid that drew from the Great American Songbook, but also maintained an alternate aesthetic that sidestepped easy categorization by borrowing from influences like Burt Bacharach, Roy Orbison and Dusty Springfield.

But while The Mystery of You also draws from a range of sources, the result is a much more personal tale. The story opens with the noir-ish title track.  Filled with the unlikely combination of James Bond guitar riffs, Middle Eastern strings and Motown drum fills, the track explores the intrigue that comes with the early stages of getting to know someone. “The goal was to constantly surprise the listener’s ear with new sounds,” says Day. “And at the same time, it’s this classic torch song that talks about love like a crime scene.”

The minimally produced “Love and War” is an acknowledgment of vulnerability. “This is the moment when you realize that you may already be in too deep, and there’s a very real potential to be hurt,” says Day. “This track comes after three uptempo, fully-produced tracks, so given the subject matter, it seemed like the right moment to bring the production down a little bit.”

Further into the set, the symphonic “Soul on Fire” chronicles the head-over-heels tumble that takes place at the early stage of every relationship. “This was a chance to write in this unapologetically dramatic way, with a string arrangement and a great ‘60s nuance,” he says. “The strings ultimately build to a frenzy and capture the passion that’s so common early on.”

In the quiet and poignant “I Don’t Want To Know,” vocalist Gaby Moreno makes one of several appearances on the record to share the lyrics with Day. “This represents the turning point in the relationship, the moment when you realize that the end is actually here but you just don’t want to acknowledge it,” says Day. “There’s a jazz piano solo in the outro, along with an electronic drum loop. The goal was to create a slow and steady build, something that would enable the track to gain momentum as it sails into the distance.”

“The Answer” pays homage to Roy Orbison, a longtime favorite of Day’s – and perhaps the most gifted writer of heartache songs in the last six decades of pop music. “That’s basically the moment when you’ve packed everything in your car and you’re driving away, hoping that someday the reasons why it all came to an end will be clear.”

And somehow they are, eventually. “Somewhere on the Other Side” is built on the hope that if you can get through the hard part, things do get better. “I wrote that in the depths of despair,” says Day. “It’s almost like an early American Quaker spiritual. I was just trying to remind myself that if I could make it through this, there would be a sacred place that I could get to on the other side.”

He finds that place in “I’m Going Home,” which Day refers to as a song about gratitude. “It’s about returning home – not necessarily a physical place, but more a matter of redeveloping a relationship with yourself. This was an opportunity to combine an electric piano with an acoustic piano solo I recorded in L.A. It really works in this minimalist Brian Eno kind of way. There are some strange but interesting textures that pop up and catch your ears.”

In the end, Day sees The Mystery of You as an effort to chronicle a relationship in much the same way as an abstract painting would. “It’s going to be a different experience for everyone, and different tracks will resonate differently with each listener,” he says. “But I think the goal is to let people find themselves somewhere within the music, and find something in common with the experiences that inspired the writing of the music. I think the goal of any artist should be to take a situation that’s personal and draw out those things that are universal.”

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Celebrated Bass Player Ethan Farmer Re-releases Solo Debut EP Wine & Strings Full Length Album Due Early 2013 #jazz #video



Ethan Farmer aka E-Bassman is a celebrated bass player and is no stranger to the music scene playing and touring with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Darius Rucker, Lionel Richie. Ethan was introduced to his instrument of choice... the bass at the age of five and then became the youngest member of the family group The Amazing Farmer Singers at the age of eight. From that early introduction, it has been a relationship that has only grown and evolved.

Ethan Farmer is truly changing the way we hear music today. He has crafted and honed his talent to make the listening experience a journey. Farmer has blurred the lines and taken in the influences of jazz, funk, soul, and rock & roll to create his eclectic sound. E-Bassman shares, “I want people to walk away from my show feeling like they did during Woodstock. Just a good feeling that people remember for generations and it was all about the music.”

Now, E-Bassman is focused on his solo career with the re-release of his debut solo EP Wine & Strings featuring his top 30 single “Watch”. This re-release is to prepare you for the upcoming full-length album due out in the spring.

Ethan has just returned from touring Europe with the legendary Lionel Richie and will be performing in Bass Bash at NAMM this January. After the back to back tours with NKOTB and Richie, he is finally able to focus full-time on his solo efforts and promotions for his upcoming full length release courtesy of Good People Club Music Group.

For upcoming announcements, tour dates and more, check out Ethan Farmer at:

www.ethan-farmer.com
www.facebook.com/EbassmanFarmer
www.youtube.com/ebassman1

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - January 28st, 2013 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Gerald Albright/Norman Brown" - "24/7" - (Concord)
2 - 3 - Vincent Ingala - "Can't Stop Now" - (vincentingala.com)
3 - 4 - Nils - "City Groove" - (Baja/TSR)
4 - 8 - Euge Groove - "House Of Groove" - (Shanachie)
5 - 2 - Paul Brown - "The Funky Join" - (Woodward Ave)
6 - 7 - Richard Elliot - "In The Zone" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
7 - 5 - Fourplay - "Esprit de Four" - (Heads Up)
8 - 6 - Chris Standring - "Electric Wonderland" - (Ultimate Vibe)
9 - 18 - The David Wells & Chris Geith Project - "No Side Effects" - (Timeless World)
10 - 12 - Four80East - "Off Duty" - (Boomtang)
11 - 13 - Peter White - "Here We Go" - (Concord)
12 - 11 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Magical" - (Nordic Night)
13 - 22 - Acoustic Alchemy - "Roseland" - (Onside/Headsup)
14 - 10 - David Benoit - "Conversation" - (Heads Up)
15 - 16 - Lee Ritenour - "Rhythm Sessions" - (Concord)
16 - 15 - Brian Culbertson - "Dreams" - (Verve)
17 - 17 - Marc Antoine - "Guitar Destiny" - (Frazzy Frog)
18 - 20 - Jeff Kashiwa - "Let It Ride" - (Native Language)
19 - 27 - Walter Beasley - "Live In The Club" - (Affable)
20 - 23 - Jackiem Joyner - "Church Boy" - (Artistry)

