Grammy-winning Contemporary Jazz Guitarist/Producer Paul Brown Hits All the Right Notes on So Much To Say Out June 27th #jazz #music

Shane Theriot, Rick Braun, Jeff Ryan and Darren Rhan & More Join Brown For Sterling Originals & Memorable Reworking of a Classic

 

“Music is my spirituality and has been my entire life,” confesses the chart-topping and Grammy-winning guitarist and producer Paul Brown, who has garnered more than 80 #1 Contemporary Jazz radio hits. The LA born and raised musical titan’s parents were musicians who sang with Mel Tormé, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, among numerous others.  Brown’s anticipated recording and thirteenth as a leader, So Much To Say (Shanachie Entertainment - June 27, 2025), showcases his winning combination of astounding virtuosity, soul, grit, fire, and grace that have earned him the trust to produce such luminaries as George Benson, Luther Vandross and Al Jarreau and engineer for such iconic divas as Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. “It's more of a musical thing,” explains Brown about the meaning behind the title of his new recording. “There's a lot that can be said with a few notes. Often too many notes confuses the issue. I try to tell a story with my melodies, solos and with dynamics.”

 

One of the beauties of So Much To Say is Paul Brown’s seamless ability to fuse a multitude of divergent influences into one cohesive and thrilling experience. This is not a surprise given the fact that he cites Wes Montgomery, Peter Gabriel, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and Jerry Garcia as primary influences. He confesses about the latter, “I've been a dead head since 1970. Garcia was one of my guitar heroes even though back then I was a drummer. I’ve played drums since I was four and thought that would be my life instrument, but I think the guitar choose me.”  Brown plays percussion on five of the album’s tracks.

 

At the forefront of So Much To Say is Paul Brown’s relaxed yet simultaneously charged playing. His solid and fluid Jazz chops, R&B/Soul roots, Rock-edge, and Bluesy feel infuse the album with his instantly recognizable signature sound. He shares, “Since my first CD I've wanted to have a classic Jazz tone with little effects but surrounded by a modern R&B sound with lots of booty and groove.” So Much To Say opens with the title track, a dance-happy and rock-steady groove providing the perfect canvas for Brown’s crisp and soaring guitar lines. The opener was co-written with Shane Theriot (Hall & Oats, The Neville Brothers, Branford Marsalis, Dr. John) who joins him on the track. “This is kind of my throwback to the 70's Jazz à la (George) Benson,” admits Brown, who is an avid golfer who makes it a point to golf on tour no matter where he is in the world. A striking and unique reworking of a Jazz standard becomes a high point on the album when Brown offers the funkiest and most blues-drenched version of Gershwin’s “Summertime” likely ever heard. This is track is a powerful first single for the album. “I love the idea of taking a classic song and re-inventing it,” he muses.  “It doesn't get much better than a Gershwin song. That melody just bursts out of the track. Hopefully there will be young people that will be introduced to the song for the first time through my version.” Brown and Theriot come together for the ebullient “Spill Da Beans “featuring saxophonist Darren Rhan (Bob James, Tobi Keith, Najee, Kirk Franklin). Jeffrey Smith arranged the additional instruments heard and co-wrote the laid-back and in-the-pocket groove “Vice- Versa.”

 

Brown wrote or co-wrote almost every song on So Much To Say and shares, “When I am working on an album, I write and produce every day. Sometimes songs are written specifically for other artists but more frequently lately I end up loving what I played and decide to keep it for my own CD. The keeper, “My Sweet Baby,” is a dazzling number bound to uplift your mood with its tantalizing and breezy buttery-soul melody. Paul Brown’s guitar licks delight and he also provides nice percussive accents on the track. Trumpeter Rick Braun enters the mix on the song “Play It Forward” and the catchy interplay between Brown and Braun is a highlight on the album as they trade choruses and unleash their magnetic chemistry. Brown turns on the quiet with the sultry ballad, “Take Me As I Am,” a collaboration with bassist Roberto Vally (Michael Franks, David Benoit, Patti Austin, Richard Elliot) and pianist Leon Bisquera (Chaka Khan, Boney James, Anita Baker, Randy Crawford).

 

So Much To Say also features the zippy and buoyant “Let’s Bounce,” the ultimate mood enhancer while the climatic Stax flavored “Smooth Moves” features saxophonist Jeff Ryan (Peter White, Jeff Kashiwa) and thrilling guitar work from Brown alongside driving percussion courtesy of Theriot.   "I grew up listening to rock and blues and my parents were jazz musicians, so I heard a lot of that music in the house," reflects Brown, who confesses, "I have always loved soul music.” Paul Brown will have you crying the blues on the stand-out “Down On My Knees,” which will have even a stone-cold heart soften once they hear his pleading guitar testify. It’s a lesson in authenticity, no gimmicks just heart-felt playing.  Brown flips the script on the turbo charged “Step It Up” while So Much To Say comes to a rousing finale with the celebratory “The Get Down” which is an all-out lose yourself and your worries jam. The perfect way to end an unforgettable musical journey. Brown’s states that his goal for the album is “to bring peace of mind to people.”

