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Showcase CD
Looking Ahead - Anthony James Baker:
Anthony
James Baker began playing in the pubs and clubs of Kent, England
before moving to London in the 80s. He soon plugged into that
city's music scene and landed gigs with Tears for Fears and Big
Country before relocating to LA in the 90s. There he studied with
guitar greats such as Norman Brown and Frank Gambale and after
attending the Grove School of Music, Baker packed his bags and
moved again, this time to Denver, Colorado. He became well established
on Denver's cosmopolitan stage, all of which led to the release
of his solo debut in 2001. The AJB Band Live followed a couple
of years later, and now a few years later still the jazz-rocker
finds himself back in London none the worse for wear from travels!
Just issued is Looking Ahead a 5-track EP and judging by this
effort, it appears that if anything Baker has gained immeasurably
from his varied experiences. Additionally, the project title may
well describe AJB's sense of optimism after releasing such a high
caliber album, as there isn't a weak track in the bunch!
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| Contributing
to the disc are Bobby Wells on keys as well as saxman Darren Rahn
who split the production duties. Suffice it to say, this is one
highly impressive disc … now giving us cause to pause and to direct
the sparkle of the Café Jazz spotlight at Anthony James and that
cd. We have the usual tasty complement of selections beginning with
the first single to radio in She's So Precious. With Bobby Wells
the composer of the track on keys, Baker's full-bodied tone has
never sounded finer! At the top of our second hour, Baker asks
the musical question What If … one of two tracks that he previously
recorded during his Live sessions … Darren Rahn contributes sax,
keys, bass, drum programming, and sound effects thereby buoying
the current version! |
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Anthony James Baker
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Then there's Malaga, a melodic up-tempo Spanish flavored selection
that Baker co-wrote with Rahn that's the feature closer. With a
fiery style that's already shown immense evolution, we share Baker's
enthusiasm in "looking ahead" … to more smooth, rich, & warm signature
sounds in the years to come!
EP: Looking Ahead (2009)
Label: Independent Release
Links: 
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| Fresh Trax: Part One |
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Feelin' Good - Marcin Nowakowski:
Polish
saxman Marcin Nowakowski studied at the Academy in Warsaw, and then later
he ended F. Chopin's Jazz Academy. He went on to play with the band Metro
and apart from being a sideman on a variety of top projects he played
with the band Woobie Doobie for many years, and thereby honed his chops.
In 2002 he backed Jose Carreras, while thru-out his career he's collaborated
with many of the top players on the Polish stage. His 2005 Smooth Night
debut featuring many of his countrymen opened the door a crack so to speak
and got Nowakowski noticed - now he's set to make that giant leap across
hemi-spheres with Better Days his sophomore album. Produced in conjunction
with Jeff Lorber, on this latest endeavor Nowakowski is backed by some
of the finest from the American scene: Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar, Alex
Al on bass, Lenny Castro on percussion, and Jeff Lorber on keys as well
as many others. From that effort we've selected the aptly entitled Feelin'
Good!
CD: Better Days (2009)
Label: Smooth Jazz Records
Links:
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Flying
Free - Eric Roberts :
An
accomplished musician who's been playing professionally since he was 16,
Eric Roberts earned a BA in Music from Ithaca College and then a Masters
from the University of Miami. Included on his resume are many Broadway
shows, as well as a variety of gigs wherein he's backed everyone from
Chuck Berry and The Fifth Dimension to Chubby Checker and The Smothers
Brothers. With a repertoire ranging from classical and jazz, to new age,
Brazilian and Nuevo Flamenco, the recently issued My Brazilian Heart is
Roberts' most recent release. From that effort, we have Flying Free, an
acoustic gem upon which Roberts sounds more than just a bit reminiscent
of some of finer offerings from Earl Klugh!
