3rd Force, DRIVING FORCE on Higher Octave Music is the seventh in a series of "Force" theme recordings since their 1994 self-titled debut.  Originator guitarist, William Aura and longtime collaborator and classically trained pianist, Craig Dobbin add a star studded musical ensemble to this solid recording that might be considered retro soul but is an eclectic enjoyable mix of soul, jazz R&B, hip-hop and pure funk-licious rhythms.  The concept of this recording spans several musical decades with urban '70's sounds that include hot brass sections ("The Real Thing") Latin jazz with a "kick" and ("Get With It") featuring former LA Express saxophonist Tom Scott. While the music will appeal to just about every '70's music fan so will the cast of talent that features contemporary guitarists Brian Hughes and Marc Antoine with extraordinarily talented saxophonists Eric Darius and Tom Scott.  3rd Force, Driving Force will definitively help you "get your groove on" especially when Aura and Company stick to the Motown formula featuring great horn sections a signature sound for '70's bands. 3rd Force, Driving Force may have been influenced by the great bands of the '70's but enjoy the ride back into the past and the "Good 'Ol Days" it's an "E" ticket ride with a 21st century hook. 
-Irene Wadkins/jazz journalist 

3rd Force gives its trademark grooving sound an energy boost on Driving Force (Higher Octave). The popular smooth-jazz outfit started performing live as a band a few years ago and decided to reproduce the energy of their live performances in their studio work. "Real Thing" weaves together horns, Brazilian rhythms and electronic effects, while "Gotta Gotta" is a high-octane, horn-soaked jam spotlighting newcomer saxophonist Eric Darius. 3rd Force's albums always feature guest appearances by many of smooth jazz's biggest stars, and this time, guitarists Marc Antoine and Brian Hughes and saxophonist Tom Scott join the party. Hughes' jazzy ax shines on the urban-edged opener "Believe in Me," while Antoine offers graceful guitar on the moody "You Got It," and the rollicking "Get With It" features a boisterous performance from Scott, who multitracked his horns to create a horn section that backs him with a rapid-fire machine-gun rhythm. The album closes with the haunting, hypnotic "Inside," which features soft-voiced Nepali singer Rashmi and Nepali flutist Reuben Shresthna floating through an evocative and atmospheric soundscape.
-Lucy Tauss 

The contemporary jazz collective known as 3rd Force has returned to the music scene with a vengeance with their latest CD project entitled “Driving Force”. This time around, the group receives exceptional support from featured artists Marc Antoine, Eric Darius, Brian Hughes, and veteran instrumentalist Tom Scott.
The title “Driving Force” is quite appropriate for this project, as it’s tempo and rhythms provide the perfect ambiance for a highway cruise or brisk walk. In fact, the first time I listened to this CD, I was headed down I-95 south in morning drive. I knew 3rd Force was on the money, because I arrived at my destination safe, relaxed and focused.
“Believe In Me” provides the funky yet smooth uptempo groove to kick off this journey. Caution; be sure to set your cruise control before you go any further because “Ask Me Why”, and “You Got It” keep things moving with slight tempo and rhythm changes, with a saxophone lead on the former, and a classic Marc Antoine guitar lead on the latter.
Fans of the group Down To The Bone will embrace, “An Open Heart”, while followers of the chill scene will adopt the closing track “Inside”. We also recommend the world beat influenced “Real Thing” to all.
3rd Force is the “Driving Force” when it comes to music that makes you feel good all over. Take a musical ride today! 

