Groove jazz guitarist dee Brown is cool, calm, and in control on new album #jazz #music

The “Mister Smooth” album drops on March 28, the same day the title track will be released as a single.

             

 

Everyone craves certainty, especially during these tumultuous times. Guitarist dee Brown created a jazzy album of R&B instrumentals on which he adopted the persona of a fictious character called “Mister Smooth,” who is confident, focused, and anchored in equanimity. Writing eight new songs, most of them with his GRAMMY® nominated producer and longtime collaborator Valdez Brantley (Usher, Mary J. Blige, Keith Sweat, Lil Wayne), Brown’s sixth album will be released by Innervision Records on March 28. The melody-rich title track will be issued as a single the same day.

 

Stepping into the “Mister Smooth” character like a method actor while writing and recording the album wasn’t much of a stretch for Brown, who is a devout man of faith. The confidence and maturity that he exudes on the recording and is on full display via his guitar work and the compositions he crafted for the set are bolden and empowering. It’s a determined mindset purposed with overcoming challenges and adversity while remaining in control - even when the world feels chaotic.      

 

“Mister Smooth embodies a person who is consistently on top of things and maintains control in any situation. Even when faced with uncertainty, he excels at ‘faking it until he makes it,’ elevating the experience for everyone involved. I created an album that captures the essence of what it means to be a Mister Smooth. This concept isn’t just a reflection of who I am or aspire to be; it represents a powerful attribute that enhances any situation. The name itself resonates with many, making it relatable and appealing. This is perfectly aligned with the type of music we produce and the kind of person with whom we all aspire to be,” said Brown who released multiple singles from the project while he was working on the collection over the last couple of years.

 

After opening the album with “Mister Smooth,” the Detroit- born and based artist offers a taste of his hometown on “Wes 8Mile,” which he wrote with multi-time Billboard No. 1 chart-topper Blake Aaron who produced the song that was issued as a single. Mike Parlett’s saxophone perfectly complements Brown’s cool toned electric jazz guitar riffs that invoke jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery.

 

“Eight Mile is one of the main streets running through Detroit, and I grew up on the west side of Detroit. The name ‘Wes 8Mile’ comes from my guitar hero Wes Montgomery's unique style of playing, which often involved using octaves. An octave is a note that is eight diatonic notes away from the first note, and he would play these two notes together. My goal was to create an up-tempo groove that incorporated both octaves and single note playing, along with a half-step modulation. I also wanted to incorporate an ensemble, which is why I invited saxophonist Mike Parlett to play on the track with Carnell Harrell (keyboards), Mel Brown (bass), and Tony Moore (drums),” explains Brown.

 

Another collaboration with Aaron resulted in “The Thing Is…” which adds horn player and arranger David Mann, keyboardist Tateng Katindig, and Aaron’s rhythm guitar to the ensemble. It was the second single from the album and hit all the major charts.

 

“Many times, when a conversation is going and someone wants to make a valid point, they will say, 'The thing is...’ That is what this song is all about, making a musical valid point that will grab your attention and immediately be noticed," stated Brown.

 

Brown and Brantley interpret Sister Sledge’s rousing anthem “We Are Family,” which includes an imaginative jazz breakdown midway through the disco dancefloor filler.

 

“My wife suggested that we remake ‘We Are Family’ and I immediately thought of Nile Rodgers, the incredible guitarist from the legendary group Chic. I’ve always admired his rhythm guitar work,” Brown admitted.

 

Brown sees his Mister Smooth character as someone who would be charming, which inspired the song titled “Charming.”

 

“This track was developed after I decided we needed to record a slower song. I wanted to incorporate 808 electric drums, Moog synth/bass, and a variety of synthesized sounds reminiscent of the 1990s with a strong emphasis on guitar,” said Brown.

 

“Finesse” was the first track recorded for the album, yet the song had to go through a process of evolution. Brown explains, “I noticed a problem with the song’s chorus. I decided to try an alternative melody, and it seems to work perfectly. So, when you hear the track, if you listen to the lead melody on the big body guitar, that’s the new melody and if you listen in the background, there’s another melody that is played with my Stratocaster-style guitar that is more like a picking style playing the original melody. They work together perfectly.”

 

The album’s first single was “You Already Know,” which was released as a deep cut during the recording process to keep Brown on radio playlists. His gregarious guitar is slick and proficient as it deftly maneuvers to the fore of a midtempo electric groove.

