Podcasts about billboard contemporary jazz

Be sure to see Mindi Abair live in concert on Friday, December 20 at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, FL. You can learn more at RuthEckerdHall.com.“ She'll Move You” – Keb' Mo'“Forget You, Who's Your Sax Player? – Steven Tyler on American Idol“21st Century Sophistication, A Gritty, Raucous Spirit, And Exceptional Creative Imagination” – Allmusic.ComDuring her remarkable 24-year recording career, saxophonist/vocalist Mindi Abair has garnered 2 GRAMMY nominations, recorded with some of the biggest names in music, and built a substantial following among jazz and blues audiences with her soaring melodies and powerhouse style. In 2014, Mindi received her first GRAMMY nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Summer Horns with Dave Koz, Richard Elliot and Gerald Albright, followed by a 2015 GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo LP Wild Heart featuring the late Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb' Mo', and Max Weinberg.You might know her as the featured saxophonist on American Idol, sitting in with Paul Shaffer on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, or from moonlighting on tour with Duran Duran or Aerosmith. As a solo artist, she has consistently topped the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Blues charts. In 2018, Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers won 8 Independent Blues Awards including Artist of the Year, and an Independent Music Award for Best Blues Song Fan Award for “Pretty Good For A Girl” featuring Joe Bonamassa. They won the 2019 LA Critics Award for Best Holiday Album for All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues. And in 2019, 2020 and 2021 Mindi was nominated by the Blues Music Awards as the Best Instrumentalist: Horn.As creator, designer and owner, Mindi launched www.wineandjazz.com in 2019 as a lifestyle concept that brings together the worlds of wine and music through members-only exclusive wines paired with personally curated music playlists, label art and branded wine and music worldwide adventures and festivals.Mindi wrote the book “How To Play Madison Square Garden – A Guide To Stage Performance” and served 10 years as an LA Chapter Governor, President and National Trustee for The Recording Academy.Mindi has toured and/or recorded with: Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa, Smokey Robinson, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Gregg Allman, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Fantastic Negrito, Waddy Wachtel, Bobby Rush, Keb' Mo', Teena Marie, Lee Ritenour, Adam Sandler, Duran Duran, Bill Champlin, Richard Elliott, Jimmy Webb, Max Weinberg, Dave Koz, Peter White, Gerald Albright, Mandy Moore, Lalah Hathaway and the Backstreet Boys.Today's audio was recorded over Zoom. Production assistance by Chandler Balkcom, Adam Darbyshire, and Arantza Romero. Host and editor: Warren Buchholz. Arts Axis Florida is a product of WUSF and is sponsored by Community Foundation Tampa Bay, the Gobioff Foundation with support from the Palladium by you. Thank you for your support. Learn more about Jazz on Arts Axis Florida by visiting our website at wusfjazz.org. Copyright 2024 WUSF.

