My Turn Hits Top 100 List is a road Saxophonist Duane Parham has been “traveling” a few months. It has been “highways and byways,” curves and straight paths that have led to getting the song introduced, heard and played. The internet is a useful resource but flooded with musicians trying to accomplish the same thing. I was part of that global “info campaign!” It was hard and still is. “We have only just begun” as the song says. Where are we now? Concerts, festivals and playlists.

Top Smooth Jazz 100 List

There are many lists in “music world.” Getting on the right one can be challenging, especially for independent artists. After getting on and off lists, “My Turn” landed on the Smooth Jazz Network Top 100 List.“ This was a leap forward because currently, the song is played on hundreds of radio stations globally. Next step: Smooth Jazz List. Yea…those are two (2) different entities. One is Smooth Jazz Network and the other is Smooth Jazz. It took me a while also. And …we were thrilled to say, “My Turn Hits the Top 100 List” because it’s a “cool” tune. See for yourself.

I was shocked when I discovered a Youtube Channel decided to use Duane Parham’s latest single as a promotional tool, and without telling anybody. Take a look!

A Description of “My Turn”

“My Turn” is a sassy, lively, upbeat tune that makes you “pat your foot” or shake your head!  It was released January 5, 2023 as the first single from the upcoming album “Sugar Melts.”  Saxophonist Duane Parham plays in four (4) genres: Smooth Jazz, R&B, Motown and Gospel, but the listener gets ‘bits” of each one in every composition.  Why?  Parham internalizes his music so that it reaches the listener emotionally.

The genre of My Turn is smooth jazz, but the message is “soul.”  The melody has “staying power.”  After the music stops, the melody lingers on.  The listener may inadvertently find himself humming or whistling it. 

Jazz and Smooth Jazz

In the 19th century, African Americans created jazz from ragtime and blues. Its origin is New Orleans, Louisiana. Musically, it contains swing and blues notes, complex rhythms, call and response vocals and “tons” of improvisation. There are several styles of jazz: New Orleans Jazz, Kansas City Jazz, Bebop, Cool Jazz, Modal and Jazz-Rock-Fusion. Each style is influenced by cultural nuances and the decade in which it existed. Early ragtime jazz artists are Vess Ossman, William Krell and Scott Joplin.

Vess Ossman Scott Joplin

Smooth Jazz on the other hand, is a cross-over jazz which gained popularity in the 1980s. It avoids improvisational risk-taking and emphasizes melodic forms, pop music and RnB. Notable smooth jazz artists are George Benson, Chuck Mangione, Bobby Caldwell, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington Jr. and Kenny G.

Grover Washington Jr. George Benson Kenny G

Why “My Turn” Hits the Top Ten List