The vibe is live on “China Moses & The Vibe Tribe” #jazz

Jazz-soul singer-songwriter China Moses to drop an EP on October 8

She’s got an old-soul aura to go with a vibrant artistic edge. Singer-songwriter China Moses is blessed with the jazz appeal of a classic torch singer, the power of an R&B diva and the swagger of a hip-hop hero. The scion of legendary jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater is an international talent poised for a major breakthrough in her native USA. As Moses works on her seventh album that is slated for release next year, she has a four-song digital EP ready to reintroduce her genre-blending artistry to the American audience. “China Moses & The Vibe Tribe” drops October 8 on the historic MPS Records label (via Edel Germany/Bob Frank Entertainment in North America) and is preceded by a pair of singles and videos.       

 

Moses dropped her first album, “Nightintales,” for the MPS imprint in 2017, which she and The Vibe Tribe - saxophonist Luigi Grasso, keyboardist & pianist Joe Armon Jones, pianist & organist Ashley Henry, bassist Neil Charles and drummer Marijus Aleksa - supported with extensive touring. Capturing the kinetic and highly combustible energy of their concerts, the first two cuts on the EP, “Nicotine” and “Put It On The Line,” were recorded live in London after wrapping four years of touring throughout Europe and Asia. The live versions of both tunes were recently issued as singles and appear in their original form on “Nightintales.” 

 

“There is an inexplicable musical alchemy that is born during live performances. And after touring ‘Nightintales’ throughout the world, I wanted to capture the essence of the sound created on stage. These songs are extensions of my sound. This is us in our truest format, feeding off of each other’s energy. Just ‘us,’ musically in the raw creating a vibe…a Vibe Tribe. If someone asks me what my concerts sound like, I play them the new EP,” said the Los Angeles-born, Paris-based Moses.

 

Ruminating on her difficult relationship with cigarette smoking, Moses wrote “Nicotine” comparing her addiction to a “no-good lover.” A smoky, black-and-white video was lensed for the bluesy ballad meets bebop jazz tune (https://youtu.be/t4yiZR2kSqI). Moses walks the streets of London pondering passion and taking chances on “Put It On The Line,” another black-and-white clip that includes performance footage (https://youtu.be/CTJh7FiVA_U).

 

The third track is a smoldering, juke joint reimagination of Janis Joplin’s “Move Over,” and the EP is completed by a clubby remix by Ben Marc of “Breaking Point,” another number culled from “Nightintales.” 

 

Writing ten new songs with British keyboardist-singer-songwriter Oli Rockberger, Moses is in the studio producing her next full-length studio album with Troy Miller. The set will include horn arrangements by GRAMMY nominated trumpeter Theo Croker.

 

Moses debuted as a solo artist while still a teenager in 1997 with the “China” album. In addition to her music career, the daughter of theater and film director Gilbert Moses has acted and enjoyed a long tenure as an MTV France on-air personality. She hosts two radio shows, Late Night China Moses on Jazz FM in the United Kingdom and Made in China on TSF Jazz in France. For more information, please visit http://chinamoses.com.

 

The “China Moses & The Vibe Tribe” EP contains:

 

“Nicotine”

“Put It On The Line”

“Move Over”

“Breaking Point” (Ben Marc Remix)

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - September 27, 2021 #jazz

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Intimate hangs inspire Brian Culbertson’s “Trilogy” #jazz

The first album in the series dropped Friday and was preceded by the single “Feel the Love.”
 
Hitmaker Brian Culbertson never imagined hanging with fans online would lead to something of a collaborative masterclass spawning an album trilogy, but that’s how “The Trilogy” was conceived. The first album in the series, an intimate, passion-themed set titled “The Trilogy, Part 1: Red,” dropped Friday from BCM Entertainment. Written, produced and performed by Culbertson, the multi-instrumentalist credits members of his Hang Club with helping him craft the tracks, title the songs, and even assist with the cover artwork via weekly members-only YouTube Live sessions.
 

As viewership for Culbertson’s Friday night Facebook Live show, The Hang, took off in the spring of 2020 while he was unable to tour, he hatched the idea of creating The Hang Club, providing exclusive perks and behind-the-scenes opportunities for tier two members and above, including access to smaller Monday and Wednesday night live streams via YouTube unlisted. The Monday night sessions evolved into somewhat of a masterclass at which “Professor BC,” as Hang Club members dubbed him, wrote songs with immediate input from the Hang Club.
 
