I'm off to upstate New York this weekend, for two great days of music at the Freihofer's Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is a gorgeous place to see a concert, and there is a top-notch list of acts. As always, there will be two stages, ensuring there will be non-stop Jazz and R&B. The lineup is as follows: SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 Amphitheatre Jonathan Batiste Trio featuring 19-year old jazz pianist, composer and Julliard student Jonathan Batiste.  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
2 - 2 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
3 - 3 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
4 - 4 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
15 - 5 - Kenny G - "Rhythm & Romance" - (Concord)
16 - 6 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle V" -(Trippin 'n' Rhythm)
8 - 7 - Eric Darius - "Goin' All Out" - Blue Note)  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
4 - 2 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
2 - 3 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
5 - 4 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
3 - 5 - Jessy J - "Tequila Moon" - (Peak)
6 - 6 - Chris Standring - "Love & Paragraphs" - (Ultimate Vibe)
9 - 7 - Chuck Loeb - "Presence" - (Heads Up)  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
3 - 2 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
2 - 3 - Jessy J - "Tequila Moon" - (Peak)
4 - 4 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
6 - 5 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
5 - 6 - Chris Standring - "Love & Paragraphs" - (Ultimate Vibe)
8 - 7 - David Benoit - "Heroes" - (Peak)  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
2 - 2 - Jessy J - "Tequila Moon" - (Peak)
4 - 3 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
5 - 4 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
3 - 5 - Chris Standring - "Love & Paragraphs" - (Ultimate Vibe)
6 - 6 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
8 - 7 - Norman Brown - "Stay With Me" - (Peak)  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
2 - 1 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
1 - 2 - Jessy J - "Tequila Moon" - (Peak)
3 - 3 - Chris Standring - "Love & Paragraphs" - (Ultimate Vibe)
4 - 4 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
7 - 5 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
8 - 6 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
6 - 7 - Kenny G - "Rhythm & Romance" - (Concord)  read more »

Still untitled, Boney James had been hard at work on his upcoming album that is set for release, fittingly enough, around Valentines Day. This is my 12th record, but for the first time, I did have a loose concept, James said from his Los Angeles area home, where much of the recording has been taking place. I started to think about what it is about my playing or my sound that people have been digging. And it does have a little bit of that seductive quality; it does have that low, fat-tone thing. So I wanted to make almost like a Marvin Gaye record where you can put it on and it can set this almost incredible mood. Its like make-out music. Sounds promising, but dont expect a sneak preview of any new material if you see James play prior to his albums release. The saxophonist said he prefers to stick to audience-familiar fare when he plays live. On the other hand, fans of such James albums as Pure (2004), Shine (2006) and his best-selling Rick Braun collaboration Shake It Up (2000) can expect a far livelier, jazzier sound than what theyve encountered on disc. Its rising to the needs of the medium, James said. If you go out and play a show just like the record, it doesnt have the right feeling. You want a whole lot of energy and intensity when youre onstage. This is an edited version of an article that was recently posted on The Records website. The Record is a newspaper based out of Stockton, California.  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle V" -(Trippin 'n' Rhythm)
2 - 2 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
3 - 3 - Eric Darius - "Goin' All Out" - Blue Note)
4 - 4 - Dave Koz - "Greatest Hits" - (Capitol)
5 - 5 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
6 - 6 - Warren Hill - "La Dolce Vita" - (Koch)
8 - 7 - Kenny G - "Rhythm & Romance" - (Concord)  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
2 - 2 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
3 - 3 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle V" -(Trippin 'n' Rhythm)
5 - 4 - Eric Darius - "Goin' All Out" - Blue Note)
4 - 5 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
6 - 6 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
8 - 7 - Dave Koz - "Greatest Hits" - (Capitol)  read more »

LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
2 - 2 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
3 - 3 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle V" -(Trippin 'n' Rhythm)
4 - 4 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
5 - 5 - Eric Darius - "Goin' All Out" - Blue Note)
6 - 6 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
8 - 7 - Kenny G - "Rhythm & Romance" - (Concord)  read more »