Mon, 10 December 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist and 30+ year Band Mate Jay BeckensteinTom and Jay Discuss:
About Jay Beckenstein: I was born May 14, 1951 in Brooklyn, NY and grew up surrounded by music. My mother was an opera singer and my father's love of jazz introduced me to Charlie Parker and Lester Young before I could speak. I started piano at the age of five when my family moved to Farmingdale, LI. I was given my first saxophone through the music program in elementary school at age seven. From there I took saxophone lessons, and played in school bands up to my senior year of high school. At that point I met Jeremy Wall and we started my first band. My senior year of high school was spent in Nurnberg, Germany where my father was working and I went to school on a U.S. Army Base. I played in R&B bands there that performed both for the Army and in German clubs. By then, I had been introduced to a lot of R&B and rock and started to mix those concepts together with my jazz base. I returned to the States and enrolled at State University of New York at Buffalo. I studied a good deal of classical and avant garde music in the music program there and played in some interesting avant garde ensembles. I studied saxophone in school with Edward Yadzinski, but I also studied outside with John Sadola who worked on my jazz technique. By my junior year in college, I had started working in the clubs in Buffalo and by the time I graduated I had steady work in the clubs. The next few years was spent playing in some great blues and R&B bands. Buffalo had a booming music scene at the time, but after awhile I wanted to do something other than be a sideman. I then started doing some off night instrumental sessions in small clubs with Jeremy Wall. This work slowly (over a year) evolved into the band Spyro Gyra. In the band's second year, Tom Schuman joined the band and started to share the keyboards with Jeremy. Tom has been the sole keyboardist since 1978. Around 1976, I went into business with Rich Calandra, a local drummer who had aspirations to be a record producer. The two of us produced a number of local acts and, when there was studio time left over, we would record Spyro Gyra. The band's first album slowly came together in this way. Rich and I met with little success with our efforts with other groups, so we pressed 500 LP's of Spyro Gyra on our own label with what little money we had left,. Within a year we had sold tens of thousands of records, signed a record deal and launched the band's career. In 1979, I moved to NYC to produce Morning Dance and lived there for four years. Catching the Sun, Carnaval and Freetime were also recorded during this time. My life was consumed with touring around the world, recording and writing. Rich and I then purchased a turn-of-the-century stone farmhouse just outside of NYC and converted it into my own recording studio, BearTracks. This has provided Spyro Gyra with a great recording environment. Though I occasionally have recorded on records other than Spyro Gyra and have done other productions, (Dave Samuels and Tom Schuman), Spyro Gyra has been my main focus and has fulfilled most of my musical dreams. It has been over twenty-five years of great music, great friendship and great times. The rest of my life is filled with my love for painting, gardening, hiking and all things outdoors but most of all with my daughters Claire, Alexandra and Isabel. They, more than anyone or anything else, have brought me inspiration and contentedness. - Excerpts from http://www.SpyroGyra.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_100708_TomSchuman_JayBeckens.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 12:02 AM Comments[0] |
Mon, 3 December 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Guitarist (and Keyboardist..) Peter White Tom and Peter Discuss:
 Peter White and Tom Schuman About Peter White - by Peter White Growing up in the sleepy little English town of Letchworth Garden City in the 1960s, I first got interested in music while listening to the Beatles on the radio. My parents bought me an acoustic guitar when I was about 8 and I taught myself to play while simultaneously taking lessons on the recorder, piano and then later, clarinet. My music education was going along just fine until one day in 1967 I heard the Jimi Hendrix song “Purple Haze�. I had never heard sounds like that coming out of my acoustic guitar and I decided that from that day on, the electric guitar was to be the most important thing in my life. Now if only I could convince my parents to buy me one…. I knew by this time that music was my calling, and while all his friends went to college, I worked factory jobs until I landed my first musical engagement playing at an English holiday resort in the summer of 1974. After the summer was over I briefly joined a group by the name of “Principal Edwards’ Magic Theatre�, only to watch them disband a few weeks later. However, one of the members of that group recommended me to Al Stewart and I was asked to join Al’s band for a tour of England, Scotland and then the