Contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Cates celebrates his wife’s return to health with “She’s My Summer” #jazz #music

After spending last summer at his wife Judy’s side during life‑saving spinal surgery, contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Cates is celebrating her full recovery with a new single, “She’s My Summer,” arriving May 1 via Sonic Redoubt Entertainment.

 

Cates wrote and produced “She’s My Summer,” playing most of the instruments on the track in addition to his tenor sax. He brought in guitarist Paul Pesco (Madonna, Hall & Oates, C + C Music Factory) and bassist Larry Antonino (Pablo Cruise, Air Supply, Ronnie Laws) to shape the melodies and rhythms. The buoyant midtempo R&B groove bursts into elation on every refrain of the sun-lit pop chorus layered with jubilant saxophone.

 

“This summer, Judy and I will celebrate our 30^th anniversary and after what we went through last summer when I faced the very real possibility that I may lose her, I’m determined to fill this summer with as much time with Judy as possible. She literally is my summer,” said Cates, who is coming off a successful chart run with an award-winning single about his wife titled “Judith Lorraine,” released late last year. “All my music comes back to Judy. She’s been my muse for a long time, and our love story continues to inspire new musical chapters.” 

 

“Judith Lorraine” won a World Entertainment Award as Best Smooth Jazz Song of The Year. The single comes from Cates’ Us album, a 2025 collection of intimate musical snapshots sharing special moments and memories from the couple’s storied romance. Cates recorded the album in response to Judy’s diagnosis. Earlier during a prolific 2025, he released the Sunset Kiss album, which was named Best Smooth Jazz Album of The Year by the World Entertainment Awards.

 

“She’s My Summer” will begin collecting airplay and playlist adds on May 4. Two days later, Cates will launch “She’s My Summer” with two New York City shows at Chelsea Table + Stage at 7p.m. and 9:30p.m.

 

“I could not imagine a greater entrance for the campaign than to be the headliner in New York City. It reminds me of when I debuted at Carnegie Hall when I was 15 years old. I used to live across the street from the World Trade Center in the 90s and was a part of the studio scene there long before acting lured me to Los Angeles. I go back home to play occasionally, but never to break out a new release. This one’s incredibly special to me,” said Cates, who grew up in nearby New Jersey. 

 

Cates moved to Los Angeles where he landed a series regular role for five seasons on the Emmy Award-winning Ally McBeal on which he played “The Saxophonist.” As a recording artist, he’s released four albums and two EPs along with singles that consistently garner global airplay and hit the national charts. Cates has performed at premier jazz festivals at home and internationally. He’s played with or shared the stage with icons and legends including Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barry White, Joe Sample, Tina Turner, and Mariah Carey.

 

At the heart of “She’s My Summer” is an artist grateful for a second chance with the woman who inspires all his music.

 

For more information, please visit https://michaelcates.com. 

Guitarist dee Brown to Release New Track “Summer Cruise” on May 8th, 2026 #jazz #music

Groove jazz guitarist dee Brown channels Detroit’s summer car culture on “Summer Cruise”

The May 8 single was written and produced by Billboard hitmaker Blake Aaron.

DETROIT, Michigan (15 APRIL 2026): After Detroit’s brutal winters, car enthusiasts from around the world roll out their convertibles along Woodward Avenue. All summer long, the iconic stretch builds toward August’s Woodward Dream Cruise — North America’s largest one-day automotive event. With that scene in mind, groove jazz guitarist dee Brown’s new Innervision Records single, “Summer Cruise,” will drop May 8.

The single previews Brown’s upcoming album, Living The Good Life, and continues his tradition of blending R&B and jazz with Detroit-inspired storytelling. Brown’s label mate Blake Aaron, who has crafted nine Billboard No. 1 singles, wrote and produced “Summer Cruise.” The track has the carefree sound of summer based on its laid back, fun, and funky vibes. Set to a retro go-go beat built by GRAMMY®-winning bassist Mel Brown and drummer Michael White, Brown’s electric jazz guitar struts, strums, and steers the jovial journey. While Aaron plays rhythm guitar to embellish the groove, Michael Parlett’s saxophone copilots the single with passion, power, and panache. 13-time GRAMMY® nominee Tyries Rolfe polishes the ride with lustrous strings and Carnell Harrell’s vibrant keyboard sweetens the harmonies.

