This Week at CafeJazz.ca !
... we're spotlighting
guitarist Matt Marshak and a trio of delectable selections from
the On The Rocks release and we'll be presenting those as part of
the showcase feature. Hour 2 brings Fresh Trax with all the latest
and best in new music and, as we crack open another 5-pack of fresh
listening, headlining are Brian Culbertson and Ken Navarro. Additionally
there are brand new selections from Terry Disley, Denny Jiosa, and
Gabriel, so this is one segment that's not to be missed. Then just
a bit later that very same hour, we're balancing the new with the
tried and true - this time that includes "blasts from the past"
by Thom Rotella, Marion Meadows, the hip and funky band known as
Bona Fide as well as the legendary Jean-Luc Ponty. Otherwise, the
remainder of the show is peppered with spicy selections from David
Benoit, Steve Oliver, Paul Brown, and Brian Simpson!! You know it's
gonna be great!! |
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Showcase CD:
On The Rocks - Matt Marshak:
In
spite of the fact that Long Island native Matt Marshak didn't
start guitar until he was 17, within a few short years he's laid
the groundwork for a highly promising career while emerging as
a standard-bearer for a new generation of young performer. His
2001 debut entitled Preservation was a bit of a nod to the legacy
of bands such as The Jazz Crusaders, even though simultaneously
Marshak was exploring new musical avenues. Then a short time later,
while in the midst of recording his sophomore effort, Marshak
was named the Best New Smooth Jazz Artist in all of New York City
thru a contest sponsored by the now defunct WQCD.
This dynamically boosted Marshak's profile whereupon This Time
Around received worldwide airplay - meanwhile we here at The Café
were quite simply floored as the project landed squarely among
our top ten most played albums for 2004. From that point, it's
been ever onward and upward for Mr. Marshak!!
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| Marshak's
follow-up entitled Groovosphere, spawned the hits Summerfunk and
Montauk Moon, two of our most played tracks for '06. Meanwhile,
on a much broader stage, the project created performance opportunities
across the US, as well as around the world. |
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Photo taken during 2006 Euro Tour
Courtesy of MattMarshak.com |
Consequently, it's really not surprising to see Marshak now take
his craft to the next level by incorporating the invaluable experience
gained thru his extensive touring. Therefore, it's with great pleasure,
that we proudly present Matt Marshak's On The Rocks as the focus
for our showcase feature!!
We've chosen three delicious tracks beginning with Bratislava Bop,
the title no doubt being an allusion to Marshak's days spent touring
the Slovak capitol and a selection wherein European charm combines
with a subliminal groove. On the other hand, as we open hour two,
West Coast Stranger is a moody gem with an intriguing ambiance and
represents one of Marshak's prettiest efforts to date. Meanwhile,
for the title track On The Rocks, Marshak returns to the precepts
of his debut perfectly balancing hipness with the driving rhythm
of the acoustic bass Regardless, whether it's straight-up or "on
the rocks" if you will, Marshak arguably delivers his finest and
most consistent effort to date!!
CD: On The Rocks
Label: Nuance Music Group
Site: Matt
Marshak ; Nuance
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| Fresh Trax: Part One |
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Just The Thought Of You - Denny Jiosa:
In
the mid 80s, Huntington, Indiana native Denny Jiosa moved to LA to attend
GIT - meanwhile he further honed his chops by studying privately with
Frank Gambale. After relocating to Nashville, Jiosa did a variety of sessions
before accepting a management position at a recording studio - in this
capacity he's garnered three Grammy nominations for his work with gospel
vocalist Yolanda Adams. In the meantime, Jiosa launched his solo career
in 1995 with a top ten album while his follow-up release went all the
way to #5. This combination of factors now all come into play with the
recent issue of cd #6 in Dreams Like This. From that effort, we've selected
Just the Thought of You; Jiosa does double duty on the track adding some
very impressive vocal stylings to his always-impeccable guitar work!!
CD: Dreams Like This
Label: Sonic Canvas Records
Site: Denny
Jiosa ; Denny's
Space
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Let's Stay In Tonight - Brian Culbertson:
As
little more than a tiny tot growing up in Decatur Illinois, Brian Culbertson
listened to many of the top R&B bands of the 70s on headphones that his
dad gave him. It was the music of Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, Sly &
the Family Stone, and Tower of Power, among many others, that inspired
Culbertson to release Bringing Back the Funk, his tribute to the music
of that era. Since bursting onto the smooth scene back in '94, Culbertson
has been considered one of the young lions of the movement. With this
latest effort and 10th overall, it is now indeed his time to roar; from
Bringing Back the Funk, we've selected Let's Stay in Tonight, a Culbertson
original that easily rivals many of the vintage selections from "back
in the day"!!
CD: Bringing Back The Funk
Label: GRP Records
Site: Brian
Culbertson : Culbertson/GRP
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| Fresh Trax: Part Two |
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East
Coast - Gabriel feat. Warren Hill:
Based
on Canada's west coast, Gabriel Mark Hasselbach brings his "A game" to
his latest release. Formerly a member of the Powder Blues Band, Gabriel
has continued to hone his craft in the ensuing period. Following a "smoothie"
nomination at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards for his previous release,
Gabriel is now rightfully joined by some of elite in genre including Jeff
Lorber. The groundwork for their collaboration actually extends back to
2006 and, resulted in Lorber co-writing many of the selections while contributing
guitar and bass as well as his customary work on keys. Cool Down is the
result and from that endeavour, we're playing East Coast with Warren Hill
guesting on the selection!!
