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June 19th, 2005 Edition #368 Previously 
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Announcing: The Cafe Jazz Bus on Tour!
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Showcase CD |
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Although he spent seven years nurturing his career in the glitter capitol, Sams still wanted to record his own music. That and a desire to start a family and to be near his own parents made him decide to return to Tampa in the mid-90s. It didn't take Sams long to set up Studio A, his own production facility, and soon after he launched his solo career with the release of Bayshore. Appearing on that debut were several local musicians, among them guitarist John Mayeux and saxman Gene Cannon, with whom Sams has continued to work & perform over the years. Dusk to Dawn from that album received considerable airplay on WSJT in the Tampa Bay area and gained Sams many new & avid followers including yours truly; lucky me, I was vacationing in the area at the time. I've been an enthusiastic fan and have eagerly tracked developments in Allon's career ever since then. |
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album is laden with catchy hooks, rhythmic grooves, and great melodies.
It shows a further refinement in Allon's wonderful style & appealing
sound and well reflects Sams' winning philosophy. To quote Allon from
the liner notes, "Love makes the world go round but Music & Laughter keep
you from jumping off!". Now the final few lines in this chapter of the Sams' saga are yet to be written. In late breaking news, Allon will be heading to LA later this year to re-record Music and Laughter with the aforementioned Paul Brown at the ready to remix the tracks. So stay tuned for more from Mr. Sams in the not too distant future. |
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Nevertheless
it's with great pleasure that we place Allon Sams, a long time Café
Jazz favourite, in our music spotlight. We plan our escape right from
the first track, the soothing & yet stimulating sounds of Retreat
and a tune that features John Mayeux on guitar & Robin Drake on bass.
Then opening hour two is That's My Time, a totally comforting piece
and the closing one on the album. And finally to conclude the feature
& the show we have Layin' It Down another great track featuring
Les Sabler on guitar, Gene Cannon on sax, and of course always at his
best, Allon Sams himself on keys !! |
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| Back Trax: Part One | |
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Sade's Song - Doc Powell:
NYC
native, William 'Doc' Powell began playing guitar by the age of six
and was already recording and performing while he was still in his teens.
Self-taught on guitar, Powell received his first big break when Wilson
Pickett chose him as his music director. Powell was barely in his 20s
at the time. This subsequently led to a stint with Luther Vandross and
an affiliation that lasted 15 years. In turn, this raised Doc's profile
considerably. It paved the way for Powell to work with some top artists
and to simultaneously develop his solo career. Although Powell issued
his debut in 1987, it was his sophomore album released several years
later that proved to be his breakthru project. Released in 1994, Inner
City Blues received a fair degree of critical acclaim & gained considerable
airplay in the US. Although its success was later outdone by Laid Back
which was voted the #2 album for 1996, Inner City Blues remains an outstanding
effort & from it we have one of "The Doctor's" finest tracks!!
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Dancing
With The Lion - Andreas Vollenweider:
Born
in Zurich in 1953, Vollenweider was exposed to that city's diverse music
scene through his father, who was at the time one of Europe's leading
organists. A combination of influences led Andreas to become proficient
on guitar, flute, and several other instruments. Eventually, however,
Vollenweider developed a passion for the harp. His love became so great
that it led him to structurally modify the instrument. Vollenweider
constructed a damper that allowed for more rhythmic playing and he electrified
it so as to broaden the harp's tonal range. Blending a variety of styles
in the context of his improvisations, Vollenweider's music swept across
Europe in the early '80s. By 1986 he had transcended musical classification
as his albums simultaneously appeared on pop, jazz, and classical charts
around the world. From his 1989 cd and a time when he was at the absolute
peak of his popularity we have Dancing with the Lion, the title track!!
CD: Dancing With The Lion (1989) |
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| Back Trax: Part Two | ||
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7 Day Love - Dave McMurray:
Growing up in Detroit, the Motown sound was understandably a huge influence
on McMurray's developing style. However, during his final years in high
school Dave was awarded a scholarship to attend a private school and
that's when he got more into jazz. Among a variety of other gigs Dave
performed as a member of the funk group Was (Not Was). That proved to
be a turning point in his career but his big break came when he sat
in on a Bob James session. Shortly afterwards he was invited to join
James on a tour of Japan & he's worked with Bob on several occasions
since. It was 1995, when McMurray launched his career as a solo performer.
