Currently creating waves (gentle ones…at sunset…holding hands) with his warm jazz, Mark Sholtez has made history as the first Australian to sign to the prestigious Verve jazz label.

Of course, given that Norah Jones is signed to the same label, you might have a better idea of what’s considered ‘jazz’ these days. For the most part, “Love Me For the Cool” is a mid-tempo guitar solo away from being a John Mayer song. Everything about Real Street is as inoffensive as tepid Milo.

And that’s the thing – jazz should never be moderate. Jazz, when it first kicked off, was all about the extremes, and that’s why artists like the Fiery Furnaces, the Mars Volta, Tool, Radiohead, and others have far more in common with ‘jazz’ and heroes like Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis than Mark Sholtez ever will. This is easy listening for the masses.