Upcoming New Jazz Releases - Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore (Castle Pulse )
Alex Tassel - Head Or Tails ( )
Antonio Sanchez - Live In New York At Jazz Standard (Phantom )
Antonio Sanchez - Live In New York (Cam Jazz )
Bill Frisell - Beautiful Dreamers (Savoy Jazz )
Bobby Bradford - One Night Stand (Soul Note )
Bodines - Played ( )
Brian Simpson - South Beach (Shanachie )
Cannonball Adderley - Jazz Manifesto (Jazz Manifesto )
Chico Pinheiro - There's A Storm Inside (Sunny Side )
Chris Standring - 21 Soul Jazz Deluxe Collection (Phantom )
Chucho Valdes - Chucho's Steps ( )
Danilo Perez - Providencia (Mack Avenue )
Dom Um Romao - Lake Of Perseverance (Joey )
Elliott Sharp - Afiadacampos (Neos )
European Jazz Trio - Best Of Chopin (M&I Japan/Zoom )
Jacques Schwarz-Bart - Rise Above (Dreyfus )
Jesus "Chucho" Valdes - Chucho's Steps (Four Quarters Entertainment )
John Coltrane - Slowtrane (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Jonathan Butler - Faith Love & Joy: Great Spiritual Inspi (N-Coded )
Jonathan Butler - Faith, Love & Joy: Great Spiritual Inspirationals (N-Coded Music )
Keith Jarrett - Still Live (Pid )
Keith Jarrett - Tribute (Pid )
Kirk Whalum - Everything Is Everything: The Music Of D (Rendezvous Ent. )
Labfield - Collab (Hubro )
Manfred Kniel Reduction & His - Low Down Music (Neos )
Marcus Miller - Original Album Classics:Sun Don't Lie (JVC Japan/Zoom )
Mats Eilertsen - Radio Yonder (Hubro )
Michel Legrand - Archi-Cordes: Di-Gue-Ding-Ding Danse (Phantom )
Michel Legrand - 50 Years Of Music & Movies (Kultur Video ) - DVD-Video
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew: Legacy Edition (Legacy )
Milton Nascimento - Clube Da Esquina ( )
Mina Agossi - Just Like A Lady (Naive )
Nils Petter Molvaer - Hamada (Emarcy )
Oli Silk - All We Need (Trippin & Rhyth )
Original Hits: Jazz - Original Hits: Jazz (Phantom )
Patricia Romania - Sou Brasileira (M&I Japan/Zoom )
Portico Quartet - Isla (Real World Records/Ra )
Rebecca Martin - When I Was Long Ago (Sunny Side )
Schwarz-Bart Jacques Featuring Stephani - Rise Above (Dreyfus )
Scott Colley - Empire (Phantom )
Simone & Her Hawaiia - Aromas Of Hawaii (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Splashgirl - Arbor (Hubro )
Stephanie McKay / Jacques Schwarz-Bart - Rise Above ( )
Valdes. Chucho - Chucho's Steps (Four Quarters )
Vijay Iyer - Solo (Amv )
Vinicius Cantuaria - Samba Carioca ( )
Wynton Marsalis - Marsalis,Wynton Vol. 1-Marsalis Standard Time (Phantom )
Yoel Diaz Cuban Jazz Session - Encuentros (Disques Artic )

Reissues
Sergio Mendes - Timeless (Concord)

Our thanks to:

New release information provided by allaboutjazz.com
The Upcoming Release Center at allaboutjazz.com is the most comprehensive new release listing for jazz music on the internet.
The information is updated biweekly by John Kelman

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Herbie Hancock Salutes John Lennon, World Music in 70th Year: Interview

Herbie Hancock’s latest album takes its title from a John Lennon song that imagined a world with no national boundaries. Fittingly, “The Imagine Project” features an international group of musicians who recorded songs in cities around the globe.

The collection of 10 songs, released in June, pairs Hancock with a group that includes American jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter, British guitarist Jeff Beck, Indian sitar player Anoushka Shankar, Brazilian singer-songwriter Ceu, South African-born rocker Dave Matthews and American singers John Legend and Chaka Khan.

