Richard Smith – The Jazz Professor

Richard Smith is a high-acclaimed professor of jazz guitar music at the USC. The University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities, located in the heart of Los Angeles. The USC Thornton studio/jazz guitar department is considered one of the finest guitar programs in the world, boasting a faculty of world class touring and recording guitarists.

Richard Smith has already performed with Kirk Whalum, Marc Antoine, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Dan Siegel, Warren Hill, Bob Hope and Brian Bromberg, to name a few. His solo projects are Rockin The Boat (1989), Puma Creek (1989), Bella Firenza (1991), From My Window (1994), First Kiss (1997), Flow (1999), Natural Soul (2002), Soulidified (2003) and LA Chillharmonic (2008).

Richard Smith published with permission of Bettie Grace Miner.

David Sanborn – Straight to The Heart

One of the most commercially successful American saxophonists to earn prominence since the 1980s, David Sanborn has released 24 albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum album. Having inspired countless other musicians, Dave has worked in many genres which typically blend instrumental pop, R&B and lately, more and more traditional jazz. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school when he was inspired by the great Chicago blues artists near his hometown of St. Louis. Having contracted polio at the age of three, Dave was introduced to the saxophone as part of his treatment therapy.

By the age of 14, he was able to play with legends such as Albert King and Little Milton. Dave went on to study music at Northwestern University before transferring to the University of Iowa where he played and studied with the great saxophonist JR Monterose. Later traveling to California on the advice of a friend, he joined the Butterfield Blues Band and played Woodstock with Paul Butterfield. Following that, Dave toured with Stevie Wonder and recorded for Wonder’s Talking Book album, played with The Rolling Stones, and toured with David Bowie with whom he recorded the famous solo heard on “Young Americans”.

At the same time, Dave was touring and recording with the great Gil Evans, dividing his time between the two. After moving to New York City and studying with George Coleman, Dave started his solo career where he later collaborated with such artists as Paul Simon and James Taylor. Dave’s solo release of Taking Off in 1975—still considered a classic—further solidified his career. His 1979 release of Hideaway became a popular hit and further propelled Dave’s ascent with the single, “Seduction” being featured in the movie, American Gigolo. Veteran bassist and composer Marcus Miller joined Dave on the 1981 album, Voyeur. The single, “All I Need Is You” won Dave his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

In 1983, Dave released the hit album Backstreet that included Luther Vandross as a featured guest vocalist. Later albums have included guest artists such as Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Charlie Hayden, Wallace Roney, Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, and Eric Clapton. Moving onto television, Dave hosted the show, Night Music from 1988 to 1990. Produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, the show featured films of jazz legends like Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck and Billie Holiday, as well as banter and memorable music jams by a remarkable list of musicians including Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Joe Sample, Pharoah Sanders, and many others. Additionally, Dave has regularly hosted the “After New Year’s Eve” TV special on ABC. During the 1980s and 1990s, Dave hosted a syndicated radio program, The Jazz Show with David Sanborn. Dave has also recorded many shows’ theme songs as well as several other songs for The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder.

In his three-and-a-half decade career, Dave has released 24 albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum album. He continues to be one of the most highly active musicians of his genre, with 2010 tour dates exceeding 150. Considered as a whole, Dave is an artist who pushes the limits and continues to make music that challenges the mind and goes Straight to The Heart.

David Sanborn published with permission of Bettie Grace Miner.

Brenda Russell – In An Ideal World

With a voice that caresses like melted caramel and lyrics that touch the deepest recesses of your emotions, singer/songwriter Brenda Russell proves that a glowing talent only deepens with time. Author of such gems as “Piano In The Dark,” “If Only For One Night,” and the much-loved anthem “Get Here,” Brenda returned to the marketplace in 2000 with the release of Paris Rain on Hidden Beach Recordings-her first studio album in seven years. The exquisitely crafted album displayed her song craft and richly nuanced voice in an elegant journey of mood, melody and memory that satisfied longtime fans and enchanted new listeners.

Along with composing songs for her upcoming record, Brenda has continued to exercise her considerable gifts in a variety of projects. She is currently co-writing (with Allee Willis and Stephen Bray) the music for a Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker slated to hit the stage in 2005. She also co-wrote the song “Justice of the Heart” with Stevie Wonder for the Denzel Washington movie John Q—a song which Wonder performed. And her co-composition with Brazilian artist Ivan Lins, titled “She Walks This Earth,” was recorded by international superstar Sting for the all-star tribute album Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan Lins. Sting’s inspired performance of the uniquely beautiful song earned him a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance.

