Smooth new world: Armory Jazz Fête showcases stars of contemporary jazz

The siren song of smooth jazz will sail over Lansing’s east side again Saturday (Aug. 12). Lansing-based saxophonist Phil Denny’s Armory Smooth Jazz Fête is back on its grooving feet with a full slate of top national artists after the pandemic stopped the show in 2021 and a relentless deluge swamped the grounds in 2022.

“We’re still standing,” Denny declared.

With the return of the festival comes the return of an age-old question: What, exactly, is smooth jazz?

As the British Admiralty cautioned the accused HMS Bounty mutineers, “Be careful how you answer.” The subject has been known to stir dissension in the ranks.

Fortunately, this year’s headliner, chart-topping West Coast guitarist Adam Hawley, is happy to explain in a positive vein.

“What I love about it is that it’s such a cool cross-section — a meeting of the minds,” he said. “You’ve got grooves that are R&B-based, or maybe Latin-based, but then you’ve got sophisticated chord changes and harmony similar to jazz. And then you’ve got great melodies that go back to R&B and pop.”

Denny called smooth jazz “instrumental R&B with jazz undertones.”

“That language of improvisation is still there, but for some people, it’s a more relatable sound, along the lines of R&B and pop,” Denny said.

Hawley added one more often overlooked spice: a unique and irresistible live vibe.

“I love making records, but the live show is a whole other thing,” Hawley said.

When Hawley puts on a show, it’s not background music.

“My show is high-energy, interactive,” he said. “We keep the level of musicianship high, but we also make sure the audience is having a good time. There’s interplay, improvisation, and we have a lot of fun.”

He advises people who are on the fence to just jump over it.

“Anybody that is unsure how they feel about contemporary jazz, I always tell them to just go to one show,” he said. “At every show, I have converts.”

Grammy-nominated trombonist Hank Bilal, whose gospel roots stood him in good stead when he played with Aretha Franklin at the 2008 Grammy Awards, …

Hawley hails from the small town of Gaston, Oregon, near Portland. He discovered his parents’ vinyl collection as a kid, got hooked on guitar and started playing piano at 9. He toured the region as part of a youth bluegrass band at 12 and joined a blues-rock band in high school.

When he was 16, a drummer friend made him a mix tape — actually a CD-R — that included a smooth-jazz classic, guitarist George Benson’s “Breezin’.”

“It just blew my mind,” Hawley said. “It was an old record, but it sounded so fresh and pristine.”

He quickly dove into the music of smooth-jazz stalwarts like Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright and Will Downing. He moved to Los Angeles in 2002 to study guitar with luminaries like Lee Ritenour at the University of Southern California.

His big break came in 2008, at age 20, when he joined the flashy vocal troupe The Manhattan Transfer for a four-year stint, playing gigs across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Soon he was touring with top vocal stars like Natalie Cole, Jennifer Lopez, the Backstreet Boys, Lalah Hathaway and Brian McKnight.

In 2013 and 2014, he toured with one of the smooth-jazz stars he discovered as a teenager, keyboardist Brian Culbertson. A smooth new world opened up to him.

“Touring with Brian, I learned to navigate the whole scene. The infrastructure of festivals, clubs, radio promoters and all of that,” Hawley said.

Denny is happily ceding the headliner spotlight to Hawley, though the pair will join forces for a grand finale. They have collaborated on several tracks, working back and forth to layer the sound they want.

“His musicality is challenging,” Denny said of Hawley. “It’s not cookie-cutter. It pushed me into a different realm of songwriting. It creates a great sonic experience.”

Hawley has not only topped the Billboard charts 13 times; he also has a doctorate in music.

“At first, when we got together to compose and play, it was a little intimidating,” Denny said. “But he is a super genuine guy, and our friendship translated well into the chemistry between saxophone and guitar.”

Grammy-nominated Hank Bilal, a young trombonist from South Carolina, will open Saturday’s festival. Bilal comes from the Southern gospel tradition, with a mighty sound that stood him in good stead when he matched pipes with Aretha Franklin at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

“He’s got a great sense of melody and a beautiful tone on the trombone,” Denny said of Bilal. “I wanted to offer something different than the saxophone and traditional smooth-jazz guitar.”

Denny made a point of inviting pianist Gino Rosaria, whom he described as “a kind and generous spirit and incredible musician” after last year’s rainout kept Rosaria from taking the stage. Born and raised in the Caribbean island of Curaçao, Rosaria is equally adept at classical and jazz piano and works as a studio musician, producer, educator and bandleader.

Young and fiery saxophonist Kyle Schroeder came to Lansing for Denny’s Christmas Collective concert last December, and Denny instantly tapped him to fire up the Fête this year. Bobbi Storm, a nationally known gospel and R&B vocalist who recently moved back to Detroit, is making a mark on the scene and jumped at the chance to join the party in Lansing. Storm will not only do a set of her own but will also come back to play with Denny and his group.

In addition to a full stage and sound upgrade, the 2023 Fête will feature a full complement of food vendors, beer, wine, local artists working onsite and others selling their work. There will also be an afterglow at Cask & Co. Kitchen & Bar, near the Frandor Shopping Center.

Denny looks forward to welcoming smooth-jazz acolytes — and new fans — from across the Midwest and beyond. Watch out for that party bus of 60 people from Cleveland.

“It’s an escape for people,” Denny said. “We want to take you from your everyday woes for six hours and take you to a transcendent place.”