 

The vibrant “Charismatic” gets a boost from Merlon Devine’s soprano sax. Brown explains, “Initially, Valdez (Brantley) played the flute sound on the track on his keyboard, but I felt we needed a live flute player. Unfortunately, all the flautists we knew were unavailable. I suggested using a soprano saxophone instead and called my good friend, Merlon Devine. We decided to keep the keyboard flute sound after all, but it’s Merlon’s beautiful soprano sax that really stands out on this track.”

 

We experience a completely different side of Brown on “4^th Dimension,” on which he indulges his rock god guitar alter ego.

 

“I was kind of a rock ‘n’ roller influenced by great bands from the '80s and '90s. I’ve always loved legendary guitarists like Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page, and I wanted to create a rocky, funky groove. We started exploring a direction that I don’t usually take. I used a lot of distortion and drive on my guitar. We incorporated a jazzy guitar sound as well, resulting in a song blending both jazz and rock elements,” shared Brown.

 

Last holiday season, Brown released “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” on which he, Brantley (keyboards, piano, programming, arrangements), drummer Ron Otis, and bassist Lanar Brantley were joined by vocalist Jayla Treasure, a talented singer, songwriter, Praise and Worship leader, and a music major who is currently continuing her studies in college.

 

“I wanted to choose a song for the holidays that truly embodies the spirit of Christmas. The song turned out great and reached the top of the streaming charts,” enthused Brown.

 

Brown debuted in 2007 with the release of his “No Time To Waste” album. Building his following with growing radio airplay via each successive album and single release, Brown has performed, shared the stage and/or recorded with a wide array of jazz, R&B, and gospel GRAMMY winners, nominees, and Billboard hitmakers including George Benson, Al Jarreau, Stephanie Mills, Gerald Albright, Alexander Zonjic, Bob Baldwin, Mindi Abair, Jessy J, Paul Brown, Paul Taylor, Darren Rahn, Tim Bowman, Randy Scott, Gail Jhonson, Nate Harasim, Bob James, Brian Culbertson, Spyro Gyra, The Ohio Players, Najee, Jeffery Osborne, Aretha Franklin, and Michael and BeBe Winans. For more information, visit https://www.deebrownjazz.com.

 

Brown’s “Mister Smooth” album contains the following songs:

 

“Mister Smooth”

“Wes 8Mile”

“The Thing is…”

“We Are Family”

“Charming”

“Finesse”

“You Already Know”

“Charismatic”

“4^th Dimension”

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

 

Pre-save “Mister Smooth” at https://sym.ffm.to/mistersmooth.

 

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Trombonist Reggie Watkins to Release New Project “Rivers” on March 28th, 2025 #jazz #music

Trombonist Reggie Watkins Celebrates His Pittsburgh Home on “Rivers,” Set for March 28 Release on BYNK Records

Though Reggie Watkins has made his bones (so to speak) as a trombonist, leading his own bands and playing with such stellar units as Orrin Evans’s Captain Black Big Band, he is a top-notch composer as well. The best proof of that to date is his strong new album, “Rivers,” his fourth as a leader and the first of his efforts to offer all originals

RICHMOND, Calif., Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—trombonist-composer Reggie Watkins‘s adopted hometown, and one of America’s richest jazz cities—is at the heart of “Rivers,” Watkins’s fourth album as a leader, to be released March 28 on BYNK Records. But the album doesn’t confine itself to the City of Bridges. Ever the restless explorer, Watkins uses a Pittsburgh-based, post-bop jazz quartet featuring pianist Michael Bernabe, bassist Eli Naragon and drummer Jason Washington Jr. to take on the world.

Even the title of the record (the first to comprise all Watkins originals) isn’t as specific to the city as it may seem. Of course “Rivers” refers on one level to Pittsburgh’s geographic foundation, the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio. “You can’t get away from river culture,” Watkins says. “Whatever you do, wherever you go, there are always those three rivers you have to cross.” At the same time, however, the album (and its title track) also nods to Sam Rivers, the innovative Boston saxophonist who is one of Watkins’s inspirations.

You can’t get away from river culture [in Pittsburgh]. . . . I’ve just always had this connection to the city and the people and the jazz scene here.

