Fresh air on 21st Century Music

Besides the last posts, where I talked 'bout some well known artists, this week I'd decided to bring some "fresh-air" on the music being produced nowadays.

I hope these tracks could mean some sort of wind-of-changes on the current windmill musical scenario.

Of course, I'm not talking 'bout the vanguard music, or the new streams of pop music, given this is not my favorite kind of music, neither the type of subject to discuss on this blog. The 7 artists and songs I am listing below, are (somehow) artists that make new music from the old-school genres like: R&B, (contemporary) Jazz and Soul.

Let's hear them...


MINDI ABAIR
"On And On"
from the album "Stars"

In the arena of God given talent, it is apparent that Mindi Abairs’ were “supersized”. A reat saxophonist, a terrific vocalist and an adept composer all adds up to one very alented artist.

With “Stars”, her debut release on Peak Records, Mindi catapults her supercharged mix of pop, soul and jazz, with its stellar melodies, insinuating rhythms, sultry sax, and seductive vocals into the realm of the extraordinary. Her 2003 debut CD, “It Just Happens That Way”, debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and remained in the Top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks. The hit single “Lucy’s,” was #1 on the airplay charts for a record-breaking eight weeks and Abair as hailed for leading a new movement in contemporary music.

Abair has not only set sonic trends, but has broken all the boundaries as she continues to define the less raditional future of jazz. For Abair, named the Best New Artist at 2003’s National Smooth Jazz Awards, it’s been wild few years, and her 2004 follow-up disc “Come As You Are” which dug into deeper emotional and stylistic territory while spawning two more hit singles kept the momentum jetting skyward. In 2006, Abair released “Life Less Ordinary” which sustained her string of chart topping albums. Her songs have been featured on everything from Aaron Spelling’s hit “Summerland” to a Women in Jazz feature at the Grammys to Panasonic’s Jumbotron in Times Square. Abair was never handed success, though.

After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. After months of waitressing, bouncing back and forth from odd jobs, and sitting in at every club that would let her, she decided to forgo the usual "day job" approach and take a different one. She decided to play her saxophone acapella on the street in Santa Monica, CA. "I was desperate to play, and it wasn't easy to break into the L.A. music business as a newcomer. I decided to "do what I do", no matter how unglamorous the situation was. It paid the rent for a while!" It didn't take long for people to recognize her talent and get her off the street.

Jazz veteran Bobby Lyle took her card as he walked by one day and hired her to record on his Power of Touch CD and tour with him. Since that time, Abair's impressive career as a sideperson has included touring and/or recording with a wide range of artists Mandy Moore, Jonathan Butler, Lee Ritenour, Bobby Lyle, Adam Sandler, Keb Mo, and The Backstreet Boys on their famous 1999-2000 Millennium Tour, which found Abair playing keyboards, percussion and saxophone, soloing before thousands of screaming teens every night. More recently, she sat in with 80s pop icons Duran Duran for a handful of dates on their recent American tours; and joined Josh Groban as his opening act for his 2004 sold out fall tour.

Not one to be pigeonholed, “Stars” represents a musical shift for Mindi. In addition to her signature sax sound, she has effectively integrated more vocals on this album expanding her reach musically and hopefully expanding her reach into a wider audience. Listeners who are constantly searching for something fresh may find renewed zeal in Mindi Abair’s latest release. Production-wise, Abair and Hager complement her core vocal-and sax-driven sound with contributions from a series of top L.A. session and touring players, a few personal heroes, and a couple of famous friends.
-- more on: http://mindiabair.com/



JESSY J
"Tequila Moon"
from the album "Tequila Moon"

From the moment Jessy J hit the stage in Fresno, California for the first time as a member of super producer/guitarist Paul Brown´s live band on Valentine´s Day 2006, the love between the 26-year-old saxophonist/vocalist and contemporary jazz fans has been flowing nonstop.

The growing buzz led to her first major show at the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival later that year, and in 2007, as part of the event´s 20th anniversary, she became one of the only artists to ever headline shows on all three weekends. Now she is taking it to the next level, stepping out under the Tequila Moon on her multi-faceted, Brown-produced Peak Records debut that brings to the genre a fresh and inspired energy with vibrant exotic twists.

Jessy offers tastes of pop, jazz, Latin, and even Brazilian music on Tequila Moon, which in addition to her Peak label mate and producer Brown on acoustic guitar, features performances by some of L.A.´s most renowned musicians: keyboardists Gregg Karukas, Ricky Peterson and Kiki Ebsen; bassist Roberto Vally; and drummers Oscar Seaton, Dave Beyer and Sergio Gonzalez. Tequila Moon opens with Jessy in full-on seduction mode, inviting the listener to enjoy a balmy, slightly breezy evening complete with her low toned tenor melody, laid back percussion, Brown´s gently jangling guitar and Karukas' retro keyboard sounds.

She keeps the smoky and soulful tenor vibe going over the cool grooves of the midtempo ballad "Spanish Nights," which features Brown´s hypnotic guitar harmonies and Richie Gajate Garcia´s enchanting Latin soundscapes. Next, Jessy takes us down to Rio, playing moodily over an old school samba groove amidst a dreamy, romantic atmosphere on "Sin Ti / Without You;" after Peterson´s high impact Fender Rhodes solo, the rhythms pick up and Jessy digs in for some of the collection's most explosive improvisational blowing.



