2 SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you . 31 28 14 F E AT U R E S 38 TRAVEL DESTINATION 14 ALEXANDER ZONJIC DETROIT the HOME of SUPERBOWL XL 28 SMOKEY ROBINSON LEGACY–Still Croonin’ 31 KEM Music For The Ages 42 38 ANITA BAKER In Depth With Anita 42 KEVIN TONEY Is Right on Time 59 18 23 52 D E PA R T M E N T S 7 JAZZ NOTES & BIRTHDAYS 12 ON STAGE LIFESYTYLE 18 - CAMERON SMITH 50 - GRAMMY PRELUDE and the nominees are... 50 23 STAR LOUNGE - STACY KEACH 27 CONCERT REVIEW - EARL KLUGH 52 RISING STAR - MIKE PHILLIPS 59 REMEMBERING... - SHIRLEY HORN 60 CD REVIEWS 62 RADIO LISTINGS 64 JAZZLE PUZZLE 65 CD RELEASES 66 CONCERT LISTINGS 70 TRAVEL PLANNER ™ Let the music take you . M A G A Z I N E VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 January / February 2006 PUBLISHER/CEO Art Jackson RESEARCH DIRECTOR Doris Gee MARKETING DIRECTOR Mark Lawrence Burwell ART DIRECTOR Danielle Cheek COPY EDITORS Karly Pierre, Teresa Fowler CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ahli Love PHILADELPHIA Amy Rogin LOS ANGELES Belinda Harris DETROIT Cheryl Boone VIRGINA BEACH Karly Pierre LOS ANGELES Jonathan Barrick LOS ANGELES M.L. Burwell LOS ANGELES S TAFF PH OTOG RA PH E R Ambrose CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Amy Rogin, Diane Hadley, Joseph D. Williams, Mann ADVERTISING SALES David Facinelli Facinelli Media Sales 1400 E. Touhy Ave., Suite 260 Des Plaines, IL 60018 727-866-9647 Tel 727-866-9222 Fax [email protected] SmoothJazz Magazine Inc. office: 3748 Keystone Avenue, Suite #406 Los Angeles, CA 90034 tel: 310.558.4698 Fax: 952.487.4999 email: [email protected] www.smoothjazzmag.net Talk To SmoothJazz Magazine Inc. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $18.95 per year in the “Renaissance Center” by Mann U.S. only. SmoothJazz Magazine is published bi-monthly. For subscription services email: [email protected] or subscribe online at www.smoothjazzmag.net Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the BACK ISSUES: $4.50 + $2.00 for shipping and information in this magazine. However, SmoothJazz handling. email for more information: Magazine, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors, [email protected] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: We welcome let- ch a n ges or om i s s i on s , n or does it accept any re s pon s i bi l i t y ters to the editor, but due to the volume of mail for any loss, i n ju r y, or inconven i en ce su s t a i n ed by anyon e we cannot answer each letter nor guarantee that your letter be printed. Please include your using this publication. name, address, and daytime phone or email address when sending mail to SmoothJazz No part of this publication may be reproduced Magazine, Inc. Letters will be edited for clarity and space. To contact the editor via email... nor transmitted in any form by any means of electronic, [email protected] mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise (except brief extracts for the purpose of review or promotion), SmoothJazz Magazine ONLINE: Visit us at www.smoothjazzmag.net without written consent from the publisher. SmoothJazz Magazine Inc. Copyright ©2006 by SmoothJazz Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. 6 SmoothJazz Magazine Published & Printed in the U.S.A. ISSN-1557-3400 Jazz Notes The three-time Grammy winner Lou Raw l s, dies at age 72. Rawls died early Friday January 06, 2006 at Cedars- Sinai Medical Center he was hospitalized last month for 1/10 Donald Fagen 58 t reatment of lung and brain 1/11 Lee Ritenour 54 c a n c e r, his publicist Paul Shefrin said. His wife Nina was 1/12 George Duke 60 Dec. 1, 1933 - Jan 6, 2006 at his bedside when he died, the four octave range velvet-baritone voiced singer 1/16 Sade 47 who started as a church choir boy and went on to 1/17 Eartha Kitt 79 sell more than 40 million albums throughout his four –decade-long care e r, with hits such as “ L ove Is 1/23 Anita Pointer 58 a Hurtin’ T h i n g,” “ You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” 1/26 Anita Baker 48 G r o ovy People,”“Just Like a Natural Man” among others. The native of Chicago Rawls was also honored last 2 / 1 Joe Sample 67 year with an honorary doctorate from Wilberfore c e 2 / 1 Joshua Redman 37 University for his service over the past twenty-five years and helping raise more than $200 million for 2 / 2 Stan Getz 79 the United Negro College Fund during his annual event “Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon”. 