Happy New Year To Our JazzHQ Subscribers [Video] #jazz

A very Happy New Year year to all the visitors of  the JazzHQ blog, Facebook and Twitter. We're pleased that you found your way here and grateful if you've done it more than once.

Best wishes to you all. Good health and peace in the new year.

Merry Christmas #jazz

Our very best wishes to all of you who took the time to visit JazzHQ during the year, whether at jazzhq/blogspot.com, twitter.com/jazzhq, or facebook.com/jazzhq.
White Christmas - The Drifters (Video/cartoon)
Sung by The Drifters. Cartoon by Joshua Held.
Featuring Bill Pinkney on lead bass and Clyde McPhatter on tenor.



Sing along:

Ooh
Doop doop, doop doo doop
Ooh
Doop doop, doop doo doop

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where those treetops glisten, and children listen,
To hear sleigh bells in the snow, the snow.

Then, I-I-I am dreaming of a white Christmas,
With every Christmas card I write,
May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white.

I-I-I am dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where the treetops glisten, and children listen,
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I-I-I am dreaming of a white Christmas,
With every Christmas card I write,
May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells all the way.
Ooooh.

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Whaling City Sound announces April release "Kind of New" by Jason Miles & Ingrid Jensen #jazz

- Special Preview at Winter Jazz Fest in New York-

Whaling City Sound is pleased to announce it will be releasing Kind Of New, a refreshingly diverse new recording co-led by Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen, in April, 2015. The pair will be starting to tour as a quintet that same month, and will perform a special preview concert at New York's Winter Jazz Fest in January. WCS's Neal Weiss couldn't be happier. "Kind of New is a strong addition to our catalog, and furthers our commitment to issue music deserving of a wider  audience," said the Massachusetts-based label  founder. "I was familiar with Ms. Jensen from her earlier work, so was intrigued to hear the result of this collaboration. Jason Miles' impeccable production is a marvel. They've created a most satisfying musical atmosphere."

Jason Miles has always been impressed by Ingrid Jensen. The keyboardist/composer knows a thing or two about trumpet players, having collaborated for over five years with none other than Miles Davis ("I like your name" he said to Jason after being introduced by their mutual friend Marcus Miller). Jason Miles was searching for the perfect collaborator with whom he could write and perform this recording, Kind Of New, so named as both a nod to his former mentor but also to denote something fresh. "No one is making this kind of music these days," adds the Grammy-recognized producer and keyboardist, whose credits also include work with Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan and Sting, among others. It's clear, listening to Kind Of New, that the pair are a perfect musical match.

Born in Vancouver and raised in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Ingrid Jensen has been hailed as one of the most gifted trumpeters of her generation. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1989, she went on to record three highly acclaimed CDs for the ENJA record label, soon becoming one of the most in-demand players on the global jazz scene.

Kind Of New showcases Ingrid's musicality and chops in a way previously unexplored. "Putting the music together with Jason over the past year has been an incredibly rewarding experience," adds the trumpeter, who has known Jason for almost a decade. "He's one of the greatest producers out there, period. His ability to hear what is needed in the moment is pure magic, and this gift he has for setting the stage helped to inspire the music, especially during our live writing process." Jason agrees, adding that "I feel there is a dimension to Ingrid's playing here that's intriguingly new. When you work with a great player like Ingrid, it's exciting to go deep into the music, because you know she'll take it to the next level."

For Jason Miles, the inspiration for these new original compositions was Miles Davis' Cellar Door Sessions, a recently discovered collection of live recordings captured at the legendary Washington, DC club in 1970. Finally issued in 2006, it's now considered one of Davis' finest line-ups, and prompted Pitchfork to state,"there is a case to be made that [bassist] Michael Henderson, drummer Jack DeJohnette, saxophonist Gary Bartz, keyboardist Keith Jarrett and Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira comprised his last indisputably great band."

"It wasn't long after I started working with Miles [Davis] that it became obvious that he had a special affinity for the Cellar Door group," adds Jason Miles. "Since there were no recordings available, it was only after finally hearing the reissue [Columbia Records; 2006] that I realized just how special it was. The perfect combination of musicians." The Cellar Door vibe of that music stayed with the keyboardist. Years later, jamming with Ingrid Jensen, using the germ of a few ideas, he knew he'd found something special. "I think there's great chemistry between us, and I'm thrilled with the results. "It's really our record," he emphasizes with a modesty atypical for someone of his stature. "You can feel the collaboration between the grooves."

