Pieces Of A Dream - "All In" - Release November 6th on Shanachie #jazz

PIECES OF A DREAM READIES FOR 40TH ANNIVERSARY IN THE BIZ WITH SPECTACULAR NEW CD – ALL IN

Once upon a time, a trio of teenage jazz prodigies began turning heads in Philadelphia. Hailing from the ‘City of Brotherly Love,’ the all-star unit Pieces Of A Dream stands alongside an impressive lineage of musical wonders who have made Philly proud including Gamble and Huff, Patti Labelle, Grover Washington Jr. Jill Scott and The Roots. Proclaimed a “tough act to follow” by the iconic Count Basie, Pieces Of A Dream was discovered while in High School and was mentored by Mr. Magic, pioneering saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. 2016 marks a milestone for Pieces Of A Dream as they will celebrate their 40th Anniversary. The all-star band has built an impressive legacy of their own with their melting pot of influences that have catapulted them to the top of the charts more than a few times. November 6, 2015 Shanachie Entertainment will release their 21st recording, All In, which beautifully illustrates why the band has stood the test of time.

Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R for Shanachie states, “What really amazes me about Pieces Of A Dream is how fresh they are. They’ve been an iconic group for decades, yet this album has them at the very top of their game!” Founding members, keyboardist and producer James Lloyd (whose produced #1 hits for the likes of Walter Beasley, Najee and Eric Darius) and drummer Curtis Harmon (Ronny Jordan, Alex Bugnon, Sherry Winston), both use words like “thankful,” “blessed” and “grateful” to describe how they feel about their work and their fans, who have continued to make it all possible. Harmon shares, “We are grateful to our fans who give so much meaning to do what we are blessed to do.” Harmon composed the album’s title track and states, “Our new single ‘All In,’ is one of my favorites and one of those songs that was years in the making but that shows off our true funk ability.” Harmon also wrote album standouts “Caribbean Nights” and “UP Til Dawn.” Pianist James Lloyd states, “There is something for everyone on this album. ‘Human Interface’ delivers an energetic old-school feel reminiscent of the late great George Duke, while ‘Dream On’ is more of a sensual number and “Watch Your Step” is a grooving number for all the steppers out there!” Pieces Of A Dream enlists a little help from some friends on All In and is joined by Grammy nominated producer and keyboardist Chris “Big Dog” Davis (Kim Burrell, Maysa and George Clinton) and keyboardist Herman Jackson (American Idol, Aretha Franklin, Babyface, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder). Long time member and acclaimed bassist David Dyson (Meshell Ndegeocello, Lalah Hathaway, New Kids on the Block, Michael Franks), noted guitarist Rohn Lawrence (Will Downing, Boney James, Najee) and up and coming saxophonist Tony Watson Jr. also join the band to make a stellar ensemble.

James Lloyd and Curtis Harmon have been the nucleus of Pieces Of A Dream since its inception and played together as kids and members of the Ada Lewis Middle School jazz ensemble along with former member, bassist Cedric Napoleon. Danny Harmon, Curtis’ father and a jazz musician himself, became their manager and had the guys listening to the Modern Jazz Quartet, Ahmad Jamal and Oscar Peterson as they developed their unique sound, blending their jazz roots with R&B, soul and funk. Pieces released three albums in quick succession, establishing its place in the world of smooth jazz with the CDs Pieces Of A Dream (1981), We Are One (1982) and Imagine This (1983). Those albums include some of their biggest early hits, including “Warm Weather,” “Mount Airy Groove” and “Fo Fi Fo.” Pieces Of A Dream recorded their first Shanachie debut, In The Moment in 2013. With the release of All In and the band’s 40th Anniversary, the sky is the limit for Pieces Of A Dream. James Lloyd concludes, “All In is our best effort yet. Here’s looking forward to our 50th Anniversary!”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 26, 2015 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Futuresoul" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Vincent Ingala - "Coast To Coast" - (Independent)
3 - 3 - Dave Koz - "Collaborations" - (Concord)
4 - 4 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
5 - 5 - Ken Navarro - "Unbreakable Heart" - (Positive Music Records)
6 - 7 - Four80East - "Positraction" - (Boomtang)
7 - 8 - Nils - "Alley Cat" - (Baja/TSR Records)
8 - 6 - Maysa - "Back 2 Love" - (Shanachie)
9 - 10 - Rick Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)
10 - 9 - Lee Ritenour - "A Twist Of Rit" - (Concord)
11 - 12 - Lawson Rollins - "Infinite Chill" - (Infinita Records/Baja TSR)
12 - 15 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)
13 - 16 - Ben Tankard - "Full Tank 2.0" - (ben-jammin')
14 - 14 - Eric Marienthal & Chuck Loeb" - "Bridges" - (Shanachie)
15 - 20 - Phil Perry - "A Better Man" - (Shanachie)
16 - 21 - Byron Miller - "Psycho Bass" - (Bryon Lee Miller's Studios LLC)
17 - 18 - Cindy Bradley - "Bliss" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
18 - 11 - Najee - "You, Me and Forever" - (Shanachie)
19 - 13 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Fritzenized" - (Nordic Night Records)
20 - 19 - Jeff Golub - "The Vault" - (eOne Music)