“What was cool about it was I truly got instant fan feedback of what they were digging and what they may not like. I got to bring them along, educating the fanbase on what an early demo sounds like, which is nothing like a finished record. I had to educate everyone’s ears to understand where it starts - the beginning, middle and end - after it’s mastered and how it really transforms over time and gets better and better and better slowly. That’s been a fun part both from my side and for them,” said Culbertson about Hang Club members.
 
As he wrote more material, Culbertson began to notice that the songs emotionally fell into three distinctive categories: passion, melancholy and hope. Then he envisioned assigning a color scheme to each theme: red, blue and white.
 
“When I first started the process, I did not have ‘The Trilogy’ in mind. I was just writing new songs at that point. I started writing a bunch and it slowly came into focus that they all sounded sonically similar in terms of the production style. However, the feeling that you would get from the songs became clear in three distinct groups. For instance, on ‘Red,’ all those songs were clearly about passion and love. Some of the songs were melancholy, sad – really made you think…introspection. Then, the third section of songs were more fun, happy and hopeful. ‘The Trilogy’ mirrors a relationship arc. ‘Red’ is the steamy beginning, ‘Blue’ is the rocky middle, and ‘White’ is the ‘and they lived happily ever after.’”
 
“The Trilogy, Part 1: Red” is an alluring, atmospheric listen. The rhythmic grooves churn seductively as deep bass and captivating melodies bathe and caress body, mind and soul. Romantic and desirous, steamy and intense, sultry and sexy.
 
Keeping with the cozy nature of the material, Culbertson plays most of the instruments himself, including piano, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 organ, bass, drums and percussion, trombone, and even some guitar. The record includes contributions by guitarists Isaiah Sharkey, Randy Bowland and Darnell “Showcase” Taylor; bassists Alex Al and Rishon Odell, and vocalist Micaela Haley. Culbertson also surprises with dreamy, layered vocalese on “Infatuation” and a full lead wordless vocal on “Lost in You.” In fact, the latter made it onto the album at the urging of the Hang Club.    
 
“I was messing around trying to write a cool-sounding track, thinking maybe one day someone would put lyrics to it. I had it in the vault for a while. One night, I played it for the Hang Club, and they freaked out. They loved it and said it should be on the record,” said Culbertson, who revealed that his vocalese will appear on all three parts of “The Trilogy.”
 
The first track from “The Trilogy, Part 1: Red” issued as a single is “Feel the Love,” a sensual instrumental R&B groove that opens the album and sets the mood for what’s to come.
 
An element that stands out while listening to the lavish sonicscapes that Culbertson constructed for his 23^rd album is the lofty production qualities. The tracks are textured tapestries, intricate and lush yet still full of space. As a producer, Culbertson is in constant pursuit of new sounds, growing, evolving and elevating the listening experience of his albums with each successive recording.
 
“I’m trying to make music that is fresh sounding and hopefully has sounds that you have never heard before. But of course, it’s mixed with sounds you are familiar with, like my piano, Rhodes and organ…whatever it may be. But all the extra stuff around it, that’s where you can get really creative and look for unique and exciting sounds that take you somewhere new or somewhere else,” said Culbertson who has tallied close to forty Billboard No. 1 singles as an artist, songwriter and/or producer.
 
Culbertson is about seventy percent through the second and third parts of “The Trilogy” and will continue to rely on the Hang Club’s input to help complete the sets. The “Blue” album is slated to release on January 14, 2022, and the “White” album will drop on May 6, 2022. That will make it three albums – 30 songs – in an eight-month span. A challenge inherent with being so prolific is how to present all the music live.
 
“I will have released four new albums since I last toured (“Winter Stories,” “XX,” “Music From The Hang” and now “The Trilogy, Part 1: Red”), five if you count the ‘Soundscapes’ EP (a nature-themed foray into film music released last March). Therefore, I have a lot of new music to play on tour. The show is going to be full of songs that you know and love, plus some songs from the newer albums. Basically, a mix of the classics and a handful of the new stuff,” said Culbertson who just finished his third annual Chicago Jazz Getaway festival and will be out on a three-week concert trek in November throughout the South, Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest.
 