Colorado-bred, LA-based keyboardist Lao Tizer embodies what it means to be a 21st-century musician inhabiting the jazz sphere ¾ that being one who embraces musical diversity and has no fear of crossing boundaries. But Tizer also happens to come by this naturally. As the self-described “child of East Coast Jewish hippies,” he was exposed to and was influenced by his parents' extensive musical tastes from a young age: “My dad had a huge music collection. He loved classical music and had all this world music ¾ Ravi Shankar, R. Carlos Nakai, music of the Sufis ¾ plus my parents were boomers, so that brought in all the Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Elvis, Janis Joplin, and Motown. The Temptations were my favorite band as a kid. So, I basically grew up with everything but jazz, which I didn't really discover until I was about 16.” It was a couple of seemingly random selections from the Columbia House mail-order club that turned him toward a new and lasting musical direction. ”It was buy one, get twelve free, right? So I ordered Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux. Then one Sunday morning, it all just kind of hit me. To a lot of people trained in the classical tradition, jazz sounds like it breaks all kinds of rules, but I just heard there was a whole other world to explore there.” From there, Tizer hit the ground running, applying his classical piano skills to jazz and releasing his first self-produced solo keyboard albums while still in high school. After graduating from Boulder High, Tizer moved to LA and studied with legendary piano guru Terry Trotter for about two years, forgoing formal music education. “Instead of going to music school, I just got my butt kicked on the bandstand. I was always working with musicians who were older and more experienced. School's great but there's no better way to grow than playing with people who are going to push you to grow. I was so green, man. Learning to play in a band concept ¾ playing in good time with a rhythm section–was one of the most challenging things, coming from being a solo pianist.” But his approach and talents served him well. At 19, he formed and led the first band under his own name, taking indirect inspiration from another iconic jazz entity. “When I got into listening to The Pat Metheny Group in the late ‘90s, they had that “formula” that definitely spoke to me ¾ great, through-composed music with a lot of room for improvisation. That's the formula that I love” In the ensuing years and through various incarnations, The Lao Tizer Band has flown by that directional compass while infusing the bespoke influences and experiences that inform Tizer's musical worldview. Subsequently, the band attracted many top players to its ranks ¾ GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea), Emmy-winning guitarist Chieli Minucci (Special EFX), Senegalese bassist Cheikh N'Doye (Baaba Maal), violinist extraordinaire Karen Briggs (Stanley Clarke), GRAMMY-winning drum phenom Gene Coye (Hiromi) and legendary GRAMMY-winning percussionist Munyungo Jackson (Stevie Wonder) ¾ and became a steady presence at LA hotspots like The Baked Potato as well as entertaining audiences at premier jazz festivals around the world. Milestones among these were The Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Java Jazz Festival, and Atlanta Jazz Festival. The six albums he has released as a leader have seen Tizer steadily grow while constantly defining (and redefining) who he is as a keyboardist, composer, and bandleader. “I think the most important thing as an artist and composer is to have your own identity and your own sound. Everybody comes to where they are in music through whatever path they have followed and I think staying true to what brought you to where you are now helps to create your own true voice. I think I have always had that.” But not content to rest, Tizer recently decided to take another bold turn with his music. In 2018, The Lao Tizer Band released Songs From The Swinghouse, a project that included fresh, sophisticated takes on a number of vocal-oriented covers from seminal artists such as U2, Led Zeppelin, and Cat Stevens along with a collection of seven original instrumentals penned by Tizer. The album was released to critical acclaim and notched the Top 10 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz album chart. “We were always only instrumental until that record. The concept was to reinvent covers like ‘Ramble On,' ‘Pride in the Name of Love,' and ‘Sad Lisa.' I had never arranged or recorded any vocal material with my group before, so to take those tunes and make them our own was really fun.” Now, with his forthcoming album, Amplify, Tizer ups the ante by bringing original vocal-oriented songs into his mix of smart instrumentals ¾ as well as a few potent new additions to the band. “A big part of the concept for Amplify is to cross over. It's not really a “jazz” record but it definitely has jazz elements, no question. The band still features the core lineup we've had for a while now with Eric, Chieli, Karen, Munyungo, Gene, and Cheikh, but now there are a few new faces involved in the group. Namely saxophone and flute wunderkind Danny Janklow (MONKestra) and Rolling Stone 2022 ”Bassist of the Year” nominee Anthony Crawford (Erykah Badu), who shares low-end duties with Cheikh. We augmented our already large band with a horn section and background singers on a few songs as well. The album is nine songs ¾ five vocal, four instrumental ¾ all original, no covers.” But perhaps Tizer's most intriguing choice of secret weapon for Amplify is bringing American Idol star Elliott Yamin to handle the vocal material. “Elliott's first album had that platinum hit single “Wait For You.” He's very much a throwback to a blue-eyed soul kind of vibe and it was amazing to be able to bring him into the band. This project was a little outside his stylistic wheelhouse because it is a bit more adventurous harmonically. I think he was a little intimidated by the music early on but he's such a remarkably gifted singer and he's just singing his butt off. He's turned out to be unbelievable in this project and the band. He's super gung-ho about it too, which is great. I couldn't have asked for a better fit!” With these continuing steps over boundaries into new stylistic territory, one might wonder if Tizer has any trepidation about alienating the core base of jazz listeners he's built up over time. Quite the contrary, it seems. “I love that longstanding boundaries in music are getting broken down. Artists like Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, and Kamasi Washington have proven this theory that I've long held: If you have music that's melodic and grooves, you can win over a very broad array of listeners.” Indeed, Tizer testifies to having seen the evidence firsthand. “There's been a really cool renaissance and rebirth with all these genre-defying artists and I've seen a shift in the crowd at our shows too. There's a lot of 20 and 30-somethings coming out, and that's so cool. That's what the future audience is going to be. If we want to have long careers like our predecessors, we need to have our peers and younger listeners connect to this music and follow it.” With eyes set on the future and a willingness to keep exploring, Tizer's simplest ethos perhaps sums it up best: “I say forget the boundaries. Just make good music and try to connect with as many listeners as you can.

