18 | SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS “It can be very expensive to go across the country,” he added with practicality, fully realizing the tenor of the times. “So now we are thinking about East Coast cities. Every option is open. We want to make the best time for everyone. We’ll see what’s next.” Culbertson isn’t the micromanager of the festival he once was when it was just a burgeoning entity, but he is not an absentee host either. “I am still heavily involved with the lineup, location, and food and wine choices, but less with the logistics. I can’t be involved in what the napkins look like,” he laughed. e Illinois native doesn’t consider himself a workaholic, but he is one of the most proli c musicians in jazz and maintains a hectic recording and touring schedule each year. He has released a startling ve albums in ve years, a frantic pace unrivaled in jazz. He is quite cognizant of the hamster wheel grind most musicians get stuck in, where they release an album and tour over and over until they burn out. And he nds ways to avoid the numbing patterns that shorten musicians’ careers. “You have to be aware of your mental state, so when you need a break, you need to listen to yourself and say, ‘You know, I need to take a week or two o to unplug because you don’t want to burn out,’” said the keyboardist, who has been married to his wife, Michelle, for 28 years. “But I will be honest, when I do take time away here and there, I get really antsy. I can’t take too much time away. Pretty impossible. I hear guys saying, ‘I’m going to take three months o ,’ and I’m like, ‘What?!’ I couldn’t imagine that. I would get so bored. I’m not wired that way—one week maximum, and I’m thinking, ‘Back to work.’” He recently built a studio a er moving to a new home and is focused on his next chapter. A er 29 albums, Culbertson believes there is plenty of new musical terrain to explore. He doesn’t have a bucket list of musicians to collaborate with because he has already worked with so many stellar musicians from around the world. “I feel very lucky that I’ve pretty much checked o all the boxes of the people I’ve wanted to work with. A lot of my heroes I grew up listening to, I’ve played with. Of course, you aren’t going to work with everyone, but I’ve gotten to meet so many greats. I’m forever grateful.” While most musicians of his generation have experienced peaks and valleys, Culbertson has maintained a steady trajectory to success. He recalled only one precarious time in his career when he started to doubt his way. “I remember back in 2010, when I was de nitely questioning,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s going on with this music?’ e genre seemed to be evaporating. at’s when FM radio stations went away, and touring was bad because of the economic crash, which caught up to the touring business, and I wasn’t getting any gigs. “I was thinking, ‘Do I go more into lm and television or write di erent kinds of music?’ I was trying all types of stu . I realized that was not where my heart was. ankfully, the business did turn around and correct itself.” He credits his management and production team for always keeping him even-keeled and honest. “I’ve seen with other artists who have enablers who say yes to everything. You have to have people around you who have your best interests in mind, and are not afraid to give you the bad news or say, ‘ at’s an awful idea.’” He took a moment and added, knowingly, “Of course, No. 1 is my wife, Michelle. We’ve been together many, many years. She will gladly tell me when she doesn’t like something, and she’s great at giving me advice or telling me what I might not want to hear, but need to. But when she loves something, that’s an amazing feeling, so she’s always supportive.” For now, Culbertson heads into 2026 with a lot on his plate, and he will continue to innovate and chase new ideas and inspiration from life, and, yes, even evolving tech innovations. “You have to be adaptable to new technology and be exible—the key is believing in what you do and persevering. You don’t know what is going to happen, so just keep going forward.” For more information on Culbertson, including his complete tour schedule, visit www.brianculbertson.com. For details on his Jazz Getaways, visit www.jazzgetaway.com. March 20 35th Annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest Scottish Rite Cathedral West Reading, Pennsylvania www.berksjazzfest.com April 18 Jazz Fest Pompano Beach Pompano Beach Fisher Family Pier Pompano Beach, Florida www.pompanobeacharts.org/events/jazz-fest Nov. 7 The Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Daytona Beach, Florida www.floridasmoothjazz.com continued from page 17 After 29 albums, Culbertson believes there is plenty of new musical terrain to explore. ONTOUR
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