Brian Culbertson | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Born | Decatur, Illinois, U.S. | January 12, 1973
Genres | Smooth jazz, R&B, funk |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Years active | 1994–present |
Website | brianculbertson |
Brian Culbertson (born January 12, 1973) is an American smooth jazz/R&B/funk musician and producer. His instruments include the synthesizer, piano and trombone.
Culbertson was born in Decatur, Illinois. As a child, he was musically skilled, having started playing piano at age eight, drums at nine, trombone at ten, bass in seventh grade, and euphonium in high school. [1]
Growing up, he listened to Sting, The Yellowjackets, George Duke, David Foster, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Chicago, and Earth, Wind and Fire. [1] He attended and graduated MacArthur High School, [2] where his father was a music teacher. [1] He then moved to Chicago where he attended DePaul University. [3] It was in college that he actually started working on a CD, gathering a group of musicians, recording a demo tape and sending it to the only person he knew in Los Angeles, Bud Harner, who would get him his first record deal. [4]
He is married to Michelle Culbertson, [5] also known by her stage name Micaela Haley, and they live in Chicago. In an interview, Culbertson revealed that he met his wife in college through his first bass player Sharay Reed who had met Michelle at the World of Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee where they both won awards at the age of 16. Michelle, originally a violinist, won for Best Concert Master and Sharay Reed for Best Soloist. They both were reintroduced to one another at DePaul University two years later. At the end of their Freshman year together Sharay introduced Michelle to Brian telling them that they would make a good match. [6] [7] His wife contributed background vocals on his earlier albums and a feature vocal on his Christmas CD, A Soulful Christmas. [8]
Culbertson plays Mason & Hamlin pianos and Roland keyboards [9] and has appeared at the NAMM Show. [10]
In 2013, he announced on his blog that he was working on his fourteenth album, [11] the album Another Long Night Out was released on February 25, 2014, and was going to revisit his earlier roots in contemporary jazz. In 2015, he released a second live album "20th Anniversary Tour" while performing at jazz club Yoshi's [12] and, subsequently, he also released a solo piano album for yoga and meditation. [13]
His latest album, released on April 10, 2020, is aptly titled XX (Roman numeral for 20) because it is his 20th solo record. Featuring many guests including Mr. Talkbox, Bootsy Collins, Avery*Sunshine, Marcus Anderson, Everette Harp, Noel Gourdin, Patches Stewart, Ray Parker Jr., Paul Jackson Jr., Jubu Smith, Nicholas Cole, and more, the XX album is genre-bending ride through tracks reminiscent of all of Brian's albums: Smooth Jazz, Funk, Gospel, Pop, R&B, and more.
In late 2011, Culbertson announced he would be hosting the first annual Brian Culbertson Napa Valley Jazz Getaway at the Napa Valley Opera House on June 7–10, 2012. [14] Brian along with his wife, Michelle Culbertson (Micaela Haley) began working on the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway together after having spent their 10th wedding anniversary in the region. [15] The 4-day concert event would include live performances by comedian Sinbad, vocalists Oleta Adams and Kenny Lattimore, as well as artists Eric Marienthal, Eric Darius, and David Benoit. In addition to performances, Culbertson curated the weekend's events to include food and wine events at his favorite Napa establishments including: Cindy Pawlcyn's Brassica restaurant, Miner Family Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, Caldwell-Snyder Art Gallery, and Silo's Napa. [16]
The inaugural event was a commercial and critical success, selling out within a week of the public announcement of ticket sales. [17] At the 2012 event, Culbertson announced that the event would return for a second year, held June 5–9, 2013. The expanded 5-day 2013 event was held at the Napa Valley Opera House and the Lincoln Theater in addition to several wineries and featured Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Larry Graham & Graham Central Station, Take 6, Ray Parker Jr., Eric Darius, Nick Colionne, Michael Lington, DW3, Cecil Ramirez and returning special guest comedian Sinbad. [18]
