Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 29, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
2 - 3 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 8 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 2 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 4 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
6 - 6 - Peter White - "Groovin'" - (Heads Up/Concord)
7 - 5 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
8 - 9 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 20 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 7 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
11 - 11 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
12 - 13 - Brendan Rothwell - "Time On My Hands" - (Brendan Rothwell)
13 - 12 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
14 - 14 - Althea Rene - "Gypsy Soul" - (Independent)
15 - 21 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita Records)
16 - 10 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
17 - 15 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
18 - 22 - Blake Aaron - "Color And Passion" - (Innervision)
19 - 19 - Bob Baldwin - "The Brazilian-American Soundtrack" - (City Sketches Inc)
20 - 35 - Keiko Matsui - "Journey To The Heart" - (Shanachie Records)

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Sunday, May 28, 2017

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.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Selena Evangeline Feat. Bill King "Left Alone" on Slaight Music - #jazz

This is the third in the Slaight Music/7 Arts Entertainment signature series of duets with pianist Bill King and Canada’s top vocalists. The Nylons Gavin Hope recorded the inaugural release, For All We Know – a collection of jazz standards, some rhythm & soul and pop classics.

Evangeline charts her own direction focusing on rhythm & blues, soul and jazz songs remembered through the women who made them classics. Gladys Knight, Dinah Washington, Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughan, Patti Labelle, Diana Ross, Billie Holiday, Whitney Houston and others. It’s a grand letter of thanks and testament to the versatility and skill of newcomer Evangeline’s abilities. Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds "Exhale (Shoop, Shoop) has garnered nearly 150,000 Soundcloud cover plays.

Left Alone is a joint effort between Slaight Music and 7Arts Entertainment. Evangeline now lives and works in London, England!



Produced and Arranged by Bill King
All Vocals Selena Evangeline
Acoustic grand piano/ Hammond B3 Organ Bill King
Recorded at Canterbury Music with engineer Jeremy Darby


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Monday, May 22, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 22, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
2 - 2 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 3 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 5 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
5 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
6 - 8 - Peter White - "Groovin'" - (Heads Up/Concord)
7 - 10 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
8 - 7 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 9 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 6 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
11 - 12 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
12 - 11 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
13 - 17 - Brendan Rothwell - "Time On My Hands" - (Brendan Rothwell)
14 - 16 - Althea Rene - "Gypsy Soul" - (Independent)
15 - 15 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
16 - 13 - Peet Project - "Rosy Cheeks" - (Beagle Beat Records)
17 - 18 - Greg Manning - "Sugar & Spice" - (Kalimba)
18 - 45 - Nick Colionne - "The Journey" - (Trippin' 'N' Rhythm)
19 - 23 - Bob Baldwin - "The Brazilian-American Soundtrack" - (City Sketches Inc)
20 - 41 - Maysa - "Love Is A Battlefield" - (Shanachie Entertainment)


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Monday, May 15, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 15, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
2 - 3 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 2 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 5 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
6 - 6 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
7 - 7 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
8 - 9 - Peter White - "Groovin'" - (Heads Up/Concord)
9 - 10 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
10 - 8 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
11 - 11 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
12 - 12 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
13 - 13 - Peet Project - "Rosy Cheeks" - (Beagle Beat Records)
14 - 15 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita Records)
15 - 14 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
16 - 25 - Althea Rene - "Gypsy Soul" - (Independent)
17 - 21 - Brendan Rothwell - "Time On My Hands" - (Brendan Rothwell)
18 - 17 - Greg Manning - "Sugar & Spice" - (Kalimba)
19 - 16 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
20 - 23 - Chris Standring - "Ten" - (Ultimate Vibe Recordings)


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Thursday, May 11, 2017

An Excursion to paradise with a purpose - Barbados Jazz Excursion - #Jazz

Soul-jazz saxman Elan Trotman will host his fourth annual Barbados Jazz Excursion with a festival lineup featuring Will Downing, Norman Brown, Alison Hinds, Marion Meadows, Brian Simpson, Jeanette Harris and Julian Vaughn

Bigger but simpler. That’s the mandate soul-jazz saxophonist Elan Trotman adopted for his flourishing music festival and benefit golf tournament in his native Barbados. Festivalgoers that flock to the fourth annual Barbados Jazz Excursion this Columbus Day Weekend (October 6-8, 2017) will be treated to the biggest and best lineup of contemporary jazz and R&B artists yet assembled at the fest along with a simplified schedule that allows more time to discover the alluring tropical beauty of the Caribbean island. For the second year, Trotman’s Charity Golf Outing will benefit the Never Lose Your Drive Foundation and the Headstart Music Program in Barbados.  