Our thanks to smoothjazz.comVisit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.
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Terri Lyne Carrington "Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue" Release Feb 5th on Concord #jazz

In 1962, Duke Ellington recorded a trio date with bassist Charlie Mingus and drummer Max Roach that is today considered one of the pivotal jazz recordings of the 1960s. Money Jungle, the 1963 album that emerged from the session, was - among other things - a commentary on the perennial tug-of-war between art and commerce. In some ways, the album's 11 tracks were intended as a sort of counterbalance to the capitalist bent of the Mad Men generation.

Fifty years later, this precarious balance in the world of jazz - or in any art form, for that matter - hasn't changed much. Enter GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer, composer and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington, who enlists the aid of two high-profile collaborators - keyboardist Gerald Clayton and bassist Christian McBride - to pay tribute to Duke, his trio and his creative vision with a cover of this historic recording. Carrington's Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue is set for release on Concord Jazz.

Duke's original recording is something that has haunted Carrington since she first heard it about a decade ago. "I had bought it on CD, from the discount bin in a music store," she recalls. "I put it on in my car, and I immediately just felt something mysterious about it. There was just an energy that moved through the tracks. Duke and Charles and Max had a chemistry about them. There was this tension that you could hear, and yet they fit together like a hand in a glove."

In preparation for the project, Carrington read up on Duke's biography. "I felt like a method actor, she says. "I just dug as deep as I could in the time that I had to get a glimpse of his perspective on things. When you start rearranging music by someone like Duke Ellington, you better feel really good about what you're doing. In the end, I felt confident that I didn't do him a disservice, because he was a very open-minded artist, and he was very much about moving forward."

Carrington considers her Money Jungle - like its predecessor - primarily a trio album, but she's not averse to some enhancement and additional textures along the way. Helping out with the rearrangements and reinterpretations is an impressive list of guest artists: trumpeter Clark Terry, trombonist Robin Eubanks, reed players Tia Fuller and Antonio Hart, guitarist Nir Felder, percussionist Arturo Stabile and vocalists Shea Rose and Lizz Wright. Herbie Hancock appears in a spoken word segment as the voice of Duke Ellington.

The set opens with the driving title track, which opens with the simple but unsettling spoken-word observation about a capitalist society: "You have to create problems to create profit." Despite the ominous message, the music that follows is surprisingly bouyant, thanks to an elastic rhythm set up by Carrington in support of her collaborators' exploratory piano and bass interplay. All of it is peppered with clips from speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and others.

The pace slows down a bit with "Fleurette Africain," a track that features Robin Eubanks on trombone, and Tia Fuller and Antonio Hart on flutes, as well as the iconic Clark Terry on trumpet. Terry also delivers a stream-of-conscious vocal line that's part spoken-word part scatting. "Getting Clark Terry on this track was one of the most special parts of the record, because he's someone who is really connected to Duke Ellington," says Carrington. "My first gig was with Clark at 10 years old then I joined his band when I was 18, after I had left home and moved to New York. His vocals really bring it home for me, and this track kind of brings my career full circle."

Vocalist Lizz Wright - who has participated in numerous live performances in support of Carrington's all-female, GRAMMY®-Award winning recording, The Mosaic Project - steps up to the mic for "Backward Country Boy Blues." The track begins in the spirit of deep Delta gospel, then morphs into something much more contemporary and orchestrated. All the while, Wright's atmospheric vocals bring an element of mystery to the track.

Carrington inserts two of her own compositions into the set - the syncopated yet melodic "Grass Roots" and the ominous-turned-lively "No Boxes (Nor Words)" - along with "Cut Off," a delicate piece written by Clayton. The three tracks replace "Warm Valley," "Caravan" and "Solitude," which appear on Duke's original Money Jungle but were not written specifically for the date. In tribute to Ellington and his original work, Clayton's "Cut Off" does include numerous melodic references to "Solitude."

The set ends on the quiet notes of "Rem Blues/Music," which features the voices of Shea Rose and Herbie Hancock. Rose works her way through the song with a spoken-word recitation of the poem, "Music," which compares the art form to a multi-faceted and irresistibly seductive woman. Hancock closes the track quoting Duke Ellington, with observations about the role of music in society and the popularity of money versus the popularity of art.

The music of Duke's Money Jungle may have first emerged a half-century ago, but "there's nothing old about great music and great musicians," says Carrington, who sees her own Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue as addressing some of the same issues as its 1963 predecessor. "There's always something that's new, if you know how to listen to it. You have to be able to appreciate the past if you want to have a future. I think that's a big part of our job as artists and entertainers and educators - to keep reminding the younger musicians how important our predecessors were - especially the people who made the music what it is today. So it was my goal to bring some fresh light and fresh energy to some of Duke's music in general and this recording in particular."
 
