The GRP label was really rolling after MCA artists were moved to the label. That brought over Spyro Gyra (with the only Spyro Gyra release that said “featuring Jay Beckenstein”), Acoustic Alchemy, and Michael Brecker. I count eight GRP recordings in this top 20.

Of note, that Bob James recording, Grand Piano Canyon, was the birth of Fourplay with James, Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, and Nathan East on two tracks.

Also worth noting in the October 13 issue: George Benson debuted at #8 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart with Big Boss Band, his collaboration with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums

Week of October 13, 1990

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1. David Benoit and Russ Freeman, The Benoit/Freeman Project
2. Paul Hardcastle, Hardcastle
3. Dave Weckl, Hard-Wired
4. The Solsonics, Jazz in the Present Tense
5. Mark Johnson, Mark Johnson
6. Incognito, Positivity
7. Bob James, Restless
8. John Scofield and Pat Metheny, I Can See Your House From Here 
9. United Future Organization, United Future Organization
10. Mark Portmann, Driving Beverly Hills

Listen below to my selected tracks from this chart! The Mark Johnson recording doesn’t appear available on streaming so it’s not on the playlist but you can still hear Mark Johnson music from the JVC years!

The post Top Contemporary Jazz April 17, 1994: Incognito, Bob James and more appeared first on ContemporaryJazz.com.

Simple Pleasures was a bestseller thanks to the massive success of the single “Don’t Worry Be Happy” According to McFerrin on the Questlove Supreme podcast, he has not performed that song live since November 1988. “I wanted the audience to know me as an improviser. I didn’t want to be falling back on that tune all the time or have them expect that.” He did admit that he will sometimes hint at it in the middle of a piece and he might do it for kids.

Rounding out the Top Ten of the Contemporary Jazz chart:

1. 1. Bobby McFerrin, Simple Pleasures
2. 2. George Howard, Reflections
3. 3. Basia, Time and Tide
4. 4. Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman, Kilamanjaro
5. 5. David Benoit, Every Step of the Way
6. 6. Kirk Whalum, And You Know That!
7. 7. Dianne Reeves, Dianne Reeves
8. 8. Gamalon, Gamalon
9. 9. Tim Heintz, Searching the Heart
10. 10. Steve Kindler & Teja Bell, Dolphin Smiles

Debuting on the week’s chart at #21 was the first album from the husband and wife duo of Tuck & Patti with Tears of Joy. According to the Tuck & Patti website and Twitter account, Bobby McFerrin calls them “the best duo on the planet!” And they’re still together, which is really awesome.

John Patitucci led the Top Jazz Albums chart with his debut self-titled recording, released on GRP. He had a strong start with the album produced by his Electric Band boss Chick Corea and featuring bandmate Dave Weckl. Also enhancing John’s compositions were mighty Michael Brecker, Peter Eskine, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Beasley, and David Witham.

The post Top Contemporary Jazz Albums – June 25, 1988 appeared first on ContemporaryJazz.com.