This
Week at CafeJazz.ca: The Very Best of Café Jazz!
You may recall the
Three Dog Night hit from the early 70s called Shambala which made reference
to the mythical kingdom of the same name. Hidden somewhere in Inner Asia,
Shambala commonly is understood to be a place of peace, tranquility, and
happiness, and so it seemed a good fit for us as a theme for this our
650th and final show. This is the 11th occasion upon which we've tagged
an edition a 'very best of' and as always it presents many of the finest
tracks we've played over the course of our run. That being said this unique
combination - a very best of and a last show - left me searching for some
way to convey 'the end of an era' after devoting thousands of hours to
the music that has long been my passion.
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luck would have it, I came across the following that I wrote back in December
of 2006 over 200 shows ago for Ed #427, "Trends in music come and go but
… we've decided to stick with our tried and true philosophy of doing it
with fervour and style, things that may be lacking in many of the musical
presentations currently in vogue. Each of our shows attempts to be more
than an end unto itself. Rather, it's part of an ongoing journey, one
that I embarked on back in 1996 and one that continues thru to the present
with many an unexpected twist or turn along the way. Where this all eventually
leads, may be anyone's guess, but as in life, the fun is not in the final
destination, but in the getting there. And to keep us company all the
while, there's just the perfect musical mix for any discriminating listener.
Hope that it's you and that you'll enjoy the show!" This may be more true
today than ever before in these musical 'halls of Shambala'. Nevertheless,
in typical fashion, we already have a few irons in the fire with many
of favourite shows featured as encore presentations in the weeks ahead!
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Highlights
Hour One
Above and Beyond - David Mann:
David Mann is perhaps
one of the most under-rated saxman on the smooth scene, but 'among musicians,
his reputation is sterling.' Originally from Ann Arbor Michigan, Mann
graduated from the New England Conservatory in 1986 with a bachelor's
in Jazz Studies. As a 25 year veteran of the NYC music scene, Mann has
performance and recording credits galore - from working with James Taylor,
Paul Simon, Madonna, and Michael Jackson to Bette Midler, Santana, Michael
Franks, Bob James, Spyro Gyra, Chieli Minucci and many more. In the 90s,
Mann enjoyed a 3-year stint with the legendary Tower of Power; additionally
he's written for TV & film, and has composed over 1000 jingles. Having
produced over 50 albums, for the likes of Steve Cole, Nestor Torres, and
Nelson Rangell, Mann is a more or less permanent member of the band Special
EFX. His playing was prominently featured on the hit Stay by Club 1600
while on the solo front he's recorded three albums. As Mark Ruffin writes
while reviewing the most recent of these, "Mann's music is filled with
energy, adventurous harmonies, and melodies that never fall into smooth-jazz
clichés. For contemporary jazz lovers looking for a horn out of the ordinary
that doesn't go way out, Mann has the Touch." From that album, Mann seductively
blows on a tune called Smoke Rings!
CD: Touch (2001)
Label: N-Coded Music
Links: 
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A Day in Sydney - Igor:
Once upon a time
a Moscow native, smooth saxman Igor learned to play as a high school student
and then attended the State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg. Upon graduating,
he launched his professional career, and as his popularity grew, Igor
appeared weekly on national TV. Having risen to more or less the top of
the industry in the Russian capital, he chose to conquer a new frontier
and immigrated to Australia. Over the years, Igor has established a reputation
as one of that country's most versatile and sought after musicians and
has shared the stage with many top Australian and international performers.
Meanwhile, he launched his solo career in 1998 with a self-titled debut.
Now splitting his time between composing in a custom-designed studio as
well as enjoying snorkeling and scuba diving, Igor takes on a brief musical
tour entitled A Day in Sydney from 2003 and his 3rd release!
CD: You and I (2003)
Label: FigorO Music
Links: 
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I Wish - Sam Cardon:
After earning a
bachelor's degree from BYU in 1993, New Mexico native Sam Cardon has gone
on to become a noted film score composer and a multi-Emmy award winner.
His soundtracks include Lewis and Clark, Mysteries of Egypt, and Building
the Dream for the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. In addition, he's written
or co-written themes for National Geographic Explorer and Good Morning
America while also composing for the Olympic Games in both Calgary and
Salt Lake City. Now a long-time Utah resident, Cardon has several albums
to his credit; Digibility released in 2000 was his fourth. The intent
of the title was Cardon's way of acknowledging his appreciation for the
sounds of Motown and Philly soul. Getting the support of a few top notch
players such as Tower Of Power Horns, Grant Geissman, Dave Weckl, Brandon
Fields, Paul Jackson, Jr., Vinnie Colaiuta, and Sheila E, the project
won the Pearl Award as the Contemporary Instrumental Album for 2001. From
that effort and from the man who brought home Pearl's Instrumentalist
of the Year honors, we present the spell of a pretty duet with Tom Hopkins
on guitar!
