jazz2love

  New Release:  For the Record from Pete Mills Label:  Mighty Ernie Records 1002 Release Date:  September 5, 2025 Website:  www.petemills.com Toronto-born saxophonist Pete Mills fuses traditional bebop with modern swing and blues on his new release For the Record .  Comprised of original compositions by his quartet, which features Jon Eshelman on Hammond B3 organ, Tom Davis on electric guitar, Zach Compston on drums, and Mills on tenor saxophone, the recording effectively creates a synergistic performance, putting each instrument up front.  No musician takes a backseat in these performances and is heard bold and clear.  The rattling beats of Compston's drums form tremors along "Kenny, Ken," a track written by Tom Davis as a tribute to guitarist Kenny Burrell.  Interfacing with the ruffling motifs of Davis's guitar and frothy ripples of Eschelman's organ, Mills's tenor courses a serpentine path across the melody.  Switching to a relaxing...

  New Release:  Laguna Road from Haerts Release Date:  October 3, 2025 Websites:  haertsmusic.com music.apple.com/us/album/laguna-road/1819112843 Laguna Road , the fourth recording from Haerts, a sonic pop duo that gels ambient jazz, blues, folk, and acoustic rock, emerge with a poignant compilation that resonates with audiences far and wide.  Founded by vocalist Nini Fabi and keyboardist/guitarist Ben Gebert, Haerts give listeners music that evokes deep contemplation and introspection about life choices, experiences met along the journey and the outcomes that unfold.  The ethereal textures and soothing atmospherics produce fantastical dreamscapes, moving with the fluid tranquility of a free-flowing stream.  Gebert's breezy guitar riffs piping through "Brighter Day" contour Fabi's meditative vocals with a tenderness that vibrates of chimerical warmth, as the dirge-like sonorous of his keys boost Fabi's soul-examining, introspective musings driving "Wom...

  New Release:  Waking Dream from Randy Napoleon Label:  OA2 Records Release Date:  August 15, 2025 Website:  www.RandyNapoleon.com An amalgam of modern bebop, meditative blues, and straight-ahead jazz, composer, guitarist, and leader Randy Napoleon teamed up with four additional guitarists, who are all former students of his:  Luke Sittard, Chris Minami, Jocelyn Gould, and Ben Turner for his recording Waking Dream .  Consisting of original tracks written by Napoleon and Gregg Hill, the recording explores diversity in syncopation, melodic phrasing, and harmonic forms.  The atmospheric serenity shrouding the title track exudes a tenderness, which is contrasted by the complex intricacies of "The Speckled Frog," as each instrument moves to a different beat between Quincy Davis' syncopated drumming to the streaking flare of Anthony Stanco's trumpet and the curt bopping pulse of Rodney Whitaker's bass.  "The Singer" displays a Latin accent in the ...

  New Release:  The Path of a Tear from Jo Harrop Label:  Lateralize Records Release Date:  April 8, 2025 Websites:  www.joharrop.com Insta/FB - @joharropmusic YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JoHarrop/videos Jo Harrop possesses a voice that resonates with contemporary audiences from her contemplative style to her soothing tone and storytelling manner.  Her repertoire integrates jazz, soul, and blues into an alluring mixture that brings out a distinctive beauty in each track. The Path Of A Tear , Harrop’s fourth offering on London-based jazz label, Lateralize Records, illustrates her prowess as a songwriter with 6 original tunes and a selection of covers written by Leonard Cohen, Steve Earle, and Leon Russell.  Supported by guitarist Anthony Wilson, drummer/percussionist Victor Indrizzo, pianist Jim Cox, double bass player David Piltch, and electric bassist Larry Klein, Harrop gravitates to lyrics that reflect about the matters of the heart with mus...

  Label:  Self-Released Release Date:  June 20, 2025 Websites:  www.thebevelededges.com https://www.shellybhushan.com/music/ https://www.anthonylanni.com/music.php https://linktr.ee/thebevelededges Singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan has a voice that can stop traffic.  Her collaboration with nylon string guitarist-composer Anthony Lanni goes by the moniker The Beveled Edges.  Their debut release I Guess We're Not Alone is a listening experience that leaves a lasting impression on its audience.  The succor-rich strumming of Tex-Mex tones complimented by an alluring sway emanates from Lannie's guitar strokes, embroidered throughout the tracks as Bhushan sweetly serenades the listener with her shimmery timbres and elastic resonance.  A romantic gleam shrouds the tracks in a torchlight mist as Bhushan takes the listener by the hand, guiding one through a proverbial woodland of aural tranquility and  sonic bliss.  Their fusion of soul, blues, s...