Her recording with Koz and the other tour artists of A Smooth Jazz Christmas CD was nominated for a 2002 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. That CD included a new version of her classic “Get Here” which received yet another re-working last fall by American Idol’s Justin Guarini, who performed it in the 2002 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and on Oprah as well as recording it for the American Idol: Greatest Moments compilation CD on RCA Records.

Fellow artists who appreciate Brenda’s music call on her formidable talent for penning music and lyrics again and again. Singer Will Downing benefited from Brenda’s songwriting with one of her co-compositions, “Don’t You Talk To Me Like That” (co-written with Vinx and Mark Cawley)-a Top 20 Urban AC hit from his 2002 Verve Records album Sensual Journey. Solomon Burke’s critically acclaimed and Grammy-winning 2002 comeback album Don’t Give Up on Me (Fat Possum) features “None of Us Are Free,” co-written by Brenda, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The three are among an all-star lineup of songwriters on Burke’s recording including Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, and Brian Wilson.

And just to keep things fun, Brenda wrote incidental music for the animated series “Fat Girl” on the Oxygen Network, as well as an animated internet short series titled “Driving While Black” for urbanentertainment.com. She also composed the theme music for the syndicated “The Ananda Lewis Show;” a daytime talk show hosted by the former MTV VJ.

Born to musical parents in Brooklyn, New York, Brenda grew up there and in the Canadian town of Hamilton, Ontario. She encountered her first piano while singing as a teenager in the Canadian company of the rock musical “Hair” in Toronto

Without a formal musical education, Brenda says she worried that she would never be able to write a song. “Then I had this revelation that: ‘You’re not doing this, you are just a channel for this, something opened up and it came through you.’ Once I realized that I was sort of fearless about songwriting after that. Because if that’s the way it is, I can do anything, and that’s the premise I’ve based my whole writing career on.”

In the late 1970s, now living in Los Angeles, Brenda and her manager began circulating a demo of her songs. She was signed to Tommy LiPuma’s Horizon Records, and her first single, “So Good, So Right” was released in 1979. Brenda transferred to A&M Records, where she formed a bond with label founder Herb Alpert and released Brenda Russell and Love Life. Her contract was picked up by Warner Bros. for the 1983 album Two Eyes before moving to Sweden, where she wrote tunes for her A&M return, Get Here. That 1988 album contained the Grammy-nominated “Piano In The Dark,” the gorgeous “Le Restaurant,” and the title cut, which was a hit for Oleta Adams a few years later.

After a 1992 Greatest Hits package and her 1993 set Soul Talkin’(EMI Records), Brenda took time off to regroup and travel. Continuing to write, produce, and collaborate with other artists, Brenda honed her craft and contributed tunes to other projects, including albums by Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, the score to How Stella Got Her Groove Back, as well as writing and performing two songs in director Barry Levinson’s film Liberty Heights.

As one of few artists who have successfully been able to incorporate a wide range of musical influences–rock, pop, R&B, jazz, classical, Latin–into a distinct style that defies categorization while attracting fans around the world, Brenda Russell’s music endures through time and trends. As evidence, her self-titled debut was re-released on CD by Universal Records in 2000, and the label, which now owns her A&M catalog, released Brenda Russell: Ultimate Collection in 2001. And later music writer David Nathan’s Ambassador Soul Classics label reissued Two Eyes.

“I never write songs that are without hope,” the accomplished artist explains. “People have to be inspired to another level. Like: My heart can go on! I may feel like I’m going to die, but I won’t because something good could be around the corner. I take responsibility on myself to inspire people and even make them cry. Yes, I’ll make you cry but I won’t leave you hopeless.”

Currently Brenda is working on her new album, which shall be released this year.  Stephan Oberhoff shows his wizardry on this album again.

Brenda Russell published with permission of Bettie Grace Miner.

Jimmy Reid – Here To Stay

According to Dave Koz ” Jimmy is one of the real saxophone players of the future .. and he tells a story with his saxophone ” Jimmy is the featured Sax player on the hit single ” Get it On ” from Brian Culbertson and Jimmy is also featured on many other artists albums. Now it is Jimmy’s turn to be the featured artist.

