Jeff "Skunk" Baxter · Do It Again

Unquestionably one of the rock/pop world's leading guitarists, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter also has a life story so unusual it recalls the title of Alton Delmore's autobiography, “Truth is Stranger Than Publicity.”

 Born in Washington D.C., but raised partly in Mexico City, partly in a Connecticut prep school and partly in late '60s Boston, Baxter was delivering amps to a session in New York City when the guitarist didn't arrive. He grabbed a guitar then and thus, at age 16 began a recording career that has spanned over 55 years and continues to this day.

After stints with Tim Buckley, The Holy Modal Rounders and Ultimate Spinach, in 1972 he attracted his first notoriety, as a founding member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Steely Dan, delivering scintillating and sizzling guitar licks to such legendary tracks as "Do It Again", "My Old School" and "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number.”

 He joined the Hall of Fame inductees The Doobie Brothers in 1974, later bringing Michael McDonald to the band and helping that group craft such enduring treasures as "Takin' It To The Streets", "It Keeps You Runnin'" and "What A Fool Believes".

 During the ‘70s, '80s, '90s and 2000+, he continued his high-level session work, contributing key guitar and pedal steel work to recording projects by Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams, Freddie Hubbard, John Cougar Mellencamp, Cher, Rod Stewart, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Julio Iglesias, Barbara Streisand, Harry Nilsson, Gene Simmons, Elton John, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, The Ventures, Edgar Winter and The Beach Boys, (to name a few), as well as touring with Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Julian Lennon and Linda Ronstadt.

 As producer, he can count projects with artists like Carl Wilson, Nazareth, Billy & The Beaters, (#1 single “At This Moment”), Nils Lofgrin and the Stray Cats among his accomplishments.

  As a composer, he co-wrote and produced the original theme for “Beverly Hills 90210”, as well as composing, performing and producing score for a number of TV and movie projects including “King of the Hill”, “Class of 1984”, (with Lalo Schifrin), “Roxanne” and “Bull Durham.”

 He composed and produced jingles for a number of major brands, including Wrangler Jeans, Johnny Walker, Motorola, Southern Comfort and Mitsubishi Audio Products and performed as a session musician for countless others.

 In 2022 he achieved on of those life goals and released his first solo recording "Speed of Heat". His first tour as band leader took place in the Spring and Summer of 2022 was successful and he was invited to perform in Japan in August of that year. On "Speed of Heat" he sings (a rare occurence) on the Steely Dan staple "My Old School", which makes sense since he used to do the vocals when Steely Dan did live shows. Guest voaclists and writers include Michael McDonald (My Place In The Sun), Clint Black (Bad Move) and Johnny Lang (I Can Do Without).

Through all this he has earned numerous Gold and Platinum albums, two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, in the process. He was also a consultant with AKAI Digital as their Senior Technical Advisor, and held consulting positions with Gibson, Bedell Guitars, Fender, Epiphone, Audio-Technica, D’Angelico Guitars and has been with Roland Corp for over 40 years, involved in on-going design/consulting work on numerous Roland and Boss products including the first commercially successful Guitar Synthesizer and its progeny. He continues to pursue his career as a guitarist, producer, engineer, composer and technical consultant and has no intention of slowing down.

Rebecca Jade · Please Come Home

Rebecca Jade is an accomplished singer/songwriter and has been able to turn her love for music into a career for close to two decades. Growing up in a musical home, she had been exposed at to a broad range of artists, genres and styles from her mother, who is also a vocalist. With such influences, it seems a natural progression that Rebecca has followed in her footsteps.