 

 

Paul Brown’s inaugural recording for Shanachie Entertainment was Love You Found Me in 2010.  In 2021 Brown joined forces with fellow guitarist Larry Carlton for their acclaimed project Soul Searchin’.  2022 saw the release of Promise Land and in 2024 he collaborated with bassist Brian Bromberg and saxophonist Michael Paulo for the formation of the supergroup BPM and their highly touted recording Seriously. Paul Brown sums up his life and musical journey as a blessing. “My advice is do what you love. I've been incredibly blessed to be able to make music and play golf. I love all kinds of music as long as it's good. I have a great family life and that allows me the time and energy to be as creative as possible.”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - December 9, 2024 #jazz #music

Smooth Jazz Chart 

This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 

When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent link. 

Click here to view the smoothjazz.com chart for this week

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Drummer Julen Rodriguez to Release Debut Album “Nomad” on Nov. 29th, 2024 | LISTEN! #jazz #music

Julen Rodriguez releases debut album “Nomad”, out November 29th

Born in Madrid and raised between Barcelona and New York City, Julen Rodriguez is a drummer and composer who strives to fuse the musical traditions of the cultures he was raised by. Being half-Puerto Rican, and half-Basque, Julen’s music combines the intensity of New York’s Jazz Fusion scene with elements of Spain’s delicate flamenco-infused Jazz. Having played with Spain’s widely-acclaimed Proyecto Jazz for Kids for over 8 years and now solidifying himself as an in-demand drummer in New York’s Jazz and Underground Rock scenes, Julen has had the opportunity to collaborate with such prominent names as Martin Wind, Mike Rodriguez, Ryoma Takenaga, and famed Spanish pianist Marco Mezquida. Beyond that, he has had the opportunity to perform at such prestigious venues as Rotterdam’s North Sea Jazz Festival, Spain’s historic Rock N’ Blues Bar, and often can be found in New York City mainstays such as NuBlu and Mercury Lounge.

Currently studying at New York University and having previously spent 2 years at Barcelona’s Liceo Conservatory, Julen has honed his craft under the tutelage of Ari Hoenig, Tony Moreno, and Michael Wolff, among others. These prestigious mentors have helped Julen center in on his unique sound, while enabling him to stay true to the Jazz tradition and lineage.

Now stepping out into the limelight, inspired by Louis Cole, Snarky Puppy, and Robert Glasper, Julen’s upcoming debut album, ‘Nomad’ is a fun, and energetic introduction to his musical world. Forming a quintet of some of his closest friends and collaborators, the group embarked on an extended tour across Spain, establishing a true camaraderie and established group sound before ending their trip by recording the album. Featuring NYC rising stars Ryoma Takenaga (Chief Adjuah, Ulysses Owens, etc.), pianist Archish Arun, saxophonist Connor Sobieri, and trumpeter Tyler Prosch, Julen’s music explores and celebrates the diversity of his upbringing. The product of such is a bright, percussive, and grooving sound, that while is energetic and fun, still maintains the complexities of contemporary Jazz and the many cultures he is immersed in.

This winter, Julen can be found touring across Europe with Proyecto Jazz For Kids, and soon will be celebrating the release of his upcoming album, ‘Nomad’ slated for November 29th.

Nomad Records

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SMOOTH JAZZ SAXOPHONIST David Sanborn, who played on recordings by Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Carly Simon, died in Tarrytown, New York, on Sunday afternoon. #music #jazz

David Sanborn, 1989. PAUL NATKIN/GETTY IMAGES

OBITUARY

David Sanborn, Jazz Saxophonist Who Played on David Bowie’s ‘Young Americans,’ Dead at 78

The musician, who won several Grammys and also collaborated with the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and others, had been battling prostate cancer

MAY 13, 2024

SMOOTH JAZZ SAXOPHONIST David Sanborn, who played on recordings by Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Carly Simon and performed live with David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, died in Tarrytown, New York, on Sunday afternoon. A rep confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. A message on Sanborn’s social media cited complications after an extended battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

“Mr. Sanborn had been dealing with prostate cancer since 2018 but had been able to maintain his normal schedule of concerts until just recently,” the message said. “Indeed he already had concerts scheduled into 2025.”

