Too Smooth For Notes
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Too Smooth For Notes

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"Review and Interview: Too Smooth For Notes"

Lansing, MI - 621 club, Proprietor Julian Darden, Jazz Thursdays, and Fridays.

Too Smooth For Notes is a musical feast of smooth jazz. They delight the ears and th senses. With each note you feel the passion as it seduces you melodically, or with a funky twist! All my Love was played uptempo, Rock with You (Michael Jackson) was Lively, Charelle's Everthing was smooth and sensual.

TSFN played some very soulful tunes, with feeling that entranced and engaged the audience. It's danceable music too! Song selection ranges from Grover, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Janet Jackson, Richard Elliot, Boney James, Najee, Walter Beasley as well as original Compositions: Patterns & Worth the Weight.

Phil Denny is the leader of the group, a humble, sincere sax dynamo! He told me "The band started in 1994 as a group for hire. The vision of what I wanted to do with my music. So he got together guys (musicians) that clicked with smooth jazz rather than traditional, or main stream style. Over the years the group evolved to the members he has today. Our music is smooth, sultry, upbeat, and funky. We can play it all as long as it's smooth." Three of the members also play at Mount Zion.

We produced a single in 2006 called Patterns, it sold out! We're currently unsigned, and seeking a label to promote us. We're still growing as musicians, bettering ourselves as a group. We project by 2009 we'll have a CD out called This is That (referring to the CD they've been talking about). They play in night clubs, private parties, and festivals. Robin Hayman, and Greg Hunter are fans that say TSFN is the " best that's happening in Lansing as Jazz goes".

Listening to Percussionist I told Craig Smith "It sounds like music is in your blood". Craig: " I grew up on Hazel street in Battle Creek and Junior Walker used to practice late at night. He inspired me." He's played with Prince, Terry Lewis (Flyte Time), and others, Belena D'Costa (Earth Wind & Fire), and master Henry Gibson (Curtis Mayfield) were his influences. He played professionally in Minneapolis for a decade until his marriage. He recorded with Centerfold on Columbia Records.

The band has played with Stevie Wonder, Tim Bowman, Larry Graham, Randy Scott, Howard Hewitt, and others. Too Smooth For Notes: Phil Denny/ alto, tenor, soprano saxophones, Sebastian wood/ keyboards, Joe Amerson/ drums, Arnold "AP" Pulliam/ Bass, Irvin Williams/ Guitar, Craig Smith/ percussions. Too Smooth For Notes can be reached at the 621 club on Michigan Thursdays, or at myspace.com/toosmoothfornotes to post a comment, or download a music sampler

- by Patricia Britt


Discography

Produced a single in 2006 called "Patterns".
Local radio and Television airplay
Presently working on their long awaited CD, coming out in 2009. Four songs up on www.myspace.com/toosmoothfornotes.

Photos

Bio

According to The Michigan Bulletin, Too Smooth For Notes is " Mid- Michigan's #1 Smooth Urban Jazz group". Since the late 90's TSFN has gained popularity throughout the Midwest in the jazz sub-genre referred to as urban smooth jazz. TSFN is a musical feast of smooth jazz, they delight the ears and the senses. With each note you feel the passion as it seduces you melodically, or with a funky twist. Hailing from Lansing, MI, this saxophone led group effortlessly entertains audiences with an energized blend of jazz, R&B, pop, funk, soul and gospel conjuring an array of moods. Saxophonist Phil Denny, Keyboardist Sebastian Wood, Bas
sist Arnold "AP" Pulliam, guitarist Irvin Williams, drummer Joe Amerson and persussionist Craig Smith infuse their individual influences to create a colorful chemistry.

Song selection ranges from Grover, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Janet Jackson, Richard Elliot, Boney James, Najee, Walter Beasley as well as original Compositions: Patterns and Worth the Weight. The group produced the single "Pattern" in 2006 and Instantly fans purchased it and it sold out!

Too Smooth For Notes has shared the stage with national and international recording artists such as Stevie Wonder, Howard Hewitt, Gail Johnson, Tim Bowman, Randy Scott, Perry Wells, Savion Glover, and others. If you haven't experienced the melodic sound of Too Smooth For Notes, prepare yourself for and engaging ride.