This Week at CafeJazz.ca:
… in today's
spotlight it's Cal Harris Jr. The debut is Inside Out and we'll
have a sampling of 3 great tracks, all as part of the showcase segment.
In the second half we're firing up the Wayback Machine for another
exciting Vintage Collection - this time there's nothing less than
a stellar assortment with musical mementos courtesy of Gabriela
Anders and Ronny Smith. Steve Nieves is on the show, while also
appearing are Bryan Anderson and Sammy Peralta. Then right after
the Vintage Collection we're kickin' it new skool with Brad Rambur
and Nate Harasim - also in the set is a bit of beach jazz from Rocco
& Rahj while Mezzoforte wrap it up!
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Showcase CD
Inside Out - Cal Harris Jr.:
His
promo literature reveals that Cal Harris Jr. has been working
toward his debut for over a decade, but in reality it's been close
to a lifelong ambition. Harris grew up in Los Angeles the son
of sound engineer Calvin Harris - Cal Sr. worked the famed LA
Motown Studios and was a Grammy-nominee. So it was that Cal Jr.
had his earliest exposure to music wandering the studio halls
and it was within this context that he developed his strong love
for music. Following in his father's footsteps, Harris found his
niche as an in-demand engineer and in that regard he's worked
with many of the giants in the industry such as Earth Wind and
Fire, Whitney Houston, and Prince. Even so, after many years behind
the scenes, Cal felt the time was right to step out and reveal
his passion for playing and composing. Entitled Inside Out and
issued in August of 2010, Cal's coming out was brought to life
by his savvy as a writer, mixer, & arranger as well as his keyboard
skills. Additionally, Harris recruited a few AAA-cats to share
in the fun! With talent galore and impeccable production to match,
Inside Out shows all the polish Harris has gained from of a lifetime
of experience!
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Cal Harris Jr.
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And
so we're pleased to present Cal and that release as part of the
spotlight segment! First up is the shuffle groove of the lead single
- the radio edit of the title track. The understated elegance of
Secrets features the delicate and intricate interplay between Cal
on piano and the guitar of Darrel Crooks and that's at the top of
the second hour. In the end we sign off with a tune that we've grown
to luv; it's called She Loves the Water and it's easily one of the
finest contemporary efforts we've come across in years. With contributions
from Michael White on drums, Shem Von Shreck on bass, and Harold
Todd on this sax, here's a slice of pure unadulterated groove heaven!
With a fresh and varied approach, Inside Out is a bold musical statement
and an album upon which his gifts convey Cal Harris Jr. to the next
level!
CD: Inside Out (2010)
Label: CHI International Music
Links: 
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| Vintage Collection: Part One |
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Diamond Drive - Steve Nieves:
Veteran
Steve Nieves started making a name for himself on sax, percussion, & vocals
in his home town of San Diego while he was still in his teens. By his
twenties he'd worked alongside some top players, including future members
of the group Fattburger, before he relocated to LA in 1981. Signing on
as front man for the group Jakata in 1984, Nieves began a longtime friendship
with producer Steve Barri. He enjoyed a high profile gig appearing on
a Dave Mason record, and then had a lead role in starting up the band
Jango with Barri earlier this past decade. For the past few years he's
backed Lao Tizer but back in 1998 Steve had released a solo album called
Dream Harvest. From that effort we've selected Diamond Drive - a real
nice tune that was later reprised on a Jango cd!
CD: Dream Harvest (1998)
Label: JVC Records
Links:
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Special Love - Bryan Anderson:
Hailing from Baltimore Maryland, Bryan Anderson started bass as a teen
and played his first steady gig in his church. He moved to Atlanta in
1992 where, in addition to a variety of projects, he performed all around
the ATL area and recorded 3 solo cds. With subsequent stops in San Diego
and Charlotte, NC, the songwriter/producer has 6 projects in all to his
credit. Describing his sound as "groove music", Anderson blends smooth,
funk, and Latin flavors with an occasional island vibe. This time out
we're checking out Special Love from the 2005 Slow Your Roll cd! Recorded
during Bryan's time in San Diego, the album features a few AAA-cats with
John Rekevics on sax & flute, Evan Marks on guitar, and Derek Cannon on
trumpet & Kevin Esposito on trombone as the front line on the track in
question!
CD: Slow Your Roll (2005)
Label: MiLeta Records
Links:
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| Vintage Collection: Part Two |
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Together Again - Gabriela Anders:
Growing
up in a musical family, Argentine-born Gabriela Anders studied classical
guitar privately while taking piano at the Conservatory in Buenos Aires.
After high school, she moved to New York where she learned orchestration
for brass and strings as well as composition. In time, her studio and
club work took off while a demo sent to Warner Bros. led to a record deal.
Wanting was her 1999 major label debut and, featuring arrangements and
production by Paul Brown and George Duke as well as by Ms Anders herself,
the album elicited considerable praise for its unique fusion of Brazilian,
Latin, and jazz influences. A few years later, Anders continued her journey
of introspection with a collection of exotic and sultry songs infused
with funky yet sensual, tropical beats. Released in 2003, the project
pushed traditional boundaries as it transcended genres - from the well-titled
Eclectica, we have what was the first single in Together Again and Gabriela's
homage to her love land of Brazil.
CD: Eclectica (2003)
Label: gabriela anders
Links:
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Laid Back
- Ronny Smith:
Growing
up in the Baltimore Maryland area, Ronny Smith was first exposed to music
thru both his church and in school. Inspired by the sounds of Wes Montgomery,
Joe Pass, George Benson, and others, Smith learned to play guitar without
any formal lessons. During his college days, Pat Martino became one of
his greatest influences but nonetheless, Smith left college in his senior
year and enlisted in the army. Soon after, he became a member of the US
Army Band and engaged in a tour of duty that took him thruout the USA
and Europe. Subsequent to his army stint, Smith launched his solo career
and now has a catalogue of 5 cds. In spite of many fine moments on each
of his discs, Smith has unfortunately for the most part flown below the
radar. Even so, we're checking out a great moment from early in his career,
the title track from Ronny's 2002 sophomore cd!
CD: Laid Back (2002)
Label: K&A Music Group
Links:
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Trust
Me (I Gotta Go) - Sammy Peralta:
NY native Sammy Peralta was awestruck when he attended a classical concert
as an elementary school student. By fourteen, he was performing with the
Manhattan Borough-Wide Orchestra in places such as Carnegie Hall, but
he didn't begin to fully appreciate his potential until he entered New
York University. He's since gone on to become a prolific force in the
world of Mix, Club, & Dance while working with artists such as Gloria
Estefan, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Kenny G. Additionally, Peralta
has been described as one of the "sickest" club DJ's on the NYC scene.
With a love for a variety of musical forms, Peralta credits jazz as a
prime influence for his inspiration. Now there is a brand new cd that's
just been issued, but for this VC feature, we're dipping back into Sammy's
initial decade-old jazz release. From On The One that was co-produced
by drummer and former member of Return to Forever Lenny White, we have
the rhythmic Trust Me (I Gotta Go) featuring Sammy on keys, piano, sax,
and percussion!
CD: On The One (2000)
Label: Encoded Music
Links:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
... for this edition it's the first in
a new series. After doing a bit of research we discovered one of the most
frequently used terms in the smooth jazz lexicon is the word night. We
rummaged thru the archives and came up with about 80 or so selections
and so, on this occasion it's the first in what will be a 7-part feature.
Included are Richard Elliot's Up All Night, there's Brian Hughes with
On Moonless Nights, while Maybe Tonight is from Nestor Torres, on a feature
called We Got the Love (Tonight) after a tune by Espirito!  |
