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Monday, February 26, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - February 26, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 2 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 4 - Lawson Rollins - "Airwaves: The Greatest Hits" - (Infinita Records)
4 - 3 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
5 - 5 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
6 - 6 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
7 - 8 - Eric Valentine - "Velvet Groove" - (Matcha Entertainment)
8 - 10 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 9 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 11 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 7 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
12 - 22 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
13 - 13 - Lin Rountree - "Pass The Groove" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 14 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcastle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
15 - 25 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
16 - 12 - Pieces Of A Dream - "Just Funkin' Around" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
17 - 19 - Chris Godber" - "Momentum" - (Chris Godber)
18 - 18 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
19 - 21 - Blake Aaron - "Color And Passion" - (Innervision)
20 - 16 - Lowell Hopper - "Forward Motion" - (Independent)


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Friday, February 23, 2018

Danielle Nicole's "Cry No More" Takes The Singer-Bassist-Songwriter Into Creative New Territory #jazz


February 23rd, 2018 release features 14 emotion-charged songs, including the Bill Withers-penned “Hot Spell,” and appearances by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Luther Dickinson, Walter Trout and Sonny Landreth
Premiere for new track “Save Me” at Guitar World


"I'm definitely taking more chances now," Danielle Nicole says of Cry No More, her second solo album and the follow-up to her widely acclaimed 2015 solo debut Wolf Den.  "I grew up playing the blues, and the blues is still a big part of what I do.  But now I'm reaching out more and trying different things.  It still sounds like me, but I'm stretching out a lot more than I have previously."
Indeed, while Wolf Den served as a powerful intro to the young singer-bassist-songwriter's funky, blues-steeped songcraft, Cry No More, set for release on February 23rd, 2018 via Concord Records, takes the artist into fresh new creative territory, delivering 14 emotion-charged new songs whose rootsy musical edge is matched by their air of hard-won personal experience. Guitar World has the track premiere for “Save Me” here.

Danielle Nicole's expansive approach yields deeply compelling musical results throughout Cry No More.  With seasoned veteran Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Burdon) producing, such heartfelt, groove-intensive new tunes as "Crawl," "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore," the Bill Withers-penned "Hot Spell" and the heart-tugging title track find Danielle cutting loose and focusing on the storytelling and character-development aspects of her songwriting.

"I wanted to open up more about myself, and I think it shows in the songs," Danielle asserts.  "I thought really hard about the stories I wanted to tell in these songs.  I really dug into my personal experience, and worked to be more open and expose more of myself than I have in the past.
"There's a song there about my father, 'Bobby,' who passed away a long time ago," she continues.  "That was a big one for me, because I'd never gone there before.  And I've had lots of changes going on in my life, so the title track, 'Cry No More,' is about moving on and letting go, and about getting over things and moving past them.  There are a lot of songs on this album about moving on, although that wasn't a conscious direction.  Every song is a different story, and every song has a purpose and a perspective."

While Danielle wrote or co-wrote nine of Cry No More's 14 songs, the seductive "Hot Spell" was given to Danielle by its author, long-retired R&B legend Bill Withers.  Withers was a surprise visitor to the album's recording sessions at L.A.'s Ultratone Studios, and was so impressed with Danielle's singing that he dug into his archives and offered her the song, which he wrote back in the '70s, but which had gone unrecorded since then.

"Bill is one of my all-time musical heroes," Danielle notes.  "We played him a couple of the songs we'd been working on, and he said 'Come on, let's go out to my car for a minute.'  So we were hanging out in his SUV, and he's shuffling through his glovebox and he pulls out this disc and says 'I've got this song; it's a bit risqué, but if you don't mind, I'll play it for you.'  It was this demo that he'd done, with his daughter doing the vocals.  It was real moody and had a great groove, and it was Bill all the way.  He told me that if I liked it, I was welcome to record it."

She didn't have to be told twice.  "There was a section on the demo where Bill's scatting where the guitar solo would be.  We asked him to do that on my version, but he's retired, so he respectfully declined to sing on it.  So I sang the scat line and harmonized to it, in his honor.  He dug it!"
Danielle enlisted an old friend, Braunagel, who also produced the last two albums by her old family band, Trampled Under Foot, to record the album.  The pair's longstanding creative rapport is apparent throughout Cry No More, on which Braunagel co-wrote five songs with Danielle.

"I really wanted to work with Tony on this record, because I knew that he would get the best out of me," Danielle explains.  "We've really developed a great working relationship and we write together really well, and I knew that Tony could help me develop these stories into songs.