For more information about “The Trilogy” and Culbertson’s concert dates, please visit http://www.brianculbertson.com.
 
“The Trilogy, Part 1: Red” contains the following songs:
 
“Feel the Love”
“Just Let Go”
“Come on Over”
“Infatuation”
“Deep in the Night”
“Whispers”
“Eyes Closed”
“Lost in You”
“One More Kiss”
“Dreamstate”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - September 20, 2021 #jazz

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St. Louis fusion band Soul Café returns with first studio album in 18 years #jazz

ST. LOUIS-BASED FUSION BAND SOUL CAFÉ RETURNS WITH A STUNNING BLEND OF PROGRESSIVE JAZZ, ROUSING FUNK, DRIVING HORNS AND LATIN-INSPIRED RHYTHMS ON FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN 18 YEARS

Step Aside, due out October 15, 2021 on Autumn Hill Records, finds guitarist/founder Ed Starrett and his six-piece band in celebratory spirits following his battle with leukemia Video premiere for title track at JAZZIZ

Led by guitarist/composer Ed “Mr. Ed” Starrett, the vibrant fusion ensemble known as Soul Café has been thrilling audiences in the St. Louis area for more than 20 years with their blend of complex jazz and funk, Latin accents and driving grooves. Now, with their new album Step Aside, the soulful six-piece band urges listeners to clear a path for their exhilarating, infectious sound.   Due out October 15, 2021 via Autumn Hill Records, Step Aside also serves as both reintroduction and rebirth for Starrett and Soul Café. It’s the band’s first album wholly composed of original material since their 2003 debut, Unspoken Request; the first studio session for the band’s stellar current line-up, which has honed its sound over a dozen years together; and the first outing for the band following Starrett’s nearly decade-long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. JAZZIZ has the video premiere for the album's title track here:  https://www.jazziz.com/louis-armstrong-soul-cafe-hiromi-more-new-release-cheat-sheet/   The title Step Aside has a couple of meanings for me,” Starrett explains. “We as a band are stepping aside from what we’ve done in the past a way and bringing our own identity to the forefront. On a more personal level, I was able to walk through a very dark, challenging and difficult time while keeping this band together and moving forward. So for me, Step Aside means that I can finally put that chapter behind me.”   Starrett founded Soul Café in 1998, upon settling in St. Louis. He’d attended school in the area and moved back to his native Chicago, but personal and professional opportunities mixed with the desire for a less hectic home base led him back to the Gateway City. The band’s sound reflects the influences of such fusion greats as Yellowjackets, John Patitucci, Lee Ritenour and Chuck Loeb, as well as St. Louis’ own (and Autumn Hill labelmate) Dave Weckl.   A primary model for the band, though, was the eclectic funk-fusion band Koinonia, co-founded by the prolific bassist Abraham Laboriel. Starrett repaid the debt on Soul Café’s 2003 debut with the tribute tune “Trujillo,” named for the region of Laboriel’s Honduran roots.   “I always gravitated towards driving instrumental jazz music,” Starrett says. “I'm into very syncopated, very progressive, unpredictable music where the writing is a little bit more complex. If you put that together with percussion and a horn section, like Santana meets Tower of Power, then I start doing backflips.”   Given the deft and diverse skills of Soul Café’s current line-up, Starrett may soon be an Olympic-level gymnast. The majority of the band has maintained a consistent line-up for the last twelve years: keyboardist Jerry Scruggs, drummer Tim Quarells, bassist Charles “Bud” Quarells, and percussionist Donald Williams.   The one exception is saxophonist Jason Swagler, who joined just four years ago but has long been in the band’s orbit; he is Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville and was part of the horn section that guested on Unspoken Request. He’s quickly become an integral member of the band, serving as producer on the new album as well as assembling and arranging for the horn section of SIU colleagues Garrett Schmidt (trumpet) and Cody Henry (trombone).   It took five years for Soul Café to release its first album, though it was immediately embraced by the thriving local jazz scene. The band was voted Best New Artist by St. Louis Jazz Radio in 2003, and it has since headlined the Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival three times and has been featured at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival, the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival and the St. Louis Art Fair, among other events.   It was in the very same year, however, that Starrett was diagnosed with stage four chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Despite three grueling rounds of chemotherapy he managed to keep the band active, documenting Soul Café’s crowd-pleasing live shows on the 2012 album Live at the Wildey Theatre, which featured dazzling renditions of tunes by many of the band’s formative influences.   With his condition now under control thanks to a newly FDA-approved medication and a book of remarkable tunes contributed by most of the band’s members, Starrett is determined to showcase Soul Café on its own rejuvenated terms. Keyboardist Scruggs contributed the first two pieces, the loping grooves of “Major Over Minor” followed by the bristling Yellowjackets-inspired fusion piece “It’s On the Way.” Scruggs also penned the glistening ballad “Sunset in May” and the deeply funky closing tune, “Back Home.”   Opening with a brief, psychedelic meditation by Starrett, the title tune captures the hard-driving jazz-rock sound that ignites Starrett’s passions as well as the steely determination that steered him through the personal challenges he’s had to endure. He repurposes the title of the band’s debut album for his other contribution, “Unspoken Request,” whose glossy, silken vibe hints at the calm façade we often maintain while repressing our secret pain and grief.   A showcase for the band’s rhythmic tandem, “Great Things” was written by drummer Tim Quarells and is driven by his propulsive connection with percussionist Donald Williams. Swagler contributed the taut, rocking “Another Cup,” which harkens back to the arena virtuosity of bands like Return To Forever and Weather Report.   Rather than looking back at the struggles of the past, on Step Aside Starrett and his gifted cohorts choose the celebrate the potential of a reinvigorated future. “This new chapter that's ahead of me is a refreshing one,” Starrett says. “I can be creative and inspired, and I feel like there are so many more things I need to do. I'm living in that new chapter now -- the one that I had hoped for and have been moving towards for so long.” Purchase link for Step Aside: https://www.soulcafejazz.com/purchase-cd Soul Café on the web: Official Site: https://www.soulcafejazz.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Soul-Cafe-Jazz-266024856756675/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoulCafeJazz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcafejazz/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNUEPEJullBxQ7jVu09xNxw

