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Marcus Miller, winner of two Grammy® Awards, the 2013 Edison Award for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz (Holland), the 2010 Victoire du Jazz (France) and appointed UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2013, is not only an exceptional musician— a multi-instrumentalist and world-renowned bassist— but also a highly gifted composer and producer. The legendary album Tutu, written and produced for Miles Davis, sealed his international fame when Marcus was only 25. Over the course of his career, has collaborated with artists as varied and talented as Eric Clapton, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, George Duke, Wayne Shorter, Lalah Hathaway and Herbie Hancock. He also has produced his own genre-defying albums, among them The Sun Don’t Lie, Tales, M2, Silver Rain, Free, A Night in Monte Carlo (with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra), and Renaissance. Along with international tours, Marcus Miller hosts a weekly program on SiriusXM radio show, “Miller Time.”
Since his 1992 debut album Trust, multi-platinum selling sax-man Boney James has racked up sales of more than 3 million records, four RIAA gold albums, four GRAMMY nominations, a Soul Train Award, nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and 10 CD’s atop the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2009 Billboard Magazine named him the #3 Contemporary Jazz Artist Of The Decade (trailing just Kenny G and Norah Jones). Born James Oppenheim and nicknamed “Boney” in his mid–20’s when a meager touring per diem saw him growing thinner, he became seriously interested in music in the mid 70’s, a very vibrant and freewheeling period for popular music. “You could hear different genres all over the radio. Contemporary jazz was everywhere – people like Grover Washington Jr., Herbie Hancock and George Benson were stars,” he marvels. “Artists like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire were incorporating jazz into what they were doing, and the jazz guys were mixing R&B into their sound. It was a great time to be a young musician.” James continues his artistic evolution with the dynamic Futuresoul, another genre-bending work following on the heels of his 2014 GRAMMY nominated album The Beat. “When people ask me what category my music falls under,” he says, “I always say, ‘It’s Boney James music’.”
Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold millions of albums worldwide and has achieved critical acclaim as an actress on stage, in film and on television.
Her albums “The Right Stuff,” “The Comfort Zone and “The Sweetest Days” earned multiple Grammy nominations and have yielded such classic hits as “Save the Best For Last,” “Dreamin,” “Work To Do,” “Love Is,” and the Academy Award-winning single “Colors of the Wind.”. Concord Records released Vanessa’s, “The Real Thing,” in June 2009, for which she received a NAACP nomination for Outstanding Jazz Artist.
Vanessa has taken Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as the Witch in the revival of “Into the Woods.” She also headlined a limited special engagement of the classic, “Carmen Jones,” at the Kennedy Center and starred in the Encore! series staged concert production of “St. Louis Woman.” Vanessa returned to the stage in 2013 where she starred alongside Cicely Tyson in the Tony nominated play, “The Trip to Bountiful.”
Vanessa has starred in features such as “Eraser,” “Hoodlum,” “Soul Food,” “Dance With Me,” “Light It Up,” “Shaft” and Tyler Perry’s “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor.” On television, in addition to many movies and mini-series, Vanessa starred in ABC’s critically-acclaimed hit series, “Ugly Betty,” earning three Emmy nominations in addition to numerous individual and ensemble awards and nominations, including SAG, Golden Globes and NAACP Image Awards. She spent time on Wisteria Lane on the 78th season of ABC’s long-running hit, “Desperate Housewives,” winning an NAACP Image Award. Other starring credits in the ABC supernatural drama “666 Park Avenue” and VH1’s “Daytime Divas.”
In 2007, Vanessa achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer.
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was surrounded by music as he was growing up. His father, Clarence “Legs” Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who sat in with the likes of Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington and turned down many top band offers during his career to be with his family; he passed away when Jeffrey was only 13. At the age of 15, Jeffrey sat in with the O’Jays when the drummer was unable to perform to their standards, and went on to play with them for two weeks. That was all the inspiration Osborne needed to pursue a musical career.
It was at another Providence nightclub that fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. It was only after receiving his mother’s encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with Love Men Ltd., who later changed their name to L.T.D. Osborne was originally brought on as the drummer and eventually became the lead vocalist. After more than ten years with the band, he decided to pursue a solo career, which produced such Top 40 hits as ” Really Don’t Need No Light”, Don’t You Get So Mad”, “Stay With Me Tonight”, “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)” and a duet with Dionne Warwick, “Love Power.”
