Canadian guitarist Jesse Cook released his eighth studio album last week entitled The Blue Guitar Sessions. Inspired by Adele’s blockbuster album 21, Jesse says that what impressed him about her album was the simplicity of it. “For me it was amazing that an album, where many of the tracks were just voice and piano, was a pop record. I loved it.” He spent the summer of 2011 writing the songs for The Blue Guitar Sessions which was released on September 25. The project is a big departure from his previous flamenco inspired work. Jesse specifically searched for vintage microphones to replicate the mood and sound of the recordings of the Miles Davis era. The Juno Award winning guitarist will be on tour in Canada beginning in November and will kick off a U.S. tour in January 2013. ~ smoothjazztop20.com
Universal Music has released a two-CD compilation entitled GRP 30: The Digital Master Company 30th Anniversary. GRP Records was founded by artists Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen and was often referred to as the Digital Master Company. They were the first record company to adopt digital recording technology for all its releases, launch every release on CD world-wide, and one of the earliest to market itself as a lifestyle brand. The albums will feature music from Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, Patti Austin, George Benson, Ramsey Lewis, Diane Schuur, Larry Carlton, Yellowjackets and Spyro Gyra, among others. A special anniversary show will take place at the famed jazz club, the Blue Note in New York City on October 9-14. The line-up includes GRP alumni Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, John Patitucci, Will Kennedy (Yellowjackets) and Diane Schuur. ~ smoothjazztop20.com
Legendary bassist and five time Grammy winner Victor Wooten returns to the Compass Records family via his Vix Records imprint. Vix Records bows with a simultaneous, two album release, including Sword And Stone, an all instrumental affair, and Words And Tones, featuring female vocalists in collaboration with Wooten, with both albums showcasing Wooten's multi-faceted approach to music, performance and songwriting. The albums were produced, engineered and mixed by Wooten and feature him on a variety of fretless, electric and acoustic bass guitars, cello, keyboards, percussion and strings, as well as vocals, with plenty of jaw-dropping bass solos to satisfy those who thrive on Wooten's amazing technical skills.
The dual release concept is a window into Wooten's unique perspective on music and the interconnectivity between all things and all of us. The word play in the titles of the two albums hints at this underlying message (move the s from the end of both Words And Stones and place it in front of each to get Sword And Stone.) Wooten elaborates on that theme by including both vocal and instrumental renditions of many of the same songs on the albums, giving the listener at least two ways to experience the compositions. Wooten comments, 'There's something for everyone - music and messages for every age. I wrote about what was on my mind and in my heart. If the listener wants to learn, be entertained, or just casually listen, it's all available on these two CDs. Just figuring out the significance behind the two titles may be enough to make one smile.'
Featured vocalists on Words And Tones include Saundra Williams (Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings) and Divinty Roxx (Beyonce) as well as a collaboration with Me'shell Ndegeocello and a beautiful duet featuring Joey Kibble (Take 6) and Cheryl Morse. Sword And Stone is a predictably virtuosic set, with instrumental renditions of many of the songs from Words And Tones enhanced by different arrangements, solos, instrumentation and musicians (Ndegeocello, Kibble, Divinity, The Wooten Bros.). ~ amazon.com
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