jazz2love

Album:  What I Was For You: re.think Artist:  Nancy Goudinaki Label:  Self-Released Website:  http://jazzynancyg.com The easy listening tracks of What I Was For You: re.think from singer, songwriter and guitarist Nancy Goudinaki blend flamenco with soul, blues, and jazz improvisation.  Born in Greece, Goudinaki lives in New York City and performs around the world where her music has found a home.  Soothing, meditative, and cerebrally stimulating, Goudinaki's strumming and plucking is aesthetically pleasing and sonically elevating. The sleek whisking and refined whipping in her fretwork across "Fuoco" seeps into listeners thoughts, affecting them beneficially.  The soothing wisps of her guitar strings trundling along "Re-think" are layered in the silky wails of JD Allen's tenor sax, making for an emotive experience.  "Nereids," written by Goudinaki and her bassist Richie Goods is a lush soundscape that lifts listeners up, transporting them into a h

Album:  Light at the End of the Tunnel Artist:  Angela O'Neill and the Outrageous8 Label: Outrageous8 Records Website:  https://www.angelamaeoneill.com/outrageous8 Light at the End of the Tunnel , the third release from Angela O’Neill and the Outrageous8 is so pristinely polished that its sonic shine is palpable.  Containing arrangements from Harry Smallenburg and Rocky Davis and produced by O'Neill and her bass player Bill Bodine, the recording is performed by an all-star team of Los Angeles session musicians and engineers.  From the swinging play of "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die," sung by Al Timss, to the torchlight glisten of "Come Rain, Come Shine," helmed by Angela O'Neill on lead vocals, the jazz-soaked palette has a traditional glint that fuels this endeavor. The Latin tint in the rhythmic beats of "Now and Again" resonates a big band flurry as the frolicking jaunts of the saxophones and Smallenburg's trombone entwine, supplemented

Album:  Abiola Time Artist:  Abiola Label: Aladé Enterprises Website:  www.abiolatime.com Fraught in infectious Caribbean rhythms seamed in uplifting R&B trimmings and the soulful sonorous of Nigerian-born Abiola, Abiola Time offers listeners aural vistas that take them away to sweet retreats.  Abiola takes listeners back to a time when clubs were frequented after hours to unwind and let loose.  The track "Werey Style" does just that, inspiring listeners to body roll, shimmy their hips, and undulate their limbs with unbridled release.  Containing songs all written by Abiola, the recording keeps audiences in a state of blissful escape from the pumping beats of "What We'll Be" to the stirring sensations of "Free" and the sensuous cascade of R&B verses along "Ko Le To."  The palliative swells project an image of plush beachscapes while the hypnotic club beats piping through "Naked Talk" give the track a dancehall vibe.  The ca

Album:  Sweet Invitation Artist:  Beveley Church Hogan Label:  Café Pacific Records Website:  www.beverleychurchhogan.com Jazz vocalists like the sassy 92 year old Sheila Jordan and the peppy 86 year old Beverley Church Hogan never quite reach their prime.  They go on and on, always resonating an opulence and loftiness in their vocals that is ageless.  Hogan's sophomore effort Sweet Invitation is produced by Mark Winkler and arranged by John Proulx, and sees her imbuing emotion into the lyrics without being melodramatic.  The balance she achieves gives the tracks a genuine human quality that enables audiences to relate to her instantly. Hogan applies the smokey texture of her timbres to a selection of romantic songs from the Great American Songbook like the slow, contemplative stride she uses on "Here's That Rainy Day," penned by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, as the rhumba sway shrouds her vocals in a soft light with the bright flicker of her voice steering the

Album:  Lotus Blossom Days Artist:  Vicki Burns Website:  www.vickiburnsjazz.com Vocalist Vicki Burns encapsulates, in a nutshell, that her third solo release Lotus Blossom Days "chronicles the arc of a love affair, from the early seduction and love to the sadness and bitterness when the relationship doesn’t work out to gaining a perspective that leads to a wider view of love, life, and ultimately happiness." The jazz standards she selects for the recording are complimented by three original songs she wrote and one written by her friend, vocalist Tessa Souter.  Burns croons with the ease of a skylark, emotes with the persuasion of a perceptive bard, and swings with the tranquility of a baby's cradle.  Art Hirahara's introduces Burns's serenade "Love Spell" with a steamy piano vamp that ebbs as Sam Bevan's bass supports Burns's vocal flight.  Hirahara's keys resurface along the chord progressions accompanied by Dayna Stephens's swirling s