  New Release:  Planet D Nonet presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams Release Date: April 19, 2025 Label: Eastlawn Records Website: https://rjspangler.com/ The late Big Band vocalist Joe Williams, who sang with the Count Basie Orchestra through the 1950's and later enjoyed being a solo artist, is treated with reverence on Planet D Nonet's latest recording Planet D Nonet Presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams .  King's vocals take the listener down memory lane, when jazz combos filled ballrooms with rhapsodic romps, swinging scat, bluesy candlelight vibes, and smoldering bebop.  The scores may stem from the 20th century but King's arrangements are contemporary, sowing meaningful interpretations that lure the listener in from his catchy vocal inflections to Michael Zaporski's percolating keys and the impromptu raptures of the horns.  The interaction is emblematic of the spontaneity audiences recall that made ja...

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: Next Gen Artist:  John Stein Label:  Tiger Turn Artist Website:  Johnstein.com A mix of jazz standards and originals, guitarist-composer John Stein's 2025 offering Next Gen features music inspired by his five grandchildren.  Making the tunes personal for him while appealing to listeners on a broad scale, Stein's 19th project displays the flexibility and the sonorous lilt of the guitar, riffing with his band mates Ed Lucie on bass and Mike Connors on drums in splendid synchronicity. Opening with "AJ," a track Stein wrote for one of his granddaughters, the arrangement synchronizes puffy rivulets from Stein's guitar perched on the calming knolls of Lucie's bass.  The track is followed by the lounging grooves of the jazz standard "Lover Man," brandishing a soft simmering ether that jumps into the bouncy rhythm of "Kai," named after Stein's oldest grandson. Another jazz standard, "Star Eyes," is illuminated in pixilated gui...

Album:  Tides Artist:  Philip Weberndoerfer Label:  Shifting Paradigm Records Website:  https://www.weberndoerfer.com Composer-guitarist Philip Weberndoerfer delivers Tides , an exploration of tones, textures, and movement.  Supported by bassist Richard Mikel, drummer Peter Traunmueller, and saxophonist Dayna Stephens, Weberndoerfer experiments with sonic structures, lyrical phrasing, and harmonic forms, intimating private thoughts and reflections. Stephens's saxophone weaves billowy waves along "Low Gravity" that delight the aural senses and elevate the listening experience, as Weberndoerfer's riffing on the guitar enhances the feel good vibrations with the combination of a bluesy tint and an exotic, gypsy-like shimmer in his musings.  The recording shifts to a slow-burning glint through "Peace of Constance," accentuated by the soft rustle of Stephens's saxophone, as the rhythmic beats of Mikel's bass and Traunmueller's drums produce gentle, rol...

Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...

Album:  Green Lights Artist:  Troy Roberts Label Name: Toy Robot Music Website:  troyroberts.com Record Label address:  toyrobotmusic.com Facebook:  @TroyRobertsMusic Instagram:  @mistertoyrobot Bandcamp link:  https://troyroberts.bandcamp.com Typical of saxophonist and leader Troy Roberts is his indelible skill to form dynamic conversations with his bandmates.  Uniquely individual of himself is his proclivity to be both a stimulant and to be stimulated, exploring multiple ways in which he interfaces with his musicians.  His saxophone turns thoughtful and pensive in his musings along "The Question," then moves with a whimsical flair through the title track, and pivots to a suave and lofty voice as he helms the melodic course of "By Your Side," all from his latest release Green Lights . Marking his 16th offering as a bandleader, Green Lights presents Roberts's innovative collaborations with John Patitucci on bass, Paul Bollenback on guitar, a...

Album:  The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill Artist:  Randy Napoleon Label:  OA2 Records Label Website:  originarts.com/oa2 Artist Website:  randynapoleon.com A fusion of minds, The Door Is Open:  The Music of Gregg Hill from guitarist and leader Randy Napoleon is his second record with the core band of pianist Rick Roe, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Quincey Davis, and vocalist Aubrey Johnson.  Adding to the mix are Lucas LaFave on bass, Anthony Stanco on trumpet, Walter Blanding on tenor saxophone, and Andrew Kim on trombone. Integrating blues, bebop, and soul, Napoleon's arrangements have an organic fluidity, culminating into animated passages.  Johnson's scatting and vivacious vocalese have tracks like "Spa-Teneity" and "Motel Blues" ensnare the listener, struck by Napoleon's piercing strings and Davis's rippling drumbeats.  The cool jazz vibe of the tracks imbue a contemporary peal. The bluesy tint of Napoleon's guitar chords and...

Album:  Conspiracy Deliracy Artist:  Andrew Binder Label:  Self-Released Website:  andrewbindermusic.com Conspiracy Deliracy , the creation of bass player, composer and leader Andrew Binder, makes interesting commentaries about American culture both conceptually and musically.  A fusion of bop, blues, funk, improvisation, and cool jazz, many of the arrangements are reharmonized contrafacts, reimagining original works and revealing the inner workings of Binder's mind and ingenuity.  His music makes commentaries about current events and popular impressions fashioned from whittling improvised phrases, structured motifs and bop-inspired patterns that bridge traditional jazz with a modern day mindset. Examining “Mandela Effect,” named after South Africa's late president, Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013, the music is a light, fluffy assemble as the delicate feathering of Brian Stark's flute is encircled by Binder's soft bass pluckings. “Rush for Area 51” is styl...

