Smooth Jazz Chill Out Lounge Rar

• Smooth Jazz Chill Out Lounge Rar Online

A previously unreleased treasure. This is the final everrecording of the legendary, influential drummer, whose impact across Rock, Funkand Soul, as well as Jazz, is unrivalled to this day. Recorded over 2 nights,19th & 20th November 1986, at Ronnie Scott's in London, England. Availableas 4 physical formats, as standard and Deluxe. The deluxe, Collector's Editionsinclude a full 30 minutes of extra material, including a gob-smacking drum solodemonstrating that even toward the end of his life, his playing wasunsurpassable The Collector's Editions will be available in limited batches ata time, to optimise their value, and increase collectability. Includes fullliner notes by Buddy's daughter Cath, who also appears as a guest vocalist onthe recording 'My dad chose set lists for the two nights that I hadn't heardbefore.

He was always brilliant in choosing the right sets, but this time heshied away from the tried and true and went to places musically that were verydifferent. It was as if he knew that he didn't have to prove anything anymoreand could relax and go wherever he wanted and enjoy it. I think the end resultproves just that. For two incredible nights I got to sit in the audience andcheer right along with everyone else. I will always remember that time as oneof the greatest moments in my life.

Now I can revel in the fact that,thankfully, his last recordings were caught on tape for all of us to enjoyforever. It has taken thirty-three years to finally get these recordings out.An absolute labor of love that I never gave up on. At times it was quite astruggle, but in the end it was all about the music.' From his pioneering contributions to the foundations ofbossa nova alongside the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, through theera-defining Latin-pop sound of his iconic group Brasil ’66; his scintillatingcollaborations with jazz legends like Cannonball Addereley and Herbie Mann tohis chart-topping adult contemporary smash “Never Gonna Let You Go;” on throughhis 21st-century reinvention with the Black-Eyed Peas and John Legend or hisOscar-nominated theme song from the animated hit Rio: an infectious spirit ofjoy pervades everything Mendes has ushered into the ears of listeners. The Brazilian legend’s new album is no exception. On In theKey of Joy, due out February 28, 2020 from Concord Records, Mendes looks backthe only way he knows how – by once again moving forward. Released to coincidewith a spectacular new documentary on his life by acclaimed filmmaker JohnScheinfeld (Chasing Trane, Who Is Harry Nilsson?), In the Key of Joy melds theclassic Brazilian, jazz and pop sounds that have long characterized Mendes’music with stunningly contemporary inspirations that make the album sound atonce utterly timeless and wholly of the moment.

To accompany the documentary’s wide-angle perspective onMendes’ sweeping history, the Deluxe Edition of In the Key of Joy includes thesoundtrack to the film, a career-spanning overview that encompasses thegreatest moments from Mendes’ musical life. From the unforgettable Brasil ’66classic “Mas Que Nada” to Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love,” which Mendesmemorably performed on the 1968 Academy Awards telecast; collaborations withwill.i.am and the dazzling, soulful “Never Gonna Let You Go,” the disc offersan essential primer on Mendes’ ability to place his indelible imprint onmultiple styles of music across the decades. In the Key of Joy provided the opportunity to make some newencounters as well as reunite with old friends. The album was recorded betweenMendes’ native Brazil and his adopted home of California, one more way in whichhe bridges past and present in an eclectic harmony. “There are some sounds thatyou can only get down in Brazil, that amazing energy, that massive rhythmicalwave that you hear underneath everything,” he says. “Then I have all of mywonderful partners and such amazing musicians in Los Angeles, along with all ofmy special guests. It’s the best of both worlds.”.

The Colombian pop duo of brothers Cali y El Dandee take thespotlight on the sultry “La Noche Entera,” co-written by the pair along withMendes and the great Brazilian musician/producer Carlinhos Brown. The angelicpipes of The Voice alum Sugar Joans aptly grace “Samba In Heaven;” the singeris a second-generation collaborator with Mendes, her father being Joe Pizzulo,who so memorably sang the lead on “Never Gonna Let You Go.” Pizzulo himselfrejoins Mendes for “Love Came Between Us,” which evokes the silky sound of thatclassic hit. Alexander arrived in New York as a lightning bolt in thespring of 2014, performing at Jazz at Lincoln Center's annual fundraising gala.At the helm of a packed-out theater containing some of Manhattan's most elitearts benefactors, Alexander amazed the audience with a remarkably lyricalrendition of 'Round Midnight.' A standing ovation ensued, andAlexander hasn't slowed down since. The following spring, the New York Timeswrote in an enthusiastic profile that 'For a jazz pianist, the masteryentails a staggering breadth of knowledge about harmony, rhythm andorchestration, all converging in an eloquent synthesis.

