| Urban Knights II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 8, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 49:50 | |||
| Label | GRP | |||
| Producer | Maurice White | |||
| Urban Knights chronology | ||||
| ||||
Urban Knights II is an album by the Urban Knights which was issued in 1997 on GRP Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart. [1] [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| Jazz Times | (favourable) [5] |
| Sun Herald | (favourable) [6] |
Jazz Times stated "With moods playful to passionate and players in a relaxed goodtime frame of mind, it’s a perfect party disc." [5] Don Adderton of the Sun Herald wrote "When you surround a master artist with a strong supporting cast, usually great things happen. On this second outing, Ramsey Lewis scores big on Urban Knights II (GRP)." Adderton added "Still the master craftsman, Lewis leads this all-star aggregation rampaging into funk, jazz, rhythm-and-blues and Latin-flavored ballads." [6] Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times found that "The music that results can perhaps best be described as rhythm & jazz--bits and pieces of improvising from Lewis and the horn players juxtaposed against insistent, funk-driven rhythms. South African Butler, especially on the tracks in which he sings (“South African Jam” and “Brazilian Rain,” especially), brings a seductive world-music ambience to the proceedings." [4] Jonathan Widran of Allmusic called the album a "Maurice White-produced exercise in easy funk and potent, machine generated urban grooves." [3]
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Heatseekers Albums | 48 |
| Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums | 5 [2] |
Maurice White was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter, and producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, and served as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
Am I Cool or What? is an album featuring songs inspired by Jim Davis' comic strip character Garfield. It was released on July 3, 1991, by GRP Records in cassette tape and compact disc format. The genre is primarily R&B and contemporary jazz. The album features appearances by influential contributors to the genre, including B. B. King and The Temptations. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard charts for top contemporary jazz albums.
The Urban Knights are an all-star jazz fusion band. They released their self tilted debut in 1995. They have a total of 8 studio albums.
In the Storm is the third studio album by El DeBarge released in 1992 on Warner Bros. Records. The album got to No. 22 on the Blues & Soul Top UK Soul Albums chart.
Chaka Khan is the eponymous fourth solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1982.
Brave New World is the ninth album by American jazz group The Rippingtons, released in 1996 for the GRP label.
The album reached #4 on Billboard's contemporary Jazz chart. It was the group's final release on the GRP label.
The Best of The Rippingtons is a compilation album by the American jazz group The Rippingtons, released in 1997 by the GRP label. The album is a retrospective of their previous GRP albums, and also includes two previously unreleased tracks.
Bringing Back the Funk is a studio album by Brian Culbertson released in 2008 on GRP Records. The album rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
Urban Knights I is the debut album of the jazz group Urban Knights released in 1995 by GRP Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Love and Other Obsessions is the eighteenth album by the American jazz group Spyro Gyra, released in 1995 by GRP Records.
Earth Run is the fifteenth studio album by jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour, released in April 1986 through GRP Records. The album reached number ten on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart in the United States and received a Grammy Award nomination for Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental. The title track was also nominated for Best Instrumental Composition.
Dreams is an album by Philip Bailey released on Heads Up International Records in 1999. The album peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Bluesiana Triangle is an album by Art Blakey, as well as the name of the short-lived American jazz, blues and funk group that recorded it, consisting of Blakey (drums), Dr. John and David "Fathead" Newman.
Live & More is a live album by Marcus Miller released in 1997.
Irreplaceable is a studio album by American musician George Benson. The album, released by GRP Records in 2003, was recorded in contemporary R&B style. However, four songs were re-recorded in a more smooth jazz style and released in 2004, together with three new songs, and leaving out three songs from the original 2003 edition.
Festival is an album by American jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour that was released in 1988 by GRP Records. The album is a collaboration between musicians from New York City, Los Angeles, and Brazil. Festival reached No. 3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart.
Urban Daydreams is an album by American pianist David Benoit released in 1989, recorded for the GRP label. The album reached #3 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart.
Caché is an album by saxophonist Kirk Whalum issued in 1993 on Columbia Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 39 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
That Secret Place is the tenth album by Patti Austin, released May 10, 1994.
Routes is a studio album by Ramsey Lewis, released in 1980 on Columbia Records. The album reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.