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:  Muagsician Artist:  Kristen R. Bromley Label:  KRBM, LLC Website:  www.kristenbromley.com Muagsician , a 2-disc, 25-track recording from Kristen R. Bromley features her talent as a guitar soloist and vocalist.  Displaying an affinity for jazz and blues, Bromley composes the rhythmic grooves, the chord patterns, and the improvised parts with pleasing precision.  The album is a collection of original selections, covers of jazz standards, and reworked arrangements of traditional folk hymns.  Eight tracks contain sung melodies performed by Bromley, accompanied by her guitar solos.  Wherever listeners go along the recording, the music showers them in warm sensations. The bluesy funk tint of her guitar strings stroking along "All Blues" exude a calmness through the ruminating ruffles that form an easygoing, rollicking rhythm.  From the frothy rustles of "Simply Miraculous" to the silky tresses of "Abide with Me; ‘Tis Eventide,” Bromley's fl...

Album:  Douce France Sweet France Artist:  Margot Sergent Label:  Zoho Music Website:  https://margotsergent.com/ A bilingual French-born jazz singer who doubles on harp, Margot Sergent has a magnetic quality belies her age, spinning mature stories that beckon the listener's undivided attention.  Her 2023 outing Douce France Sweet France moves through an array of tunes from the reflective mood of "Keep the Moon in Mind" to the daydreamy ambience of "The Apartment Next Door," and the joyful buoyancy of "Douce France," embracing the pleasures of life. Each tune depicts another phase of life, a different experience along the journey, and always being intimate with the audience about the encounters.  Sergent's voice is expressive, mirroring the images projected in the lyrics so audiences can follow her narration, always from a viewpoint suspended above the scenes.  "La Boheme" offers the listener a seat in the balcony as Sergent's charis...

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:  The DIVA Jazz Orchestra "30" Artist:  The DIVA Jazz Orchestra Label:  DIVA Jazz Website:  www.divajazz.com Celebrating their 30th year of swinging around the world, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra earmark the occasion with their 2023 outing The DIVA Jazz Orchestra "30," recorded live at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club in New York City.  Featuring selections from the band's music library over the years, the recording elevates the body and calls for audiences to experience pure joy. The DIVA Jazz Orchestra is described in their press release as "an ensemble of fifteen versatile, multi-generational musicians who expertly balance enthusiastic energy with sophisticated subtlety, virtuosity, and imagination." Entwining elements of swing, torchlight blues, big band, and straight-ahead jazz, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra knows how to keep their audience dancing in the aisles.  "Every Day I Have The Blues," a persevering hit for Pinetop Sparks and Me...

Album: This Could Be The Start Artist:  Linda Purl Label: Reaching Records Website:  https://www.lindapurl.com Vocalist Linda Purl and her music director Tedd Firth come together for their fourth album, This Could Be the Start .  The collection contains Purl's reimagination of a handful of jazz standards, tailored to her vocal specifications.  Supported by an intimate cadre of musicians that include bassist David Finck, drummer Ray Marchica and reed player Nelson Rangell, Purl finesses a selection of Great American Songbook jewels with a contemporary sheen. The playful merengue rhythm driving "Blue Moon," a swinging romp written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, is trussed in Ray Marchica's percolating percussion and a profusion of jutting keys performed by Ted Firth.  The track steps out of the customary schematics of swing jazz bolstered by blues vocals and articulates a Latin-imbued tremor.  The bossa nova curves shaping one of Cole Porter's signature ...

Album:  Celebration Artist:  Josh Levinson Big Band Label:  Wise Cat Records Website:  https://www.joshlevinsonseptet.com/news Trumpeter-composer Josh Levinson releases his fifth recording, appropriately named Celebration .  A multi-layered blending of big band, swing, hard bop, blues, hot jazz, and meringue, the tunes are deeply rooted in jazz traditions with a contemporary flare.  A veritable crowd pleaser, Levinson presents a dozen of his original works, entwining aesthetically pleasing motifs and fiery licks, parlayed into a harmonious whirlwind that keeps the audience's mood uplifted. At the core of the compositions are the horns, performed by Josh Levinson on trumpet, Mike Troy, Itay Goldberg, Greg Lapine, Matt Knoegel, and Bryan Cowan on saxophones, Roger Garcia, Mark McGowan, and Ben Seacrist on additional trumpets, Tim Shneier, Matt McDonald, Glenn Mills, and John Alexander on trombones .  The collective produces tiers of elevating spirals ac...