Joey Alexander has ahandle on a good deal of that.' From there, he went on to receive threeGrammy nominations, with two of Alexander's four previous albums topping theBillboard Jazz Albums chart. Over a career spanning more than three decades, renownedvocalist JACKIE ALLEN has recorded 12 CDs that have garnered wide criticalacclaim. Allen is now releasing her newest project, A ROMANTIC EVENING WITHJACKIE ALLEN: LIVE AT THE ROCOCO, a two-disc Blu-ray and CD set. With her smoky and suggestive voice,distinctive phrasing, and improvisatory chops, Allen is a true jazz singer. Anatural storyteller, she can interpret jazz ballads with great sensitivity andfluently transform pop tunes into the jazz idiom.

The two have teamed up once again to create this unique, two-disc collection,with Sturm producing the video portion of the project. Allen brought herlongtime recording band from Chicago to Lincoln for this performance, as wellas special guest Bob Sheppard, the Los Angeles-based sax maestro. With itsstellar musicianship and Allen’s sexy and emotive vocals, A ROMANTIC EVENINGWITH JACKIE ALLEN has the kind of intimate feel that pairs beautifully with acandlelight dinner and a bottle of good champagne.

The story of Sondra 'Blinky' Williams has long been shroudedin mystery. The soulful singer came to Motown Records in 1967 following stintsat Vee-Jay and Atlantic, bringing her passionate and powerful deep soul soundto Hitsville, USA. Despite recording dozens of tracks between 1968 and 1973,only a small handful saw release: a mere four 45s plus an album of duets withEdwin Starr, two live cuts, and a couple of one-off recordings, including a keymoment on the best-selling soundtrack of Lady Sings the Blues. Over the years,Blinky tracks would emerge on compilation releases, prompting fans worldwide toclamor for more and even launch a 'Free Blinky from the Vaults' campaign. Now,Blinky is free at last ' and her full story can be told. Heart Full of Soul:The Motown Anthology is the ultimate collection dedicated to Motown's greatlost superstar.

Over two CDs and almost 50 songs, Blinky's Motown journey ischronicled with songs written and produced for her by the label's greatesttalents including Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Clay McMurray, FrankWilson, Hal Davis, Gil Askey, Deke Richards, Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson,Don Hunter, and Stevie Wonder. Released with the full cooperation of the artist,Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology has been produced and annotated by theteam of Joe Marchese and Andrew Skurow (Bobby Darin's Go Ahead and Back Up: TheLost Motown Masters, The Supremes' The Ultimate Merry Christmas), and masteredby Kevin Reeves (The Supremes' Expanded Editions) from the original tapes.

Thedeluxe booklet features rare photographs and extensive liner notes drawing on anew interview with Blinky. Gospel, jazz, R&B, and the classic Motown Soundall come together with the distinctive voice of Motown's greatest 'lost'artist, Blinky. Heart Full of Soul has to be heard to be believed. On this CD release jazz and pop singer Buddy Greco is heardin his early 1960s prime with 'two complete stereo LPs', Let's Love, and ILike It Swinging. As a bonus, four tracks from singles are included, all on CDfor the first time.

28 'Great Songs' in all! /// Review: Anyone that would remember Grecocoming up as a swinging jazz singer under Benny Goodman is probably dead. Now,he's remembered by boomers as a jive ass Vegas finger popping daddio thatsymbolized everything wrong with the establishment. These two albums producedby Al Cohn with the era's top jazzbos in tow (including Zoot Sims) finds Grecoshaking off the last of his jazz vocal days looking to fill a nook betweenSinatra, Prima and Davis before letting those fingers really pop. These trackscould live on their own without the vocals since the players are so strong butthe song choices are faultless. A nice addition to any jazz vocal collection. Chris Spector -Midwest Record review 09/20/19.

Smooth Jazz Chill Out Lounge Rar Online

My Favorite Songs is Simone Kopmajer´s first Best Of album,a collection of songs from her last 12 recordings. The Double-CD featuresartists such as George Mraz, Victor Lewis, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Houston Personand many more on a 32-songset that presents songs from The Great AmericanSongbook, originals and exquisite covers of songs made popular by FrankSinatra, Ray Orbison and Bill Withers. She has soul and a particularcharismatic tone in her voice that gives each song that special something. Bornin Austria, Simone Kopmajer already achieved at a young age what manymusicians, bands and ensembles dream of - the launch of a successfulinternational career. In the United States, Japan and Southeast Asia, thesinger is a household name for lovers of demanding and refined jazz music.

Shefills large concert halls, performs as the headliner of major internationalfestivals and has sold thousands of CDs worldwide. Drummer Snorre Kirk has a great musical partner here –tenorist Stephen Riley, who blows with this warm, raspy tone that takes us backto classic Ben Webster in the postwar years! The pace of most tunes is nicelylaidback, but never in a way that's too sloppy or loose – as Kirk's comboprovides these rhythms that are more than interesting enough on their own, andwhich really expand once Riley's magic comes into the mix! Also, all tunes areoriginals by Kirk, which makes for an even fresher set than the usual outingwith a classic-styled tenorist – and the group features Magnus Hjorth on pianoand Anders Fjelsted on bass – plus guest tenor from Jan Harbeck on two trackstoo. Tiles include 'Tangerine Rhapsody', 'Blues Jump','West Indian Fever', 'Festival Grease', and 'UptownSwing Theme'. Dusty Groove.

