Under The Lake members old and new unite for a jazz-funk journey

While doing a live radio interview in support of Under The Lake’s 2018 release, “Jazz, Groove & Attitude,” keyboardist, songwriter and producer Jayson Tipp was discussing his 28-year-old band’s ever-evolving lineup when the group’s former saxophonist-flutist Quintin Gerard W. called in. Reminiscing on-air got Tipp thinking. He had already composed the bulk of the material for the next Under The Lake album. After asking Gerard if he wanted to collaborate, Tipp reached out to two other former core band members: bassist Nathan Brown and drummer Richard Sellers. Despite hectic touring schedules, the four were able to get in sync to record “Your Horizon Too,” which drops April 3 on the Mind In Overdrive label.    

 The quartet met in a San Diego recording studio for a couple days of tracking, adding a new guy, the skilled hand of guitarist Patrick Yandall, to the mix. Prior to gathering, Gerard was working on his latest solo record, the recently released “Cleared For Take-off,” and asked Tipp to play on a song called “Horizon.” The experience sparked Tipp’s creative flow for Under The Lake’s disc.

“The title track came from me re-writing a song of Quintin’s that he asked me to play on for his new album. I have a different approach to the chords and rhythmic ideas from his tune and wrote a new melody. But doing that brought back to me that we had a shared musical journey. During the San Diego sessions with Richard and Nathan, we just fell back into the old ‘rhythm’ of playing together. We have so much comfort and respect for each other. ‘Your Horizon Too’ expresses the sentiment that we’re on this journey together, even if we’re sometimes traveling separately. The horizon is what your eyes are fixed on as you look forward toward your destination,” said Tipp, who leads Under The Lake on stage at concert dates throughout Oregon over the coming months.

“It’s Your Horizon Too” opens the session with an inviting melody, a loose and casual setting that offers each musician the opportunity to toss the ball around the horn. One of two reinterpretations, Under The Lake gives The Stylistics’ haunting classic “People Make The World Go ‘Round” a modern facelift stitched by Yandall’s jagged steel string guitar and Gerard’s soulful sax. “Bridgetown” provides a pleasant pathway to the vibey “Wishing It All Away.” The tempo picks up on the deftly arranged “Last Week” with Gerard’s sax guiding the harmonic recall. “Side Two” ups the sax soul power along with tangy jazz guitar licks. Sellers crafts sturdy drum beats and Brown’s rubbery bass bobs and weaves on the bright and buoyant “Diego Nuevo.” Paying homage to one of Tipp’s influences, Steely Dan, Under The Lake delivers a taut and faithful version of “Josie.” Tipp is far too modest to step into the solo spotlight often, which makes his shimmering solo on the feel-good “This One Too” a rare and sparkling gem. “Trip To The Grove” knits lush melodies while showcasing the band’s prowess for sculpting syncopated rhythms. Before wrapping, “Stealing The Night” bursts into a fusion funk workout powered by searing fretwork and thunderous organ.           

Under The Lake’s roots date back to San Diego 1992 when Tipp formed the band. Their debut recording, “Dive In,” dropped the following year and “Up For Air” came out in 1995. Radio airplay, fervent reviews and major festival and club dates put Under The Lake on the national map. But then real life and parenthood set in and Tipp found it difficult to keep the unit together. After a decade of dormancy, they reunited to play Tipp’s 40th birthday, leading to their third album, 2007’s “People Together.” Again, the members drifted apart and Tipp didn’t record as Under The Lake until a couple years ago on “Jazz, Groove & Attitude,” using entirely new personnel. On “Your Horizon Too,” the core four from the first two decades of the band reconnected. The magnetic bond and chemistry remain strong as evidenced on their latest offering.      

“Your Horizon Too” contains the following songs:

“It’s Your Horizon Too”

“People Make The World Go ‘Round”

“Bridgetown”

“Wishing It All Away”

“Last Week”

“Side Two”

“You Forgot Your Ticket”

“Diego Nuevo”

“Josie”

“This One Too”

“Trip To The Grove”

“Stealing The Night”

Radio Edits:

“It’s Your Horizon Too”

“Side Two”

“This One Too”

http://www.underthelake.com.

THE PHOTOGRAPH Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Back Lot Music has released the original motion picture soundtrack to Universal Pictures' THE PHOTOGRAPH today. The soundtrack to the film features an original score by multi-GRAMMY® winning recording artist Robert Glasper, as well as two new songs by recent GRAMMY® nominee Lucky Daye and GRAMMY® winning artist H.E.R. The romantic drama, starring Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, arrives in theaters nationwide on Valentine's Day.

The warm, rich and sophisticated jazz music that suffuses almost every frame of THE PHOTOGRAPH was exactly what writer-director Stella Meghie had envisioned to accompany the film's visual aesthetic. She couldn't think of any better choice to capture that vision than Grammy® Award-winner Robert Glasper. "I met Robert at one of his shows two years before we worked on this film and I told him that I wanted him to score the film," Meghie says. "He completely exceeded my expectations in the way he pulled the music into the story in such an emotional way."

Glasper had similar sentiments in working with Meghie: "It was an honor to be a part of this amazing film. Working with Stella was great. She allowed me to completely be who I am musically without compromising her vision. It was the ultimate win, win!"

The film's producer Will Packer agreed that the way Glasper weaved the story together with the music was brilliant. "One of Robert's gifts is his ability to evoke emotion," Packer says. "He makes you feel something when you combine his music with picture. His rich, soulful music not only tells you how to feel, but it informs you how to view some of the decisions that the characters make. He just gets the way that mood, music and cinema all interweave together and the fact that each one is very important."

Packer continues: "The film takes place in two different time periods, two different cities and with very different energies and vibes, so the music had to be our great connector. It had to be the thing that pulls it all together and to interweave the story, just like the narrative. The songs became part of the narrative and helped to augment it. With a movie like this, one where you want to really feel something, music is essential."

About the Film

On Valentine's Day, Issa Rae (HBO's Insecure, Little) and LaKeith Stanfield (FX's Atlanta, Sorry to Bother You) connect in a romance where a woman must learn from the secrets in her mother's past if she is to move forward and allow herself to love and be loved.

