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SMOOTH CHRISTMAS VIBES FOR THE WINTER
Concord Christmas classics from the greatest contemporary and silky instrumentalists and velvety vocalists that celebrate the holiday joy with warmth and intimacy. |
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Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Smooth Christmas Vibes For The Winter (Concord) #jazz #music
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
Jazz trumpeter-vocalist Ilya Serov celebrates "Christmas with Friends" retro style #jazz #music
The new album of holiday classics available now features Dave Koz, Aubrey Logan, Casey Abrams, Ariana Savalas, and Dylan Chambers. Serov launched a U.S. concert tour with Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, and Ruben Studdard.
AJazz trumpeter-vocalist Ilya Serov has a busy holiday season planned with friends. He collaborated with a handful of friends – ten-time GRAMMY® nominee Dave Koz, Aubrey Logan, Casey Abrams, Ariana Savalas, and Dylan Chambers - on his first Christmas album, “Christmas with Friends,” which was released last Friday (November 28) by Neo Sound Records. On Saturday (November 29), Serov embarked on an 18-city U.S. concert tour with friends Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, and Ruben Studdard.
Indulging a long-held desire to record a holiday album, the question for Serov was what kind of an album to record. His catalog consists of a variety of jazz and pop spanning standards culled from the Great American Songbook, straight-ahead instrumental and vocal jazz, soulful R&B-pop, and contemporary jazz instrumentals. As a devout fan of the treasured Christmas recordings by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Perry Como, Serov decided to pay tribute to those timeless records. Producing the album himself, he brought in keyboardist, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor Nick Petrillo to help realize his vision of creating a retro-style collection. Swinging cadences, big band horn section, sweeping strings, and bebop ornamentation form the decorative backdrops for Serov’s debonair vocal delivery. Crooning with charisma, clarity, and elegance, he also plays trumpet and jazzohorn - the latter being a unique sounding instrument that he helped pioneer, which is a hybrid that is part flugelhorn and part saxophone - throughout “Christmas with Friends.”
“As we were working on the album, writing the arrangements, and seeing these songs come to life, I started hearing and imagining the sound of some of my friends who I absolutely admire and whose sound I was confident would open up and elevate these tracks. I feel so blessed and grateful that I got to collaborate with friends on this project: Ariana Savalas (vocals), Aubrey Logan (vocals and trombone), Casey Abrams (vocals and bass), Dylan Chambers (vocals and guitar), and one of my long-time musical heroes and mentors, Dave Koz (tenor saxophone), who introduced me to all these amazing artists. Each one of these artists has a distinct artistic voice and charisma and matches the vibe of the song and the arrangement so perfectly. Working with them made the process in the studio so special, unforgettable, and so much fun,” said Serov about “Christmas with Friends” that was primarily recorded at the legendary Henson Studios in Hollywood, which is now owned by GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist John Mayer who popped in during the recording sessions to offer support.
Serov and his duet partners were backed on “Christmas with Friends” by a collective consisting of Gary Matsumoto (piano and keyboards), Shane Savala (guitar), Cooper Appelt (bass), Greg Sadler (drums), and Jose Perez (percussion). The horn section was comprised of Michael Stever (trumpet), Bob Lawrence (trombone), Dan Kaneyuki (tenor saxophone and flute), and Tim McKay (baritone saxophone). Enhancing the tracks was the LA All-Star String Ensemble.
“Everything on this album was recorded live with real musicians and traditional acoustic instruments, which was typical for that era. It was especially important to me to make this record pure, performed by great musicians straight from the heart,” said Serov who is based in Austin, Texas, where additional recording sessions for the project took place.
Selecting a set list of traditional holiday songs and carols, Serov makes them his own with fresh arrangements, lush instrumentation, and spirited retro cool performances. Koz is featured on a keen medley blending “Skating” and “O Christmas Tree.”
