jazz2love

  New Release:  The Litteral Truth from Paul Litteral Label: Outrageous8 Records Release Date: August 15, 2025 Artist Website: www.plitteral.com Label Website: Outrageous8.com Leader and trumpet player Paul Litteral garnered fame in the rock 'n' roll arena but his latest release The Litteral Truth moves beyond the pop/rock palette, incorporating hues of soul, R&B, funk, reggae, and smooth jazz.  His work embodies a union of warm flavors that simmer, sizzle and soak the listener in frothy undulations.  The reggae accents sewn into the funky grooves of "Ghostown," penned by Jerry Dammers, drench the arrangement in exotic bubbles.  The blend gives the track a psychedelic aura reminiscent of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, as the penetrative tone of James Orbison's timbres brandish a haunting voicing.  The sultry vocals of Angela O'Neill firmly grip and caress the lyrics through "Use Me," written by Bill Withers, as the billowy ripple...

Album:  Live at Vic's Artist:   Nicole Zuraitis Label:   Self-Released Website:  www.nicolezmusic.com Warm and sensual, Nicole Zuraitis's vocals lure her audiences into an uplifting mood, lull them into a tranquil state, and leaves an indelible imprint in their minds.  Her 2025 release Live at Vic's was recorded in front of a live audience, giving the listener insight into her animated interactions with her band and personalized touch at a live performance.   A fusion of soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and adult contemporary, Zuraitis's vocals softly cradle the lyrics, as her purring timbres shape and refine the delicate nuances in her delivery of "Pure Imagination," making it an exceptional piece.  Turning her vocals shimmery and percussive through her reimagination of Dolly Parton's tune "Jolene," Zuraitis's vocals portray unbridled passion.  Her duet with bassist Samuel Weber cruises charmingly along "The Coffee Song," demonstratin...

Album:  What Is? Artist:  Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band Label:  Self-Released Artist Website: russanixter.com Arranger-improviser Russ Anixter shares his affinity for big band music gelled with pop/rock, blues funk, R&B, and jazz on his 2025 release What Is?   A self-released collection of Anixter's arrangements that rework an assortment of jazz and pop standards, the music is performed by his 11-piece Hippie Big Band with special guests Steven Bernstein on slide trumpet and Oz Noy on guitar.  The result blends decades of American culture from Anixter's retooling of Tower of Power's "What Is Hip," sounding like a theme song from the 1970's TV program Kojak to the cajun/New Orleans flavored jazz of "Dixie Chicken," penned by Lowell George of Little Feat and Martin Kibbee.  Bassist Steve Count and drummer Scott Neuman play in tandem, providing a firm base for the horns, which move freely and expressively.  At one point in "Dixie Chicken...

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:  World Traveler Artist:  Aleksi Glick Label:  Pinch Records Website:  https://www.aleksiglick.com World Traveler, the new recording from guitarist and composer Aleksi Glick fuses jazz guitar hooks with R&B/soul grooves and bossa nova trimmings, offering a listening experience filled with feel good vibrations from start to finish.  Featuring vocalist Laureana on a handful of tracks, Glick opens the listener's mind to picturesque soundscapes and aurally pleasing explorations. The bossa nova wavelets traveling along "Guitar and Me" are steered by Glick's shimmering chords, producing an atmospheric sonorous that suspends the listener, keeping one in blissful flight.  Laureana's soulful vocals sweep sensually across the bluesy terrain of "She Told Me," moves rhythmically along the bubbly R&B traction of "Leaving LA." and coasts smoothly through the soothing Latin tremors found in "Nordic Bossa."  Musical influences of jazz ...

