News and Reviews
Catching Up
New Albums
Kyle Schroeder – Get With It – Long time fans of Tampa Bay area sax phenom Kyle Schroder’s live shows have finally got an album to listen to and so have you. Since he started performing as a teenager he has attracted a lot of attention and a lot of regional fans – now those years on stage and in the shed are paying off in positive reviews and airplay/streaming spins. You’ll be hearing a lot from this up and coming artist.
Special EFX featuring Chieli Minucci – Twenty Twenty 2 – Minucci and his gifted collaborators bring supberb musicianship to any syle they choose to play. This one covers a lot of territory. Review is below.
Walter Beasley – Meet Me At My Place – a seven song EP that includes his hit single “Beasley Strut,” his current single, an excellent take on Grover Washington Jr.’s “Hydra” and guest shots from Paul Jackson Jr, Bryon Miller and Chris Walker. Besides the singles the song “Montreaux” is a highlight. It’s gorgeously played with Beasley and Chris Walker’s bass taking the leads.
JJ Sansaverino – Soul Energy – Just what the title says. This charismatic New York based guitarist delivers an energized set of originals inlcuding his recent hit “Miami.” Always good to hear some guitar based grooves in the genre.
Jeanette Harris – Saxathrone – This woman plays with such a beautiful, emotional tone. Solid songwriting and soulful intoxicating grooves. This one will create a mood. .
Brian Culbertson – The Trilogy Pt 3 White – Culbertson is a prolific composer across a wide range of instrumental genres who can flip from hard funk to slow jams to moodscapes in a heartbeat. This is the third part of the mood driven trilogy he created interactively with his online community mostly during the pandemic. All three volumes are too good to miss.
Chris Standring – Simple Things Another set of innovative, eclectic and irresistable grooves from one of our go-to guitarists finds him exploring new sonic territory. You’ve heard the ultra melodic “Change the World” and the new single “Shadow of Doubt” has a chillout groove.
Zolbert – Focus This Hungarian sax star is making waves across the pond with his fourth album. It’s the first to be promoted in the US and will send you to your favorite streaming service to hear more. It’s a solid set of hook heavy songs with guest shots from Kayla Waters, Oli Silk, Kim Scott, F. Peet of Peet Project and Adam Hawley is featured on One Step Closer. the first single to go to streaming services and radio.
Marqueal Jordan – All We Have Are Moments If you’ve seen Brian Culbertson live recently you’ve seen Jordan on sax and vocals. The first track to radio/streaming stations is the deeply funky “Sistas” featuring Culbertson on Keyboards.
Matt Lee – Never Too Late A new name on the scene whose fourth single “One More Kiss” was just released has put his four excellent singles in to an EP.
Norman Brown – Let’s Get Away Is this his 13th album? Another excellent set from a heritage artist.
Rick Braun – Rick Braun After all these years he finally releases a self titled album.
Mindi Abair – Forever Seems like forever since she did a CJazz album. This one is spiced up with a little blues, some rock and even Americana flavor
Jessy J. – Blue – She’s back and bringing a jazzy retro vibe to her latest. See the review below
Marcus Anderson – Reverse Another powerful collection of songs from one of the most exciting artists out there. This one has everything from smooth ballads to in your face funk all played with gorgeous tone and lots of feels.
Fresh Singles (click title to listen)
Greg Manning – A Song for Peace – A beautiful, heartfelt song for the times we live in. See Below.
Justin Klunk – Make it Real Sometimes one comes straight outta left field and grabs you. This young musician plays with several pop and rock acts and has managed to craft a song that is catchy without cliches and delivers a heavy dose of feels. Click the title and enjoy.
Cindy Bradley – Drive – Bradley delivers an ultra contemporary percussion driven multitextured electro groove that will make you want to drive fast.
Jazmin Ghent w Maysa – “Summertime” Think you’ve heard all the ways “Summertime” could possibly be done? Wait till you hear this new take by Jazmin Ghent with Maysa on vocals.