In this Bonus episode, Carl Brown introduces us to Jeff Ryan who is one of the Smooth Jazz world's breakout new artists. His debut single Up and Up reached number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. He's gone on to release several other songs that many smooth jazz fans know and love. In 2020, he was named Billboard's number one Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year. He has played some of the biggest stages with some of the brightest stars in Smooth Jazz. Jeff talks about his success and what he went through on his journey. He also shares how he got into the Smooth Jazz genre and the inspirations he had throughout the years. He talks about his music making process and the feeling he has whenever he performs on stage. In the ‘Bout It or Doubt It segment, he shares his opinion about Motorcycles and Public Transportation from the Rides category. In the last part of the show, Jeff shares the music he's listening to now, his favorite albums of all time, his plans for next year and much more. You can listen to Sentimental Soul, Embrace and New Day. Episode Highlights02:29 It's personal expression to be able to give it your all and to have it received by many. That really makes everything. 04:24 It's a lot of practicing. You're constantly trying to improve. I know there's always a segment where you can't reach perfection but that's what we're all striving for. 12:15 It's really that the shows are great because the recording process is enjoyable but there's nothing like performing and really connecting with people. 26:16 I think I would say to somebody that it's music that you have to feel, it is smooth, it is laid back. It's not super edgy but it's about the feel and that's the most important part. Fresh Coast Jazz FestivalJeff Ryan

In this Bonus episode, Carl Brown introduces us to Jeff Ryan who is one of the Smooth Jazz world's breakout new artists. His debut single Up and Up reached number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. He's gone on to release several other songs that many smooth jazz fans know and love. In 2020, he was named Billboard's number one Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year. He has played some of the biggest stages with some of the brightest stars in Smooth Jazz. Jeff talks about his success and what he went through on his journey. He also shares how he got into the Smooth Jazz genre and the inspirations he had throughout the years. He talks about his music making process and the feeling he has whenever he performs on stage. In the ‘Bout It or Doubt It segment, he shares his opinion about Motorcycles and Public Transportation from the Rides category. In the last part of the show, Jeff shares the music he's listening to now, his favorite albums of all time, his plans for next year and much more. You can listen to Sentimental Soul, Embrace and New Day. Episode Highlights02:29 It's personal expression to be able to give it your all and to have it received by many. That really makes everything. 04:24 It's a lot of practicing. You're constantly trying to improve. I know there's always a segment where you can't reach perfection but that's what we're all striving for. 12:15 It's really that the shows are great because the recording process is enjoyable but there's nothing like performing and really connecting with people. 26:16 I think I would say to somebody that it's music that you have to feel, it is smooth, it is laid back. It's not super edgy but it's about the feel and that's the most important part. Fresh Coast Jazz FestivalJeff Ryan

“I am an artist…period,” declares Lindsey Webster. “I have influences from many musical genres and have been influenced by them from a young age. I believe in the power of music to empower and reach people on multiple levels.” The stunning, charismatic and amiable Lindsey Webster's roots span the worlds of R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz and beyond. Her flawless range has been compared to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Minnie Ripperton, while her breezy and poetic songwriting is reminiscent of Sade. Soultracks says, "If Carole King and Sade had a kid, she would be Lindsey Webster” while Popmatters touts Webster's work as “Classy, consistent, and exceptional.” Webster's refreshing approach 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. Her latest release "Reasons" continues her run of Top 10 Billboard Contemporary Jazz hits. Currently it sit firmly at #7. I sure it will continue to climb.  Tune in and enjoy my conversation with this exceptional, soul stirring artist. Listen and subscribe to the BAAS Entertainment Podcast on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Podchaser, Pocket Casts and TuneIn. “Hey, Alexa. Play the BAAS Entertainment Podcast.”

Cliff speaks with Pop/Jazz Trombonist and Vocalist Aubrey Logan about her # 1 Billboard Contemporary Jazz album "Where The Sunshine Is Expensive", along with her other songs from her catalog, her work with Post Modern Jukebox, Dave Koz and more. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/deepergrooves/message

