Jazz Articles
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Paul Taylor: Tenacity
by Jeff Winbush
Paul Taylor is an innovative, inquisitive saxophonist who is constantly pushing the creative envelope of both his instrument and the audience's expectations...no, wait...that's somebody else. Paul Taylor is a cutting edge player who is always surprising in his restless and innovative musical explorations...nope, that's not right. Paul Taylor is a musical chameleon constantly changing his style and approach over the years...nah, that's not it either... Paul Taylor is a solid performer whom while not a particularly distinctive artist, ...
read moreThe Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman: Cote D' Azur
by Jeff Winbush
Of the many incarnations of Russ Freeman's The Rippingtons, the current version is one of the strongest, with the players actually cohering as a band and not simply sidemen in Freeman's long-running side project. He remains the guiding light as the principal composer, writer and producer, giving the other musicians some stimulating music to play. Jeff Kashiwa is typically an acceptable, if not exceptional saxophonist, but, freed from any responsibility other than to get his groove on, he falls to ...
read moreNorman Brown: Sending My Love
by Woodrow Wilkins
Whether to military troops overseas, family members or fans, guitarist Norman Brown has plenty of love to give. And he shows it with Sending My Love. Brown is a Grammy Award winner who has played guitar since the age of 8. Drawing inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery, and often compared to George Benson, Brown has worked with a number of smooth jazz luminaries, including Paul Brown, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Mitch Forman and Michael Manson.
read morePeter White: Good Day
by Jeff Winbush
Peter White is a proficient guitarist whose albums are clean in sound and pristine in the production. It's probably not possible to even smudge the CD with a greasy fingerprint. There's so much order and control in this effort that it begs the question: does White occasionally hire out someone to sneak into his house to hide his car keys and mess up the sock drawer just to inject a little chaos in his life?This is one confounding ...
read moreJessy J: True Love
by Jeff Winbush
If half of life is just showing up and the other half is timing, then Jessica Spinella's timing is right on time. Smooth jazz is filled to the brim with saxophonists and while most of them are technically proficient, the sheer volume makes it difficult for a newcomer to stand out. Spinella, aka Jessy J brings more than just another pretty face to the party; her infusion of jazz with Latin rhythms gives her a foundation upon which to build.
read morePaul Taylor: Burnin'
by Woodrow Wilkins
It's refreshing when a contemporary artists steps outside the box and revisits an old style of music. Even more so when it's not simply a collection of covers. Paul Taylor scores with Burnin'. A native of Denver and a musical product of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Taylor began developing his saxophone skills at age seven, growing into a garage band that played funk, Top 40 and fusion. As a professional, he's carved a niche as a solo ...
read morePaul Brown / Marc Antoine: Foreign Exchange
by Woodrow Wilkins
When two jazz guitarists of different styles, George Benson and Earl Klugh, came together, it was hailed as a success. The formula also worked for Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton. Now, Paul Brown and Marc Antoine attempt to capture that flair with Foreign Exchange. California native Brown is, perhaps, one of the most established influences in smooth jazz. A producer who has contributed a lot of the cookie-cutter programming for such artists as Boney James, Carlton, and ...
read moreThe Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman: Modern Art
by Woodrow Wilkins
The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman, have undergone numerous personnel changes over the years. Although the band has been more stable since Let It Ripp (Peak, 2003), it's still evolving. Modern Art attempts to walk the fine line between observing the past and moving into the future. Freeman founded the group in the mid-'80s and has been the principle songwriter and producer throughout its existence. In the early years, an ever-changing rotation of session musicians comprised The Rippingtons' family. ...
read moreDavid Benoit: Jazz for Peanuts
by Woodrow Wilkins
The symbiotic relationship between pianist David Benoit and Peanuts has been a blessing for fans of both the animated series and jazz. It began in the mid-1980s with Benoit's popular cover of Vince Guaraldi's “Linus and Lucy," the ever-present theme in the Charlie Brown cartoons. Since then, the pianist has produced several tributes to the music of Peanuts, and for 10 years he's composed original music for the specials on CBS television.Jazz for Peanuts - A Retrospective of ...
read moreDavid Benoit: Heroes
by Woodrow Wilkins
An ongoing trend in music is for veteran artists to do albums comprised of cover songs--whether to celebrate a particular musician, era or record label, revisit the music they grew up with or for commercial reasons. Done poorly, the collection can be trite. Pianist/keyboardist David Benoit attempts to avoid that pitfall with Heroes, a mixed bag of favorites heard over his lifetime. Benoit has compiled an impressive resume of solo albums, as well as collaborations with Russ Freeman ...
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