Jason Carroll and the Smooth Jazz Symphony

Smooth Jazz Therapy CD Review:

www.smoothjazztherapy.com

September 26, 2007

As if from nowhere, multi instrumentalist and producer Jason Carroll has burst onto the scene with his debut release ‘Cool’. Although masquerading beneath the banner of the ‘Smooth Jazz Symphony’, all twelve tracks, (plus one bonus addition), are in fact composed, produced, arranged, and performed by Carroll. The result is a smooth and refreshing collection that stands as a wonderful showcase for his work and, for an artist still only twenty one years of age, opens up endless possibilities.

Carroll is a native of Wichita, KS and an interest in the drums, which found him drawing his influences from the likes of Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd and Vinnie Colaiuta, later developed into a multi faceted passion for both keyboards and bass. His skill in using keyboards to emulate an entire range of instruments is, for one so young, genuinely amazing and has led in some quarters to him being referred to as ‘the Prince of smooth jazz’. Be that as it may Carroll certainly has a vibe all his own and he communicates this through a succession of accessible smooth jazz tracks that have genuine commercial appeal.

From the hip and melodic ‘Take 1’ through the ultra catchy ‘El Amor De La Musica’ to the smooth yet edgy ‘Night Out On The Town’, the entire album provides constant reminders of just how much in tune Carroll is with the essence of smooth jazz. Personal favorites include ‘Easy Breeze’ that is every bit as vibey as its title suggests it should be, the radio ready ‘Cruisin The Groove’ and the delightfully turned down ‘Dreams’. Maybe best of all is the bonus track, ‘Jazz It Up’. With thumping bass and tight drums laying a wonderful foundation for Carroll’s funky keys, it’s a song that shows off a different but no less attractive side of his playing.

‘Cool’ was released on August 28, 2007 and is well worth seeking out. For more go to www.smoothjazzsymphony.com

Pianist, drummer, bass player, and producer Jason Carroll begins his musical journey with his stunningly smooth and refreshing debut album entitled "COOL."

All songs produced, arranged, composed and performed by Jason Carroll.

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Smooth Jazz CD Review: "Cool" by Peter Hopkins

For_Immediate_Release: United States of America (Press Release) September 3, 2007 -- The multitalented smooth jazz artist Jason Carroll jumps into the music scene with his exceptional debut album entitled "Cool." This CD is a demonstration of smooth and rhythmic melodies with the insinuation of classy funk for a soothing sound, guaranteed to bring you to your "oasis."

Being his first smooth jazz release, Jason seems to have already mastered the craft of creating a diverse project where every song has its own unique and relaxing sound. Comprised of mostly up-tempo songs, the 13-track CD captures the essence of various artists performing on his songs. "Take 1," the first track on the CD, utilizes the sound of a muted trumpet as the lead instrument with support from a funky foundation of drums and bass. The song is also accompanied by smooth pads and the piano which seem to bring your soul to a setting of tranquility.

"Cool," the title track of the CD, places the guitar in the spotlight. It is a song that could be listened to after a stressful day at work, while "El Amor De La Musica" is a very up-tempo song dominated be the Spanish guitar with overtones of smooth background vocals and luscious chords that will hypnotize most of its listeners.

The remainder of the CD is accompanied by such instruments as the flute, sax, jazz vibes, and trumpet. Although there isn't as much improvisation as one would expect from the combination of such instruments, the savvy structure of the songs more than makes up for it. Remarkable solos are given to almost every instrument in one song or another, and his influences of Norman Brown, Chris Botti, and Keiko Matsui are strong enough to be heard in a number of songs. One of Jason's best contributions on this CD that captures the trumpet, guitar, muted trumpet, piano, r&b-like drums, and a funky bass line is "Cruisin' The Groove."

Jason has brought a fresh approach to the way smooth jazz should sound, and this brilliant work will surely prove to be a solid groundwork for the new artist.

