Brian Culbertson “Dreams”

Born on January 12, 1973 Brian Culbertson is a musician and instrumentalist from Decatur, Illinois. He is the son of jazz band director and trumpeter Jim Culbertson. Brian plays the keyboard and trombone. Brian’s music is heavily influenced by funk. He has been putting more vocals in his music. Some of the vocalist he has used is Trey Lorenz, Marc Nelson, Kenny Lattimore and Avant. Brian has worked as a composer and arranger for some well-known jazz artist like Dave Koz, Peter White, Richard Elliot, Jeff Lorber, Michael Lington and legendary A&M Record’s composer and producer Herb Alpert. The cast of musicians he has on this album are Alex Al, John "Jubu" Smith, Eric Marienthal, Michael Stever, Ray Parker, Jr., Rex Rideout, and Rob "Fonksta" Bacon. The songs I really enjoy on this album are “Later Tonight”, “No Limits”, and “Still Here”, “You’re My Music”, “Dream”, “Lights Off and The Journey. Brian has blended adult-oriented R&B with contemporary jazz on the “Dreams” album. On vocals he has Staley Williams (Mint Condition), Vivian Green, and Noel Gourd in. This album is worth buying, it is smooth jazz and R&B at its best.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Culbertson

Lakecia Benjamin “RETOX”

Lakecia Benjamin is a jazzy, soul, funky, sultry alto saxophone playing lady that can blow the saxophone. Lakecia is a native of New York City, raised in Washington Heights. Lakecia picked up the saxophone while attending Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. Lakecia joined the renowned jazz program at New York's New School University. While attending the university she was playing with known jazz musicians Clark Terry and Reggie Workman. While playing with them she gained notoriety. She got to tour and arrange the horn section for a variety of artists. Some of them are Rashied Ali, the David Murray Big Band, Vanessa Rubin and James "Blood" Ulmer, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Macy Gray, The Roots, and Anita Baker, Santigold, Maurice Brown, the Clark Terry Big Band, Krystle Warren and Talib Kweli, among others. Lakecia debut album “Retox” will be released on June 12, 2012. This album has a different kind of soul/funk sound. Lakecia has Chinah Blac featured on the single “Jump and Shout” she has that Chaka Khan vibe. Lakecia is also singing on some of the songs on the album. Lakecia says "This album is really a fruition of years of songwriting as much as it is a showcase for my sax playing and horn arrangements and I was more concerned with doing justice to my compositions than putting a sax solo in every song." If the album is anything like the song “Jump and Shout” I can’t wait to hear it. Streetwise Radio will be playing her single “Jump and Shout”. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on iTunes, live365, Athena365 and MyGen365.

LM

http://www.lakeciabenjamin.com/bio

Roy Ayers

Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s I was exposed to all types of music. My parents had a reel to reel tape player. I remember my father sitting in the living at night and transfer his albums to the reel to reel tape player. One of his favorite artist was Roy Ayers, I remember my dad playing the “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” album. My favorite song was and still is “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”, that song is a song that is still inspiring today.

Roy Ayers grew up in Los Angeles, California in "South Central", back then it was called "South Park". This was where the black music scene for musicians’ in Los Angeles back then. When Roy was five years old Lionel Hampton gave him his first pair of vibraphone mallets for the xylophone. Roy Ayers over the decades have put out some amazing albums. Another one I remember is the “Mystic Voyage” album it had an R&B vibe not like “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” jazz sound. Another one of my favorite songs was "Evolution" from the “Mystic Voyage”. I can always tell when I hear a Roy Ayers song; his signature xylophone sound takes me back to my childhood days. The Roy Ayers Project featuring Ayers and many Hip Hop producers is a documentary that is supposed to be released sometime in 2012.

Tune into the Jazz Café 12-1pm Monday through Friday on Streetwise Radio and catch one of Roy Ayers songs. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on iTunes, MyGen365, Athena365 and live.365.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Ayers

Ahmad Jamal Blue Moon

The first time I heard Ahmad Jamal I was ten years old sitting on the floor in my Aunt Pat’s living room playing jacks that was 1970. My Aunt was playing “The Awakening” album I remember sitting there thinking I’ve never heard anything like this, this man can play. I asked my Aunt who is this she said “one of my favorite jazz pianists Ahmad Jamal”. Ahmad Jamal has been around for five decades he is 81 year young and is still putting out some amazing music. Ahmad Jamal new CD “Blue Moon” swings it and the improvising is Ahmad Jamal at his best. He is truly a piano genius. The songs I really like are “Invitation”, “This is the Life”, “03 Gypsy” and “Blue Moon”. In 2011 he was an inductee to the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame. Ahmad Jamal innovator, composer and jazz pianist is still doing his thing on the ivory keys and “Blue Moon” proves it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. You csan listen to some ongs off of “Blue Moon” on Streetwise Radio. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on MyGen365, Athena365, live365 or I-Tunes.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Jamal

