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Skinny Hightower
Hightower in 2023
Hightower in 2023
Background information
Birth nameJason Carroll
Born (1985-11-12) November 12, 1985 (age 38)
Wichita, Kansas
GenresJazz, smooth jazz
OccupationPianist[1]
Instruments
Years active2016–present
LabelsTrippin 'N' Rhythm Records[4][5]
Websiteskinnyhightower.com
Military career
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service2012–2017[2]
Rank Sergeant

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

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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

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2012–2017: Military service and Cloud Nine

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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

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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

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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

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Studio albums

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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

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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

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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

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Festivals

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Year Title Role Ref(s)
2018 Catalina Island Jazztrax Festival Featured artist [20]
2019 Seabreeze Jazz Festival Featured artist [21]

See also

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Music

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Lists

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Other

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g AllMusic.com. Artist Biography.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c "Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Linton, David (14 June 2021). "Skinny Hightower: Now Or Never". Jazz WCLK – The Jazz of the City. WCLK. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  6. ^ Collar, Matt. "Skinny Hightower Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  7. ^ "SmoothJazz.com Year End Top 100 Album Chart (Formerly the Gavin Report)". Smoothjazz.com. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  8. ^ "YEAR-END CHARTS Smooth Jazz Airplay Songs". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Billboard 2021 Year-End Smooth Jazz Songs Chart". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Billboard Magazine 2021 Year-End Smooth Jazz Artists List". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "Smooth Jazz Airplay for Blue Moon". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Smooth Jazz Airplay for Now or Never". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Smooth Jazz Airplay for Taboo". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  14. ^ Kepler, Allen (21 January 2021). "Top 20 Chart for January 23rd". Smooth Jazz Network. KepEnt, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d "Blue Moon". JAZZIZ Magazine. Michael Fagien. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  16. ^ Eckels, Carla (29 June 2021). "In-Studio: A Conversation with Skinny Hightower". KMUW – NPR. National Public Radio. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Blue Moon – Skinny Hightower – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Mind Over Matter". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Smooth Jazz Airply for Bittersweet". Billboard Magazine. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  20. ^ "32nd Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival this October". Love Catalina Island. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Seabreeze Jazz Festival announces 2019 lineup". WJHG News, Weather, Sports – Panama City, FL. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
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