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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)


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)


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Saturday, October 14, 2017

Saxophonist Justin Young’s “Blue Soul” powered by “High Definition” #jazz

The November 17 album release reflects his Motor City roots, driven by the set’s new single.
 
Justin Young is hungry. The energetic and enthusiastic saxophonist is all about hustle and hard work. For over a decade, he’s put out quality soul-jazz albums, but his forthcoming disc, “Blue Soul,” captures an artist hitting his stride on the cusp of a major breakthrough. Mining his Detroit roots, Young’s fourth album, due November 17 via JustnTime Records, features a dozen new songs recorded live in the studio with premier musicians, producers and songwriting collaborators. Paving the way for the collection is the new single, “High Definition,” a vibrant R&B/pop confection just shipped to radio stations, a tune that Young penned with fellow soul-jazz saxman Jackiem Joyner and keyboardist Matt Godina.   
 
The release of “Blue Soul” caps a lengthy recording odyssey for Young. His approach for this outing was purposely different and taps into the Motown lore that influenced his musical discoveries while growing up.
 
“I started work on this album three and a half years ago. There have probably been about 40 different songs written for this album. In the past, I would write twelve songs, and then enter the studio quickly and put out an album. But for ‘Blue Soul,’ I wanted to take a different approach and put the absolute best songs out, really push myself to elevate the standard this time around,” said Young, who had a hand in writing all but one song on the album. “‘Blue Soul’ goes back to my roots in music, Detroit, the home of Motown. I loved the creativity of musicians recording together in the studio, creating an amazing vibe. The opportunity to put high-quality musicians together along with amazing producers has always been my dream. I watched this growing up and listened to the Motown stories. ‘Blue Soul’ goes back to my love of jazz and soul music. It’s organic, it’s played by consummate musicians and it truly is soul music with saxophone at its beating heart.”
 
Throughout “Blue Soul,” Young’s alto, tenor and soprano sax is embedded amidst rhythms and grooves constructed by the likes of bassists Alex Al and Hussain Jiffry, and the late drummer to the stars, Ricky Lawson. Former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist-vocalist Sheldon Reynolds is another notable player who fortified Young’s lilting harmonies and undeniable melodies. The first single, “Always There,” one of four cuts written and produced by Joyner - a Billboard chart-topper in his own right - hit the Billboard Top 25 and the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown. “Jazz Along The 101,” one of three tracks shepherded by gospel producer Noel Hall (Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond), kept Young’s momentum motoring along with both singles garnering daily spins on SiriusXM’s Watercolors. In response to Hurricane Harvey, he released the hopeful “Song For A Better Tomorrow” (https://youtu.be/PoL8NtcUwFw), donating the track’s proceeds to the American Red Cross. “High Definition” promises to take him into 2018 on a high note with a wealth of potential singles in the offing. 
 
Young began in music as a drummer and was introduced to a wide array of styles - from R&B and pop to jazz and gospel – by his father, Jim Young, who led and played in a variety of bands, encouraging his scion to play sax. Landing his first professional concert at age sixteen, Young put himself through Michigan State University by playing weekend gigs. He issued his debut album, “Rendezvous,” in 2003. After winning a competition at the famed Capital Jazz Fest in 2007, he released “On The Way.” A move to Southern California helped his following multiply quickly when he booked a year-long residency at Spaghettini, a hot spot for the contemporary jazz crowd south of Los Angeles. Gigs on the national festival circuit ensued as did subsequent recordings, “Home for the Holidays” and “Nothin’ But Love.” Young previewed music from “Blue Soul” at a Detroit show held at Chene Park last July with 5,000 people in attendance and at a sold-out date in August when he returned to Spaghettini. Now based near Seattle, he will support the new record with a series of local concerts at nearby wineries this fall. Resourceful and brand savvy, Young produces and plies his effervescent personality as the host of “The Justin Young Audio Experience,” a podcast that teaches musicians about the business of music. For more information, please visit www.JustinYoungSax.com.
 
“Blue Soul” contains the following songs:
 
“Always There”
“Nothin’ But Love”
“Razzmajazz”
“Jazz Along The 101”
“Paradise Found”
“New Life”
“Blue Soul”
“Sorento”
“Sweet Release”
“India”
“Song For A Better Tomorrow”
“High Definition”

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Monday, October 09, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 9, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 3 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 1 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
3 - 5 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 4 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 6 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 2 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Records)
7 - 7 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
8 - 13 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
9 - 10 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
10 - 8 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
11 - 12 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
12 - 11 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
13 - 9 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
14 - 17 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
15 - 18 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
16 - 15 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
17 - 16 - Brendan Rothwell - "Time On My Hands" - (Brendan Rothwell)
18 - 14 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" (Shanachie Entertainment)
19 - 22 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Storeis From Stompin' Willie" - (Branch Records Inc.)
20 - 21 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)


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Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - October 2, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 3 - U-Nam - "The Essential Collection" - (Skytown Records)
2 - 2 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Records)
3 - 4 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
4 - 1 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 6 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 9 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 5 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
8 - 8 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
9 - 17 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 7 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
11 - 10 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
12 - 18 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
13 - 13 - Michael McDonald - "Wide Open" - (BMG)
14 - 11 - David Benoit & Marc Antoine - "So Nice!" (Shanachie Entertainment)
15 - 16 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
16 - 14 - Brendan Rothwell - "Time On My Hands" - (Brendan Rothwell)
17 - 12 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
18 - 15 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
19 - 19 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm")
20 - 21 - Roberto Tola - "Bein' Green" - (Roberto Tola)


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