What We're Listening To ** January 2012

J E F F * D A N I E L S

Tony Carbone, Real Love (Quark Records) (2012)

Pierre Copeland, I'm On Fire (Piemando Records) (2011)

Lori Williams, Healing Within (Pacific Coast Jazz) (2010)

Godwin, Here's My Heart (The Urban Dance Experience) (2011)

Airborne, Back in the Dayz - Airborne Anthology (Tilt Records) (2011)

Kirk Whalum - Romance Language

Welcome to the latest issue of Denis Poole’s Secret Garden, the page that offers a personal perspective on the very best from the world of smooth jazz and classic soul.

It was in 1963 that legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane collaborated with vocalist Johnny Hartman to create an album of romantic standards which has since been described as being essential for all jazz collections. Simply titled John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman, and with a running time of only thirty minutes, it comprised six classic compositions from the likes of Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn and Billy Strayhorn.

Fast forward almost fifty years to Grammy winning saxman Kirk Whalum who has re-recorded the complete collection, added four more tracks and, with the help of younger brother Kevin Whalum, delivered the truly sensational Romance Language.

Matt Marshak - in Boca and Beyond

By Val Vaccaro

Smooth jazz guitarist, composer, and producer Matt Marshak is scheduled to perform a great show with saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist Marcus Anderson on January 21st as part of the Royal Palm Place Jazz Series at The Funky Biscuit (formerly known as Club 303) in Boca Raton, Florida.

Matt Marshak and Marcus Anderson should make for an exciting and dynamic show since they are terrific performers and also have worked together before. In 2011, they performed a number of concerts together - one show was on New Year’s Eve sponsored by The Groove radio station at the Melbourne-Viera Holiday Inn. They have also played shows together at the Rehoboth Jazz Fest last October, as well as at venues in NYC last August and January. Marshak and Anderson also appeared at the Genuine Jazz & Wine Fest in 2010 with Four80East. See a video from that 2010 show.

Marcin Nowakowski - Shine

Welcome to the latest issue of Denis Poole’s Secret Garden, the page that offers a personal perspective on the very best from the world of smooth jazz and classic soul.

Since the release of Smooth Night in 2005, I have followed the career of saxophonist Marcin Nowakowski with interest. A well known performer in his native Poland, Marcin’s 2009 follow-up, Better Days came as a direct result of a visit he made to Los Angeles and the opportunity it afforded to work with some of the genre’s A-list musicians including both Paul Brown and Jeff Lorber. In the ultra competitive market of smooth jazz saxophone Better Days proved to be an outstanding achievement and as if to demonstrate this was no flash in the pan he has reunited with Brown and Lorber for the even better Shine.

Happy 2012

I wish to all of our reader a successful and happy new year!