When famed photographer Christina Eames unexpectedly dies, she leaves her estranged daughter Mae Morton (Rae) hurt, angry and full of questions. When a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box is found, Mae finds herself on a journey delving into her mother's early life and ignites a powerful, unexpected romance with a rising-star journalist, Michael Block (Stanfield).

From writer-director Stella Meghie (The Weekend, Jean of the Joneses) from her original screenplay comes a sweeping love story about forgiveness and finding the courage to seek the truth, no matter where it may lead you.

The Photograph is produced by Will Packer, blockbuster producer of Girls Trip, the Ride Along franchise, and ten movies that have opened No. 1 at the U.S. box office, including Night School, No Good Deed and Think Like a Man, and by James Lopez, president of Will Packer Productions. The film is executive produced by Meghie, Erika Hampson (co-producer Late Night, Life Itself) and Rae.

The film also stars Chanté Adams (Roxanne Roxanne) as Mae's young mother Christina, Y'lan Noel (HBO's Insecure) as Christina's secret love, and Rob Morgan (Mudbound) as Isaac Jefferson, a New Orleans fisherman with a mysterious connection to Mae's mother.

About Robert Glasper

Robert Glasper (born April 6, 1978, in Houston, Texas) is an American pianist, record producer and film composer. He is Multi-Grammy Award winner with six Nominations in total and recently added an Emmy Award to his list of accolades. Glasper is a Loma Vista Recording Artist, and has participated and collaborated across all musical genres, and has been a major influencer of the current direction of Jazz.  His 2012 crossover album Black Radio won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 55th Grammy Awards, followed by his 2014 album "Black Radio 2"  which won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 56th Grammy Awards.  Glasper also performed on "These Walls" off Kendrick Lamar's album "To Pimp A Butterfly", which won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 57th Grammy Awards.   In Film, Glasper has won a Grammy for his work on the Film "Miles Ahead" starting Don Cheadle and Emmy Award for his collaboration with Common and Karriem Riggins on the original song "Letter To The Free" for Ava Duvernay's documentary film "13th" (Netflix).  As a collaborator, he has toured and recorded with an outstanding resume of artists including Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar, Common, Anderson.Paak, Jill Scott, Yasiin Bey (Formerly Mos Def), J Dilla, Maxwell and the legendary Herbie Hancock, whom is on his most recent Loma Vista release along with YBN Cordae, Baby Rose, and many more.  Glasper is currently in production for his next Loma Vista release. 

About H.E.R.

Accumulating 10 Grammy nominations in just two years, H.E.R. has proven herself as a R&B force to be reckoned with.  In 2019, the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album (H.E.R.) and Best R&B Performance ("Best Part" featuring Daniel Caesar). This year, her five Grammy nominations included Album of the Year (I Used To Know Her), Record of the Year and Song of the Year ("Hard Place"), Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song ("Could've Been" ft. Bryson Tiller). Following up on her jaw-dropping performance of "Hard Place," she returned to the Grammy stage for the second year in a row to perform "Sometimes," a brand-new song that became the most Shazamed performance of the night.

H.E.R. won two 2018 Soul Train Music Awards for Album/Mixtape of the Year for H.E.R. and Best Collaboration Performance for "Best Part." In 2019, she won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist and is currently nominated for four NAACP Image awards this year, including Outstanding Album (I Used To Know Her), Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Song – Contemporary ("Hard Place") and Outstanding Music Video ("Hard Place").

H.E.R. has accrued over two billion combined streams - and counting - of the breakthrough projects H.E.R. (RIAA-certified Platinum), I Used To Know Her, more recent songs "Slide" featuring YG (plus the remix featuring Chris Brown, Pop Smoke and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie), "Sometimes" and "Comfortable" (featured on The Photograph soundtrack).   She will release her official album later this year on MBK Entertainment/RCA Records.

About Lucky Daye

Early on in life, Lucky Daye discovered his love of music and natural gift for singing and songwriting in the musical melting pot that is New Orleans, where he was born. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina displaced his family and they ended up moving to the small town of Tyler, TX. Ultimately Lucky knew he wanted to pursue music, so he moved to Atlanta for a brief stint and eventually ventured to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. After meeting producer D'Mile and working with him on what would become his debut album Painted, Lucky fully realized his voice and potential. His undeniable talent as a vocalist took shape and landed at him at his label home, Keep Cool, in partnership with RCA Records. In late 2018, he released the explosive hit "Roll Some Mo", which was utilized in the marketing campaign for THE PHOTOGRAPH. Lucky went on to release his debut album Painted in May 2019, which received critical nods from Rolling Stone, Complex, NPR, Essence, Hypebeast, Noisey, Billboard, The FADER and has been streamed over 120 million times worldwide. Most recently he earned his first ever GRAMMY nominations with four in total across all R&B categories with "Roll Some Mo" receiving nods in R&B Song and R&B Performance, "Real Games" in Traditional R&B Performance and Painted nominated in R&B Album. He was also nominated for Best New Artist at the Soul Train Awards and is currently up for Best New Artist at the 51st Annual NAACP Image Awards later this month.

'The First Lady Of Smooth' Jazz Gail Jhonson's New Single Feat. Kim Waters

Hailing from the City Of Brotherly Love, Grammy nominated keyboardist Gail Jhonson adds to Philadelphia’s legacy of pioneering music luminaries. “I am proud to be a part of the Philly sound. When I was growing up, you couldn’t walk too far before you heard a band or some instruments practicing,” recalls Jhonson, who is affectionately dubbed the “First Lady Of Smooth Jazz.” "I share the same love of orchestral instruments, horn sections, vocal groups and rhythm sections, that was made famous by TSOP, Bell, Huff, Harris, Creed, Wanzel.," shares the keyboardist. "Oh such a long list of my composition heroes!” With this rich tradition being a part of Gail Jhonson’s undeniable musical DNA, it is no surprise that she was performing professionally by the age of 14. “I love it so much,” she confides. “I don’t know why, I just think it chose me!”

