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The brand new album from New Haven, CT based Airborne is entitled ‘Winds
Of Change’ and much of the publicity surrounding it makes clear that the
title, compositions, and even the emotion of the project was inspired by
the bands
concern for world events. The implicit assertion, irrespective of faith,
race, color or wealth, that together we can make
this earth a better place is beyond dispute and in articulating this
harmonious message Airborne
has delivered nine wonderfully uplifting tunes which can be fairly
described as
some of the best smooth jazz to be heard this year.
‘Winds of Change’ is
Airborne’s 6th CD and each subsequent release has demonstrated the growing
confidence
the band has in its own music and the diversity Airborne is never afraid
to display. Although the 2005 album
‘Heavy Vibes’ was replete with top notch old school jazz fusion
this, in the main, has been displaced by the world rhythms
that permeated much of their 2007 project ‘Turbulence’ and the first rate
contemporary jazz which exemplifies
‘Winds of Change’. However, invariably through all of this has been the
superb vocals of Elizabeth Dellinger that
are at the core of all Airborne’s best moments and writing credits which
continue to be predominately shared
between band members, brothers Greg and Thomas Borino, and Thomas Sansone.
The feel good motif of
‘Winds of Change’ is beautifully demonstrated by the optimistic happy vibe
of the title track. Reminiscent in part of Bob James’ ‘Sign Of The Times’
it features the sort of high quality backing vocals from
Dillenger that fans of Airborne have routinely come to expect. When the
track is later reprised as a backdrop
to a series of inspirational sound bites Dillenger remains just as good
and she returns to add her
sparkle to the ‘party ready’ ‘Calypso Night’.
Thomas Sansone
contributes excellent flute to the jazzy ‘Magic In The City’ where Thomas
Borino on keys is also in
fine form and his brother Greg takes the honors on guitar with the
energetically up tempo ‘All Tied Up’. Sansone
switches to sax for the deliciously evocative ‘Spanish Guitar’ and when
the musical spotlight shifts from Europe to
South America it’s the lovely shuffling Latin beat of ‘Brazilian Praise’
that affords Randy Bost
the opportunity to shine on trumpet.
‘Just One Night’ is a
superb slice of smooth jazz for which the entire band plays a part and in
similar vein is
‘Rising Higher’. This brass enriched number is real ‘stadium jazz’ while
the more studied ‘Better Days Ahead’ has
a fine ‘in the pocket’ groove and more excellent guitar from Greg Borino.
Through the years a
feature of Airborne has been its cohesion and the way the lead is
generously shared between
the players. ‘Winds of Change’ offers all of this and a chance to
experience the work of a passionate group
of musicians who obviously enjoy every second of what they do.
Denis Poole - Smooth
Jazz Therapy
Formed in 1988 the group Airborne looks now back on 20 years of
recordings, jazz festivals, gigs, the whole ups
and downs of being musicians. Based in
New Haven, CT, USA, Airborne
has received worldwide acclaims.
The band consists of Steven Clarke (bass), Gregory Borino (guitars),
Thomas Sansone (sax), Thomas Borino (piano, keyboards, organ, vocals),
Asher Delerme (percussion) and Dean Kosh (drums). These musicians are
joined on the
new project Winds of Change by Randy Bost (trumpet, flugelhorn) Elisabeth
Dellinger (background vocals) and on
some of the tracks drummers Adrian Tramontano and Alwyn Smith.
The celebration of the 20th anniversary is a good opportunity to
see at a glance their previous work. The group
started with Take Off in 1990, followed by Across The Sky
(1995), Lifetones (1999),
Heavy Vibes (2004)
and Turbulence (2007). The new album Winds of Change (2008)
follows a special concept and impetus:
"Projects for Global Warming, Hunger, Natural Disasters, New Energy
Resources, and Economical Distress have
been created. All these concerns and factors have stressed our earth to
its boiling point. The time is now for change.
Without prejudice we must all stand together to achieve peace and global
unity to take on this difficult task.
We must reach out our hands to the world. We can make this earth a better
place to live. No matter what faith, race,
color, or wealth you have. We are all children of this world. Help save
our planet and its children!
Reach out your hand and ride the Winds of Change!"
With this impetus in mind Airborne sees Better Days Ahead. Starting
with relaxed guitar loops in the style
of The Chic Thomas Borino soon showcases his piano skills. The uplifting
Winds Of Change is featuring
comprehensible and audible the flute. The melody is taken over by Thomas'
piano. Gregory Borino's
horn arrangement as supporting background is superb and just in the point.
