SUZANNA SMITH - HALFWAY BETWEEN HEAVEN & LOVE

Suzanna Smith Halfway Between Heaven & LoveSuzanna Smith has been a creative force on the rich Bay Area jazz vocal scene since 2005 -- as a performer and songwriter as well as founder/producer of San Francisco's long-standing Savanna Jazz vocal jam session and co-founder of the nonprofit Bay Area Jazz & Arts, Inc. Her constant efforts to nurture local jazz have redounded to the benefit of many artists, including Smith herself. With Halfway Between Heaven & Love, to be released by the singer's Ink Pen Records on November 19, Smith delivers one of the year's most impressive vocal projects, an intoxicating mix of original tunes and beautifully rendered standards.

"There is an essential, profound difference between being a singer and being an artist," writes CD co-producer Kitty Margolis in her album notes. "In today's oversaturated music-scape it's wise to be patient when making the maiden recording voyage until one has something unique and compelling to say. Halfway Between Heaven & Love was undeniably worth the wait."

Accompanied by some of the most creative figures on the Bay Area scene, Smith combines the confessional imperative of a singer/songwriter with the rhythmic acuity of a jazz chanteuse. She wrote the lyrics for nine of the album's 13 tracks while collaborating on the music of five songs with pianist/keyboardist Michael Coleman.

Suzanna Smith The album opens with a graceful bebop medley as Smith's clever lyrics link Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird" and Miles Davis's "Half Nelson." Featuring the album's core trio with Coleman, bassist Brandon Essex, and drummer Hamir Atwal, the piece immediately establishes Smith as a singer of rare poise and presence.

Smith and Coleman's "Paper Boat," "The Man That Broke the Dragon's Heart," and "Comet" more than hold their own alongside the American Songbook gems -- "Hooray for Love," "Alone Together," and Michel Legrand's "Summer Me, Winter Me." Smith closes the album as she started, with an original lyric set to a modern jazz classic, Dexter Gordon's Latin swinger "Soy Califa."

"I'm always looking for ways to play within the boundaries of a song's 'container,'" Smith says. "I think of songs as rooms and the longer you live within them, the more you can move about without bumping into things. I love when I reach that point with a song."

Born in Boulder, CO in 1974 and raised in Livermore, east of San Francisco, Suzanna studied computer science and studio art at Wellesley College. There she got deeply involved in the a cappella scene, a passion she brought back to the Bay Area after graduation. After performing around the region for several years in a five-woman ensemble, she eventually decided to pursue vocal studies at the Jazzschool in Berkeley, where she worked closely with Laurie Antonioli, Madeline Eastman, Maye Cavallaro, and Stephanie Bruce. She also studied privately with Kitty Margolis, resulting in a unique mentoring relationship between the two vocalists.

Suzanna Smith As she gained confidence, Smith started sitting in at open mics, which led to regular engagements and invaluable experience. Her reputation spread with a monthly gig at San Francisco's Savanna Jazz, where she also produced and hosted a monthly vocal jam session that ran for three years. She has also performed at many of the region's top clubs and venues, emerging as a startlingly fine singer with a repertoire that's wholly her own.

Smith lives in Oakland with esteemed jazz vocalist Kenny Washington and their infant son Miles. "This has been a big year for me -- having a baby and working hard to release this album," says Smith. "It almost feels like I'm giving birth to two babies. It has been fascinating to see the meanings of my songs shift in the years since I first wrote them. The songs continue to apply, just in new ways, to all the changes in my life. It has also been powerful to see them become personal anthems for other people's life experiences."

Smith's CD release show will take place Friday 11/22 at Oakland's Sound Room, the home of Bay Area Jazz & Arts, Inc. (BAJA). She'll be backed by musicians from her new album, including Michael Coleman, piano; Michael O'Neill, tenor saxophone and clarinet; Ken Husbands, guitar; Brandon Essex, bass; and Jon Arkin, drums.

MARVIN GAYE - THE ESSENTIAL VINYL COLLECTION / MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL 1980

Montreux, 1980, just after Marvin Gaye’s concert, the words “a genius”, “he was like a king”, “his performance was absolutely incredible!” were spoken. This unbridled enthusiasm for the artist from Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, was certain to find an echo in history one day.

And now it has! After the 2004 DVD and CD pack, Marvin Gaye’s smouldering soul music has been immortalised in a double LP due for release on 23rd October. Those who missed out on the live performance have not been forgotten, as absentees can now treat themselves to this gem of an anthology.

The double LP of Marvin Gaye’s Live concert brings together all his great classics. From his début until 1980, you will find the hits that defined your dating years, such as “Let’s Get It On”, “What’s Going On” or even “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, all in re-mastered sound. Recorded during Marvin Gaye’s only visit to the Montreux Casino on 7th July 1980, when he was driving teenagers wild at the 14th Montreux Jazz Festival, only 500 copies of the 78-minute LP are being released, making it a very limited luxury edition.

A few salient remarks from Claude Nobs about meeting Marvin Gaye back in 1980:

"Marvin really knows his music, that’s for sure. He has a very clear and defined vision of what his music should be about. The arrangements, the backing vocalists, the musicians… he knows it all. Yes, he had a reputation for being crazy and completely unpredictable, but to me he was a total professional! He was in complete control. He knew which musicians and backing vocalists he wanted, and he also knew exactly how he wanted his music to be produced. He was, quite simply, a genius. He was like a king, and the record companies, particularly at that time, had no idea how to handle this kind of talent, or how to work with an artist as complete as him."

SIDE A: 01 - Time (Claude Nobs introduction) // 02 - Got To Give It Up // 03 - Funky Space Reincarnation // 04 - Come Get To This

SIDE B: 05 - Let’s Get It On // 06 - The Tammi Terrell Medley - If This World Were Mine - Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough // 07 - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)

SIDE C: 08 - I’ll Be Doggone // 09 - I Heard It Through The Grapevine // 10 - Trouble Man // 11 - Distant Lover

SIDE D: 12 - Inner City Blues // 13 - Mercy Mercy Me // 14 - What’s Going On

Product information:

- Collection - THE ESSENTIALS - VINYL COLLECTION

- Recorded live during the Montreux Jazz Festival concert – July 1980

- Double LP 180 grams

- Re-mastered sound

- Duration : 78 minutes

- THE ESSENTIALS - VINYL COLLECTION

The Marvin Gaye LP is the very first opus of THE ESSENTIALS – VINYL COLLECTION. A live collection from the great musical legends that have graced the stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival since it first began.