Kind Of New, as with each Jason Miles production, features top name supporting players, culled from Miles' impressive rolodex.  Jay Rodriguez and Jeff Coffin are heard on saxophones; James Genus contributes bass to "Shirley," the album's tribute to Shirley Horn. Also contributing bass are Jerry Brooks, Amanda Ruzza and Adam Dorn (Mocean Worker). Nir Felder plays guitar on "Kat's Eye" and there are no less than six drummers and percussionists: Gene Lake, Jon Wikan, Brian Dunne, Mike Clark, Steven Wolf and Cyro Baptista.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 15th, 2014 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Dave Koz & Friends" - "The 25th of December" - (Concord/CMG)
2 - 2 - Peter White - "Smile" - (Heads Up/CMG)
3 - 4 - Rick Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)
4 - 3 - Eric Darius - "Retro Forward" - (Shanachie)
5 - 5 - Nick Colionne - "Influences" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
6 - 9 - Paul Brown - "Truth B Told" - (Woodward Avenue Records)
7 - 8 - Jonathan Butler - "Living My Dream" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
8 - 7 - Gregg Karukas - "Soul Secrets" - (Nightowl)
9 - 6 - Nathan East - "Nathan East" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
10 - 11 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
11 - 10 - Richard Elliot - "Lip Service" - (Heads Up/CMG)
12 - 13 - Keiko Matsui - "Soul Quest" - (Shanachie)
13 - 14 - Euge Groove - "Got 2 Be Groovin' - (Shanachie)
14 - 12 - The Stanley Clarke Band - "Up" - (Mack Avenue)
15 - 19 - U-Nam - "C'est LeFunk" - (Skytown)
16 - 16 - The Rippingtons - "Fountain of Youth" - (Peak/eOne)
17 - 15 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)
18 - 21 - Herb Alpert - "In The Mood" - (Shout Factory!)
19 - 18 - Michael Lington - "Soul Appeal" - (Copenhagen Music)
20 - 17 - Joey Sommerville - "Overnight Sensation" - (Peak/eOne_

Our thanks to smoothjazz.com

Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 8th, 2014 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - Dave Koz & Friends" - "The 25th of December" - (Concord/CMG)
2 - 1 - Peter White - "Smile" - (Heads Up/CMG)
3 - 3 - Eric Darius - "Retro Forward" - (Shanachie)
4 - 4 - Rick Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)
5 - 6 - Nick Colionne - "Influences" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
6 - 9 - Nathan East - "Nathan East" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
7 - 7 - Gregg Karukas - "Soul Secrets" - (Nightowl)
8 - 8 - Jonathan Butler - "Living My Dream" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
9 - 11 - Paul Brown - "Truth B Told" - (Woodward Avenue Records)
10 - 13 - Richard Elliot - "Lip Service" - (Heads Up/CMG)
11 - 10 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
12 - 15 - The Stanley Clarke Band - "Up" - (Mack Avenue)
13 - 12 - Keiko Matsui - "Soul Quest" - (Shanachie)
14 - 5 - Euge Groove - "Got 2 Be Groovin' - (Shanachie)
15 - 16 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)
16 - 18 - The Rippingtons - "Fountain of Youth" - (Peak/eOne)
17 - 23 - Joey Sommerville - "Overnight Sensation" - (Peak/eOne_
18 - 14 - Michael Lington - "Soul Appeal" - (Copenhagen Music)
19 - 19 - U-Nam - "C'est LeFunk" - (Skytown)
20 - 17 - Kim Waters - "Silver Soul" - (Red River Entertainment)

Our thanks to smoothjazz.com

Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest complete top 50 chart. Visit smoothjazz.com to view the latest weekly chart recap.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - December 1st, 2014 #jazz

TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Peter White - "Smile" - (Heads Up/CMG)
2 - 10 - Dave Koz & Friends" - "The 25th of December" - (Concord/CMG)
3 - 4 - Eric Darius - "Retro Forward" - (Shanachie)
4 - 3 - Rick Braun - "Can You Feel It" - (Artistry)
5 - 5 - Euge Groove - "Got 2 Be Groovin' - (Shanachie)
6 - 2 - Nick Colionne - "Influences" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
7 - 7 - Gregg Karukas - "Soul Secrets" - (Nightowl)
8 - 9 - Jonathan Butler - "Living My Dream" - (Artistry/Mack Ave.)
9 - 6 - Nathan East - "Nathan East" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
10 - 8 - Gerald Albright - "Slam Dunk" - (Heads Up)
11 - 12 - Paul Brown - "Truth B Told" - (Woodward Avenue Records)
12 - 11 - Keiko Matsui - "Soul Quest" - (Shanachie)
13 - 18 - Richard Elliot - "Lip Service" - (Heads Up/CMG)
14 - 17 - Michael Lington - "Soul Appeal" - (Copenhagen Music)
15 - 14 - The Stanley Clarke Band - "Up" - (Mack Avenue)
16 - 15 - Patrick Bradley - "Can You Hear Me" - (Patrick Bradley)
17 - 20 - Kim Waters - "Silver Soul" - (Red River Entertainment)
18 - 16 - The Rippingtons - "Fountain of Youth" - (Peak/eOne)
19 - 13 - U-Nam - "C'est LeFunk" - (Skytown)
20 - 23 - Mindi Abair - "Wild Heart" - (Concord Music Group)

Our thanks to smoothjazz.com

Visit 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