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This Week at CaféJazz.ca

March 9th, 2008
Edition #474 Previously Next

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This Week at CafeJazz.ca!
On this edition, we're spotlighting Timeless World from keyboardist Chris Geith - we have 3 great tracks that we're playing as part of that feature. Then get set for all the latest and best in new music with the Fresh Trax segment in hour 2. Headlining this installment is the G-Man Kenny G - as well we have Marcos Ariel and The Sax Pack comprised of Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, and Kim Waters. Also appearing - bassist Stuart Steinhart while making his Café Jazz debut is Monterey-keyboardist Kevin Kooyumjian. Then later in the hour we've injected a retro pack of classics that includes Tom Grant, The Rippingtons, David Sanborn, and Paul Jackson Jr. - while sprinkled thru-out the remainder of the show are more choice favourites from Fattburger, Brian Simpson, and Blue Knights. Meanwhile it all begins with Peter White!
In This Issue:

SHOWCASE CD :
Timeless World - Chris Geith

FRESH TRAX :
Edification - Stuart Steinhart
Fallin' For You - The Sax Pack
Passionate Eyes - Marcos Ariel
Sax-O-Loco - Kenny G
Rush - Kevin Kooyumjian

AFTER HOURS :
Then & Now - Marc Antoine

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Showcase CD:
Timeless World - Chris Geith:

We first came across the music of Chris Geith several years ago on the old mp3.com site, while it was still a Mecca for up and coming performers. Back then, Geith had already issued a pair of excellent projects with his 2000 Prime Time release placing him among the most downloaded musicians on the entire internet with well in excess of 1.4 million downloads. Geith (pronounced Gite) started playing piano when he was six, and after trying his hand at classical music and jazz, he branched into a variety of musical flavours including mood, groove, symphonic, contemporary jazz, and R&B. After earning a Master's from the Manhattan School of Music, Chris received Keyboard magazine's "20th Anniversary Keyboard Competition" prize in 1995 - his Forever Again solo debut was released the following year, while Prime Time was accorded an Asian distribution deal in 2001.
Chris Geith - Timeless World
In spite of the fact it's been 8 years between releases, Geith has kept very active - his compositions and playing have been featured on a variety of TV network programs, he's been involved with TV and radio commercials for several high profile clients while another effort, his Window On The World project recorded in 2002 was unfortunately never released. Additionally, Chris has backed super star Julie Andrews, performed at a variety of top venues including Birdland and the Apollo Theatre, both in New York, while also appearing at a number of international jazz festivals. A project that was two full years in the making, Timeless World now marks Geith's 3rd and most recent release and represents some of the finest that the smooth jazz genre has to offer. As such, it's now a distinct pleasure to subject Chris Geith and Timeless World to the soft glow of our showcase spotlight!
Chris Geith Photo courtesy of ChrisGeith.com
We begin with the first of three tantalizing tracks entitled Sweet Sensation highlighted by the trumpet of Al Davis. Hour 2 starts with a gorgeous piece called I Will Remember You with Fred Scerbo on sax, while a rhythmic groover entitled Morning Starlight features a snazzy bit of guitar from Matt Marshak and that caps the presentation. However, we're not quite done yet as we've reserved Waves of Life, Chris's current single for the After Hours portion of the show. With no less than 9 selections as instant adds to our spin list, Timeless World is not only a Café Jazz Pick for our end-of-the-year list of faves but also a source of great musical entertainment for some time to come. Clearly Timeless World marks Chris Geith as an artist whose own time has arrived!

CD: Timeless World
Label: Nuance Music Group
Site: Chris Geith

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Fresh Trax: Part One
Stuart Steinhart - Edification
Edification - Stuart Steinhart:
With an extensive background in the study of music theory and its history, Stuart Steinhart has forged a career as an accomplished bassist and a prolific composer. Based in Toronto, Steinhart has produced, arranged, recorded, and performed with many top Canadian artists and when last heard from, had been a key creative force behind the debut release from vocalist Nura. Now 25-years into his career, Steinhart finally steps out with his debut release that rightly showcases his own prodigious talents. Backed by an impressive compliment of triple-A players, the line-up includes Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Don Grusin on piano and keys, Luis Conte on percussion, and David Blamires & Nura both on vocals. From that effort, we have the first single to radio with Tom Scott on sax - a selection that shares its name with the album and fulfills the prophecy of its title with uplifting enlightenment!

