May 1, 2012 - We live in a world where most instrumental music sounds like it was made for a 5x5 vertically moving room and that includes some Smooth Jazz. Interestingly, most Smooth Jazz musicians are technically some of the best players on the planet but many have fallen into this big vacuous hole, an amnesic state, where channelling Bert Kaempfert is common place. 
April 17, 2012 – Get ready for another beautiful journey from David Benoit on May 29th. His new album, `Conversation,’ will no doubt serve as another expansion for the Smooth Jazz format. 
April 26, 2012 - Norah Jones is set to appear with a Live-on-Letterman webcast, featuring Jones from the prestigious Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, Wednesday, May 2nd at 8:00 ET. This is a clever, strategic move for Jones to push her next album “Little Broken Hearts” set for a May 1st release. 
April 4, 2012 – Esperanza Spalding is a groovy chick. I mean, really, when she’s in the room, everyone else disappears and I’m talkin’ more than that big “love-sculpture” hair. She’s the type of musician you might walk up to at a party, ask about her music, and walk away three hours later regretting the question. This lady has a vision so you better have a seat. 
February 21, 2012 - As it was stated during the Grammy Awards, "We've had a death in the family." Now our own Jazz family is remembeing Whitney Houston. 
February 21, 2012 - Shock, disappointment and horror are some of the many words fans used to describe Whitney Houston’s untimely death last week (February 11, 2012). My family and I were outside a Starbucks when one of our radio listeners texted me with, at first, the rumor. 
– Not many groups have stood the test of time like Airborne. Coming in around the time that the NAC format was really starting to cook, 1988, this outfit grew with every project, gig and album. Having just released their most powerful album yet, New Horizon’s, it looks like the world is ready for this, a full dose of positive, social conscious fusion. We sat down with the band to chat about all the twisting, yet beneficial roads taken. 
– The smart ones in life know that it’s not how you fall down in life that counts but how you get up. Zach Bandolin has had his fair share of topsy-turvy moments but the guitarist keeps swinging. 
- French Smooth Jazz guitar sensation Emmanuel Abitebol, more known as U-NAM, came to fame with his widely acclaimed somophore album ‘Back from the 80’s’ released in 2007. 
October 20, 2011 – This is no ordinary album. In fact, there is nothing normal about this album and that’s what makes this one of the most perfect projects that’s ever come across my desk. 
– On her third album Colbie Caillat has decided to strategically give us an uptempo summer-vibe. It still sounds like her smash debut “Coco” but this time it’s Colbie with caffeine and it’s positive and fun
– There are not too many things in life as deliciously lazy as Michael Franks voice. The guy could chill out someone on deaths door. Seriously, angst has no place on a Michael Franks record – he’s good at one great thing..making you feel good! 
- Programming Smooth Jazz Radio has allowed me to discover talent over the decades and follow the twists and turns in their career. Such is the case of saxophonist Steve Cole an artist whom has played on numerous number #1 Smooth Jazz hits and been a regular spin on most smooth jazz radio stations play lists. 
– There’s always been an understated value to everything that Sade does and sameness to her entire repertoire. That quality of old wine has served the singer/band well… until now. Unlike Norah Jones who has, at least, tried to mix-up-the-pot, Sade really needs to stop wearing the same dress to every party. 
– Well, one things for sure, Mindi Abair is not shopping on Main Street anymore. As they say, “run away from the past and eventually it will run into you.” |
Review - Ken Navarro – The Grace of Summer Light It’s a situation that brings me back to the seventies opening a new vinyl from Elton John. Sure, I loved him. He could do no wrong but I knew even as a teen that sooner or later he would reach a crossroad and inevitably take the wrong road or miss the road entirely. Interestingly, that nervous anticipation is not always a case of not trusting the artist but rather not trusting that stubbornness in us to accept that new journey from our hero’s. Ken Navarro has since almost the beginning represented what I loved most about the early New Adult Contemporary (NAC) format – Life! His music has consistently stayed away from what has killed Smooth Jazz in some markets and that’s the generic mind numbing, drum machine infested, groove music. Navarro continually features separation or a breathe between the instruments. From the opening track ‘Just Before Dawn (prelude)’ to the full version that closes the set, the feeling is the same. One is left with a gift of appreciation for the nuts and bolts, the ying and yang and there is a sense of connection in what he preaches – I guess we feel his peace. That’s not to say that ‘Grace’ is slow, some of it is, but this is a spirit driven, driving CD. ‘Blue Skies, Bright Dreams’ a Metheny-esque open-space travelogue featuring hypnotic fretless bass from Tom Kennedy is one of the albums epic stick-em tunes. You’ll be humming the melody. I warn you. Pianist Jay Rowe opens the title tune, another energy soaked ditty that could have sirens on your back. Its train-like determination and speed best served loud. Maybe you won’t even hear the police. ‘On My Way to Somewhere’ easily the most interesting track on the album features sampled vocals that almost sound real. At least I think it’s a keyboard. It’s as much an anthem as a follow your nose experiment. ‘Somewhere’ certainly shows off this tight band which also features Joel Rosenblatt on drums. ‘Perfect Circle Sun’ harkens back to that perfect peace New-Age music that the Wave in L.A. used to play when they where creating what was then the best radio format on the planet for adults. ‘Daddy-O,’ another Train/driving song features an effortless glide that all great determination tunes exhibit. Want to get up that mountain? You can with this little gem. ‘Nomad’ visits Metheny territory again with melody in tow and an almost mystical, spacey expanse of sound. I kept coming back to this one. It’s as if Navarro took it all in, he threw out the worst in Contemporary Jazz and kept everything that was still ultra cool and relevant. He has listened to his teachers carefully but has kept only what made sense to him. He certainly connected the dots on ‘The Grace of Summer Light.’ This is the album that Navarro`s been building up to. This is the snapshot of all lessons learned. As for Elton? I forgave him long ago for taking a few wrong turns. I say, it wasn’t his fault and Ken Navarro? Well, he’s flying at the highpoint of his career. He is going deeper and he may not even be trying harder. He’s the best thing in instrumental music today, by far. But it’s not his fault. – by John Beaudin Order the album here
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