As well ashighlighting the deft musicianship of the original backing band on the Rainfordsessions (which include core On-U luminaries from Creation Rebel, Tackhead andDub Syndicate) these re-works also invite some further players into the cosmicmix. Brian Eno makes an unexpected right channel entry into 'Here Come TheWarm Dreads', a heavily processed sound system overhaul of Rainford highlight'Makumba Rock', cheekily re-titled as a nod to Eno's own debut soloalbum.

This completes a circle started in 1981 with African Head Charge's MyLife In A Hole In The Ground similarly referencing the contemporarycollaboration between Eno and David Byrne, and their 'vision of apsychedelic Africa'. Elsewhere,legendary trombonist Vin Gordon (one of the hornsmen on Bob Marley & TheWailers Exodus amongst many other classic sides) lends his distinctively woozyblowing to tracks such as 'Rattling Bones And Crowns' (a late nightflipside to 'Kill Them Dreams Money Worshippers') and 'CricketsIn Moonlight' ('Cricket In The Moon' refracted through somebeautifully louche late summer heat haze lens). The likeliest contender to atitle track, 'Heavy Rainford' strips back the narrative from'Autobiography Of The Upsetter' to ride the rhythm with all sorts ofmixing desk tricks, anchored by the killer 'I Am The Upsetter' hookfrom LSK. Still one ofthe most sought-after producers in the contemporary music industry, AdrianSherwood and his progressive style and interest in developing new ideascontinue to propel On-U Sound's ongoing success. In 2012 he issued his thirdsolo album Survival & Resistance, and began an ongoing collaboration withBristol-based dubstep don Pinch. This brought two different generations of basstogether and in 2015 the pair released their debut album Late Night Endless.Behind the mixing desk he has been working with the likes of Roots Manuva,Clinic and Nisennenmondai; and delivered remixes of Congo Natty, Peaking Lightsand Django Django. His production and remix works has also begun to beanthologised by On-U Sound with the critically acclaimed Sherwood At TheControls series.

The documentary CHICK COREA: IN THE MIND OF A MASTERpresents an unparalleled and coveted front row seat to witness the creativeprocess of the 22-time GRAMMY Award® winning artist while he writes andarranges his new album Antidote, which just received a GRAMMY nomination forBest Latin Jazz Album. Chick Corea is joined by The Spanish Heart Band, astellar new group of international musicians he collaborates with and drawsinspiration from. The one-hour documentary covers seminal moments in Chick’slife including his earliest memories at the piano to milestones in his careerincluding working with the likes of legends Miles Davis and Stan Getz. Thedocumentary is filmed predominantly at the famed Mad Hatter Studios, the sameLos Angeles studio where Paul McCartney, Prince and legions of music royaltyhave recorded. August 29,2020 will mark the centennial of one of jazz’s most iconic figures, CharlieParker. The celebration gets off to a jubilantly swinging start with an altosaxophone summit bringing together three of modern jazz’s most acclaimedvoices: Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson and Gary Bartz. Along with a superbrhythm section, the three distinctive altoists pay tribute to Parker’s legacyin the most apt fashion for this ground-breaking pioneer: by carrying hisinnovations forward in their own utterly singular styles.

Due outNovember 29 via Smoke Sessions Records, the soul-stirring Bird at 100 traces adirect lineage from Parker’s birthplace in Kansas City to the stage of SmokeJazz & Supper Club, where these three influential acolytes look back fromthe vantage point of jazz in 2019, with a combination of reverence, respect andadventure. The program offers a buoyant mix of classic Parker tunes, familiarstandards once recorded by Bird (and the generations since) and newcompositions written in honor of the master. Separated byroughly a decade apiece, Bartz, Watson and Herring represent three distinctpoints along that line linking Bird’s transformative approach through theevolution of music in his wake. Bartz was born just as Parker was making hismark in New York City, and thus grew up in a musical world indelibly marked byhis unmistakable sound.

Watson came into the world less than two years beforeParker left it, mentored by first-generation bop giants like Art Blakey. AndHerring was part of a movement that reimagined bebop for a wholly newgeneration, while maintaining a link with the source through such greats as NatAdderley and Freddie Hubbard.

For Watson,a fellow Kansas City native, Parker represents a laundry list of admirablequalities: “Triumph over adversity. Individualism.Originality.” Through this project, he continues, he aims to “try to extend hislegacy in my own way.

People like Bird, Duke Ellington and Monk all loved tohear people put different spins and interpret their music through their ownvoice. So I wanted to add my voice on the saxophone and add some differentspins on his classic compositions and song forms.”.