Being able to record this album, “Jimmy Reid Preview 2002″ released October 1, 2001, has been a dream come true for this Chicago native. With the love, support, and belief of his family and friends his dream has become a reality. Jimmy has been blessed with a musical gift. Not only to express his love through the saxophone, but he can also write wonderful memorable melodies and lyrics. This gifted musician can do it all – he writes the words and music, plays keyboards and even assists in the engineering of the music; he is the producer on all the tracks except the first single “Cool Vibe” produced by Brian Culbertson. To know Jimmy is to love him for his beautiful spirit and love for life and music that comes through with each note he plays and writes from his heart.

Jimmy came out to California in 1994 with nothing but his hopes to bring his music to the world. After years of playing street corners and dark night clubs, he finally has accomplished his goal. He has never given up and after years of trying to make it into the music world, he has made it. Not only with the love of his family but the support of fans and fellow musicians. Jimmy is not feared by fellow musicians but he is embraced. Jimmy is a shining example that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it, and he is bringing something new and fresh to the music world. Combining old school jazz with new school urban, people of all ages are sure to enjoy this new and edgy expression of music. So, everyone get ready for the sounds of Jimmy Reid because he is surely here to stay.

Jimmy Reid published with permission of Bettie Grace Miner.

George Benson makes his Nate King Cole CD

 

 

George Benson:

 

New Album in the Making
I’m recording a new Nat King Cole tribute album with an orchestra and would love for you to be a part of it!

Welcome to my PledgeMusic page.

I’ve had the idea to record an album featuring the music of Nat King Cole for quite some time now. Thanks to my long history with Concord Records, together we arranged an amazing 42 piece orchestra to make a record I’m really passionate about.

Since this is a very unique and special project to me and I am blessed by many good friends who have supported me along the way, I wanted to give my fans a chance to take part in something unique and special, too. So, instead of the traditional ‘making of’ DVD or a few extra bonus tracks, Concord Records and I have teamed up with PledgeMusic to give you an opportunity to participate in some exclusive offers only available here.

I will personally autograph CDs and Vinyl. You can get your name listed in the album artwork! You can even purchase my newly developed Ibanez LGB300 signature guitar which I’ll personally sign for you over a Skype chat!

A lot of these offerings are limited edition and aren’t even printed yet, so all you have to do for now is ‘Pledge’ and your credit card won’t be charged until the bar at the top of the page hits 100%. And just for Pledging, you’ll gain access to behind the scenes information on the making of the album including exclusive videos and updates along the way.

And I want you to know that a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the victims of Hurricane Sandy through our friends at Music Cares.

Thank you for being a part of this special project and I can’t wait for you to hear this record!

- George

If you are interested to support this project, visit this website http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/georgebenson.

Meet Ginetta

This triple threat female power-house plays trumpet, sings, composes and leads the much acclaimed jazzy, funky, blues band : Ginetta’s Vendetta. The recent submission of her sophmore CD” Land on My Feet” to the 55th annual Grammys in five (!) categories is just one more major accolade for this as yet undiscovered superstar!! Ginetta is an alumni of the famed music school North Texas State U. and has decades of experience both on & off the road and in the studio! In the early years she played with many Latin, Compa, Calypso, Merengue & Salsa bands, taking her on tours through Puerto Rico, Haiti, South America, Martenique & Guadeloupe.

She also spent a Carnival season in Trinidad with her female horn section Amazon Brass! Her sideman recordings are too numerous to mention and cover a variety of styles from horn sectionals, to jazz solos, salsa montunos and R & B parts! Blues was also a defining factor in her musical evolution and she was an honorary “Holmes Sister” with the incredible “Holmes Brothers” band, playing with them for years and touring with them thru Canada, Nova Scotia and New England. She was always added to the horn section of Blues Legend Albert Collins whenever he came to NYC. A 2 year stint at the biggest russian club in NYC “The National” was followed by 3 more years on the road w/ the show band “Waterfront” covering the casino & hotel circuit! She also was the sole horn player & soloist for the American debut tour for The Boo Radleys, covering 45 states in 7 weeks!

Her need, however, to lead a band, sing, play and compose was the reason for the rise of “Ginetta’s Vendetta”.Formed 15 years ago, the band is comprised of the basic “power trio” of guitar, bass & drums. Playing only the funkiest versions of the jazz classics & singing her danceable originals Ginetta commands any stage w/ her signature pocket-trumpet, sultry vocals & her special brand of high-octane entertainment! Having played the International Jazz Fest in Jamaica, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,2010 & 2011, she was, as usual, the toast of the festival! A 2 week stint at The Blue Note in Beirut in 2005 then again at The Razz Club in 2010 gave her the opportunity to expand her fan base across the globe. The 2010 visit also included 2 television appearances on the Middle East version of MTV. A featured performer at The Saint John Blues festival gave Ginetta yet another stage to conquer, this time in the beautiful Virgin Islands. She gained new fans in upstate N.Y. headliningt the Hudson Black Arts festival two years in a row.

