None of these CDs were ripped by me. Thanks to uploaders, maybe most are members of Demonoid's. In vol. III and IV of Smooth Jazz @flacpack I allowed myself some concessions in the choice of a few albums that, in a radical vision (and listening), really don't belong to the universe of smooth jazz's genre. "Tim Weisberg ("High Risk") in Vol. III and David Sandborn ("Closer") in vol. IV are two examples, for less or more. But for those who are tolerant fans of the genre, will be not hard to forgive the overly generous criterion of choice. I made a change in the list of albums of this Vol. IV. I've replaced "Rick Braun - Kisses in the Rain [2001]" by "Fourplay - Journey [2004]" because the track title (n? 2) of "Kisses in the Rain" was corrupted. Anyone interested in downloading Rick Braun's album there's a release of our Demonoid's fellow ibticktock here: http://www.demonoid.me/files/details/2024747/885689/ My bandwidth: 60 kBps. So be patient. http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/3356/allthumbs.jpg 01. Boney James - Send One Your Love [2009] tracklist: 01. Wanna Show U Sumthin' 02. Send One Your Love 03. Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) 04. Touch 05. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 06. Hold On Tight 07. I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby 08. City Of Light 09. Butter 10. I'll Be Good To You Review Released 11 days before Valentine's Day 2009, Boney James' album Send One Your Love seems intended to function as his romance-themed disc for the holiday. Not that any of the smooth-playing saxophonist's CDs wouldn't serve almost equally well as accompaniment to a candlelit dinner and all that comes after, but Send One Your Love is particularly suited to a night of love. In Boney James' estimation, the height of tender emotion seems to be located on the R&B charts of the mid-'70s; in addition to the title tune, penned by Stevie Wonder, the album contains his jazzy treatments of the Stylistics' "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)," Barry White's "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little Bit More Baby," and the Brothers Johnson's "I'll Be Good to You." In the case of "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," which here features a soulful vocalist over-emoting his way through the lyrics, Boney James may be recalling Nancy Wilson's version rather than the folk-pop one by its composer, James Taylor. But whether the familiar melodies are intended to recall young love for listeners or the tunes are originals, the music is typically soothing, making this another Boney James album much like its predecessors. (by William Ruhlmann/www.allmusic.com) Biography A solid saxophonist whose style falls on the R&B-ish and pop side of jazz, Boney James (who is heavily influenced by Grover Washington, Jr.) is a consistent best-seller who can always be relied upon to put on a colorful live show. Born James Oppenheim, he grew up in New Rochelle, NY. The future Boney James studied clarinet when he was eight, switching to saxophone two years later. When he was 15, his family moved to Los Angeles. James was soon playing in a fusion band (Line One) which was strong enough to open for Flora Purim and the Yellowjackets. After a year attending U.C. Berkeley, he transferred to U.C.L.A. so he could continue playing with the band. He earned a degree in history but became a full-time musician after graduation, doubling on keyboards. James went on the road as a keyboardist with Morris Day in 1985 and eventually convinced Day that he should be playing saxophone instead. He spent four years with Day and became in-demand for guest spots on tenor, alto, soprano, and flute, playing with Randy Crawford, Sheena Easton, the Isley Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, and others. He picked up his nickname while on tour with Crawford. After mentioning to a keyboardist that he was running out of food money, the musician replied that if he ate any less, he would have to be called Boney James. The popular saxophonist made his debut as a leader with Trust in 1992 (Spindletop) and then in 1994 was signed by Warner Bros., where he recorded dates including Backbone, Seduction, Boney's Funky Christmas, Sweet Thing, Shake It Up, Ride, and Pure. In 2006, Boney made the move to Concord Records and released Shine. Send One Your Love followed in 2009. (by Scott Yanow/www.allmusic.com) 02. Dave Koz - Saxophonic [2003] tracklist: 01. Honey-Dipped 02. Love Changes Everything 03. All I See is You 04. Just to Be Next to You 05. Let it Free 06. Undeniable 07. Saxophonic (Come on Up) 08. Definition of Beautiful 09. Sound of the Underground 10. Only Tomorrow Knows 11. I Believe 12. A View from Above 13. One Last Thing Review This likeable, ultra funky, and melodic saxman is one of the few smooth jazz performers whose consistent gold sales status, and omnipresence in the genre (including DJ'ing a morning show at