Notes from the Publisher

Most of us jazz fans are at an age where we have either planned well for retirement or now realize we should have prepared better.

Some have sailed into retirement with all the time and sufficient funds to book jazz-themed cruises, buy VIP packages at the most popular festivals, and even make our international jazz travel dreams come true. Others budget for general admission tickets: packing picnics and searching for a comfortable spot on the lawn––often despite mobility issues–– at local smooth jazz events. Regardless of where we are on this scale, all of us want our smooth jazz lifestyle to continue. That was my professional goal 20 years ago when I launched Smooth Jazz News. I was preparing for my future when I stepped away from a financially lucrative mortgage-banking career to downsize into a more fulfilling and meaningful, yet modest, writer’s life. I traded in my Mercedes-Benz for a Toyota Camry and put my personal shopper at Nordstrom on hold. I took on a partner at the mortgage company where I was working so he could handle the daytime tasks while I built my magazine business. When my Smooth Jazz News workday ended, I drove to the mortgage office to meet with clients and catch up on paperwork each night. Even a few years in, when the magazine became profitable enough to support myself, I kept this up for a decade or so. As the financial industries waned, I stayed at the mortgage job (sans the partner), which had now become more of a part-time gig, to take advantage of corporate benefits, including affordable health insurance (my individual plan’s premium is now nearly as much as my mortgage payment!).

Eventually, after a few years without mortgage clients, I let my real estate and NMLS licenses expire, and I retired from the mortgage business permanently. I’m not sure I had a clear vision of exactly where I would be 20 years after the first 16-page tabloid I initially published on newsprint 11 times a year. By 2003, it grew to a 28-pager with an enhanced glossy cover. In 2007, before I felt the affects of the mortgage meltdown and economic crash, we upgraded to a 72-page, all-glossy magazine format. And, despite downward market trends, we published between 4072 pages, on an 11-issue annual publication schedule, until 2011, when we scaled back to 10 issues. As the economy continued to decline in First publication in 1999 First glossy magazine cover 2003 2012, we began publishing eight times per year. And, in 2014––due to increased operational and production HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE We' G ve ot a got l t ist he ? gifts! costs, decreasing ad revenues, and SMOOTH JAZZ CHRISTMAS A panth ON eon TOUR of smooth jazz the abandonment of the smooth luminaries bear gifts of holiday music NEW Relax RICK BRAUN'S YEAR'S EVE GETAWAY at a resort and celebrate jazz format by terrestrial radio New Year's Evewithcelebrities PHOTO CREDITS: Richard Elliot by Sherry Fisher. The Lexus Jazz Festival at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach by Ambrose On shore and at sea the sax master marvels at the unity of the smooth jazz community DAVE KOZ stations––we went to a 32- to 40-page layout and a seven-issue publication year, where we have remained comfortably (and profitably) ever since.

First all-glossy magazine 2007 Current issue Because Smooth Jazz News is a business, we have printers, writers, editors, graphic designers, support staff, distribution costs and other expenses to pay. Without the support of advertisers, there would be no Smooth Jazz News for our readers, to whom I am also incredibly grateful. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has ever advertised with us, and recognize those companies and individuals who placed ads with us in 2019. They are listed on page 9 in alphabetical order. Although I’ve reached the age that makes me eligible for my mortgage company pension, IRA distributions and early Social Security benefits, dare I say cheers to another 20 years?

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND COMPANIES WHO ADVERTISED IN SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS IN 2019

• A Peter White Christmas • A Touch of Heaven Day Spa (Catalina Island) • Adam Hawley’s 2nd Annual Christmas Concert • Gerald Albright • Alexander Zonjic’s Shoreline Jazz Festival • Algarve Smooth Jazz Festival (Portugal) • Mariea Antoinette • Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret (Catalina Island) • Apaulo Music Productions (Terri and Michael Paulo) • Asia America Symphony Association • Balboa Theatre (Laura Briney, Teri McPherson) • David Benoit • Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest (John Ernesto) • Willie Bradley • Christiane and Rick Braun • Break of Dawn (Navigator Entertainment) • Johnny Britt • Brian Bromberg • Isaac Byrd Jr. • Cannonball Musical Instruments (Sheryl and Tevis Laukat) • Renee’ and Mark Carter (The Seabreeze, 106.3, Smooth Jazz) • Catalina Express (Angela Sanchez) • Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau • Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival (Art Good) • Chapman & Co. Management (Steve Chapman and Bud Harner) • Reggie Codrington • Trey Daniels • Eric Darius • Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival (Larry Moore and Michelle Hornberger) • Dave Koz & Friends Gifts of the Season Christmas Tour • Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns Tour • Derby City Jazz Festival (Max Maxwell) • Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz at Kiawah Island • Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz at The Broadmoor • Isaac Edwards • Elan Trotman’s Barbados Jazz Excursion and Golf Weekend • Camella and Richard Elliot • Elliot Ranch Vineyards presents West Coast Jam featuring Richard Elliot, Peter White, DW3 &

