The New Voices of Today Presents…
Chelsea Baratz | In Faith
by Brent Faulkner
It is always a ‘breath of fresh air’ to hear a young, new voice in jazz. This time, the new voice comes from über talented saxophonist and composer, Chelsea Baratz, who sounds like a seasoned veteran at the ripe ‘old’ age of twenty four. On her debut effort, In Faith, creativity runs rapid whether it be funk-oriented numbers or more cerebral, neo-traditionalist cuts.
Alexander Boynton Jr. | Doo Bee Doo Bop By Randy Mahon This extremely talented bassist hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, now residing in Canada, self released a fine 12 song collection of Smooth Jazz numbers that incorporates elements of Latin, R&B, Funk and “Slow Jams”. Every, and I do mean, EVERY, …
Kenneth Whalum III | To Those Who Believe
by Brent Faulkner
Reinvigorating the ‘art’ that IS jazz is a tall, if nearly impossible order for the modern jazz recording artist. With the shoes of ‘untouchable’ legends to fill (Parker, Coltrane, Davis, etc.), it is not that often that the jazz enthusiast discovers a ‘new jazz album’ that truly ‘whets his appetite‘ or better yet serves as a ‘pipeline‘ to the future of jazz. With the recent release of the exceptionally well crafted To Those Who Believe, the future of jazz is clearly BRIGHT.
Album Review: Paula Prophet – From Me To You
By George Strand
(Scheduled to be released, January 11th, 2011)
Pacific Coast Recording artist Paula Prophet is no stranger to the jazz vocal program. Encompassing a selective mix of jazz standards, a swirl of R&B delicacies and a shake of that popcorn pop music sound, and well after 20 years stimulating listeners with her deep soul enticing voice, Ms. Prophet keeps her passion for singing alive and well in “From Me To You.”
Paul Brown | Love You Found Me
By Peggy Oliver
For the past fifteen years, many in the contemporary jazz community turned to Paul Brown for his production, sound engineering and composer. From Al Jarreau, to Boney James, to his major guitar hero, George Benson, Brown brought his very keen ear behind the boards.
Walter Beasley | Backatcha!
By George Strand
Something can be said about this guy.
Contemporary Jazz has something in music that can stand envy to all musical genre’s. A legacy of true heart and soul musicians from over the years, who stood the test of time perfecting their talents on any particular instrument: Sax, Trumpet, Bass, Drums, Harmonica, Piano, Keyboards, Trombone, etc…etc..etc…You name it. And dropped some of the most heartwarming, stimulating tracks on vinyl from over the decades.
Gail Pettis | Here in the Moment
by Peggy Oliver
When a jazz singer revisits a standard that has been tackled time and again, it is quite the task to express their musical personality without having to alter the integrity of the original. The experienced jazz vocalist should set the tone for his or her self and their accompanists to create a colorful musical canvas for their audiences.
Wayman Tisdale | The Fonk Record
by Brent Faulkner
Wayman Tisdale was another ‘shining star’ who was ‘gone too soon.’ Although an extremely talented former professional basketball player, Tisdale was equally talented as a multi-instrumentalist, who focused on the bass for the most part. Sadly, in May 2009, Wayman died after a stint with cancer. What did not die was Tisdale’s legacy. Experimental project The Fonk Record (featuring Tiz & The Fonkie Planetarians) is an album that showcases Tisdale’s restless creativity as a musician.
Oli Silk | All We Need
by Brent Faulkner
Pianist Oli Silk continues to keep the ‘art’ of jazz alive through his recent 2010 Trippin N Rhythm Records release All We Need. On the fine All We Need, Silk bridges old and new with creative instrumental orchestrations that keep the prime aspects of jazz alive while blending them with urban sensibilities.
Fourplay | Let’s Touch The Sky
by Peggy Oliver
A band can get into a period of complacency after long establishing their stake in the musical game. But the jazz quartet Fourplay on the heels of their new project, Let’s Touch The Sky, would not have any of that; inviting new Chuck Loeb in the guitar spot replacing long time member Larry Carlton. Bob James first discovered a musical connection with the other Fourplay personnel while still a solo recording artist.