May 8th, 2005 Edition #362 Previously Next |
Highlights! |
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Showcase
CD |
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On what is now his sixth release & 23rd album overall, Chieli continues
to climb to new creative heights. Okay, so all the qualities that have
made Minucci such a familiar name in contemporary jazz are still present.
That includes slick phrasing, powerful progressions, & intriguing melodies.
Referring to his blend of styles as fusion, Chieli's music frequently
takes an unexpected twist or turn here or there. He continues to grow
& evolve in his craft and often hurtles headlong into heretofore unexplored
musical terrain. Perhaps it's this latter aspect more than any other
that makes listening to Minucci particularly rewarding as seemingly
diverse elements are blended in a unique & innovative fashion resulting
in a totally enjoyable and satisfying experience. To launch the showcase feature, we're presenting exactly such a piece and one that perfectly incorporates all of the above, a fabulous tune called The Juice on which Chieli has a funky bluesy thing happening that I'm sure you're gonna love. Marion Meadows helps out on soprano sax on the track. Then opening hour two is Love is Always Young, a song that was written by Ulpio Minucci, Chieli's father, who himself had quite a significant career in music having written for Nat King Cole & Bing Crosby. In any event, the elder Minucci wrote the selection when he was already in his 80s and covering the tune is Chieli's way of paying tribute to his dad and saying thanks for the encouragement that he gave Chieli to pursue his passion as a musician. |
Photo: Courtesy of ChieliMusic.com |
And to conclude
the feature we have Stars in Your Eyes, a spunky track that's highlighted
by the great the saxwork of Jeff Kashiwa together with Steve Oliver
on vocals. |
Back Trax: Part One | |
No Getting Over You - Kilauea:
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Lydian - Norman Brown: CD: After The Storm (1994) |
Back Trax: Part Two | ||
Green Eyes - Marcos Ariel:
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Sup Poze - Hiroshima:
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You Make Me Smile - Dave Koz: Koz initially picked up the sax so that he might be able to play in his brother's band. However, this soon became the driving force in Dave's life and it has continued as his lifelong passion. In fact a few years later, after he had earned a degree in communications, Dave decided to try his hand at a career as a professional musician. It wasn't too long afterward, that Koz was recruited for Bobby Caldwell's touring band. During this period, Koz connected with Jeff Lorber, who invited Dave to join him on one of his tours. That was followed by a year long stint with Richard Marx. In the meantime, Koz was lucky enough to land a record deal thanks to a demo that was produced by Lorber. Dave released his self-titled debut in 1990 & thereby launched what has become one of the most successful careers in SJ. However, it's Koz's sophomore effort, the Lucky Man cd from 1993, that we go to on this occasion for the track You Make Me Smile. That selection proved to be a big hit for Koz & helped cement his path to stardom! CD: Lucky Man (1993) Label: Capitol Records Site: Dave Koz |
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After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site : | |||||||
On this installment, we're introducing the music of Black Gold Massive & a great track from their forthcoming release. We have fresh tunes from Acoustic Alchemy, Paul Taylor, and Jonathan Sigel as we explore their latest albums. Jeff Lorber is spotlighted on a special extended version of T&N & I know you won't want to miss that. Then that's followed by the latest installment of a new feature that we started a few weeks back called In The Lounge. We're focusing on some of the great chill based music that has come out in the last short while and on this edition, we'll be hearing from Camiel, the Dutch duo of Adani & Wolf and from Verve Remixed & the 3rd release in that series we have a great mix of a Billie Holiday track! Music that's practically nonstop and two great features in one hour!! Don't miss it! | |||||||
Then & Now Feature:
Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber: One of the true pioneers of contemporary instrumental music, Jeff’s love of jazz began while he attended the Berklee College of Music. In the late 70s, the Philadelphia native formed The Jeff Lorber Fusion, a group that combined elements from funk, R&B, rock and electric jazz. For a time, it also featured Kenny G, who was then a little-known sax player. The unit quickly became one of the most popular acts of the day, but was disbanded at the height of their popularity by Lorber, who chose instead to focus on production and session work. In the course of events, Jeff returned to recording his own music in the early 90s and quickly resumed his position as one of the most influential players on the scene. Now several cds into this phase of his career, like a fine wine, Lorber seems to just keep getting better with age and in the process has created a remarkable catalogue of music. We take this opportunity to share a few of these musical highlights with you in a special extended installment of Then & Now. Featured are Worth Waiting For, Point Venus, Watching the Sun Set, Gigabyte, When She Smiles, & Santa Monica Triangle in chronological order. |