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Showcase CD
Vladosphere
- Vlad: Uplifting,
melodic and stimulating are just some adjectives that begin to describe
the music of Vladomir De Briansky, a guitarist born & raised in a small
town in western Ukraine. De Briansky actually began in music on drums
at the age of seven. However, at 13 Vlad began to take guitar lessons
and this became his passion in life. As a youth, Vlad studied jazz and
classical music. Early in his career he received numerous accolades
for spearheading several #1 hits on both the Ukrainian and Polish pop
charts. At the same time Vlad developed as a session player. He also
scored the music for several shows and motion picture soundtracks. In
the course of events, The Berklee College of Music offered De Briansky
a scholarship so that he might pursue his studies in the USA. In 1996,
Vlad moved to Boston, and after a stint at Berklee he relocated to New
York City. It was that time, more than any other that he feels was critical
in shaping him as a musician.
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Since 2000 Vlad has resided in California and it's there that
the majority of his debut project was created. It's called Vladosphere.
The album exhibits an intriguing blend of flavours, from an "Old
World charm" to a technical adeptness that is second to none.
As such, this is a unique recording and one that is certain to
breathe life-giving-freshness into your musical day …just as its
title suggests.
As we begin to showcase Vladosphere, we begin with Dance, a tune
on which Vlad played all the instruments. It's a moody & melodic
groove-driven track and well illustrates the influence of Vlad's
early fascination with rhythms. Life Of My Heart kicks off hour
2 and Little Star, a tune that was inspired by a monastery in
Poland, rounds out the feature.
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CD: Vladosphere
Label: Unis Records / Orpheus Music
Web Sites: Vlad
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| Fresh Trax: Part One |
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Red
Teddy - James Gabriano:
James Gabriano has been playing guitar since the age of 12 and for
several years he took classical lessons. In 1981, his family relocated
to Dallas, Texas. It was shortly thereafter, that Gabriano enrolled
at the University of North Texas where he focused on both classical
and jazz studies. He formed his own band in late 80s and has been
performing regularly ever since. In that regard, Gabriano is well
known in the Dallas area. Initially, his style was grounded in a
fusion of Latin jazz and flamenco but over the years that has evolved
to a blend of Latin and Smooth Jazz. Beginning with his debut in
1992, Gabriano has released a total of 4 solo albums. His latest
is titled Riviera Sunrise and from that we have Red Teddy, the smooth
advance single.
CD: Riviera Sunrise
Label: Gabriano Productions
Web Site: James
Gabriano
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As
The Sun Sets - Nighthawks:
This
group debuted back in 1998 and consists of bassist & producer Dal
Martino and trumpeter Rainer Winterschladen. Germany is well known
for its hip jazz scene. For that reason it's relatively easy for
a band to be overshadowed, particularly by groups such as Tab Two.
Such was the case for Nighthawks. However, following the dissolution
of the former group back in 2001, Nighthawks were well poised to
fill the void. For their new album, they recruited vocalist Pat
Appleton who had previously worked with De-Phazz. Using trumpet
as the prominent instrument and lacing their entire presentation
with cool hook lines & hip grooves, they expertly travel the rich
terrain between jazz, hip hop, lounge and pop. |
As The Sun Sets is their
latest effort and it was the great title track that was selected
for inclusion on Wave Music Vol. 7, a recent compilation issued
by Michael
van Droff's CSR label. From that release, we have As The Sun
Sets by Nighthawks.
CD: Wave Music Volume 7
Label: CSR
Web Site: Wave
Music
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After Hours ~ Exclusive
to our Web Site: |
| I must
apolgize right off. For some reason that isn't clear to me, I've gone
completely off the deep end! There are twenty-three tracks on this edition
featuring artists such as Norman Brown, Boney James, Fattburger, Garry
Goin, Tim Bowman, Wayman Tisdale, & Diana Krall as we explore each of
their recent releases. We have another track from Forever, For Always,
for Luther, this time featuring the teaming of Dave Koz & Brian Culbertson,
as well as one from Ron Fattorusso. Then there are Café Jazz favourites
from Blake Aaron, Grady Nichols, Incognito, and Rafe Gomez. We have brand
new music from Janita as well as from Jesse Cook; and we're also introducing
fresh sounds from Bryan Lubeck, Ben Tankard & Queen Latifah. As if that
wasn't enough, Patrick Yandall is spotlighted on today's Then & Now feature.
In all, you'll be treated to over 100 minutes of virtually uninterrupted
music and an AH segment that is once again presented in two parts. So
please remember, once you're done listening to part 1, be sure to click
on the second paw to hear part 2 and more of the great grooves of After
Hours! |
Then & Now Feature: Patrick Yandall
A Lasting Embrace
BrainChild Records
1997 |
Of Two Cities
Zangi Records
2000 |
Back to the Groove
Zangi Records
2002 |
From the Ashes
Apria Records
2004 |
Patrick Yandall:
Over the years, Patrick Yandall has built a enviable reputation
as the consummate working musician. But, to quote Patrick, "recording
(my own) albums is truly what I live for". The San Diego based guitarist
recently released From the Ashes, his fifth solo cd. The project
is dedicated to all the families that lost their homes in the fires
in and around San Diego just last year. Yandall himself was forced
to evacuate although his home was spared. Hence the title of the
album. With the support of several top-shelf players, including
Scott Wilkie, Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), Kimo Cornwell (Hiroshima),
Randy Brecker, and Jason
Weber; Yandall delivers what is arguably his most consistent
and finest effort to date. On this occasion though, we're pleased
to not only present music from that project but to also briefly
chronicle the evolution in Patrick's style & sound. As we spotlight
Patrick Yandall on Then & Now, we're featuring A Game of Love,
Of Two Cities (the title track), Yukiye, and Hope Springs Eternal
from the above albums respectively!
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