Serov gifts listeners on “Christmas with Friends” with two originals: a new song that he wrote with Petrillo and Myah Marie, “That Christmas Feeling,” and “Angel,” a previously unreleased song written by a friend.
“My three-year-old son, Caden, loves Christmas music. I wrote ‘That Christmas Feeling’ to become part of the legacy that I want to leave for him. I hope he will grow up with this song and appreciate it. ‘Angel’ is an incredibly special song that was written by my dear friend, Laura Hagen, and her late husband, Earle Hagen. Earle was a legendary Hollywood composer, scoring music for television shows and films such as ‘I Spy,’ ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ ‘Mod Squad,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ and many more. ‘Angel’ was originally written for a television series as an instrumental composition but was never used. Laura later wrote the lyrics for it and this album is the song’s official premiere,” explained Serov.
Serov costars on the Home for the Holidays concert tour that launched on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He shares the marquee with two-time GRAMMY® winners Bryson and Easton and GRAMMY® nominee Studdard. The tour’s seasonal-themed set list presents holiday standards and a curated assortment of hits from the artists’ R&B, adult contemporary, and pop repertoire.
Friends served as an earlier muse for Serov who has a history with Koz that spans records and performing on the popular saxman’s annual jazz cruises. Koz appeared on Serov’s third album, 2021’s “Just Friends,” which was a mix of songs from the Great American Songbook and original tunes that peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard chart. Serov was joined on the outing by keyboardist Greg Manning, who has notched over a dozen Billboard No. 1 hits, along with guitarist Kay-Ta Matsuno, vocalist Matt Cusson, and saxophonist Alex Hahn.
Serov issued his debut album, “September in the Rain,” in 2013, which was a big band date made up of jazz standards. Five years later, his sophomore disc, “Back in Time,” offered classic cuts and contributions from noteworthy artist including GRAMMY-winning piano legend Roger Kellaway, two-time GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal, and GRAMMY-winning percussionist Poncho Sanchez. Last year’s “Colors” album included music produced by two-time GRAMMY winner Paul Brown, multiple GRAMMY nominee Darren Rahn, and Billboard hitmaker Adam Hawley. GRAMMY-winning bassist Hussain Jiffry and Billboard chart-toppers Jeff Ryan and Oli Silk were featured soloists. On the big screen, Serov has crafted music and performed on the film score for “Creed II,” “Deadpool 2” and “Addams Family 2.”
“Christmas with Friends” contains the following songs:
“Let It Snow”
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” featuring Ariana Savalas
“Home For The Holidays”
“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
“Skating/O Christmas Tree” featuring Dave Koz
“The Christmas Song”
“Holly Jolly Christmas” featuring Casey Abrams
“Angel
“That Christmas Feeling”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” featuring Aubrey Logan
“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” featuring Dylan Chambers
“Silent Night”
The complete itinerary for the Home for the Holidays tour with Ilya Serov, Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, and Ruben Studdard appears below:
November 29 Wilkes-Barre, PA
November 30 Collingswood, NJ
December 1 Old Saybrook, CT
December 3 Morristown, NJ
December 4 Lynn, MA
December 5 Waukegan, IL
December 6 Salamanca, NY
December 7 Detroit, MI
December 9 Elkhart, IN
December 10 Cincinnati, OH
December 12 St. Louis, MO
December 13 El Cajon, CA
December 14 Cerritos, CA
December 16 San Francisco, CA
December 17 Phoenix, AZ
December 19 Arlington, TX
December 21 San Antonio, TX
December 22 Abilene, TX
For more information, visit https://www.ilyaserov.com.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Pianist Michael Dulin offers the gifts of jazz, soul, and spirituality to "We Three Kings" #jazz #music
His new version of the Christmas classic is available now accompanied by a video.
While the three Wise Men bestowed gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, pianist Michael Dulin is gifting the globe this holiday season with jazz, soul, and spirituality on his new version of the Christmas standard, “We Three Kings.” The Equity Digital single release available now from all digital service providers completes the slate of diverse recordings this year from the Juilliard-trained Dulin spanning solo piano, contemporary jazz, and inspirational music.