Artists from 11 nations recorded in six countries using seven languages.

“This CD is clearly about globalization and in a way is a call to arms,” Hancock, who turned 70 in April, said by phone from his Los Angeles home. “We need to put into practice the idea of embracing other cultures. We need to be shaping the kind of world we want to live in instead of waiting for someone else or some other entities to do it for us.”

After touring Europe in July, the Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer and bandleader is performing this month in the U.S., including a 70th-birthday celebration concert on Sept. 1 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Mumbai, Miami

Hancock, who has been a Buddhist for almost four decades, recorded the album in cities where his collaborators lived. “The Song Goes On” was taped with Shankar (along with Khan and Shorter) in Mumbai. Ceu sang the sultry ballad “Tempo de Amor” in Sao Paulo, while Colombia native Juanes recorded “La Tierra” in his adopted home of Miami.

Hancock said he hopes the album will help Americans better understand other cultures.
“We’re known for being arrogant, but some of it is through our own ignorance,” Hancock said.
While the CD isn’t a blockbuster, it has found an audience among jazz fans. “Imagine” peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s jazz charts and is currently ranked No. 6. Commercial success wasn’t Hancock’s main goal, however.

“I wanted to make a record that didn’t sound foreign to Americans, but would be foreign at the same time,” he said. “That was a challenge, but I think I achieved it.”

Child Prodigy

In his 54 recordings, the Chicago native has etched a permanent mark on jazz, funk and rhythm and blues. A child prodigy, he performed Mozart with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when he was 11. His first recording, “Takin’ Off” attracted the attention of trumpeter Miles Davis in 1962. Davis asked Hancock to join his band of young lions, which included Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams.

In the 1970s, Hancock branched out into a blend of jazz and funk with his groundbreaking group, the Head Hunters, which produced the hit single “Chameleon.” His Grammy-winning instrumental, “Rockit,” one of the first pop songs to incorporate turntable scratching sounds, thrust him into the mainstream in 1983.

Although he continued to record jazz records, his genre- blending collaborations have earned the most praise. His 2007 tribute to Joni Mitchell, “River: The Joni Letters,” won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album and Album of the Year.

When Hancock takes the stage at the Hollywood Bowl next month, he’ll reunite with Juanes, Shorter and guitarist Derek Trucks to play songs from the “Imagine” sessions.

Classical CD

Hancock’s current touring band includes Greg Phillinganes, a former music director for Michael Jackson; guitarist Lionel Loueke; bassist/vocalist Kristina Train; and Grammy-winning drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. He’ll also perform some of his signature jazz compositions with Shorter.

Inspired by his concerts last year with Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Hancock said he may record a classical CD. But music doesn’t consume all his time and energy.

“I no longer perceive myself as being just a musician,” said Hancock, who holds the creative jazz chair at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “I perceive myself as a human being first, and being a musician is something I do. My concerns today are much larger than the field of music.”

For information on Hancock’s U.S. tour: http://www.herbiehancock.com/home.php.
(Patrick Cole is a reporter for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on this story: Patrick Cole in New York at pcole3@bloomberg.net.

By Patrick Cole - Aug 24, 2010 Bloomberg.com
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Dave Koz - "Hello Tomorrow" - On Concord October 12, 2010

In a career that spans 20 years and a dozen albums, saxophonist Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary jazz. Yet, as noteworthy as his body of recorded work, entertaining live performances and other past accomplishments might be, Koz finds himself in an era of dramatic and sweeping change where everything once taken for granted is suddenly up for grabs. For Koz – and for all of us in this first decade of the new century – it’s a new day, full of new challenges and opportunities, and new rules that are still being written.

"Put The Top Down" Single on iTunes

Koz embraces this era of change – and even the uncertainty that comes with it – on Hello Tomorrow, his debut on Concord Records. Produced by Grammy-winners John Burk and Marcus Miller (who also appears on several tracks), the album features a diverse army of high-profile guests: Herb Alpert, Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson, Sheila E., Boney James, Jeff Lorber, Keb’ Mo’, Ray Parker, Jr., Lee Ritenour, Christian Scott and others. Each of the thirteen tracks – most of then written by Koz and his collaborators, others penned by friends and legends – focuses on being open to new beginnings, and trusting that the future is unfolding in all the right ways for all the right reasons.

