SOLAR WIND FEATURING SEAN MASON: Blue Horizon

Solar Wind featuring Sean Mason

Blue Horizon

© 2003 Sean J. Mason Music (633123200226)

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An electrifying mix of smooth jazz, fusion, funk and new age. High energy contemporary jazz at its best.

tracks

1 Shoreline Drive
2 Sedona Sunrise
3 Catalina Breeze
4 Mix It Up
5 Saturn Way
6 Blue Horizon
7 Danse de la Glace
8 Place In The Sun
9 Manhattan Beach
10 Eruption
11 Sedona Sunrise (Reprise)

notes

Solar Wind is a high-energy contemporary jazz band out of Los Angeles. With a perfect blend of smooth jazz and fusion, Solar Wind's sound transcends today's contemporary jazz.

The debut CD, "Grand Tour Alignment" 1999, received national and international airplay, and garnered rave reviews in several national publications including Jazziz, Jazz Times, Music Connection, Bassics, and Bass Frontiers. The CD was also nominated for jazz album of the year at the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards.

For the band's second release, bassist, composer, producer and bandleader, Sean Mason has compiled a set of original tunes that epitomize what smooth jazz is all about.
"Blue Horizon," boasts several radio friendly tracks as well as some real hard-hitting fusion and features guest artists that include smooth jazz radio mainstays David Benoit and Eric Marienthal. Also performing on the album are keyboardist Marc Hugenberger, drummer Paul Kaiser, and guitarist Eric Robson

This second release by the band has made its way to the airwaves landing on over 130 radio station playlists throughout the U.S.

Mason's electric bass is the dominant force of this CD, using the instrument as both foundation and melody on several cuts. With a mix of thumping, plucking, picking and strumming, the bassist sets the pace for Solar Wind's contemporary instrumental collage. Mason credits the influences of Stanley Clarke, Jack Bruce, Jaco Pastorius, Al DiMeola, and John Patitucci for helping to develop his style.

While Mason's flair for colorful grooves and melodies allow a handful of the eleven tunes to fit comfortably in the smooth jazz pocket, Solar Wind's second release "Blue Horizon" also features more intense funk, blistering electric jazz fusion, a bit of mystical new age and on one track, an ode to dramatic film scoring.

There's a universal appeal to the Solar Wind sound, and the CD has a finger right on the pulse of modern instrumental music. "Shoreline Drive" and "Sedona Sunrise," both featuring Benoit and Marienthal, are two radio-friendly tracks, and "Shoreline Drive" was even picked up by Art Good's Jazz Trax syndicated radio show.

THE REVIEWS ARE IN! "I naturally love the opening track titled "Shoreline Drive"... tracks that will appeal to radio, very funky...an album for music enthusiasts....excellent musicianship, interesting melodies, fusion cuisine, ...full-bodied effort with great character." Smoothjazz.com. "Blue Horizon" has the right potential for Smooth Jazz radio stations...explosive!" Smooth & Soul. It has a strong pulse, and passion, Blue Horizon traverses a lot of ground, moving well from style to style. Great sounds, a pleasing record for bassists and lovers of seriously nice music. Bass Inside Magazine.
"A fusion activated sound energy ride to jazz utopia...this CD plays large and is definitely ear candy at its sweetest. A neatly wrapped sound package of delight. After 11 tracks of beautifully crafted jazz of a uniquely different flavor, I was hooked on what Solar Wind had to say…sure to be one of the jazz highlights of 2003. If this is only the second outing from Solar Wind and company, we can expect the jazz world to be refreshed for a long time to come." JazzReview.com


Under the new independent label Solar One Records, Mason aims to bring Solar Wind to the forefront of smooth jazz by involving world class musicians for recordings and live performances, employing marketing strategies that include national radio and retail promotions and by utilizing marketing tools now available to independent artists like the internet.

"Our primary focus is and always will be music," Mason says. "While it is important to evolve musically, we realize that creativity is boundless and limitless as long as there is inspiration, and multi-media encourages creative expansion. The whole idea behind Solar Wind is sight, sound and imagination."

Capitalizing on the appeal that the first album generated, Mason continues the theme of having "something for everyone" on the sophomore release.

"Musically, I always play it straight from the heart, and then put it out to see how the feelings transfer to those who listen," he adds. "Blue Horizon" is just the next step towards realizing our goal of reaching our potential as creators and artists."


Bold and innovative, daring yet smooth and irresistible, and orbiting soon at radio and retail, Solar Wind invites you on a musical journey you won't soon forget.

reviews

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  • Absolutely worth owning
    author: David Toon

    A great sound worth having close by. They have captured a unique, and creative angle in C-jazz, and expressed this through a delightful series tracks easily consumed anywhere, and at anytime. I look forward to more of the same in the future.

  • Sean's new album "Blue Horizon" is the right potential for Smooth Jazz radio sta
    author: hbh

    Los Angeles is the heart of Smooth Jazz. There is no other city worldwide, where you find so many music groups of this genre. One of them is Solar Wind. Solar Wind is headed by the bassist Sean Mason, who also organizes the promotional and marketing part. Their debut album was "Grand Tour Alignment" (1999). Mason's electric bass is the dominant force of this CD and there is no difference to their new one Blue Horizon. Read more at the above mentioned link.

  • JAZZIE
    author: ronnie warren/wash., dc

    This cd is always a pleasure. Something different on every track. The bass work is great

  • A must-have for any Jazz lover's collection.
    author: George Ellenburg

    Solar Wind reminds me a lot of Spyro Gyra or Acoustic Alchemy. This CD sounds more like Spyro Gyra though. "Sedona Sunrise" has *got* to be one of my favorite tracks on this CD, followed closely by "Shoreline Drive". I love these guys.

  • buy it right now
    author: Da Hype

    solar wind should be right there with spyro gyra, fattburger and others like that. the music is a pleasure for the ears. i enjoyed every track. i hate to think i've been missing out on musicians like this. my next purchase at cd baby will be their other cd. if you want a cd you can put in and find yourself listening to each track, this is one. buy it now! please give us a third, sean, please.

  • Beautyfully Done What a great Refreshing Number and album
    author: Brian United Kingdom

    My Favourite Is Catalina Breeze on the Blue Horizen Album, What a great melody and a Tropical delight, I first heard it on CIM Radio, and I have heard it a number of times since. I go for the real cool stuff, and this is it. Keep it Up Brian United Kingdom

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