RONNY SMITH – SHAKE IT UP
Guitarist Ronny Smith is back with Shake It Up. As writer,
producer, arranger and programmer, with ten well-chosen original tracks, this is
a superb example of the tight melodic style that categorizes Ronny's playing.
Mellow tones, subtle creativity, and his ability to groove over catchy rhythms
leaves you breathless. Touches of each of his influences, Wes Montgomery,
George Benson and Pat Martino, just to name a few. He grooves, caresses and
works his way through a song with maturity. Take for instance the grooving,
mellifluous Coast To Coast, featuring Scott Martin on sax, Tone Whitfield on
bass and Will Allen on drums, that he uses to get the album started or the
wonderfully easy grooving Chasing Your Love featuring Eddy Botts on keyboards.
Both are fine examples of Ronny at his very best and much the same can be said
of the foot tapping title cut, Shake It Up. Later, when Quincy Jones' horn
players, the Martin Brothers, joins the line-up he adds some spice to the
decidedly funky Bettin It All On Black and although Back It Up starts out in
tranquil fashion it quickly develops into a tune with attitude. Chasing Your
Love is one of several cuts where Reggie Wilson on bass and Will Allen on drums
lay a rock solid foundation from which Smith's playing really shines and
despite Feel For You being another number that re-enforces the mid-tempo groove
that permeates much of the collection, the Latin driven intensity of When The
Sun Goes Down, featuring Jeff Knoettner on piano, proves to be a powerful way
in which to bring the CD to a close. We know you'll love Shake It Up!
RICHARD STOLTZ MAN / RIKA STOLTZMAN – DUO CANTANDO
Grammy Award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman teams up
with his wife, marimbist Mika Stoltzman, on an all new contemporary classical
album titled "Duo Cantando" which will be released today via Savoy
Jazz. Transcending the boundaries of
classical and jazz, the renowned duo's new album showcases compositions by Bill
Douglas, Chick Corea, Toru Takemitsu, John Zorn and more. "Duo Cantando" was produced by
multi Grammy Award-winner Steven Epstein (Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman) and
features guest performers Chick Corea on piano and Gil Rose conducting the
Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Richard
has had a long and distinguished career defying easy categorization. He's performed contemporary classical,
chamber music and broken down barriers between classical and popular music most
notably melding classical traditions with jazz and popular music. The highly lauded musician has won two
Grammys and has been championed by composers from Olivier Messiaen and Toru
Takemitsu to Mel Torme and Judy Collins.
Sony just released a 40 CD box set compiling recordings on RCA, BMG and
Sony. The husband and wife team have
been performing extensively as a duo since 2014. Marimbist Mika also transcends boundaries
performing in both the classical, jazz and new music realms. She's performed pieces by Steve Reich, John
Zorn, Chick Corea and many more.
DELROY WILSON – GO AWAY DREAM
A fantastic record from the great Delroy Wilson – a set
that's dubby at the core, but also has a righteous sense of soul too – almost a
Jamaican extension of the hippest styles of early 70s American soul! Delroy's
vocals are wonderful – very powerful, even without trying too much – and set up
amidst some great production from Bunny Lee that really makes the whole thing
shine like a slow-burning dark star – a perfect vibe that's laidback, but never
lazy – and a great change from some of the more polished early 80s Jamaican
soul. Titles include a great remake of the Chi-Lites "Go Away Dream"
– plus "No More Heartaches", "Spit In The Sky", "When
She Was My Girl", "I Can't Take You Back", "I Can't Fight
It Anymore", "Won't You Come Home", and "Silhouette
Silhouette". ~ Dusty Groove
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