USA, starting in 1975. It was a very exciting time for me, being my first trip to America. We were opening up for artists like Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel and Queen. To be around these musical luminaries was a great thrill for a 20 year old! That summer saw my first studio experience at the famed Abbey Road studio in London, working with Al Stewart on the “Year of the Cat� album, soon to become a million seller. This was the beginning of a musical collaboration that was to last 20 years, during which time we wrote and recorded many songs together, including Al’s 1978 Top Ten hit “Time Passages�. Along the way, brother Danny (remember the guitar burning incident?) had made his own way in the music business and made up for his pyromaniac ways by hiring me to work with a then unknown Polish singer- Basia. I played on her first album which was released in 1987 to much acclaim. It went on to sell millions worldwide and since then I have played on many tours and recordings with her. Thanks Danny! In 1990, having been a backup musician for 15 years, and inspired by the English group “Acoustic Alchemy� I decided to start recording my own music and released my first CD “Reveillez-Vous�, a French title in honour of my French mother, Gilberte. It means “Wake Up�. Many other solo CDs followed, with several songs becoming No.1 hits on Smooth Jazz radio, such as “Midnight in Manhattan� a song I recorded with one of my idols, Grover Washington Jr. Basia also collaborated with me on "Just Another Day", a song from my "Caravan of Dreams" CD. As well as recording my own music, I have performed on recordings by many of my friends, including Dave Koz, Gato Barbieri, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Craig Chaquico, Jeff Golub, Lee Ritenour, 3rd Force, The Rippingtons, Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Marc Antoine. I have been part of numerous “Guitars and Saxes� tours and also have established my annual “Peter White Christmas Tour�. This is a chance for me and some special guests to play some of our favorite Christmas melodies. (My Christmas CD “Songs of the Season� was released in 1997). Over the years, I have become more comfortable as a performer. I feel a tremendous joy when I’m able to connect with my audience. The purpose of being up there is not to show how clever I can be, but to simply invite everyone to have a good time. Meeting people after shows to sign CDs and chat is also something which I like to do, whenever possible. It’s quite different from the days when I was just in the background getting little recognition! For a complete discography, click on the CD icon at the top of this page. “Playing Favorites� is my latest and features a lot of classic songs from the 70s which I have remade in my own way. Special guest artists include Bob James, Jeffrey Osborne, Richard Elliot, Jonathan Butler and Boney James. Working with these great artists is a wonderful gift at this point in my career. My concert schedule is in the “tour� section and if you would like to join my fan club or mailing list, just click on the “contact� icon for those links. Just remember, I have always enjoyed playing for you! - Excerpts from PeterWhite.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_090708_TomSchuman_PeterWhite.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 1:01 AM Comments[0] |
Mon, 26 November 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist Marion Meadows Tom and Marion Discuss:
About Marion Meadows: Born in West Virginia, saxophonist Marion Meadows – whose ethnic mix is Native American, African American and Caucasian – grews up in Stamford, Connecticut, where he began playing clarinet and studying classical music at eight years old. His passion for different types of music led him to appreciate numerous jazz musicians, including Stanley Turrentine, Sidney Bichet, Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins, and he naturally gravitated to the soprano sax in his high school years. Fortunately for the smooth jazz fans who have embraced his sweet and funky soprano sound over the last decade, Meadows decided to take a few very important trips to Europe during his junior and senior years. He had dreamed of being either a veterinarian or zoologist, and assumed he would enroll in college as a pre-med major. Playing the sax was just a hobby until he saw the way audiences reacted to him and his student cohorts in Holland, Italy and Austria. “The first trip was with my high school band and the second was a graduation gift to me and a few other guys playing over there in a big band setting,� he says. “It was exciting seeing positive newspaper articles about my playing in Italy, receiving all sorts of accolades and feeling the excitement of interaction with the crowd. It was a tremendous rush, and lit the fire.