Highlights!
As we enter the "home stretch" in 2004, we have another great program. Included on this edition are Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, & Paul Brown. There's yet another fantastic selection from Matt Dusk as we continue to explore his Two Shots release. Sprinkled throughout are many past favourites from Blue Knights, Herb Alpert, & Greg Karukas. Among this select group is Ricardo Silveira with Francesa, the track that we've featured as our theme for the past eight seasons; and it's always a treat to play that one. Included as well are current favourites by Alan Hewitt, Jamie Bonk, Swing out Sister, and Theo Bishop, and our closing "classic trax" set features George Duke, Kenny G, Roberto Perera, and Thom Rotella.

Showcase CD
Vladosphere - Vlad: Uplifting, melodic and stimulating are just some adjectives that begin to describe the music of Vladomir De Briansky, a guitarist born & raised in a small town in western Ukraine. De Briansky actually began in music on drums at the age of seven. However, at 13 Vlad began to take guitar lessons and this became his passion in life. As a youth, Vlad studied jazz and classical music. Early in his career he received numerous accolades for spearheading several #1 hits on both the Ukrainian and Polish pop charts. At the same time Vlad developed as a session player. He also scored the music for several shows and motion picture soundtracks. In the course of events, The Berklee College of Music offered De Briansky a scholarship so that he might pursue his studies in the USA. In 1996, Vlad moved to Boston, and after a stint at Berklee he relocated to New York City. It was that time, more than any other that he feels was critical in shaping him as a musician.

Red Teddy - James Gabriano: James Gabriano has been playing guitar since the age of 12 and for several years he took classical lessons. In 1981, his family relocated to Dallas, Texas. It was shortly thereafter, that Gabriano enrolled at the University of North Texas where he focused on both classical and jazz studies. He formed his own band in late 80s and has been performing regularly ever since. In that regard, Gabriano is well known in the Dallas area. Initially, his style was grounded in a fusion of Latin jazz and flamenco but over the years that has evolved to a blend of Latin and Smooth Jazz. Beginning with his debut in 1992, Gabriano has released a total of 4 solo albums. His latest is titled Riviera Sunrise and from that we have Red Teddy, the smooth advance single.

CD: Riviera Sunrise
Label: Gabriano Productions
Web Site: James Gabriano

As The Sun Sets - Nighthawks: This group debuted back in 1998 and consists of bassist & producer Dal Martino and trumpeter Rainer Winterschladen. Germany is well known for its hip jazz scene. For that reason it's relatively easy for a band to be overshadowed, particularly by groups such as Tab Two. Such was the case for Nighthawks. However, following the dissolution of the former group back in 2001, Nighthawks were well poised to fill the void. For their new album, they recruited vocalist Pat Appleton who had previously worked with De-Phazz.

Smoov Soul - Mark Whitfield: Whitfield's journey in music began on bass. Lucky enough to have very encouraging parents, he developed into a highly skilled classical bassist well before his 10th birthday. In fact, while he was still in high school, he drew the attention of the Berklee College of Music, which offered him a scholarship . At the same time, Mark received the gift of a guitar for his seventh birthday. This enabled him to simultaneously pursue an interest in jazz. In time, Whitfield accepted the scholarship at Berklee, but chose guitar as his focus. After graduating in 1987, Mark temporarily moved to Brooklyn. Versatile enough to play straight-ahead jazz or R&B, he had little trouble in landing numerous sessions and gigs. His big break came through a referral by George Benson, who Mark considered as his chief inspiration. This led to a variety of projects as Whitfield recorded with players such as Nicholas Peyton, Ray Brown, and Courtney Pine. In turn, this resulted in the eventual release of several highly regarded solo projects. After a bit of an absence from the studio, Whitfield now returns as a featured performer on G-Fire II, issued by Vernon Neilly & Boosweet Records.

CD: G-Fire II
Label: Boosweet Records
Web Sites: Mark Whitfield ; G-Fire II ; Boosweet ; Vernon Neilly

A Vow - Demo Cates: Cates hails from Detroit Michigan. Growing up in that city exposed Demo to a variety of musical forms and gave him an appreciation for everything from Jazz, Hip hop, & R&B, to Latin and Contemporary styles. These diverse influences all contributed to Cates' development as a multitalented & multidimensional artist. For a time, Demo toured with the late Lenny Breau as a saxplayer. As a singer, he was nominated for Juno Awards in both 1985 and 1988.

However, Demo's talents go well beyond that of a vocalist or a musician and extend into writing, producing and acting. In that latter capacity, Cates studied at the Lee Strasberg School in New York City. He's appeared in numerous commercials, productions, and movies and he is presently engaged as a cast member for "The Lion King" in Toronto. Another of Demo's current projects is co-writing songs for the animated series The Busy World of Richard Scary and for Paddington Bear ( for which he contributes his voice) In the middle of this hectic and varied schedule, Cates found time to release Smooth…Try Something New. On this latest album, Demo once again proves beyond any doubt that he is "The Total Package". Soulful playing, tasty vocals, and a fabulous presentation all set the stage for a highly enjoyable listening experience. From that effort, we have a track that features Demo on sax and vocals and shows him at his fabulous best!.

CD: Smooth...Try Something New
Label: Final Faze
Web Site: Demo Cates

Bossa Note - Dalminjo: Out of Norway, comes the project known as Dalminjo, with Ole Roar Granli as the brain thrust behind the sound. An interest in synthesizers, prompted Granli to start creating his own music, which he posted on line. This led to his discovery and the 2001 release as the ORG Lounge.…(those being his initials). These outings were primarily of a drum 'n' bass style, so Granli chose the name Dalminjo for his excursions in electronica. The music soon caught the attention of a Swedish label, and a number of releases followed.