Showcase CD
Lucid Dream - Tomazz:
Staring
off as a recording engineer in Philadelphia, Thomas James Ackley
has been a part of the music business for the past 20 years. Initially
he worked with independent artists before becoming the keyboard
tech for the likes of Boyz to Men and Grover Washington, Jr. After
moving to New York in the mid 90s, he joined the Hit Factory Studio
and while he was there for only a short time he had the chance
to engineer for Celine Dion, Will Smith, and others.
By the turn of the millennium, Ackley's focus had begun to shift
to remixing and to his own work. Debuting under the pseudonym
of Tomazz in 2007, Lucid Dream is now his 2nd smooth release and
3rd over all. Now by way of explanation, when something is lucid,
it's completely comprehensible. So with a mix of jazzy piano together
with an urban vibe, Lucid Dream profiles a vision that's easily
understood in the context of, and one that nicely connects to,
today's music scene! |
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Tomazz
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In
keeping with which, it's the occasion to direct the beam of the
spotlight at Tomazz and that very release as part of the showcase
feature! We've queued a dynamite blend … beginning with the arioso
tones of Coconut Bay. The leisurely bliss of the tune Escape follows
at the top of hour 2 while the haut monde vibe of Way They Talk
About You seals the segment. With a sampling of his talents as a
vocalist and on piano, drums, & percussion, on Lucid Dream Tomazz
creates an anthem for the glitterati and for those who are hip to
the music scene!
CD: Lucid Dream (2010)
Label: Blue Claw Music
Links: 
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| Fresh Trax: Part One |
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Touch and Go - Jazzmasters:
One
of the men who has helped in charting the course for smooth jazz since
the 90s is back with his latest release with volume VI in the highly successful
Jazzmasters series. It's been nearly 20 years since Paul Hardcastle issued
The Jazzmasters, a project that signaled a meteoric rise not only in his
own career but for the genre in general. As he closes his second full
decade as a standard bearer for smooth, the 2008 Smooth Jazz Artist of
the Year as voted by Billboard Magazine shows he hasn't lost a stride.
From the forthcoming Jazzmasters VI we have the lead single in Touch and
Go - a phrase that implies an extremely uncertain or risky outcome. No
disrespect intended to the author, but when it comes to smooth, there's
little else closer to a sure thing than a Paul Hardcastle musical venture!
CD: Jazzmasters VI (2010)
Label: Trippin 'n' Rhythm Records
Links: 
Fan Sites: 
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Lakeside
- Chieli Minucci & Special EFX:
It
was back in 1982, when Chieli Minucci first met the late George Jinda
during a series of NYC jam sessions. The two hit it off and soon after
they began laying the groundwork for Special EFX and what was to become
one of the most endearing projects in contemporary jazz. In the course
of events they recorded 13 albums before creative differences led to an
amicable parting of the ways. Jinda recorded one additional project as
leader of Special EFX before being struck with a debilitating neurological
condition, one from which he sadly never recovered. In 1999, Minucci resurrected
the Special EFX banner while dedicating the project to his long-time friend
and former partner. He's since released an additional 3 Special EFX albums
- all of which now all brings us directly to the present and the 2010
issue of Without You. A double cd which commemorates 25years since the
release of the Special EFX debut, the current project features several
members of the original Special EFX line-up - among them drummer Lionel
Cordew, bassist Jerry Brooks, and keyboardist Jay Rowe, while adding to
the musical milieu are special guests in the likes of Jeff Lorber, Karen
Briggs, and Lao Tizer. Chieli & company rise to the occasion by offering
an eclectic blend with elements from jazz-fusion & world rhythms to pop
and rock. From the new one, we have a tune destined to be the latest in
a string of classics. It's called Lakeside and features some outstanding
instrumental harmonizing from Minucci on electric guitar and Karen Briggs
on electric violin!
CD: Without You (2010)
Label: ChieliMusic
Links: 
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| Fresh Trax: Part Two |
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Chinese Medicinal Herbs - Jeff Lorber Fusion:
Thru
a series of highly popular releases in the late 70s, keyboardist and composer
Jeff Lorber established himself as a prominent figure in the movement
known as jazz fusion. Now 30-plus years into his career, Lorber revisits
some of the material that he released earlier on. Resurrecting the Jeff
Lorber Fusion banner, Now Is The Time is his latest cd and a project which
for Lorber signifies the time to get back to where he started from. Jimmy
Haslip, Eric Marienthal, Paul Jackson Jr., Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl,
and Randy Brecker all contribute to re-constituted combo and from that
effort Lorber covers himself on Chinese Medicinal Herbs, a tune that appeared
on his debut back in 1977!
CD: Now Is The Time (2010)
Label: Heads Up International
Links:
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Do It Again - RJ Ross:
As a
founding member of the funk band Brainstorm, Professor RJ Ross's musical
journey began in Detroit. He then moved to Oakland CA where as the resident
keyboardist for Fantasy Studios he worked with Jeffrey Osborne, Eddie
Money, Huey Lewis, and others. Then nine years ago, Ross was diagnosed
with what was thought to be an incurable cancer just as he was getting
ready to record his own debut. Setting out to prove the doctors wrong,
RJ fought a courageous battle and underwent a risky surgery - its success
gave him a new lease on life and the determination to see that project
come to fruition. Aided by the University of Soul, with a faculty that
includes bass man Freddie Washington, B3 organist Neil Larsen, and saxman
Ernie Watts, in 2008 Ross released Face to Face - and from that effort
we have the Professor's terrific take on a Steely Dan classic!
CD: Face to Face (2008)
Label: Lantana Records
Links:
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Rush - Freddy V:
Honing
his chops in the venues of New York City, saxman Freddy Vigdor worked
as a sideman to touring stars while also fronting a few combos. His growing
reputation led to a gig with Bob Baldwin and then when the Average White
Band's original saxophonist left the group, it was Freddy V who was recommended
to fill the saxchair. So began a decade long association with the group
that performs almost nonstop. Even so, Freddy still found a bit of time
for some jamming and guesting in a variety of clubs from NYC to London
and Atlanta, where he now resides. The Summer of 2004 saw Vigdor backing
Michael McDonald on the Rock & Soul Revue Tour and then playing on Michael's
Motown II release. The following year, Freddy started on a solo effort,
which due to his ongoing commitment to the AWB, saw sometimes only sporadic
attention and so the project stretched into a 3-year affair. In the end,
Easier Than It Looks perhaps wasn't as easy as the title suggests to realize
as a finished product. But for the most part, the mix of tracks steeped
in the traditions of jazz/funk and soul, find willing and easy listening
particularly on our choice for the occasion in the tune Rush!
CD: Easier Than It Looks (2008)
Label: Watersign Records
Links:
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our
Site and Select Affiliates : |
| … we're tip toeing thru the tracks with a playlist
that includes A Step Along the Way, Saul Steps Out, and Footsteps - on
a 13-track edition wherein all the selections are connected to the Marion
Meadows tune Step A Little Closer!
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