Jason Carroll and the Smooth Jazz Symphony: "Cool" (2007)

1. Take 1 2. Cool 3. El Amor De La Musica 4. Night Out To Town 5. Our Song 6. Late Nights and City Lights 7. Easy Breeze 8. Cruisin' The Groove 9. Don't Say Goodbye Interlude 10. Dreams 11. Jammin' In The Rain 12. Sweet Summer 13. Jazz It Up

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(Joe Smith's Artist Review)

THE "PRINCE" OF SMOOTH JAZZ...JASON CARROLL. ALBUM: COOL by Joe Smith 2007-07-23 06:46:53 www.allaboutjazz.com

Let's be real...the genre of smooth jazz is recognized mainly as a very "commercial" style of music. Many "true" jazz fans tend not to take much pleasure in smooth jazz, yet smooth jazz is still enjoyed by countless loyal fans. There are some artists in the smooth jazz genre that tend to make music that is "too commercial." They do far too many cover songs, they lack originality, and they do things that most people would say they've heard before. Therefore, I must conclude that the genre of smooth jazz needs someone to "put smooth jazz back on track." Ladies and gentlemen, I think that someone has finally come to fulfill that necessity. That someone is Jason Carroll and the Smooth Jazz Symphony. The world will know once the debut album Cool is released.

Okay, I know most of you are wondering why the title of this article is The "Prince" of Smooth Jazz. First off, Prince is an amazing musician in his own right, and in no way am I comparing Jason Carroll to Prince. Now, most of us know that Prince produced, arranged, composed and performed all or most of the songs on many of his albums. He's notorious for it. Jason Carroll does the same thing, only in a completely different genre. He plays the drums, bass, piano...any sound or instrument on his music is done by him. All of it. Why does he call himself "Jason Carroll and the Smooth Jazz Symphony?" Everyone will have their own opinion. Some will say he's misleading, others will say he's a genius, and others will say that they don't really care why. In my honest opinion, I feel that if he can play every instrument on his album and make it sound like a band, he can call himself anything he wants.

Born in the city of Wichita, Kansas, Jason Carroll began his journey in music at a very young age. He grew up studying to play the drums, bass and piano. Jason idolized various smooth jazz artists such as Geogre Benson, Norman Brown, David Sanborn, and a slew of other great smooth jazz artists. His musical background comprises many contrasting styles of music that include Hip Hop, R&B, Rock, Gospel, Latin, and of course Smooth Jazz. In other words, he has played in groups that do these styles of music and has the ability to do any one of these styles by himself. And yet, he's chosen smooth jazz as his sole approach to reaching the world through his music.

Now that we know a little bit about Jason Carroll and the Smooth Jazz Symphony, let's talk about his music. I know a lot of people have heard a few of his songs on CNET's Music.Download.com. We need not talk about it's popularity or reviews, but I would like to focus more on the sound that is presented in these very unique songs. Just imagine, you sit down at the computer, log onto the internet, and go to music.download.com. You browse the smooth jazz genre (because that's your favorite style of music), and all of a sudden you see this new group called Jason Carroll and the Smooth Jazz Symphony sitting one of the top positions because of the popularity of the artist. You click on the link and see that it has some good reviews and a pretty decent amount of downloads. Next, you click on a song and begin to listen. Next thing you know, you're bobbing your head and tapping your feet. You're thinking, "This group sounds really good!" Now you want to find out about the group, so you check out the bio. Surprisingly, you read that it is only one person playing all of these instruments! What I'm trying to say is that the sound of his music is so smooth and deceptive that you wouldn't know he did this by himself unless you read his bio or read an article about him.

Jason Carroll's most popular song entitled Crusin' The Groove is very different from the smooth jazz that we've heard over the years. If I had to describe it in one word, I would say "fresh." R&B-like drums, funky bass, trumpet, muted trumpet, saxophone, guitar, keyboard pads, and piano are some of the instruments that make up this masterpiece. The melody takes you to a place of relaxation yet it makes you want to get up and dance. Take 1, another amazing song, is the first song on the cd, and I believe that it is the first song for a reason. The muted trumpet is in the spotlight once again and is complimented by drums, funky bass, piano, and a variety of other instruments. It has a very captivatingly memorable melody and feel.

Describing this cd in one word? Simple. "Classic."

Smooth Jazz will be revolutionized. Jason Carroll is the revolution.

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BIO:

Wichita, Kansas native Jason Carroll was born into music. At the young age of only two years old, he began playing drums on his father's drum set. Seeing his interest in the drums, his father Jimmy began to work with him, providing drum lessons and opportunities to play at various churches. He watched and mirrored great drummers such as Dennis Chambers, Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta and Dave Weckl. As a result, he is a phenomenal drummer.

