"The Captain Finger"

He is great jazz guitar player...smart and talented musician, founder smooh jazz. One of his lots great projects ia founding fussion and smooth jazz group.
Yes.. we talk about The Captain Finger Lee Rinenour...

Lee Ritenour has long been the perfect studio musician, one who can melt into the background without making any impact. While he possesses impressive technique, Ritenour has mostly played instrumental pop throughout his career, sometimes with a Brazilian flavor. His few jazz efforts have found him essentially imitating Wes Montgomery, but despite that he has been consistently popular since the mid-'70s. After touring with Sergio Mendes' Brasil '77 in 1973, Ritenour became a very busy studio guitarist in Los Angeles, taking time off for occasional tours with his groups and in the mid-'90s with Bob James in Fourplay. He also recorded many albums as a leader.

Over the course of Rit's milestone thirty recordings, (including 1997's Alive in L.A., the first time he chronicled his live performances), he has earned several gold albums, numerous #1 spots in guitar polls and the prestigious "Alumnus of the Year" award from USC. Since the 70s, Rit has been a huge presence in a cross-section of radio genres. In 1981, he scored the pop 15 hit "Is It You," featuring vocalist Eric Tagg, which has also become a smooth jazz radio classic. Most recently, "Get Up Stand Up," the first single from the A Twist of Marley recording, was the #1 Radio & Records NAC airplay single of 2001.

In the 90s, he was a founding member of Fourplay, the most successful band in contemporary jazz, with keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East and drummer Harvey Mason. The first Fourplay album in 1991 spent an unprecedented 33 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart, while their Grammy-nominated follow-up, Between the Sheets, captured the top slot on the Billboard, R&R, Gavin and NAC charts on its way to a gold sales certification. In addition to producing his own recordings, Ritenour has produced projects for such artists as Eric Marienthal, Phil Perry and Vesta, which were released on his i.e. music label, along with A Twist of Jobim. Additional production credits include Patti Austin, Will Downing and most recently, A Twist of Marley.

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Incognito

Incognito is a British band, widely regarded as one of the key members of the English acid jazz movement. Their debut album, Jazz Funk, was released in 1981, with eleven more albumsBees + Things + Flowers, was released in 2006. following, the last of which,

Throughout the band's history, it has been led and driven by composer, record producer, guitarist and singer, Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick. Other notable band members have included the singers Tony Momrelle, Jocelyn Brown, Carleen Anderson, Imaani, Maysa Leak and Kelli Sae.

The band has had intermittent success in the UK Singles Chart, with their breakthrough hit a cover version of the Ronnie Laws' tune, "Always There", featuring Jocelyn Brown. They have also been a favourite of various re-mixers, including Masters At Work, David Morales, Roger Sanchez and Jazzanova, and have released three albums consisting almost entirely of remixes.

Their hits such as Colibri, Still A Friend Of Mine, Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing popular in whole world.

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Legendary Duke Ellington Jazz Performance Reissued for Download and CD

The Duke Ellington-produced album A Morning in Paris -- recorded in 1963 by South African jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin featuring Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Abdullah Ibrahim -- was reissued for download today, October 16, in celebration of Sathima's 71st birthday. CDs will be in stores January 22, 2008, but advance copies will be available at Sathima's birthday concert at New York's Sweet Rhythm Jazz Club on Wednesday, October 17.

The story of Sathima Bea Benjamin's A Morning in Paris -- one of the lost and found gems of jazz recording history -- begins in 1963 when a young South African singer named Beattie Benjamin, living in exile in Zurich, catches Duke Ellington's ear after his own performance and convinces him to come directly down to the Club Africana to listen to her boyfriend's trio. Beattie (who would later be given the name "Sathima" by bassist Johnny Dyani) exercised that night a persistence that would dramatically change her life and career, as well as that of her future husband, Dollar Brand (later Abdullah Ibrahim), and perhaps even the history of jazz. Duke not only agreed to hear the trio; he also insisted that Beattie sing for him. Enthralled by what he heard, Duke sent the musicians to Paris, whereupon both Dollar and Beattie would record albums for Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records, for which Duke was in charge of A&R. Dollar's album became in short time a classic that would establish him as one of the most uniquely personal pianists in jazz history.

