The group Hiroshima is celebrating 25 years of performing with its first all instrumental release. It's called Obon, which is named after Buddhist festivals that remember people who have passed away. The festivals take place not only in Asia, but in Los Angeles as well, where Hiroshima was first formed. In this case, the group wanted to salute the musicians, the events and experiences that they had throughout their 25-year history. The CD reflects both celebrating the group's longevity …

Saxophonist Marion Meadows has considered himself somewhat of a rebel in the past few years. He says, "I have been rebelling against contemporary jazz music becoming so homogenized. That was one of my biggest fears, not just for me, but for the integrity and the life of this genre of music. I felt it was in jeopardy of consuming itself in the mundane, because the fans themselves would not even feel challenged musically if we continue to offer them the same sound over and over again. Eventually, …

Guitarist Norman Brown is very glad to have received a Grammy award in 2003 for the Best Pop Instrumental for his CD Just Chillin'. In 2004, George Harrison won the award posthumously for Marwa Blues, which Brown feels made his award in 2003 more important because of the voting. He says, "The Grammy’s were so fair. Everybody felt like I deserved to win. It was still competition, but it was all of us. It was myself, it was Kirk Whalum, it was Kenny G, and it was Boney James and John …

A radiation oncologist by day and a composer and pianist by night, William Woods feels that the combination complements each other. It is very evident in his second release Cobalt Blue. Woods says that working with patients in his practice helps with his music composing. "The relationships I form with some of my patients and the way they live their lives as they face their mortality often inspires my music," says Woods. "But it works in reverse, too. Creating my music affects me on a spir …

After years of producing some of smooth jazz' most prominent stars, Paul Brown is returning to his first love of performing as he debuts his solo CD Up Front. Brown says that performing as a musician is "the ultimate musical expression." Brown started his musical career a lot like many performers, growing up in the business through their parents. Bill and Sue Allen worked in the Los Angeles recording industry as vocalists and arrangers and worked not only with many people in movies, b …