CAT # CJA-34026-02
1. Money Jungle 6:21
2. Fleurette Africain 5:56
3. Backward Country Boy Blues 6:00
4. Very Special 4:11
5. Wig Wise 6:17
6. Grass Roots 4:38
7. No Boxes (Nor Words) 5:37
8. A Little Max (Parfait) 5:01
9. Switch Blade 6:28
10. Cut Off 5:08
11. Rem Blues/Music 6:44

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Boney James - "The Beat" - Release on Concord Records 4/9/13 #jazz

 Chart Topping Saxophonist Boney James Re-Signs With Concord Records And Presents New Project "The Beat Due For Release April 9, 2013
Guest Artists Include Raheem DeVaughn, The Floacist, Rick Braun

Three-time GRAMMY nominee Boney James has returned to former label Concord Records with a dynamic, genre-busting album The Beat. One of the most successful instrumental artists of our time with sales totaling over 3 million records, James’ new project fuses his R&B/Jazz roots with Latin rhythm and percussion.

“This record was born of my love for both Latin and R&B music and became a mash-up of the two genres.  The initial inspiration for the record was Sergio Mendes’ “Batucada (The Beat),” which I re-imagined as a funk tune.” “Batucada (The Beat)” reunites Boney with trumpet great Rick Braun. “Rick and I have a wonderful history. There is a certain edge and energy that comes out when we play together that creates a really cool vibe.”

Other special guests on the project include eclectic R&B soul singer Raheem DeVaughn and spoken word phenom The Floacist. The first Urban AC single, going for adds in mid-February, is “Maker of Love,” a sexy, soulful song featuring DeVaughn. “Raheem is an artist I’ve wanted to work with for a long time and we actually met by following each other on Twitter! I sent him the track and he came back with an incredible lyric and finished vocal,” says James.

UK poet and musician The Floacist (former partner of Marsha Ambrosius) brings a seductive flow to “The Midas (This is Why)” which adds to the World Music flavor of the album. James says, “This track is a real serious mash-up with the R&B groove, the shekere and conga percussion, coupled with the ‘Euro’ vibe from The Floacist!”

Other treasures on the album include James’ fresh take on Stevie Wonder’s R&B/Latin classic “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” along with originals by James that run the gamut from subtle and sophisticated with tracks like “Acalento (Lullaby)” and “Mari’s Song,” to high energy with “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Powerhouse.”

James produced the record and wrote (or co-wrote) eight songs. The album marks his return to Concord Records. Mark Wexler, General Manager/SVP, Concord-Telarc Label Group says, “Boney is one of those unique artists that truly understands his outstanding talent and knows how to blend his originality with what his fans love to hear. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him back as part of our Concord family.” James is equally enthusiastic about re-joining the label, “Concord and I have had great successes, previously, and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with them on one of the best records I’ve ever done.”

In addition to his GRAMMY nominations, James is a Soul Train Award winner (Best Jazz Album) and has been honored with an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Jazz Album. He has accumulated four RIAA Certified Gold Records. To date, nine of James' albums have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and two have reached the top 10 on the R&B Albums Chart, a rare feat for an instrumental artist.

Complete Track Listing:
1.      Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (4:56)
2.      Sunset Boulevard (4:07)
3.      Missing You (3:37)
4.      Batucada (The Beat) featuring Rick Braun (4:03)
5.      Maker of Love featuring Raheem DeVaughn (3:48)
6.      Mari’s Song (4:28)
7.      Powerhouse (4:00)
8.      The Midas (This Is Why) featuring The Floacist (4:03)
9.      Acalento (Lullaby) (4:04)
10.    You Can Count On Me (4:57)

Boney is also renowned for his compelling live performances. According to The Boston Globe: “Let’s make something perfectly clear: James is not a smooth jazz player. Yeah, he is often grouped with people like Kenny G and Najee, but his music is muscular and gritty….James swaggers across the stage like a blacktop hero draining trays on an overmatched opponent. He even weaves his way through the crowd, all but daring them not to have a good time.”
Boney will be on tour for all of 2013 following the release of The Beat. 
Initial tour dates are:

3/30 Detroit MI – Fox Theater
4/6 Las Vegas NV- Boulder Station                                
4/18 Panama City Beach FL- Seabreeze Jazz Fest
4/20 Durham NC- Carolina Theatre
4/23 Bergen NJ- Bergen PAC
4/24 Glenside PA- Keswick Theatre
4/25 Cleveland OH- Ohio Theatre
4/26 Pittsburgh PA- Byham Theatre
4/27 Buffalo NY- Buffalo State PAC
4/28 Alexandria VA- The Birchmere
7/21 San Dimas CA- Jazz Fest West
10/12 San Diego- Smooth Jazz Cruise
10/25 Troy NY- Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
10/26 New Haven CT- Lyman Center
10/27 Boston MA- Wilbur Theater
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Saxophonist Dave Koz Releases First-Ever Live Recording 2/12/13 on Concord #jazz

GRAMMY®-nominated Live At The Blue Note Tokyo
set for release February 12, 2013 on Concord Records
In a career that spans twenty years and a dozen albums, Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary music. The gifted saxophonist has also received widespread acclaim for his live performances, with The New York Times recently noting: “He’s a musician of unflappable rhythmic aplomb, which he happily squares against the airtight funk of his band.” However, the eight-time GRAMMY® nominee had never released a live recording – until now.
 