 Jade has performed with some of the most sought-after musicians all over the world and her versatility has allowed her many unique opportunities to perform: Rebecca toured with the Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. since 2017 and appeared in the Emmy-nominated show, “Let’s Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute to Prince” that aired on CBS in April 2020; She also sang background vocals for Sir Elton John at the 2020 Academy Awards; Rebecca has appeared as a guest artist on the Dave Koz Cruises since 2016 and made her debut on the Dave Koz & Friends 2021 Christmas tour – she will be joining Dave for a repeat appearance on his 2022 Christmas Tour; Rebecca has also been a featured artist on many of Eric Darius’ 2022 tour dates. Rebecca opened for Will Downing and Boney James at a sold-out Valentine’s Day concert in Long Beach, as well as opened for Jeffrey Osborne for the Thornton Winery Summer Concert series, both in 2019; Rebecca has done multiple concerts at Spaghettini in Seal Beach and was the singer in the Houseband at Anthology in San Diego for 5 1⁄2 years; She was the official singer of the San Diego Gulls NHL hockey team’s anthem during their 2015 and 2016 seasons.

 Rebecca Jade earned two San Diego Music Awards in 2022 for “Best Music Video” & “Best R&B/Funk/Soul Song” for “What’s It Gonna Be”, her first single off of her latest upcoming album; she also earned “Song of the Year” for 2021, & “Artist of the Year” for 2020; Rebecca has completed her most recent album, A Shade of Jade, which features both Dave Koz and Eric Darius on two of the songs, and she put on a sold-out album release concert at Sycuan’s Live & Up Close Showroom. Rebecca has opened for Grammy-nominated artist, Musiq Soulchild on two separate occasions. Rebecca is also a jazz vocalist and released an album of Cole Porter classics titled, Planet Cole Porter, with arranger/producer/jazz guitar virtuoso Peter Sprague, which earned them a 2018 SDMA for “Best Jazz Album”. She has also been the front-woman for the soul/funk band, Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact, and they collectively earned SDMAs in 2014, 2015 and 2017, and a “Best of San Diego” Award in 2016. The band had the opportunity to open for and Rebecca to sing with El Debarge. The Cold Fact released two full-length albums, one self-titled and the 2nd one called, Running Out of Time. Prior to the Cold Fact, Rebecca released her debut album collaboration in 2011 titled, The Jade Element.

 Rebecca has over 30 years of recording studio experience. She has sung background vocals, demos and jingles on many different projects, including projects with Kiko Cibrián (Luis Miguel) and Kevin Flournoy (Chaka Khan), and has been featured in a variety of notable works, including being featured on two songs on DW3’s self-titled album that went #1 on the UK Soul Charts in 2020, and singing backing vocals on Aubrey Logan’s 2nd full-length album, Where the Sunshine is Expensive, which went #1 on the Billboard charts in 2019.

Ragan Whiteside · Steppin' Out

Billboard #1 and Jazz Music Award-winning flautist/composer Ragan Whiteside is back with an exciting new single, "Steppin' Out" - the first single from her upcoming 7th album release, titled RAGAN. Teaming up once again with hit producers Dennis Johnson and Bob Baldwin, Ragan delivers her signature high-energy performance with a track that brings a breath of fresh air to the Contemporary Jazz genre.

"Although we've created 6 albums, this is the first project I've done without a full-time day job," says the NAACP Image Award-nominated Whiteside. "We named this song Steppin' Out because it's exactly what is happening in my life - I'm stepping out from my 20+ year software development gig and diving head-first into my passions."

Joining Ragan on the track is Rich Harrison a.k.a the artist RAH (Evelyn Champagne King, Atlantic Starr) on drums and Phil Hamilton (Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Al Jarreau) on guitar.

Chris Godber · Mean 2 Be

Florida-based sax-man, Chris Godber has released his latest project, "Meant 2 Be," a collection of soulful and uplifting Gospel Jazz tracks. The EP features 7 tunes (5 covers + 1 original that contains both vocal and instrumental versions) that showcase Godber's signature sound and style.

Faced with the discouraging thought that his asthma would prevent him from playing the saxophone, Chris turned to his faith as a source of strength and determination. With his unwavering trust in God's plan, he embarked on a remarkable journey that would not only prove his skeptics wrong, but also inspire countless others along the way. "Meant 2 Be" is a musical testimony of his journey. From the very uplifting lyrics of the title track, "Meant 2 Be" to the funky horn sections and grooves of "Glorious," the EP is a masterclass in combining the elements of Gospel music and Contemporary Jazz.

