GROVER WASHINGTON, JR.

(December 12, 1943 - December 17, 1999)

http://www.groverwashingtonjr.com
www.sonymusic.com



Grover Washington, Jr. is a name I've known for a long time. I knew of Grover Washington, Jr. before he became a part of one of my favorite Jazz groups Urban Knights and before he became instrumental in helping the group Pieces of A Dream become internationally known.

We lose many great artists for one reason or another. Grover Washington Jr had just finished taping four sessions for The Early Show for CBS in New York, he collapsed in the green room. He suffered a massive heart attack.

If you think you don't know who he is or have never heard him, just listen to some of his music that I'm sure you've heard and I'm sure you'll say, "Is that him!!?"

Grover will be missed.

JACKIEM JOYNER

http://www.jackiemjoyner.com
http://www.myspace.com/jackiemsoul



Jackiem Joyner is another artist I found while browsing around on MySpace. Soft, sexy and mellow - I instantly took a liking to him. I can't find a video but if you click on his MySpace link above you can get a sample of his music. His debut album is called Babysoul through Artizen Music Group.

A portion of his bio on Artizenmusic.com reads:

After several years of playing with keyboard greats Marcus Johnson and Bobby Lyle and saxophonist Jaared, co-headlining a 30 city tour in 2004 with Ronnie Laws and jazz and soul singers Angela Bofill and Jean Carne, and opening gigs for everyone from India Arie to Boney James, Spyro Gyra and George Benson, Joyner took a full year off to focus on writing and recording an album that marks his status as “a baby coming into the world, a new soul emerging into the music business.” Babysoul is more than just a title- it is a true description of his professional re-birthing.

Check him out. Hope you enjoy him as much as I do.

MARCUS MITCHELL

http://www.myspace.com/marcushmitchell


Image from: http://www.jazzreview.com

Portion of an article from http://smoothjazztherapy.typepad.com

Marcus H Mitchell is not only a rising saxophone star but is also CEO and President of 24th Music, a division of MHM Entertainment Group based in Maryland. The youngest independent executive to be on the voting committee for the Grammy Awards he is about to release his latest CD, the excellent ‘R & R – Rest & Relaxation’. It follows on from his 2005 debut ‘Jumpin’ and is a classy eleven track collection of fresh urban jazz sounds that is epitomized by the tune ‘Just Groovin’. With a title that pretty much sums up what Mitchell does throughout the album it is replete with his own brand of edgy smooth jazz and, although rest and relaxation may not entirely be what Mitchell is all about, the smoky title track, the chilled out ‘Deep Concentration’ and finally ‘Summer Breeze’ all demonstrate that he knows mellow urban jazz.