3rd Force - Driving Force
Now this is Smooth Jazz for the 21st century!  Groove, energy, melody and the elusive hip-ness factor that is, in this case, effortless and uncontrived.  Driving Force is a completely different sound for 3rd Force, a departure from the ambient orientation of their recent releases. The process that led to this was their transition from a studio project to a performing band. As they did more concerts, they saw that the audience responded when they cranked up the energy. So they gave the audience what it wanted... a CD that is driven by songs more than mood and is bright and up-tempo without being abrasive or in your face. What is significant about this CD is that the melodic underpinnings of the group’s signature sound provide the foundation for their new direction. Long-time fans will hear melody lines, riffs and hooks that sound familiar, but the arrangements are hotter and the songs are tighter and catchier. The pre-release buzz has mentioned Motown and retro-soul, but this CD doesn't sound retro in the traditional sense. There are some funky horn arrangements, Fender Rhodes and B-3 in the mix, but on these songs it sounds like a new direction based on the present rather than a journey to the past. As in their previous CDs, they are joined by some of the biggest names and brightest up-and-coming artists in the genre.  "Believe in Me," the opening track, features Brian Hughes and Greg Adams over a soul-jazz dance groove. Marc Antoine’s signature guitar work is immediately recognizable on "You Got It," which is reminiscent of the group’s early work but punctuated with a horn section and driven by a more rhythmic foundation. Rising sax star Eric Darius is featured on three songs that all have the phrasing, tone, and irresistible hooks that made his debut CD so impressive. "Real Thing" starts with a Latin groove similar to Hughes’ "Soul Fruit" and Craig Chaquico’s "Luminosa" then expands with a Ramsey Lewis style piano line, Benson/Montgomery flavored guitar, a horn arrangement, and some retro wah-wah effects. If you are going to do a horn section, bring in one of the masters. That’s what they've done by bringing in Tom Scott to layer the horns on "Get With It," which along with "Gotta Gotta," comes closest to the throwback sound with a touch of  Jr. Walker and James Brown. The last two songs recall chapters in the band’s past life. "This is The One" begins with a lovely piano solo then breaks into percussion-driven trance. "Inside The Rhythm" is chill combined with a new take on new age, haunting and lounge-y. The brilliance of this project is how seamless and uncontrived the blend of musically disparate elements becomes. There is a little bit of everything here... jazzy soloing, DJ scratching, loops and effects, horn arrangements that are thick and funky, and subdued trance grooves. In lesser hands the result could be a distracting mishmash of self-conscious eclecticism. Here, the layers of instrumentation and effects within individual songs and even the transitions from heavy funk to chill are smooth in the best sense of the word. On "Driving Force," William Aura, Craig Dobbin, Alain Eskinasi and their new collaborators have given us one powerful set of music that will uplift, inspire, and keep your booty shakin' in the process.
-Shannon West  

Driving Force is the next level of the "force" phenomenon. Just when you think 3rd Force just can’t get any better, they roll out another sensational project. Driving Force continues the theme of featuring some of smooth jazz’s hottest superstars with guest performances by Marc Antoine, Eric Darius, Brian Hughes and Tom Scott. The pulsing, upbeat tempo, along with the delicious funk melodies on cuts like This Is the One and Believe In Me, just to name a few, are the perfect 5 o’clock traffic tunes. I know 3rd force fans will truly dig it. Driving Force gives a smooth ride. It handles the curves well and it will deliver and keep delivering musical paintings for miles and miles to come. 

A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Ok, so I’m a little behind other smooth jazz aficionados who’ve already spent years listening to some great groups that are ‘new’ to me. But if, like me, you enjoy the work it takes when you finally stumble down the path leading to a gem of a band who’s been around a few years, you’ll do just what I did today, which is run out to find at least one CD of a group called 3rd Force. Why? Read on....

Scanning webradio stations on a peaceful Sunday morning, it was the horn section that first caught my attention, then the guitar and sax coming in, then the full sound of keyboards and other effects rounding it out. Checking the artist, I thought, ‘Where have they been??’ After some research on my part, that question quickly became ‘Where have I been?’ It seems there is never a shortage of great music to discover in this ever expanding world of what we call contemporary and smooth jazz, yet I’m still so surprised to realize I have missed the entire earlier career of some of my now favorite artists. I hope I will be forgiven in light of children’s soccer games and swim meets.

That first song I heard was '7th Heaven,' from the Force Field CD, and besides the horns drawing me in, what I noticed immediately about the music is the way the song transforms into smaller pieces – ending one tempo and beginning another, each piece with its own identity yet fitting into the song in its entirety, something that takes a lot of skill in order to keep the listener moving comfortably along throughout. Not a problem for this band, and as I later listened to and watched a video on their site, (from their first concert) I heard the same technique in the skillful composition of yet another song. Quite amazing.

What I quickly learned after poking around a bit is that this group formed about ten years before their first live concert in 2002. The main players, (hence, 3rd force), William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi, who individually have plenty of musical background and talent, join together with others to produce music that is, in a word, soul-reaching. And that’s addressing merely one aspect of music that is enriching, uplifting, and evidence of talent in so many ways. They have been busy producing CDs for every kind of force there is, and so far CD titles include Vital Force, Gentle Force, Force Field, Force of Nature, and Collective Force. To further whet your appetite, players who’ve appeared on 3rd Force CDs have included Craig Chaquico, Tom Scott, Rick Braun, Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale of Acoustic Alchemy, and Jimmy Sommers, to name a few.

