Craig Chaquico - Once In A Blue Universe

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:03
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Midnight Swim
(4:08)  2. Holding Back The Years
(5:49)  3. Dreamcatcher
(5:15)  4. Blue Universe
(4:54)  5. Trade Winds
(3:29)  6. Lights Out San Francisco
(5:03)  7. Dipsea Trail
(5:09)  8. Oceans Apart
(4:35)  9. Feelin' Alright
(3:34) 10. Indian Spring

Former Jefferson Starship guitarist Craig Chaquico is one of the most successful and reliable of the crop of rock musicians who have recently switched genres into contemporary jazz. His fourth CD, Once in a Blue Universe continues to broaden his jazz horizons while providing some very satisfying and distinctive music. Fans of Craig's first two albums ( Acoustic Planet and Acoustic Highway ) will find the same improvisational and eclectic guitar style prevalent on those albums. Those who welcomed Craig's turn toward more complex compositions and arrangements on A Thousand Pictures will enjoy the additional moods and extended saxophone presence. The first few notes of the first song ("Midnight Swim") set the beat with a funky bass line and readily identifies the artist with Craig's signature style on acoustic guitar. Dave Koz assists with a strong and funky sax line for an all-around finger-snapping tune. Craig's companion on the Guitars, Saxophones and More Tour, Richard Elliot, makes a strong guest appearance with his distinctive tenor saxophone on "Dreamcatcher," one of the first cuts to receive radio play. Another GS&M tour member, Peter White makes an appearance on "Lights Out San Francisco"; the guitar interplay between Craig and Peter makes this mellow track a winner. Other notable cuts include the romantic soft-tempo title song, subtitled "Kimberly's Eyes" featuring John Klemmer and Third Force, "Oceans Apart" and a mellow cover of pop tune "Holding Back the Years," one of the only non-original compositions on the disc. Those who saw Craig and Douglas Spotted Eagle together at the Catalina Island Jazz Festival in 1996 will recognize the diverse percussion and arrangement from Spotted Eagle on the end-cut "Indian Spring. "Produced by long-time keyboardist and producer Ozzie Ahlers, Once in a Blue Universe is a solid addition to any contemporary jazz or guitar collection, filled with tunes you will be humming days later. Highly recommended. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/once-in-a-blue-universe-craig-chaquico-higher-octave-music-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Musicians: Guitar-Craig Chaquico; Spanish Guitar-Peter White; Keyboards-Ozzie Ahlers, William Aura; Saxophone-Richard Elliot, John Klemmer, Dave Koz, Kevin Paladini; Drums & Percussion-Lenny Castro, Alain Eskinasi, Carlos Vega, G.G. Gonaway, Wade Olson, Douglas Spotted Eagle; Bass Guitar-Larry Kimpel, Jim Reitzel; Piano-Gregg Karukas

Once In A Blue Universe

---

Jeff Lorber - Kickin' It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:34
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Snakebite
(3:54)  2. Ain't Nobody
(4:25)  3. Happy Endings
(3:58)  4. Chopsticks
(4:33)  5. Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'
(4:40)  6. Reflections
(4:52)  7. The Bijou
(4:08)  8. Kickin' It
(4:05)  9. The In Crowd
(4:37) 10. What It Is

Jeff Lorber's label debut on Samson Records is a typical jazz fusion effort that will sound familiar to fans of his band of the 1970s and '80s, the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Teaming with co-writer/producer/arranger Steve Dubin, Lorber constructs a series of upbeat rhythm tracks over which he plays melodically on either acoustic piano or Fender Rhodes electric. He is joined on nearly every track by a guest saxophonist and/or guitarist. Tenor saxophonist Gerald Albright sits in on "Snakebite," "Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'," and "Kickin' It" (with guitarist Stuart Wylen); soprano saxophonist Dave Koz on "Happy Endings" (with guitarist Michael Landau) and "The Bijou"; tenor saxophonist Steve Cole on "Chopsticks"; soprano saxophonist Gary Meek on "Reflections" (with Wylen) and "What It Is"; and tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot on "The 'In' Crowd." Lorber cedes considerable space to his guests, but he still finds room for his own improvisations. He also brings in a horn section on several cuts, notably "Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'," which sounds enough like a lost Steely Dan track that you keep expecting Donald Fagen to start singing on instead of Siedah Garrett, who intones the repeated lines "Keep on/Keep that same ol' feelin'." "Ain't Nobody" is the 1983 Rufus and Chaka Khan hit, here rendered with an appropriately funky feel, and "The 'In' Crowd" is, of course, the 1965 Ramsey Lewis Trio hit, a nod to an obvious predecessor of Lorber's. The keyboardist slows the pace for "Reflections," but most of these tracks are lively pieces with lots of interplay that is only ended when they fade out. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/kickin-it-mw0000115527