Watkins also pays tribute to other musical inspirations and friends from locations far and near. The wily opener “Blues for 3-D” is dedicated to the three D’s (trombonist, composer, and Oklahoma native David Gibson, as well as Andre Hayward and Steve Davis); playful but angular “Ocularity” tips its hat to Texan geniuses Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry; and the high-stepping “Blue 6” takes its cues both from New Yorker Thelonious Monk and from Jimmy Knepper, the California trombone great who is one of Watkins’s prime heroes. Even the far-flung locations themselves receive salutes on the album, as with the fond (and self-explanatory) closer “Shanghai Strut.”

Even so, Pittsburgh—and the life and career Watkins has built for himself there—remain a constant presence on “Rivers.” “Hide n Seek,” with its blissful feel and affectionate romp of a trombone solo, is an ode to his children. “Meditations,” a tune that is exactly what its title promises, nonetheless suggests the placid ebb and flow of the river waters that remain the city’s defining feature.

“I’ve just always had this connection to the city and the people and the jazz scene here,” the trombonist notes. “Musicians from Akron and Cleveland are coming to Pittsburgh and vice versa so now you have influences going in both directions.” Naturally, he expresses that bond in part through the powerful chemistry he shares with the album’s locally based band. “There’s special meaning to hooking up with talents like Eli, Michael, and Jason, who was only 23 when we first played together but played beyond his years,” says Watkins.

Taken together, “Rivers” is the story of all these things rolled into one—and hence, a story of Watkins himself.

Reggie Watkins was born August 24, 1971, in Wheeling, West Virginia, 60 miles outside of Pittsburgh. A music lover and aspiring brass player in his teenage years, he tried his hand at trumpet and tuba before finding the trombone in high school. He found it again, on another level, when he discovered J.J. Johnson while studying music at West Virginia University. Thereafter he dove headlong into jazz.

After graduating, Watkins worked for a few years as a musician on the cruise ship circuit before moving to Pittsburgh in 1998, where he worked with noted drummer and native Pittsburgher Roger Humphries. At that point, legendary trumpeter and big bandleader Maynard Ferguson came calling, and Watkins toured with him for several years, becoming his musical director as well. From Ferguson, Watkins went to pop singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, with whom he worked for six years.

Watkins recorded his first album, 2004’s “A-List,” while still with Ferguson, and his second, 2010’s “One for Miles, One for Maynard” (released in 2014), while with Mraz. His third, “Avid Admirer: The Jimmy Knepper Project” (featuring pianist Orrin Evans), came in 2016 after Knepper’s daughter Robin gifted Watkins her late father’s trombones. In addition, Watkins has recorded as a member of the funk ensemble Steeltown Horns, whose debut album “5 Years of Funk” was released in 2023.

For the last eight years, Watkins has recorded and toured with Orrin Evans and his three-time Grammy-nominated Captain Black Big Band. He is featured on their albums “The Intangible Between” (2020) and “Walk a Mile in My Shoe” (2024).

The CD release show and after party will take place Sat. 3/29 at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall aka The Carnegie Carnegie in Carnegie, PA (Greater Pittsburgh). Watkins will also be performing at Con Alma in Pittsburgh, Wed. 4/30 and Wed. 5/14, as well as at The Bop Stop, Cleveland, Fri. 6/20 and Smalls, NYC, Mon. 6/23.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - March 3, 2025 #jazz #music

Smooth Jazz Chart 

This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 

When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent link. 

Click here to view the smoothjazz.com chart for this week

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Multi-Award-Winning Composer-Pianist Randy Klein to introduce several distinct musical projects for 2025 #jazz #music

