jazz2love

Album:  Out On The Coast Artist:  David Angel Label:  Basset Hound Music Website:  http://www.bassethoundmusic.com Saxophonist David Angel leads a 13-piece jazz ensemble on the 3-disc set Out on the Coast, containing 15 of his original compositions alongside 7 jazz standards.  The recording is a window into West Coast cool jazz infused with factions of swing, big band, Latin jazz, and ballroom waltz. The title track opener is an early Angel composition with a ballroom swing component that exudes harmonic sophistication.  The band transitions into the rhumba-esque sway of "Wig," mounted in layers of chiffon-like silhouettes from the assortment of reeds and brass instruments, waving and undulating in a graceful fluidity.  The slow burn wafting from the toots of the horns through "L'ilo Vasche" displays the ensemble's fluency in smooth swing, culminating into the band's remake of Duke Ellington's silky ballad "Prelude To A Kiss" pervading a dr...

Album:  Standards and Sweet Things Artist:  Fleur Seule Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.fleurseule.com Torchbearers of the Golden Age of swing, Fleur Seule led by frontwoman and vocalist Allyson Briggs breathe new life into classic ballroom numbers on their forthcoming release Standards and Sweet Things .  An exhilarating assortment of swing, ballroom jazz, bossa nova, salsa, and rumba tunes, the self-released recording is genuine Americana à la the Great American Songbook. America's period following the Prohibition Era and World War II is represented in Fleur Seule's song selections.  Scat favorites like "Them There Eyes" and "Taking a Chance on Love" are elbow to elbow with Latin-tinged moonlight serenades such as "Sabor a Mi" and "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan."  Briggs's vocal phrasing is tailored to the mood portrayed in the lyrics whether it's the jubilant "Manuelo" or the love-soaked "Misty," she ...