“Folklore”is Herring’s tribute to Bird and other influential voices of the era, includingCannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, and the composer’s own mentor, NatAdderley. The zig-zagging melody evokes the bop era while maintaining theflavor of the present day.

“Bird Lives” is a tribute by the late, great JackieMcLean, another virtuosic altoist (and another point on the timeline, bridgingthe two decades that separate Bird and Bartz). The set comes to a raucous closewith the evening’s final Parker classic, “Yardbird Suite.”. Carmen Souza is back with her 9th CD. Her latest is totallydedicated to the music of Horace Silver, calling it -The Silver Messengers.Anyone following the last decade of Souza's career would have predicted thisrelease sooner or later. Silver has been credited more then once as a big influencein Souza's career but their connections go beyond the artistic identification.They both share the same Cape Verdean heritage and they both, in differentways, mixed that heritage with elements of Jazz. The Silver Messengers missionin this CD was to honor Silver's pioneering repertoire by bringing it back toits African/Lusophone roots. Only Carmen Souza, with the help of her long timemusical partner Theo Pascal, who has accomplish so much with her own pioneeringmusical signature, could have completed this mission with such wonder andauthenticity.

A key figure in the evolution of Philadelphia soul sound since the mid-1970s, Butch Ingram wrote and produced hundreds of songs for many of the genre’s top artists including Barbara Mason, Major Harris, Blue Magic, Ronnie Dyson, Brandi Wells. And if that’s not enough, all the while, he’s been a member of the famous family band, Ingram, which is still going strong to this day. Here, Butch gathers some of the Philadelphia area’s finest male vocal talent (The Legendary Bluenotes, Donnie Tatem, Glenn Leonard, Baxter, Blue Magic, TRU, Johnny Ingram, David Simmons, Jimmy Lee, Major Harris, Ron Ellison and Tony Strong) for this romantic, soulful compilation specifically geared towards lovers. Bristol Soul Rebels The King Dukes are based around aclassic core of: Guitar, Bass, Drums and Hammond Organ, they further encompassa fiery three-piece horn section paired with sweet backing vocals, all toppedwith blue-eyed, soul vocals. To capture the sound of this vintage backline on their debutrecord ‘Numb Tongues’, they only used methods suited to a 50’s-60’s soundingalbum, playing period specific instruments and throwing modern recordingtechniques to the side, instead sticking with the more rustic and raw stylesthat were admired at the time, such as recording a section with multipleinstruments all at one time. The result is a record with tracks that sound fresh and withrounded edges, but filled with classic cuts from the past. This album has a track for every mood, whether you want tomove your feet or turn back the sands of time and reminisce about times thatonce were.

The quality of the record and the prestige of the members means thatthe band are setting themselves up for success in the near future. Taking 2017/18 to perfect their sound and piece togethertheir debut record, The King Dukes have no hesitation about making animpression in 2019. They are touring the in Autumn, so before long they will bemaking a name for themselves on the UK circuit. We always love the work of Hammond organist Brian Charette –and here, the album offers up a chance to hear the keyboardist in all his glory– as there's no other instrumentation at all, which makes for a very unusualsolo organ set! Charette handles all the basslines with his feet, so there'sstill a pretty strong rhythmic pulse on most numbers – but there's definitely astronger sense of freedom on the keyboard, and the record bristles with allthese tones and colors that seem to surpass even some of Brian's previousalbums! And if you're worried about the album being a spare, sleepy effort –get past all of that – because Charette keeps things moving nicely on mostnumbers, and mixes in a few Ellington themes with his own originalcompositions. Titles include 'Silicone Doll', 'Yolk','Wish List', 'Chelsea Bridge', 'PublicTransportation', 'Herman Ernst III', '5th Of Rye', and'Good Tipper'.

Dusty Groove. A University of Miami graduate, Henry has firmly establishedherself among the world's most powerful female vocalists, thanks to her dynamicpresence, impeccable phrasing and vibrant emotional resonance. Her passionate,heartfelt voice and charisma have earned a Soul Train Award for 'BestTraditional Jazz Performance,' three Top-10 U.S.

Billboard and HMV Japanjazz albums, and 'Best Solo Musician' by Miami New Times. She hasheadlined stages in 20 countries, recorded with Kirk Whalum, Julian Lage,Gerald Clayton and Gil Goldstein and has performed with the Duke EllingtonOrchestra, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and Michael Feinstein. ThisOctober in Boston, Henry garnered critical praise in her role as the sister ofsuperstar Rachel Marron in a new musical version of The Bodyguard.