Culbertson has received numerous awards including a 2012 NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Jazz Album; [19] 2012 Soul Train Award nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Artist; [20] Winning Six (6) 2011 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards for Best Entertainer, Best Album "XII", Best Song "That's Life", Best Keyboardist, Best Male Artist and Best Collaboration "w/Earl Klugh"; 2010 Canadian Smooth Jazz Award for Best International Artist; 2010 American Smooth Jazz Award for Best Keyboardist; 2005 ASYM All That Jazz Award; 2001 National Smooth Jazz Award for Best Keyboardist. [21]
Culbertson has been married since 1997. [22]
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Pop [23] | US R&B [24] | US Jazz [25] | US Con. Jazz [26] | US Internet [27] | |||
1994 | Long Night Out | - | - | - | - | - | Mesa / Bluemoon |
1995 | Modern Life | - | - | 38 | - | - | Mesa / Bluemoon |
1996 | After Hours | - | - | 50 | - | - | Mesa / Bluemoon |
1997 | Secrets | - | - | 20 | 15 | - | Mesa / Bluemoon |
1999 | Somethin' Bout Love | - | - | 8 | 3 | - | Atlantic |
2001 | Nice & Slow | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | Atlantic |
2003 | Come On Up | 197 | 36 | 3 | 3 | - | Warner Bros |
2005 | It's On Tonight | 161 | - | 2 | 1 | 18 | GRP Records |
2006 | A Soulful Christmas | - | - | 17 | 7 | - | GRP Records |
2008 | Bringing Back the Funk | 99 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 7 | GRP Records |
2009 | Live from the Inside | - | - | 14 | 3 | - | GRP Records |
2010 | XII | 82 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 9 | GRP Records |
2012 | Dreams | 105 | - | 1 | 1 | 17 | Verve |
2014 | Another Long Night Out | 83 | - | 1 | 1 | 11 | BCM Entertainment |
2016 | Funk! | - | - | 3 | 1 | - | BCM Entertainment |
2018 | Colors of Love | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | BCM Entertainment |
2019 | Winter Stories | 3 | 1 | BCM Entertainment | |||
2020 | XX | 13 | 3 | BCM Entertainment | |||
2020 | Music From The Hang | BCM Entertainment | |||||
2021 | Soundscapes | BCM Entertainment | |||||
2021 | The Trilogy – Part 1: Red = Passion (release September 24, 2021) [28] | 8 | BCM Entertainment | ||||
2022 | The Trilogy – Part 2: Blue = Melancholy (release January 14, 2022) [28] | 11 | BCM Entertainment | ||||
2022 | The Trilogy – Part 3: White = Hope (release June 5, 2022) [28] | BCM Entertainment |
Year | Title | Label | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Live from the Inside | Verve | CD with DVD |
2015 | Live 20th Anniversary Tour | BCM Entertainment | recorded live at Yoshi's Sep 11–14, 2014, 2 cd |
2019 | Colors of Love Tour – Live in Las Vegas | BCM Entertainment | 2 CD and Blu-ray Disc |
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Smooth Jazz Airplay [29] | US Adult R&B Airplay [30] | |||
1999 | "Get'n Over You" | n/a | 19 | Somethin' Bout Love |
2000 | "I'm Gonna Miss You" | n/a | 21 | |
2005 | "Hookin' Up" | 1 | — | It's On Tonight |
2006 | "Sensuality" | — | 39 | |
"Let's Get Started" | 2 | — | ||
"Deck the Halls" | 16 | — | A Soulful Christmas | |
2007 | "Angels We Have Heard on High" | 26 | — | |
2008 | "Always Remember" | 1 | — | Bringing Back the Funk |
2009 | "Let's Stay In Tonight" | 20 | — | |
"Go" | 5 | — | Live from the Inside | |
2010 | "Skies Wide Open" | — | 13 | XII |
"That's Life" | 1 | — | ||
2011 | "It's Time" | 2 | — | |
2012 | "Your Smile" | 1 | — | Dreams |
"Still Here" | — | 15 | ||
"Later Tonight" | 3 | — | ||
"You're My Music" | — | 23 | ||
2014 | "Fullerton Ave." | 1 | — | Another Long Night Out |
"Horizon" | 2 | — | ||
2015 | "Think Free" (live) | 1 | — | Live – 20th Anniversary Tour |
2016 | "Been Around the World" | 1 | — | Funk! |
2017 | "Hey Girl" | 1 | — | |
"Let's Take a Ride" | 4 | — | ||
2018 | "Colors of Love" | 1 | — | Colors of Love |
"You're Magic" | 1 | — | ||
"Understanding" | 13 | — | Marcus Anderson – Limited Edition | |
2019 | "L.O.V.E." | 18 | — | Eric Darius – Breakin' Thru |
"Morning Walk" | 2 | — | Winter Stories | |
2020 | "Get Up!" | 1 | — | XX |
"Keep Movin'" | 1 | — | ||
"Time Flies" | 4 | — | ||
2021 | "Let's Go" | 8 | — | Music from The Hang |
"Feel the Love" | 21 | — | The Trilogy – Part 1: Red | |
2022 | "I Didn't Mean It" | 5 | — | Lindsey Webster – Reasons |
"Step Into Love" | 5 | — | The Trilogy – Part 3: White | |
"Sistas" | 3 | — | Marqueal Jordan – All We Have Are Moments | |
"Sandcastles" | 15 | — | The Trilogy – Part 3: White | |
2023 | "Dance with Me Tonight" | 5 | — | |
2024 | "Sandcastles 2.0" | 9 | — | Non-album single |
"Come Dance with Me" | 19 | — | Donald Hayes – [upcoming album] | |
David William Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school and was a session musician long before its release. He remains popular as a session musician, playing in several albums of various artists.
