Bob Baldwin's "New Urban Jazz": Musical Gimmick or Next Step in Smooth Jazz?
Nov. 14, 2008 - While fans, broadcasters and even some musicians are predicting the death of Smooth Jazz. More

Kenny G Goes Nuts for Christmas
Nov. 14, 2008 – I just love it when a Jewish guy gets all hyped up on Christmas. Kenny G is planning a huge radio special for Christmas. Kenny, whose real name is Kenneth Gorelick has a 48 hour special of instrumental Smooth Jazz classics. More

Mariah Carey Sounds Like Crap
Nov. 9, 2008 – What the hell is wrong with Mariah Carey’s voice? She sounded like a Buick last week on Simon Cowell’s UK hit show ‘The X Factor.’ Having a bad vocal night is one. More

Rod Stewart and Faces to Reunite
Nov 14, 2008 – There may have been a few missteps in Rod Stewart’s career but fans of his old band the Faces are saying his gig next Monday isn’t one of them. It’s a practice rehearsal with the other surviving members of the Faces. More

Cowell & Abdul Send Love to Hudson 
Oct. 29, 2008 – Not only are fans, friends and family sending support and love to Jennifer Hudson but the American Idol clan are also reaching out. More

Joel Itching to Tour Again With Elton
Oct. 29, 2008 – Billy Joel had this great idea for special shows, ‘Master Classes’ a few years ago. He would talk as much as sing. The concert series which are widely available. More

Norman Brown at the Top of the Charts
May 15, 2007 - Grammy-award winner guitarist and vocalist, Norman Brown, finally got his "props", a No.1 record. With his innovative and original style, Brown's debut CD "Stay With Me" for Peak Records entered Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart at the TOP spot after selling more than 7,000 copies, an impressive feat ahead of another jazz favorite Simply Red's new CD Stay.

Four of his previous albums - Just Chillin', (which won him a Grammy® in the prestigious Best Pop Instrumental Category in 2002), Celebration, Better Days Ahead and After the Storm only reached as high as No.2. In addition, Stay with Me entered the Billboard 200 charts at No. 107, giving him another career highlight - it's the highest-charting release ever for Brown, who has made the Billboard 200 chart on three previous occasions.

As if this wasn't enough, the CD also debuted at No. 28 on the R&B charts. Brown has expanded his audience beyond the smooth jazz market. One of the reasons is his ability to capitalize on his vocals.

"I've always felt like I could do what a lot of the great jazz artists in the past have done," he says. "Starting with Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and into the future with George Benson, People like this were able to bring a whole new audience over to instrumental music because they were singing. So I've been finding the right songs, which has been successful so far." - by Francesca Samuel

Smooth Jazz Christmas 2005
September 28, 2005 - Smooth Jazz artists Dave Koz, Brian McKnight, Chaka Khan, Eric Marienthal, Vanessa Williams, Norman Brown, David Benoit, Toni Braxton, Rick Braun, and Gerald Albright, will all contribute to this holiday seasons "A Charlie Brown Christmas Tribute". The album is due October 4th from Peak Records.

Anita Baker will also release a holiday album with Blue Note. "Christmas Fantasy" hits stores October 4th, and will feature appearances by Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, Nathan East, Ricky Lawson, and all four members of The Yellowjackets. Barry Eastman, who co-produces here, also wrote three original tunes for the outing.

Diana Krall will deliver her first Christmas album in 2005. The outing, "Christmas Songs" will be released on Verve November 1st.

Dave Koz and friends, David Benoit, Patti Austin, and Jonathan Butler will be hitting the road on "A Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour". Dates are available on www.davekoz.com - by Cheryl Philips

Norman Brown "Artist of the Month" for November
November 1, 2004 - Mention the great guitarists to Norman Brown and he lights up like a firecracker, "You know I heard Wes Montgomery throughout my childhood because Dad always played him," says Brown, "But it didn't catch my ear until I started playing guitar." He told Smooth Jazz Now that Jazz wasn't his first choice though, "Before I wanted to be Wes Montgomery I wanted to be Jimi Hendrix." Luckily for us he found the Jazz religion and that included George Benson, "Oh yeah, he changed my life man. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing." Brown and Benson know each other and that influence as well as Montgomery's has always been a firm ingredient in the Norman Brown sound. The Grammy winner (he won last year for "Just Chillin") is our artist of the month for November. Read out interview.

Norman Brown Lets His Voice Be heard
September 22, 2004 - "In this business you have to keep reinventing yourself," says Norman Brown. The guitarist who just released his follow up to the Grammy winning "Just Chillin," is excited about his new direction - singing. "In the beginning of my career I was discouraged from singing. I was told it's a no no for a Jazz musician to try to sing," says Brown, "It was just a nice way of saying you can't sing." After winning the Grammy he sat down with the president of Warner Brothers where he shared his wish to be a vocalist. The result is "West Coast Coolin," an album that incorporates his trademark catchy inspirational guitar style with a few Urban flavored vocals sung by Brown. The first single "I Might" is already charting on the U.S. Urban/AC charts. The guitarist also has "Up 'N' At 'Em" on the Smooth Jazz Charts. Norman Brown will be our 'Artist of the Month" for November. Read part one of our interview.Read part one of our interview.

Norman Brown To Deliver New Album In June
May 13, 2004 - Guitarist Norman Brown is currently charting with Brian Culbertson on 'Come On Up' from the Culbertson album of the same name but Brown should return to top billing shortly. The BWB guitarist will release his follow up the Grammy winning 'Just Chillin' next month. Producer Paul Brown will return behind the controls. Also expect a follow up to 'Groovin' from BWB featuring Brown with Rick Braun and Kirk Whalum possibly later this year. Brown's last album 'Just Chillin' from 2002 won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

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BWB To Record and Tour This Year
January 7, 2004 - To no ones surprise Smooth Jazz supergroup BWB made the top 20 in both Canada and the U.S. year end charts. The group consisting of Saxophonist Kirk Whalum, trumpeter Rick Braun and guitarist Norman Brown plan to record their second album later this year and plan to tour in February. Whalum told the Associated press the first BWB album was just a way of testing the waters without too much commitment, "unlike marriage, we thought this is something you want to try out first. If we were going to be committed to it, we wanted to make sure. The initial infatuation of it was undeniable. We love one another and love playing together.... We can't wait to get back into the studio." Whalum was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel for the disc "The Gospel According To Jazz Chapter II."

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BWB Gets Into Christmas
May 21, 2003 - Your Holiday season could be a little funkier for 2003! Smooth Jazz supergroup BWB are working on a Christmas album for Warner Brothers but word is it may not be released this year. The boys in the band also have new solo albums in the works Kirk Whalum (left) will release "Into My Soul" on July 22nd and Rick Braun's latest will be out on August 26th. BWB (which also features Norman Brown) are currently on the road.