1994
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Driving Beverly Hills – Mark Portmann goes solo in 1994
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Before he became a nine-time Grammy nominee, a baby-faced Mark Portmann was a part of the contemporary jazz scene. Here’s a review of his Driving Beverly Hills release that I originally wrote 30 years ago (with some updates). Playing with one of top groups in contemporary jazz was bound to have an effect. Mark Portmann…
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Top Contemporary Jazz April 17, 1994: Incognito, Bob James and more
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The top ten contemporary jazz recordings, ranked by ContemporaryJazz.com, from the week of April 17, 1994! David Benoit and Russ Freeman, The Benoit/Freeman Project Paul Hardcastle, Hardcastle Dave Weckl, Hard-Wired The Solsonics, Jazz in the Present Tense Mark Johnson, Mark Johnson Incognito, Positivity Bob James, Restless John Scofield and Pat Metheny, I Can See Your…
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Mark Johnson Contemporary Jazz Review
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I wrote this review in 1994, when Mark Johnson’s debut self-titled solo recording was released: With so many saxophonists trying to copy the funky Sanborn sound, it’s difficult for new artists not to get lost in the shuffle. A new release has to really have a good, strong sound and great songs to stand out…
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The Benoit/Freeman Project Review
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On 2.22.22 (Feb. 22, 2022), I was thinking about duets and some of my favorites. One that immediately came to mind was the first Benoit/Freeman Project. Here’s the review I wrote for a newsletter I wrote and designed for KBIA, the NPR station I worked at this time in 1994: A few years ago, Russ…
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1994, charts, contemporary jazz, david benoit, marcus miller, nelson rangell, rippingtons, vibes, yellowjacketsTop Contemporary Jazz Feb. 13, 1994: The Benoit/Freeman Project
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The top ten contemporary jazz recordings from the week of Feb. 13, 1994! David Benoit and Russ Freeman, The Benoit/Freeman Project Nelson Rangell, Yes Then Yes Tom Scott, Reed My Lips Richard Smith, From My Window Torcuato Mariano, Paradise Station Marcus Miller, The Sun Don’t Lie Yellowjackets, Run for Your Life Fourplay, Between the Sheets…