Featuring the Smooth Groove of Today's Jazz!!
Café Jazz Artist Page

Brian Simpson


Brian Simpson on Café Jazz !
Most Playd '05
Here With You - Brian Simpson:
Featured on our Best of '05 Review Part 3: Edition 394 - Jan. 29th, 2006
Here's a veteran musician whose meteoric rise on the Smooth Jazz charts has been a long time coming! After worldly excursions with Teena Marie, Sheena Easton, and Janet Jackson, Simpson gravitated to jazz. He performed with some contemporary greats, released a solo album, and took part in a pair of projects as a member of the four-piece combo Rhythm Logic. But, for the most of the last ten years, he's been a member of Dave Koz's band while for the past eight, he's also doubled as Koz's musical director.

The combination of experiences served Simpson well !! That and some optimum timing resulted in the release of It's All Good. From the very first listen, there was absolutely no doubt about it; we had in our hands one of the finest releases for the year ... continue reading.

Back to Top

Brian Simpson featured on Then & Now: Edition 387 - December 4th, 2005
Okay so in truth Simpson has only had a pair of solo releases. Nonetheless, we have ample material for our T&N feature as we supplement selections from those albums with a couple of tracks from Rhythm Logic.

We begin with Brian's debut and Hidden Pleasures, a tune that first got me and many others hooked on the sounds of this brilliant keyboardist!! That's followed by two Rhythm Logic tracks each featuring Brian. You Know I Will is first up from the first Rhythm Logic release and that's followed by Midnight Conversation from the hard-to-find Sweet Talk album ... continued .


Closer Still
Noteworthy Records
1995


Sweet Talk
VideoArts Music
2000


It's All Good
Rendezvous
2005

Back to Top

It's All Good - Brian Simpson:
Showcased on Edition 382 - October 30th, 2005

Simpson has been playing piano since he turned ten. He inherited a love of jazz from his father and although he was initially drawn to the sounds of guitarists such as Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery, Oscar Peterson turned out to be his biggest influence.

Simpson formalized his studies at Northern Illinois University and as a member of that school's big band he performed all over the world. Brian moved to LA in 1985 and quickly became a part of that city's vibrant jazz scene. However, for a period his journey in jazz took a bit of a detour when, in quick succession, he took part in world tours with Teena Marie, Sheena Easton, and Janet Jackson ... Read more about Brian .


Back to Top

Here With You - Brian Simpson:
Featured on Fresh Trax Edition 376 - September 18th, 2005
Now we haven't heard anything new from Simpson for quite some time. True, he was a member of Rhythm Logic, a 4-piece combo that recorded a pair of projects back in the late 90s, but Brian's one & only previous solo effort was released all the way back in 1995. So what's this man been doing? Well for the most part Brian has been a member of Dave Koz's tour band for about ten years and for the past few he's also acted in the capacity of Koz's musical director. That brings us more or less to the present as Simpson just recently issued It's All Good, his long overdue follow-up effort on his old buddy Dave's Rendezvous record label. Well was it worth the wait? You bet it was!! Simpson's work with some of the top players in the genre together with his grounding in straight ahead jazz, have allowed ... see the feature.

Back to Top

Listen to Café Jazz Radio | Show Notes | Contest Page | Program Profile | Contact Information
Hot Links to Cool Cats | Cool Links | This Week | Music Den | Favourites (Most Played)