Contemporary jazz is no stranger to the concept of the ‘super group’. Constructed around a coming together of established and talented solo artists, it has created the likes of ‘Sax Pack’, (Steve Cole – Kim Waters – Jeff Kashawa), ‘Jazz Funk Soul’ (Jeff Lorber – Everette Harp – Paul Jackson Jr) and even ‘Fourplay (Bob James – Nathan East – Harvey Mason – Lee Ritenour).
Of course in the case of Fourplay, Ritenour gave way first to Larry Carlton and then Chuck Loeb (a founder member of Jazz Funk Soul) who sadly passed away in 2017.
In 2023, and for the first time ever, the genre was blessed by an all keyboard super group’, the aptly named ‘The 3 Keys’ that comprises Bob Baldwin, Gail Jhonson and Phil Davis
The group’s debut album, ‘We 3 Keys’ was released on the Shanachie label in January of that year and immediately spawned the first radio single ‘That Beat’. Now the trio is back with another track from ‘We 3 Keys’, the wonderfully jazzy ‘Into The New’ that is well worth checking out.
Bob Baldwin is a contemporary jazz superstar with over twenty-five top ten radio hits as well as collaborations with smooth jazz A-Listers such as Grover Washington Jr., George Benson, Gerald Albright, Bob James, and Will Downing.
Often described as “the first lady of smooth jazz,” Gail Jhonson is the Musical Director for jazz guitarist Norman Brown and creative force behind the all-female band, Jazz In Pink.
Keyboard player, and producer for artists such as Najee, Will Downing, and Norman Brown, Phil Davis has scores of top ten contemporary jazz singles to his credit.