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 19, 2015 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Futuresoul" - (Concord)
2 - 2 - Vincent Ingala - "Coast To Coast" - (Independent)
3 - 6 - Dave Koz - "Collaborations" - (Concord)
4 - 3 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
5 - 7 - Ken Navarro - "Unbreakable Heart" - (Positive Music Records)
6 - 13 - Maysa - "Back 2 Love" - (Shanachie)
7 - 5 - Four80East - "Positraction" - (Boomtang)
8 - 4 - Nils - "Alley Cat" - (Baja/TSR Records)
9 - 9 - Lee Ritenour - "A Twist Of Rit" - (Concord)
10 - 12 - Rick Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)
11 - 8 - Najee - "You, Me and Forever" - (Shanachie)
12 - 11 - Lawson Rollins - "Infinite Chill" - (Infinita Records/Baja TSR)
13 - 10 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Fritzenized" - (Nordic Night Records)
14 - 16 - Eric Marienthal & Chuck Loeb" - "Bridges" - (Shanachie)
15 - 20 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)
16 - 15 - Ben Tankard - "Full Tank 2.0" - (ben-jammin')
17 - 19 - Walter Beasley - "I'm Back" - (Affable)
18 - 21 - Cindy Bradley - "Bliss" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
19 - 14 - Jeff Golub - "The Vault" - (eOne Music)
20 - 17 - Phil Perry - "A Better Man" - (Shanachie)

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"Moments" in the key of positive: guitarist Rob Tardik reflects on his fifth album, coming November 13 #jazz

“Moments” in the key of positive: guitarist Rob Tardik reflects on his fifth album of vibrant jazz, exotic Latin rhythms, funky R&B grooves and spirited pop-rock tunes, coming November 13

Equipped with an optimistic outlook and an attitude of gratitude, award-winning guitarist Rob Tardik was contemplating the pivotal moments in his life when he sat down to compose the material for “Moments,” his fifth album that will be released November 13 by Guitardik Music. The Toronto-based artist whose mission is to use music to spread positive energy will launch the collection of jazz, Latin, R&B, funk, rock and pop originals that he wrote and produced with Steve Oliver, Nate Harasim and Gabriel Mark Hasselbach with a concert performance that same evening at Spaghettini in Seal Beach, Calif. The first single from “Moments” already garnering radio spins is the flamenco-infused “Sip and Salsa,” a high-energy dancer powered by frenzied fretwork recognizing the enjoyable moments in life.

 

“Reflecting on the key moments that define us, you’ve got to be in the moment in order to catch those moments of unexpected happiness. Life moves so fast and its hectic thus we get caught up and lost in it. These days, so many people are distracted by modern technology that we miss what’s happening right in front of us,” said Tardik. “I want my music to uplift people’s spirits. There’s a lot of negativity out there on a daily basis; my intention is only to bring positivity to people’s lives.”

 

