 Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Steve Stills - Super Session (1968)
"Every once in awhile what seems like a good idea at the time
actually turns out to be a great idea. Such was the case with the
concept behind what would become the Super Session album. The
sixties found Al Kooper backing Bob Dylan on tour plus joining him
in the studio. He provided the keyboards for “Like A Rolling Stone,”
and would go on to play with The Blues Project and form Blood,
Sweat, & Tears which he would leave after one album. In 1968 he came
up with the idea of recording his friend Mike Bloomfield by
gathering some back-up musicians and just jamming. He felt this type
of recording technique would fit the style of Bloomfield well.
”
~ David Bowling - BlogCritic.org |
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 Sacha Boutros - Simply Sacha (2008)
"released on May 28, 2008 is proving to be “Simply Marvelous.” Robb 'Jazzbro' Peterson, KTUH FM 90.3 in Honolulu. Half of the album is original and the compositions are a mix of Jazz, Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova and Pop “I am trying to create a sort of Pop-Jazz so that everyone will enjoy my music, and hopefully get more into and appreciate the art of acoustic music itself and the beauty and power of something as simple as a song.””
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 Midnight Star - No Parking on the Dance Floor (1983)
"Putting aside previous Earth, Wind & Fire-style leanings, Midnight Star saw the emergence of the more eclectic, synthesized funk of younger artists like Prince, and, with the Calloway brothers producing, reinvented itself through the release of 1983's No Parking on the Dance Floor. The result, a computerized, infectious brand of dance/funk, took Midnight Star to the top of the R&B charts with the album's first release, "Freak-a-Zoid" as well as the follow-up singles "Wet My Whistle" and the title track. The group also proved it could still pump out a soulful ballad with "Slow Jam," an album cut that became a Quiet Storm staple.”
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 Richard "Groove" Holmes -
Soul Message (1965) "Groove"ť Holmes "deftly toes the line between serious jazz and soul/pop worlds on this 1965 recording, which seems targeted at a mainstream audience not in the mood for either teaching or preaching. The familiar songs are given a slight face-lift (Holmes' up-tempo treatment of Erroll Garner's "Misty" became a hit single), while a less familiar tune like Clifford Brown's "Dahoud" settles into such an easy, emphatic groove that even a first-time listener could mistake it for a comfortable old slipper. ”
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 Me'Shell
Ndegéocello -
Devil's Halo (2009)
Meshell Ndegeocello: Like a Real Revolutionary - “I’m no longer subjected to the Top 10 or the Top 100. I get the music from the last 100 years.” “Meshell Ndegeocello’s eighth studio album, Devil’s Halo (Mercer Street Records), synthesizes her varied influences as they’ve played out on her often brilliantly, at times, bafflingly, varied previous albums — notably Bitter, Comfort Woman, The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams, and Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel. ”
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Kruder And Dorfmeister -
The K&D Sessions (1998)
“After listening to the disc, several things can be ascertained about Kruder and Dorfmeister. The first of these is that their work is super-solid. Even with the varying styles and amount of work that they've included on the two discs, almost every song is very listenable and many of them completely rock the funky beat. Although they have a definite style and tend to favor that bossanova organ with funky beats with a touch of dub, they work all the tracks differently and even the one song that is contained twice sounds completely different on each version. One other cool thing about the music is that all the tracks are mixed together on the individual discs, creating a seamless flow of smooth groove for the listener. If you're not quite into kickin' it full bore and want something to lay back and chill out to, look no further.”
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Oskar Cartaya -
My Music, My Friends, My Time (2004)
“ Bassist extraordinaire/bandleader Oskar Cartaya released this long-awaited solo debut recording with a little help from his friends. After a fruitful career working with the likes of Spyro Gyra, Herb Albert, Celia Cruz, Dave Valentín, Rubén Blades, Steve Winwood and Robbie Robertson, Cartaya has acted as musical director for Willie Colón, Tania Maria, Jennifer López, end more recently, for Obie Bermúdez. This disc reflects all his obvious influences from R&B, jazz, rock and pop to Latin and beyond, plus his compositional skills, arrangements and production savvy, all fused into one. Backed by a cast of luminaries, from coast to coast and from his beloved Puerto Rice, the ensemble perpetuates Latin jazz in its richest form throughout 13 original compositions from the pen of Cartaya.”
