Biography

Streetwize is a charting contemporary jazz studio recording project led by saxophonist Kim Waters. His regular collaborators include vocalist Maysa Leak and guitarist Ken Navarro; the rest of the lineup fluctuates according to a particular recording's needs. Since 2002's Streetwize: Smooth Urban Jazz, they have almost exclusively recorded jazz covers of contemporary rap and R&B hits, though Waters' love for vintage R&B, funk, and disco is acknowledged by including a classic song or two on most productions. Their sophomore date, Work It, went all the way to number two on the contemporary jazz charts. 2006's Does Dre was their first to focus on a single artist. 2012's Feelin' Sexy offered ballads and 21st century love songs; it went to number three, as did the following year's Body Party. 2015's Does the Divas was the project's first to focus exclusively on female vocalists. After a five-year hiatus, Waters brought the project back for 2020's Ocean Eyes. Waters created the Streetwize project following 2001's From the Heart, inspired by Blue Note's mid-'60s tendency to encourage their artists to cover pop hits from charting artists of the day. He was also playing more covers live that resonated with fans. He proposed Streetwize to Shanachie and they greenlighted it. 2002's Smooth Urban Jazz featured versions of Mystikal's "Shake It Fast," Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat," and D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar." While it didn't chart, it did win enthusiastic critical notice. 2003's Work It polished the edges off tracks made popular by Missy Elliott, Erykah Badu, and Jennifer Lopez, and featured Randy Brecker, Erica Wilson, David Mann, and Chuck Loeb in the lineup. The set peaked at number three on the Contemporary Jazz chart. Streetwize changed it up for 2004's sultry Slow Jamz. It included a pair of Isley Brothers tributes in "Don't Say Goodnight" and "Between the Sheets." Among its other selections were Avant's Read Your Mind" and Beyonce's "Me, Myself and I." It too peaked at number three. Two years later, the band returned with Does Dre, the project's first outing to focus on the work of a single artist. In addition to Dr. Dre hits, it included versions of tracks he produced, including Eminem's "My Name Is," Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice," and "Nuthin' But a G Thang." The band continued in the slow-jam cover-song mode on 2007's Sexy Love, titled after the Ne-Yo hit. It also included Robin Thicke's "Lost Without U" and Kanye West's "Heaven (Only Knows)." The set's closer was a reading of Thom Bell's smash Delfonics' vehicle "La La (Means I Love You)." The album peaked at number nine at Contemporary Jazz and number nine on the Jazz Albums list. In 2008 the group returned to focusing on a single artist with Streetwize Does Mary J Blige. Delivering 11 songs she recorded, Waters enlisted producer/keyboardist Chris "Big Dog" Davis, guitarist Rohn Lawrence, and the backing vocals of Timmy Maia. The set peaked at number four on the Contemporary Jazz charts, number ten at Jazz Albums, and number 26 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums list. Waters also enjoyed chart-topping success at Contemporary Jazz as well as Top 200 success that year with his own I Want You: Love in the Spirit of Marvin. Streetwize issued Put U to Bed in 2009. The set included readings of Mariah Carey's "My Love," David Balfour's "Chopped 'N' Skrewed," The Dream's "Bed," and Ledisi's "In the Morning." It spent seven weeks on the Contemporary Jazz chart and peaked at number eight. Waters was busy recording and touring his own records over the next couple of years. 2010 and 2011 saw him net a pair of Top Five outings in Love Stories and This Heart of Mine. He reassembled Streetwize for 2012's Feelin' Sexy. It included covers by Robin Thicke, R. Kelly, Frank Ocean, and Anthony Hamilton, as well as a read of the Atlantic Starr ballad "Send for Me." The set spent 20 weeks on the Contemporary Jazz chart, peaking at number three. It also spent 17 weeks on the Jazz Albums list and peaked at number seven. The following year, Streetwize netted another Top Five with Body Party. Subtitled, "Smooth Urban Jazz Vibes on Today's #1 R&B Hits!," it included versions of Ciara's title track, Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home," and Tamar Braxton's "The One." The album also placed inside the Top Ten at Jazz Albums. Waters followed the formula on 2015's Does the Divas! Subtitled "Smooth Urban Jazz Vibes on Today's #1 R&B Divas!," it offered spirited readings of Kesha's "Blow," Blige's "Whole Damn Year," Ledisi's "I Blame You," Jhené Aiko's "The Worst," and Sabrina's "Bang Bang." It reached number 15 on the Contemporary Jazz albums list. Waters remained occupied by solo duties over the next several years. After a holiday-themed album for Red River, he returned to Shanachie for 2016's Top 20 Rhythm and Romance, and 2018's Top Five What I Like. He reassembled Streetwize for 2020's Ocean Eyes. Titled after the Billie Eilish hit, the ten-song set also included smooth jazz interpretations of Chris Brown's "No Guidance," H.E.R.'s "Best Part," Khalid's "Talk," and Daniel Caesar's "Get You." ~ Matt Collar & Thom Jurek