"Soul Groove" by Kyle Wolverton (Jazz artist from Los Angeles, California (CA))

"Soul Groove" is the saxophone led contemporary smooth jazz solo debut from Kyle Wolverton. Primarily an instrumental album, Wolverton drives this record with his outstanding sax skills and creates a unique sound by combining the smooth jazz sound with the heavy influence of the R&B and gospel genres. "Soul Groove" is filled with saxophone led melodies that show Wolverton's mastery and control of all three genres. Vocal performances are rare, but when Wolverton does sing, it is in the R&B style and reminiscent of Keith Sweat and Luther Vandross and occasionally accompanied by a strong R&B female vocal. The album is well-produced and gives each song that polished quality smooth jazz albums typically require. The title track, "Soul Groove," fuses together R&B and smooth jazz and gives a flush song that brings about the likeliness of Marvin Gays and Kenny G. "On The Brink" departs from the saxophone sound and incorporates acoustic guitar, drums, and hand claps in its stead, resulting in a strong, gospel-inspired vocal performance from Wolverton. Overall, "Soul Groove" is an impressive solo debut from Wolverton that shows his vocal and musical talents, as well as his ability to creatively control the sound. Fans of R&B and saxophone-driven smooth jazz should check out this album.

-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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"Kogutud Rikkus/Collected Riches" by Tanel Ruben (Jazz artist from Estonia)

"Kogutud Rikkus/Collected Riches" is an avant garde, free-form jazz album from talented jazz drummer Tanel Ruben. Ruben is a master of experimentation, an explorer of styles, and brings you the result of his exploration with this album. The songs are all unique and feature a healthy lineup of musicians that varies depending on the instrumental makeup of each track. Even with the variance from song to song, each song remains deeply rooted in the broad jazz genre, so you still feel a sense of continuity throughout. The arrangements are all solid, with interesting layers and nuances. And the sound quality is great, so you can break out the headphones with this one. Highlights include the opener, "So Long," a dirty track with unconventional progressions, odd changes, and great creative choices. The title track, "Kotugud Rikkus," is a smooth lounge number with a sultry female vocal. "Snake Song" features strange and quirky electronic elements and another fine arrangement. An album like "Kogutud Rikkus/Collected Riches" is a tough thing to accomplish, and Ruben does it well, with great arrangements centered around his talent as a jazz drummer and as a jazz composer. If you enjoy cutting edge, experimental jazz, pick up "Kogutud Rikkus/Collected Riches."

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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"Vegas Suite" by Frank Fabio (Jazz artist from Nevada)

"Vegas Suite" is a funky smooth jazz album that features fantastic guitar and bass work from multiinstrumentalist Frank Fabio. The album as a whole is very upbeat and refreshing with catchy, well layered, and diverse arrangements. Fabio is a pro at feeling out the different energies in his work, and he definitely puts his veteran skills on display with this album. The cornerstone of any instrumental album is the ability to tell a story without the addition of lyrics, and Fabio very much succeeds at that with "Vegas Suite." Fabio is also a great musician, both on bass and guitar, and has a full understanding of music. Highlights include "Love Is," a perfect example of instrumental storytelling that almost paints a picture of love in your mind. "Yes and No" is a wonderfully erratic number that showcases Frank's ability as a bassist and features some excellent piano and drum work as well. "Battleboy" is a loungy number with a house beat and relaxing atmospheric elements. "Vegas Suite" is an impressive album from Frank Fabio that showcases his talents both as a multiinstrumentalist and as a musical storyteller. If you enjoy listening to stylistic, musically diverse jazz artists, give this album a listen.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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“The Blessing” by Larry Randall (Spiritual/Jazz artist from Texas)

