This Week at CafeJazz.ca ...
... Gregg Karukas
enters the showcase spotlight with a trio of tracks from the GK release.
In part 2 of the show it'll be time for the Back Trax segment with another
exciting batch of favorites from days gone by - included on this edition
are Rick Derringer and Chick Corea's Return to Forever - also appearing
are Najee and Joe McBride, while rounding the set is a track from the
70s by The Brothers Johnson. Then a bit later in the hour, we have French
guitarist Daniel Domenge and Vancouver's Gabriel, as well as Mark Barrios
and Joe Ercole; while featured thru-out are Gene Dunlap, Chris Standring,
Mike Levine, Nick Colionne, Walter Beasley, Les Sabler, Nate Harasim,
Tim Bowman, Glenn McNulty, and Nils! But as we launch a radio show unlike
any other, there's a scintillating selection by Torcuato Mariano & his
latest release! |
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Showcase CD
GK - Gregg Karukas:
Having
played keys since about the age of six, Gregg Karukas didn't seriously
think of a career in music until he saw the Beatles on TV. He spent
his early years glued to a jukebox in his father's roadside tavern
soaking up the sounds of the sixties and then later, he was influenced
by jazz legends such as Herbie Hancock and Les McCann. Karukas was
just 17 and right out of high school when he found his way into
the clubs and studios of the DC / Baltimore area and he then spent
the next few years leading the city's top crossover act. In the
early 80s, Karukas headed to LA to expand his musical horizons and
he was soon performing with the likes of Patti Austin, Richard Elliot,
and Grant Geissman. Forming his own band, Karukas featured some
of the best-undiscovered sax talents of the day in Dave Koz, Gary
Meek, and Boney James. He released his solo debut in 1987 and then
later that same year, he helped launch The Rippingtons as a charter
member! |
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the period since, Karukas has firmly established his reputation.
He's issued ten well-received projects and scored a pair of #1-hits
with many others making the top 20 or better. Long a favourite on
our hip but humble show, no less than four Karukas albums are firmly
ensconced as part of our essential
listing list! His 2005 trippin 'n' Rhythm Records debut was a smash
success and as he now enters decade #3 in his recording career,
Karukas has literally never sounded better! GK is his latest, 11th
release overall, and in keeping with the self-initialled approach
for the name of the cd, all contributors are similarly identified.
With a powerhouse line-up including the likes of RB, PB, RF, JJ,
MO, MP and RS - that's Rick Braun, Paul Brown, Russ Freeman, Jessy
J., Michael O'Neill, Michael Paulo, and Ricardo Silveira respectively
- GK is not only one of the most anticipated projects for 2009,
it will in fact bear strong consideration as one of the finest for
the year! |
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Photo courtesy of
Gregg Karukas Facebook
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It's therefore with pleasure that we now present Gregg Karukas and
GK as the subject for the showcase segment. To begin we've selected
a smooth and easy track featuring saxplayer CA and identified only
as contractually anonymous - see if you can guess who it is. It's
called Daylight. Mesa Moon rises at the top of our second hour while
Napa Road takes us home! Now I'm not really sure who gets credit
for "writing the book on smooth", but one thing is certain - easily
an entire chapter belongs to the music of Gregg Karukas. With his
stylized approach, on GK Karukas delivers one impeccable track after
another. Always melodic and smooth here's one album that's utterly
tasteful from beginning to end! Now how do spell the phrase smooth
& easy? Arguably, you start with Gregg and end with Karukas! 
CD: GK (2009)
Label: Trippin 'n Rhythm Records
Sites: 
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| Back Trax: Part One |
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An Evening in Dallas - Joe McBride:
Keyboardist
McBride was still in high school and playing some of the jazz clubs in
nearby St. Louis when he was stricken with a degenerative eye disease,
which eventually claimed his sight. His passion was undeterred & he continued
his studies majoring in jazz performance. After moving to San Diego in
about 1983, McBride met up with Steve Laury & Fattburger and he might
have continued in that fertile environment had it not been for a trip
to Dallas to visit his brother. It was there that McBride took part in
a few jams and subsequently he was flooded with performing opportunities.
He ended up moving to Dallas, and developed into one of that city's leading
jazz musicians. While enrolled at the University of North Texas, McBride
connected with a young trumpeter named Dave Love - a few years later when
Love launched the Heads Up record label, McBride was one of the first
to be signed to a deal. He released his debut in '92 and has recorded
exclusively for Heads Up ever since! On this occasion, we're checking
out McBride's '94 sophomore cd in A Gift For Tomorrow and the enticing
track An Evening in Dallas!