Tardik opens “Moments” with “Sip and Salsa,” a fun recollection about learning to salsa dance with his fiancée. Using his electric guitar lyrically, “Rite Of Passage” celebrates the monumental moments that serve as measuring sticks to growth and achievement. “Moments In Time” ponders the meaning behind the key moments in life with a ballad soulfully crooned by Aiden Castillo highlighted by some nylon guitar gymnastics from Tardik. Passion is represented on the sultry “Eros,” which riffs on love, sex and intimacy. Tardik’s electric guitar symbolically lets loose on the good-time “Hang Time.” Sometimes things come together in surprising ways with unexpected twists. That often seems to happen to Tardik when he’s writing songs, which is what “Serendipity” is about, a track featuring saxophonist Will Donato and Tardik noodling gleefully on an electric jazz guitar. “Stop!,” spotlighting Canadian saxman Walle Larsson, commands taking action to breathe, appreciate and enjoy the fast-fleeting moments with a funk-tastic party jam illumined by fiery nylon guitar and a vocal hook emoted by Tardik. A gentle beauty, “Reflections” slows the tempo for a pensive moment to recall good times, hopefully with peace, tranquility and a smile. Utilizing Latin nuances and bursting with joy, “A New Life” revisits the “intense, overwhelming emotion” Tardik experienced when becoming a father, which is mirrored by the invigorating song’s grand chorus. The locomotive rhythm on “Voyageur” represents Tardik’s extensive travels as a musician. The album closer takes listeners on a wide-eyed, wonder-filled nylon guitar journey of melody, technique, precision and joyous appreciation.          

 

Tardik’s singles frequently travel into the Billboard top 10 and he’s topped the Music Choice chart. In 2010, he was honored as the Canadian Smooth Jazz Guitarist of the Year. His 2011 disc, “Balance, Energy, Laughter, Love (B.E.L.L.),” scored the trifecta at Café Jazz Radio as the No. 1 album, No. 1 single (“East meets Wes”) and No.1 Canadian Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year. A gifted guitarist capable of playing with the best of them without showboating, Tardik shares his knowledge, experience and skill with students at the Metal Works Institute, Centennial College and the Merriam School of Music in Toronto. He’s a dynamic entertainer on stage, engaging audiences with his infectious songbook, crafty technical abilities, and the charm and charisma of a star whose brightest days are on the horizon.    

 

“Moments” contains the following songs:

 

“Sip and Salsa”

“Rite Of Passage” (featuring Will Donato)

“Moments In Time”

“Eros”

“Hang Time”

“Serendipity”

“Stop!” (featuring Walle Larsson)

“Reflections”

“A New Life”

“Voyageur”

“Moments In Time (instrumental version)

“Rite Of Passage” (radio edit)

 

For more information, please visit www.RobTardik.com.

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Debut Solo Album From ZZ Top Guitarist/Vocalist Billy Gibbons - Concord Release November 6th #jazz #blues #latin #rock

Concord Records is releasing Perfectamundo on November 6, 2015. It’s the debut solo album from Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who is backed by a handpicked group of musicians dubbed The BFG’s on this unique outing. As the title may suggest, the album takes on a bit of an Afro-Cuban flavor that may come as a surprise to some Gibbons fans and followers.

Even before the blues-rock/hard-rock great’s first recordings back in 1967 with the Moving Sidewalks, his legendary pre-ZZ Top Houston psyche-punk garage band, Gibbons studied Latin percussion in Manhattan with none other than its preeminent virtuoso, “Mambo King” Tito Puente, a friend of Billy’s bandleader dad. Puente taught the young Gibbons the essential Latin rhythms via conga, bongo, maracas and, most importantly, timbales. “Banging away on ‘em came back like riding on a lost bicycle,” Gibbons relates of his return to the genre by way of Perfectamundo.



But the concept for Perfectamundo, which was produced by Gibbons and Joe Hardy and recorded in Houston, Los Angeles, Austin and Pontevedra, Spain, originated with Gibbons’ invitation to perform at the 2014 Havana Jazz Festival, delivered by his Argentine-born, Puerto Rico-raised friend and musical collaborator Martin Guigui. While he was unable to make it to Cuba, Billy did commence exploring the potential for an Afro-Cuban inflected album project at his Houston studio. Soon after presenting his engineering crew with a business card from a newly opened Cuban eatery called Sal Y Pimienta (salt and pepper), the first track finished for Perfectamundo took its title from that card.

He followed this with a “Spanglish” version of Louisiana swamp blues maestro Slim Harpo’s classic “Got Love If You Want It” and an Afro-Cubanized take on the Lightnin’ Hopkins blues staple “Baby Please Don’t Go,” thereby fully merging Gibbons innate Houston blues tradition with Cuban rhythms. With the first three tracks ready to go, he sought further guidance from Guigui as well as Chino Pons, a Cuban friend who heads his own quartet in New York.  “Chino, so to speak, sprinkled holy water on our efforts and expressed confidence that we were headed in the right direction—and that bit of affirmation gave us the impetus for more forward motion,” says Gibbons.

