R&B/jazz vocalist Kimberly Brewer honors Quincy Jones on "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" #jazz #R&B #music

A heavenly tribute befitting a legend: R&B/jazz vocalist Kimberly Brewer honors Quincy Jones on “If I Ever Lose This Heaven”

 

The single produced by two-time GRAMMY® nominee Chris “Big Dog” Davis features Billboard chart-topping flutist Ragan Whiteside.

 

Late last fall, R&B/jazz vocalist Kimberly Brewer was presented a track from her longtime collaborator, jazz-funk bassist Byron Miller, that was created by two-time GRAMMY® nominated producer Chris “Big Dog” Davis reimagining Quincy Jones’ romantic classic “If I Ever Lose This Heaven.” Shortly after, Jones passed away and Brewer felt compelled to record her version of the song to pay tribute to the legendary producer-composer-arranger. The inspired Kimberlily Records single presently garnering radio spins and playlist adds features Billboard hitmaker Ragan Whiteside on flute.

 

Like Jones’s own milestone catalogue, Brewer’s music is an alchemistic blend of R&B, jazz, soul, and pop. Davis knows her style well from previous collaborations thus the track that he crafted for Brewer’s interpretation of “If I Ever Lose This Heaven” is an intricately layered and cleverly arranged amorous overture constructed of jazzy horns, funky beats, and a rhythmically gyrating groove. Brewer’s dreamy lead and backing vocals mesh divinely with Whiteside’s impassioned flute to make the new single a celestial homage to the late music master who recorded the song for his 1974 “Body Heat” album.

 

"I was a child when Q's (Jones) version came out but always recognized the emotions behind this love song and how beautifully it was written. Chris (Davis) sent me the track and I loved his arrangement and the impeccable background vocals of Devin Tiana. It was an honor to sing my version of ‘If I Ever Lose This Heaven’ to honor Q. My only regret is that he never got to hear it,” said Brewer who met Jones at a recording studio years ago.

 

It was Davis’s idea to replicate Jones’s original opening that features a flute. So, he invited Whiteside to contribute, knowing the magic that she would bring to the recording. Whiteside was eager to oblige. Combining her skillfully expressive flute voice with Brewer’s angelic vocal caress formed a sensual and soothing sonic swoon, a warm aural embrace of sweet melody and lush harmony.   

 

The influential soul music site Soul Tracks celebrated Brewer’s new single, showcasing it in their First Listen feature. They wrote “Lo and behold, we have a slick cover of ‘If I Ever Lose This Heaven’ from Stevie Wonder backing vocalist Kimberly Brewer…Now a new generation of smooth jazz listeners will embrace the cool, vivacious sounds of this enduring gem coming from the hands and lips of Kimberly Brewer…Having Brewer embrace this Quincy Jones masterpiece is the moment that today’s jazz and adult R&B lovers have long waited for.”

 

Despite the lofty precedence set by Jones and company, Brewer and Davis weren’t the least bit intimidated about revamping a “masterpiece.” The song written by Leon Ware and Pamela Sawyer was brought to life by a chorus of singers on the original including Ware, Minnie Ripperton, and Al Jarreau. Perhaps Brewer’s comfort level came from having met Ware.

 

“I met Leon Ware at a concert after being introduced by Lynne Fiddmont. We had a great conversation about music. He invited me to his studio where he played some music for me that he was working on. It was amazing,” recalled Brewer about the late singer-songwriter who penned hits for Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, The Isely Brothers, and Maxwell.

  

Brewer frequently keeps the company of legends and icons. She toursed extensively and recorded with Wonder, appearing on his soundtrack album for Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever” among other projects. She’s also recorded with Elton John, Teena Marie, Rick James, k.d. lang, Vanessa Williams, Regina Belle, Will Downing, and Boney James, and has toured with Marie, Earth, Wind & Fire and Julio Iglesias. As a solo artist, Brewer issued a handful of singles and a 2020 EP titled “Just That Sweet To Me.” The EP includes guest appearances by Wonder, JOE, Walter Beasley, and her “bestie since college,” Maysa Leak. Brewer plans to release a new EP executive produced by Miller this summer. “Tasting Sunshine” will feature collaborations with 8-time GRAMMY® winner Mark Kibble of Take 6 and 9-time GRAMMY® nominated saxophonist Gerald Albright.