Originally independently released on September 25, 2012, Concord Records will give Live at the Blue Note Tokyo – Koz’s first-ever live album – its wide distribution physical release on February 12, 2013. Recorded in Japan in 2011, the disc features a dozen songs, including such hits as “You Make Me Smile,” “Faces Of The Heart,” “Honeydipped” and “Put The Top Down.” Live at the Blue Note Tokyo has also been nominated for a GRAMMY® award in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album.
 
“I feel so fortunate to have spent my professional life on the road, touring all over the world, doing shows for almost 25 years now,” Koz says. “I love it. I’ve gotten to see many amazing places, learned so much, and met so many truly wonderful people. A lifetime on the road…it’s been a real blessing. This CD, my very first live record, captures one magical night of that lifetime and I wanted to share it with you.”
 
Koz’s live album is the follow-up to Hello Tomorrow, his October 12, 2010 debut on Concord. In addition to being nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Pop Instrumental Album, Hello Tomorrow was named Best Smooth Jazz Album of 2010 by iTunes and awarded Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the 2011 Soul Train Awards.
 
Track listing for Dave Koz’s Live at the Blue Note Tokyo:
 
1. What You Leave Behind
2. Together Again
3. Put The Top Down
4. Let It Free
5. Anything’s Possible
6. Love Is On The Way
7. It’s Always Been You
8. All I See Is You
9. Honeydipped
10. Faces Of The Heart
11. Silverlining
12. You Make Me Smile

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - January 21st, 2013 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Gerald Albright/Norman Brown" - "24/7" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Paul Brown - "The Funky Join" - (Woodward Ave)
3 - 6 - Vincent Ingala - "Can't Stop Now" - (vincentingala.com)
4 - 3 - Nils - "City Groove" - (Baja/TSR)
5 - 5 - Fourplay - "Esprit de Four" - (Heads Up)
6 - 4 - Chris Standring - "Electric Wonderland" - (Ultimate Vibe)
7 - 7 - Richard Elliot - "In The Zone" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
8 - 8 - Euge Groove - "House Of Groove" - (Shanachie)
9 - 9 - Najee - "Smooth Side Of Soul" - (Shanachie)
10 - 11 - David Benoit - "Conversation" - (Heads Up)
11 - 10 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Magical" - (Nordic Night)
12 - 12 - Four80East - "Off Duty" - (Boomtang)
13 - 13 - Peter White - "Here We Go" - (Concord)
14 - 15 - Jessy J - "Hot Sauce" - (Heads Up)
15 - 18 - Brian Culbertson - "Dreams" - (Verve)
16 - 19 - Lee Ritenour - "Rhythm Sessions" - (Concord)
17 - 22 - Marc Antoine - "Guitar Destiny" - (Frazzy Frog)
18 - 20 - The David Wells & Chris Geith Project - "No Side Effects" - (Timeless World)
19 - 16 - George Benson - "Guitar Man" - (Concord)
20 - 17 - Jeff Kashiwa - "Let It Ride" - (Native Language)

Our thanks to smoothjazz.comVisit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.
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Friday, January 18, 2013

Nadje Noordhuis CD Release - 1/26/13 #jazz [EPK]


 
Nadje Noordhuis, Australian Jazz Musician, Celebrates Release of Debut Album on Australia Day

On Saturday, January 26, fall in love with Australian-born trumpeter/composer Nadje Noordhuis at Culture Project in the East Village.  Nadja will be celebrating not only Australian Day, but also the release of her long-awaited self-titled album, delivering a decade of tailoring every note with care and perfection.  The audience will be seduced with lush romanticism, elegant melodies and pulsating improvisation that are influenced by a range of genres such as Irish folk, tango and film scores.

As a special addition to our evening, fellow Australian songstress Jo Lawry will be our highly anticipated opening act. Lawry is currently touring with the legendary, world-renowned musician Sting.

All ticket holders will receive a complimentary digital copy of Nadje's self-titled record.

WHAT: Nadje Noordhuis (Jo Lawry)
WHERE: Culture Project
45 Bleecker St, NYC
WHEN: Saturday, January 26th
Doors 7:00 pm
Show 7:30 pm
TIX: $20 + fees

Patricia Barber - "Smash" - Releases 1/22/13 on Concord #jazz

On Smash, her debut on Concord Jazz, Patricia Barber reiterates her unique position in modern music as a jazz triple-threat - imaginative pianist, startling vocalist, and innovative composer. With a new band and a dozen new compositions, she also continues her two-decade crusade to retrieve the ground that jazz musicians long ago ceded to pop and rock: the realm of the intelligent and committed singer-songwriter, tackling even familiar subjects (like love and loss) with a nuance and depth beyond the limits of the Great American Songbook.

Once again - in the crisp chill of her vocals, as well as the fiery feminine intellect that informs her music and lyrics - Barber makes most of her contemporaries sound like little girls.

A prime example is the title track, where Barber paints the end of a love affair with subtly stated allusions to destruction: the erosion of edifices; a bloody road accident. The lines are more akin to poetry than conventional song lyrics, as she depicts "the crumbling of tall castles built / on kisses and blood / and dreams so like sand." The song's reprise compares "the sound of a heart breaking" to "the sound of / the red on the road" - a devastatingly effective mélange of synesthetic imagery. Aided by a raw, forceful guitar solo, the performance illuminates a counter-intuitive realization about loss:

"It just struck me, as it does everyone who experiences great loss, that on the outside, no one can tell," Barber explains. "You go to the grocery store, and everything's the same, which is shocking. It struck me that this is the sound of a heart breaking: silence. You're alone. And I felt that this was an interesting juxtaposition, since the sound of a heart breaking should be the loudest, screamiest, shriekiest combination of sounds there could be."

