Nelson Rangell is a superb saxophonist and also outstanding playing the piccolo.  As a student he won Best Jazz and Best Pop/Rock instrumental soloist in Down Beat magazine's National Student Recording Awards.  Nelson's career took off in the late 1980's when he signed with GRP record company.  In November of 2021 Ray White, producer of Coool CAT, caught up with Nelson before taking the stage to talk about several of his early career stints as a sideman, his relationship with GRP Records, being part of a Grammy nominated project, music distribution in today's marketplace and his latest album By Light.  In our showcase segment, Lisa Davis features the great trumpeter Rick Braun whose latest project is self-titled along with keyboardist and composer Patrick Bradley who released his Exhale album last year.  We're taking it to the limit of your listening pleasure, right here on the internationally renown Coool CAT! 

Chieli Minucci co-founded Special EFX in the early 1980's, producing excellent compositions that blended Latin Rhythm and Contemporary Jazz music.  Solo or with Special EFX, Chieli has released nearly three dozen albums throughout his career.  You'll also find his guitar work on songs by Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Hampton, Marc Anthony and many more superstar artists.  In our November of 2021 interview with Chieli, the CAT's multi-award winning program director - Ray White, talked with him about his start in the music business, early days with GRP Records and his latest projects including Special EFX All-Stars, his current album Twenty Twenty 2 and his recent solo album Someone's Singing.  You'll also find more from Chieli on Episode 061.  In our showcase segment, your "Hostess with the Mostest," Lisa Davis, features the latest from the dynamic saxman Richard Elliot, whose recent album is Authentic Life.  "Where Old School is New School...Again," that's right it's the Coool CAT!