Mack Avenue

Guided by the music, Brian Bromberg crafts a spirited new set of contemporary jazz tunes that foreground vibe and soulfulness rather than aggressive virtuosity. The Magic of Moonlight is an apt title for this evocative piece of work which is deeply imbued with the shadow-cloaked mystery and twilight romance of an evening under the full moon. Though few instrumentalists could combine spellbinding musicianship with entrancing songcraft quite like Bromberg, The Magic of Moonlight and “Last Day of Summer” (feat. saxophonist Everette Harp) is another left-field surprise in a discography full of them. “It’s impossible for me to make the same record twice,” Bromberg shrugs. “I like to surprise people. The music comes first.”

Steve Cole’s exhilarating new album, Without a Doubt, his first outing with producer and songwriter partner Adam Hawley, finds Cole taking the opportunity of this fresh start to approach his music with the open mind of a beginner and the confidence of a veteran at the top of his game. Without a Doubt is a breezy affair that packs a high-energy punch. The album is chock full of memorable melodies that could be easily retooled as hits for the likes of the Commodores or Earth, Wind & Fire. In a sense , that brings Cole full circle to some of his earliest musical experiences. Cole’s longtime producer David Mann also returns, adding horn arrangements and reeds to “C’mon Y’all” and “One, Two!”

Saxophone icon Kirk Whalum (Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross) teams up w/ producer Greg Manning (Keb’ Mo’, Herb Alpert, 2x GRAMMY® nominee, 10x #1 Billboard artist) for an electrifying collection of smooth jazz grooves. Whalum focuses on his songwriting, channels the spirit of his years with Luther Vandross to craft an album of all originals that are deep and soulful, with cross-genre appeal. “Bah-De-Yah!” has an instantly memorable hook, with a thrilling dose of Earth Wind and Fire funk. “Bah-De-Yah!” represents what it feels like to LOVE LIFE! Cowriting this project with the brilliant Swiss soul brother Greg Manning, especially this song, was pure JOY!