Top Ad

Monday, February 27, 2017

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


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group"
2 - 1 - Peter White - "Groovin' - (Heads Up/Concord)
3 - 3 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
4 - 10 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 4 - Steve Watson - "Playtime" - (WatsonWood)
6 - 6 - Doc Powell - "This Is Soul" - (DPR Music)
7 - 7 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
8 - 5 - Adam Hawley - "Just The Beginning" - (Kalimba)
9 - 8 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie)
10 - 9 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
11 - 12 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
12 - 14 - Threestyle - "Road To Monterey" - (Welovemusic Records)
13 - 16 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
14 - 13 - Jazmin Ghent - "Chocolate Sunshine" - (jazminghent.com)
15 - 19 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita Records)
16 - 15 - Euge Groove - "Still Euge" - (Shanachie)
17 - 52 - Phil Perry - "Breathless" - (Shanachie)
18 - 27 - BWB - "BWB" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
19 - 18 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Stories From Stompin' Willie - (Branch, Records Inc.)
20 - 24 - Justin Klunk - "Clarity" - (Justin Klunk)


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, February 21, 2017

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


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Peter White - "Groovin' - (Heads Up/Concord)
2 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group"
3 - 3 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
4 - 6 - Steve Watson - "Playtime" - (WatsonWood)
5 - 4 - Adam Hawley - "Just The Beginning" - (Kalimba)
6 - 5 - Doc Powell - "This Is Soul" - (DPR Music)
7 - 7 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
8 - 8 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie)
9 - 10 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
10 - 42 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 11 - Ken Navarro - "Bonfire" - (Positive Music Records)
12 - 14 - Michael Lington "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
13 - 13 - Jazmin Ghent - "Chocolate Sunshine" - (jazminghent.com)
14 - 19 - Threestyle - "Road To Monterey" - (Welovemusic Records)
15 - 9 - Euge Groove - "Still Euge" - (Shanachie)
16 - 31 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
17 - 15 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
18 - 12 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Stories From Stompin' Willie - (Branch, Records Inc.)
19 - 20 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita Records)
20 - 23 - Sharon Rae North - "Sincerely Yours" - (Sharon Rae North)


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

Friday, February 17, 2017

Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People "Weather or Not" 2/24/17 release #jazz

In the best case, an album has a story to tell, a hook, that will get a record attention and help to put the good word into the ears of all the right people. In the case of Gerry Gibbs’ new album, there are three great stories to tell. Following the successful reception of drummer, composer, bandleader, producer Gerry Gibbs' last three CDs, all reaching #1 for 15 weeks on the international Jazz charts, along with a Grammy nomination with his Thrasher Dream Trio (featuring jazz icons Ron Carter and Kenny Barron), Gerry went in search of new faces to start a fresh project. This time he incorporated a mix of genres with influences from all over the world, while also borrowing from different periods in music. The result is this extraordinary multi-instrumental trio.
Gerry Gibbs, during his 33-year career as a musician, has recorded 11 solo CDs as a leader. Gibbs' first CD, The Thrasher, featuring Ravi Coltrane was executive produced by Quincy Jones for his own Qwest label back in the late '90s. Gibbs has continually worked, recorded and toured with a who's who of the greatest icons, from many generations of music going back some 90 years. He has drawn from his experiences working with everyone from Bebop legends Clark Terry, Donald Byrd, James Moody to forward thinkers such as legends Alice Coltrane, Larry Coryell, Stanley Clarke, Ornette Coleman, Billy Childs and Parliament Funkadelic to some of today's newest artists currently on the scene, such as Flying Lotus and Kamasi Washington. Combine that with Gibbs’ penchant for no boundaries and you get this wonderful new CD featuring a band that makes 28 ambitious songs sound like 28 different bands.

Most prominently, Weather or Not, a double-disc set, is split down the middle. The first disc is a tribute to the music of fusion super group Weather Report. The second disc is subtitled “The Life Suite: 1981-2016” (selected songs that Gibbs chose from music he composed from his 11th grade year in high school to the present) and includes an eclectic array of Gibbs’ originals all played in trio format. More on these two story lines later. The last thing, and perhaps the biggest story here, is the Thrasher People, the new band Gibbs put together for this project and going forward.