It's a constant part of the repertoire of many live bands. Bossa
Nova à la Brazilian Praise. And some
Calypso à la Calypso Night isn't bad too. This captivating tune
will push you to the dance floor.
Gregory's acoustic guitar delivers Spanish flavor in Spanish Guitar,
while the original character
is changed by the massive sax placement.
We drive further with Magic In The City. While the main
melody is performed by Thomas Sasone on flute
Thomas Borino sets accents with his furious piano play. The provocative
title Just One Night turns out
as smooth ballade featuring Sansone's soprano sax. All Tied Up is
another significant example for the
perfect interplay of all musicians.
Rising Higher
reminds of the British group Shakatak. There are certain similarities
between both groups.
The album is finished with a reprise of the title song. The reprise is a
collage of recordings of famous
contemporaries and the final message of the group.
Airborne
offers with their 6th instalment entertainment in the quality we can await
from
such an experienced group. A nice mixture of fun and lecture.
HBH – Hans-Bernd Hülsmann - Smooth & Soul
Airborne has come to be known as the
“Musical Peacemakers” of contemporary jazz…
the new project WINDS OF CHANGE, in their words, is a message to humanity
that it is time to turn the page.
Based in New Haven, CT, Brothers Thomas and Gregory Borino, and Thomas
Sansone,
along with a large and impressive ensemble of talented band mates perform
throughout the Northeast,
leaving a wake of positivity and global goodness behind them.
Thankfully Airborne has managed to harness this passion and creative
energy and capture it on the
ten new tracks on the band’s 6th album to date. Everything has a
frequency… surrounding ourselves with
frequencies of joy is the fastest way to changing the plights of the
world. Airborne has just made this easy.
Never has there been such a pleasurable soundtrack to focusing on
achieving a greener, calmer,
balanced world where all are free to fulfill their potential. Stuffed full
with the trademark Airborne sound of
island passion and urban emotion, WINDS OF CHANGE is a flavorful offering
with the depth and character
we’ve come to expect from this world-class group.
Songs like the vibrant “Better Days Ahead,” the breezy groove “Winds of
Change” and the
tropical “Calypso Night” conjure up a crystal clear musical body of water
that beckons to be jumped into!
Sandy Shore - Smoothjazz.com
I
have found that Airborne has always put out great Smooth Jazz music.
The "Winds of Change" CD is another great Smooth Jazz CD from start to
finish.
David
White – Whitester Radio - Smooth Jazz
Airborne is quite a unique smooth jazz ensemble. The New Haven band was
formed in the late eighties and has
since then crossed the "turbulences" of our agitated times. Airborne is
more than a jazz ensemble. It is a group of
dedicated musicians, who share the same cause and philosophy: bringing
peace, love and tolerance to our world
through their music. They have stuck to this belief since their
beginning
and have opened up their music to multi-culturalism.
As
the band puts it in the CD liner notes: "Our world is overflowing with
physical, emotional and political distress and confusion. Let this
wonderful music help open your heart to life's beauty. We can all make a
difference in
this world of need. If we try to help, support and understand, we can
achieve peace."
Airborne's fifth release "Turbulence" conveys a spirit of peaceful
serenity, openness to the world's musical cultures
and high energy to create a positive vision for the future. The band
entails talented members: 6 experienced musicians
and a soulful female vocalist. Musically speaking, "Turbulence"
successfully adds world rhythms and sounds
to an already lively and passionate smooth jazz sound.
This exciting musical expedition starts with the exultant Latin "Festival
Sunset". Then you embark on a
soft mid tempo cruise led by a crew of great musicians: Steven Clarke on
bass, Gregory Borino on guitars
and Thomas Sonsone on saxophone ("Smooth Sailing"). When you come back on
earth, you will be received
by Elisabeth Dellinger's soulful voice in a groovy tune ("Can't Fight
Love"), remembering Shakatak's unique sound.
Then you will follow the steps of North America's first inhabitants,
Native Americans ("Native Search").
After a tonic big band swing ("Hillside Swing"), listen to the powerful
"Drums of Peace/Awakening" introduced by
African rhythms and chants. Later on, let yourself invited to a Brazilian
samba ("As We Journey") and get inspired by the
sensual R&B voice of Elisabeth Dellinger. Eventually this bright
journey comes to an end with
an emotional smooth jazz piece, "The Message."