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Blowing Some Steam A Song of Hope brings the heat, taking Eric Wyatt to the next level #jazz

As the follow-up to his 2019 release The Golden Rule: For Sonny, Eric Wyatt’s A Song of Hope is vastly different in both tone and intent. Where the former was a tour de force, a tribute to Sonny Rollins and a straight-ahead blast of bop, Wyatt’s new record is more adventurous, colorful, unpredictable, and wide-ranging. Both are beautiful, for some of the same—but also different—reasons. 

Wyatt says that his heightened performance on A Song of Hope is a response to being in Covid lockdown. “I think the energy you hear on this recording came from the fact that I hadn’t played out in so long, so I was really pushing the music. I didn’t play any gigs at all from February until July, when Spike Wilner gave me a gig at Smalls, one of those short one-hour sets. And then Mike Boone called me to play at a new club in Philly just a week before my record date. I did that gig on a Friday, and the next Thursday I was at Van Gelder Studios.”

A Song of Hope resonates like a team effort and serves as a healing balm for stressful times.  On songs like “Fur Live” and McCoy Tyner’s “Contemplation,” Wyatt, along with drum legend Jeff “Tain” Watts, together lay it all on the table. Bassist Eric Wheeler’s generous tones and agile lines keep things grounded, while Donald Vega’s keys bring freshness in his comping and excitement in his solos. 

As always, Watts underscores everything with tremendous dexterity. His presence elevates Wyatt, so much so that the duo’s playing suggests shades of a Coltrane/Elvin Jones tandem. Trumpeters Theo Croker and Chris Lowery, trombonist Clifton Anderson, and percussionist Kahlil Kwame Bell all contribute healthy doses of talent and taste. Elsewhere, as on the Breonna Taylor requiem “Say Her Name,” the lights dim, and the contrast is luminous. On Wyatt’s soulful take on Sting’s “Fragile,” with Wyatt on soprano sax, he invites singer Samara Joy, the 21-year-old winner of the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, to chime in, and she does so with drama and elegance. 

