Ragan Whiteside - "Treblemaker" (2017)

Ragan Whiteside - "Treblemaker" (2017)
album review by flutediary.blogspot.com

Another flute jazz album comes to us this month. Ragan Whiteside from Atlanta, GA, released her fourth album "Treblemaker" on May 2017. Treblemaker is a full length smooth jazz album featuring Ragan takes on the flute, Pretty much similar to her contemporary Althea Rene, Ragan Whiteside brings out a lot of smooth jazz, funk and R&B in the album.

Right from the first song "Corey's Bob" we heard a strong R&B beat wrapped with funky guitar and piano. The flute melody flows smoothly, playing simple passage and then improved it creatively. "Early Arrival" started with legatolized guitar licks, the guitar then accompanied the whole song with excellent rhythm while Ragan having her fun times with featuring saxophonist Kim Waters. "By the Moonlight" sounds slightly Latin feel, the addition of melodic percussion (vibra / marimba?) gives a new dimension to the album. The whole percussion feel comes more strongly in next song "The Sun Came Up". In "Let's Do This", Ragan teamed up with trumpeters Tom Browne to play this cheerful tunes. "I Never Told You" is the only vocal track in the album. "Flute Funk" is another energetic flute exploration that going to pleased any flute lovers. The guest artist is Frank MC Comb, a productive jazz producer and pianist. Thus we arrived in the last three songs of the album. "Love Song" is a romantic flute and saxophone duet, with artist Marion Meadows. "Mystic Vibration" is a return to up tempo R&B beat. Lastly, "See You at the Get Down" is final jamming session with maestro Bob Baldwin and their band. We got to heard the full team of brass "attacking" the flutist. The best tunes in the album indeed.

Treblemaker is full of fantastic smooth jazz grooves. Enjoy the fluidity of flute melody accompanied by excellent jazz musicians. Ragan Whiteside has delivered another breathtaking album to expand her rich discography with "Treblemaker". Grab this one fast.

Ragan Whiteside - "Treblemaker" (2017)
BUY IT HERE

01. Intro
02. Corey's Bop
03. Early Arrival (feat Kim Waters)
04. By the Moonlight
05. The Sun Came Up
06. Let's Do This (feat. Tom Browne)
07. I Never Told You
08. Flute Funk (Feat. Frank MC Comb)
09. Love Song (feat. Marion Meadows)
10. Mystic Vibration
11. See You at the Get Down (feat. Bob Baldwin & the Pr Experience)

Althea Rene - Unstoppable (2017)

Unstoppable. Detroit based jazz flutiest, Althea Rene, launched her latest studio album this April 2017. The album "Unstoppable". is her sixth studio album. As we have heard before in Althea's previous works, the album consisted of flute as soloist in smooth jazz. According to my quick listening, Unstoppable is rather more serious in vibes than to its predecessors. There are not many "sweet" tunes but now the band plays something more technical, with many other instruments joined the spot of solos.

The first track is "Unstoppable", the song build up slowly before the flute takes the storm with virtuoso. The keys having some good times doing duel solos in the interlude. "Gypsy Soul" is the single. Also played in slightly upbeat tempo, Gypsy Soul offered a simple themes that a natural to flute. "Now & Forever" is a mellow song, got some most beautiful flute melody in there.Most of the them the keys is a strong companion in the song, as in "What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'". In which the guitar also joined the party. Many interesting song in the middle and end section. "I-75" introduced us to sax as partner in solo. The last song "Another Star" brings us back to Latin feel which we have experiences in Althea's works. This is also the only song with featured female vocalist.

In short, this is a strong album to introduced a friend to flute jazz. Althea performances is absolutely breathtaking, tunes coming out fast and smooth. The recording also mixed well, captured the best from the band. Order your copy now.


