Russ Freeman & Girard Sauvignon Blanc

Russ Freeman is the founder and leader of the contemporary jazz group, the Rippingtons. He was raised in Nashville and started playing the guitar at the age of ten under the tutorage of one of his father’s friends who was a Nashville session musician. By the age of sixteen, Russ was also playing sessions. At the age of eighteen, he left Nashville for Los Angeles where his first gigs were playing the background music for Jane Fonda’s workout videos and commercials featuring Anne Murray and Englebert Humperdinck.

In 1986, he formed the Rippingtons, originally conceiving it as a changing lineup of jazz musicians drawn from top session players. The first version featured one of my favorite pianists, David Benoit along with Brandon Fields, Dave Koz, and Kenny G on saxes. By 1993, the band solidified into a six-piece group with Dave Kochanski on keyboards, Jeff Kashiwa on sax, Kim Stone on bass, Tony Morales on drums, Steve Reid on percussion, and of course, Freeman on guitar.

The Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards honored Russ with a Lifetime Achievement Award as well as Producer of the Year in 2001. In 2000, Billboard BET chose the Rippingtons as best group and Oasis gave them the same award for 2001 & 2002. Russ and the Rippingtons are one of the most listenable groups I’ve ever heard and his guitar playing is definitely smooth. Great music to listen to while I work on my consulting projects. Enjoy!

Larry’s World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ng9JJAStY

Topaz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHTl7VWJHPE

Aspen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prx-5eIDdqI  

Jamaican nights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHMHwaf2rA

East River Drive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh3InUdZvBs

Brighter Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0v5vTm_1_k

Cool in the shade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uXMutSU8XA

Soul Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMuyLC_SJ4w

Guitarland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai0MvqxY9II

Moving violation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N4yYsA7dqk

Palmetto Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq5yXYLviL8

Urban Wanderer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ga5f_1PBjA

Angel Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHVogWmMKk

My wife and I got a Groupon to our favorite local restaurant this week and enjoyed a bottle of the 2011 Girard Sauvignon Blanc ($18.00 in stores) with our salmon. I’m a huge fan of Girard wines, particularly their Petite Sirah, but this was the first time I’ve tasted their Sauvignon Blanc. Its aromatics were full of citrus, lemon peel, and a tropical fruits. The taste was a mix of citrus and mango, slightly dry, yet tart. It has a nice softness on the tongue and bright acidity makes for a clean, crisp finish. I can see enjoying a bottle of this when the weather turns warmer as I sit on my deck, watching the stars and listening to Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons.

Cheers!

Boyce Avenue & Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc

You do not want to miss tonight’s feature. Boyce Avenue is a Puerto Rican-American acoustic rock group consisting of the brothers Alejandro, Daniel, and Fabian Manzano. They’re named after a combination of two streets they lived on as kids. 

They formed in 2004 after Daniel (bass and percussion) moved back to Florida after graduating from Harvard law School. Alejandro (lead vocals and guitar) and Fabian (guitar and vocals) were attending the University of Florida, but dropped out to form the group. Since 2007, they’ve been posting videos of both original and covers of popular songs, many of which have received over 10,000,000 views and have been released as digital EPs by their own independent record label, 3 Peace Records. They have over 700,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel (including me).

They’re firm risk-takers and believing in the strength of their online presence, they booked a solo show in New York in January 2009. It was their first ever performance in the city and surprised label and industry experts who thought it was a huge gamble, because the show was a sellout. Later in the year, the group performed for an estimated 25,000 fans in the Philippines and followed with a successful whirlwind tour of the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

They are, in my opinion, one of the finest acoustic rock groups to hit the scene. Alejandro’s guitar and vocals are amazing and the percussion accompaniment by Daniel and the augmenting guitar of Fabian plus several outstanding guest guitarists, vocalists, and pianist, makes them one of my favorites. Hope you like them as much as I do.