Barber has another song on the subject of "loud, shrieky" emotion: "Scream," paradoxically set to a gentle, quiet melody that belies its message, and which has proved extremely popular with those audiences hearing it prior to this recording. "Scream / when Sunday / finally comes / and God / isn't there . . . . the soldier / has his gun / and the war / isn't where / we thought it would be." As Barber points out in conversation, with only the slightest sarcasm, "It's an angry song - and everyone wants that."

Her anger finds a more whimsical (but no less impactful) outlet in the catchy "Devil's Food," written specifically from Barber's perspective as a gay woman: "boy meets boy / girl meets girl / given any chance / to fall in love / they do . . . / like loves like / like devil's food / like chocolate twice / I'm in the mood / for you . . . ." She wrote the song in reaction to last year's highly publicized efforts to quash gay-marriage initiatives around the country:

"It made me mad, and it made me want to make a declaration - but to make it fun. I find one of the best ways to bring people to your perspective is of course to charm them, and music can always do that. That's how I get a lot of people thinking about a lot of things. I mean, the lyrics are fairly graphic - ‘sweet on sweet, meat on meat' - but the music is so beguiling, I think I make the case. And when it becomes clear that it's turning into a gay disco song, it's really fun watching people's reaction, which is surprise and mostly delight."

It's not the usual territory trod by jazz singers and songwriters; we're a long way from "The Man I Love." ("Smart songs about the way we think and live, not just about the way we love," wrote Margo Jefferson in The New York Times.)
 
Much of Barber's magic lies in setting these words to music as fully evocative as it is coolly provocative. Many of her arrangements attain a thrilling friction between style and substance. (For a defining example, turn to "Redshift," in which Barber weds the science-geek lyric - itself a miraculous marriage of physics and love - to the gentle lull of a bossa-nova beat.) Throughout the album, her Chicago-based quartet - comprising the superlative rhythm team of bassist Larry Kohut and drummer Jon Deitemyer, with the edgy and arresting John Kregor on guitars - functions as a translucent extension of Barber's own musicality, while her piano work enjoys a prominence that some of her newer fans may not previously have experienced.

One song, "Missing" - perhaps the album's most indelible portrait of heartache - came about in an unusual way: "This was a commission, I guess you could call it. A woman sent me a letter and her story, and a very small check, and asked if I could turn it into a song. It was sort of an outrageous request, but it really hit me, so I wrote it; it was my idea to take the story through the four seasons. In some ways, it's the sleeper of the record. When I play this in concert, a lot of people cry at this one."

The other songs on Smash represent the fruit of Barber's decision to write what she calls a "syllabic song series"; these pieces resulted from a disciplined framework, based on the number of beats in each poetic line. (For instance, "The Swim" consists entirely of two-syllable lines; "Spring Song" has three such phonemes per line; "The Wind Song," six.) "I studied the songwriters, but now I just study the poets," she explains. "I'm trying to make the poetry of a finer order. But I still need to rhyme, because rhyme is rhythm, and rhythm is music."

Audiophiles will be especially glad to know that Smash reunites Barber with her long-time recording engineer Jim Anderson (with whom she first worked in 1994, on her Premonition Records debut Café Blue.) Anderson - who is Professor of Recorded Music at New York University's Tisch School for of the Arts - has again captured Barber's music with the clarity and presence that led Stereophile Magazine to label Café Blue a "Record To Die For." HDTracks and Mastered for iTunes versions of Smash are also available.

After her long association with Premonition and then Blue Note Records, Barber self-released her two most recent albums - recorded at Chicago's legendary Green Mill, her weekly showcase for more than two decades - and had no plans to sign with anyone else at this point in her career. "I didn't have a contract, or even a recording in mind," she states. "I assumed that when I had a group of ten or so new songs I would probably put it out myself." Halfway through this process, Barber received an offer from Concord, which she promptly turned down: "I was really enjoying the freedom of not having a label, especially in this environment, and just doing what I always do - trying to advance myself musically, practicing a lot, and locking in on what I consider a really good band."

But the persistence of Concord producer Nick Phillips won out. "He came to see me, and he reminded me so much of Bruce Lundvall," Barber recalls, referring to the former Blue Note president with whom she worked closely. "I had been grieving the loss of that professional relationship. And then Nick mentioned that he has great respect and admiration for Bruce. So we hit it off personally, and that's what it takes for me."

That, and the chance to take her time - to read poetry, practice piano, and do some gardening on a tract of farmland she owns in Michigan, a welcome getaway from city life in Chicago. That's how Barber's ideas take root and bloom. She remains an electrifying performer, but performance is not the most important aspect of her art. "My favorite part is the internal part - the research," she points out. "All the interesting stuff happens inside your head and at the piano."
Fortunately, those of us not in Patricia Barber's head or at her piano still get to enjoy the fruits of that labor.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - January 14th, 2013 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Gerald Albright/Norman Brown" - "24/7" - (Concord)
2 - 1 - Paul Brown - "The Funky Join" - (Woodward Ave)
3 - 3 - Nils - "City Groove" - (Baja/TSR)
4 - 4 - Chris Standring - "Electric Wonderland" - (Ultimate Vibe)
5 - 7 - Fourplay - "Esprit de Four" - (Heads Up)
6 - 16 - Vincent Ingala - "Can't Stop Now" - (vincentingala.com)
7 - 5 - Richard Elliot - "In The Zone" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
8 - 6 - Euge Groove - "House Of Groove" - (Shanachie)
9 - 10 - Najee - "Smooth Side Of Soul" - (Shanachie)
10 - 8 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Magical" - (Nordic Night)
11 - 11 - David Benoit - "Conversation" - (Heads Up)
12 - 9 - Four80East - "Off Duty" - (Boomtang)
13 - 15 - Peter White - "Here We Go" - (Concord)
14 - 13 - Nicholas Cole - "Endless Possibilities" - (Cutmore)
15 - 12 - Jessy J - "Hot Sauce" - (Heads Up)
16 - 22 - George Benson - "Guitar Man" - (Concord)
17 - 17 - Jeff Kashiwa - "Let It Ride" - (Native Language)
18 - 20 - Brian Culbertson - "Dreams" - (Verve)
19 - 14 - Lee Ritenour - "Rhythm Sessions" - (Concord)
20 - 21 - The David Wells & Chris Geith Project - "No Side Effects" - (Timeless World)

