This Week at The Café:
On
this edition, it's Cindy Bradley in the spotlight with Unscripted
- we'll take a good long look inside that release with a choice
sampling of three tracks on the showcase segment. In the second
half, we rewind time with another exciting Vintage Collection -
trumpeter Steve Madaio and flautist Althea René are featured as
part of this five-track set. Also appearing is Joe Taylor while
rounding this installment are Joel Gaines and Charlie Moreno. With
over 150 cyclists powering their way across the plains and over
hills and mountains of France, we have our own mini tour going on
starting with Provence by The Rippingtons!
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Showcase CD
Unscripted - Cindy Bradley:
Born
and raised in Buffalo NY, Cindy Bradley earned a Bachelor in jazz
from Ithaca and a Masters in performance from the New England
Conservatory. After relocating to NYC, Bradley honed her chops
and seasoned her sound while discovering an affinity for a variety
of styles - from straight ahead, be-bop, fusion and contemporary
jazz, to funk, Top 40, and R&B. This afforded Cindy the opportunity
to play a variety of gigs as well as a few high profile events
that included the Emmys and the Super Bowl. In 2007 she independently
released Just a Little Bit, her debut. That cd created a bit of
a buzz; and it wasn't too long before Ms Bradley came to the attention
of the big wigs at Trippin 'n' Rhythm Records who connected her
with ace-producer and Grammy-winner Michael Broening. The result
was Bloom, Cindy's 2009 label debut and a most auspicious premier!
|
|
|
That
release led to numerous & sundry accolades not the least of which
included Cindy being named Debut Artist of the Year by the Catalina
Island Jazz Trax Festival and by Smooth Jazz News. The kudos continued
with Best New Artist recognition at both the American Smooth Jazz
Awards and the Oasis Awards as well! And as if that wasn't enough,
Cindy also won as Best Female Artist and as Best Brass Player!
Now a couple of years down the road, Broening and Bradley reconnect
for the follow-up and a project that takes their collaboration to
the next level! In addition, the entire experience proved cathartic
and healing as within the span of a few months, Bradley ended a
romantic relationship and both her grandmother and mother were diagnosed
with cancer; her grandmother has since passed away but her mother
Doreen has scanned clean.Therefore, the album explores and reveals
a wide gamut of emotions - from the thumping retro club atmosphere
of Massive Transit, to the optimism expressed in Lifted and A New
Day - and in fact these are the very selections chosen for our feature!
- and these are the very selections chosen for our feature! |
|
Cindy Bradley
photo by Mark Stanley
|
As
Cindy confides, the cd is "about the reality of life. Life has no
script and you never know how it's going to go as we experience
its ups and downs. Working on this project was definitely a way
to keep things up after going through a challenging emotional time."
Meanwhile we found this quote that neatly summarizes events to this
point in Cindy's career. "Respect has been earned, nods have been
given to her predecessors and peers, and Bradley has taken her rightful
place among the new guard who will proudly carry the contemporary
jazz torch into the new millennium. Unscripted is the beginning
pen and chapter in hers, a story that has just begun to be written."
CD: Unscripted (2011)
Label: Trippin 'n' Rhythm Records
Links: Bradley:
Broening:
|
|
| Vintage Collection: Part One |
|
|
Reiré
el Último (I'll Laugh the Last) - Charlie Moreno:
Based
in Barcelona, Charlie Moreno is considered one of the most promising young
bassmen in Europe. Self-taught for the most part, Moreno gained a scholarship
to Berklee in Boston, and thereby had the opportunity to learn from some
of the masters in the likes of Russell Malone, Gary Grainger, Tom Kennedy,
Richard Bona and others. In 2002, he took part in a cd tribute to the
great Jaco Pastorius, and throughout his career he's worked with many
high caliber players. Born in The Canary Islands, Moreno has for years
been linked to its famed jazz festival. Additionally Moreno has been active
as a teacher, as a sideman with several top Spanish pop artists, and as
a clinician. He issued his solo debut in 2005 and currently has three
releases to his credit - this time out we're heading back to Charlie's
2007 Island Style sophomore release. From a project that featured Eric
Marienthal, Till Brönner and others we have the tune Reiré el Último
translating to I'll Laugh the Last with Chuck Loeb and Joel Rosenblatt
guesting!
