Photo by Dmitry Demidov on Pexels.com Pat Appleton . . . She was born in Germany (1968) of German and Liberian descent. After starting her studies in political science, she decided that her musical talents would take her further. I, for one, am glad that she made that decision. She has become known as the … Continue reading Meet . . . Pat Appleton
Category: Spotlight
Meet . . . Fredrik Kronkvist
Photo by Boris Ivas on Pexels.com Fredrik Kronkvist . . . considered one of Sweden's finest jazz musicians, captured my attention with his superb saxophone work. If there were a need to pick a word that describes his style, I'd say that word would surely be "mellow". That resonates very well in my book, as … Continue reading Meet . . . Fredrik Kronkvist
Spotlight: Cindy Bradley
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Meet Cindy Bradley, trumpeter extraordinare. She was born in upstate NY in 1977. At nine (9), she was already playing piano, and that was also the age that she began playing the trumpet. She also plays Flugelhorn. She recorded her first album, Just A Little Bit (2007), on her own … Continue reading Spotlight: Cindy Bradley
Spotlight: Dave Koz
Photo by Caique Araujo on Pexels.com California-born and bred, Dave Koz, thus far, has had a very illustrious career. He has racked up nine (9) Grammy nominations, twelve (12) number-one albums, and has performed for multiple U.S. presidents, just to name a few of the feathers in his cap. And, yes - he even has … Continue reading Spotlight: Dave Koz
Spotlight: Ramsey Lewis
Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com Ramsey Lewis (May 27, 1935 - September 12, 2022) was a jazz pianist and composer born in Chicago, IL. Some of his greatest hits include The 'In' Crowd, Hang On Sloopy, and Wade In The Water. Those three barely even scratch the surface. They are, however, three of my … Continue reading Spotlight: Ramsey Lewis
Spotlight: Danny Grissett
Photo by Thuyen Vu on Pexels.com My first encounter with the music of Danny Grissett came with the first time that I heard Journey To The Stars, from trumpeter Tom Harrell's recording Number Five (2012). I was so thoroughly impressed by his expertise on the black & whites that I became his number-one fan. OK … Continue reading Spotlight: Danny Grissett
Spotlight: Marc Antoine
Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com Marc Antoine never fails to please. So, this "Deejay" will not be talking. Instead, hit the play button and be amazed. Jazz, jazz, and nothing but jazz. Mostly. Listen on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/770VbyuZOPxA7LjxbEEfLc?si=a8df28f21f204a3b Listen on TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/10f74b36-f8d1-47e0-ad8e-fb58a3321328 copyright 2023 jblackstarr for SMOOTHE
Spotlight: Roy Hargrove
I inadvertently missed out on the true greatness which was known as Roy Hargrove. As a jazz lover who, in turn, loved the sound of a trumpet, particularly that "muted" sound, I should have been all up in his phenomenal world. Although he learned from and was influenced by many (he attributes Freddie Hubbard as … Continue reading Spotlight: Roy Hargrove
Spotlight: Tia Fuller
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I love it when I listen to a recording and it sounds like I’m right there in the club, in the mix, up close and personal. One of many offerings that does that for me is Diamond Cut (2018) by Tia Fuller. Her father, Fred – jazz bassist. Her mother, … Continue reading Spotlight: Tia Fuller
Spotlight: Chris Standring
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Chris Standring could be the posterchild for ‘jazz(y)’, even though his music is definitely steeped in Smooth Jazz. Above and beyond that, his music is totally SMOOTHE JAZZ, and any one of the songs that he writes, and plays could very well be the ‘theme song’ here at smoothejazz.com. He … Continue reading Spotlight: Chris Standring
Smoothe 