Known for his radio friendly instrumentals, Curtis Macdonald’s music has ranged from contemporary new age to smooth jazz and beyond. His signature style is present in this new collection of retro “Cool Jazz” chill music that fills the mind with images of dusky blues and grays, towering concrete monoliths, endless pedestrians, and streets full of character.

The new CMMP CD release “Manhattan” is a romanticized portrait of a city. Set in a style that conjures up the Cool Jazz sound of the late 1950’s and early ‘60s with a touch of modern Ambient Chill accompaniment.

Haunting and subdued cinematic arrangements caress Curtis Macdonald’s smoky piano melodies and imaginative solos. His romantic and soulful melancholy music has the essence of Cool Jazz pioneers Miles Davis, Bill Evans and John Coltrane, yet is unmistakably Macdonald’s intimate way of creating with emotional sonic imagery that ushers in a new resurrection of the classic sound.

It opens with the mad rush of “Sixth Avenue” followed by the laid