Recorded in a single session at Van Gelder’s historic Englewood Cliffs studio, A Song of Hope brings all the brio you’d expect from Wyatt and more. His intent to shine beaming rays of optimism across what was then a barren musical landscape is noble, fulfilling. In accomplishing that intention, the man and his saxophone embrace new ideas, expand the band’s musical boundaries, and create a vast and gratifying journey for the listener to enjoy. “When I listen back to this work, I’m amazed that we got it done,” he says. “But I wanted to give a message that we need to be hopeful, and music does have that quality in it. You know, you play a song, maybe you get a little smile from it. And if it does that for somebody, then I feel like I made a statement.”

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Vincent Ingala Announces ‘Fire & Desire’ for September 17 #jazz

To live a life of filled with passion and purpose is one of the greatest gifts of all. The wise, young and chart-topping multi-instrumental genius Vincent Ingala seems to have mastered this feat. A Billboard Smooth Jazz Artist Of The Year, Ingala has garnered 18 Top 10 Smooth Jazz radio singles and ten #1 radio hits. “I believe it is our job as musicians to simply make music that people enjoy, and hopefully along the way, bring some happiness and inspiration into their lives,” shares the Prospect, CT native. “That is certainly my hope for when Fire & Desire is heard.” September 17, 2021 Shanachie Entertainment will release the multi-instrumentalist’s third recording for the label and seventh as a leader. The charismatic and handsome Ingala has endeared fans, contemporaries and critics alike with his consummate musicianship, fun-loving stage presence, energized and inspired performances and all-around passion. “My earliest memories are of banging on pots and pans until my parents had to buy me a drum kit and from there it was like a domino effect.” From banging on pots to churning out hits, Ingala is a chameleon in the recording studio. Like an alchemist, he concocts the perfect elixir of his broad musical influences spanning the worlds of Jazz, R&B, Disco, Pop and beyond. On the exhilarating Fire & Desire, Ingala confidently dons multiple hats. He plays every instrument heard on the new album from saxophones and keyboards to drums, guitar and bass. He also produced, recorded and mixed the album, as well as composed all of the songs with the exception of Jimmy Roach’s “Disco Sax,” recorded in tribute to tenor titan Houston Person. Due to the challenges of the past year, Ingala was able to hone in and devote his undivided attention to Fire & Desire. “If anything, the most positive result of recording during the pandemic was the amount of time I had to dedicate to this project alone without any other distractions that could affect the flow.”

Check out On The Move, the first single from the new project.

Shanachie Entertainment · Vincent Ingala - On The Move

With the release of Fire & Desire and the upcoming Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns and Peter White Christmas tours, Vincent Ingala is excited to reconnect with his fans.” Most of us have had to get creative and use the internet to our advantage to broadcast live streams and artist collaborations. While it was a great way to stay in touch and remain connected with our music family in a time of crisis, it can still never replace the interaction of a live audience and physically being there in person. This time away has given me a greater appreciation for performing and interacting with my colleagues and live audiences. I am ready and can’t wait to be back at it again!”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - September 13, 2021 #jazz

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Remembering 9/11/2001

Contemporary jazz guitarist Richard Smith celebrates the enduring soul connection he shares with saxophonist Richard Elliot #jazz

“Soul Share” goes for playlist adds on September 20

 

 

 “You never forget the first band you toured with or the first albums you made,” said contemporary jazz guitarist Richard Smith, who likened the bond between bandmembers to sports teammates.

 

“Music is a team sport. There’s giving and lots of tossing the ball to your teammates.”

 

Sports teams speak of the team building that takes place during road trips and the lessons learned that bring athletes closer together. Smith says the same applies to musicians. In his case, he spent a formative decade playing alongside hitmaking saxophonist Richard Elliot. While that musical partnership was formed over 30 years ago, the relationship created a lasting bond as evidenced by Smith’s forthcoming single, “Soul Share,” which features Elliot. The track will begin collecting playlist adds on September 20.  

 

Smith began touring and recording with Elliot in the late 1980s. The guitarist had just graduated the music school at the University of Southern California and began an “intense” study in the saxman’s band during a seminal time for instrumental music that incorporated contemporary jazz, R&B, funk, fusion and pop.

 

“The genre was still developing. We just called it instrumental soul, or fusion, or funky-jazz and our music was comparatively intense as far as tempos, beats and solos. Richard (Elliot) was the quintessential strong leader having come out of the Tower of Power training camp. He’s a massive talent and the band had ridiculously good players. Being in Richard’s band provided an incredible education post-USC experience. I always called the Elliot band my second master’s degree,” said Smith, who wrote and produced “Soul Share” with fellow guitarist and Billboard chart-topper Adam Hawley.