Personnel:  Jeff plays Yamaha DS6 piano, Fender Rhodes,other keyboards, synth bass, mute guitar; Alex Al – Bass; Dave Koz – Soprano, Alto sax on track 3 and 7; Gary Meek – Soprano, Tenor sax; Gerald Albright – Tenor sax on track 1, 5, 8 Jerry Hey – Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn arrangements; John “Little John” Roberts – Drums; Lenny Castro – Percussion; Richard Elliot – Tenor sax on track 9; Siedah Garrett – Vocals on track 5; Steve Cole – Tenor sax on track 4; Tony Maiden – Guitar; Wah Wah Watson – Guitar

Kickin' It

---

Richard Elliot - In The Zone

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:06
Size: 106,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Island Style
(4:17)  2. Boom Town
(4:11)  3. Metropolis
(5:02)  4. Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)
(4:22)  5. The Lower Road
(4:36)  6. Bring It!
(4:18)  7. Just A Taste
(4:35)  8. In The Zone
(4:24)  9. Panamera
(4:58) 10. Golden Triangle

Richard Elliot's In the Zone picks up where 2009's Rock Steady left off. Where that album paid tribute to the saxophonist's R&B heroes, In the Zone, which marks Elliot's 25th anniversary as a recording artist, offers a thank-you to the influences of his predecessors in the smooth jazz genre: namely Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, and Bob James. Co-produced with Jeff Lorber, with horn charts and horns by David Mann, Elliot composed eight of the ten tracks on the set, co-wrote one with Lorber (who appears on keyboards and guitar), and offers a fine cover of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" as a nod to Washington's stellar version in the early '70s. Things kick off breezily enough with "Island Style"; its Caribbean groove recalls Creed Taylor's production of Washington's Kudu Records output. That said, the phrasing is pure Elliot. "Boom Town," the single, is funkier, and features fine guitar work by Dwight Sills and Lorber. Elliot's sense of time when soloing is deadly. The melody is as infectious and celebratory as it is sexy. "Metropolis" almost cops a "Mister Magic" vibe when it commences, but it's more songlike than vamp-oriented. 

It's possessed of a delightful lyricism. "The Lower Road" is almost a country melody played contemporary jazz style. It too is comprised of a gorgeous melody played on and around by Elliot with fine guitar work by Michael Thompson and Lorber  this is a clear nod to James and his gift for elegant melodies. "Bring It!" is deeply funky and inspired by R&B, and its emotive blowing recalls Sanborn. While "Just a Taste" is simply pleasant and lithe, it contrasts sharply with the title track, a hard, funky strutter with excellent guitar interplay and additional layers of horns by Mann. "Panamera" is slick dancefloor glide but the rhythmic palette shifts in interesting ways. The set closes with the graceful lyricism of "Golden Triangle," another songlike piece that reflects Elliot's love of compact harmonies. Lil' John Roberts is exceptional on the drum kit, using brushes to provide unexpected breaks as Thompson and Tony Maiden exchange open, nearly jangly guitar interplay. In the Zone is a fine companion to Rock Steady, but perhaps even more to Metro Blue. Ultimately, it proves beyond doubt that there is plenty of life and possibility in the contemporary jazz genre. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-zone-mw0002211124

Personnel:  Richard Elliot (Saxophone); Jeff Lorber (Keyboards, Guitar); David Mann (Horns); Stan Fromin (Synthesizer); Michael Thompson, Tony Maiden, Dwight Sills (Guitar); Alex Al, Nate Phillips (Bass); Tony Moore, Lil' John Roberts (Drums); Lenny Castro (Percussion); Bobby Colombo (Shaker).

In The Zone

---

Richard Elliot - Ricochet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:45
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Corner Pocket
(4:00)  2. Ricochet
(4:20)  3. Rendezvous
(4:19)  4. Sweet Memories
(3:58)  5. So Good
(4:13)  6. Seven Sacred Pools
(4:14)  7. Slam
(4:34)  8. You Make Me Feel Brand New
(4:25)  9. Sake For Two
(4:18) 10. Sly

It is unfortunate that a musician with such "funky" credentials as saxophonist Richard Elliot  he played for Tower of Power, for cryin' out loud keeps churning out the same overly programmed, drum-machine-heavy, melodically "lite" Cheez Whiz. The guy has the chops to deliver a lot better than what he comes up with on Ricochet arrangements are laid down with a kind of presumptuous "soulfullness," as if Elliot is "really gonna dig in to something here." Instead, listeners get predictable melodies played over stiff rhythm tracks that underline the general lack of funk on Ricochet. 

