Smooth Jazz Daily

Darren Rahn – Speechless

smoothjazzdaily — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:07:48 +0000

The long wait is over and after making his segue to Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm, the stage is set for the release of this, his third and most revealing record to date.

Having firmly established himself as a first call producer, mixing up #1 hits for Dave Koz, Tim Bowman and his longtime friend and collaborator, the late great Wayman Tisdale, Darren Rahn puts it all out on full display, proving that beyond being a serious producer, he is equally adept at songwriting and proves again that his saxophone chops rank with the best in the business.

A master at melody, Rahn is also a true craftsman when it comes to creating strong hooks, and they are both on full display with the lead single “Magnetic”, an apropos title for a song with a pull so strong that it sticks to you and you’ll not soon get it off.

Rahn brings some of his closest friends along for the ride with cameo appearances from Dave Koz, Paul Brown, Najee, and Nate Harasim. The album also features two very special vocal tracks, the title track “Speechless” highlighted by the breathtaking voice of Maxine Hardcastle and he also welcomes the exciting and dynamic new vocal sensation Joshua on the track “Magical”, which is truly that and is destined to become a pop smash.

From cover to cover Speechless never lets up and never lets down and while it will leave you wordless upon listening, you’ll soon find yourself anxiously spreading the word. Rahn’s latest ranks as one of the finest recordings to grace the genre and will force his peers to have to reach way up.

In Stores March 27th — with Nate Harasim, Anthony Jones, Maxine Hardcastle, Najee Rasheed, Dave Koz, Jason Rahn, Mel Brown, Jayne Harasim, Joshua Aaron Michael Welton, Paul Brown, Frank Selman and Matt Godina.

Alvin Clayton Pope – Soul of Man

smoothjazzdaily — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:04:32 +0000

The sweet, smooth sounds of Alvin Clayton Pope are headed your way with the forthcoming release of his new album of jazz pop tunes, Soul of Man. Inspiring, cool and hot at the same time, energetic yet laid back – there’s depths to the smooth jazz sounds of Pope’s stylish songwriting and singular performance style.

Pope’s distinctive use of timbre and texture and his harmonic and rhythmic structures bring depth to his music. “You’ll hear a blend of old and new concepts in sound that can be appreciated by various listeners,” he says. Pope – who plays keyboard, alto sax and guitar – first found himself enjoying a career as a musician performing in a variety of cover bands. As his career developed, he found himself working as music director for a vocal group. About that time he found himself developing shows to open for The Temptations, Four Tops and Manhattans, among others.

Following that era in Pope’s career, he further expanded his musical efforts by diving deeply into composition, production and arranging original material for indie labels. In the present, Pope has his attentions full forced on his solo career, including forays into film and television composition. Besides artists mentioned above, Pope has opened for Ruby Dee with Ozzie Davis. He has functioned as sound engineer, doing mixes for Angela Bofill, War, President Bill Clinton and Waylon Jennings. He has performed not only in the United States, but also in Canada, Kenya and South Africa.

His new album is released in Janurary 2012. He is currently working with A&R Select, the world’s leading independent artist development firm, based out of Los Angeles, CA. More information is available by visiting www.myspace.com/alvinclaytonpope and www.arselect.com. Soul of Man is available at CDBaby.

Ramsey Lewis and His Electric Band – Ramsey, Taking Another Look

smoothjazzdaily — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:01:46 +0000

Enumerate all his albums would be a tedious task. Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis has released approximately 80 albums over a 50-year career. He became popular with his megahit The In Crowd (1965).

His most successful album was however Sun Goddess (1974), a re-union with Maurice White and Earth, Wind & Fire. Smooth jazz fans might remember his Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago radio station WNUA (95.5 FM).

Best known is his project Urban Knights. Originally planed as a permanent group, their albums were soon the ideal platform for new talents.

Greg Walker – End Of Summer

smoothjazzdaily — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:08:56 +0000

End Of Summer (released January 2012) is a collection of seven new compositions of guitar-led latin and jazz flavoured instrumental music from four-time UK Song Contest finalist Greg Walker.

Greg’s debut album, Straight From The Source 1, held the No.1 position simultaneously in the overall Jazz chart, the Latin Jazz chart and the Brazilian Jazz chart on the independent artists mp3tunes website during 2004-2005 – the latter, almost without break for several months.

The follow up album in 2006, Straight From The Source 2 – according to one reviewer, ‘an eminently listenable album with ten supremely lyrical tunes that make this the consummate second album’ – proved equally popular. I Should Know By Now reached the finals of the Instrumental category in the 2006 UK Songwriting Contest.

Greg Walker also co-wrote with Pete May the soul-jazz dance floor classic, Second Opinion – recorded and performed by Victor Haynes and available on the Expansion Records 2009 album, Soul Togetherness. End Of Summer is now available at CDBaby.

John Taylor – Little Wave

smoothjazzdaily — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:08:44 +0000

John Taylor has toured with the Charlie Daniels Band, performed with The Temptations, The Coasters, Rita Moreno, Tony Molina and others. He has traveled as a trumpet player on cruises in the Caribbean and Alaska and showcased his own music with his band in Los Angeles.

