Talking Smooth Jazz

Trippin "N" Rhythm's recording artist, producer and keyboardist, Nicholas Cole is back with a hot new album called The Weekend.  It features Elliot Yamin (American Idol), Kay-Ta Matsuno, and Chieli Minucci.

"Nicholas Cole's new album The Weekend has twist and esprit. Impressive is the density of hit-suspicious material, which you rarely encounter in smooth jazz." (smooth-jazz.de).

Follow Nicholas on Facebook@nicholascole and Twitter/Instagram@nickcole88

Talking Smooth Jazz welcomes vocalist Kymberli to discuss her debut release, I've Been Here All The Time, a Smooth Jazz CD featuring cover songs that pay homage to legends such as Nancy Wilson, Isley Brothers, Burt Bacharach, Deniece Williams and Chaka Khan.

Follow Kymberli on Facebook@kimberlylewis, Twitter@KALewismusic, and Instagram@kimberlyalewismusic

The lovely Nigerian songbird we know as Douyé has decided to take an off-ramp from the highway of smooth/contemporary jazz and lend her delicious vocals to the world of bossa nova/samba with a touch of straight-ahead jazz leanings. Following the path that a few other c-jazz artists have taken (Patti Austin comes to mind), the songstress, through this latest album Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe), demonstrates that she is by no means boxed in by any genre and wishes to spread her wings and soar to new horizons.

While some may be a bit disappointed that Douyé is not seducing us with her silky smooth jazz/R&B grooves with this release, they should find that the material here warrants a listen. If you allow yourself to mentally go to Rio or some sun-kissed island while listening to this project, you’ll find its lure quite apropos and soothing.

The all-present, polished, sauntering vibe that dances between a lazy cadence and one with bounce holds the promise of being able to wash over you and offer a much-appreciated release.

Offering tracks like “Blue Bossa,” “Triste,” “How Insensitive,” the more up-tempo “Agua De Beber,” her glistening cover of the classic “Girl From Ipanema,” and others clearly demonstrate Douyé’s penchant for eclecticism and her ability to grasp and relate to the various flavors of jazz and other exotic music.

All in all, this transition is a pleasant one and, while it doesn’t come without some surprise for those expecting the smooth jazz/R&B Douyé, it does come with the elegance and class we’ve come to know as a signature trademark of the songtress’ projects. Her seductive voice alone is always such a persuasive factor. Well done. — Ronald Jackson

The Queen City Jazz Collective (QCJC) is made up of a group of gifted musicians who reside in the great city of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Not just artist who use their musical gifts in Charlotte, but musicians who have shared their gifts individually throughout the world. Blending a musical mixture of smooth jazz with a touch of soul, the QCJC will ignite your musical appetite!  Members of the group are vocalists, Ken Gober & Gena Chambers; saxophonist Gabriel Bello; bassist JD Dillard; and guitarist Paul Dozier.

Born and raised in Houston TX, Chris Walker began singing before he began speaking. He got his start in the church as a member of his family gospel group, The Walker Brothers.  Chris plays the bass upside down like one of his early hero’s Jimi Hendrix. The Walker’s raised their children with a strong hand, and once Chris graduated from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, he was all too happy to high-tail it to New York, with only forty dollars, in pursuit of his dreams of doing his own music. With aspirations of attending the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he sold his bass amp and bought a one-way ticket to New York; despite being denied due to inability to pay the tuition. Fate, however, would intervene as Walker was walking the halls and happened to come upon a jam session in need of a bass player. When he took the stage the school dean just so happened to hear him and offered him a full scholarship on the spot and so begun another chapter in his musical journey.

As a student and lover of jazz music, it was an opportunity that came via a former teacher, Gil Goldstein, that would bring to fruition a longtime dream of Walker to work, as Musical Director, with seven-time Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau.  In honor of the late Mr. Jarreau, Chris Walker has released a new cd: We're In This Love Together: Celebrating Al Jarreau.

Follow Chris on Facebook & Twitter.

Charles Wright was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he grew up and was musically inclined by playing the guitar and singing in several doo-wop groups, including, The Twilighters, The Shield, and The Gallahads. Wright briefly worked as A&R Director for Del-Fi Records and was responsible for the hit recording of “Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You)” by Little Caesar and the Romans in 1961. By 1964, Wright formed his own band called Charles Wright & the Wright Sounds, which included John Raynford, and Daryl Dragon, the “Captain” of Captain & Tennille.