Granted, if you are a big fan of instrumental pop or smooth jazz, you'll probably enjoy Elliot's adequate if uninspired cover of the Stylistics' hit "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and a few of the original tunes on the album are pleasant enough as musical wallpaper, but there is little here that can be recommended to anyone but the most die-hard pop-jazz fanatics. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/ricochet-mw0000022533

Personnel: Richard Elliot - tenor saxophone;  Lenny Castro - percussion;  Luis Conte - percussion;  Lee Thornburg - trumpet;  Nick Lane - trombone;  Tony Maiden - guitar;  Rex Rideout - keyboards, programming;  Ronnie Garrett - bass;  Ron Reinhardt - keyboards

Ricochet

---

Dave Koz & Friends - Summer Horns

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 126.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:03] 1. Always There
[5:37] 2. Got To Get You Into My Life
[5:06] 3. Rise
[4:37] 4. So Very Hard To Go
[4:26] 5. Hot Fun In The Summertime
[4:10] 6. Take 5
[4:46] 7. 25 Or 6 To 4
[4:44] 8. Reasons
[4:14] 9. I Got You (I Feel Good)
[3:44] 10. You Haven’t Done Nothin’
[5:43] 11. God Bless The Child
[3:56] 12. Summer Horns

Nine-time GRAMMY® nominee Dave Koz remembers a time when the summers lasted forever, and the most popular rock, R&B, soul and funk bands of the day were propelled by high-octane, richly arranged horn sections. Indeed, from the late 1960s through the ‘70s, bands like Sly & the Family Stone, Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears and other brassy juggernauts of the era ruled the airwaves and opened his young ears to the saxophone’s limitless possibilities as a solo instrument as well as a collaborative voice with the trumpet and trombone.

Four decades later, Koz has assembled three of his most talented and trusted colleagues – Gerald Albright, Richard Elliot and Mindi Abair – to revisit this golden age with new arrangements of classic songs from this period in the history of popular music. Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns, produced by Paul Brown (Al Jarreau, George Benson, June Tabor, Boney James), is a collaborative effort that throws the spotlight on four high-profile saxophonists, and augments the team with several other equally talented musicians and vocalists. Summer Horns, released on June 11, 2013 on Concord Records, turns up the heat just in time for the summer tour season.

Summer Horns mc
Summer Horns zippy

---

Richard Elliot - Jumpin' Off

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 101,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Jumpin' Off
(5:25)  2. All Night
(4:31)  3. If You Want My Love
(5:13)  4. Here And Now
(4:09)  5. Tell Me About It
(5:40)  6. Slow Burn
(4:17)  7. In The Groove
(4:59)  8. One Last Kiss
(5:07)  9. Nobody Knows

One of contemporary jazz's most durable and popular saxmen, Richard Elliot has also been one of the genre's most self-sufficient. His 1986 debut album Initial Approach was produced by Henry Lewy (of Joni Mitchell Court and Spark fame), but Elliot took the reins on the eight subsequent albums that have made his tenor a smooth jazz radio staple. In Paul Brown, Elliot made the perfect decision for his first collaboration with an outside producer, both sonically, creatively and with an eye towards keeping himself viable in an everchanging marketplace commercially. The result of this collaboration, Jumpin' Off lives up to its title; this easygoing, slow-sizzling set is very different from his usual aggressive style, with tunes that slowly envelop rather than explode in your face. 

His longtime fans, however, will have no trouble taking the leap of faith. "Contents under pressure" might be a good way to describe many of the tracks. Elliot's trademark has always been his searing, gritty intensity and high and low dynamics, grabbing hold of a note and pushing it higher, then holding it for seconds at a time before reaching back down for the lower register. But on floating, free-flowing ballads like "One Last Kiss" and "All Night," he holds back and caresses the notes, rather than attack them. With hooks enhanced by subtle horn doubling, the bubbly, creamy effect is like go-down-easy Grover Washington, Jr.. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/jumpin-off-mw0000029812

Personnel: Richard Elliot (tenor saxophone); Peter White, Brian Culbertson, Rick Braun, Paul Jackson; Mike Sims, Paul Jackson, Jr. , Peter White (guitar); Dan Shea, Michael Egizi (keyboards, programming); Mitchel Forman, Robbie Nevil, Brian Culbertson (keyboards); Lenny Castro (percussion); Steven Hientz, Paul Brown , Steve Dubin (programming).

