Mindi Abair And Diana Krall Venture Into MySpace

Mindi Abair and Diana Krall are hanging out in cyberspace.

If you have children in middle school, high school or college, you’re probably aware of the online community called MySpace.com. That’s where young people set up personal sites, jot down their thoughts in journals and post dozens of pictures. The website is attracting new users at a rate of 3.5 million a month and is now a place where young people learn about new bands and their favorite music. The site boasts 30 million user pages, and 400,000 are devoted to bands.

Recognizing the potential of MySpace, saxophonist Abair and vocalist Krall and their record labels have created pages that enhances their official websites and further allows fans keep track of their careers.

You might not see them replying to your comments anytime soon. But you never know.

Kenny G Collection Will Have Personal Notes

Kenny G has released several best-of collections, but an upcoming one will be the first to have the saxophonist’s personal comments attached to each selection. The Essential Kenny G, on Arista/Legacy, is the most extensive collection of his career as it features two CDs and 31 songs.

It’s being released in January to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Kenny’s Duotones CD of 1986. That CD sold more than 5 million copies and is considered his breakthrough project. The first single from that CD, “Songbird,” remains one of Kenny’s most popular and he says in the liner notes that he wrote it as a love letter to Lyndie Benson, a woman Kenny met at a concert two years earlier. They later became man and wife.

The Essential Kenny G will be released on Jan. 24.

The Essential Kenny G

1. Songbird (Kenny G) -5:02
2. Sade (Kenny G) -4:18
3. Slip Of The Tongue (Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden) -4:50
4. Don't Make Me Wait For Love (Featuring Lenny Williams) (Preston Glass, Walter Afanasieff, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:01
5. Silhouette (Kenny G) - 5:27
6. Against Doctors Orders (Kenny G, Preston Glass, Alan Glass) - 4:43
7. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) (Featuring Ellis Hall) (Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua) - 4:07
8. Brazil (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 4:36
9. Theme From Dying Young (James Newton Howard) - 3:58
10. We've Saved The Best For Last (Featuring Smokey Robinson) (Lou Pardini, Dennis Matkosky, Paul Gordon) - 4:18
11. Forever In Love (Kenny G) - 4:57
12. Midnight Motion live (Kenny G) - 8:21
13. By The Time This Night Is Over (Featuring Peabo Bryson) (Michael Bolton, Diane Warren, Andy Goldmark) - 4:22
14. Loving You (Dan Shea, Walter Afanasieff, Kenny G) - 3:17
15. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane) - 3:54
16. Sentimental (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 6:34

1. What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong with Kenny G) (George David Weiss, Robert Thiele) - 2:59
2. Morning (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 5:14
3. Sister Rose (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 6:12
4. Even If My Heart Would Break (Featuring Aaron Neville) (Franne Golde, Adrian Gurvitz) - 4:58
5. The Moment (Kenny G) - 6:00
6. Summertime (Featuring George Benson) (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dubose Heyward) - 6:43
7. Missing You Now (Michael Bolton featuring Kenny G) (Michael Bolton, Walter Afanasieff, Diane Warren) - 4:34
8. Pick Up The Pieces (Featuring David Sanborn) (Alan Gorrie, Owen McIntyre, Roger Ball, Malcolm Duncan, Robbie McIntosh,
Hamish Stuart) - 4:13
9. My Heart Will Go On (James Horner, Will Jennings) - 4:21
10. Beautiful (Featuring Chaka Khan) (Linda Perry) - 3:43
11. Havana (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 7:20
12. Going Home (Kenny G., Walter Afanasieff) - 5:30
13. The Way You Move (Featuring Earth Wind and Fire) (Antwan Patton, Carlton Mahone, Patrick Brown) - 4:08
14. Deck The Halls/The Twelve Days of Christmas Medley (Traditional) - 2:59
15. Auld Lang Syne The Millennium Mix (Traditional) - 7:52

Sony Recalls Chris Botti CD And Many Others

Earlier this week, Sony BMG Music announced that it would temporarily suspend production of music CDs with anti-piracy software called XCP – or “extended copy protection” – that when played on Windows PCs leave them vulnerable to viruses and hackers. Now Sony will now recall nearly five million of the CDS, which includes Chris Botti’s latest album called To Love Again. In addition, Sony has announced several other titles that are affected and will be recalled, including So Amazing: All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross and At This Time by Burt Bacharach.