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Mark Rapp -
Token Tales (2009)
“Mark Rapp’s debut album Token Tales shows many different facets of this trumpeter’s pioneering ways as he crafts a smooth jazz relaxer in “Thank You,” jumps into a funky rapport with his band in “Who’s The Man?” and articulates creamy soul-jazz lifts along “Mr. Tricky.” These are just some of Rapp’s skills at the top of his spreadsheet. He never runs out of ideas about where to take his compositions, whether he is being experimental and engages in some free-style acrobatics like along “Cissy Strut,” or sticks to a traditional jazz keister and classic soaring riffs like in the title track.”
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Lao Tizer -
Diversity (2007)
“The highs and lows of Diversify take listeners on a sojourn through varying degrees of influences. Tracks such as
"A Night in the City" and the title track are spontaneous and rhythmic, while a few of the album's songs flow in a more subtle direction. Other tracks on the CD provide an introspective look at Lao's creative input as he intuitively includes Latin, R&B and neo soul dynamics as a part of his overall intent. As one examines the specified flavor of Diversify, Tizer is not single minded in the manner he has chosen to highlight himself as a composer and musician.”
By Sheldon T. Nunn - JazzReview.com |
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Jessica Medina -
Azul (2007)
“ with influences from six different countries, Jessica Medina is not only well travelled but also a captivating performer who is dedicated to the art of jazz.
Being able to speak Spanish, English, Italian, French, Portuguese, and German, Medina learnt the roots of music of the different cultures and includes them in her compositions... The sultry singer fell in love with jazz by coincidence and has pursued the genre ever since... Medina has been working with different musicians for the past few years before she actually had the opportunity to sit down and work on her album. ”
By DEBBIE CHAN - TheStar online |
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Leela James -
Let's Do It Again (2009)
“Anyway ... after almost 4 years of silence, Leela returns with an album on Shanachie Records, filled with cover tracks that in one way or another, carry a special place in her heart.
Now, the reviews on Let's do it Again are a bit mixed. From 'highly recommended' to 'good effort', from 'surpassing the original' to 'blunder'. I will be straight forward here, Let's do it Again is a fantastic album according to me.
Indeed, there are some 'obvious' covers on this disk as no one will be surprised that Leela is doing Betty Wright's Clean up Woman, Angela Bofill's I Try or James Brown's It's a man's man's man's World. It also ain't the question if these covers match the original ... what's most important to me is the way Leela James turns and models the tracks into personalized, 'labeled LJ' tunes. And there's no way around ... she does this perfectly.”
JazzandSoul.com |
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Cindy Bradley -
Bloom (2009)
“The smooth jazz listing in Wikipedia includes only eight trumpeters/flugelhornists and half of them are artists whose surname starts with the letter "B." The names include Chris Botti, Rick Braun, Randy Brecker and Tom Browne, all of whom have their own style and have left their own mark.
It's time for another "B" to break up the boys club and her name is Cindy Bradley, following her 2007 self-produced album Just A Little Bit with a major label debut, Bloom. This CD showcases Bradley as an extremely promising young talent who isn't simply following in the footsteps of predecessors, but striking out on some new paths of her own.”
By Jeff Winbush - All About Jazz |
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Ledisi -
Turn Me Loose (2009)
“ Stand back. Ledisi is ready to knock down the microphone.
Turn Me Loose, the New Orleans native's successor to 2007's Grammy-nominated breakthrough Lost & Found, sounds like a fierce, soul-fire manifesto that firmly establishes this passionate singer-songwriter as a contemporary force.
In just under an hour, Ledisi Young's talents will draw comparisons to Chaka
Khan with her incendiary mix of R&B, rock, hip-hop, blues and funk. ”
By MARIO TARRADELL - Music Critic - dallasnews.com |
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Sara Tavares - Xinti (2009)
“During the early years of the emergence of world music, the rootsy, old-national traditions were the first to grow into the mainstream light. In recent years, though, artists who hybridize traditions have moved to the forefront of the genre.
A good example is Sara Tavares, who is of Cape Verdean ancestry but was raised in Portugal, the daughter of immigrants who left the rocky islands for greener economic pastures. Though her early influences were found on the American soul shelf, she has since moved to a sound that has more in common with modern Africa.
Her third album, "Xinti," which means "Feel It," showcases her maturation as an artist. "Xinti" ("ZHIN-tee") finds a rare balance in her music: upbeat but gentle, soulful but sweet. Tavares uses her velvety voice creatively, departing from the basic lyrics of these songs to scat alternate melodic lines that push, pull and punctuate the percolating polyrhythms underneath.
