I absolutely love this time of year if only for the bevy of jazz concerts that are happening around the nation. This is the ideal time of year to wear less clothing, pack your Tupperware with goodies and head down to one of the open-air festivals.You know, this is also the right time of year for a few Jazz releases as well. This month we welcome back Michael Franks to the fold; he is indeed an iconic singer and songwriter and has released the CD "Time Together" which is his first CD in five years. Michael Franks' name has been spoken in the circles of James Taylor, Carole King, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. Like them he is a timeless singer with a unique gift for dreaming up eloquent literary imagery and combining it with the right musical accents to create memorable masterpieces.
Michael's singer style is never hurried; it's like picking up the phone and hearing the soothing voice of a friend. For his new CD "Time Together", Michael takes his listeners on a journey around the world musically. Employing musicians such as vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, Eric Marienthal on saxophone and guitarist David Spinozza to name a few, this is the kind of CD that you would want to have on hand for unwinding. The first song on the CD "Now That the Summer is Here" is mild-tempered and charming, the accompanied video definitely gives one a glimpses of nature that we often take for granted because of being too busy.
Travel to the city that does not sleep with Summer in New York" and then jazz things up a bit for "Samba Blue." Other songs on the CD include "My Heart Said Wow", "I'd Rather Be Happy Than Right", "A Day in St. Tropez" and "Charlie Chan in Egypt."
Overall, this is a great CD; no one expects anything less from Michael Franks. He has an extensive tour schedule coming up. Check it here to see if he would be coming to your town soon.
TOUR DATES
Jun 24 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
July 8-10 Oakland, CA - Yoshi's
Aug 12 - Las Vegas, NV - Aliante Casino
Aug 13 - Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Jazz Festival
Sep 30 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley (7:30 & 9:30)
Oct 01 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley (7:30 & 9:30)
Oct 02 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley (7:30)
Nov 10 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
Nov 11 - Annapolis, MD - The Rams Head
(Michael Franks photo by: Dion Ogust)
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