Brian Simpson

Saxophonist Michael Paulo calls upon friends to celebrate “Beautiful Day”

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Michael Paulo

Saxophonist Michael Paulo calls upon friends to celebrate “Beautiful Day” 

Ray Parker Jr., Paul Brown, Peter White, David Benoit, Paul Jackson Jr. and Brian Simpson are among his buddies illuminating the new soul-jazz album. The first single, “Who You Gonna Call?,” impacts radio. 

MENIFEE (7 June 2018): From beginning to end, saxophonist Michael Paulo’s “Beautiful Day,” is a celebration of love, friendship and the Aloha spirit. Opening with the title track inspired by the joyous news that he was going to become a grandfather and closing with the timeless Carole King ode to friendship, “You’ve Got A Friend,” Paulo’s eleventh solo disc dropped on the Apaulo Productions imprint. The collection is comprised of eight Paulo compositions and five modern classics produced by Paulo with two tracks helmed by two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown. The first single presently collecting radio spins and playlist adds spotlights guitarist Ray Parker Jr. on the aptly titled “Who You Gonna Call?”

Inherent in Paulo’s soulful play emoted through tenor, soprano and alto saxes on “Beautiful Day” is an effervescent spirit, a hallmark that perhaps emanates from the DNA of his Hawaiian blood. A genuine sense of gratitude is another vital element present in his recordings. With that ethos, Paulo crafted a set list that enabled him to record with and feature some of his accomplished friends the likes of which include guitarists Parker Jr., Brown, Peter White and Paul Jackson Jr.; pianist David Benoit, keyboardist Brian Simpson, bassists Freddie Washington and Roberto Vally, percussionist Lenny Castro, and drummers Gorden Campbell and Michael White.

“I truly have the best friends in life that always are there to support me. ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ represents why I am able to do what I do. I hope this record will touch people emotionally. My approach to playing has always been about expressing feeling and emotion and drawing the listener in so that they forget all the stress in their lives. I hope it renews their spirit, so they can continue to be happy and express love. When I perform live, my biggest gratification is when I feel that I have uplifted people emotionally and they can go home feeling good about themselves and life in general. That’s our gift as musicians and I am so blessed to be able to do what I do,” said Paulo.

The album also showcases Paulo’s touring band – a trio of Hawaiians comprised of Kimo Cornwell (keyboards), David Inamine (bass) and Fred Schreuders (guitar) along with drummers Land Richards and Sergio Gonzalez – which will take the stage with Paulo at SoCal hotspot Spaghettini on July 21 to celebrate the release of “Beautiful Day.”

Paulo’s professional career spans more than forty years, and includes gigs playing alongside R&B, pop and jazz headliners Al Jarreau, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Loggins, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Caldwell and Rick Braun. He debuted as a solo artist in 1977 with the Japan-only release of “Tat’s in the Rainbow,” an album that highlighted Herbie Hancock on keyboards. Paulo continues his dual career as a solo artist and as a first-call session player-sideman. He also produces concerts and jazz festivals in Hawaii and in the long-time California resident’s home state. These days, Paulo tours frequently with Peter White, who plies his signature delicate acoustic guitar nuances in addition to contributing to the arrangement for “Beautiful Day’s” profound version of Sting’s “Fragile.” The saxman’s longest touring association was with Jarreau, with whom he shared the stage throughout the late crossover crooner’s glory days.

“I recorded ‘Your Song’ as a tribute to Al, who gave me my big break when he hired me for his touring band in 1983. We toured the world together for eleven years and he featured me on his ‘Live in London’ album. I used his arrangement of ‘Your Song’ and David Benoit delivered a heartfelt piano performance. I miss Al.”

Paulo’s “Beautiful Day” album contains the following songs:

“Beautiful Day” featuring Paul Brown

“Mr. Magic” featuring Paul Brown

“Europa”

“Back with the Funk” featuring Paul Jackson Jr.

“Your Song” featuring David Benoit

“Who You Gonna Call?”

“#FromtheHeart”

“Fragile”

“Keiko’s Groove”

“Galaxia”

“Mysterious”

“Fire Dance”

“You’ve Got A Friend”

For more information, please visit www.MichaelPaulo.com.

