Top Ad

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 28, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 1 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 5 - Jessy J - "Live ?At Yoshi's" - (Changi Records LLC)
4 - 7 - Nils - "Play" - (Baja/TSR Records)
5 - 3 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 4 - Patrick Bradley - "Intangible" - (Patrick's Song Factory)
7 - 9 - Nick Colionne - "Be Urself - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
8 - 6 - Vincent Ingala - "Personal Touch" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 8 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
10 - 12 - Basia - "Butterflies" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 11 - Adam Hawley - "Can You Feel It" - (Kalimba)
12 - 18 - Manhattan Transfer - "The Junction" - (BMG)
13 - 10 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
14 - 15 - Jeff Ryan - "Up And Up" - (Woodward Avenue)
15 - 14 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru" - (SagiDarius Music)
16 - 23 - Michael Lington - "Silver Lining" - (Copenhagen)
17 - 16 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
18 - 13 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
19 - 20 - Threestyle - "Ready To Go" - (Welovemusic)
20 - 26 - Bob Baldwin - "Never Out Of Season" - (City Sketches)


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

Sunday, May 27, 2018

A Memorial Day Worth Remembering



Andy Rooney On How Memorial Day Should Be Celebrated

The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney.

"There is more bravery at war than in peace, and it seems wrong that we have so often saved this virtue to use for our least noble activity - war. The goal of war is to cause death to other people."



Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day we have set aside to honor by remembering all the Americans who have died fighting for the thing we like the most about our America: the freedom we have to live as we please.

No official day to remember is adequate for something like that. It's too formal. It gets to be just another day on the calendar. No one would know from Memorial Day that Richie M., who was shot through the forehead coming onto Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, wore different color socks on each foot because he thought it brought him good luck.

No one would remember on Memorial Day that Eddie G. had promised to marry Julie W. the day after he got home from the war, but didn’t marry Julie because he never came home from the war. Eddie was shot dead on an un-American desert island, Iwo Jima.

For too many Americans, Memorial Day has become just another day off. There's only so much time any of us can spend remembering those we loved who have died, but the men, boys really, who died in our wars deserve at least a few moments of reflection during which we consider what they did for us.

They died.

We use the phrase "gave their lives," but they didn’t give their lives. Their lives were taken from them.

There is more bravery at war than in peace, and it seems wrong that we have so often saved this virtue to use for our least noble activity - war. The goal of war is to cause death to other people.

Because I was in the Army during World War II, I have more to remember on Memorial Day than most of you. I had good friends who were killed.

Charley Wood wrote poetry in high school. He was killed when his Piper Cub was shot down while he was flying as a spotter for the artillery.

Bob O'Connor went down in flames in his B17.

Obie Slingerland and I were best friends and co-captains of our high school football team. Obie was killed on the deck of the Saratoga when a bomb that hadn’t dropped exploded as he landed.

I won’t think of them anymore tomorrow, Memorial Day, than I think of them any other day of my life.

Remembering doesn’t do the remembered any good, of course. It's for ourselves, the living. I wish we could dedicate Memorial Day, not to the memory of those who have died at war, but to the idea of saving the lives of the young people who are going to die in the future if we don’t find some new way - some new religion maybe - that takes war out of our lives.

That would be a Memorial Day worth celebrating.

Written By Andy Rooney © MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This segment was originally broadcast on May 29, 2005.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

David Garfield w/George Benson & David Sanborn single - #jazz

“Jammin’” with legends
 
Keyboardist David Garfield is joined by George Benson and David Sanborn on the next single previewing his “Jammin’ Outside the Box” album. “Stay” features the Rufus hit’s co-writer, Moon Calhoun, on lead vocals. 
 
When asked how he got Grammy-winning legends George Benson and David Sanborn to perform on his new single, “Stay,” keyboardist David Garfield responds dryly with a gleeful grin, “You ask them.” The third single from Garfield’s forthcoming “Jammin’ Outside the Box” album is a remake of the Rufus classic featuring the vintage R&B-funk band’s former drummer Moon Calhoun singing lead on the song he wrote with Chaka Khan. “Stay” goes for radio adds on June 11 and drops digitally from Creatchy Records on June 15.     


