Jay Soto is an American smooth jazz guitarist.
At age 5, Soto began studying drums, followed by classical piano at age 7, then guitar at age 12.
In 2004, Soto won the local, district and regional rounds in Guitar Center's Guitarmageddon competition. This lead him to the finals at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar festival in Dallas, Texas where he finished as one of the top guitarists in the nation. Also in 2004, Soto sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for President George W. Bush [1] at the Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona. [2]
In 2005, Soto released his first album, Long Time Coming, and two years later signed with the smooth jazz label, Nu Groove. His self-produced debut led to his meeting producers Jeff Lorber and Paul Brown, who helped produce Soto's second album, Stay Awhile.
Soto's 2007 single, "Slammin", was listed in the top 5 on Radio and Records's Smooth Jazz Chart. [3]
He has had song placements in HBO's Sex and the City and The Weather Channel and has been featured in JazzTimes and 20th Century Guitar. He has played with Michael Lington, Jeff Lorber, Paul Brown, Marion Meadows, Euge Groove, Jeffrey Osborne, Craig Chaquico, Acoustic Alchemy, and Peter White.
Jerome Najee Rasheed, known professionally as Najee, is an American Jazz-Smooth Jazz saxophonist and flautist.
The Collection is a compilation album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1986.
Brian Bromberg is an American jazz bassist and record producer who performs on both electric and acoustic instruments. Though he tends to gravitate towards the genre of smooth jazz, Bromberg has released some straight-ahead jazz records in which he performs with a trio, and has even ventured into more rock-oriented jazz fusion territory as of late. His innovative and technically demanding style of playing extends to both electric and upright bass. On his acoustic bass albums, Bromberg performs jazzy interpretations of various pop and rock staples from the 1960s and '70s completely solo. Regarding his work with electric bass, Bromberg, among other bassists, helped popularize the piccolo bass, or bass with each string tuned an octave up, by releasing several albums in which he plays both the bass line and melody. For instance, upon first listen many will be surprised to learn that, although soaring guitar can be heard throughout the album, Bromberg's 2005 release Metal contains only Bromberg on two overdubbed basses, one of which is heavily effects-laden to make it sound like an electric guitar.
The System is an American synth-pop duo that debuted in the 1980s, composed of vocalist-guitarist Mic Murphy and seasoned session keyboardist David Frank. The band was founded in 1982 in New York and backed up by Paul Pesco on electric guitar and Kris Khellow on keyboards and synthesizers. The group is sometimes referred to as being "emotio-electro" because of its hi-tech, synthesizer-driven sound, married with passionate vocals and sensitive lyrics.
Ronald Wayne Laws is an American jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz saxophonist. He is the younger brother of jazz flutist Hubert Laws, jazz vocalist Eloise Laws and the older brother of Debra Laws.
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.
Norman Brown is an American smooth jazz guitarist and singer.
Peak Records is an American record label that was founded by The Rippingtons leader and guitarist Russ Freeman and Andi Howard in 1994. Peak is distributed by Bob Frank Entertainment.
Jonathan Fritzen is a contemporary jazz pianist and multi-instrumentalist.
Jessica Arellano known professionally as Jessy J, is an American saxophonist.
Michael Lington is a Danish-American contemporary saxophonist, songwriter, producer, recording artist and a purveyor of soul and contemporary jazz.
The Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards is a United States based award presented annually to recognize achievement in the smooth-jazz music format as well as Jazz Fusion and other sectors of the contemporary jazz genre. The award categories are similar in nature to the Grammys, American Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards. Awards are given for Song of the Year, CD of the Year, Male and Female Artist of the Year. Also, an award is presented to the player of the year on saxophone, piano, drums, bass, or guitar.
Just Chillin' is the fifth studio album by American guitarist and singer Norman Brown, released in July 2002 through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Paul Brown and features guest vocal performances by Miki Howard, Michael McDonald, Chanté Moore and Debi Nova. Guest instrumentalists include Rick Braun, percussionists Lenny Castro and Paulinho da Costa, Jerry Hey, Pino Palladino on bass, James Poyser, and Bill Reichenbach Jr. on trombone. The album contains six tracks written or co-written by Brown, a cover version of Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait Awhile" and three additional songs.
West Side Stories is the eleventh studio album by the six-time Grammy Award-nominated, one-time Grammy winning composer, keyboardist and pioneer of the smooth jazz genre, Jeff Lorber, released on Verve Forecast in 1994. 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.
Now Is the Time is a jazz album released by Jeff Lorber Fusion. The album was released in 2010 on Heads Up Records and was produced by Jeff Lorber, Bobby Colomby, and Jimmy Haslip. It was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.
Dragonfly Summer is a smooth vocal jazz album by American singer-songwriter and musician Michael Franks. It was released in 1993 with Reprise, and was Franks' twelfth studio album, with no fewer than five producers.
Soft Touch is the third studio album by guitarist Brian Tarquin, released in May 1999 on Instinct records. Tarquin recorded Soft Touch in London once again with producer Ernie McKone, bass player from the UK acid jazz band Galliano. Once the tracks were all recorded, Instinct didn't want to keep the live playing on the album. This was due mainly because one of the A&R people attended a Radio & Records conference, and had noted that radio was playing programmed grooves. So two other producers Tony Campbell and Chris Ingram were brought in to program the songs and re-record everything. Despite the setbacks, this was another commercially successful album as Smooth Jazz radio embraced the featured single, Darlin Darlin Baby, originally recorded by The O'Jays. Another single from the album, Tangled Web, was a very big radio hit as well, becoming #1 in the New York City market on CD101.9 as well as reaching # 9 nationwide on the Smooth Jazz radio charts. Tarquin also covered another Jeff Beck song, You Know What I Mean.
Worth Waiting For is the tenth studio album by jazz keyboardist Jeff Lorber, released on Verve Forecast in January 1993. The album topped the U.S. Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart at the end of July 1993. Worth Waiting For is the only album by Lorber to hit number 1 on that chart; five others rose to number 2. The album also hit number 33 on Billboard's Jazz chart, and number 71 on the R&B chart.
Straight to the Point is the second album by jazz saxophonist Art Porter Jr., released in June 1993. The album represents a continuation of the smooth jazz and jazz fusion sound that Porter had established in 1992 with Pocket City, and which he would continue on both of his subsequent albums: Undercover and Lay Your Hands On Me. Zan Stewart reviewed the album for Los Angeles Times, saying it had "solid moments... but just not enough of them."