In Dulin’s prodigious hands, “We Three Kings,” written in 1857 by John Henry Hopkins Jr., is a swinging and soulful sojourn rife with resplendent and resonant piano. Illuminating Dulin’s fresh arrangement is a decorated ensemble of musicians. The Nashville-based rhythm section consists of four-time Academy of Country Music Bass Player of the Year nominee Alison Prestwood (Peter Frampton, George Benson, Vince Gill) and two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music Studio Recording Award for Drummer of the Year Greg Morrow (Blake Shelton, Joe Bonamassa, Kacey Musgraves). The tinsel is provided by Scott McDavid’s strings, adding luster to the backdrop.
“I’ve always loved ‘We Three Kings’ for its beauty and mystery. It’s not just a carol – it’s a journey. ‘We Three Kings’ has that perfect mix of mystery and groove. I wanted to take something ancient and timeless and make it shimmer in a modern, contemporary jazz setting. Christmas, to me, is about connection — with our past, our loved ones, and something larger than ourselves. If this track can light a candle in someone’s heart, then I’ve done my job,” said Dulin who also released a video for the single (https://youtu.be/uSwOaoAIu2M).
Dulin follows his creative muse, which has produced a variety of recordings this year, a trend boding to continue next year. Last March, he dropped “Shimmer and Fade,” a stunning solo piano piece knitting swatches of jazz, classical, and ambient new age. In September, Dulin issued his first contemporary jazz single, “Slow Burn.” On it, Dulin paints borderless, genre-crossing sonicscapes, in this case a passion-infused romp exploring contemporary jazz and Latin rhythms. After celebrating the holidays at home in Birmingham, Alabama, Dulin will head to Nashville to record four new country songs in January. His next contemporary jazz single is slated for release in February.
A common thread sewn throughout Dulin’s twelve album catalog of contemporary instrumental and classical music projects is his ability to communicate and connect on an emotional level with listeners via his compositions and piano. His piano work is known for being masterful, evocative, and lushly harmonic. Dulin’s debut recording, “The One I Waited For,” was released in 2003. He’s won two Lifestyle Achievement Awards (Best Solo Piano Album and Best Neo-Classical Album) and an EPR Solo Piano Album of the Year award. On stage, Dulin has performed in an array of settings - from solo and with an orchestra to touring with The Temptations.
For more information, please visit https://michaeldulin.net.
Monday, November 10, 2025
Contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Cates opens up on "Us" #jazz #music
The new album is an intimate collection about his relationship with his wife as she fought for her life.
Saxophonist Michael Cates’s new album, “Us,” is a love story with a happy conclusion, yet it could have had a tragic ending. The same day that he and his wife, Judy, celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary last August, she was diagnosed with a massive tumor on her spinal cord, living inside the spinal canal. A life-saving surgery took place soon after in Dallas. As Judy entered the ICU for the surgery performed by a world-renowned brain and spine surgeon, Cates told her that the album he had been working on would now be titled “Us” and he presented her with the album cover - an image of the two of them kissing. The Sonic Redoubt Entertainment album, which Cates wrote and produced, is out now on all major digital platforms.
The day of Judy’s diagnosis, Cates was devasted and struggled to process the very real possibility that he may lose his wife, the partner who believes in him and selflessly stood by him for over thirty years while he pursued his music career. Seeking solace in his recording studio, Cates wrote “Judith Lorraine,” the new single from “Us” that will begin collecting playlist adds and airplay on November 17.
“I told Judy that this is a song of power and great healing and the gates of hell better get out of my way because I had it on Divine authority that the Lord Himself had inspired me through prayer to transcribe what he planted into my consciousness when writing this song for her. As we entered the hospital for this terribly difficult surgery, I knew she was going to come out of it healthy. And the song played on in my head, and her head and heart, too,” said Cates who brought in Billboard hitmaker Blake Aaron to co-produce and mix “Judith Lorraine.”
