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Jazz Vocals, Page 6

George Benson | Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole

George Benson - Inspiration A Tribute to Nat King Cole
 
George Benson | Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole
Concord Records
By Peggy Oliver
 
I fully appreciate it when recording artists occasionally devote a cover song made famous by one of their favorite artists or better yet an influential figure who has stood the test the time. That stated, the way over abundance and over the top tribute projects, such as anything entitled Smooth Sax Tributes, are frankly opportunities to simply cheapen the legacy of musical icons.

José James | No Beginning No End

José James - NoBeginningNoEnd_cover
 
Jose James | No Beginning No End
Blue Note Records
By Peggy Oliver
 
As the independent music market is growing leaps and bounds amongst the mainstream industry, more singer/songwriters are daring to think further outside the mainstream. With a voice that transcends numerous genres, no one could or should pigeonhole Jose James’ intentions as an artist. His uncanny ability and mellow flair in guiding pop and R&B melodies
into unexpected territory has made Jose James a respected figure in the underground music circles.

Jonathan Butler | Grace and Mercy

Jonathan Butler - Grace and Mercy
 
Grace and Mercy
Jonathan Butler
(Rendezvous)
by Darnell Meyers-Johnson
 
Jonathan Butler signed his first recording contract at twelve years old.  By the time he was fifteen, he was already an established recording artist in his native South Africa.  By his own admission, he was also a drug addict whose soul was seeking salvation.  Guidance would come through a friendship with a fan who introduced him to the Christian faith.  That fan would later become his brother in law.

Randy Crawford & Joe Sample | Live

Randy Crawford & Joe Sample LIVE
 
Randy Crawford & Joe Sample
Live
(PRA)
By A. Scott Galloway
 
This concert CD by the venerable duo of old friends, singer Randy Crawford and pianist Joe Sample, really should have been billed as “Randy Crawford with The Joe Sample Trio.” Sample’s presence throughout the disc can best be summed up as understated. He truly defers focus to Crawford who is always a delight as her style is so distinctive no matter what she sings.

Bob Baldwin Presents “Betcha By Golly Wow – The Songs Of Thom Bell”

Bob Baldwin - Betcha By Golly Wow
 
Bob Baldwin Speaks On “The Spark of Magic” of Thom Bell
by A. Scott Galloway
 
Once upon a time, a ubiquitous Bell tolled throughout the land.  It was the sound of music at its creamy dreamiest, crooned hearts-on-sleeves by groups with mystical monikers like Stylistics, Delfonics and Spinners.  T’was a time when real men feared not to sing of love and romance in phrases like “You Are Everything” and “You’re as Right as Rain.”  Their inescapable signals were carried on the wind by the multitudes, massaging the magic in their own inimitable ways. In this time of soul-warming enchantment circa `70, hearts throbbed to the pulses of true love and romance…the symphonic soul soundscapes of Maestro Thomas Randolf Bell.

Esperanza Spalding | Radio Music Society

Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society
 
Esperanza Spalding
Radio Music Society
(Heads Up International)
by Brent Faulkner
 
Esperanza Spalding, then relatively unknown to the masses, accomplished a feat previously unaccomplished by any jazz artist in 2011; she won the Grammy award for Best New Artist. Spalding’s victory could be viewed shocking considering she defeated more visible popular artists including Justin Bieber and Drake. While the Grammy could be considered Spalding’s ‘crowning’ achievement, it logically accompanies a rich, captivating biography, highlighted in its entirety on her website (http://www.esperanzaspalding.com).

Carmen Lundy | Changes

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Carmen Lundy
Changes
(Afrasia)
 
A Record Reflection by A. Scott Galloway
 
Singer/Songwriter Carmen Lundy’s twelfth album, Changes, is the kind of jazz vocal album that does more than entertain. It enhances your very existence. This is music that soothes your being, uplifts your spirit and quiets your mind – music you can use. It has a very strong Afrocentric foundation and an overflowing of warm musical sunshine to light your way. Ms. Lundy composed 8 of the 9 numbers herself, making for an album truly classifiable as “one from the heart.”

Najee | The Smooth Side Of Soul

Najee - The Smooth Side of Soul
 
Najee | The Smooth Side of Soul
By Peggy Oliver
 
Multi-award winner Najee is one of contemporary jazz’s long-standing ambassadors and continues to challenge himself with respect towards his fan base that has further translated to his overall industry longevity. As a lifelong fan of R&B and jazz music, Jerome Najee Rasheed decided to follow his musical childhood inspirations while developing his woodwind skills.

Kirk Whalum | Romance Language

Kirk Whalum - Romantic Language
 
Kirk Whalum | Romance Language
By Peggy Oliver
 
One of jazz’s unlikely pairs, depending on who you might speak with, stirred some magic in the early sixties. John Coltrane was undeniably a groundbreaking modern saxophone player who leaned more towards the avant-gardism school of thinking. After choosing crooner Johnny Hartman for an Impulse! recording project of romantic ballads came to fruition in 1963, Coltrane immediately connected with Hartman’s melodic and sensitive phrasing, which was the self-titled project’s driving force.

Paul Taylor | Prime Time

Paul Taylor - Prime Time
 
Paul Taylor | Prime Time
by Brent Faulkner
 
Smooth jazz is a jazz sub-genre that allows for plenty of possibilities, maybe the most possibilities for the producer. On saxophonist Paul Taylor’s 2011 effort Prime Time, the production possibilities do run wild, but also leaves room for even more exploration. Overall, Prime Time is a pleasant smooth jazz album that yearns to be even more passion-laden from the perspective of songwriting and production. Taylor always shines through the material -valedictory or merely average – attesting to his beautiful saxophone tone.

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