(Smooth Jazz) Tony Bragano - Take It Easy - 2012, MP3, 192 kbps

#777The sexy melodies of Tony Bragano are found in his new CD single “Have I Told You”, the latest in a series of releases penned by Tony himself. Currently CDbaby’s top-ranked single in both the smooth jazz and easy listening categories, “Have I Told You” features Tony’s sweet sax swaying a slow dance with Monique DeMoulin’s smoldering vocals. The duo is artfully backed by Khalil Doak-Anthony and Guil Hullian on guitars, with the latter doing double-duty on bass.
Originally from St. Petersburg and now living in Northern California, Tony unleashed his musical muse in his teens, learning the guitar at age 14. Hooked, he became in his own words, “obsessed” and couldn’t put the instrument down. Four years later, he expanded his instrument expertise by teaching himself piano. By then Tony longed to create his own music and saved money to buy the proper equipment. Since then Tony has written over 100 songs and recorded five albums.
Initially performing his melodies on guitar, Tony found his true instrumental voice after hearing a sax instrumental on the radio. Tony and the saxophone have had a love affair with smooth jazz ever since, a genre Tony has infused with his own creative take on emotions, escape and even spirituality.
“In my mind, music starts in the imagination and soul,” Tony explains whenever asked about his creative process. “Creativity is what fuels me. Music is always flowing through my veins. It is an expression of emotion. My instruments are tools of that emotion.”
Tony writes for every one of these tools in each of his songs, including the drums which he plays via an innovative, one-of-a-kind drum glove, his own invention. Sensors on the glove can be programmed with any sound, allowing Tony to play the drums simply by tapping his fingers on a flat surface. He hopes to find a market for it soon, but for the moment, he is currently playing his music in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, making connections with other musicians, writing music, delighting fans and finding new ones wherever he goes.
One fan is Bernie Grundman, the multiple award winning audio engineer of Bernie Grundman Mastering . He offers this succinct review of Tony’s latest recording: “High praise indeed!”