My words here couldn’t possibly do justice to the unique characteristics of the music of 3rd Force, but if you haven’t yet given them a listen, I encourage you to look them up on Amazon.com. Listen to some song clips and read the reviews, which you’ll find include only the most complimentary of musical descriptions, and then join me on this journey into their music to see where it will lead us.

A new CD is scheduled for release in February, 2005, and proves to be, as its title implies, the next Driving Force that will no doubt keep this band in the forefront of contemporary music.

Happy jazzin’ and …. may the Force be with you!

Beverly Packard
Jazz Circle Member of the Berks Arts Council
Reading, Pennsylvania 

There is a smooth jazz band known as 3rd Force. You might have heard some of their songs. They have released several albums. One of their earlier albums is titled Vital Force. It is a set of groove influenced songs that make for a very pleasurable listening experience. This album is one of the many great jazz albums that Higher Octave Music has released.

The members of 3rd Force for this album were William Aura, Craig Dobbin and Alain Eskinasi. Aura played rhythm guitar, bass, vox, percussion and keyboards. Dobbin did keyboard duty along with drums, piano and grooves. And Eskinasi also did keyboards and some of the same instruments as the other members. He also played the harp on the album.

Some of the special guests on the album were Craig Chaquico, Rick Braun, Peter White and Shahin Shadhida. There was also Gary Herbig, Ozzie Ahlers, Robert Matt, Gerlando Compilati and Anne Hilsberg.

The album gets off to a great start with the first song, In The Full Moon Light. This song has Rick Braun as a guest artist on the flugelhorn. It is a jamming tune that will have you moving and grooving. There is also some cool piano on this song.

No Doubt is the next song. This also is a groove tune. If your feet aren't moving during this song, then you must be deaf or dead.

You Gotta Be Real slows things down a little. The intro is an interesting bit with some sad piano rifts. Then the song moves on into a slow but steady beat. Peter White plays the accordion and acoustic guitar on this song.

Give It Up starts with some flute and moves on into a subtle groove. Echoes of A Dream has a bit of a Middle Eastern flavor to it. Shahin Shahida is on the acoustic guitar for this one.

Set Yourself Free is a kind of subtle song that has some funk bits mixed in. Craig Chquico lends his acoustical guitar talents to She Whispered To Me, a fairly mellow tune.

Vital Force lives up to its name. This album is indeed a vital force of eclectic smooth jazz songs. With the talents of the core band, and those of their special guests, this is a far better album than most of its peers.

For more information about the band or where to find their albums, visit the 3 rd Force web site at www.3rdforce.com . They even has clips from their albums that you can listen to.

 

There is a constant flow of music coming to me for review. Some of it is Rock, some Country, a little Pop and a whole bunch of jazz. One grouping of music that was recently sent my way was from the smooth jazz group 3rd Force. I had heard a couple of their songs, but really didn't know their music. I am really sorry that it took me so long to find out about this great band. One of their most recent albums is a collection of hits from previous outings. This album is titled Collective Force: The Very Best of 3rd Force. The album is on the Higher Octave record label.

Before this album was released, the group had put out four others. Collective Force garnered a few of the best songs from them. Then the band added two new and unreleased songs to the mix. So this quasi greatest hits album has both old and new material for fans to listen to. All told, there is over 70 minutes of music on this album.

The first track on the album is one of the new ones. It is called Dance With Me. It has a solid groove that features some great saxophone and guitar. That is followed up by a lighter song, Sweet Surrender. This one is the second new song for the album. It has a softer feel with guitar and simple drum backbeat.

Bridge of Dreams is up next. It has the edginess like a Southwestern wind. Listening to it might conjure up visions of New Mexican canyons or the Sonora Desert . This song came from the band's Force Field album.

You Gotta Be Real is a soft and gentle song that is off of the Vital Force album. It has some wonderful guitar. It is followed by a slightly faster paced song from the band's debut album. The song is called You Know Might Heart.

Something Special has a decent groove that will make your head bob. It is from the Force Field album.

Some of the special guests who appear on the songs might surprise you. There is Boney James, Rick Braun, Paul Taylor and Peter White. There are a few others like Brian Hughes and Craig Chaquico who add that something extra to the songs. With all of this special talent, this is an album to really enjoy.

My favorite song on the album is Listen To Your Heart. It came from the Force of Nature album. It has some fantastic saxophone from Boney James on it. Ozzie Ahlers also appears on this song with his guitar.

