One of the most popular groups in what is loosely termed ""contemporary jazz,"" the Rippingtons were formed by guitarist/keyboardist Russ Freeman. Freeman studied at Cal Arts and UCLA, and recorded Nocturnal Playground as a leader in 1985 for the Brainchild label, a one-man project. In 1987, he was approached to record for the Japanese Alfa label and came up with... read full bio
Dave Grusins career began as a part of Andy Williams' touring show and continued when Williams began hosting a weekly variety show. Grusin recalls, it was a grind, a very hard job; but for me it turned out to be an amazing workshop, writing a whole show every week. I hadn't had much arranging experience, so I had to learn... read full bio
Crime fighter by day, crooner by night, Harry Connick Sr. sings songs he calls himself. Harry Connick, Sr. is best known for serving as the district attorney of the Parish of Orleans, which contains the City of New Orleans, from 1973 to 2003. His son, Harry Connick, Jr. is a successful singer, pianist, actor, and humanitarian. Like his famous son,... read full bio
Rich colors and colossal images, literate, intelligent, idiosyncratic, under the guise of an exceptional pop singer. While Rickie Lee Jones has become more and more obscure, her imitators have become very famous indeed. She has not been abandoned by the critics, though. Her music is always written about, and she is pictured in more than one book on the icons... read full bio
The current Basie ensemble is uniquely equipped to render this distillation. One reason is the remarkable continuity of personnel that continues to connect the past to the present in the band. There are five permanent members in the current Basie Band who played under Count Basie's personal leadership.This is no exercise in nostalgia, however. Over its history, the Basie Orchestra... read full bio
He is a composer and pianist extraordinaire. He is a bandleader, lecturer, and visiting professor. He is a chart-topping producer; a Grammy, two-time Latin Grammy and Emmy Award winner. He is the recipient of his native country’s highest civilian honors, as well as several academic honorary degrees. Michel Camilo is all of these things and more, wrapped in a human... read full bio
In the history of Jazz music, there is only one bandleader that has the distinction of having his orchestra still performing sold out concerts all over the world, with members personally chosen by him, for nearly thirty years after his passing. Pianist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie was and still is an American institution that personifies the grandeur and... read full bio
Robby Krieger is an America guitarist and songwriter. The rock musician was first exposed to classical music as a young child. As a child he was heavily influenced by the musical sounds of Elvis Presley, the Platters, and Fats Domino. At the age of 18, Krieger purchased his very own flamenco guitar. He began to start taking lessons, which is... read full bio
The jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat, & Tears (BS&T) is now touring the country alongside former American idol star, Bo Bice. Mostly known for their fame through the late '60s and 70s, they have been able to reinvent themselves and have been successful in the new millennium. BS&T, which formed in the beautiful city of New York, is a fusion of... read full bio
The Los Angeles-based blues-rock group The Record Company has become well-known for their distinctive sound and exciting live shows. Marc Cazorla (drums, vocals), Chris Vos (guitar, vocals), and Alex Stiff (bass, vocals) established a trio in 2011 and started playing local shows throughout the city. Their 2012 self-titled first EP, which was made with vintage and improvised equipment in the... read full bio
Too Many Zooz is a jazz band from New York City, comprised of members Leo Pellegrino, Matt Doe, and David Parks. The group uses baritone saxophone, trumpet, and drums to perform their unique jazz music. Pellegrino and Doe began their music careers together at the Manhattan School Of Music. Parks and Pellegrino played in a local busking band, and upon... read full bio
Groove Legacy is an up-and-coming band that uses the sounds of jazz, funk, and soul music to create a one of a kind sound that’s only theirs. They use their music to fill the void of times that once were, and to keep alive the old school feel. The Crusaders, Stuff, The Meters, and the JB Horns are some of... read full bio
Robert Finley is an experienced musician, having played music for tens of years. Finley is from Bernice, Louisiana, and the gospel and blues from the area inspire his music. Finley’s newest release ‘Goin’ Platinum!’ is a beautiful demonstration of his music. Audiences are speechless upon hearing his soulful music. Finley is a self-taught, instinctual musician, using his finely tuned ear... read full bio
Incognito is a British acid jazz band that is led by Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick and consists of various members over the years such as Linda Muriel, Jocelyn Brown, Tony Momrelle, Imaani, Maysa Leak, and Carleen Anderson. Incognito was formed in London, England, and their music is a mixture off jazz, soul, pop and house. Maunick and Paul “Tubbs” Williams founded... read full bio
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is an eight-piece brass ensemble based out of Chicago, that consists of eight sons from jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble performs a mixture of music which includes hip-hop, jazz, funk, rock, calypso and gypsy music. All members of the group grew up surrounded by music since their father was a musician. The group previously performed... read full bio
Thanks to his production approach, amazing graphics and incisive lyrics, Dublin rapper Kojaque is steadily making progress on the Irish and global music scenes. Kojaque, a co-founder of the independent label Soft Boy Records, combines jazz and sampling beats with vivacious, poetic lyrics to depict life in contemporary Dublin. Kojaque is a well-known musician, filmmaker and visual artist. His multi-media performances and... read full bio
Colombia has developed as a hub for new talent. Nobeat makes an appearance from Santa Marta, a city of 500,000 people renowned for its historical and cultural diversity, to attract the attention of influential people in the industry and global listeners. He is a singer, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is undoubtedly one to watch because of his successful career. The emerging... read full bio
Sarathy Korwar was born in the US and raised in India's Ahmedabad and Chennai. At age 10, he started playing the tabla, but he was also influenced by the American music he heard on the radio and seeping through the doorway of his neighborhood jazz music store. While in Pune to pursue a degree in environmental science, Korwar instead focused... read full bio
In the service of good vibes, spiritual uplift and "don't worry, be happy" fun, cool jazzy tones are peppered with pop, hip-hop, reggae, soul, calypso and even some street-corner swing. But once you go past those attractive, beguiling Surfaces, that's when Colin Padalecki and Forrest Frank, the band's two main musicians, genuinely reveal their three-dimensional musical richness. Forrest handles the vocals and... read full bio
With Motherland Journey, the London duo Blue Lab Beats—producer NK-OK and multi-instrumentalist Mr DM—makes their full-length Blue Note Records debut after their appearance on the celebrated project Blue Note Re:imagined and the publication of their EP We Shall Rise. The vibrations are powerful on everything this duo creates in Blue Lab HQ, including their exquisite rendition of the funk classic "Montara" by... read full bio
