Posts Tagged ‘ Smooth Jazz ’

David Bach – About Last Night SummerSounds Live

441877448_1052741610190431_7135077391083953747_nFrom my recent review of David Bach‘s collection album Perficiendi I quote the following overview of David’s solo albums: Window On The West (1998), 5Thousand Words (2001), A Deep Breath (2005), Live at Baker Park (2008), Otherworld (2013) and Perficiendi (2020). Next album Fierce Heart is available on bandcamp since July 17, 2020.

David is thrilled to announce his new live album “About Last Night…SummerSounds Live” coming June 21, 2024. More about his music do you find on linktree.

Oli Silk – In Real Life

0020286247906Keyboardist Oli Silk describes himself as a smooth jazz ambassador. A title he rightly bears, as he has performed at numerous smooth jazz events as a main act or accompanying musician.

To date, he has released six solo albums on the Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records label: So Many Ways – (2006), The Limit’s The Sky – (2008), All We Need – (2010), Razor Sharp Brit – (2013), Where I Left Off – (2016) and 6 – (2020). His new album In Real Life will be released this month.

The following musicians supported Oli Silk during the recording: Westley Joseph (drums), Orefo Orakwue (bass), Mark James (guitar), Curtis McCain (percussion), Ilya Serov (trumpet), Rebecca Jade (vocals), Marcus Anderson (sax), PJ Spraggins (drums), Gary Honor (flute), Kim Scott (flute), Jordan Rose (drums), Carl Cox (sax) and Shannon Sangindiva Pearson (vocals). 

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Groove Frequencies – Night Grooves

6P6yczNgGroove Frequencies is a project by bassist, keyboardist and writer Johnny E. Stewart. After In The Groove (2017), Groove Frequencies (2018), Back To The Groove (2019), the fourth project is Grooves To Go (2021).

Their new album is entitled Night Grooves (2024), the fifth one offering twelve original compositions with some amazing musicians. The album will be released on May 31, 2024 and the single DON’T CHA WANNA GO GO will be going for adds on June 3rd, 2024.

Takamatsu – 4

a2748256619_16Takamatsu is not only a city in Japan but also the name of a prolific Tokyo based bassist, composer and multi-instumentalist. His smooth jazz albums are among others 4 (2014), One More Chance (2015) and Rendezvous (2016).

The above mentioned albums are available at bandcamp.

Konstantin Klashtorni – Chillaxing Jazz Kollektion – Best so Far

a2883103983_16Konstantin Klashtorni is one of the brightest musician/composer/producers in the world today.  His ability to express his emotions through the saxophone is unequaled by his peers.  He has cultivated his jazz stylings by educating himself in classical, Latin and modern electronic music.  His unceasing enthusiasm to stay on top of the advances in the music business drives him to always train in new and emerging styles.   His relentless work ethic has pushed his accumulation of professional experience as a musician in the studio and on tour as well.  His perpetual thirst for knowledge explains need to study various innovations in music production methods.  And all of this has been going on for more than thirty years.

One of his best series with stunning melodies is the Chillaxing Jazz Kollektion. In May 2023 he released a best of this collection entitled Best so Far.

Buy the album at bandcamp.

Jubu Smith – Jubu

JubuJohn “Jubu” Smith has worked as a sideman for 41 of his 45 years, beginning as a harmony vocalist in his father’s Oakland gospel quartet before adding bass, then guitar, to his responsibilities in the group. At 19, he began playing guitar for the Oakland R&B band Tony Toni Toné, whose front man, Raphael Saadiq, he’d known since both were kids playing on the local quartet circuit.

Smith spent a decade with the Tonies before going on the road for a year and a half with Whitney Houston. For the past 15 years, he’s been touring internationally eight months per year, primarily on weekends, with Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly. Those credits don’t include countless recording sessions with the likes of Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton, George Duke and George Benson. Jubu, who moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta two years ago with his wife and three children, is establishing himself as the front man of his own soul-blues band, Legally Blynd, a sextet that includes his brother Eric “Pik Funk” Smith (Rihanna’s bassist for the past eight years) and others who work as sidemen for Stevie Wonder and Saadiq. He’s cut way back on doing sessions, although he has recorded during the past year with Eric Benet, K. Michelle.  

Back in February Jubu made a recording with Calvin Napper (Maze) and Charlie Hunter. The new album Jubu will be released July 5, 2024. The first single will be Hamster Wheel available May 10, 2024.

You can pre-order the album at Qobuz.