Album:  Orchestral Sessions Artist:  Countermeasure Label:  Self-Released Websites: https://www.countermeasuremusic.com/ https://twitter.com/countermeasure https://www.instagram.com/countermeasuremusic/ https://www.facebook.com/Countermeasureacappella/ https://www.youtube.com/user/CountermeasureMusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Fq6MmK05Q8Q34ogCdQtg5?si=7sDyY64WTyqrxAZHwYmgtg The 12-member Toronto-based vocal group Countermeasure is presenting their fourth studio album Orchestral Sessions to the global market.  Led by the group's Artistic Director and vocalist Aaron Jensen, Countermeasure has come to fuse vocal harmonies with jazz, pop, soul, R&B/dance, and choral melodies.  Accompanied by the Burlington New Millennium Orchestra, conducted by Charles Cozens, and a rhythm section comprised of Larnell Lewis on drums, Jeremy Ledbetter on keyboards, and George Koller on bass, the music has a profoundly positive effect on listeners. The recording opens with ...

Album:  Falling Feels Like Flying Artist:  John Korbel Label: Self-Released Website:  https://johnkorbel.com Endowed with a voice that raptures with a soulful resonance and sizzles with a bluesy consonance, vocalist John Korbel shows a sense of rhythm reminiscent of Teddy Pendergrass.  Korbel's latest release Falling Feels Like Flying is a collection of original material written by him and arranged by Mark Falchook. A recurring theme throughout the recording displays a leaning towards igniting a romantic mood in the melodies.  Korbel's cool swagger along "Sweet Burning" is spellbinding, fired up by the softly lit tremors of the saxophone.  The music creates a moonlit setting that is amplified in "First Christmas Loving You," as Korbel's vocal inflections produce a cushiony coating. Korbel's brand of blue-eyed soul, reflective of Michael McDonald, is intensified through "Wheels Up" joined by a jazzy piano vamp performed by Mark Falchook.  ...

Album:  I Am Soul Artist:  Sofia Rubina Website:  https://www.sofiarubina.eu/ https://sofiarubina.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-soul Bridging the lanes of cool jazz, smooth blues, R&B/soul, and sonic pop, I Am Soul from Estonian vocalist Sofia Rubina is a pleasing synthesis.  Her command of the vocal melody is reminiscent of Joss Stone, and her natural fit into the melodic grooves is emblematic of jazz music's treasures like Dianne Reeves and Jane Monheit. The album is a collection of eleven tracks with six songs written or co-written by Rubina and the others are covers of works by L. Spenser Smith and Testament, George Duke, Chick Corea and Neville Potter, Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin.  Rubina collaborates with Evgeny Lebedev, an award-winning pianist and graduate of Berklee College, on the recording.  Also joining Rubina are Anton Revnyuk on bass and Ignat Kravtsov on drums, along with a string quartet featured on several tunes. The bluesy texture of her v...

Album:  In the Moment Artist:  Ella & The Bossa Beat Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.ellaandthebossabeat.com In the Moment  from Ella & The Bossa Beat is comprised of nine original songs composed by Ella Borges and her band, which features her father, Magrus Borges, on drums and percussion.  Ella sings in both English and Portuguese in a backdrop tinted in shades of R&B, soul, smooth jazz, bossa nova, and sonic pop.  The starry-eyed imaginary radiating from the brushed percussive strokes and elevating strings along "Dreamer" have a sonic pop hue reminiscent of Billie Ellish's penchant for stirring contemplation and Lewis Capaldi's fondness for intimating emotion through nuanced vocals. She muses, "When did I come to love this little dream / I think it started when I learned how to talk / And now it's bigger than me / It was not long ago / That I heard... if life's not about chasing my dreams / Then what will I hold on to when there's n...

Album:  Parabbean Tales Artist:  Iwan VanHetten Label:  Blue Canoe Records Website:  http://www.iwanvanhetten.com/ UK based trumpeter, keyboardist, musical director, composer/songwriter, arranger, and producer Iwan VanHetten delights listeners with his latest offering Parabbean Tales .  Born from the concept of combining Caribbean-influenced music with particles of contemporary cool jazz and R&B/funk, VanHetten creates a synthesis that rouses his creativity as he plays with an enthusiasm that is infectious.  His experiences as a stage perfomer, playing beside such notable artists as Sister Sledge, The Pointer Sisters, Jimm Haslip, Jools Holland, and Paul Turner (Jamiroquai) to name a few, has honed his sharpness to conjure up verses that come from his soul.  He leads his ensemble, consisting of Russell Ferrante on piano and keyboards, Will Kennedy on drums, Lenny Castro on percussion, Andy Narell on steel pans, Bob Mintzer on saxophone, and on bas...

