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Showcase CD
Driving
Force - 3rd Force:
For the past 10
years or more, 3rd Force has been a mainstay in Smooth Jazz. It was
their second album that broke the sound of the Force onto the scene
with a tune featuring Peter White that received major airplay. In spite
of the tremendous success of that & their following releases, 3rd Force
had operated strictly as a studio project until their live debut in
2002 at the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival.
At its nucleus, 3rd Force is propelled by the synergy generated by the
trio of William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi.
Aura is considered a pioneer of New Age music. He has always been a
strong believer in it's healing powers and many of his compositions
were specifically composed for the healing arts. The Detroit-native
enjoyed a significant solo career throughout the 80s and early 90s before
3rd Force and had recorded about a dozen albums under his own name.
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Craig Dobbin, on the other hand, is a classically trained pianist
who has composed extensively for television and movies. Meanwhile, Dutch-born
Eskinasi is responsible for the group's distinctive rhythms. He studied
African drums for 6 years in Gambia & for a time was a key member of
The Soto Koto Band.
Driving Force is their first record in about 3 years, their seventh
album overall, and first for William Aura & Co. since that appearance
at Catalina. Now boasting a slightly expanded lineup, 3rd Force is bolstered
by the addition of R&B veteran Xavier Marshall & DJ Radius who
chips in with scratches & assorted efx's. Also making their formal
debut are longtime contributors Richard Hardy on saxes & flute and
Mitch Manker on trumpet & flugelhorn. The new album maintains all
the same key ingredients that have fueled the group's success plus incorporating
many new & unique styles & sounds. Creating a layered sound that's laden
with catchy hooks; the Force establishes a sonic stage of sorts that
allows the talents of various guest artists to be spotlighted, among
them Brian Hughes, Tom Scott, & Greg Adams.
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This is a superb album that features some of this group's finest &
most progressive work to date, and as such it's perfect for our feature.
We begin with You Got It, a track highlighted by the great guitar of
Marc Antoine. Ask Me Why, another sensational tune, opens hour two and
features the saxwork of Eric Darius. And closing the show is the drive
& energy of This Is The One. So 'may the Force be with you', 3rd
Force that is, as we showcase Driving Force !!
CD: Driving Force
Label: Higher Octave Music
Web Site: 3rd
Force
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| Fresh Trax: Part One |
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High
Flyin' (basement remix) - Nick Colionne:
Colionne grew up surrounded by jazz and initially learned guitar from
his stepfather. Music was a matter, which the entire family took quite
seriously. His parents would sometimes disagree as to whom Nick should
emulate, Kenny Burrell or Wes Montgomery. In any event, Colionne turned
professional while still in high school. For a time he played rock and
R&B but before too long he landed a pair of gigs, first with The Impressions
and then with Natalie Cole, which took him around the world. As a writer,
Colionne has had his compositions recorded by the likes of Paul Anka
and Johnnie Mathis. In the course of events, however, it was Wes Montgomery
who won out as Nick returned to jazz. Eventually he went solo and now
has several fine releases to his credit. It was Just Come On In, the
4th & most recent of these that generated High Flyin' a track that was
a huge hit. Three Keys Music, the label that released that album recently
issued Private Stock, a varied compilation featuring many artists on
their roster and we go to it for High Flyin', a different mix perhaps
but still a superb track!
CD: Private Stock - Volume 1
Label: Three Keys Music
Web Site: Nick
Colionne
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Revitalized
- Walter Duda:
Duda
is a New York based artist who plays keyboards, sings, produces, and
composes. Walter is self-taught as a musician and surprisingly didn't
start playing until he was already in college. Upon graduation, he became
a foreign language teacher and was pursuing a Master's degree in humanities,
when in a moment of self-realization, he discovered that music was the
language that was his passion. His first recorded effort placed him
as a finalist in a nationwide contest sponsored by the Berklee College
of Music. This led to a variety of session work and eventually to a
recording contract. In that regard, Duda's debut album was released
back in late 90s. Sole Intention is his latest effort and although it's
been a few years between projects it's been worth the wait as Walter
serves up an interesting blend of styles. There are some great tracks
here including the one that I've selected for this show. From Sole Intention
we have Revitalized, an exceptional tune that features the saxwork of
Danny Wilensky !
CD: Sole Intention
Label: World Alert Records
Web Site: Walter
Duda
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After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site : |
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doing more than our fair share of exploring on this AH segment. We've
slotted Pamela Williams, Nicolas Bearde, & Nils, each with great never
before been played on our show tracks. We also have selections from Bobby
Wells & Kenny G from their new albums as well as many other fresh & cool
sounds. Tim Bowman is featured on T&N with tracks from each of his four
releases and we're also playing new music from O'2L & the Average White
Band. Meanwhile it's another fantastic track from Chieli Minucci and his
brand new release that gets us right into the great grooves of After Hours!
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Then & Now
Feature:
Love, Joy, Peace
Insync
1996 |
Paradise
Insync
1998 |
Smile
Insync
2000 |
This Is What I Hear
Liquid 8
2004 |
Tim Bowman: Bowman's
early exposure to music came through his family's involvement in
their church. He was infused with the desire to master the guitar
when, at the age of 11, he was totally floored by someone playing
in front of the congregation. Tim ended up playing in his church
for eight years and eventually went on to win a two-year scholarship
to the Detroit School of Music. For a time after high school, Bowman
worked at an automobile assembly line but was laid off after only
a few months. This proved to be a pivotal point in his life as from
then on, playing music became his primary focus.
Tim joined a gospel group and through his sister Vickie, he met
Marvin Winans, whom Vickie would soon marry. Keeping things in the
family, so to speak, Marvin gave Bowman a call when he needed a
guitarist for his group The Winans, which went on to become the
best-selling gospel act of the 80s. Bowman played with them for
six years but left in 1987 in order to spend more time with his
family. It wasn't until 1996 that Tim released his solo debut and
decided to get back into music in a serious way.
That initial effort gained a fair bit of attention based on the
strength of I'll Be There, a great track that introduced Bowman's
unique blend of smooth and gospel to the smooth jazz listening audience.
Now with the issue of This Is What I Hear, his 4th release, Bowman's
musicality has been taken to a new level!
We take this opportunity to take a capsulized musical look at
Tim Bowman & his career on our Then & Now feature. To begin,
we have I'll be there, the tune that started things. That's followed
by Flyin' Away from the follow up album. From Smile, we chose Just
Another Day and then close with the smooth groove of Summer Groove
the track that has been the biggest hit to this point in Bowman's
career!
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