The label inks guitarist Richard Smith whose debut single for the imprint drops November 1. Kim Scott, Pat Petrillo, and Cal Harris Jr. also have new singles coming out in autumn.
A model of high-level consistency as evidenced by being named Billboard magazine’s No. 3 Smooth Jazz Label of the Year for the last five years, Innervision Records is making moves to move up the chart by inking guitarist Richard Smith, who will release his label debut single, “Bring It In,” on November 1. The imprint’s fall release schedule also includes new singles by Billboard chart-topping flutist Kim Scott, drummer Pat Petrillo, and keyboardist Cal Harris Jr.
Smith is a highly regarded contemporary jazz musician and educator who was the youngest tenured professor at USC’s Thornton School of Music. He has recorded or shared the stage with contemporary jazz luminaries including Richard Elliot, Peter White, Kenny G, Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Eric Marienthal, Brian Bromberg, Warren Hill, Everette Harp and Dan Siegel. His “SOuLIDIFIED” (2003) album spent 17 weeks in the top 10 in terms of airplay and his 2015 set, “Tangos,” spent more than five months in the top 10 on the indie and contemporary jazz charts.
“Bring It In” continues Smith’s string of singles that he wrote with one of his former guitar students, 16-time Billboard chart-topper Adam Hawley, who produced the tracks.
The pair teamed up in 2021 for “Let’s Roll” and “Soul Share” and again the following year to release “Groove Assets.” Smith explains the inspiration for their latest collaboration.
“‘Bring It In’ is my love letter to the deep community of musicians who play because they genuinely love music and come together to make music for music’s sake. During Covid, a group of talented musicians and I got together to play just for fun and ‘musical maintenance.’ We started with songs we knew, then moved onto songs we wanted to know, and then we started writing originals together. We played for many hours at a time and in the process, we rediscovered and reinforced the joy and the healing power of music when played together, underscoring yet again that music is a team sport. When we played, we would end the sessions and ‘bring it in’ with a high five or a hand slap or a group hug. You’d often hear someone say, ‘This is the reason I got into music!’ And it is true. Good music brings us all together and brings us joy,” said Smith, a globetrotter who also teaches abroad in such diverse locations as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Manila, London, Oslo, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Palermo, Rome or Bueno Aires.
Smith and Innervision Records’ general manager Steve Belkin have a decades long relationship, which made bringing the guitarist into the label family a natural fit.
“I'm excited to welcome my long-time friend and the great guitarist Richard Smith into the Innervision family. I was involved with Richard's career in his early years, and he has grown exponentially as an artist. I have deep respect and admiration for his background as a teacher and professor at the USC jazz guitar department. His influence continues to ripple through the jazz guitar community as can be seen on our first single release with Richard, ‘Bring It In,’ which was produced and co-written with one of his students, Adam Hawley,” said Belkin.
Smith echoes Belkin’s enthusiasm by saying, “The human resources at the label, with Steve Belkin and Adam Leibowitz at the helm, represent decades in the global contemporary jazz scene. The underlying message of my first single for Innervision Record is that music is a team sport. Innervision Records is a dream team.”
Scott just released her latest single, “Freedom,” a joyous Afrobeat-influenced jazz instrumental as evidenced in the accompanying video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I87riFR9wf4. In its debut week at radio, “Freedom” was the No. 1 most added on the Mediabase chart and was added out of the box to the SiriusXM Watercolors playlist. Scott’s previous single, “Like Butter” featuring saxophonist Jeff Ryan, went No. 1 on the Mediabase chart and hit No. 3 on the Billboard chart. Both singles will appear on her “Livin’ It Up” album, which will be released in February. The Birmingham, Alabama-based Scott was 2021’s Breakout Artist of the Year and had Billboard’s No. 1 Smooth Jazz Song of the Year in 2022, “SHINE.”
Petrillo’s second single for Innervision Records, “Weekend Vibe,” arrives on November 8. The New Yorker made his label debut last June with “Glide in My Stride.” Both singles will appear on Petrillo’s first album for Innervision Records that is slated to drop next year.
Harris Jr.’s “Love Stories” will be shared on November 15. The single previews his forthcoming album, which will be released next year.
Innervision Records will start the year with a busy first quarter with new singles and albums coming from Scott, 11-time Billboard chart-topping guitarist Blake Aaron, guitarist Dee Brown, and keyboardist Charles A. Kelly. In January, many of the Innervision Records artists will gather to perform at the label’s twelfth annual After NAMM JAMM at Spaghettini south of Los Angeles.
Twenty-six-year-old Innervision Records has curated a diverse roster of recording artists who craft contemporary jazz, R&B, and world music that consistently impacts the Billboard, Mediabase, Groove Jazz, Radiowave, and multiple smooth jazz charts. For more information, please visit www.innervisionrecords.com.
Preorder Smith’s “Bring It In” at https://sym.ffm.to/bring_it_in.
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