Top-lining the Barbados Jazz Excursion’s opening night marquee is Grammy-winning guitarist Norman Brown, who will share the bill with urban-jazz saxplayer Jeanette Harris and rising star bassist Julian Vaughn. Trotman & Friends, including Barbadian Alison Hinds - known as the Queen of Soca - will be presented in an outdoor setting on the afternoon of day two, concluding pre-sundown to give excursioners the entire evening to discover Barbados’ many dining and nightlife options. Sunday morning, the golfers will hit the wondrous and challenging greens of the Apes Hill Club. The Sunday evening bill will feature Grammy-nominated soul vocalist Will Downing, R&B-jazz saxophonist Marion Meadows and contemporary jazz keyboardist Brian Simpson. The weekend shall conclude with a late night all-star jam session.     
    
“Each year that we have produced the Barbados Jazz Excursion has been a learning experience. We want to ensure that our guests’ experience is better and better by presenting a topnotch lineup, amazing entertainment and first-class luxury accommodations. What gives the weekend more meaning and significance is that we have a nonprofit golf tournament attached thus the events are not just an opportunity to share my country, my culture and my story, but also an opportunity to introduce people to the charity I support that provides music education for elementary school students in Barbados,” said Trotman, who recently released his seventh album, “Electro Sax,” a collection that continues his commitment to incorporate authentic Caribbean sounds into a mix of contemporary jazz and R&B grooves.  

Introducing guests to Barbados has always been at the fore of Trotman’s festival weekend. With that in mind, this fall’s schedule and menu of excursions has been simplified to allow festivalgoers the flexibility to build their own itinerary along with the option to spend more time enjoying the array of amenities and plush accommodations at one of the three host resorts: The Crane, Hilton Barbados Resort and O2: Ocean Two. New for this year is that the Island Adventure Tour visiting scenic and historic locales is now included with the purchase of any festival package. Other exciting excursions on offer are the award-winning Atlantis Submarines Undersea Adventure; the Jolly Roger Lunch Party Cruise that serves up a sumptuous feast and world-famous Jolly Roger Rum Punch while observing sea creatures and sailing past sunken ships; exploring the natural wonders of Harrison’s Cave; and a chance to literally taste Barbados history at the Mount Gay Rum Distillery.
          
The beneficiary of the golf tournament that is expected to include several music and sports celebrity participants, Trotman’s Never Lose Your Drive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that generates funds to support the Headstart Music Program in Barbados, which provides lessons and instruments to students at the beginner’s level.  
For more information or to purchase a Barbados Jazz Excursion package, please visit http://barbadosjazzexcursion.com/.    

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Monday, May 08, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 8, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
2 - 2 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 2 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 4 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 6 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
6 - 5 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
7 - 8 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
8 - 9 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
9 - 10 - Peter White - "Groovin'" - (Heads Up/Concord)
10 - 7 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
11 - 11 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
12 - 14 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
13 - 15 - Peet Project - "Rosy Cheeks" - (Beagle Beat Records)
14 - 12 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
15 - 16 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita Records)
16 - 18 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
17 - 19 - Greg Manning - "Sugar & Spice" - (Kalimba)
18 - 13 - Steve Watson - "Playtime" - (WatsonWood)
19 - 23 - Doc Powell - "This Is Soul" - (DRP Music)
20 - 22 - Darren Rahn - "Sonic Boom" - (Woodward Avenue Records)


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Fatherhood has put saxophonist Jackiem Joyner in a funky mood #jazz

The spirited first single from the “Main Street Beat” album is named for his daughter, Trinity.
 
Delivering on his promise to “Evolve,” the title of Jackiem Joyner’s last soul-jazz album, the saxophonist became a father since his 2014 release, an elation-inducing experience that informs the music he wrote and produced for his new Artistry Music set, “Main Street Beat,” due June 30. The first single from the funky, dance inspiring, Motown-influenced session that will be shipped to radio this month is the exultant “Trinity,” named for Joyner’s first child whose presence on the track is voiced by Steve Oliver’s incandescent acoustic guitar. 
 
Joyner approached crafting “Main Street Beat” with a three-pronged purpose. “I wanted to create something upbeat, fun to listen to and something to dance to. ‘Main Street Beat’ originally started off as a straight funk record that eventually became some of that, but a whole lot more as I allowed the creative process to have its way with me,” said Joyner, a Billboard chart-topper who plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone on the date, often enriching the tracks by laying layer upon layer of horns to form a powerhouse sax section.     
 
