Flux Music [Jazz] Essentials … [Garrett, Return to Forever, Sanchez, Clayton & Jones]

Tags

Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Jazz, Kenny Garrett, Return to Forever, Sean Jones

Flux Music Essentials

Greeting’s jazz enthusiasts, it’s a pleasure to be with as we delve deeper into the infinite treasures of music to expand the provocative and youthful voices as we encounter them on this wonderful musical exodus of tantalizing yet satisfying blend of original jazz that’s shaken and stirred to perfection from the shelves of “Flux Music Essentials.”

Kenny Garrett - Simply Said

Kenny Garrett -\\- Simply Said – [Warner Jazz, 1999]

The widest range of stylistic and emotional expression of any recent jazz album – beautiful compositions, played masterfully by superb musicians – what’s not to love? Furthermore, this is one of those rare recordings that is a composition in itself; the order of the tunes is carefully chosen so that each complements the previous, and leads you to the next.

Lots of folks put down this CD for being too “smooth jazzy”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a contemporary musician, how can he not be aware of and influenced by R&B and funk? Kenny Garrett played with Miles Davis in a funk/jazz setting, and has appeared with Marcus Miller both live and on record. The history of jazz is intertwined with the history of popular music. Don’t forget that all of the so-called “standards” are just pop tunes from Broadway shows. It’s the performance that counts in jazz, and with Kenny Garrett, you will never hear anything but a superlative performance.

This is one of those few recordings that stand repeated (and repeated!) listening, each time revealing something new. I have owned 5 copies of this CD, I keep having to buy new ones because I give them away to my friends, “You have GOT to hear this!”

I own every one of Kenny Garrett’s CDs (and many more upon which he appears). This is his best recorded effort; and that is surely saying something. If I could give it 100 stars, I would. —Steve Keller /Amazon.com

Return to Forever | Live at Montreux 2008

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Al di Meola, Chick Corea, Jazz, Lenny White, Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke

Return to Forever | Live at Montreux 2008 – [Eagle Rock Ent, 2008]

Return to Forever - Live at Montreaux 2008

Return To Forever were at the forefront of jazz/rock fusion in the seventies and like their contemporaries Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra were formed by a former Miles Davis sideman, in this case the great Chick Corea. Return To Forever hit their commercial and artistic peak with a string of albums in the mid-seventies featuring the line-up of Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Al Di Meola on guitar and Lenny White on drums.

In 2008 this classic line-up reunited for their first tour in 25 years and proved that their musicianship and the chemistry within the band were as strong as ever. This concert was filmed at Montreux in July 2008 with the bonus tracks being filmed in Clearwater, Florida later the same month.

Lenny White | Anomaly

Tags

African American, Drums, Jazz, Lenny White, Return to Forever

Lenny White | Anomaly – [Eagle Rock Ent / Eagle Records, 2010] – Available May 18th!!

Lenny White - Anomaly

Following his triumphant worldwide reunion tour with Return To Forever in 2008 and separate trio tours in 2009 with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke and pianist Hiromi with Clarke, Lenny White was primed to put out his own recording, his first as a leader in ten years. With Anomaly, the pioneering jazz-rock drummer returns to his roots, blending powerhouse backbeats and improvisational abandon in a bold, unapologetically aggressive manner that characterized the early 70s fusion movement.

“We need to restart a revolution so that we can take back the music and stop the fluff, ” says White. “I’m hoping that this new album is are presentation of that ideal.”