Sathima's tapes, which feature the pianist work of Abdullah Ibrahim, Billy Strayhorn, and Duke himself, never reached the public, and were ultimately thought to be lost. However, the tapes resurfaced in 1996 when author David Hajdu, in the course of working on a Billy Strayhorn biography, was given a copy of the session that was secretly made by Gerhard Lehner, the recording engineer. For Sathima, the events of that Paris morning were dream-like in more ways than one -- the performances lived on the courage to take a chance, flourished under the unexpected support of a great artist; became dreams of the past when the possibility of ever hearing them again disappeared into thin air, only to resurface for her and the world to hear 33 years later.

Writing about the morning, Sathima Bea Benjamin notes "I know I shall never, ever again have such a positively wonderful and ecstatic musical experience. I have been blessed beyond words, to have Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Abdullah Ibrahim as my accompanists that 'Morning in Paris.' Their input in my musical career empowers me forever."

Since the recording debut, the Grammy-nominated jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin has established herself as a master interpreter of American jazz standards, having recorded and collaborated with some of the most legendary figures in jazz. In 2004, President Thabo Mbeki recognized Sathima's work in jazz and support of the exiled ANC during apartheid, and awarded her the Order of Ikhamanga, South Africa's highest honor.

Out-of-print for several years now, A Morning in Paris was made available for download today for the first time ever. Copies of the CD, distributed exclusively through City Hall Records, will be in stores January 22, 2008.

However, advance copies will be available at Sathima's 71st birthday concert, at New York's Sweet Rhythm Jazz Club, on October 17, 2007. The concert features Sathima in performance with pianists Stephen Scott and Onaje Allan Gumbs, bassist Marcus McLaurine, and drummer George Gray. To reserve seats, visit Sweet Rhythm on the web at www.sweetrhythmny.com

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Latin Jazz

Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz and classical harmonies from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and United States.
The two main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian and Afro-Cuban.
· Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova
· Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz includes salsa, merengue, songo, son, mambo, Timba, bolero, charanga and cha cha cha.
One of the contribution of Latins (Latinos in Spanish) to America, Latin jazz was further popularized in the late 1940s. Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton began to combine the rhythm section and structure of Afro-Cuban music, exemplified by Machito and His Afro-Cubans, whose musical director Mario Bauza created the first Latin jazz composition "Tanga" on May 31, 1943, with jazz instruments and solo improvisational ideas. On March 31, 1946, Stan Kenton recorded "Machito," written by his collaborator / arranger Pete Rugalo, which is considered by many to be the first Latin jazz recording by American jazz musicians.
The Kenton band was augmented by Ivan Lopez on bongos and Eugenio Reyes on maracas. Later, on December 6th of the same year, Stan Kenton recorded an arrangement of the Afro-Cuban tune The Peanut Vendor with members of Machito's rhythm section. In September of 1947, Dizzy Gillespie collaborated with Machito conga player Chano Pozo to perform the "Afro-Cuban Drums Suite" at Carnegie Hall. This was the first concert to feature an American band playing Afro-Cuban jazz and Pozo remained in Gillespie's Orchestra to produce "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop" among others.
In comparison with traditional jazz, Latin jazz employs straight rhythm, rather than swung rhythm. Latin jazz rarely employs a backbeat, using a form of the clave instead. The conga, timbale, güiro, and claves are percussion instruments which often contribute to a Latin sound.
Samba originated from nineteenth century Afro-Brazilian music such as the Lundu. It employs a modified form of the clave. Bossa Nova is a hybrid music based on the samba rhythm, but influenced by European and American music from Debussy to US jazz. Bossa Nova originated in the 1960s, largely from the efforts of Brazilians Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, and American Stan Getz. Its most famous song is arguably The Girl from Ipanema sung by Gilberto and his wife, Astrud Gilberto.
Latin jazz music, like most types of jazz music, can be played in small or large groups. Small groups, or combos, often use the Be-bop format made popular in the 1950s in America, where the musicians play a standard melody, many of the musicians play an improvised solo, and then everyone plays the melody again. In Latin jazz bands, percussion often takes a center stage during a solo, and a conga or timbale can add a melodic line to any performance.

