After much success with his debut album Man with a Horn, Raiford is on the verge of releasing his second solo project, The Next Step. Filled with catchy originals, cool covers, tight hooks, and saxophone playing that is both passionate and sensuous, this release is already making waves in the smooth jazz world, pushing the idiom towards edgier sounds that reflect Shawn’s well-attended live shows. Raiford’s newest single from the upcoming album offers an instrumental version of “Leave The Door Open.” The music on Raiford’s second record, The Next Step, is on a different level altogether. It is smooth jazz but I push the envelope, having a heavier bass and drums. When I play live, this is how we sound with edgier drums, the bass popping, the guitar shaking, and the keyboards being creative in addition to my saxophone.” High-energy and naturally talented, Shawn Raiford is a very appealing, emerging alto-saxophonist who plays accessible music that always has an infectious groove.