During her remarkable 21-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.  You might know her as the featured saxophonist on American Idol, sitting in with Paul […]

Though her career has taken her well beyond the jazz circuit, Niki Haris’s roots are are in the jazz circuit, but her career has taken her well beyond it. The daughter of Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Gene Haris, Niki and her father released two albums and a live CD before his death in 2000. Carrying on his legacy […]

A Los Angeles native who spent his teen years in Kansas City, KS, Marqueal Jordan has been based in the music-rich city of Chicago since 1995. Moving to the Windy City after earning a Business Administration degree at the University of Kansas, Marqueal began paying dues by playing gigs in every musical style imaginable. In […]

An unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader Grace Kelly has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 14 acclaimed albums and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and as part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-twenties. Kelly’s early career featured […]

Cut from the same cloth as some of the world’s greatest vocalists, Larry Braggs has one of the most notable voices in the business. A vocal range over three octaves and a command of the stage like no other has gained him the respect and praise of his peers and fans all over the world. […]

Imagine how the juices will flow on the high seas for saxophonist Richard Elliot, who says he gets much of his creative inspiration from behind the wheel of his car in L.A. traffic. The Scottish-born musician has been on the music scene for more than three decades and released his 17th solo album, Lip Service, […]

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was surrounded by music as he was growing up. Fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. and after receiving his mother’s encouragement, Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with them. Jeffrey was originally brought on as the […]

The joy that emanates from guitarist Norman Brown while he is playing is palpable. The guitar is simply an extension of him. The multi-platinum selling and chart-topping musician is an artist who is truly in service of the music with the goal to be a force for positivity. With all of the accolades that Norman […]

“I just want to continue to explore the boundaries of what I am capable of as a musician,” declares acclaimed chart-topping trumpeter, composer and producer Rick Braun. Known for his impeccable technical chops, melodic wizardry and keen compositional prowess, the consummate Los Angeles based musician has been thrilling audiences for decades. Braun has made a […]

Soulful, passionate, stirring…these are the words most often used to describe Kirk Whalum’s music. Forged from his Memphis, TN gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The 80’s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming […]

If you are ever listening to Watercolors on SiriusXM, you can hear Talaya hosting some pretty amazing contemporary jazz. Every Saturday, she also presents on Real Jazz. Talaya’s radio career began in her hometown of Albuquerque at KUNM playing jazz and Latin jazz. She studied at San Francisco State University and was quickly hired by KRE, one […]

Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold millions of albums worldwide and has achieved critical acclaim as an actress on stage, in film and on television. Her albums The Right Stuff, The […]

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Gerald 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 […]

New Orleans-born Michael “Patches” Stewart blows from the summit of today’s trumpet players. Patches made his major recording debut at 16 playing in the horn section on LaBelle’s Allen Toussaint-produced classic “Lady Marmalade” in 1974. Upon high school graduation – though he had scholarships on the table from Berklee School of Music and more – […]