Steve Weingart: Life Times (2003)

Steve Weingart, from Dayton, Ohio began his musical career playing piano at age three. In his formative years of classical study, Steve was honored with numerous awards.
As Steve explored various types of music, he was strongly influenced by the music of jazz masters Josef Zawinul, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Red Garland. This began the evolution of the jazz musician he is today.

In 1984 Steve was awarded a full scholarship at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music to further his study of jazz. It was during this period that Steve's writing and playing abilities were brought to the forefront. His mastery of the keyboard and programming expertise quickly thrust him into the thick of the Cincinnati music scene.

In 1994 Steve decided on a change of scenery and moved to Los Angeles CA, where he has found his way with many new musical experiences. Steve is now based in Burbank, California and along with his busy local playing schedule, he is touring worldwide with the Dave Weckl Band supporting the Band's latest recordings "Transistion" and "Perpetual Motion".

Tracklist:
01. Five Mile Groove [05:02]
02. Marketplace [05:03]
03. Not Without You [04:59]
04. Back Seat Driver [05:28]
05. Phrase Factor [05:03]
06. Storylines [06:23]
07. Life Times [05:13]
08. Jimmy's Groove [05:10]
09. A Short Letter [01:47]
10. Love, Me [03:58]
Personnel:
Steve Weingart - keyboards, piano;
Robben Ford, Ted Karas - guitar;
Hussain Jiffery - bass, vocals;
Chad Wright - drums
Additional Musicians:
Satnam Ramgotra - tabla;
Cassio Duarte - conga, bongos;
Gary Meek - soprano sax;
Renee Jones - vocals;
Jerry Hey, Gary Grant - trumpet;
Andy Martin - trombone;
Brandon Fields - sax
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MSM Schmidt: Arrivals (2003)

"If you don't like it, then tell us what you'd like to have changed" (an annoying remark of one of my fellow musicians sometime during the 80s).

At that time, I played drums in a band and had no clue of compositions. I was a frustrated, self-taught drummer, never had any lessons, simply playing along in two bands without knowing, how to influence the music I was supposed to be playing.

Helge Mruck was playing keyboards in one of these bands, and sure enough it was Helge, with whom I went about buying my first keyboard, the Roland D50 and who taught me the first steps. With his help, I started to learn an instrument that enabled me to express my musical ideas. During the long years of our friendship, we created an innumerable numbers of songs ... The numbers of keyboards grew, computers and samples were added. Together (with the help of the legendary Atari ST) we composed many songs and founded our own band: Walkin' on Ice. With this band, we also recorded a CD: "Finally". Our music at that time was already very fusion-oriented . I still played drums in our band, but slowly but surely composing became my passion. When Helge moved to England, the band fell apart.

Composing, free from commercial purposes and constraints, is my hobby since. But I always felt that the songs I composed were too fast and too furious for anybody to listen to, not to mention musicians playing them. However, when playing them to friends, their reactions were surprisingly positive. (Which shows: My friends are all very polite.) - - MSM Schmidt.

Tracklist:
01. Orca   
02. Dunes   
03. Afrique   
04. White Light   
05. Lullaby   
06. One 4 Ron   
07. Zebra   
08. Serious   
09. New Hope   
10. Distorted Dreams   
11. Bouquet   
12. MC   
13. Dunes Reprise
Personnel:
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums
Brandon Fields - Alto & Soprano Sax
Mitchel Forman - Piano & Rhodes
Wolfgang Haffner - Drums
Scott Kinsey - Synths & Piano
Abe Laboriel - Bass
Will Lee - Bass
Steve Tavaglione - Tenor & Soprano Sax & Flute
Ingo Bittkau - Piano
Lutz Büchner - Tenor Sax
Uli Gadau - Acoustic Bass
Holger Larisch - Guitar
Helge Mruck - Strings
Timm Pyttlik - Trumpet
Bernd Schlott - Clarinet
Kai Thomsen - Synths & Piano
MSM Schmidt - Synths, Programming, Drums
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MSM Schmidt: Transit (2007)

Hard to believe the guy is an amateur... The strenght of this record lies in the fact that the songs are really good. Then the stellar line-up takes them to another dimension. Excellent contemporary jazz/melodic fusion album.

