Completely stunning music from the marvelous Muriel Grossmann – a saxophonist who's become one of our favorite jazz talents over the course of the past decade – thanks to deeply spiritual work like this! The album's got a Hammond organ, something you're not as always likely to see in a session like this – played by Llorenc Barcelo with these open lines that are filled with mystical currents and colors, and which provide a perfect accompaniment to Grossman's well-crafted solos on tenor and soprano sax! Guitarist Radomir Milojkovic grounds the sound with some slightly straighter lines, but still with a rhythmic pulse to match the modal vibes of the tunes – a quality that's driven forward deeply by the drums of Uros Stamenkovic. If you've not heard the music of Muriel Grossman before, you're in for a treat – and if you have, your collection of really special albums just got one record bigger! Titles include "Happiness", "Traneing In", "Sundown", "African Dance", and "Union". ~ Dusty Groove.
A dynamic force in chillout music who has brought progressive energy to Smooth Jazz since the mid-90s, Italian born, L.A. based keyboard maestro Paolo Rustichelli has mesmerized everyone from Miles Davis and Carlos Santana with his mystical jazz-funk productions. His latest single “Changes” is an infectious, atmospheric urban jazz funk romp whose colorful blend of piano and synth textures – with a fiery touch of sax - is rooted in a fascinating serendipitous jam with fellow synth lover Stevie Wonder. In the late 80s, Rustichelli was testing new synths and amps at a West L.A. store when Stevie heard his funky grooves and began improvising on another amplified keyboard. Decades later, Rustichelli brings that memory to life with the fresh, spontaneous joy he felt in that magic moment. ~ smoothjazz.com
Tasha hails from Chicago, but she's got a sound that's very much her own – a quality that's instantly personal, and a way of putting over a tune that's a bit unlike anyone else we can think of! Her voice can lilt on high notes, but also has a very down to earth quality too – one that's augmented by the album's strong use of acoustic guitar, which often gets touched up with other light instrumentation, and the occasional more forward-moving rhythm. But throughout it all, the voice is center stage – a striking quality that might remind you of the first time you heard a singer like Tracey Thorn, or Bjork – but very different than either of them too. Titles include "Bed Song", "History", "Perfect Wife", "Sorry's Not Enough", "Love Interlude", "Year From Now", "Burton Island", and "Lake Superior". ~ Dusty Groove
Does a Christmas-themed album strictly need only holiday-specific songs to make it official? Novel Noel, A Jingle Cool Jazz Celebration successfully challenges this idea with the wonderful addition of It's Magic. This 1949 Academy Award nominated song by Jules Styne and Sammy Cahn (written in 1947) was popularized by Doris Day in her film debut, Romance on the High Seas. It was Lyn's thought that special things happen at Christmas time, creating a magical feel to the holiday season. She and her band broke with traditional delivery as well when they decided this song would be more romantic under a smoldering Latin rhythm - a rumba – aimed at bringing couples closer. Lyn's tender, heartfelt vocal expresses the mystical intimacy and connection that only love can bring. Los Angeles area's KKjz-88.1fm jazz programmer, Saul Levine, proclaimed upon hearing the song, "It's a hit!!"
No comments:
Post a Comment