Osborne’s solo career has brought him four grammy nominations, five gold and platinum albums, including his debut self entitled album ” Jeffrey Osborne”, “Stay with Me Tonight” and “Only Human.” He scored an international hit with “On the Wings of Love” in 1982. His releases during the 2000s included ” That’s for Sure” (2000) and “Music Is Life” (2003), as well as cover albums ” From the Soul “(2005) and “A Time for Love” (2013). His latest project, “Worth It All” (2018), was written and produced by Jeffrey Osborne, with the exception of one song, ” Work It,” which was co-written and performed with his son Jeffrey Osborne Jr. This project, inspired by the late great George Duke has taken Osborne back to his deep R&B roots.
Currently Jeffrey Osborne is actively performing and touring around the world.
Season 3 winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Alonzo Bodden keeps the boat rolling—in laughter, rest assured—as comedian-in-residence for The Smooth Jazz Cruise. With a resumé that includes numerous appearances on the late-night circuit (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien Show, The Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, and Comedy Central among others), television hosting gigs, voice-over roles and film credits, Alonzo entertains an audience masterfully. His talent has earned him international acclaim and presented the New York native with opportunities to perform in Canada, Ireland, Australia and the U.K., along with stops in Iraq and other places around the world where U.S. troops are stationed.
Brian Culbertson is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer who crosses genres between contemporary jazz, R&B, and funk and heralds from the musically rich city of Chicago. Starting at the early age of 8 on piano, he quickly picked up several other instruments by age 12 including drums, trombone, bass, & euphonium. Inspired by the great R&B/Jazz/Pop artists of the 70’s like EWF, Tower of Power, Chicago, David Sanborn, and others, Brian Culbertson started composing original music for his 7th grade piano recital and hasn’t stopped having self-produced 16 solo albums, most of which have topped the Billboard charts. The acclaimed musician also founded the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, a 5-day celebration of wine, food, art and music that draws big entertainers and devoted fans year after year. Brian is always striving to push the boundaries of the contemporary jazz scene which is evident by his latest album, Funk! This new set is a throwback to the stanky P-Funk records from back in the day combining the throbbing bass lines, greasy horn lines, sing-a-long choruses and landing hard on the ‘One.’
The youngest of 13 children, Jonathan Butler grew up in poverty in Cape Town, South Africa, ruled by Apartheid and segregation. Butler began his singing career at age 7, releasing his first album in 1973 and winning the Best New Artist Grammy in South Africa the following year at age 12. He made history by being the first black artist played on white South African radio while earning three gold records (“Please Stay” went double gold and “I Love How You Love Me” went gold) in 1975 as he became a teenager.
More than a decade later, Butler moved to London, England and released his first album internationally. The self-titled set went gold in 1987 in the United Kingdom and in the USA. He received Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song for his R&B-pop vocal hit “Lies” and for Best Jazz Song for the instrumental “Going Home.” His genre-busting material earned songwriter’s awards and received abundant airplay in multiple radio formats: pop, urban, contemporary jazz, adult contemporary and gospel. Butler’s 2004 album, Surrender, went gold in South Africa where he remains a superstar.
Butler is still taking care of people back home. Last fall, he launched the Jonathan Butler Foundation in his native country to fund music education programs that give children the purpose to overcome a life of drugs and poverty just as he did. His music has purpose, providing comfort and genuine inspiration. When he sings, he testifies to the glory and healing power of love. When he plays guitar, his fast fingers innately find notes of passion and divinity. Jonathan Butler’s recording career has carried him far, far beyond his wildest dreams. He’s living his dream and that is a blessing for us all.
Having toured the world over and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music (think Prince, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie and Beyonce), Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer brings her worldly musical perspective to The Smooth Jazz Cruise. With solo album sales exceeding the 2.5 million mark, the staple on the large festival circuit performs for sold-out crowds throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, Russia, the Baltic states and South America. Candy Dulfer’s hit, “Finsbury Park, Café 67,” ranked the most popular smooth jazz number on U.S. radio for a period in 2003, and the 1990 solo debut album she recorded at just 19, Saxuality, sold more than a million copies worldwide and earned a Grammy® nod.
