Top Ad

Friday, December 29, 2017

The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection Thelonious Monk #jazz

Craft Recordings, the Catalog Division of Concord Music is proud to announce the release of Thelonious Monk’s The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection. Released December 15th, the limited-edition box set includes all five of the 10” vinyl LPs which the pianist recorded for the jazz label, spanning 1952 to 1954. Each album has been faithfully reproduced – from the jacket design to the LP labels – while the audio has been carefully restored and remastered by Joe Tarantino from the original analog tapes, with lacquer cutting by George Horn and Anne-Marie Seunram at Fantasy Studios. Rounding out the collection is a booklet with new liner notes by Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American OriginalThe Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection will also be released in high-res and standard audio formats across all streaming and digital platforms.
Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982), who would have turned 100 this year, remains one of the most highly regarded jazz artists in history, known for his unique style on and off the piano. Monk was a rule-breaker, pushing the limits of his genre, with his dissonant chords, unconventional melodies, and progressive rhythms. Initially dismissed an eccentric by the musical elite, Monk stood his ground and came to be celebrated for his complexities; considered by many to be a genius.
However, in the early ’50s, the artist was still struggling to find critical and commercial acceptance. In his liner notes, Robin D. G. Kelley refers to this era as the "golden years in terms of [Monk’s] creative output” but, he adds, "these were also dark times.” Following an unjust run-in with the law, the jazz musician’s cabaret card was revoked, preventing him from performing at New York clubs, and restricting his income. The artist’s fortune began to change, though, in 1952, when Prestige Records’ founder Bob Weinstock offered Monk a recording contract. Weeks later, the Thelonious Monk Trio  ̶  consisting of Art Blakey (as well as Max Roach on select tracks) on drums and Gary Mapp on bass, went to work in the studio, with a young Ira Gitler as producer. The resulting 10-inch LP release was Thelonious. By the fall of 1953, Monk returned to the studio, this time with a quintet, for Thelonious Monk Quintet Blows For LP, featuring Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone. Thelonious Monk Quintet and Thelonious Plays followed in 1954. In the final 10-inch LP in this collection, recorded in October of 1954, Monk was actually a last-minute replacement for Elmo Hope at a Sonny Rollins session. But he ultimately received co-billing on the resultant 10” LP release, Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk.Also produced by Gitler, the LP includes an 11-minute jam of Vincent Youmans’ "More Than You Know” which, as Kelley puts it, became "the session’s masterpiece, a sublime dialogue between two great masters of modern music.”
These early albums in The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection offer an intriguing look into this distinctive and resolute artist before he found full acclaim and acceptance, and feature an impressive collective personnel that includes some of jazz’s finest. "Listening to these tracks more than sixty years after they were recorded, it’s stunning how compelling, modern and original Monk’s music still sounds, even through the filter of 21st-century ears,” observes the collection’s producer, Nick Phillips. "That’s the mark of a true musical genius, indeed.”

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Happy New Year to the JazzHQ subscribers #jazz

A very Happy New Year year to all the visitors of  the JazzHQ blog, Facebook and Twitter. We're pleased that you found your way here and grateful if you've done it more than once.

Best wishes to you all. Good health and peace in the new year.



Friday, December 22, 2017

Merry Christmas from JazzHQ #jazz

Our very best wishes to all of you who took the time to visit JazzHQ during the year, whether at jazzhq/blogspot.com, twitter.com/jazzhq, or facebook.com/jazzhq.
White Christmas - The Drifters (Video/cartoon)
Sung by The Drifters. Cartoon by Joshua Held.
Featuring Bill Pinkney on lead bass and Clyde McPhatter on tenor.



Sing along:

Ooh
Doop doop, doop doo doop
Ooh
Doop doop, doop doo doop

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where those treetops glisten, and children listen,
To hear sleigh bells in the snow, the snow.

Then, I-I-I am dreaming of a white Christmas,
With every Christmas card I write,
May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white.

I-I-I am dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where the treetops glisten, and children listen,
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I-I-I am dreaming of a white Christmas,
With every Christmas card I write,
May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells all the way.
Ooooh.

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Under The Lake resurfaces with “Jazz, Groove & Attitude” #jazz


The jazz-funk outfit will release their fourth album on February 23, marking their 25th anniversary.
 