BUY IT HERE

 Althea Rene - Unstoppable (2017)
1. Unstoppable 3:34
2. Gypsy Soul 3:42
3. Now & Forever 4:17
4. What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin' 4:10
5. Rain 3:32
6. Changing Lanes 4:06
7. My Summer Love 4:16
8. I-75 4:47
9. When I See You 4:21
10. Another Star 7:21

album review "Unstoppable" Althea Rene - Detroit Female Flute Jazz

Kim Scott - Southern Heat (2016)

New Flute smooth jazz album review 2016 - by flutediary.blogspot.com

Southern Heat is the third full length studio album from Kim Scott. Flutist Kim Scoot hailed as a new smooth jazz soloist, straight up from the state of Alabama. She started her fame in her previous two albums, "Rite of Passage" and "Crossing Over". These two albums were a success for Kim, and thus Southern Heat is much waited third album for her fans.  She claimed that : "My previous albums were chock full of me playing melodies, which was cool – but here my goal was to do a hot album with a mix of uplifting originals and cover tunes people would dance to."

The albums started with a famous Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". Kim had totally converted this hits into smooth jazz version, with the flute taken over the voice lines. As the nature of the song, this flow smoothly and those who young enough to not recognize the song will directly thinking that this an original song designated for flute. "Fantastic Voyage" is vocal song, with flute roled as supporting / duet instruments. Kim Scott's voice sounds right with this R/B song. The flagship song is "Sizzle", a totally smooth jazz tunes with energetic groove. The flute laid on top of the thematic riff with virtuosity.

Interesting turn of event is "Forgiveness" where the flute is a highlighted duet together with acoustic guitar in ballad mode. Felt the solemn for once in this otherwise juicy jazzy album. As mentioned in the official editorial, "Glorious" is hot Latin nuance song, supposedly by origin of Martha Munizzi. And there are other songs that very likely to heathen up your day with Kim's flute playing.

Southern Heat is tasty flute smooth jazz album to fill the void of 2016's release. Kim Scott is one of today's generation of female flute artist, in the same boat as Althea Rene. She actually shared quite a similar styles to Althea, but with her other specialty in singing, the different should be tell-able. Those who waiting for quality flute smooth jazz album, here is the nice one to have.

Kim Scott - Southern Heat (2016)
Buy it HERE _ Amazon

1. Billie Jean 5:04
2. Fantastic Voyage 5:33  (Vocals Kim Scott)
3. Sizzle 4:26
4. It's Your Time 4:29  (Vocals Kim Scott)
5. Forgiveness 5:37
6. Two Become One 5:54
7. Glorious 4:34
8. What You Stank About This? 5:46
9. Groove with Me (Stank Remix) (with vocals)

Editorial Review:
Well known for her unique, hauntingly beautiful tone, Flutist Kim Scott amps things up considerably on her debut CD for Innervision Records, Southern Heat produced by Kelvin Wooten, whose credits include contemporary R&B greats Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige and Chrisette Michele. It includes wild, infectious re-imaginings of R&B classics like MJ's "Billie Jean" and Lakeside's otherworldly "Fantastic Voyage", and a fiery Latin jam of Martha Munizzi's gospel hit "Glorious". Southern Heat also features a batch of soulful, inspiring originals (all co-penned by Kim) that show case her virtuosity as a flutist and increasing presence as a lead vocalist. Among these are the elegant, spiritual minded ballad "Forgiveness", the exotic, deep bass slow-jam "Two Become One" and the trippy and edgy trance-soul tune "What You STANK About This? The set closes with a "Stank Remix" of that last son called "Groove With Me" that comes alive with Stephen Strickland's rap and instruction on some new hip-hop dance steps created by Kim.

The title of her latest hit, the edgy, brass and funk fired "Sizzle" - featuring the dynamic trumpet of co-writer Lin Rountree - has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the lead single from Southern Heat was also a Top 20 hit on the National Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart. 