As Garfield was gathering material for his multi-disc, multi-genre “Outside the Box” series, he decided to give his long-time friend, Calhoun, the chance to sing the first song he ever wrote, which appeared on Rufus’s “Street Player” (1978). Calhoun was paralyzed in a bike accident 25 years ago and although he can no longer play drums, he can still sing. After inviting Benson and Sanborn to participate, Garfield let Calhoun cast the rest of the track’s musicians, which includes original Rufus guitarist Tony Maiden, along with Maiden’s daughter, Amanda Maiden, on backing vocals. Among the prominent players is a powerhouse sax section comprised of Sanborn on alto, Eric Marienthal on tenor and Tower of Power’s Doc Kupka on baritone; Paul Jackson Jr. (rhythm guitar), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Freddie Washington (bass) and Lenny Castro (percussion). Sanborn and Benson take turns in the spotlight soloing.
 
“Both George and David were very gracious. It was great to put them together. They compliment each other,” said Garfield, who is Benson’s long-serving music director and has collaborated with Sanborn on numerous occasions. “Initially George was only going to play the solo, but when he heard the guitar tracks, he added some rhythm guitar as well. This track really embodies the idea of musical community, where everyone works hand in hand, gifting each other with their talents. All I think about when I hear the finished song now is, ‘Moon finally got to sing his song!’”  
 
Scheduled to street on July 20, “Jammin’ Outside the Box” is the second volume of the star-studded “Outside the Box” collection. Released in late March, Garfield’s first ever straight-ahead jazz date, “Jazz Outside the Box,” continues to gather radio spins and receive accolades. “Jammin’ Outside the Box” mixes it up in the smooth/contemporary jazz sandbox showcasing luminaries Benson, Sanborn, Smokey Robinson, Michael McDonald, Ray Parker Jr., Oleta Adams, Phil Perry, Marcus Miller, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun and many more. The outing’s first single, “Go Home,” hit No. 2 on the Billboard chart, while the follow up, “Jamming,” rose to No. 8.
 
Garfield will perform music from “Outside the Box” on May 31at Cleveland’s Night Town and celebrate “Jazz Outside the Box” on June 12 in Hollywood at the Catalina Jazz Club featuring special guests.    
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Dave Koz - "Summer Horns II" - Concord Record Release on June 22nd - #jazz

GRAMMY-NOMINATED SAXOPHONIST DAVE KOZ AND HIS
FRIENDS RETURN WITH SUMMER HORNS II FROM A TO Z,

A STUNNING SET OF 11 CLASSIC TUNES
June 22, 2018 release features Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Aubrey Logan with guest vocalists Jonathan Butler, Kenny Lattimore and Sheléa

Five years ago, after Dave Koz and Friends released Summer Horns—the GRAMMY-nominated album that paid tribute to classic songs featuring killer horn sections—all that the musicians could think about was how much fun they’d just had. They toured behind the album during the summer of 2013, then vowed to spend the following summer doing it all over again.


“The second tour was even better than the first,” says Koz, the world-class saxophonist who piloted the release, which rocketed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. “We had a total blast and the fans really gravitated toward it.”

There was no question in Koz’s mind that a sequel was in the stars, but getting everyone’s schedules to align was never going to be easy, each participant being a headliner with bookings well into the future. It took a few years but finally, says Koz, through “divine intervention,” a window of time opened up so that everyone could be in the same place at the same time.

Summer Horns II From A To Z, scheduled for release on June 22, 2018 via Concord Records, is the result, a stunning set of 11 more timeless tunes reimagined by Koz (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes), joined by alto saxophonist Gerald Albright and tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot—both returnees from the earlier session—with new additions Rick Braun (trumpet) and Aubrey Logan (trombone and vocals). A crew of ace rhythm players collaborates with the Summer Horns lineup along with a who’s who of arrangers: Tom Scott (who’s worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin to Steely Dan), Greg Adams (best known for Tower of Power, but also Santana and Elton John) and GRAMMY-winning arranger Gordon Goodwin. Braun, himself a legend of contemporary jazz, produced the album, with co-production by Koz.

With the creative team in place, the biggest dilemma facing Koz, Braun and the others was which songs to choose—or, rather, how to narrow down an enormous list of contenders. “My original list was in the hundreds,” Koz says. “We’d have good-natured arguments during weekly conference calls. We each pitched songs and then tried to get other people on our team.”

