This is just the latest in a veritable conveyer belt of incredible collections Mosaic Contemporary has delivered this year and is part of its mission to showcase definitive career highlights of some of the most respected artists around. It has done this by recognizing that nearly every important artist in contemporary jazz has recorded seminal material for more than one record company. By licensing the most important tracks from various labels and then arranging them into chronological compilations Mosaic has created something very special and, in this respect, there is none more so than ‘The Ultimate Earl Klugh'.
The album opens with the Klugh signature ‘Angelina' and immediately it is difficult not to feel the excitement that heralded the 1976 self titled debut release from which the tune is taken. Laid back yet captivating, the record was produced by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen who shortly afterwards went on to set up GRP Records. Later in 1976 Klugh again hooked up with Grusin and Rosen for ‘Living Inside Your Love'. The haunting title cut is completely indicative of the period yet here sounds brand new. It was co-written by Klugh and Grusin, included Patti Austin on vocals and proved so popular that three years later it was covered by George Benson. Klugh had played in Benson's band from age 18 so this, and the fact that in 1987 they recorded the CD ‘Collaboration' together, makes the connection so much more memorable. From that later album comes ‘Brazilian Stomp' which is one of three numbers that finds Klugh in decidedly Latin mode. ‘Dr Macumba' from his 1977 ‘Finger Paintings' zings with a compelling Brazilian vibe and perhaps even better is the title track from the 1990 ‘Midnight In San Juan'. More groove driven that much of his work it has the same melodic magic that time has made all his own.
By 1979 Klugh had evolved into an almost exclusively self produced artist and the title tracks from his albums ‘Heart String' and ‘Wishful Thinking' superbly demonstrate the sumptuous touch he was developing over this period. The catchy ‘Rainbow Man' from his 1984 ‘Soda Fountain Shuffle' is nothing short of being a joy and when, in 1989, he switched gears to record the CD ‘Solo Guitar' his rendition of Johnny Mandel's ‘Emily' proved to be a spellbinding standout.
The nineties found Klugh maintaining standards and further extending boundaries. ‘Jo Ann's Song' from the 1993 ‘Sounds & Visions' project is a case in point where, backed by none less than the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he turns this Dave Grusin composition into a moody masterpiece. Klugh's subtle use of Lenny Price on soprano sax is but one facet of the sensitivity he injects into ‘Maybe Tonight' from the ‘Sudden Burst Of Energy' album. Recorded in 1996 it shows just how in tune he has remained with the developing trends of contemporary jazz but perhaps most noteworthy is the track ‘Movin' On' from his 1992 collaboration with Bob James, ‘Cool'. Following on from ‘One on One' in 1979 and ‘Two Of A Kind' three years later it proved to be the last of the three projects that Klugh and James worked on together. With the common denominator of James' sophisticated arrangements and unmistakable keys dovetailing to perfection with Klugh's melodic guitar they jointly deliver music that dances like light on water and brings truth to the expression ‘less is more'.
Contemporary jazz has evolved tremendously over the last thirty years and Earl Klugh has been with it every step of the way. Now, courtesy of ‘The Ultimate Earl Klugh', you too can relive that journey.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Friday, April 6, 2007
Jaheim Hoagland
Jaheim Hoagland has become one of the brightest R&B stars of the 21st century, infusing the sounds of classic Chicago and Philly soul with a hip-hop attitude and in the process gathering a huge following of fans of both modern and traditional music.
Raised in the projects in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Jaheim lived a life where music was his first love and often his escape from trouble and personal tragedies. Jaheim experienced his first major personal loss at the age of two, when his father died. Over the next decade his single-parent mother (who tragically died in 1996) exposed him to the classic soul sounds of Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, and he began to take to the sounds of the emerging hip-hop culture. The amalgamation - even struggle - of the two genres would become the centerpiece of future musical career.
By his mid-teens Jaheim began winning local talent competitions with his gruff, Teddy Pendergrass-like voice and word about this young talent spread. At age 17, his demo tape came to the attention of producer and Naughty By Nature member Kay Gee, who ultimately helped Jaheim obtain a contract with Warner Brothers.
