MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Before LL Cool J, Morris Day and Jill Scott take the stage, a South Florida band will open the Jazz in the Gardens festival with their own brand of crowd rocking music. They are A. Randolph and the Smash Room Project.
"I call it urban soul pop, because we do a little bit of everything," Anthony Randolph told Local 10 News.
Randolph, a Miami Gardens native, is a graduate of Full Sail University in Orlando. Randolph said he started his music career at 5 years old in church and never stopped.
A professional keyboardist, he claims there isn't an instrument he can't play. His group, Smash Room Project, is made up of other professionals who can also hold their own.
"It's not necessarily about me. Each one of them can stand out front, and they do. It's a family affair," Randolph said.
Randolph said his inspiration comes from many -- James Brown, P-Funk, Anita Baker and Prince, to name a few.
The band kicks off the opening party for Jazz in the Gardens on Friday and they are so excited to be on the roster. Randolph has been on that stage accompanying other artists. He said for a local band, the festival is everything.
"They are creating a platform for local and upcoming artists. You are talking 75 to 100,000 people," Randolph said. "We need a Jazz in the Gardens to put us on that platform."