Showcase CD
All It Takes - Rick Braun:
As
reported a few months back when All It Takes debuted on our hip
but humble show, Rick Braun has it all going on - a tone that's
second to none delivered with charismatic flair! Nonetheless, the
slick trumpeter originally from Allentown PA had amassed an extensive
résumé in the earlier part of his career before finding his niche
in contemporary jazz. It began in 1977, when his band Auracle was
offered a record deal and he made that fateful trek across the USA
to LA. After a pair of avant-garde release, Braun gained touring
sideman gigs with the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, Tina Turner, Glenn
Frey, Natalie Cole, and the group War while he experienced his first
big success with Here With Me, a tune that he wrote for REO Speedwagon.
He cinched an 18-month stint with Rod Stewart and then finally he
launched his solo career in the early 90s. Shortly thereafter, Rick
landed a spot with Sade on her "Love Deluxe" tour and subsequently
he exploded on the smooth jazz with a string of chart topping successes!
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In the time since, he's racked up numerous accolades, including
many from yours truly, whilst almost single-handedly re-igniting
interest in the trumpet as a viable lead instrument and thereby
making it safe again for mass consumption! After collaborations
with Boney James on Shake It Up, with Norman Brown and Kirk Whalum
as BWB, and most recently on RnR with Richard Elliot, Rick Braun
now re-connects with a longtime friend, in Parisian-born keyboardist
Philippe Saisse for All It Takes! |
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Rick Braun - Live
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The cd is now the 15th wherein Braun enjoys marquee billing while
he continues to add to a musical legacy that is among the most distinguished
in the genre. The project is all we've learned to expect from the
dynamic Mr. Braun, and as such, it's now indeed a treat to nudge
the glitzy horn-player into the soft sheen of our showcase spotlight.
As is our custom, we'll be featuring a trio of prime selections
and on this occasion we're starting it with Christiane - co-written
with Jeff Lorber, Rick titled it for his wife - it's a simply gorgeous
piece and likely our absolute favorite from the disc. At the top
of the second half of the show we have Freddie Was Here, a tune
written for the late Freddy Hubbard. Braun confides … "Freddie's
playing and songwriting were huge influences"… and so the track
is dedicated to his memory. Finally, there's She's The One a co-write
with keyboardist Tim Gant - a melodic up-tempo mover it's the end
piece for the feature. (And ….a bit of a side note, guitarist Dwight
Sills appears on all three.) Expressive, varied, and innovative,
All It Takes has what it takes to rank among Braun's most creative
ventures to date! 
CD: All It Takes (2009)
Label: Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Records
Links:
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| Back Trax: Part One |
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El Jaguar - Strunz & Farah:
Hailing
from Costa Rica and Iran respectively, the guitar duo of Strunz and Farah
has been performing together for 3 decades. Their meeting in 1979 signified
the first occasion that the rich cultures of Latin America and the Middle
East were united into a new and unique form of musical expression. Their
style has been described as exotic and innovative. It's highly rhythmic,
strongly improvisational, and requires the upmost proficiency. They debuted
in 1980 and have issued over a dozen albums; all have met with a measure
of critical acclaim. On this occasion, our focus is their 1992 cd and
one billed as "A celebration of five centuries of Spanish guitar in the
Americas." From that effort, we have El Jaguar! With the guitars of Jorge
Strunz and Ardeshir Farah featured on the left and right channels, there's
a stretch within the piece that falls nowhere short of brilliant!
CD: Americas (1992)
Label: Mesa Records
Links:
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Avalon - Checkfield:
San
Diego's Checkfield was a collaboration that featured Ron Satterfield and
John Archer - both handled a variety of guitar and keyboard duties while
drawing on a highly eclectic mix of folk, classical and ethnic sounds.
The two had met back in 1970 at Mesa College and then they reconnected
for some gigs a few years later. Their first release followed in 1982
before they signed to American Gramaphone, the label run by Chip Davis
of Mannheim Steamroller fame. They released four albums from 1986 thru
until 1992 while tapping the back-up talents of a raft of "America's Finest
City's" finest and, in the process they earned an equal number of Grammy
nominations. A 10-year retrospective was issued in 1997, while one final
project followed the following year. For a time, Satterfield did a bit
of double duty, regularly appearing on and writing for a number of Steve
Laury projects. When last heard from he'd relocated to Arizona a while
back while John Archer retired and moved to Costa Rico about 13 years
ago. This time out we're returning to 1994 and checking out Checkfield's
Through The Lens, the last of their releases from their Am-Gram years.