Boney James is an American saxophonist, songwriter, record producer and recording artist.
Mindi Abair is an American saxophonist, vocalist, author, and National Trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization that puts on the Grammy Awards show.
Jerome Najee Rasheed, known professionally as Najee, is an American jazz-smooth jazz saxophonist and flautist.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
David Bryan Benoit is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer, based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Benoit has charted over 25 albums since 1980, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. He is also music director for the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony and the Asia America Youth Orchestra. Furthermore, crediting Vince Guaraldi as an inspiration, Benoit has participated both as performer and music director for the later animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip, such as the feature film, The Peanuts Movie, restoring Guaraldi's musical signature to the franchise.
Larry Dunn is an American keyboardist, producer and musical director. He was one of the early members of the music group Earth, Wind & Fire. Dunn was later inducted, as a former band member, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Within which he's also been bestowed with ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, 7 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Dunn is a co-composer of EWF's "Shining Star", a song that's been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Jeffrey H. Lorber is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Prototype by his band the Jeff Lorber Fusion.
Peter White is an English musician and composer who plays guitar, piano, accordion and harmonica. He is known for his 20-year collaboration with Al Stewart.
Brian Tarquin is an American jazz fusion guitarist, recording artist, sound engineer, record producer, and composer. He is best known as a guitar instrumentalist with several Top 10 radio hits in various genres as Smooth Jazz, NACC Loud Rock & Jam Band charts. He also is an established composer having won Emmy awards for "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series". Brian Tarquin He owns BHP Music-Guitar Trax Records and Jungle Room Studios which specializes in guitar instrumental music. He specializes in guitar instrumental music and smooth jazz. Throughout his career he has recorded with and produced projects with Larry Coryell, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Jean-Luc Ponty, Robben Ford, Gary Hoey, Hal Lindes, Chuck Loeb, Steve Morse, Billy Sheehan, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Leslie West, and Mike Stern.
Bringing Back the Funk is a studio album by Brian Culbertson released in 2008 on GRP Records. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
Michael Lington is a Danish-American contemporary saxophonist, songwriter, producer, recording artist and a purveyor of soul and contemporary jazz.
Spencer Day is a modern jazz singer and songwriter best known for his hit Jazz single "Till You Come to Me" as well as appearing on the CBS television network show Star Search in 2002–2003.
Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole is a studio album by George Benson. The album was released by Concord Jazz on June 4, 2013. It peaked at #89 on the Billboard album chart.
Trilogy is a 2013 live album by Chick Corea and his trio, featuring Corea on piano with Christian McBride on double bass and Brian Blade on drums. The three-disc album was recorded live in Washington, D.C., and Oakland, California, and in Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Turkey, and Japan. The album peaked at number nine on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart in 2014. It won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
Brian Simpson is an American contemporary jazz pianist and composer. He has released 10 albums as a solo artist, his most recent, All That Matters, released in 2021.
Secrets is the fourth studio album by keyboardist Brian Culbertson released in 1997 on Mesa/Bluemoon/Atlantic Records. The album reached No. 15 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 20 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Somethin' Bout Love is the third studio album of keyboardist Brian Culbertson released in 1999 on Atlantic/WEA Records. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Nice & Slow is the fourth studio album of keyboardist Brian Culbertson released in 2001 on Atlantic Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Come On Up is the seventh studio album by American keyboardist Brian Culbertson. It was released by June 13, 2003 on Warner Records. Artists such as Rick Braun, Rashaan Patterson, Marcus Miller and Norman Brown appeared on the album. Come On Up reached number three on both the US Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.