2 / 6 Natalie Cole 56 2/10 Roberta Flack 67 Ray Charles Tops Christmas Wish Lists. The late soul legend Ray Charles has topped 2/11 Russ Freeman 46 music fans' wish lists this 2/12 Michael McDonald 54 Christmas for the second year in a ro w, according to a re c e n t 2/16 James Ingram 54 VH1 poll, which surveyed a 2/18 Randy Crawford 54 random sample of appro x i- mately 1,000 residents under 2/19 Seal 43 the age of 50. 'Genius & Friends' was the top LP that 2/20 Nancy Wilson 69 people want for the holidays. 2/20 Walter Becker 56 The Top 10 is as follows: 2/22 Harvey Mason 59 1. Ray Charles - 'Genius & Friends' 2/27 Dexter Gordon 83 2. Alicia Keys - 'Unplugged' 3. Santana - 'All That I Am' 4. Stevie Wonder - 'A Time To Love' 5. Tim McGraw - 'Live Like You Were Dying' 6 . Mariah Carey - 'The Platinum Edition - The Emancipation of Mimi' 7. Rolling Stones - 'Bigger Bang' 8. The Black Eyed Peas - 'Monkey Business' 9. Bruce Springsteen - 'Born to Run 30th Anniversary' 10. Gwen Stefani - 'Love.Angel.Music.Baby' Let the music take you . SmoothJazz Magazine 7 more Jazz Notes more Jazz Notes M a r y J. Blige to Play Nina New Orleans Update: The City of Simone: R&B and Hip Hop New Orleans seeks sponsors for queen Mary J. Bilge to play the the first time to cover the cost of late jazz legend Nina Simone. putting on Mardi Gras. This year Simone became famous for her celebration will also be shorten to hits "Mississippi Goddam" and only eight days. the civil rights anthem "To Be Young, Gifted And Black." She died Viva Le’France provided benefit Mary J. in 2003 in Paris, France, after liv- concerts and residencies for Blige ing in exile for 29 years. The New Orleans Jazz Musicians movie will chart Simone's rise to affected by Hurricane Katrina. fame and her relationship with Jean-David Levitte, France’s manager Clifton Henderson. ambassador to the U.S., stated that on November 7th at Paris’s Chris Botti debuts at #1 on the Palais de Congres will feature Jazz charts: To Love Again, the Louisiana and French singers to much-anticipated new album of raise money for the victims as pop jazz standards from the well as provide thre e - m o n t h acclaimed trumpeter. Along with accommodations in Paris, with Chris and the London Session stipends. New Orleans was O rchestra are special guest established by the French in the Chris Botti appearances by Sting, Michael 18th century. Buble, Jill Scott, Burt Bacarach, Gladys Knight and Steve Tyler Saxophonist Kirk Whalum will join Best Pop Instrumental just to name a few. rapper Coolio and New Orleans Performance In Our Time musicians Allen Toussaint, Irma Burt Bacharach Brenda Russell writes the musical Thomas, and Ivan Neville to per- & Chris Botti score to The Color Purple: The form a tribute to the music of the Track from: At This Time [Columbia Records] Musical as it opened with rave C res cent City after a special reviews on Broadway. Myself s c reening of documentary Best Instrumental Arrangement and my co-writers--Allee Willis footage about the hurricane- Accompanying and Stephen Bray--actually had stricken city's musical legacy. Vocalist(s) Kirk Whalum What Are You Doing For to audition to get the gig. We P resented by the Grammy The Rest Of Your Life? had to submit demos of material Foundation, New Orleans Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein & Heitor Pereira, arrangers we would write for certain Rising: Celebrating The Music Chris Botti & Sting scenes in the musical. We were Of New Orleans will take place [Columbia Records] up against some really famous on February 4th at the Wilshire and accomplished pop and Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. theater writers. The producers loved what we did and chose us The event will highlight the ongo- to do the score. ing efforts of the Foundation's music preservations pro g r a m , Saxophonist Mindi Abair will be which partners with various releasing her third CD in 2006. other organizations and archives While re c o r ding at one of to restore historic film and video Hollywood’s most famous land- of musical significance. The marks on Vine St., at Capitol event will also spotlight the Records studio the new CD will fundraising efforts of Grammy include a single “Rain” which will d i v i s i o n M u s i C a res'new Music Brenda Russell be dedicated to the victims of Rising program, an instrument Hurricane Katrina. replacement fund for Gulf Coast musicians. For more on the Mindi Abair event, log onto grammy.com. 8 SmoothJazz Magazine Let the music take you . My top 5 picks of 2005…hmmm… Top 5 Countdown 5 to 1 (#1 being the top pick.) Lori Lewis Danny Weiss Samantha Pascual Program Director of Shanachie's VP of A&R, Jazz Music Director/ Asst.