From that effort, we have a cheery and upbeat tune called Avalon - in
Arthurian legend Avalon was an island paradise in the western seas, to
which heroes were transported at their death!
CD: Through The Lens (1992)
Label: American Gramaphone
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| Back Trax: Part Two |
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Times
Gone By - Peace of Mind ft Gota :
A one-off
project, Peace of Mind involved some of the top names from the heyday
of the UK acid jazz scene. Spurred by the success enjoyed by Internal
Bass Records, the concept was not so much to feature any single artist
in particular as it was to present a cohesive project that represented
some of the best sounds of the day. Featuring selections co-written
by Stuart Wade of Down to the Bone fame, prominent guests on the disc
included the likes of Gota the Groove Activator and Neil Cowley. Richard
Sadler (who still works with Wade) was on the album too, engineering,
mixing, and playing horns - while another co-writer, Richard Wargent,
played sax and flute. From that one and only release entitled Journey
to the Fore, we have the wickedly funky Times Gone By and a tune that
gets down and celebrates the groove!
CD: Journey To The Fore (1998)
Label: Internal Bass / NuGroove
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Lemon
Tree - Thievery Corporation ft Herb Alpert:
Thievery
Corporation features the production skills of Washington DC's Eric Hilton
and Rob Garza. Their partnership grew out of an association at the Eighteenth
Street Lounge, a DC club with a dubby, loungy, international vibe where
they DJ'd with a heavy hand. Hilton had grown up on a steady diet of 60s
ska, 70s funk, mod, Bossa Nova, salsa, Latin jazz, reggae, hip hop, and
straight ahead jazz. In the early 90s he co-founded the club Exodus with
Farid Ali where Friday nights became legendary before they started the
Eighteenth Street Lounge. Hilton and Garza first met at the club in 1995,
just prior to Hilton's acid jazz Exodus Quartet release. Soon after, the
two began working together and in 1996, they scored a pair of underground
vinyl hit singles, which were released on their own ESL Music record label.
Their debut release as Thievery Corp., Sounds from The Thievery Hi-Fi,
followed in 1997 and became a project that helped define a genre. Over
the next decade they recorded three more critically acclaimed albums of
original material, but in addition to their production expertise, Garza
and Hilton proved they were masters of the remix! Issued in 2006, Versions
was their second project wherein they put a creative sheen on the likes
of The Doors, Bebel Gilberto, and Sarah McLachlan. Among the finest, is
the lush and dreamy re-dubbing of Lemon Tree, the Tijuana Brass classic
featuring Herb Alpert from 1965!
CD: Versions (2006)
Label: ESL
Links: 
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City Lights
- Daniel Deaguero:
As an
independent artist with over three decades as a performer, Colorado based
Daniel Deaguero has issued eight albums split evenly between smooth jazz
and a Spanish style. Additionally, Deaguero has written and/or produced
for other indie artists while collaborating with a few well-known acts
such as Malo and Louie Shelton. Best known for a rich tone and his fluid
playing, in 1998 Deaguero received a Billboard Critic's Choice Award.
On this occasion, we're spinning 01's Colorado Sunset and its opening
track. With a few slick licks from Deaguero and a bit of nice piano courtesy
of Dave Innes, makes me wonder what's keeping the rest of smooth radio
from latching onto Deaguero's appealing blend!
CD: Colorado Sunset (2001)
Label: Night Beat Records
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| … kick back and relax with a special edition wherein every
track has the word chill in its title. There's License to Chill, Chill
Factor, and Chill or be Chilled, with 14 chillin' tunes in all. Opening
things is Marc Antoine, and he's followed by Richard Elliot, Matt Marshak,
David Bach, and Hiroshima. Set #2 has Euge Groove and continues with Jim
Adkins, Oli Silk, and Denny Jiosa with the piece for which we named this
segment. While wrapping it up are LA Chillharmonic, Bill McGee, Will Donato,
Gordon Sheard, and Bernie Williams. So if you're feeling down, turn up
the sound - take a chill pill & enjoy a 60 minute chill-out!
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