A two week engagement with her band in Las Vegas won her a bunch of new fans in the entertainment capitol, plus a rave review from the “Las Vegas City Life”. (Check “Press” page on website). Playing The Gainesville Jazz festival her & her band rocked the thousands of fans! They also headlined The Prishtina Jazz festival in the Republic of Kosovo cementing her status as an internationally acclaimed Artist & bandleader! With radio stations from Canada to Mexico and all points in between playing cuts from both her CD’s, myriad radio interviews and press in 5 Languages proclaiming her talent Ginetta continually forges ahead making each year better than the last. Her 1st C.D “La Dolce Vita” is currently available to order on her website (or @ CDBaby, Amazon, Itunes, etc) and at any of her numerous live shows. It includes the haunting ballad “Can out Tears Put out The Fire?”, winner of an Honorable mention in the Billboard World song competition & commissioned in the wake of September 11th. She has also garnered 2 more BillBoard awards for her tunes “I Beleive In You” & “Behind Those Eyes” available on the debut C.D (La Dolce Vita). She has been the recipient of 4 AscaPlus awards for songwriting & The Music Liberty Initiative for N.Y.! (A special grant for NYC musicians affected by 9/11) She has received a “Best Of 2007″ award from Soul Patrol newsletter for her first CD.

Her sophmore CD, entitled “Land On My Feet” has 6 more of her originals plus a funky version of “All Blues”. The title track has recently been chosen for the 2012 @Supercuts “Rock the Cut” campaign!! Ginetta’s Vendetta had a residency at the esteemed Trump Soho Hotel, playing every thursday for their “Smooth Jazz Thursdays” in the heart of downtown NYC for most of 2012. She is a multidimensional entertainer with a limitless supply of energy and versatility. As Ginetta herself says, “With my horn as my passport, there’s nowhere I can’t go.”

Freddie Ravel – Music Applied To Life

Utterly captivated by Music since age 5, Freddie Ravels’ talent took him from prodigy to a World-renowned Pianist, Composer, Recording Artist and Multi-Media Executive. His passion for bridging communication through Music propelled him to two decades of international acclaim and the creation of Tune Up to Success ®, an unprecedented interactive program that presents Music as a perfect metaphor for the dynamics of business and social networking.

Completing his Music degree cum laude, Freddie began performing around the World with Brazilian icon Sergio Mendes when Universal Records discovered and quickly signed the young artist. This resulted in a series of sensual and fiery albums: Midnight Passion, Sol to Soul & Freddie Ravel-charting #1 in the US. Embraced by his many fans, his songs continue to receive extensive radio airplay and garner critical acclaim: “Freddie’s blend of jazz textures, rock energy, tropical rhythms and charismatic performance style are sure pop-jazz crossovers.” – Los Angeles Times.

Establishing Ravelation Media Group in 1990, as CEO his reputation as a multi-faceted Producer, Artist & Composer soared to the top echelons of the music industry with the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire and Al Jarreau under Freddie’s directorship. Subsequent invitations from Madonna led to their joint MTV appearances and featured Freddie’s sizzling piano solo in Madonna’s remix of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.

Freddie’s lifelong commitment to raise human potential through Music gave birth to a powerful interactive performance event in 2002, which he named Tune Up to Success ®. Performing this interactive program nationwide, to live audiences ranging from teens & young adults to Fortune 500 Companies, Freddie connected new Music Creation by everyday people to their personal and professional lives utilizing a process he called InTuneition™.

“Freddie Ravel shows how listening skills are critical to our success in business and in life by getting “in tune” with our customers, associates, families and ourselves through this truly innovative and entertaining program.”

-Randy Salley, Sr. Vice President, Wal-Mart Information Systems.

Michael Paulo – The Hawaiian Ambassador

One of the most versatile and cosmopolitan saxophonists in pop, soul and contemporary jazz for nearly 20 years, Michael Paulo has added his distinct saxpertise to a virtual who’s who of artists, including Al Jarreau (Paulo’s longest term touring association), James Ingram, No. 1 Smooth Jazz Trumpeter and guitarist Rick Braun and Peter White, Oleta Adams, Kenny Loggins, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Jeff Lorber, David Benoit, Carl Anderson, Bobby Caldwell, Johnny Mathis and more.

