The Best of '09
Hat Trick Edition!
This Week at CaféJazz.ca

January 31st, 2010
Edition #556 Previously Next

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This Week at Cafe Jazz.ca: The Best of 2009 Part 3:
...we're back with the Best of 2009, this being the Hat Trick Edition. There's Candy Dulfer, Paul Hardcastle, Nils, and Four80East; plus selections by Cecil Ramirez and The Parlett/Colah Project. In addition we have our break-thru artist for the year in Joe Ercole - all in a collection that features the absolute best from the last 12 months. So as we continue to celebrate all that was fine in '09 ... we raise our glass one last time to the best from the year just past!

Café Jazz Faves for 2009: Sixth annual year-end recap! Café Jazz Favourites in 2009

CSJA - On Line Voting: Support all your favourite smoothies! Just a reminder, yours truly is eligible in the Broadcaster category.

In This Issue:

HIGHLIGHTS
Back to the Road - Torcuato Mariano
Rio de Maio - Cecil Ramirez
Patchwork - Daniel Domenge
Happy to C U - Nils
Jennette - Pete Gitlin
Babaloop - Joe Ercole

AFTER HOURS : Best '09 (conclusion)
SPINLIST: Spinlist ONE YEAR AGO: The Café Jazz Best of 2008 - Part 3

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Highlights Hour One
Back to the Road - Torcuato Mariano:
 After many years sought after as a sessionist, Torcuato Mariano went on to play and/or tour with the likes of Djavan, Leo Gandelman, Ivan Lins, and Sergio Mendes. It was the mid 90's when Mariano finally moved to a solo career. His two initial efforts both faired well with the sophomore Last Look placing in top 30 for the year; meantime the single Ocean Way made the top 20 for '95! Regardless, Mariano opted to switch gears as head of A&R for a major label back in his adopted homeland of Brazil. The year 2004 saw Mariano resurrect his solo career - So Far From Home, is now his fifth and likely most solid to date! When asked to, we were pleased to be quoted in the material used to promote So Far From Home as Torcuato's "melodic & heart-felt reflection of his career" as "ample evidence that he's among the elite of today's guitarists!" Citing the legendary Jeff Beck as a primary influence to his sound & style, it's now a treat to revisit Back to the Road - a real attention grabber and our #12 selection for the year! Torcuato Mariano's So Far From Home Showcased on Ed#526 - May 10th, 2009

CD: So Far From Home (2009)
Label: nuGroove Records
Links:

Torcuato Mariano - So Far From Home

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Cecil Ramirez - Talk to the Hand
 Rio de Maio - Cecil Ramirez:
After playing 'the casino circuit', Cecil Ramirez found work as an audio engineer with a post-production facility. In 1989, the studio was relocated to Sacramento and Ramirez went right along with it - that became home base where, in addition to a variety of studio dates, he honed his chops with regular weekend gigs. Nonetheless, Cecil's ultimate goal was to release his own project and, as it was self-funded, it came together slowly. It's said that you can't rush a good thing and the adage certainly bore ripe fruit at least in this instance. With melody, mood, and a peerless presentation, Talk To The Hand climbed to our #8cd for 2009 and from it we've opted for the ever-so-delicate Rio de Maio! Cecil Ramirez and Talk to the Hand in the Spotlight on Ed#519 - March 22nd, 2009

CD: Talk To The Hand (2008)
Label: Independent Release
Links:

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Highlights Hour Two
Daniel Domenge - Patchwork
 Patchwork - Daniel Domenge:
From the Montpellier region in France, an area well known for the quality of their wine production, comes guitarist Daniel Domenge. Having performed with a variety of bands while recording and arranging for radio on both the national and local levels, it was about three years ago that Domenge decided to record a smooth project. Entitled Patchwork, the album name is well chosen, in that Domenge knits together seemingly incongruous pieces with all the finesse of a seasoned artisan! Easily among a handful of the top smooth jazz imports for the year, the masses in Montpellier now have bragging rights to yet another vintage collection! Daniel Domenge and Patchwork in the Spotlight Ed#522 - April 12th, 2009