This summer Gail Jhonson will release her Shanachie debut album featuring her all-star female band, Jazz In Pink. Jhonson, who is a woman on a mission, created the ensemble as a way to address her concern that women are under represented on the jazz scene particularly as instrumentalists. “Traditionally, most vocalists played piano, but were encouraged to only present their vocal skills on stage, while their instrumental expression was suppressed,” she explains, “Our ensemble is dedicated to the blending of piano-violin-flute-harp as a core presentation: orchestral instruments playing melodically over the rhythm section (bass-drums-guitar-percussion). Add in jazzy R&B vocals, and that female energy of passion, beauty and fire; creates sheer Sisterness of rhythm, composition, performance and the pink principal-all expressed on stages that inspire. We wear pink, our fans wear pink, which shows we are all in solidarity and resonate together in our brand of musical expression.”         

         

Gail Jhonson’s first single of her anticipated new CD is the intoxicating, uplifting and jubilant “Joy Joy,” which just debuted in the Top 30 of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. The track is a spotlight for Jhonson as she welcomes two special guests, saxophonist Kim Waters and guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr. Jhonson and Waters’ connection extends back many years, as the two have collaborated through the years with guitarist Norman Brown. Jhonson says, “Working with Kim in the studio gave me a deeper appreciation for his talent and his spirit as a person. He took ‘Joy Joy' to another level, infusing his own joy of sax.....what a consummate musician.” Jhonson wrote the song with her writing partner, Gino Valentino.

Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz and A&R for Shanachie Entertainment states, “As Norman Brown's long time music director, it's obvious that Gail Jhonson is a superb musician. But it's the warmth and inner spirit that infuses her music that make her truly special. It's a joy to be associated with her.”

An alumni of Berklee College of Music, where she earned a degree in composition, Gail Jhonson is based in Los Angeles, where she is an in-demand player on the scene. She has held down the role as Music Director for Grammy winning guitarist Norman Brown for over two decades. “I resonate with Norman’s music and his full expression on stage is stellar. He trusts me with the flow of his show, and knows that the best I have to offer is always there,” shares Jhonson. A musician’s musician, whose musical arsenal draws from the worlds of straight-ahead Jazz, R&B, Funk and Gospel, Jhonson has collaborated with a wide cross-section of artists from Bobby Womack, Janet Jackson, Pink and Morris Day (Time) to Sheila E., Ray Parker Jr., Peabo Bryson and Patti Austin.

Gail Jhonson’s free musical spirit, keen musicianship and captivating energy make her a joy to be behold. With the release of “Joy Joy” and her Shanachie debut due out this Summer, the sky is the limit. “Everyone is waiting and anticipating! Folks all over the country are sending me screenshots of the radio when the song comes on! That’s a beautiful thing, when music moves you to excitement and pushes you to look forward to the future,” confides Jhonson. “It offers you a glimpse of freedom from worry and other issues that life causes us to tend to. I’m hoping this new CD will be a momentary light and an everlasting love for music fans all around the globe.”

New Music Releases: Johnny Mathis, Roachford, Brian Scanlon

Johnny Mathis - The Island

Johnny Mathis has recorded many romantic albums over the past seven decades, but none quite like The Island. Recorded in 1989 but unreleased for decades, The Island transported listeners to Brazil, with all of its mystique and magic. Producer Sergio Mendes of Brasil ’66 fame and arranger-guitarist Dori Caymmi joined Mathis to subtly modernize the classic sounds of bossa nova and samba. He delivered some of his most sensual vocals ever for ten smoldering songs by Caymmi, Mendes, Ivan Lins, Brenda Russell, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and others. Featuring a small rhythm section including talents like Robbie Buchanan, Paulinho da Costa, and Toto’s Jeff Porcaro, The Island is one of Mathis’ most beautiful, intimate recordings. Among its many highlights, Johnny brought his singular style to shimmering interpretations of the Brasil ’66 classics “So Many Stars” and “Like a Lover.” His longtime friend (and fellow Brazil enthusiast) Dionne Warwick added her own sultry vocals to “Who’s Counting Heartaches.” Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are proud to present the first-ever standalone CD release of The Island, in a deluxe edition featuring rare photographs and period design. And, as the case with all our Mathis reissues, Johnny sat down for a fresh interview with The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese for the liner notes. Mike Piacentini remasters at Sony’s Battery Studios. With this “lost album” lost no more, it’s time to get off on The Island!.

Roachford - Twice In A Lifetime

Since his break out single ‘Cuddly Toy’ (a mainstay of radio airplay for over three decades now) reached number four in the charts back in 1988 Roachford has carved out a career for himself as one of the most compelling, and consistent, rock and soul artists the UK has produced. He has released 10 studio albums and several greatest hits collections, been sought-after as a songwriter by the likes of Michael Jackson, Joss Stone and Chaka Khan, and consistently toured on his own and with contemporaries including Terence Trent D’Arby and The Christians. For the past nine years, he has been part of Mike + the Mechanics, recording with Mike Rutherford’s post-Genesis band, playing live with them across the world. Roachford’s new album ‘Twice In A Lifetime’ will be released on April 3rd on BMG.  Produced by Jimmy Hogarth, who has previously worked with Paolo Nutini, Duffy and Amy Winehouse, the album features several members of Winehouse’s band as well as a duet with Beverley Knight. ‘Love Remedy’, the first single from the album is currently playlisted on BBC Radio 2. Roachford will also be performing on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on February 7th.  His UK tour started in Norwich on March 26th, running to Glasgow on April 11th.

Brian Scanlon - Brain Scan

After a long and storied career, saxophonist Brian Scanlon is releasing his debut CD, Brain Scan. Scanlon is a first-call studio musician. Over the past 32 years, he has worked on dozens of movies and television shows.  He’s also busy working as a sideman on recording projects for some of the top names in jazz.  But he is perhaps best known for his work with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, for which he holds the first tenor sax chair. Scanlon has been a member of the band for 17 years, and his playing was featured on the band’s CD Life in the Bubble, which won a Grammy in 2015 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. His solo on Goodwin’s iconic, “The Jazz Police,” is well known by many fans. Brain Scan is an auspicious “debut” recording that comprises eight original tunes by Scanlon plus the 1938 jazz standard “Harlem Nocturne.” The CD also features some of the top musicians on the jazz scene today. Scanlon’s writing is stylistically diverse. His taste is broad, but he’s particularly drawn to Latin and funk grooves. A versatile musician who is a master on just about all saxes and woodwinds, Scanlon is adept at playing in any setting, from big bands to small combos. Already well-known among jazz afficionados, now, with the release of Brain Scan, his many fans can appreciate his inspired, complex, and endlessly creative compositional skills as well.

