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BRIAN KELLY
Afterplay
Skylight Music

San Francisco Bay Area composer/keyboardist Brian Kelly follows his brilliant debut release POOLS OF LIGHT with yet another outstanding, compelling collection of originals, this time leaning a bit more Smooth Jazz, but with plenty of new age elements in the mix too. If you loved the highly recommended and highly regarded POOLS OF LIGHT, which I reviewed in 2006, then AFTERPLAY is unquestionably destined for your player. The musical integrity and lyrical sensitivity that Mr. Kelly brings to the table for his projects is clearly evident on this release. He’s created more of a combo sound here, adding flutes, sax, horns and guitar to his musical toolbox, and uses them strategically for depth and richness of texture featuring Eric Crystal on sax (Boz Scaggs) and David Rokeach on drums (Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles). At a time when commercial Smooth Jazz too often heads in the direction of cliché, Brian Kelly’s AFTERPLAY is a refreshing example of how we can keep this music genre exciting and vibrant!” ~SCOTT O'BRIEN

Summer Music Picks

76 Degrees West Band

76 DEGREES WEST BAND
76 Degrees West Band
Perfect Image Entertainment, LLC

Inside or outside The Beltway, this Washington D.C. band is the bomb! The 76 DEGREES WEST BAND (the name comes from the longitude of the D.C. Metro) call their style “Nu Jazz-Funk,” further describing it as “instrumental Funky Jazz music with saxophone highlights wrapped in an East Coast Swing...”

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Gregg Karukas - GK

GREGG KARUKAS
GK
Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records

After several listens already to Gregg’s new release, GK, I have to ask the question, “What is it about his music that’s so incredibly appealing?” I suppose I could seek a detailed explanation involving chord progressions, melodic and rhythmic structure, etc., but… I’m not a musicologist. I’m a fan, just like you. I’ve decided the answer is that Gregg Karukas, with his extensive composing/performing/
recording background...


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George Tanev - Late Night Cruise

GEORGE TANEV
Late Night Cruise
Independent

Meet the talented wunderkind from Macedonia… keyboardist George Tanev. Surrounded by musical talent at home (guitar-playing father, mother who enjoys singing standards and Latin music) the 21-year-old began playing piano at the tender age of 6… this early start led him to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Still enamored with acoustic piano, LATE NIGHT CRUISE shows off more...

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Azar Lawrence - Speak the Word

AZAR LAWRENCE
Speak the Word
AzarLawrence.com

Tasty Smooth Jazz falls out of the tenor saxophone of Mr. Azar Lawrence on his sensual, new ballad “Luxury” -- One of the most romantic jazz pieces to seep into our ears and consciousness in a very long time. Romance abounds on the first radio single from SPEAK THE WORD. What this song conveys in just over 3-minutes is inspired work from the jazz legend...

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Joyce Cooling

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