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THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER

It's been nearly 35 years since Tim Hauser paid his bills by working both as a marketing executive and a New York cabbie with dreams of creating a vocal group. One night in 1972, Hauser's taxi fare was an aspiring singer named Laurel Massé, who was familiar with JUKIN', an album Hauser had made with an earlier Manhattan Transfer combo. A few weeks later Hauser met Janis Siegel at a party. Although Siegel was then performing with another folk group, Hauser convinced her and Massé to be part of his nascent group.

At the same time, Alan Paul was stirring hearts on Broadway, appearing in the original production of "Grease". When he met with Hauser, Siegel and Massé, the groundwork was laid for The Manhattan Transfer, which was official "born" on October 1, 1972.

In its formative years, the group developed a strong cult following while playing such New York clubs as Trude Heller's, Reno Sweeney, and Max's Kansas City. In 1975 they cut their Atlantic debut album, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER and landed their own highly experimental television show on CBS. They were particularly successful in Europe, where their next two albums, COMING OUT and PASTICHE, brought them a string of top 10 hits. A live album, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER LIVE, soon followed.

Massé left the group in 1978 after a serious auto accident in December of that year. (She eventually went on to a successful solo career.) Auditions were held to replace her, and a young singer/actress from Mt. Vernon, Washington responded to the call. The group was completely knocked out by her dazzling performance, and Cheryl Bentyne was immediately invited to join the group.

Their next album, EXTENSIONS, earned them their first domestic pop hit: "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone," penned by Alan Paul and Jay Graydon. The album also featured "Birdland," the piece that has since become The Manhattan Transfer's signature tune. Jon Hendricks wrote the lyrics to Joe Zawinul's stirring jazz fusion instrumental, and Siegel arranged the vocals. The most played jazz record of 1980, "Birdland" brought The Transfer their first Grammy award (Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental), and the award for Best Arrangement For Voices, which Janis took home.

In 1981, The Manhattan Transfer made music history by becoming the first group to win Grammy Awards in both pop and jazz categories in the same year. "Boy From New York City," which broke into the top 10 on the pop charts, garnered them the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)" earned them a Grammy for Best Jazz Performance, Duo or Group. Both of these appeared on the combo's fifth outing, MECCA FOR MODERNS.

THE BEST OF THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER was released for the holiday season in 1981 and contained the best of their hits from their early Atlantic Records years, 1975-1981. Naturally, the album went Gold.

In 1982, they accepted another Grammy, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, for their rendition of the classic ode-to-the-road, "Route 66." The song appeared on the soundtrack to the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine, and surfaced three years later on their BOP DOO-WOPP album. In 1983, prior to "BOP's" release, they repeated their 1982 Grammy win in the same category for the "Why Not!" cut from BODIES AND SOULS.

However, it was the 1985 release of VOCALESE, produced by Tim Hauser, that became known as the group's tour de force effort. Vocalese is the style of music that sets lyrics to previously recorded jazz instrumental pieces. Jon Hendricks, the recognized master of this art, composed all the lyrics for the album. "VOCALESE" included some highly complex material that ably tested the quartet's capabilities -- a challange which they met magnificently. The album became a critically acclaimed artistic triumph.

"VOCALESE" received 12 Grammy nominations -- at the time making it second only to Michael Jackson's "THRILLER" as the most nominated single album ever. The Transfer's opus won in two categories: Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, and Best Arrangement for Voices for Cheryl Bentyne and Bobby McFerrin for "Another Night In Tunisia".

"VOCALESE" also saw the group venturing out into the world of music video. The group made five videos to the album, which were available commercially and also shown on Cinemax. Also, when The Manhattan Transfer toured Japan for the Vocalese tour, a recording was made of the shows and the group's second live album, LIVE, was released in 1987. An accompanying video of the live show was available commercially as well.

Then came BRASIL, their 1987 recording, a ground-breaking re-contextualization of Brazilian music that pre-dated efforts by American artists such as David Byrne and Paul Simon. The group worked with some of today's most gifted songwriters, including Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Atlantic recording artist Gilberto Gil. The pieces were re-arranged, and then re-fitted with English lyrics which made them strikingly relevant, distinctly American, and "Transfer-esque" -- while still preserving their Brazilian flavor.