Collective Force is a great collection of songs from a wonderful smooth jazz band. If you haven't been exposed to 3rd Force yet, this album is a good place to start. Then you will want to pick all of the albums that these songs were featured on.

You can learn all about 3rd Force and listen to clips from their albums at www.3rdforce.com  

Smooth Jazz lovers this CD is for you. 3rd Force has done it again with the latest CD called Gentle Force. The group (William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi) have been producing Smooth Jazz for over a decade, working with quality artists and arranging them in ways that yield music in their unique style. This CD just flows like a stream of honey from one groove to the next. It's been my nightly lullaby since I opened the wrapper. Featured on this recording are Tom Scott, Craig Chaquico, Acoustic Alchemy, Bryan Savage, Brian Hughes, Grant Geissman, Jimmy Sommers, and newcomer vocalist Rebecca Carlish.

I would tell you about all my favorite tracks on the CD, but all the cuts are delicious, so I'll just mention a few. The first cut, Young Again with Tom Scott & Acoustic Alchemy is as smooth and creamy as an orange dreamsicle. It has flowing sax and crooning female vocals backed with enough beats to keep you awake. It shares a sense of hope and renewal with the cut Follow Your Dream. Brian Hughes' guitar gives this cut a burgeoning feeling like the blush of sunrise on a new day. Everything is fresh and new and the possibilities are endless.

Cut three Grateful for Love with Jimmy Sommers goes from sensuous to sexy in less than 60 seconds. It's like the first surrender to a lover?s embrace, those heavy lashes, that weakness... The female vocals are hypnotic as they command you to ?close your eyes.? The sax, guitar, and Carlish's crooning moans intertwine effortlessly.

Cut seven, Aquamarine with Grant Geissman, is as pellucid and refreshing as a pool of water. You?re swimming underwater and everything is that strange aqua blue and then suddenly you break the surface and nothing is the same.

Cut nine, Journey to Now with Grant Geissman & Brian Hughes has a faintly Arabian Nights feeling. It sounds like camels walking over sand dunes through the desert. The undulating sax swirls like a belly dancer twirling veils and clicking cymbals. The vocals are the final entreaty to join the caravan.

This CD is a definite buy! It is so smooth and handles so many feelings with the right lightness and depth; it just might be too good! Something this rich and creamy just has to be loaded with calories or bad for heart. Not! Listen and enjoy!  

Who has it going on with intermingling smooth jazz and new age without being pretentious? Well, 3rd Force answers that question with a bullet. Their success over the past five years has gained them enormous recognition among many fans and critics. Since 1994, William Aura, Alain Eskinasi and Craig Dobbin have crafted and expressed their fresh-smooth jazz music phenomena. They continue to cultivate the synergy by including renown artists such as John Klemmer, Craig Chaquico, Paul Taylor, Grant Geissman, Brian Hughes, and Bryan Savage. Each 3rd Force album has a theme or concept which is described in all liner notes for listeners to appreciate their consensus for nature. The trio sustains their dynamic style with riveting tunes. 3rd Force says that "the music flowing from their collective soul is not meant merely to be heard, but rather, experienced." Force Field embodies a sound that spurs spirited moods while surrounding you with magnetism and pizzazz.

Grade: A+ --Fred Scott  

The last five 3rd Force CD’s have had some guest performances by some of the genre’s superstars. The new CD, Gentle Force continues with that theme with musicians like Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale of Acoustic Alchemy, Tom Scott, Jimm Sommers, Craig Chaquico, Brian Hughes, Bryan Savage, Grant Geissman, John O’Connor and Rebecca Carlish. Carlish came to a party at William Aura’s house one night and started singing with some grooves that were being played. Aura knew she had to be in on the next project. Also new to the group is Mitch Manker on trumpet and flugelhorn. The events of September 11 had an affect on this project. It "confirmed the direction, title and concept" of the CD, said Aura. "An extra dose of smooth," he continued. Guest artists were simply asked to play with less velocity than they normally would . The first song "Young Again" features Carmichael, Gilderdale, Scott and Carlish. A very consistent beat with nice over lays by Scott and Manker. Calish hums along as well. The melody is the type that sticks in your mind for the rest of the day. It’s evident that 3rd Force lets the guests shine right from the beginning. "I Believe In You" is the first radio single. More of a typical 3rd Force sound with Chaquico and Hughes playing guitar together for the very first time on one tune. A little flute background to boot this is a medium tempo piece that’s perfect for what Smooth Jazz radio looks for. "Under Your Spell" feels just like the name of the tune. Richard Hardy is on sax for this and Geissman is the guest. Perfect for slow dancing with your honey, fire place going in the background and glasses of wine on the table. Once again Carlish just giving the right touch on the background hum vocals. "Ready Or Not" is my favorite song on the disc. Hughes, and Savage are the guests. The beat is up, the melody hip with a good hook to boot. The piano is jamming and Savage and Manker give the track just the right flavor. "Aquamarine" is a nice jam as well. Ten songs grace Gentle Force. I believe all 3rd Force fans will be extremely pleased with this CD and if you are thinking about trying out 3rd Force for the first time, this would be a good one to check out. The musicians ship is outstanding.
Review by Jeff Charney  