Earlier this month, Sanborn canceled a number of dates set to take place throughout the rest of May. “For the last weeks I’ve been dealing with unbelievable pain in my spine that prohibited me from walking, let alone playing my horn,” Sanborn wrote in a statement. “We were finally able to diagnose the issue as two stressed fractures in my spine.” He underwent spinal surgery and doctors told him he could recover after taking six to eight weeks off. Sanborn wrote that abandoning the dates was difficult for him: “Playing for all of you, friends, fans, staff, and supporters, is what keeps me alive. You have my assurance that as soon as I’ve healed … I will be back.” He signed off with “heartfelt apologies.”

As a solo artist, Sanborn made a blend of jazz, pop, and R&B his trademark sound. Throughout his career, he released more than two dozen albums, nine of which went gold or platinum, and won six Grammys. It was a miracle since Sanborn, who grew up near St. Louis, survived a polio diagnosis at age 3. “I wasn’t like the other kids,” Sanborn told JazzTimes in 2008. “My mantra was, ‘Hey, guys, wait up.’ I used to lie in bed a lot, listening to the radio, which was my theater of the imagination.”

Playing saxophone was an important part of his recovery, according to his official bio, and by the time he was a teenager he was playing alongside blues legends like Albert King and Little Milton. He released his debut solo album, Taking Off, in 1975, when he turned 30.

Before he was a solo artist, though, he joined the Butterfield Blues Band and was a part of that group’s lineup when it performed at Woodstock. Sanborn toured with Stevie Wonder and played on the musician’s Talking Book album. In addition to touring with Bowie, he played the saxophone solo on “Young Americans.”

“On the Young Americans tour, Bowie would sometimes let the band play for 20 minutes before he came on,” Sanborn told Downbeat in 2017. “I remember we had a week at the Universal Amphitheater in L.A. It was a great rhythm section with Doug Rauch on bass and Greg Enrico on drums. On the Young Americans album, there was no lead guitar, so I played the role of lead guitar. I was all over that record.”

Throughout the Seventies, Sanborn effortlessly bounced back and forth between jazz, blues, and pop music, recording with B.B. King, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen (contributing to “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” on Born to Run), Elton John, Chaka Khan, Ron Carter, George Benson, Kenny Loggins, and Eagles, to name but a few. The Eighties found him playing alongside Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Roger Water, Eric Clapton, and Mick Jagger, among others.

From 1988 to 1990, Sanborn hosted Night Music, which Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels produced. It featured archival performances by Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Billie Holiday, and others. He also contributed music to the films Psycho III and the second through fourth installments of the Lethal Weapon franchise. Sanborn also performed the sax solo on “The Seduction (Love Theme),” a hit instrumental off the soundtrack to American Gigolo written by Giorgio Moroder and credited to James Last.

He has also hosted a syndicated radio program, The Jazz Show, and produced a YouTube series called Sanborn Sessions with his nephew and brother-in-law, and guests like Sting and Christian McBride, and a podcast called As We Speak. During Covid-19 lockdowns, Sanborn offered master classes in saxophone over Zoom.

“I’m not so interested in what is or isn’t jazz,” Sanborn told Downbeat. “The guardians of the gate can be quite combative, but what are they protecting? Jazz has always absorbed and transformed what’s around it. … Real musicians don’t have any time to spend thinking about limited categories.”

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Positive Thinking: Contemporary jazz guitarist Chris Standring shares his joy and optimism on “As We Think,” dropping April 5 #jazz #music

 

While a kid growing up in the United Kingdom, contemporary jazz guitarist Chris Standring read James Allen’s “As a Man Thinketh,” and it sowed the seeds of positivity and optimism, leading to a transformation that occurred in his early sixties when the musician got married for the first time last year. Acknowledging how his mindset inspires the music he composes and records, Standring’s upbeat nineteenth album, “As We Think,” captures his marital bliss and hope on the eleven songs that he wrote and produced on the Ultimate Vibe Recordings release that arrives on April 5.

 

“Allen’s little book from way back in 1902 had a lasting impact upon me. As an excessively positive thinker, albeit with a very realistic, often dark, typically British outlook, I thought ‘As We Think’ might just be the perfect title to describe where I sit in the universe right now. I recently got married, an influence that emanates loudly from these recordings,” said Standring who created his distinctive brand and unique sound using retro jazz, seventies soul and funk, vintage R&B grooves and modern electronic nuances in the mix that surrounds his guitar tone and technique, distinguishing himself from other contemporary jazz guitarists.  

 

Standring opens the new album in a quartet configuration backed by the taut rhythm section comprised of bassist Andre Berry (David Sanborn, Dave Koz, Rick Braun), drummer Chris Coleman (Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Babyface), and Grammy nominated percussionist Lenny Castro (Joe Sample, Eric Clapton, Toto). The album contains four songs featuring this core lineup, the first of which is “Chocolate Shake” that Standring stirs with a talk box.

