Showcase CD
Exposed - Joe Ercole:
Upon
starting piano at the age of nine, it was clear that Joe Ercole
was no ordinary talent. He studied at the Peabody Conservatory in
Baltimore on a scholarship and then went on to gain distinction
as a summa cum laude graduate from Berklee in Boston. Ercole spent
some time writing scores for film, TV, and radio while additionally
gaining recognition for his original compositions that were used
in national ad campaigns. After recording a pair of projects, which
included a techno effort and his smooth jazz debut, Ercole went
on to gain some measure of fame as a founding member of the hip
& funky band known as Bona Fide, voted best new smooth jazz group
at the 2001 Oasis Award! More recently, Ercole has immersed himself
in the music of the Middle East for the past several years, and
now he's fused many contrasting elements into his latest 'oeuvre'
that's likely to toss the contemporary scene onto its head!
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Ercole entitled this artistic 'mélange' Exposed! With themes ranging
from refined, cinematic, and smooth to techno, Arabic, and full
out funk-fests, the now Atlanta-based keyboardist takes us to many
a faraway place. Exhibiting musicianship & playing of the highest
calibre thruout, the project is packed with standout selections
from the somewhat Bona Fide reminiscent thumping beat of the organ-ic
Master Suite to Ercole exploring the softer side of his multi-faceted
style with the tranquil lullaby of Mc Bear and the gentle caress
of Greatest Love! |
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| Back Trax: Part One |
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Mr. White (4 Peter) - Double Play:
Double
Play was the guitar and sax pairing of Stephen Doctor and Larry Filippone.
With influences ranging from saxmen Richard Elliot and Tom Scott to guitarists
such as Earl Klugh and Larry Carlton, the Houston based duo recorded a
single release back in the days of the old mp3.com called Think Twice.
From that effort, we've selected a tune called Mr. White and subtitled
4 Peter - I think you'll know whom it's dedicated to!
CD: Think Twice (2000)
Label: Doc Records |
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Para
Ti - El Chicano:
One
of the finest groups to emerge out of the East LA area, El Chicano originally
formed as the VIPs in the late 60s, and then renamed themselves to coincide
with the Mexican-American cultural awakening. Their success with their
initial release led to extensive touring and a series of projects, which
featured a mix of Latin Jazz with rock, soul, and salsa. Although there
were many changes in personnel, they continued to record, primarily in
the 70s, before re-emerging in the late 90s. Painting the Moment, was
their first collection of new material in well over a decade and from
that effort we have a sparkling gem of a track called Para Ti!
CD: Painting The Moment (1998)
Label: Thump Records
Sites: 
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| Back Trax: Part Two |
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I
Told You - Zachary Breaux:
Hailing
from Port Arthur Texas, Zachary Breaux was influenced by George Benson
& Wes Montgomery and following a move to New York, he spent 6 years playing
in the band of vibist Roy Ayers. Afterwards, he kept busy as a sideman
and backed the likes of Stanley Turrentine and Donald Byrd while he also
recorded a handful of solo projects. The '97 Uptown Groove release proved
his most successful but sadly, it also turned out to be his last. While
vacationing in Miami Beach early in 1998, the guitarist spotted an elderly
swimmer caught in a riptide. A few years earlier Breaux had rescued a
drowning man while on tour in Italy but on this occasion tragically he
perished. He was 36. From that final effort, we're playing the track I
Told You with Hubert Laws guesting!
CD: Uptown Groove (1997)
Label: Zebra Records |
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Scarborough
Fair - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66:
Hailing
from the city of Niterói in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio
Mendes was just starting professionally when the sound of the bossa
nova began to break. Embracing the hybrid form of jazz and Latin
music, he appeared at Rio clubs alongside the likes of Jobim and
Gilberto before touring Europe in 1963. Soon after landing in New
York the following year, Mendes formed the first of his famed combos
in Brasil '65, with whom he recorded but attracted little attention.
Arriving at Herb Alpert's A&M records label with an entirely revamped
line-up, Mendes & Brasil '66 were with enthusiastic support. Mendes
provided the leadership as pianist, arranger, producer, and musical
director, while Chicago-bred vocalist Lani Hall (who later married
Alpert) gave the group the finesse that would ensure their success.