In today's episode, you host Carl Brown introduces us to Jeff Ryan who is one of the Smooth Jazz world's breakout new artists. His debut single Up and Up reached number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. He's gone on to release several other songs that many smooth jazz fans know and love. In 2020, he was named Billboard's number one Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year. He has played some of the biggest stages with some of the brightest stars in Smooth Jazz. Jeff talks about his success and what he went through on his journey. He also shares how he got into the Smooth Jazz genre and the inspirations he had throughout the years. He talks about his music making process and the feeling he has whenever he performs on stage. In the ‘Bout It or Doubt It segment, he shares his opinion about Motorcycles and Public Transportation from the Rides category. In the last part of the show, Jeff shares the music he's listening to now, his favorite albums of all time, his plans for next year and much more. You can listen to Sentimental Soul, Embrace and New Day. Episode Highlights02:29 It's personal expression to be able to give it your all and to have it received by many. That really makes everything. 04:24 It's a lot of practicing. You're constantly trying to improve. I know there's always a segment where you can't reach perfection but that's what we're all striving for. 12:15 It's really that the shows are great because the recording process is enjoyable but there's nothing like performing and really connecting with people. 26:16 I think I would say to somebody that it's music that you have to feel, it is smooth, it is laid back. It's not super edgy but it's about the feel and that's the most important part. Fresh Coast Jazz FestivalJeff Ryan

James Lloyd, co-founder of Pieces of a Dream, has a dynamic on-stage presence that has excited fans worldwide since 1976.  Influenced by the late Grover Washington, Jr., the band has released 20 studio albums throughout the years.  Every single one has landed on the music charts!  Besides his extraordinary keyboard skills, James is also a producer and songwriter.  Coool CAT executive producer, Ray White, hung out with James in November of 2017 to talk about his on-stage antics, debut solo album - Here We Go, and Pieces of A Dreams' Just Funkin' Around release.  The bands latest album is On Another Note.  Lisa Davis, your "Hostess with the Mostest," features another great keyboardist, Brian Simpson, in our showcase segment.  On his latest album he is joined by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter/producer Steve Oliver, who has scored multiple hit singles on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart.  Their latest collaboration album is titled Unified.  We're tickling the ivories on this episode from the Coool CAT! 

ENCORE Episode! Faith, friendship, respect, and love of music have kept Take 6 together all these years! Join hosts Randy Thomas and Anita Gevinson with Claude McKnight, lead singer of Take 6, to see what it's like to belong to the most awarded a cappella group in history. Ten GRAMMYs plus having recorded and/or performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and countless others. Take 6's album Iconic hit #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. Check them out here: https://take6.com

Releases The Highest Act Of Love, Norman Brown's latest CD, is due out on Shanachie Entertainment on February 22, 2019 . Grammy Award-winning Contemporary Jazz/R&B superstar Norman Brown has sold close to 2 million albums in his extraordinary career and virtually lives at the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz sales and radio charts. Having shared the stage with virtually every Contemporary Jazz superstar from Boney James to Dave Koz to Gerald Albright

Faith, friendship, respect, and love of music have kept Take 6 together all these years! Join hosts Randy Thomas and Anita Gevinson with Claude McKnight, lead singer of Take 6, to see what it’s like to belong to the most awarded a cappella group in history. Ten GRAMMYs plus having recorded and/or performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and countless others. Take 6’s album Iconic just hit #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. Take 6, on tour for the summer both here and abroad.

Twenty-something music prodigy Vincent Ingala is no stranger to contemporary jazz audiences. His heartfelt, sweet and soulful mix has catapulted him to the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts, garnering him three Billboard #1s, and eight top 10 hits. The charismatic and handsome instrumental wizard has endeared fans, contemporaries and critics alike with his consummate musicianship, fun-loving stage presence, energized and inspired performances and all-around passion. With the release of Personal Touch, Vincent Ingala further asserts himself as one of the most exciting artists in contemporary jazz. For the multi-talented and multi-dimensional artist, his agenda is simple. “It's all about the music for me!” declares Ingala. “It always has been, and always will be. All I can ask for is that people feel good when listening to my music.” HE IS THE NEW BONEY JAMES! ~Jazz Queen~ Follow Vincent on Facebook and Instagram.

