jazz2love

  New Release:  Return of the Light from Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma Label:  Self-Released Release Date:  October 25, 2025 Website: www.joeelefantemusic.com A prolific and articulate pianist, saxophonist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, Joe Elefante is joined by his band Wheel of Dharma for Return of the Light.  The offering demonstrates the nimbleness and imaginative narration rooted in their creativity, scrolling improvised musings and layering them in pulsing drumbeats and rustling horns.  The laid-back swells sashaying along "Cromwell" are landscaped in the thrusting beats of Sameer Shankar's bass, underscored by the storytelling strokes of Erena Terakubo's saxophone and Freddy Hendrix's trumpet, as Elefante's keys twinkle fluidly and delicately in the shadows, anchored by David Heilman's shimmery cymbals.  Each track moves the listener into an endless meadow of radiating tones, whittled into luminous scrolls and emoting storytelli...

  Album:  In Lieu of Flowers Artist:   Dave Anderson Label:   LABEL 1 Records Website:  www.daveandersonjazz.com Smooth, cool jazz layered in flowing knolls and blues-infused motifs catacomb in incisions of improvised movements, In Lieu of Flowers from saxophonist/composer/leader Dave Anderson is a pleasurable jaunt.  His crew comprised of Grant Richards on piano, Lorin Cohen on bass, Jimmy Macbride on drums, and himself on saxophone sets out on engulfing the listener in harmonious riffs.   Each track exudes a nocturnal vibe conducive to after-hours respite.   The slow burn of Anderson's saxophone forms glistening cascades of teardrops along "Sanctuary" as Richards's piano solo etches dexterous scrolls across the track, creating a tender, reflective moment.  "Lost City" projects a dreamy vision in the listener's mind brandishing an evocative bass solo played by Cohen, while "One for Wayne," a tribute to Wayne Shorter, is fraught in livel...

  Album:   Conceptions Artist:   Geoffrey Dean Quartet Label:   Cellar Music Website:  www.geoffreydeanmusic.com Conceptions is the second album from the Geoffrey Dean Quartet featuring leader-pianist Geoffrey Dean, bassist Harish Raghavan, Dr. Eric Binder on drums, and Justin Copeland on trumpet.  The recording is an array of original music using the framework of straight-ahead jazz with each track written individually by Dean, Binder and Copeland.  The group’s multi-dimensional writing styles showcase a diversity of expressions and interplay using jazz principles.   The heavenly furls of Copeland's trumpet swirling leisurely across "Amidst a Dream" recede as Dean's lightly prancing keys take centerstage, held steady by the trotting beats of Binder's drums and Raghavan's bass.   The bold strokes of Copeland's trumpet flares open "Conflagration" into a blossoming meadow of sonic ripples that retract as Dean's nimbly choreographed keys ...

  New Release:  Loving You from Kieran Brown Label:  Cellar Music Release Date:  July 11, 2025 Websites:  Instagram: @kieranbrownmusic Facebook: @Kieran Brown Jazz TikTok: @kieranbrownmusic Jazz vocalist Kieran Brown comes out of the gate as a thoroughbred champion with her debut release Loving You.    Every inch of the recording is honed to perfection from her caressing vocal resonance and nuanced vocalese to the flawless orchestration, producing an atmosphere that is dreamy and sublime.  Featuring an assortment of jazz standards and two original tracks by Brown, the lyrical themes focus on the thoughts, impressions, and emotional development that a young woman experiences through the early stages of life's journey into maturity.  Her engaging duet with singer Nathan Farrell on their rendition of Stephen Sondheim's "Loving You" highlights such maturity.  Brown lulls the listener into a tranquil dreamscape, demonstrating the ardor of mus...

Album:  The Silent Wish Artist:  Michelle Nicolle Label:  Self-Released Website:  Michellenicolle.com Facebook.com/jazzsingeraustralia IG: @michellenicollejazz Bandcamp: https://michellenicolle.bandcamp.com/ Relishing a career as a vocalist-composer that has spanned more than 30 years singing with a multi-piece band, Australian based performer Michelle Nicolle strove to leap into unknown vocal territory with her recording The Silent Wish .  Backed by Southern Californian native, guitarist Larry Koonse, Nicolle found the inspiration she was looking for, performing eight standards plus one song from a New Zealand pop band, and one song penned by Nicolle.   The recording is her 11th release and her first release in the USA.  The warm intimacy she emotes in her delivery, the tenderness she applies to the lyrics, the nuanced layers of her timbres, the depth of her vocal inflections all demonstrate her talent and charisma to breathe life into a song. The sou...

Album:  New York Now & Then Artist:  Omer Avital Websites:  https://www.omeravital.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/omeravitalmusic https://music.apple.com/us/artist/omer-avital/7423061 Swing jazz through the ages can be discerned in bassist-leader Omer Avital's 2025 contribution New York Now & Then .  Spirited and fluent in the language of cabaret blues, the music recharges the soul with an uplifting trajectory and animated musings that are aesthetically pleasing to the ear.  Joined by Edo Gur on trumpet and flugelhorn, Yonathan Guedj on alto saxophone, Alexander Levin on tenor saxophone, Evan Amoroso on trombone, and alternating Eviatar Slivnik and Itay Morchi on drums, Avital leads the sextet, with himself on bass, into an assortment of energetic romps, cozy strides and reflective ballads.  Clutching the idyllic idioms of tradtional swing and incorporating modern jazz sensibilities, Avital blends the past with the p...