New Release - "Reflections" by Marva Holiday

Best known for the irresistible Northern soul staple "It's Written All Over My Face," singer Marva Holiday was born in San Jose, California and and raised in South Los Angeles and Compton, CA.  Her half-sister Yonnine was the daughter of jazz immortal Charles Mingus, who served as a kind of surrogate father to Holiday as well. As a teen she sang with her local Baptist church choir, and later began composing songs of her own. In 1966, she briefly joined a touring version of Bonnie & the Treasures, the girl group known for their Phil Spector-soundalike cult classic "Home of the Brave," replacing original member Sherlie Matthews.

Holiday and Matthews nevertheless proved fast friends, and with Matthews' career as a songwriter blossoming, she occasionally employed Holiday on demo sessions. When GNP Crescendo exec Gene Norman received a copy of their "It's Written All Over My Face," he quickly signed Holiday to a solo deal, releasing the single to scant attention in 1967. Following the record's failure she joined Black Magic, contributing three songs to their 1968 Atco LP Where Love Is. Holiday's tenure with the group proved brief  and by the fall of 1970 she had relocated to Berkeley, CA and was a music major at Oakland's Merritt College.

She returned to Los Angeles in 1971 to sign as a staff writer with Motown Records' publishing arm, Jobete. In two years with the company, only one of Holiday's songs ever made it to retail: Stacie Johnson's 1973 single "Woman in My Eyes." After several years of solo club dates, Holiday effectively retired from performing in 1977, co-founding her own publishing firm Scrunch Music. She later owned and operated her own Oakland-based label, Zipporah, and returned to the live arena as a gospel singer.

With "It's Written All Over My Face" finally winning long-deserved attention via Britain's Northern soul club circuit, in the summer of 2005 Holiday also made her U.K. debut at the Cleethorpes Mirwood Revue, performing alongside Matthews and singer Jim Gilstrap.

In tribute to summer love songs, Marva digitally released her new version of “To Love Somebody” on Friday, July 31, 2015. The song was originally written and recorded in June 1967 by the Australian rock group The Bee Gees.

“This release marks my effort to bring such songs back,” says Holiday.  “Joining me on the song is Joe Chambers, former lead singer and songwriter of The Chambers Brothers, who recorded the ‘60s rocker ‘Time.’ Joe fronts his own group in Los Angeles, The Joe Chambers Experience. His soulful voice is tailor-made for this song, which some say had been written for Otis Redding.”

Holiday’s remake of “To Love Somebody” heralds a new phase in her music career which she calls “Part Two.” “It’s difficult for female performers who are middle-aged and older to return to the music business once it’s decided that they’re ‘too old,’” she notes. “I was pushed out of the industry by ageism, but I’m not letting that stop me from coming right back, right now!”

As her music career waned, Holiday raised her children and turned to other vocations. Unknown to her, she was lionized in Europe in the ‘70s through the “Northern Soul” movement which  embraced records by ‘60s soul singers, even those who were not famous.  Holiday’s 1968 single “It’s Written All Over My Face” became well known in Germany, the UK and other countries where “the scene” is popular.

She relocated to Tempe, Arizona in 2005 where she continues to work on new material and sometimes sit in with local bands. She released an original composition, "Reflections", Dec 31, 2019, with an EP of original material to follow.  

“One of my goals is to inspire older women,” says Holiday. “I will demonstrate that it IS possible to dust off one’s deferred dreams and ‘go for it.’ Age is nothing but a number. Making music, whether mine or that of others, energizes me. I will write and perform as long as there’s an audience.” 

New Music Releases: Pablo Nouvelle featuring Angélique Kidjo, Bartosz Hadala Group, CTK

Pablo Nouvelle EP featuring Angélique Kidjo

"A perfect blend of electronic and soul music, full of emotion, warmth and life." Complex UK. This January 2020 release sees Swiss DJ, producer and filmmaker Pablo Nouvelle release his genre spanning afrobeat single ‘Milambi’ featuring the iconic Grammy-winning African vocalist Angélique Kidjo. The single is the first track from Nouvelle’s upcoming Wliso EP which is out 7th February 2020 featuring 3 new tracks sampling from the vintage ILAM field recordings made in 1930 till 1960's West Africa. Tracks 'Eliso Lyamu Katata' 'Ewe Rono' 'Ugone Ngala' take vintage sounds and vocals and add contemporary electronic production to introduce these sounds to the next generation.

Bartosz Hadala Group - Three Short Stories

A follow-up to Hadala’s critically acclaimed debut jazz release, The Runner Up (featuring Randy Brecker & Antonio Sanchez), this new album features twelve original compositions expressed through tight arrangements delivered by some of Toronto's most talented jazz musicians.  With a nod to Chick Corea - one of Bartosz’s heroes - the album integrates acoustic and electric instruments into a single thematic aesthetic.  According to critics, the delivery of the music is a master class in grace, and the compositions provide significant depth without sacrificing the clear focus on melody. The iteration of The Bartosz Hadala Group on Three Short Stories is a veritable who's who of Toronto-based talent, including Luis Deniz (alto sax), Eric St-Laurent (guitar), Brad Cheeseman (bass guitar), and Marito Marques (drums and percussion).  The album also features stellar appearances by Kelly Jefferson on soprano sax, Portuguese world music artist João Frade on accordion, and virtuoso bassist Michael Manring. The album will be officially released on April 17, 2020, and will be celebrated with a pre-release performance at the Jazz Bistro (https://www.jazzbistro.ca) in Toronto, ON, on March 1st, 2020, at 7 pm.

