With a background in blues and soft rock and a deep appreciation for the urban smooth jazz vibe, guitarist Ellis White (now in Florida, originally from Maine) sings through his instrument in spectacular style in his latest EP, “Keeping It Real.” The song is an instant transport to easy beats wrapped up in a warm... Continue Reading →
The fussy ligature for today’s sax and clarinet musicians has had its day in the sun. It looks like a fairly obvious solution, but a ring-style ligature that hugs the reed to the mouthpiece is looking to replace the traditional knobbed metal fixture. Newly launched, the Gen Sax mouthpiece was devised by sax player Gen... Continue Reading →
The Alabama indie smooth jazz/funk/R&B band BlendJazz pulls you in, grabs you with the rhythm, and keeps your head bopping. It’s because of the unique combo of Henry Mixon, Earl Rice and AnthonyStix Payton, who together, make tunes like “Slow Jam” that feel like honey you want to pour over everything. “Somp’um” adds an easy... Continue Reading →
It’s been an interesting ride so far for the former New York City taxi cab driver who makes his way now as a smooth jazz bassist. Christian DeMesones (given the nickname “Big New York” because people have trouble pronouncing his name) counts himself lucky for all the opportunities he’s enjoyed in heavy metal and now... Continue Reading →
In 2001 the Carter brothers (Chaz and Winston) formed a smooth jazz group called Midtown. Finding initial success, they went on the road and opened shows for national artists like R&B superstar Roy Ayers and many others. A few years later (2004) they reinvented themselves as Brother2Brother and immediately saw their debut CD “Forever” (Carzino... Continue Reading →
Debbie Burke - jazz author 
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