Atlanta, GA
Contemporary flute-playing soul-jazz phenomenon Ragan Whiteside’s third single, “Full Court Press” from her current and sixth career album, Thrill Ride, lands in the Top 20 at No. 19 on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Chart after only eleven weeks on the chart. Composed by Whiteside and produced by Dennis Johnson and Bob Baldwin, “Full Court Press,” features guitarist Phil Hamilton, percussionist Curtis McCain, and drummer Rich Harrison, also known as the artist RAH. To listen to the single click here.
This weekend, Whiteside will headline the 87th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park on Sunday, April 16. The Jazz 91.9 WCLK announcer will also broadcast live from the festival on her weekly four-hour radio show, “Saturday with Ragan Whiteside” on the NPR-affiliated from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET, which is now the No. 1 radio show on the station.
“Ragan’s weekly broadcast is growing exponentially,” says David C. Linton, the program director of Jazz 91.1 WCLK. After four years on the air, Ragan has captured a loyal and consistent group of followers locally, nationally, and globally. We have plans to expand her show on other NPR-affiliated stations and national broadcasters.”
“I was stunned to hear that my weekly show is making leaps and bounds on Atlanta radio and beyond,” says Ragan, who now got her groove as a radio announcer. “I look forward to expanding what we’ve built at Jazz 91.9 WCLK. Many thanks to David Linton for believing in me and providing me with the opportunity to grow. I am ready to soar.”
The classically trained flutist continues her stellar run with her 2022 win for Best Contemporary Artist for the inaugural Jazz Music Awards and her recent NAACP nomination for the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album (Instrumental) for Thrill Ride. Her No. 1 chart-topping single, “Thrill Ride” landed on five Jazz Radio charts including the Billboard Smooth Jazz (14 weeks), Mediabase, the Smooth Jazz Network, Radiowave and Groove Jazz Music radio charts (15 weeks) on the chart, making it her second No. 1 single as a solo artist.
Whiteside’s streak of hit records also includes Kim Scott’s 2022 remake of Ashford & Simpson’s 1978 mega-hit, “I’m Every Woman” along with Althea Rene, which also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart. Her previous Billboard Top 10 singles included “JJ’s Strut,” “Reminiscing,” “Jam It,” “Early Arrival,” “See You At The Get Down,” and “Off the Cuff,” also featured on her current album, and her Billboard No. 1 single, “Corey’s Bop.”