“I’m excited to be with a new record label, Concord Records, after nearly 20 years,” says Koz, “but it’s been a big change for me personally, and there’s always some apprehension that comes with big changes. The more people I talk to, the more I realize that there are millions of people with a similar story. Circumstances have forced them to take a step in a different direction or reinvent themselves in some way. They’re reaching a certain point where they see a life ahead of them that they never expected. Many of us are at the beginning of a new era, and we’d be wise to embrace it.

Hello Tomorrow is the culmination of all of these past achievements and more. It’s a first step into a new creative environment, however uncharted the territory might be.

Hello Tomorrow pushes the reset button for an artist who’s been in the game for two decades, and positions him for the next chapter in a story that’s already multi-dimensional and compelling. “In many ways, I feel like this is the beginning of my career,” he says. “That may sound strange, because I’ve enjoyed a great deal of success up until now. But I feel like my best days are still ahead of me. I’ve made a Dave Koz record that fans of my earlier work will be able to connect to. It’s still me. It’s not too foreign, but it’s me in 2010, coming from a different perspective that’s reflective of the times we’re living in and the changes that continue to define this new era.”

1. Put The Top Down 4:59
2. When Will I Know For Sure 4:53
3. It’s Always Been You 3:57
4. Getaway 4:45
5. This Guy’s In Love With You 4:56
6. Anything’s Possible 4:04
7. There’s A Better Way 4:31
8. Start All Over Again 4:29
9. Think Big 4:59
10. The Journey 5:54
11. Remember Where You Came From 4:58
12. Whisper In Your Ear 4:47
13. What You Leave Behind 1:56

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Bill Frisell - "Beautiful Dreamers" - Savoy Jazz 8/31/10

Most people slow down as they get older but, in the case of musicians, there are those who seem to actually step up the pace. Bill Frisell may be approaching 60, but he's busier than ever--so much so, in fact, that the intrepid guitarist has left his record label of over twenty years (Nonesuch), because it was unprepared to keep up with his need to release more than one album per year. Beautiful Dreamers is Frisell's first Savoy Jazz release but it won't be the last, as the intrepid guitarist heads into the studio in October with his string-driven 858 Quartet, to record a follow-up to Richter 858 (Songlines, 2005), for release early in 2011.

Those who caught Frisell during the 2010 summer festival season--including TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival and Norway's Kongsberg Jazz Festival)--will be familiar with the joyful interaction of his Beautiful Dreamers trio, but there's at least one significant difference between its live shows and self-titled debut. In performance, both Frisell and longtime musical cohort/violist Eyvind Kang use a bevy of effects--distortion, pitch shifting, looping and more--to expand the range of an unorthodox trio that also includes drummer Rudy Royston. The disc, on the other hand, is a largely acoustic affair, though Frisell does use an octave divider on the quirky “Homer Blues,” and some dense overdrive on the near-rocking “Dec. 25th,” where Royston's go-go beat propels what was, in concert, a lengthy highlight, but is, here, an almost too-short miniature.

Almost, that is. Like other recent discs including Disfarmer (Nonesuch, 2009) and History, Mystery (Nonesuch, 2008), few of Beautiful Dreamers' tracks crack the six-minute mark. But Beautiful Dreamers clearly understands the difference between live performance and permanent documentation; none of the material overstays its welcome, but neither does it appear hurried, as Frisell and Kang orbit around each other with brooding introspection on “T5 Pt. 1,” a spare extension of Where in the World? (Nonesuch, 1991)--or, even better, one of Frisell's early high watermarks, This Land (Nonesuch, 1994).