He later developed an interest in keyboards and was given lessons by his mother, Barbara at the age of 10 in order to teach him the basics. At 16, he developed a strong ear for bass. After receiving a few lessons from his uncle Don Davis, he began studying and watching extraordinary bass players such as Marcus Miller, Gary Grainger, Brian Bromberg, and Victor Wooten.

During his younger years, Jason grew up idolizing smooth jazz artists such as Norman Brown, George Benson, Chris Botti, Kenny G., and David Sanborn just to name a few. As a result, he began developing an ear for instruments such as the guitar, saxophone, trumpet, and flute. Realizing that it would take nearly a lifetime to learn every instrument up to his standards, he explored the craft of performing these instruments on the keyboard.

He soon acquired the ability to emulate the sound of nearly any live instrument. Many people are misled by his compositions, believing that there is a live band playing when it is astonishingly only Jason by himself. For this reason, some people have identified him as the “Prince” of smooth jazz.

Because of his passion for music, Jason spent countless hours playing drums, bass and keyboards, developing his own unique style of jazzy-funk. He is a producer at heart, yet smooth jazz has been his lifelong love. Now only 21 years old, he produces and plays all of the instruments sequenced and recorded on his smooth jazz, demonstrated on his debut cd entitled "COOL". He is indeed a musical prodigy with great ability to not only play but to compose and produce his own musical works.

Upon listening to COOL, smooth jazz fans around the world will marvel at Jason's ability to blend smooth, cool, and refreshing melodies with powerful and funky bass lines along with his keen sense of rhythm.

Many people have contributed to his growing ability which we see today. He would like to thank God and everyone that has been and still is a part of his unique gift and his musical journey.

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REVIEWS:

(Download.com) "Excellent...sure to be an upcoming smooth jazz star" 16-Jun-2007 10:37:38 AM Reviewer: timhealy409

Upon first listening to these songs, I thought they were performed by a band. After reading the bio, I saw that everything was played by one Jason Carroll! I've never heard of him, but you have to have some extreme talent to pull that off and make it sound smooth at the same time. There are alot of instruments on these songs...they all have wonderful fee. Take 1 is a very smooth, summery song. the spanish song is very relaxing. Cruising the groove is probably my favorite. I also like the other one with the big drum solo...outstanding!

All in all, this is a very talented guy. When the CD comes out, I'll be one of the first to get it.

Tim Healy

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(Download.com) AWESOME...SO SMOOTH 21-Jul-2007 02:44:51 PM Reviewer: jsmith56830

I haven't heard smooth jazz like this in a long time. Once I listened to the song "Take 1", I was stunned to hear it's unique style. It has a sound so different...although it taps into the elements that made Norman Browns 'After the Storm' release so timeless. The bass playing is also excellent...giving it an early David Sanborn feel (Marcus Miller played on some of his older stuff).

The mixture of various instruments on these songs is utterly GENIUS, especailly for one guy. "El Amor De La Musica" has some great guitar playing. It's not too much, and it incoporates a spanish feel with a very smooth hook.

"Cruisin' the groove" is just plain awesome. The melody is great, the hook is very catchy, the bass playing is also pretty amazing; the song is just well-produced overall.

The song "Night out to Town" is also a good tune...different, but good. laid back jazz vibes, flute, piano...sounds very jazzy. Catchy hook on this song as well. The drum solo is GREAT...sounds alot like Dennis Chambers or Carter Beauford.

If all of his songs are this consistant, this will be a hard debut for him to top...the next CD will have to be completely amazing. Sounds good, i love these songs, I'll most likely by buying the cd when it's out. I suggest anyone that enjoys listening to smooth jazz, GET THIS CD WHEN IT'S OUT...because i surely will add it to my collection.

-Joe Smith

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(Download.com) Great music, the Prince of smooth jazz? 16-Jul-2007 09:13:01 AM Reviewer: epicmaster711

Smooth jazz sounds like this. what's hard to believe is that one person did every instrument on these songs. That's why i say he could be the Prince of smooth jazz because of his ability to not only play all of these instruments but do it well. It's hard to say he sounds like Norman Brown or Chris Botti...because he doesn't, and that's a good thing. He has his own style. these songs are very interesting and new...i'd like to hear the whole CD when it comes out.