BFG & Co., then, includes Guigui on piano and B3, B3 player Mike Flanigan (who has joined with Guigui in backing Gibbons on recent solo dates), vocalist/bassist Alex Garza and drummer Greg Morrow, with co-producer Hardy offering additional guitar, keys, bass and vocals, and Gary Moon also supplying additional guitar play. Besides guitar and vocals, Gibbons himself contributes bass guitar, B3 and piano parts as well as Timbales and other percussion instruments. Chino appears, too, as part of the seasoned Cubano Nationale Beat Generator percussion ensemble. Altogether, the group displays a rare understanding of Cuban music of the pre-revolution 1950s, and is also learned in the rock and metal exemplified by the likes of ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin—all of which is uniquely reflected in Perfectamundo.

There’s even some hip-hop courtesy of Houston’s Garza, a/k/a Alx Guitarzza, which surfaces on the title track, “You’re What's Happenin’, Baby” and “Quiero Mas Dinero.” Other standout cuts include “Pickin’ Up Chicks on Dowling Street,” which is pure Billy Gibbons; the mysterious “Hombre Sin Nombre,” the hard rock “Piedras Negras,” and the smoking B3-stoked, almost instrumental album closer “Q-Vo.” And Gibbons turns to a Houston classic of another sort in his simmering and slyly percussive cover of Roy Head’s horns-fueled 1965 hit “Treat Her Right.”

Perfectamundo, indeed. And while the album is in fact his first solo release, Gibbons has been quite active of late apart from his continuing endeavors with ZZ Top comrades Dusty Hill and Frank Beard—though it must be made clear that Perfectamundo is accompanied by the blessings of both.
The musical genius of Billy Gibbons is to be heard on his first ever solo album, refreshingly unexpected but most predictably.. Perfectamundo. ¡Escuchemos!
 
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Jamaican roots color Darren Barrett’s “Trumpet Vibes” #jazz

Hard bop jazz meets reggae on the award-winning artist’s seventh album, due November 20.

Trumpeter Darren Barrett proudly wears his Jamaican ancestry on his musical sleeve as well as on the album sleeve of “Trumpet Vibes,” his seventh album that will be released November 20 on the dB Studios label. Decorated in the distinctive green, yellow and black colors of the Jamaican flag, the award-winning Canadian musician, composer and producer mines the native sounds of  his parents’ homeland for the first time on the eight-tracker constructed of hard bop jazz amidst laidback reggae rhythms and frenetic ska grooves. Throughout the session that highlights Barrett’s academic technical proficiency and heartfelt interpretive trumpet work, animate vibraphone plays the role of trusty sidekick with noted vibist Warren Wolf on the record’s opener and closer.

 

Barrett not only honors his family’s lineage on “Trumpet Vibes,” but he opens the proceedings with a salute to one of his early mentors, Donald Byrd, with a bouncy take of Byrd’s “Fly Little Bird,” that flaps mightily, evolving into a hard-swinging tilt midflight. Barrett wrote four compositions for the album and applies the jazz-meets-reggae ethos to a few modern classics. An original tune, “Chiapas” serves up somber autumnal hues from Barrett’s horn over a brisk ska track provided by the dynamic rhythm section composed of brothers Alexander and Anthony Toth on upright bass and drums respectively. The stately pop gem “To Sir, With Love” gets an invigorating and spritely makeover, riding the crest of a rocking wave of Caribbean culture. Vibraphonist Simon Moullier, who plays on the entire album, charismatically shares the spotlight with Barrett’s moody horn on the regal reggae jam “Song For A Princess.” The cadence is elevated on “Phantom,” a particularly rambunctious monster stalking the outer perimeter of experimental jazz, free-form fusion and rowdy rock. Both “Everything I Own” and Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” get the full-scale reggae treatment with the former being a fun and celebratory romp while the latter benefits from some good old rock & roll grit. Closing with a knockout punch, brilliant musicianship electrifies “The Club Up The Street,” which bops, swings and soars mightily, allowing Barrett and Wolf the time and space to mix it up in a go-for-broke improvisational trumpet and vibraphone free-for-all.  

 

“This album means so much to me personally because it mixes the music from my Jamaican heritage, which is part of my heart, and jazz, which is part of my soul, into one. ‘Trumpet Vibes’ brings together the best of these two musical worlds that share a common ancestral genesis in Africa. I’ve spent the past two years totally immersed in the creation of this project – writing, producing, playing and recording - and I’m excited for people to finally hear it,” said Barrett, who was labeled “a force to be reckoned with” by the Boston Globe.

