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Brian Simpson
Inspired keyboardist, composer, prolific studio musician and producer Brian Simpson is a master of all he purveys. His eloquent approach to playing, sophisticated harmonics sense, bluesy overtones, R&B flavor and keen sense of how to craft a song that stands the test of time have made him the go-to man for many. Through the years Simpson has been revered for his unparalleled ability to compose unforgettable melodies and irresistible grooves. Simpson’s soulful approach to music has made him first call for many including Janet Jackson, Teena Marie, George Duke, Stanley Clarke and Dave Koz. A chart-topping musical chameleon who wrote the #1 R&B hit “The First Time” for Surface in the 1990s, Brian Simpson has a knack for churning out timeless anthems.
Simpson’s approach is simple, “I’m following in the footsteps of those that laid the foundation of contemporary jazz music. The fusing of jazz and R&B is just what contemporary jazz is all about.”
Hailing from Gurnee, Illinois, Brian always knew music would play center stage in his life. “Our house was filled with music. I never really considered any other lifestyle,” shares the keyboardist. Simpson’s breakthrough as a solo artist began in 2005 with the #1 radio hit “It’s All Good.” The title track of It’s All Good proved instantly and joyfully prophetic, as it hit #1 on the Radio & Records Smooth Jazz Airplay chart and remained in the Top 5 for four months. His follow-up single, “Saturday Cool,” went Top 15. In 2007 Simpson released Above the Clouds, which delivered the memorable radio hits “What Cha Gonna Do?” (Top 10) and “Juicy” (Top 15).
After graduating from Northern Illinois University, Simpson relocated to Los Angeles where he quickly immersed himself in the local jazz scene. Late night jazz sessions found him playing alongside everyone from saxophonists Everette Harp and Boney James to guitarist Norman Brown. The free-spirited musician soon found himself taking a temporary leave of absence from the jazz scene, touring the world with pop divas Teena Marie, Sheena Easton and Janet Jackson. His foray into the pop world didn’t end there; in January 1991, he co-wrote the #1 Pop hit “The First Time” by Surface, which conquered both the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts.
Placing his success in pop aside, Brian Simpson has always been a working jazz musician. He has toured with some of the greats of recent jazz history, including George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, and Gerald Albright. Brian had been the musical director for jazz saxophonist Dave Koz for close to 20 years, and for a decade the Musical Director of the ambitious and highly popular “The Smooth Jazz Cruise.”
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Brian Simpson: Persuasion
by Jeff Winbush
There's jazz that is edgy, startling, daring, confrontational and demands attention be paid. It grabs you by the ears and pulls you close and won't let go. Then there's a kinda/sorta jazz where all the edges have been sanded off, there's no chances taken, no unexpected or startling moments, and nothing is ever at risk. If that's your thing, then Brian Simpson's Persuasion is here for you. Simpson plays nice piano and there's some nice synths and nice ...
read moreBrian Simpson: Out of A Dream
by Jeff Winbush
Some records not only desire your attention, they demand it. Think of Miles or Trane or Mingus and think of just puttering around the house as the music plays. It can't be done. The grandmasters of jazz made music that required it be heard and not merely listened to. Out of A Dream is not one of those records. In fact, it really would prefer if you went on with doing laundry, peeling potatoes, or organizing your socks ...
read moreBrian Simpson: Just What You Need
by Jeff Winbush
The raison d'être behind Brian Simpson's Just What You Need is not as audacious as to reshape jazz as we know it, but to provide some easy listening while we're waiting. The ambitions here are a bit more modest as Simpson, who is best known as Dave Koz's bandleader, brings together an accomplished crew of studio veterans in a setting where they can groove with each other. There are few surprises and fewer risks taken and while everything is certainly ...
read moreBrian Simpson: South Beach
by Jeff Winbush
Sometimes you have to accept something for what it is. Keyboardist Brian Simpson's debut for Shanachie , South Beach, sounds like a thesis submitted to the College of Smooth Jazz. It hits all the tropes of the genre: plenty of tinkling keyboard melodies, funky bass n' drums riffs, sweet saxophone seasonings, and vanilla background vocals. That may seem like a criticism, but it's not; it is a recognition of what may have been on Simpson's checklist, and how successfully he ...
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