 

Although “Soul Share” has a vivacious melody, buoyant guitar-and-sax banter, and a boisterous feel, those early tours weren’t easy or glamorous.  

 

“We toured in a rented Lincoln Town Car and equipment vans, taking turns driving, occasionally through snow-storms and tornadoes, to play shows in bowling alleys or open for larger acts that wouldn’t let us have monitors on stage or use lights. We became jazz commandos, winning our audience one tough gig at a time,” recalled Smith.

 

“Soul Share” benefits from a big band arrangement by Jacob Mann and David Mann’s horn arrangement along with trumpet play by Trevor Neumann. Drummer Eric Valentine and bassist Mel Brown tap out the rhythmic structure to which Hawley chimes in on keyboards and rhythm guitar. “Soul Share” clearly relishes in the enduring chemistry between Smith’s nifty fretwork and Elliot’s impassioned sax, a track celebrating an era as well as the connection between the two protagonists.

 

“It’s hard to think in terms of decades, but one of the best things about getting older is looking back and ‘getting’ each other on a sort of survivor level. Richard and I shared that for ten years forged through thousands of miles and many hit songs. ‘Soul Share’ honors those lessons I learned in ‘the college of the road,’ way back at the start of a new music genre,” said Smith, who will include the single on his 13^th album, “Language of the Soul,” which he hopes to drop in the first quarter next year from Chillharmonic Media.

Smith has been in a reflective mindset ever since his stage three throat cancer diagnosis last year, which inspired his first single in five years, “Let’s Roll,” that was released last March. Now cancer free, he continues as a professor in the guitar department at the Thornton School of Music at USC, which is where he first encountered his former student, Hawley. In addition to his years spent flanking Elliot, Smith has recorded or shared the stage with Peter White, Kenny G, Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Eric Marienthal, Brian Bromberg, Warren Hill, Everette Harp and Dan Siegel. His “SOuLIDIFIED” (2003) album spent 17 weeks in the top 10 in terms of airplay and his 2015 set, “Tangos,” spent more than five months in the top 10 of the indie and contemporary jazz charts.

 

For more information, please visit https://www.richardsmithguitar.com.

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Legendary pianist Chick Corea’s first posthumous release, a spirited live album by his beloved Akoustic Band, is due out September 24, 2021 #jazz

Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE reunites Corea with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl, together as a trio for the first time in more than two decades. Watch the ALBUM TRAILER

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - September 6, 2021 #jazz

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"TUNE FOR TONY" KEYBOARDIST/PRODUCER DAVID GARFIELD SHARES HEARTFELT DOCUMENTARY #jazz

"TUNE FOR TONY" KEYBOARDIST/PRODUCER DAVID GARFIELD SHARES HEARTFELT DOCUMENTARY WATCH HERE

Featuring rare footage, personal stories, and more about Garfield's composition "Tune for Tony," written in honor of drum legend Tony Williams Track will appear on Stretchin’ Outside The Box, due out September 27 via Creatchy Records For Immediate Release - Contemporary jazz keyboardist and producer David Garfield is renowned as an in-demand touring and session musician, working over 30 years as George Benson’s musical director.   For Garfield, the joy of music-making begins and ends with the opportunity to play with some of the finest musicians in the business. That’s what his Outside the Box series is all about. For each project, Garfield collaborates with the world's top vocalists and musicians. Together they create a mix of originals and fresh takes on classic songs that range from contemporary to straight-ahead jazz. "Tune for Tony" is Garfield's original composition written in honor of the late, great Tony Williams. The track will appear on his September 27 release, Stretchin’ Outside The Box, the sixth and final installment in his Outside The Box series. DownBeat recently premiered "Tune for Tony" stating: “Back in 2003, keyboardist David Garfield released an album called Giving Back, included in the set was his composition ‘Tune For Tony,’ in honor of legendary drummer Tony Williams. It featured an all-star cast — Michael and Randy Brecker, Will Lee, Jimmy Johnson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gregg Bissonette, Steve Lukather and Garfield. Garfield — an accomplished producer as well as former sideman with Freddie Hubbard, George Benson and Willie Bobo — has remixed and remastered the track releasing it as a single for his Outside The Box Series.”  Watch Garfield's "Tune for Tony" documentary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH46oTDwmno Stretchin’ Outside The Box is available for pre-order here: http://smarturl.it/0fxst3   David Garfield on the web: Official Site: www.creatchy.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidGarfieldMusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CreatchyRecords Twitter: https://twitter.com/creatchy