He had a couple of well received records when hot on the heels of the
success of his Soul Searching cd in England, Dave issued that project
in North America. And a very nice album it was, packed with excellent
smooth jazz & touches of fusion as well as other contemporary styles!!
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Unity - Marc Antoine:
Parisian
born & classically trained, Marc Antoine was 16 when he won a scholarship
to the Conservatory of Music. He spent the next few years in attendance
while living with his aunt and jamming late into the night at many of
the clubs in Paris. When he was 19 though, Antoine suffered a horrible
accident that almost cost him his career. While home for a brief visit,
the family dog jumped up to greet him. Antoine was sent reeling backwards
thru a plate glass door severing nerves & tendons in his left wrist.
In spite of a lengthy five-hour operation, doctors diagnosed that he
would never be able to play guitar again. After working strenuously
for an entire year Antoine could still only play a single A minor chord.
Yet that provided all the encouragement that he needed to continue practicing
and to ultimately prove the doctors wrong. In the process he not only
overcame the injury but also developed an entirely new technique and
sound. It took three very long years but by the time he was 22, Antoine
was back on the circuit. After various experiences in Pop, Jazz, Latin
and African music, the by now seasoned 31 year old performer, formed
a band and recorded his first album in 1994. The release was critically
acclaimed & launched Antoine on a career that has seen him develop into
one of the finest guitarists in the Smooth Jazz genre!! |
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Brooklyn Heights - Down to the Bone:
The DTTB story begins about a dozen or so years ago. At the time bandleader
Stuart Wade hooked up with Chris Morgans, cofounder of Internal Base
Records, on Think Twice a successful soul/jazz band. The pair collaborated
on a couple of projects including the group Peace of Mind but it was
Wade's DTTB creation that really took off. The name by the way came
about more or less by accident. |
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site : | ||||||
| Be sure to catch this installment as we avoid taking the easy route! We're featuring some tracks that are buried a bit more deeply on recent releases. We have fresh music from The Rippingtons, Chuck Loeb, Richard Elliot, and Jonathan Butler. There's new music from Victor Fields as well as a track from the latest Golden Slumbers project by Dave Koz. Daryl Stuermer is on the show and Pamela Williams is musically profiled on T&N. That and more in an hour filled with fun & music !! | ||||||
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Then & Now Feature:
Pamela Williams: We take this opportunity to musically profile Pamela Williams, the "first lady of sax". One of Pam's earliest influences was Grover Washington Jr. It was Grover's cutting-edge blend of jazz and R&B that instilled an interest in that style of playing. In high school, Williams joined the Jazz Ensemble & embraced both contemporary and traditional forms. She scored a few gigs & toured extensively but chose to relocate to LA in 1989, primarily because of the opportunities it afforded in film, TV, & session work. A multitalented artist who plays flute as well as a little piano, Williams made her solo debut in 1996 with The Saxtress, an album which immediately brought her name into the limelight. On that release and on each of her subsequent projects, Williams has continued to exhibit a stylish blend of influences. Diverse elements of her repertoire from Latin & jazz, to R&B, hip-hop and house, are expertly incorporated into her playing so as to rival many of the best sax players around. Ever raising the bar higher, Williams now has five excellent projects to her credit that span a ten year period as a solo artist. As a side note, Pamela was spotlighted on a previous edition of Then & Now, back in March 2004. However, rather than simply presenting a rehash of those tracks, we've taken the high road. As there is no shortage of great music in her catalogue we have an entirely unique collection for this occasion. To begin we present The Matador & The Maiden and Escape to Paradise both from Pamela's releases on Heads Up. That's followed by Lifeline from Evolution. And finally Unconditional and Sweet Saxations are taken from her Shanachie releases. Now make sure to check this out and when you do I'm certain you'll agree. There may be many talented women sax players in Smooth Jazz, but there is only one "first lady of sax" and without any doubt whatsoever, that first lady is Ms Pamela Williams!! Web Sites: Pamela Williams ; Shanachie Records ; Pam at Heads Up |
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