8 CLASSIC NORMAN CONNORS ALBUMS REISSUED

NORMAN CONNORS – INVITATION

Norman Connors at the top of his game – working here with backing from his own Starship Orchestra, in a groove that's completely funky, deeply soulful, and touched with a fair bit of jazz as well! The album's a great summation of all the sounds that Connors had crafted on previous records with a wider range of players – but really comes into sharp focus here with help from lead vocalist Adaritha – a singer who's got this sublime range that rivals Minnie Riperton on Capitol Records, but which also carries some of the deeper tones of Jean Carn's previous work with Norman. The album's well-balanced between mellow moments and jazzy groovers – all handled with the classic Connors sense of sophistication and class – and titles include the great groover "Be There In The Morning", the slow jamming "Handle Me Gently", plus the tracks "Your Love", "I Have A Dream", "Disco Partido", and "Invitation". CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Your Lov" and "She's Gone". ~ Dusty Groove

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NORMAN CONNORS – SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

A brilliant mix of soul and jazz from the legendary Norman Connors – a key album in breaking Norman out back in the 70s – and a record that's still pretty darn perfect all these many years later! You can hear Connors' deep roots throughout the set – but they're often used towards a more sophisticated soul agenda, too – blending in elements of jazz vocals and modern R&B, at a level that so many other artists would copy in years to come – but which Norman virtually helped invent with this landmark album! There's some mellow moments on the record that are every bit as wonderful as the funky ones – some laidback tracks that feature sublime vocals from Jean Carn, pre-Philly – and which also really introduce the soul side of Michael Henderson – an artist who most folks had previously known as a bass player. Connors mixes the funky and the smooth at a level that rivals the best Roy Ayers material of the same time – and titles include the massive hit "Valentine Love" – plus "Saturday Night Special", "Kwasi", "Dindi", "Akia", "Skin Diver", and a sweet version of "Maiden Voyage"! CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Saturday Night Special" and "Valentine Love". ~ Dusty Groove

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NORMAN CONNORS - ROMANTIC JOURNEY

A warmly romantic journey from the stellar Norman Connors – but a set that's also got a fair bit of spiritual jazz undercurrents too! Norman's at that perfect Starship point in his career – giving equal space to the vocals and instrumental passages on the record – at a level that perfectly sums up his unique, sophisticated blend of jazz and soul! The sublime Eleanor Mills sings on some key cuts – a singer we love from her earlier New Jersey soul sides – and Prince Phillip Mitchell handles the male leads, with a level of class that even goes beyond his own records. Reeds are handled by Gary Bartz and Pharoah Sanders – both players who bring in a nice sort of depth to the record – and Sanders really sparkles on a remake of his classic "Thembi", taken in a mellow stepping tone, as well as a reading of Gato Barbieri's "Last Tango In Paris". The whole album's wonderful – and other titles include "Once I've Been There", "Romantic Journey", "Destination Moon", "For You Everything", and "You Are Everything". CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Once I've Been There" and "For You Everything". ~ Dusty Groove

NORMAN CONNORS – TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT

Killer work from the mighty Norman Connors – a set that's heavy on grooves, but which has all the jazzy depth of his early work too! The set features arrangements by some killer modern soul talents – Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – who beautifully blend their own sweet touches with Connors' rich ideas – carried out here with some sublime vocals by Al Johnson himself, plus work from Jean Carn, Glenn Johnson, Adaritha, and The Jones Girls too! The instrumental vibe is as strong as well – with great solos from Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Gary Bartz on alto – and the combination of all these talents alone is testament to the continuing great vision of Norman Connors – one of the few cats who could make an album like this work so well! Titles include a great version of Steely Dan's "Black Cow", plus "Melancholy Fire", "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else". CD features three bonus tracks – "Melancholy Fire (7" mix)", "Take It To The Limit (12" mix)", and "Take It To The Limit (7" mix)".  ~ Dusty Groove

NORMAN CONNORS – YOUR ARE MY STARSHIP / NORMAN CONNORS PRESENTS AQUARIAN DREAM

Sublime sounds from the mighty Norman Connors – two classics on a single CD! You Are My Starship is a masterpiece of mellow soul and jazzy grooves from the groundbreaking Connors – an album that sails to the stars on a sweet blend of mellow moments and more upbeat tracks too! The record features some crucial vocal talents from Michael Henderson and Phyllis Hyman – both relative newcomers here, and making a great transition from jazz to soul with Connors help – hitting this amazing territory that would inform countless other artists in years to come – but never be done again this well! The instrumentation is wonderful, too – schooled in the jazz roots of Connors' music – and featuring Gary Bartz on alto, and both Hubert Eaves and Onaje Allen Gumbs on keyboards. Titles include the seminal title cut "You Are My Starship" – one of the best late night slowjams ever – plus remakes of "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and "Betcha By Golly Wow" – and the cuts "So Much Love", "Just Imagine", and "We Both Need Each Other". Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream is a wonderful debut from Aquarian Dream – a group who first appeared under the direction of Norman Connors – and who also have lots of the same blend of jazz, soul, and funk you'd find in Connors' own music of the time! Yet Aquarian Dream are very much their own bag, too – a distinctly different group who are to Connors what Ramp was to Roy Ayers – a separate entity that shares the key production talents of their sponsor – but who break out in a wonderful vibe that's all their own! The album's best remembered for its key clubby groovers, but we also love the mellower moments too – which have a sublime stepping quality that really comes through via instrumentation from Claude Bartee on tenor and soprano sax, and Jacques Burvick on a whole host of cool keyboards. Gloria Jones (not the famous one) is a great lead singer – and titles include the classic Chicago club track "Phoenix" – plus "Look Ahead", "Once Again", "Let Me Be The One", "I'll Always Love You T", and "Treat Me Like The One You Love". ~ Dusty

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NORMAN CONNORS – LOVE FROM THE SUN / SLEWFOOT