"This whole record was like a dream come true," she adds.  "I got to do the songs I wanted to do, work with the producer I wanted to work with, and record in the studio I wanted to record in.  It was really cool how everything fell into place.  All of the songs were what I wanted them to be, and all of the players were perfect for the songs.  Every aspect of this album, from the birth of the songs to the mastering, was really free and organic."

In addition to Danielle on bass, producer Braunagel on drums and longtime Bonnie Raitt guitarist Johnnie Lee Schell (who also engineered the sessions), Cry No More features appearances by such notable guitarists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd (on "Save Me"), Luther Dickinson (on "Just Can't Keep From Crying"), Walter Trout (on "Burnin' for You"), Sonny Landreth (on  "I'm Going Home"), Danielle's touring guitarist Brandon Miller (on "Baby Eyes"), and her brother and former bandmate Nick Schnebelen (on "Crawl").

The musical expertise and emotional depth of Cry No More reflect of a lifetime's worth of music-making.  Born Danielle Nicole Schnebelen, Danielle comes from a long line of singers and musicians, and showed an affinity for singing almost from birth.  Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, she performed in public for the first time at the age of 12, singing Koko Taylor's "Never Trust a Man" as part of a Blues for Schools program at her elementary school.  In her early teens, she began singing in local coffeehouses and at open mic events, often jamming with her parents at clubs that would allow minors.  At 16, she became lead singer in her father's band, Little Eva and the Works.  In 1999, she started her own band, Fresh Brew, with some older local musicians.  Fresh Brew performed for four years and represented Kansas City in the prestigious International Blues Challenge.

It was during this time that Danielle and her brothers Nick and Kris launched a family band, Trampled Under Foot, relocating to Philadelphia in the process.  To maintain the family concept, Danielle learned to play bass, eventually mastering the instrument.  Trampled Under Foot traveled the world and recorded several self-released albums, building a sizable national fan base through years of nonstop roadwork.  For their 2013 album Badlands, produced by Braunagel, Trampled Under Foot moved to the Telarc label, a division of Concord Music Group.  Badlands debuted at #1 on Billboard's Blues Chart.

As Trampled Under Foot wound down after an eventful 13-year run, Danielle formed her own band and signed with Concord Records, releasing a self-titled EP and the Anders Osborne-produced album Wolf Den in 2015.  Those releases established Danielle as a formidable solo artist and bandleader.
"I learned a lot from the last album," Danielle states.  "It was the first time I was writing and recording and choosing all of the material on my own, which was a big thing for me.  I had been in a band with my brothers for 13 years, but it's a whole different thing when it's your name that's on the line.  That aspect feels a lot more comfortable now, and I can make decisions without worrying about what everybody else will think."

Nicole's distinctive, inventive bass work—which resulted in her becoming the first woman to win the Blues Foundation's 2014 Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist, Bass—is the product of years of intensive roadwork.  Although she had no experience with the instrument when she became Trampled Under Foot's bassist, now she can't imagine life without it.

"Playing the bass definitely influences the way I sing, the way I write and the way I approach music," she says.  "As I've progressed more, the bass lines have been getting a lot more intricate.  It's still a challenge to sing while playing bass, because it's very rare that the bass line and the vocal go together.  I still get tripped up sometimes, but at this point I'd never give up the bass.

"When I started doing my solo thing," she continues, "someone asked me if I was gonna hire a bass player.  No, of course not!  I originally picked up the bass to keep Trampled Under Foot a family band, but I really fell in love with it.  It was a huge challenge, and it still is.  But I really love being part of the groove and getting to sing on top of that.  I had learned some stuff on acoustic guitar before I started playing bass, but I never really felt connected to it the way I do with the bass.  It's empowering, walking onto a stage full of grown men who can play their asses off, and it's 'OK, I'm gonna play this bass, we're gonna do this, and it's gonna rock.'"

With Cry No More marking a substantial creative step forward, Danielle Nicole is ready to reap her musical destiny.

"I think that it's a good time for the kind of thing I'm doing," she states.  "From my years of playing blues festivals, I've seen that younger and younger audiences are getting into the blues.  I think that people want to hear authentic music again."


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Thursday, February 22, 2018

Grammy-nominated Jay Rodriguez releases "Your Sound: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola" on Whaling City Sound #jazz

You might hear Jay Rodriguez and wonder, "Is there anything you can't do?" The fact is, it might be tough to track down something along Jay's musical continuum that he hasn't done. In fact, he may be one of the busiest men in jazz, and one of the few playing most all the reeds as a leader and sideman with a wildly diverse cadre of musicians, synthesizing these experiences within his own projects.