Jumpin' Off

---

Richard Elliot - City Speak

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 125,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. City Speak
(5:16)  2. Walk The Walk
(4:43)  3. Unspoken Words
(4:50)  4. Amazon
(4:28)  5. I'll Make Love To You
(4:29)  6. Scotland
(4:32)  7. Sweet Surrender
(4:30)  8. Down Hill Run
(5:50)  9. When The Lights Go Out
(5:11) 10. All I Need
(4:34) 11. That's All She Wrote

Although he's called a "smooth jazz" artist, saxophonist Richard Elliot is equally at home with most rock & roll and the kind of classic R&B performed by the group Tower of Power. For five years in the 1980s, he was a big part of the classic R&B band's horn-based sound. The Scottish-born Elliot was raised in Los Angeles, where he quickly became a fan of classic West Coast R&B. Elliot landed his first job while still a teenager with Natalie Cole and the Pointer Sisters. A few years later, he was tapped to record with some of his idols from Motown Records, which had relocated from Detroit to Los Angeles. In the 1970s, he had the chance to record with Smokey Robinson, the Four Tops, and the Temptations. Elliot was later tapped to record with the Yellowjackets on their second album. After touring with Melissa Manchester for a time, he was asked to become a full-fledged member of the Tower of Power horns in 1982. He stayed with the group until 1987 and looks back fondly on those years, since they shaped the style he has today. When he's not playing his over 100 dates a year, Elliot pilots a small aircraft; he was also a partner in PacificNet, an Internet multimedia company that developed websites for the music and entertainment industries. As a solo artist, Elliot debuted with his self-produced City Speak (1996), followed by After Dark (1994), On the Town (1991), Power of Suggestion (1988), Take to the Skies (1989), Trolltown (1986), What's Inside (1990), and Initial Approach (1987), all for Blue Note/Capitol Records. Two albums he had recorded for the now-defunct Enigma label were re-released on Capitol. His 1993 album, Soul Embrace, rocketed to the top of the Billboard contemporary jazz charts. Elliot's 1999 effort, Chill Factor, proved to be his final studio album for Blue Note. 

The label issued The Best of Richard Elliot in 2000. The following year he moved over to GRP, where he debuted with Crush. After a world tour in late 2001 and 2002, he returned with Ricochet in 2003. Produced by keyboardist Jeff Lorber, who also played on the date, the album also featured contributions from guitarist Jonathan Butler, keyboardist Rex Rideout, percussionist Lenny Castro, and others. After parting ways with GRP, Elliot founded ARTizen Music Group with trumpeter Rick Braun. His debut for the imprint was Metro Blue in 2005, which reached number two on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. Its single, a cover of the Stylistics' "People Make the World Go Round," spent 11 weeks at number one on the Radio & Records airplay chart. Two years later, he and Braun collaborated again on RnR. The title track from the album spent over two months at number one on the smooth jazz chart. Elliot and Braun eventually sold their label to Artistry Music, which is distributed by Mack Avenue. The first album for Artistry was 2009's Rock Steady. Inspired by Elliot's love of R&B, the album featured both originals and covers, including readings of Aretha Franklin's title track and Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up." Musicians Braun, Gerald Albright, and Lorber all made key contributions to the set. As with its two predecessors, Rock Steady charted, spending 40 weeks on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. Elliot and Lorber teamed again to produce 2011's In the Zone, a collection of nine originals and a striking cover of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)." The album was released in mid-October and marked Elliot's 25th anniversary as a recording artist. 

He then joined saxophonists Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, and Albright for the all-star collaboration Summer Horns, which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Pop Album. Elliot returned to his own work in 2014 with Lip Service, his first album for the Heads Up/Concord Music Group. Inspired by his love for his wife, the album featured a mix of originals and covers, including reworkings of Brian McKnight's "Anytime," Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," and a version of the Manhattans' "Shining Star" arranged by fellow Tower of Power alumnus trumpeter Greg Adams. In 2016, Elliot delivered his second album for Heads Up/Concord, the '70s funk and fusion-influenced Summer Madness. Produced by and featuring longtime creative partner Braun, the album also showcased contributions from saxophonist Curt Waylee, bassist Nathaniel Phillips, and others. Included on Summer Madness was a cover of Spyro Gyra's "Cachaca." ~ Richard Skelly & Thom Jurek https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/richard-elliot/id409346#fullText

