jazz2love

  New Release:  Fool's Fate from Rik Wright and the Fundamental Forces Label:  HipSync Records Release Date:  July 10, 2026 Website:  www.rikwright.com Seattle-based guitarist and composer, Rik Wright is at the helm of Fundamental Forces, a quartet that hones psychedelic jazz soundscapes,  balancing improvised movements with melodically structured motifs.  Their 2026 recording Fool's Fate , comprised of original material written by Wright, shows the quartet's malleable quality to be spontaneous, riffing off one another while maintaining the core thread.  Tracks like "Nothin' But A Thang" and "Freezer Jam" are hold together by a recurring motif that each musician builds from, exercising their extemporaneous leanings.  The soft splendor of "Luminescence" is tasseled in James DeJoie's dulcet saxophone twirls, cradled in the lounging bass pump of Geoff Harper and steady beats of drummer Greg Campbell, as Wright's unbridled musings on th...

  New Release:  Eklektika from Carolyn Lee Jones Label:  Catn’round Sound Release Date: June 15, 2025 Website: www.carolynleejones.com Singer-songwriter Carolyn Lee Jones showcases a vocal swagger that exudes confidence and total command of the progression of the melodies in her performance, emblematic of the elegant charisma of Jane Monheit and the sentimental persuasion of Wayne Newton.  Her 2026 release Eklektika presents a complementing range of material from Broadway standards like George and Ira Gershwin's "Embraceble You" to the uplifting narration of "That’s What Being in Love Is All About," written by Roger Boykin and propelled by a swinging rhythm and balmy embers.  The classic bopping tremors of "Out of Nowhere,” by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman, features a sizzling saxophone solo from Shelley Carrol and a striking piano vamp played by Peter Rioux.  The cushiony bossa nova ambience of Michael Franks's ruminating tune "Tell Me All About...

  New Release:  Colors of Time from Sergio Pereira Label:  Sergio Pereira Music Release Date:  May 15, 2026 Website:  www.sergiopereira.world A fusion of R&B/soul, smooth jazz, and Brazilian rhythms, guitarist, vocalist, percussionist, composer, and bandleader Sergio Pereira stylizes a feel-good repertoire on his 2026 release Colors of Time .  Containing original material written by Pereira, his music conjures images of balmy summer days strolling leisurely across beach sand, lounging listlessly on the deck of a sailboat cruising around a picturesque island, or enjoying an outdoor samba dance party.  His music puts a smile on the listener's face, loaded with pleasing aesthetics, enjoyable tones, and attractive rhythms.  Bossa nova swells put listeners at ease through the title track, drifting into the soothing ambience of "Brightness of You," and the shimmying grooves of "Up the Hill," augmented by the gentle flutter of Oriente Lopez's flute....

  New Release:  A Texas Sized Band from the Joymakers Label:  Turtle Bay Records Release Date:  April 24, 2026 Website:  www.facebook.com/colin.hancock2101 Based in Austin, Texas, the Joymakers revive stomping ragtime jazz, which emerged in speakeasies through the 1920's and early '30s.  Rejuvenating the hot jazz of vaudeville shows, Broadway's tinpan alley days, and the nostalgic dancehalls of Storyville in New Orleans, the 10-piece ensemble delivers Prohibition Era jazz with a modern tilt on their sophomore release A Texas Sized Band .  Fronted by multi-instrumentalist Colin Hancock, the tracks are vintage standards, arranged by Hancock and saxophonist/vocalist Lauryn Gould.  The tunes are overwhelmingly sunny and jubilant anchored by strutting rhythms, horns that blare and pop, keys that rattle and sizzle, and Westen Borghesi's banjo that quivers and flares.  The clip-clopping beats of "The Pay Off" induce a party atmosphere, turning to a ...

  New Release:  Live at Blue Llama from the David Janeway Trio Label: Steeplechase Release Date: May 4, 2026 Artist Website: davidjaneway.com Label Website: steeplechase.dk Recorded live on June 15, 2024 at the Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the David Janeway Trio demonstrates a collaborative engagement on their release Live at Blue Llama that is nimble, spontaneous, and lyrical.  Featuring David Janeway on piano, Robert Hurst on bass, and Billy Hart on drums, the album showcases a handful of jazz standards mixed in with a number of original compositions.   Their original work “Sweet and Lovely” draws from Latin influences in the rhythmic grooves, in addition to traces of bop in the melodic phrasing of Janeway's cantoring keys.  The trio's respond and exchange creates a dynamic dialogue.  The reflective mood of Gary Peacock's piece "Gardenia" is comfortably paced, displaying a warm interplay between Janeway's languid keys and Hurst's slo...

  New Release:  Girl Talk from Jennifer Madsen Label: SingBaby Productions, LLC Release Date: June 26, 2026 Website:  https://www.jennifermadsen.com A sleek and beguiling crooner, Jennifer Madsen radiates a lively persona on her latest project Girl Talk .   Sowing big band zest with the opulence of swing, Madsen is a galvanizing storyteller, illustrating an intimacy with her audience that is entrancing.  The classic orchestration honors jazz tradition while tweaking the tunes with Madsen's own personalized touch.  Her rendition of Cy Coleman's sultry number "You Turn Me On, Baby" enlivens the romantic ambience while her nuanced vocals throb with anticipation, promising an enchanting interlude along "You and the Night and the Music," anchored by a slow burning mambo rhythm.  "Misty" accentuates her smooth, crooning vocalese, highlighting the emotional depth of the lyrics as she purrs wistfully, "Look at me / I'm as helpless as a kitten up a...