Smooth jazz will cruise into Ham Hall

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005 | 8:59 a.m.

When: 9 p.m. Nov. 25. Wine and art reception at 8 p.m.

Where: UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

Tickets: $62.50.

Information: 895-2787.

Interest in jazz may be on the decline, but that doesn't seem to have slowed trumpeter Rick Braun.

On Nov. 25 he and saxophonist/vocalist Mindy Abair will be featured artists with guitarist Peter White in a concert at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall -- "Peter White's Smooth Jazz Christmas."

The concert kicks off a monthlong Christmas tour that crisscrosses the country.

Before the holiday schedule gets under way, Braun is scheduled to spend this week aboard the cruise ship Carnival Conquest, hosting an All Star Smooth Jazz Cruise that features some high-powered artists.

Among those to perform for a boatload of jazz fans sailing the Caribbean are White, Abair, Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove (saxophonist Steve Grove), Craig Chaquico and a half dozen others.

Precruise concerts were to be performed by Al Jarreau and Boney James.

Braun took a few minutes last week for a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home as he prepared to leave for Galveston, Texas, where he was to board the cruise ship.

He talked about a variety of subjects and issues, including his upcoming concert in Las Vegas and the state of jazz in the United States.

This will be his second year performing in the UNLV Christmas show.

"It's a lot of fun; a real family-oriented show," Braun said.

"For those who are already fans, they will know what it's about -- a mix of Christmas songs and (nonholiday) songs we have all recorded. For those who have never seen it and are looking for something to get them into the Christmas spirit, this would be a nice thing for them to check out."

As to the cruise, this will be his first time as host.

"It's a very nice event," Braun said. "It's turning into something a lot of fans really enjoy. It's a lifestyle event people love to do."

The cruise interrupts his promotion of his new CD, "Yours Truly," which was released Oct. 24 by is own independent label ARTizen.

"It's a collection of some of my favorite songs," said Braun, a native of Allentown, Pa., who attended the University of Rochester's famed Eastman School of Music. "I put it together in a minimal production style -- just good playing."

Braun began playing trumpet at the age of 8.

"My first choice was drums, but we had a large family that lived in a small house," he said. "The trumpet was the second most annoying instrument I could play to pester my brothers."

Braun says his earliest inspiration came from Herb Alpert (the Tijuana Brass), but as he matured his greatest influence was Clifford Brown, a brilliant trumpet player who died in a car wreck in 1956 at the age of 26.

"His playing style was real uplifting," Braun said.

While at Eastman he formed the jazz-fusion band Auracle and recorded his first two albums.

"Auracle was a lot more adventurous and complicated than the other fusion groups that were working at the time, so that meant we were doomed to failure," Braun said.

After the group disbanded he wrote a song, "Here With Me," which was recorded by REO Speedwagon. Braun was a background musician/vocalist on the cut.

Braun's first solo album, "Intimate Secrets," was released by Mesa in 1994.

Since then the composer/producer/musician has had many successful albums on the jazz charts, among them "Beat Street" in 1995 (the No. 1 smooth jazz record of the year); "Body and Soul," which spent 28 weeks in the Top 15 on Billboard's contemporary jazz charts; and "Full Stride," which topped the charts for 20 weeks.

Braun has toured with such noted artists as Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Glenn Frey, Natalie Cole, Rickie Lee Jones, Sade, Crowded House and War.

"I'm sorry to say that interest in jazz, overall, is not increasing," Braun said. "It has been in a state of decline for years.

"However, interest in standards and pop jazz sung by pop artists is kind of on the rise -- Rod Stewart has had a big resurgence in his career singing standards."

Braun attributes the decline to several reasons, among them the state of music itself.

"Music, in general, is going through a transition right now," and to the technology that has taken over.

"Today when somebody wants to sit down and look for entertainment, the first thing they do is go online," he said. "For kids, it's video games.

"When we were growing up we had TV and records -- but today there are just so many choices for entertainment, all competing for the attention of a limited audience."

Between DVDs, games, the Internet and other options, musical culture is taking a hit.

"People have so many more things to choose from to do in their spare time -- things that are not as demanding on their imagination," Braun said. "And reading a book -- that's way down on the list."

The problem may be rooted in the politics of the day, he says.

"Funding for art and music programs around the nation has been cut," Braun said. "Kids are being pushed for results -- to just pass tests."

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or jerry@lasvegassun.com.