A pair of early gems from Norman Connors – back to back on a single CD! Love From The Sun is a spiritual jazz masterpiece from drummer Norman Connors – one of those unique albums he cut before moving into soul music – done at a level that rivals the early 70s genius on labels like Strata East or Impulse Records! Connors worked with many contemporaries on those labels, and gets a good degree of help from them here, too – in a massive lineup that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Gary Bartz on alto, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Buster Williams on bass, Bill Summers on drums, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on a bit of vocals too! With a lineup like that, it would be easy to lay back and just do nothing – but you can really hear Connors' musical vision taking the lead – that warmly soulful approach that was there right from the start, given some great focus here by producer Skip Drinkwater. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carlos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun". Slewfoot is a really bold step forward for Norman Connors – a set that's still got all the spiritual jazz elements of his roots, but which also adds in some more soul and funk elements too! Jean Carn delivers some wonderful vocals on the record – at a level that's much more like her early Black Jazz recordings with Doug Carn, than her later Philly soul sides – and Connors heads up a killer instrumental group that features reeds from Hubert Laws, Carlos Garnett, and Gary Bartz – plus wicked keyboards from Reggie Lucas and percussion from Dom Um Romao too! The fusion players are all super-sharp – and really make the whole album crackle wonderfully throughout – on a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks that include "Mother Of The Future", "Slew Foot", "Dreams", "Chuka", "Back On The Street", and "Jump Street". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - TOM HARRELL WITH ESPERANZA SPAULDING, HOUSTON PERSON, STAN GETZ

TOM HARRELL WITH ESPERAZA SPAULDING - COLORS OF A DREAM

A beautiful beautiful set from trumpeter Tom Harrell – a record that goes even beyond his other recent gems – and that's saying a lot, given how much we love those albums! The combo on the record features some key vocal work from Esperanza Spaulding – who's sounding quite different here than her more recent sides, and has moved back to using her vocals more like an instrument – soaring out soulfully in a sharp lineup that includes Tom's trumpet and flugelhorn, Jaleel Shaw's alto, and Wayne Escoffery's tenor! This side of Spaulding is really wonderful – and really helps realize the deeper tones and ideas in Tom's wonderful compositions for the record – a set of tunes that include "Velejar", "Phantasy In Latin", "Tango", "State", "Seventy", "Blues 2013", and "Family". ~ Dusty Groove

HOUSTON PERSON - NICE 'N' EASY

Nice and easy – and plenty soulful and swinging too – a great little set from tenor giant Houston Person, played with a quintet that features some excellent vibes from Chuck Redd too! The use of vibes is a nice mix with Person's bold horn – and Redd rings out in a way that recalls some of the Lem Winchester work on classic 60s sessions for Prestige Records, but recorded here with a slight modern bent, given the production. The rest of the group features John Di Martino on piano, plus the smoking rhythm team of Ray Drummond on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – on tracks that include "Stolen Sweets", "It's All In The Game", "Sweet Life", "Ill Wind"," All My Tomorrows", and "Bluesology". ~ Dusty Groove

STAN GETZ - BORN TO BE BLUE

Three different slices of rare European work from tenorist Stan Getz – showing his key interaction with the scene at the start of the 60s! The first two batches of tracks show Stan in the company of key Scandinavian players – perfect for his icy tone and amazing sense of sound! One group is led by pianist Jan Johansson on Stockholm titles that include "Born To Be Blue", "Ack Varmeland Du Skona", "Move", and "Ah Moore" – and the other features tracks recorded in Denmark with backing from Bengt Hallberg's trio – on the titles "Get Happy", "Without A Song", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". The last 5 tracks on the CD feature work by Getz with a Polish rhythm section – performing live in Warsaw in 1960, right at a key point in his career, when he was opening up his sound a lot from the iciness of the 50s – letting in freer modes of expression, and going for a slightly warmer sound that was really great. The work features Getz blowing with a clarity and exploratory sound that we wouldn't have expected until much later in the 60s – even though the tracks are standards like "Out Of Nowhere", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "But Not For Me", and "Darn That Dream". ~ Dusty Groove

SANTANA TO PERFORM AT A STAR-STUDDED CONCERT IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO ON DECEMBER 14TH AT THE VINCENTE FERNANDEZ ARENA HONORING HIS LATIN MUSIC HERITAGE

Confirmed superstar performances at the concert in Guadalajara and on the album, CORAZÓN include Chocquibtown (Colombia), Gloria Estefan (Cuba), Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (Argentina),  Juanes (Colombia), Miguel (USA),  Niña Pastori (Spain), Samuel Rosa of Skank (Brazil), Salvador Santana (USA), Soledad  (Argentina), Diego Torres (Argentina),  among others.

Other superstar performances on the forthcoming album CORAZÓN include Lila Downs (Mexico), Pitbull (USA), Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), and Romeo Santos (Dominican Republic)

Ten time GRAMMY®-Award winning rock icon and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Carlos Santana announces today that he and his band SANTANA will be performing at a once in a lifetime concert event in Guadalajara, Mexico (in his native state of Jalisco) on December 14th at the Vicente Fernandez Arena, with a star-studded cast of musicians, all celebrating their Latin music heritage. Confirmed celebrity performances at the concert include Chocquibtown, Gloria Estefan, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Juanes, Miguel,Niña Pastori, Samuel Rosa of Skank, Salvador Santana, Soledad, Diego Torres, among others. More celebrity performances will be announced soon.

This concert is a homecoming for Carlos and a festive kickoff event to mark his forthcoming album project close to his heart entitled CORAZÓN. In addition to the superstars performing at the December 14th  show, Lila Downs, Ziggy Marley, Pitbull, and Romeo Santos will also be joining Santana on this star-studded album project CORAZÓN,release date to be announced soon.

CORAZÓN, the concert and album project brings Carlos back to his birthplace, in the city of Autlan, just south of Guadalajara and celebrates Carlos’ love of his musical heritage, as well as showcases Carlos’ own personal influence on Latin music and on today’s generation of Latin superstars. Many genres of Latin music are represented in these collaborations including pop, rock, salsa, hip-hop, folk, reggae, traditional and bachata.

