Smoothication Experience

This week we feature Jafunk, one of the most talented producers and DJs on the planet whose soulful chords, funky bass lines, and luscious lead solos always put you in a smooth groove!

This week we present one of the legends of smooth, Jay Graydon who is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". Graydon has written over 200 songs. His catalog includes the Grammy winners "Turn Your Love Around" as performed by George Benson and "After the Love Has Gone" as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as "Who's Holding Donna Now" by DeBarge, "Friends in Love"  by Dionne Warwick and Johnny Mathis, and many songs written with and for Al Jarreau  including "Mornin'", "Breakin' Away", "High Crime", "After All", and "Roof Garden".

This week we present one of the freshest new sounds in music today in Wake the Wild. Wake the Wild is an LA based trio of lifelong friends that fuses funky live instrumentation with electronic, nu-disco & funk music. The band is made up of Forrest Mitchell on the drums and triggers, Chase Jackson on the mallet synths, guitar & bass, and Zach Sorgen on the vocals and keys. These guys grew up listening to classic Prince, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, as well as modern jazz fusion artists like Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Weather Report, but are also hugely influenced by modern artists like Disclosure, NAO and Oliver Nelson who fuse electronic production with organic live sounds and funky feels.Besides being some of the most genuine and real people on earth, these guys produce a super sweet, succulent, and smooth brand of music that will have you dancing and grooving all day and all night long. 

This week we feature one of the smoothest entrepreneurs and creators in the world, Tim Salau, Mr. FoW. He's been recognized by Amazon, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, SXSW, Toptal, Opportunity Hub, LinkedIn, The Millennial Mogul, and other global media platforms for his work as a global tech authority, Nigerian-activism, and leader on the Future of Work, leadership, and innovation! He's also recently embarked on a new musical journey releasing Damaia Joseph, An Experiential LP by Mr. FoW. Follow us on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/smoothicationexperience/?hl=en

This week we welcome the facilitator of smooth, saxophonist Dave Koz who has racked up an astoundingly impressive array of honors and achievements: nine GRAMMY® nominations, 11 No. 1 albums on Billboard's Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, numerous world tours, 13 sold-out Dave Koz & Friends At Sea cruises, performances for multiple U.S. presidents, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and appearances on a multitude of television shows, including “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “The Tonight Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and more. A Platinum-selling artist, Koz is also known as a humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host and instrumental music advocate.

This week we welcome the sultry smooth, stunning, and charismatic Lindsey Webster who has garnered two Billboard #1's and seven Top 10's on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, making her the first vocalist in the format to garner a #1 since the iconic Sade.

This week we welcome one of the most talented musicians on the planet, Lukas Setto who hails from the UK and has had a series of #1 hits on the British music charts. His music channels the influences of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson as well as new modern soul sounds like The Weeknd and Bruno Mars.  

This week we welcome Najee, the Multi-Platinum & Grammy nominated saxophonist and flautist for a Saxy Smooth show. 

This week's podcast features a true smooth power couple in Esnavi and Elijah Bland. Esnavi is a multifaceted artist with a voice of undeniable soul, lyrics of thought provoking truth, and music that harmoniously blends everything in between.  With the release of her debut album Exit E and breakout single, Unexpected Love, which reached the Top 40 on the Urban Adult Contemporary Charts, Esnavi began to extend herself beyond music.  Securing music licensing deals, television appearances and beauty campaigns, she has now launched her very own skincare brand, ZEN by Esnavi - a clean, vegan and cruelty-free botanical skincare line.  Each product is responsibly handcrafted, by Esnavi herself, in made-to-order batches with 100% natural and organic ingredients.  Her highly anticipated forthcoming album, Detour, is set to release in 2021.  Elijah Bland is not your average man, and certainly not your average artist.  The multitalented singer/songwriter has headlined concerts across the globe, produced music for television, film and new media, and has been featured on international media outlets such as The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green and The Michael Baisden Show.  As a proud husband and father of two, he sits at the helm of EBX Enterprises, a creative collective of brands including Mojo Visual (full-service creative agency), Ocean's Promise (nationally distributed health & wellness brand), professional photography services and more.  In his quest for excellence across all platforms, Elijah aims to uplift and inspire with a steadfast commitment to passion, purpose, faith, and love. 