Ron Reinhardt feat. Richard Elliot – “Meet Me At The End” You’ve seen this gifted keyboardist on stage with almost every major artist out there. Remember his beautiful solo intro for “Rain On Me” during that Euge Groove tour? He’s finally stepping up front with some help from a long time friend and a totally original sound. It’s about time!
Greg Manning has just released a beautiful new single, ‘A Song For Peace.’ In his own words “A Song For Peace” is my most personal composition to date. I was feeling helpless in the face of war abroad and the senseless killing of children in our homeland. What can I do as a human to bring about lasting change and peace in the world? It is a daunting question, but pressing at this time. My answer lies in music, and it’s not just a shallow cliché to me. I deeply believe in the healing power of music. It changes people and it opens hearts.”I’m thrilled that Kirk Whalum is featured on this song, along with veteran guitarist Ray Fuller. Both musicians played on Whitney Houston’s single of the century “I Will Always Love You”.”Thank you for listening to my new music, and I hope you feel the love we poured into this project”
Album of the Month – Marilyn Scott “The Landscape”
Marilyn Scott was one of the few jazzy vocalists who had a presence on the smooth jazz radio format back when it was peaking. Her songs had the adult contemporary flavor but her CJazz underpinnings were always showcased by producers like George Duke and collaborators Russell Ferrante and Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets). It’s been a while since we’ve had an album of original songs from her and this one was definitely worth the wait. She has again teamed up with Haslip and Ferrante and a group of CJazz titans and given us a set of songs that are socially conscious, introspective, self aware and detail the experience of living the way we live now.
Special EFX featuring Chieli Minucci have a new one out it’s their 22nd, apropriately titled Twenty Twenty 2 . There are 12 songs and two fun, short interludes on the album, including two updates of Minucci/Special EFX favorites and his take on one of the songs that defined classic rock instrumentals. The list of contributing artists is stellar. Many of them are from the Special EFX Allstars and Lao Tizer band lineups including Lao Tizer, Joel Rosenblatt, Nelson Rangell, Jay Rowe, and Richie Cannata. Minucci and company cover a lot of territory on this one, and they deliver it all at the level you would expect from a lineup with the credentials this group have. There’s blues rock riffing in “Gonna Be Alright”, meditative acoustic passages in “Slow Hands”, multi instrumental soloing on the fusion flavored “Showboat”, inspired by Joe Zawinul (Weather Report), layers of guitar textures and joyous energy on the folk flavored, “Folks Like Us.” and even a little Celtic flavor on “Cieli Music”. Add his interpretation of a song that got a lot of us into instrumental music – The Allman Bros. “For Elizabeth Reed,” There’s a reimagination of two favorites “Ballerina Dreams” and “Everything and Anything”. Minucci has never been bound by genre and this project showcases him and his bandmates covering a lot of turf and doing it well. It’s a must for your inner guitar geek. Minucci and crew have a lot of live dates this summer and into fall. Visit his website to see if they are coming to a venue near you.
Jessy J. is back and she is stepping into a different territory with Blue her first studio album in six years. She has tapped into her long time love for the soul and blues energies of the ’60s and ’70s with an album that carries the vibe of that era as well as the then emerging contemporary jazz scene but is firmly grounded in the now. Even the cover art recalls the look of jazz albums back then (check out the Mod earrings too!), with a visual nod on the side to an iconic album from that period. The music and the overall feel of the album were driven by the spark of creativity ignited by the lockdown and her desire to reflect on the fourteen years of growth as a musician since her first album came out. She says it’s a snapshot of where she is in her life now, how she was feeling as she navigated the period of cancelled gigs and lifestyle adjustments that came with being a working musician and a parent. It also created the opportunity to explore collaboration The first single, “Dig It” and another track “Malt Shop” were written with Jeff Lorber. Some of the others were collaborations with Jay Rowe, one of The Stream’s favorite keyboardists, and his Connecticut based crew. The influences are in the pocket – The Crusaders, Herbie Hancock, and to my ear John Klemmer during the period when he was between fusion and smooth. This is an album that is eclectic and consistent, adventurous and accessible all at the same time. It’s a refreshing listen in a genre that tends to lean toward high gloss production lean more toward familiarity than originality.