CTK - The 2nd Coming

Given his stage name CTK by his mentor, legendary former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay, trumpeter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Clarence T. Kyle perpetuates that group’s style of old school groovin’ soul/funk and builds on the era’s classic horn-fired vibe on his latest album The 2nd Coming. A musical gumbo for the soul, with Smooth Jazz, R&B, and hip hop, CTK pulls off the remarkable feat of creating instrumental music that tells his personal story. He invites listeners into his multi-faceted life with memorable tunes dedicated to his father-in-law, his recently departed mother, trips to Japan and fond memories of his early childhood in Rhode Island and attending the Newport Jazz Festival.  ~ smoothjazz.com

Trombonist Nick Finzer Breaks New Narrative, Conceptual Ground With Cast of Characters

An improviser with a gorgeously rich, expressive sound, the trombonist, composer, producer and educator Nick Finzer has long been recognized as an expert musical storyteller. But with his new sextet album, Cast of Characters, available February 28th, 2020 through his label Outside in Music, he’s crafted his most profound narrative yet, an exploration of the formative figures we meet throughout our lives and how their impact changes over time. “Each of us responds and develops on our journey with the influence of the people we meet,” he says. “We follow, we depart, we react and we grow in myriad ways based on the experiences we encounter.” 

Cast of Characters is much more than a tribute project or an homage to musical mentors; rather, it’s a probe into the nature of influence, containing a strong message of self-empowerment. As the title of the album’s final track puts it, “We’re more than the sum of our influences.”

To hear Finzer’s sentiments in action, you couldn’t do better than the brilliant rising stars of his longtime working band: multireedist Lucas Pino, guitarist Alex Wintz, pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Dave Baron and drummer Jimmy Macbride. These are musicians who reflect both rugged individualism and a reverence for jazz’s time-honored principles. 

Utilizing the telepathic rapport his group has developed over the past eight years, Finzer is an Ellingtonian composer in philosophy, constructing parts to suit the specific gifts of his players, or placing his soloists into the sorts of demanding situations he knows will yield radiant results. “I wanted to feature everyone doing the things I know they’re really great at,” he says. 

Finzer’s music also draws on influences from heroes like Maria Schneider and Bob Brookmeyer, composition-first progressives whose innovations remain accessible via breathtaking melody and harmony and often propulsive rhythms. On Cast of Characters, Finzer evinces their big-picture ideas and good taste—no solos for their own sake—yet still manages to dig deep into the language of great small-group postbop. 

The sense of trust among the members, the elasticity that allows one improvisation to dovetail seamlessly with another, will put listeners in mind of benchmarks like Miles’ Second Great Quintet. Finzer’s effortless hookup with Pino, one of his closest friends and collaborators, can evoke the trombone-and-sax frontline chemistry of classic LPs featuring Finzer’s lodestars J.J. Johnson/Stan Getz and Curtis Fuller/Benny Golson. 

Returning to the album’s story, Finzer explains how the crucial lead-off track, “A Sorcerer (is a myth),” reflects the creative heroes we encounter who seem at first to be otherworldly, larger than life. “But we find out that maybe what we thought was magic was really not magic at all,” he says. “It’s about dedication, hard work, seeking out mentors and the sheer determination to make your vision a reality. 

“The whole musical journey of this album presents a collection of experiences based on the people who shape who we are. But ultimately we are the ones with agency to create our path.” 

That Finzer is exploring concepts of both self-reliance and veneration shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who has followed his busy career. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, he has counted among his trombone mentors Steve Turre and Wycliffe Gordon, and is currently the first Assistant Professor of Jazz Trombone at the University of North Texas, a landmark program in the history of jazz education. He’s earned a raft of honors, including two ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, and has performed, toured, and/or recorded with a pack of lauded ensembles, among them Anat Cohen’s Tentet, Bob Stewart’s Double Quartet, the Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Gil Evans Project led by Ryan Truesdell, the GRAMMY-winning composer/arranger who produced Cast of Characters.

It is through Outside in Music, Finzer’s media company and record label, that he best defines himself as a 21st-century jazz musician. “We really want to focus on developing releases for artists in a present-day model that includes visual elements, whether it be video or social media or all of the above,” he says, before pointing out that Outside in Music allows musicians to retain their hard-earned publishing rights. This full-service production organization also facilitates administrative help and affordable album promotion campaigns. Finzer’s own online presence is a lesson in ingenuity, from his virtual studio and other online teaching platforms to his blogging and a steady stream of new music and performance videos. Some of Outside in Music’s most critically celebrated releases, like saxophonist Roxy Coss’ Quintet and Airmen of Note pianist Chris Ziemba’s Manhattan Lullaby, feature Finzer as producer, another role in which he espouses an artist-first attitude.

These initiatives are ways for Finzer to bridge the gap between musician and listener. Cast of Characters, Finzer’s fifth release overall, is yet another. “The characters represent the archetypes of people we encounter throughout our lives,” he says. “I want the listener to project their own experiences onto this storyline, creating their own unique narrative with the music.”

  

In the end, the listener will also absorb and reflect on the cast of characters that is Finzer himself: a searching player with a trademark timbre; a creative educator given to using emerging technology; a bandleader with an ability to choose and elevate great talent; and a generous entrepreneur dedicated to his artists’ best interests. To say it more directly, he’s a quintessential jazz artist for our time. 

http://www.nickfinzermusic.com

NICK FINZER PERFORMANCES

– Friday, February 28, 8:30 and 10 p.m. @  Monk’s Jazz, Austin, TX

– Sunday, March 1 @ TCU Trombone Symposium featuring Nick Finzer, Fort Worth, TX

– Saturday, March 7, 7:30 p.m. @ The Nash, Phoenix, AZ

– Sunday, March 8, 9 p.m. @ The Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA

– Thursday, March 26, 7 and 9:45 p.m. @ Birdland Theatre, NYC

– Friday, March 27, 8-11 p.m. @ Rudy’s Jazz Room, Nashville, TN

New Music Releases: Dionne Warwick, Trio Trio featuring Dave Scott & Rich Perry, Trilok Gurtu

Dionne Warwick - Deja Vu – The Arista Recordings 1979 to 1994 (12-CD set)