Tavares sings in Portuguese and Cape Verdean creole on an album of songs that she wrote, produced and arranged. In addition to playing guitars, she often accompanies herself on vocals, overdubbing layers of her honeyed rasp to great billowing effect.”
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Torcuato Mariano -
So Far From Home (2009)
“by guitarist Torcuato Mariano is as surprising as it is delightful. Given his South American heritage one might have expected Mariano to use this release as his homage to the music of bossa nova that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Instead, as if from no-where and under the good guidance of nuGroove Records, he has delivered ten original smooth jazz stunners that look likely to instantly catapult him into the upper echelons of the genre.”
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 Peter White -
Good Day (2009) “This is truly a beckoning to all smooth jazzers to return to the Peter White of the 90s and early 2000s, to recall the images and good feeling his originals always conjured up. It is all here in abundance. Those of us who have waited for the guitar master’s fascination with covers (great though they were) to subside a bit and for his return to that which fascinated us so fully over the years will definitely not be disappointed. The wait, the patience, and the undying allegiance to the man who has always offered contemporary jazz acoustic guitar with so much color and flair have truly paid off in immeasurable manner, and that's no overstatement. True, I have always admired the effortless, silky skills of the Londoner, but anyone who’s into real smooth or contemporary jazz will have to admit to the appeal of this one.
Ronald Jackson, smoothvibes.com |
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 Bobby Ricketts -
Skin To Skin (2008) “The musical integrity, artistry, heart and soul of saxophonist Bobby Ricketts can now be heard on the album Skin To Skin – his first solo recording in a number of years. “I’ve always been so busy fulfilling commitments to play or produce for other artists or clients, and it never entered my mind to record a solo album. I’ve always felt that I was expressing myself and being true to my heart musically, even in projects I’ve done for commercial situations. I’ve been quite privileged in that way. But over the past few years, the desire to express myself entirely within my own personal musical universe has inflamed into a burning passion…””
HBH, Smooth Jazz Blog |
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 Shae Fiol -
Catch A Ride (2009) “The first thing that listeners will notice is that Catch at Ride is an incredibly balanced record. There is a nice mix of mid-tempo tunes such as the aforementioned "Let Down," and the sensual "Embrace." Back to back ballads, pensive "A Woman's Presence" and jazzy "Lonely, Lovely," are followed by the socially relevant up-tempo song "It's Not Easy."
By time the listener gets to the electronica-funk jam "King," it becomes clear that Shae Fiol is not your average singer/songwriter with a guitar. She is an artist who is equally adept at making her listeners lean in close to listen to her pained lyrics on "A Woman's Presence," and have them dancing in their seats while listening to "King." And that is quite a combination.”
Howard Dukes, soultracks.com |
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Joyce Cooling -
Global Cooling (2009)
“Joyce cooling There is little doubt that San Francisco based guitarist Joyce Cooling has the monopoly on the kind of tight mid tempo smooth jazz that will always find an audience. Known for both her unique finger picking style and her passion for rhythm and harmony, the collaborations she has long enjoyed with writing partner Jay Wagner have signposted her career and now she is back with her brand new release, the cleverly titled ‘Global Cooling’.”
Smooth Jazz Therapy |
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 Carol Welsman -
Carol Welsman (2001) “The dynamic, multi-talented Carol Welsman may be less well-known to jazz and pop fans as her fellow Canadians Diana Krall and Michael Buble, but over the course of six genre-busting albums in the past 12 years, she’s found a fascinating niche as a true global citizen of the world. Some interesting accolades should do the trick as far as introduction to her powerful impact as a recording artist and live performer. She won “Pianist/Keyboardist of the Year” at the 2006 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, and was a nominee for “Best Female Vocalist”, “Album of the Year”, and “Best Pianist/Keyboardist” in 2007. Four of her previous CDs have earned Juno Award nominations, the Canadian equivalent to the Grammy Award. Pierre Cossette, renownedproducer of the Grammy Awards, produced Carol’s last project, a CD/DVD “What’cha Got Cookin’, released in Japan, and Canada in 2006. It garnered a nomination for “Album of the Year.””