Each member of this trio is a virtuoso on many instruments: Alex Collins, 30, is an extraordinary talent who plays acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes and organ, as well as adding unique vocals as a fourth instrument on select songs. Hans Glawischnig is the acoustic and electric bass wizard. At times he plays the electric bass like a guitar, using a pick and guitar amplifier. With Gibbs doing most of the “thrashing” as leader, composer, arranger and drummer, he is also a gifted multi-instrumentalist, supplying Mini Moog, vibes, marimba, percussion, electronic programming, kalimba and quica, while adding a choir of voices and beat-boxing. His Thrasher People join him hungrily, enthusiastically, with the excitement of a band discovering successful new sounds together. This is not just a recording of three guys in the studio reading through 28 compositions; it’s an actual working band. They rehearsed over 40 times before recording the music on this CD to develop and document their unique and individual combinations of sound, composition, orchestration, texture and rhythm.

Gibbs, on the hunt for new band mates for over a year, first met Collins at a New York jam session and the two hit it off. Upon hearing Gibbs' concept for a Weather Report tribute recording, Alex came up with his own unique take on Zawinul, Pastorius and Shorter, et al. Glawischnig, a decade and a half older than Collins, had a firm foundation in the WR repertoire, as well as a keen interest in joining the project. Together, the band performs a wide spectrum of material across both discs.

On the Weather Report CD, few stones are left unturned as the trio tackles the classics and many more. The “Birdlands,” “Teen Towns” and “Palladiums” are all here, but these and other tunes represented here cast Weather Report in an entirely different light. Good thing, too, as it would be a fool's errand to try to take on the band at their own game; a point expressed enthusiastically by Weather Report's founding member Wayne Shorter. Classic WR tunes are re-imagined; the rhythms are different while the organic nature of the compositions and it's sound are fleshed out and turned way up. The sparks fly thanks to Collins’ prodigious multi-keyboard talent. Glawischnig’s unerring bass lines smartly steer clear of any of the great Jaco Pastorius’ unmistakable, signature approach to the electric/fretless bass. Gibbs’ drumming is masterful throughout. His fills, sexy brushwork, and rapid-fire drum stylings masterfully reflect a deep-layered knowledge of the repertoire at hand, while allowing his own approach to sit comfortably when reflecting on Weather Reports’ formidable drum chairs, occupied by Alphonse Mouzon, Peter Erskine, Alex Acuna, among others.

On the disc of originals, Gibbs and his Thrasher People dig deeply into Gibbs' own compositions. The story for the second CD reflects the concept of 16 songs sounding like 16 different bands. This was necessary and fitting, as they were penned over a time spanning 35 years. The songs veer from Bebop ("Paul and Sid's Blues"), to Brazilian (“Just Glad to Be Anywhere”) to R&B instrumental (“Patrice Rushen"), to ’70s TV soundtrack music ("Kojak”) and even Gibbs combining beat boxing with an African kalimba ("St. Marteen"). There’s also flamenco, gospel, funk, soul, and jazz/rock flavors-all filtered through a deep jazz funnel.

The creative juices are flowing and genuine from top to bottom, as Gibbs proves he is, and has seemingly always been, an ever-flowing river of solid & creative source material. Truly a wealth of originality and musical excitement on this outstanding new double-disc set, with more diversity than can just be put into one category.

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

Monday, February 13, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - February 13, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group"
2 - 2 - Peter White - "Groovin' - (Heads Up/Concord)
3 - 3 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
4 - 8 - Adam Hawley - "Just The Beginning" - (Kalimba)
5 - 5 - Doc Powell - "This Is Soul" - (DPR Music)
6 - 6 - Steve Watson - "Playtime" - (WatsonWood)
7 - 11 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
8 - 4 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie)
9 - 7 - Euge Groove - "Still Euge" - (Shanachie)
10 - 13 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
11 - 12 - Ken Navarro - "Bonfire" - (Positive Music Records)
12 - 9 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Stories From Stompin' Willie - (Branch, Records Inc.)
13 - 16 - Jazmin Ghent - "Chocolate Sunshine" - (jazminghent.com)
14 - 15 - Michael Lington "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
15 - 10 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
16 - 19 - Paul Taylor - "Countdown" - (Pike/eOne)
17 - 14 - BWB - "BWB" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
18 - 21 - Chuck Loeb - "Unspoken" - (Shanachie Records)
19 - 17 - Threestyle - "Road To Monterey" - (Welovemusic Records)
20 - 20 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita 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

Carmen Lundy to Release New CD "Code Noir" on Feb 17 #jazz

CODE NOIR, the stunning new CD from critically-lauded vocalist Carmen Lundy, is slated for release February 17th via Afrasia Productions with distribution through City Hall Records. Never one to limit her creative journeys, Lundy explores the realms of Jazz, Blues, Brazilian Samba and Pop with a multitude of messages that reflect not only the complexities of her own mindset, but the disparity of the world at large. Poignant, heartfelt, joyous, shocked, saddened and impassioned are just a few of the emotions conveyed by this wonderfully evocative singer on CODE NOIR in a highly personal musical voyage.

