Review: Gabriel Mark Hasselbach - Kissed By The Sun - Wave.fm


http://www.wave.fm/articles/view/gabriel-mark-hasselbach-kissed-by-the-sun

Gabriel Mark Hasselbach - Kissed By The Sun

You might think that Gabriel Mark Hasselbach might have been a bit nervous recording a follow-up CD to his 2011 Canadian Smoothies award winning project Told Ya So. But that’s hardly the case. And though his previous CD is a hard act to follow, the west coast trumpeter is literally hotter than ever with his new release Kissed By The Sun. You don't need to go any further than the CD case itself to realize that notion, as Hasselbach's lineup of extraordinary artists reads like a musical dream team. Here he brings together names that are in no way unfamiliar to the smooth music lover, including bassist Brian Bromberg, Chuck Loeb, fellow ‘Canucks’ Rob Tardik and Walle Larson, saxophonist Rock Hendricks of Paul Hardcastle's Jazzmasters outfit, and keyboardist and production wizard Jeff Lorber. Kissed By The Sun is almost entirely written and produced by Hasselbach and Lorber with sessions recorded in Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and Winnipeg and could go down as Hasselbach's most inspiring and creative collaborative offering yet. While not to ignore any of his previous efforts that have earned Hasselbach great respect, accolades and honours, Kissed By The Sun totally dismisses any notion that a horn extraordinaire like Hasselbach doesn't know how to get his groove on. The album is not only funk infused, but also rich and heavy in rhythmic melodies and tempos, which makes this latest project both pleasing and catchy throughout the entire ride. The first single Starpixie takes the album right out of the gates with its mesmerizing sound and beat, accented by Hasselbach's rich textured horn jabs and Lorber's stylish and playful keyboarding. The two are just as brilliant in their musical pairing on No One Like You, yet another hot up-tempo groove that doesn't cool down for an instant or even one single note. While tunes like King James and Lock It Up offer heavy doses of 'funk-itude', Hasselbach, Loeb and Bromberg are an awesome trio on Funk In Deep Freeze, a calmly smooth and bluesy track with a feel and sound of the traditional jazz era. Kissed By The Sun is an outstanding collaborative mix of some of the finest instrumentalists who accent, compliment and meld their talents beautifully with those of Hasselbach, who could easily be enjoying his finest musical moment to date. If you think the summer of 2012 has been a scorcher at times already, slide a copy of Kissed By The Sun into your CD tray and get set for an extreme heat alert!

Reviewed by Stu Berketo 

Gabriel's CD release and Shows

Hey Jazz Lovers,

My new CD Kissed By The Sun drops this week and I have some sweet shows I am doing to support it!
Check it out at Amazon 

July 1  CD release party for Kissed By The Sun @ Spaghettini, 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach CA w/ guest Paul Brown" Tickets online or call 562.596.2199 for reservations

July 4  Smoothjazz Under The Stars  w/Jeff Lorber @ Alexis Park Resort Las Vegas, NV Tickets and packages (702) 796-3300 / www.alexispark.com

July 7  'Brass and Ivory' w/Jeff Lorber & Vernon Barbary @ Loews Ventana, Tucson, AZ (520) 903-1265

Aug 9  Park Place Music In The Park, 666 Burrard St 12:00 - 1:30 pm,  Vancouver, BC 

Aug 10 Bentall Summer Concert, 1055 Dunsmuir St (on Plaza) 12:00 -1:30 pm  Vancouver, BC 

Aug 14 Metrotower Summer Concert, Tower II (on Plaza) 11:30 -1:30 pm  4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC 

Aug 19  Winnipeg Jazz at the Lyric Theatre, 55 Pavilion Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

 

 

Urgent support for Jazz/AC Radio application needed - deadline April 2!

Hello Programmers, Artists, and Fans, 


Below is an urgent appeal for all who hope for a better music industry in North America. There is a looming deadline ... this MONDAY!


Attached is a support and info document to help bring back the WAVE contemporary jazz/ac radio format to the Ontario FM dial and help support the many unrepresented Canadian and US artists in that format!! So many artists' careers have benefited from WAVE exposure, and to help, you need not live in Canada.