CD: A Gift For Tomorrow (1994)
Label: Heads Up International |
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Good
2 Go - Rick Derringer:
Rick
Derringer was just 17 when his band The McCoys recorded Hang On Sloopy,
the #1 hit for the summer of 1965. Later connecting with each of the Winter
Brothers, Johnny and Edgar, Derringer became known as one of the hottest
guitar slingers of the era. Thru the 70's and 80's, Derringer appeared
on numerous albums with Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, and Steely Dan -
contributing one of his finest efforts ever on Steely Dan's Show Biz Kids,
while also recording on his own. With hits like Rock and Roll Hoochie
Koo and Free Ride to his credit, Derringer was selected by the World Wrestling
Federation for which he wrote the Hulk Hogan theme song, I Am A Real American.
And so it goes in the career that's become legendary. Yet Derringer took
a bit of break from metal shredding in late 2002, when he ventured into
an entirely new realm with a smooth release. The project contained a few
smoothed-out versions of some of Rick's previous hits and showed Derringer
right at home in the format - from that effort, we have one of three brand
new originals written by Rick & his wife in the exceptionally good Good
2 Go!
CD: Free Ride (2002)
Label: Big3 Records/Beyond Music
Sites:
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| Back Trax: Part Two |
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Niculela
Es Una Historia - Najee:
A native
New Yorker, Jerome Najee Rasheed began in music on clarinet and then later
added sax and flute. While in high school, he studied under the direction
of Jimmy Heath and then after graduating he performed with Ben E. King.
In 1980, Najee and his brother Fareed attended the New England Conservatory
of Music and upon returning to New York, they were asked to tour with
Chaka Khan. In due course, as a spin-off of this association, Najee nailed
a record deal and became an instant hit with his '87 Grammy-nominated
debut entitled Najee's Theme. After five successful albums with a pair
of platinum and a couple of gold album in the mix, he issued Najee Plays
Songs from the Key of Life: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder - an instrumental
interpretation of the 1976 Stevie Wonder classic. From that landmark release,
we've selected an all-time favourite in Niculela Es Una Historia with
Najee featured on flute!
CD: Songs from the Key of Life (1995)
Label: Capitol Records |
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Where
Have I Known You Before - Return To Forever:
The contemporary
jazz scene of the early 70s was an exciting time as it saw the emergence
of fusion as a new and highly creative form that combined improvisation
with the power of rock. Although snubbed by many purists of the day, fusion
gave rise to many performers and bands that have later been acknowledged
as some of the standard-bearers of the jazz idiom. Among these were Chick
Corea and the band Return To Forever. With an original configuration that
included Flora Purim & Airto, RTF debuted in 1972 with a style that leaned
toward Latin in 1972.
By the time 1974 had rolled around, Corea had revamped the line-up to
include bassist Stan Clarke, a holdover from the original combo, as well
as drummer Lenny White, and 19-year guitar sensation Al Di Meola. The
release of Where Have I Known You Before in '74 and the 4th RTF project
overall, was one of several seminal projects ushering in a new era. As
in the previous RTF release, the music remained melodic, but the traditional
jazz feel had virtually been erased having been replaced by a highly charged
and more electric feel. However, between the album's more kinetic tracks,
Corea soloed on piano on a trio of shorter and more atmospheric pieces
whose titles all began with the phrase Where Have I. From one of the greatest
listening experiences of the 70s we present RTF featuring Chick Corea
on the exquisite title track!
CD: Where Have I Known You Before
(1974)
Label: Polydor
Sites:
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Streetwave
- The Brothers Johnson:
Brothers
George and Louis Johnson on guitar & vocals and bass & vocals respectively,
formed the band the Johnson Three Plus One together with an older brother
& a cousin while they were in high school. Later the pair backed Billy
Preston before connecting with ace producer Quincy Jones - Jones recorded
some of their material and they accompanied Jones on tour to Japan after
which Quincy produced their 1976 A&M debut. Scoring a couple of R&B hits,
The Brothers Johnson established their presence as a force in R&B with
an appealing brand of so-called sophisti-funk as their first two releases
both went platinum. Their third effort, entitled Blam!, also produced
by Jones, didn't quite match their previous commercial success, but it
did provide the ground-swell of a track called Streetwave, a pop-jazz
instrumental that remains unparalleled in a career that extends thru to
the new millennium!
CD: Blam! (1978)
Label: A&M Records
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| ...it's a new music session with 13 selections new to the
show. Our line-up includes saxman Marion Meadows, and Britain's Shakatak,
as well as The Rippingtons. Kicking off set #2 is Tom Grant while also
appearing are Joyce Cooling and Gregg Karukas - there's music as well
by Chuck Loeb and another great track from Joe Ercole and his Exposed
release. Then in our final set, we're spinning Chris Grunder, Philippe
Saisse, and David Boswell - while in the end there's Spyro Gyra with today's
closing selection. But to begin, we have something new of course and this
time it's from the recent collaboration by Paul Brown & Marc Antoine !
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