The final track list, 11 in all, is impeccable, to say the least. Opening Summer Horns II From A To Z is a medley of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1976 smash “Getaway” and the KC and the Sunshine Band dance staple “That’s the Way I Like It.” Next up is “More Today Than Yesterday,” the only Top 20 hit from the Spiral Starecase, from the spring of 1969. “Most people, when they hear that song, think it was by Chicago,” says Koz. “It sounded so much like them.” The Crusaders’ “Keep That Same Old Feeling,” written by that group’s late trombonist Wayne Henderson, is next, with a horn arrangement by Adams (best known for his work with Tower of Power) and Braun.

The fourth track in the sequence gives the album its subtitle, “From A to Z.” It’s another medley, and on paper it seems an improbably marriage: Here, with a horn arrangement by Gordon Goodwin and rhythm arrangement by Goodwin and Braun, are the 1939 Billy Strayhorn standard “Take the ‘A’ Train,” made famous by Duke Ellington, seamlessly intertwining with hip-hop icon Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is).” Hence the A to Z.

How in the world did this one come about? Says Koz, “Somebody sent me ‘Roc Boys’ and said, ‘Jay-Z’s got this song that’s got a bunch of horns in it.’ I’m a fan but I don’t know that music well. I heard that track and I said, ‘That horn line is so great! We have to utilize it somewhere.’ Originally, it was going to be its own song. But also on the song list was ‘Take the “A” Train.’ Rick Braun said, said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to do something so classic and so old and yet modernize it?’ It was [Concord Records president] John Burk, the executive producer of the album, who said, ‘Maybe the two songs could work together. It would be really funny to go from A to Z.’”

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” a Top 10 hit for Natalie Cole in 1975, is dedicated to the late vocalist, who was a friend of Koz’s. It’s sung on Summer Horns II From A To Z as a duet, by R&B star Kenny Lattimore and the young vocalist Sheléa. “We started to develop this track, which is very uptempo and really fun,” says Koz. “Tom Scott wrote a brilliant horn arrangement. And then we were thinking, maybe we should look for a male singer because anything we’d do with a female vocalist would immediately be compared to Natalie’s version. Tom came up with the idea of doing it as a duet. It’s not an easy song to sing and their vocal performance is a complete tour de force.”
“Before I Let Go,” written by Frankie Beverly of the R&B group Maze, features a lead alto sax solo by Gerald Albright, and is followed by Paul Simon’s pulsing “Late in the Evening,” from the singer-songwriter’s 1980 album One-Trick Pony. Koz remembers being in a restaurant with friends when Simon’s recording came on the house music system. He immediately emailed himself so he wouldn’t forget it when he got home. Braun didn’t even need to hear Koz’s reasoning: “It's in,” the producer told him. “I don't care what the others say.”

Playing acoustic guitar on the tune, and singing the lead vocal, is the South African great Jonathan Butler. “He went total South Africa on it,” says Koz. “Now this song has a completely new point of view. It pays homage to the original, but it takes it to a completely new place.”

Summer Horns II From A To Z only grows more intense as it plays on. If you want to make a funky record, you’ve got to have some Stevie Wonder on it, and it doesn’t get much funkier than 1971’s “If You Really Love Me.” Following that track is “Conga,” the 1985 breakthrough hit for Gloria Estefan and her then-band Miami Sound Machine. Aubrey Logan, the 30-year-old singer and trombonist on the album, provides the lead vocal. She received a special surprise while the group was recording the track.

“We got the track together and Aubrey always loved that song and looked up to Gloria as one of her mentors,” Koz says. “It’s got a great arrangement from Tom Scott and a really cool modern rhythm arrangement that Rick did. Gloria is a friend so I said to myself, ‘I have to play this for Gloria.’ I sent it off to her via email and said, ‘I just want you to know we're doing this Summer Horns record and we did your song and I hope you like it.’ I was just looking for a little musical blessing. She didn't send back an email; she sent back a track with her singing harmony to Aubrey's lead vocal! Aubrey’s jaw dropped to the floor.”

