Jonathan Butler, the youngest of 11 children, was raised amidst Apartheid in Cape Town, South Africa. His amazing talents afforded him the opportunity to prosper nonetheless.
Forged from his Memphis gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston nightclub scene, Kirk Whalum’s unique sound leaves an indelible imprint on each listener.
Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling "Jack and Jill," "You Can't Change That"), ...
Grammy and Stellar Award Nominated jazz artist Marcus Anderson is an incredible act worth worth watching and sonically indulging.
A regular panel member on NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me, Alonzo Bodden has been making audiences around the country laugh for close to 30 years.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Albright was already an accomplished saxophonist by the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, but he switched to bass after he saw Louis Johnson in concert.
What do you do after celebrating over a decade as one of contemporary jazz’s top saxophonists, known for your trademark blend of sensual Latin tinged powerful horn playing which garnered 12 top singles and 6 chart topping albums?
“Everything is energy," exclaims the stunning, charismatic Billboard #1 singer/songwriter Lindsey Webster. “Atoms make up everything, and they are only made of 0.0001% matter. That leaves 99.9999% space - aka energy!
More artists will be announced soon!
Jonathan Butler, the youngest of 11 children, was raised amidst Apartheid in Cape Town, South Africa. His amazing talents afforded him the opportunity to prosper nonetheless. Releasing his first album at age 12, he was awarded the South African “Grammy” for Best New Artist. He made history by being the first black artist played on white South African radio while earning three gold records (“Please Stay” went double gold and “I Love How You Love Me” went gold) at 13. More than a decade later, Jonathan moved to London and released his first album internationally, which went gold. He received Grammy® Award nominations for Best R&B Song for his R&B-pop vocal hit “Lies” and for Best Jazz Song for the instrumental “Going Home.” His genre-busting music earned songwriter’s awards and received abundant airplay in multiple radio formats. Jonathan’s long-awaited record Ubuntu produced by Marcus Miller was released April 2023. Jonathan remains a musical icon today in South Africa and around the world.
Forged from his Memphis gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston nightclub scene, Kirk Whalum’s unique sound leaves an indelible imprint on each listener. And it was in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him. After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in demand session player for top artists such as Barbara Streisand, Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit, I Will Always Love You. His chart-topping For You and his Gospel According to Jazz series featuring the great George Duke and Jonathan Butler among others, in addition to his 30 plus solo projects, have rendered Whalum a singular artist. He was a member of the soul/jazz super-group, BWB, which features Kirk as the “W” along with good friends Rick Braun and Norman Brown.
Kirk has earned a Theology Masters and passionately serves his community when his touring schedule allows. His daily fifteen minute podcast, The Bible In Your Ear has reached over a million listeners. Kirk’s passion for education includes students from Memphis to Kenya.
A twelve time Grammy® Award nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy® Award (2011) for Best Gospel Song It’s What I Do (featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside gifted songwriter, Jerry Peters. With a Brass Note on the Memphis Walk of Fame and a Star on the Nashville Walk of Fame, Tennessee has honored Whalum proudly.
Hearing Kirk Whalum live is a unique and enriching experience every time.
Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling "Jack and Jill," "You Can't Change That"), Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio ("Two Places at the Same Time," "A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]"), and Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single "Ghostbusters"), and he co-wrote hit songs for Rufus and Chaka Khan (the number one "You Got the Love" from fall 1974) and Barry White ("You See the Trouble with Me" from spring 1976). He stars in the new film, "Hired Gun."
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Parker started out as a teenaged session guitarist playing on sessions recorded for Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax and Invictus Records, whose roster listed Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairmen of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He also played behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and other Motown acts when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Wonder called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Parker thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing "Superstition" to him.
Later, Parker played on Wonder's albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973). Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work, playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, and arranger Gene Page and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir's 1976 Motown debut, Love's Comin' Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby/Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.
Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not confident on his singing ability, he put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with "Overnight Sensation" and as half of Ollie & Jerry, and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments -- although Arnell et al. were paid a retainer so they'd be available if Raydio had a hit record and needed to tour.