Album:  Abiola Time Artist:  Abiola Label: Aladé Enterprises Website:  www.abiolatime.com Fraught in infectious Caribbean rhythms seamed in uplifting R&B trimmings and the soulful sonorous of Nigerian-born Abiola, Abiola Time offers listeners aural vistas that take them away to sweet retreats.  Abiola takes listeners back to a time when clubs were frequented after hours to unwind and let loose.  The track "Werey Style" does just that, inspiring listeners to body roll, shimmy their hips, and undulate their limbs with unbridled release.  Containing songs all written by Abiola, the recording keeps audiences in a state of blissful escape from the pumping beats of "What We'll Be" to the stirring sensations of "Free" and the sensuous cascade of R&B verses along "Ko Le To."  The palliative swells project an image of plush beachscapes while the hypnotic club beats piping through "Naked Talk" give the track a dancehall vibe.  The ca...

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:  Imaginary World Artist:  Randal Clark Label:  Blue Hour Productions Website:  http://randalclarkmusic.com As a debut effort, Imaginary World from saxophonist, keyboardist, composer, and bandleader, Randal Clark is an exciting addition to the smooth jazz catalog.  Contributing to his outing are several seasoned artists including keyboardists Jeff Lorber and Scott Kinsey, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Jimmy Haslip, and trumpet player Randy Brecker.  His support system is a dream team of jazz pop sophisticates and practitioners of the smooth jazz style, making Clark's first step as a solo artist offering the best he can. Shepherding his crew to channel positive energy from start to finish, Clark achieves delivering an uplifting spirit that is entrancing.  His track "Discovery," composed by himself and Lorber, is studded in synth-pop shimmers with Clark's saxophone flickering and tweeting like sparkling crystals set in a field of sand dunes....

Album: Excursions Artist: Adam Glaser Label: Self-Released Website: www.adamglaser.com Audiences have become accustomed to attending virtual meetings.  However, few are acquainted with music being composed virtually.  Pianist-bandleader Adam Glaser's new recording Excursions encapsulates 15 instrumentals, all composed, performed, programmed, and recorded entirely by Glaser using virtual instruments.  His mix of synth-driven electronica, funk-pop, blues, jazz, R&B, and orchestral embellishments make for an upbeat listening experience. "Con Artist" has an R&B orientation with electrified instrumentation adorned in spiked guitar chords and pulsating synths breathing contemporary idioms.  The exotic chimes accenting "Who Wants Lentil Soup?" are honed into a playful melody that delights the aural senses.  Glaser's manifestations, whether intentional or not, are clad in pleasing aesthetics ignited by the blazing horns tooling "A Little Bit of Your Lo...

Album:  Sack Full of Dreams Artist:  Hazel Mitchell-Bell Label:  CD Baby Website:   https://www.hazelmitchellbellmusic.com/music Vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell might be new to the jazz palette, releasing her debut recording Stronger Than Ever in 2018 and following up with her sophomore effort Sack Full of Dreams in May 2021, but the bluesy crooning in her phrasing, the supple texture of her register, and the caressing aesthetics of her timbres are all familiar to listeners.  Her blend of jazz, soul, R&B, and bossa nova feel like home, surrounding the listener in comfort and bliss. Bell's memorable rendition of Woodrow Wilson and Buddy Johnson's gem "Save Your Love for Me" basks the listener in sheer bliss inlaid by embers of torch song-inspired soul.  She switches to a Cajun blues swagger in "Do I Move You," penned by Nina Simone.  Bell's command of Simone-imprinted blues demonstrates a dexterity that is laudable.  Supported by a string qu...