BRIAN SIMPSON STRAIGHT “OUT OF A DREAM”

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Brian Simpson knows quite a bit about making hits. After all, he has had a few of them since his solo career began in 2005. He has been and continues to be the guy that his fellow musicians call upon when it comes to producing. Brian’s belief is that “the melody is still king.” To go along with that, he also remembers what a teacher once told him he should always remember: “unity, variety, and continuity.” While it may have been unbeknownst to him at the time, those three vital components would later become very clear. While embarking upon the creation of his latest album, “Out Of A Dream,” Brian embraced the idea of variety and enlisted a host of co-composers. “Out Of A Dream” could be viewed as an album of duets. Simpson features the superb saxophone skills of Grace Kelly and the flute of Najee on the title track, “Out Of A Dream.” Brian’s collaboration with longtime friend Dave Koz exhibits why the two have such a successful working relationship. Keeping variety front and center, Simpson’s first single, “Sky Watcher,” was co-written by Ryan Farish–who only does electronic music. Furthermore, being an international traveler, Brian takes his listeners on a global journey from Spain to Brazil through songs featuring Marc Antoine and Maysa. And as a tribute to Joe Sample, Simpson penned “Lets Get Away” with Oliver Wendell. Other collaborators include Jonathan Fritzen, Maurice Brown, and Norman Brown.

Brian and I discuss the importance of variety and the creation of “Out Of A Dream”:

Brian Simpson

KIM WATERS’ “SILVER SOUL”

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Kim Waters is celebrating 25 years of success, and as a token of his gratitude for the fans who’ve supported him, he has a new album titled Silver Soul which will be released on September 2nd. Kim’s been playing instruments since he was a young boy, so it is only befitting that he has sustained such a stellar career in music. He knows what it is to have No. 1 singles, No. 1 albums, and Top Ten Singles. That is the kind of success that Waters attributes to having the perfect formula and the talent to build a brand. He has the gift of expressing romance and love with his music, allowing the sax to be his voice. Simply put: Kim Waters knows how to write and produce songs that energize the love inside of all of us. With his wife, Dana, and his twin daughters, Kayla and Kimberly, as his source of inspiration as well as his fans, he wrote Silver Soul. The album differs from his others by having more vocals and an R&B flavor. The first single, Dreaming Of You, is doing great, and Kim shares that accomplishment with his daughter, Kayla, who played piano on the song. As to be expected from Waters, Silver Soul weaves a story of love. Collaborating with him on a pair of R&B songs is Dana Pope on Anything You Need and Eric Roberson on Laying Beside Me. In addition, Kim covered John Legend’s love song All Of Me  and Fireflies, originally done by his niece, Zendaya, who also sings on his version.

I congratulate Kim on his 25th anniversary, and we talk about Silver Soul:

 

kim waters

 

 

THE PLACE WHERE “STYLE MEETS SUBSTANCE”

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As a child growing up, Marcus Anderson would hear his father tell him repeatedly, “protect your hands, that’s going to be your ticket.” Those words kept Marcus from having to do too much heavy work growing up, and they also were instinctively true. Marcus became a skilled saxophone player throughout his younger years and continued growing as a musician, thus inevitably becoming a multi-instrumentalist; not to mention that he is also a producer, songwriter, vocalist, and thrilling entertainer. Anderson works with some of the best artists in music. With too many to name, however, I’ll just name a few: Alex Bugnon, Brian Simpson, Nicholas Cole, and PRINCE. Although he is in a fortunate situation, Marcus embraces the opportunity to learn and grow from the wisdom of his fellow musicians. He will be releasing his fifth album titled “Style Meets Substance” on March 25th–appropriately titled as he shows that he not has “style” but also “substance.”  And both style and substance are definitely recognizable on this sexy, smooth, and funky album. Marcus exhibits versatility along with his creative instincts and ability to collaborate with just the right musicians to bring his music to life.