When listening to this
stunning and graceful CD, you will notice that this ensemble plants
musical
"seeds of peace" and uses music to help make our dream of a better world
come true.
Turbulence is a great musical achievement. So, let yourself be
guided by these "musical peacemakers."
Akbar Nour - Smooth Jazz Now
Airborne is a band
with a mission… the multi-cultural contemporary jazz group from New
England takes flight
with their 5th release TURBULENCE setting the objective on using their
musical energies
for calming an otherwise disruptive world.
In the CD liner notes, the band invites listeners to open their hearts,
minds and souls to the music…
Music that is, in our opinion, delightful, lively and filled with life
featuring hot rhythms, sizzling saxophone and flute,
infectious bass lines and caressingly soulful vocals that are effectively
woven into the mix.
This is Airborne’s
critically acclaimed recipe for jazz fusion.
The Connecticut band’s music is genuine and big-hearted… joyful jazz…
healing and enriching,
just as you would expect from these humanitarians and educators.
TURBULENCE is anything but with its high-spirited, soothing melodies.
Tracks like the sophisticated “Smooth Sailing”
and the jubilant “Festival at Sunset” bring to mind the sonic qualities of
other multi-cultural ensembles such as Fattburger
and Pete Escovedo’s Orchestra. This stylish collection of songs also
features soul-stirring pieces such as the head-boppin’ “Can’t Fight Love“
as well as songs of great depth like the captivating tune “The Message.”
What the world needs is more people who do what they love to do with
purpose and confidence
and because they love doing it…
Airborne’s TURBULENCE, filled with nine original compositions, is the
perfect remedy for chaos.
Sandy Shore - Smoothjazz.com
One
has to admire a veteran band whose liner notes denote their desire to make
this a more peaceful world
through music, yet call their latest disc Turbulence. The title is more a
clever wordplay with the name of the
multi-cultural, Connecticut based contemporary jazz ensemble that is
hugely popular in New England but
has also made inroads into the hearts of smooth jazz fans across the
country over the years.
One listen to the supercharged carnival of swirling guitars, brass, drums,
wordless vocals and Latin and samba
action on the opening cut "Festival at Sunset" and nobody's going to be
asking for peace anytime soon!
"Smooth Sailing" is a little gentler, but there's still a heavy bass
bottom (courtesy of Steven Clarke) and the
bright give and take between the crackling electric guitar of Gregory
Borino and the
punchy sax and flute of Thomas Sansone.
Just when you think the plane is grounded somewhere lovely in the U.S.,
Airborne's off to Africa for the
tribal voice and soundscape heavy "Native Search," which puts the melodic
focus on
Sansone's flute--a no-no in 2007 at smooth jazz radio but a brilliant
touch here, especially
paired with Gregory Borino's electric axe.
"Drums Of Peace/Awakening" is similarly jungly and grooving yet also
soaring and smooth. Jazz purists
who find all this a bit too poppy may be satisfied with the swinging big
band jam "Hillside Swing" that
smacks of cool, "real jazz." Featured vocalist Elizabeth Dellinger has a
nice sensual presence on "What About Love,"
but the vocal textures of "As We Journey" might seem more at home on one
of those
70's disco fusion projects--a problem easily solved by simply calling this
"retro."
A band named Airborne has probably heard every aviation cliché possible,
but here's another
Turbulence really takes off, adding a much needed dose of global adventure
to smooth jazz.
Jonathan Widran -
All Music Guide
This
crew is in flight & they are dynamic!
Exquisitely from New Haven, CT., This crew releases their 5th CD of choice
to the Contemporary Jazz Crowd
with a little Urban flair in the mix. It reflects on a societal note of
worldwide news & differences to the matter of heart & soul.
The music in jazz from these players connects the dots to what you hear in
the environment today. Especially to those
seeking reminisce to the original Contemporary jazz game & the music it
speaks for!
From
the beginning of "Festival at
Sunset" rips the Latin smooth jazz melody already heard of
in the smooth jazz
community. Nothing new there right? Well comes..."Smooth
Sailing", which doesn't so much go technically according
to the name of the title. It does have several different elements added to
bring the choice of tune more-so to
Contemporary Jazz Status! Like the vocal scats laced throughout that
track! When you go to "Can't Fight
Love" &
hear the congas go smoothly with the vocals, you can almost grasp a feel
for the UK's 'Brand New Heavies' & a
midday R&B tempo from USA's group 'Seek'. Or you should know by now that
both parties DO mix!
