The Days of Jazz and Macintosh
Smooth Jazz
The Days of Smooth Jazz and Mac - English side
A new version of "Another World II" is available
2009/02/28 |Permalink
A new version of "Another World II (v2)" is ready.
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Chika Asamoto (left photo) joined to play a soprano sax solo. Her sound is really silky and refreshing. Try and let me have your comment. You can download your free copy from the link below.



Download Another World II (v2)




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DJ Zse Zse introduced Shigeki in JAZZ DEVINE
2009/01/26 |Permalink
DJ Zse Zse broadcasted "Preview On Air" introducing Shigeki in "Jazz Devine" (every Sunday PM8:00-10:00 EST/USA) at FM HDMS on 18th Jan, 2004. Four full tunes of "The Streamliner", "Snap Out of It", "Night Flight", and "Jam of Q" were on aired. Here is an edited version of the show. Music part was cut to make it shorter. You can listen to music in Last.fm artist page.

DJ Zse Zse introducing Shigeki
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It's fun to play with Last.fm!
2008/12/05 |Permalink
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Many of you may alredy know Last.FM. It is a fun place to try many kinds of music. Especially, they have tons of full-length streaming clips of Jazz Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Cntemporary Jazz, Black Contemporary, and more.

We can even build our own libraries that can be played as your own internet radio station.
This is my libray.
Artists iLike.

I also found that there is an artist page of "Shigeki Kawahara" (me). It's fun! If you are already a member of Last.fm, add "Shigeki Kwahara" to your library.
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A new song "The Three In the Groove"
2007/02/10 |Permalink
Thank you for many comments and messages to me. Well, many of you ask me to open download links to the preview versions of my new songs that are not yet available either in CDs or iTS.
ピクチャ 1
OK! A new song "The Three In the Groove" by Shigeki Kawahara is now available again for free preview download until March 31st 2007.
A link for "The Three In the Groove" is here.
ID25944
"Funky Struttin'" by Shigeki Kawahara is also made available until until March 31st 2007, too!! This is also a preview version.

A link for "Funky Struttin'" is here.



So, hurry up, and get ones for you! Also do not forget to write to me, OK!
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Larry Williams: "The Beautiful Struggle"
2006/02/21 |Permalink
Beatuful Struggle
Larry Wiliams has always been one of the best musicians to me. He is well known as a Keyboard/ Sax player of the legendary group "Seawind" back in the late 1970s. After break up of "Seawind", he has alway been a top notch musician in composing, arranging, playing and producing many music projects for well known musicians but other than for himself.

To everyone's surprise, "The Beautiful Struggle" released in December 2001 is the very first solo project of Larry Williams. Although everyone may assume that Larry's solo album would be smooth jazz/ contemporary jazz one, Larry did very straight-ahead jazz. I was also pleased to find reunion of "Seawind Horns" and Pauline Willison (Seawind's lead singer) in several tracks. The sound is amazingly polished, cool, solid, and thrilling. If you like straight-ahead jazz, you will love this CD. Another surprsing fact is that this CD is released in Japan only. You can buy this CD from Amozon. It costs a little more than usual CDs, but many people found that it really pays off.
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Do you know "Seawind"?
2006/02/07 |Permalink
Do you know (or remember) a legendary jazz fusion band named "Seawind"? They were from Hawaii and quite popular during 1976-82. They made a debut in "Seawind (1976)" and followed by "Window of a Child (1977)" both from CTI Record. Their real big hits were from A&M(Horizon). Those are "Light the Light (1979)" and "Seawind (1980)". Seawind was a real cutting edge band with fantastic voice of Pauline Wilson (vocal), tight beats led by Bob Wilson (Drums/ leader) , and very sharp horn section so called "The Seawind Horns" led by Jerry Hey (Trumpet).

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Many big names, such as Quincy Jones, wanted to have them play in their albums. You will be amazed when you see there are countless albums in the early 80s carrying their names on them. In 1982, after finished recording sessions of their "never released" 5th album, Seawind had been broken up at their peak.

The sound of Seawind is definitely one of the origins of the present styles of Smooth Jazz, contemporary Jazz, and even AOR. Oddly enough, CD versions of "Light the Light" and "Seawind (1980)" had been released only in Japan and hard to find items. Now, you can get them from Amazon. There is an official web site of Seawind. According to that site, after Seawind held a reunion concert on March 19th, 2005, there is an on-going new project after 23 years of absence.