Marcus Anderson
Marcus Anderson

Nicholas Cole…The Next Generation

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When I hear the name Nicholas Cole, a few words come to my mind. Words such as gifted, grounded, humble, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, AMAZINGLY talented. Cole has landed on the contemporary jazz scene and shown that he’s the future generation. His friend Brian Simpson says “Nicholas is the best young songwriter of contemporary jazz that I’ve come across in the last several years….and he will definitely play a huge part in the future.” He is a composer, producer, and performer. He collaborated with Michael Stever, Tim Bowman, Vincent Ingala, Steve Oliver, Julian Vaughn, Marcus Anderson, and Lynne Fiddmont on his current CD “Endless Possiblities.” His knowledge and awareness of different genres of music gives him the ability to be innovative and continuously evolving. The future is very bright for Nicholas, and I look forward to following his journey.

Click below to hear our interview:

[audio https://mm2513.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/nicholas-cole.mp3]

Keyboardist Nicholas Cole
Keyboardist Nicholas Cole
Nicholas Cole
Nicholas Cole

Funky Bass Man John Dillard

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Sitting in the studio with John Dillard, I realized the magnitude of his talent. He’s smart, creative, original, and constantly evolving. His peers revere him as “an asset”, and “one of the funkiest.” John is humbled by those accolades, and works hard to exceed what’s expected of him. Having been influenced by great artists like Jaco Pastorius, and Marcus Miller, John knows how to infuse multiple styles of playing into his own. He contributes to the local music scene in Charlotte, NC, and was fortunate enough to work on the 2012 pilot track for the Golden Globe Award Winning show Homeland. While collaborating with other artists on various projects, and being the musical director for Stephanie Mills, he’s also stepped into his own spotlight. John is working on his solo project “Let’s Ride” that is scheduled to be released later this year.

My live video interview with John.

 

John Dillard
John Dillard

Rising Star Kim Scott

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She’s intelligent, articulate, and a classically trained flute player. Her name is Kim Scott. Scott’s talent and distinctive, polished tone can be heard every time she plays. She’s not just an artist but also an educator that finds joy in sharing her gift and knowledge of music with her students. Her debut CD, “Crossing Over,” climbed the music charts. She’s constantly evolving as an artist and performer, and her growth is undeniable on her sophomore CD “Rite of Passage,” produced by Kelvin Wooten. Kim also shows off her vocal skills on the song “Sweet Obsessions,” which she wrote. Her album is currently rising on the charts, and she continues to tour sharing her gift with the world. Kim’s a mother, a teacher, Chair of the Music Department of The Alabama School of Fine Arts, she plays with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, and she’s a rising star in the world of Jazz. She does it all, and she does it with class.

Kim shares her story with me.

Jazz and Classical Flutist Kim Scott
Jazz and Classical Flutist Kim Scott
Kim Scott
Kim Scott

The Thrilling Elan Trotman

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Elan Trotman is not only a brilliant recording artist, he’s a composer and performer. Coming from the beautiful island of Barbados, Elan knows how to infuse the sounds of calypso and reggae into his music. Yet, his music is also sexy and full of edgy melodies. He shows this side of himself on the “Love and Sax” CD. His collaboration with Brian Simpson on “Heaven In Your Eyes” climbed the charts, and quickly paved the way for all that was to come for Elan. His latest release “Tropicality” features Peter White among other jazz artists, and embodies his native Barbadian culture.

More from Elan himself.

Elan Trotman
Elan Trotman
Elan Trotman
Elan Trotman

SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE

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Picture1

West Coast Jazz Party at Sea prepared to be hit by a tidal wave of live music

Many firsts are in store for the star studded cruise hosted by Brian Culbertson & Boney James

sailing to the gorgeous Mexican Riviera.

St. Louis, Missouri (24 June 2013): If there has been one complaint among passengers who have sailed aboard The Smooth Jazz Cruise during its first decade it is that there are so many extraordinary concerts and events to attend that it is simply impossible to see and do everything during the 7-day music vacation experience. Wait until they find out what is planned for the first-ever West Coast departure of the perennially sold out luxury cruise to music paradise sailing to exotic Mexican Riviera ports October 12-19. With an astounding 60 concerts slated and a jam-packed program of unique first-time events, excursions and opportunities exclusively available during the West Coast Jazz Party at Sea, this adventure bodes to top all previous cruises, including the traditional January sailing that sold out for 2014 in record time.