You’ve probably heard Higher Octave Music’s ambient groove loving studio trio 3rd Force on smooth jazz radio for years, and their airplay hits have featured top genre performers like Craig Chaquico, Boney James and Peter White. But not till last year’s Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival did ensemble mastermind William Aura (something of a house producer for the label) draw upon his Detroit rock roots and gather his group into a live setting. I missed that show, but caught up with the band recently at 94.7 The Wave’s ongoing Wednesday night jazz series at Hollywood’s Garden of Eden. Where the discs are more geared towards the sexy and seductive, the show balanced soaring ballads and intense funk/rock. The charismatic Aura jammed on bass, keyboardist Craig Dobbin played the mouthwatering lead melodies and guest guitarist Grant Geissman enjoyed upping the rock edges on originals and a crowdpleasing take on “Chain of Fools.” Also sitting in to great effect were 3rd Force’s labelmates, guitarist Brian Hughes and saxman Tom Scott. 

Thirty seconds into this CDs first track, Young Again, a hardcore smooth-jazz fan may think its either Sade, Acoustic Alchemy, Tom Scott, or 3rd Force, and be right three out of four. Eight years ago 3rd Force defined their sound, built around overdubbed reeds and textured keyboards, and then flavored their discs with well-known distinctive smooth-jazz stylists. Their fifth album follows the same path, but leader William Auras relentless search for new grooves may have broken some new ground with these 10 songs, and newcomer vocalist Rebecca Carlish (heavily influenced by Sade) is ingeniously used on different tracks here via wordless vocals or short bursts of lyrics. On the steamy and sexy "Grateful for Your Love," sax man Jimmy Sommers and guitarist Grant Geissman are intertwined with Carlish without losing the sound of the Force. The contribution of Carlish, if only to hear a fresh take on Sades style, will make this a must for smooth-jazz lovers, but its the fresh rhythms, haunting melodies, and sparkling, symbiotic pairings, like guitarists Craig Chaquico and Brian Hughes, that will place it on best-of lists at years end.
--Mark Ruffin  

3rd Force created some of the most accessible and charming instrumental music during the 1990s. The trio of William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi (along with various guest musicians) have a knack for uniting the best of contemporary instrumental styles; their eclectic sound includes light jazz and "New Age" influences. Vital Force, released in 1997, is a great example of their broad-reaching musical tendencies. Each song has a unique flavor - and unlike a lot of instrumental music, it seldom will send most heads toward the pillow. 3rd Force not only knows how to play well, but they know how to keep a rhythm going.  

AMG EXPERT REVIEW: 3rd Force celebrates their tenth anniversary with the release of their sixth CD, titled Gentle Force. William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi are the three points of the 3rd Force triangle, and the combined result of their talents has produced an excellent music journey through smooth jazz textures, flowing instrumentation, and sensual vocal treatments. Joining the group for this outing are several labelmates and Aura's recent discovery, singer Rebecca Carlish. Topping the list of special guest stars are the great Tom Scott, Greg Carmichael, and Miles Gilderdale of Acoustic Alchemy, Jimmy Sommers, Brian Hughes, Craig Chaquico, John O Connor, and Grant Geissman do what they do best — make beautiful smooth jazz. The smooth jazz collective opens the program with "Young Again," which features Tom Scott on sax and the Acoustic Alchemy guitarists shining their instinctive feelings and spiritual unity through Carlish's sensual vocals. "Grateful for Love" literally floats from the speakers, with the gentle treatments from 3rd Force punctuated by the soulful ambience of Jimmy Sommers and Rebecca Carlish. 3rd Force distinguishes their sound on this release with an extra dose of smooth, it's new member, vocalist, and the awesome special guest stars. The gentle force of their new direction is what makes this CD a keeper.
— Paula Edelstein 

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