Sony BMG had created a website where users could uninstall the software that allowed the CD to play on computers, but now says that it will soon release an updated uninstall program. In addition, Microsoft has announced that its upcoming Windows Update will remove the malicious software. Sony says that customers can exchange any CD with the XCP software for a replacement copy without it. For more information, go to www.sonybmg.com.

Steve Oliver Offers Holiday CD On Website

Lyrical guitarist Steve Oliver has just released his first holiday album, Snowfall, which at this time can only be found on his newly redesigned website at www.steveolivermusic.com.

It's a holiday treat worth getting - for yourself or someone who digs good music.

The 10-song CD is offered by Oliver’s Oohla Productions and features such standards as “Carol of the Bells,” “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “The Christmas Song” and “Little Drummer Boy.” Oliver wrote two original songs, an instrumental called “Crystals in the Snow” and “Watching the Snow,” which features his lead vocals. In addition to playing guitar and singing on the CD, Oliver also played keyboards and percussion while handing the musical programming.

Contributing to the CD are pianist Tony Windle, saxophonist Will Donato and bassist KT Tyler.

To purchase Snowfall you can download the entire album for $10 or you can have it delivered for $15. The CD is Steve’s follow-up to 3D, which was released on the Koch label.

Mindi Abair Dedicating Song To New Orleans

Smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair has entered the famed Capitol Studios in Los Angeles to finish recording her third CD and follow-up to Come As You Are. She has completed a tune called “Rain” that she’s dedicating to the people of New Orleans, many of whom were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Other songs include “Far Away,” which features a string section directed by Julie Rogers, “Bloom,” “Do You Miss Me?” and “Slinky,” which Abair calls a fun and sexy, Euro-inspired tune that she plays the soprano saxophone on.

As we’ve reported, the majority of the songs are written by Abair and her writing partner Matthew Hager. In addition to songs written with Adam Levy, the guitarist in Norah Jones’ band, and with blues legend Keb’ Mo’, Abair has called on numerous musicians to guest star on the CD, including vocalist Lalah Hathaway, keyboardist Ricky Peterson, bassists Stan Sargeant and Larry Klein and percussionist Paulinho da Costa.

The CD is expected to be released in the spring of 2006. Abair says she’s realizing a lifelong dream to record at Capitol Studios, where trumpeter Chris Botti also recorded his new CD called To Love Again.

"I definitely look forward to recording," she says. "You’ve written these songs and you have a specific sound in your head of what you want these songs to sound like. It’s a really fun yet arduous process. You know, I mean you’re sitting there, hmm, I hear this kind of thing and I go through five million keyboard sounds to try and find the right sound that I’m hearing. And so it is this really fun experiment of what we can make of this music that’s been in our heads for so long."

Rick Braun Offers Free Song Online - First New One in 2 Years

Trumpeter Rick Braun, who recently released a CD of cover tunes called Yours Truly, is now offering a brand-new song online. The song, “Sao Paulo,” is the first original song that Rick has offered to fans since his Esperanto CD from 2003.

And the good news even gets better – the song is available for free.

"Everybody’s welcome to come on to the site and download, their bonus track," Braun says. "The song’s really fun and catchy, sort of Brazilian type of a song. It’s a really neat tune. I’m happy with it."

To get your copy of the song, go to at www.artizenmusic.com and follow the link.

ARTizen Music Group is the new record label that Braun and partner Richard Elliot debuted late last year. Earlier this year, Elliot also offered a free download on the website of a song called “Mystery.”

Injury Forces Joyce Cooling To Cancel Cruise

Back problems have forced smooth jazz guitarist Joyce Cooling to cancel her appearance on this month’s first-ever All Star Smooth Jazz Cruise hosted by trumpeter Rick Braun.