 

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

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com

Jazz from Amazon.com

Omnivore Recordings Announces Reissue of Vince Guaraldi’s 'Oh, Good Grief!' out on May 30 #jazz #music

Omnivore Recordings Announces Reissue of Vince Guaraldi’s Oh, Good Grief! out on May 30 Featuring Classic Peanuts Songs Such as “Linus And Lucy,” “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown,” “Great Pumpkin Waltz” and more on CD and Limited Yellow Vinyl

Omnivore Recordings has announced Vince Guaraldi’s Oh, Good Grief! will be getting a reissued released on CD and yellow vinyl on May 30.    Many people got to know Vince Guaraldi through his 1963 Grammy®-winning song, “Cast Your Fate To The Wind,” or via Sounds Orchestral’s Top-10 cover of it two years later. Lee Mendelson heard Guaraldi’s version when working on a Peanuts documentary, and contacted Guaraldi asking him to score it. Although the documentary never aired, that’s when Guaraldi composed “Linus and Lucy” and all the other songs included on his 1964 album, Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown. A year later in 1965, Mendelson once again tapped Guaraldi to score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas special.   It was a match made in television and musical history. With songs like “Linus And Lucy,” the special was a hit and for over five decades, not a holiday season went by without a network airing of the television classic. So potent and successful was the Peanuts/Guaraldi combination that Guaraldi went on to score a total of 15 Peanuts television specials and the first feature film.   In 1968, Vince made a label switch from his long-time home, Fantasy Records, to his new label, Warner Bros. Records. For his inaugural album, he decided to re-interpret his Peanuts classics on Oh, Good Grief! In addition to the instantly recognizable Guaraldi sound of piano, bass, and drums, this time he added electric guitar and electric harpsichord to the mix. The record was a smash hit.   Omnivore Recordings is proud to once again present the album the way the world first heard it—as stated on the original album’s back cover, “on shiny black vinyl.” Well, actually, this special pressing is “on shiny yellow vinyl!” Mastered by multi-Grammy winner Michael Graves, this timeless album has never sounded better. In addition to this special vinyl pressing, we now have this classic album available on CD for all shiny disc lovers.   Join Charlie Brown and his friends on this classic release, once again on vinyl—Oh, Good Grief!   Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/qSNHkGznSIQ   Pre-order: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/oh-good-grief   Oh, Good Grief! Tracklist: SIDE ONE: 1. Linus And Lucy 2. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown 3. Peppermint Patty 4. Great Pumpkin Waltz   SIDE TWO: 1. It’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown 2. Oh, Good Grief! 3. Red Baron 4. Rain, Rain Go Away

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com

New Album Release from Hiromi 'OUT THERE' on Telarc / Concord Jazz / Concord #jazz #music