Personnel:  Bass – Naoki Yanai;  Drums, Percussion – Dave Reinhardt ;  Guitar – Richard Smith; Keyboards – Ron Reinhardt;  Percussion – Luis Conte;  Tenor Saxophone – Richard Elliot

City Speak

---

Richard Elliot - After Dark

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:35
Size: 148,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. Street Beat
(3:07)  2. Song For Her
(4:59)  3. As I Sleep
(4:23)  4. After Dark
(5:13)  5. El Anio
(4:05)  6. Tonight
(5:28)  7. On The Run
(4:22)  8. If Tomorrow Never Comes
(4:34)  9. Hold Me Tight
(5:15) 10. Bridge Over Troubled Water
(5:03) 11. The Boys From The Bay
(4:39) 12. Candlelight
(3:55) 13. So Special
(4:49) 14. Slow It Down

Some might dub Richard Elliot the James Brown of contemporary jazz for the way his tenacious tenor exploded around some of the freshest R&B tinged hooks in the genre. After more than a handful of albums, the moniker still applies, though it is slightly maddening that he seems to best maintain his popularity by refusing to stretch beyond the simple energy that originally garnered it. After Dark is trademark Elliot a rich and urgent flow over essentially generic melodies and typical pop-jazz production. A pop cover here ("Bridge Over Troubled Water"), a vocal there. But where's the spark? He certainly teases us, slamming some horns, hip-hop and improv on the best cut, "The Boys From The Bay," and shifting gears towards the breezes of Latin America on "El Anio." A later house mix number ("So Special") perfectly captures the trend towards fusing traditions with boom box excitement. But between these gems is a sea of so-so material that, while certainly easy to listen to, once again fails to capture the fire of Elliot's explosive live shows. Then again, the feeling might be that it's worked well for seven albums, why mess with crowd pleasing success? ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/after-dark-mw0000626518

Personnel: Richard Elliot (tenor saxophone); Richard Smith (guitar); Ron Reinhardt (keyboards); Dave Reinhardt (drums, percussion); Luis Conte (percussion).

After Dark

---

Rick Braun - All It Takes

Styles: Trumpet And Flugelhorn Jazz  

Year: 2009

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 47:59

Size: 111,0 MB

Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Tijuana Dance?

(5:40)  2. Puerto Allegre Jam

(4:45)  3. Christiane

(4:59)  4. All It Takes

(4:09)  5. She's The One

(4:32)  6. I Got Your Back

(5:04)  7. Ever Changing World

(4:33)  8. Sleeveless In Seattle

(3:43)  9. Berlin

(5:00) 10. Freddie Was Here

Rick Braun has built his career as a contemporary trumpeter based on the basic concepts of predecessors like Herb Alpert, Chuck Mangione, and Tom Browne. Dependent on urban R&B beats, Braun can only marginally be called jazz, but does own an appeal to the smooth music crowd that this produced recording will only reinforce. Teamed with keyboardist and producer Philippe Saisse, Braun follows a path of least resistance in terms of the calculated nature of his music and the simplicity of his melodies. Saisse adds synthesized sounds for the most part alongside Braun's overdubbed flügelhorn and muted trumpet to create soundscapes made of clear plastic and reflecting some prismatic colors. There's not much to distinguish one track from another except slight midtempo changes and some Latin rhythms. "Christiane" uses the two-horn approach effectively in a fairly lyrical setting, "She's the One" is easy-beat funk with plain synths and percussion, "Sleeveless in Seattle" sports a retro sound with handclaps, and "I Got Your Back" offers assimilated horn backing in more substantive ways. On the salsa side, "Tijuana Dance?" is a romp-and-stomp funk with some elegant acoustic and electric guitar, while "Puerto Allegre Jam" is a Latin disco number. "Freddie Was Here" might be appropriate for a film score in a slowed late-night dramatic or perhaps romantic theme. Perhaps the most interesting music crops up during the heavier "Ever Changing World," with Braun's two horns stretching ever so slightly from his lyrically urbane sound. Fond of fluttery notes in introductions, Braun's self-absorbed, passive playing speaks to an urban crowd seeking predictable music, and in this regard he succeeds, remaining in the so-called pocket, not as syrupy as most, but sugary sweet like cotton candy.~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-it-takes-mw0000820435

Personnel: Rick Braun (trumpet, flugelhorn, drums, programming); Vanessa Falabella Donada (vocals); Dwight Sills, Marc Antoine (guitar); Richard Elliot (saxophone); Nick Lane (trombone); Philippe Saisse (keyboards, drums, programming, drum programming); Tim Gant (keyboards, drums, programming); Jeff Lorber (keyboards, programming); Ricky Lawson, Simon Phillips (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).

