"A Soulful Christmas Tour": 2nd Edition hosted by Brian Culbertson : Smooth Jazz Now :

This amazing musical coalition will perform holiday favourites, tunes from Brian Culbertson's holiday album "A Soulful Christmas" released last year and hits from the other musicians' catalogues.

As Culbertson puts it: "I am thrilled to be taking "A Soulful Christmas" on the road for the second year in a row. I can't wait to share the stage with this talented group of musicians to celebrate the Holiday season!"

And all the smooth jazz lovers will not have to wait too long, as the performers will take the road and start their US tour on tomorrow, November 23rd in Indianapolis.

Brian Culbertson Hosting All Jazz Event

August 20, 2007 - Brian Culbertson will be running the show at the First Annual Inland Empire Jazz Festival on August 24-26th. The popular multi-instrumentalist will team up with actress Vivica A. Fox to host the event at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park in Ontario, California. The big gig this weekend will be high on variety featuring Jazz genre's from New Orleans and Dixieland to Smooth Jazz and Free Funk. Some of the artists include, Steve Cole, Paul Jackson Jr., Gerald Albright and even Fox will perform. Proceeds from the event will benefit Operation REAPP which helps economically deprived and at-risk students. Executive Director of the Inland Empire Jazz Festival, Annetta Bryant says, "Our company is proud to have been chosen by Operation REAPP to develop this event as a fundraiser and to bring awareness to the education challenges of our youth, who will be well represented during this event." - by John Beaudin

Brian Culbertson's Happy Reunion with Steve Cole

June 6, 2007 - Two greats are reunited after eight years. This summer, look for Brian Culbertson to team up with jazz saxophonist Steve Cole and The Sax Pack, featuring a few other sax heavyweight players Jeff Kashiwa and Kim Waters. The tour just kicked off in Seattle, on May 25th and will end in Huntington, NY, September 29, 2007.

When speaking about this reunion, Culbertson stated, "It's been over eight years since we've shared the stage together and I can't wait to get out there once again. The chemistry back then was so strong, there's no telling what's going to happen this summer!"

Culbertson, a musical prodigy since he took his first piano lessons at the tender age of eight, has been on top of the jazz world since Long Night Out, his debut album which spent 10 consecutive weeks atop the Top Five of the adult contemporary charts. The gifted young composer/arranger/pianist and trombonist has a knack for music with a mature soul. Influenced by his father, a well-respected high school jazz band director himself, he's been able to soar with albums like Modern Life (1994), After Hours (1995), Secrets (1997), Something' Bout Love (1999), Nice & Slow (2001), Come on Up (2003), It's On Tonite (2005) and his most recent Soulful Christmas, a collection of holiday classics and some original material, just last year.

He also produced Cole's debut solo album and is thrilled to be touring with him. It is bound to be a memorable and HOT experience to have these two share the stage once again this summer. - by Francesca Samuel

Brian Culbertson's "Soulful Christmas"

November 14, 2006 - He's been called "the Barry White of Smooth Jazz" and he's bringing his funkiness to the Christmas season. Brian Culbertson has just released his first holiday album "Soulful Christmas. The keyboardist says, ""I definitely love Christmas time, as a kid that's all we did thought about all year is wait for Christmas." As for the selection of the actual tune Culbertson says that was easy, "I'm just doing a bunch of songs that I remember as a kid that got me excited, and doing them in a whole new way. I think this record will be a whole new twist to all the Christmas songs." "Soulful Christmas" is his first album on GRP. - by Kari Graham

Smooth Jazz Music News

June 21, 2005 - Spirit Cruise Lines of New York City will once again offer its popular summer cruise series beginning June 29th, 2005. The evening cruises leave from Pier 61 and will feature Smooth Jazz artists Brian Culbertson, Down to the Bone, Spyro Gyra, Peter White, and The Rippingtons. - by Cheryl Philips