A huge run of music from the legendary Dionne Warwick – all of it very different than her early work with Burt Bacharach, and brought together as a strong testament to her ability to change and grow over the years! Although Dionne started as a sweeter singer in the 60s, and had a few great Warner Brothers moments during the 70s – she really reemerged strongly on Arista at the end of that decade – thanks to strong help from a label that really knew what to do with a top-shelf female singer, and help them move past some of the pop and disco pitfalls that brought down some of their contemporaries in the decade! Warwick really returned to the American consciousness with these records, then kept on growing and maturing – really able to shift through a range of styles as the 80s moved into the 90s, even ending up with a bit of jazz in the mix – as you'll hear on this long run of records. The box set features twelve full albums, a great value for the price – records that include Dionne, No Night So Long, Hot Live & Otherwise, Friends In Love, Heartbreaker, How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, Finder Of Lost Loves, Friends, Reservations For Two, Sings Cole Porter, Friends Can Be Lovers, and Aquarela Do Brasil. ~ Dusty Groove

Trio Trio featuring Dave Scott & Rich Perry - Nice Treatment

The tight Trio Trio combo gets some great horn help here – as the trumpet of Dave Scott and tenor of Rich Perry are added to the core lineup of Jacob Sacks on piano, Dave Ambrosio on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums! The tunes include two older gems by Thad Jones, two more by Herbie Nichols, and a Blue Note classic from Kenny Dorham – and there's definitely an old school sense of interplay here – not just in the way the trio gives these guys such great attention at the core, but also in the way that Perry and Scott have this way of leaping out with great colors and tones on the head arrangements, then really spinning off into strong solos of their own, along with Sacks – who sounds especially great on the Nichols numbers. Titles include "50 21", "Hangover Triangle", "Step Tempest", "The Interloper", "Grooveyard", "Lotus Blossom", and "Never Let Me Go". ~ Dusty Groove

Trilok Gurtu - God Is A Drummer

We're not sure if God is a drummer, and we're pretty sure that Trilok Gurtu isn't a god – but the drummer more than lives up to his long legacy of music here – blending jazz with bits of funk and a few global currents too all at a level that definitely lives up to his classic work! There's some especially strong use of tablas – inflected by Gurtu with a warm sensibility that's as melodic as it is rhythmic – and the leader is set up in a group that also includes trumpet, keyboards, electric bass, and trombone – plus just a touch of vocals and violin. Titles include "Obrigado", "Holy Mess", "Still Connecting", "Madre", "Samadhan", and "Indranella". ~ Dusty Groove

JONI MITCHELL’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 2007 ALBUM SHINE TO DEBUT ON VINYL

Craft Recordings is thrilled to announce the first-ever vinyl release of Joni Mitchell’s best-selling 2007 album, Shine. Available April 3rd, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, the acclaimed title includes such tracks as “One Week Last Summer” (which received the 2008 GRAMMY® Award for Best Instrumental Pop Performance), and an updated version of Mitchell’s iconic 1970 track “Big Yellow Taxi.” 

The 19th studio album from Mitchell, Shine marked the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter’s first collection of original material in nearly a decade, and came as a welcome surprise to the artist’s fans, following her well-publicized break with the music business at the turn of the millennium. Described by Mitchell to be “as serious a work as I’ve ever done,” Shine was inspired by the environmental, social and political turmoil which plagued the era of the Iraq War.

The 10 tracks on the album echo Mitchell’s pensive mood—reflective lyrics and beautiful, often-minimalist, piano-driven melodies paint a somber, yet hopeful picture. Highlights include the instrumental opener, “One Week Last Summer,” featuring the versatile multi-instrumentalist Bob Sheppard on soprano saxophone; the epic “Night of the Iguana,” loosely based on John Huston’s 1964 film; the title track, featuring an appearance by longtime friend James Taylor on guitar; Mitchell’s revisit to “Big Yellow Taxi,” which feels eerily prophetic 50 years after its debut, and “If I Had a Heart,” which the New York Times described as “one of the most haunting melodies she has ever written.” 

The cover art on Shine is inspired by the 2007 ballet, Dancing Joni: The Fiddle and the Drum, a collaborative effort between Mitchell and choreographer Jean Grande-Maitre of the Alberta Ballet. The performance was set to 13 of the singer-songwriter’s more provocative songs, and lit by a backdrop of Mitchell’s artwork—specifically a series of photos she took of her malfunctioning flat-screen television set (several of these images were included in a triptych book on war, torture and revolution, and later featured in art shows in Los Angeles and New York). The Fiddle and the Drum inspired Mitchell to release her long-awaited new album. “The ballet brought everything together—the poetry, the music, the artwork,” she says. “It was the thrill of my life.” Three songs from the ballet (“If I Had a Heart,” “If” and the “Big Yellow Taxi” redux) are included on Shine.

Upon its release, Shine received an enthusiastic critical reception: the Chicago Sun-Times praised the album as “a welcome evolutionary step,” adding that Mitchell offered “the most grace of her career thus far.” American Songwriter called it a “somber, but non-sanctimonious masterpiece that balances dark sorrow with orchestral exultation,” while the BBC declared Shine “one hell of a comeback.” The commercial reaction was equally as positive, proving Mitchell’s enduring prowess as a musical force: certified Gold by the RIAA, Shine sold nearly 60,000 copies worldwide in its first week, and debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Top 200, marking Mitchell’s highest US chart position since her 1976 LP, Hejira.

Hailed as one of the most influential songwriters in musical history, Joni Mitchell defined a generation in the late ’60s and ’70s with her poetic, introspective lyrics and her genre-defying blend of folk, jazz and pop. Born Roberta Joan Anderson in 1943, Mitchell began her career as a performer in the mid-’60s Toronto folk scene, before relocating to the United States and famously settling in Southern California. As her reputation grew on stage, Mitchell was also becoming a hot commodity as a songwriter—many of her compositions gaining success through other artists’ recordings, including Judy Collins’ 1968 cover of “Both Sides Now,” Fairport Convention’s rendition of “Eastern Rain” and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s hit version of “Woodstock.”

Over the course of four decades, Joni Mitchell released more than 20 albums, including such standouts as the deeply confessional, groundbreaking Blue (1971), the double-platinum-selling pop record Court and Spark (1974) and 1976’s jazz-oriented masterpiece, Hejira. Mitchell has won eight GRAMMY® Awards and received a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and was ranked ninth in Rolling Stone’s 2015 “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time” list.

2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Announces Initial Lineup of World-Class Musicians, Vocalists and More

At the 2020 Jazz Congress conference held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on January 13, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Jazz at Lincoln Center announced the official dates and artist lineup for the 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Produced in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The festival, to be held in Saint Lucia on Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9, 2020, follows the success of the inaugural 2019 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Produced in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center which Jazziz magazine called "the Caribbean's premier jazz destination."

