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November 30th, 2014 Edition #653 Previously 
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Week at CafeJazz.ca: The Blue Moon 2!
Imagine more surprises in two hours than you've ever experienced. Imagine an awesome array of smooth jazz stars brighter than the brightest galaxy. Imagine the coolest collection you've heard in over a year. Then imagine something even better - yes it's the second Café Jazz Once in a Blue Moon Special! Included is a stellar cast featuring Rick Braun and Ken Navarro as well as Jeff Lorber and Brian Culbertson. Also appearing are Wayne Jones and Freddie Ravel - plus there's Chris LeBlanc and Mattias Roos too. So there's a blue moon rising - and to begin I couldn't imagine anyone better to start the show than our good friend Peter White - the title of this track nicely sums things, as for the next few hours we're gonna be Floating in Air - on The Blue Moon 2 - for Café Jazz, your champagne of smooth jazz radio! |
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| Highlights
Hour One Slow Dance With Me - Bob Gross: Bob Gross has had an extensive career as a keyboardist, percussionist, and music educator. After receiving a Bachelor's in Music Education and a Masters in Performance, he toured the USA for many years while enjoying gigs in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. … and Friends is his debut and an album which explores various textures in jazz. Joining Bob on the project is an all-star cast that includes Andrew Neu on saxes and flute, bassist Gary Grainger of Alchemy fame, and Grammy-winning guitarist David Cullen. There were any of four or five selections that could have easily made this Blue Moon special - in the end we settled on Slow Dance With Me, a fluid yet gritty hook-laden gem of a tune! CD: Bob Gross and Friends (2012) Label: Robert Gross Links: 
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5 to 6 - Wayne Jones:
Now we're only doing this 'Once in a Blue Moon' thing once in a while, so you can bet that for the most part we're only going with selections that we hold in the highest regard - this is particularly true for Wayne Jones's contribution to the edition in the tune 5 to 6! Since his 2006 debut, Mr. Jones has upped his game with each successive effort - so now we see that philosophy continue to unfold with the release that he named for himself. As noted reviewer Jonathan Widran states: 'Wayne Jones … keeps that perfect balance between tunes that are lush, melodic and sophisticated and others that showcase his freewheeling and wildly energetic ways.' Ably aided on the track by the Grammy nominated keyboardist Philippe Saisse, here's a track that's bodacious in its groove; that's intricately constructed; that's impeccably polished "where each and every note can be savoured"! * *Courtesy of Greg Phillips, editor at australianmusician.com CD: Mr. Jones (2014) Label: Dim & Dimmer Links: 
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Dreamin Groovin Barbados - Jan-Heie Erchinger:
Under the heading 'most stunning discovery since the first Blue Moon show' it's the cd Capital Tunes by Jan-Heie Erchinger. Erchinger launched his career in 1992 as half of the German duo Blue Knights using the alias 'Jay Heye'. Since then, Jan-Heie has been a major force on the German music scene as he's regularly played in Jazzkantine, D-Phunk, Juju Orchestra and Bahama Soul Club. Capital Tunes is somewhere around his fourth solo release wherein the music is based on Erchinger's musical impressions of many of his favourite European capital cities. An exception is the track we selected. Merging a heavy Barbadian groove with his own deft touch on keys, we present the dreamy and well-named Dreamin Groovin Barbados - a definite high-water mark for the hour! 'Jay Heye' bonus: stay tuned in hour 2 of After Hours for a second peak inside the Capital Tunes release with the track Vienna! CD: Capital Tunes (2012) Label: D-Phunk Musik Links:
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Blissin'
- Freddie Ravel: Adjectives frequently used when describing the piano work of Freddie ravel are brilliant and dynamic. With influences ranging from Bach and Brahms, to Ellington, Davis, and Hancock, Freddie's passion for music started at five. After graduating with honours from CSUN (Cal State University Northridge), he rose through the ranks to become a first call studio musician. By age 23, he was performing with Sergio Mendes and in the time since, he's collaborated with performers as diverse as EW&F and Madonna to Yo-Yo Ma, Quincy Jones, and Carlos Santana. In addition, Ravel has enjoyed a successful career not only as an international front man but also as a visionary business leader of our time. The "Motivational Maestro" as he has been dubbed by the city of LA, has emerged as a global force for empowering personal and professional growth "where Music serves as a central and sustainable paradigm to bring society from dissonance to harmony."* Moreover, Mr. Ravel has received rave reviews for his appearances as a guest composer and pianist with the 70-piece California Philharmonic Orchestra. This is what Freddie Ravel brings in its totality with his latest release entitled If Music Could Speak. From an effort that speaks to the soul, we present the track Blissin', a tune that transcends spoken word. *Courtesy of Freddie Ravel.com **Big ups to Freddie for making time in a very busy schedule to record the custom drops for our show, and to his main man Paul Rodriguez for co-ordinating the effort. CD: If Music Could Speak (2014) Label: Human Harmonics Links:
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| Highlights Hour Two | |
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Enjoy Your Life - Chris Le Blanc:
Deriving his sense of imagination from life on the so-called 'party island' of Ibiza, Chris Le Blanc was classically trained on piano. Whether it's the colours, the clouds or the stunning scenery, Ibiza is well-known for its spectacular sunsets. Now with a mindset enriched by nature and the essence of Buddhist philosophy, Le Blanc takes us Beyond the Sunsets (the title of his latest disc) - all while enlisting many of the top performers from the international scene. The result is an album that lives up to the claim: 'the ear is the gateway to the soul'. Beyond The Sunsets is 'Music for the senses, the perfect soundtrack from sunrise to sunset, from the first to the very last track - 100 percent worth listening to and 100 percent relaxation.'** From a truly enchanted effort, we present a track with Liz June on vocals - there's a message in the music and that message reads "with all the dreams you've got inside, with all the passion and delight … come on Enjoy Your Life". Sonic euphoria pure and simple - this one is sublime! ** Courtesy of Karmaloft Music CD: Beyond the Sunsets (2013) Label: Karmaloft Music Links:
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Feels Like Home - Mattias Roos: Mattias Roos is musician, songwriter, and producer whose creativity spans multiple genres. As a pianist, Roos is one of the most sought after musicians in Sweden - in addition he plays in the cover band Milou while also composing for a variety of Nordic clients. Recorded at his studio and released as a single just last year, Feels Like Home, is a masterful fusion of melody, rhythm and groove! CD: Feels Like Home (2013) Label: Independent Links:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Site and Select Affiliates : | |
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The
Blue Moon 2 (continued): … as we carry on with The Once in a
Blue Moon Special Volume 2, included are Darren Motamedy and Paul Hardcastle.
There's Native Vibe and Lin Rountree, while new to the show are Tony
Carbone and Tony Travalini - and that's in the first hour alone - yahoo
it's a special 2-hour edition! And as the moon beams begin to peak over
the horizon we have Dean Grech. From the cd We Got Lost, this track
has a thing goin' on and we're gonna shake it around - on this the second
in The Once in a Blue Moon series - for Café Jazz and the After Hours
part of the show!
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