Herbie Hancock, Other Buddhists Happy For 'River' Honors
Herbie Hancock, whose CD, River: The Joni Letters, won Album of the Year and Contemporary Jazz Album at the 50th anniversary Grammy Awards ceremony February 10th, says the wins were not only a victory for jazz, but a victory for Buddhists like himself... More
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Sax Pack CD Due Next Month
The first CD by the saxophone super trio The Sax Pack is due next month. Fallin' For You by Sax Pack members Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, and Steve Cole will be available March 19th on Shanachie... More
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Kenny G Shares the Fun of 'Sax-O-Loco'
Saxophonist Kenny G is happy to be back on the charts with a brand new sound. His new all-Latin CD Rhythm & Romance is represented by the flirty single "Sax-O-Loco," which is rapidly climbing the smooth jazz radio charts.
Kenny explained that the song was... More
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Chaka Khan, George Duke, George Benson At Jazz in the Gardens
Grammy winner Chaka Khan will be on the bill along with George Duke, Chrisette Michele, George Benson, and the O'Jays at the third annual Jazz In The Gardens music festival being held on... More
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Smooth Jazz V98.7 Welcomes Dave Koz To Afternoons!
Smooth Jazz V98.7 is proud to announce that superstar Smooth Jazz saxophonist and radio personality Dave Koz will begin hosting afternoons 2-7pm on the station. Starting Monday, February 25th, Dave will...More
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Kenny G Celebrates A Return To Roots With 'Rhythm & Romance'
Top-selling saxophonist Kenny G has branched out in a new direction with the release of his latest CD Rhythm & Romance. The new set is his first for Concord Records in partnership with Starbucks after two decades with Arista Records. It's also his first CD in many years of... More
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Chaka Khan Enjoying 'Color Purple' Experience
R&B icon Chaka Khan, who earned two Grammy Awards at the night's ceremonies in Los Angeles, recently began her very first starring role on Broadway... More
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Chris Standring To Release 'Love & Paragraphs'
British-born guitarist Chris Standring has named April 22nd as the U.S. release date for his new CD Love & Paragraphs. The first single is the upbeat title track from the set. The new set was recorded and produced by Standring at his newly completed home studio... More
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Steve Oliver Prepping Live CD
Popular smooth jazz guitarist and vocalist Steve Oliver is preparing to release a new live DVD/CD project next month, titled One Night Live. A new single from the set, titled "On The Upside" featuring saxophonist Warren Hill, is going to radio next week... More
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Natalie Cole Says Amy Winehouse Should Not Have Been Given Grammys
Singer and multiple Grammy winner Natalie Cole is stirring up controversy after speaking out about British singer Amy Winehouse, who won five Grammy Awards on February 10th, including Record of the Year for "Rehab." The "Unforgettable" singer said the Recording Academy should not... More
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Herbie Hancock Thrilled With Grammy Win
Veteran jazz pianist Herbie Hancock picked up two more Grammy Awards to add to his collection on February 10th, including the coveted Album of the Year prize for River: The Joni Letters. The all-star tribute to... More
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Ken Navarro Lines Up New Album
Ken Navarro will release his new album, The Grace Of Summer Light, this spring. He's currently recording the 10-track set and will issue it exclusively at his web site on May 5th, followed by a national release in retail stores on... More
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Dave Koz Packages Up Best-Of Collection and Eyes New Material
Dave Koz hopes to release of two albums this year -- a best-of collection and a new studio album. The greatest hits set will feature Koz's smooth jazz singles... More
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Happy Birthday, Michael McDonald
Singer Michael McDonald celebrates his 56th birthday February 12th. With his husky and emotive voice, McDonald has become one of the most distinctive singers in pop music. He started in... More
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Patti Austin Among Jazz Grammy Winners
Vocalist Patti Austin won her very first Grammy Award Suunday night for Avant Gershwin. The live George Gershwin tribute, recorded with the WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany, earned the veteran singer the honor in the best jazz vocal performance category at the... More
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Marcus Miller Planning Bass Summit Set
Grammy-winning bassist and producer Marcus Miller says he's starting work on a project that would team him with master bassists Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten. Miller explained, "About a year-and-a-half ago, Victor and I hosted this event forBass Player Magazine and we presented Stanley with... More
