jazz
In this section, I will feature some of my favorite jazz compositions. Jazz genres are vast; I will focus primarily on smooth jazz, which I resonate with the most. Feel free to scroll through; perhaps you will also resonate with it.
september fifteenth ~ pat metheny & lyle mays (dedicated to bill evans)
September Fifteenth is on my list as one of the most beautiful jazz compositions ever written. It comes from the album, As Falls Wichita, So Falls Witchita Falls featuring Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays. The composition is a tribute to jazz great Bill Evans, who exited this reality on September 15th, 1980. Lyle and Pat channel Bill to the tee. I will spare you from the technical aspects of this composition. However, if you have a soul, you can feel it.
tourist in Paradise ~ the rippingtons
The Rippingtons featuring guitarist Russ Freeman is one of the staples in the smooth jazz genre with his synthesized Pat Metheny acoustic guitar style. The band has seen many personnel changes throughout the years, but this hasn’t changed the band’s upbeat vibe. Tourist in Paradise is one of my favorite albums as it features Steve Bailey on Bass, Brandon Fields on Sax, Steve Reid on the funky percussion, Tony Morales on the skins, and Russ Freeman on guitar. This particular track features Carl “Jesus Christ Superstar” Anderson on vocals. Carl’s scatting technic is flawless as he covers a wide vocal range. I had the opportunity to see the Rippingtons live, and as a surprise, Carl came out and added more hooks and involved the audience. Without any further ado, please enjoy!
mandella ~ elements
What happens when two founding members of The Pat Metheny Group form a band? You get Elements. The second element on the periodic table is Helium, a gas that defies the laws of gravity. (density for you anti-gravity folks) Bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb created a track that features saxophonist Bill Evans, not to be confused with Bill Evans, the pianist. Bill Evans was the sax player for the Miles Davis Group. The first time I heard this track, I was blown away (pun intended) by Bill’s ability to stress out a fucking saxophone. Nevertheless, for all of you Mandella Effect enthusiasts, this song was written and performed while he was still among us for the years he supposedly died.
mt. airy road ~ george benson & earl klugh
This one goes down as one of the best collaborations in the history of collaborations. The album features George Benson, Earl Klugh, and a host of other notable musicians, including Marcus Miller, the bassist for The Miles Davis Group. I am most fond of Bensons’s scatting to Klugh’s riffs which makes me smile every time I hear it.
psalms ~ alex acuna and the unknowns
Alex Acuna is a percussionist who has played with Weather Report, U2, Blondie, Lee Ritenour, Neil Diamond, Lyle Mays, Richard Marx, and a host of other musical greats. This particular track I discovered on the local jazz station back in the day, as this song features guitarist Carlos Santana and vocalist Lou Pardini from the original lineup of Chicago.
ashanti ~ bob james
This next song comes from the Bob James album Ivory Coast. Again, I discovered this track on the local jazz station back in the day. Despite the critics, I think the rest of the album is sub-par. However, Ashanti is a defiantly the hidden gem, as it features Alexander Zonjic on the flute. I must admit, when I first heard it, I thought it was Ian Anderson from Jetro Tull fame, as their styles are very similar, in my opinion. What’s Bob’s claim to fame? He provided the music for the TV show “Taxi.” He later formed the band Fourplay.
auratune ~ dave Weckl
When I first heard this song, I was amazed at its complex off-beat 5/4, 7/8 measures. Dave beats to his drum with his band, The Dave Weckl Band, and has played with the likes of George Benson, Paul Simon, and Robert Plant, to name a few. This song comes from Dave’s sophomore album, Master Plan, and is packed with many fantastic musicians. This track features Scott Asplach on trumpet, Jay Oliver on Keys, Peter Mayer on guitar, and Dave Grusin as the producer.
deep in a trance ~ emily remler
I discovered Emily after hearing David Benoit’s Waiting For Spring as she played in all eleven tracks. Unfortunately, Emily passed shortly after the release of her final album, “This is Me,” which is where this track is from; in fact, it’s the first track featuring David Benoit on the piano. To me, the song has a haunting sound, as if Emily had some suspicion about her death, which by the way, there were several conspiracies regarding just that, as she passed at the young age of 32. Nevertheless, this song is magical, with Benoit’s Piano and Remlers Borys B120 hollow body sound.
slip away ~ pat metheny
I think Slip Away comes from the album Letter From Home, one of Metheny’s best albums. Slip Away features vocals from Pedro Aznar and drummer Paul Wertico, who is featured at the forefront with a roll reminiscent of “Last Train Home” from Still Life (Talking). And finally, let’s not forget the late Lyle Mays.
the wind and the wolf ~ keiko matsui
I discovered Keiko Matsui in 1990 when I attended a Chateau Ste—Michelle Winery concert. The show featured David Benoit, The Rippingtons, Richard Elliot, and Keiko Matsui. The weather was the usual Seattle Weather … rain. It wasn’t until Keiko came on stage and played this song that the weather magically cleared. The Wind and the Wolf feature Keiko’s husband, Kazu Matsui, on the Shakuhachi flute. I must say this song has some fucking magical powers; as I listened to this particular track, my eyes started raining.
2 Comments
Submit a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I’m not sure where you aree getting your info, but good topic.
I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this info for my mission.
info comes from personal experience.