Rick Braun could afford to celebrate his birthday just about anywhere in the world with the success he has had as a smooth jazz trumpeter. • Last year he chose Tucson. • For his 53rd, Braun packed his wife and kids in the family RV and headed to the Old Pueblo for a concert held by the Tucson Jazz Society in his honor. • "We made a vacation out of it," Braun, now 54, said in a phone interview Monday. "We went through Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Sedona. • "We love it in Tucson. The people are great and we love coming during the monsoon season." • Braun is also a big fan of the Tucson Jazz Society, which is why he'll be in town next Friday.
The SoCal artist will play a benefit show with Tucson-born mega-bassist Brian Bromberg to help raise money for the society.
In January, the non-profit went all-volunteer to offset the steady drop in membership, slow ticket sales due to a sluggish economy and a $50,000 bill owed to the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa for the organization's annual New Year's Eve gala.
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The society is working its way out of a financial hole, says TJS President Jeff Lewis, and artists like Braun are helping it reach its goals.
"Rick and these guys who play smooth jazz have a lot of personality," Lewis said. " The old musicians used to close their eyes, stand in one place and play very complex stuff. These guys are performers, showmen. They move around the stage like rock stars. We have a lot of fans of this style in Tucson."
Braun's talent on the trumpet comes from years of honing his skills from the time he was a boy in Allentown, Pa.
A virtuoso in high school and a member of the jazz-fusion band Auracle at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., Braun first earned his stripes on the national scene as a touring member of the funk band War and as a songwriter.
His song "Here With Me," co-written with Kevin Cronin, became a Billboard Top 20 hit for REO Speedwagon.
As his reputation grew, so did the artists with whom Braun was involved. He eventually shared the stage with the likes of Rod Stewart, Sade, Natalie Cole, Tom Petty and Tina Turner.
All the while, Braun was branching out as a solo artist in the contemporary jazz realm. He became a favorite among smooth-jazz fans after releasing his debut solo album, "Intimate Secrets," in 1994.
Tracks like "Notorious"from his popular 1997 album "Body and Soul" and his cover of Hugh Masekela's "Grazin' in the Grass" with sax player Boney James earned him a global following.
He hopes to continue the trend when he releases his latest album, "All It Takes," on Mack Avenue Records next week.
The 10-track release drips with Braun's crisp and comfortable sound. It opens with "Tijuana Dance?," an homage to one of Braun's earliest influences, Herb Alpert.
"When I was learning trumpet as a kid, Herb was a huge star," Braun said. "I learned to play everything he did and learned to play along with everything he did. His music taught me a lot about playing trumpet and songwriting in those early days."
From there, "All It Takes" slips casually from one soft-spoken, seductive track to the next. One of Braun's favorites is the ear-pleasing "Christiane," which is named after his wife and features smooth-jazz icons Jeff Lorber on keyboards and Ricky Lawson on drums.
"Jeff is legendary," Braun said. "I'll always enjoy our collaborations. Every time my wife hears it, she just loves it. It is sweet she enjoys it that much."
Braun gives a lot of credit on the album to French keyboardist and composer Philippe Saisse, who co-produced the release with Braun and played on most of the tracks.
A product of the Berklee College of Music, Saisse has worked with artists ranging from David Bowie to Al Jarreau and Al Di Meola.
"We kind of went in a more European, international direction," Braun said. "We have great chemistry. Philippe is nonstop with great textural input. It was really an open exchange of ideas."
Braun said he won't play tracks from his upcoming release at next Friday's benefit concert.
The show is set up as a jam session. Braun will improvise through the evening with Bromberg and a stable of talented players from around Arizona, including vocalist Judy Roberts, sax player Greg Fishman and drummer Pete Swan.
"I think Tucson has a great situation that is absolutely wonderful," Braun said. "I'm glad I can be a part of keeping things going and successful."
If you go
• What: Rick Braun and Brian Bromberg in concert.
• Presented by: Tucson Jazz Society.
• With: Judy Roberts, Greg Fishman, Pete Swan and others.
• When: 7 p.m. next Friday.
• Where: JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
• Cost: $25 with discounts available through all Bookmans locations and by calling 1-800-595-4849.
• More info: tucsonjazz.org.
