Those seeking a rather groove-filled but otherwise generic compilation of modern-day smooth jazz from the Rendezvous Music label will find this one more than satisfactory. It features relatively new cuts from artists such as Kirk Whalum, Praful, Kyle Eastwood, Wayman Tisdale, Philippe Saisse, and Mindi Abair, among others. Particularly hip is the Philippe Saisse Trio's groovy, Ramsey Lewis-styled reading of Steely Dan's Do It Again, Marc Antoine's flamenco-inflected hip-hop jazz on Mediterraneo, and Rick Braun's Notorious. The selection is sequenced beautifully with mid- and slow tempo groovers intermittently sprinkled among the harder-edged funky jams. This collection is proof positive that smooth jazz is not some unholy hybrid of easy listening and pop. It's hip; it's full of street swagger, the dancefloor's quirks and quarks, and the canny knowledge of pop; and it delves deep into both lyricism and beats. Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

By the late 2000s, most of the big festival and cruise lineups in contemporary urban jazz (insiders didn't dig the format name smooth jazz after a while) were dominated by the same 20 or so A-listers. NuGroove may not have had any of these on their diverse roster, but genre fans knew they could count on great melodic and grooving joints from the artists they did have. Complementing popular American performers like Steve Oliver, Bob Baldwin, Darren Rahn, and Jay Soto was the popular Ukraine and Holland-educated saxman Konstantin, who brought a touch of sorely needed Euro cool to the mix with this label debut (his third project overall). Living up to the title of the disc, the urbane artist created a dreamy, easily funky world of in-the-pocket gems -- nothing too innovative or edgy, but infectious, joyful, and likable nonetheless. As producer, Konstantin added some nice retro soul vibes and horn textures throughout, including the flügelhorn and trumpet of Adir Kochavi on the dynamic opening track, Stylish Walk. While his playing is solid and his melodies pretty irresistible (a given for any airplay or sales success in the genre), it's his gift for horn texturing and love of ambient touches on tracks like Autumn's Edge and Chica Timida -- not to mention the atmospheric trip-hoppiness of Spinning Along -- that ultimately make Smoothing an intriguing listening experience beyond the mellowness promised by the album's title. ~ Jonathan Widran, Rovi

If you're troubled by sore muscles, a painful back, swollen joints or arthritis pain, then you already know... Pain pills don't always work. Dr. Sears' Smooth On shuts pain down within minutes. It's fast, effective and completely safe. There's no risk at all. And it's easy to use. Just rub it in and the pain goes away.

(For a Minimum of Five Steel Drums, Drumset, and Optional Bass Guitar). By Itaal Shur and Rob Thomas. Arranged by Jeff Moore. For Steel Drum Ensemble. Part(s); Percussion - Steel Drum Ensemble; Score. Alfred's Steel Drum Ensemble Series. 32 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing

Release Date: 2004-06-22, Audio CD, Trippin & Rhythm

Smooth Short by Burnside. 100% Authentic Burnside merchandise.

Street-level apologetics for everyday Christians. Because faith in Jesus makes sense. And you don't need an advanced degree to understand why. This book was written for two reasons. First, too many people think believing in Christianity means blind faith, against all evidence, the way a child believes in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Second, every few years a new book intended to undermine Christianity becomes a best seller and shakes the faith of many. Yet the arguments in these books are rarely compelling. Jesus likened faith in God to a house built on a foundation. If built on sand, storms of doubt will tear the house apart. But if we build on a solid foundation, we will stand. In these pages, Joe Coffey inspects our foundation - so we can know why we believe, and so we can speak of our faith to others with greater confidence and clarity. The conclusion? The Christian faith is built on a tremendous amount of credible evidence. You don't need to be a scientist, an historian, an archeologist, or a philosopher to understand why belief in Jesus makes perfect sense. Think of the last time an unbeliever asked you a seemingly unanswerable question as a way of supporting their unbelief. Did you feel thwarted in your attempt to give an account for the hope that is in you? Smooth Stones answers six of the toughest of these questions: 1. How do you know God exists? 2. How can you be sure the Bible is authentic and true? 3. If God exists, why is there evil and suffering? 4. Doesn't science disprove the Bible? 5. Aren't all religions the same? 6. How can you be sure the claims of Christ are true? Joe Coffey writes in a style that is clear, winsome, and compelling. Smooth Stones will equip you with answers to some of the toughest apologetics questions a Christian can face. There is plenty of evidence to support the claims of Christianity. Smooth Stones puts much of that evidence at your fingertips and offers practical guidelines for how to unpack it in ways that are gentle and reverent.