~ santana.com

DAVE BENNETT - DON'T BE THAT WAY

Dave Bennett doesn't fit the mold.

For starters, you don't find many jazz clarinet players who name Alice Cooper, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Chris Isaak among their influences. You won't find many musicians under 30 who are equally conversant with the music of Benny Goodman (the "King of Swing") and Roy Orbison ("The Soul of Rock and Roll"). In fact, you may not find even one other clarinet virtuoso who occasionally breaks from his Swing Era repertoire to sing rock-a-billy hits while accompanying himself at the piano - where he plays a mean barrelhouse boogie-woogie.

In the early days of jazz, the clarinet joined with trumpet and trombone to create the music's signature sound, and it ruled the roost in the Swing Era, when jazz was America's popular music and dance-party soundtrack. If anyone can return the clarinet to its heyday, it's Dave Bennett, who fuses serious jazz improvisation with a host of modern pop influences.

On his Mack Avenue Records debut Don't Be That Way, he shows that his skills and interests make him perfectly suited for the job. He stays within the mainstream repertoire, and even covers several of the most famous hit records of the 1930s (by Goodman and such contemporaneous clarinetists as Woody Herman and Artie Shaw). But Bennett updates these songs with up-to-date twists and surprising new arrangements. The result is an album that blazes his own path while still acknowledging his predecessors, and spotlights the jazz clarinet for a new generation. Bennett hastens to share credit for the reconceptualization of this music with the album's arranger, Shelly Berger, whom he met through Tad Weed, the pianist in his group.

Even though he was growing up in a time far removed from the Swing Era and the technology (AM radio, 78 RPM records) that produced it, Bennett already had an appreciation for the era's music from the soundtracks of the old Abbott & Costello movies he watched at home. "And then about a month later, Grandpa bought me a cassette tape of Benny Goodman - and that's what did it. I completely flipped out: it hit me square between the eyes, and I knew at that moment that this is what I wanted to do with my life." He set out to model his clarinet playing after that of Goodman, as well as that of Pete Fountain, the New Orleans clarinetist who kept the trad-jazz sound vital throughout the 1960s and '70s.

Addressing this juncture of his life and career, Bennett says now, "I was trying to 'break free' [from the restraints of past styles] and couldn't quite get there. But Shelly [Berger] was able to make it very coherent, and in the studio he kept everything moving along." So in one sense, Don't Be That Way is more than the title for a collection of freshly imagined Swing Era classics. It could just as well be Bennett's admonition to himself on his Mack Avenue debut - to step out as a fully independent artist, steeped in but not beholden to the way things were done in the past.

Upcoming Dave Bennett Performances:

October 16 / Oakland Community College / Farmington Hills, MI

October 19 / Peabody's / Birmingham, MI

October 25 & 26 / Spencers Route 46 / Saginaw, MI

November 1 / Carnegie Hall (w/ New York Pops) / New York, NY

November 9 / Peabody's / Birmingham, MI

November 16 / Shield's Pizza / Southfield, MI

November 17 / Glendora House / Chicago Ridge, IL

November 27 - 30 / San Diego Jazz Festival / San Diego, CA

December 6/ NSU Center for the Performing Arts

(Benny Goodman Christmas Tribute) / Tahlequah, OK

December 10 / The Campanile Center for the Arts

(Benny Goodman Tribute) / St. Minocqua, WI

December 13 / Hart Public Schools / Hart, MI

CLIFFORD JORDAN - THE COMPLETE CLIFFORD JORDAN STRATA EAST SESSIONS

The eminent saxophonist Clifford Jordan is best remembered as a tenorman with a powerful sound who bridged the world of Hard Bop and the adventurous newer forms of jazz expression. His work as a sideman with legends like Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Eric Dolphy, Horace Silver and Randy Weston sometimes eclipsed his own brilliance as a leader. But what is far lesser known is his remarkable talent as a discoverer of emerging artistry and his skills as a producer that allowed them to best express their vision as leaders. Mosaic's new release The Complete Clifford Jordan Strata-East Sessions is a sterling showcase for those lesser-known aspects of this giant's career.

Like those illustrious leaders with whom he played, Jordan shared a vision of musician self-empowerment. His initial forays into self-production were shaped under an intended business collaboration with literary publisher named Harvey Brown. Brown's pioneering Frontier Press was focusing on similar territory for literature and in early 1968 they came up with the idea for a label called Frontier Records. With Jordan as the in-the-trenches A&R director and producer, they embarked upon the groundbreaking plan with a stunning cross-section of musicians who bridged the innovative mainstream and the structured avant-garde. The initial dates were under the leadership of Jordan, drummer Ed Blackwell, bassist Wilbur Ware and trumpeter Don Cherry. Although the label never came to be, Jordan continued to produce albums with that same innovative slant, with additional sessions led by saxophonists Pharoah Sanders, Cecil Payne and Charles Brackeen.

When trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell launched the innovative Strata-East Records in 1971, with the goal of creating a label for artist-owned product, Jordan found the new home for his projects. Releasing them under a special title of The Dolphy Series, Jordan's productions were an ideal tribute to Dolphy's ability to embrace the classic jazz tradition while pushing the envelope into uncharted territory. This set brings together that amazingly diverse, yet fully congruent collection of music together in one 6-CD set. Comprised of seven distinct albums - including a previously unissued set by Ed Blackwell - these 43 tracks display the incredibly rich context of adventurous, yet totally accessible music that was being produced during this highly fertile period. The sidemen on all of these sessions are a veritable who's who of contemporary jazz. And it is all further enhanced by Jordan's brilliant brewing of musicians who blended together in ways that few would have thought possible. This set proves that his approach was not only viable, but truly visionary.

The two Jordan albums included here are widely considered to be among his finest. 1969's In the World features Julian Priester, Wynton Kelly and Wilbur Ware, with Don Cherry and Albert 'Tootie' Heath alternating with Kenny Dorham, Ed Blackwell and Roy Haynes on two tracks each. Glass Bead Games (1973) features the fiery tenorman with two separate rhythm sections: Stanley Cowell, Bill Lee and Billy Higgins; and Cedar Walton, Sam Jones and Higgins.

