Contemporary jazz pianist Mark Etheredge makes a sober “Love” offering #jazz

Two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown produced the album dropping August 12;

the title track arrives first as a single.

 

That pianist Mark Etheredge appears smiling on the cover of his new contemporary jazz album, “Love Planet,” offering roses – his songs – to the world is a triumphant story of resilience. Since the title track of his last album, 2016’s “Connected,” landed him at No. 6 on the Billboard singles chart, the keyboardist slipped into the abyss of alcoholism, going bankrupt and losing his West Hollywood home, which forced a move back to the Bay Area where he slept on a friend’s couch and watched his mother slowly slip away before she finally succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease last year.         

   

As “Love Planet” readies for its August 12 release on Vipaka Records, the now clear-eyed Etheredge is back living in his own West Hollywood place, clean and sober for fourteen months, living one day at a time with hope restored. During the tumultuous years, Etheredge found strength and creative expression by retreating to his keyboard to compose music. Reteaming with “Connected” producer and two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown, Etheredge recorded and released two singles, “Resonance” (2019) and “You&Me&We” (2020), both of which appear on “Love Planet” alongside eight new songs.

 

Last month, Etheredge finished recording the inspired new set consisting of spirited jazz instrumentals, soulful R&B grooves, iridescent pop melodies and festive Latin rhythms, with Brown at the controls. A vibrant homerun hook powers the title track, which will begin collecting playlist adds on July 18.

 

“‘Love Planet’ is about love for each other, as well as self-love. I was taught growing up that everyone is born with a sense of goodness, and I still believe it’s true. And that goodness is totally inclusive. With all the craziness on this planet, it’s easy to lose sight of that. These days, I wake up asking, ‘What can I do to be more loving today?’” said Etheredge.

 

On “Untethered,” he celebrates his newfound sobriety, with his pliable piano passages getting a boost from chart-topper Steve Oliver, who issues placid nylon-stinged guitar licks.

 

“I literally drank my money away. During the pandemic, I finally accepted that I had a problem with alcohol. I got help. This song expresses my gratitude and joy to be free, one day at a time,” said Etheredge, who later on the album echoes the sentiment with “Elated.”

 

Tenor saxophonist Greg Vail adds fullness to “Groove City,” a cut inspired by the diversity, energy and the rhythms of urban life. The Latin-singed “Saucy” is spiced by full-throated horn section tracks performed by Vail (tenor and baritone saxes) and Ron King (trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangement), and scorching electric guitar riffs played by Brown and Shane Theriot. Etheredge ruminates on trust and the role love plays in the face of adversity on “We’ll Make It Through.”

 

“This one is about trust, hanging on. Sometimes, life brings along a bumpy ride. Trust that together with love, we’ll make it through,” said the keyboardist who is accompanied on the album by guitarist Jay Gore, bassist Roberto Vally, drummers Joel Taylor and Gorden Campbell, and percussionists Lenny Castro and Richie Gajate Garcia. 

The penetrating piano melodies on “Resonance” explore human connection and attunement. “I think as humans, we all have opportunities to resonate with each other - to be in tune and find peace with each other - if we want it enough,” said Etheredge who amiably shares the spotlight with Brown’s bluesy guitar statements.

 

Watching the war, unnecessary death and destruction in Ukraine on television stirred Etheredge to pen the contemplative and compassionate plea for “Peace.” Brown is called upon to help illumine “You&Me&We,” a lush piano and guitar romp pondering unity.

 

“How can we coexist peacefully with one another? Perhaps if ‘you and me’ think not just about one or the other’s wants or needs, but consider a third way, “us,” focusing on our shared interests that benefit us both. Can we be kind? Can we practice compassion and justice? Can we be loving? Can we be respectful of one another?” Etheredge poses.

 

Etheredge offers “Golden Hour” in fond remembrance of his mother, who used the term for the times she took a nap when he was a child. Like “Saucy” and “Elated,” the album closer benefits from Theriot’s skilled rhythm guitar textures. 

