The Best Smooth Jazz Ever

One of the sad things about the takeover of the old Jazz FM by Blancmange Radio (Guardian Media/Smooth FM to you and me) was the end of all those lovely compilation albums which complemented the station’s output. Jazz FM, of course, is now back (on digital) and lo and behold… so too are the compilations and here’s the first, complete with the old chameleon art work. As of old, this album is stuffed with a cross section from the station’s playlist and, put together by Ralph Tee and Steve Quirke, it’s quality music all the way. There’s lots of soul – old and new – along with a bracing selection of smooth jazz – some of which, like Chris Standing’s ‘Love And Paragraphs’ and the L. A. Chillharmonic’s ‘Gift’ is a touch too smooth.

Artie Shaw - The Last Recordings, Volume 3 (1945-1949) {2CD Wyastone-Nimbus NI 2729~30 rel 2009}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 466 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 276 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 48 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1945-49, 2009 MusicMasters / Wyastone / Nimbus | NI 2729~30
Jazz / Bop / Swing / Big Band / Clarinet

The material on CD 1 dates from the latter half of Artie Shaw’s career as a bandleader, which ended with his retirement in 1954. Always presenting tasteful and often unusually deep interpretations of big-band jazz and dance music, and featuring his exquisite and frequently profound clarinet improvisations, Shaw’s career climaxed in his rise to superstar status as the most popular musician in North America at the height of the Swing Era in 1939.

Average White Band are widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands. Although probably best known for their global hit, the US #1 single ‘Pick Up The Pieces’, this extensive anthology delves back into their musical history, from the early sessions in 1971, right up to the most recent studio album released this millennium. ‘All The Pieces…’ features the band’s entire catalogue of recorded material on a 19CD box set, which includes all of the original studio albums (and ‘spoilers’ ‘Put It Where You Want It’ and ‘Volume VIII’) in mini-vinyl replica wallets, alternate versions and selected mixes, in this 172-track collection…

When Sam Cooke signed with RCA Records in 1960, he had already had several hits ("You Send Me," "What A Wonderful World," and "Only Sixteen" among them) on the small independent label Keen Records. He had paid attention to the business sides of things, too, and he signed with RCA because he was allowed to keep control of his song publishing…

We have all been in situations where we have brought up the subject of the music we love only to be asked ‘what’s smooth jazz?’ It is a question not always easy to answer and one that forms the motivation for this occasional feature unremarkably called ‘What’s Smooth Jazz?’ Designed to illustrate some of the most definitive examples of the genre, it has, up until this point, always concentrated on specific tracks. However, with the recent release of Brian Culbertson’s ‘Live From The Inside’ there is now an entire album that can be used to demonstrate how perfect smooth jazz is meant to sound.