"Hillside
Swing"
picks up a speed towards a big band camp & does the twist to a little
straight ahead jazz flow.
Possibly to flex muscles of the band on their ability to dabble in both
arts of the game. "Drums of
Peace/Awakening"
glided my listening path into fully appreciating what they came to play -
down to earth Jazz! I mean, they wasted no time
in this composition. The sax play coming directly from Thomas Sansone
comes through & is truly felt. In fact, this track
reminds me of another 'awakening' in the debut CD from Ramsey Lewis's "The
Urban Knights"! (Remember Them?)
For independent artists such as them, their true testimony may ride into
their consistency & passion for music in this project. The overall feel!
It speaks loudly throughout the CD & yes....It’s Recommended!
The Urban Music Scene - Terrill
J. Hanna
Airborne’s fifth album, Turbulence meets all your expectations of
what you imagine an eminent jazz album
would be like.
The songs are symbolic of contemporary jazz, progressive jazz, and the
alluring smooth jazz.
Produced by band members Greg Borino
(electric/acoustic guitars), Thomas Borino (piano/keyboards/vocals),
and
Thomas Sansone (saxophone/flute/vocals), the album is made up of a 6-part
instrumental unit and one part
female vocals furnished by
Lady Elizabeth Dellinger.
The songs take the listener from a balmy R&B
idling to contemporary swing and club jazz proportions.
Rounding out the
6-part instrumental are Dean Kosh (drums), Asher Delerme (African/Latin
percussion),
and Steven Clark (bass). The band employed a number of additional
musicians for Turbulence which surprisingly
does not add clutter to the tracks. Moreover, these additional musicians
came in as needed to add sunspots of
trills and flounce that tickle the melodies with a wider array of hues and
party atmospheres.
Tracks like “Festival At Sunset” and
“As We Journey” propel a Latin-jazz samba ruffling up the rhythms with
alcoves
of animated horns. The rotating cycles revolve around the springy vocals
in a pleasurable spin. The R&B/Soul tides on numbers like “Smooth Sailing”
and “Can’t Fight Love” are intoxicating as Dellinger’s sensuality
and
magnetism on
“Can’t Fight Love” resonates with a Regina Bell vocal shower.
The
citrus-sweetness of the flute swirls on “Native Search”
are symphonic and tranquilizing while
“Hillside Swing” has ringlets of
elevating guitar intervals and swing-laden horns.
“Drums Of Peace/Awakening” turns into waves of smooth jazz horns
embellished with African textured beats,
rippling hand shakers, and syncopated vocal chants. “What About Love” has
a touch of cocktail-jazz in its
R&B voicing illuminated by Dellinger’s singing, as the sinuous grooves and
honeyed tones of
“The Message” stoke the embers of the sonically romantic flames.
Though Turbulence has only
9-tracks on it, the average length of the songs is 6-minutes which is
double what most
11-track albums offers in there songs. Airborne have produced an album
that is a portrait of jazz music’s charms
and supple movements making music that is idealistic and proofed for party
mixers.
Airborne’s Turbulence gives jazz music a very good feel.
Susan Frances - Jazz Review
When in 2005 I reviewed the album ‘Heavy Vibes’ from the smooth jazz and
fusion band Airborne I suggested
that they were re-igniting genuine old school jazz fusion in a way that
was part Tower Of Power, part Ambrosia
and very much in the spirit of 5th Dimension. Now New Haven, CT based
Airborne are back with their fifth CD release
‘Turbulence’. It retains
much of the excellent fusion that grabbed attention the last time around
and widens
horizons to demonstrate huge empathy with the music of many cultures.
In fact the entire collection is a
rollercoaster ride of moods and emotions, writing credits are shared
between band members Greg and Thomas Borino, Thomas Sansone, and the
superb vocals of Elizabeth Dellinger
are at the core of all its best moments.
The hugely expansive ‘Festival At Sunset’
is fuelled by Airborne’s hallmark horn driven sound
and ripples with pleasing Latin grooves. Those same luscious tones and
that same Latin intensity are
equally prevalent for ‘As We Journey’. Soulful, and with a gospel
message buried within, the track is illuminated
by the amazing voice of Elizabeth Dellinger and as the band continues to
show its versatility they find,
in ‘Hillside Swing’, a big band vibe that is uniquely Airborne.
