Rick Braun just Announced to Wrap Up Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Opening Weekend

After playing sideman early on with his trumpet inside bands like War, Rod Stewart & Sade, Rick stepped out Solo in 1994 with ‘Night Walk’ and made his JazzTrax Live Stage Debut that Fall. Art Good remembers the moment Rick’s new Manager Steve Chapman called saying “I’ve got a great new horn player I think you’ll be interested in booking on Catalina Island this Fall.....

Any of you forever JazzTrax Festival Goers remember what happened end of that weekend in 1994 when Rick showed up at the famous old, now long gone Blue Parrot Bar after the festival’s final notes, with his trumpet, to add more in that late night local bar? Mindi Abair, then completely unknown but a friend of Art’s had been invited to appear in a rare festival All Star jam and she too showed up at The Blue Parrot. She and Rick together raged on “Mustang Sally.” That moment became part of JazzTrax Festival Lore.

And then 1995 Hit ... and Rick Braun HIT BIG with ‘Beat Street.’ It’s HUGE Radio Hit “CADILLAC SLIM” propelled him to Radio & Records .. Smooth Jazz National Artist of the  Year. When the very next year Rick came with ‘Body & Soul’ featuring his soon to become wife Cristiana with him on the cover he got propelled to Radio & Records Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year for a 2nd Consecutive Year .. RED HOT. RIck Braun has over 20 #1 Billboard Smooth Jazz Radio Hits.