All It Takes

---

Richard Elliot - Chill Factor

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:09
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. Moomba
(4:58)  2. Chill Factor
(4:36)  3. Deep Touch
(4:55)  4. This Could Be Real
(4:18)  5. Who?
(4:34)  6. On The Fly
(4:47)  7. Adia
(4:42)  8. Like Butter
(5:13)  9. Kick It Up
(4:51) 10. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
(2:15) 11. Mikayla's Smile

Richard Elliot chose to go with the production expertise of Steve Dubin on his Chill Factor, but the silky, simmering soul influence of Paul Brown who produced the veteran saxman's previous hit, Jumpin' Off  has stuck. Where Elliot once routinely went for the jugular and blistering approach to his tenor, he lives up to this disc's name by bringing out some of his best hooks in a gentler, restrained mode. In the past, you might never mistake an Elliot horn lick for one by the master of funky cool, Boney James, but he's in that zone from the first easygoing notes of the bluesy opening track "Moomba." That's not to say he won't let out occasional gushes of the old intensity during certain break points in a tune, but it has to be the right occasion, like wrapping around Tim Heintz's bouncy Rhodes and Rick Braun's sassy flügelhorn on the title track. With other guests like Peter White, Elliot sets the example; rather than let White chime in with nylon string gymnastics, he instead asks the acoustic guitarist to simply embrace his gentle sax melody so tightly that you can hardly tell he's there. The most remarkable evidences of the new, more mature Elliot are the low bass tone he uses on the smoky ballad "Deep Touch" (what Gerry Mulligan might have sounded like on tenor) and the elegant, folksy duet "Mikayla's Smile," where he picks up his rarely used soprano and wraps a loving melody around the swaying acoustic guitar harmony lines of Dwight Sills. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/chill-factor-mw0000247170

Personnel:  Richard Elliot (saxophone); Siedah Garrett, Robbie Nevil (vocals); Steven Dubin (various instruments, drums, programming); Rick Braun (flugelhorn); Mitch Forman, Tim Heinz, Leon Bisquera (keyboards); Peter White (acoustic guitar); Wah Wah Watson, Dwight Sills, Paul Jackson, Tony Maiden, Michael Simms (guitar); Alex Al (bass); Lil' John Roberts (drums); Lenny Castro, Luis Conte (percussion).

Chill Factor

---

Richard Elliot - Summer Madness

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:09
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:03)  1. Cachaca
(4:19)  2. Breakin' It Down
(4:22)  3. Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile)
(3:58)  4. West Coast Jam
(4:31)  5. Harry the Hipster
(4:25)  6. Slam-O-Rama
(4:43)  7. Back to You
(5:11)  8. Ludicrous Speed
(4:08)  9. Summer Madness
(4:26) 10. Mr. Nate’s Wild Ride

When tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot began preparing Summer Madness, his follow-up to 2014’s critically acclaimed Lip Service, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. First and foremost, it had to be funky. “When I was growing up in the ’70s and first learning to play the saxophone,” he says, “I was mostly attracted to instrumentally based R&B and to jazz that had R&B roots. This record definitely goes down that path, leaning more on the funk side.” He also knew precisely who he wanted to accompany him on the new music. “I wanted to involve my band,” Elliot says. “A lot of artists tour with a group of musicians, and then when it’s time to make a record they hook up with a producer and go into the studio and use completely different people that maybe they’ve never even met before. I feel that if you’re lucky enough to have a regular group of musicians that you work with, and you don’t draw on their talent and their inspirations, you’re short-changing yourself.” Summer Madness, set for release on September 9, 2016 via Heads Up, a division of Concord Music Group, is a new kind of Richard Elliot recording. For one thing, the cast includes two other horn men augmenting Elliot’s signature sax work: trumpeter/trombonist Rick Braun, who also produced the album and, on several tracks, baritone saxophonist Curt Waylee. Most importantly though, the music was created from scratch as Elliot and his handpicked musicians formulated and honed their ideas in the studio, with Braun’s ultra-capable guidance. For Elliot, recruiting the additional players and having the entire band plus a well-respected veteran producer help him shape the music was integral to the project’s success.