The 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Produced in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center will feature the finest names in modern jazz performing in venues throughout Saint Lucia's distinct Caribbean landscape, including The Ramp on Rodney Bay and Gros Islet Park. Details about performances and more can be found at www.stlucia.org.

The three-day festival will feature world renowned artists who have performed on Jazz at Lincoln Center's season concerts, touring initiatives, and global outposts, as well as throughout Saint Lucia Jazz Festival's 28-year history.

To date, the diverse lineup showcases artists spanning the Caribbean, the U.K. and the U.S. including: 

• Chick Corea's Vigilette with Carlitos Del Puerto, Marcus Gilmore and Special Guest Roy Hargrove Celebration with Willie Jones III featuring Renée Neufville and Special Guests
• Alphonso Horne and The Gotham Kings
• Ruben Fox's London Brass featuring Theon Cross and Mark Kavuma
• Maher Beauroy presents WASHA!
• More performances, details about ticket sales and event information to be announced. 

In addition to world-class performances, the 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival will feature "Artists In Education" initiatives including master classes, professional development, and live performance collaborations with Saint Lucia School of Music students and local jazz artists. 

"Building upon last year's successful inaugural year of the partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, the 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival is a combination of premier jazz with a picture-perfect destination," said Hon. Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee. "Saint Lucia is thrilled to once again bring world-class performances to jazz fans and music aficionados who will travel to Saint Lucia from around the globe."

Saint Lucia has been hosting a vibrant jazz festival annually since 1992. For more than 28 years, the festival has attracted visitors from around the world for events and concerts celebrating multiple forms of international, Saint Lucian and Caribbean jazz music. 

James Taylor Quartet Returns With People Get Ready (We’re Moving On)

A bona fide legend of the acid jazz and jazz funk scene, James Taylor returns with a stunning new James Taylor Quartet record, People Get Ready (We’re Moving On). An absolute sonic marvel of a record, particularly when listening on vinyl, it ties together the effortless melodic funk of the quartet, the fullness of sound that only an orchestra can bring, high quality commercial song-writing and the staggering vocal talents of Noel McKoy and Natalie Williams. Undoubtedly one of the best sounding records of 2020.

In the Artist’s words: – “Along with a desire to develop the breakthrough sound of JTQ + orchestra debuted on Soundtrack of Electric Black, I also wanted to make a record to showcase outstanding soul voices. Reaching back and re-examining the crossover work I did thirty years ago with the UK’s finest soul singer Noel McKoy, combined with the discovery of the stunning soulful vocal talent in the form of Natalie Williams,  I was drawn to write a funk vocal album for these outstanding voices, but now incorporating these new orchestral ideas.

With JTQ still gigging heavily, we have developed our sound and matured to become rhythmically stronger than ever. Coupling this with the supercharged support of Audio Network which gave us access to Abbey Road Studios, we had the perfect recipe for creating something special. I hope you enjoy this album half as much as we did making it! People….Get Ready….We’ve moved on!“ ~ James Taylor, 2020 

A British jazz funk icon and renowned for his Hammond organ sound, James Taylor recorded this “dream project” at London’s Abbey Road Studios with a string orchestra and two UK soul sensations in Natalie and Noel, the latter with who he previously worked when helping to carve out the Acid Jazz sound back in the early 1990s. For those of you hearing James Taylor Quartet for the first time, his career as JTQ  – of which the group is most fondly known – dates back to the late ’80s. Take a quick glance at the labels he’s recorded for – Gearbox, Acid Jazz, Ubiquity, Freestyle Records and Record Kicks – some of the most revered in the wider jazz and funk categories, and it gives you an idea of the level of respect he has garnered over a career that places him in a category all of his own.

Pongo | new single Canto out now (2020 One To Watch)

Angolan-Portuguese singer & rapper Pongo - recently featured as part of NME’s 100 Essential New Artists For 2020 - today releases ‘Canto’, the latest single lifted from her forthcoming new EP, ‘Uwa’, due out on February 7, 2020 via Caroline International. ‘Canto’ follows lead-off single ‘Quem Manda No Mic’, supported by BBC 1Xtra (Jamz Supernova) and added straight to the B-list at BBC 6Music alongside Pongo’s debut run of UK headline shows, including a rowdy, packed out London date at Redon. ‘Uwa’ - meaning ‘step’ in her Angolan language of Kimbundo - follows Pongo’s 6Music-supported debut EP ‘Baia’ - which has since been streamed over 6 million times and counting, also spawning remixes from 20syl and Anoraak (issued via Kitsuné). Stream ‘Canto’ here, and watch the new video - filmed on location in Lisbon - here.

Whilst the ‘Uwa’ EP marks the first time Pongo raps in English - she’s fluent both in Portuguese and Kimbundo - the lyrics of ‘Canto’ are delivered in Portunol, a blend of Portuguese with elements of Spanish. A celebration of her turbulent path to a career in music - with a title that translates quite simply as ‘I sing’ - ‘Canto’ pitches Pongo’s sandy vocals above the Latin rhythms of mambo, with results that feel both futuristic and borderless. Speaking about the track, Pongo says; "This song describes the happiness I feel while making music. I’m trying to use latin rhythms and their particular ambience. I love mixing and discovering.”

It’s a mindset captured by the striking new visuals for ‘Canto’, directed by Parisian Felix Dol Maillot, in which Pongo performs in the surf and above the rooftops of Senegal’s coastline. Speaking about the video - filmed over the course of a single 16 hour day-to-night shoot - Dol Maillot says; “‘Canto’ is a track without boundaries. Across the track Pongo sings & raps seamlessly in different languages, telling us that music is everything in her life. I felt it was interesting to shoot in locations which aren’t easy to place geographically, with just Pongo front & centre, singing and dancing. The power of this song made me feel it would be interesting to have lots of low angle shots with just Pongo against the sky alongside some overhead shots to give an aerial look. That’s how the idea of the mirrored staircases came up. I wanted Pongo to be performing on top of something strong visually, but something that could also blend into different locations and absorb the atmosphere around her.”