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Groove jazz guitarist dee Brown to reveal “Deep Secrets” on September 3 #jazz

The album drops a few days before the single “Tie The Knot” featuring Lin Rountree goes for playlist adds.

 

That’s the good book on the cover of groove jazz guitarist dee Brown’s forthcoming album, not a tantalizing spy novel titled “Deep Secrets.” But like a thrilling page turner, Brown delves into mystery on his fifth album that drops September 3 on Innervision Records. He ponders God’s mysteries on the collection of R&B, jazz, soul and gospel songs that he wrote and produced with GRAMMY nominated producer Valdez Brantley with production and mixing assistance from Billboard chart-topper Blake Aaron, multiple GRAMMY nominee Darren Rahn and Nate Harasim.

 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets,” said Brown quoting from the book of Corinthians about his inspiration for the album. 

 

The Detroit-area native began writing music for the new set a couple of years ago and after losing his mother to whom the album is dedicated, he turned to his faith for inspiration. When COVID-19 hit accompanied by quarantine and restrictions, Brown’s recording process had to shift into remote mode with the musicians recording their tracks in their home studios and emailing them to Brown and Brantley (piano, keyboards, strings and programming). With Brown’s electric guitar seemingly issuing lyrical admonitions, the first single, “Smooth Talk,” hit the Billboard top 30 last fall. He again quotes scripture to reveal the song’s origins.   

 

“The song has to do with people who try to convince you to do things you don’t really want to do. Romans 16 says, ‘Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words, they deceive innocent people,’” said Brown about the cut that fades with a soul-powered saxophone solo by Michael Parlett.   

 

The next album preview came a few months later when the feel-good groove “The Prize” was released for airplay. Sunny and sublime, it’s another tune that has spiritual roots. 

 

“The prize is what we are all striving for. To paraphrase Corinthians, ‘Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? We do it for an eternal prize. I run with purpose in every step,” said Brown.

 

Bassist Darryl Williams and drummer Tony Moore carve a deep, tight groove on “Love You Too,” released last March as a single, garnering over 100,000 YouTube views. And now comes “Tie The Knot,” the fourth single from “Deep Secrets,” which goes for playlist adds on September 6. Soul trumpeter Lin Rountree serves as a standout counterpart to Brown’s cool-toned guitar come-ons.         

 

Brown’s subjects throughout “Deep Secrets” explore passions and habits (“Controlled Passion”), the spiritual quest (“Make Up Your Mind”), purpose (“Wake Up”), divine will (“Surrender”), and his first grandchild (“Pretty Girl (Skyler)”). William Murphy III wrote the gospel standard “Praise Is What I Do,” an epic seven-minute sermon that finds Brown’s guitar emphatically preaching from the pulpit amidst a sweeping orchestral opening, Gerard Brooks’ impassioned lead vocals, a celestial gospel choir and Merlon Devine’s soprano sax illuminations.  

Brown debuted as a solo artist on 2007’s “No Time To Waste” and released his first album for Innervision Records, “Brown Sugar Honey-Coated Love,” seven years ago. His singles have consistently found their way onto the charts over the years. In concert settings, the guitarist has performed or shared the stage with legends, hitmakers and award winners - from Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau, Jeffrey Osborne, BeBe Winans and Ohio Players to Bob James, Spyro Gyra, Gerald Albright, Brian Culbertson, Najee, Paul Taylor, Paul Brown, Mindi Abair and Alexander Zonjic, among others.   

“Deep Secrets” contains the following songs:

 

“Love You Too”

“Smooth Talk”

“The Prize”

“Surrender”

“Make Up Your Mind”

“Wake Up”

“Praise Is What I Do”

“Deep Secrets”

“Controlled Passion”

“Tie The Knot”

“Pretty Girl (Skyler)”

 

For more information, please visit https://www.deebrownmusic.com.

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