Description: Description: C:\Users\Dell User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\H2RL54ZY\UTL JGA FRONT_COVER.jpgLike the name of one of their seminal influences, The Crusaders, Under The Lake has crusaded in the name of rhythm and groove, making jazz-funk records that don’t fit neatly into any box. Powered by the dual-horn attack of tenor saxophonist David Evans and trombonist John Moak, and armed with eleven original new songs composed and produced by keyboardist Jayson Tipp, the Portland, Oregon-based group will release their fourth album, “Jazz, Groove & Attitude,” on February 23. The Mind In Overdrive label release that will be serviced and promoted on multiple jazz radio formats after the holidays coincides with the 25th anniversary of the band’s debut disc, “Dive In.” 
 
Relying on live instrumentation consisting of warm and earthy horn harmonies, danceable rhythm guitar riffs, rubbery bass lines and sturdy drum beats, Under The Lake sounds like a throwback to the vintage soul-jazz bands that pioneered the growth of contemporary jazz in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Although the group’s previous three platters garnered generous radio spins and chart action throughout the world in addition to receiving the plaudits of critics – from JazzTimes, Jazziz and the New York Daily News in the U.S. to major media outlets in France, Germany and Canada – Under The Lake didn’t veer from their path in order to tailor their records for commercial purposes. The tunes on “Jazz, Groove & Attitude” average nearly six minutes in length. The music has a lively energy and soulful edges as melodies and grooves develop and flow freely and spontaneously with ample time to simmer before erupting into a boil. The focus track at radio will be “George Is His Name,” a cut inspired by the late George Duke. Another song of note is “LJT,” which was written in honor of Team USA’s Lee Evans, John Carlos and Tommie Smith who are remembered for turning their 1968 Olympics medal ceremony into a fist-raised protest.  
 
Tipp said, “As a kid growing up in the ‘70s, the music that I enjoyed most tended to have a little more interesting chord changes and extended musical passages. When I began my recording career and formed Under The Lake in the early ‘90s, smooth jazz was at its height and we never fit neatly into that or any other format. After a couple of lengthy breaks as our lives went in divergent directions, I reformed the band with a plan to record again. I reflected on what music I really wanted to play and it just seemed natural to gravitate back to what had influenced me early on. Over the last several years, I had gotten a lot deeper into The Crusaders and Joe Sample’s catalog. As the band and material came together, having a tenor (sax) and trombone leading the melodies seemed to bring it all together.”
 
The rebooted Under The Lake lineup consists of Tipp, Moak (Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Randy Brecker, Diane Schuur, Branford Marsalis), Evans (Pete Fountain, B.B. King, Nicholas Payton, Gladys Knight, Four Tops, Temptations), drummer Brian Foxworth, bassist Kenny Franklin, guitarist  Evan Mustard, alto saxophonist Nat Caranto and special guest Joe Powers on harmonica.
 
After 1993’s “Dive In,” Under The Lake followed up two years later with “Up For Air,” took a decade-long “life” pause and regrouped to issue “People Together” in 2007. The unit has performed at top West Coast festivals and venues, sharing the marquee with contemporary jazz forces Sample, Billy Cobham, Stanley Jordan and Keiko Matsui. To pave the way for “Jazz, Groove & Attitude,” Under The Lake will play First Taste Oregon in Salem on January 27 and headline a tribute to The Crusaders at the PDX Jazz Festival in Portland on the album’s street date.     
 
Reflecting fondly on the occasion of Under The Lake’s silver anniversary while enthusiastic about what’s ahead, Tipp said, “Even after all these years, I still run into folks that remember the band or shows we’d done years ago. The music from the first few albums still gets played on various outlets. I think ‘Jazz, Groove & Attitude’ is the best collection of material I’ve assembled with some really talented musicians. I hope that people enjoy it, that it starts the ball rolling so we can build on the momentum, creating new opportunities for us to perform in front of more audiences in more places.”
                    
“Jazz, Groove & Attitude” contains the following songs:
 
“Breaking Through”
“Good Things”
“November 30th
“George Is His Name”
“Father’s Day”
“Second Time Around”
“LJT”
“Full Of Life”
“I Just Can’t Wait”
“Rise And Shine”
“September Groove”
 
 
For more information, please visit www.UnderTheLake.com.

