Jeff Ryan is a saxophonist from Walnut Creek, California. His new album is becoming a fantastic success. He song Up & Up (a great title considering what has happened to this song) has vaulted to the top of the charts for the past four weeks. He is highly likely to be the smooth jazz breakout artist of the year. I have been featuring long established artists on this show and I thought this week I would feature music from this great new artist and his new album.
Born into a musical family, Jeff Ryan began playing the piano at age 6, then learned the violin but then at age ten heard Richard Elliot play his radio hit Candlelight. He promptly converted to the saxophone and immediately clicked with his new instrument stating that it best allowed him to exactly express how he felt musically. In school he was heavily influenced by the greats, Grover Washington Jr and Wes Montgomery. As with many of our previously featured artists he attended the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston.
Depending on the song on this album he has duplicated a sound like Richard Elliott or Euge Groove or Dave Koz, a very good way to sound. Jeff Ryan combined to do this album with an artist that he met while performing at Raley Field in Sacramento, keyboardist Greg Manning. In addition to his featured keys Manning was a co-writer and producer, for this album.
Jeff Ryan states that the album title Embrace came from wanting there to be a musically embrace between each and every person in his audiences and himself. He says - Music is intensely emotional, a personal expression unique to us all. It can guide, heal and reveal in so many ways. I am truly grateful to share my expression and love of music.”
Suddenly finding himself in huge demand, Jeff Ryan will play on Oct 13th at a smooth jazz concert, Sax On The River with Candy Dulfer and the Peet Project at Raley Field in Sacramento. On Oct 21st he will play the second weekend of the 32nd Catalina Island Jazz Festival. I love his new album and feel this artist will have a very dynamic future in smooth jazz.
As always I will play the billboard top three songs in smooth jazz.
On our new releases page I will play a selection from Dave Koz and his troupe of superstars new album Summer Horns II. This group just played the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, In Sacramento a week ago Friday, and in Las Vegas last Saturday. This features Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Adam Hawley, and newcomer Aubrey Logan. Also I have new releases from Gerald Albright's new album 30 (celebrating 30 year career from the release of his first album), In addition I have new releases from Dan Siegel, Nick Colionne, and Elan Trotman.
The second hour will be turn up the quiet time and will have a lot of the classic songs from the past in smooth jazz.
Be sure to tune in next week. I will have the first of a two week program celebrating my one year anniversary of doing this show. I will play for you one song each (my favorite song from each artist) from the 41 artists I have featured on this program this past year.
