Matt Marshak Showcased; with Paul Desmond, Planet9, Jeff Lorber, Patrick Yandall, & Tom & Joyce; After Hours

Always Effervescent!
This Week at CaféJazz.ca

December 6th, 2009
Edition #548 Previously

This Week at CafeJazz.ca ...
… on this edition, it's Matt Marshak entering the spotlight. The New York guitarist recently issued Family Funktion and that'll be the feature cd on the showcase segment. Then get ready for some excitement from back in the day - and a trip thru our musical time tunnel! On the Back Trax segment there'll be selections by Paul Desmond and Planet 9. Also appearing - Jeff Lorber, Patrick Yandall, and the Parisian duo of Tom & Joyce. Then later in the hour, there's music by Jonathan Fritzen and Brian Bromberg, we have Marion Meadows and guitarist Dean Grech; while featured thru-out are Dan Siegel, The Bahama Soul Club, and Jakob Elvstrom. But as we get ready to launch the biggest little show on radio, we have something from Gil Parris. The new one is called A Certain Beauty and from that release, we have the wonderfully expressive Ibiza!

In This Issue:

SHOWCASE CD :
Family Funktion - Matt Marshak

BACK TRAX :
Take Ten - Paul Desmond
Pieds Contentos - Planet9
PCH - Jeff Lorber
On the Cool Side - Patrick Yandall
Vai Minha Tristeza - Tom & Joyce

AFTER HOURS : Shades of Soul

Showcase CD
Family Funktion - Matt Marshak:
In spite of the fact that he didn't take up guitar until he was 17, Long Island native Matt Marshak has quickly developed into one of the brightest new star in the galaxy of smooth jazz players. Initially drawn by some of the blues and rock greats, after discovering contemporary jazz, the sounds of Larry Carlton and George Benson provided a new spark of inspiration. Upon joining the NYC music scene, Marshak worked his way thru the ranks and soon felt ready to record on his own. He was in the process of completing his sophomore project, when he submitted some finished tracks to a search co-sponsored by CD101.9, and subsequently, he won Best New Smooth Jazz Artist in New York City! A lot has happened since then. Marshak debuted on our hip but humble show back in 2004 with This Time Around, an album which became the Café Jazz #9 cd for the year; meanwhile Marshak gained our nod as one of the top break-thru artists for that same time frame!

Specializing in an exciting blend of soul, jazz, and R&B, Marshak has issued two additional projects that have gained international exposure while he's garnered an avid worldwide fan base playing gigs, festivals, and cruises from Bratislava to the Bahamas. The recent issue of Family Funktion is now his 5th and so we thought what could be more fitting than to feature Matt and that cd on the showcase segment. As is our custom, we've selected a triplet of choice cuts!

Matt Marshak

First up is the down-tempo Gas Lamp Groove - helped by the composer of the track Stix Bones on keys and bass, the tune has a great chill vibe. Saxman David Mann chips in to create the groove on Gratitude at the top of our second hour, a tune upon which Marshak has never sounded more soulful! Finally there's the up tempo How Ya Like Me Now wherein Marshak provides proof positive - he's among the finest groovepushers on the scene today. And in response to the query posed by the title of that closing selection, well Matt … we kinda like you a lot!

CD: Family Funktion (2009)
Label: Nuance Music Group
Links:

Back Trax: Part One

Take Ten - Paul Desmond feat. Jim Hall :
Legendary saxman Paul Desmond was born in San Francisco, and over the course of an illustrious career he came to epitomize the style known as west coast cool. Best known for his years with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Desmond was the man who penned their mega-hit in the track Take Five - a tune that remains among the most readily identifiable in all of jazz!

Urged to come up with a sequel, in 1963 Desmond reworked the tune while designating the meter as 10/8. Known as well for his idiosyncratic wit as for his playing, Desmond did not disappoint on either account when he recorded the aptly named Take Ten - a superb variation on an unsurpassed theme!

LP: Take Ten (1963)
Label: Bluebird / RCA

Paul Desmond - The Complete Paul Desmond RCA Victor Recordings (The Best of)

The Complete
Paul Desmond
RCA / 1997

Pieds Contentos - Planet9 (formerly Plan9):
The band formally known as Plan9 unites musicians who helped create some of the biggest hits of the past three decades. For example, saxman Charlie DeChant played with Hall & Oates for nearly 30 years; drummer Charlie Morgan worked with Elton John for 13; and Lane Hoppen tours and records with Orleans. Meanwhile there's guitarist Drew Bentley whose lack of professional experience "made him the rather obvious choice as band leader"! Classically trained, Drew began playing at the age of 8 but his musical career was interrupted by college sports and the pursuit of a Ph.D. Their Cool Breeze debut released late in 2001 quickly rose on the charts and earned Planet9 a Best New Artist nomination - then later it gained distinction as the #11 Most Played Independent CD for 2003!

