Lucy Tauss
Lucy’s Contributions
January/February 2005 Currents
Miles to Miles
Jason Miles
Jason Miles' recordings typically feature a who's who of top artists from which he is able to draw extraordinary performances, and Miles to Miles is no exception. Like Davis, Miles fuses genres to create interesting combinations, like the funky/soulful...
January/February 2005 Currents
Cozmopolitan
Jason Miles
Meanwhile, Jason Miles' first album as a leader, Cozmopolitan (Jason Miles Music), has finally been officially released-25 years after it was recorded. As Miles recalls in the liner notes, the original 1979 album was never sold to a label, and he put the...
January/February 2005 Currents
Seldom Blues
Alexander Zonjic
Seldom Blues (Heads Up) isn't just the title of flutist Alexander Zonjic's latest CD and the name of a nightclub he co-owns in Detroit; it also reflects the listener's response to this delightful album. The CD offers a collection of upbeat smooth-jazz tunes...
January/February 2005 Currents
Brazilian Soul
Azymuth
The illustrious Brazilian group Azymuth celebrates its 30th anniversary with Brazilian Soul (Far Out). The band's many followers will find a great deal to enjoy on the album-and not just because it clocks in at a whopping 76 minutes. The tunes reflect the...
January/February 2005 Currents
Fantasia
Pavlo
Fantasia (Justin Time), the American debut from guitarist Pavlo, was originally released on September 11, 2001, and was recently rereleased. It would have been a shame if this album had gone unheard, because it's pure delight from beginning to end. Canadian...
January/February 2005 Currents
Three Kings
Wayne Henderson/Ronnie Laws/Wilton Felder
Three of contemporary jazz's preeminent horn players-saxophonists Ronnie Laws and Wilton Felder and trombonist Wayne Henderson-are spotlighted on the compilation Three Kings: The Legacy Continues, Vol. 1 (True Life). Henderson and Felder are members of the...
January/February 2005 Currents
Dream Beat Dream
Soul Ballet
Soul Ballet delivers a series of atmospheric compositions on Dream Beat Dream (215). The group is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist/actor/artist Rick Kelly, whose moody, evocative soundscapes are built on textured synth atmospheres enhanced by instrumental...
January/February 2005 Currents
Marvin, Teddy, and Luther: A Smooth Urban Jazz Love Letter
Various Artists
Three of music's premier romantic singers, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pender-grass and Luther Vandross, are saluted on the tribute album Marvin, Teddy and Luther: A Smooth Urban Jazz Love Letter (Shanachie). The album consists of smooth-jazz versions of several...
January/February 2005 Currents
In the Fullness of Time
Grady Nichols
Saxophonist Grady Nichols combines smooth-jazz and inspirational music on the live album In the Full-ness of Time (Compendia). Originally recorded in 2001 and aired as a television special, the album features elaborate production numbers, like the soaring...
January/February 2005 Currents
Hang Time
Wayman Tisdale
Basketball star-turned-smooth-jazz bassist Wayman Tisdale shows us the various ways the bass can be utilized as a melodic voice on Hang Time, his debut release on Rendezvous, the label cofounded by saxophonist Dave Koz. On the laid-back "Ready to Hang" Tisdale...
December 2004 Currents
Now Playing
Dave Grusin
Keyboardist Dave Grusin has created the music for many movies, and he revisits some of his film music on Now Playing (GRP). For the most part, this necessitated some rearranging, since most of the pieces were orchestral, and the result is a series of simple...
December 2004 Currents
Mahogany Vibe
Roy Ayers
Vibraphonist Roy Ayers gives some of his classic songs a hip, contemporary spin on Mahogany Vibe (BBE/Rapster). The album features collaborations with a variety of vocalists, including singers Erykah Badu and Betty Wright. Ayers and Badu banter playfully...
December 2004 Currents
Midnight Noon
Craig Chaquico
Craig Chaquico used approximately 50 guitars to record Midnight Noon (Higher Octave), and the result is a wonderfully kaleidoscopic offering that reflects the ax man's past and his present. Once the lead guitarist for Jefferson Starship, Chaquico has become...
December 2004 Currents
West Coast Coolin’
Norman Brown
Smooth-jazz guitarist Norman Brown steps out as a singer on West Coast Coolin' (Warner Bros.). Brown has a pleasant, soft-toned singing voice that he uses to good effect on vocal tracks such as the R&B ballad "Angel," the grooving, hip-hop-flavored "Come...
December 2004 Currents
Peace of Mind
Jeff Kashiwa
There's a whole lot of positive, upbeat music on Jeff Kashiwa's Peace of Mind (Native Language). The former Ripping-tons saxophonist has a way with an engaging melody, and that talent is amply in evidence here. Kashiwa welcomes the listener into the album...
December 2004 Currents
Work to Do
Fattburger
The San-Diego-based smooth-jazz band Fattburger is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and it's commemorating the milestone with Work to Do! (Shanachie), a likable recording that showcases the band members well, both as individual instrumentalists and...
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