Hiromi’s many career triumphs include: * GRAMMY Award for a collaboration with fusion hero Stanley Clarke * NPR Tiny Desk Concert with over 2 million views * Representing her native Japan with a performance at the 2021 Summer Olympics * 2024 winner for Best Music Score for animated feature film Blue Giant (Award of the Japanese Academy) Her artistry is — to borrow a descriptor The New Yorker favored — “dazzling."   Recent / Upcoming Visibility Includes: NPR's Jazz Night In America KEXP session WBGO interview Rick Beato interview CBC Q, Stereogum, Downbeat, Glide, and more Facebook Artist Of The Day (today!) Spotify: State of Jazz (cover), BUTTER (2 tracks), X-OVER, Modern Jazz, Jazz Fusion, New Music Friday Amazon: The Pocket (cover), Jazz&B, Upbeat Jazz Commute, Jazz Commute, The Pocket, REDISCOVER Apple Music: Shapeshifting, Jazz Scene, J-Jazz Essentials, New Music Daily Pandora: Jazz for Work, Horizons: Tomorrow's Jazz, New Jazz Now Tidal: Out There: Best New Jazz (cover), Vocal Jazz   Be part of Hiromi's #YESRAMEN trend HERE US Tour starts TODAY   Twenty years in, there is no other pianist out there that sounds quite like Hiromi. Today, Hiromi continues her shapeshifting tradition with the release of her 13th studio album ‘OUT THERE’ (Telarc/Concord Jazz), her second album with Sonicwonder, a mighty new quartet featuring Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums, and Adam O’Farrill on trumpet.   OUT THERE is the follow-up to 2023’s ‘Sonicwonderland,’ the debut of one of the most expressive and versatile working bands of Hiromi’s career furthering her distinctive musical alchemy: the spirit of classic jazz-rock fusion melded with classically rooted virtuosity, entrancing funk, pop flourishes, and acoustic jazz. OUT THERE captures their deep chemistry and fearless sense of interplay amid nearly two years of touring and playing together. Hiromi invites you to buckle up, for a fun, thoughtful, and wild musical ride.   Watch New Video for Album Highlight “Yes! Ramen!!” Watch Hiromi and Sonicwonder Perform Live at Blue Note Tokyo   Already, Hiromi and Sonicwonder have shared two previews from the album, the ‘80s Miles Davis channeling earworm “Balloon Pop” and the ballad-to-midtempo jazz song “Pendulum” kissed by sensual neo-soul. Today, album highlight “Yes! Ramen!!” gets its very own video which sees Hiromi exploring Japan and enjoying some of her favorite ramen spots along the way. The track is a tribute to Hiromi’s all-time-favorite food and another wild ride boasting synth hooks, ska-tinged rhythms, revved-up disco beats, a big Black Sabbath-sounding riff, leading-edge jazz improvisation, contemporary classical and more. The band shares Hiromi’s love for ramen, especially O’Farrill and Coye, and they try to hit as many spots as possible on tour.

“For this song, it was more like putting a soundtrack to the film I had in my head,” says Hiromi on the song. “When the landscape changes, then different music comes in — different restaurant, different style. Ramen is a true source of inspiration and I respect the ramen artisans so much so I finally wrote a song about it.”   Tonight, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder kicks off a string of US tour dates with a special album release show at the Blue Note on Monday, April 7th in NYC, and more.  See below for the full itinerary and revisit her performance at Blue Note Tokyo.   Says Hiromi: “On Sonicwonderland, I had the concept and the songs first, and I was looking for the people who could play the music in the ideal way that I had in my mind. Being with this group for well over a year,” she continues, “playing a lot of shows together and understanding each other, I started to see more of their strength and what shines in them the most. So I started to write music with them in mind.”   Hiromi’s Sonicwonder brings together world-class musicians of diverse backgrounds. French-born Feraud is a fusion virtuoso who has been compared to bass great Jaco Pastorius. Coye hails from Chicago, where he grew up playing in church and combines technical mastery with a soulful knack for groove and pocket. Brooklyn-raised O’Farrill, part of a dynasty that includes his father and grandfather, Latin-jazz titans Arturo and Chico O’Farrill, ranks among his generation's most important and progressive trumpeters. Throughout the album, O’Farrill conjures up audacious new sonic textures through electronics — part of his toolbox that Hiromi encouraged him to develop fully.    “[Bass legend and collaborator] Anthony Jackson always told me that a first-class musician can do anything,” Hiromi says. “You don’t really have to put them in one genre or one category.” Knowing that anything she composed would be met with outstanding performances, Hiromi let her fiercest ambitions run wild when crafting the music for ‘OUT THERE.’ “It all comes from curiosity,” she explains. “I think curiosity is the key to everything. How can you express yourself more? How can you write more?”   The core of ‘OUT THERE’ is its four-part suite, which Hiromi would like fans to hear as a focused front-to-back listen.  It opens with the rapid-fire melody of “Takin’ Off” and traverses the sly ’70s fusion grooves of “Strollin’,” which calls to mind Herbie Hancock, George Duke, and Grover Washington Jr. “Orion” follows, with bold and triumphant bookends that could score a great work of science fiction. The suite closes with “The Quest,” which unites the chopped-up rhythmic thrust of current jazz with the synth pleasures of vintage prog-rock.  The album’s finale is “Balloon Pop,” which is as much of an earworm as anything currently on the Hot 100.  And with O’Farrill on trumpet, its hummable theme summons up Miles Davis’ hook-filled ’80s recordings.

