This CD is more jazz-oriented than most of Bob James' recordings and even takes chances in a few spots. The tunes, mostly by James, contain several strong melodies, including a tribute piece for Sarah Vaughan; among the sidemen are guitarist Lee Ritenour, Kirk Whalum on tenor and soprano, and (in a guest spot) tenor great Michael Brecker. The results overall are still poppish in places, but the diverse instrumentation, which changes from song to song, and the wide range of moods covered make this release of great interest.

Trumpeter Chris Botti drops the synthesizers and drum loops of his previous effort, Thousand Kisses Deep, for a more elegant and traditional sound on When I Fall in Love. While Thousand Kisses Deep maximized Botti's penchant for mixing perfect pop songs with his Miles Davis-influenced jazz style, it nonetheless featured many of the electronic and processed sounds predictable on modern smooth jazz releases. By eschewing such "go to" pop-jazz production techniques as drum machines and synthesized strings in favor of the real instruments here, Botti ironically sounds utterly groundbreaking on what is ultimately a straight-ahead orchestral jazz album. While nowhere near as improvisationally adventurous as its predecessors, When I Fall in Love is still a revelation in the tradition of Sketches of Spain, Clifford Brown With Strings, and Wynton Marsalis' Hot House Flowers. Mixing standards and contemporary pop tunes all in a straight-ahead style, Botti gives his minimalist Miles-ian horn sound a chance to breath and be enjoyed on its own.

Start with a sonic atmosphere… then layer it with textures of jazz and electronica… throw in some cool beats, erotic grooves - this what Chillaxing Jazz KolleKtion is about.
The mastermind of Kool&Klean series, producer and contemporary saxophonist Konstantin Klashtorni keeps producing smooth tracks for Chillaxing Jazz KolleKtion. His 2019 album is a special blend of chill out, electro jazz, relaxing grooves and sweet melodies, - relaxing and soothing to your heart and mind.

It's an amusing little slice of the pop culture times that veteran bassist Sekou Bunch is better known to the American public as the first eliminated contestant from Survivor: Cook Islands (2006, the thirteenth season of the show) than for his incredible all-star resume featuring everyone from Quincy Jones and Luther Vandross to Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, the Winans, and Stevie Wonder. His experience on the show probably made him impervious to the odds of a new name (this was his first solo effort since the early '90s) breaking through the smooth jazz format when this was released. The success of Wayman Tisdale aside, another obstacle was the fact that he's an ace bassist, not the most radio-friendly instrument in the genre. All that said, The Next Level is a solid, coolly funky, and supermelodic date, on par with and even surpassing the catchy and grooving joy that Tisdale was famous for.

The sax player from New York grooves through some laid-back new-jazz-swing, while the Dancing Fantasy team oversees his impressive effort with some fine producing. A cool mix of musical styles showcasing George's multi faceted use of the sax.

Smooth jazz trumpeter Patches Stewart teams up with bassist/producer Marcus Miller on Blow. Sounding like a total blend of mid-'60s and early-'90s Miles Davis, Stewart deftly mixes modal trumpet lines and punchy muted asides with funky processed beats. Taken as a whole, the album brings to mind Davis' Doo-Bop more than Kind of Blue, and in that sense it is a pleasingly adventurous post-bop/funk-jazz meets instrumental pop outing.

Flute virtuoso Hubert Laws has always occupied his own artistic turf, whether interpreting works by Mozart, Stravinsky, Dvorak, Debussy, Satie, Faure, and J.S. Bach or improvising with immaculate ease through the modern jazz compositions of Chick Corea, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane. He has also demonstrated a well-grounded attitude toward the mainstream pop repertoire, which he handles with comparable mastery. Bridge over Troubled Water, as one might guess, is an entire album of hit tunes by Paul Simon. Each melody is executed with the relaxed precision that has always characterized much of this artist's work. The flutist is backed by pianist John Beasley, bassist Stanley Gilbert, drummer Ralph Penland, and the West L.A. Strings under the direction of Stanley Gilbert.

The story behind Grover Washington, Jr.'s first session date as a leader revolves around a sheer coincidence of being in the right place at the right time. The truth is, the date for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint was supposed to feature Hank Crawford in the soloist's chair. Crawford couldn't make the date and longtime sideman Washington got the nod. His being closely affiliated with organists Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond didn't hurt, and his alto and tenor saxophones' tone was instantly noticeable for both its song-like quality and Washington's unique ability to dig deep into R&B territory for his expression of feeling. Released in 1972, produced by Taylor, and arranged and orchestrated by Bob James, the list of players in this band is equally impressive: James played Fender Rhodes, there's Richard Tee on organ, bassist Ron Carter…

California Shower is the 1978 album by Japanese jazz musician Sadao Watanabe. This was taken from the first American compact version/reissue released by the ProJazz label.

Featuring a bevy of world music guests, guitarist Lee Ritenour's Smoke 'N' Mirrors is a stylish, joyous, and laid-back multicultural affair. Among the guests are Brazilian vocalist and keyboardist Daniel Jobim, South African vocalist Zamajobe and guitarist Erik Pilani Paliani, West African bassist Richard Bona, as well as such well-known contemporary jazz icons as pianist Dave Grusin, bassist John Patitucci, percussionist Sheila E., and others. Judiciously, Ritenour has made room for a wide musical palette including funky jams, melodic soul vocal tracks, inspired rhythmic passages, and of course straight-ahead jazz improvisation. While this is an impeccably crafted effort in the tradition of past Ritenour albums, it never comes off as anything less than organically heartfelt.

Collection includes 9 studio albums, 2 live albums and 4 remixes & compilation albums by British sophisti-pop/jazz-pop group Swing Out Sister, best known worldwide for the 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of the Eugene Record soul composition "Am I the Same Girl?"

Guitarist Lee Ritenour had just switched from Epic to Elektra when he cut Captain's Journey in 1978. It was a followup to the successful crossover work Captain Fingers and used a similar strategy: tight, hook-laden arrangements, polished production, and minimal solo space. What individual things it has are dominated by Ritenour, a supremely talented guitarist who doesn't display that much of it with these arrangements.

The Jazz Club series is an attractive addition to the Verve catalogue. With it's modern design and popular choice of repertoire, the Jazz Club is not only opened for Jazz fans, but for everyone that loves good music.
Known to fans as "Captain Fingers" for his uncommon dexterity on the guitar, Lee Ritenour is a noted jazz artist and session musician who has been one of the leaders in his field since the early '70s.

Rit 2 album by Lee Ritenour was released Jan 25, 2005 on the Collectables label. As a producer and musical arranger, Lee Ritenour has proven to be a tasteful genius, and it never shows more strongly than on here.

PURE ENERGY is the follow up to Tim’s previous work ‘Up & At’em’ that showcased his addictive writing style on the lead single ‘When Marie Smiles’ which peaked at an impressive number 19 on the Smooth Jazz Billboards.
2020 is already proving to be another break out year for the talented writer and keyboardist, as Tim’s 1st single ‘Life of the Party’ from the new CD ‘Pure Energy‘ is set to enter the Smooth Jazz airwaves February 17, 2020.
‘Life of The Party’ featuring saxophonist ‘Marcus Anderson’ is a high powered and funk infused energetic ride! From the energetic opening track ‘Life of the Party’ to the mellow drive time groove ‘Carefree,’ this musical work is poised to inspire.