With Kay Gee at the production helm and with both self-penned tunes and material contributed by a number of notable songwriters, Jaheim released his debut album, Ghetto Love, in 2001. It was a monster disc, spawning three major hits, "Could It Be," "Anything" and "Just in Case." Jaheim's affinity for old school sounds combined with his hip-hop sensibilities made him a bit of an anomaly, an almost contradictory character who would sing about "shorties" and "playas" over lush string sections and classic soul arrangements.
Jaheim's second disc, Still Ghetto, was even better than its predecessor, and boasted his biggest hit, the wonderful cautionary tale "Put That Woman First." It also made him a sought-after guest vocalist throughout the hip-hop world, his rough baritone providing soulful interludes to the album cuts of a number of rap artists.
Nearly four years passed before Jaheim released his third album, 2006's Ghetto Classics, which debuted at #1 on both the Pop and Soul charts. With perhaps Jaheim's biggest nod to classic soul, the disc sampled melody lines from classic pop and soul writers ranging from Gamble & Huff to Thom Bell to Gerry Goffin. As with its predecessors, Ghetto Classics was extremely uneven lyrically, often tritely covering the usual modern R&B loverman stuff, but also including moments such as "Daddy Thing," a fantastic tale of a man who becomes attached to his girlfriend's daughter only to have the bond broken when the child's Dad comes back from prison. While an awful lot of the music on the disc is borrowed from 30 year old soul songs, it is tough not to like great cuts such as "The Chosen One," "I Ain't Never" and the uber-infectious "Like a DJ."
Jaheim followed two years later with the more mature, critically acclaimed disc, The Makings of a Man. Again, it debuted in the top 10.
Jaheim may not be the savior of soul music that many people want him to be, but he is an exceptional vocal talent - one of the best pure soul singers in modern music - and has done a credible job updating some classic soul sounds for younger urban audiences. And frankly, he's just fun to listen to.
Raised in the projects in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Jaheim lived a life where music was his first love and often his escape from trouble and personal tragedies. Jaheim experienced his first major personal loss at the age of two, when his father died. Over the next decade his single-parent mother (who tragically died in 1996) exposed him to the classic soul sounds of Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, and he began to take to the sounds of the emerging hip-hop culture. The amalgamation - even struggle - of the two genres would become the centerpiece of future musical career.
By his mid-teens Jaheim began winning local talent competitions with his gruff, Teddy Pendergrass-like voice and word about this young talent spread. At age 17, his demo tape came to the attention of producer and Naughty By Nature member Kay Gee, who ultimately helped Jaheim obtain a contract with Warner Brothers.
With Kay Gee at the production helm and with both self-penned tunes and material contributed by a number of notable songwriters, Jaheim released his debut album, Ghetto Love, in 2001. It was a monster disc, spawning three major hits, "Could It Be," "Anything" and "Just in Case." Jaheim's affinity for old school sounds combined with his hip-hop sensibilities made him a bit of an anomaly, an almost contradictory character who would sing about "shorties" and "playas" over lush string sections and classic soul arrangements.
Jaheim's second disc, Still Ghetto, was even better than its predecessor, and boasted his biggest hit, the wonderful cautionary tale "Put That Woman First." It also made him a sought-after guest vocalist throughout the hip-hop world, his rough baritone providing soulful interludes to the album cuts of a number of rap artists.
Nearly four years passed before Jaheim released his third album, 2006's Ghetto Classics, which debuted at #1 on both the Pop and Soul charts. With perhaps Jaheim's biggest nod to classic soul, the disc sampled melody lines from classic pop and soul writers ranging from Gamble & Huff to Thom Bell to Gerry Goffin. As with its predecessors, Ghetto Classics was extremely uneven lyrically, often tritely covering the usual modern R&B loverman stuff, but also including moments such as "Daddy Thing," a fantastic tale of a man who becomes attached to his girlfriend's daughter only to have the bond broken when the child's Dad comes back from prison. While an awful lot of the music on the disc is borrowed from 30 year old soul songs, it is tough not to like great cuts such as "The Chosen One," "I Ain't Never" and the uber-infectious "Like a DJ."
Jaheim followed two years later with the more mature, critically acclaimed disc, The Makings of a Man. Again, it debuted in the top 10.
Jaheim may not be the savior of soul music that many people want him to be, but he is an exceptional vocal talent - one of the best pure soul singers in modern music - and has done a credible job updating some classic soul sounds for younger urban audiences. And frankly, he's just fun to listen to.
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