Brian Bromberg - Thicker Than Water

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:55
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Is That the Best You Can Do?
(5:59)  2. Minneapolis, 1987
(6:32)  3. Thicker Than Water
(1:26)  4. Coupe De Ville (Intro)
(6:06)  5. Coupe De Ville
(3:27)  6. Changes
(7:46)  7. Trials and Tribulations
(2:12)  8. It's Called Life (Intro)
(5:59)  9. It's Called Life (For Mom)
(7:06) 10. Uh-Huh
(5:58) 11. Your Eyes
(6:34) 12. Land of the Rising Sun
(2:10) 13. A Familia

Brian Bromberg specializes in smooth jazz. That's music with rough edges removed. He plays it on basses, upright and electric, and on piccolo basses which are tuned to sound like guitars. It's all fiendishly clever but Bromberg remains modest. He uses a whole side of the album's cover to thank everyone, including God, "for trusting me with the gifts that you have given me." He's had his ups and downs. In 1979, when he was just 19, Bromberg toured with Stan Getz, then went on to release a series of solo albums used all over the world to demonstrate high quality stereo equipment, and was nominated for a Grammy. Then two years ago an accident resulted in him breaking his back in two places with severe trauma. He made an amazing recovery, celebrated here with what he describes as "high energy, funky, in-your-face, original music ensconced in memorable melodies, infectious grooves, and deep pocket." George Duke, Randy Brecker, Brandon Fields, and Gary Meek helped in its creation. There's actually a reflective, almost melancholy feel to many of the tracks, with Bromberg paying homage to the blue-eyed soul sounds of his youth. Most are based on funky, repetitive bass riffs, kicking off with "Is That The Best You Can Do?" and "Minneapolis 1987." The title track is looser, more jazzy.  "Coupe De Ville" builds slowly before settling on a bass riff, followed by a tenor solo from Najee, which keeps the proceedings very much on the smooth side of soul. "Trials and Tribulations" sees Bromberg in thoughtful mood but with some very fast piccolo bass work (sounding like guitar). "Uh-Huh" shows off his orchestrating skills with a cast that includes George Duke playing one of his last gigs. "Your Eyes" is a lovely, relaxed ballad and is followed by "Land Of The Rising Sun," Bromberg's take on Japan. This comes as a welcome surprise after all the bass riffing, featuring Mark Hollingsworth on bamboo flutes and June Kuramoto, from the band Hiroshima, on koto. To close, Bromberg reverts to upright bass for "A Familia," keeping it short and sweet, which is how upright bass solos should be. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/thicker-than-water-brian-bromberg-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Brian Bromberg: upright, electric and piccolo bass; Everette Harp, Najee, Doug Webb, Brandon Fields, Gary Meek, Mark Visher, Vince Trombetta, Marion Meadows: saxophone; Lee Thornburg, Randy Brecker, Willy Murillo, Tony Guererro: trumpet; Nick Lane, Jason Thor: trombone; Tom Zink, Brian Simpson, George Duke: keyboards; Gannin Arnold, Paul Jackson Jr.: guitar; June Kuramoto: koto; Franklin Richardson III: drums; Lenny Castro, Alex Acuna: percussion; Mark Hollingsworth: bamboo flutes; Zack Bromberg: loops.

Thicker Than Water

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Bob Baldwin - Betcha By Golly Wow: The Songs Of Thom Bell

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:52
Size: 118.8 MB
Styles: Soul, Crossover jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) (Feat. Russ Freeman)
[5:43] 2. The Rubberband Man (Feat. Paul Brown & Ragan Whiteside)
[5:06] 3. La La Means I Love You (Feat. Vivian Green)
[5:02] 4. Gonna Be Sweeter
[5:10] 5. Break Up To Make Up (Feat. Will Downing)
[4:49] 6. You're As Right As Rain (Feat. Paul Taylor)
[4:44] 7. I'll Be Around (Feat. Marion Meadows)
[3:02] 8. Bell & Creed
[6:42] 9. Betcha By Golly Wow (Feat. Toni Redd)
[6:13] 10. People Make The World Go Round (Feat. Marion Meadows)

Grammy nominee and a bona fide hero of New Urban Jazz, keyboardist and arranger Bob Baldwin makes his debut on Peak/eOne with an all-killer, no-filler collection of classic tunes penned by Philadelphia soul immortal Thom Bell. This set hits the sweet spot from the first track and doesn t miss for a single minute of the entire program.

