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Brand new releases from Vincent Ingala, Ken Navarro & more-Billboard top 3 smooth jazz songs-classic from Kirk Whalum

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Next week I will have information about Redding physician Dr. David Short, an excellent jazz saxophonist, and his band of local musicians Sax Therapy. Their influence on talented jazz high school musicians is remarkable.  They provide the young high school students the boost and experience of playing with veteran musicians.

In two weeks our show will feature a phone interview with jazz pianist Joey Alexander. He will share detailed information on his remarkable career. 

Last week we had two really fine new releases. We will be hearing more from those albums on this show. But to get our music started on this program we have two more brand new releases. Yes, new work is really beginning to pour in this new year.

One of the brightest of the new stars of smooth jazz is 27 year old multi instrumentalist Vincent Ingala. The tenor sax is his primary instrument of choice. Already in his young career he has charted five number ones and fifteen top ten hits. He just released a new album Echoes Of The Heart. From his latest, sure to be a hit is Take Your Time.

Releasing great music for twenty years, with his smooth, easy to recognize guitar is Ken Navarro. He just released a new album in February titled Into The Light. From that album I am playing the title track.

Last week we began the show with a new release from the internationally renowned pop-funk jazz band from Hungary, the Peet Project. They  feature violins, sax, keys, bass, and drums. Their leader is Peter Peet Ferencz. They are known as the bad boys from Budapest. With this album I think we should change that to the good boys from Budapest. They are enjoying a greatly increased popularity after collaborating with Dave Koz on Smooth Jazz cruises and music. Their new album is titled Ups And Downs and is nothing short of stupendous. The song I am playing is Anything For You.

The group Special EFX released a new album on Valentine’s Day.  The album is named Special EFX AllStars. The group was formed  in New York in 1982, and has been releasing really good music ever since. This group features the smooth romantic guitar of Chieli Minucci, winner of three Emmy Awards for his work in television. Appearing as The Special EFX Allstars, this group was a big hit at last year's Catalina Island Jazz Festival. From their new album, I will play Mr. Marzipan.

In the middle of the first hour I will play Billboard's top three songs in smooth jazz for this week.

For this week’s classic among classics segment I have an artist that contributed greatly to me becoming a smooth jazz fan. I am talking about saxophonist Kirk Whalum.  I have seen him perform live twice, once at Humphries in San Diego and once at the Radisson in Sacramento. He is a deeply religious man whose faith is often apparent in his music and live performances. During past shows I have told some great stories about Whalum’s career including him standing in for good friend and fellow musician astronaut Ron McNair in a huge concert in Houston after McNair was killed in the Challenger disaster. 

Also I told about his movie work including The Prince Of Tides and The Bodyguard. In the Bodyguard Kirk Whalum played a sax solo in the middle of Whitney Houston’s mega hit, I Will Always Love You. That song is the best selling single by a female artist is music history. It won the Grammy for record of the year.  Our classic among classics song for this show is from Whalum’s 1988 album And You Know That. The song  is The Wave.

Thank you for your support of this program and KKRN.

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