Showcase CD
Up Close And Personal - Nils:
As
a teen, Nils took up guitar in his native Germany but with limited
educational & professional opportunities, he relocated to Southern
California in the mid-80s. While making inroads in film and TV,
he started doing a few sessions with '98 proving extremely busy!
After appearing on George Benson's Standing Together, Benson returned
the favour by contributing to Nils's own Blue Planet debut. Meanwhile
it was later that same year, that top producer Paul Brown radared
Nils and this led to appearances on releases by Gabriela Anders
and Rick Braun. The following year, Nils played on the 2nd LA Jazz
Syndicate cd and then for the next few years, he stayed active with
a variety of projects while writing, arranging, and recording tracks
in his home studio. Allowed the luxury of tweaking certain stylistic
elements, Nils was able to fine-tune his sound, all of which resulted
in the mammoth 2005 Pacific Coast Highway release! |
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Nils - Live!
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Now a couple of cds later, Nils is back with Up Close And Personal,
his fourth and latest and an effort upon which "the man from Munich"
displays more of his winning form! As such, it's time now to get
to know Nils a bit more intimately with Up Close And Personal as
the focus for our spotlight feature! We've chosen our usual complement
of three terrific tracks - beginning with the ever so e-z Happy
To C U. The gentle caress of Catalina creates a wonderfully mellow
mood at the top of hour #2. Meanwhile Nils bids us 'bon voyage'
with Jazz Cruise, a fast-paced party rocker that features saxman
Shilts chipping in on the track! Conveying some of his most revealing
material to date, Nils delivers on the promise of the album title
with an effort that's melodic, polished, and mature! 
CD: Up Close And Personal
(2009)
Label: Baja/TSR Records
Sites: 
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| Fresh Trax: Part One |
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Back In Five - Wayne Jones:
Wayne
Jones had started in music as a drummer but a mishap in his teens left
him with only partial use of his left thumb and so he took up the bass
instead. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Jones has operated in a variety
of musical settings over the last three decades. With a characteristic
frankness, he articulates, "You have to play many styles of music here
to survive." From cover bands and sessions to film and TV, the wonder
from down under had just about 'done it all' - except for issuing an album
under his own name. Although it was 7 long years in the making, that dream
was fulfilled with the 2006 issue of Forgotten Melody, which in spite
of a title that might suggest something to the contrary, was indeed a
highly memorable debut and one of the more pleasant surprises for the
year! Now the bass phenom is back with his Saturday Street sophomore
release, and from that effort, we have a great ska-flavoured tune in the
rocksteady Back In Five!
CD: Saturday Street (2009)
Label: Dim + Dimmer
Sites:
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CD
101.9 - Candy Dulfer:
Aside
from a bit basic training from her father Hans Dulfer a renowned jazz
sax player in his own right, Candy Dulfer was pretty well self-taught
how to play. In 1987, she opened for Madonna in Rotterdam and later appeared
with Prince on Saturday Night Live. Additionally, she recorded a few tracks
with Dave Stewart one of them being "Lily Was Here". After being featured
in a Dutch film, the single went to #1 all across Europe and led to Dulfer's
1990 debut, which sold in excess of a million units. Fast forward to the
present and Ms Dulfer's latest called Funked Up and Chilled Out (a double
cd) and from the first half of that effort we have the raise the roof
CD 101.9, named for the legendary but now 'de-funked' NYC smooth station!
CD: Funked Up! (2009)
Label: Heads Up
Sites: 
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| Fresh Trax: Part Two |
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Bloom
- Cindy Bradley:
After
choosing the trumpet in the 4th grade for the school band program, Cindy
Bradley went on to earn a bachelors in jazz studies from Ithaca, and a
masters in performance from the New England Conservatory. Relocating to
NYC shortly thereafter, Bradley honed her chops as a sideman, touring
and recording with a variety of groups from funk, top 40, and R&B, to
jazz-fusion and straight ahead bands. After her premier release a couple
of years back, the budding performer is now set to burst into full blossom
with her major label debut. From the appropriately entitled Bloom, a project
in collaboration with ace-producer and Grammy-winner Michael Broening
we have the advance in the title track. Stay tuned as we present Ms Cindy
Bradley, poised as a serious contender for 'the breakthru artist' for
the year!
CD: Bloom (2009)
Label: Trippin 'n' Rhythm Records
Sites - Cindy Bradley:
Michael Broening:
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Groovidi
- John Pedersen:
Based
in the San Diego area, John Pedersen is a church organist-pianist and
a piano instructor who has five solo releases to his credit extending
back to 1997. In addition to explorations in electronica, chill, smooth
jazz, and solo piano, Pedersen also has a free downloadable collection
of piano tracks entitled, "Selected Piano Works" available at 'newagepiano.net'.
Nonetheless, from his most current effort in Groovidi from a couple of
years back, there's the in the pocket title track!
CD: Groovidi (2007)
Label: Paradise Jazz Music
Sites:
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Chamaleons
- Velez Brothers:
Hailing
from Puerto Rico, we have Joan and Cristian the Velez Brothers. Joan Velez
was 11 when he started playing, but he took to the tenor sax about a year
later. Early on, he was influenced by the rhythms of his homeland and
by the traditions of Cuba and Brazil. For his part, Christian started
on percussion while also dabbling in guitar, trumpet, and bass - by 16
he was playing professionally. Now Illinois based, the brothers Velez
released their debut early in 2008 and have just issued their sophomore
follow-up project called Feel The Rain. From that release, we have the
exceptional Chamaleons with "the big windy cat", Nick Colionne, guesting!
CD: Feel The Rain (2009)
Label: Edson Records
Sites:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| ... this chapter is going to be a blast with another
of our theme shows - this one is called Free As The Wind as each of our
spins has the word wind, windy, or some such variation as part of its
title. So stay tuned for tracks such as Jamaican Wind, Windmill, and The
Big Windy Cat as we present 13 "gusty tunes" in all. Opening the first
set and the show is Steve Oliver and then following we have Gregg Karukas,
saxman Jaared, and Nick Colionne. It's Jim Adkins kicking off set #2 and
then we continue with Herb Alpert & Bob Baldwin. Then there's Lee Ritenour
and the legendary Crusaders with the classic track that lent its name
to this segment. Then in the end, we have Russ Freeman & Craig Chaquico
teaming for a tune from the cd From The Redwoods to The Rockies; as well
there's Doc Powell's Double Scale project - finally the late Artie Traum
and keyboardist Chris Geith close the show. But as we set sail on a one
hour whirlwind cruise there's a gentle breeze just starting to blow with
Steve Oliver and the track Tradewinds on our Free As The Wind special! |