His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at number eight R&B in spring 1978. The LP included the number five gold R&B hit single "Jack and Jill" (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), "Is This a Love Thing," and the charting single "Honey I'm Rich." The hits continued with Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio's number four gold Rock On (the single "You Can't Change That" was number three R&B, number nine pop in the spring of 1979); the number six gold R&B Two Places at the Same Time from spring 1980 ("Two Places at the Same Time" was number six R&B in spring 1980); and the number one gold record A Woman Needs Love from 1981 ("A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]" -- the first song Parker sang all the way through without trading vocals -- held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and went number four pop in spring 1981). Then, the Ray Parker Jr. album The Other Woman held the number one R&B, number 11 pop spot in spring 1982 ("The Other Woman" was number two R&B for four weeks).
One of Parker's biggest hits and best-loved songs, "Ghostbusters" was initially submitted for the background score of the Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/Bill Murray/Ernie Hudson comedy. Director Ivan Reitman thought that the song should be released as a single. The "Ghostbusters" music video is one of the funniest and most star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). "Ghostbusters" parked at the number one R&B spot for two weeks and the number one pop for three weeks on Billboard's charts in summer 1984. Around this time, Huey Lewis sued Columbia Pictures and Ray Parker Jr. for copyright infringement, claiming that "Ghostbusters" was a ripoff of his recent hit, "I Want a New Drug." Lewis received an out-of-court settlement. The new Ghostbusters movie comes out in July and it will be the biggest blockbuster of the season.
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition ("Mr. Telephone Man" -- Parker originally recorded this with Jr. Tucker for his 1983 self-titled Geffen album), Randy Hall ("I've Been Watching You [Jamie's Girl]," the refreshing "Gentleman"), Cheryl Lynn ("Shake It Up Tonight" from In the Night), Deniece Williams (the 1979 ARC/Columbia LP When Love Comes Calling), Brick (the 1981 Bang LP Summer Heat), and Diana Ross ("Upfront" from her 1983 RCA LP Ross).
Ray is writing the definitive memoir, "Who Ya Gonna Call? The Adventures of Ray Parker Jr." as well as a new album consisting of the exceptional original songs, "1983," with both expected out early 2019. He continues to tour and sell out throughout the world.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Parker Jr. team
Grammy and Stellar Award Nominated jazz artist Marcus Anderson is an incredible act worth worth watching and sonically indulging. With more than a dozen studio albums under his belt, this jazz artist creates a musical fusion of R&B, Pop, Rock, Funk and a bit of soul transcending audiences to a different atmosphere. This Spartansburg, SC native and chart topping artist rose to stardom over time. Marcus found himself being inspired by favored legends Prince and Michael Jackson, but also drew inspiration from the newer styles of entertainers like Ne-Yo and Usher.
Marcus Anderson has a lot of distinguishing qualities as an
artist, the most notable being his commitment to the mission
and working from the heart. Pouring into the music and
amplifying the sound through emotion and power takes more
skill and dedication than one may think; Marcus takes the
creative process and journey seriously and his sound is a
reflection of that of a marriage. He is delivering impactfulgenre
changing music in a humble way. Being fortunate to
work and being mentored by one of his musical heroes, the
late Artist Formerly Known As Prince, this career leap opened
Marcus’ eyes and the doors of the opportunities to come.
Thereafter, he has performed with the likes of Ceelo Green,
Judith Hill, Stevie Wonder, and Liv Warfield to name a few.
Marcus was also featured on the late legend’s final release Hit
N Run Phase 2, playing on “Revelation” and “Look at Me Look
at You”.
Marcus Anderson is a showstopper whether he is standing
with or for household names. From setting the stage for
dignitaries such as former President Barack Obama, Jesse
Jackson and Hillary Clinton or blazingly performing alongside
superstar musician and icon Sheila E, along with both Anthony
Hamilton and Miguel, Anderson’s performance skills and raw
talent are the reason he will always be the man of the hour.
