Andy Narell

This is an unusual set for Joe Pass, a pop-oriented Brazilian date. He is joined by rhythm guitarist John Pisano, keyboardist Don Grusin, either Abraham Laboriel or Nathan East on bass, drummer Harvey Mason and percussionist Paulinho Da Costa. The material is not as strong as Pass' earlier Brazilian set Tudo Bem, featuring originals by Andy Narell, Grusin, Pisano and Milton Nascimento, along with a few obscurities. Pass sounds fine, but the overall results are not too substantial or memorable.

The Chambers Brothers is a soul-music group, best known for its 1968 hit record, the 11-minute long song "Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions with modern psychedelic and rock elements, spawning a heady mix integrating all these factors. Based on their Southern roots, the brothers brought a raw authenticity to their recordings and live performances that was missing from many other acts of that era. Their music has been kept alive through heavy use in film soundtracks. ' found at Wikipedia

French guitarist/producer U-Nam is again standing tall and looming large on the smooth jazz scene with another creative gem called C’est Le Funk. In addition to dazzling us with his graceful and funky instrumental work (and one funky delivery with vocals from Tim “TiO” Owens), the album is loaded with strong production and presence. Wasting no time putting the groove into high gear from the start, the guitarist leads off with a driving track called “Smoovin’,” continues plowing ahead with the party groover “Something’s Up” and strutting right through the super-funky, hook-rich title track which features Nivo Deux (Nivo Deux is actually a project organized by U-Nam and wife Shannon Kennedy focusing on the incorporation of 80’s Pop, Smooth Jazz, and Electro-Funk).

Out of all the expressive instruments, the guitar's range and mobility seems to make it the one most suited for a performer with a big ego. But Ray Obiedo's success as a worldbeat pop-fusion guitarist may be due to the way he shuns that idea. He's never been one to dominate his own compositions, and this allows for the fascinating textures and exotic timbres his vision reaches. His latest gem never strays far from the expansive strokes of melodicism he's best known for, and yet what sticks with you long after the disc changer turns off are the atmospheric travelogues he produces so efficiently.

Marcus Miller (born William Henry Marcus Miller, Jr.; June 14, 1959) is an American jazz composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a bass guitarist. Throughout his career, Miller worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a successful solo career. Miller is classically trained as a clarinetist and also plays keyboards, saxophone and guitar.