Although ‘Smooth Sailing’ is as melodic
and ‘in the pocket’ as its title suggests it might be the complexity
that the band often engenders is never too far away. ‘Native Search’ draws
clear influences from
Native American rhythms while ‘Drums Of Peace / Awakening’ bristles with
an African inflection
every bit as potent as Lamont Dozier’s seminal ‘Going Back To My Roots’.
The song’s message is delivered in a
hugely accessible way and this accessibility is again to the fore
with ‘What About Love’. Totally typical of what Airborne do best, the band
takes its time to build this
smoldering ballad in a way that others might not but, in doing so, produce
a track of genuine substance.
Tight, edgy and spliced with wonderful
backing vocals, ‘The Message’ could be a synonym for everything
that Airborne represents and the band stays in soulful mode for ‘Can’t
Fight Love’. Here sumptuous
horn riffs abound and the luscious vocals of Elizabeth Dellinger again
portray just how influential her input invariably is.
In the final analysis, ‘Turbulence’ is a
fresh and eclectic mix that is well worth discovering.
Denis Poole - Smooth
Jazz Therapy
Airborne is the type of
group and Turbulence is the type of recording that represents what
I love
about contemporary jazz – it’s like unwrapping an unexpected gift and
discovering,
for the first time, something you like but didn’t know existed.
It never
ceases to amaze and at the same time perplex me – the sheer talent and
originality of jazz artists. This is good stuff - check it out!
John Luciano -
ContemporaryJazz.com
Tons of percussion...tons of
energy...tons of soul...that's what you're gonna hear in the fourth
release from one of the
most talented contemporary
jazz bands around.
You can definitely hear and feel the
positive vibes on HEAVY VIBES...on every song...in every performance.
This is really a cookin' album!
They're obviously a powerfully positive
force for jazz, and you can't miss the quality and energy on this project.
From the intoxicating Latin percussion
that kicks off track 1 ("I See") right on through each and
every tune on
HEAVY VIBES, you'll find yourself totally
engaged in the Airborne experience
Scott O’Brien - Smoothjazz.com
Airborne are a
multi-instrumental and multi-facet jazz band from New Haven, Connecticut
and remind me of the
great jazz acts from the 80's and 90's such as
Surface Noise, Rodney Franklin, Azymuth, Paul Hardcastle, Mezzoforte,
Shakatak and some their vocal harmonies resemble the great George Duke and
Tom Browne. Not surprising as
the band was formed in the late 1980's when
this style was particularly en vogue.
'Heavy Vibes' is the
band's fourth CD release and is sure to follow on the success of the
previous three which
enjoyed
airplay on many Jazz Radio Stations throughout the US and abroad and
received critical acclaim in
JazzTimes,
Jazziz, Downbeat and Billboard to name but a few.
The album is a collection of smooth jazz, Latin jazz and soulful urban
vocals sung by the lovely Elizabeth Delliger
and
also rotated by saxman Thomas Sansone and Thomas Borino, the latter
contribute the spine of the set with
some
creative piano and keyboard solos from Borino and Kirk Whalum / Najee
style sax from Sansone.
The beauty about this album is that it stretches out beyond the jazz idiom
and crosses over to the current urban soul
and dance charts but the intoxicating driving sounds are also reminiscent
of the early Spyro Gyra, Fattburger,
Mezzoforte and Shakatak with Gregory Borino's guitars exchanging front and
centre stage with
the keyboards of Thomas Borino on the opening drive time cut entitled 'I
See'.
This is just one of the styles which demands attention on this fine recipe
for today's urban vocal / jazz formulae.
Some of the harmonies are straight out of the Spyro Gyra catalogue like
those on 'Hip Hop' which remind me of
Jay Beckenstein, Tom Schuman and John Tropea on their 'Catching The Sun'
set from 1980 like 'Lizard Island' with
Sansone's soft flute caressing the
melody line and the female backing vocals
with that George Duke 'Brazilian
Love Affair' appeal.
This is totally a self
penned album which is creditable on its own merits for the arrangements
and performances.
It is obvious that this is a touring band which has been playing together
for some 15 years which results
in some fine
instrumental exchanges and idiomatic particulars which come from many
years of performing together.
It is an album which requires a number of plays to eclipse the full menu on offer and the creativity behind the scenes.
One for the more discerning smooth jazz fans and the 'Old School' jazz fusion fans who lived through the last two decades
of the twentieth century. One I thoroughly enjoyed and brought me back to a musical flavor which has personal memories.