The band is a tightly knit unit and together they embrace a wide variety of styles from groove and Latin rhythms to contemporary jazz. From that initial effort (later re-issued under their current moniker) we have Pieds Contentos! Roughly translating to happy feet, this is a buoyant track that's guaranteed to deliver the desired effect!

CD: Cool Breeze (2001)
Label: Plan9 Partners
Links:

Planet9
Cool Breeze

Back Trax: Part Two
	PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) - Jeff Lorber: Jeff Lorber's love for jazz began while attending Berklee in Boston and then in the late 70s, the Philadelphia native formed The Jeff Lorber Fusion. The unit became one of the most popular acts of the day, but Lorber disbanded the group at the height of their popularity choosing to focus on production and session work. In the course of events, he returned to recording in the early 90s and quickly resumed his position as one of the trendsetters of the day. This time we're checking the '96 State of Grace release - the 3rd project in this 2nd phase of Lorber's career. From that cd and the #10 album for the year, we have the track PCH with Lorber exploring a great retro vibe and featuring the flute of Gary Meek! CD: State Of Grace (1996) Label: Verve Forecast / PolyGram Links:
	On the Cool Side - Patrick Yandall: Raised in Bay City Michigan the son of a jazz musician, Patrick Yandall suffered a broken his hip at the age of 6 - and it was during his convalescence from this injury that he first tried trumpet and guitar. The guitar won out and thru years of intense practice, Yandall became adept at progressive rock and the more complex idiom of jazz. He was playing underage clubs by his early teens and in the late 70s, he toured with the fusion group Clockwork, before returning to his study of music. Based on a summer symposium at Berklee and his admiration for the stylings of Jeff Lorber, Yandall chose a path primarily based in jazz and blues. In the early 80s, he moved to America's Finest City, and after a few varied experiences, he became established as a premier sessionist and performer on the LA-San Diego circuit! Having launched his solo career back in '92, Yandall has turned prolific having issued a new release at an amazing rate of one a year for the past 5 years! On this occasion, we're revisiting a time that's now the approximate half-way point in Patrick's solon career for a cd that slightly pre-dates this period of intense activity. From Back to the Groove there's the laid-back vibe of On the Cool Side! CD: Back to the Groove (2002) Label: Zangi Records Links:
	Vai Minha Tristeza (FK & Eric Kupper Remix) - Tom & Joyce: Recording out of Paris France, Tom & Joyce are the cousin duo of Thomas Naim on synthesizers and Joyce Hozé on vocals. The pair had always been attracted to the beauty of the Bossa Nova and to the fusion sounds of the 70's; and early in 1999, they released their debut single as a reflection of those varied influenced. Entitled Vai Minha Tristeza, the phrase is Portuguese and loosely translates to "go my sadness", an intonation caused by a love gone away. Released on Yellow Productions, that initial effort drew major airplay on the French Nu-jazz scene. Meanwhile it captured the attention of François K who, with the help of Eric Kupper, did a jazzy-house re-mix of the track - issuing it as part of the compilation Bossa Mundo on his New York Wave Music label. Featuring a great percussive dub and a grooving sax solo courtesy of Walter C. Eminizer, this version is most likely the finest of several different takes on the track, and we have it for just you! LP: Bossa Mundo (1999) / CD:Bossa Mundo (2000) Label: Wave Music Links:

After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Site and Select Affiliates :

Shades of Soul: …this time it's the first of two shows focusing on music connected with the word soul. In the past, we've restricted ourselves to just selections. For this series at least, we've expanded our parameters - thereby allowing any track performed by an individual or group using soul as part of their name - so today it's Shades of Soul after the project led by Jeff Lorber. Additionally, we'll be spinning Sycamore Soul, Souls Felt, and Honey In The Soul with 13 soulful selections in all! The opening set features Norman Brown and Gregg Karukas - that's followed by Cindy Bradley, and Shades of Soul, the namesake band for this edition. The second set begins with Ed Hamilton and continues with Lao Tizer, Tom Braxton, and Johann Asmundsson, while Freddie Ravel finishes it. Then wrapping things in the closing frame, we have Inner Swing as well as Pieces of a Dream and Ken Navarro while in the end, it's the band Paprika Soul. So, as we ignite the fuse for an explosive set there's the tune Soul Dance by Norman Brown!

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