 

Etheredge grew up near San Francisco in Sunnyvale and although his mother was a music school teacher and choir director, he’s primarily a self-taught pianist. His groups have opened for David Benoit, Bobby McFerrin, Sergio Mendes, Tuck & Patti, Betty Carter and Sheila Jordan, among others. This year, Etheredge was the featured soloist on singles released by Vally (“On The Down Low”) and guitarist Mark Carter’s “Swingtown.” For more information, please visit https://marketheredge.com

 

“Love Planet” contains the following songs:

 

“Love Planet”

“Untethered” featuring Steve Oliver

“Groove City” featuring Greg Vail

“Saucy” featuring Paul Brown

“We’ll Make It Through”

“Elated”

“Resonance”

“Peace”

“You&Me&We” featuring Paul Brown

“Golden Hour”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - June 20, 2022 #jazz

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HAVE A PROUD AND HAPPY JUNETEENTH! #jazz

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas, a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

Click here to go to the juneteenth.com page

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - June 13, 2022 #jazz

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“The Time Is Now” for “little big band” The Jones Factor #jazz

The jazz group will drop their third album on July 15.

 

Uncertainty brought on by the pandemic has inspired major life changes as well as creating a sense of urgency when it comes to completing long-gestating projects. Five years in the making and fifteen years since their last release, jazz ensemble The Jones Factor committed to finishing their third album, “The Time is Now,” as soon as pandemic restrictions eased and the ten-piece horn-powered band could gather safely in the studio. The contemporary jazz collection comprised of original compositions and inventively arranged covers, produced by the group’s Dave Anderson and John Fumasoli, drops July 15.

 

Trombonist Fumasoli formed The Jones Factor (originally called The Jazz Collective) in 1986 with bassist Anderson joining shortly thereafter. Horn heavy, they described themselves as “a little big band” and together, they crafted over one hundred charts spanning various shades of jazz, including contemporary, bop and hard bop as well as Latin, blues, funk and even hip-hop grooves. The unique instrumentation allows for a wide variety of textures, colors and sounds while the diversity of the unit’s players makes for exciting performances and imaginative improvisation.

 

The challenge inherent for a band comprised of busy first-call musicians who have played with jazz, pop and R&B legends (from Frank Sinatra to Tony Bennett, from Lady Gaga to Diana Ross, from Elton John to Steely Dan) as well as prominent orchestras, symphonies and ballets is being able to gather all the members. Thus, work on their albums takes a while and they were about three years into recording “The Time is Now” when the pandemic slowed the process to a halt. As soon as the band got the greenlight to get back to work, The Jones Factor returned to the studio with a renewed impetus to finish and release the project.     

 

“The album title comes from the fact that we were moving along great with our recording and then COVID hit. Like so many others in the music world, our lives were deeply disrupted and so we got to the point of saying that this album has to come out now. We cannot wait any longer, no matter what! Honestly, it was as much about getting off our butts and getting this music out as it was about the pandemic. The album is too good to sit on,” said Fumasoli who will lead the band at an album release concert on July 13 at La Zingara in Bethel, Connecticut.

 

“The Time is Now” features sixteen musicians, including ten horn players and guest guitarists Chieli Minucci (Special EFX) and John Tropea. Anderson’s elastic basslines anchor the rhythm section fortified by drummers Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra) and Thierry Arpino. Pianist Rob Aries adds to the melodies, but the focal point of The Jones Factor is the layers of mighty horns, astutely deployed and meticulously arranged. Fumasoli teams with Bill Harris (tenor saxophonist, flute), Ken Gioffre (soprano and alto sax, flute), Jason Polise (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Don Hayward (bass trombone), Janet Lantz (French horn), Tony Kadleck (trumpet, flugelhorn), Scott Wendholt (trumpet, flugelhorn), Don Harris (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Ben Kibbey (trumpet, flugelhorn). Each player in this democratic union is granted the freedom to solo with each one taking an equitable turn in the spotlight.  

 

From a production standpoint, Anderson opted to utilize a different tact than one typically associated with jazz ensembles.