Wes Gillespie -Euroclubdejazz.com
There are no overnight success stories in music land. That phenomenon
doesn’t happen here. Years of honing ones craft, enhancing natural gifts,
talents, and abilities and learning new skills are how extraordinary bands
are formed and celebrated solo acts are created.
In the late 1980’s, Airborne, the multi-cultural band hailing from New
Haven, Connecticut, was formed with one purpose in mind; to make great
music. With total dedication to the process of making their music pop,
these musicians honed their skills, enhanced their natural talents and
abilities and morphed into an exciting entertainment unit. Over time,
fifteen years plus, Airborne has built a solid reputation as outstanding
artists. They have toured and performed at jazz festivals, in music
venues, colleges, and nightclubs in the US, Europe, and Japan. The members
are, drum roll please, Thomas Borino (piano, organ, keyboards, vocals),
Thomas Sansone (sax, flute, vocals), Gregory Borino (Guitars, vocals),
Steven Clarke (bass, vocals), Asher Delerme (Latin & African percussion),
and Lady Elizabeth Dellinger (vocals).
As Performing Artists, Recording Artists, Educators,
and as Humanitarians the band’s quality of excellence and compassion has
kept them on the road to success
Flying High - By Lynda Malloy-Glover - Abyssjazz Magazine
Heavy Vibes’ is the
latest release from the smooth jazz and fusion band Airborne, a group that
has been around since the eighties and consists of family, friends and
above all terrific musicians. It is their fourth release and with it they
are re-igniting genuine old school jazz fusion in a way that is part 5th
Dimension and part Ambrosia with just a hint of Tower Of Power thrown in
for good measure. In fact this ultra tight collection of twelve tracks
breathes influences from many quarters but in doing so manages to
establish a unique identity that is all about Airborne.
A multi cultural
product of the bands home town of New Haven CT, their sound is driven by
guitar man Greg Borino who produces the album and shares the writing
credits with band members Thomas Sansone, Thomas Borino and Elizabeth
Dellinger. It’s the Greg Borino composition ‘I See’ that kicks off the
collection with a sound that is reminiscent of The Rippingtons. With the
lead being rotated between guitar, horns and keys they generate what the
band quickly establish as their full hallmark sound but it’s with ‘Trust
In Love’ that Airborne first demonstrate what really makes them tick.
Throughout the album male lead vocals are swapped between Thomas Sansome
and Thomas Borino and, as here, whenever they segue with the sultry urban
tones of Elizabeth Dellinger something invariably wonderful happens. In
addition, with this soulful and expansive number, they reinvent the kind
of epic six minute plus track that was commonplace in the eighties but,
until now, seemed to have gone out of fashion. Not any more as no less
than seven of the tunes are of a duration of six minutes or more and it’s
a tribute to the energy the band generate that not one of them seem one
second too long.
Another tune very much
in the style of the Rippingtons is the ‘grown up’ slice of smooth jazz
‘After The Storm’ while the band go Latin and then some with ‘Lizard
Island’. It starts off with the sound of the ocean lapping on the shore
then rolls on with the warm tones of Sansone on flute and cool piano from
Thomas Borino that is much in the style of Brian Simpson. Flute is again
featured to wonderful effect on ‘A Smooth Ride’ and they return to the
Latin beat with ‘Nicole’, a track that features the melodic guitar of Greg
Borino. The listener gets a surprise with ‘Hip Hop’ which, contrary to
what the title suggests, turns out to be a piece of classy smooth jazz
with nice sax from Sansone. ‘Turn Me Around’ offers up more excellent sax
driven smooth jazz and when Elizabeth Dellinger gives way to Jeanmarie
Rivera for the lead vocals on ‘To Be Loved’ the band produce a sound that
is funky, urban and uplifting all at the same time and a delicious throw
back to the eighties.
That said, whenever
Dellinger sings the band taken on an extra dimension. ‘You Are Everywhere’
is an urban swinger on which she puts her indelible mark while she is
again outstanding on the lusty and urban ‘A Ray Of Hope’. My pick for best
track on the album is ‘Love Comes Back’. Starting off in mellow mode and
building with a truly memorable hook, Dellinger makes this a soulful
modern day classic of the highest order.
Denis Poole - Smooth
Jazz Therapy
With four albums to their credit,
Airborne returns with a 12-track compact disc entitled "Heavy Vibes."
