Claude Villani, songwriter, producer, composer and CEO of the SRG/ILS Group (distributed by Virgin Music/Universal Music Group) lands his third #1 Billboard single and sixth Top 10 song on the Billboard Jazz Charts.
“Claude Villani is one of the rarest music entrepreneurs. He possesses equal left side/right side talent that allows him to both create and promote. Equally at home creating as he is nurturing the next big talent opportunity. The word Unicorn has been used too frequently, but this best describes Claude’s many talents and vision.” – Jay Marciano, Chairman and CEO of AEG Global.
“Boarding Pass” featuring David Benoit and Jeff Lorber, lands on the #1 spot on this week’s Billboard Jazz Charts (week of July 14, 2026). The duo has been the standard bearers of jazz piano and keyboard for the past 40 plus years. The chart-topping single, written and produced by The Architects Of Sound (Claude Villani & Jeff Lorber).
Claude Villani’s Billboard Top 10 Chart-topping History;
* #1 Boarding Pass by David Benoit and Jeff Lorber
* #1 Savannah Dream by David Benoit
* #1 Taboo by Damien Escobar
* #3 Where We Belong by AOS (Architects of Sound)
* #8 Teardrops In The Rain by Jeff Lorber
* #10 City Lights by Mike Phillips
At an early age, Claude Villani was a prodigious guitar player. “I was giving lessons and playing in bands with much older musicians. When other kids were looking at colleges, I immediately decided I would go to Berklee College of Music just like many of the players I admired. I auditioned, was accepted, but ultimately only spent one semester there. It really wasn’t for me.” Villani wanted to get to work and he did, not only as a musician and songwriter, but he also spent time in the business world eventually expanding into management, promotion, and has owned and owns art galleries in the Hamptons, Fairfield County Connecticut, and Paris, France.
Villani started SRG Records in 2012, with the release of a live recording on CD, Blu-ray, and digital by Gino Vannelli entitled Live In LA. It was a little after this time that he started working with the ILS Group. Villani brought on R&B and Jazz vocal group Take 6 as well as R&B icon Brian McKnight to his new partnership. Subsequently both releases along with the repackaged Gino Vannelli project became top sellers.
In 2017, as SRG Records grew it became apparent that a merger would benefit both companies. Since that merger, under his leadership the SRG/ILS Group has grown to become one of the most successful labels in R&B, Jazz, & Blues with 100’s of millions of streams every year and a roster of artists that includes Keke Palmer, Lalah Hathway, Johnny Gill, UB40, Kwamé, Romeo Miller, Daley, and most recent signee, Grammy Award-Winning singer-songwriter, producer and musician, PJ Morton. As directed by Villani, the SRG/ILS Group has embraced the new consumption models in the modern music business while supporting artists and labels who want to fully participate in their careers, their recordings, and their publishing. “We want artists who understand the advantages and challenges of the new marketplace and are looking for a partner that will not only support their creativity but also lead the way to economic success.”
In 2023, Villani launched SRG Jazz, which is home to releases by Jeff Lorber, David Benoit, Mike Phillips, Damien Escobar, Randy Brecker, Architects Of Sound, and many more. Before the initial rollout of SRG Jazz, Villani rediscovered his love for writing and recording through a collaboration with Jazz saxophonist Mike Phillips. Villani wrote several songs on Mike’s 2022 self-titled album, including the hit single “City Lights” which was a contemporary Jazz airplay hit.
In 2024, Claude and Jeff Lorber formed a production and recording collective called the Architects Of Sound. They released their first album in May 2025, which spawned several Contemporary Jazz radio hits include “Where We Belong” and “Te Amo” featuring Randy Brecker. “When I started working with Jeff Lorber, it became clear he would be the perfect partner to help bring all the melodies that constantly come to me when I am playing guitar to life.”
As a Grammy-nominated producer, Mr. Villani has written and produced dozens of songs for and with Jeff Lorber, Randy Brecker, David Benoit, Damien Escobar, Brian McKnight, Mike Phillips, Jeff Bradshaw and many others. In September 2024, Villani released a collection of his compositions entitled Timepieces, which features songs he wrote or co-wrote for artists such as Jeff Lorber, Damien Escobar, David Benoit, and Mike Phillips. And presently preparing for the release of Timepieces II, scheduled for an August release.
Ultimately Claude Villani is a rare kind of entrepreneur and executive in the music business because he continues to create at the highest level while overseeing a multi-million-dollar corporation. He is a throwback to legendary record executives like Herb Alpert, Ahmet Ertegün, and Berry Gordy Jr. who also helmed highly successful record labels and continued to collaboration and compose. “In all my years as a student of music I keep looking for the next thing, the next melody the next artist. That is what drives me and what I live for.”