Darnell White - This Love (2016)

by flutediary.blogspot.com
Darnell White is jazz flutist born and active in Los Angeles area. His resume included collaboration with Chuckii Booker and Barry White. In 2016, he released his debut solo album called "This Love". The album contained instrumental flute music and also vocal's one, all in smooth jazz. The highlight is "This Love" featuring Darnell himself on vocals. "Song for Barry" is melancholy in mood, dedicated for the late Barry White.  The song included trumpet solo section. The whole album decorated with strong R&B rhythm. Any flute jazz lover should check this album.

Here from Darnell White official website:

Our concept was to incorporate different flavors of music, R&B, Jazz, Brazilian, and Funk.  I decided to use different songwriters, such as myself, Chuckii, and longtime friends and fellow musicians, songwriter and keyboardist, Carnell Burton, and bassist Byron Cole, respectively, and, up and coming songwriter, Jazelle Paris, who is currently on tour with Cee-Lo Green, and is also an amazing singer.  She came into the studio and assisted on the song, "Meeting You," which was written by Carnell Burton.

Darnell White - This Love (2016)
BUY IT HERE AMAZON

01. Don't You Know [00:04:13]
02. D Street [00:05:06]
03. Casa Cabrillo [00:04:41]
04. Dance the Night Away [00:05:37]
05. Lover Come Back [00:03:41]
06. Song for Barry [00:04:35]
07. Mr Marvin (feat. Chuckii Booker) [00:05:15]
08. This Love (feat. Darnell White) [00:04:41]
09. Lesson Learned (feat. Chuckii Booker) [00:04:26]
10. Meeting You (feat. Chuckii Booker) [00:03:56]
11. Song for Barry (Reprise) [00:01:06]

Lenny Mac Dowell Band - LIVE (2016)

Artist: Lenny Mac Dowell Band
Genre : Smooth Jazz
Release: April 2016
Label : Blue Flame Records  Buy It HERE

A Germany based flutist, Lenny Mac Dowell had actively in smooth jazz stage of local and international scene. He released several albums since 1984. His style recorded as jazz, rock and new age. This album, Lenny Mac Dowell Band Live is his latest release, set in 2016. This live album got a thick jazz and rock portion and some notable funk beat. The band member are Christoph Spendel (keyboards), Peter Oehler, Claudio Zanghieri, and Helmut Kipp.

The first track is Flute Power Pt.2, Which has lovely opening guitar licks and constant leading bass line that enable Lenny to laid down a danceful flute melodies. The middle interlude got some bluesy guitar in it. Please Fasten Your Set Belts is the second song in this live action. Quite a progressive rock fell in it with the guitar taken the lead from beginning. Ain't No Sunshine is melancholy clean guitar jazz tunes. The flute enjoyed his serenity here. Autumn Breath is a lengthy piano jazz improvisation in the intro.Overall, the keyboard preferred to be in piano voices, which made the album bit of "heavier", instead of highly jazz sounds as in electronic piano voice. We also got the Latin bits in Tango for Luca. Then we got some hard rock song as in Thai Stick Restaurant.

Landscape comes next, which is back to smooth jazz with the guitar enjoy his whammy bar moment. There are influence of Jethro Tull in the end, where Lenny done Bouree Electronic (well, Ian Andersson done it before in J.T.) but this version got a big jamming session in the end. Also we got Locomotive Breath. a classic Jethro Tull hit.

Lenny Mac Dowell Band Live is selection of Lenny's best track performed on stage. The selection range quite wide, from standard rock to jazz all the way to Latin. The nice thing is, most of the song are extensively lengthy, some hit 10 to 9 minutes. The whole band contributed equally. Lenny did not dominated most of the time and let the guitar and keyboard blast out some of their best jazz licks. LIVE is highly recommended flute jazz album of 2016. Certainly enjoyable!