GRAMMY® Award winning Contemporary Jazz/R&B superstar Norman Brown has sold close to 2 million albums in his extraordinary career and virtually lives at the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz sales and radio charts. For almost two decades, he has been on close intimate terms with his audience in an engaging, mutually rewarding relationship, with the multitalented guitarist, composer and singer offering tasty sonic tidbits of classic R&B and contemporary jazz and his fans melting into satisfied aural bliss with every succulent, jazz inflected note. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Brown first picked up a guitar at the age of 8. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix‟s mind-bending rock sounds, Brown soon discovered his father’s favorite artist, Wes Montgomery, and found his stylistic holy grail. He delivered his debut album, Just Between Us, in 1992, and followed with the gold-certified After The Storm and 1996’s Better Days Ahead. 2003’s Just Chillin’, earned Brown much-deserved recognition with a GRAMMY® Award in the best pop instrumental category. That project was followed by his 2005 release West Coast Coolin’, where Brown successfully tested out his skills as a vocalist. His latest album is 2019’s The Highest Act of Love.
Euge Groove, a pseudonym for saxophone journeyman Steve Grove, began playing piano in the second grade and turned to the saxophone at age nine. Attending the University of Miami’s School of Music, he became interested in jazz and moved to Los Angeles after graduation and joined Tower of Power. His wide ranging musical tastes, impeccable musicianship and keen showmanship led him to work with artists such as Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Eurythmics, Huey Lewis & the News, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, and Richard Marx. He released his debut album Euge Groove in 2000 and recently released his eleventh solo project, Groove On. His albums and singles have unfailingly been number one radio hits and charted on various charts, including Billboard and R&R. A quadruple threat, the saxophonist, composer, producer and DJ has built an impressive career as a free spirit who remains true to his own artistic vision and promises he has no intentions other than to Groove On! With multiple Smooth Jazz Cruise appearances already, Euge is looking forward to sharing his music on the seas with everyone.
Since his explosive arrival as a recording artist at the age of 17, saxophonist, composer, songwriter, producer, and vocalist Eric Darius’ star continues to rise straight to the top, with seven critically acclaimed albums under his belt, a Number One hit single, and Seven Top 10 radio hits on Nielsen’s R&R/Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts. Fearlessly pushing all musical boundaries, he is one of the most exciting musicians to enter the Contemporary Jazz scene in the last decade. Prophetically hailed Debut Artist of the Year by Smooth Jazz News in 2004, Eric has shared the stage with innumerable world renown, Grammy Award-winning artists, such as Prince, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, David Foster, Carlos Santana, Babyface, Wynton Marsalis & George Benson, just to name a few. His music innovatively crosses over all music boundaries from Jazz, R&B, Hip-Hop, to Pop, creating a very distinctive, fresh sound and approach that is uniquely his own.
Hailing from a musical family with rich traditions in Caribbean music (his father is from Haiti and his mother is from Jamaica), Eric realized his calling for music at an early age. As one of those musicians who was fortunate to benefit from music programs in the school system, he has made it a mission to pay it forward and spent a considerable amount of time exposing young students to music in the public school system with his On A Mission in the Schools campaign. Eric’s presence is also being felt in the entertainment world, whether he’s being featured on FOX’s hit TV show, The X Factor, or TNT’s hit drama series, Mob City. He continues to be an artist that knows no boundaries and a force that is unequalled in today’s musical landscape.
Driven by the ever-evolving musical vision of core members – Brothers Eric and Billy Mondragon and close family friend Damon Reel – Southern California’s premiere R&B, funk and contemporary powerhouse band DW3’s deepening artistry continues to transcend a well-earned reputation as a high energy, fun and freewheeling party band. Eric, Billy and Damon all contribute lead and harmony vocals, while Eric plays keys (including synth horns and strings) and Billy adds percussion.
Building on the success of their single, “I Got You” featuring Gerald Albright, (#16 on the Billboard charts) and the “On The Floor” album that went #1 on the UK soul charts, DW3 has now expanded to nine a piece ensemble. The addition of a horn section really sets the tone for their live shows. The truth is in the twelve tracks of their “Vintage Truth” CD.
The band also continues to entertain Festival and Entertainment Cruise Productions guests several times a year. The versatile ensemble is rapidly emerging as a multi-faceted recording outfit in their own right.