� After studying jazz with Anthony Truglia, Meadows attended Berklee College of Music, where he majored in arranging and composition. He later went to the SUNY Purchase School for the Arts, where he studied under Ron Herder. “I got a lot of sideman jobs in college, and I have always said I got a graduate degree playing clubs,� adds Meadows, who perfected his craft studying with Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman and Eddie Daniels. “Not long after I finished school, (well-known jazz drummer) Norman Connors recorded my song ‘Invitation’ and then asked me to join his band. I later produced his Passion album with him. Things just fell into place.� Meadows first hit the airwaves in 1991 with For Lovers Only, but his career really began one day in the late ‘80s at New York’s Grand Central Station. He had been a sideman with Connors for three years with only vague notions of eventually going solo. Then one day, as the oft-told story goes, he was waiting for a train, pulled out his horn and began playing under the huge dome. His sweet sound caught the attention of fellow traveler, TV composer Jay Chattaway, who was so impressed that he hooked Meadows up with legendary keyboardist Bob James. James signed Meadows to a deal with his TappanZee label, and though Meadows’ first recording went unreleased, the experience put him on the road to his eventual success. Meadows hooked up with numerous artists and musicians and became a well known sideman in his own right, recording or performing over the years with Brook Benton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, The Temptations, Michael Bolton, Angela Bofill, Will Downing and Native American flute player Douglas Spotted Eagle, among many others. In the late ‘80s, Meadows stretched his usual pop/jazz boundaries as a member of a New York avant-garde band called the Aboriginal Music Society. He was performing in Japan when he got the call that RCA Records was interested in signing him to a solo deal, based on his first album which he had recorded and financed himself. Meadows became a staple of the smooth jazz format with his subsequent recordings, which include Keep It Right Here (1993), Forbidden Fruit (1994) and Body Rhythm (1996). After moving from his home in Connecticut to Phoenix, Arizona, Meadows signed with Heads Up International and released Another Side of Midnight (1999). A contemporary tribute to city life, his label debut was considered by critics to be his strongest work to date. His subsequent heads Up discography has been equally successful on an artistic as well as commercial level: Next To You (2000), featured a mix of R&B-influenced jazz coupled with sensual Latin rhythms; In Deep (2002), a neo-soul blend of jazz, R&B and hip-hop, brimmed with sophisticated arrangements and impressive tenor/soprano playing; Players Club (2004) paid tribute to Meadows’ fellow musicians with a seamless mix of contemporary jazz and soulful R&B. All four Heads Up recordings have been well received by his ever-growing, always loyal fans. Dressed To Chill, scheduled for release on May 23, 2006, is the latest chapter in Meadows’ satisfying tradition of cool sophistication. “I’ve been involved in a lot of projects, both my own and group efforts,� says Meadows, “and my main objective is to keep growing as an artist and engage the fans who have invested so much emotion in my music and my career. Aside from that wonderful sense of live communication, the real magic for me happens in the studio when I put on those headphones and begin to play. That’s where the ideas just start to flow. Everything else in my musical life comes out of that moment.�
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Mon, 19 November 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist Michael Lington Tom and Michael Discuss:
Michael Lington, Tom Schuman  About Michael Lington: Michael Lington has demonstrated his contemporary saxophone chops with a steady stream of chart-toppers since his debut album in 1997. His CD, Stay with Me, yielded three Radio & Records national jazz hits with “Show Me� at # 2; “Two of a Kind� at # 2; and “Pacifica� at # 6. Stay With Me also remained on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart for a total of 24 weeks. “Twice In a Lifetime� and “Sunset� from Vivid; and “Still Thinking of You� from Lington’s Everything Must Change all went Top 5 as well. His duet with Bobby Caldwell on “Tell It Like It Is� from his self-titled debut, ascended both the jazz and adult contemporary charts. Now Michael is back with A SONG FOR YOU, his second Rendezvous recording. In collaboration with Rendezvous , Grammy nominated arranger and composer Randy Waldman and Grammy winning Engineer Woody Woodruff, Michael assembled a collection of new standards that range from the album’s first single, “It’s Too Late� and �You’ve Got a Friend,� both by Carole King; to a dimensional “Fragile� by Sting. Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now� is given an expansive, but respectful new spin; while Michael Frank’s “Tell Me All About It� is a playfully laidback interplay, featuring guest and Rendezvous co-founder Dave Koz, with Brazilian sensibilities. Leaning strongly toward the pop side of jazz, with classical, Brazilian, Latin, and gospel shadings, Lington plays a distinctive contemporary saxophone. “It’s the kind of record that inspired me from the very beginning. The songs on this CD are the core of what has driven me to become a musician,� says Michael. “I wanted to go back in time, to when music had a strong emotional impact on people and songs really mattered -- but to do it with a new twist. Michael explains, “With this album, I really wanted to focus on the underappreciated, or underexposed standards of tomorrow -- mainly songs from the ’70s that have been rarely covered in a jazz instrumental format.� He continues, “what I had in mind during the entire process, was to create a classic album, with a timeless feel that is as current today as it is 40 years from now.� Growing up in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark, Michael Lington is the grandson of Otto Lington, a jazz pioneer in their tiny country, and bandleader for Shirley Bassey, Josephine Baker and Fats Waller, amongst many others. As a childhood fan of musicians like Vinnie Colaiuta, Dean Parks and Randy Waldman, Michael would replay his vinyl jazz recordings again and again, reflecting on the memories of his grandfather’s era. Little did Michael know, that someday, his name would be nestled in the notes next to those of his childhood heroes in an album of contemporary classics. The rich legacy of his grandfather’s jazz connection, his classical training, and a stint of touring in Europe, led him to the U.S. in 1990, and at 21, he began performing with Little Richard , Gary “U.S.� Bonds and Randy Crawford. He also landed a four year gig touring with singer Bobby Caldwell , joining the list of imminent sax players associated with the singer, including Rendezvous co-founder Dave Koz, Richard Elliot and Boney James. It was through this collaboration, that Michael landed his recording contract, which leads to present, and his new CD, in which there is an organic synergy between Lington, the songs, and arrangements, that lifts Song for You into the realm of the truly unforgettable. Michael believes covering songs that have deeply impacted listeners is far more demanding than recording his own material. “People feel strongly about these songs. It’s important for me to keep the integrity of the song, yet make it my own, so I’m not just repeating what’s been done before. If you improvise too much, you lose your audience, but if you play it straight up and down, it’s not very interesting—it’s a fine line between staying true to the melody, and yet making each song interesting instrumentally.� Lington has been a global touring presence for the past several years, and plans to continue with A Song for You. In between his ongoing performances -- i.e. performing at the Royal Wedding of Denmark’s future king, Crown Prince Frederick -- and recordings, Lington proves to be a giving performer by lending his artistry to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which raises funds for children’s music programs and provides instruments to public schools all over the U.S. Michael participates in Create Now, where he mentors troubled teens in Los Angeles and Acre’s of Love, a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive services; and “Forever� homes for abandoned and AIDS children in South Africa. The U.S. based, Danish-born Lington loves classic beauty and expression whether it comes in the form of a song, his vintage European automobiles, underwater landscapes, a child’s smile, or open sky viewed from behind the instrument panel of a helicopter. A Song for You is undoubtedly a significant step in Lington’s ever-ascending career, and an invitation for everyone to dream.
- Excerpts from http://www.MichaelLington.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_070708_TomSchuman_MichaelLin.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 11:02 AM Comments[0] |
Mon, 12 November 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist Steve ColeTom and Steve Discuss:
Steve Cole, Kim Waters, Tom Schuman  Picture of Jeff Kashiwa and Tom courtesy of Cary Gillaspie, Scenic JAZZ Photography Copyright 2007
About Steve Cole: A native of Chicago, Illinois, saxophonist Steve Cole studied music at Northwestern University, and business at the University of Chicago. Initially classically trained, Steve had the honor of performing as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of 18. Despite his success in the classical realm, Cole opted to focus on his true musical loves, Jazz, Pop and R&B. Steve began gigging frequently on the local Chicago music scene as a session player, playing on countless national commercial spots, contributing to a number of soundtracks on the A&E network, as well as composing and performing music with keyboardists Bob Mamet and Brian Culbertson. Cole's solo career began in earnest after his first solo album, 1998 "Stay Awhile", turned out to be a smooth jazz sensation, featuring a pair of #1 NAC smashes, "When I Think Of You" and "Say It Again," as well as the top 5 hit, "Where The Night Begins." The success of this debut album culminated at the 2000 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards where Steve was the recipient of the Prism