Zodiac: The Music of Cecil Payne was recorded in 1968, with the burly baritone saxophonist accompanied by Dorham, Kelly, Ware and Heath. This album also offers an unusual glimpse into Cecil's alto sax mastery on one of the five Payne originals that comprise the set.

Charles Brackeen's Rhythm X (1968) features the adventurous tenor saxophonist in the company of one of Ornette Coleman's classic rhythm sections, with Cherry, Charlie Haden and Blackwell on four Brackeen originals. Cherry and Blackwell are also on hand for Wilbur Ware's Super Bass, featuring Jordan on tenor. Unissued until 2012 - and only in a limited release by the Wilbur Ware Institute - this music is an unexpected bonus and a most important part of this set, and the under-recognized bassist's legacy.

Shades of Edward Blackwell is another gem that is being made available here for the very first time. Recorded in 1968, this was Blackwell's first recording as a leader and contains two highly contrasting sessions. The first features Cherry, Ware and the under-recorded tenorman Luqman Lateef on two Blackwell originals. The second is a dynamic percussion ensemble that somewhat bridges the span between Art Blakey's explosive 1950s forays into the spirit of the drum and Max Roach's spectacular M'Boom. Joining Ed here are two more Ornette graduates, Billy Higgins and Dennis Charles, along with Roger Blank, Huss Charles and Jordan (on log drum).

Pharoah Sanders' powerful Izipho Zam rounds out the set. Centered on the sprawling title cut of nearly 30 minutes, this 1969 album contains a lineup of high-powered and exceptional musicians, including vocalist Leon Thomas, who collaborated with the iconoclastic tenorman on some of his most popular recordings. Also on hand are Sonny Fortune, Howard Johnson, Lonnie Liston Smith, Sonny Sharrock, Cecil McBee, Sirone, and a bombastic drum ensemble of Billy Hart, Majeed Shabazz, Chief Bey, Nat Bettis and Tony Wylie.

An interesting element is that of the 43 tracks, there is not a single standard. Every piece is an original composition of either the session's leaders or one of the sidemen - another sign of the exemplary internal creativity that fueled all of these sessions. Mosaic founder and the set's producer Michael Cuscuna says of these recordings "I was always intrigued by Jordan's choice of who to record on the 1968-69 sessions. Musically, Jordan's always cast a wide net, but doing a number of sessions in the Ornette Coleman orbit and recording Pharoah surprised and intrigued me." One thing is absolutely clear. Those choices have resulted in a collection of enormous impact, historical importance and sheer musical transcendence.

As always, the highest production values that are the Mosaic tradition have gone into this set. The booklet contains rare photos taken at the sessions by fine photographer Martin Bough and highly informative liner notes by reputable journalist Willard Jenkins. Once again, Mosaic Records has made another special contribution to the great legacy of jazz with a must-have collection.

NEW RELEASES - COUTURE CHIC, THE PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP, THE REVELATIONS

COUTURE CHIC – VELVET BOSSA

Not entirely the bossa set you might guess from the title – but a mighty sweet session by a group with a very jazzy vibe – one who deliver some very unusual takes on tunes from the 70s and 80s! Couture Chic features a female lead singer, and a core keyboard of guitar, bass, and drums – but often augmented by jazzy keyboards, sax, or flute – some really nice touches that help keep things interesting as the group serve up some very fresh versions of songs by Depeche Mode, Everything But The Girl, Deep Purple, Village People, Survivor, and others. The approach might be a bit gimmicky, but these guys really seem to embrace the songs and make them their own – finding their own personal way to interpret tunes like "Eye Of The Tiger", "Smoke On The Water", "Personal Jesus", "Jump", "YMCA", "Hey Soul Sister", and "Missing". ~ Dusty Groove

PEDRITO MARTINEZ – THE PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP

Pedrito Martinez has a mighty cooking combo on this set – only a quartet, but a group that's more than strong enough to serve up some plenty powerful Latin jazz rhythms – which are then augmented by help from a host of famous guest stars! Pedrito's percussion is at the core of every track – supported with more percussion, piano, and electric bass – a tight unit that also has Martinez handling a fair bit of the vocals too! Yet each new track seems to introduce a new guest – including Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, John Scofield on guitar, and Steve Gadd on drums – who also co-produced the record with Martinez too. Titles include "Conciencia", "Lengua De Obbara", "Despues De Todo", "Musica", "Memorias", and "La Luna". ~ Dusty Groove

REVELATIONS – THE REVELATIONS

A sweet sound library set from the early 70s Italian scene – the only album ever issued by The Revelations – a one-off studio combo with a very funky approach to electric jazz! The album's dripping with plenty of soul – and in a way, feels more like a sweet European take on late 60s soul instrumental modes – complete with fuzzy guitar and lots of Hammond, played at a level that's somewhere past beat group grooving, but before some of the more stretched out jazz funk styles of the 70s! The whole thing's instrumental – and both the organ and guitar are awash in some really wonderful colors – full of feeling, in lots of different flavors – with a depth that goes way beyond the obscure origins of the set. Titles include "Blue 1971", "Lively", "Good Morning Mr Gleen", "Dedicated To J Hendrix", "Old Wa Wa", "Spanish Theme", and "Drops". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - HARTLEY AND WOLFE, IPA, KINGS & QUEENS

HARTLEY AND WOLFE - BESPOKE FUTURE

Coming in a long line of esteemed ground breaking British soul artists from Loose Ends, Soul2Soul, Spacek, Omar, to Amy Winehouse, Hartley & Wolfe grab the baton in creating something quite unique, different and new. Not quite R’n’B or neo soul, not quite American ‘urban’ or electronica .... perhaps more working man’s soul in sound but yet ticks a lot of musical boxes at the same time. Think Isley Brothers meets Rick James in terms of vocal delivery. Raspy deep felt, weathered classic soul with a big voice meets intergalactic pimped out grooves with bass-lines that would make Lee Scratch Perry’s Upsetters proud! This is music that definitely gives a nod to the old school but this is not a retro throwback workout nor is it the work of soul novices. Just like a fine wine fermenting its flavors over time Greg & Vadim have been hard at work with Nightmares On Wax, Utah Saints, Featurecast, Horace Andy, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Fat Freddys Drop, amongst others in preparation of this moment. In an era where so many vocalists seem to be dumbing down their sound and content, Hartley&Wolfe is quite the opposite. “Bespoke Future” is an album about life rejection, love failure, political misendeavors and also most importantly it’s fun, catchy and quite possibly may brew up a storm on a dance floor near you soon. Quite simply an accomplished, musical Scud Missile of pure enjoyment. ~ bbemusic.com

