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Selections From This Year's Last New Releases From Jeff Goldblum, Jon Batiste, Najee, & Incognito

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In November we had four more additions to our plethora of fall releases, two from smooth jazz artists and two from jazz artists. These are most likely the final ones for this year. Since I will be going to Christmas music next week,  these new albums will give us plenty of new releases to play in January, a traditional slow time for new music releases. 

On November 1st jazz pianist and movie and television actor Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra released the album titled I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This. Goldblum’s movie career began in 1974 with Charles Bronson in Death Wish and his TV career with Peter Falk on Columbo. Since that time he has acted in a great number of productions in both mediums including Jurassic Park and Independence Day. When not acting Goldblum can be found every Wednesday night in Los Angeles performing at an intimate jazz lounge, the Rockwell Table & Stage with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. This is a wonderful setting where Goldblum supplies his witty humor around the music and interacts with the audience between sets. Our first listen from this very talented man’s brand new album is The Thrill Is Gone / Django. Featured on this cut is the lovely voice of none other than Miley Cyrus.

I have on this show another new jazz album released on November 1st by pianist and leader of the band Stay Human, Jon Batiste. This is the house band seen nightly on The Late Show with Steven Colbert. Jon Batiste released his second Village Vanguard installment, Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard. This work certainly communicates Batiste’s reverence for jazz great Thelonious Monk. Joining Batiste on this song from his Stay Human band is drummer and percussionist, the guy with the cool cowboy hat, Joe Saylor. One first listen from this work is titled Higher.

The last smooth jazz release of this year is from superb saxophone and flute player Najee. He draws his inspiration from John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and Grover Washington Jr. He released his latest album Center Of The Heart on November 15th. We played an early release from this album titled Face To Face four weeks ago. Now we have the full album. One of my favorite movies, I am talking about the original, is Alfie. This is Najee’s beautiful cover of the theme song from that movie.

Another new release on November 8th was from the British jazz band Incognito. Active since 1979, there has been many great musicians that have at various times been active in this groups work including trumpeter Chris Botti and vocalist Maysa Leak. This album is titled Tomorrow’s New Dream. Our first listen from this very promising new album is Saturday Sirens.

Other new releases played are from Jackiem Joyner, Spyro Gyra, Nicholas Cole, and Julian Vaughn.

In the middle of the first hour, I will play Billboard's top three songs in smooth jazz.

The second hour of the show is devoted to smooth jazz classics. 

The closing classic among classic segment will focus on the group Pieces Of A Dream.

Thank you for your continuing support of this program and KKRN.

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