Award for Best New Artist. Cole followed the records success by performing and recording frequently, both as band leader and featured guest, with such artists as Boz Scaggs, Junior Wells, Waymon Tisdale, KMFDM, Rick Braun, Peter White, and Brian Culbertson. In addition to his roadwork, Cole has also lent his special sax touch to such records as Larry Carltons "Fingerprints", Brians 1999 release, "Something About Love, and Jeff Lorber Kickin It The release of Coles second album, "Between Us," quickly posted two #1 Hits with Got It Going On" & "From The Start". On his critically acclaimed Third album "NY LA," Steve reached the top of the charts with "Off Broadway," and his rendition of the TLC classic "Waterfalls" earned rave reviews in Billboard Magazine. Steve's newest album, "TRUE" is Steve Coles funkiest album yet, with plenty of R&B, soul, and jazz influences. Cole effortlessly bridges the gap between instrumental virtuosity, seamless ensemble playing, and a high-caliber creative chemistry that runs the stylistic gamut. Steve has assembled quite a group of musicians, world class and highly regarded players join Steve in whats regarded as his finest album yet. - Excerpts from http://www.SteveCole.net MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_060708_TomSchuman_SteveCole.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 1:01 AM |
Mon, 5 November 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Drummer Cora Coleman DunhamTom and Cora Discuss:
About Cora Coleman Dunham: If there is one young musician that is currently representing the very character of creme - on the rise, it would have to unmistakably be Mrs Cora C Coleman-Dunham. Mrs. Cora began her musical journey under the tutelage of William Portis at Kashmere High School in Houston, Texas, USA with a comparably late start in 9th grade. Cora actively became involved in the marching band and concert band surpassing her peers as the section leader by her sophomore year. She began playing the traps in 11th grade and continued to forge ahead practicing and studying, graduating as valedictorian of her senior class. After graduation, Mrs. Cora continued to cultivate and hone her musical gifts, changing her major from Computer Science to Music in the middle of her freshman year at Howard University. The driving force behind Cora's progress and motivation was the very elements that allotted performance opportunities with The Washington Ballet, The Washington Symphony Orchestra, The American University Orchestra, The Howard University Marching Band, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. She has also performed with Marvin Stamm, Yusef Lateef, Greg Osby, Donald Byrd, Grady Tate, and Larry Ridley. Cora's growth and evolution as a drummer and percussionist merited her Howard University's first recipient of the Avedis Zildjian Scholarship for Outstanding Percussionist. She became section leader (first female) of Howard's Thunder Machine drum section and became a member of Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Music Fraternity for Women. While at Howard, Cora studied under Harold Summey, William Richards and the incomparable vocalist and drummer, Grady Tate. Cora's relocation to Los Angeles only created a greater level of exposure to the music industry connecting her on her first night in LA with the multi-recorded guitarist Phil Upchurch, whom she played with for the first year of her stay in Los Angeles. She battled over 5,000 drummers nationwide in the Guitar Center's 2003 Annual National Drum-Off, where she placed 1st. Cora received several thousand dollars worth of equipment, custom Roland V-drums and a 2003 Jeep Liberty of her choice. Needless to say the first female not only to make it to the national level but leave with the annual title of the Nation's Best Amateur Drummer. Cora has also worked with the all-female group Angaza. She toured with Blues great Zac Harmon. While working with Zac Harmon & the Midsouth Blues Revue, the group climbed and surpassed the ladder of competitors for the title, Best International Unsigned Blues Band and sure enough walked away with the victory for 2004. In November 2004, (thanks to Raymond McKinley) Prince and Rechelle Ferell graced one of Frank McComb's shows in LA and Prince took a special interest in Cora. Cora soon found herself ordering a one of a kind incredible custom 8-piece, birch, spider-pine finish, gold-trimmed DW drum kits compliments of the Prince, himself! Talk about a Christmas gift!!! Sooooo, upon returning from Japan with Frank, Prince put together a unit: Ashley Tamar Davis-vocals, Frank McComb-keys, Jairus Mozee-guitar, Cora on drums and what else could make things any more perfect than having your husband playing bass, Joshua Dunham. This unit became the "After Party" house band for The Grammys, Academy Awards, Oscars and NAACP Image Awards hosted by Prince. Lets see the Kats who sat in to jam were Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Kat Dyson, John Blackwell, Sheila E, Larry Graham, Alicia Keys, Raymond McKinley and Anthony Hamilton, Rechelle Ferrell to name a few.