Accented with elements of straight-ahead jazz with Caribbean and Latino
influences,
Airborne soars with musical intensity that is hard to ignore.
The New Haven, Conn., band formed in
the late 1980s, presenting an example of a group who has survived
the ups and downs of a multifaceted career intermixed with dedication to
music, skills and personal goals.
In listening to "Heavy Vibes," the
listener will appreciate the romantic overtones in several tracks,
as well as the presentation of urban funk. Themes concerning peace, fun,
excitement are visible as
Airborne shares their special cargo of high energy contemporary jazz.
The musical overtones of Airborne is
strong, and listeners will appreciate "Heavy Vibes.
Natasha Washington -
JazzReview.com
All of the musicians are very talented.
On for instance is lead singer, Elizabeth Dellinger, who has a voice like
R&B singer, Teena Marie. She’s very soulful, especially on the track,
“Trust in Love”. I also enjoyed the track, “I See” where Airborne’s
musical style reminded me of Santana & The Rippingtons, very powerful and
exhilarating.
Michael James – Smooth Jazz and More
The
group Airborne describes their music as "Smooth Jazz & Vocals /
Contemporary Jazz".
After listening to their music I can state, there is some jazz. Nevertheless
Airborne has a hooking potential.
Today they present an album which let me sit up and take notice. Yes, they
are really professionals.
Excellent musicianship on the whole album!
HBH – Hans-Bernd Hülsmann - Smooth & Soul
We featured Airborne's
new "Heavy Vibes" CD on our "Afternoon Coffee Break" program.
We got calls asking about the CD the same hour! Good luck with this great
musical offering!
The Hitman" Dan Turner - Program Director-88.9-FM KJLU, Jefferson
City, Missouri
Great CD Guys!! I think it
will do well here at our smooth jazz station in Nashville
Looking forward to added it and spinning it.
Chris Nochowicz Music Director 88.1
WFSK
Nashville
The Heavy Vibes CD sounds great. We added it to our Show. Keep Jazzin!
SkyJazz Radio
Very nice music, guys!! Thanks for sending it to me! Very well done!
Not Too Smooth Jazz
Echo Smooth Jazz, Whitester Radio, Smooth Jazz Links, Jazz Review, Smoothjazz.com, Jazz Cafe, Smooth Jazz News
Featured Artist / CD Spotlights
" Good tunes, excellent professional musicians, warm-toned,
yet razor-sharp precision and articulation, attractive lines, colors and
interesting contours of the pieces, plus the voicings are consistent with
the idiomatic instrumentation and direction. I am duly impressed with the
group's bold assets and content. The band bodes well for the media and in
in-person venues "
Dr. Herb Wong - International Association of
Jazz Educators
" Highly original, multi-faceted quintet, Standout
songwriters capture a variety of musical flavors in
highly accessible
melodic forms without ever resorting to clichés.
Performances executed
with great attention to detail reflect the joy of a highly complimentary
group of players "
Hilarie Grey - JazzTimes
" A slick production of today's new contemporary jazz. The
musicianship and compositions are excellent and tasteful.
The kind of band
that makes people flock to the Newport Jazz Festival "
New England Performer
" A group that really epitomizes the concept of a band.
Polished professionals, each member contributes to the sound.
No one fades
into the background. Listening to them is a whirling musical journey
packed with emotion and flawless execution "
Mixx Magazine
" Airborne's musical recipe takes a can of straight
ahead jazz with Caribbean and Latino influences. Pours in a few tablespoons
jazz fusion
and a cup of urban street funk. Then cooks all ingredients
with pure technical talent till it gets boiling hot. "
Page One Profile
" A new direction in jazz, innovative and inspiring, bravo!
"
New England Arts
" Reader's Poll #1 Jazz Band. Intense and fast-paced tunes.
Superb and outstanding soloists.
The band is expanding to higher
levels of musicianship "
Jazz Advocate
" A cool jazz sound and style. Awesome, dynamic, and unique.
Evokes images of the inner city. A brotherhood of talented musicians that
naturally gel "
Hip Magazine
" A solid contemporary jazz band that fits into a standard
industry format without forsaking it's inherent strengths and character.
Thus is in direct competition with others that fit into this category"
Marty Kahn - Outward Visions
" Powerful, versatile, complex
intricate arrangements perfectly executed.
Spotlighted with an added dimension of humility, attitude,
professionalism, showmanship, and originality "
Musician
" Hot jazz keeps fans cool "
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