Rodriguez's original work is daring, groovy, breathtaking and soulful, sometimes all at once. Your Sound: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, captures all of that exhilarating rawness in real time. It is loose and lovely, with both rough and smooth edges and flourishes that reflect his ample international experience. Songs like the opener, "Ghost Dancer, " kick off forcefully, with a propulsive bass and a frisky tropical feel, while on the flip side, Rodriguez lays into romance, with a flute tour de force on "When the Stars Fell." The record closes with a bold cover of "Kiss and Say Goodbye."

Accompanied by Billy Harper on tenor sax, Larry Willis on piano, Eric Wheeler (also on Greg Murphy's Summer Breeze) on bass, JT Lewis on drums, and percussionist Billy Martin (of Medeski, Martin & Wood), Rodriguez frees himself up to showcase his work on saxes, flutes, and bass clarinet. The result is magical. Over his career, Rodriguez has tackled composition, arranging, accompanying, and leading. It is high time for the world to hear all the wonderful things Jay Rodriguez—musician, personality, iconoclast, and innovator—has to offer.

A versatile bandleader, with flute, clarinet and saxophone chops, the Colombia-born, New York City-bred musician is profoundly talented and incredibly prolific. He graduated with the highest honors from New York City's renowned High School for the Performing Arts and continued his studies at Manhattan School of Music and The New School's School of Jazz.

Since then he has had musical adventures in salsa with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Paquito D'Rivera, pop/hip-hop with Prince, Guru, the Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Premier and Groove Collective, straight-ahead with Doc Cheatham, Mingus Big Band, Chucho Valdes, David Murray, Craig Harris, Jason Miles and Miles Davis. He has played alongside Joe Lovano, Gil Evans, Elvis Costello, Stevie Wonder, Bernie Worrell and Joan Osborne, to name a few. Awards follow that kind of pedigree, and so should your attention. Rodriguez is quite simply a giant talent and Your Sound is just the beginning of his story.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Gibson Could Soon Face Bankruptcy After 100+ Years In Business #jazz



Gibson has been one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electric guitars for years. Throughout their century of existence, countless musicians–from famous rock stars to local barroom heroes–have used Gibson guitars to create the soundtrack to our world. However, according to various recent reports, Gibson has fallen on particularly tough times financially and could face imminent bankruptcy. The company has faced declining sales for years, several large loan debts are about to come due.

Explains The Nashville Post, “The situation facing the iconic Nashville-based music instrument maker, which has annual revenues of more than $1 billion, is far from normal. CFO Bill Lawrence recently left the company after less than a year on the job and just six months before $375 million of senior secured notes will mature…On top of that, another $145 million in bank loans will come due immediately if those notes, issued in 2013, are not refinanced by July 23rd…”

As Debtwire reporter Reshmi Basu told the Nashville Post, “At the end of the day, someone will take control of this company — be it the debtors or the bondholders…This has been a long time coming.” Digital Music News notes, Gibson still pulls annual revenues north of $1 billion. But their revenue does not come close to covering their loan debts, and sales have been falling each successive year. Multiple investors, bondholders, and analysts are now talking bankruptcy.

A senior credit officer from Moody’s Investors Service told the Digital Music News, “This year is critical and they are running out of time — rapidly–and if this ends in bankruptcy, [CEO/owner Henry Juszkiewicz] will give up the entire company.” They also note that Moody’s, who ranks companies’ viability for investors, has already downgraded Gibson’s status, just as they did with the similarly struggling Guitar Center last year.

Various factors may be affecting the shrinking electric guitar market. Some feel it’s a result of a shift in the music zeitgeist away from guitar-driven music and toward more digitally-produced styles like EDM and hip-hop. Others speculate that the increased durability and decreased prices–while great for those looking to buy and sell used gear–have begun to cripple the company’s ability to sell new instruments.

Here’s hoping that Gibson can figure out their financial issues and stay afloat. If you feel strongly about the company’s dire straits, you can go to their website and buy a new Gibson today. Otherwise, you can go check out their instruments in action wherever music is played and hope for the best.

[H/T The Nashville Post]


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Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - February 19, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
2 - 1 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 10 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
4 - 3 - Lawson Rollins - "Airwaves: The Greatest Hits" - (Infinita Records)
5 - 4 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
6 - 5 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
7 - 6 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
8 - 7 - Eric Valentine - "Velvet Groove" - (Matcha Entertainment)
9 - 11 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 18 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 13 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
12 - 12 - Pieces Of A Dream - "Just Funkin' Around" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
13 - 21 - Lin Rountree - "Pass The Groove" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 17 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcastle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
15 - 14 - Tim Bowman - "Into The Blue" - (IM Records/Purpose Music)
16 - 16 - Lowell Hopper - "Forward Motion" - (Independent)
17 - 19 - Dave Bradshaw Jr. - "Flipside" - (Moku)
18 - 8 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
19 - 25 - Chris Godber" - "Momentum" - (Chris Godber)
20 - 15 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (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.
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Thursday, February 15, 2018

Inside outsider David Garfield seizes the opportunity to create “Outside the Box” #jazz

The ambitious jazz-R&B keyboardist gathers his all-star friends to create a massive multi-record, multi-genre collection that has already scored a Billboard hit single.
 