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Mon, 29 October 2007 
Originally Aired 22-28 Oct 2007
Photo by Daniel Hastings Tom and Najee Discuss:
DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe:  About Najee: Najee is one of contemporary jazz’s true pioneers. Creating a fresh and pulsating “rhythm and jazz� dynamic in the early days of the smooth jazz format, the versatile saxophonist—whose first two recordings, 1986’s Grammy nominated Najee’s Theme and 1988’s Day By Day, went platinum—inspired the whole urban vibe that took over the instrumental world throughout the ’90s. Recording on Heads Up International since 2005, he continues to explore new creative avenues by mixing up his trademark soulful soprano with dynamic touches of flute and alto, and surrounding himself with some of the best session players and collaborators in the business.A native of Jamaica, Queens, New York, Najee shared all of his musical dreams—and later, many professional gigs—with his brother Fareed, a guitarist who was a year younger. Their father passed away when they were very young, but their mother encouraged a deep exposure to jazz via recordings by artists as diverse as the Miles Davis Quintet, Junior Walker and Mongo Santamaria. Najee showed an early interest in the sax but a grammar school teacher steered him towards clarinet when there were no sax chairs available in the school band. “My life and career have been shaped by what I like to call ‘life defining moments,’� he says, “and the first of these came when I took a tenor sax solo in my jazz band at August Martin High School and realized that suddenly, all the girls knew my name! Fareed and I started playing professional gigs together at 15, and had a mutual support system going.� Najee began studying under the direction of Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster and Billy Taylor at Jazzmobile in Harlem, and he also studied flute with Harold Jones at the Manhattan School of Music. “Later,� he adds,� Fareed and I spent a year in the music department at Bronx Community College, then auditioned and got into the New England Conservatory of Music, with me majoring as a woodwind and composition major and Fareed focused on guitar and composition. Musically, I really loved everything, from Kool & The Gang to Grover to Sanborn to Maceo Parker. I also couldn’t get enough when one of my teacher’s played Charlie Parker for me when I was 14.� Najee left the Conservatory after three years and moved back to New York, where he immersed himself in the club scene. One night when he was out playing straight ahead jazz, Lesette Wilson, keyboardist and musical director for Chaka Khan—who was hot at the time with her trademark hit “Ain’t Nobody�—came in and loved what she heard. She called him to audition for the singer’s upcoming tour, and in no time Najee found himself on the road for a year with the legendary diva, playing alto sax and flute. Najee’s good fortune transferred to Fareed’s career as well when Chaka’s longtime guitarist Tony Maiden failed to show up for a rehearsal. Fareed plugged in and was hired to play alongside Maiden for the tour. Najee became friends with Mel’isa Morgan, Chaka’s backup singer who later asked the saxman to play on her debut album Do You Still Love Me? Through her, he met Charles Huggins of Hush Entertainment, who invited Najee to record his debut album through his production company, in association with EMI. “I brought him some demos that I called ‘R&B with a saxophone,’ having no idea of their commercial potential,� Najee says. “He also liked what he heard when he came to see me play in New York with the group Change. Jazz had taken a dive in the early ’80s, but there was a resurgence taking place and suddenly there was a big market for the music I was making. Charles did brilliant things in bringing me to the R&B audience.� The debut album, Najee’s Theme – on which the saxman found his trademark voice on the soprano – was an instant phenomenon, selling gold immediately on the road to eventual platinum on the strength of the radio hits “Sweet Love� and “Betcha Don’t Know.� Najee toured as the opening act for popular R&B singer Freddie Jackson and, with the release of the equally successful Day By Day in 1988, became a bonafide celebrity. After touring as a support act for artists like Hiroshima and Bob James, Najee became a headliner in his own right. In addition to the U.S., over the years he has toured throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. His subsequent releases, Tokyo Blue (1991) and Just an Illusion (1992), went gold and earned him Soul Train Music Awards for Best Jazz Artist in 1991 and 1993. Following Share My World in 1994, Najee paid brilliant homage to another one of his favorite R&B influences, Stevie Wonder, on 1995’s Najee Plays Songs From the Key of Life: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder. He also stretched his straight-ahead jazz muscles on a tour and follow-up live recording (Live at the Greek Theatre, 1994) with a superband featuring Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton and Billy Cobham. He later signed to Verve for one album, 1998’s Morning Tenderness, which went to #1 on the contemporary jazz charts. span>For Najee, the late ’90s were marked by extraordinary international experiences, from performing at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration in South Africa to playing as a special guest of President Clinton at the White House at an event honoring President Jerry Rawlings of the Republic of Ghana. Over the years, Najee has worked with numerous pop legends, from Quincy Jones to Patti Labelle and