 

“As We Think” is a departure from recent Standring recordings in that the album is horn powered with most of the arrangements constructed by Grammy and Emmy winner Walter Murphy. “Good Gracious” introduces the horn section made up of Aaron Janik (trumpet), Brandon Fields (alto sax), Katisse Buckingham (tenor sax) and Ido Meshulam (trombone).

 

“This is the kind of song I love to play because it is challenging to improvise on and it

allows me to build a story in a solo. Plus, it feels really good,” said Standring who plays London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club on March 14-16 before returning to gig south of Los Angeles at Spaghettini on March 23.

 

The Earth, Wind & Fire elements on the seductive R&B groove “Come Closer” are undeniable, prompting Standring to say, “This whole album has a very retro feel about it, as do many of my albums, but I have a particular fondness for the soul of the 1970's. This feelgood track instantly takes you to that time.”

 

In addition to his agile lead guitar licks, Standring adds organlike keyboards to the invigorating “Top Hat & Tails.” The first radio single, “Alphabet Soup,” is a groovy funkster accompanied by a slick black and white video that can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ-Z_LL0k7w.  

 

“It’s an ensemble piece featuring one of my label artists, Dino Soldo, on tenor sax, Rodney Lee on organ, and a Los Angeles-based horn section. Quite an elaborate arrangement, which is possibly why I named it ‘Alphabet Soup’ because everything's in there. I'm always looking for new fun songs to add to my live show and this will no doubt be in the 2024 live setlist,” enthused Standring.

 

On “Bedtime Story,” the guitarist intended to create a Steely Dan-like tune, but that’s not exactly how the story unfolded.

 

“I'm a sucker for ballads and chord sequences that allow me to express myself while improvising. I actually wanted to try and write something like ‘Babylon Sisters’ because of the distant chords that take you on a little journey, but I ended up going in quite a different direction once I got in there. This is what came out. Clearly nothing like Steely Dan,” said Standring with a laugh.

 

Coleman is featured on “Michael’s Watch,” pounding out a timely drum solo midtrack in juxtaposition to Standring’s lyrical electric jazz guitar. The instrumental song recounts the unlikely story of how a watch running ten minutes late led to his parents meeting for the first time at a wedding and how he wouldn’t be here if that watch ran on time.  

 

“This Life” satisfies Standring’s long-held desire to pen a tune that has a reggae vibe.  

 

“I always wanted to write a reggae track but twist it somehow to my style. I have tried unsuccessfully in the past, but ‘This Life’ came out great. It’s fun and joyful,” he said.

 

Showcasing another one of his label artists, Terry Disley, “Monday Madness” grants the acoustic pianist the platform to rip a swinging solo. Standring challenges himself on “Swings and Roundabouts.”

 

“Sometimes I like to take a sample of something strange and make a whole song out of it,

forcing myself to choose harmonies that have to match the musical sample. In this case,

the opening scratchy keyboard lick is that sample. Sometimes having to work within tight parameters makes for very creative writing,” reflected Standring.

 

Closing with “Too Good To Be True,” Standring serenades his new bride with an assist from Soldo’s reassuring harmonica embrace and Larry Steen’s elastic upright bass rhythms. 

 

“There is something very longing and hopeful about this song, but also romantic,” described Standring.

 

After playing in the jazz and hip-hop band Solar System, Standring debuted as a solo artist with 1998’s “Velvet” album. A dozen years later, he scored his first of seven Billboard No. 1 singles with “Bossa Blue,” which also was Billboard’s contemporary jazz track of the year. Standring notched an additional four more Billboard No. 1 singles as a featured guest soloist on singles by Thom Rotella, Cindy Bradley, Rick Braun and Richard Elliot. Eager to explore the unconventional and unexpected, he’s challenged himself by recording a live album in London with an orchestra and a collection of standards culled from the great American songbook that he recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios. Mixing things up literally last year, Standring issued a remixed set of his more sensual tracks titled “The Lovers Remix Collection.”

 

A popular performer on concert and festival stages throughout the U.S. and Europe, Standring is eager to share the joy, positivity and celebration he infused into the music on “As We Think” during his concert itinerary that presently contains dates through October.

 

“As We Think” contains the following songs:

 

“Chocolate Cake”

“Good Gracious”

“Come Closer”

“Top Hat and Tails”

“Alphabet Soup”

“Bedtime Story”

“Michael’s Watch”

“This Life”

“Monday Madness”

“Swings and Roundabouts”

“Too Good To Be True”

 

 

Go inside the “As We Think” recording sessions with Standring in the EPK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H4SQpbi5vs.

 

For more information including tour dates, please visit https://chrisstandring.com.

 

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