Our thanks to smoothjazz.comVisit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.
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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Tom Wopat - "I've Got Your Number" - Set For Release 2-12-13 #jazz

TOM WOPAT’S “I’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER” Set For Release 2.12.13
Star of Stage, Screen and TV Swings Into Big Band / Mad Men Era With New Recording of Great American Songbook Classics and Contemporary Songs of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor and More

2013 promises to be a banner year for Tom Wopat. From the Feb. 12 release of his eighth recording I’ve Got Your Number, to his role in Quentin Tarrantino’s highly anticipated film Django Unchained, (released 2012 Christmas) and the release of the ABC –TV family musical movie Lovestruck, in which he stars with Jane Seymour. While one can’t help recall his starring role in the ‘80’s hit television series The Dukes of Hazzard, it is Tom Wopat, jazz vocalist and the Tony nominated star of Broadway that’s been garnering high critical acclaim for the last two decades. 

With I’ve Got Your Number, Tom’s musical expedition has traveled into even more colorful territory. Backed by a thirty-piece orchestra, he fulfills his desire to focus on what he describes as the “orchestra/big band hybrid of the ‘60s and ‘70s.” “Like the Bobby Darin stuff,” he says. “Frank Sinatra did big band then, too., everybody did. And we really wanted to go for that -- in the standards as well as the contemporary tunes. We’ve evoked the spirit of the New York supper club era and the cool vibe of the Mad Men days. The recording swings hard and there’s a lot of really fine music.” 

And, a lot of really fine singing, too! Listen to the way he romps through the different rhythms of “I’ve Got Your Number” and “The Good Life” – typical of his easygoing interaction with the grooves of his orchestra/big band backing. And, listen as well to the way he transforms the singer/songwriter tunes – James Taylor’s “The Secret O’ Life,” Paul Simon’s “The Afterlife,” Judy Collins’ “Since You Asked,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Meeting Across the River” -- into jazz-tinged renditions. And, to the sense of jazz authenticity that informs both Tom’s singing and his interaction with the lush big band arrangements. 

There’s a large handful of uniquely appealing qualities all over the fourteen utterly captivating tracks. Tom applies his far-ranging interpretive skills and warm engaging baritone to discovering new, intriguing musical twists in such Great American Songbook classics as “The Folks Who Live On The Hill,” “Call Me,” “Born To Be Blue,” “I Won’t Dance” and, of course the title track. At first glance, that could be viewed as a surprisingly diverse program of material. But his versatility has been there throughout his career and on full display in a career reaching from his television work of the ‘70s and ‘80s to high visibility Broadway roles in 1999’s Annie Get Your Gun and 2008’s A Catered Affair and more (he received Tony Award nominations for both), plus his previous musical releases, spanning standards (In the Still of the Night and Dissertation on the State of Bliss) into the jazz oriented sounds and rhythms that had always fascinated him (Consider it Swung). 

With the release of I’ve Got Your Number, Wopat truly feels he has found his stride. “Performing these songs the way we do on this recording is the most creative thing I do,” Tom concludes. “It’s extremely satisfying and fulfilling. And as long as it feels that way, I’m going to keep right on doing it.”

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Friday, January 11, 2013

Sax man Elan Trotman gets autobiographical on “Tropicality” Feb 14, 2013 #jazz

  The star-studded set slated for release February 19th chronicles his journey from Barbados to Boston while celebrating island culture.

Rihanna may be the most famous Barbadian making worldwide headlines, but saxophonist/flautist Elan Trotman is another gifted islander who is bringing the Caribbean island’s culture to the masses via music.  “Tropicality,” which will be released February 19th on Woodward Avenue Records, chronicles Trotman’s journey from Barbados to Boston and celebrates the multihued beauty of the tropical paradise.  Trotman and guitar star Peter White produced the 12-track set that was recorded in Barbados, Boston and Los Angeles and includes performances by a stellar array of musicians from around the world.    
 
The inherent difficulty for instrumentalists is to “speak” without words, hence Trotman’s challenge to speak volumes through melodic riffs, rhythms and grooves that tell his personal story and share his ardor for his homeland.  He wrote or co-wrote seven of the collection’s nine originals and selected a few fitting covers, including the first single prefacing the album at radio, a rollicking rendition of Stevie Wonder’s reggae-inflected “Master Blaster.”  Recording in three widely diverse cities afforded Trotman the opportunity to draw upon an international talent pool that boasts compatriot Barbados-born bassist/producer Nicholas Brancker, British guitarist White, French guitarist U-Nam, Brazilian guitar marvel Fabiano Da Silva, Aruban guitarist Serghio Jansen, Cuban percussionist Luis Conte, and an accomplished American contingent consisting of keyboardist/producer Jeff Lorber, guitarist/producer Paul Brown, guitarist Nick Colionne, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington, Ricky Lawson and Tony Moore, trumpeter Lin Rountree, bassist Alex Al and percussionist Lenny Castro.              
 