CD: Edification
Label: Start Music
Site: Stuart Steinhart
The Sax Pack - The Sax Pack
Fallin' For You - The Sax Pack:
Collectively the trio of Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, and Steve Cole, have been playing to packed houses for the past 3 years. As the driving force behind The Sax Pack concept, Seattle native Jeff Kashiwa recognized the potential of combining the creativity and talents of three of the hottest sax players in contemporary instrumental music. Although initially balancing the demands of their individual schedules proved challenging, they remained committed to the idea and worked together to bring the group to life. As stars in their own right, each is well-known thruout the genre for the passion of their performance, and as The Sax Pack, the triad create a high-energy atmosphere that has drawn rave reviews. Now to satisfy an ever-increasing fan base, enthusiasts are getting exactly what they have been clamouring for - a debut cd from The Sax Pack. From that forthcoming effort, we have the terrific advance single called Fallin' For You!

CD: The Sax Pack
Label: Shanachie Entertainment
Site: The Sax Pack ; Kashiwa ; Cole ; Waters

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Fresh Trax: Part Two
Marcos Ariel - 4 Friends
Passionate Eyes - Marcos Ariel :
In a career that dates back to the 70s, Marcos Ariel has long dedicated himself to promoting the music of his homeland. The Brazilian born keyboardist studied classically in his youth, and was later drawn to jazz. He began crossing musical frontiers with his first album released in Brazil and France in 1986, while Terra do Indio released a couple of years later led to international recognition. Having issued nearly a dozen albums over the years, Ariel has performed regularly in the US and has had a pair of projects make it into Billboard's top 20 as recently as the start of the new millennium. His latest effort entitled 4 Friends sees his reunion with guitarist Ricardo Silveira, with whom he's frequently recorded - you may recall that tandem gave us the impeccably crafted Green Eyes in 1999 that has been a Café Jazz fave ever since. The duo now reprises that partnership with the equally endearing Passionate Eyes and an exquisite variation on a theme!

CD: 4 Friends
Label: Tenure Records
Site: Marcos Ariel ; Ariel/Tenure/Moondo
Kenny G - Rhythm & Romance
Sax-O-Loco - Kenny G :
Kenny Gorelick began playing professionally as a member of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1976 and then went on to become not only a Grammy winner, but also the top selling instrumental artist of the day. Playing in the legendary group Jeff Lorber Fusion, the G Man attracted the attention of music heavyweight Clive Davis and with the release of G's '82 solo debut, the two embarked on a 25-year partnership. During that period, the saxophonist recorded 26 albums and enjoyed sales in excess of seventy-five million records.

More recently, Kenny felt creatively handcuffed in having to play cover tunes wherein he couldn't stray far from the melody. Unwilling to release another batch of standards ŕ la Rod Stewart or Barry Manilow, he opted to end amicably his relationship with Arista in favour of a new direction. Rhythm & Romance marks not only the 51-year-old performer's debut for Concord/Starbucks Entertainment, it's also his first album of original material since 2002. The project sees Kenny exploring new terrain with a collection of Latin-rhythmed love songs and from that effort, we have the first single to radio in Sax-O-Loco!

CD: Rhythm & Romance
Label: Concord Music Group/Starbuck's Entertainment
Site: Kenny G
Kevin Kooyumjian - Monterey Cool
Rush - Kevin Kooyumjian:
For the past few years, Kevin Kooyumjian has royally entertained visitors to Monterey's famed Cannery Row with his keyboard wizardry and his roving wireless "keytar". With parents, both of whom held Master's Degrees in music, it isn't surprising that the California native started playing piano when he was just two. Although Kooyumjian didn't take to the rigidity of performing classical music he later realized what a valuable asset that training would prove to be. By 14, he'd converted the garage into a studio, and by 21, he'd turned professional. With tastes that ran a gamut of styles from Jazz, Rock, and Reggae, to Blues, Top 40 and Country, Kevin released his smooth jazz debut in 1999. Now with five albums issued to date, we're pleased to present a little piece of California's famed coastal scene with the exhilarating Rush from the aptly entitled Monterey Cool!

