#29: Saxy Smooth with Najee

This week we feature Jafunk, one of the most talented producers and DJs on the planet whose soulful chords, funky bass lines, and luscious lead solos always put you in a smooth groove!

This week we present one of the legends of smooth, Jay Graydon who is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". Graydon has written over 200 songs. His catalog includes the Grammy winners "Turn Your Love Around" as performed by George Benson and "After the Love Has Gone" as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as "Who's Holding Donna Now" by DeBarge, "Friends in Love"  by Dionne Warwick and Johnny Mathis, and many songs written with and for Al Jarreau  including "Mornin'", "Breakin' Away", "High Crime", "After All", and "Roof Garden".

This week we present one of the freshest new sounds in music today in Wake the Wild. Wake the Wild is an LA based trio of lifelong friends that fuses funky live instrumentation with electronic, nu-disco & funk music. The band is made up of Forrest Mitchell on the drums and triggers, Chase Jackson on the mallet synths, guitar & bass, and Zach Sorgen on the vocals and keys. These guys grew up listening to classic Prince, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, as well as modern jazz fusion artists like Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Weather Report, but are also hugely influenced by modern artists like Disclosure, NAO and Oliver Nelson who fuse electronic production with organic live sounds and funky feels.Besides being some of the most genuine and real people on earth, these guys produce a super sweet, succulent, and smooth brand of music that will have you dancing and grooving all day and all night long. 

This week we feature one of the smoothest entrepreneurs and creators in the world, Tim Salau, Mr. FoW. He's been recognized by Amazon, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, SXSW, Toptal, Opportunity Hub, LinkedIn, The Millennial Mogul, and other global media platforms for his work as a global tech authority, Nigerian-activism, and leader on the Future of Work, leadership, and innovation! He's also recently embarked on a new musical journey releasing Damaia Joseph, An Experiential LP by Mr. FoW. Follow us on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/smoothicationexperience/?hl=en

This week we welcome the facilitator of smooth, saxophonist Dave Koz who has racked up an astoundingly impressive array of honors and achievements: nine GRAMMY® nominations, 11 No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, numerous world tours, 13 sold-out Dave Koz & Friends At Sea cruises, performances for multiple U.S. presidents, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and appearances on a multitude of television shows, including “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “The Tonight Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and more. A Platinum-selling artist, Koz is also known as a humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host and instrumental music advocate.

This week we welcome the sultry smooth, stunning, and charismatic Lindsey Webster who has garnered two Billboard #1’s and seven Top 10’s on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, making her the first vocalist in the format to garner a #1 since the iconic Sade.

This week we welcome one of the most talented musicians on the planet, Lukas Setto who hails from the UK and has had a series of #1 hits on the British music charts. His music channels the influences of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson as well as new modern soul sounds like The Weeknd and Bruno Mars.  

This week we welcome Najee, the Multi-Platinum & Grammy nominated saxophonist and flautist for a Saxy Smooth show. 

This week's podcast features a true smooth power couple in Esnavi and Elijah Bland. Esnavi is a multifaceted artist with a voice of undeniable soul, lyrics of thought provoking truth, and music that harmoniously blends everything in between.  With the release of her debut album Exit E and breakout single, Unexpected Love, which reached the Top 40 on the Urban Adult Contemporary Charts, Esnavi began to extend herself beyond music.  Securing music licensing deals, television appearances and beauty campaigns, she has now launched her very own skincare brand, ZEN by Esnavi - a clean, vegan and cruelty-free botanical skincare line.  Each product is responsibly handcrafted, by Esnavi herself, in made-to-order batches with 100% natural and organic ingredients.  Her highly anticipated forthcoming album, Detour, is set to release in 2021.  Elijah Bland is not your average man, and certainly not your average artist.  The multitalented singer/songwriter has headlined concerts across the globe, produced music for television, film and new media, and has been featured on international media outlets such as The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green and The Michael Baisden Show.  As a proud husband and father of two, he sits at the helm of EBX Enterprises, a creative collective of brands including Mojo Visual (full-service creative agency), Ocean’s Promise (nationally distributed health & wellness brand), professional photography services and more.  In his quest for excellence across all platforms, Elijah aims to uplift and inspire with a steadfast commitment to passion, purpose, faith, and love. 

This week we feature one of the Legends of Linkedin, Mark Metry who is the host of "Humans 2.0" which is a Global Top 100 podcast, author of the best-selling book “Screw Being Shy: How to Eliminate Social Anxiety”, TEDx Keynote speaker, and is featured on Amazon Prime's TV Docuseries "The Social Movement".Mark is one of the most Mindfully Smooth and influential humans on this planet who channels class, substance, and impact in everything he does. We learn how music helped Mark through a major life transformation when he had hit rock bottom gaining over 60 pounds and being depressed to helping him rise back to the top to become Mark 2.0!