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

---

---

Dave Koz Cruise for Charity, Don't Miss the Boat on This One!!!!
September 19, 2005 - Did you miss out on booking on the now sold out Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Cruise? Dave is offering his fans 2 more opportunities to join him on the Cruise. Beginning Sept. 29 and ending on October 6, Dave is offering 2 deluxe cruise packages on Ebay. The sale of these 2 packages will benefit The American Red Cross and its Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts(www.redcross.org) and The Starlight Starbright Childrens Foundation. More

---

---

Koz and Lington Have Even More Reason to Blow Their Own Horns
August 25, 2005 - Thanks to the efforts of Dave Koz and Michael Lington Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation is $7500.00 richer. Earlier this month, a special auction featuring VIP tickets to the JVC Jazz Festival, a meet and greet with Lington and Koz, and tickets to the 2006 Grammy awards (to name only a few of the items) attracted 55 bids, with the winner bidder pledging $4550.00. Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation supports music education and its many benefits through the donation of new and refurbished musical instruments to underserved school and community music programs and individual students in the United States. For more information visit www.mhopus.org. - by Liz Rivard

---

---

Versatile Guitarist Marc Antoine Marches to a Different Drum
August 23, 2005 - With the release of the "Modern Times" album, guitarist Marc Antoine is prepared to take modern jazz to the next level. "There comes a time in the life of an artist when you feel in a certain space and you just have to do it. No thinking, just do it. This is that time for me," said the Rendezvous Entertainment recording artist. More

---

New Artist signed to Rendezvous
August 21, 2005 - Jessica Callahan has inked a deal with Dave Koz' Rendezvous Entertainment which should produce an album by 2006. She is the first female to sign a deal with the new label. Jessica has been writing her own music since quite a young age, and has also developed a powerful performance style while building a fan base through her performances in and around the Los Angeles area. More

---

Koz & Lington Supporting Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation
July 27, 2005 - It seems only fitting that two jazz greats, Dave Koz and Michael Lington, who make music come alive would be supporting "The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation", in its drive to "Keep Music Alive in the Schools." More

---

No Luck For "Artist of the Month" Jonathan Butler Just Good Decisions
July 1, 2005 - Jonathan Butler does not believe in luck. "I think we must make good decisions in life and thankfully we're more discerning when we get older and blessed as we go along," says the guitarist. He told Smooth Jazz Now that we all make our own luck "If you keep doing good things and being a great person it works out," says Butler who is our "Artist of the Month" for July. More

---

Jonathan Butler To Help Charity at R&R Convention
June 17, 2005 - Jonathan Butler will appear on Thursday June 23rd at the annual R&R Convention. This special appearance will be made to discuss his work on the Board of Directors of a charity that is near and dear to his heart. "Acres of Love" is a non-profit South African organization which cares for abandoned HIV positive infants and children. Read more

---

August 16th, Mark Your Calendar for Marc Antoine (Tour dates)
June 15, 2005 - That's right; August 16 is the release date for guitarist Marc Antoine's newest release "Modern Times." After creating a distinctive Classical, Latin Jazz, Flamenco sound that has repeatedly lead him to the top of the charts, Antoine adventurously stretches his creative muse in new directions on "Modern Times," his seventh solo album. More

---

Dave Koz and Rendezvous Deliver 'Golden Slumbers 2 - A Father's Love'
May 3, 2005 - Rendezvous records has not been around that long but in a few years the label has produced some of the biggest hits in Smooth Jazz including Praful's 'Sigh,' 'Marc Antoine's successful 'Mediterraneo' album and Michael Lington's bouncy 'Show Me.' Now the inspiration that started the company 3 years ago, the original "Golden Slumber - A Father's Lullaby" is going a bit further with 'Golden Slumbers 2 - A Father's Love.' More

