Talking Smooth Jazz

Trumpeter Isaac Byrd, Jr., brings a rich and dynamic history as a jazz performer to his emergence in the contemporary urban jazz world.  Isaac returns with a new cd called "Life".  The single "Meek" featuring guitarist Nils is named after his wife, Shmeka.

Follow Isaac on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Talking Smooth Jazz is honored to welcome seven-time Grammy award-winning singer / veteran Al Jarreau. His innovative musical expressions have made him one of the most exciting and critically-acclaimed performers of our time with seven Grammy® Awards, scores of International Music Awards and popular accolades worldwide. He has released a new album called My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke. 

Follow Mr. Jarreau on Facebook and Twitter.

Erich from the The Uptown Band returns to talk about their sophomore album Heart, Soul, Body, & Mind featuring Will Lee, bassist from The Late Show with David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra, trumpet great and founding member of Tower of Power and East Bay Soul, Greg Adams, percussionist Doc Gibbs from The Emeril Live Show on the Food Network, drummer Curtis Harmon of Pieces of a Dream, and the CD’s Producer, bassist Bennie Sims of The Three Degrees.

Jason Carroll is a contemporary smooth jazz artist and producer known for his skillful multi-instrumentalism.  Many people are misled by his compositions, believing that there is a live band playing when it is astonishingly only Jason by himself.  For this reason, some people have identified him as the “Prince” of Smooth Jazz.  Jason received raved reviews for his debut cd Cool and his follow-up cd, 2 Smooth.  We’ll talk to Jason about his new release, Let It Flow, dedicated to his mother Barbara Ann Carroll who asked him to do another smooth jazz cd before her death.

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Talking Smooth Jazz welcomes vioinist Chelsey Green.  Having shared the stage with artists including Roberta Flack, MC Lyte, Denyce Graves, Ruben Studdard, J.Cole, Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots, emerging artist Chelsey Green brings the unmatched tone, richness and vibrancy of acoustic violin and viola playing to audiences in a whole new way.  We will talk to Chelsey about her current cd, Still Green: The EP and her upcoming project, The Green Room.

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Talking Smooth Jazz welcomes Jarrod Lawson to discuss his debut self-title project, a soulful, intricate R&B and jazz-influenced compositions carrying spiritual, thought provoking lyrics.

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DAZZLING, INVENTIVE, AND SUPER MELODIC TRUMPETER!

Offering up a fresh and exhilarating vibe with his full length debut Nothing Between Us,

the trumpet sound on this smooth jazz album is playful and dancy, sometimes reflective & intimate, but often peaceful and becomes a unique expression of the musician, rounding it off with a unique hip hop smooth jazz tune.

Trumpeter and composer Sam Hankins draws on a powerhouse resume as a music educator and R&B/jazz sideman that includes multiple awards as a middle school bandleader and performances with numerous legendary artists, including Al Jarreau, Clark Terry, The O’Jays, The Temptations, The Dells, The Impressions, Aretha Franklin and the Glenn Miller Big Band.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter.

The daughter of the founding keyboardist Kevin Toney of the legendary group The Blackbyrds, singer, songwriter, actress and dancer Dominique Toney is a multi-faceted performer.  On August 12th, she releases her debut album, “A Love Like Ours” with special guests guitarists Ray Parker, Jr., and Rob Bacon, Labrese Black and her father, Kevin Toney.

Smooth & sultry, cool, yet definitely funky. These words best describe the sound of saxophonist Tim Cunningham. Cunningham has headlined venues across the globe, from intimate nightclubs to Las Vegas Casinos.  He continues to be a major part of multiple festivals, both in the U.S. and the Caribbean, bringing his soulful style to fans the world over. We will talk to Tim about his current album, Tim Cunningham Live.

Follow Tim on Twitter @tcfanclub01.

Guitarist/ Producer, David P. Stevens is quickly becoming a recognized name in contemporary jazz!  With 3 albums to his credit, “Timeless”, “The Shedd”, and “Epiphany”,  David is blazing trails, and captivating audiences world wide! 

David returns with a new release Mr. Guitar, featuring artists such as Elan Trotman, Jeanette Harris, Gail Jhonson, Andrew Neu, and famed neo-soul artist Jaguar Wright!  Expect a blend of Jazz, R and B, soul, gospel, rock and dance to be the prevalent influences that make up David’s youthful and exciting new project!