Michael Jackson’s Earth Song, with a horn arrangement by Scott and—as is the case with several tracks on the recording, a rhythm arrangement by Chris “Big Dog” Davis—features a lead tenor sax solo by Elliot and lead vocal by Ashling Cole. Summer Horns II From A To Z wraps up with a piece of vintage Americana, “Route 66,” written by Bobby Troup and recorded by everyone from Nat “King” Cole to the Rolling Stones. Logan, who Koz discovered when he saw her performing with the group Postmodern Jukebox, fronts the tune with her trombone and lead vocal. The horn and rhythm arrangement is courtesy of Goodwin, who fronts his own outfit called the Big Phat Band.

Recording Summer Horns II From A To Z, says Koz, was just as much of a treat as the first go-round in 2013. “It reminds me of my youth,” he says of this music. “I grew up playing in jazz bands. That’s how I was educated in music, playing in a saxophone section and playing in a big band, then sometimes doing small group stuff, playing with other horn players. For most horn players, even if you go on to do more solo work, part of your identity is rooted in being in a section and blending with others. How do you do this? How do you play that? All these fine nuances of music are in there somewhere.”

That passion is shared by all of the musicians who took part in the project, and audiences fortunate enough to catch a live Summer Horns show—they’ll be touring this summer—immediately feel the heat too. “With this music, the fans know every song,” says Koz. “And the musicians leave their egos at the door and show up with a commitment to the band. We know that this is not a replacement for our solo careers, that we will resume them eventually, so it’s not like we’re saying bye-bye to that. But people see all the star power on stage—where everybody could do a two-hour show on their own—the five of us with an incredible band, and it’s an event. Then we get addicted to the response from the fans! That’s why we did it again.”

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

Monday, May 21, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 21, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 3 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 1 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 4 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 2 - Patrick Bradley - "Intangible" - (Patrick's Song Factory)
5 - 9 - Jessy J - "Live ?At Yoshi's" - (Changi Records LLC)
6 - 8 - Vincent Ingala - "Personal Touch" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 7 - Nils - "Play" - (Baja/TSR Records)
8 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
9 - 13 - Nick Colionne - "Be Urself - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
10 - 6 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
11 - 11 - Adam Hawley - "Can You Feel It" - (Kalimba)
12 - 29 - Basia - "Butterflies" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
13 - 10 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
14 - 15 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru" - (SagiDarius Music)
15 - 14 - Jeff Ryan - "Up And Up" - (Woodward Avenue)
16 - 12 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
17 - 18 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
18 - 19 - Manhattan Transfer - "The Junction" - (BMG)
19 - 17 - Special EFX - "Deep As The Night" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
20 - 20 - Threestyle - "Ready To Go" - (Welovemusic)


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

Thursday, May 17, 2018

San Jose Jazz Summer Fest announces more artists for 2018 lineup #jazz

Now, there are even more reasons to attend the 29th annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
Organizers have announced the second round of artists for the 2018 lineup, including a number of significant Latin and salsa acts set to perform at the festival Aug. 10-12 at Plaza de César Chavez Park in downtown San Jose.

The additions to the lineup include Changüí Majadero; Orquesta Son Mayor; Rumbankete; Boogaloo Assassins; Christian Tambuur and Dominick Farinacci; Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Septet; Kristen Strom (showcasing her album “Moving Day — The Music of John Shifflett”); Aaron Abernathy Trio; Doug Beavers; SJZ Collective Reimagines Monk; Lydia Pense & Cold Blood With Fred Ross; Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88’s; Alastair Greene Band; Andre Thierry; Eddie Gale; Jessica Lá Rel; YASSOU; Ghost & the City; Eugenie Jonesl; La Tenaza Tango Son; and Maxx Cabello Jr.

Source:
 https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/17/san-jose-jazz-summer-fest-announces-more-artists-for-2018-lineup/

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

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Conor Gains - "Compass" #jazz

On his first solo album, "Compass", singer/songwriter Conor Gains proves himself deeply devoted to making uncompromisingly soulful music that transcends all genres. Gains' label debut marks the follow-up to the self-released sophomore album "Run Away With The Night", which sparked interest in the young artist's music. In 2016 Gains' album closing song "Leave It On The Line" won the Cobalt Prize at the Maple blues awards. This national prize is designed to highlight innovation and creativity in songwriting. This is the impression one gets while listening to The Conor Gains Band. The deep respect of roots, jazz and blues music paired with the soulful, adventurous exploration of contemporary music gives Gains' songs an air of familiarity while listening to something completely unique and transcendental.