one of the country's top stations, and two annual tours) makes him a crossover superstar. But his breakneck multi-media schedule is only part of the reason he can get away with only recording a new studio album every three or four years; his discs are usually so deep in picture perfect potential hit singles that Capitol can milk the album for that long with constant radio play. He has a tough act to follow here after 1999's magnificent The Dance spawned no less than five Top Five contemporary jazz singles. He doesn't disappoint for a second, packing this sax-intensive collection with hook after hook amidst a mix of edgy funk, mid-tempo chill vibes, and some unique sonic experiments, including sampling old jazz tracks on the crazy-making, hip-hop scratcher "Sound of the Underground," featuring some nifty harmonies from trumpeter Chris Botti, and a colorful move into house music with "Only Tomorrow Knows," that may surprise those who always expect him to stay in the mainstream. Whereas The Dance was cover-happy, Saxophonic stands strong on all original tunes, broken up four at a time by Acts One, Two, and Three, which are defined by the overall vibe of the section. Act One is funkified, slickly produced (Jeff Lorber and Brian Culbertson had a hand), heavy on the horn doubling and soul, (represented by the irresistible opener "Honey-dipped"). Act Two has more ambience, and fresh, mid-tempo attitude, a balance of the feisty electronic hip-hop crackle of the title track, and the lush romance of "Definition of Beautiful," featuring vocals by labelmate Javier. Act Three offers the aforementioned experiments, plus a torchy ballad and a colorful thumping duet with Marc Antoine. The Curtain Call ballad, "One Last Thing," is a sweet, gospel-flavored sax-piano duet produced by Brian McKnight. One curious disappointment flutters amidst all the success here; the tracks that advertise contributions by McKnight and Bobby Caldwell only use them in a minor backing capacity. Yes, this makes things more "saxophonic," but why bring such talent on the journey if they're hardly present in the mix? That gripe aside, with the abundance of future hits here, Koz can probably hold off till 2006 at least. (by Jonathan Widran/www.allmusic.com) Biography The latest contender for the instrumental pop saxophone throne, Dave Koz came out of nowhere after his self-titled 1990 release made it onto the Billboard contemporary jazz charts and stayed there several weeks. He has more fire and intensity in his work than Kenny G, and often sounds like a reworked David Sanborn. Koz also played on Arsenio Hall's show, which increased his popularity among the urban contemporary, light jazz, and pop audiences. Koz plays instrumental pop covers and some upbeat tunes, and generally sticks to the fusion production formula: background vocalists, synthesizers, and drum machines, a minimum amount of solo space, and so on. His sessions are available on CD and have been regularly released since his first appearance on the scene. Highlights include 1993's peppy Lucky Man, 1999's collaboration-heavy Dance, 2001's holiday treat A Smooth Jazz Christmas, and 2007's film music-themed At the Movies. Koz left EMI to sign with Concord in 2010 for the release of Hello Tomorrow, produced by John Burk and Marcus Miller. (by Ron Wynn/www.allmusic.com) 03. David Sanborn - Closer [2005] tracklist: 01. Tin Tin Deo 02. Se?or Blues 03. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 04. Smile 05. Enchantment 06. Ballad of the Sad Young Men 07. Another Time, Another Place 08. Capetown Fringe 09. Poinciana 10. You Must Believe in Spring 11. Sofia Review Saxophonist and composer David Sanborn has always been a maverick. A top-notch technician, he has always imbued his playing with deep emotion -- indeed, that emotional element in his playing has been his signature since he began leading his own bands on record in the 1970s. He has wed modern jazz sophistication to the smooth jazz groove for many years now, and has followed his muse while remaining a commercially viable artist. Closer is another exercise in ambition for Sanborn and his sidemen. They include bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Russell Malone, Larry Goldings on electric piano and organ, vibist Mike Manieri, and drummer Steve Gadd, among others. The material is a fine collection of pop tunes, standards, and surprises from the jazz canon. First, the bad news: Sanborn and vocalist Liz Wright team up for a version of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" that is as bland as soy milk. That said, Sanborn's read of Abdullah Ibrahim's "Capetown Fringe" carries within it the joy and dignity of Ibrahim's original and proves to the public something Sanborn has been aware of all along -- that the composer's music is truly accessible to the masses. Underscore this for the album's opener, a smoking little groove read of Gi...
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