jazz2love

Album:  The Sound of Love Artist:  Tania Grubbs Quintet Label:  Travlin Music Website:  Taniagrubbs.com Facebook.com/taniagrubbsjazzvocalist Taniagrubbsquintet.bandcamp.com/album/the-sound-of-love YouTube: @taniagrubbsjazzvocalist7356 Threads: @taniagrubbs IG: @taniagrubbs Soulful and expressive, vocalist Tania Grubbs serves audiences an engaging delivery of classic pop favorites, jazz standards, and a handful of original work on her 2024 release The Sound of Love .  The entire album was recorded in one day, supported by her band mates that includes pianist David Budway, guitarist Ron Affif, drummer James Johnson III, and her husband Jeff Grubbs on bass. The program opens with “But Not For Me," as Grubbs's nuanced vocals indulge in a playful interplay with the bopping drums and keys.  The cheerful mischief and frolicking exchanges will remind audiences of stage performances at lounge rooms across the Las Vegas strip.  The organic interactions are remin...

Album:  The Joy of Playing Artist:  Benjamin Schnake Label:  BSG Website:  https://benjaminschnake.com A whirlwind of graceful instrumentation, The Joy of Playing from guitarist-composer-arranger Benjamin Schnake's ensemble amasses a collaborative collective that showcases the vitality of pianist Santiago Leibson, the expressive doodling of saxophonists Dave Pietro, Sunhyun Yoo, and Tim Struven, the soulful eloquence of trumpet player John Blevins, the billowy flutters of trombonists Eric Quinn and Jennifer Wharton, and the fluid traipsing of Ammon Swinbank's flute, all companioned by the pulsing beats of bassist Gui Duvignau and drummer Paul Shaw.  At the helm is Benjamin Schnake whose guitar augments the melodic passages, adding texture, movement and dimension to the tracks. The suave strumming of Schnake's guitar cruising along "Aju" boasts a cha-cha vibration encircling Liebson's keys bouncing joyfully then ebbing as Shaw's drums pounce and plume. The...