Gary Meek – Monterey Groove
Gary Meek was born in 1961 in Encino, California. His father played piano recreationally. Meek attended El Camino Real High School, where he was active in the music department on clarinet, saxophones and keyboard. After high school he enrolled in the Dick Grove School of Music Professional Instrumental Program. Meek began his career in the early 1980s playing woodwinds in the big bands of the Los Angeles Jazz Workshop, and keyboards and woodwinds for local club dates, weddings and private parties. In the mid-’80s he toured with Dionne Warwick, playing keyboards.
Meek’s first album as a leader and saxophonist, 1991’s “Gary Meek,” comprises 11 songs all written or cowritten by Meek. He has released four other solo projects to date, including “Time One,” “Live at Ronnie Scott’s,” “Good Friends” and “Step 7.” In September of 2017 Meek released “Originals” – His first solo release in Fifteen years. The CD features Terri Lyne Carrington – Drums, Brian Bromberg – Acoustic Bass, Mitchel Forman – Piano, Randy Brecker – Trumpet/ Flugelhorn and Bruce Forman – Guitar, on Three songs apiece.
Monterey Groove is his newest album released in August, 2021. Jim Hynes (Making A Scene!) comments: “Meek is clearly inspired by the surroundings and atmosphere of his adopted home. You hear it in the pulsating rhythms as well as its floating, seemingly windswept lyricism.” The project soon grew beyond his core quartet, which features guitarist/producer Michael Lent (Barry Manilow, Jeffrey Osborne). along with bassist Robert Wider and drummer Skylar Campbell.
Get the album here.
GRAMMY nominated multi instrumentalist Dennis Murphy has been involved with the smooth jazz scene for over three decades. Dennis’s guitar, bass and vocal skills have earned him universal respect throughout the music industry as a first call for many diversified artists in the smooth jazz, blues, r&b, pop and straight ahead jazz genres.
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Guitarist Michael Walker has a fresh new sound in Smooth Jazz. With the combination of R&B, Southern Soul and Gospel you get a style of music that’s not heard today ( Southern Soul Jazz ). Michael has a style of his own but there are influences from his guitar idols Mr. George Benson and Norman Brown. It’s been five years since his debut Album A Smoother You. His sophomore album is DayLight (2018).
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Jimmie Highsmith Jr., or as friends call him Tjari, was born September 18, 1967 in “Flower City” Rochester NY. Critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated and award winning Saxophonist Jimmie Highsmith Jr., has shared the stage with and opened for multiple Grammy Award winners, including Najee, Alicia Keys, Víctor and Joseph Wooten, Chris Botti, Grover Washington Jr., and Wynton Marsalis just to name a few. In the last ten years he has recorded more than 10 top selling smooth jazz CD’s that have sold thousands worldwide with his 6th CD “The Anthology of Sound” receiving a Grammy Nomination..
Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, guitarist, and bandleader Cory Wong has teamed up with Stockholm, Sweden-based “twisted pop trio” Dirty Loops for a new collaborative album, Turbo. The album offers an reimagined take on iconic Michael Jackson smash hit, “Thriller”. “Thriller” appears as the penultimate track on Turbo, which also includes pre-release singles “Follow The Light” and “Ring of Saturn”.
Andrew Oh stands out as extremely accomplished saxophonist of international standard. His musical background and experience span almost three continents. Originally from Singapore, Andrew’s interest in music begun in the early 1970’s when he learnt to master a wide variety of woodwind instruments and a variety of percussion instruments.
Legendary Percussionist Pete Escovedo is an artist who broke down the barriers between Smooth Jazz, Salsa, Latin Jazz and contemporary music. His name has been synonymous in the music industry for more than 50 years. Pete is known worldwide for his live performances, session work and solo albums.
Hiroshima is the only Asian band to receive a Grammy-nomination and they have two. Legacy featured songs from the first 10 years and celebrated the band’s 30 years in the industry. Departure, number 18 for the celebrated Hiroshima who has created it’s own voice. . . One of the most unique bands in the world, Hiroshima combines traditional Japanese instruments, including koto, taiko and shakuhachi with western instruments and harmony, embracing rhythms ranging from Jazz to Latin and R&B –a blend referred to by famed British producer Robin Millar as “Urban World Music.”