Audiences of all musical tastes have made their way to hear
Marcus Anderson and his band “The Creatives'', knowing and
anticipating being in the presence of stellar musicianship,
every time. He and his band present a show that is equally
high- spirited and welcoming, with Anderson as a multiinstrumentalist
at the forefront, unapologetic and unafraid of
“giving it his all”. Marcus Anderson is a fan-favorite at
nationally and internationally recognized festivals such as
Essence Music Festival, Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival,
Seabreeze Jazz Fest and many more. He has also appeared
with headliners on top-ranking shows like The Tonight Show,
Arsenio Hall, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Jimmy Fallon.
A regular panel member on NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me, Alonzo Bodden has been making audiences around the country laugh for close to 30 years. Alonzo starred in his fourth stand-up special, Heavy Lightweight, which premiered exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. His first big comedy break came when he was on the “New Faces of Comedy” showcase at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, but it was as the season three winner of NBCʼs Last Comic Standing, where Alonzo was first introduced to America. Since then, he has starred in two comedy specials for Showtime: Historically Incorrect and Who’s Paying Attention. He’s also made appearances on CBS’ Ghosts, ABC’s Dr. Ken and Fresh Off the Boat and Californication. Movie credits include Bringing Down The House, Scary Movie 4 and The Onion Movie Talk shows, Dr. Phil, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central's The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. A car and motorcycle aficionado, Bodden hosted Speed Channel’s 101 Cars You Must Drive and has joined Jay Leno for several off-road trips on his CNBC series Leno’s Garage. He was also a field correspondent on Animal Nation with Anthony Anderson, and a contributor on the Science Channel’s How to Build Everything. Alonzo released his fifth comedy CD titled Man Overboard. Alonzo has been performing on Jazz Cruises and hosted the Capital Jazz Festival. His comedy riffs have been compared to jazz solos by some the greatest jazz artists from Marcus Miller to Robert Glasper to Dee Dee Bridgewater. He’s also a regular on The Young Turks where he gives his unique take on what's going on in the world.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Albright was already an accomplished saxophonist by the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, but he switched to bass after he saw Louis Johnson in concert. A few months after graduating from college, he joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band. Later, when the bassist left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the tour on bass guitar. Playing both sax and bass, he became the consummate session and touring musician in the 80s, working with everyone from Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Jr., Atlantic Starr, The Temptations and Maurice White to Les McCann, Teena Marie, the Winans and Whitney Houston.
He launched his solo career in the infancy of what became the smooth jazz format, with Just Between Us in 1987 and has been a core part of the genre with chart-topping albums, countless radio hits and as a member of many all star tours, including Guitars & Saxes and Groovin’ For Grover. In the late 90s, he fronted a big band for and toured with pop star Phil Collins and did a dual recording with vocal great Will Downing called Pleasures of the Night. Between his last two Grammy-nominated solo albums Pushing The Envelope (2010) and Slam Dunk (2014), he enjoyed hit collaborations with two huge hits – 24/7 with guitarist Norman Brown and Summer Horns by Dave Koz and Friends (including Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot), which were also Grammy-nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Albums. He toured with Brown and Summer Horns, and most recently has been on the road with South Africa gospel/jazz singer and guitarist Jonathan Butler. Albright’s other albums whose titles perfectly reflect their flow include Smooth (1994), Groovology (2002), Kickin’ It Up (2004) and Sax for Stax (2008).
Because Albright’s musical muse has taken him to so many fascinating locales along the contemporary R&B/urban jazz spectrum, he’s joyfully defied easy categorizations.
“Top to bottom,” Albright says, “Whether in concert, listening to my music over the radio or CD player, I always want my listeners to be taken on a musical journey with different textures, rhythms, chord progressions and moods. I want people to know where I’ve been and where I’m going, and to let them hear that I’m in a really good place in my life.”
What do you do after celebrating over a decade as one of contemporary jazz’s top saxophonists, known for your trademark blend of sensual Latin tinged powerful horn playing which garnered 12 top singles and 6 chart topping albums? You tap into your longtime love for the vibrant soul and blues energies of the 60s and 70’s to release your first studio album in six years BLUE, an album of original songs totally stylistically different from your previous recordings as evidenced by the cover art reminiscent of some of the great albums of that era.