This week we feature one of the Legends of Linkedin, Mark Metry who is the host of "Humans 2.0" which is a Global Top 100 podcast, author of the best-selling book “Screw Being Shy: How to Eliminate Social Anxiety”, TEDx Keynote speaker, and is featured on Amazon Prime's TV Docuseries "The Social Movement".Mark is one of the most Mindfully Smooth and influential humans on this planet who channels class, substance, and impact in everything he does. We learn how music helped Mark through a major life transformation when he had hit rock bottom gaining over 60 pounds and being depressed to helping him rise back to the top to become Mark 2.0!

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature El Debarge and three of his best Undercover Smooth songs:After YouHeart, Mind & SoulThe Heart Is Not So Smart

This week's episode features the man with the unmistakable deep, rich sound, Lenny Green. Lenny Green is the undisputed master of creating a relaxed, romantic atmosphere for his listeners, while playing the best variety of old school and today's R&B music, to ease them into unwinding after their stress-filled days. He sets THE MOOD unlike anyone else. He gives us a taste of what you may hear on his nationally syndicated radio show “The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green,” with some real soothing and sensual tunes. We dive deep into the "Smoothometer" and there is consensus: Lenny's Top 5 Smooth songs brought some serious Hot Tub Heat!The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green is the highly rated Tri-state (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) radio station WBLS/107.5-FM @wbls1075nyc. Recently syndicated by SupeRadio, Lenny's weekday 7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight show can be heard across the country on MAGIC/100.9 in Augusta, GA, JAMMIN/98.3 in Milwaukee, HEART & SOUL in Oklahoma City, MAGIC/92.1 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, GLOBAL/99.5 in Nassau Bahamas, WTUG/92.9 in Tuscaloosa, AL, plus he can be heard from 8:00 pm to 1 AM as host of The Quiet Storm on HOT 105 in Miami, FL.

On this week's we feature Alexander O'Neal and four of his best Undercover Smooth songs including:The Morning AfterThe LoversMy Gift To YouWhen The Party's Over

This week we feature Harvey Mason jr., the multi-talented Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy and Grammys who has written and produced for John Legend, Babyface and Aretha Franklin, among others. As one of the busiest individuals in the Music/TV/Film industry, we are extremely grateful for this opportunity to sit down with one of the most influential and powerful voices in the entertainment world today. We discuss some of the biggest initiatives currently being taken within the Recording Academy focused on artist representation, diversity, and equality including the Black Music Collective and Change Music. We also dive into Harvey’s Top 5 Smooth songs that he has written/produced for Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston, Chris Brown, Tyrese, and B2K. This is an episode you definitely don’t want to miss!

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature Christoper Williams and three of his best Undercover Smooth songs including "Promises, Promises", "Please, Please", and "Don't You Want To Make Love To Me".

This week buckle in because actor, comedian, and writer Matt Richards takes us on a wild ride where we discuss fudge making, stank face smooth, and how he helped discover Justin Bieber and Cardi B. Besides being one of the funniest people on the planet, Matt’s resume includes being selected as a new face for the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and was a standout in the CBS Diversity Showcase. You can see Matt on CBS’ 2 Broke Girls, Nickelodeon’s School of Rock, as well as KC Undercover and Bizaardvark for Disney. Matt is the host for the pop culture gameshow Trivial Takedown for FUSE, and has written for the Jokers Wild starring Snoop Dogg on TBS. Matt is currently the newest comic to join the HQ Trivia team of hosts. He’s also a regular at the illustrious New York Comedy Club. Matt brings us a Top 5 Smooth that includes Tyrese, Dru Hill, Jagged Edge, Musiq Soulchild, and K-Ci & JoJo. You can find us on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and Google podcasts. Link is in our bio!

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature Janet Jackson and five of her best Undercover Smooth songs including Where Are You Now, Someday Is Tonight, Broken Hearts Heal, Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun), and You Can Be Mine.

This week we feature actress and model NV Randall who is Beautifully Smooth both inside and outside. In a past iteration of this lifetime, she was an anthropologist who studied at Northwestern University and then "went native" where she became a Brazilian beauty queen in Rio de Janeiro. That experience propelled her to becoming a top Wilhelmina model and actress. NV currently resides in Brooklyn with her black cat Alex and her two roommates who are very short and she happened to give birth to both of them. NV gives us a Top 5 Smooth that includes Caetano Veloso, Gotan Project, Fela Kuti, Carla Bruni and Leonard Cohen.