Tracklist:
01. Journey To Fukuoka   
02. Little Joe   
03. Country X   
04. Song for Michel (dedicated to Michel Colombier)   
05. Rizma   
06. Interlude   
07. Caroline   
08. Slow Moves   
09. X-Press (More than words Kin Sey)   
10. Sphere   
11. Falling Down   
12. Country X Acoustic version

Personnel: Vinnie Colaiuta, Kirk Covington, Wolfgang Haffner & Joel Rosenblatt (Drums); Dave Carpenter, Jimmy Earl, Ric Fierabracci, Jimmy Haslip, Will Lee & Ernest Tibbs (Bass); Scott Henderson & Mike Miller (Guitar); Mitchel Forman, David Garfield & Scott Kinsey, Kai Thomsen & MSM Schmidt (Keyboards); Brandon Fields, Steve Tavaglione & Ernie Watts (Saxophone); Rick Braun & Walt Fowler (Trumpet); Brad Dutz (Percussion); Judd Miller (EVI)

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MSM Schmidt: Destination (2009)

The composer and keyboarder MSM Schmidt (Germany) wins for his newest recording „Destination“ international renowned fusion-jazz musicians like: Mike Mainieri (Steps Ahead, Frank Zappa) on vibes, on drums Joel Rosenblatt (Bill Evans,Spyro Gyra), Simon Phillips (Toto, Mike Oldfield) und Wolfgang Haffner (Passport, Till Brönner), on bass Jimmy Haslip (Yellojackets, Bruce Hornsby), Ric Fierabracci (Chick Corea, Men at Work) Dave Carpenter (Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea), who died in 2008, on saxes Steve Tavaglione (George Benson), Tom Scott (Paul McCartney, Quincy Jones) and Brandon Fields (George Benson, Tower Of Power), on piano Mitchel Forman (Gary Burton, Pat Metheny), on guitar Dean Brown (Billy Cobham, David Sanborn), Alex Machacek (Planet X) and Chuck Loeb (Steps Ahead, Metro) and on trumpet Walter Fowler (Frank Zappa). All the players are outstanding and the sound is awesome as well! The playing throughout is of course stunning. The compositions are varied in style - sometimes jazzy, heavy, complex, and funky - but always entertaining.
It actually sounds like they were really enjoying themselves while making such a wonderful album.

Tracklist:

01 – New East «MSM Schmidt – Dean Brown» (06:38)
02 – Mr. Weasel «Tom Scott – Dean Brown» (05:59)
03 – Strangest Feelings «Brandon Fields» (05:24)
04 – Running Home «Alex Machacek» (06:15)
05 – Piano Interlud «Mitchel Forman» (01:35)
06 – 7 Grooves 2 Heaven «Dean Brown» (06:40)
07 – Hey Jimmy «Jimmy Haslip» (06:44)
08 – Final Chapter «Alex Machacekм» (06:43)
09 – Miami Revisited «C. Loeb – E. Marienthal» (05:59)
10 – Mongolian BBQ «C. Loeb – E. Marienthal» (06:14)
11 – Song For An Unknown Friend «Dave Carpenter» (07:13)
12 – D.C. «Dave Carpenter» (01:39)
13 – There Are No Rules «E. Marienthal – B. Fields» (09:32)

Personnel: Michael Guenter Schmidt (Keyboards, synths, and loops); Simon Phillips, Joel Rosenblatt & Wolfgang Haffner (Drums); Jimmy Haslip, Ric Fierabracci & Dave Carpenter (Bass); Tom Scott, Brandon Fields, Eric Marienthal (Sax); Steve Tavaglione (EWI & sax); Kai Thomsen, Scott Kinsey & Mitchel Forman (Keys); Walt Fowler (Trumpet); Mike Mainieri (Vibes); Dean Brown, Chuck Loeb, Alex Machacek & Mike Miller (Guitar)

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Rayford Griffin: Rebirth Of The Cool (2003)

If it's true what they say about nothing being more dangerous than an idea whose time has come, then drummer extraordinaire Rayford Griffin's long-awaited first CD as a leader is destined to have a ruthless impact.

In his journey, Rayford has lent his drumming magic to a diverse resume of world class artists ranging from Michael Jackson, Stanley Clarke, George Duke and Jean-Luc Ponty to Bette Midler, Anita Baker and Patrice Rushen. Now Rayford emerges from the drum riser to equally showcase his writing, arranging, drumming and his singing gifts on his phenomenal CD Debut "Rebirth Of The Cool".

