November 14, 2004 Edition #339 Previously |
Highlights!
Greetings! I'm afraid that I may have gone a bit overboard with this edition of show notes but it's tough to be minimal when it comes to fabulous music, so please forgive my exuberance! In any event, apart from a blockbuster showcase cd and an FT segment to match, this program comes very close to being a two-hour Smooth Jazz highlight reel. Norman Brown sets the stage with Up 'N' At 'Em and we take off from there. Included is a long list of favourites, both past and present, all the way from Vonnie by Bass X to Spyro Gyra's You Can Count. Over the years, the closing set has evolved into a sort of "classic trax" feature that in a way both balances & compliments the FT feature. Here you'll be treated to some of the finest selections that this genre has to offer ... from Torcuato Mariano, Club 1600, Brenda Russell, and Brian Tarquin. There's more including a piece that's brand new to the program from Peter White as we delve a bit more deeply into Confidential.And as added bonus, near the start of hour two, you can catch Outside the Box from Gene Cannon! This is a Café Jazz exclusive as we present a sneak preview of the title track from Gene's forthcoming cd. So that gives you just some idea of what lies in store. One thing is certain, you won't want to miss any of this show! |
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Showcase CD |
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It was about three months later that Oliver received a call
from Reid saying that he needed a guitarist for a new cd that he was working
on. To quote Steve (Oliver), "He called the right guy!" Oliver not only
appeared on the next two Bamboo Forest albums, he penned many of the tunes
on both cds and also ended up touring with Reid for three years. In the course of things, this led to a record deal & the release of First View, Oliver's solo debut in 1999. As an "undiscovered" artist trying to gain radio airplay Oliver presented a stripped down version of his music on that release. Nevertheless, the effort was well received and gained Oliver exposure in the USA on a national level resulting in Oliver's selection as Debut Artist of The Year by the Smooth Jazz News. |
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Nevertheless, it's Oliver himself who is the star of the show. His guitar work is innovative, vibrant, & inspired. But that's not all as Steve also scats & adds assorted vocalese to the tracks. Steve is "always hearing sounds" so that this seems like a totally natural thing for him to do. As Steve puts it, ".. it's really a lot more fun singing wordless vocals ... (you can add) whatever the song evokes". Some percussion here, a bit of bass there or perhaps some "high voice" sounds if that's what the song brings forth. It's this latter aspect of his musicianship that has become an Oliver hallmark and sets him apart as a true original and a one-of-a-kind performer. |
CD: 3D Label: Koch Records Site: Steve Oliver |
Fresh Trax: Part One | |
I'm
Here - Vernon D. Fails: |
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Love
Come Down - Shades of Soul: |
Fresh Trax: Part Two | ||
Dance
With My Father - Rick Braun: |
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Let's
Waste Some Time - Marc Jordan with Molly Johnson:
Following a brief stint as a film student at Brock University in St.
Catharines ON, Jordan began in the early 70s to pursue a career in music.
His father had been a singer and voice teacher and so it seemed that
Marc came by the entire creative process quite naturally. After a bit
of travel & a few varied experiences, Jordan returned to Toronto. In
1978 he released Mannequin, his solo debut. He had one more release
in Canada before relocating to Los Angeles in about 1980. For a time
Marc more or less disappeared from public view. He stopped playing live
& devoted most of his time to working in the studio while learning various
production techniques. He recorded a handful of projects during his
time in LA, but chose to move back to Canada in the mid-90s or so. |
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Southwest
Shuffle - Stacey Knights: |
After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site: | |||||
Lots of music with very little talk, what a novel idea! This time around I had to split the AH segment into two parts as the entire piece came in at just over 90 minutes. There are a total of 20 tracks, many of which have never before been played on our show. Delving a bit more deeply into some recent releases yielded a few gems from James Vargas, Novocento, The Benoit/Freeman Project 2, Ron Fattorusso, Vlad, & Swing out Sister. Of course there's much more including current favourites from Rafe Gomez, Garry Goin, Craig Chaquico & Soul Ballet. I've also included the latest release from Jazzy Devils and their Burning Bridges cd and then we're also introducing the music of Sharon Musgrave & Joel Virgel. As well, there are four great tracks from Bob Baldwin who is featured on T&N. We begin with guitarist Michael Dowdle and a very cool track called Into the AM! | |||||
Then & Now Feature:
Bob Baldwin
Bob Baldwin: Bob was born in Mount Vernon, NY. and was exposed to a wide array of music and artists by his father, Robert Baldwin, Sr., who was a jazz pianist in his own right. In 1986, the younger Baldwin enjoyed his first significant foray into music with the creation of The Bob Baldwin/Al Orlo Project. The group ended up performing at the legendary Bottom Line in NYC and thru the course of events this led to his first production with trumpeter Tom Browne. In turn this resulted in the release of Bob's debut in 1988, so that now Baldwin is a music industry veteran with nine solo projects to his credit. Career highlights include Cool Breeze in 1997, which yielded a top 10 single, and his independent release Bobbaldwin.com in 2000, which was critically acclaimed and has proven to be his best seller to date. Well known for his innovative approach to music, Bob is also well known as a highly spiritual individual. Baldwin looks to his faith not only for direction on a daily basis but he also draws on that faith for inspiration for his music and this definitely comes thru in his playing and production. So, as we feature Bob Baldwin on Then & Now, we present Ties That Bind, Business Call (with Joey Sommerville ), It's A New Day, and Sho Nuff from the above albums respectively! |