Jazz Artist

GUITARIST ANDREAS VARADY

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

Andreas Varady is a young guitarist with the sound of a veteran who has been playing for many years–to say the very least. He is not an old soul with an old sound but quite the contrary; he is a young soul with a refreshing mature sound. Surrounded by music and hailing from a home full of music, it was natural for Andreas to pursue what came most natural to him. For him, that was playing the guitar starting at the age of four. He never considered any other options. He recalls hearing his hero George Benson’s album Breezin’ and the impact it instantly had on him. Varady has appeared at Jazz Festivals on international stages around the world since he was twelve years old. Andreas’ life took a dramatic turn after he was invited to play in a group at the Montreux Jazz Festival. It was there during practice that he met the legendary Quincy Jones who would soon thereafter sign him to his Management Company. Varady’s life now at seventeen years old continues to escalate. He recently signed with Verve, and his first CD is self titled Andreas Varady. It features newcomer Gregory Porter as well as the legendary Greg Phillinganes. Andreas appreciates different genres thus is also influenced by them. Through it all, Andreas remains grounded, humble, and focused. He looks forward to making new music, experiencing different projects, welcoming new opportunities, and building his career.

I spoke with Andreas at the 4th Annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival:

avarady-cover

 

KIM WATERS’ “SILVER SOUL”

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

Kim Waters is celebrating 25 years of success, and as a token of his gratitude for the fans who’ve supported him, he has a new album titled Silver Soul which will be released on September 2nd. Kim’s been playing instruments since he was a young boy, so it is only befitting that he has sustained such a stellar career in music. He knows what it is to have No. 1 singles, No. 1 albums, and Top Ten Singles. That is the kind of success that Waters attributes to having the perfect formula and the talent to build a brand. He has the gift of expressing romance and love with his music, allowing the sax to be his voice. Simply put: Kim Waters knows how to write and produce songs that energize the love inside of all of us. With his wife, Dana, and his twin daughters, Kayla and Kimberly, as his source of inspiration as well as his fans, he wrote Silver Soul. The album differs from his others by having more vocals and an R&B flavor. The first single, Dreaming Of You, is doing great, and Kim shares that accomplishment with his daughter, Kayla, who played piano on the song. As to be expected from Waters, Silver Soul weaves a story of love. Collaborating with him on a pair of R&B songs is Dana Pope on Anything You Need and Eric Roberson on Laying Beside Me. In addition, Kim covered John Legend’s love song All Of Me  and Fireflies, originally done by his niece, Zendaya, who also sings on his version.

I congratulate Kim on his 25th anniversary, and we talk about Silver Soul:

 

kim waters

 

 

TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

Terri Lyne Carrington had a childhood that afforded her the opportunity to know and work with jazz musicians including her father, Sonny Carrington–a saxophonist. There is no doubt that it was Terry’s destiny to have a substantial and rewarding career in music. She is full of creative energy that propels her to be a consummate professional and musician who is driven to complete tangible pieces of work. In the midst of it all, Carrington also maintainins a career as a professor at Berklee in Boston. Throughout her illustrious career, she has collaborated with just about everyone in the business from Stan Getz to Herbie Hancock; that’s just to name a small few. Terri was honored by her peers and won a Grammy in 2011 for The Mosaic Project. With that project, she worked with and celebrated talented women. She believes that to be successful in this business, you have to know that it is a puzzle, and you have to have all the pieces in order to be truly successful. It’s about longevity and maintaining it and always being ready when the door opens. She is such a smart woman and musician that after reading a book about Duke Ellington, she decided to pay tribute to him by recording Money Jungle: Proactive in Blue last year. Terri hopes to “aspire to inspire.” Although she’s been producing for a while, she enjoys the fact that it puts her in the driver’s seat, allowing her room to create. Recently, she produced Dianne Reeves’ latest album, Beautiful Life, and worked with saxophonist Tia Fuller to produce her future project. On the horizon for Terri is Mosiac 2 which fans can be assured will be a masterpiece.