Payphone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lejDw3dtsw

Faithfully: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALph_u2iee8

Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0wW9RwpG7M

With or without you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGqN9PpW5Ic

Fast Car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGqN9PpW5Ic

Last Kiss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kALSETZ9ngk

For the first time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=341vSMO5ISU

Fix you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ETxBHYBAU

She will be loved: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzDm2vMHabE

Drops of Jupiter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ING1C747Y

Iris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwAhNy0w5oE

Here without you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxWEvV9zYj4

Wherever you will go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_BU8YCjV1M

A thousand years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIj07LL57RA

Set fire to the rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9o64xyjGWA

I want it that way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwnGM_I2WPk

A thousand miles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h297vLkHijQ

Someone like you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzC2-GJu1Q8

Rollin in the deep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7JF6tf7OSQ

Call me maybe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAIsqvK1Pr0

Somebody I used to know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBYymaN338E

Since the Boyce Avenue is one of my favorite acoustic groups, I’m pairing them with one of my all time favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, namely the 2011 Dog Point wine. 
Beautifully aromatic with a crisp aromas of grapefruit and green pepper nose, it has a palate of citrus, grapefruit, and green apples with crisp acid and minerality. It’s full, but not too full with an elegant, refreshing finish. It’s a great wine to enjoy while relaxing to the music pf what I consider one of the premier acoustic groups in music today. Enjoy!

Cheers! 

Harry Manx & 2010 Domaine Vincent Ricard Cuvee Les Trois Chenes Touraine

First of all, my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston tonight. My son was going to watch the Marathon from Copley Square, so you can imagine what went through my head when I heard the news about the bombs. Fortunately, he decided to stay near his apartment up by Fenway.

Harry Manx is known as the “Mysticssippi Blues Man” whose music is a link between east and west. He was born on the Isle of Man in the UK, but migrated to Ontario with his parents as a child. At the age of 15, he started working as a roadie and worked his way up to become the sound man at the Mocambo Club, a blues establishment in Toronto where he worked with a slew of blues legends. At the age of 20, he went to Europe and made money busking on street corners. From there he moved to Japan where he worked and played for the next ten years. He did a stint in India under the tutelage of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, the inventor of the ten stringed Mohan Veena.

He returned to Canada and now lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia. His music, although heavily steeped in the blues, contains elements of Indian ragas, creating a unique style and sound that has a mystical spiritual quality to it. He is a prolific recording artist having released 12 albums in 12 years. He has received 7 Maple Blues Awards, 6 Juno nominations, the 2005 Canadian Folk Music Award for best solo artist, and the 2007 CBC Radio’s Great Canadian Blues Award.

Oh, and did I mention his voice? It’s a perfect match for his blues guitar style. Enjoy!

Nine summers lost: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXfyDbkINPo

Make way for the living: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QwIB5Hbs2w

Baby please don’t go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysA_2cVHRxQ

Crazy love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnX0D9ACIfs

Voodoo child: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNUTD6fylLc

A little cruel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC5Er3Fa6K0

Don’t stand at my grave and weep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNvk242lr-I

Long black veil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52FjggBv94M

Don’t forget to miss me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWSRSzNv0yc

Can’t be satisfied: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO73Fczq9IM

Walking ghost blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17xZ_evOHl4

Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j_Kn6cwP20

If you’ve never had an Asian pear, you need to try one. When I was overseas, they were my favorite fruit. They look like an oversized funky apple with a greenish yellow skin, but the texture is crisp and like the juiciest pear you’ve ever tasted. The 2010 Domaine Vincent Ricard Cuvee Les Trois Chenes Touraine brings back memories of my days in Kuwait with its aromas of a freshly cut Asian pear. The flavors follow the nose with the addition of a bit of citrus and honey. It’s a fresh, crisp wine with great acidity, perfect for sipping. Vincent Ricard is one of my favorite winemakers and at $18.00 a bottle, this is a Sauvignon Blanc like no other.

Cheers!

Slide guitar & Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc

I feel like a little slide guitar tonight, but with so many great players to choose from, I decided to listen to a few cuts from all of my favorites. I don’t need to elaborate because the music speaks for itself. Hope you had a great weekend and to help you slide into the week, I present the best of slide guitar. Enjoy!

