Featuring the Smooth Groove of Today's Jazz!!
Show Notes
The Café Jazz Newsletter

February 14, 2004
Edition #316 Previously

Highlights !
There is more to creating a meaningful musical experience than merely playing various tracks from the same dozen or two artists, or for that matter the latest remakes of the day. We don't ignore the hit makers but it's also true that we make a concerted effort to go well beyond that. One glance at the artists that we're featuring on this program should be convincing. We have trax from Chris Camozzi, De-Phazz, Terry Disley, The Clayton/Scott Group, Zig Noda, and Paul "Shilts" Weimar among others. But then again there is also music from Paul Hardcastle, Fourplay, Daryl Hall, and David Benoit and a few other big names in SJ. On the Fresh Trax segment, is when we really set our own course. On this installment we're introducing the music of Everett B. Walters, a hip young brother act out of Los Vegas. We also present Joe Kurasz, Jeff Friend and In Due Season, all new names on the SJ scene. These artists are creating fascinating & fresh sounds and today they're the stars on Fresh Trax. Then in our final set we revisit a few vintage selections from yesteryear by a pair of Sams (Messrs. Cardon & Riney), Swing out Sister and Special EFX. There is no doubt, Café Jazz is indeed your soundtrack to musical excitement.

Showcase CD
Just Come On In - Nick Colionne :
Born and bred in Chicago, Colionne grew up in a household surrounded by jazz. Initially learning guitar under the tutelage of his stepfather, music was an integral component in Colionne's up bringing. This was a matter which the family took quite seriously. In fact his mother and stepfather, would often disagree as to whom Nick should emulate as a guitarist, Kenny Burrell or Wes Montgomery. Nevertheless, Colionne became a professional musician while still in high school. For a time he played rock and R&B and then moved up in the ranks as he enjoyed stints with the Impressions and Natalie Cole, gigs which took Nick all over the world. As a songwriter, Paul Anka and Johnnie Mathis recorded some of Nick's compositions.

In the course of events Colionne returned to jazz, eventually deciding to go solo. He's had 4 releases to date with Just Come On In being the latest and his debut on Three Keys Music!!
On the effort, Nick incorporates many of the varied influences from funk & R&B that he's been a part of over the years and judging from the style & tone of his guitar work, it seems that it was the Wes Montgomery school of playing that eventually won out. Indeed one of the tracks on the album is called From The Wes Side and we have that scheduled as part of our presentation. All in all though, this effort demonstrates Colionne's coming of age as an artist. The cd remains focused in it's scope and yet provides much diversity as Colionne explores several different avenues of his craft. It has also proven to be Nick's most commercially successful project to date. Although the release spawned High Flyin', a single which has been a huge hit for Colionne, we're delving into it a bit more deeply. In addition to the previously mentioned From The Wes Side, we're also featuring Because You Love Me and Drumbalaya as we place what is arguably Nick's finest project to date in our musical spotlight.

CD: Just Come On In
Label: Three Keys Music
Site: Nick Colionne

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Fresh Trax: Part One
Bojangling - In Due Season:
Based in the Washington DC area, In Due Season is a relatively recent project involving five of that city's most talented & versatile musicians. Billy Smith Jr. is featured on guitar, Jay Waldon on drums, Emory Goodman on bass, Alphonso Desselle is on keyboards and the sax work of Elliott Fields Jr. rounds out the sound of the quintet. Brought together not only by their love of music but also by their shared spirituality, the group takes its name from a passage in the bible. Just out is their self-tilted debut effort, an EP featuring a collection of performances that range all the way from smooth to straight-ahead jazz. From that effort, we have the opening track.

CD: Inside Out
Label: G-Force Entertainment
Site: In Due Season

Funky B - Joe Kurasz:
A relative newcomer to the SJ scene is Joe Kurasz. Music has been an essential part of Joe's life ever since at the age of three, he first sat down at a keyboard to pick out the notes to his favourite song . Although most kids study piano and in fact he learned piano as well, it was the Hammond B-3 organ with which Kurasz felt most connected. He played in a few bands & for a time owned a Yahama dealership. However, as he developed as a musician, some of Kurasz's music was used for film and television, and he's also released a couple of solo releases. Soul Searching is his latest. On the album, Kurasz creates a project that conveys a warm and nostalgic feel and as the distinctive sound of the Hammond goes mainstream we'll be hearing the funky vibe of Funky B, the opening track.

CD: Soul Searching
Label: Ren Music
Site: Joe Kurasz

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Fresh Trax: Part Two

And the Story Goes Like This - Everett B. Walters:
That's the name under which Mike Brown & Harold W. Brown III have chosen to record. The brothers Brown come to us from Los Vegas Nevada via Chicago. Sporting a sound that's rooted in Jazz, R&B, and funk, the pair bring a fresh & totally hip flavour to world of smooth entertainment. They've performed with some of the big name of the day including The Rippingtons, Joe Sample, & Rick Braun and have also had one of their songs included on a highly popular compilation put out by Jazz FM in the UK. Their debut album is scheduled for later this summer and in anticipation of this, we've chosen that very same track that now appears on this their advance offering.

CD: Everett B. Walters
Label: Everett Mych Music

Smoothie - Jeff Friend:
If you visit his web site Mr. Friend relates that most people who know him musically, know him as a rocker, after all that was the music that he grew up listening to and playing as a teenager. For many years, however, Jeff has harboured a love of many styles. The Crusaders and their landmark Chain Reaction cd exemplify this. In addition he's also been a fan of Sade, but more specifically a fan of her back up band and the cool groove that they create. It was essentially that type of vibe that the Ohio based drummer was striving for with his just released debut. Not exactly what you'd expect, hence the cd title It's Not what You Think. From that effort, we'll be hearing the smooth groove of Smoothie.

CD: It's Not What You Think
Label:Forward Music
Site: Jeff Friend
Livin' Large - Euge Groove:
That's the latest from Euge Groove the alias under which Steve Grove records. You may recall, Grove freelanced as a journey man session player before parleying the huge success that he enjoyed on the old MP3 site into a recording contract. Now, firmly established as one of the new favourites in SJ, Euge has just signed a deal with a new label. From Livin' Large, soon to be released on Narada Jazz we have the advance single and the title track.

CD: Livin' Large
Label: Narada Jazz
Site: Euge Groove

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