The Secret Garden - June 2000

[Site map] [Smooth Jazz News] [Smooth Jazz Page] [Smooth Links] [Smooth Sailing] [Smooth Talk BBS] [Viking View] [Contempo] [Vaults] [Guestbook] [Search] [Home] [E-mail]

June 2000 Smooth Jazz Vibes title logo Denis Poole offers his view with an english slant on all that's good in smooth jazz

Welcome to the June 2000 issue of Denis Poole’s Secret Garden - the page which offers a British perspective on all that’s good, and not so good, in the world of smooth jazz.

SoundscapeUK - Uptown Groove.

Big news this month for lovers of smooth jazz is the 15 May 2000 release of the latest album from SoundscapeUK, Uptown Groove.

Already well regarded on the UK smooth jazz scene because of their groove and the profile afforded to it by the radio station Jazz FM, this latest addition to their portfolio moves them up yet another notch in the credibility stakes.

For those not familiar with the project, SoundscapeUK is a collaboration between former Style Council member Mick Talbot and legendary pioneer of the acid jazz scene Chris Bangs.

Talbot is regarded as one of the UK’s finest keyboard players. Drawing on influences that range from Billy Preston, the Rolling Stones and Jelly Roll Morton, he had played in a variety of band before teaming up with Paul Weller to form those purveyors of blue eyed soul, The Style Council. Acid jazz was next on the agenda for Talbot playing with such artists as Carleen Anderson, Galliano, The Young Disciples and Steve White.

Soundscape UK Uptown Groove (Instinct Records)

DJ and producer Chris Bangs has arrived into the world of smooth jazz via what some would consider an unusual route. After helping to light up the expanding black music dance scene of the early eighties he went through the eighties and into the nineties as a pioneering and inspirational figure in British underground dance.

For Bangs a significant move came late in the eighties with the birth of Eddie Piller’s Acid Jazz label. Here Chris became responsible, both as producer and artist, for many of the early recordings on the label. With a growing reputation Bangs next project was to set up his own studio and production company, Thin Air. His talent was becoming known outside the acid jazz scene, a fact endorsed when his production skills began to be utilised by rock luminary Paul Weller. This formed a link with the Style Council and Mick Talbot. A partnership emerged between Bangs and Talbot. SoundscapeUK was born.

Their 1997 album Smooth With a Groove was well received with the Bangs / Talbot composition ‘Brand New Day’ enjoying good quality airplay. It was also featured on the 1999 compilation album from the Jazz FM label, Velvet – Smooth Moods 2.

Jazziz magazine has described SoundscapeUK as the perfect fusion between smooth jazz and the real McCoy. Certainly this new album takes a whole new angle on contemporary jazz funk, mixing the best elements of smooth jazz with funky soul beats.

The line up for Uptown Groove features Opal on vocals, Talbot playing fender rhodes, Wurlitzer and keyboards, Lisa Grahame on saxes and flute, Dave Priseman on flugelhorn and trumpet, Nigel Price of the Quietboys playing guitars, Cyril McKammon providing additional keyboards, Marvin Katz on percussion, Gota Yashiki helping out with additional drums and Chris Bangs handling drum and bass programming.

Uptown Groove is highly recommended. Recorded in London and New York City between summer 1999 and spring 2000 it breaks down cleanly into two categories, instrumental and vocals, the latter category being handled smoothly and soulfully by Opal. Her style becomes immediately evident on track #2, ‘Never Felt Love’ where we find her featuring on an upbeat number that has the potential to fill dance floors while on track #5, ‘You Make It Heaven’, she puts the class into classic with her version of the Terri Wells hit. Opal is back on track #8 with the sultry ‘More Love’ and bows out on track #10 with ‘Magic Hour’, a must for late night mood music.

The instrumentals offer an unusually high number of stand out ‘radio ready’ tracks. Listen to track #1 ‘Uptown Groovin’ and immediately believe that this will be the one to be lifted for Jazz FM use. But then track #3 ‘Feel The Love’, track #4 ‘The New Groove’, track #6 ‘Steppin Out’, track #7 ‘Higher And Higher’ and perhaps most of all track #9 ‘East River Drive’ are all worthy contenders for good quality air play.

The album closes with the Latin flavours of ‘Terra Mia’. Great for dancing or for watching Brazil play soccer.