EP: My Brazilian Heart (2009)
Label: Music Magic Productions
Links:
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| Fresh Trax: Part Two |
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Cloud's
Rest - Pete Lacey:
Based
in Santa Cruz CA, Pete Lacey presents a mix of modern jazz with nuances
of Phil Collins, Chuck Mangione, and David Foster. Lacey's credits include
a raft of names - among them some of the biggest from the earlier days
of pop such as Frankie Avalon, Smokey Robinson, and Chubby Checker. Having
recently joined forces with guitarist Greg Mullins to create The Lacey-Mullins
Nocturnal Obsession Project, the dynamic duo recently issued an album
that they refer to as the LMNOP release. On this occasion however, we've
opted for a track from Lacey's solo cd - from that effort we have a tune
entitled Cloud's Rest. Inspired by the massive mountain of the same name
which resides in Yosemite National Park, upon the track Lacey performs
on all the instruments to convey the euphoria of the view from its summit!
CD: Pete Lacey (2009)
Label: Mountain Top Music
Links: 
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Song
For Colleen - Craig Sharmat:
Coming
in at 5'9" and 125lbs, as a teen Craig Sharmat realized he wasn't cut
out for football - he abandoned his dreams of playing middle linebacker
for the NY Giants and opted for a career in music. For a time he worked
with Ronnie Laws and vocalist Randy Crawford but, by his early 30s, he
had tired of life on the road, and turned to composing instead. In that
regard, Sharmat has written thousands of TV cues and quite a few jingles;
additionally he's composed scores for film & TV while also creating full
orchestral arrangements. Recently convinced to join a "groove band", the
fire to play jazz was rekindled! Sharmat was soon ready to strike out
on his own and as luck would have it, his friend and neighbor, none other
than Rick Braun, helped enormously in giving Sharmat's debut the momentum
the project needed to bring it to fruition. With a mix of material both
old and new as well as several pieces he'd been performing with his band
Comfort Zone, Sharmat's So Cal Drivin is a leisurely cruise thru a variety
of very comforting styles. From that effort we have a ballad that Craig
wrote for his wife - the poignant & poetic Song for Colleen!
CD: So Cal Drivin (2009)
Label: Scoredog Music
Links: 
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How
High Is The Moon - S-Tone Inc. :
Coming
to us from Italy is S-Tone Inc. a project led by Stefano Tirone. Based
in Milan, Tirone earned a degree in architecture from the Polytechnic
institute, but for the better part of last 20 years he's balanced that
with a career in music. Initially studying guitar and then later piano,
Tirone didn't become interested in recording until the 80s. The year 1992
finally saw the issue of his debut during the age of acid jazz. That first
effort laid the ground-work for what was to follow in 1996 when Tirone
hit upon the concept for S-Tone Inc. Able to refine that sound he found
his true direction in 2002 with the issue of what was the 3rd cd under
the S-Tone Inc. banner. Moon in Libra is now the fifth and latest. Incorporating
elements of Brazilian music, as well as influences from jazz, funk and
soul, Tirone is nonetheless always mindful of his experiences in house
music. The track we play in How High is the Moon features a definite Bossa
flair with some super vocals by Angie Brown as an added dimension - one
of the freshest pieces to this point in the year and a definite high-water
mark for the current show!
CD: Moon In Libra (2009)
Label: Schema Records
Links:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| … on this installment it's a theme show called The Good
Life as every tune we play has life in its title - this is the second
and concluding chapter in the series. So stay tuned for tracks such as
New Life, Life Is, and Lovin' Life, with a total of 15 tunes as we present
a 60-minute musical lesson in "Life 101". Opening things are The Rippingtons
and they're followed by Nate Harasim and Louie Shelton; then there's Brian
Bromberg, and Paul Taylor. Set #2 has Dancing Fantasy and David Lanz with
the tune for which we named this segment; it continues with Analysis and
The Jazzmasters and ends with Chris Geith. Meanwhile the final frame opens
with the guitarist known as Vlad and carries on with a pair of Genes;
first up is Gene Cannon and then there's Gene Dunlap. Finally it's the
two Dave's in Messrs Boswell and Koz that conclude the set and the show!
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