 

“Recording this album was in one sense a straightforward application of everyone’s high-level professional skills, and in another sense an interesting experiment in trying new ways of doing things – not without risk – that ended up exceeding our expectations. My idea was to approach it the way non-jazz records have been recorded since the late sixties: building the sound in layers and creating the finished ensemble in the production environment. Doing this allowed John and I the freedom to finesse balances, phrasing and tone colors in a way that can’t be done as easily when everyone is in the studio at the same time. In other words, we produced this album like a pop or rock record. There’s plenty of seat-of-the-pants, fire-breathing improvising, but the sonic picture has the polish of a more structured pop production. It’s a best-of-both-worlds approach, and I feel we succeeded beautifully.”

 

“The Time is Now” opens with a pair of tunes by jazz fusion groups that have influenced The Jones Factor, the Yellowjackets’ “Past Ports” and Steps Ahead’s “Pools,” both arranged by the late Dick Burlant, who had been part of The Jones Factor’s orbit since the 1980s. “When He Calls” is an original composition by Patti Preiss-Harris, Bill Harris’s late wife, and has a wealth of personal meaning.

 

“The very first time we played it, we dedicated it to Patti’s father, who was going through heart surgery at the time. When he passed away six months later, we played it at his memorial service. It was always his song to me after that and usually brought tears to my eyes when I introduce it. Now that cancer has claimed Patti, the song feels very prophetic. She got the call. The song continues to bring a tear to my eye, now for different reasons,” said Bill Harris.

    

One of Fumasoli’s students suggested that The Jones Factor record Bela Fleck’s “Hall of Mirrors.” Multiple Grammy nominee and three-time Emmy winner Minucci lends his agile and intricate fret work to the track, captured in this studio performance video: https://bit.ly/3th8Aif. 

 

Seven soloists shine on “Those City Ways.” Anderson said, “‘Those City Ways’ is a live performance arrangement – essentially a framework for blues solos by most of the band. To keep the long-form, extended nature of the piece interesting, I did hip-hop cut-and-paste arranging, bringing the piano in and out to make the contrast between ensemble writing and soloing more dramatic.”

 

The Jones Factor released their debut recording, “Collective Jazz,” in 1991 and issued their sophomore disc in 2007, “Blast From the Past.” While eager for “The Time is Now” to finally drop this summer, they’ve already synchronized their schedules to return to the studio this fall to record new material written by Fumasoli.

 

“The Time is Now” contains the following songs:

 

“Past Ports”

“Pools”

“When He Calls”

“Hall of Mirrors”

“Better Left a Memory”

“All That I Need”

“Summertime”

“Those City Ways”

“Chorale”

 

For more information, please visit https://johnfumasoliandthejonesfactor.com. 

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Jazz vocalist Anne Walsh pays homage to an icon on “The Astrud Project” #jazz

The collection of Brazilian jazz songs made famous by Astrud Gilberto drops July 8.

 

The seeds for “The Astrud Project” were sewn on jazz vocalist Anne Walsh’s previous album, “Brand New.” On that 2016 set, Walsh penned biographical lyrics to Brazilian jazz singer Astrud Gilberto’s lyric-less scat on “Nao Bate O Coracao,” retitling the song “The Writing’s on the Wall.” Walsh did a similar thing with Gilberto’s scatted “Beach Samba,” which led to recording an entire album that pays tribute to Gilberto’s seminal bossa nova catalogue. Produced and orchestrated by Grammy nominated arranger Tom Zink, “The Astrud Project” drops July 8 on the A to Zink Music label.     

 

“Looking over Astrud’s life and career in researching that song (“Nao Bate O Coracao”) was the beginning of a deeper dive into the songs that inspired this collection. I’ve always found a kindred spirit in the vocal approach that Astrud took. Her light, straight tone is what really makes the music she sang shine. There is little doubt that Astrud’s approach set the stylistic vibe for the bossa nova movement of the 1960s,” said Walsh who will preview the new album at a concert performance at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato in Los Angeles on June 22 that will feature Zink and an orchestral ensemble. 

 

Walsh and Zink say that Gilberto served as “sort of a poster child for innocence and the unaffected musical beauty that summed up the early bossa nova movement.” To honor the indelible mark she made on the music for which they hold immense ardor, the spouses recorded some of Gilberto’s best-known songs as well as lesser-known selections, adding their own fresh twist to the arrangements and approach. “The Astrud Project” is comprised of eleven tunes and encompasses a mix of songs sung in English and Gilberto’s native Portuguese, including the iconic “The Girl From Ipanema.”