This week we feature the Soulfully Smooth, Nicole Henry who is one of the jazz world's most acclaimed vocalists, possessing dynamic vocal abilities, impeccable phrasing, and powerful emotional resonance. Nicole's passionate, soulful voice and heartfelt charisma have earned her a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance," and three Top-10 U.S. Billboard and HMV Japan jazz albums. Heralded by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, El Pais, Jazz Times, Essence and more, Nicole tells real stories through peerless interpretations of repertoire from the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular standards, blues and originals. Nicole provides us a Top 10 Smooth list that includes Grover Washington, Jr., Patti LaBelle, Wham!, Phylis Hyman, Silk, Nancy Wilson, Commodores, Angela Bofill, Roy Ayers, and Teddy Pendergrass. You can find the link to Nicole’s Top 10 Smooth playlist on our website www.smoothicationexperience.com We also discuss her 8th Annual Winter Concert on Saturday, December 19th, 2020 benefiting the Miami Music Project, which has emerged as a model for music education programs nationally, by offering after-school programming free of charge using music as an instrument of social change. Through the study and performance of music, they empower children to acquire values and achieve their full potential, positively affecting their society. To date, 100% of graduates have gone onto college on scholarship. They have reached almost 30,000 children across Miami-Dade County, becoming one of the largest socially transformative music initiatives in the U.S.

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature the king of smooth Al B. Sure! and three of his best Undercover Smooth songs So Special, Just for the Moment, and Die for You.

This week we feature the amazingly talented Hala Taha. Hala is the host of one of the top podcasts in the world, Young and Profiting, where each week she interviews some of the brightest minds in the world which has included Seth Godin, Mark Metry, and Ryan Serhant ―turning their wisdom into actionable advice you can use in your everyday life no matter your age, profession or industry. If you love self-improvement and want to become the best version of yourself her Young and Profiting podcast is one you definitely need to download. Hala on this episode brings us her Top 5 Smooth that includes Michael Jackson, Anderson .Paak, Peach Tree Rascals, Pharrell, and Beyonce. We also learn about Hala's life as a super smooth singer before Young and Profiting where she recorded under the name Hala Berry. We end the show with a special smooth surprise with one of Hala's songs “Baby I Love You” produced by the talented producer Harry Fraud.

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth! What is Undercover Smooth you may ask? It’s those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. Each week we’re going to channel our inner Sherlock Holmes and dive into the smooth artist archives to help you discover some of our favorite undercover smooth songs from some of your favorite smooth artists. It’s our opportunity to breathe life into some of those forgotten smooth songs that deserve a second look. This week we feature the multi-talented Shanice and five of her best Undercover Smooth songs - You Were The One, I'm Cryin', Fall For You, Don't Wanna Lose You, and Love Will Follow (with Kenny Loggins).

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth! What is Undercover Smooth you may ask? It’s those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. Each week we’re going to channel our inner Sherlock Holmes and dive into the smooth artist archives to help you discover some of our favorite undercover smooth songs from some of your favorite smooth artists. It’s our opportunity to breathe life into some of those forgotten smooth songs that deserve a second look. This week we go undercover with Justin Timberlake and his Man of The Wood’s album which has three super undercover smooth bangers in The Wave, Montana, and Breeze Off the Pond.

We are joined by Grammy award winning producer, songwriter, and guitarist, Joshua Paul Thompson who has worked with some of the biggest names in music including Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Surface, Freddie Jackson, The Temptations, Stanley Jordan, Babyface, Maxi Priest, Alicia Keys, Xscape, Tyrese, George Benson, Case, and Joe. Joshua is responsible for writing and producing one of the smoothest songs in the history of smooth, Joe’s "All The Things (Your Man Won’t Do)" and we learn the inspiration of how this smooth masterpiece was created. We also discuss some of the other smooth smash hits he’s created including Joe & Case's “Faded Pictures”, Babyface's “Reason For Breathing”, and George Benson’s “Black Rose”. Additionally, we discuss his top 5 smooth which includes Herbie Hancock's “Chan's Song (Never Said)”, Quincy Jones's “Velas”, and Bobby Caldwell's “What You Won’t Do For Love”.