CD: Monterey Cool
Label: Independent
Site: Kevin Kooyumjian

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After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Site and Select Affiliates :
This week ... Marc Antoine steps into our Then & Now spotlight - we've have a full compliment of tracks, one from each Antoine release for an 8-track-set and that'll be just over ten or so minutes into the presentation. In the meantime, there's music that is new to the show. Our line-up includes the latest from saxman Jaared and from keyboardist Bob Baldwin - there's a bit more from Chris Geith and Timeless World, as well as from Jimmy Sommers while launching the festivities is the advance from Steve Oliver's forthcoming cd/dvd!
Then & Now ... spotlighting: Marc Antoine

Marc Antoine - Classical Soul
Classical Soul
NYC Records
1994
Marc Antoine - Urban Gypsy
Urban Gypsy
NYC Records
1995
Marc Antoine - Madrid
Madrid
GRP Records
1998
Marc Antoine - Universal Language
Universal Language br GRP Records
2000
Marc Antoine - Cruisin'
Cruisin'
GRP Records
2001
Marc Antoine - Mediterraneo
Mediterraneo
Rendezvous
2003
Marc Antoine - Modern Times
Modern Times
Rendezvous
2005
Marc Antoine - Hi-Lo Split
Hi-Lo Split
Peak Records
2007

Marc Antoine: Growing up in Paris, Marc Antoine began playing guitar when he was 11 and as a teen, he split his time between developing as a musician and swimming competitively. While training at the International School of Classical Guitar, he also attained championship caliber as a member of the French Junior Swim Team. When he was 16, he won a scholarship to the Conservatory of Music, whereupon Antoine came to a crossroads. To achieve his full potential in either pursuit would require his full dedication. Marc's father reasoned that within a few years, he would be past his peak as a swimmer whereas music could a lifelong passion; heeding his father's reasoning, Antoine chose music. He spent the next few years living with his aunt attending the Conservatory by day while jamming at clubs late into the night!

Marc Antoine Courtesy of Marc Antoine.com
Tragedy struck in the summer of 1981 when at 19 Antoine suffered a career-threatening injury - the tendons in his left wrist became severed to the bone when he fell backwards thru a plate glass door. In spite of a lengthy five-hour operation, the prognosis was he would never play guitar again. After working strenuously for an entire year Antoine could still only play a single A minor chord. Yet that provided all the encouragement that he needed to continue practicing and ultimately to prove the doctors wrong. In the process, he not only overcame the injury but also developed an entirely new technique and sound. After three long and painful years of rehab and practice, Antoine's dreams once again took wing and when in 1984 at the age of 22, he was back performing and playing on the Parisian club circuit! IIn 1988, Antoine moved to London - he toured with Basia, played on Soul II Soul's first album, and became totally absorbed in that city's acid jazz scene. Moving to LA in the early 90s, Antoine sessioned with The Solsonics and Queen Latifah; played with Sting, George Benson, and the late Selena, while also working a few film soundtracks.

Then as a seasoned 31-year-old performer, Antoine recorded his critically acclaimed 1994 debut and earned Best New Artist of the Year recognition! In the time since, he's shown unique development by mixing seemingly incongruous elements from pop, jazz, Latin, and African music into a creative yet highly appealing blend. He's become a mainstay of the genre while being somewhat revered on our humble show as the frequent focus for a variety of specials and tributes.


So it is, that with the release of Hi-Lo Split now his 9th cd overall, it's rather apropos that Antoine once again finds himself basking in the radiance of our spotlight as the focus for our Then & now feature. We've run similar segments in the past, on ed281 in 2003 and ed385 in 2005, but with due diligence, we've expanded our vision to include a few exotic flavours that have heretofore been untasted on our program. We include the following: Timeless Line, Sand Castle, Sarava, Celta, Cruisin', Seńor Groove, Bella Via, and Hi-Lo Split from the above albums respectively! By our reckoning, Antoine may well remain a force in contemporary instrumental music for another 20 or 30 years, and we can only dream of the incredible features that we'll be able run as time goes by!

Site: Marc Antoine
Also by
Marc Antoine
Marc Antoine - The Very Best of
The Very Best of
GRP Records
2003

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