CD: Cool Down
Label: Wind Tunnel Multimedia
Site: Gabriel-Lorber
; Gabriel Jazz
; Windtunnel
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Out
To Sea - The Terry Disley Experince :
Formerly
the keyboard player for Acoustic Alchemy, Terry Disley is no stranger
to our humble program as two of his releases have nestled into our top
10 most played albums for their respective years. The classically trained
jazzer reached #4 on our in-house list of favourites with his 2004 debut
while his sophomore Across The Pond follow-up snagged top honours for
2007!! Nonetheless, Terry decided not to try and fit the radio format
this time round, feeling he could deliver longer, more complex tracks,
and in his words "more serious compositions" that would "take people just
a bit deeper into the land of Disley", pun intended! Truer words were
never writ, as Disley's latest called London Underground couples intricate
arrangements with artistry of the highest calibre! From a cd that falls
well outside the ordinary, we have the intriguing ebb and flow of Out
To Sea!!
CD: London Underground
Label: Disleyworld Music
Site:
Terry Disley : Terry's
Space |
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Blue
Skies, Bright Dreams - Ken Navarro:
A
favourite on our humble program since the early days, few players in
the genre if any, have as consistently delivered as tasty and upbeat
a series of releases as has Mr. Navarro. The Grace of Summer Light is
his latest, 18th overall, and one upon which Navarro rekindles the spirit
of individuality and an enthusiasm that has been sadly lacking for many
years on what, for want of a better phrase, I'll refer to as "mundane
radio". Composed over days or even weeks rather than hours or minutes,
the majority of tracks are lengthy excursions that explore a complex
diversity of themes. Challenging at times, each creation is a mini-voyage
in the purest sense. From that effort, we selected the optimistic journey
entitled Blue Skies, Bright Dreams!!
CD: The Grace of Summer Light
Label: Positive Music
Site:
Ken Navarro
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| This week
... there's fresh listening that includes tracks from trumpeter Allistair
Elliott, key-lady Fiona Joy Hawkins, and saxman Kyle Wolverton, as well
as a great track from Earl Klugh and The Spice of Life. However, surprisingly
that's it for the new music portion of the show as from there on in we've
devoted the remainder of the program to the music of one man only - that
being Patrick Yandall. We've gone to each of Patrick's releases for a
9-track Then & Now feature; that'll be roughly 20 minutes into the hour
- and it's all part and parcel of another great non-stop action-packed
fun-filled hour of musical entertainment!! |
Then & Now ... spotlighting: Patrick Yandall
That Feels
Nice!
Indie/ 1992
EPD/1994 |
A Lasting Embrace
BrainChild
1997 |
Of Two Cities
Zangi Records
2000 |
Back to the
Groove
Zangi Records
2001 |
Patrick
Yandall: Born
and raised the son of a jazz musician and a long time spent recuperating
from a broken hip, led Patrick Yandall to try both trumpet and guitar
at the early age of six. Guitar won out with George Benson and Wes
Montgomery becoming major influences. Equally adept at progressive
rock and the more complex idiom of jazz, the native of Bay City, Michigan
was playing underage clubs by his early teens. In the late 70s, he
toured with the fusion group Clockwork, before returning to his study
of music.
PY Promo Shot !
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Based
on a summer symposium at Berklee and his admiration for the
stylings of Jeff Lorber, Yandall has followed a path based
primarily in jazz and blues. In the early 80s, he moved to
San Diego, but briefly went back east to attend Central Michigan.
Later, Yandall hooked up with Devotion, a band in the style
of Earth Wind & Fire that boasted a five-piece horn section
- in addition, he also established himself as a premier sessionist
and performer on the LA-San Diego circuit!
Having launched his solo career back in '92, Yandall has turned
prolific of late and with the recent issue of Laws of Groovity
has brought his cd output total to nine - all which helps
set the stage for a Patrick Yandall Then & Now feature. Now,
in truth we've actually run this sort of segment before on
a couple of occasions, once back in 2006 on edition #407
and before that on edition #341
in 2004. Nonetheless, in that regard, we're back at it but
in this case we're maximizing the PY factor by encompassing
all of Yandall's projects with a 9-track installment that
will not only be the biggest but undoubtedly also our best
to date!!
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Beginning with
that aforementioned '92 debut, we have in order: Feed the Fire, One
Perfect Moment, Marcus Street, On The Cool Side, Heart Promise, and
Brazilian Affairs. Even so, we're still only 2/3rds of the way thru.
As we span the last three years we're checking on some of Patrick's
finest tracks - the title track from Samoa Soul, Yandall's superb
cover of The Allman Brothers classic In Memory of Elizabeth Reed from
1970, as well as Viejo Amigo (translating to "old friend") from Patrick's
current Laws of Groovity release. Thereby, with this quick synopsis,
we hit some of the highlights in and underscore the musical career
of one of our "old friends" here at The Café, in Mr. Patrick
Yandall !!
Site: Patrick
Yandall ; Patrick's
Space
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