Jonathan Widran, jazzmonthly.com® |
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 Idris Muhammad - Power of Soul (1974) “This album marked Idris Muhammad's debut as a leader and is described in the liner notes as " an album that should have received warmer accolades and become a classic." I would whole-heartedly agree with this summation and add that it will certainly be one of my favourite re-releases this year.
The players on this disc might be termed a "super" band. Most of the musicians heard here were on the way to becoming stars in their own spheres. Muhammad himself had played for such Broadway shows as "Hair" and had, by this time, become the house drummer for the Prestige record label. Subsequently he worked with the likes of Roberta Flack, Pharoah Sanders, George Coleman and David Murray and has become one of the most respected and in demand drummers in the business.”
Dick Stafford, musicweb-international.com |
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 Buena Vista Social Club - At Carnegie Hall (2008) “The first thing that strikes me about At Carnegie Hall is the sound quality. This album sounds amazing, with a power and resonance that blows the studio album away. From the opening applause and the instantly recognizable chords of “Chan Chan” you know you are in for an audiophile’s treat. Live albums always have the potential to go wrong with substandard recording quality, but this album sounds better than the studio album to my ears, a testament to Cooder’s meticulous mixing and mastering. And the performance itself is spectacular. Lead vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer’s voice is raw and emotive; pianist Ruben Gonzalez seems to float effortlessly yet precisely over each key he touches. Standout tracks include “Chan Chan,” “Dos Gardenias,” and “Candela,” but really this whole set is phenomenal.”
Ajay Miranda , AustinVida.com |
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Freddie Hubbard -
Without a Song: Live in Europe 1969 (2009) “Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's passing in December 2008 created the expected appetite for previously unissued material. This generous set is a valuable exhumation of live material, recorded in 1969. Actually, Hubbard had already approved its release prior to his departure, and was very excited about this archival rediscovery. The main bulk is drawn from concerts in London and Bristol, but the last two tracks were laid down somewhere in Germany.”
Martin Longley, BBC Review |
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Matthew Montfort -
Seven Serenades (2008) “Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar is best described as world fusion; Indian music is an influence, but it isn't the disc's only influence -- and Montfort also draws on everything from Spanish flamenco to blues to folk-rock. Celtic music is an influence on "Celtic Raga," which successfully combines Irish-Celtic and Indian elements. Through it all, Montfort demonstrates that even though he has considerable chops and technical prowess, he is much more interested in feeling and expression than technique. ”
Alex Henderson, All Music Guide |
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Euge Groove -
Born 2 Groove (2007) “Euge’s idea was to take his music to church. It’s not a jazz gospel album per se, but the sound is funky, transcendent and spiritual. And instead of working like everyone else with the usual smoothie sidemen, he invested a great deal of time and effort to find musicians who could convey the uplifting spiritual vibe he was after.”
Jonathan Widran - JazzMonthly.com |
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Gemma Genazzano -
Si Me Quieres/ If You Love Me (2009)
“Unlike much of today's Latin output, Gemma Genazzano's Si Mi Quieres / If You Love Me owes less to contemporary R&B and dance music and more to '70s funk and soul. It's an important distinction to make as, in the hands of the wrong production outfit, Genazzano could have slipped into the slush pile, her sultry, playful voice wasted with cookie-cutter arrangements. But Genazzano avoids the processed cheese completely, instead singing over a classy collection of light funk and ice-cool vocal jazz, much of it enveloped in a Latin context.”
Robert M. Sutton - All About Jazz |
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Cheikh Ndoye~ -
A Child's Tale (2009)
“Cheikh Ndoye’s debut CD is distinctive if just for the number of “name” artists who agreed to work with the young and amazingly technically proficient bassist. With Randy Brecker, Russell Ferrante and Eric Marienthal, among others, on hand to share their talents you know Ndoye must have a garnered a great deal of respect among his fellow jazz musicians. Originally from Senegal, West Africa, Ndoye has been in the United States for about ten years. Self-taught as a youngster, he has become known as a Richard Bona protégé for the work Ndoye has done in studying with the master bassist.”
