Responding to fan demand, Emmy‑winning guitarist Chieli Minucci has bundled most of the GRAMMY®‑nominated jazz fusion group Special EFX’s No. 1 Billboard hits, remastered favorites, and a few new songs into a new collection titled The Hits, is out now. The Chieli Music release arrived as one of the set’s new songs, “Marbella,” is poised to enter the Top 40 on the Billboard and Mediabase Smooth Jazz charts.
Minucci and Hungarian percussionist George Jinda founded Special EFX nearly 45 years ago. Although Jinda passed away in 2002, Minucci has kept the band going strong. He noticed that audiences at Special EFX concerts aren’t as familiar with the band’s newer music—largely due to the shrinking number of contemporary jazz radio stations. To meet the demand for nostalgia and the constant requests to “play the hits,” he assembled the new collection.
Minucci sifted through Special EFX’s 25-album catalog of world music-influenced contemporary jazz with a splash of blues, selecting seven of their eight No. 1 Billboard hits for The Hits. Four tunes on the album are fan favorites that were remixed and refreshed. Minucci wrote and produced 13 of the album’s 14 songs, including three new songs. One of those new songs is the first single, the Spain-inspired “Marbella,” a rousing, sun-drenched groove featuring saxophonist Michael Paulo and produced by two-time GRAMMY® winner Paul Brown.
“Marbella, Spain, is my fantasy vacation. The song is so romantic. I wrote the melodies against the backing groove. Michael Paulo laid down a beautiful, heartfelt sax solo. I am optimistic that all will hear this beauty,” said Minucci.
Other GRAMMY® winners and nominees, Billboard hitmakers, and celebrated musicians who contributed to The Hits include Warren Hill, Eric Marienthal, Elan Trotman, Nicholas Cole, Elliott Yamin, Lin Rountree, Oli Silk, David Mann, Roger Smith, Roberto Vally, Greg Vail, Shane Theriot, Ron King, Omar Hakim, and Lionel Cordew.
Special EFX received a GRAMMY® nomination for their 1985 album, Modern Manners.
The New York City-based Minucci tours constantly, playing shows throughout the United States and abroad in various Special EFX configurations. He’ll tour Canada and parts of the U.S. this year to perform as a guest with Hungary’s top jazz fusion band, Djabe. He’s a featured guest on Djabe’s upcoming Butterflies album. Minucci also appears as a featured guest on an upcoming single by percussionist Curtis McCain, a new artist who will release “Oceanside” this summer.
A prodigious guitarist, Minucci has played or recorded with Celine Dion, Lou Reed, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Jewel, Marc Anthony, Michael Bolton, Eartha Kitt, and Eddie Fisher. He’s also collaborated with contemporary jazz luminaries Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Rick Braun, Maysa, Marion Meadows, and Mindi Abair.
Minucci has released nine solo albums. He’s a three-time Emmy winner who has composed music for film, television, and theater. His credits include No Country for Old Men, Bowfinger, Legally Blonde, Panic, Peter Pan, Dora the Explorer, and Thomas the Tank Engine.
“The Hits” contains the following songs:
“Uptown East”
“Blue Lagoon”
“Cool Summer”
“Kickin’ It Hard”
“Waterfall”
“Lavish”
“You Make Me Blue”
“Meant To Be”
“Dreams”
“Been So Long”
“Marbella”
“Passions”
“Till The End Of Time”
“Cruise Control”
“A beautiful album, and if you're not familiar with them yet, this is a chance to get acquainted with the oeuvre of Chieli Minucci & Special EFX! Fantastic!” — Cultuurmania
“The Hits” is available now via Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon.
For more information, visit https://chielimusic.com.
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