Dallas Riverfront Jazz

Festival

Photos By: Chanelle Harris

ERYKA BADU

Festival

MARION MEADOWS

Festival

DAVID SANBORN

Festival

RICK BRAUN

Raheem Devaughn

Festival

Terence Blanchard

Will Downing

Festival

Tom Braxton

Dwele

Festival

Jeffrey Osborne

Peabo Bryson

Festival

S.O.S Band

New CD Releases 2021

Relief “the jazz foundation of america's musicians emergency fund” 11.12.21 BUY

Arturo O’Farrill “Dreaming In Lions” 09.24.21 BUY Hiromi “Silver Lining Suite” 10.08.21 BUY

BUY

Chris Standring “Wonderful World” 09.24.21 BUY

Esperanza Spalding “Songwrights Apothecary Lab” 09.24.21 BUY

Joey Defrancesco “More Music” 09.24.21 BUY

Vincent Ingala “Fire and Desire” 09.17.21 BUY Yola Nash “Touched By

Love” 8/26/20 BUY

Terence Blanchard E Collec- Peter Kater “Rapture” tive Band Turtle Island Quar- 06.04.21 BUY tet “Absence” 08.27.21

Sep/Oct Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 79

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CD Reviews

By: Mia Howard Veteran Composer/ Producer/Music Director/ Keyboardist Dan Siegel is back with new music. He has used his time in isolation due to the pandemic well. Dan Siegel has brought together some of the most prolific musicians to produce music that will take you to a faraway place.

The new and highly anticipated CD is set to release in early August 2021. On this

CD you will hear Dan Siegel on Piano, Brian Bromberg on Acoustic Bass, Abraham

Laboriel and Dwayne Smith on Electric Bass, Steve Gadd on Drums, Eric Marienthal on Saxophone, Lee Thornburg on Trumpet/Trombone and many other musicians who have lent their extraordinary talents to this musical work of art.

Producing music during the pandemic was not easy because of social distancing.

Dan had each musician send him their part, after they heard the demos that were developed by drummers Steve Gadd and Vinnie Colaiuta. Then he had to piece all the parts together to make each song sound like the musicians were in the studio together. All of the hard work has turn out a great CD.

“Faraway Place” takes the listener on a musical journey, beyond one particular genre, into a musical universe. Starting with the soulful “Old School”. “Old School” is a retro cut that has slick piano rifts accompanied by a stellar horn section. The cut “ Tried and True” has that soft rock feel. It is a polar opposite of “Old School.”

“ Tried and True” is for easy listening on the road or relaxing. One of my favorites is “Curves Ahead”. “Curves Ahead” makes you want to dance. The groove on this cut makes your head bop and your feet tap. If you want to lose some of the quarantine pounds, put on “Curves Ahead and just let your body go where the beat takes you. If you want to feel an air of hope, “Looking Up” is the song for you. It

CD Reviews

has an infectious melody which takes your mind off of the pandemic. One of the most unique cuts on this CD is “Some Time Ago”. Dan Siegel has always been an innovator and risk taker when it comes to his music, but he has really stepped out of the box on “Some Time Ago” He has paired an accordion with a hymn choir. This cut is for those who appreciate creativity in music, not just what is popular or common. The stand out cut for me is “Your Smile” featuring Drummer/Vocalist Rogerio Jardim this has more of an orchestra feel to it, meshing classical with jazz seamlessly. For the true jazz heads “Bluebird” and “Once Again” are just for you. These cuts have jaunty piano rifts and smooth percussion. All eleven cuts on this musical work of art has something special, a je ne sais quoi, that keeps you hitting the repeat button. If you are ready for a CD that will take you to a faraway place, away from the pandemic blues? Then pick up a copy of Dan Siegel’s “Faraway Place” available August 13, 2021.

CD Reviews CD Reviews

By: Theresa Payne Tony Saunders new album, "All About Love," is a playlist of 14 songs, several remakes and teamed up with production on 4 tracks with fellow “Jazz In Pink” founder Gail Jhonson to provide some cool smooth jazzy hooks as she slightly tickles the keys. Personally, I like remakes, and when a artist can capture the essence of the song and make it his own, then I can play it on repeat all day long. Tony does this for me on H.E.R. “Best Part” as his base playing is subtle but carries the melody perfectly. The aptly title CD was created during the pandemic with songs of love ‘Forever Yours,’ ‘ The Look of Love,’ “Celebrate You,” “ That Beautiful Lady,” “Summertime Love,” which the world truly needed more now more than ever. “Just Between Us” co written with Marcia Miget; as the bass and flute dances together making for a sexy romantic duet. “ That Beautiful Lady” is a song that will defiantly sweep any partner off their feet. A nicely flowing melody fill with warmth with a hit of sax as Tony’s bass and the sax hook plays off of each other. With one of the all time classic, you can go wrong with a Burt Bacharach song, “ The Look of Love.” For me there was just enough of remakes to provide some familiarity, and new songs to fall in love with. Tony mission accomplished.