We are joined by the amazingly talented singer-songwriter Ron Bultongez who was a top 24 finalist on American Idol where he left Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan in awe of his voice. Ron’s dreams have taken him from growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo to being named the “Hometown Hero” of Plano Texas. His inspirations range from the pop style of Justin Bieber, the bluesy grooves of John Mayer, folky touch inspired by Ed Sheeran, and the modern pop-rock of James Bay.Music saved Ron’s life when he needed a way to escape. He first sang in the 6th grade choir. Later, friends offered Ron a keyboard and an acoustic guitar and he taught himself how to play both, using emotions to create rather than any formal training. However, music was something that came to him naturally and not something he ever dreamed of pursuing as a career. Ron’s music tells a story and he has a message to share with the world. Ron brings us a top 5 smooth that includes John Mayer, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Aquilo, and Chris Stapleton. His newest single "Get Back Up" is the perfect song with the perfect message for these crazy times. Ron also helps us create the Smoothometer 2.0 with some new metrics to help the smooth get smoother and we learn "there's no wrong with the smooth".

Fan favorite Daniel Tirado joins us once again for Around the World of Smooth where he presents us a top 5 smooth which includes Barry White, Billy Idol, Sweet Micky, Change, and Kavinsky. The talented actor, stand-up comedian, musician, and writer delights us with his eclectic, off-beat, and unusual song selections but once again delivers the smooth. If you love to laugh this is one episode you don't want to miss!

Ali Jackson one of the greatest drummers in the world joins to take our audience on a history of smooth. He is an award-winning musician, composer, arranger, educator, and percussionist who spent several years touring and recording with a diverse group of musicians before accepting the role of Drum Chair of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra which was founded by Wynton Marsalis. Ali has performed and recorded with a multitude of artists including Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Faith Hill, Bobby McFerrin, Norah Jones, Eric Clapton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Harry Connick, Jr., Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, and Gerald Albright. As a bandleader, Ali has recorded five albums, including Amalgamations, Wheelz Keep Rollin’, Big Brown Getdown and the Yes! Trio album. During this episode we discuss some of the most influential songs in smooth including: Ahmad Jamal “Poinciana”Dave Brubeck “In Your Own Sweet Way”Duke Ellington “Mood Indigo”George Benson “Breezin’”Kool and the Gang “Summer Madness”Grover Washington “Mr. Magic”Antonio Carlos Jobim/Elis Regina/Tom Jobim “Aguas de Março”Quincy Jones “Secret Garden”

The talented and super smooth writer, producer, and singer Le Flex joins us to discuss his top 5 smooth which includes George Benson, Lionel Richie, Babyface, and James Ingram. His sound is a mix of 1980s-influenced synth pop with a sprinkling of soul and house, think George Michael, Imagination, and Stock Aitken & Waterman mixed together with Babyface. Le Flex has a worldwide audience that stretches from Moscow and St Petersburg all the way to Los Angeles via the Far East and South Korea.

The talented and dynamic artist Bernardo Rodriguez, who is also the Creative Art Director for the Smoothication Experience, joins us for a very special episode where he discusses the art of smooth. We learn about how the smooth of Luis Juan Guerra influenced him as a young child growing up with Dominican roots to him presenting hosts John & Rob the perfect song to convey the mission of the Smoothication Experience.

Influencer, Educator, Actor, Musician, and Pastor David Jefferson Jr. joins us for his current take on the world of smooth. He also anoints hosts John and Rob as the chosen ones to spread the gospel of smooth!

Entrepreneur and social advocate Yasmin Tavakoli surprises and delights us by channeling her inner smooth. She surprises us with some Persian smooth as well as some undercover smooth, but saves the best for last with perhaps the best smooth song in the history of smooth in George Michael's Careless Whisper.

Superstar real estate agent and branding guru Ivan Estrada joins us to discuss his love of the smooth which started at a young age growing up with his super smooth musical family. We learn about his favorite smooth car washing song and he un-breaks the Smoothometer with his stunning rendition of Toni Braxton's Un-Break My Heart!

Multi-talented actor, writer, and singer Brandon Gregory discusses smooth staccato and delivers us his starting 5 smooth featuring Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Tevin Campbell, Sade, and Tony! Toni! Tone! He also shares a heart felt story about the musician Gregory Porter as well as when he first fell in love with the smooth.

Smoothication superfans Phil and Rachel Dauchy join us to have their top 5 smooth songs battle against each other for smooth supremacy!

Multi-talented actor, writer, comedian, and musician Daniel Tirado helps us introduce the Smoothomoter to the world. The Smoothometer was created by the Smoothication Experience team with key musical metrics to determine the perfect temperature of smooth music. Daniel helps stress test and improve the Smoothometer by introducing our hosts to a whole new world of smooth.

Inaugural episode of the world's first and only smooth music podcast