jazz2love

Album:  Boptism Christmas Artist:  Rich Willey Label: Boptism Music Website: https://tinyurl.com/BopXmas https://boptism.com Call it old fashion, call it nostalgic but whatever people call holiday tunes garbed in traditional swing fixings and classic jazz decor, it is just what the soul needs.  Trumpet player Rich Willey tweaks an assortment of Christmas fan favorites with his own handcrafted stylizing and signature champagne-imbued cheer on his release Boptism Christmas .  Willey shines a spotlight on everything good about swing jazz.  He is endearingly the Lawrence Welk of his day. Willey's bubbly trumpet toots flutter and furl smoothly across "Silver Bells" as the smoky fumes of Alex Taub's organ embellish the liveliness surging along the melodic progression.  The fluid motion of Taub's keys cruising languidly along "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is accentuated by the soft undulations of Andy Page's guitar, creating a tranquil atmosphere...

Album:  7 Shades of Snow Artist:  June Bisantz Label:  Arabesque Records Label Website: arabesquerecords.com Artist Website: junebisantz.com Bisantz’s current release on the Arabesque label is a collection of rare and tranquil sounding holiday/winter songs written by Arnold Miller and Connie Pearce for American vocalist June Christy in 1961.  Bisantz's recording 7 Shades of Snow combines swing jazz with ballroom-glinted rhythms like torchlight waltzes and intimate trots.  Featuring bassist Jon Burr and his jazz sextet backing Bisantz, the recording began in the winter of 2020 at the height of pandemic restrictions.  This project was conceived, arranged, and recorded remotely in seven separate studios with musicians who had never met prior. Digital technology combined with the talent of Jon Burr and his jazz sextet made the album a reality in spite of widespread lockdowns. A recurring theme is the pensive embers often customized by the soft glisten of Mike ...