US Headlining Tour Fri, APR 4 - Chicago Symphony Center - Chicago, IL Sat, APR 5 - George Wheaton Recital Hall - Toronto, Canada Mon, APR 7 - Blue Note - New York, NY Tue, APR 8 - Dakota - Minneapolis, MN Wed, APR 9 - Dakota - Minneapolis, MN Thurs, APR 10 - Fox Tucson Theater - Tucson, AZ Fri, APR 11 - Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts - Tucson, AZ Sat, APR 12 - University of Texas, Dallas - Richardson, TX Sun, APR 13 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA Tues, APR 15 - Revolution Hall - Portland OR Thurs, APR 17 - SFJazz - San Francisco, CA Fri, APR 18 - SFJazz - San Francisco, CA Sat, APR 19 - SFJazz - San Francisco, CA Sun, APR 20 - SFJazz - San Francisco, CA Mon, APR 21 - Kuumbwa Jazz Center - Santa Cruz, CA Thurs, APR 24 - Irvine Barclay Theater - Irvine, CA Fri, APR 25 - Campbell Hall - Santa Barbara, CA Fri, AUG 1 - Sony Hall - New York, NY Sat, AUG 2 - Sony Hall - New York, NY Sun, AUG 3 - Newport Jazz Festival - Newport, RI Sat, AUG 30 - Detroit Jazz Festival - Detroit, MI Fri, SEP 26 - Music Center At Strathmore - Bethesda, MD Thurs, OCT 2 - Wisconsin Union Theater - Madison, WI Fri, OCT 10 - Cahn Auditorium - Evanston, IL Sun, OCT 12 - Curtis M. Philips Center For The Performing Arts - Gainesville, FL   MORE INFO ON HIROMI: Website - Press Kit - YouTube - Facebook -Instagram -Twitter/X - TIKTOK

Get It Now!

# Artist and Track Title Time 1. Hiromi - Yes! Ramen!! [Feat. Sonicwonder] 08:14 2. Hiromi - Pendulum [Feat. Sonicwonder, Michelle Willis] 05:57 3. Hiromi - XYZ [Feat. Sonicwonder] 06:56 4. Hiromi - OUT THERE: Takin' Off [Feat. Sonicwonder] 06:33 5. Hiromi - OUT THERE: Strollin' [Feat. Sonicwonder] 06:43 6. Hiromi - OUT THERE: Orion [Feat. Sonicwonder] 08:10 7. Hiromi - OUT THERE: The Quest [Feat. Sonicwonder] 08:11 8. Hiromi - Pendulum - Solo [Feat. Sonicwonder] (Solo) 06:19 9. Hiromi - Balloon Pop [Feat. Sonicwonder] 06:18

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com

Multi-instrumental entertainer Brian Culbertson takes viewers on a captivating journey via "The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit" #jazz #music

Multi-instrumental entertainer Brian Culbertson takes viewers on a captivating journey via “The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit,” a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray and two-disc CD dropping on April 11.

 

There are very few touring jazz artists capable of putting on the kind of elaborate, visually stunning, and wildly entertaining concert productions that Brian Culbertson creates. The multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer who has crafted forty Billboard No. 1 hits spent two years writing and recording music with the help of the fans who tuned in to his weekly online series, The Hang, which resulted in the creation of thirty new songs spread out over three new albums to form The Trilogy. After each of the three themed albums were released, Culbertson mounted The Trilogy Tour, a 70-show U.S. concert trek that was filmed and will be released as “The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit” in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on April 11 from BCM Entertainment.       

 

The Trilogy Tour featured songs from the three albums, “The Trilogy: Red,” “The Trilogy: Blue,” and “The Trilogy: White,” along with some of Culbertson’s chart-topping hits and fan favorites. The concert itself, as seen in the film directed by Robert Hubbard, is an artfully staged and meticulously choreographed production illumined by state-of-the-art lighting design and visual effects that transform the show into a sensory experience. Always a high-voltage entertainer, Culbertson and his super tight seven-piece band bring the seventeen-song setlist to life with vibrant melodies and lush harmonies, funky rhythms and grooves, and extended solos. All the magic from the final tour stop at Detroit’s MotorCity Casino fills the screen, taking viewers on a journey through “The Trilogy.”