Thomas R. Erdmann - Jazz Review.com |
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Marvin Gaye -
What's Going On (1971)
“After hearing a preliminary mix of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, with its unabashedly passive advocacy for peace and love, Motown head Berry Gordy refused to release the record. Gordy wasn't offended by Gaye's embrace of countercultural politics—Stevie Wonder had already released a few decidedly bleeding-heart singles such as "Heaven Help Us All" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind." No, what really offended his sensibilities (and caused him to infamously dub the LP "the worst record I've ever heard") was its absolute cohesiveness as an album. With What's Going On, Gaye presented to Gordy, who ran Motown as if it lived and died by the hit single, what might be considered the studio's first concept album. (At the very least, it was a groundbreaking experiment in collating a pseudo-classical suite of free-flowing songs.) ”
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Althea Rene~ -
No Restrictions (2008)
“is an instantly likeable, melodically catchy and groovingly in the pocket delight from start to finish. The opening title track sets the tone by perfectly balancing easy, seductive grooves and a catchy hook with colorful and imaginative improvisations. Besides the presence of Dulfer, Rene on “Ladies Night Out” is complemented by a subtle old school keyboard vibe. She eases along pretty effortlessly on the dreamy and soulful “Come My Way” then goes a little more progressive on the trippy, dramatic and edgy hypnosis of “Do Ya Like Dat?” which swirls her whimsical flute with hip-hop grooves and a mix of male and female rap-sing vocals. ”
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Jimmy Salvemini -
Self Expression (2008)
“Jimmy was initially pushed into the music industry by his brother and then manager Larry Salvemini when he heard that his little brother (at 12 years) was at a Barbara Mandrell concert with a sign saying, "I'm 12 years old, please fulfill my dreams to sing a duet with you." Barbara called him on stage and what started as a duet ended as a solo performance. ”
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Lynne Fiddmont -
FLOW (2007)
“During the 2008 Smooth Jazz Cruise stars emerged in the most unexpected of places. Indeed this is exactly what happened in the M/S Westerdam’s Ocean Bar when session singer extraordinaire Lynne Fiddmont took the stage. Of course Fiddmont is far from simply being a backing musician. Her 2006 solo release ‘Flow’ was an absolute revelation”
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 Blake Aaron - Desire (2007) “Smooth jazz guitarist Blake Aaron is back with his third CD Desire and for anyone familiar with his music, it was well worth the wait. This collection of mostly original music captivates the senses from the first note and never lets go. Aaron�s love for jazz is apparent in everything he does and Desire is no exception... Desire is unquestionably one of the standout smooth jazz CD's of the year, three years in the making.”
Susan Lozinak, jazzreview.com® |
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Melissa Morgan -
Until I Met You (2009)
““For her debut release, Melissa Morgan wanted a gritty, retro vibe evocative of classic jazz
vocal albums of the 1950s and ’60s. She also wanted to pay tribute to such heroines of that era as
Nancy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan. On both counts she succeeds admirably,”
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Alyssa Graham - Echo (2008)
“Jazz, by its very nature, is evolving in four dimensions. Norah Jones, for example, with a
crack band and a Country and Western sensibility, has reformed the interface between jazz and
popular music. Think of Jones as Josef Haydn, a musical trailblazer inventing a new way to
look at an established genre, one further perfected by Mozart's inevitable invention. Norah
Jones' Mozart is Alyssa Graham.”
— allaboutjazz.com - C. Michael Bailey |
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Stanley Turrentine - Sugar (1970)
“If ever there were a record that both fit perfectly and stood outside the CTI Records' stable sound, it is Sugar by Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1970, only three tracks appear on the original album (on the reissue there's a bonus live version of the title track, which nearly outshines the original and is 50 percent longer). Turrentine, a veteran of the soul-jazz scene since the '50s, was accompanied by a who's who of groove players, including guitarist George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, bassist Ron Carter, organist Butch Cornell, and drummer Billy Kaye, among others.”
— Thom Jurek - All Music Guide
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Top of Page
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Terell Stafford - Taking Chances: Live At The Dakota (2005)
Sophie Milman - Take Love Easy (2009)
Chelsea Barartz - "In Faith" (2009)
Mem Shannon - I'm From Phunkville (2005)
Kevin Peter Jones - Magnetic Journey (2009)
Andreas Öberg - Six String Evolution (2010)
Larry Brown - Peace (2008)
Vijay Iyer - Historicity (2010)
Walter Beasley - Free Your Mind (2009)
Oz Noy (2009) - Schizophrenic
Bobby Lyle - Hands On (2007)
Richard Elliot - Chill Factor (1999)
Esther Phillips - From a Whisper to a Scream (1972)
Joyce Cooling "Revolving Door" (2006)
XIOMARA LAUGART "Xiomara" (2006)
Keyshia Cole "Just Like You" (2007)
Steve Wilson
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