Kirk Lorange

Come a long way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNK8kfB8_CQ

Storm a comin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIOKHdA4nbk

Roy Rogers

Walkin Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW08Rc802MQ

The sky is crying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rZVz3O47yo

Money maker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a2e7aB0t8I

Derek Trucks

Cheverolet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clkrASgM8Rc

Space Cowboy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkzLatem0VY

Sonny Landreth

Wonderide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_MsBCrqAw

Cherry Ball blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFBEP4q9_bY

Bonny Raitt

Coming Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErCfACTylvc

Sugar Mama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p9XCSz7gAQ

Warren Haynes

Acoustic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mavbcr6wtW8

Old Friend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UauECrCIYl8

Duane Allman

Statesboro blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8lj-nQCFR4

Rory Block

Crossroad blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaK4x7TLQ3E

From the dust: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQWPo4kQKs

Andrew Winton

Number’s down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n27GpYJ_2Hs

Pink Palace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THsXXBPERC0

Ry Cooder

Vigilante man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4KmbUCwkyE

Dark was the night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de3xz1AV8HA

Readers of this blog know that I love Sauvignon Blanc, especially those from New Zealand and tonight I’m featuring what I believe to be the best one I’ve ever tasted. The 2011 Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Reserve ($20.00 at Costco) is pale straw yellow. The aromas of grapefruit, lemon, and honeydew melon will simply blow your mind. The taste bursts with more grapefruit and tangerine with crisp acidity and a long, lingering finish. I served it with grilled salmon marinated in an orange-ginger-sesame sauce and it was a fantastic compliment to the meal. It’s also a wonderful wine for sipping, which is what I’m planning on doing while I listen to some of my favorite slide guitar players. Try a bottle. I guarantee you’ll like it.

Cheers!

Ed Sheeran &Te Mania Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Ed Sheeran caught my eye while watching the 2013 Grammy Awards and after a bit of investigation, I think he is one fine singer/songwriter/guitarist.

Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire on February 17, 1991, born, his family moved to Framligham, Suffolk early in his childhood. Sheeran made his first recording The Orange Room EP in 2005. Sheeran also released 2 albums, a self-titled one in 2006 and Want Some? in 2007. He moved to London in 2008 to get gigging experience, starting off in very small venues, playing every day to as little as five people. He was a gigging maniac playing 312 gigs in 2009.

In April 2010, Sheeran decided to try Los Angeles as a venue. He played open mic nights all over the city before his talent was spotted at The Foxxhole by Jamie Foxx, who was so impressed that he offered Sheeran the use of his recording studio and the run of his Hollywood home for the rest of his stay. Sheeran built his initial following through YouTube videos and his fans included none other than Elton John. On 8 January 2011, Sheeran released his final independent recording, No. 5 Collaborations Project, that got him mainstream attention after it rose to the No. 2 most downloaded recording on iTunes. Later in 2011, he released his debut studio album, +, featuring the song, A Team, a haunting story of a girl trying to survive on the streets.

Taylor Swift contacted Sheeran after hearing his music while touring Australia in March 2012. He later co-wrote and provided vocals for Everything Has Changed, a song featured on Swift's fourth album Red.

The A Team received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Elton John, who runs Sheeran's management company, canvassed the award organizers to get Sheeran a performance slot at the ceremony, but was told that Sheeran alone was not high-profile enough. John decided to appear with Sheeran to circumvent the problem. He didn’t win, but dang, it was a good performance.

From March to September 2013, Sheeran is scheduled to play 64 dates at arenas and stadiums across North America as the opening act for Swift's “Red” tour. I’d be tempted buy a ticket just to hear him.

The A Team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOwsttzkUgs

The A Team video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ

Drunk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2fOum_KWQU

You need me, I don’t need you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV0TJZ7Kp40

Give me love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8cADX87-2I

Wonder Wall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XJHV87sFkc

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P31A_SJWA8c

Lego House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4BLVznuWnU

Small Bump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npp7ZFOgpyM

Be my husband: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lv1fsEE9ag

Cold coffee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7d8LUJ8Ejk

Kiss me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhHyZFiE5fQ

Chasing Cars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG5__CqKULc

Expression sessions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7YYziHOqQs

Got a blast of spring here on Sunday with temperatures hitting 62. Fixed salmon poached in white wine, lemon, and dill and served it with a yogurt/Dijon mustard/dill sauce and a 2012 Te Mania Estate Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This was a new wine for me. Although Cloudy Bay is always touted as the best of NZ Sauvignon Blancs, my personal favorite has always been Kim Crawford. The Te Mania equals my fav. It has aromas of green apples and grapefruit that follow on the palate. It’s a mouthwatering wine, almost like a cross between French Sancerre and the Kim Crawford. At $17.00, it’s as reasonable as the Crawford, too. Went great with the salmon and the music of this young newcomer, Ed Sheeran. Try a bottle and catch Ed here and on iTunes.

Cheers!