Four decades into an accomplished career that has seen him record and tour with many of the brightest stars in the contemporary jazz, R&B and pop galaxies as well as front his own bands and solo albums, keyboardist-songwriter-producer-arranger David Garfield still feels like an outsider.
 
“All my life, I’m just trying to make music that I really believe in and can get really excited about. It’s never fit into one particular category thus, in many ways, I’ve spent my whole music career outside the box. It’s never been intentional and it’s not like I’m trying to be different just to be different. I’m just trying to be creative while striving for the highest level of musical and artistic integrity. In the long run, my career has taken place outside the box,” said Garfield, about “Outside the Box,” the extensive collection of recordings that he’s curating featuring a stellar cast of A-listers and premier session players that will be released on his Creatchy Records label.
 
The multi-part, genre-crossing project spanning various types of jazz, R&B, pop, country and rock will unfold in a series of record releases beginning with the March 23 release of “Jazz Outside the Box,” a straight-ahead jazz set with performances by Randy Brecker, Michael McDonald, The Doors’ drummer John Densmore, Tom Scott, Jason Scheff (Chicago), Will Lee, Eric Marienthal, Steve Ferrone, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Clayton, Michael Thompson, Brian Auger and Charlie Bisharat along with the accompaniment of full horn and string sections.
 
The second outing, “Jamming Outside the Box,” slated to drop this summer, has already spawned a Billboard No. 2 single with “Go Home,” showcasing a sizzling lineup on the Stevie Wonder original comprised of Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, guitar aces Paul Jackson Jr. and Tony Maiden (Rufus), bassist Freddie Washington, fellow keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, and horn players Marienthal and Stephen “Doc” Kupka (Tower of Power).  This disc will be comprised of smooth/contemporary jazz cuts, including the second single presently climbing the charts, “Jamming,” a remake of the Bob Marley classic showcasing guitarist Mike Campbell (a member of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers) and saxophonist Brandon Fields (The Rippingtons, Tower of Power). Icons David Sanborn and George Benson are among the luminous guests on the album, the latter for whom Garfield has served as music director since 1986. Other prominent players in the mix are Rick Braun, Nathan East, Marcus Miller, Ray Parker Jr. and Rickey Minor.     
 
Presently rising up the Mediabase country charts is a preview of “Vox Outside the Box,” a set of vocal songs that will be the third release of the series. “I Lied” is one of two songs Garfield wrote for the project with legend Smokey Robinson and radio programmers have been swift to embrace the cinematically sweet ballad with adult contemporary crossover potential (http://bit.ly/2BolVeF).
 
The fourth component will be “Stretchin’ Outside the Box,” which Garfield describes as “more adventurous with extended intros and special arrangements, a record perhaps geared towards musicians and music enthusiasts. It’ll have more fusion plus bonus tracks and alternate versions.” Garfield is also planning a seasonal selection entitled “Holidays Outside the Box.”   
 
“Outside the Box” includes some of the final performances from the late guitarists Chuck Loeb and Larry Coryell. Their passings are part of what sparks Garfield’s inspiration for this enormous undertaking.
 
“The truth is we’re all getting older, and I wanted to gather all these great talents together while everyone is still alive, active and accessible,” said the St. Louis native and longtime Los Angeles resident. “I think that this will be the last time I’ll have the chance to do anything like this, especially of this scope and magnitude. The feeling I had throughout the project - from session to session, even as the personnel changed - was that we were collectively creating a powerful sense of community through the music.”             
 
Despite all that he has done and achieved, including composing music for television, film, commercials and several international organizations, “Outside the Box” feels like it will be a career capper for Garfield, a crowning musical statement that he hopes will have a lasting impact. “I’m thinking about both the present and future, putting these tracks out in the world for consumption now, but in the hopes that after we’re gone, musicians who come up years from now will know what it was like to set up a Fender Rhodes and a drum set in the garage and play. Despite all the technology we have at our disposal, that’s where the raw energy begins. That energy is the core and driving force behind these songs, which to me truly represent not just the incredible musical legacy of Los Angeles, but various music communities from around the world.” 
 
For more information, please visit www.Creatchy.com.

