SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORTThis chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
Monday, July 06, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - July 6, 2020 #jazz
Saturday, July 04, 2020
Have A Happy And Safe 4th Of July [Video] #jazz
Barbecues and fireworks, flags and parades, Independence Day evokes so many images of the American summer. Its original purpose to celebrate the birth of the American nation on July 4th, 1776 has given way to festivities that celebrate both America and the lives and freedoms that the accomplishments of American Independence have allowed. The commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is a time not only to reflect on what happened at America's founding but also to look again at the nation's values and recommit oneself again to those ideals.
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Clivia Tanisi Debut Release 5-Song EP from Autumn Hill Records July 3rd - #jazz
ITALIAN VOCALIST CLIVIA TANISI MAKES HER DEBUT WITH A GORGEOUS, PROFOUNDLY PERSONAL 5-SONG EP PRODUCED BY HER HUSBAND, MASTER DRUMMER DAVE WECKL
Love’s Way Back, due out July 3, 2020 via Autumn Hill Records, marks Tanisi’s miraculous return to music after a two-decade hiatus, featuring an all-star band with Weckl, George Whitty, Tom Kennedy and Bob Franceschini
Due out July 3 from Autumn Hill Records, Love's Way Back is not only a deeply personal passion project for Tanisi, but it carries a message of hope and courage for anyone who's long harbored a secret dream. Rich with soulful melodies and lush, layered harmonies, the project features a stunning all-star band assembled by Weckl, who also served as recording and mixing engineer in addition to his role as producer. The drummer is joined by bassist Tom Kennedy, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, and keyboardist George Whitty, who also arranged and mastered the music.With a life's worth of favorite songs to choose from, Tanisi selected five classic songs for the first steps along her musical journey. Each one is transformed into a vehicle for the singer's spiritual, optimistic interpretations, together conveying a heartfelt theme of following the dictates of the soul, facing down fear and self-doubt to be true to one's own self.
"I was born singing," Tanisi says. "Ever since I was a baby it's been a need, something in my blood. So when I stopped singing, it felt like a kind of death."
Tanisi was born in Switzerland and raised in Salento, a small area in the Puglia region of Southern Italy in the heel of the boot. As a child she would serenade her neighbors from the terrace of her parents' home. "All over the town, everyone could hear me singing," she recalls, the joy of such free, unfettered expression still evident in her voice.
At the age of 8 she began performing in the Parish Choir of the church in her hometown. By the age of 12 she was singing professionally at weddings. Two years later her life was changed when a friend introduced her to jazz. "When I was young I was listening to pop music like Duran Duran," she explains with a laugh. "Then one of my friends played me this song with trumpets and everyone improvising; it was wonderful. I had goosebumps. From there I fell in love with jazz: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, all the greats."
At just 14 Tanisi became a jazz singer, performing at piano bars as well as with jazz and blues gigs around the south of Italy. After the birth of her first daughter 21 years ago, Tanisi found herself struggling to balance the demands of motherhood with her increasingly demanding schedule.
"I was working a lot, so I would go without seeing my daughter for days," she laments. "In the morning I'd be singing in the church, then I'd be performing at a wedding in the afternoon and have a gig the same night. That forced me to search into my soul and decide, 'Do you want to be a mother or a singer?' I didn't know how to manage both, so I felt that for me, it was better to be a mother."
While she has no regrets about that decision, treasuring her strong relationship with two wonderful daughters as its outcome, Tanisi reveals that the loss of her primary passion was a constant struggle. The break was necessarily a complete one. "I didn't even sing in the shower," she explains. "It was really like a death inside. Music, of course, is life, so when I didn't have that part of me anymore, I just never felt right. I would cry rivers every time I talked about music."
Meeting Weckl more than a decade ago not only brought a new romance into her life but also reintroduced music into her existence at the highest level. Weckl has been one of the most revered drummers in jazz, pop and rock circles for more than 35 years. He's perhaps best known for his Grammy-winning tenure with Chick Corea's Elektric and Akoustic Bands, along with his own prolific career as an innovative bandleader. Their shared love of music certainly played a part in forging the bond between Weckl and Tanisi, though it took several years of loving encouragement and hard work for the singer to finally regain her voice.