"These songs encompass the musical and artistic influences from the African diaspora and its influence on jazz and other musical genres – the bossa nova, the blues, swing, funk, the exploration into the avant-garde," says Carmen. "Yet they also encompass the many emotions that are prevalent in this country right now. We are going through tough times with a country that is sorely divided and many of these tracks reflect the feelings that we as human beings are going through on an individual level. CODE NOIR actually refers to the first law ever written by a person in power of a sovereign nation/empire - the King of France Louis XIV - the first law to disallow and make illegal the integration of the African race into white European society."

Having written or co-written all twelve tracks on the album, Carmen envelops her listeners from the start with the questioning opening song, "Another Chance" - a thought-provoking title truly pertinent in the world today. "Live Out Loud" encourages us to do just that while "Black And Blues" is about our present affairs, "the legacy of the black experience in America,” says Carmen. “The unplanned fallout and result of legislating and legalizing systemic racism." She adds, "The electric guitar in the song illustrates its contribution to all things defining American culture through song.”

On another heartfelt level the glories of love at first - and second - sight are explored on "Second Sight" while "The Island, The Sea and You," a song Carmen wrote while on a trip to Hawaii, is an ode to the love of Lundy's life. The infectious "Have A Little Faith" explores the rhythms born of the African experience and originating from the African continent which the singer has always loved - and as an African American, has always identified with - while the lyrics of "Whatever It Takes" implore us to be strong in the face of this imperfect world.

The tracks "I Got Your Number," "I Keep Falling" and "You Came Into My Life" are keen observations on the state of the modern-day romantic relationship in all its various stages. The CD closes with the inspired "Kumbaya," originally spoken as ‘Come By Here’ in the south, "perhaps in the Gullah language of slaves from Angola brought to the Carolinas, to my understanding,” says Carmen. “It’s a song to my family. A plea to humanity."

Masterfully accompanying Carmen on the new album is Patrice Rushen on piano who once again joins Carmen on this outing, Ben Williams on acoustic and electric bass, Jeff Parker on electric guitar, Kendrick Scott on drums and percussion and Elisabeth Oei on background vocals. In addition to vocals, Lundy also plays keyboards and guitar and arranged all the songs.

The release of CODE NOIR will be accompanied by tour dates both here in the US and abroad. For additional information please visit www.CarmenLundy.com.


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

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Al Jarreau, dead at the age of 76 #jazz


LEGENDARY SINGER AL JARREAU DIES AT76
  Al Jarreau, one of the world’s great singers and a song stylist who defied categorization for decades, died today in Los Angeles at the age of 76.
 
The seven-time GRAMMY winner had recently announced his retirement from the entertainment business after being hospitalized for exhaustion. Jarreau had fought through respiratory and cardiac issues in recent years.
 
“We feel very fortunate to have worked with Al, one of the most distinctive and extraordinary vocalists in the music,” says Concord Records President John Burk. “He was truly a force of nature and a beautiful human being that will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by us all.”
 
Jarreau had little interest in boundaries or preconceived limitations. Since the mid-1970s, he applied his distinctive and instantly recognizable vocal style – a unique combination of lyrical swing and captivating vocalese – to a broad spectrum of musical genres. With this eclectic approach, he earned much success along the way – enough to position him as the only vocalist in history to claim GRAMMY Awards in the three distinct genres of jazz, pop and R&B.
 
Jarreau’s final recording, My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke, was released August 5, 2014 on Concord Records, a division of Concord Music Group. The album, which re-interpreted some of Duke’s renowned catalog of post-bop, jazz-fusion, R&B and Brazilian jazz, spent two weeks at #1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums and Current Jazz charts.

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

Friday, February 10, 2017

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP SCORES 18 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS


Concord Music Group, one of the largest independent recorded music and publishing companies in the world collected a total of 18 GRAMMY Award nominations, as announced today by the Recording Academy in anticipation of the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards set for Sunday, February 12th, 2017.
 
 The diverse set of nominations epitomizes Concord’s deep commitment to artistry across an array of categories including rock, alternative, blues, folk, R&B, Bluegrass, Americana and jazz.  The company’s celebrated family of labels includes Bicycle, Concord, Concord Jazz, Fantasy, Fearless, Kidz Bop, Loma Vista, Razor & Tie, Rounder, Stax, Sugar Hill and Vanguard.