 

“Learning the Portuguese lyrics is so important to understanding how the music should swing. In Brazil, you can find yourself listening to a conversation and faintly hear the cadences of the various percussion instruments. That is such a huge part of getting the music under your skin as a singer; really internalizing the percussive feel of the language. I sing most of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ in Portuguese because it’s impossible to get that same rhythmic feel from the English lyrics,” said Walsh.

 

Gilberto’s sultry and sensual voice meshed perfectly with Brazilian jazz rhythms and the rich melodies written by Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Dindi,” “The Girl From Ipanema” and “Fotographia”) and other emerging Brazilian composers of the era such as Baden Powell and Vincius de Moraes (“Canto de Ossanha”) and Marcos Valle (“Crickets Sing For Anamaria”). She uniquely illumined pop songs like “Call Me” and selections from the great American songbook (Legrand and Mercer’s “Once Upon a Summertime”) by applying her trademark bossa nova varnish. On “The Astrud Project,” Walsh skillfully plies her exquisite voice and passion for Brazilian jazz to the lavishly produced and orchestrated tracks meticulously crafted by Zink.   

 

“Our hope was to keep that sunny innocence of the original, while updating the sound and playing to reflect our own perspective on the era. One of my favorite elements as an orchestrator is how the original recordings could go from simple two-person performances to huge orchestral arrangements and yet still retain the fun and light sound that characterizes bossa nova. This recording moves from guitar/voice duos to very large ensembles with full string, woodwind and brass sections. All of the arrangements are original, but I focused on retaining the sense of innocent beauty that was so characteristic of Astrud’s recordings,” said Zink, who earned a Grammy nod for his arrangements on Walsh’s “Pretty World” (2009), nominated alongside some of his biggest influences, Gil Evans and Claus Ogerman.  

 

Zink plays piano throughout “The Astrud Project” and was joined by Mitchell Long (guitar, cavaquinho), Kevin Winard (drums, percussion), Chris Wabich (drums), Mike Vacarro (flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet), Gary Meek (flute solos), Tony Guerrero (trumpets, flugelhorns), Andy Martin (trombone), Charlie Bisharat (violin), Tom Lea (viola) and Irina Chirkova (cello).

 

Boston born and now based in Long Beach, California, Walsh is a classically trained vocalist, lyricist, composer and educator. She recorded amalgams of Brazilian and contemporary jazz for “Pretty World” followed by the “Go” (2011) and “Brand New” albums. Walsh earned praise from Grammy-winning guitarist Pat Metheny for writing lyrics to his “So May It Secretly Begin” for “Pretty World.” That set included another instrumental song for which she wrote lyrics, Keith Jarrett’s “My Song.” Walsh and Zink are very much at home in the Brazilian jazz space, which has proved to be a fount of creative inspiration for their recordings, spawning “The Astrud Project.”

     

“Our previous jazz albums are a mix of bossa nova and smooth jazz, but we wanted to go all in on this project paying tribute to Astrud and the bossa nova era,” said Zink.

 

“The Astrud Project” contains the following songs:

 

“On My Mind”

“Call Me”

“Crickets Sing for Anamaria”

“Aruanda”

“Dindi”

“The Girl From Ipanema”

“Beach Samba”

“Canto de Ossanha”

“Fotographia”

“Voce É Eu”

“Once Upon a Summertime”

 

Additional information is available at https://www.annewalsh.com. 

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - June 6, 2022 #jazz

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Grachan Moncur III, trailblazing jazz trombonist, dies at 85 #jazz

Grachan Moncur III, a trombonist and composer who carved an intrepid path through modern jazz, on his own and with collaborators like the saxophonists Archie Shepp and Jackie McLean, died in Newark, N.J., on Friday, his 85th birthday.

The cause was cardiac arrest, his son Adrien Moncur told WBGO.