Originally hailing from Angola’s capital city of Luanda, as a kid Pongo was forced to flee to Europe with her family to escape its lengthy, harrowing civil war. Eventually settling in Portugal in a city just north of Lisbon with a very small African-immigrant population, a young Pongo experienced prolonged racist abuse whilst completing her schooling in the area. Already seeking solace from a disturbing present tense by retreating into the music, dance & slang words of her former life in Luanda, Pongo’s route to becoming one of Kuduro’s fast-rising young stars was completed by the closest of near misses. Falling several storeys out of a window as the result of a prank gone horribly wrong - “I was always doing some kind of stupid acrobatics” - and somehow escaping with only a badly broken ankle, Pongo was forced to catch a train each week to meet with a physiotherapist for treatment. Stopping every week at the city’s Quelez Station, Pongo came into the orbit of the Denon Squad, a group of boys practising kuduro dance on the streets of one of Lisbon’s largest African communities. Soon rapping over their routines - in defiance of her father, himself a kuduro dancer back in Angola - a tape of Pongo’s recordings made its way into the hands of Lisbon-based club night turned kuduro collective Buraka Som Sistema. Pongo (taking her artist name in tribute to feminist Congolese singer, M’Pongo Love) then went on to make her debut on their ‘Black Diamond’ album, alongside the likes of M.I.A. and Kano.

With Pongo now choosing to live in Lisbon’s Quelez neighbourhood, and still sporting the large scar across her calf which remains from her death-defying accident, you sense it’s more than just coincidental that the kuduro movement took its name from an Angolan slang word meaning ‘hard-ass’.

New Music Releases: Eliana Pittman; Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others; Lulu Fall

Eliana Pittman - Hoje, Ontem E Sempre

Brazilian singer Eliana Pittman's been giving great records for decades – and somehow, she still sounds completely fantastic – maybe even more expressive given the passage of time on her voice, which hasn't lost any of its power or sense of soul! As proof of that, the package balances a full new album with a full album's worth of bonus material recorded live in 1970 – sounds that span decades, but which still have the vocal charms of Pittman sounding completely amazing all the way through! Instrumentation on the new studio tracks is mostly lean, with a fair bit of acoustic guitar – on titles that include "Ex Amor", "Gamei", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Tributo A Vaidade", and "Ate A Lua". The live set has relatively spare instrumentation too – but maybe a bit more muted, given the live recording – and titles include "O Pato", "Desafinado", "Big Spender", "Felicidade/Deixa Issao Pra La", and a nice take on "Ponteio". ~ Dusty Groove

Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others - Eu Sou Mulher Eu Sou Feliz

A spirited testament to the power of woman – put together by Brazilian singer and songwriters Ana Costa and Zelia Duncan – and done with help from a huge amount of guests who include Leila Pinheiro, Maira Freitas, Simone, Daniele Mercury, Alcione, Aurea Martins, Elbas Ramalho, Mart'Nalia, and many others! The mix of talents is pretty wide, and the combination of voices throughout the project certainly echoes that spirit too – ambitious, but never overdone – and handled by the leading duo with this care that somehow manages to make all the many parts come together, then sound a lot greater as a whole! ~ Dusty Groove

Lulu Fall - Between Two Worlds

Lulu Fall has a vocal style that's both urgent and effortlessly flowing – modes that are both underscored nicely by the jazzy instrumentation on the set – music by a core combo that really fits the spirit of the singer's energy, and does a great job of shifting to match her spirit throughout! The tunes often have a way of starting in one direction, then moving in another – and Lulu's clearly out to leave her own mark in contemporary soul, but all without ever pushing things too much or leaning into any simple stylistic gimmicks. Instead, the record's got a vibe that's very individual, and maybe a bit hard to describe – but well worth checking out. Titles include "Now", "She", "Runaway", "Where Are We Going", "Between Two Worlds", "Keep Your Head Up", and "Powerful". ~ Dusty Groove

Guitarist Ronny Smith's New Album "Raise the Roof"

The fact guitarist Ronny Smith grew up listening to Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and George Benson does much to explain the tight melodic style that categorizes his playing.  It is a style that he began to develop while still in junior high school and the time he subsequently spent performing, first with various bands at university then later in the armed forces, expanded both his musical and geographic horizons. 

More importantly it led him to a career as a sought after backing musician. 

Collaborations with artists as diverse as The Marvellettes, Melba Moore and jazz drummer Bobby Durham all added to Smith’s reputation while as a solo artist he has been steadily building a significant body of work.  

This commenced in 2001 with “Long Time Comin” and continued with “Laid Back”, “Got Groove”, “Simply Stated”, “Just Groovin” and his highly acclaimed 2013 project “Can’t Stop Now”.  “Shake It Up” followed four years later and now, signed to the highly rated and Billboard Chart-Topping Skytown Records label; he is about to expand his discography yet further with “Raise the Roof” that will be released January 27, 2020.

By and large “Raise the Roof” is the “Ronny Smith Show” front back and center. Not only does he play guitar, keys and bass throughout he also arranges, produces and programs all ten tunes. Eight of these are original compositions cleverly complemented by the addition of two immaculately crafted covers. 

The first is an edgy interpretation of the Bill Withers classic “Use Me” with the second being a classy re-imagining of the Carpenters blockbuster “Superstar”.  Truth to tell he makes both sound brand new and when (for the only time) he calls upon the input of a supporting artist it is Scott Martin on sax that adds another dimension to the easy grooving “Cool Breeze”.

The first single to be serviced to radio is “Me Time” that demonstrates the innate feel Smith has for understated yet compelling smooth jazz.  Much the same can be said of the warmly inviting “On It” for which he certainly is and although “Brazilian Dancer” proves to be a supercharged Latin extravaganza Smith is able to channel that same energy into the foot tapping, in the pocket “Breaded Funk Well Done”.

Another number that really fizzes is the high-octane title cut.  The perfect vehicle for Smith’s virtuosity, it is in the good company of the moodily delicious “A Brighter Day” and a blues tinged rendition of “Say It Again” where Smith’s interlude on bass guitar is something to savor.

“Raise the Roof” is a fantastic way to become acquainted with Ronny Smith’s special vibe.  It is due out on January 27, 2020 and is not to be missed.

www.ronnysmith.com