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It’s (Eric) Valentine’s Day: urban-jazz multi-instrumentalist rides “Velvet Groove” into the Billboard Top 3 #jazz

The album, boasting performances by an all-star collective, dropped Wednesday as the title track is within striking distance of the top spot on the singles chart.
 

Valentine’s Day
has deeper meaning this year for Eric Valentine, who released his long-in-the-works labor of love, “Velvet Groove,” on Wednesday. The Matcha Entertainment collection of soul-soaked urban grooves and sophisticated contemporary jazz sounds is the first release from the drummer-multi-instrumentalist-songwriter-producer’s Velvet Groove, a creative community of musicians and recording artists spreading love and positivity through music and collaboration. Valentine produced the set constructed by more than forty musicians, including an enclave of distinguished chart-toppers such as trumpeter Rick Braun and saxophonist Richard Elliot, who are the featured soloists on the title track, which is presently No. 3 on the Billboard chart.
 
Valentine is a first-call drummer for many of the brightest stars in smooth/contemporary jazz, which is why so many accomplished players were eager to join the “Velvet Groove” sessions. He composed nine songs for the platter illuminated by Grammy-winning saxman Kirk Whalum, multiple Grammy-nominated sax player Gerald Albright, and solo hit-makers Adam Hawley, Elan Trotman, Brian Simpson and Greg Manning.  R&B singer B. Valentine seduces in lead and background vocal roles while pianist Wayne Linsey, guitarists Kay-Ta Matsuno and Alex Machacek, and percussionists Lenny Castro, Munyungo Jackson and Ramon Islas texturize the ten songs plus three reprises.
 
A Washington, DC native and long-time Los Angeles resident, Valentine sees “Velvet Groove” as the launch of a movement, a reboot of old-school record making where multiple artists are in the studio playing, recording, communicating and collaborating on each other’s albums all at the same time like they did at Motown and Philadelphia International Records, but with a modern touch. Valentine’s mission for Velvet Groove is to spread “love, joy and happiness” and use their “musical gifts to inspire people to choose kindness and uplift people to a better place.” Valentine anticipates releasing other projects from the musical cooperative this year, including a disc from B. Valentine, his wife who sings lead on the album’s retro cut “Back in the Day,” which is the featured “First Listen” track this week on the SoulTracks site.
 
On March 25, Valentine will take the stage to helm his Velvet Groove unit at their live concert premiere during an album release celebration at Spaghettini, south of Los Angeles. 
 
The “Velvet Groove” album is available now around the world from http://smarturl.it/VelvetGroove. For additional information, please visit www.VelvetGrooveMusic.com.
 
Below are excerpts from some of the initial record reviews:
 
“An exquisite project and Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to release such a masterpiece.” - The Pulse of Entertainment
 
“Eric Valentine's album Velvet Groove is certainly one of the year’s best recordings.” – Smooth Jazz Daily
 
“He outshines even himself with offerings that embrace a bit of jazz, R&B, funk, and fusion masterfully. Tracks here are laced with character, personality, and imagination… the album is stacked with quality, and Valentine came not only to play but to thoroughly impress… Valentine is another example of one capable of carrying the genre to another, higher plateau. This album does nothing if it doesn’t solidify him as a name to watch as a solo artist.” – The Smooth Jazz Ride
 
“A stunning line-up of contemporary jazz glitterati… a recording that warrants some serious attention…they collectively deliver music that will both inspire and uplift.” – Smooth Jazz Therapy
“Eric Valentine is an artist that you have heard as a session player on albums from other artists…He has a lot of talent, and the arsenal is in full effect on Velvet Groove.” – The Jazz World
 
Positive and good vibes can be heard and felt in (the) music.” – Keys & Chords

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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Brian Culbertson delivers his Valentine with “Love” #jazz

The jazz-R&B keyboardist drops his “Colors of Love” album on Valentine’s Day as preparations continue for a 50-city concert tour launching March 30.
 

Contemporary jazz-R&B funkster Brian Culbertson has had love on his mind essentially since last Valentine’s Day. Inspired by the occasion of his twentieth wedding anniversary last fall, the keyboardist began writing thirteen new songs about a year ago dedicated to his wife, Michelle, which make up his “Colors of Love” album that was released on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, by BCM Entertainment. Substituting the live band instrumentation customary of his recordings, Culbertson crafted an intimate set of ardent acoconustic piano melodies using sensual synth grooves and textures. With the title track of his eighteenth album that he wrote, arranged and produced already in the Billboard Top 5, his attention is fixed on creating the highly-theatrical production he’ll take on the road for nearly three months beginning March 30 across the bridge from Philadelphia in Collingswood, New Jersey and concluding in Seattle on June 17.     
 
