JAZZ CHILL NEWS BITS: SMOOTH JAZZ RADIO KWKX (98.9FM); JAZZMASTERS 5 CD; STANLEY CLARKE/GEORGE DUKE PROJECT & MORE…

Seattle smooth jazz radio station – KWKZ (98.9FM) has sacked their morning DJ. Nick Morrison had been doing the 5-10 a.m weekdays and 6 a.m. – noon Saturdays a little more than a year, and was fired for poor ratings, according to program director Carol Handley, who will fill in for the time being……….The new Jazzmasters 5 album coming soon – no word as of yet exactly when, but we will be the first to announce the release dates. Select songs from the forthcoming CD are already receiving airplay on smooth jazz radio stations. Keep posted……….Euge Groove, Brian Culbertson,Eric Darius, Peabo Bryson, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Wayman Tisdale, Mindi Abair, Najee, Paul Taylor, Jeff Golub, Peter White, Richard Elliot and Bobby Caldwell headlined the recently held Lexus Jazz Festival in Newport Beach, CA. The event took place at the Hyatt Regency on the weekend of June 9-11, 2006……….The Stanley Clarke/George Duke Project is back together again and have just brought their distinct sound to the JVC New York Jazz Festival on Tuesday, June 13. One of the world’s most sought after pianists and the king of the acoustic and electric bass – George Duke and Stanley Clarke – teamed up in 1981 to form the Clarke/Duke Project. Together they scored a Top 20 pop hit with Sweet Baby and recorded three albums. Now after a 16 year hiatus, they have resumed touring. With other concerts being scheduled around the world.