The Smoothication Experience

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! 

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature El Debarge and three of his best Undercover Smooth songs:After YouHeart, Mind & SoulThe Heart Is Not So Smart 

This week's episode features the man with the unmistakable deep, rich sound, Lenny Green. Lenny Green is the undisputed master of creating a relaxed, romantic atmosphere for his listeners, while playing the best variety of old school and today's R&B music, to ease them into unwinding after their stress-filled days.  He sets THE MOOD unlike anyone else. He gives us a taste of what you may hear on his nationally syndicated radio show “The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green,” with some real soothing and sensual tunes.  We dive deep into the "Smoothometer" and  there is consensus:  Lenny's  Top 5 Smooth songs brought some serious Hot Tub Heat!The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green is the highly rated Tri-state (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) radio station WBLS/107.5-FM @wbls1075nyc. Recently syndicated by SupeRadio, Lenny's weekday 7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight show can be heard across the country on MAGIC/100.9 in Augusta, GA, JAMMIN/98.3 in Milwaukee, HEART & SOUL in Oklahoma City, MAGIC/92.1 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, GLOBAL/99.5 in Nassau Bahamas, WTUG/92.9 in Tuscaloosa, AL, plus he can be heard from 8:00 pm to 1 AM as host of The Quiet Storm on HOT 105 in Miami, FL. 

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature Alexander O'Neal and four of his best Undercover Smooth songs:The Morning AfterThe LoversMy Gift To YouWhen The Party's Over

This week we feature Harvey Mason jr., the multi-talented Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy and Grammys who has written and produced for John Legend, Babyface and Aretha Franklin, among others. As one of the busiest individuals in the Music/TV/Film industry, we are extremely grateful for this opportunity to sit down with one of the most influential and powerful voices in the entertainment world today. We discuss some of the biggest initiatives currently being taken within the Recording Academy focused on artist representation, diversity, and equality including the Black Music Collective and Change Music. We also dive into Harvey’s Top 5 Smooth songs that he has written/produced for Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston, Chris Brown, Tyrese, and B2K. This is an episode you definitely don’t want to miss! 

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature Christoper Williams and three of his best Undercover Smooth songs including "Promises, Promises", "Please, Please",  and "Don't You Want To Make Love To Me". 

This week buckle in because actor, comedian, and writer Matt Richards takes us on a wild ride where we discuss fudge making, stank face smooth, and how he helped discover Justin Bieber and Cardi B.  Besides being one of the funniest people on the planet, Matt’s resume includes being selected as a new face for the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and was a standout in the CBS Diversity Showcase. You can see Matt on CBS’ 2 Broke Girls, Nickelodeon’s School of Rock, as well as KC Undercover and Bizaardvark for Disney. Matt is the host for the pop culture gameshow Trivial Takedown for FUSE, and has written for the Jokers Wild starring Snoop Dogg on TBS. Matt is currently the newest comic to join the HQ Trivia team of hosts. He’s also a regular at the illustrious New York Comedy Club. Matt brings us a Top 5 Smooth that includes Tyrese, Dru Hill, Jagged Edge, Musiq Soulchild, and K-Ci & JoJo. You can find us on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and Google podcasts. Link is in our bio! 

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature Janet Jackson and five of her best Undercover Smooth songs including Where Are You Now, Someday Is Tonight, Broken Hearts Heal, Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun), and You Can Be Mine. 

This week we feature actress and model NV Randall who is Beautifully Smooth both inside and outside. In a past iteration of this lifetime, she was an anthropologist who studied at Northwestern University and then "went native" where she became a Brazilian beauty queen in Rio de Janeiro. That experience propelled her to becoming a top Wilhelmina model and actress. NV currently resides in Brooklyn with her black cat Alex and her two roommates who are very short and she happened to give birth to both of them. NV gives us a Top 5 Smooth that includes Caetano Veloso, Gotan Project, Fela Kuti, Carla Bruni and Leonard Cohen. 

This week we feature the Soulfully Smooth, Nicole Henry who is one of the jazz world's most acclaimed vocalists, possessing dynamic vocal abilities, impeccable phrasing, and powerful emotional resonance. Nicole's passionate, soulful voice and heartfelt charisma have earned her a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance," and three Top-10 U.S. Billboard and HMV Japan jazz albums. Heralded by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, El Pais, Jazz Times, Essence and more, Nicole tells real stories through peerless interpretations of repertoire from the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular standards, blues and originals. Nicole provides us a Top 10 Smooth list that includes Grover Washington, Jr., Patti LaBelle, Wham!, Phylis Hyman, Silk, Nancy Wilson, Commodores, Angela Bofill, Roy Ayers, and Teddy Pendergrass. You can find the link to Nicole’s Top 10 Smooth playlist on our website www.smoothicationexperience.com  We also discuss her 8th Annual Winter Concert on Saturday, December 19th, 2020 benefiting the Miami Music Project, which has emerged as a model for music education programs nationally, by offering after-school programming free of charge using music as an instrument of social change. Through the study and performance of music, they empower children to acquire values and achieve their full potential, positively affecting their society.  To date, 100% of graduates have gone onto college on scholarship. They have reached almost 30,000 children across Miami-Dade County, becoming one of the largest socially transformative music initiatives in the U.S.

Welcome to our new series called Undercover Smooth where we help undercover some of those super smooth tracks that you never knew existed from some of your favorite smooth artists. This week we feature the king of smooth Al B. Sure! and three of his best Undercover Smooth songs So Special, Just for the Moment, and Die for You.