The deepest sounds so far from Ryan Porter – a double-lengthalbum of spiritual majesty, and a set that marks Porter as one of the keyup-and-coming players on the West Coast Get Down scene! The record has longtracks that are very far-thinking jazz all the way through – mostlyinstrumental, although with the occasional vocal passage here and there –delivered with this sense of promise and mission that we never would haveexpected in Porter's music at the start – both in the strength of his trombonesolos, and the overall conception of the sound. The core group is fantastic –Kamasi Washington on tenor, Cameron Graves and Brandon Coleman on Fender Rhodesand piano, Thundercat on electric bass, Miles Mosely on acoustic bass, and TonyAustin on drums – and titles include 'Blame It On The Sun','Carriacou', 'Oscalypso', 'Peple Talk','World On Wheels', 'Mesosphere', 'Madiba','Heaven Only Knows', and a great jazz take on the Rotary Connectionclassic 'Memory Band'. DustyGroove. We don't hear nearly enough from Waajeed as we'd like to –but he really returns to glory here on a stunning mix of underground tracksfrom the Detroit scene – all contemporaries of Waajeed, and part of that richelectronic legacy that he's given us from his early days on the city's musicallandscape!

The work here definitely reflects the Planet E placement of themixtape – music that's heavy on the future electric elements that always madeCarl Craig and crew such standouts – even amidst a larger global scene – butit's the special work of Waajeed that has us loving this volume of Detroit Lovemost of all. CD is a continuous mix of 20 tracks – with titles that include'Overbite' by Roddy Rod, 'We Out Chea' by 14kt, 'Celestrial(club mix)' by D-Love Muzic, 'Gonna Tell Me' by Teflon Dons,'WhoRU' by Ladymonix, 'I'm In Trouble' by DJ Rimarkable,'Minimariddim' by Matthew Law, and 'Mermaid Blues' by DAmonBell featuring CAmille Safiya. Dusty Groove. The freewheeling Shawn Lee rides again, this time steeringinto folk soul, country funk and personally reflective songwriting in ways wehaven't heard from him before – all the while living up to his genre-straddlingindie funk legacy and penchant for winning stylistic detours over the years!Shawn does a great job of drawing on influences like Tony Joe White and otherunique singer-songwriter-performers who could blur the lines between funkysouthern soul, folk and rock without sounding like anyone other thanthemselves, and his heart on sleeve lyricism is sweet, too. Between'Wichita', 'Wherever The Wind Blows', 'CrystalSprings', 'Losin' My Mind', 'Brown Hair Woman','Mr Maestro', 'Farmer Brown', 'Yesterday TomorrowToday', 'Kansas City Summer' and 'Joyland'. DustyGroove. Evolve is a great title for this full length set – as MarcMac is one of the few talents from the 4Hero generation who's really evolvedover the years, and who's continued to give us some really incredible music – ajazz-based take on the realm of beats and keyboards, with a cosmic-driven sortof energy that sends the grooves soaring out into time and space!

The music isspare and simple, but so much more soulful than so many of his contemporaries –a masterpiece of doing a lot with a little, and creating surprising depth fromvery familiar elements. The tunes are all instrumental, but have a deeperspiritual meaning – and titles include 'The Mind Of Jacob','Around The Sun', 'Closer To Mars', 'FlyingColors', 'Theme From Joe Smoke', and 'MetalButterfly'. Dusty Groove. A great global bit of spiritual jazz from reedman SokratisVotskos – who works here in a style that not only follows some great Europeantraditions of modal jazz, but which also resonates with some of the deeperroots of Greek music too! Sokratis plays soprano sax and bass clarinet – andthe piano, bass, and drums weave these really magical rhythms that seem to setthe leader free – often with echoes of a longer cultural tradition, butdelivered with really personal intensity in the solos – in a way that makes ussure that Votskos is going to be a name to follow for years to come! A greatnew session that's very much in the tradition of some of the Spiritual Jazzcompilations on the Jazzman label – with titles that include 'QuadrumWaltz', 'Syncopatient', 'Sketching The Unknown','Sevenates', and 'Almopian Etude'.

Dusty Groove. A really fantastic album from bassist Joshua Abrams – a setthat may well be his greatest to date – and that's saying a lot, given all theother work he's given us in recent years!

The double-length set has Abramsworking with this lineup of improvising jazz talents, but in a way that's veryrhythmic, and very organic – slow-building songs that almost seem to mix jazzwith inspiration from gamelan music, but with very spiritual currents overall –music that builds slowly and flows to the cosmos – almost in a way that remindsus of the seminal 'On The Beach' by Phil Cohran & The ArtisticHeritage Ensemble! Yet Abrams is very much in his own territory here – workingwith a lineup that features the leader on guimbri, Lisa Alvarado on harmoniumand gongs, Mikel Avery on tam-tam and gongs, Ben Boye on electric autoharp andpiano, Hamid Drake on tabla and tar, Ben Lamar Gay on cornet, Nick Mazzarellaon alto saxophone, and Jason Stein on bass clarinet – with every member of theensemble also performing on flutes. The sound is incredible – music to build abridge to the heavens – and titles include 'In Memory's Prism','Finite', 'Shadow Conductor', and 'Agree'. Dusty Groove. Marion reaches back to his childhood for the inspirationthat fuels his debut Holiday album “Christmas With You.” Marion teams up withveteran Producer Rhani Song to record an album that has something for everyone“Rhani Song and I decided to get together and create something special.