An all-star cast puts the project over the top, a real whos who of contemporary jazz and smooth R&B.It includes: WILL DOWNING, VIVIAN GREEN, GERALD ALBRIGHT, MARION MEADOWS, PAUL TAYLOR, RUSS FREEMAN (of THE RIPPINGTONS), PAUL BROWN. To top it all off, the legend himself, Thom Bell, has written a brand new song especially for this tribute, Gonna Be Much Sweeter. And Bob Baldwin proves one more time that it doesn t get any sweeter than his brand of soul and jazz.

Betcha By Golly Wow: The Songs Of Thom Bell mc
Betcha By Golly Wow: The Songs Of Thom Bell zippy

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Marion Meadows - Soul City

Styles: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:15
Size: 108,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Soul City
(3:56)  2. Dreamin
(4:42)  3. You
(3:34)  4. Merry Go Round
(5:28)  5. Time After Time
(3:56)  6. Consequences
(5:28)  7. Be With You
(4:49)  8. Samba De Playa
(4:06)  9. No Wind, No Rain
(6:21) 10. Only

Smooth Jazz Superstar Marion Meadows is without question one of the most popular and unique talents on the jazz scene today. Marion has sold close to one million albums in his brilliant career. His constant string of radio hits and relentless touring have garnered legions of fans, and his appearances with such varied artists as The Temptations, Michael Bolton and Will Downing are a testament to his broad audience appeal. Soul City, Marion's most intimate and heartfelt album to date, is a star-studded event that takes the listener on a sensuous journey through a soundscape of brilliant original compositions and masterful improvisations. The album is co-produced by Marion's long time hit-making collaborators, Chris "Big Dog" Davis (Will Downing, Gerald Albright, Maysa), Rahni Song (Najee, Melba Moore, Freddie Jackson) and Dave Love. Soul Traveler, Marion's previous Shanachie release, debuted at #1 on the Smooth Jazz charts, and garnered 3 top 10 Smooth Jazz Radio singles. Highlights include the funky "Soul City" featuring Norman Brown, the deeply sensuous ballad "Be With You" with vocals by the amazing Will Downing, "Merry Go Round" featuring Smooth Jazz icon Peter White and much more! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Soul-City-Marion-Meadows/dp/B077K49GS2

Soul City

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Marion Meadows - In Deep

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Tales of a Gypsy
(4:10)  2. Thank You
(5:35)  3. Soul Food
(4:06)  4. Yeah Baby
(4:11)  5. Show Me, Show Me
(4:14)  6. Don't Wanna Know
(4:24)  7. South Chicago
(4:40)  8. Treasures
(4:02)  9. Flava
(5:17) 10. In Deep
(5:26) 11. Is That You
(4:03) 12. Slow Motion
(2:58) 13. Tales of a Gypsy Reprise

Marion Meadows' third Heads Up International release, In Deep, finds the sax player/songwriter/producer successfully infusing his distinctive sound with elements of hip-hop, neo-soul, and R&B. Along for the ride are Bob Baldwin, Will Downing (on the mid-tempo "Don't Wanna Know"), guitarist Ray Obiedo, Spyro Gyra guitarist Julio Fernandez, and emerging keyboardist/producer Michael Broening. The supple "Show Me, Show Me" is both sensuous and funky. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove doubles with Meadows on the slick, uptown "Soul Food." Other standouts are the smooth "Yeah Baby," the mellow "Treasures," "Is That You," "Slow Motion," and the dynamic title track. ~ Ed Hogan http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-deep-mw0000223257

