Smooth Jazz Lounge Vol.1 brings together the best tracks of Smooth Jazz on a CD.

A South Philadelphia native, you could say music is in Dexter's genes. Like many talented musicians, Dexter’s initial exposure began in the church. A product of both ministers and musicians, his dad (a deacon) is a keyboardist/organist, his two brothers are drummers, and his sister sings actively in church. His late mother (an evangelist) also played both the piano and the drums in church.

This fantastic 3CD collectors' tin features over 3 hours of fine Smooth Jazz and easy, evocative classics. Relaxing rhythms and graceful grooves sweep through this three disc set like a retro convertible on a sunny summer day. Comes in a special edition collectors' tin box.

The new 3rd Force album 'Global Force' is the first release by the group in over 10 years. Formally signed to Higher Octave Records from 1994 through 2005 their previous 4 groundbreaking recordings-whose titles all incorporated the 'force' concept, a la 'Force of Nature', 'Vital Force', 'Gentle Force' and 'Driving Force' scored them numerous hit singles and strong sales. Multi-instrumentalists and sonic architects William Aura and Craig Dobbin are the foundation of the 3rd Force sound with special guests including Alain Eskinasi (keys, guitars, beats) Brian Hughes (electric guitar) Lawson Rollins (flamenco guitar) Derrick Edmonson (sax) Mitch Manker (trumpet) Brian Mann (accordion) Peter Sterling (harp) and popular Nepali supergroup Kutumba (various instruments).

Left turns don't get much sharper than this one. Bitches features guest vocal appearances from Esperanza Spalding, N'dambi, Saunders Sermons, Cassandra Wilson, and Chinah Blac. Nicholas Payton does the rest – not just the trumpet, but all of the instrumentation, all of the songwriting, and most of the vocals. Those who have followed Payton's career as a jazz musician with no interest in left-field R&B of the previous several years – including but not limited to Sa-Ra, the Foreign Exchange, Dвm-Funk, and Bugz in the Attic – will be thrown.

This compilation covers the years 1977 to 1987, when Spyro Gyra was blazing new ground, blending jazz and pop elements in an original way that would eventually help define the emerging genre of smooth jazz. It touches on the band's Buffalo, New York, origins with "Shaker Song," recalls its first great success with "Morning Song," and documents the emergence of saxophonist Jay Beckenstein as an outstanding studio producer. Along the way, it also features the various musicians who have contributed to the group through the years. The original keyboard player Jeremy Wall contributes several compositions, including the touching "Autumn of Our Love" and the joyous "Summer Strut."

A constellation of star names shoot into view, new in April, from Antonio Faraò who is touring this spring with Jazz Messengers legend Benny Golson. Quite a procession into and out of the studio on a dozen of the Italian pianist’s extrovert compositions and arrangements, the styles straddling jazz-rock fusion, funk, smooth jazz, R&B and hip-hop, guests including Marcus Miller, Snoop Dogg, Manu Katché and Didier Lockwood. A spacey showbizzy start to the whole shebang hovers into view right at the beginning featuring a peculiar kind of movie trailer curtain raiser. Skipping on rapidly to ‘Line’ featuring rapper Krayzie Bone (Anthony Henderson to his mum) for a lively bit of cussin’ and no holding back, the high energy radiating outwards a case of harmless entertainment no more no less, Faraò surfacing to fly somehow like Herbie Hancock back in his ‘lost’ 1980s period. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Released in the U.K. in 2010, this volume of Original Album Series features the second through sixth studio albums from Michael Franks: The Art of Tea (1976), Sleeping Gypsy (1977), Burchfield Nines (1978), Tiger in the Rain (1979), and One Bad Habit…

Keyboardist, songwriter and producer Marvin Thompson Jr. has been creating music for the better part of his lifetime. His release, In Focus on the December Sky music label, featured his brand of jazz-infused instrumental music. His catalog also includes his EP Piano Reflective, highlighting Marvin’s ability to convey messages of love and life through simple piano melodies. Marvin’s work includes scoring for the independent film, Guilty Innocence for Swift Winds Media. He is the recipient of the Billboard Songwriting Award, and the John Lennon Songwriting Award.

Karo Jazz Band (KJB) is one of the outstanding jazz bands today in Africa, which was founded in 2004 by guitar player Karo Ndoite. Few years after its creation, the KJB received two big supports from The Cultural Center of Belgium and the American Cultural Center, both based in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Karo Jazz Band tends to play jazz in a different approach, meaning by mixing traditional Congolese rhythms with contemporary jazz harmonies, with a good dose of innovative spirit.

S.O.A.R. is the brainchild of vocalist April May & Trumpeter Randall Haywood. Partners in music and life, April and Randall have come together creating a distinct sound that fuses aspects of Contemporary Jazz, Soul, R&B, and Gospel influences. S.O.A.R. has been described as the modern day Ashford and Simpson, pulling inspiration from the deep love they have for one and other and expressing that love through beautifully crafted compositions.

Multi-talented gospel saxophonist, musician, and composer Charles Johnson Jr. creates and performs inspirational, passionate and melodic arrangements from his heart with the saxophone that emulates the soulful emotion and expressive lyrical style of a gospel or jazz singer. A native of Dayton Ohio, Charles’ love for the deep rich tone of the tenor saxophone in particular, served as the impetus to further developing his technique and unique style on the instrument at the Kent State University School of Music where he studied classical saxophone. Charles’ musical influences include both jazz and gospel recording artists including Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, Najee, Kenny G, Fred Hammond and Richard Smallwood. Charles’ love for the power, passion and inspiration of gospel music, has helped to shape both his composing and performance style.

With Fly Away Butterfly, Carol Albert delivers a seminal and sizzling contribution to the artistic sphere, blending lively melodies with thoughtful and refined arrangements blending piano, vocals, with jazzy grooves, world rhythms in a Smooth Jazzy Style.