Notes from the Publisher

as a top-producing mortgage banker. I envisioned a life traveling around the country writing about jazz festivals and interviewing the stars of smooth jazz and up-and-coming acts. Then, sharing my stories with fellow jazz enthusiasts everywhere through the first-ever print publication devoted to a then-popular radio format and flourishing musical lifestyle. I’ll admit that I’ve had many sublime jazz vacation experiences over these nearly two decades. Among them were The Bermuda Music Festival; The JazzTrax Train to its “Winter into Spring Music Festival” at the Sunriver Resort in Oregon; The Great Waikoloa Food, Wine and Music Festival on the Big Island of Hawaii—all of which no longer exist––and, thankfully, one that still does, Dave Koz & Friends at Sea full-ship charters. I was on the 2011 Alaska cruise, but Koz has expanded his annual sailings around the globe. Glamorous excursions aside, it may surprise you to know that the time I spend attending concerts and festivals is just a sliver of

Dave Koz toasting passengers on his 2011 full-ship charter from Seattle to Alaska the weeks and months of long hours I work in the office creating the magazine and arranging for its circulation. The largest chunk of my day (and sometimes night) is immersed in income producing activities ... selling ads. This leaves basically no time for interviewing artists, which I assign to other qualified journalists. Advertisers provide the budget that pays for the writers, editors, graphic designers, distributors, staff, phones, internet, office supplies and all of the other expenses that keep this business running. So, without advertisers, there would be no Smooth Jazz News for our readers, to whom I am also wildly grateful. In the spirit of gratitude, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who advertised with us in 2018. They are listed on the next page in alphabetical order.

Hilton Waikoloa Village, venue for the 2004 Dolphin Days and Great Waikoloa Food, Wine and Music Festival on Hawaii’s Big Island

• A Jam Session Series (Allen Gray,

JazzKat Entertainment, LLC) • A Peter White Christmas • A Touch of Heaven Day Spa (Catalina Island) • Adam Hawley Christmas • Gerald Albright • Algarve Smooth Jazz Festival (Portugal) • Marcus Anderson • Mariea Antoinette • Antonio’s Pizzeria (Catalina Island) • Balboa Theatre (Laura Briney, Teri McPherson) • Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest (John Ernesto) • Patrick Bradley • Willie Bradley • Christiane and Rick Braun • Brian Bromberg • dee Brown • Jonathan Butler • California Center for the Arts,

Escondido (Josie Shepherd) • Cannonball Musical Instruments (Sheryl and Tevis Laukat) • Capital Jazz Fest • Capital Jazz Productions (Cliff Hunte) • Capital Jazz SuperCruise • Reneé and Mark Carter (The

Seabreeze, 106.3, Smooth Jazz) • Catalina Express (Angela Puchala) • Catalina Island Chamber of

Commerce & Visitors Bureau • Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival (Art Good) • Catch The Groove (Russ Morang) • Chapman & Co. Management • Reggie Codrington • Concord Music Group (Larry Bole,

Matt Craggs, Jason Linder) • Eric Darius • Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival (Larry Moore and Michelle Hornberger) • Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour • Dave Koz and Friends

Summer Horns Tour • Phil Denny • Derby City Jazz Festival • Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz at Kiawah Island • Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz at The Broadmoor • El Galleon (Catalina Island) • Elan Trotman’s Barbados

Jazz Excursion and Golf Weekend • Camella and Richard Elliot • Eric Marienthal & Friends benefit concert for High Hopes Head Injury

Program (Mark Desmond) • EXL Media (Lisa Baggio) • Festival of Arts and

Pageant of the Masters • Festival of Arts: Art, Jazz,

Wine and Chocolate • Festival of Arts Concerts on the Green • Gardena Jazz Festival (Evette Benjamin) • David Garfield • Jazmin Ghent • Euge Groove • Groovexpress • Gulf Coast Summer Fest Jazz Edition (William “Cadillac” Banks) • Michael Haggins • Hands 4 Hope L.A. Starlight Serenade

Benefit Concert • Adam Hawley • Hermosa Hotel (Catalina Island) • Lowell Hopper • Hornblower Cruises & Events (Rebecca Milkey, Elizabeth King,

Sophie Shrader) • Hotel Catalina • Hungry Hawk Vineyards & Winery • Independent Artists Services, LLC (Kim Giles) • Indian Wells Music Festival (Fitz and Wendy Fitzgerald) • Jacksonville Jazz Festival • Jarez • Jazz at the Creek San Diego (Leonard Thompson) • Jazz Head Collective • Jazz in Pink • Gail Jhonson • Lake Arbor Jazz Festival (Lisa Alexander) • Patrick Lamb • Life Luxe Jazz (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) • Long Beach Jazz Festival • Luau Larry’s (Catalina Island) • Mack Avenue Records (Shannon Moore and Daniel Broadway) • Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival (Spain) • Marcus Anderson’s

Jazz and Coffee Escape 2019 • Mi Casita Authentic Mexican

Restaurant (Catalina Island) • Raul Midón • MISZ The Groove Producer • Music City Jazz Festival (Marvin Spencer) • Najee • Nils • Norman Brown and Pamela L. Banks (Normantic Entertainment) • Norman Brown’s Joyous Christmas tour • Ocean Institute Jazz Festival • Original Jack’s Country Kitchen (Catalina Island) • Oxnard Jazz Festival (Chuck Dennis) • Pala Casino Spa Resort • Payne Pest Management (Kathy Payne,

Willie Payne and Jason Payne) • Phil Denny’s Armory Smooth Jazz Fete • Rainbow Promotions (Kimberly and Ozzie Benoit) • Rainbow Promotions Valentine’s

Concert for Friends & Lovers • Rick Braun’s European River Cruise Getaway • Rick Braun’s New Year’s Eve Getaway • Rick Braun’s Signature Events (Rick Braun and Sandy Riser) • Roland Corp. • Sam Rucker • SAESHE • San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival • San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival

New Year’s Eve Gala: The Champagne Life • San Diego Zoo • JJ Sansaverino • Scottland Concerts (Leslie and Scott Pedersen) • Seabreeze Jazz Festival (Reneé and Mark Carter) • Shanachie Entertainment • Dan Siegel • SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino • Smooth Entertainment (Sandra and Christian Bössner) • Spaghettini Fine Dining & Entertainment (Cary Hardwick and Laurie Sisneros) • Sycuan Casino • Temecula Wine & Music Festival (Terri and Michael Paulo) • The Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend (Roland Guilarte and Cathy Powers) • The Lowcountry Jazz Festival • The Sound of L.A. (Mike Sutton) • The Stare Case (Mona Casarini) • Thornton Winery’s Champagne

Concert Series • Elan Trotman • Nora and Jack Tucey • Tucson Jazz Festival • Visit Pensacola • W. F. Leopold Management (Mark Graham) • Warren Hill’s Cancun Jazz Festival • Lindsey Webster • Darryl Williams • Justin Young • Rob Zinn