IPA - BUBBLE

A brilliant bubble of sounds from IPA – much more searing than you'd guess from the album's title – served up here in a sharp brace of trumpet, tenor, and vibes! The group's overflowing with that modernist Moserobie label energy we love so much – tight in construction, but still able to really stretch out freely with individual voices throughout – really wonderful sounds from Magnus Broo on trumpet, Mattias Stahl on vibes, Atle Nymo on tenor, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Hakon Mjaset Johansen on drums! The vibes are especially great – stark in sound, but surprisingly soulful too – and ringing out with a power that's hard to deny – on titles that include "Dolphy", "If A Waltz", "Bubble", "Boomerang", "Ting", and "Kanshibari". ~ Dusty Groove

KINGS & QUEENS

A very hip, very cool project from the Nostalgia 77 side of the universe – an offshoot project by various members of that group, done in a style that's a lot more funky than usual! The tracks have either male or female vocals – both very soulful singers – and the instrumentation has this cool laidback approach to funk that's somewhere in the El Michels' camp, but which is sometimes a bit more upbeat too! The whole thing's nicely stripped-down – not one of those funk efforts that's always trying way too hard – and titles include "Firefly", "I'm Looking", "Chicken", "If", "Pig", "When I Get Home", and "Wishin". (Very limited vinyl pressing – with bonus download too!)  ~ Dusty Groove

AMERICANA ROCK YOUR SOUL 2: MORE BLUE-EYED SOUL AND A.O.R. SOUNDS FROM THE LAND OF THE FREE

Taking its lead from the ‘Americana Music Association’, Wikipedia describes ‘Americana’ as "contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band."

Like its well-received predecessor, the music on this second volume of Americana, showcases a slightly different take on this phenomenon. ‘Contemporary’? Well, most of these recordings, sourced from the golden musical decades of the ‘70s and ‘80s, nonetheless fit very snugly with an interest in all things folk-funk that, while a marked tendency amongst the kind of people who are usually more interested in black music styles since at least the ‘90s rediscovery of Terry Callier, is very much of the ‘now’ as we get deeper into the twenty-first century. ‘Roots’ music? Well, most of this stuff has a commercial, professional sheen, redolent less of the back porch and wide open plains than the urban pub and the college campus. The musical syncretism found here represents an ‘easy’ strain of American popular music that was less ‘lock-up-your-daughters’ than ‘wow, I think Mom and Pop will like this too.’

As such, it represents a progressive, adult rapprochement with the civil rights movement, a moment in American cultural life before Reaganomics had fully achieved the backwards march that was a catalyst for the rise of hip-hop and the racial and class-based fracturing of the progressive post-war consensus. Life feels good, if a touch complacent, in these grooves.

It’s often the reception and not the production that crystallizes a musical style, and the relatively disparate sounds to be found on this album find their home together thanks to the particular aesthetic of renowned crate-digger/archivists Zaf Chowdhry and Mark Taylor. Both steeped in black music, these guys found they shared a penchant for its ‘blue-eyed’ variant. Blue-eyed soul has of course always been a part of Britain’s black music scenes, and the discourse has hopefully moved on from the days when earnest record collectors would debate whether only blacks could sing the blues. The quest for ‘authenticity’ that characterized those discussions really comes unstuck with these kinds of recordings: it’s precisely their inauthenticity as R&B that makes them authentic. The kind of melismatic, churchy, enraptured vocals characteristic of classic R&B are absent here, in their stead is something cooler and more definitively secular.

If they speak to us now, it’s because we’re nostalgic for the kind of fit between music and identity that has become so lost with the advent of new recording technologies and brutal commercial realities. Bland, but expressive of new identities, new communities and the searching, reflective self that characterized the singer-songwriter role in the second-half of the twentieth-century, this album deepens our understanding of the influence of black music on American culture, and indeed of American culture more generally on the UK’s black music scenes, whilst spreading the love a little wider than the small circles of cognoscenti who have previously cherished these records.

This survey of a sound touches bases of all of those aforementioned UK and world-wide black-music scenes too. If the two-step scene has yet to pick up on the likes of Jaye P. Morgan, it’s been sleeping. Elsewhere, lightly jazzy instrumental funk (Luc Cousineau) jostles the deeper, heavier sounds of Lucy Stone. Artists such as Madcliff could work comfortably on the stompiest of Northern dancefloors, southern soul stalwarts Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes go disco, TR’s Hot Ice fit with the punk-funk/disco-not-disco template, and Hal Bradbury and Steve Eaton can pass muster with the more discerning of collectors as ‘proper’ soul records. All in all, it’s another in-depth look at a neglected area of American musical history with a direct line to the eclectic sensibilities of twenty-first century black music collectors. 

~ bbemusic.com

FREDDIE HUBBARD'S BACK TO BIRDLAND, SONNY CLARK'S COOL STRUTTIN', BOBBY HUTCHERSON'S HAPPENINGS REISSUED

FREDDIE HUBBARD - BACK TO BIRDLAND

Freddie Hubbard comes storming home to his bebop roots on this 1981, West Wind release. When Hubbard, Richie Cole on alto saxophone, Ashley Alexander on double trombone, George Cables on piano, Andy Simpkins on bass, and John Dentz on bass dive head first into the seminal Gillespie/Parker tune "Shaw Nuff," it's almost as though the '60s and '70s never happened. They swim straight back to the source-lightning fast and with unbridled energy. On "Lover Man" (Ramirez/Davis/Sherman), Cole's subtle, heartfelt soloing meshes seamlessly with Hubbard's velvet flugelhorn. It is great to hear these tunes and this kind of playing updated in an era of such superior recording techniques. On the final track, Hubbard's own "Byrdlike," the sparks fly off trombone, sax, and trumpet in ever growing spirals. This is real; blistering be-bop for those of us that can't get enough. Recorded in 1981. Personnel: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet). Recording information: 08/1982. Personnel includes: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Richie Cole (alto saxophone); George Cables (piano); Ashley Alexander, Andy Simpkins, John Dentz, Med Flory. Personnel includes: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Richie Cole (alto saxophone); Ashley Alexander (trombone); George Cables (piano); Andy Simkins (bass); John Dentz (drums). ~ cduniverse

SONNY CLARK - COOL STUTTIN' 

The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of Cool Struttin' includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal. Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Rudy Van Gelder (1998, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey). This is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Editions series. 2013 Japanese pressing 24 bit remaster SHM-CD scheduled to include bonus material. Blue Note Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jerey on January 5, 1958. Originally released on Blue Note (81588). Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff and Bob Blumenthal. Personnel: Sonny Clark (piano); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Art Farmer (trumpet); Paul Chambers (acoustic bass); Philly Joe Jones (drums). Producer: Alfred Lion. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.

