Known for consistently cranking
out chart-topping singles that deploy big vibrant pop hooks, contemporary jazz
saxophonist Steve Cole conjures a sonic escapade with the hypnotic “Mirage,”
the first single from his forthcoming eighth album, “Turn It Up,” which will be
released July 15 by Artistry Music. Radio programmers were instantly
spellbound, making the track from the David Mann-produced set of R&B
grooves and soul-powered sojourns the No. 1 most added single on the Billboard
BDS chart.
The entrancing single on which electronic beats bombard the
senses before chill tenor and soprano sax leads and a soothing trumpet
undercurrent take command of the illusion is one of nine new songs on the
session, eight of which were composed or co-composed by Cole. The tune reflects
his hometown roots and ardor for Chicago’s dance music scene. It’s one of three
major cities that helped shape the collection.
“I embarked on ‘Turn It Up’ with the goal of making music
with great musicians and great friends in great cities. This time around I
wrote much of the music with Dave Mann in New York City. We recorded horns, guitars and vocals there
as well. The energy in that great city was truly inspiring and it really is
reflected in the music. Next stop was Minneapolis, where I worked with the
great keyboardist and producer Ricky Peterson. Ricky and I wrote the song
‘Workhouse’ together, a track influenced by our love of Chicago house music.
Dave joined us later in Minneapolis to record Ricky on the Hammond B3 organ as
well as to record my Chicago pals, bassist Lamar Jones and drummer Khari
Parker. I decided to track all of the saxophone parts in Minneapolis as well,”
explained Cole, who has a slate of festival and club dates running into
mid-October to help support the album release.
Cole and Mann have been collaborating ever since Cole’s
sophomore record, “Between Us” (2000). In addition to helming the production on
“Turn It Up,” multi-instrumentalist Mann often shadows Cole on alto and soprano
sax to add depth, thickness, volume and intensity to the layers upon layers of
horns – alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, trumpet, trombone and flute. Aside
from the back-to-back dance music workouts that close the album, Cole’s
energizing pop melodies and hooky harmonies on the disc are presented as
soulful R&B joints. The saxman dusted off Bobby Womack’s “Woman’s Gotta
Have It,” teamed up with fresh-faced keyboardist Nicholas Cole on “Turn It Up!”
and yielded the spotlight on “Bright Side” to Pieces of a Dream’s James Lloyd,
the author of the sunny mid-tempo smile, who solos on piano.
“In the end, I really accomplished what I set out to do,”
Cole surmised. “The music reflects all of the diverse backgrounds and
personalities that brought it to life. There was a lot of laughter and good
times throughout this journey. I think that's why I've got such a big smile on
my face on the album cover. After all, it's supposed to be fun...and it sure
was!”
Cole’s 1998 award-winning arrival onto the contemporary jazz
scene was the Brian Culbertson-produced “Stay Awhile” that spawned a pair of
No. 1 singles. Solo tours and prominent sideman gigs with Culbertson, Boz
Scaggs, Rick Braun, Peter White, Jeff Lorber and Larry Carlton served to
rapidly multiply his fervent fan base exponentially while successive albums and
singles repeatedly took Cole to the top of the charts, establishing him as a
radio playlist favorite. In addition to his own recordings, Cole records and
performs regularly as a member of Sax Pack, an all-star sax combo consisting of
rotating members Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, Jackiem Joyner and Marcus Anderson.
For more information, please visit www.SteveCole.net.
“Turn It Up” tracklisting::
"Sidechain”
“Turn It Up!”
“Reverence”
“She’s The One”
“Bright Side”
“Woman’s Gotta Have It”
“Laws Of Attraction”
"Life Is A Groove"
“Workhouse”
"Life Is A Groove"
“Workhouse”
“Mirage”
Catch Cole in concert on the following dates:
June 16-19 - London, England @ Pizza Express
July 4 - Irondale,
AL @ Jazz in the Park
July 14 - Branford,
CT @ Branford Jazz on the Green
July 15 - Norfolk,
VA @ Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival
July 16 - Atlanta,
GA @ Wade Ford Concert Series – Mable House
August 14 - Long Beach, CA @ Long Beach
Jazz Festival
August 17 - Dearborn, MI @ Jazz on
the Ave
August 18 - Philadelphia,
PA @ South
Jazz Club
August 20 - San Antonio,
TX @ Big Bib Too
September 3 - Pensacola, FL @ Gulf Coast
Summerfest
September 16 - Denver, CO @ Soiled
Dove Underground
October 15-16 - Rehoboth Beach, DE @ Rehoboth Beach Jazz
Fest
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