   “I didn’t want to direct them,” he says. “I wanted to bring them in and let them be part of the process the writing, the arranging and to do it all together. I had a lot of confidence that these guys are mature enough musically. Everybody brought what they do to the table and we all put our heads together. We didn’t have rehearsals first, we didn’t have writing sessions first. We booked some days in the studio and the music just poured out.” The result of these impromptu jams seven new originals and three classic interpretations is unquestionably one of the most electrifying and gratifying recordings of Richard Elliot’s three-plus-decade solo career. From the opening salvo, a super-funkified take on Spyro Gyra’s “Cachaca,” through the closing “Mr. Nate’s Wild Ride,” spotlighting bassist Nathaniel Phillips, who wrote the track along with Elliot and Braun, Summer Madness is one of those albums that simply takes hold the moment you press play and never lets go. Along the way it touches down on a variety of moods and styles, from Latin- and African-inspired funk to soul jazz, even flirting with fusion on the hard-driving, appropriately titled “Ludicrous Speed.”  A couple of sparkling ballads pay tribute to heroes of Elliot’s going back to his earliest days of musical discovery: “Europa,” on which he honors one of his saxophone inspirations, the late Gato Barbieri who famously remade the Carlos Santana-penned track in his own image, and the title track “Summer Madness,” a mid-’70s hit for funk titans Kool & the Gang. Among the original compositions, “Harry the Hipster,” says Elliot, “is reminiscent of songs that had cool, recurring melodies and a funky pulse the idea was not to wrap yourself up in how much complexity you could put into the song, but how much feeling and groove can you put into the song?” Another highlight, the band-written “West Coast Jam,” is Elliot’s nod to yet another influence, the late leader of funk trailblazers Zapp, Roger Troutman, while “Breakin’ It Down,” which arrives early on Summer Madness, is designed, he says, to bridge the genres of funk and contemporary jazz, with which Elliot has long been associated. “I sort of formulated that theory later though,” he confesses. “When we were making the music we were just making it.”

   It should come as no surprise to Elliot’s longtime fans that he would, at some point in his career, choose to celebrate funk in such a dedicated, decisive way. It was, after all, with the legendary Tower of Power that many first heard the saxophone virtuosity of Richard Elliot. Although he was born in Scotland and grew up in Los Angeles, where he started playing saxophone while in middle school, his five-year run with the Bay Area institution ToP during the 1980s was when Richard Elliot first came to prominence. “I learned more about being a musician, about being a performer, about being a team player in a horn section, about how to make a statement when you step out and do a solo, from being with Tower of Power than from any other group or artist I ever worked with,” Elliot says, adding that it was “initially terrifying” to find himself among some of the most accomplished and highly respected musicians on the funk/R&B scene. In fact, he learned enough from working with them, Elliot says now, to know that he was ready to go off on his own when he did. “Leaving Tower of Power was the hardest decision I ever made,” he says now, but great things were to follow almost immediately. By the late ’80s, Elliot  had launched his solo career and was signed to Blue Note Records, where he worked with the legendary record executive Bruce Lundvall, an early champion of Elliot’s work. Since then, Elliot has released more than 20 albums as a leader, and has also polished his chops serving as a sideman for a considerable list of diverse giants, including Motown hitmakers Smokey Robinson and the Temptations. One of Elliot’s favorite projects was the collaborative 2013 release Summer Horns, which found him teaming up with fellow sax-slingers Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Mindi Abair the album was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album. Throughout all of his music, Richard Elliot has always strived to achieve one certain goal. “Miles Davis said, ‘The hardest thing for a musician to do is sound like himself.’ That stuck with me,” Elliot says. “If you fixate on a single influence, you tend to sound like someone who’s trying to sound like that person. I never know if I’ve achieved that goal but on occasion I’ve had someone come up to me and say, ‘I heard a song on the radio and I knew it was you.’” Summer Madness puts a bit of a new twist on the classic Richard Elliot sound, but you won’t doubt for a single second who you are hearing. http://www.richardelliot.com/

Summer Madness

---

Richard Elliot - Rock Steady

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 122,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. Move On Up
(5:06)  2. Straight Up
(4:36)  3. Yaquala
(4:22)  4. Restless
(4:18)  5. Retro Boy
(4:34)  6. License To Chill
(4:23)  7. Candice Dance
(5:07)  8. Rock Steady
(4:51)  9. The Preacher
(4:49) 10. Spindrift
(6:21) 11. Keep On Truckin'

Richard Elliot has a history of picking the right tune and wrapping his signature sax sound around it witness People Make The World Go Round from Metro Blue, which topped the radio charts for 11 weeks. Now it's time to Rock Steady featuring the famed Aretha anthem, as well as first radio single Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up. Rock Steady also boasts appearances by: Gerald Albright, Rick Braun and Jeff Lorber among others. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Steady-Richard-Elliot/dp/B001VIRKRG

Personnel: Richard Elliot (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Lynne Fiddmont (vocals); Dwight Sills (guitar); Rick Braun (strings, trumpet, programming); Gerald Albright (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass guitar); Nick Lane (trombone); Tim Gant (keyboards, bass synthesizer, programming); Jeff Lorber, Philippe Saisse (keyboards, programming); Ron Reinhardt (keyboards); Ricky Lawson (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).