BOBBY HUTCHERSON -HAPPENINGS 

Happenings was vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson's fourth Blue Note release as a leader. Where its predecessors Diaolgue and Components were packed with challenging avant-bop, Happenings instead brings things down a notch. With pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Joe Chambers, and bassist Bob Cranshaw on board, Hutcherson keeps the tone fairly light, performing his original compositions (the exception is Hancock's "Maiden Voyage") with a mellow, swinging style that emphasizes modal exploration. The performances are all top-notch, and the album still weighs in as one of the best in Hutcherson's fine catalogue. 2013 Japanese pressing SHM-CD scheduled to include bonus material. 24 bit remaster. Universal Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on February 8, 1966. Personnel: Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone, marimba); Herbie Hancock (piano); Bob Cranshaw (bass); Joe Chambers (drums). ~ cduniverse

NEW RELEASES - TEMPO DREAMS VOLUME 2, STRANGE JAZZ UNIVERSE FEATURING RON BRUNER SR, RONNIE BURRAGE

TEMPO DREAMS VOLUME 2 (VARIOUS ARTSTS

Following the critically-acclaimed 2012 release of their beat-centric compilation Tempo Dreams Vol. 1 (assembled by Detroit/UK producer-at-large Tall Black Guy), Brooklyn wax purveyors Bastrd Jazz Recordings have returned with Volume 2 of the enlightening, genre-bending series. This time around, the label has enlisted Bay Area mainstay DJ/producers Teeko & B. Bravo, driving forces behind the transformative “modern funk” sound emerging out of the West Coast. Sticking with the series' theme of showcasing new styles and emerging artists, curated by their own musical peers, Teeko and Bravo have conjured up an LP of mind-blowing tracks that push the limits of soulful electronic funk, outernational boogie, and cosmic hip-hop. Tempo Dreams Volume 2 picks up where the first edition left off, bridging the gaps between various geographic locations and local scenes, while also reaching for new heights with soaring vocal features and dance-floor primed beats. Featured artists include Rojai, E.Live, K-Maxx, Bayonics, Mugpush, Black Spade, Teeko & B. Bravo's own Starship Connection, Belgium’s Pomrad, Atjazz, Amalia, and Insomniax. ~ giantstep.net

STRANGE JAZZ UNIVERSE FEATURING RON BRUNER SR - NEW SPACE AGE MATERIALS

“I'm a veteran of the Los Angeles music scene. I'm not comfortable were I am, because I see what's ahead.  It's a big universe.  There's room.  Better music does not make a better world.  From Jesus' day til now there has always been the music of the day.  It relieved the stress, celebrated life and death. Commemorated the occasions, offered a platform for philosophy and it forever evolves.  New instruments, new concepts, new techniques, new technology (from log drums with goat skin heads to layered maple, birch and bubinga veneered drum shells with chrome hardware).  There are literal music libraries we can access now from almost any point in world history and get a good understanding of how the earth and it's civilizations were at any given time.  And we're talking about beautiful music (in the eye of the beholder).  I love music and yet with this archival history of art, exponentially, this world and it's civilization are worse.  Music is not the saviour......... So let's play” says drummer, Ron Bruner, Sr. Players on the CD "New Space Age Materials" are: Edmund Velasco Sax, Kamasi Washington Sax, Thundercat Bass, Stanley Clarke Bass, Del Atkins Acoustic Bass, Fidel Winzey Bass, Jinshi Ozaki Guitar, John Z. Guitar, Phil Charles Guitar, Rick Z. Guitar, Ron Bruner Sr. drums, Ariana Charlene Vocals, Bryan Evans Keyboards, Brandon Coleman Keyboards, Jameel Bruner Keybds, Cameron Graves Piano

RONNIE BURRAGE - JUST NATURAL
 

It is a pity that this music was recorded for such a tiny label, for the performances are full of high energy, creativity, and fresh ideas. Eric Person (on alto and soprano), organist Terence Conley, and drummer Ronnie Burrage may seem at first glance to form a typical soul-jazz organ trio, and there is a bit of that in the music. However, Person's solos are often quite adventurous and a bit innovative (hinting at both M-Base music and the avant-garde at times), Conley's organ sometimes is closer to fusion than to Jimmy Smith, and Burrage's passionate yet tasteful playing is a major asset. Burrage also sings/talks blues lyrics on the Rolling Stones' "No Expectation," which does not feature chord changes for much of the time. In addition to four group originals, the trio plays very fresh versions of such modern jazz numbers as "Moontrane," "Shade of Jade," "Black Narcissus," and Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica." Well-worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow Recorded at The Molding Room, Brooklyn, New York on January 16, 2000. Includes liner notes by Russ Musto. Personnel: Ronnie Burrage (vocals, drums); Eric Person (reeds); Terrence Conley (Hammond organ).