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The 50th Annual Grammy Awards
Amy Winehouse was the biggest winner at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles February 10th, winning five of the six awards she had been nominated for. The evening's final award, Album of the Year, went to Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters, a tribute to... More
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Dave Koz Gets Grammy Style At Annual Studio Event
Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz was among the artists on hand February 6th at the Grammy Style Studio in Hollywood, where nominees, presenters, performers and their stylists can choose from an array of... More
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Dave Koz Win or Lose, He Plans To Have Grammy Fun
Saxophonist, radio personality, and record label co-founder Dave Koz is going into next weekend's 50th anniversary Grammy Awards ceremony with... More
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Alicia Keys Announces 'As I Am' Tour
Grammy nominee Alicia Keys has officially announced dates for her 2008 As I Am tour. Keys has already toured Canada, Europe, and Asia to promote the top-charting CD. The North American leg of the tour... More
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Alicia Keys Set For Grammy Performance, Launches Keep A Child Alive Initiative
Nine-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys has just been announced as one of the performers for the 50th anniversary edition of the Grammy Awards, set for February 10th in Los Angeles. Keys has two nominations for... More
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Van Morrison 'Keeps It Simple' with Three Tour Dates
Van Morrison has announced three special upcoming shows surrounding the release of his new album, Keep It Simple, which arrives March 11th. The brief outing will begin with a concert in... More
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Dave Koz Happy To Be Nominated, Relieved That Grammys Will Go On
Saxophonist Dave Koz has received two Grammy nominations for his all star orchestral album At The Movies. The CD was nominated in...More
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Eric Marienthal Says He Enjoyed Working With Brian Culbertson
Saxophonist Eric Marienthal is gaining attention from smooth jazz fans for his current hit single "Blue Water." It's the first radio track from his new CD Just Around The Corner. Marienthal says that... More
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Pat Metheny Trio Take 'Day Trip' Today
The Pat Metheny Trio is releasing the new CD Day Trip on Nonesuch Records January 29th. The multiple Grammy-winning guitarist is joined on the 10-track disk of original tunes by bassist Christian McBride and drummer Antonio Sanchez. McBride, who is also featured on... More
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Marcus Miller 'Free' For Upcoming Tour Dates
Bassist Marcus Miller, who is set to release his new CD, titled Free, in the U.S. through Concord on March 4th, has lined up a series of concert dates. Free features a cover of... More
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Al Jarreau 'Love Songs' Released
Grammy winning vocalist Al Jarreau is the focus of a new single disk collection of favorite love songs from his recording catalog. Al Jarreau: Love Songs will be available... More
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Dave Koz Praises Instrumental Winner Joni Mitchell
Saxophonist Dave Koz has high praise for iconic singer, songwriter, and guitarist Joni Mitchell, who won the Grammy, February 10th in the Best Pop Instrumental Performance category. It's the same category in which Koz competed... More
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Herbie Hancock Earns NAACP Image Award
Veteran pianist Herbie Hancock earned the outstanding jazz artist prize Thursday night at the NAACP Image Award ceremonies held in Los Angeles. The award was bestowed in recognition of... More
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Fourplay Signs To Heads Up International
Smooth jazz super group Fourplay has been signed to Cleveland-based Heads Up International. The group, founded in 1991, features keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, guitarist Larry Carlson, and drummer Harvey Mason. Fourplay will make their Heads Up debut with... More
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Herbie Hancock Grammy Performance Hailed By Producers
To celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, the Grammy Awards broadcast February 10th will feature a number of unusual duet performances to demonstrate the breadth and depth of recorded music. Current nominee and multiple Grammy holder Herbie Hancock is set to... More
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Chris Botti Explains Why He Focuses On Performing
Trumpeter Chris Botti, who is nominated in the best pop instrumental album category at this year's Grammy Awards for his album Italia, says he's approaching his career from a different perspective... More
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Aretha Franklin Cuts Out Red Meat, Looking Forward To Musicares Honor
