Zbonics makes their return with their full-album release from Color Red and Session Resurrection, Keep On Walkin'. The group led by Zak Najor (Greyboy Allstars), features an all-star cast including Karl Denson (Rolling Stones), Robert Walter (Roger Waters), Rebecca Jade (Aubrey Logan), and Greyboy. Zbonics started out as a studio project in Zak Najor’s (Greyboy Allstars) garage. Then in 2001, Producer Justin Prizant and Drummer Zak Najor recruited key musicians to take these early song idea gems and develop them into a timeless jazz/funk album. Saxophonist Karl Denson (Rolling Stones), Keyboardists Adam Scone (Lou Donaldson) and Robert Walter (20th Congress, Greyboy Allstars) , guitarist Melvin Sparks (Isley Bros, Little Richard, Marvin Gaye) and Zak himself on the drums, and many others, built a mighty foundation for this collection of songs. After the Instrumentation of the records was complete, a not-yet-world-known vocalist lent his voice and lyrical talent generously to the project. This vocalist ended up being multi-Grammy winner Gregory Porter. The Time To Do Your Thing album was received with a great response in the U.S. and in Europe. Jazz singer-songwriter and radio personality called Zbonics Time To Do Your Thing one of the best jazz albums of the year making Keep On Walkin' a promising sophomore release.
Known collectively as The Southern Gentlemen, guitarist Eric Essix, trumpeter Joey Sommerville and violinist Michael Ward have reunited after an 8-year hiatus to release their debut single, the straight-up smooth “Back In The Game.” The group are planning for a 2024 tour, bringing their dynamic on-stage chemistry and compelling arrangement of musical instruments to venues across the land! Individually, the members have toured the world, performed, and recorded with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and have nearly 40 albums between them. The new single promises to propel up the Smooth Jazz radio charts and onto popular playlists worldwide as the ensemble returns with their signature raw energy and excitement and an even stronger sense of purpose and camaraderie! ~ www.smoothjazz.com
These guys are definitely Latin Freaks – of the sort who like to mix heavy percussion with some clubbier instrumentation – all at a level that would make 70s salsa disco giants like Joe Bataan or Eddie Drennon mighty proud! This Italian group have a great way with the music, and have really crafted something wonderful and amazing – a full, rich sound that draws from the sharpness of salsa instrumentation, yet which has more focused grooves for the dancefloor – tight horns on top, nice percussion on the bottom, and sweet keyboards and basslines right down the middle! There's vocals on the set from a few female singers – and the great Joe Bataan joins the group on the title "Can't Help Foolin" – next to other cuts that include "Juanita Shing A Ling", "Divine Dance", "Boogie With Your Baby", "Little Black Woman", "Latin Freak", and "Tiene O Tempo". ~ Dusty Groove
A surprisingly strong project from guitarist John Scofield – one that we'll admit we were a bit skeptical about, but which really delivers strongly overall! The set features Scofield and group taking on some tunes from a variety of sources – including the Grateful Dead, who are namechecked in the title – and the lineup features the bass of Vicente Archer and drums of Bill Stewart next to Scofield on electric guitar – all recorded at a level that's a bit warmer than you might expect from ECM, which really makes the music come alive – spacious, yet up-close and personal too, with hollow-body guitar work that resonates almost in an acoustic way at times, even as Scofield shows a few of his funkier currents on a few tunes. Titles include "How Deep", "TV Band", "Old Man", "Nothing Is Forever", "Budo", "The Girlfriend Chord", "Stairway To The Stars", "Mask", "Ray's Idea", and "Uncle John's Band". ~ Dusty Groove
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