A musician fluent in the languages of blues and bebop even as he veered toward the unknown, Moncur came of age at a fortuitous moment. The questing spirit of the early-to-mid 1960s was beginning to lead the brightest young jazz talents into new formal terrain — a movement well captured in the title and substance of Moncur's debut, Evolution, recorded for Blue Note in 1963 and released the following year. Consisting entirely of his own compositions, it features an imposing cast of collaborators: Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto saxophone, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Tony Williams on drums.

Read the full article on NPR by clicking here.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - May 30, 2022 #jazz

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As Is: "A Love Like Ours (Remaster 2022)" May 27th, 2022 #jazz

Described as "nothing short of enchanting" (All About Jazz), the musical union of jazz guitarist, Alan Schulman and jazz vocal stylist, Stacey Lynn Schulman is the heart of As Is. The couple - both on and off stage - have made a name for themselves for their imaginative re-expressions of 20th century song classics. “They find new ways to approach the songs, ways that preserve the origins yet make out of them very personal statements” (Jazz Mostly). As Is takes audienceson an intimate journey through the world and words of songs long-forgotten - but newly created - with both the soulfulness and swing that's accessible, memorable and highly musical. As Is has toured extensively in the US, Europe and Asia performing live and in the studio with contemporary jazz talents including Marcus Baylor, David Binney, Christie Dashiell, Corcoran Holt, Kokayi, and Gregoire Maret.

 

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, jazz guitarist Alan Schulman studied with the late great

guitarist Cal Collins (formerly of the Benny Goodman Orchestra). Known for his versatile chops from the warmth of his “soft, round tone” (All About Jazz) to his ability to “pick out clever melodies and musical frames” (Jazz Weekly), Schulman became a mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene with jazz educator, David Bloom, before earning his Masters degree in Jazz Arranging & Composition from Howard University in Washington, DC. A Thelonius Monk Competition Top-10 finalist, he has appeared with such noted jazz artists as Anita Baker, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis & Michael Feinstein.

 

Stacey Schulman is a native of the New York City area, where her dynamic, stylistic vocal range has been featured on radio commaercials, TV series and movie soundtracks since the age of nine. Schulman regularly “summons delicate lace on one song and a bouncy jam on another” (All About Jazz), but her calling cards are ballads where both the strength and expressiveness of her art shine (Jazz Artistry Now). Together, “the musical chemistry between Stacey and Alan Schulman is energetic and contagious” (The Jazz Page).

 

The As Is discography began in Rome, where the couple recorded an intimate debut album of standards, A Love Like Ours (2015). Their sophomore release, Here’s to Life (2018) with

Grammy-nominated producer, James McKinney, established the duo as compelling storytellers and arrangers, offering listeners new soundscapes that could swing hard while leaning into latin, classical, vocalese and Indian sonic accents. Recorded at Eusonia Studios, NYC, andmastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, NYC (assisted by Chris Allgood), the album debuted at #1 on Amazon Jazz, #6 on iTunes Jazz and #9 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Chart. It was wellreviewed and embraced by jazz radio in 2018.

 

In December 2021, As Is released a new twist on a holiday classic with a joyful, samba-inspired, O Holy Night. May 2022 will bring a remastered version of their debut album with a new bonus single, a soulful acoustic rendition of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now. Their 3rd full-length album, an exploration of “life as we feel it,” is expected in late 2022.

 

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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.

Spanish Guitarist Russ Hewitt - New single and YouTube Video Premier for ‘Vivir Libre’ featuring Marty Friedman #jazz

Russ Hewitt - New single and YouTube Video Premier for ‘Vivir Libre’ featuring Marty Friedman

IN RUSS'S OWN WORDS:
 
SONG   
I set off initially to write a heavy groove Latin song that would translate well live. I used the Tres guitar I got from Cuba to harmonize with the guitar throughout the song, including the main riff and chorus. Due to the key this song is written in (C#m), I was able to come up with a unique chord progression for the solo section utilizing the open E string. After the chord progression was written, I instantly thought that it would be something Marty Friedman would write and that he would be perfect for the song. I am fortunate enough to be endorsed by the same guitar cable company as Marty (Analysis Plus Cables) and reached out to the owner Mark Markel to make an introduction. Within 7 days of the introduction, Marty had sent up his parts. Marty's playing made me really step up my game, including adding harmonies to my solo for the first time. 
                                 