“This album is very special to me as I’ve always wanted to showcase my Caribbean heritage through my music.  We ‘islanders’ are happy people by nature and that quality has always been evident by the way our music grooves.  As a child, I spent countless hours at the beach swimming and exploring the beautiful landscapes of the western and southern coasts of Barbados.  On a recent visit back home, I began to compose these songs as I walked on those same beaches.  My musical journey really began when I left my homeland to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston.  ‘Tropicality’ is the story of that journey from ‘Bridgetown to Beantown,’ and I’m very fortunate to have some close friends from across the globe join me on this project.  My original compositions feature rhythms and grooves not just from Barbados, but from other Caribbean Islands, Cape Verde, and Latin America,” said Trotman, who will launch the album with concerts in the three cities in which it was recorded beginning with a January 20th show in Barbados at the Prime Minister’s home of Illaro Court with Lorber as special guest followed by a February 21st gig at Scullers Jazz Club in his adopted hometown of Boston and a March 1st date at Spaghettini’s near Los Angeles. 
 
“Tropicality” is Trotman’s sixth solo album and follows the success of 2011’s “Love and Sax,” a Billboard Top 20 contemporary jazz album that spawned the single, “Heaven In Your Eyes,” a duet with keyboardist Brian Simpson, which reached #11 on Billboard’s jazz songs chart.  Trotman has lent his soulful horn flair to recordings and shared the concert stage with an extraordinary assortment of marquee musicians including Roberta Flack, Patti Austin, Will Downing, Phil Perry, Earl Klugh, Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Brian McKnight, Jamie Foxx, Johnny Gill, Nathan East, Gerald Veasley, Don Grusin, Keiko Matsui, Raul Midon and fellow saxophonists Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, and Najee.  He is a three-time winner of the New England Urban Music Award as Best Jazz Male, the 2011 Barbados Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year, and was twice nominated for a Boston Music Award.  Growing up influenced by seminal sax legend Grover Washington Jr. and mentored by Barbadian sax man Arturo Tappin, Trotman received a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music courtesy of the government of Barbados.  He shares his knowledge by teaching music in the Boston school district when not touring or recording.  Additional information is available at www.elantrotman.com.
 
Trotman’s “Tropicality” album is comprised of the following songs:
 
“Master Blaster (Jammin’)”
“Tradewinds”
“Bridgetown To Beantown”
“Always With You”
“Wait In Vain”
“A Time And Place”
“Sunset In Paradise”
“Danca Ku Mi (Dance With Me)”
“Funkalypso”
“Tropicality”
“Island Groove”
“Wave”

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Drew Davidsen - "True Drew" Release on Oznot Records, March 5th - #jazz

A slick, cosmopolitan showcase of a dozen contemporary jazz instrumentals, cool-toned guitarist Drew Davidsen elevates his technical prowess and creative muse while contemplatively chronicling his journey through life on “TRUE DREW,” his fifth album that will be released March 5th on Oznot Records.  In addition to his impassioned, fanciful fretwork on electric, acoustic and nylon-stringed guitars, Davidsen wrote or co-wrote seven original tunes for the disc that he produced with Eric Copeland, Preston Glass and Norman Connors.  Setting the stage at radio is “Hi5,” which adeptly bridges the sensibilities of a hip L.A. rooftop hang and sultry songo rhythms.   
 
The material that makes up “TRUE DREW” mirrors the mission of the man.  Beginning with the infectious “My Guitar” that is ignited by a spirit-raising guitar and celestial vocal hook, Davidsen ventures onto “95 South” in search of an energetic exploration, brazenly allowing the music – jazz, R&B, blues and adult pop - to be his guide.  Riffing adventurously throughout, he gives a “Hi5” to his traveling companions on the album, an accomplished lot that boasts Bobby Lyle, Eric Marienthal, Bob Baldwin, Gerald Veasley, and the Temptations Ron Tyson.  When life forces him to take risks (“Double or Nothin’”), he pauses for reflection (“All Night and Forever” and a brooding, New Age-y take on the classic hymnal “All Creatures”) before arriving at the “Sweet Spot” where he encounters love (“I’m Into You,” “I Can’t Help It” and “Give Me Your Heart”).  A man of faith who devotes his time and a portion of the proceeds from all music sales to charitable endeavors such as Ghanaian Mother’s Hope (www.GMHope.org), Davidsen ultimately remains true to the path to “Do Right” and “Change The World.”  In fact, he’s currently encouraging people to make healthier choices in the New Year via The 30-Day Wellness Challenge (www.30DayWellnessChallenge.com).     
 
"When one of my New York City fans dubbed me ‘Six String King,' it had a serious impact.  I looked around and realized I really do see my life through my guitar.  This album reflects that journey.  Stringing together my passion for the guitar, excellence and innovation while combining ingredients and flavors from New York City, Los Angeles and Nashville, I was blessed to work with marvelously talented musicians, producers and engineers that helped bring ‘TRUE DREW’ to life,” said Davidsen, who was named one of the 10 Hottest New Guitarists by Guitar Player magazine. 
 