Randy Klein has carved out a prolific career with a long list of major accomplishments on his resume. He’s a pianist-keyboardist, songwriter, educator, author and founder of Jazzheads, the NYC-based independent music label, to name a few of his many activities. As a cross-genre creative, he’s also proactive in adding new, innovative projects in areas of exploration including jazz, popular and classical music, theatrical works and film scoring. Randy Klein’s extensive contributions to the music world continue with expertise and passion. Of his work, The revered jazz legend, Dr. Billy Taylor, lauded Klein’s work by stating: “I’m glad that Randy Klein’s musical compositions really focus on his gift for melody. I love his work.” Kicking off a year of new projects, Klein released “Invictus” on February 11, a contemporary classical work based on the renowned poem by William Ernest Henley. The recording, with music by Klein and Jonathan Long, and sung by Long, is available on all streaming platforms. Heading more deeply into 2025 is an evening concert presenting songs from Black Swan Blues – the Concept Album. The entire suite of songs will be presented on Monday, May 19 at the Lambs Club in New York City. Recorded by a starry cast of singers, including Karen Mason, Christian Hoff, Lilli Cooper, Aurelia Williams and Jerry Dixon, the album’s blues-infused score and memorable songs, captivates with its story of love, racial injustice and redemption, set in the sultry ambiance of New Orleans, 1963. Performing the songs from Black Swan Blues is another step in the development of the musical, one that will energize its listeners to clamor for a full production. Polymath Klein is a long-time member of the advanced BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, The Dramatists Guild, The Recording Academy (formerly the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) and APME (Association for Popular Music Educators). As a music educator, he conducts clinics on music, songwriting and the business of music. He is an active coach for songwriters at SongU.com., Nashville. As a performer, he has appeared at venues such as Birdland, Klavierhaus, Trumpets, the historic Union of Composers Club (Moscow), Radio City Music Hall (NYC), the Chitlin Circuit, The Playboy Club, The Other Side (The Combat Zone, Boston), Bethlehem Bungalow Colony (Catskills), The Bitter End, The Comic Strip (NYC), Hammersmith Odion (London), The Troubadour (LA), The Metropolitan Opera House and the Mississippi Symphony. This wide variety of experience continues to inform his work, building strength upon strength. John J. Cooper, Program Director WBGO-FM Newark NJ, says: “Klein uses inventive lyrics with infectious melodies making jazz that belongs in a class with John Pizzarelli and Dave Frishberg. Original with a capital O!”   Also coming this Spring is Songs That Speak – a performance piece that features top jazz vocalists performing songs that convey the story and message of Speak,, a uniquely quirky, comedic musical tale with purpose. Speak takes place in the commercial music world, in the early years of branding. Our hero dies in the opening number by throwing himself in front of a Mr. Frosty Freezy Ice Cream truck, but his sacrifice is not for naught. Speak speaks to the need to be heard, and to uncluttered and everlasting love. The Speak score is melodic, rhythmic, multi-genre and built on old-school/new-school sensibilities. Renowned music critic and writer, Ken Dryden, notes “(Klein’s) inventiveness and lyricism put him in the jazz camp, though he doesn't easily fit into any particular style.” Continuing the trajectory of the roll out of Klein’s work, this Summer, Jubilee, a folk opera adapted from Margaret Walker’s 1966 novel of the same name, will be presented at Jackson State University (Jackson, MS). Klein has been long-associated with the works of poet and writer Margaret Walker, a prominent force in the African American literary movement in Chicago, known as the Chicago Black Renaissance. His commissioned “Margaret Walker For My People Song Cycle,” was composed by Klein for chorale and solo voice, with themes of social and civil liberties as its backbone. This masterwork has been performed by the Mississippi Symphony with a 120-voice chorale, at museums, schools, libraries, churches, universities and beyond. Jubilee tells the story of Vyry, Walker’s great-grandmother and her journey from slavery through Emancipation and Reconstruction. Jubilee will have a workshop from June 9 -14, conducted at Jackson State University’s opera department with Opera South as part of the Yale University opera department HBCU collaboration with the Margaret Walker Resource Center. A full concert version of Jubilee is scheduled for summer 2026. NEA Jazz Master Willard Jenkins says of this work, “One of the most important performance pieces being offered today (that) combines Margaret Walker’s poetry with socially conscious themes with Randy Klein’s musical painting of every word.” Finally, 2025 will also see the ongoing promotion of the work that makes up Randy Klein’s Songbook—an eclectic collection of songs that have been recorded and released and deserve to be spotlighted anew. *Who Taught You That? Antoinette Montigue – Bobby Sanabria Big Band *No Randy Klein’s Jazzheads *Go Out and Get Some (Get It Out’cha System) Millie Jackson *Feeling Like A Woman Millie Jackson *Phuck-U Symphony Millie Jackson *Each Ornament Has A Story Ann Kittredge *Fairy Pet Day Cast of Twinkle Tames A Dragon *Ben Franklin Michael Earl *Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days Ticktock Minutes (PBS) *Anything Can Happen Black Swan Blues *Rhyming Tap Rap Savion Glover – Sesame Street *Everything You Long For (Is in New Jersey) Flambé Dreams – Ashley Fox Linton On June 8 at the Association for Popular Music Education Conference in Memphis, TN, Klein will present a songwriting workshop titled, "The Art of Listening to Songs: Intertwining Culture, History and Emotion."

