Eric Darius & Rebecca Jade

SATURDAY, APRIL 13 @ 12:00 PM
DOUBLETREE GRAND BALLROOM
TICKETS $59-$69

Eric Darius

Saxophonist Eric Darius, born in New Jersey, grew up in a musical family in Tampa, Fla. He started learning sax at 9 and began performing at 11 when he joined and toured with Sonny LaRosa and America’s Youngest Jazz Band. The band’s members were ages 5 to 12, and they toured worldwide, including the Montreux Jazz Festival. At 13, Darius left the band and started his own, with his father as the manager. He performed in more than 100 shows a year while also performing with the Blake High School Jazz Band, which was featured at Lincoln Center.

At 17, he created his first independent album, then became a member of the Jazztet at the University of South Florida. He also signed a contract with Higher Octave Music. Darius has released eight albums, the last two of which are on his own label, SagiDarius: “Breakin’ Thru” (2017) and “Unleashed” (2022).

Rebecca Jade

Singer/songwriter Rebecca Jade, whose mother is also a singer, grew up hearing a broad range of artists and genres. Jade has toured with Sheila E since 2017 and appeared in the Emmy-nominated CBS special “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” in 2020.

She performed at the 2020 Academy Awards with Sir Elton John. Jade has also performed on Dave Koz Cruises since 2016, and on the Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

She has won a number of San Diego Music Awards, including Best Jazz Album in 2018 for “Planet Cole Porter” with jazz guitar virtuoso Peter Sprague. She fronts the soul/funk band, Rebecca and the Cold Fact. Her fourth album is “A Shade of Jade” (2022).

Three outstanding players are collaborating for the Rhythm & Groove Tour, which will be part of this Two Great Shows; One Great Price double-bill.

Brian Simpson & Steve Oliver

Keyboardist Brian Simpson, after graduating from Northern Illinois University, moved to L.A. and was soon accompanying Gerald Albright and Norman Brown, and then Janet Jackson on a world tour.

Simpson toured and did production work for the late George Duke for 10 years, and also worked for James Ingram, Anita Baker, Dave Koz, Wayman Tisdale and others. He has toured the world as a solo artist, and his 10 th album, “All That Matters,” was released in 2021.

Guitarist Steve Oliver has enjoyed a successful 25-plus-year career in contemporary jazz. His eighth album, “Unified” (2020), is a collaboration with keyboardist Brian Simpson that reached No. 1 on the Billboard and Amazon jazz charts. He has toured as a member of Acoustic Alchemy, and has recorded with Omar Akram, Vincent Ingala and Paul Taylor.

Marion Meadows

Saxophonist Marion Meadows studied tenor sax in high school in Stamford, Conn., and later switched to soprano sax. He majored in arranging and composition at Berklee, and then attended SUNY Purchase School for the Arts.

While in college, he played local clubs as a sideman, perfecting his craft with Sonny Fortune, Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman and Eddie Daniels, and joined drummer Norman Connors’ band.

He continued to work with many artists, including legendary keyboardist Bob James, Eartha Kitt, The Temptations, Michael Bolton, the late Chuck Loeb and more. His solo career began in 1990 with his first album, “For Lovers Only,” which led to 15 more albums, the latest of which is “Twice as Nice” (2021).

Eric Darius Rebecca Jade Brian Simpson Marion Meadows Steve Oliver