Gains has been traveling the world playing concerts in different countries and is ready to share his stories. "This album is my past 3 years of love, growth, travel, smiles and tears reflected in songs. I write to make peace with a situation. Music is my healing and if I can help others by providing a fresh way of looking at something in a different light then I have done my job right and I will sleep well at the end of the night".

Gains has written nearly 100 songs in the past 3 years and has chosen the top songs that fit together for his latest release.

"Compass is now available in stores and online as of this spring along with new music videos, website and tour dates coming soon to a city near you.


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

Monday, May 14, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 14, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 4 - Patrick Bradley - "Intangible" - (Patrick's Song Factory)
3 - 2 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 6 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
6 - 3 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
7 - 8 - Nils - "Play" - (Baja/TSR Records)
8 - 10 - Vincent Ingala - "Personal Touch" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 20 - Jessy J - "Live ?At Yoshi's" - (Changi Records LLC)
10 - 11 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
11 - 9 - Adam Hawley - "Can You Feel It" - (Kalimba)
12 - 7 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
13 - 18 - Nick Colionne - "Be Urself - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 12 - Jeff Ryan - "Up And Up" - (Woodward Avenue)
15 - 14 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru" - (SagiDarius Music)
16 - 21 - Carol Albert - "Fly Away Butterfly" - (Carol Albert Music)
17 - 13 - Special EFX - "Deep As The Night" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
18 - 22 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
19 - 15 - Manhattan Transfer - "The Junction" - (BMG)
20 - 16 - Threestyle - "Ready To Go" - (Welovemusic)


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, May 08, 2018

Rebecca Angel - "What We Had" Release June 1 on Timeless Grooves Records

Four quick “s” adjectives come to mind when you first hear Rebecca Angel, making for some nice descriptive alliteration: smooth, soulful, sensual and sultry. Listening to her soulfully produced and exquisitely arranged debut What We Had, we can top that off with sexy and unabashedly sentimental as well. The emerging NYC based singer makes every emotionally compelling track an invitation – to dream, to love, to reminisce wistfully about beautiful times gone by which infuse every waking thought of today. With every swaying breeze of her distinctive voice, whether she’s singing romantic lyrics or sharing her artful sense of vocalese, Rebecca tempts us to explore her cool and edgy contemporary update on the deeply exotic vibe of classic artists like Sade and Brazilian greats Bebel Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto.
She weaves this laid back magic over the old school soul, easy funk, ear tingling electronica and infectious grooves created by renowned jazz/R&B producer Jason Miles, who grounds every mix in the shimmering retro sounds of the Fender Rhodes, Vox Continental and Wurlitzer. He brought in some of New York’s finest for the various sessions. Rebecca’s dreamy and sensual twist on Hoagy Carmichael’s wistful (and not frequently covered) “Winter Moon” features acoustic bassist James Genus, percussionist Mino Cinelu and soprano saxophonist Hailey Niswanger. The equally nostalgic title track “What We Had,” a slowly swaying look back at enduring memories of the sensory joys of a past romance, was penned by Rebecca and her father, trumpeter Dennis Angel, with additional lyrics by guitarist Jonah Prendergast. In addition to Miles’ keyboards and percussion loops, it features Christian Ver Halen’s crisp guitar licks and the easy grooving rhythm section of Reggie Washington (bass) and Brian Dunne (drums).  