Album:  Florida Rays Artist:  The Flying Horse Big Band Label:  The Flying Horse Records Website:  https://flyinghorserecords.com The University of Central Florida has a world-renown jazz studies program.  Born from that program is a big band styled group called The Flying Horse Big Band.  The band has recorded several albums, many of which are theme based including their latest release Florida Rays.   This one celebrates the music of Ray Charles, songs that he wrote and covered through his youth and early career living in Florida, hence its title Florida Rays .  Comprised of 13 covers of jazz standards, the recording is directed by tenor saxophonist Jeff Rupert, who is the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida.  Rupert is also the founder of the Flying Horse Records label, which not only promotes the students of the university's jazz studies program but it's faculty as well. The band begins their tribute to Ray Charle...

Album:  Fantasy Vocal Sessions Volume 2 Artist:  David K. Mathews Label:  Effendi Records  Website:  www.facebook.com/dave.mathews.16 Fantasy Vocal Sessions Volume 2 is the second installment in a five project series led by keyboardist David K. Mathews. For his forthcoming release, he features a mixture of soul, pop, R&B, and smooth jazz in the tracks.  Accompanied by a dynamic assortment of vocalists and musicians, Mathews demonstrates an instinct for classic soul sensibilities and pleasing harmonic forms. The feminine softness and silky finesse of vocalist Amikaeyla Gaston reimagines songs like Jimmy Webb's pop tune "Wichita Lineman" and Stevie Wonder's hidden gem "Superwoman," inlaying the tracks with gorgeous nuances.  The elegance in her versing is spellbinding.  Her caressing vocals retouch the Isley Brothers' soulful ballad "For the Love of You," permeating a romantic lure reminiscent of Patti Austin. Moving into the playful cha...

Album:  All I Am Artist:  Anthony Jefferson Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/anthonyjefferson2 Anthony Jefferson's vocals are overflowing with sensuality and warmth as the limberness in his vocal control kneads like a deep tissue massage for the aural senses.  His latest release All I Am is comprised of jazz standards, pop favorites, and a handful of original tunes.  Produced by Jefferson and arranged by Corey Allen, the recording resonates a smooth vocalese reminiscent of Johnny Mathis paired with the caressing inflections liken to Luther Vandross.  His blend of soul, rhythm and blues, and bossa nova make for a very enjoyable ride. It is smooth sailing through his version of "Summertime," tailored with sensual curves and arcs in his vocals that personalize the tune.  The orchestral strings strewn across "Impossible" broaden Jefferson's repertoire, steering him into chamber music terrain that brings out the dreamy q...

Album:  Conspiracy Artist:  Rich Willey's Boptism Funk Band Label:  Wise Cat Records Website: www.boptism.com/conspiracy Big Band music with a tinge of R&B blended into the mixture, Rich Willey's Boptism Funk Band makes jolly good music on their new CD Conspiracy .  Track after track is layered in throbbing drumbeats, rotating guitar chords, and a variety of traipsing adventures paved by the medley of horns, which give the compositions multifaceted traits. Bobby Floyd's moaning Hammond B3 organ drives squiggling lines across "Clip Clop Mogul," which alternate with the bevy of horns scrolling a cluster of wiggling motions in a random fashion.  The jazz funk flapping produced by the musicians elevate the listener to that jolly place where the band wants their audiene to be.  Keeping up the merriment is the bopping toots of the horns piping "Adrenaline Rush," fringed in a tooling of twizzling guitar riffs from Dave Stryker. The sunny tone of the h...

Album Review:  For Lovers Only from Kenney Polson Album:  For Lovers Only Artist:  Kenney Polson Label:  Jazz Beyond B orders Website: https://kenneypolson.com Set on the trajectory for mass appeal, saxophonist Kenney Polson's latest release For Lovers Only is sonically smooth and emotively sublime.  Track after track is sheer bliss, featuring Polson's relaxed temperament on the sax augmented by the warm R&B-style lulls of guitarists Bruce Conte and Phil Upchurch, the sleek grooves of bassist Michael Henderson, the soft glimmer in Tom Grant's piano notes, the sparkling effects of Roger Smith's keyboards, and the charming interplay of Polson's saxophone with trumpet player Larry Gittens and trombonist Fred Wesley.   Like the title of the album leads audiences to believe, the music is designed to stir the listener's sense of romantic affection.  Perhaps "La La Means I Love You" says it best blanketed in euphoric smooth jazz ethers.  The f...