"Clivia worked very hard," Weckl says. "At the end of the day it was a lot of fun and a very emotional situation for both of us. When we finally listened back to what we'd recorded, we were both in tears."
Originally planned as a simple, intimate duo session for voice and guitar, the project soon took on a more elaborate form. Tanisi's rapid development and obvious dedication to her craft led Weckl to call on some of his closest friends and longtime collaborators to lend their estimable talents, in particular Whitty's arranging skills. Each of the EP's five songs was chosen for its own beauty as well as its contribution to the overall message of the album. The album opens with "Learning How to Fly," with its lovely evocation of taking steps towards an improbable dream. The tune links the project to another husband-and-wife team, Tuck & Patti, who originally recorded it for their 1995 album of the same name.
"Love You Inside Out" wholly reimagines the Bee Gees song, while "Let's Stay Together" uses the Al Green classic to celebrate Tanisi's bond not only with her husband but with her daughters and other blood relatives who have proved so supportive of her choices throughout life. The tune is highlighted by Bob Franceschini's emotive tenor solo. The late Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands" is meaningful as Tanisi never knew any of her own grandparents, all of whom passed away too soon. She has since witnessed the deep love between her daughters and their multiple sets of grandparents. Finally, "The Smiling Hour" connects Tanisi with one of her earliest inspirations, as the Brazilian song is probably best known for Sarah Vaughan's gorgeous rendition.
Love's Way Back is a new beginning, certainly, but it's also the end result of a lifetime of personal growth and evolution for Clivia Tanisi. The meaning with which she imbues each song can only come from a reflection on the past and a positive outlook for the future. "I feel like I'm just reawakening," she says. "Being able to do this has been more than a miracle. It's magic."
Clivia Tanisi on the web:
Official Site: https://en.cliviatanisimusic.com/
Instagram: (coming soon)
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Chris "Big Dog" Davis New Album FOCUS Released on Shanachie #jazz
Few artists are equally captivating behind the scenes and on the stage. It requires a certain amount of vision, keen musicianship and discipline. On Focus, all of these skills coalesce to create a thrilling 11– track experience that demonstrates the type of magic that multi Grammy nominated keyboardist and producer Chris “Big Dog” Davis’ has brought to other artists as a producer. His Midas touch has added finesse to endeavors by Brian McKnight, George Clinton, Will Downing, Syleena Johnson, Chanté Moore, Maysa, and numerous others.
As he takes center stage for the first time on recording, his wizardry blesses an entire album of inspirational and moving originals. “This experience has really been exciting and rewarding. My hope is that people will enjoy coming into my musical world and getting a deeper glimpse into who I am and all of the music that has influenced me from Jazz, Funk Gospel and Pop,” says Davis, who has produced 17 #1 hits on the Contemporary Jazz charts. Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R states, “Chris has been our go-to producer for everyone from Kim Burrell to Maysa to Norman Brown, just to name a few.
We're thrilled to be releasing his first solo album, so that the world can witness the full expression of his artistic talent.” The Waterbury, CT native draws from diverse influences like Miles Davis, Chaka Khan and George Duke and even his own Zen rooted philosophy to living life on Focus due out on June 26, 2020. The CD joins Davis with a cadre of the best working artists in Contemporary Jazz including Kim Waters, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Maysa, Bluey and Nick Colionne. “It is so humbling to have all of these artists join me on this project. Every single one of them came bearing gifts that make this album so special,” shares the keyboardist.
