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
Category: Spotlight
Essentials: 07/07/21 A trio of trios!
Photo by Matthias Groeneveld on Pexels.com Editor’s picks for this week: Scott Hamilton & Jeff Hamilton Trio While the recording is titled Live In Bern (2015), it is far from a ‘concert recording’ – it was recorded in a club , minus an audience. And Scott (tenor sax) and Jeff (drummer) are not brothers. One … Continue reading Essentials: 07/07/21 A trio of trios!
Spotlight: Branford Marsalis
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com A smoke-filled room; laughter, conversation; and most importantly, music. That’s the feel that I get when listening to Branford Marsalis wailing on the sax. He is the son of Ellis Marsalis Jr., jazz pianist (November 14, 1934 – April 1, 2020) , and has five (5) brothers . Aside from Branford … Continue reading Spotlight: Branford Marsalis
Three Jazz(y) Ladies
Photo by Gezer Amorim on Pexels.com Three beautiful women and three marvelous voices: Vanessa Williams, Brenda Russell, and Randy Crawford. Vanessa has always been better known as an R&B artist (as well as an actress and Miss America Pageant winner). Her most acclaimed recording was The Comfort Zone (1981). That said, I took a liking … Continue reading Three Jazz(y) Ladies
Spotlight 07/02/21: David Arkenstone
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I think that I first stumbled across David Arkenstone while surfing Amazon Music. I played a few songs and knew right away that his music would be a permanent part of my collection. I am embarrassed to say that I thought to myself “This guy could be great!”. Well, he … Continue reading Spotlight 07/02/21: David Arkenstone
Essentials 06/30/21: Coffee (Deluxe) by Artaska
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com Take it from me, when Artaska gave us a cup of Coffee (2018), it instantly qualified as an essential offering of our time. Her classical training often takes the spotlight, but her jazz compositions never fail to step to the forefront. And, she's not 'just another pretty tune', which … Continue reading Essentials 06/30/21: Coffee (Deluxe) by Artaska
Spotlight 06/29/21: Weather Report
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Weather Report was a jazz fusion band (from 1970 to 1986) founded by keyboardist Joe Zawinul, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and bassist Miroslav Vitous. During their tenure in the jazz world, members came and went, with Zawinul and Shorter always there. They usually maintained a quartet which was rounded out with … Continue reading Spotlight 06/29/21: Weather Report
Spotlight 06/22/21: Rick Braun
Photo by Lucas Craig on Pexels.com I'm from Philadelphia, PA, and just North of here is a place called Allentown, about an hour's drive. There, Rick Braun was born in 1955. He started out playing drums, but switched to the trumpet, following his brother's lead. He also excelled at the flugelhorn and keyboards. He has … Continue reading Spotlight 06/22/21: Rick Braun
Worth a look: AJE
Photo by Abdullah Ghatasheh on Pexels.com AJE was the first offering that I heard by Ambient Jazz Ensemble. Who are they? They are Colin Baldry. He constantly changes up the artists that join him to record. Previous artists include The Stella Horns (brass section), Ollie Weston (saxes, flute & bass clarinet), The Adderbury Ensemble (strings) … Continue reading Worth a look: AJE
Spotlight – Paul Hardcastle
Photo by Benjamin Suter on Pexels.com You may not know the name but, chances are, you've heard the sound. All of his songs hold their own individual tune, but they all have a totally and immediately recognizable sound. Don't believe me? Keep reading. It's hard to fathom that Paul Hardcastle only got his start as … Continue reading Spotlight – Paul Hardcastle
Smoothe 