Highlights!
Here we go again with another fabulous edition!! Now I don't know if you were around in the late 1950s but there was an old TV series called the Bob Cummings Show. Cummings played a photographer & each episode would begin with a smiling Bob appearing with a big flash equipped camera. He would utter the phrase, 'Hold it! I think you're going to like this picture!' as he proceeded to snap away. In any event, for some reason that's not clear to even me, I feel compelled to paraphrase Bob's opening line so ... 'Hold it! I think you're going to love this program!' A fabulous Showcase Feature, an exceptional Back Trax Segment, and favourites from Jeff Golub, Steve Cole, 3rd Force, Joyce Cooling, Daryl Stuermer, & Gene Cannon!

Showcase CD
American/English - Acoustic Alchemy:
Greg Carmichael never thought he had the personality to become a solo performer & so he always preferred being part of a group. He studied at the prestigious London College of Music for a four-year period & was one of the first musicians to attach pickups to his acoustic guitar. Carmichael and his band began playing in bars in & around London & this was where he first met up with Acoustic Alchemy founder, Nick Webb. Webb was in the audience at one of the gigs. The two hit it off & soon after they were writing and performing together. Perhaps it was destiny calling when the pair answered an advert from Virgin Airlines. They were looking for something different that would set them apart and so Virgin decided to provide live entertainment on some of their international flights. The ad went on to mention that fire-eaters and jugglers need not apply. In any event, Webb & Carmichael were hired for the flight from England to the United States.

Together at Last - Tim Heintz:
In recent years Tim Heintz has made quite a name for himself as a songwriter & sideman. He wrote the #1 hit Fly By Night for George Benson a few years back and he's written for Richard Elliot, Peter White, & John Tesh among others. Heintz has also recorded & performed with a lengthy list of top names including Olivia Newton John, Michael McDonald & Natalie Cole. However, Tim also had a fairly significant solo career in the late 80s to early 90s. He recorded a total of five solo projects during that period and his early work was a staple in the fledgling smooth jazz format. In fact a few of those tracks are still played regularly today. We take you back now to 1989 to Tim's self-titled 3rd release and the tune that first made me fall in love with the sound & style of this gifted musician!

CD: Tim Heintz (1989)
Label: TBA Records
Web Site: Tim Heintz

Playing With Fire - Sam Riney:
A native of Cuyahoga Falls Ohio, Riney began playing the sax at 15. He took part in the Performance Program at North Texas State, graduating in 1975, and then early in his career, he moved to Los Angeles. There Riney established himself as an in demand sessionist, performing with the likes of Ray Charles & Henry Mancini. Influenced by some of the greats on sax such as Coltrane and Getz, Sam in time gravitated to contemporary jazz. For a period in the 80s he appeared in support of vocalist Mark Winkler before setting out on a solo career. In 1988, Riney released a pair of projects, one of which was produced by Paul Brown who was then very early in his career. With the commercial success and critical acclaim enjoyed by those albums, Riney was acknowledged as a prominent voice in the early days of SJ. He went on to release Playing With Fire a couple of years later once again with Brown at the production helm. From that album I've chosen the title track, which features some superb guitar work from Grant Geissman. Riney & Geissman worked together on several occasions in the late 80s & early 90s always with exceptional results! Playing With Fire is the fruit of one of their finest collaborations!!