Album:  Imaginably Artist:   Yuto Mitomi and Yuto Kanazawa Label:   Self-Released Website:  yutomitomi.com   Saxophonist-composer Yuto Mitomi and guitarist Yuto Kanazawa perform one of a kind recording Imaginably .  Pairing the soulful strumming of the guitar with the malleable curves of the saxophone, the duo create a dulcet sojourn that magnetizes the listener to their performance. "Sweet Lorraine" is a warm ballad that displays the duo's impeccable timing and complementing response to each other's assertions.   The title track is a charming tune that spotlights Mitomi's agile dexterity on the saxophone, demonstrating a flexibility in his performance that is admirable.   "Karatachi no Hana" is a serene melody that integrates caressing strokes and wistful flutters, interpolating glinting swells.     The buoyant musings of the saxophone splayed across "Dorelice" are cradled in the tender strums of the guitar, shifting into the languid w...

Album:  Continuation Artist:   Yuto Mitomi Label:   Self-Released Website:  yutomitomi.com   Japanese jazz saxophonist and composer Yuto Mitomi makes his debut as a leader with his release Continuation .  Based in New York, Mitomi blends his musical roots with influences of American bebop, improvisation, swing, and straight-ahead jazz.  Featuring eight original compositions and two jazz standards with his arrangements, the album showcases Mitomi's fluency in the jazz framework, leading his band mates Takahiro Izumikawa on keyboards, Moto Fukushima on six string bass, and Kazuhiro Odagiri on drums. The recording's title is inspired by Mitomi's continuous journey from being a pupil of Japan's folk and pop music to becoming a participant on the Manhattan jazz circuit, discovering contemporary perspectives from modern musicians, shaping his artistic leaning and contributing to the world music market.  Mitomi displays a sympatico with his band mates th...

Album:  Live at the Pump House Celebrating Wayne Shorter Artist: Dan Moretti & Brazilia Label:  Roots Grooves Records Artist Website:   https://danmoretti.com/ Tenor and soprano saxophonist Dan Moretti is joined by jazz quartet Brazilia to celebrate the music of Wayne Shorter on their recording Live at the Pump House Celebrating Wayne Shorter released by Roots Grooves Records.  Their interpretation of an assortment of works penned by Shorter showcase the vibrancy and lively interaction that Shorter's compositions offer musicians. Brazilia's lineup includes: Latin Jazz Grammy winner Oscar Stagnaro from Peru on bass, Maxim Lubarsky from Ukraine on piano, Ernesto Diaz from Columbia on percussion, and Steve Langone from Boston on drums. Together, they tweak Shorter's material with fresh energy and a flare for rhythmic timing. The smoothness of Lubarsky's keys invigorate "Night Dreamer" while Moretti's tenor sears a stream of nimble ripples across "Sp...

Album:  Epicycle Artist:  Yuto Mitomi Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://yutomitomi.com   The improvised prose penned by saxophonist-composer Yuto Mitomi gives his new recording Epicycle character and depth, keeping the dynamics of the tracks fluctuating and shapeshifting.  The title of the recording "refers to a geometric model used to explain the variations in speed and direction of the apparent motion of the Moon, Sun, and planets," states Mitomi's electronic press kit, giving the listener a vision of his motivation. The arrangements are created by seaming polyrhythms, harmonic forms and melodic patterns, making tangential musings that wrap around one another then return to a middle ground where all the musicians come together.  Joining Mitomi on this expedition are Takahiro Izumikawa on piano, Moto Fukushima on six-string electric bass, and Keita Ogawa on drums and percussion. The improvised flutter and flare of Mitomi's sax emotes an organic...

Album:  Self-Titled Artist:  Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma Label: Self-Released Website: https://www.joeelefantemusic.com SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/o3mTyKuYxndfss2j7 YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@joeelefantemusic The theme of jazz pianist Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma's 2025 recording is personal as well as meaningful on a broad scale that touches families far and wide.  After losing his wife to cancer in 2024, Elefante set out to revive his passion to make music, fueling his drive to create and share his material as never before.  His offering is a tribute to his wife's memory and a celebration of his dedication to his craft. Joining Elefante are old friends, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet and David Heilman on drums.  Their friendship stretches back over 25 years to their college days, when they first met and began their musical journey together.  Rounding out the ensemble are Erena Terakubo on saxophone and Sameer Shankar on bass.  ...

