jazz2love

Album:  I Guess We're Not Alone Artist:  The Beveled Edges Label Name: Detrallas Records Website: https://thebevelededges.com Endowed with a voice that can lull audiences into a blissful respite and equally lure them onto the dancefloor, singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan is partnered with 7-string guitarist Anthony Lanni whose playing wraps delicate embellishments around Bhushan's vocal melodies.  Together, they form The Beveled Edges, a multi-faceted duo who integrate Parisian soul with Latin swing, prairieland folk, classic orchestral pop, and bluesy torchlight vocalese.    Their debut recording I Guess We're Not Alone is comprised of 10 original tunes, featuring an accompaniment that includes:  Arei Sekiguchi on drums and percussion, Haruna Fukazawa on flute, Tosh Sheridan on piano, Brad Whitely on organ, Garry ianco on strings, Alejandro Berti Delgado on trumpet, Ric Becker on trombone, Jeremy Powell on saxophone, and Will Holshouser on accordion. ...

Album:   Love on the Tyrrhenian Artist:   CeCe Gable Label: CCGableLLC Website:   https://cecegable.com   Love on the Tyrrhenian , the sixth full-length recording from vocalist CeCe Gable blends American swing with Latin influences and easy listening/contemporary adult pop serenity.   Track after track weaves a melodious tapestry of picturesque tunage, sweeping listeners away along a blissful cruise. A lounging samba rhythm transports the title track and "Little Boat" into a balmy, paradise-imbued realm with the keys twinkling softly as Gable's warm vocals blanket the listener in succor-rich vibrations.   There is a nostalgic slant in the music reminiscent of the alluring escapes penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim.      Gable continues serenading the listener with the luxurious atmospherics of "The Riviera," a staple of Cy Coleman and Joseph Allen McCarthy .   The arrangement is given an elevating boost by pianist-arranger John Shipley, en...

Album:  It's Hard To Say Goodbye Artist:  Enrico Granafei Label:  CAP Records Website:  www.enricogranafei.com http://Facebook..com/enrico.granafei]Facebook.com/enrico.granafei YouTube channel: Youtube.com/@johnmeixner1809 IG: @granafei Jazzbeat.com/project/enrico-granafei It's Hard To Say Goodbye , the fourth US release from harmonica virtuoso, classical guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and composer Enrico Granafei, is a compilation of Latin-infused jazz rhythms sauté ed in Granafei's soulful playing.  Inspired by harmonica master Toots Thielemans, Granafei illustrates the potency of the reed instrument to helm the melodic direction of arrangements as its wind-imbued texture intensifies the make-up of the scores.  Composing six of the 11 tracks, Granafei's delivery affects the listener profoundly. He titled the album It's Hard To Say Goodbye in memory of three people who were very special to him:  Toots Thielemanns, and two musicians who pla...

Album:  Christmastime in Rio Artists:  Romero Lubambo and Pamela Driggs Label:  Sunnyside Records Website:  https://www.romerolubambo.com Ringing in the holiday season, vocalist Pamela Driggs and her husband, guitarist Romero Lubambo, present Christmastime in Rio to audiences.  The 12-track holiday special is a selection of ambient, fireside melodies that will enliven spirits and elicit good cheer.  Joining the couple is their daughter Luisa on vocals in addition to Peter Martin on piano, Vitor Gonçalves on accordion, Joe Locke on vibraphone, Itaiguara Brandão on bass, and Rafael Barata on drums. Lubambo's breezy guitar strokes illuminating "Christmas Love Song" encircle Driggs's vocals in whispery flutters like sparkles radiating from tinsel on a tree.  Driggs cradles the lyrics with a perceptive regard for family ties, emblematic of a nightingale.  Her phrasing displays a sentimentality with warm timbres that are magnetic.  She expresses a...

Album:  Cambio Artist:  Neff Irizarry Label:  Blue Canoe Records Website:  https://neffirizarry.com An exploration of textures and rhythms, guitarist-composer Neff Irizarry features these two facets openly throughout his 2024 recording Cambio , making for soundscapes that mobilize the listener's mind and perception.  Influences of classical and improvisational training are prevalent in Irizarry's delivery while he is accompanied by bassist Jimmy Haslip, vibraphonist Martin Fabricius, and percussionist Ricardo Padilla.  Produced by Jimmy Haslip, Irizarry offers an assortment of original works that fuses world music with improvisational jazz and classic Latin rhythms. The recording jumps off with a celebratory mood, shaped by a flutter of animated shimmies filamenting "Adelante (Come Forward)," then change course through "Cuatro Minutos (Four Minutes)," laden in the lowlit sparkles of Fabricius's vibes.  The rhythm section threaded by Haslip and Padilla ...

Album:  All Is Merry And Bright Artist:  Donald Vega Label:  Imagery Records Website:  www.donaldvega.com Pianist and composer Donald Vega applies his distinctive artistic brush strokes to classic Yuletide tunes on his 2024 release All Is Merry and Bright from Imagery Records.  Produced by multi Grammy winner engineer and producer Jim Anderson, Vega is joined by Pete Van Nostrand on drums and Clovis Nicolas on bass.  The trio coalesce classic motifs with a flare for magnetic and innovative phrasing. Vega's poignant keyboard punctuations are scattered across tracks like "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," sprinkling the tunes with sparks of buoyancy and impromptu impressions.  The bubbly facets enhance the Yuletide experience. The solace emanating from Vega's keys along "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is inviting with warm aesthetics that are universally pleasing.  His rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" exud...

