Talking Smooth Jazz

Keyboardist, songwriter and producer Marvin Thompson Jr. has been creating music for many years.  Growing up in Detroit, Michigan he got his start playing piano for his church choir.  Writing music for numerous musicals and short films, Marvin has also released several instrumental projects, including his release, In Focus on the December Sky music label, which features jazz-infused instrumental music.  He has served as Musical Director for several stage-plays, including Torn Between Two Loves, and the Plowshares Theatre production of Soulfest and Spunk.  He wrote and scored the music for the independent film, Guilty Innocence for the Swift Winds Media production company.  He's the writer and producer of the hit stage musical, City Square which premiered in Detroit MI.  Marvin is the recipient of the Billboard Songwriting Award and the John Lennon Songwriting Award.  I'll talk to Marvin about his new cd, Kind Words and his play, Two Chairs.

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Talking Smooth Jazz welcomes saxophonist Ahmad Johnson.  Ahman has opened for/played with: Larry Carlton, Montel Jordan, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Spyro Gyra, Joseph Vincelli, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Kem, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Norman Brown, Mindi Abair, Warren Hill, Jeff Golub, & Wayman Tisdale, and Faces The Band. I'll talk to him about his Notes: The Saxophone Edition cd and band, The Usual Suspects.

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Bassist/Composer/Artist Darryl Williams is a first call bassist for many artists in the genre of Contemporary/Smooth Jazz, touring with artists like Euge Groove, Peter White, Michael Lington, Marc Antoine, Jackiem Joyner, Alex Bugnon, Gerald Albright and many more as well as being one of the main stage bassists for the Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Smooth Jazz cruise.  Darryl is also a member of the very successful, L.A. Collective band, along with guitarist Adam Hawley, keyboardist Greg Manning, and drummer Tony Moore.  The L.A. Collective originally came together as a backup band for different artists on the 2014 Dave Koz Cruise to Alaska. However, the band’s success catapulted them into deciding they would be a permanent fixture in the Southern California contemporary jazz music scene.

Darryl is back to talk about his new release, Here to Stay, featuring Euge Groove, Ronnie Foster, drummer Tony Moore, guitarist Michael Simms, and more.

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Gabriel Bello’s musical journey began in Lawrence, Massachusetts where Gabriel’s Dominican father, a percussionist, helped form his son’s earliest musical memories. Childhood would later find Gabriel discovering his own musicianship when the family moved to DeLand, Florida where Gabriel sang in church choirs and learned a range of instruments including flute, saxophone, and piano. Outside of church, Gabriel maintained a steady diet of his parents’ musical culture coupled with the pop and jazz icons of the day including Michael Jackson, Grover Washington Jr., Stevie Wonder, Toto, Chuck Mangione, and David Sanborn.  His new cd, Steveland: A Journey Through the Music of Stevie Wonder, is a tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder.

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Talking Smooth Jazz welcomes guitarist Max V to talk about his new release, Next To You, with 11 original new tunes, written, produced and arranged by Max V, featuring special guests Ronnie Foster, Gail Jhonson, Marqueal Jordan, Lin Rountree and more. Grooves and melodies that you will love! 

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Guitarist Frank Piombo returns with a brand new record, Keep It Movin'.  This album is a collection of Smooth Jazz, Funk, and Easy Listening songs. A very uplifting and fast moving album. It features guitar, saxophone, and trumpet, featuring some of the best musicians and vocalists in the country: Tony Exum Jr, Sam Hankins, Joe Arminio, Michael Mahadeen, Joaquin Diaz, Pablo Claudio, Donnie Harrell, Tom Jabobsen, Terry Tuck, Darryl Clark, Angelo Uccello, Michael Cardinale, Doreen Brusca Arminio, and Rod Williams.

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Keyboardist/pianist Roberto Vazquez returns with a project, Matices, that is so smooth and exotic that it dares you to turn your ears away from its warm appeal.

This project offers a touch of diversity and lots of charm. It also offers yet another look into the soul of Vazquez’s music. The different moods, styles, and melodies set you on a journey into the vast and colorful world of jazz music in all of its fine variations. While I personally still favor his previous Between Two Worlds release, this latest recording is a clear demonstration of the skill and polish that Vazquez offers his listeners with his choice of music. Aside from the lead track, this is an easy album; easy on the ears, easy on the soul, easy on the cadence, and easy in its approach – all the while maintaining a firm grip on melody. These all point to an artist who truly knew where he wanted to take his project. For smooth jazzers, this is a trip worth taking. – Ronald Jackson, The Smooth Jazz Ride.

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Jazz saxophonist Art Sherrod, Jr. returns with a new record, Back 2 Business, a tasty blend of jazz, funk, soul, and gospel, this CD is chocked full of strong melodies, improvisation and grooves. 

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Multi instrumentalist-composer-educator-producer Jowee Omicil brings a novel and distinctly Afro-Haitian perspective to his music.  He’s part of a growing cadre of Caribbean-descended artists bringing new flavors to the creative music spectrum.  Jowee possesses a distinctive, soulful and spiritual sound on saxophones and flutes that extend to his clarinet and harmonica ventures.

Jowee Omicil is a jazz artist unlike any you've heard before. He brings a novel and distinctly Afro-Haitian perspective to his music. Omicil's melodic storytelling blends flavors from his Creole roots with gospel, soul, hip-hop, and folk, not to mention nods to the masters - from Charlie Parker to Ornette Coleman. Let's BasH!, Omicil's fourth album, is both a cry of war and a declaration of love - but above all, it's a symbol of his mission to expand the popularity of jazz (Source: Amazon.com).

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Needletime Records and Skytown Promotions presents Cool Guitars.  The “Cool Guitars” Project is a series of albums that aim to highlight this fact. It showcases the talents of some of today’s most innovative guitarist. 

The first release in the series, “Cool Guitars|EP” contains 6 original songs that feature the talents of jazz guitarist like U-Nam (Street Life; George Benson; Kool and the Gang), Ronny Jordan (The Antidote, Jazzmatazz vol 1, The Jackal), Dee Brown and many others. The songs feature smooth jazz guitar licks played over a blend of Classic Funk, Contemporary R&B, and Hip Hop beats produced by veteran music producer Steve Keitt (TLC, Salt  Pepa; “Martin TV Series).

The Executive producer and brainchild of the Cool Guitars Project is Vernon Clark, president of the popular guitar accessories brand “Cool Guitars” (Ibanez etc..). 

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