Lenny Mac Dowell Band - LIVE (2016)
Buy It HERE

1. Flute Power Pt.2
2. Please Fasten Your Set Belts
3. Ain't No Sunshine
4. Autumn Breath
5. Tango for Luca
6. Thai Stick Restaurant
7. Landscapes
8. Get Ready
9. Unknown Events
10. Bouree Electronic
11. Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull cover)
12. Flute Raga

Christoph Spendel (keyboards)
Peter Oehler
Claudio Zanghieri
Helmut Kipp

Lenny Mac Dowell (Flute)

Blue - Nelson Rangell (2015)

Blue
Artist: Nelson Rangell (flute)
Genre : jazz, pop, smooth jazz, classical
Label : Nelson Rangell
Released : February 2015
BUY IT HERE

American saxophonist and flutist Nelson Rangell pulled out two albums in year 2015. In this review I am gonna talk about one of the album, the one titled as "Blue". Blue is full length instrumental flute album with jazz as the backbone genre. The album featured amazing virtuosity over the instrument. Nelson Rangell who primary is a sax, recorded dozen of saxophone jazz album in which he inserted one or two track featuring him playing the flute. Blue is finally his first album with flute as lead instrument. For your information, the other cd is called "Red", which is primary saxophone album, released in 2015.

As I mentioned early, Blue is kind of album that going to stun any flute lover. The first song is "Little Face", played on high pitch flute (a picollo?). This song provide many fast passage and very melodic. The platform is light and easy jazz, simply only guitar, piano, bass and drum can be heard. A bit of electronic voices in background as well. "Dizzy" is warm and dance triggering tunes. The percussion and flute lead the song from the beginning, a very groovy one. The next one is rendition of Ravel's piano composition "Le Tombeau De Couperin", Nelson Rangell brings many interesting idea on this classsic tune. Another interesting one is "Children's Games", a song that performed with whistling flute. The effects is very atmospheric, we will immediately carried to kind of fantasy world while listening to this. "Peter and the Wolf" is a tune with strong orchestra feeling in it, lyrical and maybe a rendition over a song seemingly. For a hot and funky tunes, there is "Sweetest Somebody I Know", none other than Stevie Wonder hit. This followed up with another romantic piano and flute duet "I Loved You". The shortest song in the album. "Pavane" is Faure's everlasting tune, rendered with bit of Latin percussion feel. "Free as a Bird" is another strong jazz showmanship number, running bass line and unison voice between instruments will satisfied those who like to hear some crazy improvisations. "Ao Mar" is back to movie score-like ambient, with enjoyable piano solos. Finally a "The Magician" is the closing tunes that once again triumphs flute virtuosity to its greatest glory. True to the title, Nelson Rangell is one of El Mago of Flute this day. Blue is a recording that witness this.

Blue - Nelson Rangell (2015)
BUY IT HERE

01. Little Face
02. Dizzy
03. Le Tombeau De Couperin (Ravel)
04. Children's Games
05. Peter and the Wolf
06. Sweetest Somebody I Know (Stevie Wonder)
07. I Loved You
08. Pavane (Faure)
09. Free as a Bird
10. Ao Mar
11. The Magician (El Mago)

album review : Blue - Nelson Rangell 2015

Shapes & Colours - Stephanie Wagner Quinsch (2016)

Shapes & Colours
Artist : Stephanie Wagner: Flute
Genre : Modern Jazz
Label : Personality Records
Release : March 2016
BUY IT HERE - Amazon

mini review:
Hailed from Germany, jazz flutist Stephanie Wagner Quinsch offered us her latest studio album titled as "Shapes & Colours". This album rendered Stephanie Wagner Quinsch's flute virtuoso in quintet ensemble. Prepare to embrace on the forefront of modern jazz with flute as leading solo. One of the track is "Kangaroo", where the intro is hyper modern staccato in display. There are a lot of modern flute technique being display as well, such as the flute beat boxing in almost half of the album. Stephanie tandem-ed with saxophonist Steffen Weber, (well, Wagner and Weber on the band!) to stand as the leading instruments of the bands. You can check the Youtube video preview in below links.

