Album Review: Live at Vic’s from Nicole Zuraitis

-
Album:  Live at Vic's
Artist:  Nicole Zuraitis
Label:  Self-Released
Website:  www.nicolezmusic.com


Warm and sensual, Nicole Zuraitis's vocals lure her audiences into an uplifting mood, lull them into a tranquil state, and leaves an indelible imprint in their minds.  Her 2025 release Live at Vic's was recorded in front of a live audience, giving the listener insight into her animated interactions with her band and personalized touch at a live performance.
 
A fusion of soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and adult contemporary, Zuraitis's vocals softly cradle the lyrics, as her purring timbres shape and refine the delicate nuances in her delivery of "Pure Imagination," making it an exceptional piece.  Turning her vocals shimmery and percussive through her reimagination of Dolly Parton's tune "Jolene," Zuraitis's vocals portray unbridled passion.  Her duet with bassist Samuel Weber cruises charmingly along "The Coffee Song," demonstrating a classic jazz strut emblematic of Ella Fitzgerald's intimacy with her crowds, clasped by a soaring solo by saxophonist Tom Scott.
 
Being the first to win a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2024 for an album she wrote and arranged entirely by herself, Nicole Zuraitis is just beginning a legacy in jazz vocals.  She crafts vocal melodies that penetrate to the listener's core, always to soothe, comfort, heal, and cradle.  She offers so much extra to the listening experience, stopping every living organism in their tracks to hear her.
 
Musicians:
Nicole Zuraitis - vocals
Idan Morim - guitar
Dan Pugach - drums
Samuel Weber - bass
 
Special Guests:
Keyon Harrold - trumpet
Rachel Eckroth - organ
Tom Scott - saxophone


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

-
Image
Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...
Read more

Album Review: Globetrotter from Luca di Luzio

-
Image
Album:  Globetrotter Artist:  Luca di Luzio Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.lucadiluzio.it   Guitarist Luca di Luzio's upcoming CD, Globetrotter  is an assortment of contemporary jazz tunes bridging funk, blues, soul, and Latin music.  Comprised of a few jazz standards and a handful of original works written by Luca di Luzio, a prolific guitar player who studied different styles of music, the recording expresses his personal vision of jazz guitar based on melody and groove.  Joining Di Luzio in his vision are bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dave Wecki, keyboardist George Whitty, and saxophonists Max Ionata and Alessandro Fariselli. From dance-funk numbers like "Jazzlife" and "Elisir" to the soft billows and reflective moods projected in "Smile" and " Buena Suerte," Di Luzio's artistry stems from his vision to make music that is aesthetically pleasing.  "Sunshower," a tune written by Kenny Barron, is a pr...
Read more

Album Review: The Ways In from James Zollar

-
Image
Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom...
Read more