Culbertson showcases his proficiency as a multi-instrumentalist by playing virtually all the instruments heard on “Colors of Love” – piano, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 organ, synth bass, drum programming, percussion and trumpet. The only supplementation came from guitarist Isaiah Sharkey along with an ethereal accordion passage from Peter White on the song “In A Dream.” Impassioned tracks like “I Want You,” “Love Transcended,” “Don’t Go,” “You’re Magic,” “Let’s Chill,” “Desire,” “In Your Embrace” and “The Look” employ caressing melodies and sultry rhythms to allure, soothe and seduce. Even more revealing and evocative is the ravishing piano poetry of “Through The Years,” “Michelle’s Theme” and “All My Heart,” poignant solo pieces that Culbertson uses effectively to tell wordless stories of romance and amorous contemplation.    
 
As he lovingly conceived the cozy collection depicting the many different “colors” of romantic love, Culbertson envisioned mounting an elaborate concert presentation utilizing video and lighting to present the cherished material in an immersive multimedia experience.
 
“I’m in the midst of creating a stunning-looking show, working closely with my lighting director and visual designer. We’re using a Visualizer to play each track to design and run the lighting and videos as if it was a live show right there on our computer screens. It enables us to dial in every little nuance of the music so that each video and light is precisely timed to the music. The detail is really amazing. I am loving the process of creating the production for the tour,” said Culbertson, who will begin ten days of production rehearsals in Nashville with his band in mid-March.
 
Culbertson’s Colors of Love Tour has already announced 66 shows in 50 cities with more soon to be added to the itinerary. The nationwide trek includes a June 7 performance at Culbertson’s seventh annual Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, a five-day music, wine and lifestyle experience held in the heart of California Wine Country.
 
“The ‘Colors of Love’ show will be staged in three acts. The first and third acts will showcase the new album along with romance-themed selections from my catalogue. In fact, we’re going to be drawing heavily from my ‘It’s On Tonight’ album,” explained Culbertson. “We’re not planning to do any big horn section pieces during this tour like I’ve done in the past and did extensively during last year’s Funk! Tour, but the second act will be a slamming funk set guaranteed to get everyone up and dancing.”
 
Joining the keyboardist-pianist-trombone player on tour are drummer Chris Miskel, bassist Joewaun Scott, guitarist Tyrone Chase, keyboardist-vocalist Eddie Miller, and Marqueal Jordan on saxophones, vocals and percussion.
 
“I asked Marqueal to bring his soprano sax for this tour. The sound fits the intimate ambience of the music we’re going to perform. It’s the first time in over a decade that I’ve used soprano sax in my live show,” said Culbertson, who describes the “Colors of Love” album as “textural ear candy cinematic in nature.”  
 
As Culbertson shares his anniversary and Valentine’s Day gift to his wife with the world on record and during the upcoming tour, expect the architect of 30 Billboard No. 1 singles as an artist, producer and/or songwriter to add to that stat.
 
For more information, including concert dates, please visit www.BrianCulbertson.com.


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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Jazz pianist Ricardo Bacelar crafts a masterful celebration of Latin American music from a Brazilian perspective

“Sebastiana,” dropping March 30, is a collection of authentic instrumentals and vocal songs for global consumption showcasing Brazilian classics and originals.
 

Last July, pianist-composer-arranger Ricardo Bacelar jetted from his home in Brazil to Miami, the place he calls “the center of Latin music in the world,” where he gathered an ensemble of Latin American musicians to honor the roots of Brazilian music while incorporating each musician’s unique culture on a jazz-centered album. An ambitious vision that he conceived with an international view with the project’s producer, Cesar Lemos (Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio), the 15-track “Sebastiana” drops March 30 from Bacelar Productions. Preceding the sprawling set list of hallmark Brazilian reinterpretations and originals written or co-written by Bacelar is the ethereal “Nothing Will Be As It Was,” featuring two Americans - vocalist Maye Osorio and pedal steel guitarist Steve Hinson - on the multi-format crossover radio single portrayed in a striking animated video (
http://bit.ly/2EUf7VL).        
               