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Monday, December 18, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 18, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 2 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
3 - 5 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 5 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
5 - 3 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
6 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
7 - 7 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
8 - 10 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 8 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
10 - 11 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 9 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
12 - 14 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
13 - 12 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
14 - 13 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
15 - 17 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
16 - 16 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
17 - 15 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
18 - 18 - Dave Koz & Friends - "20th Anniversary Christmas" - (Concord)
19 - 26 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
20 - 19 - The B. Christopher Band - "Four From The Sun" - (Big Bug Records)


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Monday, December 11, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 11, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 1 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
3 - 3 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
4 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 6 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 5 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
7 - 8 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
8 - 10 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
9 - 7 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 9 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 11 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
12 - 12 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
13 - 14 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
14 - 13 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
15 - 16 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
16 - 15 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
17 - 17 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
18 - 42 - Dave Koz & Friends - "20th Anniversary Christmas" - (Concord)
19 - 18 - The B. Christopher Band - "Four From The Sun" - (Big Bug Records)
20 - 53 - Herb Lpert - "The Christmas Wish" - (Herb Alpert Presents"


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Monday, December 04, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 4, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 2 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 3 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
4 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 11 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
6 - 17 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 9 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
8 - 5 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
9 - 15 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 12 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
11 - 6 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
12 - 7 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
13 - 14 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
14 - 13 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
15 - 16 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
16 - 8 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
17 - 24 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
18 - 28 - The B. Christopher Band - "Four From The Sun" - (Big Bug Records)
19 - 19 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
20 - 22 - Julian Vaughn - "Bona Fide" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Monday, November 27, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - November 27, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 2 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 9 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
4 - 3 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 6 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
6 - 8 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 5 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
8 - 13 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
9 - 4 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 10 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
11 - 12 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
12 - 15 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
13 - 7 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
14 - 11 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
15 - 14 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
16 - 18 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
17 - 27 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
18 - 16 - Eric Valentine - "Velvet Groove" - (Matcha Entertainment)
19 - 19 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
20 - 28 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - November 20, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 4 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 6 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
4 - 5 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 3 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 10 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
7 - 2 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
8 - 9 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 11 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
10 - 12 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
11 - 8 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
12 - 7 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
13 - 13 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
14 - 14 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
15 - 17 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
16 - 15 - Eeric Valentine - "Velvet Groove" - (Matcha Entertainment)
17 - 20 - Patrick Bradley - "Intangible" - (Patrick's Song Factory)
18 - 21 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Records)
19 - 16 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
20 - 26 - James Day - "Song, Soul & Spirit" (Song King Records)


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Monday, October 30, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 30, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 2 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
3 - 3 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 5 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 6 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 11 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
8 - 9 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
9 - 7 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
10 - 8 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Records)
11 - 16 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
12 - 10 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
13 - 13 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
14 - 15 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
15 - 14 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
16 - 12 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
17 - 17 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Storeis From Stompin' Willie" - (Branch Records Inc.)
18 - 18 - Ben Tankard - "Full Tank 3: "CanTANKerous" - (Ben-Jamin Music Universal)
19 - 28 - The B. Christoper Band - "Four From The Sun" - (big Bug Records)
20 - 27 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" - (Shanachie Entertainment)


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Grammy® nominations “Possible” for R&B-jazz singer-songwriter Selina Albright’s “Conversations” #jazz

Being considered in four preliminary Grammy categories for her debut album, “Conversations,” in her first year as a NARAS voter provided smooth soul singer-songwriter Selina Albright an entirely new perspective about what her father, contemporary jazz saxophone giant and eight-time Grammy nominee Gerald Albright, experienced while she was growing up.   
 
“When I was little and my dad would tell me that he was up for a Grammy, I didn’t realize how life-changing the process of getting on that final ballot must have been for him - the hundreds of tracks he must’ve been introduced to, the wonderful people he must’ve met, how big and multi-faceted the world of music must’ve seemed by the time he’d finished voting, and how much it must have meant to him to be nominated out of the multitudes. Now, I’m beginning to understand the magnitude of the honor and responsibility of being a voting member, which I take seriously,” reflected Albright about her father who makes a guest appearance playing flute on “Conversations.”
 
Albright is a Best New Artist candidate in the midst of a breakthrough year that began with the release of the album’s attention-grabbing first single, “Eat Something,” a joyous affirmation of self-love and acceptance while in a romantic relationship with lyrics that make it okay to pack on some extra weight. Like the nine originals she penned for the collection, the Best R&B Song contender is inspired by intimate conversations she’s had with family, friends and loved ones. The track is receiving airplay and has charted at two different radio formats: urban adult contemporary and smooth/contemporary jazz.  
   