 

Barrett, a Toronto, Ontario native who has been anchored in Boston, Massachusetts ever since attending the famed Berklee College of Music where he presently serves as an associate professor in the ensemble department, won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 1997. Two years later, he issued his debut recording as a band leader, the aptly titled “First One Up.” Often mentioned in the same breath as Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard perhaps comes from having studied under the same professor, William Fielder. Barrett soloed on Esperanza Spaulding’s double Grammy winner “Radio Music Society” and has recorded or performed internationally with jazz royalty such as Roy Hargrove, Elvin Jones, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. The trumpeter is a jazz purveyor who leads a handful of combos that provide a variety of outlets for his wanderings and full creative expression in the genre. Still enjoying a remarkably prolific period that brought to fruition two releases last year - “Energy In Motion: The Music of the Bee Gees” and “Direct 2014: Darren Barrett and the dB Quintet” – he’s already at work crafting his next unpredictable endeavor, jazz interpretations of Amy Winehouse’s songbook, which is slated to arrive in the spring. On Sunday (October 18), Barrett leads his dB Quintet into New York City for a show at The Iridium.

 

The songs contained on “Trumpet Vibes” are:

 

“Fly Little Bird”

“Chiapas”

“To Sir, With Love”

“Song For A Princess”

“Phantom”

“Everything I Own”

“My Cherie Amour”

“The Club Up The Street”

 

For more information, please visit www.DarrenBarrett.com.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 12, 2015 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Futuresoul" - (Concord)
2 - 3 - Vincent Ingala - "Coast To Coast" - (Independent)
3 - 2 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
4 - 7 - Nils - "Alley Cat" - (Baja/TSR Records)
5 - 4 - Four80East - "Positraction" - (Boomtang)
6 - 8 - Dave Koz - "Collaborations" - (Concord)
7 - 5 - Ken Navarro - "Unbreakable Heart" - (Positive Music Records)
8 - 6 - Najee - "You, Me and Forever" - (Shanachie)
9 - 10 - Lee Ritenour - "A Twist Of Rit" - (Concord)
10 - 9 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Fritzenized" - (Nordic Night Records)
11 - 11 - Lawson Rollins - "Infinite Chill" - (Infinita Records/Baja TSR)
12 - 20 - Rick Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)
13 - 12 - Maysa - "Back 2 Love" - (Shanachie)
14 - 13 - Jeff Golub - "The Vault" - (eOne Music)
15 - 14 - Ben Tankard - "Full Tank 2.0" - (ben-jammin')
16 - 17 - Eric Marienthal & Chuck Loeb" - "Bridges" - (Shanachie)
17 - 22 - Phil Perry - "A Better Man" - (Shanachie)
18 - 16 - Byron Miller - "Psycho Bass" - (Byron Lee Miller's Studio's LLC)
19 - 15 - Walter Beasley - "I'm Back" - (Affable)
20 - 19 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)

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World music adventurer Jesse Cook set to embark upon the “One World” U.S. concert tour #jazz #music

  The first of three American treks in support of the critically-acclaimed, chart-topping album launches tonight in Tucson, Arizona as part of the Nuevo flamenco guitarist’s 18-city October swing.

Guitar in hand, world music artist Jesse Cook stands at the base of an ancient denuded tree in a stark black-and-white photo on the cover of his “One World” album, which received its official U.S. release on October 2 from Entertainment One Music. When his ninth album was issued internationally last April, the critically-hailed disc that he wrote and produced debuted at No. 1 in the Canadian’s homeland on both the world music and jazz charts. On the heels of a successful concert trek through British Columbia last week, Cook and his band of nomads are poised to bring his global musical message of inclusion to American audiences with the launch of an 18-city U.S. journey that opens Wednesday evening at the Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson, Arizona.    

 

Ticket sales for the October dates, the first of three U.S. tours on the “One World” itinerary,  have been robust, thanks in part to repeated airings of the Juno Award winner and 11-time nominee’s latest PBS special, “Jesse Cook: Live at the Bathurst Theatre.” Other drivers include national airplay for the quixotic summer radio single, “Shake,” an infectious guitar hand-clapper, and the newly released “Taxi Brazil,” a seductive expedition of melody and rhythm demonstrative of the ethos consistently present on Cook’s intercontinental recordings. Recently he released a video for the album’s “Once,” a poignant meditation lensed in the bucolic French countryside where the artist used to summer with his family while coming of age (http://bit.ly/1Lx0bNZ).   