Bacelar and Lemos had never worked together prior to “Sebastiana.” They authored a pair of tunes for the disc, “Suco Verde” and “Sernambetiba, 1992,” the latter being a swoon-inducer graced by Lemos’ celestial vocalizations on the track named for the street where the two friends first met and shared an apartment 25 years ago. The Brazilian duo’s comprehensive approach for the contemporary jazz and trippy fusion session included inviting musicians from Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and the U.S. to play on the date. The collective employed uniquely Latin American rhythms and instruments on the lushly-layered tracks such as vallenato (a Colombian rhythm performed using a diatonic accordion and vallenato box), sangueo (a Venezuelan rhythm constructed of cumaco and mina drums), bomba (a Puerto Rican genre originating in the West Indies and derived from the west coast of Africa using drums made from barrels), timba (an energizing Cuban rhythm), the Andean charango (a stringed instrument part of the lute family), and the bandoneon, a concertina with roots in Argentina.
 
“When I recorded the album, I wanted to pay homage to Brazilian music presenting the distinct performances of Latin American musicians, who put elements of their own cultures into the fusion of influences, giving a lot of personality to the work. I wanted to make a Brazilian music record for the international market, inserting other elements to add another point of view and extol the importance of this special repertoire,” said Bacelar. “Jazz is the language of improvisation and communication. The fusion of elements of cultures and influences in a recording turns the music into a transmission vehicle of knowledge.”
 
Along with the two new Bacelar-Lemos tunes and three stirring solo piano pieces from Bacelar – “River of Emotions,” “Parts of Me” and “The Best Years” – “Sebastiana” revisits songs from Brazilian composers Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, Flora Purim, Luiz Gonzaga, Lo Borges, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Milton Nascimento, Ronald Bastos, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Victor Martins and Jose Roberto Bertrami, and were given sparkling arrangements by Bacelar. The record includes vocal drops of the late Jackson do Pandeiro, an influential Brazilian percussionist and singer, adding character and cultural impact to the offering.       
 
In the 1980s and 90s, Bacelar was a member of the popular Brazilian rock band Hanoi Hanoi before dramatically changing musical directions to release his intimate solo debut, “In Natura,” in 2001. Preoccupied with his work as a lawyer focused on the staunch defense of copyrights and intellectual properties, he didn’t release another album until 2016’s “Concerto Para Moviola,” a concert DVD and CD recorded live with an eight-piece band. 

For more information, please visit http://ricardobacelar.com.br.
        
“Sebastiana” contains the following songs:
 
“A Volta da Asa Branca”
“Suco Verde”
“Nothing Will Be As It Was”
“River of Emotions”
“Menina Baiana”
“Somewhere in the Hills”
“Partido Alto”
“Parts of Me”
“Sambadouro”
“Oh Mana Deixa Eu Ir (Caico Cantiga)”
“Sebastiana”
“Depois dos Temporais”
“Vento de Maio”
“Sernambetiba, 1992”
“The Best Years”

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Monday, February 12, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - February 12, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 2 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
3 - 6 - Lawson Rollins - "Airwaves: The Greatest Hits" - (Infinita Records)
4 - 4 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
5 - 3 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
6 - 5 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
7 - 7 - Eric Valentine - "Velvet Groove" - (Matcha Entertainment)
8 - 8 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
9 - 9 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
10 - 10 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
11 - 11 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
12 - 18 - Pieces Of A Dream - "Just Funkin' Around" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
13 - 14 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
14 - 17 - Tim Bowman - "Into The Blue" - (IM Records/Purpose Music)
15 - 12 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
16 - 21 - Lowell Hopper - "Forward Motion" - (Independent)
17 - 19 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcastle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
18 - 16 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
19 - 13 - Dave Bradshaw Jr. - "Flipside" - (Moku)
20 - 15 - David P. Stevens - "For The Win" - (Sanctifly)


Our thanks to smoothjazz.comVisit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.
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Monday, February 05, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - February 5, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 2 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
3 - 9 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie)
4 - 6 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
5 - 4 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
6 - 7 - Lawson Rollins - "Airwaves: The Greatest Hits" - (Infinita Records)
7 - 8 - Eric Valentine - "Velvet Groove" - (Matcha Entertainment)
8 - 3 - Jonathan Fritzen - "Ballads" - (Nordic Night Records)
9 - 12 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
10 - 14 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
11 - 10 - Najee - "Poetry In Motion" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
12 - 5 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
13 - 11 - Dave Bradshaw Jr. - "Flipside" - (Moku)
14 - 17 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
15 - 25 - David P. Stevens - "For The Win" - (Sanctifly)
16 - 29 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
17 - 15 - Tim Bowman - "Into The Blue" - (IM Records/Purpose Music)
18 - 13 - Pieces Of A Dream - "Just Funkin' Around" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
19 - 20 - Paul Hardcastle - "The History Of Paul Hardcastle (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
20 - 16 - Patrick Bradley - "Intangible" - (Patrick's Song Factory)


Our thanks to smoothjazz.comVisit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.
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Friday, February 02, 2018

Gerald Veasley - Live at South #jazz

Gerald Veasley’s musical odyssey has taken him to the top of the contemporary music world as a bassist, bandleader, composer, producer, educator, and curator. His performance as a six-string bassist has been top shelf, as his extensive body of work attests. Veasley has recorded or performed with many of the world’s top artists in Jazz, R&B and Gospel: Kirk Whalum, Will Downing, Chuck Loeb, Maysa, Nnenna Freelon, Special EFX, Pieces of a Dream, McCoy Tyner, The Jaco Pastorius Big Band, Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendergrass, Philip Bailey, the Dixie Hummingbirds, John Blake, Odean Pope and Pat Martino.


