Ayh-hayh… MUST HAVE CD

NORMAN BROWN

BABYSOUL

Each year, smooth jazz produces an artist that is ooh la-la fantastic and Jackiem Joyner, with the release of Babysoul, just so happens to be the ONE! He is the one that produced ten of the eleven grade-A tracks for Artizen Music, provoking a plethora of moods ranging from dance to a table for two. Stay With Me Tonight is the first radio release and I’m telling you the truth when I say, this cut, along with Peter White as co-pilot, takes flight and soars. Say Yes gets a “yes” from me every time I listen to it, while In Love Again made me want to hit the dance floor. Babysoul ain’t no joke… earning the big pimpin’ award. Ayh-hayh!

EN ROUTE

With a name like Four80East, there’s not much guesswork in what to expect from the Toronto-based groove oriented band. Just imagine hitting the open road with no particular destination in mind and you got yourself one heck of a Four80East experience. En Route caught my attention with its unpredictable UK-ish, bass-heavy, and groove oriented dance vibe. Noodle Soup, for instance, possesses the kind of light-hearted feel-good mood one might have when everything just goes right all day. En Route not only holds your attention with its collection of jazzed futuristic sounds, neatly wrapped into a blanket of adventure, but it can also live gently in the background, lying dormant until called forth by taking center stage. .

GROOVETREE

Move over and make room for trumpeter, Lin Rountree and his phat-tabulous hip urban, summer groove knock out, Groovetree. It is a perfect marriage between contemporary jazz and R&B with an undeniable soulful spirit that just lingers something sweet. Groovetree is most definitely one of smooth jazz’s most creative albums the genre has to offer and I promise you, Rountree delivers even on Sunday morning…. an offer you can’t get just anywhere. Oh yeah… let me give a big shout out to Ms. Michele Vandegrift for writing the beautiful lyrics to The Message, not to mention, Leslie Nelson, who sang the bottom out of that song. So… I’m here to offer my sworn testimony that YES… there is future in writing vocal songs, instrumental songs and whatever else… Go ‘head on Rountree family. Ayh-hayh!

NO TIME TOWASTE

Dee Brown’s No Time To Waste opens up with the funky hip-hop groove, Blue Street, featuring Dezie McCullers Jr’s soulful tenor sax. Brown’s exuberant dance guitar licks set the stage for this chart topping vine ripe album. No Time To Waste just so happens to be Brown’s debut CD and I can tell ya, ol’ boy pulled out the big gun and I do mean loaded. Brown’s jazz guitar is definitely one to be heard, carving out his own space in the world of smooth jazz with this record. When you have a combination of excellent musicianship, tight arrangements and uplifting vocals, all in one, you have a recipe for those who have no time to waste, and only expect the good stuff.

SPIRIT OF THE MOMENT

For his latest Telarc recording, jazz pianist, Michel Camilo’s Spirit Of The Moment is a force to be reckoned with and a music phenomenon, yet elegant beyond words. Nearly four years since his last, Camilo nails Spirit Of The Moment to the wall with his refreshed and redefined tri-sound. Divided into three distinct chapters, each one consisting of four tunes, it’s obvious that there’s a compelling story lying beneath each note, expressed through engaging extraordinary technique, raw talent and passion, making for a subtly sexy accompaniment to your next candlelit dinner for two. .