#smoothjazz

Today we are celebrating the incredible legacies of Kirk Whalum and Peter Cincotti! Kirk has spent decades defining the sound of smooth jazz and R&B saxophone (plus that iconic solo on Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love You"), while Peter shook up the jazz world by becoming the youngest artist to top the Billboard jazz charts at just 19 years old. Drop a comment below to wish them a happy birthday!

Love and Other Obsessions is a studio album by the American jazz group Spyro Gyra, released in 1995 by GRP Records. Reception “Maybe things were simpler in the ’70s, when the birth of what we now call contemporary jazz or pop instrumental really occurred. Long before anyone gave much thought to what to call it, there was one thing we could count on: the fact that a bunch of solid jazz players from Buffalo with a funny band name could dish it up and make it fun. In an industry where the latest sonic trends emerge and disappear in brief flashes of expectation and disappointment, Spyro Gyra’s constantly evolving musical vision has made them the most consistent, popular, and enduring of all contemporary jazz ensembles. ” – AllMusic. Spyro Gyra Jay Beckenstein – saxophones, arrangements Tom Schuman – keyboards, arrangements Julio Fernandez – guitars, arrangements Scott Ambush – bass, arrangements Joel Rosenblatt – drums, arrangements

Ken Freeman – synthesizer programming Cody “Peyote” Cassiero – DJ Bikki Johnson – shaker, backing vocals

“Chris Standring’s new album, Electric Wonderland sends a surge of groove through you soul. You can’t help but to tap your toe along to the smooth sounds of his Fender Strat. This follow up to his previously acclaimed album, Blue Bolero, dons a playful, orchestral, jazz-pop with a dreamy mood. Distribution 13 hails Electirc Wonderland as, “a hallmark of Standring’s stellar career,” and the track ‘Oliver’s Twist’ has made it on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz List for five straight weeks, where it now stands at the #1 position.” – Bandcamp.

Rob Theakston of Allmusic in a 4 star review commented, “Marcus Miller continues to display his multi-instrument virtuosity with M², and while the order of the day is still smooth jazz, there’s more of a soulful R&B edge than the majority of his previous work. It also features an all-star cast that includes Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis, Raphael Saadiq, Paul Jackson, Jr., and Lenny White among others.”

Personnel Eric Marienthal – saxophone Rick Braun – trumpet John Beasley – keyboards Don Grusin – keyboards Rob Mullins – keyboards Russell Ferrante – piano Lee Ritenour – guitar Melvin Lee Davis – bass Sonny Emory – drums Hilary Jones – drums Cassio Duarte – percussion Vesta Williams – vocals