Below is the complete list of nominations for the Concord Music Group:

Best Alternative Music Album
Post Pop Depression
Iggy Pop
Label: Loma Vista Recordings

Best Contemporary Blues Album
Give It Back To You
The Record Company
Label: Concord Records

Best Folk Album
Undercurrent
Sarah Jarosz
Label: Sugar Hill Records

Best American Roots Performance
House Of Mercy
Sarah Jarosz
Track from: Undercurrent
Label: Sugar Hill Records

Best Traditional R&B Performance
The Three Of Me
William Bell
Track from: This Is Where I Live
Label: Stax Records

Best Americana Album
This Is Where I Live
William Bell
Label: Stax

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Are You Serious
Tchad Blake & David Boucher, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Andrew Bird)
Label: Loma Vista Recordings

Best Traditional Blues Album
Porcupine Meat
Bobby Rush
Label: Rounder Records

Best American Roots Song
Kid Sister
Vince Gill, songwriter (The Time Jumpers)
Track from: Kid Sister
Label: Rounder Records

Best Bluegrass Album
Original Traditional
Blue Highway
Label: Rounder Records

Best Bluegrass Album
Coming Home
O'Connor Band With Mark O'Connor
Label: Rounder Records

Best Folk Album
Weighted Mind
Sierra Hull
Label: Rounder Records

Best Americana Album
Kid Sister
The Time Jumpers
Label: Rounder Records

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Good "Swing" Wenceslas
Sammy Nestico, arranger (The Count Basie Orchestra)
Track from: A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas!
Label: Concord Jazz

Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals
I'm A Fool To Want You
Alan Broadbent, arranger (Kristin Chenoweth)
Track from: The Art Of Elegance
Label: Concord Records

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Undercurrent
Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Sarah Jarosz)
Label: Sugar Hill Records

Best Remixed Recording
Only (Kaskade x Lipless Remix)
Ryan Raddon, remixer (Ry X)
Label: Loma Vista Recordings

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Tug Of War (Deluxe Edition)
Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)
Label: Concord Records

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

It's "3 Minutes to Midnight" and Lawson Rollins is right on time #jazz

The No. 1 single on SiriusXM Watercolors, a cover feature in the “Frets” section in the March issue of Guitar Player magazine, a Top 10 world music album debut at Amazon and a Top 20 world music album debut at iTunes confirm that guitarist Lawson Rollins’ (www.LawsonRollins.com) decision to put aside his complex, meandering compositions to adopt a more direct and concise “urgency now” approach to songwriting on his newly released “3 Minutes to Midnight” was the right decision. The award-winning chart-topper’s seventh multicultural album is wasting no time connecting with listeners, record buyers, radio programmers and reviewers.

Rollins’ mesmerizing and virtuoso fingerstyle guitar work that generated over 10 million YouTube hits is on display on “3 Minutes to Midnight.” Guitar Player says, “He incorporates new pluck­ing techniques to play aptly timed flourishes at supersonic speeds that will make your head spin.” The new outing also showcases Rollins’ deft touch for crafting exquisite, impassioned Latin-singed melodies over energetic global beats and exotic rhythms as well as probing meditations, moody introspective vibes and soul-stirring atmospherics.

All twelve multi-genre compositions Rollins authored for “3 Minutes to Midnight,” produced by multi-platinum producer and frequent Rollins collaborator Dominic Camardella, clock in in the three-minute range, compressed communications compared to his typically sprawling recordings on previous discs that averaged at least twice the length. As the album’s seductive waltz, “Island Time,” sits poised to enter Billboard’s Top 30, Rollins is back in the studio working on another entirely new challenge: scoring his first film. Instead of using his trademark nylon guitar on world music and gypsy jazz aural adventures, the soundtrack for “Golden” will feature the classically-trained, San Francisco-based artist on electric, slide, acoustic and Spanish guitars ruminating amidst haunting Americana and bluesy soundscapes.       