Uptown Groove is a great record without a weak link across its eleven expertly produced tracks. The Secret Garden verdict is go out and buy it. In the U.K. it’s on Thin Air Productions, number funki 2001. In the U.S. this album will be released on Instinct Records June 13, 2000.

Smooth Soul Survivors

Regular readers of The Secret Garden will know that for a recording to qualify as a Smooth Soul Survivor it must be a much loved smooth jazz track which has its origins deep in the soul music of the 60’s and 70’s. By chronicling the roots and development of such discs it is the intention of The Secret Garden to encourage you to search out these items of buried treasure from the racks of your favourite record stores.

Now for another look back in time. In the cross over heaven between soul and smooth jazz there can be few soul artists that have hit the smooth soul spot as frequently and sincerely as the artist responsible for this months Smooth Soul Survivor. This artist is Marvin Gaye. The track is Mercy Mercy Me.

Remembered too often for the nature of his death rather than the triumphs of his life, his influence in the smoother side of soul reaches far and wide. His discography is breathtaking. It spans the twenty-six years between 1958 and 1984 and it is ironic that someone with a sound so sweet could have lived such a troubled life.

Marvin Pentz Gay was born 2 April 1939 in Washington DC. He added the ‘e’ to his surname as an adult in the style of his musical hero Sam Cooke. His father, Marvin Sr. was an ordained minister in the House of God, a conservative Christian sect that imposes strict codes of conduct and observes no holidays. His escape from the disciplines and austerity of home life was music. He took up the piano and drums and, as a teenager, on his discharge from the US Air Force, began singing in local groups in his hometown of Washington. Participation in one such group, the local top attraction the Rainbows, brought him to the attention of Harvey Fuqua who recruited the Rainbows into his own backing ensemble the Moonglows. A performance by the Moonglows in Detroit, watched by Berry Gordy Junior, led to Gaye being signed to Motown in 1961.

After a slow start, and a spell working as a session drummer on early hits by Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, by 1962 his solo career was off and running. The hits started and just kept coming. As well as his solo credits he was also known for his duets with Motown stars Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell.

It was in 1971 that the self produced What’s Going On was released. It was an album that is widely seen as a landmark effort heralding a dramatic shift in both content and style that forever changed the face of black music. It incorporated jazz and classical elements to forge a sophisticated and fluid soul sound. Remarkably, Motown in general and Berry Gordy in particular failed to ‘get’ the political and spiritual overtones of What’s Going On and initially refused to release it. When he relented, Gaye was immediately vindicated when the title track reached #2 in 1971. Both follow ups ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ and ‘Inner City Blues’ also made the top ten.

As a Smooth Soul Survivor ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ has massive credentials. The Marvin Gaye rendition has appeared on many compilations. Covers date right back to the year of the original, 1971, with a Blue Note album released by funky soul and jazzman Rueben Wilson, Set Us Free. In 1981 the great Grover Washington Jnr. included it on the album Baddest and in 1984 it was given the reggae treatment by Aswad on their recording Rebel Souls. Milira featured it on the 1989 Milira and seven years later this version showed up on the compilation Funkology Volume 3.

The nineties really found the track coming to prominence. In 1994 Special EFX included it on their release Catwalk. Fans of the JazzFusions series will know that this version can also be found on JazzFusions 3, a compilation that will be reviewed in a future edition of Secret Garden.

In 1997 Everette Harp brought it out on the album of the same name and a version by the Apostles surfaces on three compilations, Mellow Acid Vibes (1998), Acid Jazz Collection Volume 1 (1999) and Smooth Jazz Grooves (2000).

In 1999 it was performed by Jon B on the tribute album Marvin Is 60 and it has been honoured by a variety of other artists from the worlds of pop, rock, jazz and reggae. It can even be found on the soundtrack of the TV series ‘Murphy Brown’. What is clear is that ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ is a true smooth soul survivor.

But what of the man himself. Gaye’s was a glowing career dogged, sadly, by a painful private life. Two failed marriages and a growing reliance on drugs led him, in 1984, in an attempt to regain control of his troubled life, to move back into the home of his parents. It proved not to be the answer he was looking for and on 1 April 1984, one day before his 45th birthday, his father shot him dead in the aftermath of a heated argument. His memorial is his music, which remains for all to enjoy and savour.