Album:  Try This Artist:  Bill Moio Label: ITI Records Website:  billmoio.com Jazz guitarist Bill Moio’s second album as a leader, Try This , demonstrates his command of the blues/soul milieu as well as his prowess as an eloquent songwriter.  His gift is honing melodic musings into smooth ambiences that incite the mind to drift across pleasing stratospheres.  Featuring a complementing array of musicians that includes George Whitty on keyboards, Wayne Bergeron on trumpet, Andy Martin on trombone, Eric Marienthal on saxophone, Tommy Brechtlein on drums, and Jimmy Haslip and Mel Brown intermittently on bass, Moio proves himself to be a meaningful connoisseur of the blues, jazz, soul fusion.  His arrangements flow seamlessly, radiating sensitivity and grace across the melodic movements, making a likeable impression on the listener. The Latin-tinged swagger in Moio's guitar chords rippling across "Arroz Con Pollo" is heaven to the ears, enhanced by the animated ...

Album:  Safe Travels Artist:  Jerry Kalaf Label:  Self-Released Website: jerrykalaf.com Safe Travels is jazz drummer Jerry Kalaf’s 2025 album.  A soothing collection of original compositions that blend the temporal voices of a piano trio with the airy textures of a string quartet. Comprised of arrangements and orchestrations by Doug Walter, the recording features the Chicago-based string quartet ATLYS, partnering classical influences with jazz sensibilities and improvised strokes. The outcome is a musical saga, laden with sonic impressions and emotive expressions. Recorded at Studio J in Studio City, California, by Jerry Kalaf, and at RAX TRAX in Chicago, Illinois, by Andy Shoemaker, the project is meticulously finessed with structured trimmings augmented by spontaneous wanderings.  Mixed by Jerry Kalaf and Doug Walter at Studio J and mastered by Scott Fraser at Architecture in Pasadena, California, the album delivers a multi-faceted listening experience, bustl...

  An Italian naval officer Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the globe in the early 16th century, as a traveler of the seven seas.  Florentine astronomer Galileo Galilei discovered the celestial bodies canvassing the Earth's solar system, the Milky Way, in the early 17th century, known to be a traveler of the stars.  Swiss apothecary Albrecht Höpfner invented various shades of blue in the late 18th century, noted as a traveler of colors.  Polish-French chemist Marie Curie discovered radium in the early 20th century, being a traveler of energy waves.   In the vane of such notable explorers, Barcelona-born pianist Marina Albero has made discoveries of her own in the early 21st century.  Creating new melodic formations using string and keyboard instruments.  The title of her 2024 release A Nomad of Sound reflects her explorative nature.  For the recording, she traveled from her home in Seattle, Washington, which she resettled to in 2014, and fou...

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:  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:  Quartet Vol 1 Artist:  Takeshi Asai Label:  Fono Bono Records Websites:  http://www.takeshiasai.com http://epk.takeshiasai.com/ Pianist-composer Takeshi Asai puts modern day sagas to music.  His latest release Quartet Vol 1 from Fono Bono Records parlays a string of stories into emotionally stirring compositions that incite audiences to reflect, to escape, and to daydream.  A savant at creating atmospheric soundscapes, Asai encapsulates decades of experiences into 9 original tracks, each expressive and each a log taken from a memoir. Upbeat and sublime, "Minor Holiday" brandishes a bopping groove tailored by bass player Bob Gingery and drummer Brian Woodruff, as Hashem Assadullahi's alto sax dazzles with improvised chord patterns.  Asai's keys joins in the cheerful mood with a pulsating vamp, culminatiing into a gamut of pyrotechnics.  The recording slows to a daydreamy atmosphere through "On-Hold Music." as Assadullahi's sax weaves loung...

Album:  Owl Dreams Artist:  Dharma Down Label: Dharma Down Records DD001 Website: www.dharmadown.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/dharmadownband Instagram: www.instagram.com/dharmadownband/ Sensual and exotic, the music of Dharma Down shines a spotlight on the confluence of Arabic rhythms, folkloric tableaus, Eastern European vibrations, and modern jazz idioms.  Comprised of Duncan Hardy on alto saxophone and qanun, Mike Effenberger on piano, Scott Kiefner on acoustic bass, and John Mettam on drums, Dharma Down's debut recording Owl Dreams fascinates the listener's imagination and arouses positive sensations.  From the Klezmatic character of Hardy's vibrant raptures on the saxophone sprinting across "Bubu Jinn" to the tingling ripples of his performance on the Qanun, forming a swiveling motion through "Jalla Man," the experience is a veritable treat into lively dreamscapes.  The original scores are animated portraits of middle eastern music paired with mo...

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:  Descriptions of Useless Subtitles and Meaningful Sublimations Artists: Renato Diz and Peter Traunmueller Label:  W&J Productions Websites:  https://www.wjproductionsllc.com/artists/renato-diz-peter-traunmueller https://renatodizpetertraunmueller.bandcamp.com/album/descriptions-of-useless-subtitles-and-meaningful-sublimations  https://www.petertraunmueller.com Descriptions of Useless Subtitles and Meaningful Sublimations from keyboardist-composer Renato Diz and drummer-composer Peter Traunmueller is a multi-faceted project with José Diogo Neves mixing and mastering their recording. The project consists of their original recording along with an 18-page book of poems by the same title and authored by Diz and Traunmueller.  The book contains original black and white drawings by Pedro Marnoto to accompany each poem and corresponding track.  The three-fold project combines sound, poetry and visual, forming an unique "ecosystem," in the words of the ...