Keyboardist and composer
Brian Simpson is a sought-after studio musician and musical director who has regularly crossed from jazz to pop and R&B. He initially garnered attention in the 1990s working with saxophonist
Dave Koz. On his own,
Simpson has released several Top 20 jazz albums, including 2010's
South Beach, 2015's
Out of a Dream, and 2018's
Something About You. In 2020, he collaborated with guitarist
Steve Oliver on
Unified, and he returned in 2021 with
All That Matters.
Born in 1961 in Gurnee, Illinois,
Simpson grew up in a musical family and eventually earned his music degree from Northern Illinois University. After graduating, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he found work performing with such artists as
Boney James,
Norman Brown, and
Everette Harp. This led to stints touring with a variety of pop artists, including
Janet Jackson and
Teena Marie. In 1991,
Simpson garnered more attention after co-writing Surface's number one hit R&B single "The First Time." As a studio musician,
Simpson has worked with such artists as
Stanley Clarke,
Kirk Whalum, and
George Duke. Since the late '90s, he has acted as musical director for saxophonist
Dave Koz.
Simpson has released several solo albums, including 1995's
Closer Still and 2005's
It's All Good, the latter of which reached number 37 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart. Two years later, he delivered his fourth full-length,
Above the Clouds, which hit number 21 on the jazz chart.
With 2010's
South Beach,
Simpson moved to the Shanachie label. Showcasing guest appearances by
George Duke,
Euge Groove, and
Peter White, the album cracked the Top 20 of the jazz chart. Three years later, he was back with his second Shanachie release,
Just What You Need. The album featured contributions by
Gerald Albright,
Marc Antoine,
Elan Trotman, and
Jonathan Butler. The title track hit number three on the smooth jazz songs list, helping push the album to number six on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.
Out of a Dream followed two years later, boasting appearances by
Jonathan Fritzén,
Norman Brown, Maysa, and
Najee. Bouyed by the hits "When I Say Your Name" and "Skywatcher," the set hit number eight on the jazz chart.
In 2016,
Simpson returned with his seventh solo effort, and fourth for the Shanachie label,
Persuasion. The album featured performances with a cast of smooth jazz luminaries including saxophonist
Boney James, guitarist
Peter White, bassist Axel Al, and others.
Something About You arrived in 2018, and included the single "Morning Samba." In 2020,
Simpson paired with guitarist
Steve Oliver for
Unified, which debuted at number 21 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. The following year, he delivered
All That Matters, featuring guest spots by
Najee,
Nicholas Cole,
Steve Oliver, and others. ~ Matt Collar