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June 12th, 2005 Edition #367 Previously 
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Highlights! |
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Showcase CD Nightlife - Paul Taylor: Although he started playing sax at the age seven, Taylor didn't consider a career in music until he was in high school. As part of a band that played Top 40 and funk but also delved into the fusion of the period, Taylor was greatly influenced by The Crusaders, David Sanborn, & Grover Washington Jr. So it was that Paul decided to pursue his passion and after winning a scholarship, the native of Denver CO found himself attending the University of Nevada. Hoping to build a resumé beyond the lounge gigs which marked his early professional life, Paul would often commute to LA. In the course of things, Taylor took part in a session at Jeff Lorber's home studio and a few years later was asked to accompany Lorber at the Jazz Trax Festival. As luck would have it, Keiko Matsui and her husband & producer Kazu, were in attendance. Both enjoyed Paul's playing & his stage presence. Taylor was offered an audition and ended up recording and touring with Keiko for a couple of years. Meanwhile Kazu produced Taylor's 1995 debut release On The Horn and its #1 hit 'Till We Meet Again'. |
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Taylor's quick rise to popularity was followed by Pleasure Seeker
and another #1 hit with its title track. Although subsequent projects
also faired very well, making Paul one of the genre's most popular live
performers, he didn't hesitate when Russ Freeman invited him to tour
with The Rippingtons. Following that brief stint, Taylor resumed his solo career with the release of Steppin' Out which was issued on Freeman's Peak Records. The album burst into the Billboard Top Ten for 2004 & the title track was the third most played selection for the entire year on R&R. Subsequently, Paul joined the all-star "Groovin' For Grover" tour. The lineup included his old friend Jeff Lorber as well as a couple of prominent saxplayers in the likes of Richard Elliot and Gerald Albright. Taylor fit right in!! Then he also made his acting debut on One Life To Live that same year. So it would seem that Mr. Taylor's career is indeed firing on all cylinders as now in 2005 he gets set to celebrate his tenth year as a solo performer with the issue of Nightlife, his 6th project overall. That release is already enjoying loads of attention and seems poised to become Taylor's biggest success to date. |
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 (Photo Courtesy of PT's Web Site) |
To quote Paul, "With every album I make, I feel as though I'm really
living my dream and taking my fans on a great new journey. This is my
sixth record, and the fact that I have the chance to keep exploring
new musical territory is something I'm really grateful for. I feel like
I'm growing all the time. To me, Nightlife has the best of everything,
from the quiet elegance of the soprano tunes to the rich textures and
more intense rhythms of the upbeat tracks. " So it's with great pleasure that we place Paul Taylor & Nightlife in our music spotlight. We begin with East Bay Bounce, a tune that has the trademark seductive soul jazz hooks & funky grooves that Paul has become noted for. Then opening hour two is Candlelight, the perfectly titled slow dance number that finds Taylor in a late night romantic mood. And to conclude the feature we have the thumping rhythm of Nightlife the lead single & the title track and one that's already perched near the top of several charts!! CD: Nightlife Label: Peak Records Web Site: Paul Taylor |
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| Fresh Trax: Part One | |
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Beata
- Dave Sereny: Sereny is a Toronto based guitarist & producer who developed his love of music thru an exposure to a variety of genres thanks to a large extent to his older brother, Mike. Furthermore, it was Mike who bought Dave his first guitar when Dave was just nine. John McLaughlin was an early influence & then later the music of Wes Montgomery became very important in Sereny's developing style. While in high school, Dave played in a big band and soon after he went on to study classical guitar at Berklee in Boston. Following this, Sereny collaborated with several of NYC's finer musicians. He had the opportunity to play with a few greats such as Ritchie Cole, Jose Feliciano, and Mark Whitfield and he also took part in jazz festivals from Toronto to Tel Aviv. In 1996, the Brothers Sereny established Groove United, a record label primarily set up to help promote Canadian artists. In the fall of 2004, they launched a five-cd series entitled The Jazz Room Presents which covered a wide spectrum of jazz styles. Understandably, our focus is their Smooth Jazz release. Sereny himself plays on a number of tracks & he is also the featured performer on a few others including the one that we've selected for this occasion. So from The Jazz Room Presents Smooth Jazz we have Dave Sereny with a fabulous track and one that's already a favourite for the year!! CD: The Jazz Room Presents ... Smooth Jazz Label: Groove United Web Site: Groove United |
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Coolness
- Walter Beasley: Beasley is a talented saxplayer who is known not only for his ability to play diverse styles, but also for the fact that he's an associate professor at the Berklee College of Music. A native of California, Walter made the trek east to attend the acclaimed school and promptly after graduating at the age of 22, he turned around and joined the teaching faculty. He recorded his own self-titled debut in 1987, and since then has remained committed to not only helping young artists develop their talent but also to helping them find opportunities to work with established performers. In turn, Beasley benefits from the energy of his students and is able to keep right up to date with current trends and technologies. He's issued several highly regarded instructional videos while continuing to advance his career as a solo performer with eleven releases to his credit. In that respect, For Her is Beasley's latest project, his debut on the Heads Up label, and an effort that shows continued growth in both the style & substance. Consequently, Walter bestows upon us one of his finest efforts to date!! CD: For Her Label: Heads Up International Web Sites: Walter Beasley |
