The contemporary jazz guitarist accelerates his creative pace with a 12‑song collection and a Blues Alley release concert.
Contemporary jazz guitarist Ronny Smith continues the most prolific period of his career, and he’s marking the moment with Velvet Vibe Deluxe Edition, arriving November 6 from Pacific Coast Jazz. The expanded release adds two new tracks to the album he dropped this summer, transforming the project into a 12‑song showcase of Smith’s warm electric tone, groove‑driven compositions, and instrumental storytelling. The deluxe edition marks the first physical CD release of Velvet Vibe, while also being available digitally.
Smith builds his compositions around warm melodies and grooves, leaving room for listeners to find their own stories. He said, “I’ve always believed that an instrumental song should be able to tell a story even when there aren’t any lyrics. There’s also a visual quality to my music, and I like leaving enough space for listeners to create their own images and stories.”
The focal point of Smith’s recordings is his cool electric jazz guitar voice, inspired by Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and Chuck Loeb. His astute fretwork and phrasing exhibit lyrical, emotionally expressive, and rhythmic qualities displayed on diverse musical canvases.
“When I started writing this album, I wanted each composition to have its own personality while still sounding like it belonged on the same record. There are elements of jazz, soul, funk, blues, and gospel throughout, but the common thread is melody and groove,” said Smith, who has a November 9 album release concert at Washington, DC’s legendary Blues Alley.
“My guitar tone has always been a very personal part of my music. With Velvet Vibe, I wanted the guitar to be warm and melodic but still have enough presence to sit on top of these grooves. The album title reflects some of that—the idea of having a smooth, almost velvet-like tone without losing the rhythmic edge.”
In addition to playing guitar on Velvet Vibe, Smith plays bass, keyboards, and programming. He’s accompanied by his core trio: bassist Jose Juvinao, keyboardist Dennis Fortune, and drummer Erik Tulissio. Pianist Asaf Finkelstein augments a pair of tunes, while the four-piece Heartbeat Brass Band adds energy and lushness to three tracks.
The album opens with “Breeze.” Smith says, “‘Breeze’ is about that effortless feeling when everything is flowing naturally. Musically, I wanted it to breathe. There’s space in the arrangement, but there’s still a groove underneath it. It’s one of those compositions where I didn’t want to overplay. Sometimes the notes you leave out are just as important as the ones you play.”
Up next is the funky energizer “Feel The Groove.” “I wanted something that immediately made you move. Groove has always been a major part of my music. Even when I’m playing something melodic or harmonically sophisticated, I still want that pocket underneath it.”
“Night Wave” keeps the groove going with this wave of rhythm and horns that illuminate the choruses. Smith takes listeners on a downtempo ride aboard “Late Train Home” followed by the title track, which was the first single from the collection. “Velvet Vibe” was added to the SiriusXM Watercolors playlist in its debut week.
According to Smith, “Bringing the Heartbeat Brass Band horns into the title track was especially fun because they gave the song another layer of energy. The guitar and groove establish one atmosphere, and then the horns come in and give it punch and personality. That helped make ‘Velvet Vibe’ feel like the right centerpiece for the album.”
Smith adds layered vocal textures to the chorus of “Heavens’ Angel,” creating a gospel-influenced warmth to the track.
The two new songs added to Velvet Vibe are “Uptown Nights” and “Easy Flow.” The first bounces to the rubbery basslines dispensed by Juvinao while the second is bolstered by the firepower of the Heartbeat Brass Band horns.
Smith says, “‘Familiar Faces’ has a sense of recognition and connection to it. There are people who pass through your life, and sometimes just seeing a familiar face can bring back an entire period of memories.”
The mood chills on “Quiet Moment,” followed by “Horizon Lights,” a hybrid contemporary jazz/straight-ahead jazz outing set ablaze by Smith’s gregarious guitar parlance and Finkelstein’s elegant piano. The two musicians go all in on the straight-ahead style on the mellow closer “Once Upon A Dream,” taking the tempo down a notch via Juvinao’s walking acoustic basslines.
“‘Once Upon a Dream’ shows another side of me musically. I didn’t want Velvet Vibe to be confined to one narrow definition of jazz. My background and influences are broader than that, and I wanted the record to leave room for that part of my playing and writing,” explained the Baltimore-based Smith.
Since releasing his debut album Laid Back in 2002, Smith has built his brand upon the quality of his 12‑album catalog along with dynamic concert performances, international airplay, and worldwide streams. He’s also licensed music for placement in film and television. His pace of new releases, which used to span as long as four years between albums, accelerated after the pandemic; Velvet Vibe Deluxe Edition is his seventh set to drop in six years.
“I hope people can put on Velvet Vibe and find their own story in it. One person might hear a song and think about driving at night, another might think about someone they love, and somebody else might simply connect with the groove. That’s one of the things I love about instrumental music. I can give the listener the emotion and the atmosphere, but I don’t have to tell them exactly what the story is. They get to complete it themselves.”
Velvet Vibe Deluxe Edition contains the following songs:
“Breeze”
“Feel The Groove”
“Night Wave”
“Late Train Home”
“Velvet Vibe”
“Heavens’ Angel”
“Uptown Nights”
“Easy Flow”
“Familiar Faces”
“Quiet Moment”
“Horizon Lights”
“Once Upon A Dream”
Pre-save Velvet Vibe Deluxe Edition: Velvet Vibe in stores November 6 2026
For more information: https://ronnysmith.com
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