Beautiful Dreamers deserts the overt Americana of Good Dog, Happy Man (Nonesuch, 1999), yet there's still something indefinably American about the guitarist's writing, which accounts for ten of the disc's sixteen tracks. His covers traverse a broad terrain of distinctly American music, ranging from the visceral blues of Blind Willie Johnson's “Nobody's Fault” and Benny Goodman's swinging “Benny's Bugle” (where Royston channels Gene Krupa, but without the bluster and bombast), to a wry take on the Little Anthony and the Imperials hit, “Goin' Out of My Head” (Kang's pizzicato the melodic front line), and the iconic title track, which coalesces from the ether, its familiar theme only emerging at the song's end.

In the most understated way possible, Beautiful Dreamers' special intimacy, quiet joy and constant sound of surprise represent a shift in Frisell's music. Moving away from project specificity and, instead, towards a consolidation of the guitarist's multifaceted interests, it's a beautiful way, indeed, to kick-start this relationship with a new label.


Track Listing: Love Sick; Winslow Homer; Beautiful Dreamer (for Karle Seydel); A Worthy Endeavor (for Cajori); It's Nobody's Fault But My Own; Baby Cry; Benny's Bugle; Tea For Two; No Time To Cry; Better Than A Machine (for Vic Chestnut); Goin' Out Of My Head; Worried Woman; Keep On The Sunny Side; Sweetie; All We Can Do; Who Was That Girl?

Personnel: Bill Frisell: guitar; Eyvind Kang: viola; Rudy Royston: drums.

By John Kelman - allaboutjazz.com

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Radio Stations Propose Paying to Play Music

For more than 70 years, over-the-air radio stations have played music without paying the performers who recorded the songs.

That could be changing.

This month, the National Association of Broadcasters released what it described as a framework of a deal in which stations would pay a total of about $100 million a year in performance fees.

“It’s a crack in the dam,” said David Kaut, a regulatory analyst for the research firm Stifel Nicolaus.

The association’s outline suggests that the largest stations pay a performance fee of 1 percent of net revenue, and smaller stations a lower rate or none at all. While labels and musicians have long sought performance fees, broadcasters have argued that the stations provide important promotion for artists, and that a fee might put small stations out of business.

Even if a final compromise is reached, it would still need Congressional approval.

Monday, the broadcasting group will hold an online discussion to answer questions from its members.

“I think some people inside the industry think we should fight and fight and fight,” said Peter Smyth, a board member of the radio group and chief executive of Greater Media, which owns 23 stations. “But at the end of the day, we have to make good deals that help us move forward.”

Mitch Bainwol, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group that represents record labels, said that the plan released by the broadcasters “signals a new day where two very significant sectors that should be partners ride off together in a productive way.”

Last year, after the both the House and Senate judiciary committees approved bills that would require performance fees for broadcast radio, lawmakers asked the two sides to work out a deal themselves. The groups have regularly discussed the issue since February.

Laws passed in the 1990s require fees to be paid for online radio. Last year, SoundExchange, the organization that collects performance fees, brought in more than $180 million. The money is generally split between the copyright holder, often a record label, and the artist. Under the new plan, fees for online radio would be reduced.

The record industry would welcome any additional income, as revenue from recorded music has been cut almost in half over the last 10 years.

“It took me a really long time to come to the conclusion that I would pay performance royalties,” said Mr. Smyth. “Eight months ago, I’d say it’s nuts.”

Mr. Smyth said his feelings changed when he realized the risk involved in trying to oppose the bill. Stations fear that Congress could eventually require higher fees than they are proposing.

Although the two sides appear closer than ever before to a deal, serious hurdles remain.

The framework released by the broadcasters calls for a federal mandate that every cellphone sold in the United States include a chip to allow FM radio reception — a “critically important” part of the plan, said Dennis Wharton, the group’s spokesman. Having radio available in all cellphones could help broadcasters compete with online streaming services like Pandora, which are popular on mobile devices. Mr. Wharton said the chip would help provide a public service, as information during a local emergency could be heard on a phone.

The record companies are in favor of the chip requirement, but the cellphone industry has expressed serious concerns, saying that it could make phones bulkier and shorten battery life. “We are completely, inalterably opposed to this,” said Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Electronics Association, which represents some wireless companies.