Lionel Richie, but creatively and artistically, no other career highlight has quite matched his incredible association with Prince, with whom he recorded and toured for three years at the beginning of the current decade. “I went to one of his shows at Najee later returned to the recording studio in 2003 to record Embrace, which featured two other longtime heroes, vibist Roy Ayers and gospel legend BeBe Winans. He joined the Heads Up International label with the release of My Point of View in the summer of 2005. The album’s critical and artistic success helped him score an NAACP Image Award in 2006 in the category of Outstanding Jazz Artist. Rising Sun, the followup to My Point of View, is set for release on Heads Up on August 14, 2007. Always the innovator, Najee blends various shades of straightahead as well as contemporary jazz, classic R&B and even indie rock on this new ten-song set. The result is an album that’s destined to appeal to established fans of his multi-layered groove as well as listeners who are meeting the artist for the first time. - Profile provided by Heads Up International MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_040708_TomSchuman_Najee.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 1:01 AM |
Mon, 22 October 2007 
Originally Aired 15-21 Oct 2007 Tom and Steve Discuss:
DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe: About Steve Oliver: Performing an incredible 200 dates a year, the next superstar of adult contemporary pop and smooth jazz all but dares you not to tap your toes, sing along gleefully and smile like a kid at Christmas. He's doing it. And it's the real deal. No ego, no over the top flash, not trying to be too hip for the room and aloof for the fans. Just having a blast, sharing the joy of what he does-celebrating life and music. This jubilant, growing legacy continues in 2006 with the current release of his fourth album, "Radiant". In a world gone way too negative sometimes, Steve is like an oasis of sunny delight. If anyone thinks he's much too "zip a dee doo dah," he says, "What you see onstage is genuinely how I am. I love performing and making music, and when I'm writing new songs, which is pretty much all the time, I'm thinking of how they're going to sound live. The fans keep me motivated, and the key to my success is connecting with them and making them happy. They can see I'm sincere. I have a genuine love of music and people." All of this is brought to you by the power of Positive Energy, his honest to God, bright side of the street approach to life and just coincidentally, the title of his hit 2002 album, which hit the Billboard Top 20 and ranked #1 on the year end list of the fifty most played recordings throughout Canada in 2003, according to smoothjazzcanada.com. That means topping legends like David Sanborn, Steely Dan and Michael McDonald-and a lot of happy go lucky folks north of the border whistling along with the catchy single "High Noon," which also reached #3 on the Radio & Records smooth jazz airplay chart in the U.S. and was one of the most played songs of the year in the format. All on an indie label and without any type of major corporate marketing push! The music is just that good. The folks who organize the National Smooth Jazz Awards took notice too, nominating the guitar and vocal sensation for Best New Artist and Best Guitar Player for 2003. - Excerpts from http://www.SteveOliverMusic.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_030708_TomSchuman_SteveOlive.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 1:00 AM |
Mon, 15 October 2007 
Tom and Jeff Discuss:
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About Jeff Kashiwa: Many smooth jazz fans were taken by surprise in early 1999, when Jeff Kashiwa left the Rippingtons after ten years to devote more time to develop his career as a solo artist, but in truth, the popular saxophonist has always had his eye on striking out on his own. Before joining the Ripps in 1989, he led various ensembles at clubs throughout Orange County, California, and he spent much of his down time from the Ripps' hectic touring and recording schedule leading his own band, Coastal Access. His two previous solo albums, "Remember Catalina" (1995) and "Walk a Mile" (1997) were critically and commercially acclaimed and laid a perfect foundation for his Native Language debut, "Another Door Opens", in many ways his first major entry into the smooth jazz marketplace. Aside from the large base of Rippingtons' fans who are incredibly supportive of Kashiwa's new endeavors, the saxman also brought to the next phase of his career two very important legacies from his tenure with the band, the experience of touring with a very popular group and the creative partnership Kashiwa has forged with Rippingtons' keyboardist Dave Kochanski. Kashiwa produced "Another Door Opens" with Kochanski, bassist Brian Bromberg and famed keyboardist Jeff Lorber. Kochanski wrote four of the songs, including the brassy, retro-funk flavored first single, "Hyde Park" (the "Ah, Ooh" song). "The amazing years I had with the Rippingtons mean so much on so many different levels, from developing friends for a lifetime to learning countless things about composing, producing and arranging from Russ Freeman. I remember he used to tell me in the early days, 'fill up your horn more,' meaning, bring more energy to my playing, and I think my playing on "Another Door Opens" reflects this. And while I like many of the songs on my previous albums, the new tunes are stronger, more melodic and much tighter." "It's both exciting and scary not to have that to fall back on anymore, as I did when I put out my other two albums," he says. "It's like leaving a job to start your own business. But I believe all the effort I put forth will eventually come back to me, and making that kind of connection with the fans is what I live for musically. The object of both this new phase of my career and life in general is to transcend those daily fears and follow what I believe is the right path." Kashiwa can be heard on a number of soundtracks for movies and television, including the main theme for ABC's All My Children. He has also donated numerous recordings to charitable causes and his commitment to education has made him a popular clinician at many public schools and universities nationwide. For the past six years Disney has hired him as an alumnus teacher for its College Band program. - Excerpts from http://www.JeffKashiwa.