Brown and Aaron collaborated on the 2024 single “Wes 8Mile” that appears on Brown’s 2025 Mister Smooth album. That was another outing influenced by Brown’s hometown culture.

“Blake Aaron introduced me to ‘Summer Cruise,’ suggesting it sounded like a ‘dee Brown track.’ After listening, I couldn’t agree more. We decided to collaborate and it became an ideal opportunity for Blake to produce, write, engineer, and arrange this beautiful song. The melody was captivating, and the groove made me feel like dancing with a joyful energy,” said Brown, who will play two shows at Chelsea Table + Stage in New York City on June 3 and perform at the Asbury Park Jazz Festival on June 28.

“The single really reflects my Detroit roots during the warm summer months when you can drop your top on your convertible in the evening and cruise down Woodward Avenue, especially during the Woodward Dream Cruise. That event has become a phenomenon that attracts about one million people and 40,000 classic cars.”

Brown has released six albums over nearly two decades, beginning with 2007’s No Time To Waste. His 2018 Remembering You and 2021 Deep Secrets albums have each received over five million Spotify streams. Last year’s Mister Smooth album featured collaborations with his longtime producer and songwriting partner Valdez Brantley (Usher, Mary J. Blige, Keith Sweat, Lil Wayne), a GRAMMY® nominee. Tracks from the set hit the Billboard Top 30.

Brown has shared stages or studio sessions with icons across R&B, jazz, and gospel, including George Benson, Al Jarreau, Stephanie Mills, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Paul Brown, Paul Taylor, Darren Rahn, Bob James, Brian Culbertson, Spyro Gyra, The Ohio Players, Najee, Jeffrey Osborne, and Michael and BeBe Winans.

For more information, visit www.deebrownjazz.com.

Great Scott P.R.oductions

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Keyboardist Charles A. Kelly Drops “Focus on Purpose,” a Transformational New R&B Jazz Single Now Impacting Radio

                                  

In the midst of writing and producing Transformation — the ambitious double album completing his trilogy — R&B‑jazz keyboardist Charles A. Kelly offers an early glimpse of what’s ahead with “Focus on Purpose,” the new Innervision Records single now picking up airplay and playlist adds.

 

Kelly’s vibrant keyboard harmonies, fanciful piano flourishes, and spacy, gurgling synth textures illuminate a rhythmic electronic R&B groove, creating a sound that feels both futuristic and familiar. Adding depth and dimension to the song’s melodic core are Miles Jenson’s electric guitar and Jason Kelly — Charles’s son — on soprano saxophone. Though the single is an invigorating instrumental, it carries embedded messages and empowering affirmations.

 

“‘Focus on Purpose’ is about how we must concentrate on fulfilling our purpose in life if we are to transform our lives for success. This means consciously aligning our thoughts, daily actions, and decisions so we can turn goals into tangible results. The song has a dynamic, funky, and transformative sound along with a message that will resonate worldwide,” said Charles A. Kelly. “So many people want to live out their purpose but are held back. My intention is for this song to help them overcome their fear and find meaning in their lives.”

 

Accompanying the single is an AI‑generated video that reinforces the song’s message of courage, clarity, and forward momentum, featuring nearly a dozen affirmations and bold words of encouragement including “Now or Never,” “You Can Do This,” “Don’t Doubt,” “Show Strength,” “Have Vision,” “God is With You,” “Conquer Fear,” and, of course, “Focus on Purpose.”

 

Last year, Kelly released Phase II, an album of transition and spirituality that bridges his You’re Not Alone album and the upcoming Transformation. The ambitious trilogy opened with a 2022 set designed to capture that moment in contemporary jazz. Phase II pushed the envelope, inviting experimentation, redefining, and hypothesizing what contemporary jazz could become. Transformation aims to be both visionary and evolutionary for the genre. Kelly plans to release two more singles this year from the collection before dropping the album next year.

 

A native of Philadelphia now based near Los Angeles, Kelly is a gold-record-winning musician, songwriter, producer, music director, and film composer. He has recorded and/or performed with pop music royalty – from Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Elton John, and Nile Rodgers to Sister Sledge, WHAM!, and The Pointer Sisters. In Christian contemporary music, Kelly has collaborated with CeCe Winans, Mary Mary, Jeremy Camp, and Israel Houghton. Also an actor, he was cast as a series regular in the iconic television series Fame.

 

Watch the “Focus on Purpose” video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxC8yYnLu9c

 

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