jazz2love

  Album:  Strange Meadowlark Artist:   Mark Christian Miller Label:   Self-Released Release Date:   February 6, 2026 Website:   www.markchristianmiller.com   Jazz vocalist and Los Angeles native Mark Christian Miller releases his fourth album as a bandleader Strange Meadowlark .   In true crooner fashion, Miller blends vintage swing with modern sensibilities, engaging listeners by directing the lyrics to his audience, creating an intimacy that is magnetic.   His re-iterations of jazz standards display an amore for swing.   His phrasing is stylized and charming.   His delivery is upbeat and lyrical, in sync with the rhythmic swells.   His resonance is nuanced and animated, demonstrated in his rendition of "Mister Kicks."   A whistling flute embellishes "You Make Me Feel So Young" with elegant furls, turning reflective through the title track, accentuating the warm serenade.   The wandering ruminations of the saxophone ...

  Album: The Vigil and The Sleeping Giant Artist:   Ron Wilkins and Rebecca Patterson Label: Adhyâropa Records Release Date: April 10, 2026 Websites:   https://www.adhyaroparecords.com www.RebeccaPattersonMusic.com www.RonWilkins.com   Partners and co-collaborators Ron Wilkins and Rebecca Patterson present their newest creation The Vigil and The Sleeping Giant , consisting of all original material by the pair.   Both are multi-instrumentalists and play the trombone on the recording with Wilkins contributing vocals.   The impetus for the compositions is Wikins's stint with COVID-19, causing him to be put into a medically induced coma for 37 days, followed by a regiment of rehabilitation to gain back his strength.   The first four tracks are Covid Suites, depicting Wilkins's medical event.   Beginning with "Covid Suite I:   Big City Livin'," Wilkins's improvisations on the trombone interact with Ed Nuemeister's trombone, amassing a vibrant bla...

  Album:  Thank You Notes: The Music of Gregg Hill Artist:   Paul Keller Orchestra Label: Cold Plunge Records Release Date: March 27, 2026 Websites: https://www.coldplungerecords.com www.paulkellerjazz.com www.gregghilljazz.com   String bass player and bandleader Paul Keller helms an 18-piece orchestra on Thank You Notes: The Music of Gregg Hill .   Packed with interpretations of Gregg Hill's original works,   Keller's orchestra captures the opulence of classic big band vitality, liaising with a modern playfulness and easy-going repartee.     The classic big band finish of "Bopportunity" is liken to the orchestras of the 1960's with a contemporary arc.   The spirited vibe of Finkbeiner's trumpet trotting through "Dollah Hollah" has a striking flair, as though building a story about the day in the life of a single individual.   The listener can easily imagine the character being played by the late actor Jack Lemmon, mirroring the actor'...

  Album:  Asymmetrical Dot Artist:   Stephen Emmer Label:   Self-Released Release Date:   February 27, 2026 Website:   https://stephenemmer.com   Multi-instrumentalist, orchestrator, arranger, composer, and bandleader Stephen Emmer collaborates with like-minded creators and musicians on his ambitious endeavor Asymmetrical Dot . A deeply personal, musical journey that combines jazz noir ambiences, operatic silhouettes, vesper-like sonorous, lamenting expressions, and ghostly vocals.   Emmer whittles an inviting and eclectic amalgam that incites mass consciousness.   Beckoning the listener to travel into the cavernous soundscapes, fusing misty atmospheres and eerie missives.   Melancholic wisps sweep across "Accepting the Albatros," transitioning into a consoling tone in the circular strings of "Benja's Birth."   The brooding missive and lamenting tint of "Amboina (for Roekie Aronds)" is haloed in operatic vocals.   The track is ...