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Direct download: 01_MCOJ_020708_TomSchuman_JeffKashiw.mp3 Category: MusiConversations on Jazz -- posted at: 12:01 AM |
Sat, 29 September 2007  Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation Moment with Grammy Award winning Piano and Keyboardist Bob James Originally Aired 1-7 Oct 2007 Tom and Bob Discuss:
About Bob James: The career of Bob James is long, varied and continues to evolve at every turn. From his first days of piano recital in Marshall, Missouri to his own trio while at the University of Michigan to New York City and beyond, the music of Bob James has captivated audiences throughout the world. Discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963, Bob recorded his first solo album, Bold Conceptions, that year for Mercury Records. 36 more solo albums would follow through four decades; that number is just to date and does not include his Grammy award winning collaboration projects. Although he was to record another trio album, Explosions, for ESP (1964), it was not until Bob met up with Creed Taylor in New York that his composing, arranging and recording career really took off. After working on albums for CTI artists like Hank Crawford, Grover Washington, Jr. and many others, Bob finally recorded his own album, One. This introduced his music to a bigger audience and launched a lifelong career of recording and performing live. There were to be three more CTI albums before Bob moved to CBS in the 1970's and began his own label, Tappan Zee Records. It was during this time that he recorded his own gold seller, Touchdown, which included his composition, Angela, Theme from 'Taxi.' Bob composed all the original music used in that television series for its entire run. One On One, the first in three collaborations with Earl Klugh, was awarded a Grammy in 1980 and has sold over a million copies. A different aspect of the musical talent of Bob James was demonstrated on his three classical albums recorded for the CBS Masterworks division, the first of which was Rameau released in 1984. In 1985 Bob moved to Warner Bros Records and began that association with another million seller and Grammy winner, Double Vision, his collaboration with David Sanborn, produced by Tommy LiPuma. It was in 1990 while recording his Grand Piano Canyon album that Bob reunited with his old friend, drummer Harvey Mason, Jr. and worked for the first time with Lee Ritenour on guitar and Nathan East on bass. The sessions for this project were the genesis of the group, Fourplay. Their first album was recorded and released in 1991. They have gone on to record four more albums, with Larry Carlton taking over on guitar in 1998 in time for album number and title, 4. A new Fourplay CD, Journey, was released in 2004 and the group toured the U.S. and Japan for much of the year. A long awaited trip to South Africa took the group there in November of 2005 to Johannesburg, CapeTown and Durban. Their final appearance of the year was at Bangkok Jazz Festival in Thailand. This event featured the world premiere live performance of Bob’s latest recording project, ‘The Angels of Shanghai.’ Bob has spent many months in the Far East producing this new project, a true 'east meets west' project - five students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music playing ancient Chinese instruments together with James Genus and Nathan East on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and, of course, Bob James on keyboards. This project has been released in both Korea and Japan and the musicians performed the debut live performance at the Bangkok Jazz Festival in December 2005. The group has recently completed a tour of Korea and Japan. A tour in the United States is expected in 2007. Bob’s latest solo project, Urban Flamingo, was released in the U..S. and Canada, in February, 2006 again on Koch Records. This features the Detroit based band of Al Turner on bass, Ron Otis on drums, Perry Hughes and Wayne Gerard on guitars and, of course, David McMurray on sax. These guys have had plenty of time to rehearse the music - they’ve toured the U.S. over the past year playing the east coast, west coast and a couple of places in between! On April 7, Bob was awarded the George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. The award and tribute were presented in Toronto to Bob By his longtime friend and musical colleague, Alexander Zonjic. Summer 2006 will see the release of Fourplay’s tenth record, appropriately called “X� - and the group will be literally all over the world playing the music from the CD. Spain, London, Montreux, North Sea, Concord (California), Hollywood (Bowl) plus Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia and Japan.
- Excerpts from http://www.bobjames.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC Comments[0] |