Theresult is a body of work, musically familiar yet surprising in many ways. Weeven went back with some moody tenor on ”Silent Night “and ”We Three Kings” andinvited stellar guitar guests like Norman Brown and Perry Hughes, along withBlake Aaron, Wayne Gerard and Eric Leone. Also joining me were bass greats ChipShearin and Will Gaines along with Harmonica virtuoso Julian Davis. Band mate,Will Brock offeres up a great arrangement of the classic God Rest Ye MerryGentlemen. Up and coming star Trez co wrote and sang on the title track“Christmas With You”. And Gail Jhonson pens a very cool arrangement of “The FirstNoel”.

New comers Corey Jarell and Anetra Rene shine on the song “Christmas OnThe Radi”. A tight set of Latin jazz, and very much in the spirit ofthe title – featuring a quartet led by percussionist Eliel Lazo, recorded withsome great chorus vocals from the members of the group! The record's not nearlyas rootsy or slavishly classic Cuban as others of this nature – which meansthat the whole thing explodes with all these fresh colors and rhythmic changes– almost at a level that reminds us of some of the recent forays into theunderground Havana scene by the Brownswood Records label! Players includeJavier Gutierrez Masso Caramelo on piano, Yasser Morejon Pino on bass, and RaulPineda on drums – and titles include 'Cromason', 'HavanaChants', 'One Night One Song', 'Nueva Amanecer','A Cuban Blues', 'Camina Y Ve', 'Monday Evening',and 'Para Luisa'. Dusty Groove. We seem to appreciate the saxophone talents of IngridLaubrock more and more with each new record we hear – and that's definitely thecase on this beautiful session – which has her improvising these reallybeautiful lines alongside the piano of Aki Takase! Aki's tone is usually dark,and Laubrock almost feels as if she's counterbalancing with these colors fromher horn that are sharp, but bright at the same time – this really uniquevoice, especially on soprano sax – which is used here in ways that are evenmore impressive than some of the tenor-based titles.

Most tunes are relativelyshort, and there's almost a mix of modern, personal, and poetic that recallssome of our favorite 80s sessions on the Nato/Chabada label. Titles include'Brookish', 'Chimera', 'Harlekin', 'DarkClouds', 'Kasumi', 'Andalusia', 'Scurry',and 'Sunken Forest'. Dusty Groove. Fay Victor has always been an experimental sort of singer –and here, she works in a very experimental setting – a 'chamber trio'that just features her voice alongside the cello of Marika Hughes and alto saxof Darius Jones!

Fay's voice is wonderful – cresting with the sort of sharpedges that Abbey Lincoln would bring to her more pensive, more avantperformances – set up in a way that also echoes some of the classic modes ofJeanne Lee – but with these beautifully poetic lyrics that are very muchVictor's own. Titles include 'Stealaway', 'Last Night'sDinner', 'Dream State', 'Sometimes', 'Talk Talk(part 2)', 'Nico', and 'There They Are'. DustyGroove. A great little record that continues the Chicago/Londonmeeting that was begun in the Makaya McCraven album Where We Come From – alimited single with two collaborative grooves on each side! Emma-Jean Thackrayserves up 'Too Shy' on side one – a skittish blend of jazz elements,keyboards, and some soaring soulful vocals! Side two features a Gilles Petersonedit of the track 'Run Dem' – which has plenty of hefty drums, plusmusical contributions from Joe Armon-Jones, Theon Cross, and Soweto Kinch!

Dusty Groove.

Putting an exclamation point (this time with a bow!) on another groundbreaking year, NYC jazz singer Rebecca Angel offers a sensual and stylish, hip yet retro twist on the Eartha Kitt originated classic. Opening with a playful scat intro, Angel – who made her recording debut with a holiday original four years ago – weaves her sultry spell over the supple grooves and tasty retro vibes of arranger, producer, keyboardist Jason Miles and a handful of veteran NYC musicians, including Rebecca’s father, Billboard charting hornman, Dennis Angel, who delivers a swanky trumpet solo that adds to the track’s hipster cool. This voice will certainly warm up your holiday season. With her smooth mix of 'Winter Wonderland,' international recording artist and Grammy-nominated singer Sylvia Bennett welcomes all of the joys of winter. Kick back, put the worries of the world aside, and pour yourself an egg nog, as you slip into this seasonal selection from our favorite smooth crooner. You're sure to find your happy place with Ms.

Bennett's version of one of the most joyful holiday songs ever written, featuring a jazzy saxophone and a fun musical arrangement for Sylvia to cheerfully sing and sled through. Are you listening? Colorful, uplifting, steady grooving and wildly inspiring, singer/songwriter James Bowman III’s latest album THINGS ON MY MIND offers a seamless merging of gospel energy, sacred reverence and urban oriented Smooth Jazz. Having played with Brian McKnight and Mervyn Warren and opened for everyone from Edwin Hawkins, Kirk Franklin and Bebe and CeCe Winans, the multi-talented artist and seductive vocalist has plenty to communicate about - the Lord, marriage, family and relationship.