Personnel:  Marion Meadows (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); Julio Fernandez (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Blake Harris, Lindsay Finch, Valerie Scott, Will Downing (vocals); Michael Broening, Michael Beardon (keyboards, programming); Bob Baldwin (keyboards); Thano Sahnas, Rohn Lawrence, Ray Odiedo, Anthony Kinchion (guitar); Ron Jerkins (bass); John Roberts (drums); Dennis Johnson (programming).

In Deep

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Marion Meadows - Dressed to Chill

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Dressed to Chill
(4:17)  2. Remember Me
(4:44)  3. Dance with My Daughter
(4:35)  4. Miss Know It All
(4:32)  5. Bounce
(4:36)  6. I Believe I Can Fly
(4:20)  7. Coco Flow
(4:31)  8. Just My Style
(5:21)  9. Scent of a Woman
(4:05) 10. Steppers...Let's Do This
(6:09) 11. 1000 Dreams
(5:17) 12. To Love Her

Soprano saxist Marion Meadows has been a crown prince in the smooth jazz court for so long, it's easy to wonder if he remembers his days woodshedding with Joe Henderson and Norman Connors' Starship Orchestra. He's been wildly successful, and his time with the Heads Up label has hardly been wasted; his rep is deep and wide, and his records move. Unlike a better selling counterpart on the same instrument, Meadows has a keen sense of rhythm and pitch, and his tonal control is top-notch. Given the tunes here, interchangeable deep relaxing grooves that borrow on everything from trip-hop to jazz, and house to Wes Montgomery's early experiments check "Remember Me," for evidence of the latter it's easy to forget the individuality Meadows possesses not only on soprano, but also on tenor and flute (he employs all three on "Coco Flow,") as well as alto on the opening title track. He duets with himself on soprano and tenor on "Bounce" and "Remember Me." Meadows' key collaborator here is composer, programmer, and keyboard whiz Mike Broening. He's the guy who comes up with the skeletal, wispy rhythm loops leaving the need for a drummer non-existent. There are three tracks with vocals here, "Miss Know It All," an urban soul ballad with Will Brock doing his best Terence Trent D'Arby, and "1000 Dreams" with Caji Da Bahia, an overblown sunstorm of loaded overdubbing. The cover of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" is an understated ballad with some beautiful phrasing by Meadows, even when the all too familiar chorus kicks in. When the backing vocalists Vanessa and Lori Williams and Raymond Reeder enter, they are so utterly masked by production technique, it's hard to tell they are real singers. But it works, especially in the bridge when Meadows actually plays some blues lines. Meadows is a seriously gifted if unchallenged musician. He could use a new writing partner, but that doesn't mean that Dressed to Chill won't satisfy fans; it most certainly will. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/dressed-to-chill-mw0000534068

Personnel: Marion Meadows (flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Will Brock (vocals); Freddie Fox (guitar, electric guitar, flugelhorn); Chuck Loeb, Randy Bowland (guitar); Thano Sahnas (acoustic guitar); Mike Broening (piano, keyboards, programming); Lori Williams, Raymond Reeder (background vocals).

Dressed to Chill

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Bob Baldwin - Mellowonder: Songs In The Key Of Stevie

Styles: Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:38
Size: 173,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. The Real Thing/Keeping It Real
(5:19)  2. Creepin'
(5:13)  3. Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing
(5:57)  4. That Girl
(5:52)  5. Lately/No More Tears
(6:13)  6. Love's Light In Flight/Love Trippin'
(4:39)  7. The Stevie Wonder Mashup
(3:36)  8. Wonder Wander
(6:00)  9. Stevie
(6:14) 10. You And I/The Wedding Suite
(5:57) 11. Rocket Love/Back To Earth
(6:10) 12. Superwoman
(3:57) 13. Looking For Another Pure Love
(4:54) 14. Love's In Need Of Love Today