Cates wrote most of the music for his fourth solo album prior to Judy’s life-altering diagnosis. Writing “Judith Lorraine” the day of her diagnosis, he wrote “Recovered” in the ICU post-surgery.
“I lived in the ICU with Judy as she healed from the surgery. ‘Recovered’ is full of joy and you can feel it in the production,” said Cates about the celebratory track that opens the album.
“Us” is a dynamic collection of a dozen R&B, funk, contemporary jazz, blues, and pop cuts. GRAMMY-winning keyboardist Jon Gilutin co-produced three tracks with Cates (“Your Shadow,” “Summer Breeze,” and “South 45”) and GRAMMY® nominated keyboardist Rob Mullins wrote and co-produced “Here In My Heart.” Cates’s inspired and impassioned alto and tenor saxophone is supported on the album by Gilutin and Mullins’s keyboards, guitarists Randy Jacobs, Paul Pesco, and Todd Parsnow; bassist Larry Antonino, and drummer Sergio Gonzalez. Cates also plays guitar on the album.
Last summer before Judy’s health scare, Cates dropped a single, “77 Hours,” to preview the album. The song was submitted for a GRAMMY® nomination as Best Instrumental Composition.
The album’s lone remake, Seals & Croft’s “Summer Breeze,” is a sensory memory tied to when Cates first met his wife. He reimagines the song as a romantic ballad.
“The song lyrics about jasmine always represents an image of beauty to me. Whenever I smell jasmine, I’m instantly back in Irvine meeting Judy in a parking lot near John Wayne Airport. We were near some jasmine that night and the song’s lyrical association made me want to record this song, which I do love,” shared Cates who splits his time between living in California and Texas.
Growing up in New Jersey, Cates’s breakthrough came after moving to Los Angeles and winning a recurring role as “the saxophonist” for five seasons on David E. Kelly’s Emmy Award-winning television series “Ally McBeal.” To date, Cates has released four albums, a pair of EPs, and singles that consistently hit the national charts. As a concert performer, he’s played major US and international jazz festivals and renowned venues. Cates has performed with or shared the stage with Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barry White, Joe Sample, Tina Turner, and Mariah Carey, among others.
Two weeks after Judy’s surgery, the Cates’ found out that the tumor was benign. Relieved, her recovery continues as Cates’s album offering arrives.
“Before we could even wake from the nightmare, it was over, and we were home again. It all happened so fast,” Cates said before getting emotional.
“Judy has given me thirty years and asked for nothing. For many tens of thousands of nonrefundable hours, my wife has sacrificed her years and her comfort to let me continue to compete as a recording artist. I gave her ‘Us,’ an album that is entirely about her and our life together. In comparison, that’s not much, but it is all I have. I poured every ounce of me into this group of twelve tracks – for her.”
“Us” contains the following songs:
“Recovered”
“Vibes”
“Here In My Heart”
“All Saxed Up”
“Her Dangerous Touch”
“Judith Lorraine”
“Go”
“77 Hours”
“Your Shadow”
“Classified”
“Summer Breeze”
“South 45”
For more information, please visit https://michaelcates.com.
Thursday, November 06, 2025
Pianist Kayla Waters Releases “Anew”, tomorrow #music #jazz
Yamaha Artist & Billboard #1 Jazz Piano Sensation
Kayla Waters
Starts Anew on
Shanachie Entertainment Recording Available Everywhere November 7th
Waters’ New Single LUSH Available Everywhere Today!!