Although Cooling recently strained her back while hauling musical equipment, she had hoped to still be able to set sail when the cruise departs on Nov. 13. But Cooling's manager says that she’s decided that it would be better for her to remain in her Bay Area home to recuperate while canceling all appearances for the rest of the year. Her first appearance in 2006 is scheduled for Jan. 14 in Cerritos, Calif.

Cooling is now focused on her rebabilitation and is working with musical partner Jay Wagner on a new album to follow-up her March 2004 release called This Girl’s Got to Play.

"We’ve written a bunch of songs for it," Cooling says. "And, as always but even more now than ever – and I think I say this every CD – I’m ready for a change. I need to stretch in a different way. I need to do some different things. I’ve been fooling around with a balalaika, and it’s given me some different chords and just opened up my head a little bit. I’ve been playing a little bit of keyboards, working on some vocals and just stretching out."

Maxine Hardcastle Gets Help From “American Idol” Creator

Maxine Hardcastle, whose sublime vocals made their debut on this summer’s Hardcastle 4 CD by her father, Paul Hardcastle, is now getting some excellent career guidance.

The 19-year-old budding singer and songwriter is now working on demo songs with Simon Fuller, who just so happened to create Pop Idol in Britain and its version in the U.S., American Idol. If you’ve heard Maxine’s vocals on the new CD, on which she sings three songs, you know she’s got talent galore. But she’s still able to take advantage of the fact that Fuller is Maxine’s godfather and was Paul’s best man at his wedding. Also, Fuller named his entertainment and talent management company, 19 Entertainment, after Paul’s worldwide hit from 1985 called “19.” Since then, Fuller – who created the Spice Girls and manages Annie Lennox – has been involved in the creation of 106 #1 singles and 83 #1 albums in the UK, along with 281 Top 40 albums and 430 Top 40 singles.

Proud Paul – whose “Serene” has been No. 1 on Radio & Records' smooth jazz singles chart for five consecutive weeks – calls Maxine’s original songs a cross between Norah Jones and the Corrs.

Hardcastle says he auditioned Maxine for a song called “Smooth Jazz Is Bumpin” on his new CD and says she definitely passed the test.

"You know when it’s your own daughter you have to be hyper-critical. And I was almost thinking, no, she wouldn’t suit it. But when I heard the way that she way that she approached the song and sung it, I was really surprised. That’s why I got her involved in three tracks. My good old friend Simon Fuller’s helping me out to look after her so there’s no rush. But she will be looked after I think she’s got a great future ahead."

We agree. With her obvious physical charms and angelic vocals, it looks like there's a new star coming our way soon.

Chris Botti Performing "God Bless America" At World Series

Smooth jazz trumpeter Chris Botti will have a national audience on Sunday, Oct. 23, when he performs "God Bless America" in Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field for Game 2 of the World Series. The Chicago White Sox are playing the Houston Astros.

Botti is only too happy to be in the national spotlight. Last year, he was scheuled to perform “God Bless America” during Game 5 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. But the Red Sox, of course, swept the Series in four games to capture their first championship in 86 years and deny Botti his chance.

"Me and my manager decided that it would be best for our schedule to play Game Five," he recalls. "Who would have ever thought that the St. Louis Cardinals would get swept in four? I think that was the lowest part of my career. We flew into St. Louis and landed during the seventh inning of Game Four and realized that they weren’t going pull it out and go to Game Five. You know, having to sit there in the hotel in St. Louis, which was by then a ghost town with sadness because the Cardinals had lost, was no fun. But that’s the way it goes. And those are the choices you make. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

Botti has a brand-new CD out this week called To Love Again.

Euge Groove Shares Personal Information

Many fans of smooth jazz saxophonist Euge Groove knew that he and wife Bane were expecting their fourth child last month, in September. Euge now wants to let his fans know that Bane suffered a miscarriage earlier in the year.

The saxophonist says he decided to go public with this personal matter because so many of his fans had been asking. "I want to thank all of my fans who expressed their concern and have wished us well," he says.

