Contemporary Jazz
VOICES Notes and news on Contemporary Jazz releases
Come Sail Away
02 NOV 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
The relaxing image of a warm, inviting tropical sandy beach, green-blue sea and pastel skies adorning the cover of the recent 12 track collection Smooth Jazz Hits is exactly what the days look like for the thousands of hardcore genre fans who have enjoyed various smooth jazz oriented all-star cruises to the Mexican Riviera and Caribbean over the past decade. Back on board at night, however, those same fans are grooving along to the infectious melodies and cool, funky vibe served up by many of the Concord, Peak and Heads Up artists whose top hits are included in the set.
With the exception of Wayne Brady (the soulful, mid-tempo ballad "Ordinary"), the comic and TV host who made his recording debut with 2008's A Long Time Coming, and the supergroup Fourplay ("Fortune Teller"), every one of these artists representing the best of the Concord family's smooth output has headlined on one or more of these voyages. One of the happy problems with the genre is that casual fans are hard to come by. Once they are hooked, fans make the music a lifestyle and fashion these artists as a soundtrack to their lives.
If you like sax, you're in luck. Check out Kenny G's "Tango," Walter Beasley's "Coolness," Boney James' cover of The Stylistics' "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)," Paul Taylor's "Ladies' Choice," Najee's "Out Of A Dream," Marion Meadows' "Dressed To Chill" and Mindi Abair's "Smile." Guitar fans will gravitate towards Chuck Loeb's "Good To Go," Paul Brown's "Ol' Skoolin'," Norman Brown's "Pop's Cool Groove" and Larry Carlton's crisp work on the Fourplay track.
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Fortune Teller
Various Artists, from Smooth Jazz Hits
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Ordinary
Wayne Brady, from A Long Time Coming
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Tango
Kenny G, from Rhythm & Romance
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Out Of A Dream
Najee, from Rising Sun
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Good To Go
Chuck Loeb, from Presence
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Pop's Cool Groove
Norman Brown, from Stay With Me
in this playlist.
Belle's Inspirations
15 OCT 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
Smack dab in the middle of Regina Belle's thriving careers as a pop/soul artist in the late-'80s and '90s -- which included "A Whole New World," her Grammy-winning Aladdin duet with Peabo Bryson -- and her current run as a gospel recording artist, the versatile songstress explored her passion for jazz on her highly personal second Peak Records album Lazy Afternoon in 2004.
Inspired by her vocal heroes Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, she brought the jazzy elements of her live shows into the studio, where they blossomed under the guidance of legendary jazz/funk producer George Duke. The critically acclaimed set, which reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart, offers a mix of moody torch songs, swinging standards and R&B classics (topped by her gospel flavored original "There's A Love"), that rolls like a private, up close and personal performance. It captures her soulful sensuality, and, in key spots, a sense of playfulness.
On the Jobim bossa nova "Corcovado," she adds seductive Portuguese whispers to the English lyrics while a spontaneous moment with the Perry Sisters evolves into a romp through the old school soul hits "The Love I Lost" and "For The Love Of You." Belle chose the Broadway and standards material (including the title track and "If I Ruled The World") because of its association with Bennett. Aside from Duke, props are in order for Belle's R&B/jazz driven ensemble, including bassists Christian McBride and Alex Al, guitarists Ray Fuller and Dean Parks and saxophonist Everette Harp.
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If I Ruled The World
Regina Belle, from Lazy Afternoon
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My Heart Stood Still
Tony Bennett, from The Complete Improv ...
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I'll Be Seeing You
Nancy Wilson, from Turned To Blue
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I've Got The World On A String
Ella Fitzgerald, from Love Letters From ...
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Someone Who Needs Me
Regina Belle, from This Is Regina
in this playlist.
Found In Dreams
08 OCT 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
Interpreted autobiographically, the title of Curtis Stigers' sixth Concord Jazz recording Lost In Dreams could hearken back to the early-'90s when the distinctively soulful singer and saxman was riding high as a mainstream pop star.
His self titled 1991 debut sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. He toured with Elton John, Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt, hit all the late night talk shows and even had a cut on the zillion selling soundtrack The Bodyguard. Yet his teenage years in Boise were spent cutting teeth with legendary pianist Gene Harris and he was no doubt dreaming of a jazz career all along. While having middling subsequent success as a popster, Stigers carried an unreleased, self-produced jazz recording with him in the late-'90s until Concord's John Burk saw its potential and released it as Baby Plays Around (2000). Finding a welcoming home at Concord Jazz this past decade, he has always looked for ways to incorporate his complementary love of rock and pop into unique jazzy contexts.
On Lost In Dreams, he enjoys the joyful schizophrenia of mixing unexpected interpretations of songs by Annie Lennox ("Cold"), John Lennon ("Jealous Guy") and Roger Waters (a medley of Pink Floyd's "Vera" and the WWII era standard "We'll Meet Again") with high spirited original swingers (the bluesy "Daddy's Coming Home" and sensual "You've Got The Fever") and timeless chestnuts from the Great American Songbook. By the time he hits the saloon for a smoky "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning," the listener will feel they've shared all the great passions of Stigers' remarkable musical life.
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Jealous Guy
Curtis Stigers, from Lost in Dreams
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All The Things You Are
Curtis Stigers, from Baby Plays Around
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Bird's Idea
Gene Harris, from Alley Cats
in this playlist.
Playing By Heart
29 SEP 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
Making his Concord Jazz debut with a stirring set of original material appropriately called Songs From The Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey, legendary Chicago based pianist Ramsey Lewis laughs, "Darn those hits," when he reflects on how his career -- which spans a half-century, over 80 albums and won him three Grammys -- has been dominated by three classic covers he did in the mid-'60s.
The covers were "Wade In The Water," "The 'In' Crowd" and "Hang On Sloopy." He never thought it possible to get a standing O from an audience without playing those songs till 2007, when he performed a set of compositions he was commissioned to create as part of the world premiere of the Joffrey Ballet's To Know Her at the Ravinia Festival in suburban Highland Park, Illinois. Eight songs from this ballet, including the percussive, easy swinging "To Know Her Is To Love Her" and the sly, "Nawlins" flavored "The Way She Smiles" form the core of the album.
Ravinia President/CEO Welz Kauffman was so jazzed by Lewis' slate of diverse originals that he commissioned Lewis to write new pieces for their 2008 season -- an assignment which produced four other compelling pieces on Songs performed with the Turtle Island String Quartet, including the hypnotic, sensual yet densely rhythmic "The Spark" and the dark and moody, reflective chamber music vibe of "The Conversation." Lewis, who complements his musical career as a local radio personality and host of the syndicated PBS series Legends of Jazz, is most excited that his newfound love of composition has enriched his playing, and he's looking at harmony and melody in a whole new light.
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To Know Her is to Love Her
Ramsey Lewis, from Songs from the Heart: ...
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Lennon/McCartney: Because
Turtle Island String Quartet With Ying ...
in this playlist.
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