Jazz Saxophonist Grace Kelly

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Grace Kelly was born Grace Chung on May 15, 1992 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Grace is of Korean descent. In 1997 her mother remarried Robert Kelly. He legally adopted grace a couple of years later that is how she got the name Grace Kelly. Grace was fortunate to grow up in a family that appreciated music and the arts. Grace’s parents would play Stan Getz while having brunch. Grace fell in love with the saxophone and wanted to play, but was too young. At the age of six Grace started taking classical piano, but she preferred jazz because she could make up her own melodies. When Grace was seven she wrote a song titled “On My Way Home”. While in the 4^th grade Grace tried the clarinet, but switch to the saxophone in the 5^th grade. The saxophone was the instrument she always wanted to play. Grace left High School at 16, got her G.E.D and went to Berklee College of Music where she got her degree in Professional Music in December 2011. Grace was the youngest musician ever to be voted by Down Beat Magazine’s Critics Poll in 2009, 2010 and 2011 as Alto Saxophone Rising Stars. Grace Kelly’s talents don’t stop at jazz saxophonist. Her other talents are vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and bandleader. This young lady does it all. Grace Kelly is truly an jazz saxophone prodigy she has been around the world and played with the likes of some of the greats Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Phil Collins, Harry Connick Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Geri Allen, Ann Hampton Callaway, Cedar Walton Hank Jones, Keith Lockhart, Frank Morgan, Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, Terri Lynne Carrington Chris Potter and the list goes on.  Her debut CD “Dreaming” was released in 2004. She was only 12 years old. Seven CD’s later Grace Kelly released the self-titled CD “Grace” in 2011.She is 19 years old and still blowing the saxophone like she has been doing it for 30 years or more. I like Grace Kelly she is a talented musician that we’re going to hear from for a long time to come. You can listen to Grace Kelly on Streetwise Radio Jazz Café 12-1pm or on live365, Athena365, MyGen365 and iTunes.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Kelly_%28musician%29

Saxophonist Jafar Idris

Jafar Idris is from Gary Indiana the birthplace of the late great Michael Jackson. Jafar Idris and his twin brother are the youngest of nine siblings. When Jafar Idris was ten years old he picked up the Saxophone. I know I’m glad he did and a lot of people are too, this young brother can blow! Jafar Idris his not only a talent on the Saxophone he is also a smart educated brother. While he was in high school he earned all A’s and became the first African American Valedictorian at Merrilville Senior High School in 90 years. Jafar Idris takes the covers of a variety of music artists like Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keyes, India Arie, Pleasure P, Keyisha Cole, Luther Vandross, Miguel, Usher, and Michael Jackson. Jafar Idris plays the saxophone to his interpretation of the song and it is truly wonderful. Jafar Idris plays the sax on some of the covers, I feel better than the artists singing them. I have listened to a lot of great saxophone players and I must say Jafar Idris is up there with them, he may be young but I know we will be well know real soon. Jafar is an unsigned independent artist, who needs to be signed. I can listen to Jafar Idris all day, the saxophone is one of my favorite instruments it’s so sexy! If you have never heard of Jafar Idris you need to tune into Streetwise Radio Jazz Café 12-1pm, you’re in for a treat. You can also tune into Streetwise Radio on iTunes, live365, Athena365, MyGen365.

LM

http://www.myspace.com/jafaridris

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jafar+idris+saxophone&oq=jafar+idri&aq=1&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=1&gs_upl=1014524l1021821l0l1026322l10l10l0l3l3l0l314l1192l0.5.1.1l7l0

Etta James (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012)

Etta James born Jamesetta Hawkins she lost her battle with leukemia five days before her 74^th birthday. Etta James mother Dorothy Hawkins had Etta when she was fourteen years old in Los Angeles California. Etta James never knew who her father was, but she thought he was Rudolf “Minnesota Fat” Wanderone the pool player. Etta James had a turbulent childhood; her mother was not in the picture so Etta lived with caregivers, Sarge and Mama Lu. When Etta was five years old Sarge would get drunk during his poker games and beat Etta into sing for him and his poker buddies. This was very traumatic for Etta James she always had a reluctance to sing on demand. Mama Lu died in 1950, so Etta’s mother took her to San Francisco she was 12 years old. While living in San Francisco she sang with doo-woop group the Creolettes. When Etta was 14 years old she met Johnny Otis who signed the group to Modern Records and changed the name of the group to the Peaches. The Peaches released “Dance with Me, Henry” which Etta co-authored. The song reached number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues chart. This song gave the Peaches an opening spot on Little Richards national tour. When Etta left the Peaches she released “Good Rockin’ Daddy” which was an R&B hit. It is said by Bobby Murray aka “Taters” who toured with Etta for 20 years, that at age 16 Etta went steady with B.B King and Etta believed the B.B. King’s song “Sweet Sixteen” was about her. From 1960 through 1978 Etta James had a string of hits, “If I Can’t Have You”, “Spoonful”, “All I Could Do Was Cry”, “My Dearest Darling”, “The Fool That I Am’, “Don’t Cry Baby”, Something’s Got a Hold on Me”, “Pushover”, “ Tell Mama”, “I’d Rather Go Blind”, “Losers Weepers”, “I Found a Love” and her signature song “At Last”. The song “At Last” I my opinion should have been sung at the Presidential Inauguration ball by the one and only Etta James instead of Beyoncé. That was Etta’s song she was still alive she had a hard life and paid her paid her dues. Etta James musical style throughout her career was blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz. I never had the pleasure of seeing Etta James perform in person, but my husband did, when he was playing with Maria Mulduar and John Lee Hooker back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Etta James will be missed, but her songs will live on.

LM

http://news.yahoo.com/legendary-blues-singer-etta-james-dies-calif-163709371.html