Featured Artist on the Month        
 Kim Waters 

With a career that has spanned close to four decades, the indefatigable Kim Waters is still inspired. “I have been recording for 35 years and I love it.  It's my passion and it is all that I've ever done. There are so many great young guns coming along that I have to stay at the top of my game! I am blessed that I was trained on the straight ahead side of things which gave me a great foundation.” Waters’ keen harmonic sense, tasteful and soulful phrasing and fluid melodic sensibilities have made him one the premiere architects of Contemporary Jazz. The Maryland born Renaissance man was inspired early on in his career by such Jazz luminaries as Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, George Benson, Grover Washington Jr., and Cannonball Adderley. Waters picked up his first instrument, the violin, at the age of eight.  "That didn't go over well with the fellas," says Waters, who later found his calling on the alto and soprano saxophones at 13. Shortly afterwards he began playing in a band with his brothers, James (who he still performs with) and Eric, and his old friend, pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Over the years, Kim Waters has been called on to perform with or open shows for the best including Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Phyllis Hyman, Teddy Riley and Guy, and Gerald Albright to name a few. 

Kim Waters exudes a knowing confidence and cool calm. When the suave and debonair saxophonist is not making music, he enjoys riding his electric bikes and walking three to four miles a day. He says it is a spiritual thing. “It helps me clear my head and it gives me a chance to talk with myself and keep my mind off the music which is a really hard thing to do when you are always thinking about it!” Waters has learned a thing or two about life from his grandmother that keeps his life and music in focus. “My grandmother used to always say that getting upset and stressing about things won't change anything. I have learned that you just have to stay even keel and let things work themselves out.” Kim Waters’ steadfast approach has carried him to the top of the charts more than a few times and into the hearts of music fans all around the world. “My fans, friends and family inspire me to be the best I can be. It makes me smile when I hear and see people happy because of my music!!! That's what it’s all about,” concludes Waters.

This formula has catapulted him to the top of the charts time and time again and has made him one of the biggest selling saxophonist to date. JazzTimes Magazine has declared, "Waters is simply one of the planet's best saxophonist, Instantly recognizable for his keen melodic sensibilities and soulful approach to his saxophone, The Washington Post has likened Waters to "A romantic pied piper out on a long evening stroll." The prolific saxophonist, composer, and producer has enjoyed a career of longevity that is rare. Waters' Zen-like approach to his life and artistry is simple. "