In this episode we speak with Marcus Johnson.  Marcus is an independent Billboard-ranked musician and NAACP Image Award-nominated jazz keyboardist and pianist. He is also the CEO and Founder of Flo Brands, LLC and more recently Flo Wine, LLC. Marcus has combined an eminently successful musical career with his love of wine by marrying the two in a unique endeavor.   Over the last decade, Marcus Johnson has released 15 successful studio albums.  On Pandora, Marcus receives 5.1 million spins per year with 2,000 new stations added each month, and his music receives a 74% “thumbs ups” rating verses an average of 56%.  Johnson is the owner of a music label, Three Keys Music, and has emerged as one of the young lions of the “DIY” music world.  His unique self-taught style of piano play has earned him distinction among his peers, praise from the media and accolades across the music industry.  Marcus is on the cutting edge of ‘Euro Jazz' having formed JURIS, a musical collaboration with acclaimed Parisian DJ and producer Young Pulse. The duo quickly developed a name within the international music community, enjoying large-scale performances and preparing a Q3 release of their latest project entitled “Eiffel Tower.” Johnson's FLO Brands, LLC,tm is aptly titledFor the Love Of ; LLC. ™ FLO began as a musical publishing, production, and lifestyle branding company to house all of Johnson's musical and entrepreneurial ventures.  However the scope and reach of the company has expanded delving into winemaking, sourcing grapes and production in California.  FLO Brands launched FLO Wines, LLC in March 2012.  FLO Wine is capturing the taste buds of wine-lovers from California to South Carolina. To date retail partners  in various states include Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Whole Foods, Giant, Harris Teeter, Renaissance Hotels, Kroger, Aloft Hotels, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, Farm Fresh, and Total Wine. As the owner and brand ambassador, a marketing initiative is currently underway with Johnson's “Sips & Sounds” performances marrying music and wineFor the Love Of concept.  FLO Wine currently offers a FLO Red Californian Blend and a FLO California Chardonnay.  As of July 2013 the company is launching its 2011 FLO California Moscato.  A graduate of Howard University, Johnson went on to simultaneously earn both his MBA and Juris Doctorate degrees at Georgetown University. In 1995 during this demanding period at Georgetown, he also decided to independently produce and distribute his first jazz album, Lessons in Love,which sold more than 40,000 units, a major success for an unknown independent artist's debut release.  One year later, he releasedInter Alia,with great acclaim. These two albums led to Johnson signing with N2K Encoded Music with whom he released several CDs until the label was sold in 1998. Johnson's success caught the attention of Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder and businessman Robert L. Johnson who invested in Marcus and his newfound company, Marimelj Entertainment Group (MEG).  Under their partnership, MEG's label, Three Keys Music based in the Washington, DC metro area, established its own full service recording studio, Studio 8121; and two music publishing companies, Marimelj Music Publishing and Three Keys Music Publishing.  Marcus was responsible for releasing and producing CDs on the Three Keys label for national jazz artists Michael Lington, Jaared Arosemena, Bobby Lyle, Nick Colionne, R&B singer, Alyson Williams and neo-soul songstress Yahzarah and smooth jazz Saxophonists Phillip Martin and Brian Lenair.  While producing music for the aforementioned artists, Marcus also released several critically acclaimed albums:Inter Alia,Chocolate CityGroovin';Coming Back Around;Urban Groove,In Person: Live at Blues Alley,Just Doing What I Do,Smooth Jazz Christmas andIn Concert for a Cause,all charting at Top 20 or more on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Charts.  Marcus has released 15 Billboard-charted CDs. He has the distinction of having his groundbreaking 2008 Billboard Top 20 Contemporary Jazz FLO (For the Love Of) CDs which consisted of three distinct albums: FLO Chill,FLO Romance andFLO Standards ,  all charting Top 10 on Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts simultaneously.  Johnson's previous solo 2007 release, The Phoenix, was widely lauded by jazz critics and aficionados alike and like Johnson's previous CDs, it peaked in the Top 20 of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz charts. Johnson's next Top 20 Contemporary jazz releases, the unique and multi-facetedPoetically Justified (2009) andThis Is How I Rock (2011) solidified Marcus Johnson as heir apparent to the George Duke and Herbie Hancock style of funky urban groove music.  Creatively, Johnson continues to evolve as an artist. With the release of his 2012FLO: Holiday  CD and the ongoing collaboration with famed Parisian Producer DJ Pulse – as the musical duo “Juris” – he has managed to maintain his traditional jazz roots, while also remaining on the forefront of the expanding “Euro Jazz” movement. His music continues to enforce and define his musical legacy as a “jazz movement for all people”.    Johnson is also evolving as an innovative wine expert. He resides in the Metropolitan Washington area and is a new father. His daughter Chase was born on September 12, 2012.  Marcus is currently featured weekly on Fox News and is involved with community and charity events, including service on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club. Discography: Billboard Top 20 CD Releases: Lessons in Love (1997 and 2005)In Concert For A Cause (2006) Urban Groove (2000)The Phoenix (2007) Comin' Back Around (2001)FLO: For the Love of Chill (2008) Inter Alia (2002)FLO: For the Love of Romance (2008) In Person, Live at Blues Alley (2002)FLO: For the Love of Standards (2008) In Person, Live at Blues Alley DVD (2003)Poetically Justified (2009) Just Doin' What I Do (2005)FLO: Holiday feat Juris (2011) Smooth Jazz Christmas (2005)This Is How I Rock (2011) Education:    B.A. in Music, Howard University JD/ MBA, Georgetown University Business: CEO/President, Marimelj Entertainment Group, Three Keys Music, Three Keys Publishing CEO/Founder, FLO Brands, LLC, FLO Wines, LLC _____________________________________________________________________________________ Affiliations: Professional Awards, Speaking Engagement, Community Support NAACP Image Award Nominee “Poetically Justified”  Billboard Contemporary Jazz  Artist Top 20  Professor/Speaker: Harvard, Georgetown, Howard, MTSU and Bowie State University Speaker Harvard University Law School: Recording Artists Projects, Contracts, Entrepreneurship and    Protecting Your Rights Speaker BMI:  Copyright and Publishing Rights in the new Millenium Speaker, World Copyright Summit: Intellectual Property Rights  (Representing BMI) Speaker, Miami Music Conference: The Business of Jazz Panelist for Microsoft Corporation:  Build Your Business Speaker, GMAC:  “The Importance of Intellectual Property and Protecting Your Work Product Panelist, Howard Univesity School of Law: Center Court Panel on Entertainment Law and Intellectual   Property Speaker, Georgetown University Law Center Ambassador:  BMI Intellectual Property; Panelist: MIDEM Music Convention, France Award Recipient: U.S. Small Business Administration: Young Entrepreneur of the Year  Community Leader: YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Red Cross Holiday Cards for Heroes, MJ Music Camp, and Hear Our Voices Anti-Bullying Campaign, American Cancer Society, Rachel's Women's Center, National Center for Children and Families; Capital Youth Empowerment Program; Manassas Wine & Jazz Festival, Obama Victory Fund, Elmira University “Bullying” Program, Elmira, NY, Mentoring to Manhood Recipient of “Men Who Make A Difference” Award.    Speaker/Leader: Music Business Seminars at Studio 8121 Silver Spring, MD Television and Radio Featured Commentator: Idol Chatter, Fox 5 News Segment on American Idol - Current Radio Host: Smooth Jazz 105. Performances: Capital Jazz Festival, Capital Jazz Cruise, Ghana Jazz Festival, Bahamas Jazz Festival, St. Lucia Jazz Festival, Bermuda Jazz Festival, Atlantic Artscape, Huntington Beach Jazz Festival, Trenton Jazz Festival, Dell East, Blues Alley, Blue Note, John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, The Hamilton, Congressional Black Caucus, 100 Black Men of Orlando. , Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit (Paris, France), Carter Barron Theater, Spring Breeze Soul Jazz Festival, Southern Tier Jazz Festival, Centennial Olympic Park Wednesday's Winedown,  Lincoln Foundation “Evening of Jazz”, Low County Jazz Festival, Manassas Wine & Jazz Festival, Spaghettini's, Jazz Fest West, Silver Spring Jazz Festival, Gardena Jazz Fest, Rams Head on Stage, Temecula Jazz Festival, to name a few. Performances With:  Boney James, Kim Waters, Najee, Alex Bugnon, Dave Koz, Diane Krall, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Will Downing,  Fourplay, Pieces of A Dream, Bobby Lyle, Arturo Sandoval, Alyson Williams, Maysa, Erykah Badu, Peter White, Rich Braun, Chuck Mangione, Marion Meadows, Mike Phillips, Jakeim Joyner, Miles Jaye, Jeffrey Osborne, Chaka Kahn, Peabo Bryson, Jeff Bradshaw, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson, Kenny G, Kem, BeBeWinans, Alyson Williams, Jean Carne, Norman Connors, Kirk Whalum, George Duke, Jean Carne,  and many others… For more information: www.threekeys.com www.flobrands.com www.facebook.com/marcusjohnson3k www.youtube.com/marcusjohnson3k Live Performance and Speaking Clips http://youtu.be/YkLXSoniUZ4 Spaghettini's 2013 http://youtu.be/rEsN4lAVCs0 Marcus Johnson with Bobby Lyle Pavillion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwRbi7NDxWA Road To Los Suenos http://youtu.be/7OQyrANpPsk Maxin http://youtu.be/Z9Wc8gMmA-I This Place Hotel Live from Germany  http://youtu.be/mKTdpXeUVjk AARP Speaking Engagement

