By Patte Purcell
I had a great interview with one of the most successful jazz promoters/musicians in the desert and also one of the nicest, Michael Paulo (and boy can he dance). His signature series “Grooves at the Westin” is starting again with a powerhouse lineup. I bought the first two tickets for their first headliners, Greg Adams and East Bay Soul, LA Collective with special guest Eric Darius on Saturday Feb. 18, at 7:00 pm. East Bay Soul is my #1 favorite band. Greg Adams, the original Tower of Power trumpet player, has put together a top notch 10 piece band with 6 horns. Darryl Fitzgerald Walker kills it on vocals. Funk and groove all the way, they are not to be missed!
The incredible LA Collective features Adam Hawley on guitar (5 weeks on Billboard with his last song and in the top 10 again with his second release, can you say ‘Superstar’? The incredibly talented Greg Manning on keys is again an uber successful recording artist and his latest hit is also climbing the charts. The A list bass player for everyone from Euge Groove to Peter White is Darryl Williams, the third member of this killer quartet and on drums is Tony Moore. This is a stellar group of young movers and shakers in the smooth jazz genre. Eric Darius a sax player extraordinaire rounds out the line-up.
The concert in March has yet to be finalized, but the A List, Rick Braun will be performing March 18 and Peter White Saturday April 1st.
You would think that would be enough work to keep the man busy, but of course, it’s not. Michael is a super successful sax player who got his first job in LA touring with Al Jarreau for years.
He just returned from playing with Peter White and Greg Manning at Jazz Alley in Seattle last weekend. Next he gets on a plane for Japan with smooth jazz superstar Paul Brown. In addition to this jazz series he’s been producing smooth jazz events in Hawaii, where he’s from, for the last 8 years. He also produces the very successful Temecula Wine and Music Festival in September.
This year he’s also producing the Asian American Jazz Festival in LA.
He’ll be appearing and helping to produce the Ocean Institute Jazz Festival in Dana Point this year on March 24 and 25 and will be bringing in Ray Parker Jr. (This is a non-profit).
In addition to all of that, he is finishing up another CD, which he hopes to release this year. He’s one busy guy!
When I asked him for a statement to give his fans he said “Come on down to the Grooves at the Westin.” You can visit his website at michaelpaulo.com or contact him at saxhawaii@aol.com. For tickets to Grooves at the Westin, visit westinmissionhills.com/grooves. See you there!
