Bring your lawn chairs, chill and enjoy a FULL DAY OF JAZZ . . . in Toledo!
Jeanette Harris
Jeanette Harris is the scintillating saxtress of smooth jazz. This lady understands that energetic and captivating performances matched with uplifting and inspiring vibrations in the music are the solid platinum recipe for success. Fans already recognize her for her wonderful cover of Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do,” which hit Billboard’s smooth jazz singles chart from her previous albums, Saxified, Summer Rain. Classically trained in both sax and piano, a graduate of Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music, and the saxophonist for the late, great Teena Marie’s final year of touring, Jeanette has weathered the fiercest challenges to bring the world her own brand of soulful healing vibes. She’s recorded with guitarist Norman Brown (who is featured on her 2011 release “Saxified”, written for Gerald Albright and has been blessed to perform at many well-known Jazz Festivals and Jazz Rooms in the United States, Japan, Germany and London. Her latest CD “Saxathone” is a fans favorite, having a mix of popular covers and soulful originals. Jeanette’s favorite spot is performing on the stage, and she is grateful for all of the wonderful musical opportunities she’s been blessed with and looks forward to many more.
Videos:
All I Do (Jeanette Harris)
Ragan Whiteside
Flute-playing soul-jazz phenomenon Ragan Whiteside has become one of the genre’s most consistently dynamic and popular artists. Thanks to her incredible skill and creativity on her chosen instrument, as well as her charismatic presence on stage, Whiteside is at the top of her game. That was demonstrated in October 2022, when she became the first artist to win the competitive Best Contemporary Jazz Artist Award at the inaugural Jazz Music Awards, held at the Cobb Energy Centre in Atlanta. Whiteside is also a 2023 NAACP Image Award Nominee and four-time nominee for the Smooth Jazz Network’s Best Artist Award.
That distinction is well-deserved, as the Atlanta-based musician, songwriter, and vocalist has become one of very few women players to excel in the male-dominated instrumental sphere, garnering nine consecutive Top Ten Billboard airplay singles by 2023. And she’s done it as an independent artist, releasing projects on Randis Music, the label she founded with her husband, producer, and composer Dennis Johnson.
Videos:
JJ’s Strut (Ragan Whiteside)