The Players
The Rosco's Place CD features a jazz combo comprised of
some of America's finest musicians.
Order
online.
Roger Smith
Roger
Smith is the creative genius behind Jazz Rosco. He has worked with and/or appeared on the same bill
with music greats in a variety of genres including Carlos Santana (pictured below with Roger), Chester Thompson (pictured at right with Roger), Willie
Nelson, Tom Jones, War, Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Cocker,
Leon Russell, Harvey Mason, Luis Conte, Gladys Knight, Jeff Beck, The
Temptations, Gerald Albright, Paul
Jackson, Jr., Michael Martin Murphy, "Shorty"
Rogers, Bud Shank, Jimmy Smith, Joe Farrell, the Average White Band, Poncho Sanchez (pictured below), Herbie Hancock (pictured below), and Dave Koz, just to name a few. Currently
keyboardist for the legendary funk and soul band from Oakland, California, Tower of Power, Roger is featured on their
April 2003 CD, Oakland's Own in the Oakland Zone, and has a number
of other projects in the works. His fourth solo
CD, Just Enough, is available at numerous online music outlets.
Above: Roger at the Montreux Jazz Festival with an above-average guitarist <grin>: Carlos Santana!
Above: Roger with the incredible Joe Sample in Bochum, Germany during Roger's recent tour of Europe.
For Roger Smith, his solo CD “Just Enough” isn’t enough. His exuberant spirit and extraordinary talent – matched with nimble, funky fingers – keep him busy in projects ranging from R&B and gospel to smooth jazz.
For the man who many consider to be the master of the jazz keyboard, this range of styles suits him fine and defines the versatility that has marked his 30-year career, which has seen him play for such diverse artists as Jeff Beck, Gladys Knight and Willie Nelson.
Above: Roger at the Montreux Jazz Festival with his personal hero: Herbie Hancock!
Roger’s “Off the Hook” was a smash, No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz singles chart in 1999 and stayed on the top 10 chart for more than 17 weeks. His single was No. 7 on Radio & Records top 100 songs of the year in 1999 and, at the same time, Roger was nominated for three Oasis Awards for outstanding achievement in the Smooth Jazz genre for Best Keyboardist, Best New Artist and Song of the Year. All of this garnered him the title of Radio & Records’ Breakout Artist of the Year.
Two of the best keyboardists in the business were on the same bill recently at Cain Park Amphitheatre in Cleveland: Roger Smith and Ricky Peterson.
Although he has been a solo artist for barely a decade, he’s continued to write, produce and play on albums for other artists, while continuing a grueling schedule on tour with R&B soulsters Tower of Power.
His latest offering, the 14-track “Just Enough,” returned Roger to the Billboard charts. The opening track, an instrumental titled “Rough Cut,” is anything but rough, featuring another infectious yet funky melody. Roger explores several jazz styles on “Just Enough,” from the hauntingly beautiful “Just Another Day” to the classic R&B vocals featuring the Temptations and silky smooth sax from Dave Koz on “I’ll Always Love You.”
The CD follows the release of Tower of Power’s newest album, “Oakland Zone,” the band’s first CD to feature Roger on keyboards. The album has sold briskly since its release in April 2003.
In addition to the Tower of Power CD, Roger is hooking up with fellow Tower rhythm section artists Rocco Prestia on bass, Jeff Tamelier on guitar and David Garibaldi on drums for their own album, which Roger is co-writing and co-producing. They hope the ever-popular rhythm section can duplicate the success the Tower of Power horn section has generated over the years.
Roger is also producing a new CD for Tower of Power’s high-energy lead vocalist, Larry Braggs.
But that’s still not enough. Roger is currently developing projects with gospel music giant John P. Kee, and he was the featured artist on the recent No. 1 smooth jazz hit, “Cruise Control,” off the Special FX CD entitled “Butterfly.” He was even part of the musical writing team on several songs for the NBC soap opera, “Passions.”
Above: Roger with the late Maynard Ferguson shortly before he passed away in 2006.
These projects follow a very popular year in 2002, when Roger was the featured artist on two tracks of the contemporary jazz tribute to Steely Dan, “No Static At All,” and on three tracks of jazz guitarist Thom Rotella’s “Day In the Life” CD.
Even with all of the work for other artists, Roger’s solo career is on track and building steam. “Just Enough” is the fourth studio CD for Roger, following 1996’s “My Colors,” the huge hit “Both Sides” in 1999 and “Consider This” from 2000.
Above: Roger with the great Latin jazz king, Poncho Sanchez.
Above: Roger with Ndugu Chancellor, drummer supreme (George Duke, EWF, etc. etc.), Steve Vasco, bassist and founder of "Space and Time" (also the title of the 2005 CD
which Roger had the pleasure of participating on), and former Tower of Power
saxophonist Brandon Fields.
Talk about prolific. It’s enough to make one’s mind spin. But, for music lovers, spinning those Roger Smith CDs is enough to put smile after smile on our faces.
David Garibaldi
Among
a very short list of the greatest drummers in the history of music is David Garibaldi, the Bay Area musician
widely respected throughout the music industry for his innovative, distinctive
and absolutely superior approach to this set of instruments. Best known
for his work with Tower of Power, his
credits also include work with artists like Patti
Austin, Natalie Cole, Larry
Carlton, Mickey Hart's Planet Drum, Jermaine Jackson, Ray
Obiedo, the Buddy Rich Orchestra, rad, Boz Scaggs, Talking Drums, Gino
Vanelli, Deniece Williams, the Yellowjackets and Wishful
Thinking. Commenting on the Jazz Rosco project, Garibaldi said, "Working with Roger is a pleasure...we're both from 'back in the
day!!!' He's a very versatile, aware musician, with an old-school mentality."
Pictured below: David Garibaldi backstage with Jazz Rosco musicians Ray Obiedo, Curtis Ohlson, and Roger Smith at The Triple Door in Seattle.
Above: The Jazz Rosco Players at The Triple Door in Seattle.
Roger was part of a 2007 project involving Sir George Duke (center) as producer, along with members of Tower of Power.
Ray Obiedo
Whether
he's expressing his great love for Latin and Brazilian-styled rhythms
or going for a pure funk vibe, for Bay Area guitarist Ray
Obiedo it's always been a groove thing. The Jazz Rosco project
is no exception! Obiedo has worked with Peabo
Bryson, Sheila E, sax man Norbert
Stachel, organist David Matthews,
bassists Curtis Ohlson, Marc
Van Wageningen and Nelson Braxton,
keyboardist Peter Horvath, percussionists Peter Michael and Michael
Spiro, and former Yellowjackets member Marc
Russo, and many, many others.
Above: Roger Smith with guitarist Ray Obiedo and legendary drummer David Garibaldi.
Curtis Ohlson
Curtis Ohlson's original development was influenced by touring for years as the bassist for music legends Ray Charles and Buddy Rich. Curtis then went on to record three solo albums and work with numerous successful artists including Branford Marsalis, Sheila E., Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley (James Brown Horns) and countless others. Since 2005 Curtis has found a new home performing with his longtime friend Roger Smith.
Above: Roger Smith with fellow Jazz Rosco musicians: guitarist Ray Obiedo, bass guitarist Curtis Ohlson and drummer Daniel Bejarano.
Mike McKinnon
Bass
guitarist Mike McKinnon (see photo at right) lends his considerable
talents to the Jazz Rosco project. He has worked with Roger Smith on
several projects over the past few years.
Other Musicians
Steve Self, Mike Kirkhouse, and Mick Valentino also contributed to the Jazz Rosco CD.
Above: Roger with drummer Daniel Bejarano.