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The solution for smooth jazz

Here's what he thinks of himself on his myspace page. I am hurt, he dumped me as a friend :D

Nock


A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Allen began playing trumpet at the age of 11. While in high school, he played in jazz band along side smooth jazz guitarist and Grammy winner Norman Brown. After receiving music performance scholarships to several universities Allen studied music, radio, television and film at the University of Kansas. His first professional radio stint came in 1985 with San Diego’s Smooth Jazz pioneer, KIFM. Two years later Kepler moved from sunny Southern California to Chicago’s WNUA, where he worked on air and in programming before moving to Princeton, New Jersey to join Broadcast Architecture® in the winter of 1990. By then, Kepler had earned a national reputation for his knowledge of Smooth Jazz. In 1992, Kepler founded BA's now legendary smooth jazz consulting arm, the Smooth Jazz Network,,, and began consulting successful radio stations including WQCD New York, KTWV Los Angeles, KYOT in Phoenix, and WNUA. Kepler also served as director of the company's international programming for Tokyo's JOAV-FM (J-Wave). With BA, Kepler has personally consulted over 60 smooth jazz stations. Billboard Magazine writer Ken Tucker described Kepler as "more than a consultant… he’s an evangelist for the smooth jazz format". "While radio consultants are involved in any number of aspects of a radio station's programming, it is downright rare to find them helping a station, let alone a format, sell itself to ad agencies." As host of the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown,,, Allen continues his life-long relationship with smooth jazz music. Allen shares: “It is my hope that the Smooth Jazz TOP 20 Countdown will be a weekly treat for every smooth jazz fan. We’ll be sharing the biggest hits of smooth jazz as well as thoughtful insights from the artists themselves.” Kepler, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife JoAnn and their four children, is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. He also serves on the Executive board for the Guitar Center Music Foundation, promoting the importance of music through education and media initiatives and providing financial and in-kind resources to public schools and other non-profit organizations to make music programs available in the communities they serve.
 
I like the Samantha James track. Thanks for posting. I'm pleasantly surprised that so many of you also like this sound. I thought I was alone in thinking that the format was better with artists like Basia, Swing Out Sister (anyone heard their brand new album?), Chris Rea, even the occasional song by Enya.

What do all of you think of these two artists for SJ:

1) http://youtube.com/watch?v=Keu_1ovu6Zs

2) http://youtube.com/watch?v=sL699yVUSj0

Thanks,
Media Maven in Michigan
[email protected]
 
I loved the Koop song but the neo-soul vocal on the second link gave me a headache..there's something about being off pitch on purpose, like you're sneaking up on the note you're singing that makes neo-soul and a lot of the Billie Holiday influenced singers not my cup of tea. And, yeah, that includes Corrine.

Check out this woman, she has such a voice. Not much hope for her in the BA version of the smooth jazz format because she is over 40 but her songs are gorgeous and she has this deep, full, warm voice.


http://www.myspace.com/sharonrobinsonmusic
 
I've been trying to find out what that song is! I heard it in a store a few months ago and these music providers for retail stores never have a "what's that song" contact!
 
AnotherCat said:
I've been trying to find out what that song is! I heard it in a store a few months ago and these music providers for retail stores never have a "what's that song" contact!

Which song you referring to?

Nock
 
AnotherCat said:
More Shine...

Great CD, I prefer the first disc though. Opened for Byrne here at the Ryman back in 01 couple of days before 9/11. 4 rows back and they put on an incredible show.

Nock
 
Gotta add my $.02 here.

I heard Chante' Moore on JSJ ("Save Some Love For Me") and was mesmerized. I first heard her work in the early '90's on urban AC radio ("Candle Lit And You"). Then, after hearing "Wey U" on Bay SJ, I concluded that this is the type of vocals that could enhance the SJ format tremendously.

If I were programming SJ radio, I would incorporate Chante' Moores' type of smooth, sophisticated, adult-oriented vocal style without hesitation!!

Click on the links to hear her songs..

Save Some Love For Me - Fourplay w/Chante' Moore - Yes, Please

Wey U - Chante' Moore - The Best Of Chante' Moore

Candle Lit And You - Chante' Moore - The Best Of Chante' Moore

Opinions on this style of vocals for the SJ genre are appreciated.

DD©
 
This is the type of vocal that the SJ format has been glutted with...melisma drenched misery and do-me-baby type songs, she's like Whitney and Toni and on the guy side Brian McKnight and BabyFace. There's a place for this stuff but like chill it should be a part of the picture, certainly not the whole thing. That depressing song she did with Kenny G got a lot of play, I think it still does actually...Great for those lage night quiet storm shows though.
 