Ghost Jazz Trio – A Soul in Time

ASoulInTimeThe Ghost Jazz Trio is San Diego’s only charting jazz band on the smooth jazz and jazz charts. Ghost Jazz Trio are 2021/2022/2023 nominees for “Best Jazz Album”  by the San Diego Music Awards. Based in San Diego, CA the trio features founder/guitarist/composer and producer James Morgan.

Now the trio announced the release of a new album on May 31 2024. The long-awaited jazz fusion album “A Soul in Time” with James Morgan on guitar, Gary Husband on drums, synth and keyboards, Hadrien Feraud on bass and featuring Eric Marienthal playing sax on the title song “A Soul in Time”, and percussionist Joey De Leon on Samba Sky. All the music is co-written, arranged James Morgan and Dean Brown. This five-song album tells a story, beginning with the first song on the album ‘On the Edge” to the last song ‘Samba Sky’ Also on the album are three more mesmerizing songs ‘A Feather’s Touch’ ‘Eyes of Truth’ and the title song ‘A Soul in Time’ dedicated to Dean Brown.

Pre-order the new album exclusively here.

Alan Leonard Broadbent – Smooth Jazz Vol. 2

196925573146Alan Leonard Broadbent MNZM (born 23 April 1947) is a New Zealand jazz pianist, arranger, and composer known for his work with artists such as Sue Raney, Charlie Haden, Woody Herman, Chet Baker, Irene Kral, Sheila Jordan, Natalie Cole, Warne Marsh, Bud Shank, and many others.

During the 1990s, Broadbent recorded on Natalie Cole’s album Unforgettable… with Love, then became her pianist and conductor for the tour. His arrangement for her video “When I Fall in Love” won the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal. During the 1980s and 1990s, he recorded with Charlie Haden’s Quartet West. Around this time he won a Grammy Award for his arrangement of Leonard Bernstein’s “Lonely Town” that was recorded by Shirley Horn. He wrote arrangements for Glenn Frey’s album After Hours and for Paul McCartney’s album Kisses on the Bottom. He has worked as conductor for Diana Krall. In 2022 he released his album simply entitled Smooth Jazz.

In the same year followed Smooth Jazz Vol. 2.  Buy this album here.

Michael O’Neill – Arrival

ArrivalMichael O’Neill‘s services as a guitarist and vocalist have been called upon at the highest levels of the music industry for over 30 years. Starting with his first tour of the U.S. and Europe on the Crusaders “Street Life” tour to his ongoing work with George Benson and Barbra Streisand, Michael has played on hundreds of recordings,worked on dozens of World tours, recorded 5 solo cd’s, made numerous television and video appearances, provided hundreds of titles for background music sources.

Working with George Benson since 1981, Michael has appeared on “The Best of Benson Live”, George Benson and Al Jarreau cd “Givin it Up”, Benson’s “Absolute Live” and “Live in Montreux 1986” dvd’s and served as an Associate Producer on Benson’s most recent cd, “Songs and Stories”. Michael has recently entered the arena of television composers as his music can be heard on ” The Real Housewives of Miami”, “The Real Husbands of Hollywood”, “Pregnant in Heels”, “Miss Advised”, “Million Dollar Listing”, “Brooklyn Big Style”, “Wicked Tuna”,Food Paradise” and a growing list of new productions. With his extensive and varied experiences at the top level of the music industry Michael has a huge pallette of styles and colors to draw from which result in a unique compositional voice.

On June 7th, 2024 he will release his new CD Arrival. Arrival says O’Neill “is a good ole recording of some of LA’s best sessions players that I have had the pleasure of recording with over the years. Enjoy”

John Klemmer – Chateau Love

401105394_775199884620210_1886129185553744663_nIt’s a big deal when an influential jazzman who launched his recording career in the 1960s records and releases a new record. Last week (April 26), the new album by contemporary jazz saxophone innovator John Klemmer, “Chateau Love,” was released by Touch Records USA/BFD/Orchard. Klemmer composed and produced a dozen new tracks for the intimate and soothing collection that generously clocks in at more than an hour of music.

“Chateau Love” marks a welcome return as it is Klemmer’s first new album since 1998’s “Making Love, Vol. 1.” Playing tenor and soprano saxophone along with synth, piano and vocal contributions, Klemmer’s sensual grooves, ambient jazz vibe and subtle melodies were crafted to create a feeling and an experience as well as to share his personal journey.

“‘Chateau Love’ is a place. It may be real, imagined or a concept that you can go to. It can be anywhere, or it can be your own invention. It’s your place for seclusion, intimacy, relaxation or romance. Each song/track is an expression and experience of my own personal yet universal journey to ‘Chateau Love,’” said Klemmer, who is known for pioneering the imaginative sonic effects he used on his saxophones. Continue reading