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Alan Hewitt "Metropolis" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

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One word describes the CD Metropolis from Alan Hewitt… AWESOME!

It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply isn’t a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it’s own.

One of the nicer things about a CD like this is when the talent is this rich even if Smooth Jazz isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.

Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there’s not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, and the production is simply outstanding. If you’re even mildly into Smooth Jazz music you’ll enjoy this CD.

While the entire CD is really very good some of my favorites are track 3, Velvet Kisses, track 7, Liquid Blue, and track 9, So In Love.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 10, Lost In Emotion. Wow!

Metropolis Release Notes:

Alan Hewitt originally released Metropolis on Jun 06, 2006 on the 215 Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Vibe (Intro)

2. Joyride

3. Velvet Kisses

4. Metropolis

5. Hot Fun In The Summertime

6. Swingin’ On Sunset

7. Liquid Blue

8. So In Love (Interlude)

9. So In Love

10. Lost In Emotion

11. Indigo

12. Soleil

Personnel: Alan Hewitt (piano, keyboards, drums); Sheilah “Shea” Chambers (vocals); Brian Price, Steve Oliver (guitars); Gerald Spikes (saxophone); Steve Madaio (trumpet); Wendell Kelly (trombone); Jervonny Collier (electric bass); Chad Wright (drums).

By: Tom Milson

How Does Music Influence Our Lives?

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Music influences our lives considerably because there is no man who can admit he doesn’t like music and he doesn’t have a favorite song or artist. Many people live or breathe through music; others earn money from it, but most of them relax while listening to music. It is said that music therapy is so powerful that it can cure diseases or disorders of the brain. Our musical preferences reflect our image in society, influences our mood, makes us more courageous, more cheerful, or, on the contrary, more sad and depressed. It all depends on the way we understand or feel it.

Many research shows that not only our personality is influenced by music, but also our sexual activity that improves or gets worse depending on the music we listen. It seems that those who listen to jazz have better sexual performance than those who listen to pop: it seems that the saxophone has this significant effect on people. Those who have the lowest sexual activity are those who listen to classical music. Heavy metal music, however, makes you be temperamental and stubborn.

Music develops certain parts of the brain that can not be stimulated otherwise. It seems that when small children learn to play piano, they are willing to acquire much more information than those who do not play to any instrument. Thus, children who learn to play the piano have a greater intelligence than those who learn to use a computer.

Music influences our health and has a great contribution to the adjustment of neurological and moving deficiency. In some cases, patients suffering from Parkinson’s were able to move only when they remembered certain songs from their youth. It also seems that we choose the rhythm depending on our heart or breathing rate. The combination of musical rhythms seems to induce our fluctuations of blood pressure, sometimes being imperceptible, but usually influencing our feelings. Therefore slow music calms us, while having a fast rhythm makes us tense, but when music is based too much on harmony, then it may tire our brain. What influences our state of mind is the length and location of breaks in a song.

The way we react to a song depends much and our state of mind or previous experiences. If we associate a song with a sad event in our life, we will grieve when we hear it, while others, with no memories connected to that song, will consider it happy. Also, we often associate an ad or a movie to the music we hear. That’s why music is used in commercials and films, because, if the message did not reach us, music will do for sure.

Music has also its own message. Rock and rap songs with videos that incite violence and sexual messages addressed directly send the same message to its listeners. Young people who listen to this genre of music have more hectic lives and a more aggressive behavior. Rap has a more powerful effect because its lyrics are more explicit and even if the lyrics can not be understood, usually because the volume is too loud; its melodic line that repeats succeeds, eventually, to transmit the same message.

But music doesn’t influence only people, it was noted that plants grow faster and produce more flowers, fruits and seeds when in the room is instrumental music, especially violin, flute and harmonium.

By: Bob Robert

Kim Waters "Someone To Love You" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

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Super talented Smooth Jazz artist Kim Waters has released his latest CD on the Shanachie Records recording label, entitled Someone To Love You.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Kim Waters is one of those artists that possesses the characteristic of being able to bowl you over with his talent alone. Just the kind of artist I really enjoy listening to.

Listen to Someone To Love You and I believe you’ll find there’s not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired and the production is simply outstanding. If you’re even mildly into Smooth Jazz music you’ll enjoy this CD.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1, Step In The Name Of Love. Outstanding!

Someone To Love You Release Notes:

Kim Waters originally released Someone To Love You on Apr 27, 2004 on the Shanachie Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Step In The Name Of Love

2. Sunset

3. In Deep

4. Tell Me So

5. Love’s Theme

6. All I Wanna Do (Is Please You)

7. For The Groove In You

8. Cross My Heart

9. Alone With You

10. Ride, The – (Special Davy D remix, Bonus Track)

Personnel include: Kim Waters (vocals, various instruments, saxophone, keyboards); Chuck Loeb (guitar, keyboards, drum programming, percussion programming); Wayne Bruce, Carl Burnett (guitar); Dave Darlington (keyboards, drum programming).

By: Tom Milson