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| Fresh Trax: Part Two | ||
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Serene
- Paul Hardcastle: Since the first Jazzmasters project swept across the USA and around the world back in 1993, Hardcastle's music has become a staple in the Smooth Jazz format. He's maintained a characteristic sound & style while continuing to explore a seemingly infinite number of variations on a smooth & soothing laid back sort of theme. With four Jazzmasters projects to now go along with four more under his own name, Hardcastle's musical creations have invariably become almost instant classics. On this occasion we present a track that is certainly destined to be added to that list. From the forthcoming Hardcastle 4, we have just a fabulous track and one that perfectly captures that quintessential Hardcastle sound!! CD: Hardcastle 4 Label: trippin 'n' Rhythm Records Web Site: Paul Hardcastle |
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Loosey
Goosey - Mike Di Lorenzo: Mike Di Lorenzo has enjoyed a wide range of credits from working with top talents such as Whitney Houston to performing at several famed venues including Carnegie Hall & Madison Square Garden. The NYC-based keyboardist specializes in a unique blend of chill, appetizingly presented on Urbanized, his debut release. By fusing current styles with the talents of some of great players, Mike integrates a variety of influences into an impressive and tasteful package. As Di Lorenzo puts it, the idea "is to connect with the rhythms and grooves that are happening today …" And I think that the track that we've selected exhibits that fact quite nicely !! CD: Urbanized Label: Independent Web Site: Keep the Groove |
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Tiburon
- Down to the Bone: As band-founder and producer Stuart Wade states 'it's all about the groove.....' Wade formed DTTB together with Chris Morgans several years back but in 2001 he set out on his own. With five DTTB albums receiving critical acclaim and chart topping success he's never looked back. Wade has long been an avid music collector and has admired the styles of Ramsey Lewis, Roy Ayers, and Lonnie Liston Smith. The vibe that pays tribute to these greats, and epitomizes the DTTB sound is created in a unique way. While Wade is not a musician in the conventional sense, he is helped by a team of top flight players that help him expand his ideas and melodies, together they create the rhythms. Additionally, Stuart uses samples from his library and with the aid of an engineer, he edits and mixes the various parts. The core of DTTB include players who've previously enjoyed a fair degree of success on their own. Both Paul Weimer on sax & keyboardist Neil Angilley were noted for their work with The Brand New Heavies. So now from the brand new release, Spread Love Like Wildfire, we present the fully funkified stylings of Stuart Wade & DTTB on Tiburon!! CD: Spread Love Like Wildfire Label: Narada Jazz Web Site: DTTB |
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site : | |||||||
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The After Hours segment provides a unique opportunity! It's our chance
to 'step outside the box' by playing exactly what we want to play. Each
week we try to change things up a bit. One time the focus may be names
that are well known in SJ circles while the next we might feature artists
that are up & comers or perhaps operate on the periphery of SJ. That's
the way we like it & hopefully you will too. On this installment,
we're introducing ShelbyBrown & Tha' Hot Club with tracks from their brand
new albums. Also new to the show are Steve 'Poppa' Mutimer & the latest
from Gary Fuston as well as the most recent single from Gary Goin. Camiel
& Amarosa are on the program and there's more from Jonathan Butler & his
new release. And as if that wasn't enough, Bobby Caldwell is featured
on a special extended installment of T&N so please stay with us for that.
Now the other thing that's unique about After Hours is the opportunity it provides for virtually uninterrupted listening. Not only is the music refreshing & unique, but if you prefer to enjoy your SJ with very little chatter, this may very well be the perfect place for you!! |
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Then & Now Feature: Boby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell: Caldwell's initial forays into music were a bit rebellious as he performed selections by Hendrix and Cream in small clubs across America. However, Bobby enjoyed a variety of influences including Little Richard with whom he played lead guitar for two years. His breakthrough as a solo performer came about in 1978 with What You Won't Do For Love. The success of that song and his subsequent projects, firmly entrenched Caldwell as a staple artist in the SJ format for most of the 80s and 90s and propelled him to super stardom in Japan. Now after a hiatus of about six years, the king of the pop/jazz ballad is back with Perfect Island Nights, arguably his finest release to date. As we begin our Then & Now feature, we head all the way back to 1978 & the tune that started it all. From What You Won't Do For Love we have the title track. That's followed by Coming Down From Love & Even Now, an excellent pair of tunes from both ends of the 80s. Moving into the 90s, we've chosen Rina & Don't Ask My Neighbor. And finally from Perfect Island Nights we have the title track. So there you have it, music from the 70s thru until the 00s as we pay homage to one of the finest & most popular vocalists of the day! |
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