Have you any comments on what you have found in this months Secret Garden or have you a favourite Smooth Soul Survivor that you would enjoy being featured in a future edition. If so please contact the Smooth Jazz Vibes Guest Book or e-mail me on DenisPoole@AOL.com

Added: 6/4/2000

Smooth Soul Survivors
Regular readers of The Secret Garden will know that for a recording to qualify as a Smooth Soul Survivor it must be a much loved smooth jazz track which has its origins deep in the soul music of the 60’s and 70’s. By chronicling the roots and development of such discs it is the intention of The Secret Garden to encourage you to search out these items of buried treasure from the racks of your favourite record stores.
	Now for another look back in time. In the cross over heaven between soul and smooth jazz there can be few soul artists that have hit the smooth soul spot as frequently and sincerely as the artist responsible for this months Smooth Soul Survivor. This artist is Marvin Gaye. The track is Mercy Mercy Me. Remembered too often for the nature of his death rather than the triumphs of his life, his influence in the smoother side of soul reaches far and wide. His discography is breathtaking. It spans the twenty-six years between 1958 and 1984 and it is ironic that someone with a sound so sweet could have lived such a troubled life. Marvin Pentz Gay was born 2 April 1939 in Washington DC. He added the ‘e’ to his surname as an adult in the style of his musical hero Sam Cooke. His father, Marvin Sr. was an ordained minister in the House of God, a conservative Christian sect that imposes strict codes of conduct and observes no holidays. His escape from the disciplines and austerity of home life was music. He took up the piano and drums and, as a teenager, on his discharge from the US Air Force, began singing in local groups in his hometown of Washington. Participation in one such group, the local top attraction the Rainbows, brought him to the attention of Harvey Fuqua who recruited the Rainbows into his own backing ensemble the Moonglows. A performance by the Moonglows in Detroit, watched by Berry Gordy Junior, led to Gaye being signed to Motown in 1961. After a slow start, and a spell working as a session drummer on early hits by Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, by 1962 his solo career was off and running. The hits started and just kept coming. As well as his solo credits he was also known for his duets with Motown stars Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell. It was in 1971 that the self produced What’s Going On was released. It was an album that is widely seen as a landmark effort heralding a dramatic shift in both content and style that forever changed the face of black music. It incorporated jazz and classical elements to forge a sophisticated and fluid soul sound. Remarkably, Motown in general and Berry Gordy in particular failed to ‘get’ the political and spiritual overtones of What’s Going On and initially refused to release it. When he relented, Gaye was immediately vindicated when the title track reached #2 in 1971. Both follow ups ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ and ‘Inner City Blues’ also made the top ten. As a Smooth Soul Survivor ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ has massive credentials. The Marvin Gaye rendition has appeared on many compilations. Covers date right back to the year of the original, 1971, with a Blue Note album released by funky soul and jazzman Rueben Wilson, Set Us Free. In 1981 the great Grover Washington Jnr. included it on the album Baddest and in 1984 it was given the reggae treatment by Aswad on their recording Rebel Souls. Milira featured it on the 1989 Milira and seven years later this version showed up on the compilation Funkology Volume 3. The nineties really found the track coming to prominence. In 1994 Special EFX included it on their release Catwalk. Fans of the JazzFusions series will know that this version can also be found on JazzFusions 3, a compilation that will be reviewed in a future edition of Secret Garden. In 1997 Everette Harp brought it out on the album of the same name and a version by the Apostles surfaces on three compilations, Mellow Acid Vibes (1998), Acid Jazz Collection Volume 1 (1999) and Smooth Jazz Grooves (2000). In 1999 it was performed by Jon B on the tribute album Marvin Is 60 and it has been honoured by a variety of other artists from the worlds of pop, rock, jazz and reggae. It can even be found on the soundtrack of the TV series ‘Murphy Brown’. What is clear is that ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ is a true smooth soul survivor. But what of the man himself. Gaye’s was a glowing career dogged, sadly, by a painful private life. Two failed marriages and a growing reliance on drugs led him, in 1984, in an attempt to regain control of his troubled life, to move back into the home of his parents. It proved not to be the answer he was looking for and on 1 April 1984, one day before his 45th birthday, his father shot him dead in the aftermath of a heated argument. His memorial is his music, which remains for all to enjoy and savour.