R&B jazz luminaries Brian Culbertson and Boney James will host the cruise embarking from San Diego aboard Holland America’s m/s Westerdam en route to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Baja Coast with a starry cast of Grammy-winning and chart-topping performers featuring David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Tower of Power, Candy Dulfer, Jonathan Butler, Oleta Adams, Rick Braun, Norman Brown, Richard Elliot, Euge Groove, Earl Klugh, Kenny Lattimore, party band DW3 and music director Brian Simpson. When the live music pauses, legendary MC Biz Markie and Cool V will DJ to keep The Greatest Party at Sea grooving on the dance floor, and comedian Alonzo Bodden will provide the laughter.

Here are ten reasons why the West Coast Party at Sea is different than previous sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise:

· Wall to wall live music. The usual program offers 40 shows. 60 concerts will be staged on the October cruise.

· Guests will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to take a one-hour music lesson from the stars with the fee going to charity.

· At a first-ever songwriting seminar, Culbertson and the band will compose a new song on the spot with direct input from the audience.

· During the “Opening Act” talent contest where guests get to show off their own musical gifts, cruisers will judge the opening rounds of the competition with Culbertson, James and Dulfer ultimately determining the winner who will earn the privilege of opening for the headliner and perform with the cruise hosts on the final night of the voyage.

· When in Puerto Vallarta, guests will enjoy artist hosted excursions such as play golf with Braun, ride horseback with Elliot, sightsee with Culbertson, participate at an outdoor challenge with Butler, explore hideaways with Simpson, or join Dulfer for a swim with dolphins.

· While at sea, cruisers can battle Culbertson and James in a ping pong tournament, take a yoga class with Klugh or shoot hoop with Miller.

· For the romantically inclined, couples can renew their wedding vows during a ceremony presided over by Butler.

· On a theme night designated to support Pinktober, national breast cancer awareness month, guests are encouraged to wear pink. Each cruiser will be given a commemorative pin and when they give the card accompanying the pin to the front desk, they will be making a $5.00 donation to fight breast cancer with cruise producer Entertainment Cruise Productions donating matching funds.

· “Backstage Pass” will be filmed nightly aboard the ship in front of a live audience for national television broadcast. Host Dane Butcher will interview each of the cruise stars.

· For the first time, premium reserved seats for the main shows in the Vista Lounge theater are available for all guests who book their cabins by July 31.

Butcher, the Director of Cruise Operations & Programming for Entertainment Cruise Productions, said,

“We are super excited for the West Coast Jazz Party at Sea because this itinerary has allowed us to program the cruise THE perfect way. With more than 60 shows onboard, we added a bunch of brand new activities that make the guests just as much a part of the cruise as the musicians. Visiting Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta provide fantastic shore excursions, beautiful beaches, great shopping and amazing food along with fabulous weather and smooth sailing. We are not only bringing in celebrity DJ Biz Markie and his sidekick Cool V, who are a perfect match for this party crowd, but we added more artists than ever before and have surprises planned that are guaranteed to make this one of the greatest cruises that we have ever produced.”

Guests have fallen in love with The Smooth Jazz Cruise ever since its maiden voyage in 2004. Much more than a jazz festival and much more than a vacation, cruisers spend an entire week completely immersed in the music. On top of the stellar concert performances with Dream Team pairings that take place nightly in the theater and in more intimate nightclub venues aboard the vessel, guests interact daily with the musicians at cocktail parties, poolside games and activities, informative seminars, autograph sessions and cooking demonstrations. It’s an unforgettable first-class lifestyle experience that keeps fans coming back year after year. Cabins for the October sailing are still available and can be reserved by calling toll-free 888.852.9987 in the U.S. & Canada and +800.852.99872 internationally. For more information, please visit http://www.thesmoothjazzcruise.com.

About Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC

The world leader in full ship charter music cruises, St. Louis, Missouri-based Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (ECP) owns, produces and promotes The Smooth Jazz Cruise and The Jazz Cruise (www.thejazzcruise.com), and is proud to partner with Time Life for the Soul Train Cruise (www.soultraincruise.com), Malt Shop Memories Cruise (www.maltshopcruise.com), The Country Music Cruise. (www.countrymusiccruise.com) and Celtic Thunder Cruise (www.celticthundercruise.com). Pleasing guests is Entertainment Cruise Productions’ most important goal and objective while providing luxurious vacation experiences featuring marquee stars from their respective music genres in an extraordinary setting for devoted passengers, many of whom make the fun and exciting cruises an annual affair. Additional information is available at http://www.ecpcruises.com.

