If you’re settling in with family, cooking, traveling, or just taking a quiet moment to breathe, here are a couple of tracks that might help set a tone:

“Thankful N’ Thoughtful” — Dave Grusin (Sly Stone cover)

Featuring Phoebe Snow, David Sanborn, and Marcus Miller.
Listen on YouTube

Aside from being thankful, there’s inspiration:

Something gets me, I put my head on tight
Because I know in the future, everything will be all right

“Gratitude” — Nelson Rangell

Listen on YouTube

Nelson wrote about the inspiration for this song on Facebook on October 23:

One of my best friends has been living with brain cancer. He’s been hugely inspirational to everyone who knows him with his constant positivity, humor and strength. My friend speaks a lot to me and to others about Gratitude. It’s the main theme in his life. Bruce and his amazing wife Kelly make it all look routine… I know a lot of heroic, beautiful, and incredibly good people. We all do. So often these people just make it look routine. They’re our friends, our kids’ teachers, cops, protesters, scientists, doctors, pastors, rabbis and imams, the pianist on the gig, the people at the music store, or the person taking your order on any given day — you.

My friend Bruce has made me think a lot about “gratitude.” It’s his mantra. He repeats it all the time. It sure works for him. For me, it’s an ongoing work in progress, kind of a 2 steps forward… well, you get it. Amidst it all these days, Bruce reminds me to keep my eyes open to see, and my heart thankful for goodness everywhere around us, and to take inspiration and strength from it.

What are some of your favorite tracks of thankfulness? What are you thankful for? I’d love for you to comment!

The post Thanksgiving Week Listening: A Couple of Contemporary Jazz Favorites appeared first on ContemporaryJazz.com.

Playing with one of top groups in contemporary jazz was bound to have an effect. Mark Portmann played keyboards for the Rippingtons in one of that band’s most popular incarnations. However, there is not much room for individual creativity in the Rippingtons since Russ Freeman writes and arranges the music. Portmann stretched out,  working with multiple Grammy-winning producer David Foster, most notably on Barbra Streisand’s Back to Broadway album. He also cut his production and composing teeth on a few Nelson Rangell albums.

With Driving Beverly Hills (Hands On Music), Portmann severed his ties with the Rippingtons and ventured forth with a 1994 project of his own, called Road Music.

The release really is a Portmann solo record as he wrote, produced, arranged, and engineered all twelve tracks. Driving Beverly Hills has one central theme – the road. It is dedicated to music lovers and auto enthusiasts. The liner notes claim that the “pulsing rhythms, sensual melodies and the excitement for ‘what’s around the next turn’ will take you from New York to L.A., through breathtaking canyons, shopping on Rodeo Drive, and driving over the Hills of Beverly.” Assisting Portmann in delivering the listenier through the terrain are classic members of the Rippingtons (no Russ Freeman), Jerry Watts on bass, and Machun, a former lead vocalist for Hiroshima. Portmann has the same strong sense of melody as his former boss. Each track is a catchy, well-produced little vacation. Especially delightful is the breezy and sweet “Rodeo Drive.”

With this Road Music project, Portmann proved that he was ready for the pole position.

I recently reached out to Mark and he was so kind to provide some behind-the-scenes behind this recording. Thanks, Mark!

“Here are some thoughts and memories that I recall about making “Driving Beverly Hills”. The concept and record label idea came from Chuck Bennett, a Rippingtons fan that I met at Toad’s Place in Hartford, CT after a Rippingtons show. Chuck invited the band to dinner. I remember Chuck, entrepreneur and owner of companies in the auto enthusiasts business, talking to the group and making a strong connection. It led to me flying back to CT after our tour ended. Chuck asked me what I wanted to do in music, he talked about making a contemporary jazz album inspired by his passion for cars and the road. I wrote most of that album in a hotel by the water inspired by his passions. 

 

At this time also, I was sharing a house with Steve Reid, percussionist with the Ripps. He had two incredible studios in the house. I traded sessions with Steve and well it was just a great atmosphere for recording. Wake up, roll out of bed and go into the studio. A musician’s dream. Thankful for all the players who contributed to the album. And at that time I was working a lot with Humberto Gatica doing sessions. Somehow I got wind of a new private recording studio in West Hollywood, Brooklyn Studios. Freddy Demann, at that time Madonna’s manager, they started the studio. Bill Dooley, the studio manager, was great to get me in there. I turned that studio on to Humberto. He asked me what I was working on. Well, I was ready to mix Driving Beverly Hills album, he offered to mix for me. What a kind and gracious offer. I learned so much watching him mix throughout my career. And to top it off, the mastering guy at this time everyone revered was Wally Traugott from Capitol Records. The guy in his unique studio at Capitol mastered Beach Boys Pet Sounds, Paul McCartney Wings, Dark Side of the Moon and on and on. I got to sit next to him as he explained what he was doing in putting the shine on my album. Can’t say I did anything to deserve all this love from so many talented people I was fortunate to come across. But I am thankful.”

The post Driving Beverly Hills – Mark Portmann goes solo in 1994 appeared first on ContemporaryJazz.com.

His sound on alto sax and flute is as strong as it always has been, which is saying a lot. I’ve always considered him a powerhouse on sax and agile and nimble as anyone on piccolo.

His compositions are strong on By Light. I don’t have credits (a huge disappointment/disadvantage of digital music) so I don’t know if Nelson wrote all of them. There is a cover of “Human Nature.” Some highlights include the opening pure pop-jazz gem “Streamline” which is immediately followed up with one of my favorite tracks, the long burning “Tidal Wave.” In the same vein is “Old School,” which is also a classic pop-jazz piece that could have fit on his albums from 20 years ago.

He brings out strong emotion on the tender ballad “Letting Go.” Grab a box of tissues as you remember someone you’ve lost. There’s the soaring “Ali’s Moon” written for his wife.

I’m telling you – this guy practices every day and hasn’t lost a single step from the first album I fell in love with his sound (1993’s Truest Heart). By Light reminds me of why I started enjoying contemporary jazz in the first place. Thanks, Nelson Rangell.

To learn more about this recording, I recommend you check out the world premiere interview with Sandy Shore on SmoothJazz.com Global Radio. Nelson talks about the album’s title, which instrument he prefers, the tracks on By Light, and more.

The post Review: By Light from Nelson Rangell appeared first on ContemporaryJazz.com.