A few months after releasing “Conversations,” the Best R&B Album aspirant issued “Possible” to radio, an empowering single on which Albright unleashes the full power and magnitude of her impassioned four-octave voice, delivering a worthy Best R&B Performance entrant. “Conversations” is a deeply personal and revealing set that Albright describes as a “therapeutic diary.” Chris “Big Dog” Davis, James “JRob” Roberson and Albright produced the session that features performances by Gerald Albright, Peter White, Kay-Ta Matsuno, Randy Ellis and David P. Stevens.           
 
Throughout the year, Albright has supported “Conversations” with concert dates across the country, selling out clubs and playing packed theaters and festivals on shared bills, including shows with her father. She was invited on a 24-city Christmas concert tour with smooth/contemporary jazz royalty - Dave Koz, David Benoit, Rick Braun and White - that launches the day after Thanksgiving. Albright hopes to receive an early Christmas gift when the Grammy nominations are announced on November 28.      
 
“The honor of having my own music on the preliminary ballot is so beautiful to me. I can’t even put into words the honor I’d feel to actually get a Grammy nomination. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me!”
 
For more information, including a complete concert itinerary, please visit www.SelinaAlbright.com.

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Dave Zinno Unisphere - "'River of January" - Released on Whaling City Sound - #jazz

The songs on Dave Zinno Unisphere’s River of January are lavish jazz adventures, rich with texture, ripe with melodicism, and simply joyful audio journeys. The band is spectacular: Unisphere includes the talents of sax man Mike Tucker (Arturo Sandoval), drummer Rafael Barata (Milton Nascimento, Marc Johnson), Leo Genovese (Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spaulding), and Crescent City trumpeter Benny Bloom. Zinno leads them the way a hopeless romantic treats a first love: gently, understanding and worshipful. He glorifies his accompanists and allows them to go on at length, indulging their considerable talents and making River of January a wall of glorious of sound. This isn’t to say that it’s stodgy. Zinno infuses the work with progress. The band takes the vibe of traditional jazz and reverses the paradigm, so the songs, while familiar, certainly don’t remain the same. There are many highlights here, and while it wouldn’t be a waste of space to speak about them individually, it would be easier to say that these tunes all include rushes of adrenaline, sweetness of melody and serious elements of style. River of January is a work of forward thinking tradition and one that has much substance within it to discover.

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Eric Wyatt - "Look To The Sky" - Release on Whaling City Sound, October 27th - #jazz

Brooklyn-born and bred Eric Wyatt owns a solid berth along the saxophone continuum originally laid out by guys like Parker, Coltrane and Rollins. Throughout his career, his playing has been edgy and inventive, heartfelt and poignant. In fact, his father was good friends with Rollins and after Wyatt’s dad passed away, Sonny Rollins became involved in Eric’s music. “After my dad passed in 1989, Sonny became very present in my music and offered his help. I was given the opportunity to record my first CD, Godson, on the Japanese label King Records. Sonny suggested the title Godson because it explained his and my dad’s Hope. The Godson CD featured Al Foster, Rufus Reid and Mark Soskin, all members of Sonny’s bands.
Look to the Sky, Wyatt’s debut for Whaling City Sound and his sixth recording overall, is magnificently realized, both instrumentally and emotionally. There are musical nods to his father (“Jolley Charlie”) and mother (“Psalm for Phennie”), to Coltrane (“My Favorite Things”) and a few other intimate touch points, some original, a few written by his accompanist, Benito Gonzalez. Indeed, Wyatt is joined here by excellent progressive musicians, including the resounding pianist Gonzalez, drummers Shinnosuke Takahashi and Kyle Poole, Eric Wheeler on bass and Keyon Harrold on trumpet. Together, their music is filled with hope and dedication, reciprocity and passion. With every recording, Wyatt flourishes, in terms of artistry and intensity, power and finesse. Look to the Sky is the man’s—and his band’s— finest and fullest record yet.

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Monday, October 23, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 23, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 1 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
3 - 4 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 7 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 3 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 5 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 11 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
8 - 6 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Records)
9 - 10 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
10 - 9 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
11 - 27 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
12 - 9 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
13 - 14 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
14 - 17 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
15 - 45 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcatle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
16 - 23 - The Journey - "Nick Colionne" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
17 - 20 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Storeis From Stompin' Willie" - (Branch Records Inc.)
18 - 15 - Ben Tankard - "Full Tank 3: "CanTANKerous" - (Ben-Jamin Music Universal)
19 - 13 - Brendan Rothwell - "Time On My Hands" - (Brendan Rothwell)
20 - 18 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)


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.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share