Michael Bublé - Call Me Irresponsible

Canadian crooner, Michael Bublé, is a throwback to the past with his Sinatra-style sound. Helped by his italian grandfather, he he began singing in nightclubs at the age of 16 facilitated by his Italian grandfather, a plumber who offered free plumbing services to get his grandson on stage. His grandfather also paid for his singing lessons with opera baritone, Joseph Shore.

When he was 18, he entered and won several local talent contests but that did not translate into much success. For seven years he would sing in anything from talent shows, conventions, cruise ships, malls, hotel lounges, bars, clubs, corporate gigs, theatres, music revues, and even the occasional singing Santa Claus.

He was about to give up and pursue journalism when he got his big break in 2000. Michael McSweeney, an aide to former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, showed the album to Mulroney and his wife. Subsequently, Bublé was invited to sing at the wedding of Mulroney's daughter Caroline. At the wedding, Bublé was introduced to David Foster, a multi-Grammy Award winning producer and record executive who had worked previously with artists such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Céline Dion, Barbra Streisand, Kenny G., Cher, Josh Groban, and Andrea Bocelli.

This led to a record deal and the release of his first album in 2003, a self-titled release, which was a success. Subsequent releases have only built on his success and he has accumulated many awards including a Grammy for 'Call Me Irresponsible'.

Call Me Irresponsible is off his 2007 album of the same name.

Medeski, Martin & Wood – End of the World Party

Martin, Medeski and Wood, MMW, is Billy Martin on drums and percussion, John Medeski on keyboards and piano and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar. They all met when they were introduced by Billy Martin's instructor, Bob Moses. The trio originally began as an acoustic jazz group, playing mainly in the New York City area. Due to the trouble of touring with a piano, Medeski switched to a Hammond organ.

MMW gained significant exposure outside of the New York City jazz scene when they performed with Phish in October of 1995. Their inclusion in the Jam Band circuit and, their performance on John Scofield's 1997 album A Go Go helped increase thier fan base. This led to many future collaborations with Scofield, including 2006's release Out Louder with Scofield.

End of the World Party is a funky jazz, almost pop, track off their 2004 release End of the World Party (Just In Case).

The band members were introduced to each other by jazz drummer Bob Moses, who had performed with Medeski and Wood, and was Martin's instructor.

Jeff Golub - Cold Sweat

Jeff Golub started off by learning and playing 60's blues rock guitar like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. But once he heard Wes Montgomery play, his guitar playing course completely changed. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and in 1980 he moved to New York, joining rocker Billy Squier. Jeff appeared on 7 Squire albums and 3 world tours before joining Rod Stewart from 1988 until 1995, performing on 4 albums and 5 world tours as well as recording the live DVD "One Night Only" live at Royal Albert Hall.

However, playing jazz is his first love. He released his first solo recording, Unspoken Words in 1988 and then became a band leader for Avenue Blue when he released the band's self-titled album in 1994. In 2000, he went solo and released Dangerous Curves, releasing five more solo albums since. He is an excellent guitarist that crosses over between jazz, smooth jazz, blues, rock and pop very easily. For his latest release, he returns to his '80s rock roots with the electric blues album Blues for You which includes vocals from such old pals as Billy Squier, Peter Wolfe and John Waite.

Cold Sweat, the classic James Brown tune, off his 2002 release, Do It Again, really showcases what he can do.

Cal Tjader - Soul Sauce

I still remember the first time I heard Cal Tjader. I was in college and was dating a woman. We went on a date and had a bite to eat on the Delmar Loop area of St. Louis. Afterward, we stopped by the stellar used record store, Vintage Vinyl. We browsed around and she pulled out Cal Tjader's 1954 Mambo with Tjader. She went up and asked them to put it on and began to dance to the first track, Mamblues. Soon almost everyone in the place dancing and jamming. The beginning of a memorable night. Ah, youth....