Driven by a fresh spark of creativity due to the isolation she felt during lockdown, Jessy set out to create an album full of James Brownesque drums and tasty/bluesy Ray Charles organ licks showcasing some of her most passionate and robust tenor playing ever. “The tone for BLUE was set when I wrote the track “Spinnin’,” whose high energy old school vibe was about me pouring out my frustration over cancelled gigs and sudden lifestyle adjustments due to lockdown,” states Jessy. “Overall my playing on the album reflects fourteen years of growth as a musician and songwriter, which feels normal considering how young I was when my first album came out. I always want to be evolving as an artist and producer. BLUE is very different from my earlier albums because it’s a snapshot of where I am now in my life and how I was feeling during these difficult times.”
The result is anything but sorrowful. If anything, from the raw, sizzling horn-fired Crusaders-esque jam “Dig It” (a co-write with Jeff Lorber and BLUE’S first single) through her fast paced, discofied and thumping “Dance Beat,” it finds the artist letting loose, setting her musical spirit free and celebrating the start of a time of exciting new possibilities, while retaining some of her trademark Latin influences and traditional jazz and swing elements on later tracks.
One of the unique aspects of recording during this time was the ability to record remotely via digital file transfer and sometimes FaceTiming with the other musicians in different locations – resulting in a truly international affair. In addition to “Dig It,” Jessy co-wrote and co-produced the wildly funky Cannonball Adderley influenced “Malt Shop” with Jeff Lorber, sending tracks back and forth from across L.A. County and having her friend Ludovic Louis create his improvisational trumpet blasts from Paris. Likewise, multi-instrumentalist Thiago Pinheiro contributed his keyboards, strings, drums and percussion programming on “Dance Beat” from Brazil.
Starting with “Spinnin’,” Jessy created the five other tracks on BLUE remotely in collaboration with veteran pianist and arranger Jay Rowe (who previously appeared on 2018’s Live at Yoshi’s 10th anniversary celebration and 2016’s California Christmas) along with his Connecticut based crew of bassist Dave Anderson, drummer Trever Somerville, guitarist Andy Abel. Contributing to the project’s dynamic stylistic diversity, these songs include the hard driving, horn filed title track featuring Jessy on tenor, alto and baritone saxes and flute; the gently Latin-spiced “Summer Swing,” a silky modal jazz meets swing tune influenced by Herbie Hancock’s mid-60’s Maiden Voyage era sound; the fiery, joyously infectious “Mini’s Bounce,” written for Jessy’s beloved German Shepherd Mini and whose rhythms were inspired by the way she walked; and “Song For David,” the fascinating closing piece written for her firstborn son, who was at the piano with her when she wrote it. Shifting back and forth throughout from a lyrical, easy swaying ballad to a snappy, swinging jazz quartet, Jessy captures the boy’s constantly shifting sense of energy – from calm to playful to curious to frustrated.
“I just love the way Jay plays and intuitively understands what I’m going for,” says Jessy. “I would record the song on piano, write out the chart and send it to him. He then recorded with his group in Connecticut and I followed recording my sax parts in my home studio. Jay added strings and I would then get it to percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia for final touches. I have always loved working with musicians live in the studio throughout my career, but once we got in the flow, I really enjoyed this unique process.”
Born in Oregon and raised in southern California of Hispanic heritage, Jessy is grateful that her Hispanic fans have been inspired by her love of these musical roots. A jazz studies graduate from USC, Jessy paved the way for her success recording with Michael Buble and touring with Jessica Simpson, The Temptations and Michael Bolton.
Starting with the immediate #1 Billboard chart success with the title track from her debut album Tequila Moon, the powerhouse saxophonist cemented her rising stardom touring with contemporary jazz greats like Lorber, Gerald Albright, Euge Groove and Peter White, She is seen regularly performing on the hit television competition shows “American Idol,’ “The Voice” and “Dancing with the Stars,’ and in more recent years has toured with Anita Baker, recorded with Robin Thicke and contributed as composer/performer to the albums of two members of Chance the Rapper’s band - the GRAMMY® nominated Intellexual album and The Juju Exchange’s Exchange.
