On this edition
it's the sixth and latest installment in the timeline series with
Joyce Cooling, Kevin Toney, The Rippingtons, Brian Culbertson, Special
EFX. Bona Fide, Steve Oliver, 3rd Force, Spyro Gyra, and Roberto
Perera - and to paraphrase an old Prince song - it's not two thousand
- no it's not yet time. So tonight we're gonna party cuz it's Wayback
in '99 ... on Café Jazz, your champagne of smooth jazz radio! |
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Highlights
Hour One
Before Dawn - Joyce Cooling:
When Joyce Cooling
burst onto the music scene in 1996, it well belied the fact that she had
been honing her chops for the better part of a decade. After moving to
San Francisco from New Jersey, Cooling had dabbled on keys and percussion.
Then things crystallized one afternoon while listening to a Wes Montgomery
record - Joyce picked up her roommate's guitar and from then on it was
almost as if the guitar had chosen her. Self-taught for the most part,
Cooling developed a unique finger picking style - in time this led to
various gigs including straight-ahead sessions with jazz giants such as
Getz, Henderson, and Byrd. Then, in the mid-80s, she met keyboardist Jay
Wagner - soon they discovered their songwriting compatibility and subsequently
they developed into one of the most dynamic act in the 'bay area'. In
short order, Cooling's South of Market single made her a household name
in smooth circles - from Keeping Cool and Ms Cooling's Heads Up sophomore
cd, we have the early morning rhythms of Before Dawn!
CD: Keeping Cool (1999)
Label: Heads Up
Links: 
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Extra Sensual Perception - Kevin Toney:
Detroit native Kevin
Toney got his start with Donald Byrd in 1972 and subsequently he became
an integral member of The Blackbyrds, a jazz-funk unit that featured some
of Byrd's best students. After seven albums, including three gold releases
and hits like the #1 Walking in Rhythm, Toney released a cd in 1982 that
he headlined. Even so, for the rest of the 80s, he played as a sideman
for the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, and
Ray Charles. After a stint as musical conductor first for Patti Austin
and then for Michael McDonald, Toney directed the music for a variety
of productions including "Ain't Misbehavin' ". Nonetheless, by 1994, KT
was set to pursue his solo career in earnest. The Lovescape cd yielded
a major hit in "Kings" and then what followed was a series of well received
releases that earned Toney the nick name "the master of elegant funk"
as described by noted critic Jonathan Widran. From the '99 Extra Sensual
Perception release, we have the title track and a tune that clearly marked
Toney's arrival as one of the great keyboardists of the day!
CD: Extra Sensual Perception (1999)
Label: Shanachie Entertainment
Links: 
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Revelation of the Heart - 3rd Force:
One the most creative
projects to appear in the 90s was the combo known as 3rd Force. At its
nucleus, the band was propelled by the synergy generated by William Aura,
Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi. William Aura, who was the group's producer
and main writer, had enjoyed a significant solo career thru the 80s and
early 90s with about a dozen albums under his own name. Always a strong
believer in the power of music many of Aura's compositions were specifically
composed for the healing arts. Craig Dobbin, on the other hand, was a
classically trained pianist who had composed extensively for TV and film.
Meanwhile, Dutch-born Alain Eskinasi had studied African drums for 6 years
in Gambia & for a time he'd been a key member of The Soto Koto Band. Emerging
with their debut in 1994, and with frequent guest appearances by many
musicians known in the genre, 3rd Force made an unprecedented impact on
smooth - one that has never really been equaled. From one of their best,
the '99 Force Field release and an album that featured Craig Chaquico,
Grant Geissman, John Klemmer, and Bryan Savage, we present the exquisite
Revelation of the Heart with Paul Taylor and Brian Hughes guesting!
CD: Force Field (1999)
Label: Higher Octave
Links: 
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| Highlights
Hour Two |
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Oceanna
- Special EFX:
A native New Yorker,
Chieli Minucci attended Ithaca College and it was there that he became
exposed to jazz. Upon returning to NYC, Minucci met up with drummer &
percussionist George Jinda. The two hit if off and in the course of events,
they recorded 13 albums as Special EFX before creative differences led
to an amicable parting of the ways - their final collaboration Body Language
was issued in 1995. Jinda recorded one additional Special EFX project
the following year and shortly thereafter he suffered a debilitating stroke,
one from which he sadly never recovered. Meanwhile, Minucci pressed ahead
with his career, as an Emmy award winner, a producer, a guest musician,
and a solo performer. Nevertheless, it was with the support of George
and his wife, that he resurrected the Special EFX banner in 1999 with
the release of Masterpiece. From that effort, which Minucci dedicated
to his long-time friend and former partner, we present a gem of a tune
entitled Oceanna with David Mann featured on sax!
CD: Masterpiece (1999)
Label: Shanachie Ent.
Links:
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Love the Way - Roberto Perera:
Roberto Perera's
desire to play a variety of styles led him to experiment with & transform
the rare 36-string Paraguayan harp. After completing a course of studies
in his native Uruguay, Perera relocated to the USA: eventually he settled
in Miami where he made a name for himself on that city's burgeoning Latin
music scene. Perera released his solo debut in 1990 and then the following
year, he moved to the Heads Up label, an association that continued for
many years. Always striving to stretch the boundaries of his instrument,
a device that had traditionally been reserved for folk music, Roberto's
passion & talent led Jazziz magazine to declare him "a present-day champion"
of his chosen apparatus. From In the Mood, Perera's superb release from
1999, and our pick as the top album for the year, we've selected three
tracks. First up, the exquisite Love the Way, a melodic gem that's highlighted
by the tasty guitar of Richard Smith!
CD: In the Mood (1999)
Label: Heads Up / Telarc
Links:
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Riding 'Til Dawn - Gota:
To cap off Wayback
in '99, we present one of our favourites from the year, by the acclaimed
arranger & percussionist known as Gota. Born in Kyoto Japan, Gota Yasheki
learned to play traditional drums from his father. Now in the midst of
a near 40-year career, Gota's resume includes work not only in his native
land but also in France and Britain. It was while he was in the UK that
Gota earned his reputation as a dance producer and songwriter. He's worked
with artists such as Soul II Soul and Oleta Adams and he also spent several
years touring with Simply Red. In the early 90s, Gota became progressively
more interested in techno and in the process he earned the nickname, the
Groove Activator. From Gota's 2nd in a series of fabulous solo releases,
we switch to overdrive with the highly switched on sounds of Riding 'Til
Dawn!
CD: Let's Get Started (1999)
Label: Instinct
Links:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive
to our Site and Select Affiliates : |
… more of our time travelling adventure. Included
are Boney James, David Benoit, Marion Meadows, and Craig Chaquico -
all as part of a 2-hour 25-track set. But right off the mark, there's
a tune that sets the perfect mood for celebrating and it's by Norman
Brown.
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