NEW RELEASES - GEORGE DUKE'S BRAZILIAN GROOVE, KIRK LIGHTSEY, JACOB SZEKELY TRIO

GEORGE DUKE - BRAZILIAN FUSION

A dream of a set – at least to our Brazilian-loving ears – a special package that brings together all the best Brazilian-flavored cuts from George Duke's late 70s run on Epic Records! The package is filled with wonderfully sunny grooves throughout – tunes that sparkle and soar with mighty nice rhythms – topped with loads of keyboards from George, and vocals that often have a scatting, breezy style that's plenty sweet – American soul influenced by Brazilian grooves, in a sound that's a bit like the feel of Earth Wind & Fire's "Brazilian Rhyme". It's wonderful to have these cuts all together, and the set feels like a dream album we would have compiled ourselves – with titles that include "Omi", "The Future", "The Way I Feel", "Sunrise", "Festival", "A Melody", "Ipanema Lady", "Corine", "Positive Energy", "Let Your Love Shine", "Thinking Of You", "Your Life", and "Yeah We Going". ~ Dusty Groove

KIRK LIGHTSEY - SOLO PIANO, EN ARGENTINA

Kirk Lightsey's a pianist who really knows how to open up in just the right setting – which he definitely does here in this sublime solo performance from Bueno Aires! Lightsey's got a wonderfully lyrical touch – that balance of soul and sensitivity that's always made him one of the most expressive pianists of his generation – and even more so once the company on a session gets slim. Tracks are all quite long, but handled at a level that's always personal, but very powerful too – quite exploratory, but without ever being too far out – that special sort of blend that Lightsey does so well. Titles include "Habiba", "Pee Wee/Heaven Dance", "More Than You Know", "Goodbye Mr Evans", and "Infant Eyes". ~ Dusty Groove

JACOB SZEKELY TRIO

Describing distinguished cellist Jacob Szekely’s newest recording with words like “cerebral” and “soulful,” critics have praised the indie musician’s innovation and creativity. According to Szekely, largely credited for transforming the cello into a credible lead jazz instrument, the “soulfulness” on the recording wouldn’t have been possible without his cello made by Eric Benning, a Los Angeles-area luthier who also crafts violas and violins. “It was perfect timing for both of us,” stated Benning. “I had just made a Stradivarius model cello with some absolutely gorgeous wood I had been saving. Just as I was completing it, Jacob was looking to purchase something high-end. His career was starting to take off.” The CD, titled “The Jacob Szekely Trio,” which includes the talents of pianist Josh Nelson and drummer Christopher Allis, has received decidedly rave reviews from acclaimed music critics such as Brian Arsenault of the International Review of Music, who effusively stated: "The cello in Szekely’s special hands is transformative, literally. At times a guitar, a bass guitar, a violin, a harp. But always, always a cello. Is there anyone else in the world who plays the instrument like this?" Szekely states that the recording and reception would not have been possible without Benning’s cello in his hands. “It just wouldn’t have been possible without Eric’s instrument. My Benning cello is an inspiration to me. Whether I'm recording or performing, this soulful instrument empowers me to play from my heart and express what I always hope to express.”

 

JEFF LORBER CLASSIC ALBUMS REISSUED - WATER SIGN, WIZARD ISLAND, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, IT'S A FACT AND GALAXIAN

THE JEFF LORBER FUSION – WATER SIGN

A landmark set of fusion from Jeff Lorber – the major label debut of his group, and the virtual blueprint for a sound that many would try to copy over the years, but never quite match! The style's almost a summation of the CTI/Kudu approaches of the mid 70s – with Lorber setting down a sweet groove in a variety of keyboards, working with bassist Danny Wilson and drummer Dennis Bradford to create some serenely spacious grooves that have a lot of polish, but also still a nice degree of soul. Guest players really open up things nicely – especially Dennis Springer, who plays a variety of saxes on the set – as well as Joe Farrell, Freddie Hubbard, and Doug Lewis. Titles include "Toad's Place", "Country", "Tune 88", "Lights Out", "Rain Dance", and "Water Sign".  

THE JEFF LORBER FUSION – WIZARD ISLAND

A real classic from Jeff Lorber – the kind of record that crossed-over immediately, and had a huge influence on so many different scenes! The style is smooth sweet fusion – of a sort that Lorber virtually helped invent, and so many others helped to ruin in later years – but here, things are clean and lean, very focused on the groove – and coming off with a really soulful sound! There's a great mix of acoustic and electric keys that really makes the album cook – giving it a two-dimensional feel that really comes off nicely on every tune – and the core lineup includes Lorber on keys, plus electric bass, drums, and saxes. Titles include "Wizard Island", "Lava Lands", "Shadows", "City", "Rooftops", and "Can't Get Enough". 

JEFF LORBER – IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT

Sweet fusion grooving from Jeff Lorber – going strong here in a tight early 80s mode that combines jazz and R&B with effortless ease! The leadoff title track is a catchy groover, done with lead vocals by Jeff and Maurice Starr – but most of the other tracks on the set are instrumental, in that tight mode that Lorber virtually invented at the end of the 70s – and coming off with a lot of soul, thanks to guest work from Lee Ritenour on guitar and Ronnie Laws on saxophone. The set also features vocals from Philip Ingram and Alex Ligertwood – each on a track apiece – and titles include "Sushi Monster", "In The Heat Of The Night", "Rock II", "Waterfall", "Blast Off", and "Don't Say Yes".  

JEFF LORBER – IT’S A FACT

Jeff Lorber shows his equal talents for jazz and soul on this one – working in a tight blend of keyboard and guitar electric funk – one that's perfect for the occasional vocal part! The core sound is fusion, but done in a way that works nicely off of the R&B-tinged experiments of the 70s – taking lessons learned from Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, and The Crusaders – in order to come up with a jazzy groove that's also pretty appealing to fans of modern soul! Vocals are from a hip trio of talents – Sylvia St James, Greg Walker, and Arnold McCuller – and titles include "Full Moon", "Tierra Verde", "Your Love Has Got Me", "Always There", "Delevans", and "The Magicians".  

JEFF LORBER FUSION – GALAXIAN

The Jeff Lorber group makes a move into R&B with a few tracks on this set – adding in vocals to their core sweet fusion approach, but in a style that totally makes sense! Lorber's always had a great way with a soulful tune – working with both electric and acoustic keys in a style that's similar to Rodney Franklin – and like Franklin, the occasional vocal in his work only seems to bring out the more soul-based aspects of his work. Donnie Gerrard sings on 2 tracks – "Monster Man" and "Think Back & Remember" – and other tunes include "Bright Sky", "Galaxian", "Magic Lady", and "Night Love". 

~ Dusty Groove