Eric Marienthal has won 2 Grammy Awards and has been nominated 7 times as a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Having performed in over 75 countries and played on hundreds of CD’s films and TV shows, Eric has also recorded 14 solo CD’s including his latest entitled “Bridges” with guitarist Chuck Loeb. Eric’s CD’s have produced several top 10 radio singles including three #1’s. Eric is the recipient of the Berklee College Of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. Eric was also named one of the top 3 alto saxophonists in Jazziz Magazine’s Reader’s Poll along with Phil Woods and David Sanborn. For the past 19 years Eric has organized an annual charity concert for the High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA. These concerts have raised awareness for this great organization and have raised over 1.5 million dollars.
Creating provocative album titles that give insight into his current musical state of mind, Nick Colionne has done it all in his multi-faceted career. He’s mastered the art of Keepin’ It Cool (2006), transcended musical boundaries to explore realms where there are No Limits (2008), fired up his thousands of worldwide fans with Feel the Heat (2011) and dug deep into his musical soul to share some of his deepest jazz and R&B Influences (2014). While keeping up his whirlwind pace of 75-plus shows per year as one of the genre’s most tireless and explosive live performers, he made history with his 2016 collection The Journey – becoming the only artist in the history of the format to score five consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Smooth Jazz National Airplay and Smooth Jazz Songs charts from a single album. His 2018 Trippin’ ‘N’ Rhythm album is Just Being Me; its lead single is “Be Urself,” produced by Chris “Big Dog” Davis has already climbed to the top of the charts.
The recipient of the 1996 Malcom X College Alumnus of the Year Award (he earned his degree there in music), Nick has received numerous accolades throughout his multi-faceted career, including the 2007 International Instrumental Artist of the Year Award at the Wave Jazz Awards, where he succeeded 2006 winner Chris Botti. He was also chosen Artist of the Year at the 2011 Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival and Performer of the Year for Jazz Trax Jazz Festivals in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, Nick was nominated as Guitarist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year by the American Smooth Jazz Awards and received the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award for his ongoing commitment to mentoring children, his work in the community and nationally in support of breast cancer causes.
An unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader Grace Kelly has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 13 acclaimed albums and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and as part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-twenties.
Kelly’s early career featured performances at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration at age 16 and at 14 as a soloist with the Boston Pops playing an original composition arranged for the legendary orchestra; she has since then played over 900 shows as bandleader in 35 countries at venues like the Kennedy Center and Moscow Symphony Hall and for the Montreal, Newport, and Montreux international jazz festivals. Touted for her scorching saxophone stylings and purring vocals, Kelly has performed and recorded with renowned artists including Lin Manuel- Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Questlove, and Wynton Marsalis.
As the Winner of “Song of the Year” for her single “Feels Like Home” in the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Kelly has also won multiple ASCAP Composer Awards, Boston Music Awards, multiple DOWNBEAT music awards, International Songwriting Awards, and has also appeared as a featured performer in films and television.Featured by Vanity Fair as a millennial shaking up the jazz world, Kelly’s state-of-the-art brand of electro jazz-pop and inventive digital content are pushing her to the forefront of the fusion scene.
Aside from thrilling audiences in concert, Kelly’s stardom reaches the acclaim of her audiences online. The millennial artist has developed a new paradigm to exhibit her remarkable talent and unparalleled showmanship with the masses, curating an immersive user experience for her fans across multiple social media platforms. Kelly’s dedication to posting engaging content and offering insight into her daily life has deepened her brand, bringing thousands upon thousands of eager fans into her world and gaining millions of views online, allowing the artist to bridge the gap between virtuosic musician and cultural phenomenon.
In the past decade Cindy Bradley has blossomed into a powerful and charismatic presence at radio and on the contemporary jazz festival circuit, with 7 #1 Billboard singles along the way. She won Best New Artist at the American Smooth Jazz Awards, Brass Player of the Year and Best New Artist at the Contemporary Jazz Awards, and was named Debut Artist of the Year by the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival and Smooth Jazz News.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Cindy loves telling the story of how she became a trumpet player by accident in fourth grade: “I started playing the piano when I was six, but we had to choose a different instrument to be part of the band program. I forgot to bring my permission slip to class, so the teacher just had me randomly circle an instrument that I wanted to play. I picked the trumpet, which turned out to be a life and career defining fluke.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies and music education from Ithaca College, she went to the New England Conservatory to study for her master’s in jazz trumpet performance; at the conservatory, she studied with and was influenced by many jazz greats including John McNeil, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi, George Russell and Steve Lacy. After earning her degrees, Cindy immediately headed to the New York City area and immersed herself in the vibrant jazz scene, discovering equal passions for straight ahead be-bop and contemporary jazz, as well as funk, Top 40, R&B and jazz fusion.