About Randy Klein: A north Jersey native, he was performing at age 14 in a local rock group The Good Things as well as playing with the Fort Lee (NJ) High School marching band. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he is proud to say he was handed his degree by Duke Ellington. Klein performed with singer-songwriter Ralph Graham until 1976, moving to New York City in 1977 and playing and touring with R&B performer Millie Jackson until 1980. Klein founded Jazzheads in 1992, an independent music label based in New York City. To date, the label has a catalog of over 225 titles, with Grammy nominations, DownBeat Critics awards, and Jazz Journalist awards. Some of the artists that Klein has collaborated with are Multi-Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, Broadway star Karen Mason, Multi-Grammy nominated percussionist/band leader and educator Bobby Sanabria, tenor saxophonist, Ray Blue with Kenny Barron on piano, vocalist Ann Kittredge, trombonist and music educator, Dr. Chris Washburne, bassist, Boris Kozlov, R&B Hall of Famer, Millie Jackson and many others. Most recently, Klein was awarded the Creatives Rebuild New York grant 2022-23. He was also the winner of the USA Songwriting Competition 2005 in the Jazz category and top two in the overall category for his composition “Data.” Among Klein’s many other accolades are the Simons Public Humanities Fellowship at the Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas for the 2011-2012 academic year. Klein has been nominated for a 1998 and 2010 Jerry Bock Award for his theater composition and is the recipient of the 2009 BMI Foundation Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre. His song cycle, For My People won the 2009 CAP Grant sponsored by the American Music Center. Klein is also the winner of four Southern Regional Emmy Awards: 1996, for the original score to the 90 minute film-documentary titled Richard Wright – Black Boy PPS/BBC; and 1998, 1999 and 2002 in the category of "Outstanding Collaborative Achievement for Composer" for his work on Ticktock Minutes (PBS), which also won the 1999 National Emmy Award for Best Public Service Announcement. About his many achievements, his creative process and his career to date, Klein says, “With me, there are always many projects in different degrees of completion going on. I’m living my dream. I am very thankful that I am a musician!”

Randy Klein Website

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Tales of the City: Ultrablue shares “New York Stories” on March 21

Seven-time GRAMMY winner Randy Brecker and GRAMMY nominee Chieli Minucci are among the featured guests on the contemporary jazz EP. “The Girl with the Sunflower Tattoo” drops as a single on Friday.

             

 

Cram eight million people into a global mecca of commerce, finance, technology, academia, and the arts spanning entertainment, media, and fashion, and colorful stories flow endlessly involving colorful characters. Keyboardist, composer, and producer John Smatla, who makes records under the name Ultrablue, finds New York City an infinite fount of inspiration. He wrote and recorded a six-song EP chronicling his real-life experiences and encounters with people in the sprawling metropolis. A contemporary jazz set liberally stirring soulful R&B grooves, exotic Latin rhythms, and vibrant pop sensibilities, Ultrablue’s “New York Stories” drops on March 21 on SRS Records.

 

Possessing a powerful energy and towering soundscape worthy of its namesake origins, “New York Stories” is Ultrablue’s third collection and first in nineteen years. A few years ago, Smatla released “Until We’re All Free” as the project’s first single. Three singles followed over the years, seeding the new EP. The fifth single, “The Girl with the Sunflower Tattoo” will begin seducing listeners on Valentine’s Day with its poignant piano poetics tethered to riveting and robust rhythms. Smatla creates on a grand scale, crafting intricate layers of instrumentation rife with luminous harmonies and melodies. Making its presence felt by uniquely coloring and texturing each tune, New York City serves as a compelling backdrop and an engaging playground for Smatla’s adventures to unfold. His lyrical piano play and clever keyboards function as a congenial tour guide.

 

Opening the EP, “New York Story” sets the scene quite literally. It’s a musical homage to the architecture and mystique of Manhattan, distinct cultural aspects of the city that long fascinated Smatla, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Adding a unique retro twist, the horn-powered track featuring David Mann and bolstered by the New York Voices adds elements celebrating theme songs from 1960s detective movies and television shows like those composed by Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, and Oliver Nelson.  