Get ready for some exciting boundary busting music. Justin Lee Schultz‘s debut album was a mix of radio friendly smooth jazz and more adventurous explorations that produced two top 10 singles. Now he has teamed up with two other young musical prodigies, his drummer sister Jamie -Leigh Schultz and multi-instrumentalist Jaden Baker as J3, This is a contemporary trio that expands those horizions showcasing a jaw-dropping level of musicianship and paying tribute to their influences in an accessible, listenable and fun set. Oh, and did I mention that they are all still in their teens! To quote the press release: “Every now and then, special artists come along with mind-blowing abilities and an intuitive sense that is well beyond their years. J3 are those types of musicians. Their exuberance is tempered with serious musicianship, deep reverence for their predecessors and an eye towards the future. “We work so well together because we have a real friendship and respect for one another and have a lot of fun,” says Justin. “What I love about being in this group is that we know how to joke and have fun, but we also understand when it’s time to lock in and focus!” declares Jaden. The album is called Opus 1. The first single, “Hela” has been released to radio and streaming media and another song, “Stainless Steel” a fusion track written by Jeff Lorber, was shared by Jazziz magazine on their daily mailouts. You can hear “Hela” on The Stream throughout the day and featured on the New Music Hours. To see the amazing chemistry and talent click here check out these three with other young musicians and an astonishing take on an iconic Stevie Wonder song.
Mindi Abair’s Forever is her first collection of new music as a solo artist since 2014 – a set of 10 very personal songs that return to her contemporary jazz roots spiced up with multi-genre influences. It’s on her own label, Pretty Good For A Girl Records. Having your own label gives you room to follow your heart and be yourself, which is exactly what she does. She recorded the album right when the world shut down in March 2020 and says it represents “a coming back to myself as a solo artist and feeling a strong sense of knowing who I am and what I stand for.” The album has a very organic, authentic sound that makes the instrumentals that have been released to radio shine through in a music mix where production is generally high gloss and polished. The list of contributing artists suggests the multiple influences in effect here: long time collaborator Matthew Hager, Rick Braun, Steve Perry, Kenny Wayne Shepard (rock blues everything in between guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist) , Raul Malo (The Mavericks), and Eric Bazilian (best known as co-founder vocalist for The Hooters). Since we have been able to access so much different music from streaming and video people have started listening to a wider variety of types of music. Spicing up her contemporary jazz sound with flavors as diverse as roots rock, Americana, blues and even a little bit of country makes this album a perfect reflection of the way we listen now.
Visit Mindi’s website: www.mindiabair.com
Want an autographed CD? Go to mindiabair.com/shop.
The video for “Alive,” the first single from the album captures the spirit of the project. Watch it here.
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Gerald Albright New EP is called G-STREAM 2 Turn It Up, and you can pre-save now! It’s the sequel to G-STREAM, which was the inaugural EP of the series. All three songs from that one achieved #1 status on the Billboard National Smooth Chart and most of the other genre charts! The first single, “G-Wiggle” goes to radio on March 21st. You can stream it on his social media pages. Albright says “Thank you for the beautiful love and support you show for me and my music. It is my hope that this project enhances the listening ears, the spirits, and souls of all who experience this 22nd career effort of my discography. Thank you in advance for sharing this news with others!”
Jackiem Joyner already has a busy schedule touring, recording, composing and teaching but did you know he is also a published author? He has written two science fiction novels, an action novel, and a guide to help musicians monetize their careers. Plus, he has a website/blog devoted to inspiring writers and information about getting published.
Go here for his Amazon author page
Click this link for his book club website and blog