Aretha Franklin says that after dropping some weight, she's feeling the best she's felt in years. Franklin told The Associated Press, "I've got a new trainer, and she's giving me a lot of good things, really educating me about... More
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Jeff Lorber Signs With Peak Records
Keyboardist and producer Jeff Lorber has made a move to Peak Records, the smooth jazz label co-founded by Russ Freeman of the Rippingtons. He's already lined up a new album, which is set for... More
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Joss Stone 'Doesn't Really Care For Bush Family'
Joss Stone says she isn't very impressed with First Lady Laura Bush. The British singer ran into her at Fashion Week and was more excited about seeing... More
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Al Jarreau Says He's Always Loved Love Songs
Singer Al Jarreau is enjoying his association with recording timeless tunes of romance with the release of the compilation, Al Jarreau: Love Songs, last month. The new set is a focus on... More
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Herbie Hancock In Jazz/Classical Duet On Grammys
Veteran jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock and classical pianist Lang Lang will perform together on the 50th annual Grammy Awards telecast February 10th. The Recording Academy announced that... More
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Happy Birthday Natalie Cole
Vocalist Natalie Cole celebrates her 58th birthday February 6th. The daughter of Nat "King" Cole, Natalie didn't begin following his professional path until she... More
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Chris Botti Says Unique Sound is 'Painstakingly Done'
Grammy nominee Chris Botti has spent the last few years distilling his trumpet sound into something that is unique and engaging. Influenced by past giants like... More
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Fourplay to Perform at Post-Grammy Bash
Smooth jazz super group Fourplay is one of the acts performing at the star-studded post-Grammy Awards gala immediately following the televised ceremony on February 10th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The gala... More
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Kevin Toney Composes Score For 'Kings Of The Evening'
Keyboardist and composer Kevin Toney has been working on a score for a new film set to premiere at this month's Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. The former... More
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Al Jarreau Loves 'Love Songs' Legacy
Pop, jazz, and R&B vocalist Al Jarreau is happy with the new Rhino Records compilation Al Jarreau: Love Songs, which was released last month. The set features such enduring Jarreau tunes as... More
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Singer Ryan Shaw To Perform At Grammy Foundations 'Sounds Of Change'
Vocalist Ryan Shaw, who is nominated for a Grammy Award this year, will join rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis, rocker John Fogerty, and singers... More
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Chris Botti Responds To Grammy Nomination For 'Italia'
Trumpeter Chris Botti says he's surprised by a Grammy nomination this year that pits him against an album by hip-hoppers the Beastie Boys. His orchestral valentine to Italy, titled Italia, is competing for... More
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Happy Birthday Joe Sample
Veteran keyboardist Joe Sample celebrates his 69th birthday February 1st. A native of Houston, Texas, Sample was heavily influenced by jazz and gospel and began his musical career as a bebop pianist... More
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Jeff Kashiwa Joins Kim Waters, Steve Cole For New Sax Pack CD
Saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa, who established the popular Sax Pack package tour with fellow saxophonists Kim Waters and Steve Cole, has gathered the trio in the studio to record the very first Sax Pack album project... More
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The Grammy Performance List Grows
The Grammys have announced several new performers, including nominees Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley and Feist. Also added to the show is a Beatles segment, featuring the casts of... More
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Kenny G Says Starbucks Deal Was A Natural
Top-selling instrumentalist Kenny G says that moving from his longtime label Arista to releasing his new CD Rhythm & Romance through Starbucks with Concord Records was just... More
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Jill Scott Release 'Live In Paris' Concert DVD
Grammy winner Jill Scott is offering her fans a visual taste of her most recent European tour. Jill Scott: Live In Paris + DVD will be available from Hidden Beach Recordings on February 5th. The DVD project was... More
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Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder, Bobby McFerrin At N.O. Jazz & Heritage Fest
Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder, Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea, Billy Joel, Santana, Al Green, Robert Plant and Alison Kraus will be among the dozens of acts performing at the New Orleans' annual Jazz & Heritage Festival... More
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