16 | SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS Photo: Will Holton By Ken Capobianco Adam Hawley has found the gold paved roads in the land of the good groove. During the decade since he released his debut album, Just the Beginning, he has become one of the bestselling jazz artists and carved out his own successful niche of souljazz-blues guitar virtuosity. Hawley has garnered 20 No. 1 Billboard smooth jazz radio hits as an artist or producer since 2016, and now his recently released seventh record, Electric, has spawned three No. 1 songs on the Billboard Smooth Jazz charts in just a few months. e dynamic title track, featuring saxophonist Everette Harp, has topped the charts, becoming one of Hawley’s fastest rising songs. “I’ve been so blessed with each record, as I have been fortunate to have success with radio, physical sales and streaming,” said the a able Hawley via phone recently. Finding the Photos: Dan Boissy “Having a song up on the charts means it’s getting a lot of airplay. e thing about the Billboard charts is very pragmatic. It’s an indication of how much impact your song is having and how many markets are hearing it, and, you know, I want people to appreciate the music. I’m not just chart chasing. I’m looking to make great art.” Hawley said that he tries to nd the sweet spot between creative originality and commerciality, a di cult trick that few musicians achieve in the 21st century. “So, my goal is to nd the balance between art and commercial success. As a guitar player, I’m not trying to copy or repeat something George Benson did. I’m the biggest George Benson fan out there—he’s still performing and amazing—but let him do his thing, and let me gure out what my thing is. You can nd that balance as George did. at’s the kind of success I’m looking for.” sweet spot spot between art and success
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