Terri and I briefly chat about her successful career:

Terri Lyne Carrington
Terri Lyne Carrington

 

I “CAN’T HELP MYSELF” – GREG CHAMBERS

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

Life for Greg Chambers has certainly changed since the release of his EP, After Hours. His fans are eager, and the buzz is loud surrounding the August 1st release of his latest album, Can’t Help Myself. Chambers admits that it is a great feeling to know that the work you poured your heart and soul into is loved and well received by old and new fans. With this in mind and a clear direction, he embarked on a year-long process to make sure that each song was done the right way–an indicator that Greg will continue to make an indelible impression on smooth jazz, amongst his peers, and on his fans. Can’t Help Myself consists of nine original songs and two covers that Greg produced with Nate Harasim and Matt Godina. He also collaborated with Julian Vaughn, Paul Brown, and Nils. Chambers’ desire was for each song to have his its own identity. He went into the creative process for this album with three standards: each melody had to be on point, the performances had to be compelling, and it had to have dimension. The first radio single and album title Can’t Help Myself represents the aforementioned standards and was added to radio on July 21st. On the morning of our interview on July 22nd, Greg received an email that his single was the fourth most added on the billboard. With that in mind, I would say that Can’t Help Myself is off to a great start.

Greg and I have an enjoyable chat:

Greg C 2

 

 

PHIL PERRY CELEBRATES 45 YEARS IN MUSIC

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

The unmistakable voice of Phil Perry has graced us for over four decades. For generations upon generations who have loved his music, it is a gift to still have him sharing his talents with us. Although it has been 45 years for Phil in the music industry, it doesn’t feel like it has been that long to him. He is honored, fortunate, and humbled to have earned the respect of his peers for all these years. Perry has prided himself on his professionalism and feels that it has been a sustaining quality throughout the years. He is critical of himself when it comes to writing, yet he is led to write. His latest album, “Say Yes,” features some original tunes and some covers. The covers–although recognizable–are not the same. They have Phil Perry all over them. The album spent weeks on the smooth jazz charts as Top Vocal and Top 10. He collaborated with Chante Moore on the song “Where Is The Love,” and it has spent weeks as Billboards’ Top Smooth Jazz Vocal. Phil enjoys performing and always delivers more live than you can hear from simply pushing play. His success can be attributed to the fact that he is grateful for every chance he has to make music because it makes him a better singer each time. In addition, he attempts to leave himself in what he is doing, and that creates an emotional connection between him and his audience. Perry’s advice to anyone who wants to be in the business is to “make sure you love it, and love it to the degree that you’re willing to suffer for it. Because without suffering, there’s no growth.” I personally couldn’t agree more and have been profoundly inspired by his wisdom and willingness to share it.

From the porch of his home in California on a picture perfect day, Phil shares his story with me:

Phil Perry "Say Yes"
Phil Perry “Say Yes”

 

 

THE BEST OF PATRICE RUSHEN

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

Patrice Rushen has accomplished over the years what most musicians will never experience. Her gift has earned her insurmountable accolades including Grammy nominations. As an accomplished and world renowned pianist, composer, producer, and musical director, Patrice has worked with a vast array of artists across the genre lines. Beyond her 14 solo albums, she’s been honored by ASCAP and also received an honorary doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music where she’s currently a professor. Rushen gives back by working to ensure that music education is available to young people in LA. When she reflects over her career, although she could have never imagined it, it’s all been a learning experience. Being the best that she can be is how she approaches life, and she uses each experience as a building block for the next. Patrice’s advice is to “determine your why, and how it resonates with who you are.” She believes, “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Rushen shares more profound wisdom with me:

Patrice Rushen promo

MATT MARSHAK’S MUSICAL “LIFESTYLE”

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

What a difference a year makes. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt Marshak while he was on tour last year and having a great conversation about music and a few other topics of interest. After his travels around the world, he strongly believes in the contemporary jazz genre and recognizes that fans from all demographics are always supportive. He, like some other artists, believes there is a new generation of jazz artists that are stirring the pot and creating what has yet to be seen. Matt is very excited about his 8th album titled “Lifestyle.” He’s a fan of the golden era of instrumental music and wanted to mirror that type of recording process. Marshak wanted to create music that was “timeless, intangibly honest, and that captured musical elements of live recording.” His inspiration was the appeal of the production process and the improvisation that allowed the flow of music to be natural. “Lifestyle,” the title track, opens the album up, immediately engaging the listener with its beautiful chord changes. The effortless flow of the songs on the album tell a believable story to the listener. Matt was fortunate to work with the very talented Gerald Veasley, Benjie Porecki, and drummer Carl Anderson on this album. In true Matt fashion, he delivers a soothing ballad at the end the album titled “I’ve Been Down.” In the words of Matt, “This is my vision. This is my belief. This is my musical “Lifestyle.”