MARTY FRIEDMAN 
Marty Friedman is one of the rare guitarists that have their own distinct sound and style. All it takes is a couple of notes played before I can recognize that it's him or someone trying to sound like him. A bonafide guitar hero, Marty is considered one of the best Rock/Heavy Metal guitarists in the world, and his solo for Tornado of Souls is cited as an all-time great. Marty's use of Middle Eastern and other exotic scales influenced me to explore those as well, which can be heard in many of my songs. Known mainly for his electric guitar playing, Marty plays an acoustic guitar full of his trademark phrasing and harmonies. 

VIDEO
I initially was not going to have a video for this song, just a static photo of the single cover. At the last minute, I reached out to a childhood friend, Todd Sims. Todd is a film and TV director with over 300 project credits to his name. As the owner of Fusionflix Entertainment, he was kind enough to work on this for me after six days of filming on location. All five of my Telly awards are from soundtrack work I've done for some of Todd's projects (Parent Compass TV series/webisodes, the DVD companion to the New York Best Seller The Harbinger Decoded by Jonathan Cahn, and the feature film Thirst: Mission Liberia.) 



Russ Hewitt Official > Russ Hewitt.com
 

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Multi-platinum “Melody Man” Vassal Benford steps into the spotlight #jazz

The R&B-jazz single from the multimedia mogul goes for adds on Monday.

 

With more than 57 platinum records to his credit working with a galaxy of stars in various music genres, over $150 million in movie box office receipts, and management duties for boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and the estate of fabled blues icon B.B. King, megaproducer Vassal Benford is returning to his roots determined to conquer jazz just like everything else he’s conquered throughout his unparalleled multimedia career. The songwriter-keyboardist is determined to breathe fresh energy and creativity into contemporary jazz, beginning with his first single, “Melody Man,” which goes for playlist adds on Monday (May 23) issued on The Benford Jazz Label.  

Benford was sixteen when legendary jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis recorded the song the teenager wrote about his first crush, “Michelle,” which went number one. Two years later, jazz bassist Stanley Clarke produced the second song Benford wrote, a tune that was a cowrite with Grammy winner Jeremy Lubbock, which became another number one hit for Lewis and his duet partner, the illustrious jazz singer Nancy Wilson.

As the years rolled by, the hits kept coming as Benford’s projects topped the charts in multiple genres for superstars DJ Diplo, Toni Braxton, NAS, Flo Rida, Queen Latifah, Mariah Carey, Rick Ross, Deborah Cox, Sheryl Crow, U2, Jade, Bobby Brown, New Edition, Lil’ Kim, Patti LaBelle, Faith Evans, Chanté Moore, Oleta Adams, Lisa Stansfield, Tramaine Hawkins, and The Fine Young Cannibals among others.

In recent years, Benford was drawn back “home,” jazz and instrumental R&B, which sparked collaborations with Grammy-winning guitarist Norman Brown and eight-time Grammy nominated saxophonist Gerald Albright. Both artists are among the luminaries who will appear on Benford’s debut album, “My Favorite Moments,” which is slated to drop next February. But first, Benford wants to introduce listeners to the imaginative collection with a single or two, the first of which is “Melody Man.”

“Melody Man” is an apropos title as Benford pours layers of cascading piano melodies amidst lavish guitar and keyboard harmonies, and intricately textured percussion and multicultural rhythms. One of the unique allures of the single is that the innovative track sounds unlike anything in the music space yet its invitingly familiar and infectious.

“I wanted to create a song that everybody could remember that also made you feel as if you were watching me in concert. It was intentional the way I wrote this song. The inspiration around it was making a feel-good song for everybody to dance to or to listen to several times in order to ‘hear’ all of the elements in the track. I felt as if the world needed this kind of global music at this time,” said Benford, who changed the structure of the complex drum track multiple times during the mixing process with Billboard chart-topper Greg Manning.