“The piano is my heartbeat—my inner rhythm of life!” confides Yamaha and Billboard #1 Jazz pianist, producer and composer Kayla Waters whose name prophetically means “keeper of the keys.” “I am truly a pianist that paints with her fingers. It’s how I musically paint life’s experiences….” The stunningly beautiful and dynamic Maryland native has shared the stage with icons Stevie Wonder and Patrice Rushen, as well as with R&B singers Marsha Ambrosius and Corinne Bailey Rae, among numerous others. If art reflects an artist’s inner world, then Kayla Waters’ new recording, Anew (November 7, 2025), is a powerful testament to her ambitions to use music as a force for good. “My faith and my music are intimately intertwined! There’s no way I can separate it, God speaks to me through nature, and He gingerly speaks through the music I’ve been blessed to write!” shares the pianist. “This level of confidence comes with an immense amount of time spent in prayerful worship and coves of quietude. I am thankful for this fruitful work and pray I continue to inspire others who may want to fuse their faith into their creations!” Waters holds the distinction of being the first jazz pianist to hold a #1 spot for six consecutive weeks on the Jazz chart. She has scored five #1 Billboard hits to her credit. “I’ve been blessed to be able to stand my own ground and inhabit space as a thriving artist in this arena!” shared the pianist whose diverse list of influences include George Duke, Keith Jarrett, Frederic Chopin, Maurice Ravel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
As an artist Kayla Waters is deeply inspired by nature. The music featured on Anew, her fourth recording as a leader and second for Shanachie Entertainment, is a moving sonic wonder of eleven original tracks that conjure images of breath-taking African safaris and towering Icelandic glacier capped peaks, and that reverberates with the harmonies of love and gratitude. Waters affirms, “It’s a musically rich journey that captures the depth of who I am!” Kayla’s unique signature elixir of jazz, classical and soul is a divine combination of all the elements that move her. Anew opens with the album’s first single, “Lush,” a jubilant and percussively playful tune that underscores Kayla’s deft talent as a composer and improvisor. “Obedience” is a sophisticated mid-tempo stunner that showcases her penchant for crafting gorgeous melodies that linger in your mind. It’s also a composition that connects Kayla’s faith and music. “It’s a joy to walk in obedience!” she says. “Personally, it means staying true to my creative, God-given sound while continuously infusing my faith into my artistic offerings. I love that I can be who I am wholeheartedly, with passion and poise!” Anew also showcases the snap-happy and soulful groove of “Bountiful” which demonstrates Kayla’s never-ending well of inspiration as she takes flight with her inspired piano improvisations in this moving song of praise. “God’s love, the newfound love of marriage (shoutout to my husband, Zo!), my creative writing process, and divine opportunities to flourish as an artist have all been bountiful in my life!” reflects the pianist. “In this piece, I use the beauty of creation and earth’s bounty to illustrate the abundance that is flowing sweetly in my life.”
This year Kayla Waters was a featured guest performer on the popular Dave Koz Cruise which sailed to Iceland, The Netherlands and Norway! The song “Snowy Fjords,” was inspired by this epic journey and the dramatic snowy landscapes that Kayla witnessed for the first time. The song opens with the sounds of strings along with harp, tambourine and piano in high octaves to a subtle yet arresting effect. Waters recalls,” My spirit was filled with awe-wonder as I basked in the stunning fjords of Iceland—I’ve never seen anything so beautiful! Snow is also my favorite element, so to write a piece about the snow-capped fjords was a treasure!” Kayla’s father, celebrated chart-topping saxophonist, labelmate and one of the premiere architects of Smooth Urban Jazz, Kim Waters, plays on the track as well as on the sublime and ethereal “Lofty Chambers,” and assisted with the music production and programming on the album.
“It is a gift to have a father that has created a beautiful musical legacy! His unwavering love and relentless pursuit to help me succeed is quite profound—I am forever indebted!” exclaims Kayla who calls herself her father’s “mini me.” “We share the same thought processes as music producers! I love that my dad ‘gets me’ and embraces my sound even though it is different from his. We make a great team as the Waters duo, and I hope we can do this for a very long time!”