On the other tracks, Miles leads an ensemble featuring Ver Halen, Dunne, bassist Adam Dorn, and percussionist Cyro Baptista. Special guests include Prendergast, renowned acoustic guitarist Ricardo Silveira and cellist Sebastian Stoger on a playful, spirited cover of the Brazilian gem “Agora Sim,” featuring Miles’ intoxicating electro-percussion. Also featured are Dennis Angel and flutist Gottfried Stoger.
The EP includes two versions each of the rock classic “Stand By Me,” and “(Samba Jazz Happiness (Jet Samba),” the latter of which was a popular radio single for Rebecca, who released the festive, playfully rhythmic track to coincide with the Rio Olympics in 2016. The song, originally penned and recorded as an instrumental by Brazilian composer Marcos Valle, reached high on the FMQB Adult Contemporary chart. The EP includes an “Ipanema Beach” remix featuring danceable, hypnotic and carnivalesque percussion textures. The first version of “Stand By Me” also lends itself to a trip-hoppy hypnosis via electro-percussion behind Rebecca’s wistful vocals. The second, which closes the set, has a more mainstream, seductive vibe, perfect for adult contemporary radio. Rebecca and Dennis also co-wrote the set’s other original, “Feel Alive,” a charming and innocent declaration of love and how it changes the heart, which breezes along like a brisk stroll on a balmy evening without end.
Rebecca recently graduated with a degree in voice from Ithaca College, where she studied with Roseanna Vitro, Cyrille Aimee (whose version of “Stand By Me” inspired Rebecca to record it), Carol McAmis, Kim Nazarian and Maya Azucena; Azucena helped the singer take her vocal on “What We Had” to another level. With her unique vocal timbre, Rebecca could certainly venture into any genre she likes. Those engaging with her artistry for the first time will be glad she’s chosen to go the sophisticated chill samba route.
            "What We Had" will be released on Timeless Grooves Records on June 1.
.

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

Monday, May 07, 2018

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 7, 2018 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Lindsey Webster - "Love Inside" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 3 - Marion Meadows - "Soul City" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 2 - Boney James - "Honestly" - (Concord Music Group)
4 - 5 - Patrick Bradley - "Intangible" - (Patrick's Song Factory)
5 - 10 - Brian Culbertson - "Colors Of Love" - (BCM)
6 - 6 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
7 - 4 - Darryl Williams - "Here To Stay" - (Independent)
8 - 13 - Nils - "Play" - (Baja/TSR Records)
9 - 8 - Adam Hawley - "Can You Feel It" - (Kalimba)
10 - 9 - Vincent Ingala - "Personal Touch" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 7 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
12 - 12 - Jeff Ryan - "Up And Up" - (Woodward Avenue)
13 - 14 - Special EFX - "Deep As The Night" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
14 - 15 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru" - (SagiDarius Music)
15 - 20 - Manhattan Transfer - "The Junction" - (BMG)
16 - 16 - Threestyle - "Ready To Go" - (Welovemusic)
17 - 19 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
18 - 88 - Nick Colionne - "Be Urself - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
19 - 11 - Lawson Rollins - "Airwaves: The Greatest Hits" - (Infinita Records)
20 - 47 - Jessy J - "Live ?At Yoshi's" - (Changi Records LLC)


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, May 04, 2018

Saxophonist Dave Koz and his friends return with "Summer Horns II From A To Z" #jazz

 June 22, 2018 release features Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and
Aubrey Logan with guest vocalists Jonathan Butler, Kenny Lattimore and Sheléa
 
Five years ago, after Dave Koz and Friends released Summer Horns—the GRAMMY-nominated album that paid tribute to classic songs featuring killer horn sections—all that the musicians could think about was how much fun they’d just had. They toured behind the album during the summer of 2013, then vowed to spend the following summer doing it all over again.
 
“The second tour was even better than the first,” says Koz, the world-class saxophonist who piloted the release, which rocketed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. “We had a total blast and the fans really gravitated toward it.”
 
There was no question in Koz’s mind that a sequel was in the stars, but getting everyone’s schedules to align was never going to be easy, each participant being a headliner with bookings well into the future. It took a few years but finally, says Koz, through “divine intervention,” a window of time opened up so that everyone could be in the same place at the same time.
 
Summer Horns II From A To Z, scheduled for release on June 22, 2018 via Concord Records, is the result, a stunning set of 11 more timeless tunes reimagined by Koz (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes), joined by alto saxophonist Gerald Albright and tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot—both returnees from the earlier session—with new additions Rick Braun (trumpet) and Aubrey Logan (trombone and vocals). A crew of ace rhythm players collaborates with the Summer Horns lineup along with a who’s who of arrangers: Tom Scott (who’s worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin to Steely Dan), Greg Adams (best known for Tower of Power, but also Santana and Elton John) and GRAMMY-winning arranger Gordon Goodwin. Braun, himself a legend of contemporary jazz, produced the album, with co-production by Koz.
 