CD: Island Style (2007)
Label: Independent
Links:
|
|
|
Brazilian Mama - Althea René:
Seemingly
overnight Althea René has emerged as one of the top flautists on
the smooth jazz scene but this well disguises the fact she's been honing
her craft for years. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Althea began her
musical career at age four. She studied classical music while attending
Howard University in Washington D.C. but then after college, her focus
switched to Jazz and R&B. For over 10 years, she worked as a County Deputy
Sheriff all while studying with the legendary Donald Byrd and gaining
further inspiration from Hubert Laws, Ian Anderson, and Dave Valentine.
In 1997, René began touring with Straight Ahead, a Detroit-based
internationally acclaimed all female jazz band and it was during this
period that she developed and fine tuned her creative style. This all
led to the release of her own debut on the old MP3.com label back in around
2000. From that release we present our own Café Jazz edit of Brazilian
Mama! 
CD: Flute Talk (2001)
Label: MP3.com
Links:
|
| Vintage Collection: Part Two |
|
|
Kickin' It - Joel Gaines:
Hailing from LA, Joel Gaines is a veteran singer, songwriter, and keyboardist.
Over the course of a lengthy career, he's has toured with Gladys Knight,
Barry White, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, and most recently the Jazz Crusaders.
Additionally, Gaines has made the rounds with the likes of Kenny G, Rick
Braun, and Brian Culberson to name a few. For years Gaines has been wowing
audiences with his onstage virtuosity and just recently issued his sophomore
release in Just the Way I'm Feeling. On this occasion we whip back well
over a decade to I Wonder (Could It Be You …), his debut. From that cd,
we're set to hang with Gaines and Kickin' It!
CD: I Wonder (Could It Be You
...) (1995)
Label: Inderoc
Links:
|
|
|
Spellbound
- Joe Taylor:
Joe
Taylor is a multi-faceted guitarist who initially made a name for himself
as a New York sessionist and, in addition to touring and recording with
many diverse performers, for a time he was a staff producer at RCA Victor.
In this capacity Taylor enjoyed great success with his solo releases and
as the creator of the ambient Oracle series. Since the late 80's Taylor
has achieved critical acclaim as a composer for film & TV soundtracks
and he continues to score for theater and broadcast media in NYC. Having
garnered chart action with his debut, Taylor reached top 5 with his '95
Spellbound cd and from this latter effort we present the title track in
collaboration with Dave Koz!
CD: Spellbound (1995)
Label: RCA
Links:
|
|
|
Little Sunflower - Steve Madaio:
From
playing Woodstock with the Butterfield Blues Band to touring with Janis
Joplin and the Rolling Stones, Steve Madaio has lived the life other musicians
can only dream of. By the age of 15, the native New Yorker was performing
in the Latin Quarter of the Big Apple and in 1974, he followed his dreams
to California. He soon became in demand as a sessionist and in the intervening
years, he's toured and /or recorded with Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Bob
Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna and Barbra Streisand - additionally Madaio
has contributed to hundreds of albums. Acutely aware of his role as a
musician in the public eye, Madaio is convinced of the social relevance
of the performing arts and he approaches all of what he does with an almost
religious fervor. With Madaio taking a rare turn as a front man on Midnight
Rendezvous, Little Sunflower is a glimpse into the man's soul and his
music!
CD: Midnight Rendezvous (2007)
Label: Mirada Records
Links:
|
| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| Here's a one-off project in our connections series that we've
tagged Café Rio for a track by David Benoit. We've hooked up a dozen tunes,
all in some way are linked to Rio de Janeiro or just Rio as it's commonly
known - well not really! Rio is Portuguese for river so even though a
majority of the selections specifically relate to Rio de Janeiro or River
of January, there are a couple of tracks that fit the broader meaning
of the term. Rio Texas by Ricardo Silveira and Rio de Maio from Cecil
Ramirez fall into this category. Even so, the city of Rio founded in 1565,
is the most popular tourist destination in the entire southern hemisphere.
It's well known for its natural beauty, its carnival celebrations, its
many beaches and its vibrant music scene. So here's our musical nod to
Rio - be it by Paprika Soul with Rio Sunset or Greg Adams and the track
One Night in Rio. On top of that we have the band Fourplay with Rio Rush
as well as Rio Stomp from Torcuato Mariano. So now is the time for the
'Rio rhythms' and they rise like the tide starting with Rio Wave from
Brazilian Nights and Rio native, guitarist Romero Lubambo! |
.jpg "Joel Gaines - I Wonder (Could It Be You ...)")