Veasley’s new recording, Live at SOUTH is the latest chapter of a multi-decade career of combining jazz, funk and soul genres into a tantalizing blend of earthy sophistication. Schooled by his mentors Joe Zawinul of Weather Report fame and saxophone giant Grover Washington Jr., the six-string bassist continues to blur musical boundaries with his latest project. As the title suggests, Live at SOUTH was captured live at South Jazz Parlor, a premier jazz venue, located in Veasley’s hometown of Philadelphia. The recording documents Veasley’s outstanding band in a 10 song set of music that is fresh, in-the-moment and crackling with intensity. The songstress Carol Riddick is featured in a breathtaking version of the Sound of Philly classic, “You are Everything”.

Live at SOUTH is also the natural outgrowth of Veasley’s role as a curator of the Unscripted Jazz Series at SOUTH Jazz Parlor. Launched in October 2015 (co-curated by Roxanne Veasley), the series has presented over 140 exciting nights of music to enthusiastic audiences in an intimate setting. The "Unscripted” format is perfectly suited for artists who, like Veasley, have broad musical tastes and experiences. Allowing them to showcase their versatility, the series has attracted many celebrated guest artists: Gerald Albright, David Benoit, Rick Braun, Randy Brecker, Alex Bugnon, Maysa, Raul Midón, Janis Siegel, Peter White, Kirk Whalum, and a growing roster of established and emerging artists.

Having a passion to educate and motivate other musicians, Veasley has served on the faculty of the University of the Arts (Philadelphia). Veasley is also the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Gerald Veasley’s Bass BootCamp. Established in 2002, the annual event has informed and inspired hundreds of bass players of all levels and ages.

Veasley has more intriguing projects on the horizon: “I Got Life”, a studio album and tour in tribute to the life and music of Nina Simone, an all-star album celebrating the musical legacy of his hometown of Philadelphia, and a spinoff of the Unscripted Jazz Series, Pablo Batista’s Latin Jazz Series.

Veasley’s life as a creative professional is clearly multifaceted. Indeed, he fulfils various roles. Musician. Educator. Curator. Yet he is driven by a singular purpose: to share his joy of music with the world; music without boundaries.


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Thursday, February 01, 2018

Jazz, Groove & Attitude - Release on Mind in Overdrive February 23 - #jazz

Dropping February 23, Under The Lake’s “Jazz, Groove & Attitude” is a retro ride through cool jazz, sweaty funk workouts and hipster neo soul. The eleven tracks, written and produced by keyboardist Jayson Tipp, are earthy and wholesome without synthesizers or electronics. This is music with a human pulse that was recorded live in the studio by a tight eight-piece band recalling the halcyon days of jazz-funk in the 1970s and 80s. The sumptuous platter of instrumentals with heart and a social conscience coincides with the Portland, Oregon-based unit’s 25th anniversary. (http://www.underthelake.com)
 

Throughout “Jazz, Groove & Attitude,” saxophones and trombone are the lead orators, shadowed by warm horn section embellishments, throwback R&B guitar riffs, keyboard harmonies and vintage Hammond B3 organ - all supported by crisp and clever bass and drum rhythms. A true collaborative, Under The Lake takes its time bouncing ideas off each other in improvisational style, allowing room to roam the outer edges of the soul-powered grooves. They pay homage to one of their influences, the late George Duke, on the first radio single, “George Is His Name,” and salute the courageous and iconic raised-fist protest Team USA’s Lee Evans, John Carlos and Tommie Smith mounted during their 1968 Olympic medal ceremony on “LJT.”
 
Never willing to compromise their multi-genre sound for commercial gain nor chase what’s en vogue just for radio spins, Under The Lake’s previous discs have been exalted by JazzTimes, Jazziz and the New York Daily News as well as in international outlets while airplay from multiple jazz radio formats led to an array of festival bookings. On the album release date, Under The Lake headlines the PDX Jazz Festival in Portland that this year is designated as a tribute to The Crusaders, the seminal band that they’ve been likened to by the media.

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