 

Smatla wrote what he observed during the struggle for social justice and freedom around the world in 2022. The result is “Until We’re All Free.” 

 

"‘Until We're All Free’ was written during the tumultuous days of the social justice protests. The passion people were feeling in New York City was powerful. In the absence of traditional lyrics, the harmonies and melody lines had to create a certain lack of resolution and a sense of determination. Philip Hamilton’s (Pat Metheny Group) plaintive wordless vocals on the chorus helped fulfill the song’s mission,” said Smatla who is accompanied on the track by James Hodsonhast (brass), Hubert Eaves IV (bass), and drummer Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra).

 

While the EP is about Smatla’s own New York adventures, he uses creative license on “Herbie,” a high-energy salute to jazz piano icon Herbie Hancock whose career breakthrough came in the Big Apple. Hancock’s drummer Trevor Lawrence guests on the track that includes bassist Cornelius Mims, The Chop Horns, and a soprano saxophone solo by Eric Knight.

 

“New York is where Herbie’s career was launched and his association with the jazz scene that

was developed in New York in the late 50s and 60s is obvious. I created some funky riffs that sounded like they could’ve come from one of Hancock’s 1970s albums with the Head Hunters. The riffs were developed into a contemporary jazz tune that employs some Herbie-like jazz altered chords and bluesy jazz piano licks,” explained Smatla.

 

Bernd Schoenhart’s expressive acoustic guitar shares the spotlight with Smatla’s sensual piano on “Maria in Blue,” a sultry and amorous Latin-tinged cut about a woman from Smatla’s past. 

 

“I have this unforgettable image of Maria. She was a statuesque beauty. One warm evening, I remember being transfixed by her image in a shoulder-less blue summer dress. We locked eyes and it was the start of a passionate love affair,” Smatla recalled. 

 

The most recent single, “We Were in Love” continues the theme of being swept up in romance although this one hurts a bit. Smatla’s impassioned piano climaxes by issuing cascading, swoon-worthy notes feverishly in the distinguished company of seven-time GRAMMY-winning flugelhornist Randy Brecker, GRAMMY nominated guitarist Chieli Minucci of Special EFX, and Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo.  

 

“A theme of innocence, nostalgia, and regret, we’ve all experienced that first great love from reckless days of youth and how, sadly we sometimes end up going on living separate lives forever. We’re left with the memories we choose to remember and thoughts of what could’ve been. This bittersweet dynamic permeates ‘We Were in Love’ as the tune shifts from a brooding verse to a lighter, happier chorus with the aid of Darmon Meader’s (New York Voices) celestial vocalization,” said Smatla, who aims to play shows as Ultrablue this summer using a revolving cast of musicians.

 

The EP concludes with the downtempo “The Girl with the Sunflower Tattoo.” Buttressing Smatla’s evocative piano are Minucci’s electric guitar and Mann’s horns that embellish the taut rhythmic foundation constructed by Rosenblatt and bassist John Benitez.

 

“This is another story about a real person, a beautiful young woman from a neighborhood in a dangerous part of the city. She had known a life of difficulties and had developed a street tough persona that was impenetrable. But her raw beauty was startling, and her flawless skin was adorned by one large single sunflower tattoo. That single flower suggested a vulnerability and sweetness that otherwise would’ve been hard to imagine given her image. This sunflower was actually a wildflower, beautiful but neglected,” Smatla shared.

  

Ultrablue debuted in 2003 with “Dusk 2 Dawn,” an album that showcased performances by popular New York City musicians Dave Stryker, Rachel Z, Kevin Mahogany, and Pete Belasco. Three years later, the self-titled sophomore album peaked at No. 4 on the Amazon best sellers list. Buoyed by a top 30 hit titled “Shiver,” Ultrablue’s following grew exponentially, driven by the album that included guest appearances by Brecker, Mann, Belasco, Gabriela Anders, Nestor Torres, and female vocal group Allure. For more information, visit https://www.ultrabluejazz.com.

 

Ultrablue’s “New York Stories” EP contains the following songs:

 

“New York Story”

“Until We’re All Free”

“Herbie”

“Maria in Blue”

“We Were in Love”

“The Girl with the Sunflower Tattoo”