Tjader was born in St. Louis in 1925 and moved to San Mateo when he was 2. After serving in WWII, he attended San Jose State on the GI bill, intending to teach. He transfer to San Francisco State where he took timpani lesson. While in San Fransisco, he met up with Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond and became the drummer in the Dave Brubeck octet. The octet broke up, but Tjader and Brubeck formed the Dave Brubeck trio and became a fixture in San Francisco jazz scene. It was during this time that Tjader taught himself the vibraphone.

The trio disbanded in 1951 after Brubeck's diving accident in Hawaii and Tjader bounced around and became more influenced by the Latin Jazz sound. He recorded several album on the Fantasy Label before moving over to Verve in the early 60's. He recorded with a wide range of artists including Donald Byrd, Anita O'Day, Willie Bobo, Armando Peraza, Kenny Burrell and a young Chick Corea.

He continued to record prolifically but was hurt in the 70's by the huge growth of Rock and Roll. He played on and in 1980, he earned his only Grammy, winning Best Latin Recording for La Onda Va Bien. He died in 1982 while on tour in Manila.

Today Hump Day Retro-Closet tune is Soul Sauce, Tjader's biggest hit, off his 1964 recording of the same name.

St. Germain - Pont Des Arts

Gt. Germain is the stage name for Frenchman, Ludovic Navarre. Navarre began recording the 90's under many alias: Subsystem, Modus Vivendi, Deepside. He first recorded as St. Germain with the 1996 release, Boulevard. His music has been described as a mix between house and jazz.

Pont Des Arts is off his second release, Tourist. Tourist, released on Blue Note Records, is an excellent album that expands more into jazz than Boulevard by bringing in many jazz musicians to play over his house grooves. Trumpter, Pascal Ohse, sax and flute player, Edouard Labor, and guitarist Ernest Ranglin lend their touches to make Tourist an album that has been on constant rotation on my MP3 player.

Ibrahim Ferrer - Melodía del Río

Cuban singer, Ibrahim Ferrer, was catapulted from obscurity and poverty to international fame in the twilight of his life. He was born in 1927 when his mother went into labor at a dance. Orphaned at age 12, he earned a living busking on the streets of Havana and joined a group the next year. He was fairly popular in Cuba in the 50's and the time immediately following the 1959 Cuban Revolution. But in the early 60's, Cuba dived into poverty and Ferrer was forced to move to the slums of Havana with his wife and 11 children. He continued to sing and took odd jobs to keep money coming in.

Looking on the bright side, he said "The music got better after the Revolution because we weren't playing for tourists so much". He 'retired' from music in 1991, but was coaxed out of retirement in 1996, when Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American Guitarist Ry Cooder traveled to Cuba in search of musicians for a project. They were blown away by the now 69-year Ferrer who along with 89-year-old guitarist Compay Segundo and the 77-year-old pianist Rubén González recorded Buena Vista Social Club. The album, released in 1999, sold over four million copies and made Ferrer and international celebrity.

Melodía del Río (River Melody) is off his last release, Mi Sueño, an album devoted to the bolero. The album was released in 2006, a year after his death in Havana of multiple organ failure.

Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers - King Harvest

Bruce Hornsby has always been interested in all types of music. He studied music at the University of Richmond (VA), Berklee College of Music and the University of Miami. His first real band was a Grateful Dead cover band called "Bobby Hi-Test and the Octane Kids" which included his older brother Bobby.

Hornsby then moved to LA and worked as music writer for 20th Century Fox for 3 years before moving back to Northern Virgina. In 1984, he formed Bruce Hornsby and the Range and had his biggest hit in 1986 with The Way It Is and won a Grammy in 1987 for Best New Artist.

He continue to be successful but began to branch out. From 1988 to 1995, he became an informal member of Grateful Dead. He wrote prolifically for other artists including End of the Innocence for Don Henley and I can't Make You Love Me for Bonnie Raitt. During this era he slowly began to slip jazz and bluegrass elements into his music. He reworked his hit "The Valley Road" with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and won the 1990 Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Recording.

Hornsby recorded several solo albums and even moved into Jazz. (Interesting Note: Hornsby is big St. Louis Cardinal fan and is friends with manager Tony LaRussa. La Russa introduced him to jazz bassist Christian McBride, which then led to the formation of jazz trio, The Bruce Hornsby Trio)

King Haven is from Hornsby's group The Noisemakers off the great compilation of The Band covers, Endless Highway: The Music of the Band.