Matt and I enjoy catching up and talking about the evolution of “Lifestyle”:

 

10354941_10203578614459706_7106146594107214906_n

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“LIVING MY DREAM” STORYTELLING BY JONATHAN BUTLER

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

With every season, there is change. For Jonathan Butler, that change was embraced, and a body of work was subsequently created. “Living My Dream” was born out of a time of transition for Butler while he held on to his faith in God to see him through trying times. At this appointed time in his life, he is well rounded and very seasoned. He is enjoying making life changes, new hobbies, and new passions. Jonathan wholeheartedly knows that this is divinely the right time and right season for him as a man, husband, father, grandfather, and artist. He says his inspiration for making “Living My Dream” is his daughter, Jodie. Jodie–an artist in her own right–collaborated with her father on the romantic and healthily risqué “Night To Remember.” Additionally, he also shares collaborations with Marcus Miller, Elan Trotman, Davy Nathan, and the late George Duke. This album is all about Butler’s identity and storytelling that crosses multiple genres of music and is easily identifiable. The first radio single and first song on the album, “African Breeze,” is one that was written many years ago, and he felt it was time to retrieve it out of the archives. When I spoke with Jonathan, like always, it was like talking to an old friend. He makes such an indelible impression and is always honest. He wants everyone to know that he is a real man with real issues and not just an artist to be admired. That is what “Living My Dream” expresses to the world. Sitting at #1 on iTunes and on Billboard, Butler says, “I’m a granddad who’s kicking butt, taking no prisoners, and “Living My Dream.” I love it!

Jonathan speaks from the heart and very candidly with me:

Jonathan Butler "Living My Dream"
Jonathan Butler “Living My Dream”

 

 

Jonathan Butler

 

 

 

 

RICK BRAUN WANTS TO KNOW “CAN YOU FEEL IT”

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

The pulse of “Can You Feel It” can truly be felt throughout Braun’s entire latest release. On every funky tune, you hear the resounding theme loud and clear, no matter whether it is “Get Up And Dance” or “Another Kind Of Blue.” As Rick looks forward to the release of his sixteenth album, he feels blessed to have fans old and new who love his music. Embarking on this journey, he wanted to encompass the vibe of “Beat Street.” When it was all said and done, Rick Braun’s intent to create organic music with his friends and create a funky album with a real experience was accomplished. He humbly gives credit to Philipe Saisse, Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove, Jeff Lorber, Elliot Yamin, and Dave Koz whom collaborated with him to breathe life into his project. From beginning to end, “Can You Feel It” will take you on a funky, musical ride. Ironically, Rick’s birthday is 2 days before the July 8th release date of “Can You Feel It.” I have a feeling that he is going to have many reasons to celebrate this year.

Rick and I talk about the unmistakable funkiness of this album.

 

Rick Braun "Can You Feel It"
Rick Braun “Can You Feel It”

 

 

 

RICK BRAUN WANTS TO KNOW “CAN YOU FEEL IT”

Pink and Blue NotesLeave a comment

The pulse of “Can You Feel It” can truly be felt throughout Braun’s entire latest release. On every funky tune, you hear the resounding theme loud and clear, no matter whether it is “Get Up And Dance” or “Another Kind Of Blue.” As Rick looks forward to the release of his sixteenth album, he feels blessed to have fans old and new who love his music. Embarking on this journey, he wanted to encompass the vibe of “Beat Street.” When it was all said and done, Rick Braun’s intent to create organic music with his friends and create a funky album with a real experience was accomplished. He humbly gives credit to Philipe Saisse, Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove, Jeff Lorber, Elliot Yamin, and Dave Koz whom collaborated with him to breathe life into his project. From beginning to end, “Can You Feel It” will take you on a funky, musical ride. Ironically, Rick’s birthday is 2 days before the July 8th release date of “Can You Feel It.” I have a feeling that he is going to have many reasons to celebrate this year.

Rick and I talk about the unmistakable funkiness of this album.

 

Rick Braun "Can You Feel It"
Rick Braun “Can You Feel It”