Two-time GRAMMY nominee Mindi Abair has made her mark as one of the most recognizable saxophonists in the US. You may know her as the saxophonist on American Idol, or the only saxophonist to tour with rock legends Aerosmith since 1973. You may have seen her on stage with Bruce Springsteen for a historic night at the Beacon Theater, or tuned in as she joined Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman, sat in with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, caught her recent appearance at The Grand Ole Opry, or recognized her as Al Pacino’s sax player in the movie Danny Collins. Her eight solo CDs have garnered ten #1 radio hits, seven top 5 spots and two #1 spots on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz album chart. Abair received a 2014 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Summer Horns, a #1 recording with her friends Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot, and more recently received a 2015 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo cd Wild Heart featuring friends Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, and Max Weinberg. She authored the book “How To Play Madison Square Garden - A Guide to Stage Performance” and serves as a National Trustee for the Recording Academy. The artists she’s toured with and/or recorded with are a testament to her talent: Aerosmith, Gregg Allman, Keb’ Mo’, Joe Perry, Bobby Rush, Lalah Hathaway, Duran Duran, Adam Sandler, Lee Ritenour, The Backstreet Boys, Booker T. Jones, Jimmy Webb, Mandy Moore, Max Weinberg, Bill Champlin, David Pack, Mocean Worker, The Ides of March, Rick Braun, Teena Marie, Bobby Lyle, Jonathan Butler, and Peter White.