Paris Combo - Chez Nous

To continue the world music theme, today I bring you Paris Combo, which as their name suggests, they are based in Paris, France. They are an acoustic group that have an eclectic style, blending elements from the traditional French chanson, American jazz and swing, Roma music and North African music. This 5 member group is as culturally diverse as their music with two French members, vocalist Belle du Berry, drummer Francois Francois, Australian trumpeter Davis Lewis, Madagasgan bassist Mano Ranzanajato and Mediterranean guitarist Potzi.

Chez Nous is off their 2000 release, Living Room.

Eliane Elias - Day In Day Out

I fell in love with Eliane Elias' voice and jazz piano from the moment I first heard her. She originally trained as a classical pianist in her native Brazil, but grew up listening the jazz albums that her parents played at home. She started composing and, more notably, performing her own jazz pieces at seventeen.

Eventually landing in New York, she recorded with several notable jazz artists and in 1986 she became a successful band leader in her own right. In 1988 she was elected as "Best New Talent" by the JAZZIZ magazine poll of jazz critics.

Starting with her 1990 album "Eliane Elias Plays Jobim", she began to add her own vocals to her recordings. Her intimate, direct style of singing contrasts charmingly with her muscular piano solo work, which itself contrasts nicely to her gently driving stylings under her vocals.

Day In Day Out is off her excellent 2008 release Bossa Nova Stories.

Grant Green - Sookie Sookie

Apparently, I have the days of the week mixed up and missed the Hump Day Retro Closet from yesterday. So to make up for that here is the post-Hump Day Retro Closet track.

Grant Green is one of my favorite guitarists. It helps that he also hails from my home town of St. Louis. An underrated guitarists, he spent most of his career with Blue Note Records. The best description of him I have read is by critics Michael Erlewine and Ron Wynn. They wrote that Green is "a severely underrated player during his lifetime, Grant Green is one of the great unsung heroes of jazz guitar ... Green's playing is immediately recognizable -- perhaps more than any other guitarist."

His career spanned 3 decades until his untimely death in 1979. He spent much of 1978 in hospital, and against the advice of doctors, went back on the road to earn some money. While in New York to play an engagement at George Benson's Breezin' Lounge, Grant collapsed in his car of a heart attack in New York City on January 31, 1979.

Sookie Sookie is off his 1970 Blue Note release, Alive!.

Kutiman - I'm New

Kutiman, real name Ophir Kutiel, is a musician, composer, producer and animator from Israel. He studied Jazz at Rimon Music College in Tel Aviv.

While working at a local convenience store in Tel Aviv, Kutiel tuned into a college radio station that was playing music that was much different than the classical jazz he had been used to playing. He was introduced to afrobeat and funk, including the sounds of James Brown and Fela Kuti. His obsession with Fela Kuti and the fact that his last name was similar led him to create the stage-name of Kutiman. He traveled to Jamaica to research reggae and afrobeat and work with Stephen and Damien Marley.

In 2008, he released ThruYOU, an online music video project mixed from samples of YouTube videos. I'm New is one of the results.

Soulive - Cannonball

Listen on imeem.com <-- What's this?

Soulive is a 3 piece jazz/funk band founded by brothers Alan and Neal Evans and guitarist Eric Krasno. During their career they have used several horn sections (Fred Wesley from James Brown's band the JB's has even done arranging on their 2000 release Doin' Something).

They band has worked with an wide variety of artists like Dave Matthews, Chaka Khan, Ivan Neville, Robert Randolph and Talib Kweli.

They are all about danceable, organ-driven instrumental groove-jazz. They fuse the soul-jazz of the past with a modern hip-hop feel. Krasno's guitar work is reminiscent of Grant Green and their rhythms have the influence of James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Sly Stone.

Cannonball is from their Blue Note release Doin' Something.

Jane Monheit - Something Cool

Full Track on imeem. <-- What's this?

