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.

As chart-topping multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Brian Culbertson crafts his 20th album, the aptly titled "XX".Culbertson's catalogue includes recordings of jazz - contemporary and straight ahead - as well as R&B, funk, instrumental pop and New Age. "XX," which drops April 10, reflects his remarkable diversity. "It's a mix of things that I've done throughout my twenty records. There's a lot of funky instrumentals, some pop-sounding tracks, a couple slow jams, straight-ahead jazz, gospel, some vocals, lots of horns and some straight-up FUNK! The album is very much a mixture of some modern sounding programming along with live instruments, too. Real drums on almost everything mixed with programming. Definitely a cool sound," said Culbertson.

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…

Born in Manhattan and raised in Miami, Bobby came from a show business family. His mother and father both sang and were the hosts of one of the first musical variety programs on television, "Suppertime." Bobby grew up listening to show tunes, the music of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, as well as The Beatles. These early influences are prevalent in Bobby's singing and songwriting.

1994's Full Circle and 1997's Let the Piano Play combined on one CD!

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.