Much of the album was conceived and recorded in Rayford's Razoredge studio, allowing him plenty of relaxed time to develop the material along the way. "I didn't want to beat people over the head with an album of drum solos, odd meters and fast playing," Rayford shares. "Although I do flex some of those muscles, I wanted to be as musical as possible with something for everybody and also show how drums could be a part of that without being offensive."

That's quite a statement coming from a drummer whose concert solos have brought fellow players and lay people alike to their feet with awe, appreciation and an adrenaline rush. It was the drum solos of Art Blakey and Max Roach on albums by his late, lamented uncle, trumpeter Clifford Brown, that lured him to the drums. Griffin is a technical master who brings to his towering arsenal of drums and percussion toys an engrained knack for groove and a graceful style that is always complementary to anyone with whom he plays. "Rebirth Of The Cool" completes this portrait of the artist as so much more.

The album is a decidedly personal and contemporary take on Rayford's appreciation of tradition. The heart of the music is rooted in a tangy fusion of raw funk and relentlessly swingin' jazz ("Lids and Squares" and "Kings"), but there are also songs of melodic beauty and radio-friendly panache ("Everytime I See U" and "In Your Eyes"). There are blazin' jazz-rock fusion workouts ("Coffee" and "Folake'") that will have aspiring drummers getting out there notepads. There is also a dynamic straight-ahead number ("Jazzi Ray") that recalls the aural signature of big band great, Neil Hefti. ~ Amazon.com

Tracklist:
1. Rebirth Of The Cool [05:52]
2. Lids And Squares [05:57]
3. All That [05:26]
4. Everytime I See U [06:56]
5. In Your Eyes [08:38]
6. Jazzi Ray ( Rayford's Song) [07:41]
7. Folake [05:22]
8. Kings [06:07]
9. Coffee [06:47]
Personnel:
Rayford Griffin (vocals, drums);
Branford Marsalis, Gerald Albright, Everette Harp, Brandon Fields (tenor saxophone);
Michael "Patches" Stewart, Johnny Britt, Walt Fowler (trumpet);
Nick Smith (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards);
Deron Johnson (keyboards);
George Duke (Moog synthesizer);
Dwight Sills, Jamie Glaser, Reggie Griffin (guitar);
Stanley Clarke, Sekou Bunch, Mel Brown, Larry Kimpel (bass);
Munyungo Jackson (percussion)
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Los Lobotomys: ST (1989)

Los Lobotomys is an American fusion group, conceived by Toto-members Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro and keyboarder David Garfield. A range of well-known 'session cats' worked together with the core trio.

Anyhow Los Lobotomys is an occasional band by a bunch of musical friends in California, with Steve Lukather and David Garfield as core members. This eponymous record is recorded live on april 29th 1989 at the Complex, West Los Angeles, USA, and produced by David Garfield and Alan Hirshberg for Creatchy Productions. The songs are instrumentals which vary from relaxed slow and midtempo fusion to uptempo heavy rock, like Smell Yourself (in an in memoriam on Jeff Porcaro Vinnie Colaiuta recalled: "We had so much fun when I guested briefly on Los Lobotomys. Double-drumming with Jeff was one of the high points of my career and my life").
A comic one is Purple Haze that ends right after the intro, because nobody knows the lyrics (compare this one to the Red House version on the Lukather single cd Borrowed Time and the Los Lobotomys version of Candyman, where Lukather starts yelling because a string of his guitar snaps at the end of a solo).

Tracklist:
01. Dismemberment (Lenny Castro, David Garfield)
02. Oozer (Carlos Vega, David Garfield)
03. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)
04. Big Bone (Jeff Porcaro, David Garfield)
05. Jorainbo (Joe Sample, David Garfield)
06. Lobotomy Stew (Steve Lukather, David Garfield)
07. Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix)
08. Smell Yourself (Steve Lukather)
09. All Blues (Miles Davis)
Personnel:
Steve Lukather: guitar
David Garfield: keyboards
Jeff Porcaro: drums
Will Lee: bass
Brandon Fields: alto sax
Lenny Castro: percussion
Joe Sample: piano
Carlos Vega: drums
Vince Colaiuta: double drums
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