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

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Trumpet Maestro Rick Braun Invites You To Take A Trip "Around The Horn" #jazz

“I just want to continue to explore the boundaries of what I am capable of as a musician,” declares acclaimed chart-topping trumpeter, composer and producer Rick Braun. Known for his impeccable technical chops, melodic wizardry and keen compositional prowess, the consummate Los Angeles based musician has been thrilling audiences for decades. Braun has made a mark staying true to his own musical voice and eclectic influences that have allowed him to collaborate across genre with some of the biggest names in music including Rod Stewart, Tom Petty, Sade, Natalie Cole and REO Speedwagon. Having clenched over 20 #1 Smooth Jazz hits, Braun has collaborated with all of the brightest stars in contemporary jazz from Kirk Whalum, Norman Brown and Peter White, to Dave Koz, Boney James and Brian Culbertson. February 24, 2017 Shanachie Entertainment will release Rick Braun’s 17th recording as a leader, Around The Horn.

The dynamic trumpeter’s label debut is an adventurous mix of originals as well as exhilarating reinventions of hits by Coldplay, Alicia Keys and Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez. Shanachie VP of A&R, Danny Weiss states, “Rick’s tone, chops and phrasing link him to the jazz giants of the past. He can hold his own in any setting. Yet he communicates to a vast audience far beyond the jazz aficionado. His warmth, wit and musical spirit make him a great communicator – a hit maker!”
Rick Braun arrived at the title Around The Horn as a way to convey his ambition to fully explore his diverse influences. “It is kind of a play on words using the saying ‘around the horn.’ In the old days before the Panama Canal people had to travel around Cape Horn in South America to get from New York to California and it was a very dangerous journey. This record is all about the trumpet. I wanted to push myself to explore the horn more deeply.” On the album’s title track Braun invites fellow trumpeter Till Brönner from Germany for a splendid trumpet expedition as the two challenge one another to reach new heights.


Around The Horn opens with the intoxicating and alluring “So Strong.” Braun’s warm trumpet and valve trombone soar above a hypnotic and exotic groove that is underscored by pulsating global rhythms and sultry voices. “To me ‘So Strong’ has a real Brazilian feel and the rhythmic guitar part is very South African,” explains Braun. “On this record, I wanted to take you on a musical journey and around the world.” Braun transports us to Portugal with his scintillating composition “Vila Vita” featuring acoustic guitarist Peter White. “I love Peter White!” exclaims Braun. The duo has scored several hits through the years including “Club Harlem” and “Missing In Venice.” “Vila Vita” was inspired by a trip Braun spent with his family at a jazz festival in Portugal. “It was one of the most amazing experiences,” recalls Braun. “I was working on the record and played some of the songs on a rooftop balcony that we had. I felt like there needed to be a song for the beautiful experience that I had in Portugal and ‘Vila Vita’ is it.”

Braun shows off his versatility on Around The Horn with a few surprising and imaginative re-workings of notable pop tunes. He explains, “This album is a bit different for me in that it reflects some of what is going on in R&B and pop music now. I really tried to pull from those influences and sounds as opposed to making a retro inspired record. I am hoping the music will bring some of my fans into this new generation of music as well.” Braun takes on Charlie Puth’s Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 duet with Selena Gomez, “We Don’t Talk Anymore.” This is a song that Braun was introduced to by his 16-year-old daughter Emma. “Everyday my daughter goes outside in back of the house and listens to and dances to all of this wonderful pop music and the music just takes over her,” explains Braun. “This is not my music or the music of my generation but I was listening and started hearing some incredible tunes and so I decided to use some for inspiration. It’s a new journey into the realm of contemporary pop music both sonically and content wise. I use a lot of sequenced sounds and samples that hopefully will sound fresh and interesting to my fans.” Braun’s tender trumpet and flugelhorn lines along with Peter White’s sailing guitar transform this number into a delightful rhapsodic version. Around The Horn also showcases Alicia Keys’ “In Common,” which Braun turns into a haunting trip-hoppy, tropical house inspired elixir that promises to have you dancing. Braun also draws inspiration from British alt-rock sensation Coldplay and their first true American hit, “Yellow.” Braun enlists help from multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Stoddart, who also co-wrote a number of the songs on Around The Horn.

“John Stoddart is an amazingly talented singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. He is just an awesome human being. We toured together with BWB (a group that included Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown), and we were label mates way back in the day on Warner Brothers. I have been a fan of his for the past 20 years,” shares Braun. “