Monday, June 29, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - June 29, 2020 #jazz
SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORTThis chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - June 22, 2020 #jazz
SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORTThis chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
TOP STREAMING CLASSICAL PIANIST MICHAELSILVERMAN CO-WRITES FIRST CONTEMPORARY JAZZALBUM WITH GRAMMY WINNER JEFF LORBER #jazz
Human Spirit scheduled for release on July 15, 2020 via Autumn Hill Records
For Immediate Release – While you may have never heard his name, you’ve almost certainly heard his music. Michael Silverman is one of the most streamed and downloaded instrumentalists in the world, with over six billion streams on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. His classical recordings can be heard in hundreds of televisions during film productions, including “The Good Wife,” “Two and a Half Men” and “American Horror Story.”
He and his brother Rob Silverman have built an empire in the instrumental music world when they founded Autumn Hill Records in 2007, streaming over three million tracks daily in a variety of styles, ranging from classical to new age to world music. With 14 number one albums on iTunes in the US, and countless others on charts around the world, Autumn Hill Records has become a leader in instrumental music.
When Michael’s friend Jeff Lorber asked to collaborate on a contemporary jazz album, Silverman was thrilled at the opportunity. Lorber is not only a musical legend, but recently won a Grammy Award for his most recent album, Prototype. In the world of contemporary jazz, no one is more prolific and omnipresent on the charts as a band leader, a composer and a producer of so many of his fellow artists. He is responsible for much of the current sound of the genre, bringing new elements of what he incorporates from pop and R&B hits into the cutting edge of jazz, and has been doing so for more than four decades.
The collaboration of Lorber’s amazing production and writing skills, blended with Silverman’s classical and New Age melodic sensibilities combined to create an inspired collection of new pieces entitled Human Spirit, scheduled for release on July 15, 2020 via Autumn Hill Records.
“I was very excited to try this new way of working, since I have never collaborated with another composer like this,” says Silverman. “Jeff’s music has always been a huge inspiration for me as I was coming up, so it ended up working out wonderfully. He and I bounced one inspiration after another back and forth, and the album fell together very organically. It was truly amazing and one of the best musical experiences of my life!”
“I’m really proud of the work I did with Michael Silverman on Human Spirit because it’s something really different and special for me,” Lorber explains. “I love the melodies and classical-inspired themes that Michael came up with for these songs. To me it feels like something that will stand the test of time.
“I hope people discover this record because there’s something really unique going on here that differentiates this project. Michael suggested that we get Vinnie Colaiuta to play on a number of these songs and I think that was a great idea – he really supports the track in a sensitive and musical way. I think there’s a calmness and peacefulness here that’s needed in these troubling times, and I believe that repeated listening will reveal some real depth and soulfulness.”
Additional musicians on the album include a who’s who of instrumental jazz: bassist Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Jeff Lorber Fusion), drummer Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting), drummer Gary Novak (Chick Corea), guitar legend Michael Thompson (Eric Clapton, Seal, Quincy Jones), pianist David Benoit, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., and Michael's brother, top-selling drummer and world percussionist Rob Silverman.
Michael Silverman was raised in University City, an inner-ring suburb of the city of St. Louis. Known locally as U City, the neighborhood has produced many internationally known musicians.
“The heart of U City is called the Loop,” recalls Silverman. “It had all the ingredients necessary to cultivate musical artists: a blues club, rock clubs, reggae, jam sessions, street performers and artists of every kind, an old music store where we all bought pre-owned instruments, a record store called Vintage Vinyl where we got cheap used records. A third of the world-renowned St. Louis Symphony lived in the neighborhood, so there were a bunch of classical kids at school, along with the state’s best jazz ensemble.
“Every kid on my street played music. There was a drum set in practically every basement. My brother, Rob, was the hot shot drummer in town, and he encouraged me to play keyboards. He was so supportive that he saved up several hundred dollars at his job at Burger King to buy me a keyboard so I could play in his band with much older kids. That was life-changing, and we still perform together to this day.”