Mr. Bainwol said that in the last year many potential deal-breakers had arisen, but that the two sides had so far found ways to work around them. The chip question, he said, just happens to be the “issue du jour.”

The music labels would like to put something in front of lawmakers shortly after Labor Day, in hopes that something could be passed before the end of the current Congress. Whatever the timing, Marty Machowsky, a spokesman for the MusicFirst Coalition, which represents labels and musicians, said that the outline distributed by the broadcasters’ association was an important development.

“There’s really a sense,” he said, “that this has the potential to be a significant breakthrough.”

By JOSEPH PLAMBECK - NY Times

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - August 23, 2010

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
2 - 1 - Mindi Abair - "In Hi-Fi Stereo" - (Heads Up)
1 - 2 - Steve Oliver - "Global Kiss" - (SOM)
3 - 3 - Norman Brown - "Send My Love" (Peak/Concord)
5 - 4 - Jazzmasters - "Jazzmasters 6" - (Trippin 'n Rhythm)
4 - 5 - Kenny G - "Heart & Soul" - (Concord)
6 - 6 - Brian Bromberg - "It Is What It Is" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
7 - 7 - Chris Standring - "Blue Bolero" - (Ultimate Vibe)
8 - 8 - Rick Braun - "All It Takes" - (Artistry)
9 - 9 - Tim Bowman - "The Tim Bowman Collection" - (Trippin "N" Rhythm)
10 - 10 - Richard Elliot - "Rock Steady" (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
11 - 11 - Jonathan Butler - "So Strong" - (Rendezvous/Mack Avenue")
14 - 12 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Now Is The Time" - (Heads Up)
17 - 13 - Gerald Albright - "Pushing The Envelope" (Heads Up)
12 - 14 - Sade - "Soldier Of Love" - (Epic)
22 - 15 - Brian Simpson - "South Beach" - "Shanachie"
18 - 16 - Eric Darius - "On A Mission" (Shanachie)
16 - 17 - Brian Culbertson - "XII" - (GRP/Verve)
13 - 18 - David Benoit - "Earthglow" - (Heads Up)
15 - 19 - Euge Groove - "Sunday Morning" - (Shanachie)
25 - 20 - Peter White - "Good Day" (Peak/Concord)

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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Nils - "What The Funk?" - Released On Baja/TSR

Nils fourth album on Baja/TSR, What the Funk? expands on his already successful jazz base and incorporates dance and R&B into the mix.

His impressive list of accolades includes most played song of the year at jazz radio in 2005 with Pacific Coast Highway, a nomination as best Jazz Guitarist for the American Smooth Jazz Awards in 2010, musical director for the Independent Spirit Awards Show and numerous #1 hits from his previous three albums.

What the Funk? lives up to its title with groove filled tracks and soulful riffs that Nils delivers with his renowned guitar skills. The lineup of musicians features stalwarts Rickie Lawson (drums), Alex Al (bass), Oliver Brown (percussion) and Avatar choir vocalist Clydene Jackson (background vocals/ keyboards).