The West Coast Horns to benefit JDRF • Eric Marienthal & Friends benefit concert for

High Hopes Head Injury Program (Mark Desmond) • EXL Media (Lisa Baggio) • Mark Allen Felton • Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters • Festival of Arts: Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate • Festival of Arts Concerts on the Green • Fresh Coast Jazz Festival (Carl Brown) • Gapp Media • Gardena Jazz Festival (Sen. Steven Bradford and Evette Benjamin) • Groovin U (Gene Harris) • Gulf Coast Summer Fest Jazz Edition (William “Cadillac” Banks) • Hal Leonard Books • Gabriel Mark Hasselbach • Hermosa Hotel on Catalina Island (McKinley Capital & Advisory) • Hornblower Cruises & Events (Rebecca Milkey,

Sophie Shrader, Sue Baranski) • Hotel Catalina • Hungry Hawk Vineyards & Winery • Independent Artists Services, LLC (Kim Giles) • Jazz at the Creek San Diego (Leonard Thompson) • Jazz Funk Soul (Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and

Paul Jackson Jr.) • Marqueal Jordan • Reza Khan • Kiesel Guitars • Lake Arbor Jazz Festival (Lisa Alexander) • Life Luxe Jazz: Cabo San Lucas,

Mexico (Terry Powell) • Live Nation • Long Beach Jazz Festival • Love, Peace & Jazz (Gayla and Calvin Pixley) • Mack Avenue Records (Shannon Moore and Dan Tekin) • Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival (Spain) • Michael Manson • Marcus Anderson’s Jazz and Coffee Escape 2019 • Keiko Matsui • MISZ The Groove Producer • Multi Music Fest • Music City Jazz Festival (Marvin Spencer) • Music Getaways, LLC (Warren Hill’s SolFest Cancun,

SolFest Los Cabos, Los Cabos Jazz Festival) • Norman Brown and Pamela L. Banks (Normantic Entertainment) • Norman Brown’s Joyous Christmas tour • Original Jack’s Country Kitchen (Catalina Island) • Oxnard Jazz Festival (Chuck Dennis) • Payne Pest Management (Kathy Payne, Willie Payne and Jason Payne) • Lillian and Phil Perry • Phaze II Jazz (Adrian Norton) • Rainbow Promotions (Kimberly and Ozzie Benoit) • Rainbow Promotions A Smooth Jazz

Valentine’s Concert for Friends & Lovers • Rainforest Band (San Francisco Records) • Rhythm on the Vine at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa • 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) • San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival • San Diego Zoo Global Press • Seabreeze Jazz Festival (Renee’ and Mark Carter) • Shanachie Entertainment (Rick Rosenberg) • Jeffery Smith • Smooth Entertainment (Sandra and Christian Bössner) • Joey Sommerville • Soroptimist International of Oceanside-Carlsbad presents “Life, Love, and Women:

Music & Conversation with Rick Braun” • South Coast Winery Resort & Spa (Karl Kruger) • Spaghettini Fine Dining & Entertainment (Cary Hardwick and Laurie Sisneros) • Spontaneous Groovin’ Combustion (Warren Keller) • Sycuan Casino Resort • The Stare Case (Mona Casarini) • Thornton Winery’s Champagne Concert Series (Tonya Wake, Steve Thornton, John Thornton) • Nora and Jack Tucey • Visit Pensacola • W. F. Leopold Management (Mark Graham) • Warren Hill’s Cancun Jazz Festival • Yamaha Entertainment • Rob Zinn