Cindy has also applied her skills and background in a way to inspire future generations, and recently earned a master’s degree in educational leadership. She has impressed thousands of jazz loving adults as well over the years, performing everywhere from the Seabreeze Jazz Festival to the Dubai Jazz Fest.
New Orleans-born Michael “Patches” Stewart blows from the summit of today’s trumpet players. Patches made his major recording debut at 16 playing in the horn section on LaBelle’s Allen Toussaint-produced classic “Lady Marmalade” in 1974. Upon high school graduation he passed on scholarships on the table from Berklee School of Music to head to Los Angeles and get busy. Patches grabbed the attention of the great Quincy Jones who took him on tour behind his The Dude LP in the early `80s. This was followed by work with artists ranging from English groove collective Soul II Soul to bohemian rocker Rickie Lee Jones to soulful divas Diana Ross and Whitney Houston. Patches’ first recordings as a leader were for the Hip Bop label: the acoustic jazz standards project Blue Patches (1997) and the electrified Penetration (1998). He is most vividly recalled for the 8 years he spent on the road with Al Jarreau followed by 16 years in the cutting edge band of bass chameleon Marcus Miller, who was heavily instrumental in the making of Patches’ third CD, Blow (2005).
Patches was extensively mentored by the great George Duke who he often recorded with – from the boundary smashing legend’s 1993 symphonic project Muir Woods Suite, all the way up to playing on four selections from Duke’s final album in 2013, DreamWeaver. Patches’ most recent recording is On Fire, documenting a scintillating wood-shedding collaboration between musicians in Warsaw, Poland (where Patches has lived for the last couple of years) with key American compatriots such as saxophonist Kenny Garrett, vocalist Raul Midón, drummer Poogie Bell and guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr.
Stanley “Chance” Howard grew up in Pittsburgh PA. He began playing bass at an early age, then graduated to drums, then to keyboards, then to vocals, learning everything by ear. While in high school, I formed my first band (Qua’) and started to write songs, then joined his older brother’s band (The Fresh Band), and soon became the tri-state area’s hottest band. Chance then headed to Minneapolis, hoping to work together with Grammy Award winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who are best known for their work with such artists as Sounds of Blackness and Janet Jackson. After only two weeks, he got his wish, and began working with a wide variety of artists.
Chance has been a member of Morris Day and the Time. He was also in the bands of both Prince and the NPG at the same time, a distinction that has never been given to another musician in that circle.
In 2004 Chance met saxophonist Candy Dulfer (who is also sailing with us on The Smooth Jazz Cruise) while on tour with Prince, and since 2005 he has been a member of her band. Chance also has an EP titled—what else?—Chance, and a high-energy show band titled “Chance’s Boom Boom Room.”
Jazz saxophonist Tom Braxton has garnered critical acclaim while thrilling audiences of all ages from coast to coast and abroad for over two decades with his distinct, melodic sound. Braxton has recorded nine CD’s which can be heard on radio and television airwaves nationwide and have hit numerous jazz charts. Jazz Review calls Braxton “one of smooth jazz’s most prolific saxophonists…with all the required tools to become a major force.” His albums include The Other Side (2016), The Next Chapter (2014), Endless Highway (2009), Imagine This (2007), and Bounce (2005). The Next Chapter features Grammy winners Bob James, Earl Klugh, and Ricky Lawson, as well as one of Smooth Jazz’s most beloved guitarists, Peter White, who all lend their amazing talents to stellar duets with Tom’s lyrical saxophone. He was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 2017. He has been a featured artist and fan favorite on The Smooth Jazz Cruise for many years and has been a headliner on the Algarve Smooth Jazz Festival in Portugal, twice on the Stanbic Jazz Festival in Ghana, Smooth Jazz Europe Festival in the Netherlands, and the Nile Gold Jazz Safari in Uganda. For 17 years, Tom toured extensively with Wayman Tisdale as his Musical Director. Braxton has shared the stage with many great artists including Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Peter White, Brian Culbertson, Marcus Miller, Candy Dulfer, Warren Hill, Bob James, Lee Ritenour, Paul Brown, Paul Jackson Jr., George Duke, Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, Jeff Golub, Norman Brown, Sheila E., Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, and Philip Bailey.