b. James Oppenheim, 1 September 1961, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. Raised in New Rochelle, New York, Boney James played clarinet at school, then the tenor saxophone and later the alto and soprano. His early musical tastes leaned towards contemporary p…

Guitarist Norman Brown splashed into the soul-jazz scene in 1992 as a recording artist for MoJazz and quickly went on to win substantial acclaim beginning with his award-winning second album After the Storm Both Gavin and Soul Train named it Jazz Alb…

b. 1957, Los Angeles, California, USA. A technically adroit alto saxophonist, Albright spent about 15 years with keyboard player Bobby Lyle. Subsequently, he played and sometimes recorded with Oscar Brashear, Anita Baker and Marlena Shaw, and he also…

A group who have earned consistent critical praise for their blend of pop and contemporary jazz, Fourplay comprise Bob James (b. 25 December 1939, Marshall, Missouri, USA; keyboards), Lee Ritenour (b. 1 November 1953, Los Angeles, California, USA; gu…

Euge Groove -- a pseudonym for saxophone journeyman Steve Grove -- began playing piano in the second grade and turned to the saxophone at the age of nine or ten His teacher gave him a classical education on the instrument which he followed at the Uni…

b. Glasgow, Scotland, but raised in Los Angeles, California, USA. It was perhaps inevitable, for a musician growing up in the 60s and early 70s, that Elliot's early taste would range through Motown Records and rock. However, he was also indelibly imp…

b. Los Angeles, California, USA. Saxophonist Dave Koz is one of a small number of modern jazz players to have found significant contemporary success without necessarily obtaining critical approval for their efforts. His repertoire, like that of both …

b. 11 July 1958, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. An accomplished tenor saxophonist, from the mid-80s onwards Whalum has found a lucrative niche playing smooth jazz. Raised in Memphis, he began playing in his father's church choir before graduating to jazz d…

b. 4 November 1952, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. A pioneer of the smooth jazz/New Adult Contemporary format, keyboard player Lorber's compositions are characterized by syncopated, chromatic melody and modal writing and a seamless fusion of electr…

b. 12 January 1973, Decatur, Illinois, USA. Encouraged by his father, Jim Culbertson, a music teacher and trumpet player, Brian began his formal musical education at an early age. At eight he studied piano, then drums, followed by trombone and finall…

Saxophonist Kenny G first gained attention as Kenny Gorelick, a member of second-tier jazz-fusion group the Jeff Lorber Fusion. After going solo, he developed a hyper-slick, instrumental pop sound that featured simple melodies played over gentle beds…

b. Maryland, USA. Born into a musical family, Waters began playing saxophone at an early age. His technical proficiency was remarkable, allowing him to play comfortably in jazz and R&B formats. He worked with childhood friend Cyrus Chestnut, sometime…

b. 17 August 1970, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Cole's musical life started with the clarinet, playing and listening to the music he heard from his clarinettist/saxophonist father's record collection. Among the artists who made an early impact in this way…

b. Joseph Leslie Sample, 1 February 1939, Houston, Texas, USA. While still at high school, Sample co-founded a group that would dominate his working life. Known from 1960 as the Jazz Crusaders, the band, with its core of Sample on piano, Wayne Hender…

David Sanborn is one of the most successful saxophonists in American music.From the mid-1970s on, his razor-sharp style and sense of groove have made him a giant in the smooth-jazz field. He has recorded with a myriad of contemporary jazz and pop art…

George Benson's success as a pop performer has perhaps overshadowed his status as a jazz artist, but beneath the glossy exterior is a guitarist of the highest rank. Similar to his role model, Wes Montgomery, Benson made his mark as a hard-swinging gu…

b. 6 July 1955, Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. A busy session musician and producer, trumpeter/flügelhornist Braun has mapped out a diverse musical career. While studying at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester he formed the fusion band Auracle, w…

Comprised of bassist Cedric Napoleon drummer Curtis Harmon and keyboardist James Lloyd Pieces of a Dream were founded in 1975 in Philadelphia when the principal members were all teenagers Originally somewhat jazz-oriented Pieces of a Dream have mostl…

Chris Botti rose to fame as a crackerjack session and touring trumpeter for the likes of Sting, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, and Natalie Merchant. A trained jazz musician, Botti's solo albums evoke a cool-jazz persona similar to Chet Baker…

Born on tour into a musical family Mindi Abair was playing piano by the age of five Within three years she was playing saxophone and writing songs She made her way through Berkelee performing all kinds of music from jazz to rock and RB Upon moving ba…