CD: Digibility (2000)
Label: Treble V
Links:
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| Highlights
Hour Two |
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Wind
Parade - Donald Byrd:
During a prolific
career that extended back over five decades, Donald Byrd's playing crisscrossed
many styles. The Detroit native got his start performing with Lionel Hampton
while still in high school. His university education was interrupted by
military service but after playing in an Air Force band, Byrd obtained
both a bachelor's and then a master's degree. Honing his craft playing
with the likes of Art Blakey, John Coltrane, and many other leading jazz
musicians of the day, there was a period in the 50s when Byrd was considered
the finest hard-bop trumpeter on the planet. Always noted for a clear
& concise tone, Byrd recorded a series of memorable albums as a leader
for Blue Note thru to the late 1960s. In the mid-60s, he became head of
jazz studies at Howard University, and inspired by the lead of Miles Davis,
Byrd began to shift toward fusion & West Coast funk. |
With the help of the Mizell brothers, Fonce & Larry, Byrd
perfected a bright, funky, and danceable style - 1973's Black Byrd release
marked a full-fledged foray into R&B that became the biggest-selling album
in Blue Note history. (At about the same time, he created The Blackbyrds,
a group consisting of some of his best Howard State students - the band
scored several major hits and gave keyboardist Kevin Toney his start.)
Issued in 1975, Places and Spaces was the 3rd the series of albums that
Byrd recorded with the Mizells and one that boasted sweeping string arrangements
together with punchy horns. From that effort we present the sultry Wind
Parade!
LP: Places and Spaces (1975)
Label: Blue Note
Links: 
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Unconditional
- Pamela Williams:
For the most part,
Pamela Williams' talents were nurtured by the rich musical heritage of
Philadelphia. One of her earliest influences was the late Grover Washington
Jr. - it was Washington's cutting-edge blend that first instilled Williams
with an interest in jazz. In high school, Pam embraced both contemporary
and traditional styles, while by the time she left for LA, she had already
toured with fellow Philadelphian Patti LaBelle. A multitalented performer
who plays flute as well as a little piano, Williams made her solo debut
in 1996 with The Saxtress. That album immediately brought Pam's name into
the limelight and led to her being named the Best Female Contemporary
Jazz Artist for 1996. A move over to Shanachie in 2003 saw Pam team up
with both David Mann and Kim Waters for The Perfect Love, a project that
brought her creativity to new heights! From that release and the first
in a string of several top albums, we present Unconditional, just one
of many outstanding tracks that moved us to dub Ms Williams the first
lady of sax! 
CD: The Perfect Love (2003)
Label: Shanachie Entertainment
Links:
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(Baby
I'll) Come When You Call - Oleta Adams:
Hailing from Seattle
Washington, Oleta Adams was raised the daughter of a minister, so it's
not surprising that her musical roots were grounded firmly in gospel.
Naturally enough, in her youth she performed in her father's church and
in the 70s she moved to LA in the hopes of getting a break that would
launch her career. Unfortunately Oleta's vocal style was not the flavour
of the day and upon the advice of her singing coach, she moved to Kansas
City - there a pair of self-funded projects failed to attract much attention.
However in 1985, while Adams was still in KC performing in a hotel bar,
she was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of Tears
for Fears. They were immediately impressed and a couple of years later,
she was invited to join them for The Seeds of Love album. That was followed
by a world tour during which Adams opened each show and then stayed onstage
to back Tears for Fears for their set. It was 1990, when Oleta issued
her debut, Circle of One, and a project that was co-produced by Orzabal
- the single Get Here reached the Top Ten while the album went gold. Released
in 1993, Evolution was Ms Adams' follow-up and from that effort we present
one of the greatest vocal tracks of the 90s!
CD: Evolution (1993)
Label: Mercury Records
Links:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive
to our Site and Select Affiliates : |
The melodies continue on this
11th annual Very Best of edition with selections by The Crusaders and
Rory Gallagher. We'll hear from Tom Braxton and Nick Colionne, while
also appearing are Lao Tizer, Gene Cannon, Vlad, and Bob Madsen. We've
included a dozen choice selections, all of this marking our 650th anniversary
and final show. So as we start toasting some of our finest favourites
we're slipping right into high gear with Chuck Loeb on the Very Best
of Café Jazz - the After Hours edition!
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