---

Dave Koz Welcomes Jonathan Butler To Rendezvous
March 31, 2005 - When we spoke to Dave Koz a few weeks ago he quickly segued the conversation to one of his true heroes - Jonathan Butler. The guitarist has now signed to Rendezvous Records, "What we are very excited about is the new Jonathan Butler CD which comes out in May," says the saxophonist. More

---

Frank Cody - Behind the Mic For August
August 2, 2004 - Our 'Behind the Mic' feature is all about talking to the innovators in Smooth Jazz broadcasting. Whether it be Music Directors, Program Directors or on air talent our mission has always been the same - find the people who can take this format to the next level. Interestingly, we may not even be talking about Smooth Jazz if it wasn't for our special guest this month, Frank Cody. He was the man who made the format successful at KTWV The Wave in L.A. back in 1987. He later started the biggest Smooth Jazz consulting firm on the planet, Broadcast Architecture, and now along with Hyman Katz and Dave Koz runs Rendezvous Records home of Praful, Marc Antoine and Michael Lington. We talked to Cody via phone on July 27. Read our interview.

---

Michael Lington - Artist Of The Month for August
August 1, 2004 - We are very pleased to have another Rendezvous Records act as 'Artist of the Month.' First we featured guitarist Marc Antoine and new sax sensation Praful, this month we spotlight another sax-man, Michael Lington. Growing up in Copenhagen Lington's first taste in the disciplines of music was in Classical but by fifteen the saxophonist found a new religion via Jazz greats like Cannonball Adderly and David Sanborn. His biggest breakthrough was moving to L.A. and working with Little Richard and Gary 'U.S' Bonds which lead to working under his own name in Smooth Jazz. His new album 'Stay With Me' features the hit 'Show Me' co-written by touring partner Brian Culbertson. Read part one of our interview with Michael Lington.

---

Marc Antoine "Artist of the Month" for March
March 1, 2004 - His tune "Funky Picante" was number one on our Canadian National Chart for seven weeks (as of March 11)and the album "Mediterraneo" is also another big hit for Marc Antoine. The guitarist is our "Artist of the Month" for March. Antoine who lives in Madrid told us when things get too busy in his life he relies on a few simple formulas to get grounded, "I always look for hotels with good pools when I’m on the road." says Antoine who once had aspirations to become an Olympic swimmer. "I had a major conflict at around seventeen years old." says Antoine, ”I was studying classical music guitar in Paris at the time, and I was swimming, it was crazy and I had no time to live for myself basically." Antoine now enjoys the relaxing rejuvenating side of swimming while on tour. He also told us reading has become a big stress less activity "It always brings me to a great place and you know sometimes when life gets a little nuts we want to be in another land living through other people in a book." says Antoine with a laugh. Read our now complete interview with Marc Antoine.

---

Praful - Artist of the Month for February
February 2, 2004 - He released one of those tunes that made Smooth Jazz fans stare at their speakers - a "stop in your tracks" kind of tune. It hard to deny that "Sigh" by Praful was easily one of the most unique songs on Smooth Jazz radio in the last year. For the first time in our "Artist of the Month" feature we include two interviews - both conducted last month. First John Beaudin's chat with Praful from January 14th which was also broadcast on the Breeze 103.1 FM in Calgary, Canada and columnist Liz Rivard interviewed the saxophonist the following week. Read the interviews

---

Michael Lington Signs With Rendezvous
December 24, 2003 - Michael Lington has had a busy year having toured with Brian Culbertson for many months and next year will be just as fast paced. The Saxophonist plans another stint with Culbertson this time co-headlining but the big news from Lington is his signing with Rendezvous records. The label co-owned by Saxophonist Dave Koz, Hyman Katz and Frank Cody will release their first Lington album in late Spring. How important is Rendezvous records? It's turning into the little label that grew this week on the Smooth Jazz Now national chart and they own the number one and three spots with Praful and Marc Antoine respectively. Interestingly, Dave Koz is sandwiched in between at number two.

---