Michael Silverman on the web:
Official Site: https://www.michaelsilvermanpiano.com/
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
“BAM!” Guitarist H Allan kicks up his “Heels” again on the EP that drops Friday #jazz
The title track began collecting playlist adds on Monday
H Allan is a guitar player who likes to shred yet his career has always been closely tied to the saxophone thus it’s natural that the title track to his EP that drops Friday, “BAM!” was written by and for a sax player. Allan’s rocking rendition of the pumped up, horn-powered original penned by Horace-Alexander Young, who appears on Allan’s version, began collecting playlist adds on Monday. Allan produced the EP and four of the five tracks were mixed and mastered by Robert Martin (Frank Zappa).
Allan’s first job after college was as the artist rep for LA Sax Company and he often traveled with saxophonists to various music education conferences. He brought his guitar with him and after being on the floor all day, he and the artists would head to a local nightclub to sit in with local musicians. During one impromptu jam session in San Antonio with Allan, Young wrote “BAM!” and it was recorded and released on an LA Sax Company compilation CD in 1995 that was distributed to music stores as an instrument demo and was sent to radio stations.
“We had a great time at these spontaneous jam sessions. One night at a river walk bar, we played with a group and Horace wrote this song. I've loved the song and since it was originally done on sax, I thought it should be done on guitar with an all-star cast of the best players,” said Allan, who was joined on the track by Young, drummer Eric Valentine, keyboardist Ron Reinhardt, Keith Vivens (bass and vocal line) and trumpeter-trombonist Steve Jankowski (Nile Rodgers and Chic).
Another saxophonist, Derrick Edmondson (Jody Watley, Chaka Khan), helmed the second tune on the EP, “Rise,” the Herb Alpert gem. Atop a rocksteady groove anchored by Valentine and bassist Darryl Williams, Allan shines on funky rhythm guitar and cool electric lead guitar.
“I wanted to do a song by a trumpet player and there's no more iconic song on trumpet. I thought it would sound cool on guitar in a lower octave: kind of new and hip. I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with Derrick Edmondson, who I met at LA Sax. I tried to be authentic to the melody and harmony, but still push it out of bounds a bit for fun. Derrick's arrangement totally fit the bill,” said the Chicago-based Allan who was named H by his parents at birth.
Allan revels in his rock roots on a mashup of “All Along The Watch Tower” and “Stairway To Heaven,” presented on the “BAM!” EP as a chill contemporary jazz medley.
Allan said, “I heard the similarities between these two rock ‘n’ roll classics while playing ‘Watchtower’ at a show and at the end of it, I transposed and went into the guitar solo from ‘Stairway To Heaven’ because it sounded similar. This medley is more rock than jazz so it's straddling the line musically - sort of like me.”
The EP contains two bonus tracks. The first is a rocked-out version of Allan’s debut single, “Stiletto Heels,” a reboot of the original written and recorded by saxophone heavyweight Richard Elliot with whom Allan worked at LA Sax Company. Allan’s version tied as the most added new single on the Billboard BDS chart when it was released in August 2017.
“This is the rock guitar version that I recorded before the smoother, more R&B version that I released. Its drum beat is the same as the original and I played the keyboard solo on the guitar as well. The lead guitar on this version is more of a heavier rock sound,” said Allan.
Sweetly, Allan gathers his family - kids Zoey, Henry and Ellie, and sister Stacey - to sing on the second bonus cut, “Love Is A Rose,” a Neil Young song that Allan originally recorded for his mother. The guitar slinger surprises by singing and playing banjo on the track.
The “BAM!” EP contains the following songs:
“BAM!”
“Rise”
“All Along The Watchtower/Stairway To Heaven Medley”
Bonus Tracks:
“Stiletto Heels”
“Love Is A Rose”
For more information, please visit https://www.hallan.info.
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Tuesday, June 16, 2020
World jazz band Special EFX emerges from quarantine ready to shine #jazz
The collective will resume its “All Stars” concert tour on Friday and drop a new single in August
GRAMMY nominated world music-contemporary jazz band Special EFX was in Denver one month into their concert tour promoting their 21st album, “All Stars,” when the coronavirus pandemic forced their return home to shelter in place. For band leader Chieli Minucci, home is the epicenter of COVID-19 in the US: New York City. After three months of quarantine, Special EFX will resume its concert tour this Friday when they take the stage of Southern California jazz hotspot Spaghettini for a show performed in front of half the capacity of normal in order to comply with Orange County restrictions. The concert will be streamed live at 8pm PT/11pm ET via Spaghettini’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SpaghettiniSB).