When Jane Monheit was only 20, she was the first runner-up in the 1998 Theolonius Monk Institute vocal competition. The judges couldn't exactly place her sound, but knew she had incredible talent. By 2000 she was one of the highest-touted female talents in jazz.

She has an awesome voice that I could easily listen to all day. She has excellent range and is great at using the small vocal nuances and inflections that just bring a song to life.

Something Cool is a remake of the classic June Christy tune, but Monheit makes it uniquely her own. This track is off her latest album, The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me, which she recorded while pregnant with her first child.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Stomping Grounds

Bela Fleck has been one of my favorite musicians for a long time. Since seeing him for the first time in the late 80's, I have been a huge fan. He puts on an incredible live performance.

Stomping Ground is an excellent song that showcases his unparalleled banjo-picking ability and Victor Wooten's incredible fretless bass talent. The track is off, Live Art, his great anthology of live performances (where is shines brightest). Jazz greats like Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, and Bruce Hornsby all join in on various tracks.

Down To The Bone - Gotta Get Back To You

Down To The Bone describes themselves as a funk/soul/jazz band. Hailing from England, DTTB is unique in that the leader, Stuart Wade, does not play any instruments at all. Instead, Wade uses a dictaphone to hum tunes into, which are then recorded by the band (whose members constantly change).

Gotta Get Back To You is a funky tune off the eclectic album, Spread Love Like Wildfire. Whenever I hear this tune, a Starsky and Hutch car chase scene pops into my head. But that my be just me.

Wayman Tisdale - Get Down On It

Let me first say, Wayman we'll miss you. Wayman Tisdale passed away on May 15th, at the age of 44, after a battle with cancer. After an All-American college career playing basketball at Oklahoma, Olympic gold medal and 13 years in the NBA, he began his second career as a jazz bassist.

He began playing bass at an early age in the church where his father was the pastor. He was completely self taught and could not read music. He even got Coach Tubbs to move the Sunday practice to evenings to accommodate Tisdale's bass playing in church.

Tisdale jazzes up a cover of Kool and the Gang's Get Down On It from his 2006 release Way Up! The album features a host of jazz stars like Jeff Lorber, Bob James, George Duke, Ricky Peterson, Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, Dave Koz and Mel Brown.

We'll miss your jazz funk and your great smile. Keep playing on big man.

KJ Denhert - Silence Was Deafening

KJ Denhert is a unique artist, singer, guitarist and songwriter. She is hard to pigeon-hole and calls her music Urban Folk and Jazz. Her voice is powerful, her lyrics full of intelligent insight, and her musicianship is impeccable. Silence Was Deafening off her Girl Like Me album is a great song. I like every track on the album and it's been on my standard rotation since I got it.

Sekou Bunch - Take Five / In Three

Sekou Bunch is a jazz bassist who has some very good grooves. Sometimes compared with Wayman Tisdale, Bunch stand on his own. He takes this Brubeck classic, and makes it uniquely his own. The Next Level, which contains Take Five / In Three is an excellent jazz album and Bunch has help from some jazz heavyweights like Boney James and Stanley Clarke.

Useless trivia: Bunch was the first eliminated contestant from Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006.

Ronny Jordan - The Jackal

Ronny Jordan is pure acid jazz funk. Record companies originally did not want anything to do with him. He showed them with all of his great work and a Grammy nomination in 2000.

The Jackal off his 1993 release, The Quiet Revolution, is an awesome song with Jordan's great guitar work and Dana Bryant's fun, funky lyrics - "I knew I had died and gone to chocolate heaven" Classic.
If you have a chance check out C.J. Cregg lip-synching it on the West Wing on YouTube.

Marc Antoine - Cruisin'

Marc Antoine is modern jazz fusion guitarist who takes his classical training and blends a pop-latin sound to make some great music. Born in Paris, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris where he developed his skills learning classical guitar.

Cruisin' is off his 2001 release of the same name. Although, not his best album, the title track is a great song that makes me think of sitting on the beach, sun on my face and sipping on a drink with an little umbrella stuck in it.