jazz2love

Album:  Malabar Princess Artist:  Charline Mignot aka Vendredi sur Mer Label:  Sony Music Websites:  https://www.instagram.com/vendredisurmer_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@vendredisurmer Swiss-born, French singer Charline Mignot (aka Vendredi sur Mer) is a magnetic ingenue whose clarion vocals are aurally uplifting.  In a class of contemporary power pop/electronica vocalists liken to Ela Taubert and Still Corners's Tessa Murray, Mignot's vocal musings liberate listeners inhibitions and self-restraint, imbibing them on a sonic elixir that ferments a warm, dreamy solace inside them.   Radiating a modern dance glint throughout her recording Malabar Princess , Mignot's music is balmy, breathy and breezy, inviting the body to sway to the rhythmic pulse and the soft, fluid cadence of her ruminating vocals.  Track after track, Mignot keeps the vibes uplifting and flowing with an intoxicating smoothness.  Once captured in the ambient soundscapes, it is hard t...

Album:  Imaginary Trains Artist: Michael Whalen Label:  MWM/Spout label through Six Degrees Distribution/INgrooves/UMG Website:  www.michaelwhalen.com Imaginary Trains , the latest CD from keyboardist Michael Whalen is a diverse compilation of evolving soundscapes and ambient passages.  From the Hot Chip's-like sci-fi sebrings of "Against the Sky" to the smooth ruminating phrases of "Across the World To Be With You" featuring vocalist Ricky Kej, Whalen's melodic sequences create imaginary vistas that delight the mind and stimulate the aural senses. The tranquilizing soundwaves of "My Immortal Beloved" attribute human-like traits to digitally composed music, producing roving waves that crest and slope.  The music gives the illusion of traveling, evolving from one melodic pattern to the next while continually engaging the listener. Gently lit flickers are sprinkled along "The Wayward Sun" froth in fomenting rattles and fizzles, creating an ...

Album:  Future Shock Artist:  Michael Whalen Label: Spout/MWM Website:  https://www.michaelwhalen.com Jazz fusion meets progressive rock and electronica on Michael Whalen's new release Future Shock .  Comprised of all original compositions arranged and written by Whalen, the recording sizzles, sambas, and plumes, continuously delighting listeners. The Latin facets in Bob Magnuson's flute and shehnai coruscate gracefully across "La Hermosa Noche" while laced in Whalen's spangled synth effects, filament by a samba rhythm played by bassist Tony Levin and drummer Simon Phillips.  The toasty warm atmosphere continues with Magnuson's silky saxophone twirls cruising along "Lights of Home," projecting a vibe reminiscent of Kenny G's sensual furls, as Whalen's glittering synths swaddle the melody in beads of starlight.  Displaying a flare for creating romantic moods, Whalen's arrangement  for "Morning Song" shines with a love story luste...

Album:  Solis Artist:  Eddie Paton Label:  Race of Tan Records Website:  www.eddiepaton.com A mixture of flamenco guitar, ambient jazz, and world music, Solis , the debut solo release from guitarist, composer and arranger Eddie Paton stimulates the senses. This is a recording that arouses positive sensations from the tingling riffs of "Cafe Salsa" to the meditative swells of "Del Mar." Comprised of original works and a cover of The Police's hit single "Message In A Bottle," Solis is filled with intricate tooling that builds the tracks landscape and depth. The hypnotic and rhythmic strokes of Paton's guitar strings exude charisma across "Marisol," creating melodic patterns that dazzle the listener then whisk one away along the smooth sails of "At Paradiso."   The dreamy texture of Paton's guitar strings exhibit a serenity that elicits peace of mind in the listener. Switching gears, the electronica elements of "In Th...

Album:  Moonflower Code Artist:  Andrei Lanes Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://www.andreilanes.com/ Electronica-infused soundscapes meet experimental jazz-inspired improvisations on Andrei Lanes's new self-released recording Moonflower Code .   The sonic passages are a welcoming massage on the aural senses while they enthrall the mind.  Bright, glittering notes dazzle the listener like a kaleidoscope of hues on the opening track "Laissez-Faire," transitioning into the sci-fi imbued escapes of "Darlene."  Track after track, the listener is mesmerized by the sonic clusters whose cosmic jaunts are so finely orchestrated and choreographed that they manifest into a breathtaking landscape.  Like a Monet painting whose finely painted dots produce an eye-catching image, Lanes's use of computer generated music crafts ear-catching figments. A master at forming galactic-like silhouettes that move with the ease of ghostly figures, Lanes once a...