Meanwhile, Groove and his wife will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary next month and enjoy the time they spend with their three children; 15-year-old Dax, 14-year-old Canyon and 8-year-old Lilah Belle. In fact, they will be taking the kids with them on Warren Hill's Smooth Jazz Cruise in January 2006.

Groove's first single from his new album called Just Feels Right, a song called "Get Em Goin'," moved up to #4 on Radio & Records' smooth jazz chart this week.

Rick Braun Explains The Inspiration Behind New CD

Rick Braun’s new CD of cover songs called Yours Truly won’t be released until later this month, but right now you can hear song samples in addition to Braun’s explanation as to why he chose the specific songs that he did.

You can listen in by going to www.artizenmusic.com to hear a streamcast, or you download it to listen to whenever you want. Braun says the nine-minute audio is one of many interactive features that will be unveiled at the home of the ARTizen Music Group, which he co-founded along with saxophonist Richard Elliot.

During the five-minute audio, Rick explains that the upcoming CD is a love letter to his fans, which is why he chose Yours Truly as the title. Among the interesting things you’ll hear what song inspired him when he fell in love for the first time, what songs he grooved to while driving from his home to Pennsylvania to L.A. to embark on his musical career, and what track he couldn’t stop listening to after it came out.

"You know, I’ve had a pretty successful career in smooth jazz and I’ve got a lot of very loyal fans," Braun says. "So I decided to record a CD that was a compilation of some of my favorite songs and dedicate it to all of my fans who have given me this incredible career. If you look in the liner notes, you'll see that I sign it off as yours truly, Rick Braun."

The first single from the CD, Braun's languid reading of Earth, Wind & Fire's “Shining Star,” is No. 19 on Radio & Records' smooth jazz chart.

Richy Kicklighter: Chill-Out Guitar Music From Florida

You may never have heard of Florida guitarist Richy Kicklighter, but over the course of seven albums he’s made some of the most mellow and gorgeous smooth jazz on the planet.

Kighlighter's King’s Highway and Myakka CDs from 1993 and 1994, respectively, are two of his best. It may conjure up overworked images, but his best songs on those and all of his CDs have been the ones that’d be kissin' cousins for the warm breezes of tropical nights.

Kicklighter – and you have to love that name – returns with 12 new songs on Moving Skies, released on his Midnight Pass Music. There are many memorable moments here, but the one song that jumps out as one of the guitarist’s new classics is the title track. It’s simple, elegant and the perfect chill-out tune after a hot day at the beach. “Bahia Vista” and “Indian Shores” would work also.

A perfect way to iron out stresses, Moving Skies is a muy bueno guilty pleasure, better than therapy.

Bob James Fusing East and West On New CD

Veteran pianist Bob James' ambitious vision to fuse smooth jazz with music from the Far East and share it with his fans worldwide will shortly become a reality. James has just inked a deal with the Japanese division of Sony Music to release a CD called The Angels of Shanghai.

In January 2005, James made his third trip in two years to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to record music with a talented group of five young Chinese musicians who attend the prestigious university. The result, when released later this year in Asia, will be a new Bob James CD with a decidedly Asian bent featuring exotic violins, harps and flutes and traditional Chinese melodies adapted to his own style.

Included will be a original songs, including one composed with Fourplay bandmember Nathan East called “Endless Time.” The CD will first be released in Japan and then Europe, and later next year in the U.S. to not conflict with a solo CD called Urban Flamingo that’s scheduled to be offered this February. U.S. audiences can get a taste of the music, however, since James plans to add “Endless Time” to Urban Flamingo.

James will debut the music of Angels of Shanghai at a live performance on Dec. 17 at the Bangkok Jazz Festival. In addition to the pianist and five musicians from Shanghai, the band will include East on bass and vocals, Jack Lee on guitar and Louis Pragasam on drums.

With James' track record, this will surely be an album to look forward to.

Mindi Abair Completes Renovation Of Florida Home

If you’re looking to settle in the city of Punta Gorda in Florida and are looking for a place to rent, you could find yourself with smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair as your landlord.