Album:  Gotham Artist:  Wayne Alpern Label:  Henri Elkan Music Website:  https://www.waynealpern.com Arranger, composer and bandleader Wayne Alpern has made substantial and meaningful contributions to the jazz emporium, and he continues go strong.  His 2024 release Gotham brings together elements of R&B, classic jazz, and sultry Latin swing to enhance a selection of classic standards.  Combined with his melodic sensibilities, the recording pulls the listener into Alpern's world of merrymaking and solemn reflection. The playful interaction of the horns cleated by a swinging Latin beat along "Desafinado," authored by Antonio Carlos Jobim, filament a lively mood and produce an elevating experience.  Turning reflective and amorous, Wayne's reimagination of "Norwegian Wood," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, opens with breathy guitar strings punctuated by the balmy riffs of the horns.  The smooth waltzing motion of the rhythmic beats are ...

Album: Clement Kovalcheck Hamar Artist: Clement/Kovalcheck/Hamar Trio Label:  Self-Released Websites:  www.dawnclement.com https://www.kovalcheckmusic.com/ https://jonhamar.com/ The drummerless trio of pianist Dawn Clement, guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, and bass player Jon Hamar demonstrate a charming rapport that highlights their lyrical sensibilities and penchant for harmonious motifs, comprised of improvised turns and wayfaring musings.  The trio's latest release Clement Kovalcheck Hamar indulges their exploratory natures with all original compositions, probing and traversing in a winsome spirit as they form melodic patterns that send them wandering merrily. From the complex entanglements of "Blind" and the somber passages of "Spirit Spin" to the elegant soundscapes of "Lazy Dragon" and the balmy rhumba flare of "Paseo del Mar," the trio's sense of rhythm keeps the listener engaged.  The bebop pulse of "Hard Ball" is steep in ...

Album:  Urbanessence Artist: Tito Carrillo Label: Origin Records Website:  www.titocarrillo.com Urbanessence is the second solo album from trumpeter/composer Tito Carrillo, fusing elements of pop, blues, funk, soul, and Latin swing, all the cultural flavors Carrillo has been exposed to and performed.  Comprised of nine original scores composed by Tito and one original by Phillip Kocheril, the recording is a pleasing ride through multi-shaded landscapes and multi-shaped arrangements. Accompanying Carrillo are Troy Roberts on tenor and soprano saxophones, Ben Lewis on piano, Clark Sommers on bass, Jay Sawyer on drums and cymbals, and Victor Gonzalez, Jr. on congas.  The slow burn of "Fire and Ice" showcases a dynamic drum solo that wilts away into the gentle musings of Carrillo's trumpet and Roberts' sax, entangling and moving in tandem.  Following along the slow burn theme is "Bliss Point," projecting a reflective mood tinseled in the willowy toots of Carril...

Album:  Light at the End of the Tunnel Artist:  Angela O'Neill and the Outrageous8 Label: Outrageous8 Records Website:  https://www.angelamaeoneill.com/outrageous8 Light at the End of the Tunnel , the third release from Angela O’Neill and the Outrageous8 is so pristinely polished that its sonic shine is palpable.  Containing arrangements from Harry Smallenburg and Rocky Davis and produced by O'Neill and her bass player Bill Bodine, the recording is performed by an all-star team of Los Angeles session musicians and engineers.  From the swinging play of "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die," sung by Al Timss, to the torchlight glisten of "Come Rain, Come Shine," helmed by Angela O'Neill on lead vocals, the jazz-soaked palette has a traditional glint that fuels this endeavor. The Latin tint in the rhythmic beats of "Now and Again" resonates a big band flurry as the frolicking jaunts of the saxophones and Smallenburg's trombone entwine, supplemented ...

Album:  Live at Blue Bamboo Artist:  Chris Cortez Label:  Blue Bamboo Music Website:  bluebamboomusic.com Rife with good vibrations, Live at Blue Bamboo from guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader Chris Cortez offers audiences a sweet escape from the rigors of the real world.  Recorded live, Cortez and his ensemble craft buoyant scores, requiring nothing more from listeners than to absorb the pleasing melodies sprinkled in improvisations that complement the arrangements. Coalescing facets of straight ahead jazz, Latin swing, bop, and rhythm and blues, the recording is melody-driven, providing ample solo excursions from flutist Dan Jordan, trumpet player John DePaola, and tenor saxophonist Jeff Rupert.  The shuffling pattern of Bob Thornton's keys traipsing across “Arlington Park” is augmented by the incisions made by Rupert's sax and DePaola's trumpet, amplifying the jovial mood.  The bopping rhythm of "The Visit" is a sprightly piece, changing into a ...

Album:  Into the Night Artist:  Eric Goletz Label:  Consolidated Artists Publication (CAP Records) Website:  jazzbeat.com/?project=eric-goletz                   facebook.com/EricCGoletz Trombonist, keyboardist and composer Eric Goletz shows his affinity for different styles of music on his latest release Into the Night from smooth jazz to funk, blues, pop/rock, and Cuban/Latin swing.  The listener is exposed to various musical influences, making for an iridescent ride. The candlelight ambience of his original work "After Hours" is buffered by the Latin-flavored gyrations of the title track and the  funky jazz swells of "Steppin' Out."  In each, the bristling notes of Goletz's trombone drive the tracks, bopping, purring, and blaring at various degrees.  His magnetic playing keeps the tracks moving and evolving, galvanizing the other instruments and cauterizing th...