It has been a great year for new music releases in Smooth Jazz. Things finally slowed in August. The doldrums of late summer I guess but things are absolutely dynamite in September. This week you will soon be hearing brand new album releases on this program from a couple of the young guns in our format, guitarist Adam Hawley and saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Vincent Ingala. I also have new work from British guitarist Chris Standring and a very special debut album from Bill Heller. Heller followed in the footsteps of David Benoit and Gregg Karukas as the pianist of the Rippingtons. Heller’s debut album features many stars of Smooth Jazz. In addition I now have an absolutely great album released in June from keyboardist Chris Geith.
In the next few weeks, I am looking forward to a new collaboration album from guitarists Larry Carleton and Paul Brown and in addition brand new from guitarist Lawson Rollins and from San Diego harpist Mariea Antoinette. When I began this show four years ago, I could play the new releases in one-half of the first hour. Later these required the whole first hour. Now as you can see, although I am trying, I have more available than I can ever play. All in all this coupled with the new artists we are seeing, bodes well for the future of Smooth Jazz. Please let me know at smoothside@kkrn.org which of these artist’s work you like the most and I will try to fill those requests. In order to try to catch up on new releases, I will devote this entire two hour show to brand new work and return to our regular format next week.
Thank you for your continuing support of KKRN and this program.