With the creative team in place, the biggest dilemma facing Koz, Braun and the others was which songs to choose—or, rather, how to narrow down an enormous list of contenders. “My original list was in the hundreds,” Koz says. “We’d have good-natured arguments during weekly conference calls. We each pitched songs and then tried to get other people on our team.”
 
The final track list, 11 in all, is impeccable, to say the least. Opening Summer Horns II From A To Z is a medley of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1976 smash “Getaway” and the KC and the Sunshine Band dance staple “That’s the Way I Like It.” Next up is “More Today Than Yesterday,” the only Top 20 hit from the Spiral Starecase, from the spring of 1969. “Most people, when they hear that song, think it was by Chicago,” says Koz. “It sounded so much like them.” The Crusaders’ “Keep That Same Old Feeling,” written by that group’s late trombonist Wayne Henderson, is next, with a horn arrangement by Adams (best known for his work with Tower of Power) and Braun.
 
The fourth track in the sequence gives the album its subtitle, “From A to Z.” It’s another medley, and on paper it seems an improbably marriage: Here, with a horn arrangement by Gordon Goodwin and rhythm arrangement by Goodwin and Braun, are the 1939 Billy Strayhorn standard “Take the ‘A’ Train,” made famous by Duke Ellington, seamlessly intertwining with hip-hop icon Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is).” Hence the A to Z.
 
How in the world did this one come about? Says Koz, “Somebody sent me ‘Roc Boys’ and said, ‘Jay-Z’s got this song that’s got a bunch of horns in it.’ I’m a fan but I don’t know that music well. I heard that track and I said, ‘That horn line is so great! We have to utilize it somewhere.’ Originally, it was going to be its own song. But also on the song list was ‘Take the “A” Train.’ Rick Braun said, said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to do something so classic and so old and yet modernize it?’ It was [Concord Records president] John Burk, the executive producer of the album, who said, ‘Maybe the two songs could work together. It would be really funny to go from A to Z.’”

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” a Top 10 hit for Natalie Cole in 1975, is dedicated to the late vocalist, who was a friend of Koz’s. It’s sung on Summer Horns II From A To Z as a duet, by R&B star Kenny Lattimore and the young vocalist Sheléa. “We started to develop this track, which is very uptempo and really fun,” says Koz. “Tom Scott wrote a brilliant horn arrangement. And then we were thinking, maybe we should look for a male singer because anything we’d do with a female vocalist would immediately be compared to Natalie’s version. Tom came up with the idea of doing it as a duet. It’s not an easy song to sing and their vocal performance is a complete tour de force.”
 
“Before I Let Go,” written by Frankie Beverly of the R&B group Maze, features a lead alto sax solo by Gerald Albright, and is followed by Paul Simon’s pulsing “Late in the Evening,” from the singer-songwriter’s 1980 album One-Trick Pony. Koz remembers being in a restaurant with friends when Simon’s recording came on the house music system. He immediately emailed himself so he wouldn’t forget it when he got home. Braun didn’t even need to hear Koz’s reasoning: “It's in,” the producer told him. “I don't care what the others say.”
 
Playing acoustic guitar on the tune, and singing the lead vocal, is the South African great Jonathan Butler. “He went total South Africa on it,” says Koz. “Now this song has a completely new point of view. It pays homage to the original, but it takes it to a completely new place.”
 
Summer Horns II From A To Z only grows more intense as it plays on. If you want to make a funky record, you’ve got to have some Stevie Wonder on it, and it doesn’t get much funkier than 1971’s “If You Really Love Me.” Following that track is “Conga,” the 1985 breakthrough hit for Gloria Estefan and her then-band Miami Sound Machine. Aubrey Logan, the 30-year-old singer and trombonist on the album, provides the lead vocal. She received a special surprise while the group was recording the track.
 