Official summary:
Stephanie Wagners Quinsch presents their new album “Shapes & Colours” on Personality Recordings. It is one of the rare jazz recordings, on which the flute is used as the lead instrument. Rhythmical finesse and a huge dynamic range display the successful interplay of Stephanie Wagners Quinsch. 

Shapes & Colours - Stephanie Wagner Quinsch (2016)
BUY IT HERE - Amazon

1. Flying High - Youtube LIVE performance
2. Kangaroo - Youtube LIVE
3. McCoy
4. Lost
5.  Shapes and Colours
6. White Landscape
7. Salsa Torcida
8. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen / Robert Schumann - Youtube LIVE
9. Airy
10. All That Blues

Stephanie Wagner: Flute
Steffen Weber: Tenorsaxophone, Sopransaxophone
Steffen Stütz: Klavier, Fender Rhodes
Udo Brenner: Double Bass
Jens Biehl: Drums

Shapes & Colours - album review








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Artifacts - Nicole Mitchell - Tomeka Reid - Mike Reed (2015)

"Artifacts"
Artist : Nicole Mitchell (flute)
Genre : Jazz
Label : 482 Music
Release : October 2015
BUY IT HERE

Nicole Mitchell is leading jazz flutist in America (and elsewhere, supposedly). Famously for her Black Earth Ensemble and many other flute jazz records. In this album, Artifacts, she went ultra minimalist with only cellist and drummer to form a trio project. The compositions are mainly "cover" of popular jazz tunes. The whole album display extreme virtuoso between the trio. Nicole Mitchell flute technique is super fast and avant garde. Composition such as "The Clowns" is really microtonic in spirit, maybe not suit for every body though.  All compositions is a blend between three instruments, it's hardly to count that the flute is the leading instruments here. Some of the track did highlight particular instruments, "B.K." is heavily based on the bass / cello / contrabass groove. Tomeka Reid is playing the cellist very much as a contra bass (or perhaps it is). Mike Reed himself is a percussion wizard that put the beat in unbelievable rudiments. "Artifacts" is for extreme flute jazz lover indeed.

album notes:
Chicago Afrocentric singer/flutist/piccolo player Nicole Mitchell has been part of the area's jazz/experimental music scene since the early '90s. First lending her talents to other artist's projects (David Boykin, Ed Wilkerson), Mitchell issued her solo debut in 2001, titled Vision Quest, credited to Nicole Mitchell and Black Earth Ensemble. Joined on the recording by a host of other musicians (violinists Savoir Faire and Edith Yokley, bassist Darius Savage, plus percussionists Hamid Drake and Avreeayl Ra), Vision Quest received favorable reviews in the Chicago music press, as avant-jazz veteran (and fellow flutist) James Newton offered praise, saying that Newton "has produced new techniques that have not yet been heard from any other flutist." A year later, Afrika Rising arrived on Dreamtime Records. It was also credited to the Mitchell/Black Earth Ensemble combination, continuing her collaborations with the large Chicago-area ensemble. ~ Greg Prato

Artifacts - Nicole Mitchell - Tomeka Reid - Mike Reed (2015)
BUY IT HERE

1. Composition 23B (3:26) - (from "Quartet: Live at Moers Festival" by Anthony Braton)
2. Jo Jar (4:35) - (from "Before There Was Sound" by Roscoe Mitchell)
3. Bernice / Days Fly By with Ruby (8:15) - (by Fred Anderson)
4. The Clowns (4:28) - (from "Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival of America" by Leroy Jenkins)
5. Have Mercy on Us (6:06) - (from "Song for Mother" by Amina Claudine)
6. B.K. (5:48) - (from "Air Mail" by Steve McCall)
7. I'll Be Right Here Waiting (3:12) - (from "Air Time" by Steve McCall)
8. Munkt Munk (4:28) - (from "Colors in Thirty-Third" by Muhal Richard Abrams)
9. Light on the Path (5:52) - (from "Sideshow" by Edward Wilkerson / 8 Bold Souls)