 

Led by virtuosic guitar finger-play, the cerebral Paris-born, Toronto-raised Cook’s cross-pollinating recordings integrate flamenco, rumba, gypsy, jazz and classical motifs. During the inception of the eleven compositions that comprise “One World,” he speculated about what sounds would be heard at a modern day Constantinople. That striking and specific image of the intersection of world cultures was the impetus to his imaginative creative process on the set.

 

After traveling the globe extensively to follow his muse and enhance authenticity on previous recordings, Cook opted to sonically explore far-reaching lands on “One World” from his home studio while incorporating more modern technology and electronics than ever harnessed on past ventures. His alluring guitar prowess remains the focal point - expressive, poetic, evocative and emotionally stirring. His speed and dexterity astound and impress, seamlessly knitting a variety of styles and influences into a singular, distinctive voice. Buttressed by earthy drums, rustic percussion, somber horns and piercing violin that form the textured layers of instrumentation, Cook’s guitar encounters futuristic electronic sounds and rhythms during his global wanderings that stimulate a sprawling array of fresh reverberations. Along the path, Cook duets with Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel on the aptly-titled “Tommy And Me,” showcasing their remarkable fingerstyle techniques.

 

The start of the “One World” tour in the United States coincides with the twentieth anniversary of Cook’s solo debut, “Tempest.” After this month’s run concludes, he takes off on an extensive Canadian tour that leads into Christmas. Cook will resume touring Stateside on January 29 in Florence, Oregon with the third and final American “One World” leg kicking off in April.  

 

Cook’s 2015 “One World” U.S. Fall Tour itinerary is as follows:

 

October 7            Tucson, Arizona                                                The Fox Theatre

October 8            Scottsdale, Arizona                         Scottsdale Center For The Arts

October 9            San Diego, California                       Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay

October 10          Temecula, California                       Thornton Winery

October 11          Avalon, California                                             Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival

October 13          Albuquerque, New Mexico         KiMo Theatre

October 15          Dallas, Texas                                      The Kessler Theatre

October 16          Austin, Texas                                     Paramount Theatre

October 17          Houston, Texas                                 Cullen Performance Hall

October 20          Kansas City, Missouri                      Folly Theater

October 22          Skokie, Illinois                                    North Shore Performing Arts Center

October 23          Burnsville, Minnesota                    Ames Center

October 24          Milwaukee, Wisconsin                   South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center

October 25          Columbus, Ohio                                                Lincoln Theatre

October 26          Royal Oak, Michigan                       Royal Oak Music Theatre

October 27          Kalamazoo, Michigan                     Kalamazoo State Theatre

October 29          New York, New York                      New York Society For Ethical Culture

October 30          Glenside, Pennsylvania                 Keswick Theatre

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 5, 2015 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Futuresoul" - (Concord)
2 - 3 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
3 - 5 - Vincent Ingala - "Coast To Coast" - (Independent)
4 - 7 - Four80East - "Positraction" - (Boomtang)
5 - 9 - Ken Navarro - "Unbreakable Heart" - (Positive Music Records)
6 - 2 - Najee - "You, Me and Forever" - (Shanachie)
7 - 6 - Nils - "Alley Cat" - (Baja/TSR Records)
8 - 4 - Dave Koz - "Collaborations" - (Concord)
9 - 10 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Fritzenized" - (Nordic Night Records)
10 - 13 - Lee Ritenour - "A Twist Of Rit" - (Concord)
11 - 12 - Lawson Rollins - "Infinite Chill" - (Infinita Records/Baja TSR)
12 - 11 - Maysa - "Back 2 Love" - (Shanachie)
13 - 8 - Jeff Golub - "The Vault" - (eOne Music)
14 - 14 - Ben Tankard - "Full Tank 2.0" - (ben-jammin')
15 - 17 - Walter Beasley - "I'm Back" - (Affable)
16 - 20 - Byron Miller - "Psycho Bass" - (Byron Lee Miller's Studio's LLC)
17 - 19 - Eric Marienthal & Chuck Loeb" - "Bridges" - (Shanachie)
18 - 21 - Paolo Rustichelli - "Euro Nights (Soul Italiano) - (Next Age Music)
19 - 25 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)
20 - 27 - Rich Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)

