jazz2love

Album:  I Watch You Sleep Artists:  Scott Dunn, Richard Rodney Bennett, Claire Martin, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Label:  Stunt Records Website:  https://clairemartinjazz.co.uk/discography/songs-and-stories/ I Watch You Sleep is a tribute album to pianist Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, whose passing in 2012 closed a chapter on iconic film scores and classic symphonies.  Known for his compositions featured in such motion pictures as Far From The Maddening Crowd (1967) and Murder On The Orient Express (1979), Bennett's works reached far and wide around the world.  The tribute recording is the endeavor of pianist Scott Dunn who is joined by vocalist Claire Martin, a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) along with Rob Barron on piano, Jeremy Brown on bass, Matt Skelton on drums, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Martin's vocal delivery is heavenly as she traverses across a selection of original works by Bennett joined by an assortment of co...

Album:  Jazzy Italian Artist:  Vanessa Racci Label: Zoho Music Website:  https://vanessaracci.com Jazz singer and lyricist Vanessa Racci displays a perkiness relatable to vocalist Allyson Briggs, an iridescent resonance reminiscent of Sarah Brightman, the soulful melodicism characteristic of R&B's Marilyn McCoo, and a vocal elasticity that vibrates with the fiery boldness of vintage pop star Brenda Lee.  Racci's vocals are modelesque while being flexible, easily fitting in with jazz, pop, R&B/soul, and musical theater melodies.  Her sophomore release Jazzy Italian shines the spotlight on contributions that Italian songwriters and performers have contributed to the cabaret jazz landscape with tunes like "Volare," penned by Domenico Modugno, Franco Migliacci, and Dean Martin, and "I’m a Fool To Want You," sung by Italian-American crooner Frank Sinatra, who co-wrote the song with Jack Wolf and Joel Herron.  From tender serenades like "A Sunday Kin...

Album: Vortex Artist: Kenny Shanker Label: Wise Cat Records Website: www.kennyshanker.com   and www.wisecatrecords.com Saxophonist Kenny Shanker is back with his third release Vortex and his first outing on Wise Cat Records.   From the bustling, urban-like activity of the title track to the leisurely wandering stroll of “Lulu’s Back in Town” and the waltzing cantor of “Winter Song,” Shanker’s playing describes images that listeners can easily envision, each relatable to real world scenes. The bowing and refracting of Yoshi Waki’s bass along “Winter Song” adds another element alongside Shanker’s pendulum-swinging saxophone toots, while the frenzied pace of his saxophone fomenting “Hunter” is joined by the rustling movements of Mike Eckroth’s keys and Daisuke Abe’s frothy guitar riffs.   “Rumble” lowers the tempo to a cruising gait, and “Nightfall” slows the pace to an introspective musing as Shanker’s saxophone imbues a nocturnal shimmer over the melodic soundscap...

Album:  Daybreak Artist:  Susan Krebs with Mixed Remotions Website:  https://susankrebsmusic.com Daybreak , the eighth album from soul-blues vocalist Susan Krebs celebrates the trope of torchlight jazz. Joining her is her band dubbed the Mixed Remotions, comprised of Rich Eames on piano, Jerry Kalaf on drums and vibraphones, Domenic Genova on bass, Scott Breadman on percussion, Riner Scivally on guitar, and Rob Lockart and Doug Walter on woodwinds From the Latin-imbued sway of the title track to the waltzing gait of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's  jewel "How Little We Know," her interpretation of classic torchlight tunes sprinkles a refreshing glint on these handful of timeless melodies. The andante pace of Krebs's vocals infuses the title track with an infectious sprint. The sweeping glide of her vocals whisks listeners out of their chairs and invites them to join along the leisurely ride. There is a conversational tint in Krebs's lilting vocals that leads ...

Album:  So In Love Artists:  Ashley Locheed and Chris Rottmayer Label: Timucua Arts Foundation Website: www.chrisrottmayer.com Bandcamp: https://chrisrottmayer.bandcamp.com/album/so-in-love Clad with smooth swing sensibilities, the music of vocalist Ashley Locheed and pianist Chris Rottmayer revitalizes traditional cafe blues chirping on their latest release So In Love from Timucua Arts Foundation.  Comprised of original arrangements on an assortment of jazz standards and classic pop tunes, the pair are joined by electric bass player Chuck Archard and drummer Keith Wilson, whose untimely passing inspired the duo to dedicate the CD to Wilson's memory. Plunging into the recording, the team's rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" is coated in silky aesthetics helmed by Rottmayer's reflective musings while the feline softness in Locheed's register adds a buttery polish to the track that is of the elk of legendary jazz crooners.  Her vocal elasticity...