Grp Records

David Benoit - Professional Dreamer (1999) {GRP Records GRD-9942}
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© 1999 GRP Records / Universal Music | GRD-9942
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Crossover Jazz

The pairing of smooth jazz's premier veteran pianist and trumpeter/producer Rick Braun is remarkable. The six tracks produced by the latter offer a unique contrast between thick, hip-hoppy bass grooves and Benoit's peppy, angst-free ivory musings. On the in-your-face "Rejoyce," Benoit's swirling, high-register melody combines with Pat Kelley's Wes Montgomery-like electric licks (and Benoit's own Hammond B-3 harmony coloring) for a floating ride above a jumpy retro-soul rhythm. The underpinnings are even chunkier on "Jump Start," which finds Benoit's piano and Andy Suzuki's playful alto making light, bluesy conversation over a throbbing hip-hop pattern. Braun also gives Benoit space here for some lower-toned piano improvisations.

Billie Holiday - The Complete Commodore Recordings, 1939-1944 (1997) {2CD Set GRP Records CMD 24012}
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© 1939-44, 1997 Commodore / GRP Records | CMD 24012
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Swing / Classic Female Blues / Traditional Pop

Throughout these sessions, a window into Billie Holiday's creative process is provided by the inclusion of alternate takes. Many of them are rare, although all have previously been issued on one or another of the labels that have interacted with Commodore over the years. As alternates for records on other labels also reveal, once Billie conceptualized her approach to a song, she seldom varied the basic template. She seemed to decide the best way to organize the expressive gifts at her disposal and "photograph" in her mind a musical image of how she would do the number. Once that image was in place, subsequent versions for the most part differed only in matters of nuance or animation.

Quincy Jones - Go West, Man! (1957) {ABC Paramount–GRP Records GRD-828 rel 1998}
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© 1957, 1998 ABC Paramount / GRP Records / Universal | GRD-828
Jazz / West Coast Jazz / Cool / Bebop

Just great bebop with great personnel. This is a surprisingly fresh disc featuring what is essentially a west coast style studio band in the 50's lead by arranger, composer and jazz trumpeter Quincy Jones. If you only know QJ as the Motown producer who vaulted Michael Jackson to superstardom, go back a little further. In the 40's he was a jazz trumpeter who played in many fine big bands including Lionel Hampton's alongside none other than Clifford Brown. This disc is an original set of QJ arrangements and compositions recorded when the west coast sound pioneered by Baker/Mulligan and matured by guys like Shorty Rogers and Bill Perkins was all the rage. Includes some of the best studio jocks of the day including Harry "Sweets" Edison. Highly recommended.

Gary Burton - Cool Nights (1991) {GRP Records GRP-9643-2}
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© 1991 GRP Records | GRP-9643-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Vibes

This cogent statement belongs to this extraordinary gifted musician - Gary Burton - who, through the years has been able to make enjoy the world as one of the most brilliant vibraphonists ever born since from my standpoint Lionel Hampton. As a matter of fact his flamboyant musicianship has always under the service of the music by itself. He has rejected the idea of settling back into comfortable patterns. He confess : "I began to pay more attention to the power of melody…" And that's a common feature among the greatest jazz musicians. His grandness and at the same time humbleness are more than evident.

Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons - Brave New World (1996) {Peak Records–GRP Records GRSD-9835}
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© 1996 Peak Records / GRP Records | GRSD-9835
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Smooth Jazz

On their eighth outing, Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons turn in a typically eclectic outing, the lively, melodic Freeman tunes serving as staging areas for his electric and acoustic guitar excursions. The Whispers put in cameo appearances on background vocals on a couple of tracks, including covers of "Caravan of Love" and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," and Freeman gives an updated arrangement to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" while elaborating upon Eric Clapton's original lead work on the Beatles classic. The album's booklet contains trendy references to cyberspace and web sites, but it's nothing to worry about; the Rippingtons were always a fairly techy band, anyway.

Smooth jazz outfit with a distinctive Latin/African vibe. Formed in 1982 by guitarist Chieli Minucci and drummer/percussionist George Jinda. Having recorded 13 albums they split amicably in 1995 after releasing 'Body Language'. George Jinda retained the use of the Special EFX name and recorded the album 'Here To Stay' before being incapaciated after suffering a stroke in 1997. The Special EFX name was handed back to Chieli Minucci who has since recorded and toured as Chieli Minucci and Special EFX.

GRP All-Star Big Band is a jazz album by the big band of the same name. The album was nominated for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Recording at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards. The band was assembled in celebration for the tenth anniversary of GRP Records and featured the top musicians of the label. The album itself was recorded and mixed over a two day session and filmed for the accompanying video directed by Ed Libonati.

From its very start as an independent record label in 1982, Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen's GRP Records broke ground, both artistically and commercially. Known as the DIGITAL MASTER COMPANY, they were the first record company to adopt digital recording technology for all its releases, launch every release on CD world-wide, and one of the earliest to market itself as a lifestyle brand.

Color Rit begins right where Festival left off, with Brazilian-flavored electric jazz and Rit handling the acoustic guitar, but soon veers closer to a more generic L.A.-based series of sounds and textures. Ritenour adds electric guitar to several tracks, although the acoustic instrument dominates the album. Ernie Watts is back on a couple of cuts, but the bulk of the backup is provided by the likes of keyboardists Dave Witham, Larry Williams and Russ Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Johnson, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa and drummer Carlos Vega. "All the Same Tonight," "Malibu" and "I Can't Let Go," with vocals by Phil Perry, thankfully don't sound quite as commercial as previous attempts on earlier Ritenour albums. Yet this CD represents a slight dip for Ritenour at a stage in his career when his albums were gradually becoming classier and more musical.

The second album of Elektric Band, "Light Years" is more funk-oriented than its predecessor. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal joins the band and Frank Gambale replaces Henderson and Rios (who plays still on some tracks) to form what is considered the band's definitive lineup.