Rock Steady

---

Richard Elliot - Metro Blue

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2005

File: MP3@320K/s 

Time: 40:55

Size: 94,0 MB 

Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Inside Out

(4:03)  2. Camella

(4:30)  3. Coastline

(4:24)  4. People Make The World Go Round

(4:10)  5. Say It's So

(3:58)  6. Chill Bill

(4:23)  7. Mystique

(4:33)  8. Mango Tango

(3:58)  9. Maxi's

(2:49) 10. Metro Blue

Richard Elliott, 45, was born in Scotland and moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was a child. In his early career, he toured with Natalie Cole and the Pointer Sisters. He spent time with a fusion band, Kittyhawk, followed by recording sessions with Smokey Robinson, the Four Tops, and the Temptations. After spending five years as a full-time member of Tower of Power, Elliott became a solo artist, releasing four #1 albums. On Metro Blue, which Elliott co-produced with Rick Braun, the tenor sax specialist delivers a nice mix of smooth jazz and soulful grooves. All but one song were composed by Elliott and Braun, including several that involved other writers. The lone cover is "People Make the World Go Round, written by Thom Bell and Linda Epstein and popularized by a 1970s soul group, the Stylistics.

"Inside Out opens the album with flair, sure to get dancers on their feet. Often in smooth jazz, programming can be the difference between an exceptional album and a boring one. In this case, Braun, Rex Rideout, Greg Karukas, Jeff Lorber, Brian Culbertson, and Phil Davis serve up programming that melds nicely with the other instruments. On "Inside Out and "Say It's So, Rideout's and Lorber's programs supplement rather than replace the drums. And on the other tracks, the drum synths are distinct enough that the listener is free to enjoy the whole song, rather than focus on how similar the program sounds to previous recordings.In addition to flugelhorn and trumpet, Braun contributes some elegant string synths including plucking to give "People Make the World Go Round an orchestral feel. Nate Phillips adds a funky bass line to enhance the groove of "Say It's So. 

Elliott delivers his best performance on the album with the ballad "Mystique, supported by Peter White on nylon string guitar and Lenny Castro on percussion, among others. Throughout the disc, Elliott efficiently puts his tenor through the paces, whether as lead instrument, soloist, or accompanist alongside Braun. Whether on an up-tempo groove or a tranquil ballad, Elliott, Braun, and the others have put together a fine album that will please fans of smooth jazz as well as those who prefer soulful jazz. ~ Woodrow Wilkins http://www.allaboutjazz.com/metro-blue-richard-elliott-artizen-music-group-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Richard Elliot: tenor sax; Dwight Sills: guitar; Lenny Castro: percussion; Nate Phillips: bass; Ronnie Garrett: bass (6); Michael White: drums; Rick Braun: trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards (10); Jeff Lorber: piano (5); Rex Rideout: piano (7); Peter White: nylon string guitar (7); Brian Culbertson: keyboards (9); Red Rideout: keyboards, programming; Jeff Lorber: keyboards, programming; Gregg Karukas: keyboards, programming; Phil Davis: keyboards, programming; Rick Braun: keyboards, programming; Brian Culbertson: keyboards, programming.

Metro Blue

---

Richard Elliot - Lip Service

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:20
Size: 97,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Desire
(4:33)  2. Lip Service
(3:58)  3. Givin' It Up
(3:55)  4. Sweet Spot
(3:36)  5. Sookie Sookie
(4:13)  6. All The Way
(3:33)  7. When I Was Your Man
(4:49)  8. Shining Star
(3:58)  9. City Lights
(5:26) 10. Anytime

With Lip Service, Richard Elliot has come full circle as one of the reigning merchants of Soul Jazz and cementing his role as one of the great contemporary sax players in the world. While working on Summer Horns in 2013, he had the opportunity to revisit his roots as one of the founding members of Tower of Power by performing "So Very Hard To Go" and working alongside arranger Greg Adams again. This led to Greg Adams arrangement for the Grammy-nominated "Shining Star" on Lip Service. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Lip-Service-Richard-Elliot/dp/B00KDKM0IC

Lip Service

---