Two-time GRAMMY nominee Mindi Abair has made her mark as one of the most recognizable saxophonists in the US. You may know her as the saxophonist on American Idol, or the only saxophonist to tour with rock legends Aerosmith since 1973. You may have seen her on stage with Bruce Springsteen for a historic night at the Beacon Theater, or tuned in as she joined Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman, sat in with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, caught her recent appearance at The Grand Ole Opry, or recognized her as Al Pacino’s sax player in the movie Danny Collins. Her eight solo CDs have garnered ten #1 radio hits, seven top 5 spots and two #1 spots on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz album chart. Abair received a 2014 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Summer Horns, a #1 recording with her friends Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot, and more recently received a 2015 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo cd Wild Heart featuring friends Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, and Max Weinberg. She authored the book “How To Play Madison Square Garden - A Guide to Stage Performance” and serves as a National Trustee for the Recording Academy. The artists she’s toured with and/or recorded with are a testament to her talent: Aerosmith, Gregg Allman, Keb’ Mo’, Joe Perry, Bobby Rush, Lalah Hathaway, Duran Duran, Adam Sandler, Lee Ritenour, The Backstreet Boys, Booker T. Jones, Jimmy Webb, Mandy Moore, Max Weinberg, Bill Champlin, David Pack, Mocean Worker, The Ides of March, Rick Braun, Teena Marie, Bobby Lyle, Jonathan Butler, and Peter White.

"A Date with Destiny" welcomes one of the TOP FIVE best-selling African-American saxophonists in the world, Mr. Walter Beasley! Since the late 90's, Beasley— while establishing himself as a regular presence on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart--has performed over the years with contemporary jazz and R&B icons Brian McKnight, Gerald albright, Ronnie Laws, Kirk Whalum, Bob James, Norman Brown, George Howard, Art Porter, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Williams and Rachelle Ferrell. He has also opened concerts for traditional jazz legends Art Blakey and Dexter Gordon. His second Heads Up release, Ready For Love, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and reached #1 on Smoothjazz.com. His 2005 label debut “For Her” reached the Top Five. "I truly love the challenge of being able to transform a rhythm section that has nothing to offer up front into a section that comes to believe in itself as a unit." ~ Walter Beasley “A Date with Destiny” is designed to help motivate, inspire and EMPOWER you to live your life in the highest context of love, peace and joy! It will help you to take a closer look within yourself and discover the great, “I AM” that dwells there. It will help you to have a better understanding of the Laws of the Universe-“God's Laws,” and how it was designed just for YOU to have all you could ever want.