And as an added bonus for those feeling festive, James includes one of the most soulful versions of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' you've ever heard and worthy of your Holiday playlists this season. Multi-talented keyboardist David Garfield takes his ongoing, genre-transcendent, “Outside the Box” series into the holiday season with a sultry and easy-flowing and festive spin on the classic “Let It Snow.” This instantly engaging track helps make the season bright via newcomer Jo Nagle’s silky soul vocals, a fiery improvisational solo by Yellowjackets saxophonist Bob Mintzer and Garfield’s own vibrant Fender Rhodes jam. The track is the latest single from Garfield’s upcoming HOLIDAY OUTSIDE THE BOX collection. A longtime mainstay on the Miami Latin music scene who has worked with everyone from Arturo Sandoval and Ed Calle to The Four Tops, saxophonist Wayne Gutshall takes a break from the funk and salsa sizzle to create his new original single “I Wrapped My Love for Christmas.” Fashioned as a tenderly romantic duet with singer Wendy Pedersen, the track was inspired by Gutshall’s wife’s passion for watching Christmas movies.

Complementing Pedersen’s warm, inviting vocals, the track features an extended lush and sweetly soulful saxophone solo that will help everyone feel the love this holiday season. If it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, there’s musical magic in the air – and Dave Koz, as reliably joyful and magical as Santa, is coming to town once again. This year, he’s bringing GIFTS OF THE SEASON, his remarkable seventh holiday collection.

Produced by frequent Koz collaborator Darren Rahn, the whimsical yet heartfelt collection – which includes a jamming dance twist on a Wham classic, a graceful reworking of a Mariah Carey perennial and a prayerful original – features all four of the special guests joining Koz on his 22nd annual Christmas tour: Jonathan Butler, Michael Lington, Chris Walker and Melissa Manchester. Capping 30 incredible years as a recording artist and one of Smooth Jazz’s premiere saxophone masters, Marion Meadows celebrates the season – and gears up for Norman Brown’s Joyous Christmas tour – with his first-ever holiday collection CHRISTMAS WITH YOU. Inspired by childhood memories of a loving neighborhood where the spread of goodwill taught him the true meaning of Christmas. Meadows takes a magical, mystical, stroll (sometimes super-chill, sometimes crazy-brisk) through a batch of classics and a few heart-tugging originals. This urban-flavored collection has an intimate, nostalgic feeling throughout, with fresh pop, old school R&B, rock and traditional jazz elements sprinkled about. Joining the festivities and helping Meadows make the season bright are a handful of dynamic genre veterans, including Brown, Blake Aaron, Gail Jhonson and Joey Sommerville. Talk about a funky switch for the holidays! Currently on tour with the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, saxophonist Gary Meggs trades big band for Smooth Jazz on “A Joyous World,” a fresh, sizzling twist on “Joy To the World.” This is one of those rare cool tracks that dynamically shifts tempos and textures midway through. Just as the former director of the 531st Air Force Jazz Band is easing into a dreamy mystical flow, he amps up the groove, starts improvising wildly and brings on some enticing horn textures for a full-on Christmas party.

Let’s turn the season into “A Joyous World!”. Throughout his career, Pacific Northwest based saxophonist Kenney Polson has lived and performed in over 50 countries and played everything from Latin, classical and new age to funk, R&B, gospel and jazz. On his fresh, high energy spin on Donny Hathaway’s perennial classic “This Christmas,” he’s all about the soul.

While keeping to the spirit of the original, Polson and his band bring a quicker tempo, funkier grooves and deeper emotional urgency via a vibrant production that features a snazzy horn section, more percussion and keys - and Polson himself multi-tasking magnificently on alto, tenor and bass clarinet. You’ll think you’re listening to “That Swinging Manger” on a Frank Sinatra Christmas album, but this timeless tune is new from The Doug Hume Orchestra featuring vocalist Bob Francis and under the direction of Gary Nester! The ultimate in bold holiday hipster fun, fashioned as a loving tribute to all the Vegas lounge acts (including the Rat Pack) circa 1959, the track features the orchestra simmering and strutting through a classic big band arrangement of the familiar carol as the Ol’ Blue Eyes soundalike injects words and phrases like “cat,” “kid,” “dig, and “coo-coo.” The lyrics will make you smile as you’re snapping your fingers along to the music! Greg Carmichael, founding member of seminal guitar driven contemporary jazz ensemble Acoustic Alchemy, is a true survivor. He regrouped after the passing of band co-founder Nick Webb 20 years ago, and now, with longtime partner Miles Gilderdale, creates some of the group’s most compelling and diverse music ever on 33 1/3, the title reflecting on the band’s age. Recorded in the wake of Carmichael’s wife experiencing a life-threatening bout with meningitis and the loss of their long-time friend and manager, Steward Coxhead. The first studio album in seven years is a collection that darts by design, across a stylistic map from the assertive world-fusion fun on the opening track, “East of Babylon” to an exhilarating nod to fallen guitar hero, Chuck Loeb with “Carmen’s Man.” In addition, it includes a Steely Dan-esque pop/blues tribute to Walter Becker, “Blues For Mr.