The deadline is THIS Monday to submit to the CRTC, so please take a moment to write a letter of support (guide attached) and help get this great, yet challenged format back on the airwaves in eastern Canada. The WAVE is committed to supporting Canadian and US instrumental and vocal artists, and is the much needed northern-most bastion of support for the format.  Electronic submissions to the CRTC is the easy way to support this great cause, all info attached. Please do not delay... it only takes 5 minutes. Please forward this and FaceBook it !!!

 

Thanks for your support everyone, we can do this!!

Gabriel's current chart action and new album update

Hello World!

It has been a while since I blogged, I guess I have been too busy traveling and making music!

In December I played the Philippines, Singapore, and the Kuala Lumpur Jazz Fest launch concert. I had some great shows with Asian superstars Jeremy Monteiro and Boy Katindig. In January, I just took it easy and soaked up the rain in Vancouver!

I spent February performing in Mexico, and played and recorded with my buddy, saxist Brian Savage, who has been a bit off the mainstream grid since his last few blockbuster albums. I was also booked at a few very cool jazz venues, including Encore and Garbos, and I had the opportunity to perform at the legendary El Arroyo Verde floating concert stage. I also recorded a live album for western Mexico's favorite latin chanteuse Armi Grano -  she is such a pro singer!

During this whole time on the road I have been working over the 'net, going back and forth with Jeff Lorber, as he is co producing my upcoming album called Kissed By The Sun. I am back in the studio at the time of this writing and working hard on some great tunes..... this will be the best yet! Many hours of songwriting and detailing have gone into this project, and guests include Chuck Loeb, Brian Bromberg, Rock Hendricks, Walle Larsson, Rob Tardik, and more ... The CD drop date is July 1, to coincide with my CD release party at Spaghettini in Seal Beach CA that day, and along for the ride is my special guest Paul Brown, who's new album Funky Joint is roaring!

On July 7, Jeff Lorber and I are double billed as "Brass and Ivory: an evening with Jeff Lorber and Gabriel Mark Hasselbach" at Loews Ventana in Tucson AZ. We will be performing not only tunes from Jeff's latest boffo release Galaxy, but also my new tracks from Kissed By The Sun and co-compositions from two other CD projects we did together.

On August 19 I will be featured in Winnipeg at the Lyric Theatre for a great summer's eve show... and WAVE 94.7 in Ontario is likely about to rise like a phoenix, moving from Hamilton to Toronto, a much better urban fit for their great radio format ....so I may be out there doing a launch party and popping a bottle of bubbly as well!

I was fortunate to have had pretty notable chart success with the first two singles from my 2010 album Told Ya So (which won Album of the Year at the 2011 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards), and here we are now in 2012 with my THIRD and current single Shake It Down. 
It features (Paul Hardcastle's saxist) Rock Hendricks and Miles Black, and is working hard for me and making a good showing on the charts. It is currently #8 on the Jazz Week Smooth Singles chart,  #10 on the Jazz Week Smooth Album chart, #45 on the SmoothJazz.com Top 50 chart, and  #25 on the SmoothJazz.com Top 50 chart .... and moving up!

I have other dates this summer in Vancouver, and likely Denver, Seattle and as far east as Huntsville .... another tour of the Philippines is still in the works, too (bring 'em on promoters!) 

Stay tuned for more info and get the latest full fidelity single free download here:  New Single ‘Shake It Down'


ciao 4 niao,

Gabriel Mark Hasselbach
  Named #6 Top Played Jazz Artist in Australia 2011  

Gabriel's Friday interview 'Smooth In Seattle'

Subject: Friday internet interview

I will be doing the guest DJ spot with Carol Handley on her Smooth In Seattle show Friday. I promote my July 7 Loews Tucson show with Jeff Lorber in this interview and talk about my new album and all the cool guest soloists. It is from 1 – 4pm PDT on SmoothInSeattle.com on the net.

GUEST DJ's NEXT WEEK:

Join your host Carol Handley weekdays on Smooth In Seattle from 1 – 4pm. Stop by this week to hear Carol in conversation with these artists.

Friday, Feb 17: Trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach
The Canadian trumpet player has been having some long overdue recognition over the past couple of years that included winning Album of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year for the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards and cracking the Top 50 radio charts with each of his first two singles from his most recent effort. Gabriel Mark Hasselbach continues to reap the rewards of his well crafted release Told Ya So into 2012. We'll take some time to catch up with his travels. 

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