The two part-suite “Kayla’s Keys” is a monumental moment on Anew as Kayla opens with an impressionist wonder that transitions to a funky forward-driving and enchanting musical exploration. “The first half alludes to keys opening doors whole the second half ignites musical keys that unlock new ways of creating at the piano,” explains Waters. “There’s an air of mysteriousness and discovery in the first half as I magically weave in and out of musical keys depicting ‘the unlocking’ and a sense of astonishment of what awaits behind ‘new doors’ as the second half begins.” The R&B inflected “Luminous Love” shines a light on Waters’ always tasteful phrasing, melodic genius and harmonic wizardry while the sophisticated “Fragrant Faith” blows in like a cool and steady breeze. The flawlessly orchestrated symphonic and cinematic masterpiece “The Baobab Tree” is a highpoint on Anew. Written in an odd meter, for the tree of life, Waters’ “The Baobab Tree” sonically captures the mysticism, resilience and power of the nutrient rich succulent’s compact crown and broad trunk which miraculously contains its own robust ecosystem. “I love, love, love this song. Written in 11/4, it captures the essence of this unique looking tree,” exclaims Kayla. The Baobab has root-like branches that extend to the sky and a powerful ability to store an immense amount of water in its trunk (alluding to its life-giving nature). This resonates with me as I know I too, am unique by design, planted for faithful works! This tree is also native to Madagascar which resembles the birthmark on my arm.” The Quiet storm R&B flavored “Sweet Honey” is the perfect vehicle for Waters to remind us that she can write and play it all. “I love writing mellifluous music,” shares Howard University alum. “Music that sounds sweet and tastes sweet. This piece pulls on the heartstrings and truly flows like honey! While my husband and I did our album photoshoot in Utah, we found out Utah is the honeybee state which provided even more deeper meaning to the origins.” Waters delivers the perfect finale with her timeless soaring melody on the albums’ dazzling title track.
Kayla Waters made her recording debut, Apogee, in 2017 and catapulted to the top of the Billboard Jazz chart with her single “I Am.” Both the single and album hit Billboard’s year end charts, underscoring her remarkable breakout year. Her sophomore album, Coevolve, followed a year later, and featured two Billboard #1 hits “Zephyr” and “Full Bloom.” The dynamic young artist once again topped the charts in 2021 with her single “Open Portals.” Presence, released in 2023 featured the Billboard #1 “Undulation” and two top five hits “Waterkisses” and “Murky Moon.” With the release of Anew, Kayla concludes, “It is my hope that all who listen will feel a sense of renewal, refreshing, and ponder how they can recreate life as they know it in bountiful ways. I love that the album is releasing in Autumn (one of my favorite seasons), as this is such a pristine time for reflection and peace. I encourage us all to begin Anew.”
Shanachie Entertainment
Jazz from Amazon.com
Flutist David Crawford offers hope on inspired new single #jazz #music
The accomplished arranger reinvents himself as a leading artist on “Africa Nouveau.”
Having arranged songs by R&B legends including Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige, Bill Withers, Rene & Angela, Bobby Womack, and Confunkshun, flutist David Crawford has begun arranging his own musical legacy with the release of “Africa Nouveau,” the newly released single that he wrote, produced, and performed, which is available now on all digital platforms.
For inspiration, Crawford turned to two sources: Africa and Michelle Obama. First, he decided to give the track an African motif using traditional African melodies and musical nuances on his contemporary jazz instrumental. Then, Crawford contemplated the message he wanted to convey. Based on everything that is happening in the US and globally, he decided that people are again in dire need of hope and he turned to Obama. While President Barack Obama ran on a platform of hope, the First Lady’s rousing speech at last year’s Democratic Convention is excerpted as a mid-tune soundbite: “All our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued.”
“I wanted to record a song that would be encouraging, empowering, and be a hopeful endeavor for the world at large. Africa, being my ancestral beginnings, was my first inspiration for a new world order,” said Crawford, a Compton, California native who now resides in Las Vegas.