Flute: Nicole Mitchell
Cello: Tomeka Reid
Drum: Mike Reed

Artifacts - Nicole Mitchell - Tomeka Reid - Mike Reed album review








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In the Flow - Althea Rene (2013)

In the Flow 
Artist : Althea Rene
Release : 2013
Genre : Smooth Jazz
BUY IT HERE

Detroit based Althea Rene is the recent talk about female jazz flutist. She kinda the Beyonce of the jazz flutist, taking the community attention by releasing quality album by album in the past decades. With about four studio albums prior, "In The Flow" is Althea's fifth studio album, released in 2013. Once again, the album is a complete workout of flute in smooth jazz style in the same spirit as its predecessor. Described in her biography as once a deputy officer and learn music since tender age of four, Althea's journey in the jazz world is quite diverse and completed actually. Listen to the first track in this album "La 'Solstice", the composition begin with a blitzing flute riff only to follow by Latin guitar and a hip hop beat. The song quickly come out as the mix of the three genre, jazz, Latin and bit of hip hop, all lead by amazing flute playing.

The second track is much standard smooth jazz, "Sunday Cruise". In here we enjoy the pure beauty of flute sounds,  done very well in jazz. In Sunday Cruise, the other accompaniment melodist came from the guitarist. "Used to Love You" is yet another highlight of hip-hop infused into jazz. The usage of vocalized passage done then mimic by flute is very natural idea. The fourth track is an up beat of flute and saxophone duet. "Flutations" proved that flute is very intimidate instrument to be paired with saxophone, the different in tonality give a nice blend between the two instruments. Follow up is "Free", a sentimental slow song which came with brief passage of female voices. "FM 1960" is a latin-like piece, lots of tonging and other flute technique to be enjoyed on this one. "Snoochi Pooch" is rather complete composition where all other accompaniment played bigger role in making the song. Notable is trumpet solos here, credit as Cindy Bradley as guest soloist in the album. Finally is "In the Flow" the title song which really lifted up the name, this is one of best composition in the album. No wonder the song stayed as Billboard top hit, rumored said this is the first of it kind to enter such prestigious top chart. Another mellow tunes here is the second last song "H-Town-Step", a piano duet is for this one. One the last track is "Song for Wilhemania", as the title suggested a rather choral atmosphere here, beautiful melody to end the album.

In The Flow really flow between one track to another. A fully complete smooth jazz album where the flute take the highest attention as soloist. A perfect start for flute jazz enthusiast and perfect addition to any die hard jazz fans. Althea Rene backed up with many award winning composers for this album, as you can read in below credits.  All the songs have strong leading flute melody that easily remembered. In The Flow is one smooth jazz album that give flute shining well as main instruments.

In The Flow - Althea Rene (2013)
BUY IT HERE

01. La'Solstice
02. Sunday Cruise
03. Used to Love You
04. Flutations
05. Free
06. FM 1960
07. Snoochi Pooch
08. In the Flow
09. H-Town-Step
10. Song for Wilhemania

Performance Credits
Althea Rene   Flute,Alto Flute
Freddie Fox   Guitar
Michael White   Drums
Randy Scott   Saxophone
John Herrera   Drums
Mike Broening   Keyboards
Thano Sahnas   Acoustic Guitar
Dan Cipriano   Trombone,Trumpet,Saxophone
Cindy Bradley   Trumpet
Mel Brown   Bass

Technical Credits
Deniece Williams   Composer
Nathan Watts   Composer
Mike Broening   Composer,Programming,Producer,Engineer
Kanye West   Composer
John Legend   Composer
Althea Rene Composer

In the Flow Althea Rene - Album review