Album:  In Flower, In Song Artist:  Trio Xolo Label:  577 Records Website:  https://577records.bandcamp.com/album/in-flower-in-song In Flower, In Song, the debut album from Trio Xolo, a modern era avant garde jazz trio, explores the jazz palette, indulging in polyrhythms, tone clusters, and improvisation.  The trio is a collaboration made up of bassist Zachary Swanson, saxophonist Derrick Michaels and Lithuanian percussionist Dalius Naujo.  The music is entirely improvised, layering chord patterns that move the tracks in different directions, forming a complex maze. Sharing a kindred spirit with the impulsive exchange and organic communication expressed in pianist/composer Michael Braam's jazz combos and demonstrating an exploratory nature relatable to drummer/bandleader Elvin Jones, Trio Xolo experiments with the range of their instruments, intertwining their individual voices into intricate labyrinths.  Michaels's tenor sax soars and rumbles above the pumping beats of Swanso

Single:  You're Driving Me Crazy Artist:  Naama Gheber Website:  https://www.naamagheber.com Naama Gheber's treatment of popular tunes from the Great American Songbook is manna for the ears.  Her reimagining of Walter Donaldson's 1930 classic blues ballad "You're Driving Me Crazy," made popular by vocalist Billie Holiday and saxophonist Stan Getz, is another delight that will be included in her November 2022 EP If I Knew Then. In the vane of Holiday, Gheber personalizes the song with flirty inflections and nuanced vocals that engage the listener's attention.  Joined by pianist Ben Paterson, bassist Neal Miner, and drummer Evan Sherman, Gheber indulges in a playful exchange with her band, displaying a charisma that is entirely of her own style.  Gheber's vocals move from a mambo-infused sway to a sprightly swing and closes with a bluesy vamp.  The arrangement keeps the listener bewitched by the versatility and flexibility in her vocals, and her instinct

Album:  Blues and Cubes Artist:  The Jazz Professors Label:  Flying Horse Records Websites:   flyinghorserecords.com Blues and Cubes , the fourth album from Americ:an jazz sextet, The Jazz Professors, is inspired by the abstract art of Pablo Picasso.  Comprised of faculty members from the Jazz Studies program at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, The Jazz Professors play an assortment of originals and covers, all in the straight-ahead jazz and hardcore blues-bop framework.  Featured on the recording are the sextet's rendition of Sidney Bechet's and Charlie Parker's classic tunes beside works by members of the band including saxophonist Jeff Rupert, pianist Per Danielsson, and bassist Richard Drexler. It is a momentous outing as the band's percussionist Marty Morell is retiring from his teaching position, and this is projected to be his final recording with the sextet.  Additionally, Dan Miller, who joined the UCF faculty a few years ago, makes his re

Album:  Live at Blue Bamboo Artist:  Chris Cortez Label:  Blue Bamboo Music Website:  bluebamboomusic.com Rife with good vibrations, Live at Blue Bamboo from guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader Chris Cortez offers audiences a sweet escape from the rigors of the real world.  Recorded live, Cortez and his ensemble craft buoyant scores, requiring nothing more from listeners than to absorb the pleasing melodies sprinkled in improvisations that complement the arrangements. Coalescing facets of straight ahead jazz, Latin swing, bop, and rhythm and blues, the recording is melody-driven, providing ample solo excursions from flutist Dan Jordan, trumpet player John DePaola, and tenor saxophonist Jeff Rupert.  The shuffling pattern of Bob Thornton's keys traipsing across “Arlington Park” is augmented by the incisions made by Rupert's sax and DePaola's trumpet, amplifying the jovial mood.  The bopping rhythm of "The Visit" is a sprightly piece, changing into a summery ambi