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Upcoming New Jazz Releases - Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Andrew Lamb - New Orleans Suite (Engine )
Andrew Lamb / Tri - New Orleans Suite (Egr )
Another Hour In The Ember Lounge - Another Hour In The Ember Lounge (Phantom )
Bomonstre - O Saisons O Trombones (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Casey Golden Trio - Clarity (Scrampion Records/Planet/MGM)
Charnett Moffett - Treasure (MTM )
Cinema Cafe - Cinema Cafe Vol. 1-Cinema Cafe (Phantom )
Dave Douglas - Spark Of Being: Expand (Green Leaf )
Dave Douglas & Keystone - Spark Of Being: Expand (Greenleaf Music )
Gabriele Coen - Awakening ( )
Gabriele Coen - Jewish Experience: Awakening (Tzadik )
Hankus Netsky - Fables (Tzadik )
Hercule Poirot Coffret 6 - Hercule Poirot Coffret 6 (Arbors Jazz )
Jeff Berlin - High Standards ( )
JJ Grey - Georgia Warhorse (Alligator )
John Coltrane - Definitive John Coltrane On Prestige & Riverside ( )
Kif Kif - La Descendance De L'Homme (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Lena Horne - Essential Lena Horne: The Rca Years (Legacy )
Marcio Faraco - Ciranda (Emarcy )
Marsalis Family - Music Redeems: A Live Recording To Benefit (Marsalis Music )
Marsalis Family - Music Redeems (Marsalis Music )
Marty Ehrlich / Hankus Netsky - Fables ( )
Metropole Orchestra - 54 (Emarcy )
Philippe Sarde - Le Choc J'Epouse Une Ombre (Emarcy )
Polly Bergen / Martha Raye - Little Girl Blue ( )
PRASANNA - Raga Bop Trio (King Japan )
R.A.F. Dance Orchest - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Sonny Rollins - Definitive Sonny Rollins On Prestige Riverside & C (Umgd/Fantasy/Prestige )
Sonny Rollins - Definitive Sonny Rollins On Prestige, Riverside, And Contemporary (Fantasy )
Steve Smith - Raga Bop Trio (Abstract Logix/City Hall )
Thelonious Monk - Definitive Thelenious Monk On Prestige & Riverside (Umgd/Fantasy/Riverside )
Thelonious Monk - Definitive Thelenious Monk On Prestige And Riverside (Fantasy )
Thelonious Monk - Monk*Thelonious-Brilliant Corners (Doxy )
Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane - At Reeves Sound Studios In Nyc (Doxy )
Vivian Buczek - Dedication To My Giants (Indies Japan/Zoom )
WD-41 Willie Oteri and Dave Laczko with Dino J. A. Deane and Scott Amendola - WD-41+2 Temi per Cinema (self produced )

Reissues
Marty Paich - I Get A Boot Out Of You (Rhino )

Our thanks to:

New release information provided by allaboutjazz.com
The Upcoming Release Center at allaboutjazz.com is the most comprehensive new release listing for jazz music on the internet.
The information is updated biweekly by John Kelman

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Brian Simpson "South Beach" - Releases On Shanachie, August 31st, 2010

“Brian is the consummate musician - he can do it all. But it’s his incredibly memorable and infectious melodies that truly set him apart. He just has a knack for writing these songs that take you on a journey and truly tell a story - and then he’s able to deliver them musically with his trademark style. I am a huge fan!” –DAVE KOZ

“What I love about Brian's playing is his understanding that melody and groove are important - the meat and potatoes of music. Brian has found a unique way of being musically creative while making his music accessible. My hats off to you B.”–GEORGE DUKE

Celebrated keyboardist, composer and studio musician, Brian Simpson has been the ‘go-to’ man for everyone from Janet Jackson and Teena Marie to George Duke, Stanley Clarke and Dave Koz, for whom he has had the distinction of being musical director for the past 15 years.  The chart-topping musical chameleon who wrote the #1 R&B hit “The First Time” for Surface in the 1990s confesses, "Ultimately, my listeners inspire me to make my music.”  Simpson’s love for what he does is evident in every note on South Beach, his inaugural album for Shanachie Entertainment, due out August 31, 2010. Simpson surrounds himself with an A-list lineup that includes jazz icons George Duke, Peter White and Euge Groove.

Known for his ability to sculpt timeless love songs, soulful party anthems and melodies that stay on your mind, Brian Simpson is truly a master at his craft. South Beach delivers on every front. The album’s title track, with a jubilant vibe reminiscent of the Ramsey Lewis smash hit “The In Crowd,” is already top 30 on multiple jazz charts, two months prior to album release. ”I'm very happy we chose ‘South Beach’ as the first single,” confides Simpson, “because it's probably the song that's most indicative of my style. My travels take me to some pretty nice places, but my favorites are always the ones with beaches. In the last year I've been to Hawaii, Bali, Indonesia, and several beaches in Florida. I would walk along beaches listening to the rough ideas for this CD on my ipod. The wind, sea, and sand really inspired the melodies you'll hear on South Beach."