With Crawford’s warm and comforting flute confidently guiding the jazzy excursion through African plains, Crawford brought in trumpeter Nolan Shaheed to provide a strong sonic contrast. Shaheed has played with Miles Davis, Buddy Collette, Barbara Morrison, and Earth, Wind & Fire, and on “Africa Nouveau,” he adds masterful muted trumpet that at times leads and at other times intertwines organically with Crawford’s fanciful flute.
“Nolan (Shaheed) is an incredible jazz performer and studio musician. He once was Marvin Gaye’s musical director and is a longtime colleague of mine. Adding his unique instrumental voice to ‘Africa Nouveau’ brings a lot of depth and color to the track,” said Crawford who earned his master’s degree in music at California Institute of the Arts.
In addition to his work as an arranger, Crawford is a composer and producer. He produced Vesta Williams’ Billboard R&B top ten single “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” along with multiple tracks by R&B group Woods Empire. Keeping the company of icons, Crawford recorded with Ahmad Jamal and The Temptations and played with Stevie Wonder and Isaac Hayes. In orchestral settings, Crawford has performed with the Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra, Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, and the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra.
Crawford plans to drop additional singles before releasing his first album, “Something Borrowed, Something New.”
For more information, visit http://screenmusicforme.com and https://www.facebook.com/dcflauta.
Tuesday, November 04, 2025
Jazz-Funk bassist Byron Miller gets seductive on "Any Time Any Place" #jazz #music
The new single featuring flutist Ragan Whiteside was produced by GRAMMY® nominated hitmaker Chris “Big Dog” Davis.
Years ago, jazz-funk bassist Byron Miller attended a Janet Jackson concert and one moment stuck with him. When Jackson performed her Billboard No. 1 R&B chart hit “Any Time Any Place,” a male audience member spontaneously ran up on stage. Always in control, Jackson directed him to sit in a chair placed on centerstage. She then sat on his lap seductively and sang the romantic ballad to him. Ever since, Miller wanted to record his own interpretation of the song Jackson wrote with GRAMMY® winners Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for her 1993 “Janet” album. That moment has finally arrived as Miller’s sensual version is currently steaming up radio playlists.
Miller’s new single, “Any Time Any Place,” was produced by two-time GRAMMY® nominee Chris “Big Dog” Davis, who handled most of the instrumentation on the track aside from the bassist’s amorously lyrical electric bass pleas. Vocalist Devin Tiana graces the track by singing the song title in the sultry chorus. But the producer felt something was missing: a female caress in the form of Billboard chart-topping flutist Ragan Whiteside.
“Chris (Davis) decided we needed a woman’s touch, and he suggested Ragan (Whiteside). I heard her play on (R&B-jazz vocalist) Kimberly Brewer’s version of the Quincy Jones song ‘If I Ever Lose This Heaven,’ which I produced for Kimberly, and I loved what I heard. Ragan bought a female energy to ‘Any Time Any Place’ that was missing,” said Miller. “I love Janet Jackson’s vocal on the original, which is so vulnerable, and I love the melody of the song, so I decided to record it.”
Miller’s “Any Time Any Place” offers a preview of his fifth album that he anticipates releasing in April. He’s consulting on a television project and producing tracks with Davis for a George Duke tribute album. The bassist not only played with Duke, but he’s created the rhythmic pocket for such iconic legends as Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Santana, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, Crusaders, Marvin Gaye, and Roy Ayers.
Titled for his nickname, PsychoBass, Miller’s solo debut album dropped in 2015, which spawned a series. “PsychoBass 2: The Gift” followed in 2018 and “PsychoBass 3: Real Love” was issued in 2022. Earlier this year, the Detroit-native Miller released the aptly titled “PsychoBass 4: Motor City Love.”
A long-time bass playing influencer, the Los Angeles-based Miller has two signature basses handcrafted by Michael Tobias Design in his name: 4- and 5-string models in his favorite colors, green and orange.
For more information, visit https://byronmillerpsychobass.com.
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