(RAHWAY, NJ) -- WBGO presents the return of the All That Jazz series to the Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center. This is a unique concert series showcasing some of the genre's most talented and respected performers via a partnership between UCPAC and Smooth Jazz NJ. On Friday, January 17, 2025, the series features smooth jazz musicians Brian Simpson and Jackiem Joyner. Showtime is 8:00pm.

Enjoy an evening of smooth jazz, beginning in the WBGO Piano Lounge. Come early to enjoy cocktails and live piano music before the performance – doors open one hour before showtime. There is also an art exhibition provided by Gallery on the Ave of South Orange.

Tickets are $55 and available for purchase online. Hamilton Stage is located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway, New Jersey.

Keyboardist and composer Brian Simpson has played alongside noted jazz musicians Gerald Albright and Norman Brown, as well as performed a world tour with Janet Jackson – all shortly after graduating from Northern Illinois University. Brian’s new single “Barcelona” is ranked #1 on the 2024 Top Groove Jazz 100 End-of-Year chart. Jackeim Joyner enjoyed two #1 singles on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts—“Waiting for You” and “Take Me There”— that was also nominated for song of the year.

In 1990, Simpson received a call from George Duke that led to a decade of touring and production work with the late jazz legend. It was his tenure with George that led him to work with a variety of esteemed artists, from James Ingram and Anita Baker to Dave Koz and Wayman Tisdale.

Because his music is so popular throughout the world, Shanachie Entertainment recording artist Simpson has been on a seemingly endless world tour, which in 2019 included Japan, Australia, Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and South Africa.

Jackiem Joyner - Contemporary saxophonist, author, and music producer Jackiem Joyner has set the bar high in his nearly two-decade-long career as a performer. With a number one jazz album, numerous Billboard chart-topping hits, and a series of critically acclaimed books to his name, Joyner has proven himself a rare artist capable of transcending his instrument and captivating mainstream audiences.

Born in Norfolk, VA, Joyner demonstrated restless creativity from an early age, a trait that would later define his career. Despite his humble upbringing, he managed to acquire a saxophone as a child, which quickly became his constant companion. After years of practice, he made his debut with 2007’s ‘Babysoul.’ A masterclass in seductive smooth jazz, the album marked the arrival of a brilliant instrumentalist, paving the way for a prolific recording career that included Grammy runner-ups, hit singles, and abundant critical acclaim, extending through 2019’s ‘Touch’ and 2020’s EP, “Journey of Passion.”

As a performer, Joyner has toured over 30 countries and shared the stage with legends such as the late George Duke, Marcus Miller, Keiko Matsui, Donnie McClurkin, Angela Bofill, Najee, Kirk Whalum, Peter White, and many others.

WBGO is the global leader in jazz radio, broadcasting from the jazz capital of the world. Founded in 1979, WBGO is a publicly-supported cultural institution that preserves and elevates America’s music: jazz and blues. WBGO reaches a weekly audience of close to 300,000 in the New York/New Jersey metro area via 88.3FM. Through programs such as Jazz Night in America, produced in partnership with NPR and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and WBGO's position as content provider to NPR, its reach extends to millions more across the country. From its home base of Newark, New Jersey, Public Radio station WBGO has long been an anchor institution in community engagement through its partnerships, concerts, education and news programming.

Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) has a well-earned reputation as the “Crown Jewel” of the performing arts scene in Union County. It is a sophisticated performing arts campus presenting everything from rock concerts to theatrical productions, a multipurpose community center, a five-star rental facility for corporate, nonprofit, and private events, and currently, the home of New Jersey’s one and only classic movie palace! Hamilton Stage at UCPAC is an intimate space makes the ideal setting for concerts, plays, ballets, readings, art galleries, benefits and classes.

After decades of presenting Smooth Jazz in New York either as a Producer for NY based Marquee Concerts, or as a Promoter, the founder of the CD101.9 Smooth Cruise is bringing live “Contemporary Jazz” and R&B to New Jersey. Rich Engel a New Jersey resident has for decades, been involved with Smooth Jazz in NY with a particular concentration on the “Smooth Cruise” a two-hour music sailing on the Hudson River, with a view of the New York City skyline. With the advent of Covid 19, the Smooth Cruise ended operations after the summer of 2019. Recognizing that approximately half of the passengers on the Smooth Cruise New York were making the trip from N.J. to see the top names in Adult Contemporary Jazz and R&B, it seemed apparent that a void existed. With too few venues in New Jersey offering live nationally recognized Smooth Jazz and R&B artists, the creation of Smooth Jazz New Jersey now exists. The mission is to bring live nationally recognized contemporary Jazz and R&B music to venues in New Jersey.