MIA Magazine March 2016 Jazz in the Gardens | Page 11

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL

BB11

The Jazz in the Gardens Artist
Alex Bugnon,
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Alex Bugnon is a Swiss jazz pianist
and composer. He earned his music
education at the Paris Conservatory of
Music for two years. After graduating, he
moved to the U.S. and attended the
Berklee School of Music while
performing as an accompanist to gospel
groups. He spent four years working as a
session musician in New York backing up
soul and jazz performers such as Keith
Sweat, Patti Austin and Freddie Jackson.
In 1989 he released his own debut
album Love Season after signing to
Orpheus Records, which reached the
Top 40 of the R&B charts. His follow-up
Head Over Heels also charted well. His
albums successfully charted throughout
the 90s. His last album, Soul Purpose
was released in 2001 after he signed to
the jazz division of Narada Records.

Janelle Monáe,
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Kansas City native Janelle Monáe has
found herself much success since the
debut of her first full-length studio
album, The ArchAndroid. Monáe's music
has garnered her six Grammy Award
nominations all together. In August 2012,
Monáe became a CoverGirl
spokeswoman. On September 10, 2013,
she released her second studio album,
The Electric Lady, to critical acclaim.
Boston City Council named October 16,
2013 "Janelle Monáe Day" in the city of
Boston, Massachusetts, in recognition of
her artistry and social leadership. Monáe
has become one of the few black women
who runs their own independent record
label in conjunction with a major record
label.

12. He grew up near Chicago, IL, loving
genre-crossing jazz-pop artists such as
Tower of Power, The Brecker Brothers,
Yellowjackets and Sting. Brian has
released over fifteen albums, toured
around the world, seen his name at the
top of Billboard and radio charts, worked
and performed with industry all-stars like
Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire and
Larry Graham. He has received numerous awards including Male Artist of the
Year at the 2011 Oasis Smooth Jazz
Awards.
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds,
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Music has always come first for
Babyface. It’s the backbone of an
award-winning, multi-faceted pop/urban
career that includes the consecutive
multi-platinum landmark albums Tender
Lover, For the Cool in You and The Day.
As co-founder with L.A. Reid of LaFace
Records in 1989, Babyface nurtured the
careers of such artist including TLC,
OutKast, Usher and Toni Braxton.
Paralleling those achievements is
Babyface’s extensive songwriting and
production credits from the 90s forward.
He has produced and written/co-written
hits for everyone from Whitney Houston,
Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson to
Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Pink and
Beyoncé, among countless others.

Brian Culbertson,
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Brian Culbertson began his musi