The title certainly gets it right as the great keyboardist Bob Baldwin turns over some sweet mellow takes on the classic music of Stevie Wonder! Bob's the mainman at the helm for most of the record working on Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards and even vocalizing just a bit and there's also sweet instrumental contributions on the album from U-Nam and Chieli Minucci on guitars, Marion Meadows and Ryan Kilgore on saxes, and Ragan Whiteside on flute all players who know just how to get into the right sort of 70s vibe that Baldwin's going for on the record! The focus on Stevie's tunes makes the album a bit hipper than some of Bob's other recent albums although we also like those quite a bit  and titles include "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Creepin", "The Real Thing/Keepin It Real", "Superwoman/Where Were You When I Needed You Most", and "Love's In Need Of Love Today" plus the Baldwin originals "Stevie" and "Wonder Wander". https://www.dustygroove.com/item/750604

Personnel :
Bob Baldwin - Arranger, Bass, Composer, Drums, Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Melodica, Moog Bass, Percussion, Piano, Strings, Vocals
Ragan Whiteside - Flute
Ryan Kilgore, Marion Meadows - Saxophone
Chieli Minucci, Derek Scott, U-Nam - Guitar
Erma Dionne Davis, Renita Pope - Viola, Violin
Dave Anderson, Tres' Gilbert - Bass
Tony Lewis, Jorel "J-Fly" Flynn - Drums
Jorel Flynn - Cymbals
Dennis Johnson - Drum Loop, Drum Programming
Toni Redd, Stanley Thompson - Vocals

Mellowonder:  Songs In The Key Of Stevie

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Bob Baldwin - Cool Breeze

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:02
Size: 133,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Give In To Love
(5:08)  2. Summer Breeze
(4:58)  3. Bahia Maria
(5:51)  4. People Make The World Go Round
(5:09)  5. Ties That Bind
(5:10)  6. Walk On By
(5:03)  7. Hot Fun In The Sun
(5:20)  8. Vi's Pies
(5:05)  9. Cool Wind Blowing
(6:15) 10. I Give Unto You
(3:47) 11. Be Encouraged
(1:07) 12. Ties That Bind - Interlude

The smooth jazz format has lent itself to an unfortunate trend towards sugary and fluffy generic album titles that hardly characterize the grit and energy of the music they represent. Boney James went the route with Sweet Thing and now Bob Baldwin's blandly titled but explosively executed Cool Breeze makes a strong case for not judging a disc by its cover. As with his independent City Sketches earlier this year, the keyboardist never quite approaches the free-for-all soul-fusion jam sessions which marked his early Atlantic albums, yet he throws enough aggressive, improvisational punches into these up-tempo romps to remind his old fans of the way he once pounded. Rather than crazed earthquakes, he gives us thoughtful, slickly produced tremors that lean towards gospel every so often. 

He also twists familiar pop hits like "Summer Breeze" and "Walk on By" into funky blue knots. His artful, no-frills jazz trio spins on "Cool Wind Blowing" and "I Give Unto You" make many of the other tracks seem overproduced and machine generated by comparison. While Baldwin knows how to balance electric and acoustic currents to great effect, he should consider stripping down like this more often in the future. Why hide behind smoke and mirrors when you have this much emotion to offer? ~ Jonathan Widran  http://www.allmusic.com/album/cool-breeze-mw0000025975

Personnel: Bob Baldwin (strings, piano, keyboards, drums, loops); Larry Coryell (electric guitar); Marion Meadows (saxophone, soprano saxophone); Fred Vigdor (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Tad Gulley, Tony Lewis (drums, cymbals).