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Joe Sample in a Piano Trio Session: "The Three"
2006/01/29 |Permalink
TheThree
A well known Fusion keyboard player Joe Sample, one of the original members of "The Crusaders", once recorded a real jazz piano trio session 30 years ago (on November 28, 1975). This is an album named "The Three" that was planned by a Japanese recording producer, Yasohachi "88" Itoh, who produced "East Wind" series for jazz music albums. "The Three" was a trio of Joe Sample (piano), Ray Brown (bass) and Shelly Manne (drums). Very rare combination. They used direct-to-disc or direct cutting recording technique for the project. It means they recorded real jazz trio live session at a studio. I bought the original release of LP back in 1979 and played it again and again. A CD version equally sounds 100% natural: "no preservative added". Almost feel like listening to the trio at a small jazz club. If you love jazz and have a pair of those JBL kind of speakers, "The Three" is for you.
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ARISTA Allstars: "Blue Montreux Live V.1" - One of the Best Live Performance in the 1970s
2006/01/24 |Permalink
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"Blue Montreux Live V.1" is a live recording of "Arista Allstars" at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1978. "Arista Allstars" was a group of famous musicians from Arista Record including Michael Brecker (ts) , Randy Brecker (tp), Mike Mainieri (vibes), Warren Bernhardt (k), Larry Coryell (g), Steve Khan (g), Tony Levin (b), Steve Jordan (d). This legendary recording must be one of the best live performance of Jazz Fusion in the 1970s. Unlike usual "allstar" performance, they really played as one solid music band and created amazingly well performed music. The first track, "Blue Montreux", is probably the most well known tune written by Mainieri. The two-horn led melody line by Breckers was firmly supported by tight grove of the rhythm section. After a round of solo plays, it heated up to the "top gear" of a live session. This CD is a "must have item" for a fan of Jazz Fusion sound of the 1970-80s.
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Boz Scaggs: "Fade into Light" for Grown-Up Audience
2006/01/17 |Permalink
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"Fade into Light" was first released in 1996 for a Japanese market only. Now it is available worldwide. This album is full of new "Jazzy" versions of some Scaggs' popular songs. An unplugged "Lowdown" (with a breath-taking sax solo from Tom Scott) , "We're All Alone", and "Harbor Lights," were all originally recorded in his big hit album of 1976's "Silk Degrees". Superb acoustic air of sound. Recommended for grown-up listeners.
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Jason Miles project "What's Goin' On : The Music of Marvin Gaye"
2006/01/16 |Permalink
Jean-Philippe REJOU posted in "Recording now" that Jason Miles project "What’s Goin’ On: The Music of Marvin Gaye" will be available Feb. 7 on the Narada label. According to Jean-Philippe REJOU, the CD will be full of rearranged Marvin’s greatest hit tunes performed by top-notch musicians such as Bobby Caldwell, guitarist Nick Colionne, Spyro Gyra saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, and trumpeter Herb Alpert. A rhythm section consists of bassists Marcus Miller, Scott Ambush and James Genus, drummer Gene Lake and percussionist Cyro Baptista. I think, smooth jazz lovers have to check it out.
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Refreshing Jazz Flute
2006/01/15 |Permalink
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Introducing a CD of Ms. Sumiko Fukatsu、"Sumiko Fukatsu: Feather in the Air". Her tunes sound so refreshing. It is almost like opning the window to fill the room with fresh morning air. This CD is her first one. She has already released 5 CDs. I have always liked jazz with the flute. It is the intrument that coveys breath of players most vividly. I recommend her CDs to all Smooth Jazz lovers.
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CDs are back in stock!
2006/01/10 |Permalink
As of 10th January, more CDs of "SHIGEKI KAWAHARA: Another World" have come back in stock again in CD Baby.
Sorry for waiting!
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New CD is released!!
2006/01/08 |Permalink
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New CD is released in January 2006. It's full of polished tunes of Smooth Jazz/ Fusion. Available from CD Baby, the world largest CD seller of independent musicians. As of 8th January 2006, it is already all soldout! Please be patient. More CDs are coming back in stock very soon. By the time, listen to sample songs and write your review.
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