“The reason we changed the drum track is because there's so many different elements to ‘Melody Man.’ It has a Latin feel, an African feel, a pop feel as well an R&B feel. There are so many distinct phases of music that are entailed in the song itself. The final product turned out exactly the way we wanted by changing the drums four separate times while in the mix.”

Decades ago, music industry titan Clive Davis gave Benford his own joint venture record label and today, Benford is partnered with blockbuster film producer Mark Canton. Together, they achieved box office success with 2019’s “After” and “After We Collided” released the following year. Composing music scores for movies such as "The Running Man" (Arnold Schwarzenegger), "New Jack City," "Class Act" (Kid ‘n Play), "The Associate" (Whoopi Goldberg), “The Smell of Success” (Billy Bob Thornton) and “Stay Cool” (Winona Ryder) is what fueled Benford’s interest in the motion picture business. He broke color barriers by becoming the first African American to score an animated feature, 2012’s “The Swan Princess.” On the small screen, Benford has crafted music for shows including "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Fame L.A."

Benford produced a 2016 tribute concert to Michael Jackson that headlined The Jacksons, Aerosmith, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross and Christina Milian that was hosted by Magic Johnson at which the multihyphenate showbiz magnate who was born and raised in Detroit, and now splits his time between Las Vegas and Newport Beach, Calif., conducted a 30-piece orchestra. With his sights presently set on jazz, expect Benford to change things up in ways only this remarkable visionary can.  

More than 3.7 million people follow Benford on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vassal_benford/?hl=en). Additional information is available at https://www.vassalbenford.com. 

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - May 23, 2022 #jazz

Smooth Jazz Chart 

This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 

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

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

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Saxophonist Nick Stefanacci introduces a new dimension to his repertoire #jazz

The smooth jazz single that he wrote with Billboard hitmaker Adam Hawley,

“Dance Until Dawn,” drops on May 24.

 

After having released seven solo albums constructed of sophisticated pop, funk and jazz fusion featuring guest vocalists, saxophonist Nick Stefanacci decided to throw a changeup by crafting a buoyant smooth/contemporary jazz instrumental, “Dance Until Dawn,” which drops May 24 on the Sweet Lion Music Group label. Stefanacci wrote the single with Billboard hitmaker Adam Hawley, who produced the vibrant, melody-rich sax-led tune.

 

As a saxophonist, Stefanacci is driven by timbre and rhythm. "Dance Until Dawn" illumines his soulful alto horn harmonies and deep connection to groove. Multi-instrumentalist Hawley adds guitar, keyboards, strings and programming while Carnell Harrell makes the track more robust by adding synths to the rhythms created by drummer Eric Valentine and bassist Mel Brown.

 

“As a young saxophonist, I was enamored with David Sanborn so releasing a contemporary jazz single has been a long time coming. I wanted to give my fans something different than what they are accustomed to hearing from me. My albums are kind of a Steely Dan meets Maceo Parker mashup, a more funk fusion groove with vocals, horns and jazz harmony,” said Stefanacci, who is also a philanthropist that founded and curated The Promise Music Festival to benefit local children’s hospitals.

 

Stefanacci met Hawley while the saxman was touring with trumpeter/flugelhornist Cindy Bradley. He’s been performing with the Billboard chart-topper for a few years. As a sideman, his wide-ranging resume also lists hip hop superstars Ja Rule and DMC (of Run-DMC), blues rocker Derek Trucks, seminal R&B, funk and soul drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie; and hardcore punk/rap pioneers Dog Eat Dog. Stefanacci stepped into the solo spotlight in 2010 with the release of his debut album, “26 Years.” His latest collection is the self-titled set that dropped two years ago as the pandemic raged. The album highlights Stefanacci’s imaginative arrangements of songs originally recorded by some of the eclectic artists whom he cites as having influenced his craft: Stevie Wonder, Nirvana, Michael Jackson, Metallica, Nina Simone and Bill Withers, among others.

 

“Dance Until Dawn” previews Stefanacci’s eighth album, "Nú FNK," which will be a return to his funk roots along with instrumental grooves and pop-fusion vocal tunes. The disc is slated for release later this year.

 

For more information, please visit http://sweetlionmusicgroup.com.

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