“I feel GREAT about resuming the tour! For three months, I've been writing and recording in my home studio, so I'm fairly limber as far as playing guitar goes, but all that solitude has gotten to me as much as anyone else. I can't wait to play for a melody-hungry audience. I can't wait to see the guys and play the songs again,” said Minucci, an Emmy-winning composer, guitarist and producer.
Minucci will share the Spaghettini stage with keyboardist Lao Tizer, drummer Gene Coye and bassist Ric Fierabracci. When he last led his band of rotating collaborators to whom the album title refers as “All Stars,” the new collection had been out for four weeks and the band’s blues-jazz single, “Hanky Panky Boys,” was moving up the national charts. When the plug had to be pulled on the tour, they still had another month of concert dates ahead of them before playing Minucci’s hometown album release concert that was slated to take place in New York City at The Cutting Room on April 11. No timeline yet for when that show can be rescheduled so when the opportunity was presented to play the new music for fans in person as well as for a global audience via the livestream, Minucci was eager to make it happen. While many artists began livestreaming pseudo concerts during quarantine, Minucci does not feel comfortable in that setting, but he does embrace livestreaming a performance where he is actually on stage with his band members.
“Livestreaming is definitely here to stay although traditional live concerts will certainly return once the all-clear has been sounded. Streaming shows has been around before this, but now is becoming more mainstream simply out of necessity. As long as the video/audio work is elegant, it can be a cool, unusual and different kind of experience for our audience. When I fell in love with that irresistible combination of music, touring and hanging with the guys and gals of the arts, I never imagined the world would experience something like what is happening right now,” said Minucci.
Another reason that Minucci leapt at the opportunity to resume the Special EFX tour was to begin introducing the forthcoming second single from “All Stars,” “Mr. Marzipan,” which will begin collecting playlist adds on August 10. The track opens the new collection with a horn-powered dose of fusion, contemporary jazz, an off-kilter funk/hip hop beat and a vibrant chorus illumined by David Mann’s saxophone and Lin Rountree’s muted trumpet along with some tasty electric guitar riffs issued by Minucci.
“The sax and trumpet combination was completely new for Special EFX, who usually does not feature a horn-based vibe. Dave is our longtime sax-man and Lin is my label mate at Trippin N Rhythm. After hearing their inspired playing, I knew the song could use a big, fat horn section to top it off to add that final sweet frosting so to speak. David Mann's fantastic horn arrangement makes the tune the perfect ‘sister-song’ to our first single from the album, ‘Hanky Panky Boys,’ which had a similar horn section arrangement. The song's inspiration was the opening bass-keyboard riff. I just loved the way the two sounded together. The whole piece evolved from that simple, repetitive groove,” said Minucci, the deft guitarist who wrote and produced “All Stars,” tapping nearly two-dozen musicians to bring to life the album of contemporary jazz, fusion and world music utilizing sounds, rhythms and textures from Africa, Brazil, the Aboriginal outback and the Asian Pacific Rim.
Who exactly is this mysterious “Mr. Marzipan?”
“Mr. Marzipan is not a person, but instead a jazzy, tongue-in-cheek reference to my love affair with chocolate. It is also a reference to a famous cake that I used to devour with my mother every time I'd come visit my folks while they lived in Los Angeles. She had discovered a fantastic bakery that had the most talented owner/baker. Each trip to Los Angeles would begin with a visit to my folks and that amazing cake.”
Shortly before the lockdown, Special EFX was in Washington, DC to record a short concert at SiriusXM’s studio for national radio broadcast. The airdate will soon be announced.
For more information, please visit http://www.specialefxmusic.com and https://chielimusic.com.
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Monday, June 15, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - June 15, 2020 #jazz
SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORT
This chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
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