 

“The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit” will be launched at two premiere events. This Sunday (April 6), the film will premiere at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts presented by The Boscov’s Theater during the Berks Jazz Fest in Reading, Pennsylvania. The movie will then premiere during a livestream event on VEEPS on April 10 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT.

 

The idea to shoot his third concert film came to Culbertson during The Trilogy Tour rehearsals and after the first few shows.

 

“I knew the visual was going to be something special. I try to make every tour special of course, but sometimes certain things and the music push a particular tour into another space that makes it more obvious to film. It needs to be different than a regular ‘the hits concert,’ which is just a random set of songs. This show has more of an arc and story to it,” said Culbertson, about the project that will also be available as a two-disc CD.

 

The Trilogy Tour launched in March 2023 in Providence, Rhode Island and concluded in Detroit in March 2024. A consummate performer who constantly raises the bar, Culbertson never stopped fine-tuning the show, which is why the last concert stop was the one preserved on film.

 

“I wanted to capture the last show because I used all the other shows coming up to it to continue rehearsing and making tweaks, either musical or lighting wise. I will always take as much time as possible to finish a project based on a deadline, and that final show gave me a hard deadline,” laughs Culbertson whose previous concert video releases are “Colors of Love Tour: Live in Las Vegas” (2019) and “Live from the Inside” (2009).

 

With Culbertson playing keyboards and trombone, he was accompanied on The Trilogy Tour by Darnell “Showcase” Taylor (guitar), Eddie Miller (keyboards and vocals), Chris Miskel (drums and musical director), Rishon Odel (bass), Michael “Patches” Stewart (trumpet and flugelhorn), Ronnie Gutierrez (percussion), and Walter English III (keyboards and vocals).   

 

After recording his 1994 chart-topping debut album, “Long Night Out,” in his college dorm, Culbertson became a consistent Billboard hitmaker. His now 28-album catalogue boasts a variety of recordings consisting of contemporary jazz, funk, acoustic jazz, and new age projects. His next studio album, “Day Trip,” which he describes as having “more of a jazz fusion edge,” is expected in late September. The ten-song set that he wrote with Nicholas Cole in seven days features Branford Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Marcus Miller, Sheila E., Mike Stern, Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr., and Eric Marienthal along with a rhythm section formed by bassist Nathan East and drummers Lil’ John Roberts and Lenny Castro.

 

Culbertson wasn’t planning to make an album when the songs that comprise The Trilogy were composed and recorded.

 

“I was writing new music while livestreaming on ‘The Hang,’ getting real-time feedback from fans via the chat. Before I knew it, I had thirty new songs that fit three distinctive emotional categories. The ‘Red’ album is very sexy and romantic. ‘Blue’ is melancholy, and the music lifts you up when life gets hard. The songs on ‘White” are uplifting and hopeful,” explained Culbertson about the albums released between October 2021 and May 2022.

 

Culbertson’s creative vision for The Trilogy Tour was for the show to be an immersive sensory experience of sound and light. His vision is vividly realized on “The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit.” 

 

“The phrase that everyone kept saying to me was ‘that was an experience.’ From the band at rehearsals, to the fans at the first several shows and beyond, that phrase was repeated over and over. The Trilogy Tour is not just a regular show. It truly is an experience, both musically and visually, that takes the audience on a journey. I’m glad that the film will enable people to experience that journey whenever they want to.” 

 

The songs performed during “The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit” are:

 

“Prelude”

“Stars”

“Summer Hideaway”

“The Hangout”

“Sandcastles”

“Time Flies”

“Feel The Love”

“Let’s Go”

“Always Remember”

“Eyes Closed”

“Dance With Me Tonight”

“A Love Lost”

“You Are My Everything”

“Colors Of Love”

“Funkin’ Like My Father”

“Play That Funky Music”

“On My Mind”

“Stars (reprise)”

 

 

Watch a preview of “The Trilogy Tour: Live from Detroit” at Brian Culbertson "Stars" Preview - The Trilogy Tour (Live from Detroit).

 

 

To buy tickets to the premiere at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, go to https://goggleworks.org/event/brian-culbertson-the-trilogy-tour-live-concert-film/.

 

 

To attend the virtual premiere on VEEP, click HERE.

 

 

For more information, visit https://www.brianculbertson.com. 

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com