Mu,” while the album also brushes on Latin, classical and contemporary sonic realms, it also includes a full band collaboration “The Girl With A Plan,” a title inspired by global radio pioneer and decades long companion, Sandy Shore. With a fresh, new energy, their trademark melodic chemistry created by an alchemy of nylon and steel guitars shines brightly through. In addition to playing for the Obamas, performing with Ne-Yo, working with orchestras and touring Africa, Marie Antoinette is quickly making the mystical sound of the harp a dynamic lead instrument in Smooth Jazz. Two decades after “That Thing” won two Grammys for Lauryn Hill, the jazz/funk performer – currently a touring member of the all-female ensemble Jazz in Pink - takes the enigmatic artist’s socially conscious doo wop/hip hop anthem to a fresh and transcendent, urban jazz meets classical level.

From her forthcoming album, ALL MY STRINGS, Mariea swirls her dreamy, stringed melodies around the tune’s trademark synth riff, and artfully builds towards a soaring interaction with a hypnotic string ensemble. It’s a timeless tune about equality, self-awareness and self-value, with a message as essential now as it was 20 years ago! Because it’s all we need.

Because it’s the answer and because it never fails. These are only but a few of the reasons why our favorite songbird, Grammy nominated vocalist Sylvia Bennett, wishes us Love on her latest outing of recorded musical bliss! I WISH YOU LOVE is simmering to the brim with delicious contemporary musical treats. Dipping into her collection of favorites from the classic songs that she’s romanced over the years in several languages; this intentional album of love songs blazes a new trail for our tireless, crooning crusader. The lusciously arranged set by longtime producing partner, Hal S. Batt, is all in English and features some amazing special guests including the one and only bass master, Nathan East on an impeccable cover of “Its Impossible” and Chart-topping Smooth Jazz trumpeter Rick Braun on a highly enjoyable run of “C’est Si Bon,” or as we like to call it, “C’est Si Braun.” Really it’s all you need to get. Love that is and this wonderful assortment of love songs falls into that category as well.

Find out for yourself! One of the most groundbreaking, virtuosic bassists in contemporary jazz for over 30 years, Brian Bromberg’s eclectic 25 album catalogue – including his latest smash THICKER THAN WATER - has included five #1 Billboard hits and over a dozen Top 10 singles. This year, he achieved the amazing feat of having a clip of his live performance of his latest single, “Minneapolis, 1987,” with his Unapologetically Funky Big Bombastic Band score over one million views on Facebook. The studio version of that unbridled, relentlessly funky jam is just one of the many highlights on the new collection, which finds Bromberg artfully balancing coolly soulful, infectiously in the pocket urban tinged Smooth Jazz with exotic excursions, moments of soft-spoken eloquence and an unadorned bass only improvisation where he struts his deepest, most artistic stuff. One of the edgiest, innovative and explosive performers in the sweet spot where Smooth Jazz meets contemporary R&B, saxophonist Eric Darius breaks new ground by launching his own label (SagiDarius Music) for his perfectly titled new album BREAKIN’ THRU.

With two Top Ten Billboard singles in the mix, the collection hits on all cylinders, from slammin’ funk sizzle to power ballads and a blistering Latin fire. Ensuring a continuously crackling urban crossover flow, the multi-faceted collection was co-produced by Darius and two of today’s hottest R&B sound masters, Rodney Jones Jr. (Chris Brown, Mary Mary, Mary J. Blige) and Butta N’ Bizkit (John Legend, Ne-Yo, Miguel, Ledisi).

In addition to a gorgeous track with Brian Culbertson, Darius includes poppin’ vocal features by two next-gen R&B hipsters MAJOR and Ollie Gabriel. A top vocal coach for J Lo and musical director for Gladys Knight who's also backed everyone from Beyonce and Mavis Staples to John Legend and Michael Lington, pianist, vocalist, arranger and composer John Fluker's hypnotic, ambient electronica piano driven new single 'All About That Time' has fascinating origins. The track is a rhythm intensive remix (by Grammy winning engineer Elliott Peters) of the new age-oriented title track that Fluker recorded on his album 11:11. The intoxicating, slightly jazzier, funkier result features unique beats created by Fluker, backed by the subtle tight basslines of Isaias Elpes, Lee Ritenour's regular touring bassist.

With the release of 'All About That Time' Fluker makes an inspiring transition from successful new age artist to breakthrough Smooth Jazz artist.