In conjunction with the release of BLUE Jessy embarks on a U.S. tour throughout the spring and summer. She will also be releasing California Christmas Vol. 2 for the 2022 holiday season.
“Writing and recording BLUE was an extraordinary experience,” says Jessy. “I have missed the connection with my fans so much these past two years. On every level--physical, emotional, spiritual – music plays such an important role in healing us. It’s like therapy, making everything in life so much better and healthier.”
“Everything is energy," exclaims the stunning, charismatic Billboard #1 singer/songwriter Lindsey Webster. “Atoms make up everything, and they are only made of 0.0001% matter. That leaves 99.9999% space - aka energy! This simple fact is how I remember to take my focus off of this physical world and tune into my spirit." Webster who studied cellular and molecular biology in college with the intentions of becoming a researcher adds, “The more we tune into our own energy, the better our lives become.” Soultracks once declared “If Carole King and Sade had a kid, she would be Lindsey Webster.” The amiable and earthy singer, has managed to shake up the cliquish male and instrumental dominated - Contemporary Jazz scene, forging a path that is uniquely her own. Amazingly in 2016, Webster became the first vocalist to hit #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts since Sade.
All About Jazz declares, “Webster is soulful, authentic and belongs on the short list of new talents keeping the tradition alive and taking it to the next level,” while Pop Matters describes Webster’s voice as “Soulful…Effortless.” The Woodstock native’s anticipated new recording, Reasons, (to be released September 9, 2022) is the next step in her evolution as an artist. “For the first time, I think I made an album for myself,” she confides. “I’ve come a long way. On my first album, little 21-year old Lindsey was singing those songs the way I thought Mariah (Carey), Amy Winehouse or Adele would do it. I had no idea who I was as a person, let alone as an artist. This album speaks to what I want and in return I think that it will connect with my audience in a deeper way.” Reasons features several major special guest collaborators including bassist Nathan East, trumpeters Nicholas Payton and Randy Brecker, pianist Brian Culbertson (who plays trumpet and trombone on the album) Kev Choice who raps on a track and drummer Lil John Roberts, among others. At the heart of Lindsey’s collaborations is her long-time musical partner and former husband, pianist Keith Slattery. “I think our shared vision for the potential of what our music is capable of keeps the dream alive,” confides Lindsey. “Keith is an amazing example of understanding and compassion. I can speak for the both of us when I say that relationships are given to us to learn from whether they are romantic or not. I find it trivial and petty to throw away a great friendship and partnership over differences. Life is too short!” The winning combination of Webster and Slattery has resulted in two Billboard #1’s and eight Top 10’s on the Billboard charts.
Growing up in an artist community of Woodstock, NY, the daughter of loving hippie parents, the allure of music was never far from Lindsey Webster. The singer grew up listening to her parent's Jimi Hendrix, Beatles and Elvis Costello LPs and later the Supremes. Influenced by everyone from Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera to Steely Dan and Earth Wind and Fire, these days Lindsey still feeds her eclectic taste. “Bob Marley is my #1 most listened to artist on Spotify but I listen to Lake Street Dive, Raveena, Chaka, Joanna Teters, and so much more,” shares the singer who enjoys outdoor activities, bootcamp challenges and hiking. Webster made history in 2016 with her original, "Fool Me Once,” which was the first vocal driven #1 song to top the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart since Sade's “Soldier of Love” in 2010. She beat Sade’s three-week run at #1 with a four-week stay at the top of the charts. November 2016, Webster made her Shanachie debut with Back To Your Heart, which spawned three songs that reached Top 3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts: “Back To Your Heart,” “Next To Me” and “Where Do You Want To Go,” which hit #1. 2018 saw the release of Love Inside, which featured the Top 5 hit “Love Inside” and "the Top ten single “It’s Not You, It’s Me” featuring Rick Braun. A Woman Like Me followed in 2020 featuring the standout title track, the lush ballad "A Love Like Me" and the catchy "One Step Forward." Webster who counts Steve Wonder, Anthony Hamilton and Chris Botti at the top of her wish list of collaborators concludes, “I feel that the highlight of my career is still an unfolding journey. There is excitement around every corner of my life and work! “
