Skinny Hightower
- Piano
- drums
- bass
- vibraphone[1][2][3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Mark_of_the_United_States_Army.svg/25px-Mark_of_the_United_States_Army.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Army_e-5_sergeant.png/18px-Army_e-5_sergeant.png)
Jason Carroll (born November 12, 1985), known professionally as Skinny Hightower, is an American jazz pianist.[6] In 2020, his album Blue Moon finished as the 14th overall smooth jazz album on the Smooth Jazz Year End Top 100 Album Chart.[7] In the same year, his single "Bittersweet" finished as the sixth overall single on the 2020 Billboard Year-End charts for Smooth Jazz Airplay Songs.[8] Two singles from Blue Moon, the title track "Blue Moon" and "Now or Never", finished 36th and 38th respectively on the 2021 Billboard Year-End charts for Smooth Jazz Airplay Songs.[9] Hightower was also the number seven artist on the 2021 Billboard Year-End Smooth Jazz Airplay Artists list.[10] Hightower's singles "Blue Moon," "Now or Never," and "Taboo" all reached number one on the Smooth Jazz Airplay Billboard charts.[11][12] [13] "Blue Moon" also reached number one on the Smooth Jazz Network Top 20 singles chart.[14]
Early life
Hightower was born in Wichita, Kansas on November 12, 1985.[1][15] Hightower's interest in music began at age two when he would sit on his father's lap and play the drums.[1][15][2] His involvement would continue as he later developed a mild interest in piano at age eight and began playing bass at the age of 12.[1] Jazz and gospel were his primary musical influences at the time.[15] Hightower later attended Wichita South High School where he played as a percussionist in the marching band, pep band, jazz band, and concert band.[2]
Music career
2012–2017: Military service and Cloud Nine
In 2012, Skinny Hightower enlisted in the United States Army where he served for five years and was promoted up to the rank of Sergeant.[1][2] He deployed to Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan for a few months. Four years into his military contract, he recorded and released his first studio album Cloud Nine.[1]
Name origin
Hightower's pseudonym originated as a nickname given to him by his fellow servicemembers.[2] Upon learning that he was a jazz musician, his Army friends called him a skinny Mr. Hightower (played by Steve Harvey) in connection with the 1996 sitcom The Steve Harvey Show.[2]
2020: Blue Moon
In 2020, Skinny Hightower released Blue Moon which spawned the second and third number one Billboard singles of his career.[11][12] The production of the album consisted of the recording of 100 songs of which 24 were selected by a team of 10 individuals.[15][16][17]
Discography
Studio albums
Album title | Release year | Record label | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Cloud Nine | 2016 | Vein Records | [4] |
Emotions | 2017 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records | [4] |
Retrospect | 2018 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records | [4] |
Blue Moon | 2020 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records | [4][5] |
Mind Over Matter | 2023 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records | [18] |
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart position | Album | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Jazz (Smooth) | ||||
"Taboo" | 2017 | 1 | Emotions | [13] |
"Bittersweet" | 2020 | 3 | Blue Moon | [19] |
"Blue Moon" | 2020 | 1 | Blue Moon | [11] |
"Now or Never" | 2020 | 1 | Blue Moon | [12] |
Collaborations
Year | Artist | Release | Additional information | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Lin Rountree | Stronger Still | Featured artist, piano | [3] |
2019 | Cindy Bradley | The Little Things | Bass, vibraphone | [3] |
Live performances
Festivals
Year | Title | Role | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Catalina Island Jazztrax Festival | Featured artist | [20] |
2019 | Seabreeze Jazz Festival | Featured artist | [21] |
See also
Music
- Billboard charts
- Jazz piano
- Smooth jazz
- Smooth jazz radio
Lists
- List of jazz pianists
- List of people from Wichita, Kansas
- List of smooth jazz musicians
- Lists of African Americans
Other
References
- ^ a b c d e f g AllMusic.com. Artist Biography.
- ^ a b c d e f g Riedl, Matt. "Chart-topping musician relocates to Wichita". The Wichita Eagle. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b Linton, David (14 June 2021). "Skinny Hightower: Now Or Never". Jazz WCLK – The Jazz of the City. WCLK. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ Collar, Matt. "Skinny Hightower Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "SmoothJazz.com Year End Top 100 Album Chart (Formerly the Gavin Report)". Smoothjazz.com. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ "YEAR-END CHARTS Smooth Jazz Airplay Songs". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ "Billboard 2021 Year-End Smooth Jazz Songs Chart". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Magazine 2021 Year-End Smooth Jazz Artists List". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "Smooth Jazz Airplay for Blue Moon". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "Smooth Jazz Airplay for Now or Never". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Smooth Jazz Airplay for Taboo". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ Kepler, Allen (21 January 2021). "Top 20 Chart for January 23rd". Smooth Jazz Network. KepEnt, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Blue Moon". JAZZIZ Magazine. Michael Fagien. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ Eckels, Carla (29 June 2021). "In-Studio: A Conversation with Skinny Hightower". KMUW – NPR. National Public Radio. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "Blue Moon – Skinny Hightower – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "Mind Over Matter". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Smooth Jazz Airply for Bittersweet". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ "32nd Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival this October". Love Catalina Island. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "Seabreeze Jazz Festival announces 2019 lineup". WJHG News, Weather, Sports – Panama City, FL. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.