“We got the track together and Aubrey always loved that song and looked up to Gloria as one of her mentors,” Koz says. “It’s got a great arrangement from Tom Scott and a really cool modern rhythm arrangement that Rick did. Gloria is a friend so I said to myself, ‘I have to play this for Gloria.’ I sent it off to her via email and said, ‘I just want you to know we're doing this Summer Horns record and we did your song and I hope you like it.’ I was just looking for a little musical blessing. She didn't send back an email; she sent back a track with her singing harmony to Aubrey's lead vocal! Aubrey’s jaw dropped to the floor.”
 
Michael Jackson’s Earth Song, with a horn arrangement by Scott and—as is the case with several tracks on the recording, a rhythm arrangement by Chris “Big Dog” Davis—features a lead tenor sax solo by Elliot and lead vocal by Ashling Cole. Summer Horns II From A To Z wraps up with a piece of vintage Americana, “Route 66,” written by Bobby Troup and recorded by everyone from Nat “King” Cole to the Rolling Stones. Logan, who Koz discovered when he saw her performing with the group Postmodern Jukebox, fronts the tune with her trombone and lead vocal. The horn and rhythm arrangement is courtesy of Goodwin, who fronts his own outfit called the Big Phat Band.
 
Recording Summer Horns II From A To Z, says Koz, was just as much of a treat as the first go-round in 2013. “It reminds me of my youth,” he says of this music. “I grew up playing in jazz bands. That’s how I was educated in music, playing in a saxophone section and playing in a big band, then sometimes doing small group stuff, playing with other horn players. For most horn players, even if you go on to do more solo work, part of your identity is rooted in being in a section and blending with others. How do you do this? How do you play that? All these fine nuances of music are in there somewhere.”
 
That passion is shared by all of the musicians who took part in the project, and audiences fortunate enough to catch a live Summer Horns show—they’ll be touring this summer—immediately feel the heat too. “With this music, the fans know every song,” says Koz. “And the musicians leave their egos at the door and show up with a commitment to the band. We know that this is not a replacement for our solo careers, that we will resume them eventually, so it’s not like we’re saying bye-bye to that. But people see all the star power on stage—where everybody could do a two-hour show on their own—the five of us with an incredible band, and it’s an event. Then we get addicted to the response from the fans! That’s why we did it again.”
 
Dave Koz on the web:
 
 
Track list:
   1.         Getaway / That’s The Way (I Like It)
            2.   More Today Than Yesterday                
   3.   Keep That Same Old Feeling
   4.   From A To Z (Take The “A” Train / Roc Boys (And The Winner Is))
   5.   This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) featuring Kenny Lattimore and Sheléa Frazier
   6.   Before I Let Go
   7.   Late In The Evening featuring Jonathan Butler
   8.   If You Really Love Me
   9.   Conga featuring Aubrey Logan and Gloria Estefan
 10.   Earth Song
 11.    Route 66 featuring Aubrey Logan
 
Dave Koz tour dates:
Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns II
Featuring Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and introducing Aubrey Logan and Adam Hawley
 
Sat June 23 - Atlanta, GA - Wolf Creek Amphitheater 
Sun July 1 -  San Diego CA - SD Jazz Festival
Fri July 6 - Thousand Oaks, CA - Fred Kavli Theatre
Sat July 7 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
Thu July 12 - Bensalem, PA - Xcite Center at Parx Casino
Fri July 13 - New York, NY - Infinity Cruise NY Harbor
Sat July 14  - Louisville KY - Iroquois  Amphitheatre
Fri July 20 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
Sat July 21 - Cleveland Heights OH - Cain Park - Evans Amphitheatre
Sun July 22 - Columbus OH - Columbus Jazz and Rib Festival
Fri July 27 - Sacramento, CA - The Hanger at McClellan Park
Sat July 28 - Las Vegas, NV - Smith Center
Fri Aug 3 - Austin TX - One World Theatre
Sat Aug 4 - Dallas TX - Myerson
Fri Aug 24 - Annapolis MD - Maryland Hall For The Creative Arts
Sat Aug 25 - Norfolk VA - Jazz Festival
Fri Aug 31 - Charlotte, NC - Jazz Festival
Sun Sept 2 - Sausalito CA - Sausalito Art Festival
Fri Sept 14 - Newport Beach, CA - Hyatt Newport
Sat Sept 15 - Temecula CA - Thornton Winery
Sun Sept 16 - Temecula CA - Thornton Winery
Sun Oct 7 - Cancun Jazz Festival

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