John actually suggested we record ‘In Common’ and he came up with the beautiful re-harmonization and incredible arrangement on ‘Yellow.’ This record would not be what it is without John’s help. I am grateful for his contribution and I love him.” Braun and Stoddart let loose and have some fun with a funky and bluesy original they penned together “Everything Is Alright.” “This song is another example of the genius of John. It has a Ramsey Lewis or Eddie Harris ‘Cold Duck Time’ feel. At the same time sonically, I wanted to pull from Bruno Mars in terms of the sonic palette with the horn section sound and the big kick drum that you hear.” The snappy and electrifying “Pool Dancer,” opens the door to Braun’s creative fancy as he stretches out and gets down to the nitty-gritty and concocts soulful flights of fancy trading off with himself on trumpet and flugelhorn. The dazzling “Love Take Me” features the chart-topping soul jazz diva and Shanachie label-mate, Lindsey Webster. “Working with Lindsey was absolutely fantastic” shares Braun. “I have to thank my dear friend and co-manager Bud Harner for his input on this one because it was initially an instrumental cut. There aren’t a lot of people in the world that can write lyrics and sing like Lindsey Webster does. She is an amazing talent and I have nothing but great things to say about her.” Also included on Around The Horn are two more songs that John Stoddart and Rick Braun co-wrote; the vibey, R&B flavored ballad “I Love You More” and the free-flowing cool swing of “One South Beach Night.”

“Every time I sit down to play my horn, I realize the shortcomings and the amount of information that I do not have. It is a humbling experience,” says Rick Braun. “For me it is important that I continue to keep my horizons open and keep looking forward and try to improve on what I do.” Braun was blessed to discover music at an early age. “When I started playing as an eight year old boy, I loved it right away. I loved the smell of the horn, the sound that it made and everything about it and I continue to love it.” There was a time when Braun was contemplating pursuing medical school but luckily for us music won out. Still a student of the music, of late Braun has been intently listening to Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown and Chet Baker. In fact he is working on a tribute concert featuring Chet Baker’s music. Compositionally Braun says, “My influences are all over the map. But a few of my favorites are Earth, Wind and Fire, The Brecker Brothers, Quincy Jones, The Crusaders and Ramsey Lewis.” Coming of age in Allentown, PA (about an hour outside of Philadelphia), Braun was acutely aware of the volume of jazz musicians who developed in his area. “The Brecker Brothers were a huge influence. My dear friend Jeff Lorber is also from Philadelphia and Keith Jarrett is from Allentown. There is a rumor in my family that Jarrett is actually my third cousin! “ Rick Braun has enjoyed a career longevity that is rare in this business. He has crafted his own distinctive sound and become a staple on contemporary jazz radio. He has produced No. 1 hits for David Benoit, Marc Antoine and former Rod Stewart band sidekick Jeff Golub. Braun achieved collaborative success on massive hits with Boney James, as a member of RnR with saxophonist Richard Elliot and with BWB, a powerhouse trio completed by Grammy® winners Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown.

Braun has hosted an annual New Year’s Eve event for almost a decade that benefits autism. His daughter is autistic and Braun has made it a mission to bring awareness to autism. “One of my passions is just trying to help people who are affected by autism. It is really important for me to just reach out and help wherever I can,” shares the inspiring musician. Around The Horn follows Braun’s 2014 CD Can You Feel It and further ensconces the trumpeter as among one of the greatest of his generation. Braun concludes, “For me music is not just about going out touring and making a living. Music has always been a source of joy, almost a therapy. When things are not going right or when I am not feeling right about myself, if I can get into my studio and make some music and dig into that world, it always makes me feel better. It is an absolute pleasure seeing the joy that it brings to others. I love every moment of it!”
Source: Shanachie Entertainment Group

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

Monday, February 06, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - February 6, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group"
2 - 2 - Peter White - "Groovin' - (Heads Up/Concord)
3 - 5 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
4 - 4 - Brian Simpson - "Persuasion" - (Shanachie)
5 - 6 - Doc Powell - "This Is Soul" - (DPR Music)
6 - 12 - Steve Watson - "Playtime" - (WatsonWood)
7 - 3 - Euge Groove - "Still Euge" - (Shanachie)
8 - 8 - Adam Hawley - "Just The Beginning" - (Kalimba)
9 - 10 - Paul Jackson Jr. - "Stories From Stompin' Willie - (Branch, Records Inc.)
10 - 9 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
11 - 24 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
12 - 13 - Ken Navarro - "Bonfire" - (Positive Music Records)
13 - 15 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 11 - BWB - "BWB" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
15 - 73 - Michael Lington "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
16 - 30 - Jazmin Ghent - "Chocolate Sunshine" - (jazminghent.com)
17 - 25 - Threestyle - "Road To Monterey" - (Welovemusic Records)
18 - 23 - Blue Soul - "Justin Young" - (Justin Young)
19 - 7 - Paul Taylor - "Countdown" - (Pike/eOne)
20 - 20 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita 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