Paulo grew up in a musical family (his father a pianist, his mother a singer, his siblings all playing instruments) and though he came upon the sax relatively late at age 15, he quickly became first horn player in his high school band and was playing professional gigs around the islands within a few years. Rather than accept a scholarship to North Texas State, he chose a more adventurous road by joining Hawaiian pop/rock band Kalapana, which had some success on the mainland but was most popular in Japan. After playing regularly and recording on all four of Kalapana’s albums from 1975 through 1979, Paulo recorded a solo album for Japanese release on Trio records. In addition to exposing him to the Japanese jazz audience, Tats in the Rainbow gave him the opportunity to work with legendary pianist Herbie Hancock.

Paulo moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and quickly established himself by playing with percussionist Ray Armondo and a local R&B outfit featuring members of Rufus. Two years later, he caught his big break when Al Jarreau hired him for his touring band. The young saxman became an integral part of the Jarreau experience while touring the world for the next decade. Paulo also gained international recognition as a result of his work on Jarreau’s famed “Live in London” release.

In 1988, Paulo met producer Robert Kraft while recording a solo for singer /songwriter Vonda Sheppard . Impressed with the young saxophonist talent, Kraft secured Michael a major recording contract with MCA Records. Kraft produced his MCA debut One Passion, which became a Top Ten hit on the contemporary Jazz/NAC charts. 1990′s Fusebox, on GRP Records which charted in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart.

In 1994 Paulo launched his own label Noteworthy Records with the release of his fourth solo project Save the Children. Paulo spent much of the Nineties managing Noteworthy Records and touring with other artists, strengthening his solo career overseas with many Asian tours as well. Internationally, he is especially beloved in Asia and Thailand where Save the Children was first released. While that album found Paulo reflecting on the joys of fatherhood and his many world excursions, its similarly successful 1996 follow-up, My Heart and Soul, was about the simple balance between Paulo’s passions for slamming funk and dreamy balladry. My Heart and Soul was immediately a top ten Smooth Jazz hit.

Marion Meadows – The Womanizer

Born in West Virginia, saxophonist Marion Meadows grew up in Stamford, CT, where he began playing clarinet and studying classical music at age 8. He naturally gravitated to the soprano sax in his high school years, and his passion for various types of music led him to appreciate numerous jazz musicians, including Stanley Turrentine, Sidney Bichet, Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins. Fortunately for the smooth jazz fans who have embraced his sweet and funky soprano sound over the past 15 years, Meadows took a few very important trips to Europe with his high school band during his junior and senior years. Originally planning to enter a college pre-med program (he had aspirations to pursue a career in veterinary medicine or zoology), he considered the saxophone a hobby until he saw the way audiences reacted to him and his fellow student performers in Holland, Italy and Austria.

“The first trip was with my high school band and the second was a graduation gift to me and a few other guys playing over there in a big band setting,” he says. “It was exciting seeing positive newspaper articles about my playing in Italy, receiving all sorts of accolades and feeling the excitement of interaction with the crowd. It was a tremendous rush, and it lit the fire.”

After studying jazz with Anthony Truglia, Meadows attended Berklee College of Music, where he majored in arranging and composition. He later went to the SUNY Purchase School for the Arts, where he studied under Ron Herder. “I got a lot of sideman jobs in college, and I have always said I got a graduate degree playing clubs,” says Meadows, who perfected his craft studying with Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman and Eddie Daniels. “Not long after I finished school, (drummer) Norman Connors recorded my song ‘Invitation’ and then asked me to join his band. I later produced his Passion album with him. Things just fell into place.”

Meadows first hit the airwaves in 1991 with For Lovers Only, but his career really began one day in the late ‘80s at New York’s Grand Central Station. He had been a sideman with Connors for three years, with only vague notions of eventually going solo. One day, while waiting for a train, he pulled out his horn and began playing under the huge dome. His sweet sound caught the attention of fellow traveler and TV composer Jay Chattaway, who was so impressed that he hooked Meadows up with legendary keyboardist Bob James. James signed Meadows to a deal with his TappanZee label, and though Meadows’ first recording went unreleased, the experience put him on the road to his eventual success.