Guitarist Joe Lindsay

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Joe Lindsay is a soulful songwriter whose smooth sounds are evident every time you hear him play. Whether on his debut CD “I Wanna Groove”, or on stage with artists such as Stephanie Mills, or Brian Simpson. His music speaks to your emotions, and will always make you feel good. I sat down with Joe and had a conversation about his career.

PBN Joe, tell me when music became your calling.

JOE During my early teenage years when I was inspired by my next door neighbor who would sit outside on his porch and play the bass really loud, Bootsy style. He even had the Bootsy glasses. The funny part of the story is that I actually wanted to play bass guitar, but my parent’s bought the wrong one for Christmas. So it’s their fault I play guitar today.

PBN Did you play in High School?

JOE Yes, I started off playing the saxophone and was first chair every year. In 10th grade I switched to tuba. I switched to tuba because I like to play around a lot. So during band camp, the tuba’s would spot the 50 yard line, and didn’t have to do too much. It also leads back to the whole bass thing. I like being part of the low end.

PBN You attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. While there, what were some of the most valuable lessons you learned about music and about yourself?

JOE To be honest, it was a very excellent school. They give you so much information that it doesn’t really click until after you leave. I learned about theory and the music business. Learning is a lifelong journey. I was there with Lalah Hathaway, Delfayo Marsalis, and Roy Hargrove. So it was great being surrounded by music all the time.

PBN What drives you to continuously evolve?

JOE The love of music and keeping up with what’s going on.

PBN What would you say you like the most between songwriting, performing, recording, collaborating, and managing your own career?

JOE Songwriting of course because of the creative part of it. Performing because you want people to feel what you’re doing. If they’re grooving, you’re grooving.

PBN Who are some of the legends in the industry that have inspired you?

JOE On the songwritng side, Curtis Mayfield, and Miles Davis who’s my all time favorite. On the guitar side, my all time favorite guitar player is Hiram Bullock. I love his style and his diversity. He plays and has fun at the same time.

PBN You write your own original music, you co-write, and you collaborate live.
Do you enjoy one of those more so than the others?

JOE I can’t say I like one more than the other. They all tie in together.

PBN When collaborating and co-writing, you’ve worked across different genres of music and artists.

PBN Do you know who you want to collaborate with when you’re writing?

JOE I know who’s sound I want, and I know who can give me that sound, so I call them up.

PBN Who are some of those artists?

JOE Kenneth Leonard, Rischard Jenkins, John Dillard, Marcus Anderson, Adrian Crutchfield, and Calvin Richardson

PBN You are known as a soulful artist, and you create music that is heartfelt and feels good.
How do you connect the soul and the heart together to create the music?

JOE It’s all feeling. Play from the heart and hope the people you’re playing for feel it. I come from the whole blues background. I love that stuff.

PBN When recording your CD “I wanna Groove”, did you draw from personal experiences?

JOE Maybe some. It’s kinda different when you’re doing instrumental music with no lyrics. But the ballads like track 7 “Your Eyes”, that’s for the ladies. That’s a good mood changing song in a good way.

PBN I’m looking forward to interviewing the many talented artists from North Carolina. Having said that, you are the first one, but on your CD you collaborated with some of the other’s.

PBN How was it collaborating with your fellow friends and musicians?

JOE It’s fun to work with your peers on one another’s projects.

PBN Finally, tell me what it feels like to have your debut album be as successful and well received as it has been.

JOE It feels great. It means a lot of my hard work is paying off. It’s doing what I need it to do. I’m planning on doing another smooth jazz CD. First, I have to continue performing and introducing “I WANNA GROOVE.”

PBN How can fans keep up with what you’re doing and where you will be performing?

JOE Joelindsaymusic.com

Joe Lindsay "I WANNA GROOVE"
Joe Lindsay “I WANNA GROOVE”
Joe Lindsay
Joe Lindsay