"BRASIL" became one of the group's greatest achievements to date, and one which they remain particularly proud of. It also became their first entire album to win the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

In 1991, The Manhattan Transfer moved to Columbia Records for a two-album stint. The first, THE OFFBEAT OF AVENUES, was produced by Tim Hauser and marked the first time the majority of songs where either written or co-written by Transfer members. They walked away with a Best Contemporary Jazz Performance Grammy for "Sassy," a piece boasting lyrics by Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne and music by Siegel and Bill Bodine.

In 1992, Rhino Records released a 2-CD set of the group's work over their 20 year career. THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER ANTHOLOGY: DOWN IN BIRDLAND is an excellent compilation of the group's work up to that time.

In the winter of 1992, the gift that millions of Manhattan Transfer fans had eagerly awaited for finally arrived -- THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM. Destined to be a holiday classic, this album was co-produced by Tim Hauser and Johnny Mandel, who also did all the orchestrations. The group's soulful harmonies on such traditional favorites as "The Christmas Song" (with Tony Bennett) and "Silent Night," as well as the sweetly touching Lennon & McCartney classic "Goodnight," resound with sonic purity.

In 1994, Rhino Records released THE VERY BEST OF THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER. Why another "Best Of"? Well, the "ANTHOLOGY" package was a bit expensive for some, and the first "BEST OF" album came out 13 years earlier and thus missed many hits such as "Ray's Rockhouse," "Soul Food To Go," "Spice Of Life," and "Route 66." Plus, the newer CD format allowed for a much longer album than Atlantic Records' 1981 collection.

Also in 1994 the group released an album that was an enticing departure from anything they had done previously. THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER MEETS TUBBY THE TUBA, the group's first children's recording, was hailed by USA Today as a "charming rendition" of the 1945 Paul Tripp/George Kleinsinger classic. Accompanied by the Naples Philharmonic, the group humanized instruments (such as Peepo the Piccolo and Captain Bugle) to deliver the story's important message: "Be yourself, you can't be anybody else." Commented the Los Angeles Times of the project, "One of the world's great jazz quartets turns a children's classic into a rediscovered treasure."

Their 1995 studio album, TONIN', marked the triumphant return of The Manhattan Transfer -- contemporary music's premiere vocal ensemble -- to the Atlantic Records' fold. "TONIN'" finds Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel embarking on a project as ambitious as any of their past work, while retaining a distinct sense of fun. "Tonin' is a term associated with the vocal groups of the '50s and early '60s," notes Paul. "It conjures up images of a few guys standing in a tiled bathroom or on a street corner, just belting it out in harmony -- they're tonin'. This album consists of songs we grew up on, music that really sparked us as teenagers."

The list of guest performance sitting in on the "TONIN'" sessions would spark any music fan, as it includes: Phil Collins, Bette Midler, Ben E. King, Ruth Brown, Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals, Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, Laura Nyro, Chaka Khan, B.B. King and James Taylor.

The Manhattan Transfer's third live album is called MAN-TORA! LIVE IN TOKYO. "On the 1983 Bodies And Souls tour, the singers peformed 22 dates in 11 major Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Sapporo, and Hiroshima... The set contained here (released on Rhino Records in April 1996) was recorded by FM Tokyo radio on November 22 and 23 at Tokyo's Nakano Sun Plaza theater and later broadcast stateside on the Westwood One Startrack radio program. The MT's enthusiasm in their performance is inescapable, and the set list as diverse as their repertoire." --from the liner notes by Curt Gathje.

The Manhattan Transfer's next studio album was released in 1997. SWING has its emphasis in 1930s era swing music. The thirteen tracks contain some of the most classic songs of the Twentieth Century. "Sing Moten's Swing," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," and "Java Jive" were recorded with Asleep At The Wheel. "Sing A Study In Brown," "Topsy," and "Clouds" were recorded with The Rosenberg Trio. "Clouds" (adapted from "Nuages") also features Stephane Grappelli. Ricky Scaggs is featured on "Skyliner" and "It's Good Enough To Keep (Air Mail Special)". Mark O'Connor is featured on "I Know Why (And So Do You)," "It's Good Enough To Keep," and "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie." About half of the tracks feature lyrics by Jon Hendricks. SWING was produced by Tim Hauser. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and stayed in the top spot for nine weeks, and on the chart for over a year.

