jazz2love

Album: A Centering Peace Artist: Brian Woodruff Sextet Label: QJOG Records Website:  https://brianwoodruffmusic.com A Centering Peace is the third offering from the Brian Woodruff Sextet led by drummer-composer-bandleader Brian Woodruff. Supported by Michael Rodrigues on trumpet, Lisa Parrott on soprano and alto saxophones, Alan Ferber on trombone, Pete McCann on guitar, and Matt Clohesy on bass, Woodruff guides the band through a continuous flux of extemporaneous solos and melodic phrasing. The passages flare and ebb organically, amassing kaleidoscopic fluctuations. There is a rawness in the refined parlance of the sextet that is traditional to the jazz milieu while flexing the creative leanings of each musician. Vocalist Elisabeth Lohninger imprints a swinging, sultry vibe on "King Size Blues" that is entrancing. The slinky swagger of Lisa Parrott's alto sax is complemented by the sleek puffs of Alan Ferber's trombone, encircling Lohninger's vocals like a lush

Album:  Sack Full of Dreams Artist:  Hazel Mitchell-Bell Label:  CD Baby Website:   https://www.hazelmitchellbellmusic.com/music Vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell might be new to the jazz palette, releasing her debut recording Stronger Than Ever in 2018 and following up with her sophomore effort Sack Full of Dreams in May 2021, but the bluesy crooning in her phrasing, the supple texture of her register, and the caressing aesthetics of her timbres are all familiar to listeners.  Her blend of jazz, soul, R&B, and bossa nova feel like home, surrounding the listener in comfort and bliss. Bell's memorable rendition of Woodrow Wilson and Buddy Johnson's gem "Save Your Love for Me" basks the listener in sheer bliss inlaid by embers of torch song-inspired soul.  She switches to a Cajun blues swagger in "Do I Move You," penned by Nina Simone.  Bell's command of Simone-imprinted blues demonstrates a dexterity that is laudable.  Supported by a string quartet, she t

Album Title: It Never Entered My Mind Artist: Blue Muse Label: Self-Released Website: www.bluemusejazz.com A simmering brew of west coast cool and radiant swing, Blue Muse transport listeners into warm, easy listening atmospheres on their latest release It Never Entered My Mind .  The vibrant toots of tenor saxophonist Sarah Lee and trumpet/flugelhorn player Steve Strawley trade off solos with Jarrett Carter's babbling guitar and Javian Francis's rippling piano keys while bassist Cody Wheaton and drummers John Medico and Jack Miller provide a steady stream of jaunty grooves. The septet comes together to wield mirth and merriment from start to finish. Lee and Strawley perform a stretch of recurring motifs interspersed with flashy improvised rambles for their reimagination of Horace Silver's number "Nutville."  The septet lets audiences know from the beginning that they are full of energy and boundless creativity, inclined to go off on amusing excursions spurred by