Brian Culbertson Shared His First Gig with Future Wife Michelle

October 20, 2004 - Brian Culbertson knows how to keep it in the family his father Jim a long time music educator tours with his son and it's not surprising that the multi instrumentalist married a musician. Michelle is an opera singer, "I met my wife in music school in college," says Culbertson. "It was at DePaul University in Chicago. It was my third year there and she was a freshmen. Interestingly Culbertson was introduced to Michelle through the bass player of his first touring band back in 1994, 'he just happened to live in the same dorm building as her and so they were friends. He told her one day "you know what you would dig this guy.' So she came to my very first concert." Indeed Culbertson has the proof, "I have a picture of that night with me and my band and you can see the back of her head in the audience" he says laughing, "It's up on the website actually. It's on the timeline she's the little blonde in the audience." You can check out that picture by clicking here. The two were married on October 4, 1997. Brian Culbertson is our artist of the month for October. Read our now completed interview.

Brian Culbertson - Artist of the Month for October
October 1, 2004 - Brian Culbertson has been surrounded by positive reinforcement for most of his life but the young instrumentalist certainly has earned it. His father Jim Culbertson a long time music educator was encouraging and focused on his son's learning. (The two now tour together) Culbertson is also respected as a man who knows how to build a hit - earlier this year he had four tracks on the R&R Smooth Jazz charts including co-writes on Dave Koz' "All I See Is you" and Michael Lington's "Show Me." Brian Culbertson is our "Artist of the Month" for October. Read our interview.

Brian Culbertson Enjoying The Company Of His Dad

August 6, 2004 - Remember when you were a kid with dreams of being a rock star? Oh the fantasies were great, the roaring crowds, the parties, the women! At any point in that fantasy did your dad show up? Well, he has in Brian Culbertson's world. The Smooth Jazz multi instrumentalist has his dad Jim in the band. "He's been out with us for over a year now and I'm loving it." The younger Culbertson told Smooth Jazz Now, "It's fantastic, people go nuts when I announce him on stage." And what's it like touring with your dad? "It's great, every time we go out for a weekend we sit down and have lunch together so even though we live two thousand miles apart we still get to hang out as if we lived down the street. I probably see him more now than I did when I lived in Chicago." Culbertson says he owes his father a lot for introducing him to so much great music as a youngster. "He was playing this music in the house ever since I was a kid starting back to the old beginnings of the Contemporary Jazz scene. Chick Corea was a big influence and the Brecker Brothers, The Yellowjackets and David Sanborn of course. The other side of it was Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago." Culbertson will be our 'Artist of the Month for October. Watch for our interview coming soon. Culbertson is currently on tour check out his concert dates.

Brian Culbertson Back In The Studio

January 23, 2004 - Brian Culbertson seems to have a pretty good work ethic by keeping himself very busy! The multi-instrumentalist is back in the studio this time working with Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire on his next solo album. Interestingly Culbertson enters our Canadian chart this week with a second single in our top 25 which just happens to be a cover of the legendary bands "Serpentine Fire." Culbertson will also appear on Steve Cole and Michael Lington's next projects as well on a special Luther Vandross tribute album featuring a host of other Smooth Jazz acts. Also look for Culbertson on the road in the next few months with his dad Jim on Trumpet and Lington on Saxophone. The multi-instrumentalist will appear on opening night at the Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania and the City of Lights Jazz Festival in Vegas in March and the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in June. Culbertson is also charting with "Say What" from his seventh album, "Come On Up." We also want to wish Brian a happy birthday, he turned 31 on January 12th.

Brian Culbertson's Tour Dates
2/13/04 Seattle, Washington Benaroya Symphony Hall w/Najee and more
2/14/04 New York City, New York Beacon Theater w/Dave Koz
2/27/04 Sacramento, California Hyatt Regency w/Norman Brown
3/11/04 Annapolis, Maryland Ramshead On Stage
3/12/04 Reading, Pennsylvania Berks Jazz Festival Sovereign Center for the
3/13/04 New Haven, Connecticut John Lyman Center
3/20/04 Long Beach, California Long Beach Terrace Theatre
4/18/04 Lancaster, California Lancaster City Park
4/24/04 Las Vegas, Nevada City of Lights Jazz Festival -Desert Breeze Park
5/13/04 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Sunoco Performance Center
6/19/04 Hollywood, California Playboy Jazz Festival - Hollywood Bowl