This contemporary jazz group originally comprised Russ Freeman (b. Russell Donald Freeman, 11 February 1960, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; guitar), Kenny G. (b. Kenneth Gorelick, 6 July 1956, Seattle, Washington, USA; saxophone) and David Benoit (b. 195…

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…

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…

Formed in the mid-80s, Acoustic Alchemy was originally the vehicle for Greg Carmichael (b. 1953, London, England; nylon string guitar) and Nick Webb (b. 1954, Manchester, England, d. 5 February 1998; steel string guitar). Their blend of instrumental …

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. 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…

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…

Formed in 1975 by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein (b. 14 May 1951, New York City, New York, USA) and pianist Jeremy Wall, the original Spyro Gyra comprised Chet Catallo (electric guitar), David Wolford (electric bass), Eli Konikoff (drums), and Gerardo V…

b. Lee Mack Ritenour, 1 November 1952, Los Angeles, California, USA. The prolific Ritenour has established himself as one of the world's leading jazz fusion guitarists with a series of accessible albums over the past two decades. Known as "Captain Fi…

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…

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…

Smooth jazz guitarist Peter Whites lyrical lines and musical inventiveness are a joy to listen to The affable Englishmans charm and playfulness comes through in his music giving his style of smooth jazz a liveliness that others in the genre lack Bor…

b. 2 March 1948, Torrance, California, USA. Often cited as the "guitarist's guitarist", Carlton has courted rock, jazz and acoustic new age with considerable success. The former member of the Crusaders carved a career during the 70s as a sought-after…

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…

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. 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. New Jersey, USA. Born and raised in a musical family, Cooling tried playing keyboards and percussion before deciding on the guitar. After moving to California, her musical understanding expanded and although largely self-taught as a guitarist, she…

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…

A dizzyingly eclectic jazz/pop piano player, producer, and arranger, Dave Grusin has lent his skills to artists as diverse as Art Pepper, Benny Goodman, and Billy Joel, and has written music prolifically for film and television. But Grusin's biggest …

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…