With Little Wave he offers a cornucopia of smooth jazz songs at CDBaby.

Paul Whitley – Versatility

smoothjazzdaily — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:09:04 +0000

Multi-instrumentalist Paul Whitley learned to play drums with 8 years. With 16 years he started playing piano, before he finally chose bass and guitar to his favorite instruments.

Since 2002 he started his career as professional musician playing with artists such as Marvin Sapp, John P. Kee, Byron Cage, Wes Morgan, Myron Butler, Steve Cole, Walter Beasley, and Joey Sommerville.

With Versatility (2011) Paul Whitley presents his first solo album. The album offers a fine mix of covers and Paul’s own compositions. Paul is supported by Lamont McCain (bass), Reggie Graves (guitar), Rischard Jenkins (drums), Jerry Oates (horns), Tony Bowers (guitar) and many more on selected tracks.

Hiroshima – Departure

smoothjazzdaily — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:40:05 +0000

Hiroshima is the only Asian band to receive a Grammy-nomination and they have two. Legacy featured songs from the first 10 years and celebrated the band’s 30 years in the industry. Departure, number 18 for the celebrated Hiroshima who has created it’s own voice. . . One of the most unique bands in the world, Hiroshima combines traditional Japanese instruments, including koto, taiko and shakuhachi with western instruments and harmony, embracing rhythms ranging from Jazz to Latin and R&B –a blend referred to by famed British producer Robin Millar as “Urban World Music.”

After more than 30 years in the recording industry — and almost 4 million records sold – Hiroshima decided to leave record companies behind and venture on our own. It’s kinda scary, but given the changes in the music industry and what it’s now going to take for us to survive, we are moving toward direct contact with the community.

Departure is a new beginning for Hiroshima in many ways. The songs are all originals with just one guest artist, the incredible harmonica player Tetsuya “Tex” Nakamura, featured on the luscious opening track, “Have You Ever Wondered,” composed by June and Kimo. “Koto Cruise,” is the second song and features a funky groove and a burning koto solo. “Blues for Sendai” is just that. There’s a tribute to our friend and mentor James Moody, who passed last December. It’s called “See You Again,” and there is a lot of ‘quoting’ from his “Moody’s Mood for Love.”

After many years of requests, we have recorded our first full-on taiko solo ever, “Yamasong”–a live recording that really captures Shoji and Danny’s fierce interplay. “First Nation,” a composition by the Hawaiian Kimo Cornwell, is a powerhouse of a song embracing many cultures, as does our reincarnation of “Thousand Cranes.” The CD ends with a soulful version of “One Wish,” done as an acoustic trio.

Departure is now available at CDBaby.

Neil Leonard – Marcel’s Window

smoothjazzdaily — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:07:32 +0000

Those around in the 1970s might recall a disco song called “The Sound of Philadelphia,” which was the theme for television series, Soul Train. Saxophonist/composer Neil Leonard calls Marcel’s Window (GASP Records, 2011) the “sound of Philly in the 21st century.”

Born in Boston, Leonard is based in Philadelphia, Pa., and draws on the talents of other Philly musicians: pianist Tom Lawton, bassist Lee Smith and drummer Craig McIver. The set is comprised of six pieces that represent the city’s culture. The title is drawn from a window cut into the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s façade to illuminate Marcel Duchamp’s “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors.”

“Alex in the Atrium” is a playful piece that features Leonard on the alto sax. Though a modern piece, it’s done in a traditional jazz style. Bass and drums cut loose underneath the leads, and at times share the spotlight with sax or piano. McIver’s array of cymbals helps highlight varying textures of the beat. Toward the end of the song, Smith solos on bass, snapping the strings in rapid-fire succession during several phrases.

Jeffery Smith – After the Rain

smoothjazzdaily — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:07:37 +0000

This is Jeffery’s debut CD released in 1997. These recordings are exceptional and timeless for a debut release. The vocals and guitar licks on these original recordings are raw and full of smooth soul. This CD puts the artist in a category to himself. The recording released after these recordings are a extension there of. As you listen to these recordings, you will hear some of the artist later works buried underneath the grooves and melodies. This is a for sure jewel to keep in your collection.

You have now the opportunity to buy this gem at CDBaby.

Patrick Yandall – Acoustic Dreamscape

smoothjazzdaily — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:03:31 +0000

One of the most creative guitarists is Patrick Yandall. He started his solo career with That Feels Nice (1994), followed by A Lasting Embrace (1997), Of Two Cities (2000), Back To The Groove (2001), From The Ashes (2003), Eyes Of Mars (2005), Samoa Soul (2006), Laws Of Groovity (2008), A New Day (2009) and The Window (2010). Besides his smooth jazz projects he also released albums in the Blues genre like New York Blues (2007) and One Hour Blues (2010) as well as in the Hard Rock realm with Going For One (2010).

His newest smooth jazz project is Acoustic Dreamscape (2012). Smooth, contemporary jazz featuring the acoustic guitar of international recording artist Patrick Yandall. Putting down his electric for this project and featuring a relaxing set including two covers; 1 Bob Dylans All Along the Watchtower and Steve Howe’s. Now on sale at CDBaby.