Smooth jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson, who says Tower of Power is one of his main musical influences, will be sharing the bill with the legendary group for between 15 and 20 dates in August and September. Culbertson made the announcement on Tuesday (March 9) during a live video chat on his website.
Tour dates are expected to be announced soon. Tower of Power, this year celebrating its 42nd anniversary, has a long history with smooth jazz stars. Saxophonists Richard Elliot and Euge Groove both toured as members of the band before breaking out with their solo careers. Solo artist and trumpeter Greg Adams was also with the group, which now counts smooth jazz keyboardist Roger Smith as a member.
Culbertson, who has a Smooth Jazz Top 20 hit with “Go” and who will release a new CD this summer, is joining good company. The long list of artists who have co-headlined or opened for the band includes saxophonist David Sanborn in 2007.
Tower of Power, known for its brassy horn section, has had numerous hit singles over the years, including “You’re Still a Young Man,” “So Very Hard to Go” and “What Is Hip?”
During the past few years, Culbertson had high-profile dates opening for superstar Barry Manilow.
Some of today’s biggest recording artists and producers, including John Legend, Robin Thicke and Jennifer Hudson, will celebrate the music of multi-Grammy winning producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones. They are recording contemporary versions of popular recordings from Jones’ catalog for a new CD from Interscope Records titled Q: Soul Bossa Nostra. The CD is scheduled to be released in May or June.
Jones is producing the CD, which will compile songs selected by the artists themselves. Those other artists include BeBe Winans, Usher, Ludacris, Akon, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Three 6 Mafia and Jermaine Dupri, among others.
Highlights include Legend with “Tomorrow”; Hudson with “You Put A Move On My Heart”; Ludacris and Naturally 7 on the title track “Soul Bossa Nostra,” a hip-hop revamp of Jones’ 1962 single “Soul Bossa Nova,” which was re-born as the Austin Powers theme song; and Thicke, Usher, LL Cool J, Trey Songz, Tyrese, and Tevin Campbell with the late Barry White’s original vocals on “Secret Garden.” In addition, vocalist Jamie Foxx will redo the Grammy Award-winning classic “Give Me The Night,” originally recorded in 1980 by Jones, Rod Temperton and George Benson, and Thicke and T-Pain will remake Michael Jackson, James Ingram and Jones’ Grammy nominated “P.Y.T.”
A 27-time Grammy Award winner and the all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 79 nominations, Jones’ career has spanned six decades and encompassed the roles of composer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, record producer, record executive, film and television producer, magazine founder, multi-media entrepreneur and humanitarian.
Today (March 9), veteran vocalist Jeffrey Osborne is 62. Osborne was born in 1948 in Providence, R.I., as the youngest of 12 children. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Sheri.
Osborne began his professional singing career in 1969 with the popular funk and soul group Love Men Ltd. The band later changed its name to LTD. Osborne released his first solo album in 1982 and has had such top hits as “On the Wings of Love,” “Stay With Me Tonight” and “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song).” Just recently, the ABC reality series The Bachelor used “On the Wings of Love” as the theme to its latest show featuring pilot Jake Pavelka. Osborne showed up on the set to perform the song after Pavelka chose Vienna Girardi.
Over the past few years, Osborne has been a constant figure in the smooth jazz concert scene, and also performed on CDs by Euge Groove, Everette Harp, Najee, Peter White, the Rippingtons and George Duke.
In 2005, Osborne released the solo CD From the Soul, produced by Paul Brown. Last year, he released the CD Greatest Hits Live.
Want to learn more about smooth jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson’s upcoming CD? What it’s like to be on tour? You can today (March 9), as Culbertson will be hosting a live video chat online at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. It will take place from his recording studio in Los Angeles.
To ask questions or to just follow along, go to Culbertson’s homepage at brianculbertson.com.
The chat is part of Culbertson’s unprecedented offer for fans to watch and listen as he records his 10th regular CD (he’s also recorded a Christmas CD and last year’s live CD/DVD Live From the Inside). Culbertson is now taking fans through the step-by-step process of making his new CD via a video blog. He calls it a rare, intimate look at his music-making process.
You can watch his progress through his YouTube channel, which you can subscribe you. He’s already posted numerous videos, complete with commentary. In addition to learning about the creative process, fans will also discover a little about Culbertson’s personality, through such glimpses at an espresso-making demonstration and a tour through his studio.
Smooth jazz saxophonist Michael Lington has been invited by international best-selling pop star Michael Bolton to be his special guest on his upcoming world tour. Lington will perform his No. 1 radio hit, “You and I,” during the show. He’ll also be featured on several of Bolton’s hits, including “Soul Provider.”
Bolton obviously appreciates smooth jazz saxophonists. Jessy J has frequently performed in his band and is featured all this month in a PBS special titled Michael Bolton Live at The Royal Albert Hall.
In 2006, Mindi Abair opened for Bolton on several tour dates.
Michael Lington tour dates (with Michael Bolton)
March 9th Lancaster, PA
March 11 Bergen, NJ
March 13 Atlantic City, NJ
March 15 Easton, PA
March 17 Peekskill, NY
March 21 Quebec City, QU
March 22 Nashville, TN
March 24 Ottawa, ON
March 26 Schenectady, NY
March 28 Long Island, NY
March 30 Torrington, CT
April 1 Rama, ONT
April 3 Regina, SK
April 5 Winnipeg, MB
April 7 Saskatoon, SK
April 8 Edmonton, AB
April 10 Pentiction, BC
April 12 Idaho Falls, ID
April 14 Ivins, UT
April 16 Wendover, NV
Smooth jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson, who says Tower of Power is one of his main musical influences, will be sharing the bill with the legendary group for between 15 and 20 dates in August and September. Culbertson made the announcement on Tuesday (March 9) during a live video chat on his website.
Some of today’s biggest recording artists and producers, including John Legend, Robin Thicke and Jennifer Hudson, will celebrate the music of multi-Grammy winning producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones. They are recording contemporary versions of popular recordings from Jones’ catalog for a new CD from Interscope Records titled Q: Soul Bossa Nostra. The CD is scheduled to be released in May or June.
Today (March 9), veteran vocalist Jeffrey Osborne is 62. Osborne was born in 1948 in Providence, R.I., as the youngest of 12 children. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Sheri.
Want to learn more about smooth jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson’s upcoming CD? What it’s like to be on tour? You can today (March 9), as Culbertson will be hosting a live video chat online at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. It will take place from his recording studio in Los Angeles.
Smooth jazz saxophonist Michael Lington has been invited by international best-selling pop star Michael Bolton to be his special guest on his upcoming world tour. Lington will perform his No. 1 radio hit, “You and I,” during the show. He’ll also be featured on several of Bolton’s hits, including “Soul Provider.”