Kirk Dewayne Franklin is an American gospel singer, choir director, record producer and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel and Christian R&B ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC). His accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. Variety dubbed Franklin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel", and is one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Kenny Garrett is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and soprano saxophone and flute. Since 1985, he has pursued a solo career.
Braun-Whalum-Brown, better known as BWB, is a jazz band that is named after its three members: guitarist Norman Brown, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and trumpeter Rick Braun.
Patti Austin is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter best known for "Baby, Come to Me", her 1982 duet with James Ingram, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 after its re-release that same year.
Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now is a 2005 two-disc compilation album. RIAA will donate 100% of its net proceeds from the sale of this CD in equal parts to the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and MusiCares Hurricane Relief 2005.
Concord Music Group was an American independent music company based in Beverly Hills, California, with worldwide distribution through Universal Music Group. The company specialized in recordings and music publishing. On April 1, 2015, Concord Music Group merged with Bicycle Music Company to become Concord Bicycle Music.
Forever, for Always, for Luther Volume II, released on November 21, 2006 by Rendezvous Entertainment, is a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, with ten popular songs written by Luther Vandross. The album was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner, as a follow-up to their earlier GRP Records tribute album, Forever, For Always, For Luther.
Forever, for Always, for Luther, released on July 27, 2004, by GRP Records, is a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, with ten popular songs written by Luther Vandross. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner.
Kirk Whalum is an American R&B and smooth jazz saxophonist and songwriter. He toured with Whitney Houston for more than seven years and soloed on her single "I Will Always Love You", the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. He was also featured on many Luther Vandross albums, most often playing on the singer's covers of older pop and R&B standards such as "Anyone Who Had a Heart", "I ", and "Love Won't Let Me Wait".
Táta Vega is an American vocalist, whose career spans theater, film, and a variety of musical genres.
Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
The Hampton Jazz Festival is a major musical event started in 1968, and features many of the world's major jazz artists. It is held during the last full weekend in June each year, with the primary venue being Hampton, Virginia's Hampton Coliseum. Festival organizers describe it as "the best available jazz, R&B and blues artists that are on tour during the time of the festival... packaged at a reasonable price." In 2024 it was re-branded as the Hampton Jazz & Music Festival, with an emphasis on a broader range of musical acts.
Mikhail Tarasov, better known by his stage name Svoy, is an American producer/writer/artist for Universal Music Group in the genre of pop/electronica. He has seven self-produced albums and other records released via Mack Avenue Records/Sony Music Entertainment formerly known as Rendezvous Entertainment belonging to multi Grammy-nominated RIAA Gold-certified musician/media mogul Dave Koz and legendary radio chief executive/record producer Frank Cody, P-Vine Records/Blues Interactions, and Thistime Records. In 2024, he released a duo album in collaboration with Grammy-winning artist Kenny Garrett, entitled Who Killed AI?, on Mack Avenue Records.
Eclectric is the first solo album by Svoy. It was originally released independently on December 13, 2005 on Svoy's Sixteenth Republic Records and later licensed, remastered, re-packaged and re-released May 1, 2007 by Rendezvous Entertainment/Universal Music Group to generally positive critical reviews. After Rendezvous' acquisition by Mack Avenue Records in August 2008, the album became part of the Mack Avenue/Sony Music Entertainment catalogue. As an import, the record gained substantial popularity in Japan and on July 8, 2009, was released by Tokyo-based Thistime Records as a 2-CD set featuring two bonus tracks on the first CD and Svoy's Consequence EP 1.0 on the second. Japan edition also featured new booklet with revised extended artwork and a separate slip with biography and lyrics translated into Japanese. In 2012, the master license to both Rendezvous/Mack Avenue and Thistime Records expired with the sound recording rights to the album reverting to Svoy. After a brief confrontation with the labels to cease distributing the album, Svoy remastered and re-released Eclectric internationally in the fall of the same year.
"Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in October 2009 as the second single from his 2009 album American Ride. The song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
The Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards (Oasis Music 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.
Chris Gero is a Grammy nominated American music industry executive, concert producer, record producer, songwriter, film director and composer, founder of the Yamaha Entertainment Group of America, and Chief Artist Relations Executive for Yamaha Artist Relations Group. He is responsible for the management and branding of Yamaha's global roster, having signed more than 3,600 artists to contract to date. Gero oversees Yamaha's artist collaborations, including Elton John, Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, and Ben Folds.
Brian Simpson is an American contemporary jazz pianist and composer. He has released 11 albums as a solo artist, his most recent, Soul Connection, released in 2023.
Francis R. Cody was an American record producer, A&R and radio executive. Described by the R&R Magazine and The New York Times as "Smooth Jazz's Leading Alchemist" and "The Father of Smooth Jazz",
Laid Black is a studio album by American recording artist Marcus Miller. It was released on June 1, 2018 by Blue Note Records. Laid Black was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. The album features collaborations with Trombone Shorty, Jonathan Butler, Take 6, Selah Sue, Kirk Whalum & Alex Han.
