All tracks have been digitally remastered using 20-Bit technology. The Benny Goodman Orchestra was in top form when this concert was performed on January 16th, 1938. But this is more than just a concert; this date is significant because it represents ...

"Forever In Love" won the award for Instrumental Composition in the 36th Annual Grammy Awards. "Sentimental" was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in the 37th Annual Grammy Awards. Kenny G is the quintessence of easy listening. His listener-friendly soprano sax ...

20 All-Time Greatest Hits contains several essential items from Sonny James' country/pop crossover years at Capitol Records, including the 1957 hit "Young Love." Several of these tracks from the '60s -- including "A World of Our Own," "Take Good Care ...

It would be incorrect to say that not much has changed Fourplay's sound since they began recording together in 1991. That said, while these musicians -- who were all successful artists individually -- have continued to evolve, as a group ...

Jazzmasters is essentially British composer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Hardcastle backed up by the occasional studio musician or vocalist. Since 1991 his Jazzmasters releases have provided several successful smooth jazz hits combined with an occasional danceable edge. While Hardcastle handles the ...

Paul Hardcastle's Jazzmasters series reaches its sixth installment with this cool, rhythmic, jazzy collection, which is similar to its five predecessors. The album cover shows a sun setting over water, and that's a good indication that the music is intended ...

Dave Brubeck covers a host of favorite carols on this solo outing. His chime-like "Joy to the World" and striding "Winter Wonderland" are treasures. His festive opening version of "Jingle Bells" contrasts with the weary version signaling the end of ...

New Orleans' Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews knows the music biz inside out. Hounded for years by friends and music business types to jump into the game, he understood the lessons of his lineage elders: too many had been been ripped ...

For over 20 years, the collaborative ensemble Fourplay has grown ever more cohesive in its approach to modern jazz. When the three founding members added guitarist Chuck Loeb to the lineup for 2010's Let's Touch the Sky, the group attained ...

After switching his attention to supergroup S.M.V. and two consecutive live efforts, Brooklyn jazz multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller returns to the studio for his first solo effort in four years, Renaissance. Showcasing a new stripped-down sound and backed by a young ...

Najee's 2012 release The Smooth Side of Soul features more of the saxophonist and flute player's laid-back, romantic, and funky contemporary jazz. Included are such stand-out cuts as Najee's collaboration with R&B vocalist Phil Perry on the club-ready "Just to ...

Lee Ritenour's Rhythm Sessions is, in a roundabout way, a companion album to 2010's Six String Theory. For that record, he sought out a slew of guitar greats to celebrate their joint love for the instrument. Here, Ritenour assembles another ...

Black Radio is the first standalone recording by the electric Robert Glasper Experiment. Glasper's keyboards are augmented by saxophonist/vocoderist Casey Benjamin, bassist Derrick Hodge, and drummer Chris Dave. The album title is firmly aimed at its subjects. The band constantly ...

Recording information: Vision Sound Studios, Orange Park, FL. Personnel: Phil McCormack (vocals); Bobby Ingram (guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, background vocals); Dave Hlubek (guitar); John Galvin (Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards, background vocals); Shawn Beamer (drums, percussion); Tim Lindsey (background vocals). Audio Mixers: ...

There have been many posthumous releases featuring various Bill Evans trios since the pianist's death in 1980, but Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate is a cut above most of them for several reasons. First, it documents Evans' ...

Still going strong at the age of 81, legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal's love letter to his favorite Broadway, Hollywood, and Great American Songbook classics, Blue Moon, is arguably one of his most accomplished efforts since his Chess/Impulse! heyday. The ...

In the seven years since Munich-born, Los Angeles-based guitarist Nils became a fixture in the smooth jazz genre via his massive radio hit "Pacific Coast Highway," he hasn't become the A-list fixture at the big festivals and all-star cruises as ...

Stepping away a bit from his signature rhumba flamenco guitar style on The Blue Guitar Sessions, his eighth studio album, new age guitarist Jesse Cook broadens his canvas with jazzy ballads, soft blues, and smooth, atmospheric instrumental pop to make ...

Unfortunately, Atlantic's A Donny Hathaway Collection, one of the few career retrospectives available (and basically the only one in print), isn't quite definitive; it presents a version of Hathaway's career inordinately focused on his commercially successful duets with Roberta Flack, ...

"The Chairman of the Board" died in May of 1998, yet his music sounds as vital and relevant today as ever. Released on the 10th anniversary of his death--in coordination with a slew of DVD releases commemorating the singer's acting ...

Recording information: Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ; Capitol Sutdios, Hollywood, CA; EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Grandma's Hosue, Malibu, CA; The Studio at The Palms, Las Vegas, NV. Photographers: Gia Prima; Mark Seliger; Reuben Cox; James Minchin. Arranger: Jorge Calandrelli. Personnel: Tony Bennett ...

Along with Dave Koz and Gerald Albright, Boney James has carved out a nice niche for himself as one of the most popular smooth jazz saxophonists ever. Now, Mr. James has gone and done a concept album, with the (eternal) ...

All tracks have been digitally remastered using 20-bit technology. For an artist of Sinatra's stature, an artistic peak is a thing of no uncertain majesty. Such a peak was reached on ONLY THE LONELY, with the invaluable assistant of arranger Nelson ...

This extensive compilation of vocal tracks from the latter part of Louis Armstrong's career features many of his most popular performances, including the 1960s hits "Hello Dolly" and "What a Wonderful World," and his wonderfully relaxed duet with Bing Crosby ...

Continuing to alternate between his various different guises, Hardcastle 6 is the third album in as many years from jazz-funk pioneer Paul Hardcastle, following 2009's regular solo effort, Zero One, and 2010's sixth installment of the Jazzmasters series. Like the ...