In October 2000, The Manhattan Transfer's released, THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS. This album is a spirited interpretation of the music of one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century, Louis Armstrong. Produced by Craig Street, THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS captures the vocal group at its best, with strong individual and group performances wrapped around evocative arrangements that are both a nostalgic pastiche from the 1920s to the 1950s, and a completely modern take on Louis. This is a loving homage to a unique voice in musical history.

In 2003, COULDN'T BE HOTTER became The Manhattan Transfer's first album on the Telarc label, and their fourth live album. 1930s and '40s swing music with a jazz twist is what The Manhattan Transfer do best, and COULDN'T BE HOTTER features some of their best hits. The sixteen songs chosen for this special live recording convey the depth of the group's talent and variety of their music. Classic favorites such as "Sing Moten's Swing," "Clouds" and "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," recorded while on tour in Japan, capture the essence of The Manhattan Transfer, and their enthusiasm is evident in these performances. From boogie-woogie to bop to vocalese, COULDN'T BE HOTTER spotlights The Manhattan Transfer's dynamic, big band harmonies in a live setting.

VIBRATE is The Manhattan Transfer's second album on the Telarc label. Since the early 1970s, The Manhattan Transfer have been pushing and redefining the boundaries of vocal music in the context of jazz, pop and numerous other styles. Along the way, the collective efforts of vocalists Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel have earned The Transfer a healthy collection of Grammy Awards and a loyal fan base that spans the entire globe. The latest chapter in the quartet's exploratory trajectory is VIBRATE, released on September 28, 2004. Throughout the album's eleven tracks, The Transfer explore both the traditional and progressive sides of jazz, plus various shades of Latin, world and pop music... and showcase their unparalleled vocal tradition. Three decades into their illustrious career, The Manhattan Transfer sound better than ever!

What's next for The Manhattan Transfer? Even though they have been together for more than 30 years, they aren't slowing down! They are often asked to appear at many special functions such as The Essence Awards, the Goodwill Games, the Society of Singers Ella Awards honoring Tony Bennett, and a special Christmas performance for the Pope. They continue to tour, delighting audiences worldwide with their music. The singers also have many other solo and collaborative interests, but their focus invariably comes back to making beautiful music together.

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Four Brothers by The Manhattan Transfers

Take a seat and cool it ‘cause unless you overrule it
We are ready to show you some blowin’
A rompin’ and a stompin’ is a lot of fun
Four brothers who are blowin’ our horns

So settle down an’ listen ‘cause you don’t know what you’re missin’
And we’re ready to give you a showin’
A movin’ it ‘n groovin’ it has just begun
Four brothers who are blowin’ our horns

We got a little message that you’re gonna enjoy
Ain’t no sense in dodgin’ the facts
So settle in your easy chair an’ if you ever had a care - forget it,
It’s time to relax

We might as well admit it, we’re the best that ever did it
But in case you ain’t too sure a knowin’
We’re gonna let you listen to us one by one
Four brothers who are blowin’ our horns…

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Jazz History

Did you know that jazz was born in the United States? Did you know that the drum set was invented by jazz musicians? Did you know that the word "cool" and "hip" were originally jazz terms?

Jazz represents a merging and melding of many different peoples and their heritages. During the 1800s in America's south, music was an integral part of the life of plantation slaves of African descent. Plantation songs, spirituals, and field hollers were a part of everyday life to celebrate, to mourn, to entertain, to commemorate, to worship, and to accompany the drudgery of work. This music of the plantations blended with the European-American musical tradition to create the basis for blues, ragtime, and other musical forms from which jazz evolved.

Jazz is an original American musical art form that originated around the start of the 20th century in communities in and around New Orleans.

Jazz developed in turn-of-the-century New Orleans from the confluence of multiple music traditions. The new style incorporated blue notes, call and response, syncopation, polyrhythms and improvisation.

The basic instruments of jazz were those used in marching bands and dance bands: brass, reeds and drums. Small bands of musicians, most of whom came from New Orleans, played a seminal role in the development and dissemination of early jazz.

The origins of the word Jazz are uncertain. The word is rooted in American slang, and various derivations have been suggested. Jazz was not applied to music until about 1915. Earl Hines, born in 1903 and later to become a celebrated "jazz" musician, used to claim that he was "playing piano before the word 'jazz' was even invented". For the origin and history of the word jazz, see Jazz (word).

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