Abair and her husband, musician Jason Steele, recently purchased a house in the city on Florida’s west coast. She says the 1926 home is a fixer-upper in the historic district right on the water on Charlotte Harbor. Much of Punta Gorda and the surrounding area was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004.

Abair, Steele and several of their friends have landscaped the home, built a fence and indoor banister, renovated the kitchen, added a bathroom and built a brick patio. In addition, Abair oversaw the building of a new room in the space formerly occupied by an attic.

Abair says the home is now back to its original glory and she’s looking to rent it. And in the future Abair says she and Steele – who continue to live in Hollywood, Calif. – want to use the house as second home. Abair is originally from St. Petersburg, just up the coast, and Steele’s family lives in Punta Gorda.

Abair was in St. Petersburg, Fla., last year when Hurricane Charley slammed into Florida’s west coast, just north of where her husband’s family lived.

"A couple hours before the hurricane was supposed to hit us it turned and it hit south of us in Port Charlotte," she says. "As soon as he could get a flight in, we drove down there and just tried to save some of his family’s houses. I mean, we ripped up carpets and ripped down some of the drywall to try and just stop it from molding and mildewing. It was a disaster area down there. It was so horrible and you just wanted to stay down there and help these people because it could have been you.

Katrina, Rita Changing Plans For Rick Braun's Cruise

With the looks of Hurricane Rita, it looks like there might be big changes for Rick Braun's upcoming cruise.

For now, we know that Hurricane Katrina has caused a few changes for the first-ever All Star Smooth Jazz Cruise, departing in November from Galveston, Texas. First, because the Carnival Elation ship scheduled to take passengers on the cruise was called into commission to help with relief efforts on the Gulf Coast, the Smooth Jazz Cruise will now use the Carnival Conquest. ship. The Elation, which normally operates out of Galveston, is taking over the cruise schedule of the Carnival Ecstasy, which is being used to house Katrina refugees and relief workers.

The Conquest, which is one of Carnival’s newest ships in its fleet, normally sails from New Orleans but will now temporarily sail from Galveston. Passengers booked on the cruise – which had scheduled to make ports of call in Cozumel, Belize Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, will now visit Cozumel, the Cayman Islands and Montego Bay in Jamaica.

The musical guest list remains unchanged – among the many artists performing on board the weeklong cruise beginning Nov. 12 will be Peter White, Mindi Abair, Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove, Joyce Cooling, Marion Meadows and Michael Lington.

If Galveston is spared the wrath of Rita, a pre-cruise concert on Nov. 11 will star Al Jarreau and Boney James.

For more information, you can go to www.allstarcruise.com.

Chris Botti Finalizes New CD: To Love Again

Chris Botti has finally decided on a name for his new CD. The follow-up to his best-selling When I Fall in Love as originally called Embraceable You, then Still in Love and now To Love Again.

Botti has now whittled down the songs for the CD and has decided on 13 songs with guest performers such as Sting, Michael Buble, Gladys Knight, Steven Tyler, Renee Oldstead, and Jill Scott. The album’s songs include “Lover Man,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” “Smile,” “Pennies From Heaven,” “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”

When the CD arrives in stores on Oct. 18, it will be available in two versions. The first CD version features the 13 songs, while second is a DualDisc, which is a double-sided disc with one side containing a standard CD and other side with DVD content. The DualDisc version of To Love Again has four bonus tracks of live performances: “To Love Again,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and two from Botti's idol, Miles Davis: “Flamenco Sketches” and “Milestones.”

Botti surely has another winner.

To Love Again Track Listing

1. Embraceable You
2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
3. My One And Only Love
4. Let There Be Love
5. What's New
6. Good Morning Heartache
7. To Love Again
8. Are You Lonesome Tonight
9. Lover Man
10. I'll Be Seeing You
11. Pennies From Heaven
12. Here's That Rainy Day
13. Smile
(With DualDisc)
1. Flamenco Sketches
2. To Love Again
3. I'll Be Seeing You
4. Milestones

Chuck Loeb Settles In South Carolina - Temporarily

Smooth jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb, a native New Yorker, has just relocated to South Carolina.