"This is different than anything I've done before. Though all of my music has some gospel elements; with this one we didn't hold back," said Godber. "Meant 2 Be" is available on all major streaming platforms.

Mr. Horn · I'll Be There For You ft. Dave McMurray

Keyboardist Darren Horn started performing professionally as a teenager in Detroit with singer Cortez Harris, who was a member of popular R&B/funk band Al Hudson & One Way.

He and Cortez hit it off after Horn, whose aunt lived across the street from where the band was rehearsing, took the initiative to start jamming with them. After a time playing with Cortez at major clubs like The Twenty Grand, the keyboardist hooked up with The Axe Band, which was renowned as singer Cherelle’s backing band and toured with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Horn later played keys and acted as road manager for Kiara, which scored a #2 on Billboard R&B chart a duet with Shanice Wilson on Arista Records, and opened for everyone from Gerald Albright to Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross; they also created pop crossover remixes for saxophonist Marion Meadows and worked for a time with Toni Braxton just as she was about to emerge.

Horn is releasing The Horn Connection EP on the heels of his 2022 debut album Summertime, whose popular, vocal-driven title track single was played on Smooth Jazz and soft rock radio and internet stations throughout the U.S. and Europe.

“Nairobi,” an infectious and spirited mid-tempo ballad that showcases Mr. Horn’s sparkling piano magic and features dynamic solos by Billboard #1 Smooth Jazz hit makers, guitarist Nils and flutist Ragan Whiteside.

The Horn Connection will include four other tracks by Horn featuring collaborations with various artists. These include the whimsical and romantic yet grooved-out original “I’ll Be There for You” and fresh, keyboard-centric re-imaginings of some of his favorite R&B and contemporary jazz songs – the Chuck Mangione classic “Feels So Good,” Stephanie Mills’ “I Feel Good All Over” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s brassy funk jam “In The Stone.”

Ilya Serov · Glow

Award-winning trumpeter /singer /guitarist /band leader Ilya Serov has a passion for jazz that knows no bounds. A talented young musician with an old soul, Ilya brings an infusion of imagination, vision and energy to the many shades of America’s original musical art form. Possessing both chops and charisma, his live performances and recordings have attracted a solid following among jazz fans and seasoned musicians alike.

Ilya first encountered jazz as a teen, exchanging tapes and records with fellow musicians. His earliest jazz influences were Arturo Sandoval, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole, and he eventually incorporated their sounds and vocal stylings into his own music.

When not on stage, Ilya spends his time in the recording studio. His debut album, September in the Rain (2013), was a Big Band outing of classic jazz standards that highlighted both his horn and vocal skills. That album was followed by the release of Back in Time (2018), featuring classic tunes and instrumental collaborations with legendary pianist Roger Kellaway, and acclaimed saxophonist Eric Marienthal, and GRAMMY®-winning percussionist Poncho Sanchez.

“Ilya is a great, great trumpet player and I love his voice,” said Sanchez. “He has a great thing here because it’s commercial enough for the mainstream to enjoy, but hip enough for the jazz folks to like. He can sing the tunes and play them; that’s the edge he’s got.”

After hearing Serov perform, Dave Koz invited him to be a guest artist on his popular Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Jazz Cruise. From 2017 – 2019 he played on cruises throughout Europe and Australia with Koz and other Smooth Jazz greats, sharing the stage with the likes of Jonathan Butler, David Benoit, Larry Graham, Peter White and BeBe Winans. Ilya will again be a featured guest artist on Dave Koz & Friends in Amsterdam and the British Isles in May 2022.

Ilya Serov is driven today not only by his desire to preserve jazz as an American treasure, but by his mission to engage and educate new generations of listeners. He continues to focus exclusively on contributing his time and talent to the world of jazz - its past, present and future.

Serov's new single "Glow" is mixed and produced by Adam Hawley.