Wright added more members to the group and they became known as the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, and they played in several venues across Los Angeles. In the 1970s the band was best known for their world renowned hit, “Express Yourself.” It was written by Wright and distributed by Warner Bros.™, where it would hit #3 and #12 on the R&B and Pop charts, respectively. Another hit record under Wright’s reign was Do Your Thing, which set the stage for a 1970s ographic study of Boogie Nights.

To date, Wright’s songs have been covered by legendary artists around the globe, including Ray Charles, Les McCann, Della Reese, Roger Troutman & Zapp, The Ohio Players, and the Swiss Lon Genes Symphony Orchestra. During the rise of Hip-Hop in the 1980s, many rap artists sampled chunks of funk from Wright’s wax, including N.W.A. and their smash track, “Express Yourself.” Brand Nubian Funk, Naughty By Nature, Gang Starr, and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs also gleaned inspiration from Wright’s work.

Daniel D. is a classically trained contemporary violinist who began performing live at age 12. A graduate of the Charleston School of the Arts, Daniel gained national recognition as a teenager for his blend of Hip Hop, R&B, & Gospel with performances for President Obama, Oprah Winfrey & Michael Jackson and as a featured performer on B.E.T. His energetic and interactive performances have attracted a loyal following with nearly 700,000 Facebook followers and a full-time touring schedule with performances at festivals, theaters, corporate events, universities and professional sporting events. Daniel has released five albums and is currently working on his 6th studio album. Daniel currently resides in Denver, CO.

Since 1997, PHAZE II has been providing Smooth and Funky Jazz sounds on the local music scene in the Washington, DC area, by honing its craft of delivering quality music to their listeners. PHAZE II has embarked on a journey to show the world the many talents that this jazz band has to offer.

In 2001, PHAZE II released its first CD entitled, Options, which Smooth Jazz 105.9 radio personality, Al Santos, described as a very credible debut CD. The Options CD embraced creativity, powerful producing, collaboration, and above all, the musical gift that each band member offers. Backtalk, the sophomore CD released in 2004, has a unique style and versatile sounds that range from Latin Jazz to R&B. A stirring rendition of R&B artist, Musiq Soulchild’s Half Crazy, will surely put you in a mellow mood.

Determined to broaden their vision, PHAZE II entered the 13th Annual Capital Jazz Festival2005 Capital Jazz Challenge Competition. This competition was sponsored by Washington DC’s Smooth Jazz 105.9 and Baltimore, Maryland’s Smooth Jazz 104.3. The final competition consisted of 6 bands chosen from 600 competition entries. Phaze II was chosen the winners of the competition received a monetary contribution and had the opportunity to open the next day on the Capital Jazz Festival’s main stage.

PHAZE II has since performed at the Capital Jazz Festival for the past seven years with other national acts at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. This jazz ensemble has also been fortunate to back up various national artists such as; Jackiem Joyner, Marcus Anderson, Ken Navarro, Jimmy Sommers, Althea Renee, Paul Taylor, Jeff Golub, BK Jackson, Cindy Bradley, Bob Baldwin, Shelby Brown, Tony Exum Jr, Frank McComb, Lynn Fiddmont, Kevin Whalum and Lin Roundtree just to name a few. Phaze II has now become a very sought after band for artists when they come to perform in the Washington, DC area.

Talking Smooth Jazz welcomes owners of Vino Del Lago's Wine & Jazz Lounge to discuss their inaugural jazz festival happening Sat, 25 May 2019, featuring: Ronnie Laws, Jeff Kashiwa, Brian Simpson, Steve Oliver, Darren Motamedy, Dirk K, Vince Preister & Michael Henegan, and Habaka KFJ, and hosted by Pamela Black, radio personality at KUNV, and Jay Alexander.  The festival will be held at the Hilton Event Center in Lake Las Vegas.  Tickets available on EventBrite or check out their Facebook Page: @LLVWine.

As a Composer, Producer, Arranger, and Multi-Instrumentalist, Bobi Serafirmovski brings a unique international flair and the flavor of Europe to Music on Mack Avenue.  A native of Macedonia, a modern country in Southeastern Europe bordering Greece, his cultural roots and strong historical tradition are evident in his original compositions, film and TV scores.  His creativity and ear for all music encouraged him to explore various musical journeys and he was later influenced by popular music and began performing on guitar and piano in a variety of styles including blues, rock, pop, and jazz.

Critically acclaimed, his talent and compositions made their mark in Macedonian music.

Follow Bobi on Facebook @bobiserafimo and Instagram @bobiserafirmovski