CD: Patchwork (2008)
Label: Independent Release
Links:
Nils - Up Close and Personal
 Happy to C U - Nils:
The 'over-night' success that Nils enjoyed with Pacific Coast Highway well belied the fact the German born guitarist had been honing his craft for years. With limited opportunities back in his homeland, Nils had relocated to Southern California in the mid-80s. He made inroads in film and TV and by '98 he'd appeared on albums by George Benson, Gabriela Anders, and Rick Braun, while also issuing his own debut. For the next few years, he stayed active with a variety of projects while writing, arranging, and recording tracks in his home studio … all while fine-tuning his sound. Now a few years after the mammoth 2005 Pacific Coast Highway release, "the man from Munich" has in truth never sounded finer! Now a perennial favourite on our show, from Up Close and Personal and what was our #10 cd for the year there's the ever so e-z Happy to C U! Nils and Up Close and Personal in the Showcase Spotlight on Ed #528 - May 24th, 2009Nils Then & Now Spotlight Feature Ed #443 - May 20th, 2007

CD: Up Close And Personal (2009)
Label: Baja/TSR Records
Links:
Pete Gitlin - Full Circle and The Great Temptation
 Jennette - Pete Gitlin:
After a lengthy hiatus from music, in 2008 Phoenix-based Pete Gitlin connected with Turning Point drummer & producer John Herrera. Their ensuing collaboration resulted in the release of Full Circle and The Great Temptation. Although the project title, a combination of two track titles, was a witty play on words, to us it held deeper meaning. It signified not only Gitlin's full circle return to his life's passion but also a highly tempting release! Now nearly a full year after the fact, we're still stuck on Pete and offer a full bodied and bluesy favourite from the disc!Pete Gitlin's Full Circle and The Great Temptation Showcased on Ed#513 - Feb. 8th, 2009

CD: Full Circle and The Great Temptation (2008)
Label: Coming Together Music
Links:
Joe Ercole - Exposed

Babaloop - Joe Ercole :
After studying at Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory, Joe Ercole went on to graduate from Berklee in Boston summa cum laude. He spent some time scoring for film, TV, and radio - and after a pair of solo releases, he won 2001's best new smooth jazz group as a founding member of Bona Fide! For the past several years, Ercole has immersed himself in the music of the Middle East - and with the release of Exposed, he's fused those contrasting elements with a diversity of forms at his disposal! With themes ranging from refined, cinematic, and smooth to techno, Arabic, and funk, we knew at first listen that this was as innovative as approach as we were likely to encounter in quite some time. When showcased, we wrote "…on this most recent release, Joe Ercole is indeed 'Exposed' as the diverse and major jazz-talent that he is!" To that we now add kudos as the Café Jazz "break-thru" artist for the year and our #2 cd overall! In recognition, we close our 'hat trick' edition with a fun tune called Babaloop! Joe Ercole and Exposed in the Spotlight on Ed#525 - May 3rd, 2009

CD: Exposed (2009)
Label: Joe Ercole Music
Links:


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After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site and Select Affiliates:
More of the Hat Trick Edition in the Best of 2009! … the Best of 2009 series comes to its ultimate conclusion with one final hour capping nine full hours devoted exclusively to the sounds of '09. We start it with Craig Chaquico and follow that with Shakatak, Euge Groove, and David Wells. Our second set has keyboardist Yaron Gershovsky and Eric Roberts ... plus there's Jeff Kashiwa, Hart Ramsey, and Bernie Williams. While in the end, wrapping things is a 4-pack of tracks headed by Najee - this also includes Hiroshima, vocalist Anne Walsh, and finally Brian Tarquin with Frank Gambale! Please click the paw for a complete list of selections played! Spinlist

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