New Release: Playing Favorites from Chris Rottmayer

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Playing Favorites from Chris Rottmayer
Label: Pilars Jazz
Release Date: October 17, 2025
Website: https://chrisrottmayer.com

Playing Favorites is composer-pianist Chris Rottmayer's sixth album as a leader. His choice of material embraces American adult contemporary and jazz standards by such luminaries as Frank Loesser and Kenny Barron to name a few.  Backed by vocalist Kelsey Wallner along with Clark Sommers on bass and Matt Endres on drums, the recording is gilded in straight-ahead jazz trimmings accented by flecks of Latin shimmer as Wallner contributes a handful of her own original tunes to the assortment.  Wallner's soul-studded bluesy vocalese shapes "On The Street Where You Live" into an memorable arrangement as the sauntering pace of the bass and drums cling to her rhythmic strokes.  The shuffling pace of Rottmayer's keys imbue "Firm Roots" with a straight-ahead jazz revving, turning to a candlelight glow through "Sail Away".  Wallner's original work "Love Ain’t Free" asserts herself as a striking songwriter and vocal improviser, while Rottmayer comes forward as a charismatic narrator and evocative improviser in his revamping of Ivan Lins's "Love Dance".  Rottmayer's program captures the essence of the straight-ahead jazz ethos coupled with jazz-inspired improvisations.

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