The new CD that teams trumpeter Rick Braun with saxophonist Richard Elliot, appropriately titled R 'n' R, debuted at Number One on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart this week. Though the longtime friends and business associates have recorded together on various tracks in the past, this is the first full-length CD released under both their names.

R 'n' R is also a major release for ARTizen Music Group, the company they co-founded back in 2003. The label also boasts releases by Shilts, Jackiem Joyner, and Soul Ballet.

Braun decided to launch the label after his contract with Warner Bros. ended. At the time, he was enthused about the possibilities that come with being an independent player in the music industry. He said: "It's a very exciting time to be an artist, because for the kind of music that I make it doesn't take a lot of promotional money to get it out there. The nice thing is the people who are fans are very, very supportive and a good song will still rise to the top."

The first single from R' n' R is the upbeat title track, which also reached Number One on the national smooth jazz airplay chart.


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