The exuberant album opener, “Main Street,” exemplifies the mighty wall-of-horns approach with Joyner playing lead harmonies on alto reinforced by his sax section. Instead of tracking individually, Joyner brought the band – drummer Raymond Johnson, bassist Darryl Williams, electric guitarist Kyle Bolden and piano player Carnell Harrell - into the studio to record six tracks old-school style, including “Back To Motown.” Nick Colionne guests on “When You Smile” to flash his cool electric jazz guitar on the infectious mid-tempo R&B cut. Taking his alto sax chops out for a strut, Joyner cranks up the band for a fiery funk romp down “Southside Boulevard,” one of three tunes that adds Nikolai Egorov’s trombone muscle to the horn section. On a pair of urban joints – “That Good Thing” and “Don’t Make Her Wait” – Joyner plays soprano sax. He takes full command on the stormy “Addicted,” playing every instrument heard on the moody number. “Think James Brown on tenor sax” is how Joyner describes the super funky “Get Down Street.” A pair of high-energy pop-R&B covers – Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” and Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” – complete the outing, songs Joyner elected to record based upon their buoyant, positive nature, which he says mirrors his young  offspring’s personality.    

“My little girl played a huge role in inspiring this album. Having Trinity around during the writing process sparked an enormous font of creativity and really kicked my writing into high gear. The first single, named after her, really captures the excitement and joy of being a dad as well as the exciting little girl that she is. Trinity was right there in the studio during a lot of the writing process. Her jumpy and bouncy upbeat little self is really reflected on this album,” said Joyner, who will launch the record with June concerts in Cincinnati (June 9 at A Celebration of Black Music), Birmingham (June 11 at Jazz in the Park), San Diego (June 25 at Mediterranean’s Jazz and Supper Club) and Philadelphia (June 29 at South).  
 
The release of “Main Street Beat,” Joyner’s sixth album, coincides with his tenth anniversary as a recording artist. His 2007 debut “Babysoul” earned Debut Artist of the Year honors from Smooth Jazz News. Two years later, his sophomore set, “Lil Man Soul,” spawned two No. 1 singles on the Billboard chart and won the Song of the Year trophy for “I’m Waiting For You” from the American Smooth Jazz Awards. His self-titled 2010 album solidified his position as a consistent hit-maker. Revisiting his non-secular roots, Joyner issued the gospel-jazz “Church Boy” in 2012. “Evolve” placed his infectious melodies amidst futuristic electronic sonicscapes. Joyner’s music isn’t his only creative effort that ventured into extraterrestrial territory. Last year, the Norfolk, Virginia native who resides near Los Angeles authored his first book, the science fiction novel “Zarya: Cydnus Final Hope (Book 1). For more information, please visit www.JackiemJoyner.com.
 
“Main Street Beat” contains the following songs:
 
“Main Street”
“Back To Motown”
“Can’t Stop The Feeling”
“Trinity”
“When You Smile”
“Southside Boulevard”
“That Good Thing”
“Treasure”
“Addicted”
“Don’t Make Her Wait”
“Get Down Street”

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Monday, May 01, 2017

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - May 1, 2017 #jazz


TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Nathan East - "Reverence" - (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
2 - 3 - Norman Brown - "Let It Go" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 2 - Rick Braun - "Around The Horn" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 5 - Paul Brown - "One Way Back" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 4 - Marc Antoine - "Laguna Beach" - (Woodward Avenue)
6 - 6 - Richard Elliot - "Summer Madness" - (Heads Up/Concord)
7 - 9 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Prototype" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
8 - 8 - Lindsey Webster - "Back To Your Heart" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
9 - 7 - Gerald Albright - "G" - (Bright)
10 - 27 - Peter White - "Groovin'" - (Heads Up/Concord)
11 - 10 - Brian Culbertson - "Funk!" - (BCM Entertainment)
12 - 14 - Michael Lington - "Second Nature" - (Copenhagen Music)
13 - 11 - Steve Watson - "Playtime" - (WatsonWood)
14 - 12 - John Novello - "Ivory Soul" - (529 Music)
15 - 13 - Peet Project - "Rosy Cheeks" - (Beagle Beat Records)
16 - 15 - Lawson Rollins - "3 Minutes To Midnight" - (Infinita Records)
17 - 16 - Kayla Waters - "Apogee" - (Independent)
18 - 18 - Cindy Bradley - "Natural" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
19 - 21 - Greg Manning - "Sugar & Spice" - (Kalimba)
20 - 17 - Threestyle - "Road To Monterey" - (Welovemusic Records)


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