Davidsen’s radio-friendly recordings have consistently generated abundant airplay and enjoyed lengthy stays in the Top 10 on the Billboard and SiriusXM charts, the latter on which he went #1 in 2011 for the “Spin Cycle” album.  Born, raised and still residing in Towson, MD, he was a classically trained cellist who studied at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute.  Davidsen served in Iraq in Operation Desert Storm with the U.S. Navy and returned to share his fervor for music education at a hometown preschool while he spent his evenings performing in a local contemporary jazz quartet for a dozen years.  Since releasing his debut album, “The Journey,” in 2008, he has been warmly embraced by fans of his records and live shows.  Davidsen won the Momentum Award in 2008 as Jazz Artist of the Year and has been nominated as Best New Artist by both the American Smooth Jazz Awards and the Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards.  “TRUE DREW” depicts a driven artist equipped with the skills, sound and songs to propel him closer to the guitar greats that influence him the most: Pat Metheny, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Larry Carlton and Robben Ford.  More information is available at www.drewdavidsen.com and www.drewdavidsen.com/epk.   
 
Davidsen’s “TRUE DREW” contains the following songs:
 
“My Guitar”
“95 South”
“Hi5”
“Double or Nothin’”
“All Night and Forever”
“Sweet Spot”
“I’m Into You”
“Do Right”
“I Can’t Help It”
“Change the World”
“All Creatures”
“Give Me Your Heart”

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Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Joe Lovano Us Five - "Cross Culture" Released today on Blue Note #jazz

On January 8, 2013, saxophonist and composer Joe Lovano released Cross Culture, his 23rd Blue Note recording and the third consecutive release by his critically acclaimed quintet, Us Five. To celebrate the album's release, Lovano will be taking Us Five out on an 11-city U.S. tour that launches January 19 and includes shows at The Mint in Los Angeles (January 22) and Yoshi's in Oakland (January 24-26) before culminating with two nights at The Allen Room at Jazz At Lincoln Center in New York City (February 22-23).

Cross Culture is an 11-track tour de force that presents 10 of Lovano's original compositions along with a stunning interpretation of the Billy Strayhorn ballad "Star Crossed Lovers." Augmenting his core group (pianist James Weidman, bassists Esperanza Spalding or Peter Slavov, and drummers Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela) with the daring West African guitarist-and fellow Blue Note artist-Lionel Loueke, Lovano delivers his most fully realized representation of a career-long quest to explore the notion of universal musical language.

"Since I started to tour in the late '70s, I've collected instruments from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, and North and South America," says Lovano, who, in addition to his instantly recognizable tenor saxophone, improvises on G-mezzo soprano, tarogato, and aulochrome, and plays an array of percussion-bells and shakers, an Israeli paddle drum, and a Nigerian slit drum called an oborom. "I've spent a lifetime feeling the passion of experiencing the spirits in the sounds of the collective ancestors in these instruments, creating music but feeling like the earth. It's coming through in my compositions and in the way we play together."

Loueke, who himself combines exhaustive knowledge of harmony and folk forms, contributes seamlessly and egolessly to six pieces. "Lionel doesn't just play the guitar," Lovano says. "He freely integrates himself with the rhythm section and with me in the front line, and shares the space in a personal way."

2013 Winter Tour Dates Jan. 19 – Ballroom: Kennett Square, PA
Jan. 20 – Swyer Theatre: Albany, NY
Jan. 22 – The Mint:Los Angeles, CA
Jan. 24-26 – Yoshi's: Oakland, CA
Jan. 27 – John Van Duzer Theatre: Arcata, CA
Jan. 28 – Kuumbwa Jazz Center: Santa Cruz, CA
Jan. 30-31 – Dazzle: Denver, CO
Feb. 1 – Wheeler Opera House: Aspen, CO
Feb. 2 – MIM Music Theater: Phoenix, AZ
Feb. 22-23 – Allen Room @ JALC: New York, NY

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Monday, January 07, 2013

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - January 7th, 2012 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Paul Brown - "The Funky Join" - (Woodward Ave)
2 - 2 - Gerald Albright/Norman Brown" - "24/7" - (Concord)
3 - 4 - Nils - "City Groove" - (Baja/TSR)
4 - 3 - Chris Standring - "Electric Wonderland" - (Ultimate Vibe)
5 - 5 - Richard Elliot - "In The Zone" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
6 - 7 - Euge Groove - "House Of Groove" - (Shanachie)
7 - 8 - Fourplay - "Esprit de Four" - (Heads Up)
8 - 6 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Magical" - (Nordic Night)
9 - 16 - Four80East - "Off Duty" - (Boomtang)
10 - 10 - Najee - "Smooth Side Of Soul" - (Shanachie)
11 - 11 - David Benoit - "Conversation" - (Heads Up)
12 - 14 - Jessy J - "Hot Sauce" - (Heads Up)
13 - 9 - Nicholas Cole - "Endless Possibilities" - (Cutmore)
14 - 12 - Lee Ritenour - "Rhythm Sessions" - (Concord)
15 - 19 - Peter White - "Here We Go" - (Concord)
16 - 23 - Vincent Ingala - "Can't Stop Now" - (vincentingala.com)
17 - 17 - Jeff Kashiwa - "Let It Ride" - (Native Language)
18 - 15 - Jackiem Joyner - "Church Boy" - (Artistry)
19 - 18 - Marc Antoine - "Guitar Destiny" - (Frazzy Frog)
20 - 13 - Brian Culbertson - "Dreams" - (Verve)

Our thanks to smoothjazz.comVisit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.
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