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Album Review: I Guess We're Not Alone from The Beveled Edges

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Album:  I Guess We're Not Alone Artist:  The Beveled Edges Label Name: Detrallas Records Website: https://thebevelededges.com Endowed with a voice that can lull audiences into a blissful respite and equally lure them onto the dancefloor, singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan is partnered with 7-string guitarist Anthony Lanni whose playing wraps delicate embellishments around Bhushan's vocal melodies.  Together, they form The Beveled Edges, a multi-faceted duo who integrate Parisian soul with Latin swing, prairieland folk, classic orchestral pop, and bluesy torchlight vocalese.    Their debut recording I Guess We're Not Alone is comprised of 10 original tunes, featuring an accompaniment that includes:  Arei Sekiguchi on drums and percussion, Haruna Fukazawa on flute, Tosh Sheridan on piano, Brad Whitely on organ, Garry ianco on strings, Alejandro Berti Delgado on trumpet, Ric Becker on trombone, Jeremy Powell on saxophone, and Will Holshouser on accordion. ...
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Nancy Newman: Singing from Her Heart

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Singer-songwriter Nancy Newman is oftentimes described as delivering heartfelt interpretations in her music.  Her most recent recording DREAM is evidence of this trademark quality.  In Vancouver, British Columbia, Newman believes she fills a niche in jazz vocals for audiences who crave emotional connection and heartfelt resonance in their listening experience — qualities she delivers with exceptional depth.   She reveals, "I’ve always been fascinated by dreams—both the kind that fuel our hopes and ambitions, and the ones that emerge from our unconscious while we sleep." "With a background in counseling and therapeutic dream work," she cites, "I wanted to create an album that reflects both sides: the dreams that guide us, and the symbolic, often mysterious ones that speak to us in the night."   She sums up, "Each song on DREAM was chosen to explore these dual themes. My one guideline was simple: every song had to include the word 'dream' or ...
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Album Review: Alice Blue by Ravita Jazz

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  Album:   Alice Blue Artist:   Ravita Jazz Label:   Ravita Music Website:   https://www.baltimorebass.com/   Ravita Jazz is a jazz sextet led by bass player Phil Ravita and includes: percussionist Mark Leppo, saxophonist Paul Carr, pianist Greg Small, drummer Nucleo Vega, and vocalist Deidre Jennings.  Their 2025 release Alice Blue canvasses a wide breadth across the adult contemporary jazz spectrum, intersecting swaying bossa nova swells with bebop trimmings, torchlight atmospheres, and straight-ahead jazz harmonies.  Ravita Jazz's sonic representations are reflective of the adult contemporary jazz culture, featuring five originals by Ravita, two compositions by Small and three covers. Diving in, the dreamy atmosphere of "Almost Blue" is blanketed in ruminating keys, traveling along plush rhythmic beats, creating a tranquilizing vibe. The soothing timbres of Jennings's vocals caress the lyrics tenderly with a deep reverence in "From the Start," ...
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New Release: Walk On By from Kristina Koller

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  New Release:  Walk On By from Kristina Koller Label:  Self-Release Release Date:  May 16, 2025 Websites:  https://www.kristinakoller.net/music https://www.facebook.com/kristinakollermusic IG: @kkollermusic Spirited, playful, and suave, singer and song interpreter Kristina Koller rejuvenates 10 selections from Burt Bacharach's songbook, retooling them using a contemporary perspective on Walk On By.   Her reimagination of Bacharach's popular tunes like "Close To You" and "Say A Little Prayer" are treated equally in Koller's kneading and finessing as Bacharach's lesser known numbers like "A House Is Not A Home" and "Don't Make Me Over."  Koller makes every track special from her impromptu vocal inflections to her improvised vocal hooks.  She makes every track magnetic and life-like with her unique performance that retains the song's essence while revamping the vocal melodies by infusing animated tweaks.  The flexibility in ...
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New Release: The Path of a Tear from Jo Harrop

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  New Release:  The Path of a Tear from Jo Harrop Label:  Lateralize Records Release Date:  April 8, 2025 Websites:  www.joharrop.com Insta/FB - @joharropmusic YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JoHarrop/videos Jo Harrop possesses a voice that resonates with contemporary audiences from her contemplative style to her soothing tone and storytelling manner.  Her repertoire integrates jazz, soul, and blues into an alluring mixture that brings out a distinctive beauty in each track. The Path Of A Tear , Harrop’s fourth offering on London-based jazz label, Lateralize Records, illustrates her prowess as a songwriter with 6 original tunes and a selection of covers written by Leonard Cohen, Steve Earle, and Leon Russell.  Supported by guitarist Anthony Wilson, drummer/percussionist Victor Indrizzo, pianist Jim Cox, double bass player David Piltch, and electric bassist Larry Klein, Harrop gravitates to lyrics that reflect about the matters of the heart with mus...
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New Release: Let's Fall in Love from Judith Whitmore

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  New Release:  Let's Fall in Love from Judith Whitmore Label:  Self-Released Release Date:  April 25, 2025 Website:  https://www.judywhitmore.com/ https://www.facebook.com/JudithWhitmoreWriterSinger/ @JudithWhitmore (IG/Twitter) Vocalist Judy Whitmore has honed a reputation as a prolific interpreter of songs from the Great American Songbook.  Her latest endeavor, Let's Fall In Love , has her teamed up with producer Chris Walden.  The compilation of songs featured on the recording, Whitmore's fifth solo effort, take audiences back to the Golden Age of big band music, fashioned with contemporary sensibilities where Eydie Gormé meets Brenda Earle Stokes.  Backed up by a 22-member string section, Whitmore is also accompanied by Josh Nelson on piano, Andrew Synowiec on guitar, Edwin Livingston on bass, Peter Erskine on drums, Wade Culbreath on vibraphone, Hendrik Meurkens on harmonica, Laura Brenes on French horn, and Gayle Levant on harp, as well as ...
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New Release: Vagabond from Royce Campbell and the Vosbein

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  New Release:  Vagabond from Royce Campbell and the Vosbein Magee Big Band Label: Max Frank Music Release Date: April 21, 2025 Label Website: maxfrankmusic.com/catalog/vagabond Guitarist Royce Campbell is joined by the Vosbein Magee Big Band, directed by Terry Vosbein on Vagabond .  The music is iconic big band jazz with all tracks composed by Royce Campbell, except for “Body and Soul,” which was composed by Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, John Green, and Robert Sour.   The arrangements are done by Carroll DeCamp, who is Royce Campbell's uncle.  The scores have a traditional bopping rhythm, sprinkled in blazing horns that swing and surge, as Matthew Billings's piano keys join with jaunty interludes and Campbell's guitar slides across with billowy riffs.  Having performed with such legendary artists as Gene Bertoncini, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughn, Dave Brubeck, Jimmy Cobb, Rosemary Clooney, Henry Mancini, and Ken Poplowski, Royce Campbell tap...
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