"The Blessing" is a four CD, eighty-six song spiritually inspiring, contemporary jazz gospel box set from Larry Randall. Randall believes that he was called upon to minister the word of God with music, to express the Holy Ghost within him through song in hopes of inspiring the Holy Ghost in his listener. Not surprisingly, all eighty-six songs are filled with religious imagery and spiritual, joyous, Biblical, and even prophetic lyrics. Vocally, Randall is a crooner, and at times sounds similar to Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé. The arrangements are typically simple and soft, so as not to overshadow Randall's message, but they are great collaborative efforts that hail from a variety of genres, including smooth jazz, big band, gospel, soul, Latin, Hindi, rock & roll, and R&B. The recording quality of "The Blessing" is quite good, and the arrangements and vocals both sound polished and professional. "We Are Home" is a slow smooth jazz number with smooth saxophone solos and lyrics of faith and unity. "Speak of His Joy" is a big band tune you could swear was actually being sung by Sinatra, and has more religious imagery about salvation and grace. "His Name is Jesus" has a great jazz arrangement as Randall pilfers through all of the names for Jesus. "Stand" is a fast-paced song with a Hindi-music-inspired arrangement and a group chant vocal. "Faithful and True" is a gospel song with a great organ-led arrangement and is a conversation between Randall and Jesus. "The Blessing" is a bold box set with great arrangements and ministering lyrics, and is it mere coincidence that it is a Bible-sized effort? Fans of contemporary jazz gospel looking to worship God through song, pick up Larry Randall's box set.

-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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"The Sea Turtles" by The Sea Turtles (Jazz/Rock artist from Pennsylvania)

Get ready to hit the beach with this innovative self titled jazz-infused instrumental surf album from The Sea Turtles. This Pennsylvania based three piece band relies strictly on guitar, bass, and drums to entertain your ears. It may sound simple, but they manage to create a full and innovative sound, causing the listener at once to feel as though they are both on an island and in a jazz club . The recording quality gives a similar feel; one could imagine The Sea Turtles booming through a speaker, live or recorded, at either location. This album shows The Sea Turtles superb improvisational skills, as well as their influences, which range from the Beach Boys on guitar to the classical jazz sound on drums and bass doubtlessly influenced by a plethora of jazz predecessors. "Fastback" creates a great smooth sound with jazz guitar and classic drum and bass lines. "Paragon" features a quick tempo and presents more of a rock feel as it begins with the bassist matching every note the guitar plays. Overall, "The Sea Turtles" is a fun, innovative, and impressive album for anyone who wants to know what jazzy surf rock is all about.

-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team

"From Hands To Hearts" by Robert Crawford (Jazz Artist from Ohio(OH))

"From Hands To Hearts" by Robert Crawford is an instrumental contemporary jazz album with a light and upbeat flair that brings forth a feel-good vibe right off the bat. Crawford's arrangements are well thought out and each song is complete. The choruses are very catchy and the roads between them are captivating and well-performed. You get a nice array of instruments to hear – guitar, flute, piano, saxophone, and funk bass – and no single instrument really establishes itself as the prominent force in the sound. Due to this musical diversity, each song is different yet consistent, and everything is very well layered throughout. The production quality of "From Hands To Hearts" is very good, and the mix is complimentary to the sound. Highlights include the opener, "R&R," which introduces the album with a prominent piano progression and a very catchy chorus, immediately peaking your interest. "With Him" features some sultry saxophone work and will put you in a satisfied state of relaxation. "Blue Skies" opens with heavy electronic elements and evolves into a quirky little number with some nice piano work. "From Hands To Hearts" offers a consistent upbeat sound created by a diverse array of instruments and arrangements. Fans of catchy contemporary ensemble jazz with a little attitude should give Robert Crawford a listen.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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"Ropatt IV" by Ropatt (Jazz Artist from California(CA))

"Ropatt IV" by Ropatt is an instrumental jazz-pop album full of catchy arrangements and airy smoothness. The first thing you will notice with this act is their advanced level of writing; the songs are intricately layered but remain listenable at the same time. The progressions are well thought out and allow Ropatt to create a nice array of sounds. Variety is another big element of "Ropatt IV" as the vibe switches between relaxed and upbeat throughout the album, sometimes mixing the two. It is well-produced and well-mixed, allowing you to hear the big sound that Ropatt has created. "Slam Dunk" is an awakening opener with a larger than life intro that gives you a first glimpse at the talents of the artist and a nice transition into a funked-out musical journey. "Pumpin' In Palm Springs" features some urban beats, but the real story with this song is melody and flow. "Fundamentals" is another smooth number with nice melody and great complimentary elements. "Ropatt IV" is a thorough and impressive musical feat with intelligently written songs and a great overall smooth sound. If you enjoy smooth jazz with an urban touch, give Ropatt IV a listen.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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