Cool Breeze

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Marion Meadows - Forbidden Fruit

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:47
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. Red Light
(4:54)  2. You're Always on My Mind
(5:58)  3. Asha
(5:48)  4. Forbidden Fruit
(4:43)  5. Whenever Your Heart Wants to Sing
(5:12)  6. You Will Never Know what You're Missing
(5:16)  7. Back 2 Back
(3:38)  8. Save the Best for Last
(5:02)  9. Somewhere Island
(4:59) 10. Comin' Home to You
(3:56) 11. Nocturnal Serenade

On Forbidden Fruit, Marion Meadows chooses tight, infectious material and surrounds his soprano sax with slick production, towering arrangements and brisk, exotic rhythms that generally keep the listener attentive, if not consistently enthralled. His problem? He only reallly lets loose on a few cuts ("Back 2 Back," "Comin' Home To You"). The rest of the time, he plays it strictly by the book, cruising demurely rather than generating explosive spark. More tonal variety would be appreciated. Meadows is a fine player who knows how to please and enchant at will, but too often he lets himself lose his way in what is essentially a top notch producer's project. ~ Jonathan Widran  http://www.allmusic.com/album/forbidden-fruit-mw0000110236

Personnel: Marion Meadows (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Eric Benet Jordan (vocals, background vocals); Ricardo Silveira (guitar, acoustic guitar); Dori Caymmi , John T. Smith, Jef Lee Johnson (guitar); Yutaka Yokokura (koto, keyboards); Morris Pleasure (trumpet, keyboards); Johnny Britt (trumpet); Michael Bearden (piano, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Werner "Vana" Gierig (piano, keyboards, synthesizer, keyboard programming); Don Grusin, Bobby Lyle (piano); Brian Alexander Morgan (keyboards, synthesizer, drums, drum programming, background vocals); Joe Melotti (keyboards, synthesizer, drums); Jerry Peters (keyboards); Derek Bramble (synthesizer, drums, percussion, programming); Stan Smith (drums, percussion); Michael Shapiro, Ricky Lawson, Lionel Cordew (drums); Luis Conte, Munyungo Jackson, Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Joe Wolf (programming); SWV, LeAnne Lyons, Tamara Johnson, Jilien, Cheryl Gamble (background vocals).

Forbidden Fruit

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Marion Meadows - Soul Traveler

Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 51:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Celebration Road (Feat. Najee) (4:38)
02. Magic Men (Feat. Elan Trotman) (4:11)
03. Andalusian Sunset (4:22)
04. Soul Traveler (4:04)
05. Humanity (Feat. Lamar Gaines) (4:19)
06. Invisible (4:20)
07. Mother Earth (Feat. Tony 'TB' Bias) (4:30)
08. Dark Beauty (Feat. Lamar Gaines) (4:15)
09. Life In The Clouds (Feat. Joey Summerville & Kyle Turner) (4:08)
10. Dream Catcher (3:57)
11. Real Time (Feat. Vincent Ingala) (4:09)
12. Last Ticket To Somewhere (4:10)

Smooth Jazz Superstar Marion Meadows is without question one of the most popular and unique talents on the Jazz scene today. Blessed with movie star looks and the smoothest saxophone tone on the planet, Marion has sold close to one million albums in his brilliant career. His constant string of radio hits and relentless touring have garnered legions of fans, and his appearances with such varied artists as the Temptations, Michael Bolton and Will Downing are a testament to his broad audience appeal. Soul Traveler, Marion s most intimate and heartfelt album to date, takes the listener on a sensuous journey through a soundscape of brilliant original compositions and masterful improvisations. The album is co-produced by Marion s long-time collaborator Carlo Panisi, who produced Marion s previous Shanachie album, Whisper , which debuted at #1 on the Smooth Jazz charts, and garnered 3 Top 10 Smooth Jazz Radio singles. Highlights include the spirited Latin-tinged Celebration Road featuring the great Najee on flute, the deeply sensuous ballad Dark Beauty , Real Time featuring up and coming Smooth Jazz superstar Vincent Ingala and much more.

Soul Traveler

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