Contributors of SmoothJazzTimes.com

Kim Betton / Editorial Director/Publisher/Founder

Jazz, R & B, neo soul, easy listening, and music that makes you dance the night away are Kim’s favorites! The veteran television news anchor/reporter and public information officer has taken her talents to launch SmoothJazzTimes.com and sister site CrescendoJazz.com, divisions of the company she founded, Washington , DC area based, Premier Multimedia Group, LLC. Kim has had the opportunities to interview some of the finest in the Jazz industry, including Joyce Cooling, Najee, Steve Cole, Michael Manson, Jackiem Joyner, Jonathan Butler, Paul Jackson, Jr. Jeff Golub, and many more! Growing up as a vocalist and clarinet player, and on stage in musical plays Kim supports music education, arts and culture. Kim is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She’s also a two time nominee for the distinguished NABJ Salute Excellence Awards and has received numerous awards and recognition for public speaking engagements across the nation. If you have a great story idea or event taking place in your area feel free to email her at kbetton@smoothjazztimes.com.

Valerie Rose,  Contributing Writer/Producer

Valerie Rose is an avid smooth jazz fan!  She fell in love with jazz at a very young age.  Some of her favorite artists include Jonathan Butler, Peter White, Huge Groove and Marion Meadows.  Valerie is an accomplished author (several books), editor,  public affairs specialist,  producer and model. Valerie is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.  She’s located in  the Minnesota’s Twin Cities area.  If  you have a story idea feel free to contact her at vrredmond@smoothjazztimes.com.

PatrickLee Hamilton, Contributing Writer/Producer

Originally from Los Angeles, CA PatrickLee has never been a stranger to the Arts. He took to painting early on as a young boy, until one day his mother took him to see the famous Broadway play “Sophisticated Ladies.” After that life would never be the same – well at least musically. A graduate of the Dick Grove School Of Music, Patricklee is very passionate about the art of jazz, straight ahead or laying it down smooth. He was inspired at an early age by some of the world’s most influential jazz musicians; Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown and Marcus Miller. Patriklee is your West Coast Connection for features and reviews here on SmoothJazzTimes.com. If you’re on the West Coast and would like to submit a story idea send an email to phamilton@smoothjazztimes.com.

Wendell Betton has been a jazz lover since his late middle school days through the present. Starting with the contemporary sounds of seventy’s jazz artists such as Spyro Gyra, Yellowjackets, Grover Washington, Jr. and David Sanborn, Wendell later grew to love the pioneers of the jazz idiom, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and many others after deciding to dive into the vibe of straight-ahead jazz with the purchase of saxophonist’s Branford Marsalis’ “Scenes In The City”, “it was playing over the speakers at “Streetside Records”.

Today, Wendell has delved deeply into listening to classical music and their composers and contends that quite a few of them composed music that has jazz lines, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, for example. Such a comparison between the 2 genres, jazz and classical, has been pursued and presented for over a century.  Betton, is truly adept at using his natural writing talent, his study of journalism (for which he received a bachelor of Journalism from the University Of Missouri-Columbia in 1988), and his love for studying the history of jazz and the lives of its artists (then and now), and project the picture into your mind of what jazz artists are truly feeling and giving!  If you have a story idea for Wendell feel free to email him at wbetton@smoothjazztimes.com

Michael “Q” Quinniey, Contributing Writer/Producer

Michael Quinniey or “Q” as he is known to his friends, has worked in radio and TV for 25 years.  He is the co-founder of the Western New York Minority Media Professionals Inc. and executive producer/co-creator of UPFRONT TV an ABC affiliate professional magazine show in the Buffalo, NY/Toronto area.  Growing up with his father, a gospel and blues musician, and his older brother Al, leading blues and funk bands in the 6o’s and  70”s music were all around.   Q’s major influence is from jazz legend Elvin Shepherd who mentored many students like Miles Davis, Ronnie Foster and Grover Washington Jr.  Q has conducted interviews with Stanley Clarke, Najee, Paul Taylor, B.B. king, Do Do Green and many more. Bebop, blue note sound and smooth jazz are the types of music he spends his pastime listening too.  If you have a story to pitch to Q send him an email to mqinniey@smoothjazztimes.com.