Members
UJC has electrified audiences for years performing their unique and energetic blend of R&B/Jazz/Fusion at a multitude of prominent jazz festivals around the country, including The Capital Jazz Festival, The Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Capital Jazz Fest Supercruise, The Boscov/Berks Jazz Festival, The Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, Jazz Fest West, The Russian River Jazz Festival, River Raisin Jazz Festival, and many more.
JazzTimes Magazine award winning columnist, Brian Soergel, has described the Urban Jazz Coalition sound as “flush with rhythmic grooves, funky bass lines, and beautiful melodies”. The band has also made a strong impression at radio with three consecutive releases achieving “Top 30” status on multiple contemporary jazz charts. The “One Step Closer” project generated two “Top 30” singles and was honored as one of the “Top 100 Records of 2014” on the prestigious Groove Jazz Music Chart.
UJC’s music has been featured on network television programming, international film soundtracks, national advertising campaigns, and as part of an eclectic group of artists on a Gospel/Jazz compilation project released by Capitol/EMI Records.
Music Samples
In addition to the notoriety that UJC has earned as a self contained group, they have also become one of the most in-demand backing groups in the smooth jazz genre, having performed as sidemen for a number of top contemporary jazz artists including Peter White, Nick Colionne, Jeff Lorber, Paul Taylor, Chuck Loeb, Marion Meadows, Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, Brian Simpson, Jackiem Joyner, Cindy Bradley, Oli Silk, Tom Braxton, Althea Rene’, Ken Navarro, Jessy J, Joey Sommerville, Matt Marshak, Marcus Anderson, Four80East, U-Nam, Lin Rountree, Paula Atherton, Elan Trotman, Nils, Phil Denny, Selina Albright, U-Nam, and Elizabeth Mis.
When asked why this group has generated so much excitement in smooth jazz circles, former Radio & Records chart columnist Carol Archer was quoted as follows…
“A lot of artists aspire to sound as tight and as funky as The Urban Jazz Coalition, But these gentlemen really do pull it off.”
With the success of the band’s previous CD projects, and the positive buzz generated by their legacy of energetic live performances, UJC maintains momentum as they conclude their 20th Anniversary Tour and prepare for the 2016 Touring Season.
