2006
The Days of Smooth Jazz and Mac - English side | 2007

Larry Williams: "The Beautiful Struggle"

2006/Feb/21 15:12 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
Larry Wiliams has always been one of the best musicians to me. He is well known as a Keyboard/ Sax player of the legendary group "Seawind" back in the late 1970s. After break up of "Seawind", he has alway been a top notch musician in composing, arranging, playing and producing many music projects for well known musicians but other than for himself.

To everyone's surprise, "The Beautiful Struggle" released in December 2001 is the very first solo project of Larry Williams. Although everyone may assume that Larry's solo album would be smooth jazz/ contemporary jazz one, Larry did very straight-ahead jazz. I was also pleased to find reunion of "Seawind Horns" and Pauline Willison (Seawind's lead singer) in several tracks. The sound is amazingly polished, cool, solid, and thrilling. If you like straight-ahead jazz, you will love this CD. Another surprsing fact is that this CD is released in Japan only. You can buy this CD from Amozon. It costs a little more than usual CDs, but many people found that it really pays off.
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Do you know "Seawind"?

2006/Feb/07 00:41 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
Do you know (or remember) a legendary jazz fusion band named "Seawind"? They were from Hawaii and quite popular during 1976-82. They made a debut in "Seawind (1976)" and followed by "Window of a Child (1977)" both from CTI Record. Their real big hits were from A&M(Horizon). Those are "Light the Light (1979)" and "Seawind (1980)". Seawind was a real cutting edge band with fantastic voice of Pauline Wilson (vocal), tight beats led by Bob Wilson (Drums/ leader) , and very sharp horn section so called "The Seawind Horns" led by Jerry Hey (Trumpet).



Many big names, such as Quincy Jones, wanted to have them play in their albums. You will be amazed when you see there are countless albums in the early 80s carrying their names on them. In 1982, after finished recording sessions of their "never released" 5th album, Seawind had been broken up at their peak.

The sound of Seawind is definitely one of the origins of the present styles of Smooth Jazz, contemporary Jazz, and even AOR. Oddly enough, CD versions of "Light the Light" and "Seawind (1980)" had been released only in Japan and hard to find items. Now, you can get them from Amazon. There is an official web site of Seawind. According to that site, after Seawind held a reunion concert on March 19th, 2005, there is an on-going new project after 23 years of absence.

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Joe Sample in a Piano Trio Session: "The Three"

2006/Jan/29 17:48 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
A well known Fusion keyboard player Joe Sample, one of the original members of "The Crusaders", once recorded a real jazz piano trio session 30 years ago (on November 28, 1975). This is an album named "The Three" that was planned by a Japanese recording producer, Yasohachi "88" Itoh, who produced "East Wind" series for jazz music albums. "The Three" was a trio of Joe Sample (piano), Ray Brown (bass) and Shelly Manne (drums). Very rare combination. They used direct-to-disc or direct cutting recording technique for the project. It means they recorded real jazz trio live session at a studio. I bought the original release of LP back in 1979 and played it again and again. A CD version equally sounds 100% natural: "no preservative added". Almost feel like listening to the trio at a small jazz club. If you love jazz and have a pair of those JBL kind of speakers, "The Three" is for you.
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ARISTA Allstars: "Blue Montreux Live V.1" - One of the Best Live Performance in the 1970s

2006/Jan/24 16:40 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
"Blue Montreux Live V.1" is a live recording of "Arista Allstars" at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1978. "Arista Allstars" was a group of famous musicians from Arista Record including Michael Brecker (ts) , Randy Brecker (tp), Mike Mainieri (vibes), Warren Bernhardt (k), Larry Coryell (g), Steve Khan (g), Tony Levin (b), Steve Jordan (d). This legendary recording must be one of the best live performance of Jazz Fusion in the 1970s. Unlike usual "allstar" performance, they really played as one solid music band and created amazingly well performed music. The first track, "Blue Montreux", is probably the most well known tune written by Mainieri. The two-horn led melody line by Breckers was firmly supported by tight grove of the rhythm section. After a round of solo plays, it heated up to the "top gear" of a live session. This CD is a "must have item" for a fan of Jazz Fusion sound of the 1970-80s.
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Boz Scaggs: "Fade into Light" for Grown-Up Audience

2006/Jan/17 22:51 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
"Fade into Light" was first released in 1996 for a Japanese market only. Now it is available worldwide. This album is full of new "Jazzy" versions of some Scaggs' popular songs. An unplugged "Lowdown" (with a breath-taking sax solo from Tom Scott) , "We're All Alone", and "Harbor Lights," were all originally recorded in his big hit album of 1976's "Silk Degrees". Superb acoustic air of sound. Recommended for grown-up listeners.
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Jason Miles project "What's Goin' On : The Music of Marvin Gaye"

2006/Jan/16 13:52 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
Jean-Philippe REJOU posted in "Recording now" that Jason Miles project "What’s Goin’ On: The Music of Marvin Gaye" will be available Feb. 7 on the Narada label. According to Jean-Philippe REJOU, the CD will be full of rearranged Marvin’s greatest hit tunes performed by top-notch musicians such as Bobby Caldwell, guitarist Nick Colionne, Spyro Gyra saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, and trumpeter Herb Alpert. A rhythm section consists of bassists Marcus Miller, Scott Ambush and James Genus, drummer Gene Lake and percussionist Cyro Baptista. I think, smooth jazz lovers have to check it out.
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Refreshing Jazz Flute

2006/Jan/15 19:39 Filed in: Smooth Jazz
Introducing a CD of Ms. Sumiko Fukatsu、"Sumiko Fukatsu: Feather in the Air". Her tunes sound so refreshing. It is almost like opning the window to fill the room with fresh morning air. This CD is her first one. She has already released 5 CDs. I have always liked jazz with the flute. It is the intrument that coveys breath of players most vividly. I recommend her CDs to all Smooth Jazz lovers.
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Google Earth for Mac is officially available

2006/Jan/12 11:36 Filed in: Apple Macintosh
Google Earth for Mac is now officially available from Google WEB site. It works only with 10.4(Tiger) and above. Does not work with Panther (10.3.x). It is really fun to fly around the world. Must try this.
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CDs are back in stock!

2006/Jan/10 09:28 Filed in: Smooth Jazz |Original Music CD
As of 10th January, more CDs of "SHIGEKI KAWAHARA: Another World" have come back in stock again in CD Baby.
Sorry for waiting!
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New CD is released!!

2006/Jan/08 16:20 Filed in: Smooth Jazz |Original Music CD
New CD is released in January 2006. It's full of polished tunes of Smooth Jazz/ Fusion. Available from CD Baby, the world largest CD seller of independent musicians. As of 8th January 2006, it is already all soldout! Please be patient. More CDs are coming back in stock very soon. By the time, listen to sample songs and write your review.
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