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KEIKO MATSUI To Release "LIVE IN TOKYO" CD/DVD on October 2 Via Shanachie Entertainment #jazz

Concert Showcases SOUL QUEST, Her Most Recent Critically Acclaimed Studio Album

Special Guests Include Guitarist Chuck Loeb and Saxophonists Kirk Whalum & Tom Braxton

U.S. Tour Oct 9 - Nov 15 Covers Boston, Washington DC, Cleveland & Seattle

On October 2, Shanachie Entertainment will release “Live In Tokyo,” the definitive concert experience from contemporary jazz icon Keiko Matsui. Recorded during a sold-out stop on her 2014 Soul Quest World Tour, the CD/DVD release showcases her stunning live show like never before.

Captured in a state-of-the-art theater in the TV Asahi EX Tower building in the vibrant nightlife district of Roppongi in Minato, Tokyo, the extraordinary 74-minute journey showcases the prowess of a truly transcendent artist at her peak powers. Deftly leading the bristling affair, Matsui hypnotically gallops through electrifying extended excursions of “Dream Seeker,” “Black Lion,” and “Stingo,” all from her critically-acclaimed album Soul Quest.

Joining the improvisational mastery is long-time collaborator Chuck Loeb who adds soaring guitar on “Caricias" and “Proof” while saxophonist Kirk Whalum reprises his guest appearance on “Affirmation,” from Matsui’s album The Road… Elsewhere, Keiko delights the crowd with fan favorites “Forever, Forever,” “Safari” and “Bridge Over The Stars" before Loeb & Whalum re-join the ensemble for a show-stopping encore of “Antartica: A Call to Action” and "A Night with Cha Cha,” both cornerstones of Soul Quest.

The companion DVD chronicles the action in high definition, as this historic night unfolds before a rapturous audience. Extras on the 3-hour, 16-minute DVD include behind-the-scenes footage at the conclusion of the concert, a bonus performance of "Midnight Stone" (Adapted w/ "En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor”) and a 13-minute alternate live version of “Caricias".

With over 1.2 million units sold in the U.S. over her 25-year recording career, Keiko Matsui is one of the most recognized artists in contemporary jazz. Her elegant piano melodies and spell-binding grooves have universal appeal, cementing her legacy as one of the preeminent entertainers in the world. To celebrate Tokyo, Keiko will embark on a U.S. Tour from October 9 to November 15, with select shows from Boston to Seattle.

TOUR DATES

Oct 09 - Boston, MA @ Scullers

Oct 10 - Boston, MA @ Scullers
Oct 16 - Akron, OH @ The Tangier
Oct 17 - Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
Oct 18 - Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
Oct 24 - Nov 1 - Eastern Caribbean; Capital Jazz Cruise
Nov 12 - Seattle, WA @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

Nov 13 - Seattle, WA @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

Nov 14 - Seattle, WA @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

Nov 15 - Seattle, WA @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
Feb 21-28 - Eastern Caribbean; Dave Koz & Friends at Sea

KEIKO MATSUI
LIVE IN TOKYO

CD
1. Dream Seeker
2. Black Lion
3. Forever Forever
4. Caricias (ft. Chuck Loeb)
5. Proof (ft. Chuck Loeb)
6. Affirmation (ft. Kirk Whalum)
7. Soul Quest
8. Safari
9. Stingo
10. Bridge Over The Stars
11. Antarctica: A Call to Action (ft. Kirk Whalum & Chuck Loeb)
12. A Night with Cha Cha (ft. Kirk Whalum & Chuck Loeb)
13. Deep Blue

DVD
1. Dream Seeker
2. Black Lion
3. Forever Forever

4. Caricias (ft. Chuck Loeb)
5. Proof (ft. Chuck Loeb)
6. Affirmation (ft. Kirk Whalum)
7. Soul Quest
8. Safari
9. Stingo
10. Bridge Over The Stars
11. Antarctica: A Call to Action (ft. Kirk Whalum & Chuck Loeb)
12. A Night with Cha Cha (ft. Kirk Whalum & Chuck Loeb)

DVD EXTRAS
1. Before the Doors… (11:12)
2. The Memories 9:01)

3. Midnight Stone Adapted w/ En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor (6:32)
4. Caricias (13:39)

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