As East's reputation grew on the L.A. session scene, so did his job calls. From that point on, East worked consistently.  He toured with Loggins appearing with the singer at Live Aid in 1985. Eric Clapton heard Nathan and invited him to join his band. With keyboardist Greg Phillinganes and drummer Phil Collins, they toured the world over and performed multiple concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall which resulted in the release of Clapton's "24 Nights" CD, (1988). With Clapton, he would go on to record numerous CD's including Journeyman, August, Behind The Sun, Pilgrim, Reptile and the Multi-Grammy Award winning multi-platinum Clapton MTV Unplugged CD.In 1990, while in the studio recording Bob James' Grand Piano Canyon album, the keyboardist asked East, Lee Ritenour, and Harvey Mason if they'd be interested in forming a group where each member would be an equal partner and could contribute songs. James, who at the time held an executive position at Warner Bros.' jazz A&R department, got them a deal with the label; a couple of months later, the group now known as Fourplay began recording their debut album. Their first record, 1991′s Fourplay, sold over a million copies and remained at the number one position on Billboard's contemporary jazz charts for 33 weeks. Their next LP, 1993′s Between the Sheets, reached number one, went gold, and received a Grammy nomination. In 1995, their third gold album, Elixir, inherited the number one position from Kenny G's Breathless and remained on the charts for more than 90 weeks. Fourplay's 4 album entered the jazz charts at number one when guitarist Larry Carlton joined the band. Now, after fifteen years together, nine CD's and 5 Grammy nominations, Fourplay's X CD debuted at number one (Billboard Contemporary Jazz) remaining there for more than two months.  

A Date with Destiny welcomes one of the TOP FIVE best-selling African-American saxophonists in the world, Mr. Walter Beasley! Since the late 90's, Beasley— while establishing himself as a regular presence on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart--has performed over the years with contemporary jazz and R&B icons Brian McKnight, Gerald albright, Ronnie Laws, Kirk Whalum, Bob James, Norman Brown, George Howard, Art Porter, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Williams and Rachelle Ferrell. He has also opened concerts for traditional jazz legends Art Blakey and Dexter Gordon. His second Heads Up release, Ready For Love, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and reached #1 on Smoothjazz.com. His 2005 label debut “For Her” reached the Top Five. "I truly love the challenge of being able to transform a rhythm section that has nothing to offer up front into a section that comes to believe in itself as a unit." ~ Walter Beasley   “A Date with Destiny” is designed to help motivate, inspire and EMPOWER you to live your life in the highest context of love, peace and joy! It will help you to take a closer look within yourself and discover the great, “I AM” that dwells there. It will help you to have a better understanding of the Laws of the Universe-“God's Laws,” and how it was designed just for YOU to have all you could ever want. 

LOTL Welcomes The Great David Benoit . Discuss his latest CD (CONVERSATION) Since launching his recording career in 1977, David Benoit's expansive career as a contemporary jazz pianist and composer has included over 25 solo recordings. His '80s releases This Side Up, Freedom at Midnight and the GRAMMY-nominated Every Step of the Way are considered influential genre classics. Among his other GRAMMY nominations are those for Best Instrumental Composition (for “Dad's Room,” from 1999's Professional Dreamer) and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance (for the GRP All-Star Big Band). His prolific output since 2000 includes several prominent Charlie Brown related projects (including Here's To You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years and the star-studded 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas) that reflect his lifelong passion for the music of original Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi and solidify Benoit's role as his musical heir. Benoit has also released the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charting albums Fuzzy Logic, Right Here, Right Now, Full Circle and Heroes, which paid homage to the pianist's top jazz and pop influences.

Jeanne Ricks is described as a singer with a "smoky soulfulness" (New Entertainment Weekly Magazine), but her talents don't stop there. As a composer, she has actualized a myriad of impressive accomplishments that would have taken some a lifetime to achieve.   Famed Guitarist George Benson selected Jeanne's 'Love Remembers' for the title track of his Warner CD; Francis Ford Coppola chose one of her songs for his critically acclaimed movie 'Assassination Tango', starring, Robert Duvall; Anita Pointer chose 'Thorny Rose', 'Always', and 'Stronger than Pride' for her upcoming CD; Chaka Khan recorded 'Don't Ask Me' for a WEA release; and Tony Ransom recorded  'Take It To Heart' and  'Turn To Me' for his Expansion/EMI solo album.  Her song 'Simple Pleasure' was recently chosen for The Weather Channel's 1st ever commercial CD release, titled 'The Weather Channel Presents: Best of Smooth Jazz' which reached #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. A multi-instrumentalist who plays Acoustic & Electric Guitar as well as Keyboards - Jeanne lends background vocals to two of Steve Coleman's tracks on his groundbreaking CD The Sonic Language of Myth [RCA/Victor]. Her new CD "Make it Work!' was released in August 2009 and features Jazz saxaphonist Walter Beasley