With a blend of bossa nova rhythms, some lite jazz, and American
pop influences, their self-titled debut LP rose to number six. |
Album
#3 in Look Around yielded a smash cover of The Look of Love while
The Fool on the Hill released in 1968 produced chartbusting singles
with their take on the Beatles tune as well as vintage Brasil '66
on Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair! Understandably, the tune
was included on their Greatest Hits released a few years later!
CD: Fool On The Hill (1968)
Label: A&M Records
Sites:
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Greatest Hits
A&M / 1972 |
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In
Memory of Elizabeth Reed - The Allman Brothers Band:
Brothers
Duane and Gregg Allman played in bands around Daytona Beach, Florida,
as far back as 1961. One of their first bands was called the Escorts,
who later became the Allman Joys and then the Hour Glass. The Hour Glass
recorded a pair of albums but split up feeling the label had failed to
capture their sound. Duane began working as a session guitarist at Fame
Studios appearing on records by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, and others,
when he was convinced by ex-Otis Redding manager Phil Walden, to put together
a new band. With Dickey Betts on guitar; Berry Oakley on bass; and Butch
Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson on drums, the gathering became complete
as The Allman Brothers Band when brother Greg joined on vocals and organ
in 1969. They played Florida and Georgia heavily before issuing their
debut on Walden's fledgling Capricorn label and although sales were modest
in a time with stiff competition in the likes Cream, Blind Faith, Zeppelin
and others, all who listened were impressed!
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Recorded
in 1970, their second release, Idlewild South, was produced by Tom Dowd,
who had previously worked with Cream. Dowd was completely in tune with
the group's sound, with the result being one of the finest albums of the
era. Although primarily based in rock and blues, the album included the
Dickey Betts composition In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. There are several
stories relating to the title - how Betts used the name from a tombstone,
as he didn't want to reveal whom the song was really about. An extended
instrumental with many jazz elements, the tune would become a show highlight
for the next 30 years often stretching to a remarkable 30 minutes or more.
Sadly, Idlewild South proved the final full studio project for the original
Allman Brothers configuration. Within the time frame of just over a couple
of years both Duane Allman and Berry Oakley were tragically killed in
separate motorcycle crashes in Macon Georgia within blocks of one another
... and as reported (but unsubstantiated) at Songfacts, both are buried
in the same cemetery as Elizabeth Reed Napier, for whom the selection
was named.
Closing Note:
The Allman Brothers Band were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in 1995.
CD: Idlewild South (1970)
Label: Polydor
Sites:
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| Special Mention! |
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Collection
- Brian Tarquin:
After
a trio of great releases on the Instinct label and several more tracks
on various compilations, Brian Tarquin seemingly disappeared from the
smooth scene early in the new millennium. In actuality, he was probably
busier than ever - as a TV composer, as owner of Jungle Room Studios,
and as the mastermind behind the many projects emanating from Bohemian
Productions, a label focusing on guitar instrumentals. Additionally, Tarquin
gained recognition as a two-time Emmy Award winner, in 2003 and again
in 2005, for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition
for a Drama Series. Now in the midst of this activity we have the Brian
Tarquin Collection. A project, which carefully mines the fullness of Tarquin's
abundant catalogue, this album is a bonanza of great listening and comes
as one of the most pleasant surprises to this point in '09!
CD: Brian Tarquin Collection
(2009)
Label: nuGroove Records
Sites:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| ... coming to you direct from Studio B it's Café Jazz
After Hours … it's a new music session with 14 never before been played
tracks. Our line-up includes the band Shakatak, and saxman Marion Meadows,
as well as Brian O'Neal and the latest from Down To The Bone. Kicking
off set #2 is Torcuato Mariano while also appearing are Philippe Saisse
and Jack Prybylski - there's music as well by a new name to our show in
Brian Kelly. Then in our final set, we're spinning Gregg Karukas, Hart
Ramsey, Joyce Cooling, and Paul Hardcastle - while in the end it's one
more selection yet still from our showcase artist Joe Ercole and that'll
be the closing piece. But to begin, we have something brand new from Jay
Soto! |
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