What any new smooth jazz should try to do is to play more original material an fewer remakes! Artists like Acoustic Alchemy and Mindi Abair, just to name a couple, should be given greater airplay on such stations than they did!
 
In the mail today:
cover of "Boogie On Reggae Woman" by LA CHillharomnic (Bromberg, G Adams, Richard Smith..) rest of CD sounds promising from the MySpace trax.
coverof "Stepping Out" (Joe Jackson) by Stanley Jordan
 
Here's a great tune that believe it or not is in rotation at WEIB fm in Northmpton MA. I believe this is the direction SJ should be going instead of this b.s. rehashed Kenny G It's A Wonderful World cover junk BA fodder.

SERENGETI >>> JEFF OSTER

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7607093 (track 3)

I love this kind of dreamy, dark tune. Brings me back to the NAC days listening to the greatest station on earth at the time...WCDJ 96.9 Boston who played a lot of this downtempo instrumental material. I think I never heard the same song played twice on that station, but I only listened while on the Cape weekends.
 
majaman78 said:
Here's a great tune that believe it or not is in rotation at WEIB fm in Northmpton MA. I believe this is the direction SJ should be going instead of this b.s. rehashed Kenny G It's A Wonderful World cover junk BA fodder.

SERENGETI >>> JEFF OSTER

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7607093 (track 3)

I love this kind of dreamy, dark tune. Brings me back to the NAC days listening to the greatest station on earth at the time...WCDJ 96.9 Boston who played a lot of this downtempo instrumental material. I think I never heard the same song played twice on that station, but I only listened while on the Cape weekends.

Nice song...click on link for the full track...

Serengeti - Jeff Oster - True
 
Double D said:
majaman78 said:
Here's a great tune that believe it or not is in rotation at WEIB fm in Northmpton MA. I believe this is the direction SJ should be going instead of this b.s. rehashed Kenny G It's A Wonderful World cover junk BA fodder.

SERENGETI >>> JEFF OSTER

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7607093 (track 3)

I love this kind of dreamy, dark tune. Brings me back to the NAC days listening to the greatest station on earth at the time...WCDJ 96.9 Boston who played a lot of this downtempo instrumental material. I think I never heard the same song played twice on that station, but I only listened while on the Cape weekends.

Check out the whole cd. Had the pleasure of sailing a lake here in town with Jeff playing the horn on the boat. He used the echo out there to create some interesting stuff. My fav track on the cd ---- Tibet.

Nock

Nice song...click on link for the full track...

Serengeti - Jeff Oster - True
 
A/C consultant Mike McVay who for some reason was on the smooth jazz panel at the RnR convention said the way to pull younger listeners was to play A/C vocals. Huh???? How about playing the right instrumentals, stuff that has some substance, energy and hipness factor. It doesn't have to be chill either. the "smooth jazz shuffle" sound has to go too. Boring.
 
AnotherCat said:
There is a guy in Melbourne Fl who has done just that. He has covered the area with a group of low power FM stations. There is some money down there and he's apparently gotten some investors to put in more than a few bucks for the cause. He's still kind of stuck in the relaxation and "smoothing out your day" presentation but the music is infinitely better than corporate radio and the guy really cares about radio and the music. And this is a true endorsement. Kepler called him a "know nothing" at R&R a few years ago.

www.thegroove.org

Just came across this for my JRN replacement. I like the mix here...wish there was a way for these guys to beam their signal up here in St. Augustine...maybe use a high power buoy?? :eek:
 
That's Randy Bennett who's the station manager at "The Groove" and you can check it out at www.TheGroove.com. His e-mail is Randy@The Groove.org. Met him at the R&R/NAB (that's another story) and he's giving it his best shot. I agree with Cat. For Kepler to call him a "know nothing" means he's on to something and I will offer him just about anything in my power to see that he makes it work.
 
Bill Harmonic said:
That's Randy Bennett who's the station manager at "The Groove" and you can check it out at www.TheGroove.com. His e-mail is Randy@The Groove.org. Met him at the R&R/NAB (that's another story) and he's giving it his best shot. I agree with Cat. For Kepler to call him a "know nothing" means he's on to something and I will offer him just about anything in my power to see that he makes it work.

Still quite sad about Jones but "The Groove" is GOOD!!! I'm feeling a lot better tonight listening to this! Damn, I'd love for this signal to reach here on the First Coast...we need better radio since 105.3/105.5 dropped Jones.

I just heard "Miles Ahead" by the Ripps (haven't heard that cut in a few years) as well as "Desert Hideaway" by David Garfield and they're actually playing a vocal "Save some Love For Me" by Fourplay!!! VERY FEW VOCALS, AND THE ONES THEY DO PLAY ARE GOOD!!!

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8)
 
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