Meadows hooked up with numerous artists and musicians and became a well known sideman in his own right, recording or performing over the years with Brook Benton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, The Temptations, Michael Bolton, Angela Bofill, Will Downing and Native American flute player Douglas Spotted Eagle, among many others. In the late ‘80s, Meadows stretched his usual pop/jazz boundaries as a member of a New York avant-garde band called the Aboriginal Music Society. The ‘90s marked the beginning of his solo career when he signed with RCA on the strength of his unreleased first album. He became a staple of the smooth jazz format with his subsequent recordings, which include Keep It Right Here (1993), Forbidden Fruit (1994) and Body Rhythm (1996).

After moving from his home in Connecticut to Phoenix, AZ, Meadows signed with Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, and released Another Side of Midnight (1999). A contemporary tribute to city life, his label debut was considered by critics to be his strongest work to date. His subsequent Heads Up discography has been equally successful on an artistic as well as commercial level: Next To You (2000), featured a mix of R&B-influenced jazz coupled with sensual Latin rhythms; In Deep (2002), a neo-soul blend of jazz, R&B and hip-hop, brimmed with sophisticated arrangements and impressive tenor/soprano playing; Players Club (2004) paid tribute to Meadows’ fellow musicians with a seamless mix of contemporary jazz and soulful R&B; and Dressed To Chill (2006) was another fine showcase for the joint songcraft of Meadows and keyboardist/producer Michael Broening. All five Heads Up recordings have been well received by his ever-growing, always loyal fans. Secrets, scheduled for release on April 28, 2009, is the latest chapter in Meadows’ satisfying tradition of cool sophistication.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of projects, both my own and group efforts,” says Meadows, “and my main objective is to keep growing as an artist and engage the fans who have invested so much emotion in my music and my career. Aside from that wonderful sense of live communication, the real magic for me happens in the studio when I put on those headphones and start playing. That’s where the ideas just start to flow. Everything else in my musical life comes out of that moment.”

Marion Meadows published with permission of Bettie Grace Miner.

Eric Marienthal – The Fusion Sax

In 1997, Eric was signed by legendary jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour to record for his new label, i.e. Music. Lee produced Eric’s “Easy Street” CD and the title track, which features Rick Braun on trumpet, made it to #2 on the National Contemporary Jazz Radio Charts.

Currently, Eric is signed to the Peak Records label, owned by Rippingtons founder Russ Freeman. “When Russ asked me to join the Rippingtons, he also offered me a deal with his label and I jumped at it. Playing with the Ripp’s has been incredibly fun for me and the band is awesome!” Eric’s first 2 recordings on Peak were “Turn Up The Heat” and “Sweet Talk”. The later of which featured the title track that was co-written by Eric’s 14 year old son, Robert. “Rob plays guitar and wrote this song which was originally more of a folk song. After I put my two cents in it turned into more of a smooth jazz tune and I don’t think Rob will ever forgive me!”

Eric’s next CD is his 3rd for Peak entitled “Got You Covered”. It’s an amazing collection of some of Eric’s favorite tunes and was recorded live in the studio. “Of all 10 of my records, this is my favorite. It features Russell Ferrante, Peter Erskine, Russ Freeman, Chick Corea, Dave Carpenter and Luis Conte. Most of the record was recorded live all together and all at the same time. It was so refreshing to record this way and the music sounds just like we played it.” The record has a very heartfelt, mostly acoustic sound and it’s one that Eric is obviously very proud of.

For the past 7 years Eric has been the musical director of an annual fundraising concert for High Hopes. High Hopes is a non-profit organization in Orange County, California that works with people who have suffered traumatic head injuries. With the help of guest artists such as Lou Rawls, Patti Austin, David Benoit, Brian Culbertson, Rick Braun, Vesta Williams, Jeff Lorber, David Pack, Lee Ritenour and many more, these concerts to date have raise well over a half million dollars for this charity.

Among all the different bands that Eric has been a part of, one of his favorites is the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band. Gordon is a very prominent, Grammy winning composer in Los Angeles and the Big Phat Band is among the most popular Big Bands in the world today. Eric is the band’s lead alto sax player and obviously loves being there. “This is about the only band I’ve ever been in that has as much fun traveling together as we do playing together! The audiences always go completely crazy during our shows and they know most of the music we play.” The band is made up of some of L.A.’s top studio musicians. The Phat band’s 3rd record, “The Phat Pack” was recently released in June, 2006. According to Eric, it’s the best record Gordon’s ever made.

Eric Marienthal published with permission of Bettie Grace Miner.