ANGIE STONE
"My People"
from the album "The Art of Love & War"

The Art Of Love & War channels the best of the classic tradition while looking forward and taking the genre to new places. Stone exclaims, “This is a reflection of where I am both mentally and spiritually and what I feel I’ve attained at this point in my life.”

The CD was recorded in its entirety at Marvin’s Room, Marvin Gaye’s former studio on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles and the one-woman dynamo performed, co-produced, and wrote over 90% of the material. The Art of Love & War is a musical distillation of everything that Angie has been through and has learned throughout her stellar career.

“Baby” featuring R&B/soul/gospel great Betty Wright and production by Co-T, has an irresistible groove, and is the first single to radio. Renowned production team DOA worked with Angie on the introspective ballad “Reasons”. Album opener, “Take Everything In” and “Here We Go” are two of six standout tracks produced by the acclaimed Jonathan Richmond.

The anthemic “My People” with special guest James Ingram, was selected by Essence Publisher, Susan Taylor, as the theme song for last month’s Essence Festival’s return to New Orleans. “I think my personal favorite is ‘Happy Being Me,’ Stone points out. “I guess that title gives you a clue about how I’m feeling right now.”



HILARY McRAE
"Consider Me Gone"
from the album "Through These Walls"

Twenty-one-year-old artist Hilary McRae is the first developing artist signed to Hear Music-- the label launched by Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music Group in 2007. Her album, Through These Walls, features a stunning mix of contemporary pop and old-school, horn-drenched R&B, all anchored by McRae’s rich, soulful voice.

McRae, an accomplished pianist and vocalist, penned all of the album’s songs. “Hilary has a great soulful sound and we are excited to play a significant role in the launch of what will be a long and successful career,” said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment who oversees Hear Music.

“Hear Music has a strong belief in fostering the talent of quality musicians and we believe we’ve found a gem in this artist.” McRae collaborated with producer Zach Ziskin on the album. The duo met when Hilary recorded her first demos as a 16-year-old. In addition, McRae enlisted the talents of Charlie Calello, who has arranged music for legends such as Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, to put together the horn section on the album.

Last summer, Hilary had the chance to tour parts of South America with Latin super-star Christian Castro as a keyboardist and vocalist in his band. While on the road, she was inspired to write songs for her album. The Florida native got her first taste of musical success when she auditioned for the Berklee College of Music. After performing an original song she was accepted to the prestigious music school on scholarship.



TIFT MERRITT
"Keep You Happy"
from the album "Another Country"

On this, her debut album for Fantasy, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tift lets fly with 11 new original tunes crafted into her most cohesive and personal album to date.

The album is beautifully and elegantly produced by George Drakoulias and recorded by David Bianco. The players include guitarists Charlie Sexton and Doug Pettibone and Tift’s longtime band, Zeke Hutchins (drums), Jay Brown (bass) and Danny Eisenberg (keyboards). Inspiration for the songs on the album came when, after intensive touring, Merritt erased her grueling schedule and rented a flat with a piano in Paris’s 10th arrondisment planning to take time off.

Merritt recalls, “Days were wonderful there. I wore the same clothes nearly everyday. I would take a coffee in the street, say hello to the good people in the little wine store across from my door,” she writes. “I cannot explain what happened except to say that there were never enough hours in the day to write, and there was always kindness at hand. I took pictures. I wrote stories. I played piano. I wrote songs.”



SIA
"Electric Bird"
from the album "Some People Have Real Problems"

With two major label solo albums already under her belt, Sia has enjoyed worldwide success and recognition both as a solo artist and as the vocalist for Zero 7 (Simple Things, When It Falls and The Garden). Sia made her first U.S. splash as a solo artist when her song “Breathe Me” was featured in the final episode of the HBO cable television series “Six Feet Under” in late 2005, and which shot to #1 on iTunes the following day. Since then Sia has continued to gain critical acclaim and a growing fan base, touring this past month to sold-out shows across the U.S. in anticipation of her new release.

The new music on some people have REAL problems is at once upbeat, quirky, and achingly gorgeous, featuring incredible song writing and lush arrangements. Sia also enlisted the help of a few talented friends when recording some people have REAL problems, including Beck, who sings on a track called “Academia.” The video for standout track “Buttons,” which is featured as a hidden track on some people have REAL problems, has already garnered Sia a bit of attention after being posted by blogger Perez Hilton. The video has taken off virally, charting as the #1 most linked and #2 most viewed clip on YouTube the week it was leaked onto the Internet.

On the album’s release on Hear Music, Sia says “It’s an incredible honor for me to be a part of the Hear Music team, I am a huge admirer of the artists they have championed in the past and am thrilled that at this stage in my career we can be an exciting part of each other's future.” “Sia is a strikingly original artist who embodies the trailblazing spirit of Hear Music,” says Ken Lombard, president Starbucks Entertainment who oversees Hear Music. “Hear Music is proud to co-release Sia’s new album with Monkey Puzzle Records.”



SOULIVE
"One Of Those Days"
from the album "No Place Like Soul"

The preeminent groove machine Soulive is back with this thoughtful nod to funk, soul, rock, hip-hop, reggae and old-school R&B… and some of their sharpest, most mature songwriting to date. No Place Like Soul also introduces fans to singer Toussaint, the astounding vocalist who has joined the band permanently to push their music in a less improvised, more song-based direction.




Last, but not least, all these really good albums can be found on your favorite music store. I hope you enjoy these tracks.

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