The Debuts On QVC September 2005

Rafe Gomez‘ innovative mix of music has shaken things up in a good way at radio, and now he’s ready to do the same for TV! Since April, after four months of keeping fans in suspense, DJ, radio personality and recording artist Rafe Gomez announced the debut date of his own TV show The Groove Boutique™ on the home shopping cable TV channel QVC! The show will air in the U.S. on the West Coast on Wednesday September 7, 2005 at 11PM PCT time and Thursday, September 8th 2AM EST time on the East Coast.

The one hour show will feature Rafe Gomez spinning and selling CD bundles of the same type of chilled-out, tasty sounds that he features on his highly successful, syndicated Groove Boutique™ radio show.

Rafe Gomez’ radio show, which was the nation’s first smooth jazz “mix” show featuring up tempo smooth jazz, acid jazz, jazz-funk, soul jazz, chill music and nu-jazz, has been gaining lots of momentum on stations throughout the United States. In the New York City market, Rafe’s show airs on Saturday nights and has tied as Number One in ratings during that time slot competing with other radio mix show genres such as pop and rap music! Also, the Rafester was a top radio personality finalist this year at the New York Air Awards.

In the past two years, Rafe Gomez’ radio show, his mix CD Groove Boutique: Volume One (Tommy Boy Records) and remix with David Baron of Smokey Robinson’s classic tune “Quiet Storm” on the CD Motown Remixed released in May) have received lots of praise and great reviews from the press, including Smooth Jazz News, Rolling Stone Magazine, Billboard, All Music Guide, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Radio & Records, and many jazz web sites.

To catch the latest details for all of Gomez’ shows, check TheGrooveBoutique.com. Back in April, Rafe also announced plans for the future for a Volume 2 CD “of blended Groove Boutique jazziness.” This summer, Rafe is creating a “party atmosphere” spinning on board Spirit Cruises sponsored by WQCD CD101.9FM in New York City before the shows for popular smooth jazz artists such as Jeff Golub, Warren Hill & Philippe Saisse, Pieces of a Dream, and Angela Bofill. Rafe also hosts live shows for cutting edge, new artists such as Long Island, New York guitarist Matt Marshak and the London group Jazzinho.

How did the new Groove Boutique™ TV show idea develop? According to Rafe Gomez, “A rep from QVC heard The Groove Boutique™ on CD101.9 in New York and loved it. Then he bought the Groove Boutique: Volume One CD (which had the smooth jazz radio hit “Icy” recorded by Gomez), and loved that. Then (he) got in touch with me.”

The Rafester explains that the QVC rep said “the show’s vibe was right in line with what QVC was looking for: a fresh presentation of hip jazz and jazzy music that can enhance the busy lifestyles of their viewers.” Gomez and the QVC rep then did some strategic planning to help create the look and feel of a Groove Boutique™ show on QVC.

Gomez says “I’m incredibly excited about it, as are my peeps!” (e.g., Rafe’s fans!). The new TV show will feature offerings of CDs by many of the same jazzy groovin’ artists that Rafe Gomez plays on his nationally syndicated radio mix show such as: Bobby Caldwell, Euge Groove, Shilts, Alex Bugnon, Four 80 East, Soul Ballet, Greg Adams, Marcus Miller, Patches Stewart, Steve Oliver, and many more! The show will also feature some exciting music from NEW artists too and music from cool CDs such as various artist compilations like the Vintage Chill 4 CD set, and Groove Boutique: Volume One.

According to Rafe Gomez, “The music will be hot, the vibe will be cool, and the prices will be UNBELIEVABLE!!! Tune in to start building your library of your favorite Groove Boutique jams at phenomenal savings – savings that will only be available on The Groove Boutique ™ TV show on QVC!”

If you are a fan of Gomez’ radio show and or just love COOL and FUNKY JAZZ MUSIC, YOU’VE GOTTA TUNE IN TO Rafe Gomez’ new TV SHOW LIVE starting September 7th 11PM PST and September 8th 2AM EST!!

As jazz fans, we really should do all we can to support this new vehicle! Right now, in the U.S., there is no show on TV that supports our music on a regular basis! (Back in the 1990’s for a little while, we had the short-lived Arsenio Hall talk show introduce us to artists like Dave Koz and Candy Dulfer.)

Rafe Gomez’ new Groove Boutique™ show has great potential to bring our favorite and many new and exciting jazzy artists into millions of homes on a regular basis. As fans, to keep this show afloat, we NEED TO WATCH THE SHOW LIVE and BUY THE CDS during the live show!! If the show gets a great response, hopefully, QVC will MOVE the show to an earlier time slot for the East coast folks, and air it a few times a month!!

The Groove Boutique™ TV show is a great opportunity to hear cool music that you may not hear anywhere else, and be amongst the first to get the specially-priced CD packages mailed directly to your home!

According to Rafe Gomez, “if QVC features an item, their viewers automatically assume that it’s good. QVC is also determined to feature music that their audience doesn’t know – but should know. This healthy, two-way interaction is refreshing: QVC respects the audience, and the audience trusts QVC. It’s a dynamic that allows for limitless possibilities in terms of the music that I can present.”

If you’ve never watched QVC, it’s an exciting process, since the hosts are live, and the calls are also live from audiences who are consumers. QVC (which stands for “Quality, Value and Convenience” with headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania in the US) is the American leader in electronic retailing.

QVC reaches approximately 96% of all U.S. cable homes, as well as over 23 million satellite homes. In the U.S., QVC broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, and introduces 250 new products every week to viewers in 87 million homes. In addition to its successful direct selling approach on Cable TV, the company also sells through web sites in the U.S. www.QVC.com, and in other countries.

If you don’t have the QVC cable channel, the www.QVC.com web site give viewers the opportunity to click on and watch the QVC TV show LIVE!

BizRate.com, the premier online comparison shopping site, presented QVC.com with a “Circle of Excellence” Platinum Award for 4 years in a row, (which recognizes 41 of the best retailers for their outstanding customer satisfaction). QVC is one of only five online retailers to receive this recognition.

Internationally, through TV and the Internet, QVC reaches 15.4 million homes in England, Scotland, and Ireland in the U.K., 35 million households in Germany, and 15.4 million homes in Japan.

Globally, in 2004, QVC received approximately 192 million phone calls and shipped over 137 million units valued at over $5.7 billion USD. That’s incredible!

Gomez plays many artists from overseas. Perhaps someday Rafe Gomez’ The Groove Boutique™ show will air in other countries too! Wouldn’t that be something?