South Beach features a mix of breezy free-flowing numbers, funky blues-tinged romps and romantic ballads which draw you in from the first note. Songs like the George Benson-eque “Our Love,” “Can’t Tell You Why” and “All I Want Is You” show off Simpson’s knack for cooking up singable melodies and hip-swaying grooves.  Brian delivers a bossa nova vibe on the sweetly romantic “Paradise Island” and the hauntingly beautiful “Summer’s End.”

Hailing from Gurnee, Illinois, Brian always knew music would play center stage in his life. “Our house was filled with music. My older brother and sister both played instruments, and my brother's rock band rehearsed in our living room every weekend. I never really considered any other lifestyle,” shares the keyboardist.  Simpson’s breakthrough as a solo artist began in 2005 with the #1 radio hit “It’s All Good.” The title track of It’s All Good proved instantly and joyfully prophetic, as it hit #1 on the Radio & Records Smooth Jazz Airplay chart and remained in the Top 5 for four months.  His follow-up single “Saturday Cool” went Top 15. In 2007 Simpson released Above the Clouds, which delivered the memorable radio hits “What Cha Gonna Do?” (Top 10) and “Juicy” (Top 15). 

After graduating from Northern Illinois University, Simpson relocated to Los Angeles where he quickly immersed himself in the local jazz scene.  Late night jazz sessions found him playing alongside everyone from saxophonists Everette Harp and Boney James to guitarist Norman Brown.   The free-spirited musician soon found himself taking a temporary leave of absence from the jazz scene, touring the world with pop divas Teena Marie, Sheena Easton and Janet Jackson.  His foray into the pop world didn’t end there; in January 1991 he co-wrote the #1 Pop hit “The First Time” by Surface, which conquered both the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts.

Placing his success in pop aside, Brian Simpson has always been a working jazz musician.  He has toured with some of the greats of recent jazz history, including George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, George Howard, Billy Cobham, and Gerald Albright.  Brian has been the musical director for jazz saxophonist Dave Koz for the past 15 years, and for the last 7 years the Musical Director of the ambitious and highly popular  “The Smooth Jazz Cruise.”

The charming and immensely talented musician concludes, “While working on South Beach in my studio I often stepped back to a corner of the room and closed my eyes, as if listening for the first time, to see if the music compelled an emotion. I truly hope the listener can feel the love and care that all of the musicians contributed to the recording.”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - August 16, 2010

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Steve Oliver - "Global Kiss" - (SOM)
2 - 2 - Mindi Abair - "In Hi-Fi Stereo" - (Heads Up)
6 - 3 - Norman Brown - "Send My Love" (Peak/Concord)
3 - 4 - Kenny G - "Heart & Soul" - (Concord)
5 - 5 - Jazzmasters - "Jazzmasters 6" - (Trippin 'n Rhythm)
4 - 6 - Brian Bromberg - "It Is What It Is" - (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
7 - 7 - Chris Standring - "Blue Bolero" - (Ultimate Vibe)
8 - 8 - Rick Braun - "All It Takes" - (Artistry)
15 - 9 - Tim Bowman - "The Tim Bowman Collection" - (Trippin "N" Rhythm)
10 - 10 - Richard Elliot - "Rock Steady" (Artistry/Mack Avenue)
12 - 11 - Jonathan Butler - "So Strong" - (Rendezvous/Mack Avenue")
11 - 12 - Sade - "Soldier Of Love" - (Epic)
9 - 13 - David Benoit - "Earthglow" - (Heads Up)
20 - 14 - Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Now Is The Time" - (Heads Up)
21 - 15 - Euge Groove - "Sunday Morning" - (Shanachie)
30 - 16 - Brian Culbertson - "XII" - (GRP/Verve)
19 - 17 - Gerald Albright - "Pushing The Envelope" (Heads Up)
13 - 18 - Eric Darius - "On A Mission" (Shanachie)
17 - 19 - Jessy J - "True Love" - (Peak)
24 - 20 - George Benson - "Songs And Stories - "Concord/MonsterMusic"

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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