Multi-Instrumentalist Ryan La Valette to Release New Single “Daydreaming” in October | New Album “Fresh” Coming Soon…
HAVING MADE SMOOTH JAZZ HISTORY WITH
A RECORD FOUR #1 SINGLES FROM HIS DEBUT
ALBUM, NEW ZEALAND NATIVE RYAN LA VALETTE
GEARS UP TO RELEASE “DAYDREAMING,”
THE LEAD SINGLE FROM
HIS UPCOMING COLLECTION ‘FRESH’
Aiming To Also Engage Younger Fans from His
Own Generation, The Composer/Producer and
Multi-Instrumentalist Creates a Hybrid Between
Smooth Jazz and The Hip Pop Sounds of Today
When New Zealand native Ryan La Valette took the stage at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival the week his debut album New Beginnings was released in 2022, he had no idea that over the next year and a half, he would become a record setting smooth jazz artist, with an unprecedent four #1 Billboard singles from that recording – a feat only achieved previously by the debut albums of pop icons Mariah Carey, George Michael and Paula Abdul.
Having recently moved to Raleigh NC, the multi-talented composer, producer, bassist, guitarist and saxophone player is gearing up to continue his conquest of the U.S. airwaves, starting with the October drop of “Daydreaming,” the funky, high spirited and ultra-infectious lead single from his upcoming second Trippin N Rhythm album, the perfectly titled “Fresh.”
The calculated risk Ryan took in creating a debut album with songs alternately featuring his melodic brilliance on three unique instruments paid off big time, with constant radio spins for the #1 hits “Let It Flow” and “Lover’s Melody” (both led by his dynamic electric guitar), “Highway 10” (featuring a piccolo bass and sax melody) and “Closer To You,” a silky, soulful sax ballad featuring labelmate Chris “Big Dog” Davis.
Beyond his own chart-toppers, he also hit the pole position as composer and performer on labelmate guitarist Lemek’s “Groove Central” and for composing, producing and appearing on “Hypnotized” by the TNR Collective, a gathering of Trippin N Rhythm labelmates featuring Lemek, keyboardist Nicholas Cole and vocalist Catie Waters. All told, singles that Ryan has released, been featured on or produced have spent a total of 16 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Airplay chart.
Ryan chose the title Fresh for his new 13 track collection based on the fascinating hybridization he achieves throughout, mixing his urban contemporary jazz vibes the sounds and arrangements of hip, R&B oriented pop music he loves (by artists such as Bruno Mars and Usher). “My goal is to reach other twentysomethings and make them as passionate about smooth jazz as the core older listeners,” he says. “By blending styles, I really want to take smooth jazz to a sonic place it hasn’t been before.”
While Ryan co-produced New Beginnings with Cole and another hit making producer, keyboardist Greg Manning, for Fresh, he requested that Trippin N Rhythm grant him complete ownership over the production, to further flex his ample studio chops and more seamlessly execute his own sonic vision for the project. In addition to doing all the writing and producing, Ryan leads different tracks with all three of his primary instruments – piccolo bass, guitar and sax. He invited Cole and Davis to return to play more subtle roles, respectively, on the ballad “Release Me” and the romantic traditional jazz song “I Love You” featuring vocalist Selena Albright. The most prominent all-star feature is saxophonist Dave Koz, who brings his lilting soprano to “You’ve Got a Friend,” a breezy original featuring Ryan on vocals.
Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records