But he might not be there too long. The move was prompted after the Loebs learned that the house of one of their friends had burned down. Wanting to help out, Loeb decided to offer his house in Irvington, which is on the Hudson River north of New York City, to the family while they rebuilt their destroyed home. At the same time, Loeb and his wife, Carmen Cuesta, felt that this gave them the perfect opportunity to test the waters as far as living in the South for a while.

Loeb's two daughters are both in college.

Last year, Loeb and his wife invested in a home on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Loeb is now taking advantage of the nearby airport in Savannah, Ga., to travel back to New York for recording sessions and for traveling to shows. He will be flying from Savannah to Boston on Sept. 24 for the annual Beantown Jazz Festival.

Loeb's most recent album, When I’m With You, features the Top 5 hit called "Tropical."

Gabriela Anders Keeps Wedding - And Baby - A Secret

Top-secret celebrity weddings are nothing new.

Earlier this year, actress Renee Zellweger and country singer Kenny Chesney tied the knot in a private ceremony away from the prying eyes of paparazzi. And Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts and John F. Kennedy Jr. all managed to marry without the media finding out.

Smooth jazz vocalist Gabriela Anders has also managed to keep her marriage secret, although not because she didn’t want anyone to know. She just says she didn’t think anyone would be interested, did not give out any interviews and put nothing on her website. We’ve now learned that Gabriela’s wedding – which is secret no longer – occurred at a small church in New York City on May 22, 2004, in front of a small group of family and friends.

So who’s the lucky guy? He’s Wayne Krantz, a guitarist who performed on Gabriela’s latest CD, Last Tango in Rio. The name may not be too familiar, but Krantz has released several solo CDs and has appeared on albums by Steely Dan, Michael Brecker and others. We've now learned that Gabriela and Wayne have been keeping another secret – they are the proud parents of a nine-month baby girl named Marley Meredith Krantz.

Anders fell in love with her soon-to-be husband while watching him perform in a New York City club where he performs every Thursday night. "I was checking it out, then slowly we became friends and then we started to date," Anders recalls with a laugh. "And now we’ve become married and have a little baby. I have a small family, he has a small family, so the wedding was cool."

Marley will stay at home with her Dad in New York while Mom performs Sept. 10 in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Chris Botti Narrowly Misses Hurricane Katrina

Chris Botti missed Hurricane Katrina by only a few hours.

On Aug. 26, the trumpeter performed live at Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss. Like all of Biloxi's casinos, it is built on water since no casinos are allowed on land. Following the show, the trumpeter autographed CDs for his fans in the lobby.

Now that lobby and the entire floor above is submerged in water as the hurricane swept through the area. According to Botti's management, there was some discussion about the impending storm, but reports at that time indicated that Katrina's path was likely to strike further west. Botti and his team were able to leave the city safely one day before Biloxi was almost completely leveled by the force of the hurricane.

The Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, as is the entire beachfront of Biloxi, will be closed until further notice. It's estimated that the Beau Rivage will lose nearly $1 million each day in revenues.

Fourplay Staying Busy Between CDs

The members of the smooth jazz supergroup Fourplay, while now working on the follow-up to 2004’s CD called Journey that will be released next year, are have brand-new solo projects that will be released soon.

Earlier this month, guitarist Larry Carlton released a solo album in Japan of what he calls “jam band” music called “Fire Wire.” U.S. audiences won’t have to wait too much longer for its release here, as the album is expected to be released here by the end of the year.

Pianist Bob James’ next CD, featuring his quintet, will be released in February. Urban Flamingo will also feature guest appearances by guitarist Earl Klugh and James’ daughter, vocalist Hilary James. James will have some tour dates in October where he will try out some of the new material.

Drummer Harvey Mason, in addition to doing a lot of session work for other musicians, is working on both smooth jazz and straight-ahead jazz solo records.

Finally, bassist Nathan East, like Mason, continues to work in the studio. He’s not planning a solo record, but will be featured prominently on a new CD by the legendary Herbie Hancock called Possibilities that was released this week. He’s also been featured on recent albums by guitarist Eric Clapton and vocalists Eric Benet and Yolanda Adams.