Swap a CD: 15 Recently Posted CDs in Smooth Jazz

Billy Vaughn - The Best of Billy Vaughn: Melody Of Love

Billy Vaughn — 2013-05-24T12:59:24-05:00

Ramsey Lewis - Love Songs

Ramsey Lewis — 2013-05-24T08:18:57-05:00

Various Artists - Christmas in the Northwest 6

Various Artists — 2013-05-22T21:04:40-05:00

Volume 6 of this popular series of CDs is new for 2003 and features singers and songwriters from the Pacific Northwest to benefit Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Doernbecher Children?s Hospital in Portland and Children?s Miracle Network in Spokane. Christmas in the Northwest 6 features the hit song Christmas in the Northwest by Brenda Kutz White. The CD also welcomes back Loni Rose, and Carolee Mayne. New to the CD compilation this year are Grammy winners Tingstad and Rumbel, Tom Grant with Rebecca Kilgore, Margie Boule, Gypsy Soul, Larry Murante, Deems and Seattle Groove, The Three Wisemen, Kellee Bradley, Kristina Erickson, Christopher Peacock and Gene Nery, and The Chad Mitchell Trio, a favorite across America in the 60?s and 70?s, reuniting specially for this project. As of 2002, this project has raised over $600,000 for Children's Hospitals, and net proceeds from the sale of this CD benefit northwest children?s hospitals - so that no child is turned away, regardless of their ability to pay for medical care.

Various Artists - Narada Wilderness

Various Artists — 2013-05-20T15:10:01-05:00

Various Artists - Atl Jazz: Introspection

Various Artists — 2013-05-19T22:21:43-05:00

David Sanborn - Timeagain

David Sanborn — 2013-05-18T09:46:34-05:00

It's not hyperbole to say that this is Sanborn's best record since his Warner Brothers heyday of the '80s. The same can be said of the quality of the musicians gathered for the alto saxophonist's first album for Verve. The material may be the best he's ever assembled, with many cover tunes that are singularly identified with other artists, yet he redefines them. None of those words are meant to disparage those Grammy-winning gold albums of yore, it just his high standards have been magnified many fold on these 10 tracks. From the absolutely smoke-any-kind-of groove all-star band featuring a wailing Russell Malone on guitar, Christian McBride on bass, Mike Mainieri from Steps Ahead on vibes, and Sanborn's longtime keyboard player, Ricky Peterson, to the sterling arrangements of re-imaged classics, including Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" done as a ballad and the timeless "Harlem Nocturne" spiced with world music overtones, this record sparkles. "Comin' Home Baby" and "Christo Redentor," songs made famous in the '60s by Herbie Mann and Donald Byrd respectively, are interpreted with such passion and fire, it's as if the melodies have belonged to Sanborn the whole time. His exquisite alto tone shines throughout the proceedings, and Malone just shows off on "Sugar," and one of three Sanborn originals, "Spider B." --Mark Ruffin

Al Jarreau - Accentuate the Positive

Al Jarreau — 2013-05-15T15:35:16-05:00

Al Jarreau's style bridges Jon Hendricks's vocalese and Bobby McFerrin's incredible flights of fancy. This CD, with Diana Krall's rhythm section--guitarist Anthony Wilson, drummer Peter Erskine, and bassist Christian McBride--should please fans of albums like Jarreau's phenomenal 1977 live LP, Look to the Rainbow. Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" is illuminated by Larry Goldings's down-home Hammond organ, while Lionel Hampton's "Midnight Sun" bops with hip-hop-friendly rim shots. Jarreau's tenor tones curve with saxophonic dexterity and pulse with percussive precision, especially on Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High," where he slyly drops in a few words from the old show tune, "Whispering." --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Various Artists - Acid Jazz Test 1

Various Artists — 2013-05-11T20:06:11-05:00

Michael Franks - Barefoot on the Beach

Michael Franks — 2013-05-11T16:27:04-05:00

Special 24bit K2 Japanese limited edition issue of the album classic in a deluxe, miniaturized LP sleeve replica of the original vinyl album artwork.

Ramsey Lewis - Golden Hits

Ramsey Lewis — 2013-05-10T23:50:56-05:00

Avenue Blue Jeff Golub - Nightlife

Avenue Blue, Jeff Golub — 2013-05-10T18:06:41-05:00

Various Artists Adiemus lll Clannad Craig Armstrong Dave Koz Delerium Dream Academy Loreena McKennitt Massive Attack Various Others - Pure Moods, Vol. II

2013-05-09T14:19:31-05:00

For listeners with a sincere interest in the broad variety of music loosely aligned under the New Age banner, Pure Moods II will strike your ears as something less than a high-concept showcase for the genre and more as a mulligan stew of easy-listening favorites. This is not necessarily a bad thing; yet a recording marketed to the general public as a comprehensive, current, state-of-the-art overview of atmospheric music shouldn't include such ill-fitting oddities as George Benson's "Breezin'," a lite-funk relic from 1976, or "Emily" from jazz saxophonist Dave Koz. Happily, the 77-minute, 16-track sampler offers far more items of interest than irritation. It reaches back to 1983 to remind us of an ahead-of-its-time display of Celtic mysticism from Clannad ("Theme from Harry's Game"), and it both opens and closes with superb selections from one of the genre's most admired artists, Loreena McKennitt--very appropriate since, one could argue, discussions on the future of New Age should both begin and end with McKennitt's name. Despite its few warts, Pure Moods II is a good listen overall. --Terry Wood

Alphonse Mouzon - The Survivor

Alphonse Mouzon — 2013-05-07T16:43:19-05:00

Claus Ogerman Michael Breck - Claus Ogerman Featuring Michael Brecker

Claus Ogerman, Michael Breck — 2013-05-04T16:51:49-05:00

Japanese limited version featuring a digipack.

Dave Valentin - Tropic Heat

Dave Valentin — 2013-05-03T22:23:44-05:00