CD Reviews CD Reviews

By: Mina Kim Since the onset of the pandemic we have all faced our share of uncertain times and unfortunately some rather heartbreaking ones. When I learned that all the foreseeable shows, concerts, festivals and cruises were canceled until further notice I along with the innumerable jazz enthusiasts around the globe wept with heartache and the uncertainty as to when the music and the music makers we love would return.

But what no one saw coming was the unprecedented level of determination that these musicians drew upon to ensure that, until it was show-time again they would flavor the airwaves with brilliant, outstanding music; music that carries with it rhythmic and uplifting melodies that will not disappoint.

One such artist is Brian Simpson. His latest album, “All That Matters,” is unabashedly honest and overflowing with delicious rhythms, such as in “Sunlit Sea,” “What I’m Waiting For,” and “Whisper To Me.”

This album is all the more stunning with the inclusion of such great artists as Steve Oliver, Nicholas Cole, as well as the incomparable Najee.

Perhaps then a silver lining to the pandemic –within the Jazz community – has been to see beyond the disappointment while focusing on collaboration, true musical expression, and artistic inclusion. Brian Simpson’s genius in “All That Matters” has been well worth the wait. Sep /Oct Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 85

CD Reviews

Track 6. Little Rascals – Slower than the other songs. A restaurant song. Perfect for enjoying a meal over a family buffet. You have driven many miles and finally must stop for sustenance in a little unknown town, but there’s food, albeit buffet style and you must fix your own plate. Track 7. Family Reunion – Perfect music for pulling up to the local park to meet family and friends. A happy go lucky song. A family of musicians would bring their instruments with each getting their time to shine on this song. Track 8. Engine 71 – All engines are revved up. This track could be the Finale. But it isn’t because after this we’re brought back down from the highest of energies on this album. Perhaps this is done to prevent heart attack on the side of the road. Track 9. Your Side of Town – Fun loving. As if you’re falling for someone, this song is a much-needed reprieve from the high energy of the other songs. A reminder that at the end of the day, when the man is done playing with his toys, he is coming back home. Hanging up his ego with his keys, he flips the switch and the gentleman reappears. Ladies, he didn’t forget about us.

CD Reviews

By: Gretchen Law The prolific guitarist, Marc Antoine, has released a new CD, Something About Her, his second recording through Shanachie Records. The “Her” is his wife, Rebeca, of 25 years. The album honors this milestone anniversary. On the cover of this truly lovely CD is a photo of Marc Antoine sitting low with his beautiful hands draped around the neck and body of his guitar. His warm smile is directed straight at us as is his music. He has nothing to hide. His sound is technically astute and emotionally clear. He knows what it means to be at home and to love, personally and musically. In fact they are one in the same. His passions are inseparable He is a whole entity as is each of his healing pieces. This man is sane and seasoned and very proficient in his craft. He lands beautifully every time every time after coaxing you through a song poised to intoxicate and to heal. Deprived of the normalcy of the life of a successful and dedicated, working musician, Marc retreated to his California studio during the height of the pandemic to work on this new CD. He is Parisian born and works and lives between his home in Spain (Rebeca is Spanish) and his home and studio in Laguna Beach. This album is touched with breezy elegance as he effortlessly fuses R and B, jazz, Latin and classical notes. He has worked with Sting, Cher, Marion Meadows, Rick Braun and David Koz. Other albums include Gypsy (1995), Madrid (1998), Universal Language (2000), Cruisin’ (2001), Mediterraneano (2003) and Modern Times (2005), Foreign Exchange with Paul Brown (2008), My Classical Way (2010) and Guitar Destiny (2012). Sep/Oct Let the music take you… SmoothJazz Magazine | 87

CD Reviews

Heart surgery in 2012 and surgery for an extremely painful hand condition in 2014 only seemed to propel him toward deeper gratitude for his life and loves. He recovered and went on to release Laguna Beach in 2016 and in 2017 he collaborated with David Benoit on, So Nice. Among his celebrity friends and collaborators are keyboardists David Benoit, Brian Simpson, and Philippe Saisse and saxophonists Marion Meadows and Greg Vail. “We are all good friends and everybody is magical in their own way,” he says. Apparently Antoine not only stays in love with his wife, he stays in love with his friends and fellow musicians, as well. “It’s all about the voyage for me. I hope I can take listeners along with me to enjoy the voyage,” states Antoine. He wants to. “ Take us on a journey,” in this album. Where do we go? This is a man who believes that things happen for a reason. Every song is part of a sort of magical story. Each is poignant in its own

right yet easy to metabolize, reaching all of the senses like some kind of exotic tonic. The last song on the album is, A Song for Sasha, written for the grand daughter he had yet to meet due to the pandemic, at least at the time of the album’s release. Its melodic message of innocence and adoration strike at the heart like a sacred hymn. Take a deep breath. This music has enough notes to supply an entire internal landscape — retreat and heal. No expectations. Marc Antoine reminds us that the world as we knew it is still intact at its core and that we are tied to its true pleasures and to each other through a web of cultures and experiences which he magnifies in his tender work. The music is emotional, exquisitely skill filled and somehow very safe. It’s been a tough stretch. Thank you, Marc, for taking the journey with us. 88| SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you… Sep/Oct

2019 - 2021