Jazz Estude

As the title of this compilation implies, this is Wes at his mellowest and, unfortunately, poppiest. Much of this is supplemented (and sometimes encumbered) by large orchestration, and the material is sometimes substandard. Montgomery's playing is always good, and some of the tracks are fine indeed (like the title cut and "Maybe September," both of which feature Jimmy Smith. But unless you're specifically in the market for dim-the-lights music, this isn't the best place to experience Wes, stressing some of the less impressive aspects of his later years.

An impressive album presented here for the first time on CD, which combines great soloists with sophisticated arrangements by Manny Albam. As a bonus, we present another complete album, Guitar and the Wind, including many of the same musicians as our primary recording (Urbie Green, Eddie Costa, Osie Johnson and Barry Galbraith, who was the leader), and bearing a similar musical concept. This album was recorded exactly two years after the Manhattan Jazz Septette session and also includes brilliant saxophonist Bobby Jaspar and bassist Milt Hinton instead of Pettiford. 24 tracks total.

This Is Smooth Jazz: The Box Set features a whopping three discs of music, all of it firmly anchored in the smooth jazz idiom. With such a wide scope of performances – a grand total of 36 songs and few repeat performers – This Is Smooth Jazz functions as an excellent introduction to the style. And if you're already acquainted with the laid-back sounds of smooth jazz, this album will at the least enlighten you to some of the many different approaches to the genre. There's no shortage of variety here. Some of the many performers featured on This Is Smooth Jazz include Duncan Millar, Fredrik Karlsson, Yada Yada, Chris Standring, Modern Tribe, Act of Faith, and many more. As mentioned, this collection serves as a wonderful starting point for the neophyte while simultaneously offering a checklist of sorts for seasoned smooth jazz listeners.

Son of the Blues, Jazz is one of the deepest expressions in music. With improvisation as its foundation, the genre includes multiple artists that are embedded in gold letters in the history of popular music. Golden Jazz Box is a celebration of that legacy, presenting the 6 best albums of each one of the best singers of the genre: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Julie London, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. Golden Jazz Box works as a true musical encyclopedia, the definitive collection of these wonderful singers in one six-CD box. Golden Jazz Box is a fantastic album, suitable for any moment and mood.

Forget about the title of this release, it is an excellent compilation of music from the early seventies right up to the present day. Unfortunately record companies ( and critics ! ) seem to have the need to put music into categories, possibly to attract the purchaser, but, as in the case of this disc, it could quite conceivably have the opposite outcome. I do not feel that this selection has any more connection with Summer than with any other time of the year. I also feel that the term " smooth " is derogatory in its concept to most of the tracks here.

Jazz Codes is Moor Mother's second and latest album for Anti- and a companion to her celebrated 2021 release Black Encyclopedia of the Air.

The Best Smooth Jazz Ever is packed with smooth jazz radio hits and highlights the musicians who have brought depth and soul to the most successful contemporary jazz label in the world over the past 20 years. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of GRP Records, this two-CD set features some of the most respected names in the jazz style, including Al Jarreau, Lee Ritenour, Ramsey Lewis, and Patti Austin, as well a hot new rendition of Steve Winwood's "Roll With It," performed by David Benoit, Richard Elliot, and Jeff Golub under the group name Group 3.

Nancy Wilson's not the first name in bluesy jazz (check out Dinah Washington and Joe Williams for that), but she usually can enliven the form with her sophisticated and sultry style. That's made clear on her rendition of "Stormy Monday Blues," where she eschews blues clichés in favor of a husky airiness, at once referencing a lowdown mood and infusing it with a sense of buoyancy. This split is nicely essayed on Capitol's Blues and Jazz Sessions, as half the tracks ooze with Wilson's cocktail blues tone and the other find the jazz-pop chanteuse in a summery and swinging mood. Ranging from the big band blues of "I've Got Your Number" to the lilting bossa nova "Wave," Wilson handles all the varying dynamics and musical settings with aplomb. Featuring cuts from her '60s prime with the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Oliver Nelson, George Shearing, Gerald Wilson, and a host of top sidemen, this best-of disc offers a fine, off-the-beaten-path overview of Wilson's Capitol heyday.