jazz2love

  New Release:   Songs and Quartets from Owen Underhill and Quator Bozzini Label:  Collection QB Release Date:  June 27, 2025 Websites:  https://quatuorbozzini.ca/fr/discographie?filtre=collectionqb https://collectionqb.bandcamp.com/album/owen-underhill-songs-and-quartets From Collection QB, Quatuor Bozzini's in-house label, comes a body of work from their longtime collaborator, the Vancouver based composer Owen Underhill, entitled Songs and Quartets .  The recording pairs two separate string quartets, String Quartet No. 2 and String Quartet No. 5.  Sometimes performing pure instrumentals and sometimes supporting vocals performed by countertenor Daniel Cabena, alongside Jeremy Berkman on tenor sacqueboute/trombone and Quatuor Bozzini on violin cello.   The lyrics are taken from the poetry of seventeenth century authors Henry Vaughan and Sir Walter Raleigh.  On the recording, chamber music strings are fastened to operatic vocals and ...

  New Release:  Elle a son Mot à Dire from Joane Hétu Label:  Ambiances Magnetiques Release Date:  June 27, 2025 Websites:  https://joanehetu.bandcamp.com/album/elle-a-son-mot-dire https://actuellecd.com/en/album/6703-elle-a-son-mot-dire https://ambiances-magnetiques.bandcamp.com Elle a son Mot à Dire from vocalist, saxophonist, innovator, and composer Joane Hétu presents so much more than merely a listening experience but more precisely she brings together a vast exhibition of life-size art set to sound passages.  Her theatrical performance integrates a mixed cacophony of elements including operatic vocals, eclectic effects, molten wails, fiery histrionics, free-style jazz of an otherworldly dimension, and both chamber music and extraterrestrial sounds.  Her project is reminiscent of avant garde artists, who illustrate the point where art meets music, where chaos meets melody exhibited by the likes of Laurie Anderson and David Byrne of Talking Heads....

  New Release:  Zero Point from Hadar Noiberg and Katia Toobool Release Date:  August 29, 2025 Websites:  https://hadarnoiberg.com https://www.katiatoobool.com Award-winning flutist, composer, arranger, and producer Hadar Noiberg and pianist/composer Katia Toobool announce the release of their first collaborative outing, Zero Point.   Performed live, the album showcases a mixture of intimate duo pieces, in addition to full ensemble works with the Finale String Quartet, blending original compositions by Hadar and Katia with a wide range of influences, including classical music, Brazilian rhythms, improvised excursions, and ambient jazz.  Toobool's keys emote a sense of serenity throughout the title track as sprigs of luminous tweets from Noiberg's flute dot the melody, soaring with an elegance that incites meandering reflections.  The melodic musings of the pair engage the listener, producing an inviting harmony that people welcome into their homes....

  New Release:  Cursed Month from Lingyuan Yang Label:  Chaospace Records Release Date:  August 15, 2025 Websites: https://www.lingyuanyang.com  https://lingyuanyang.bandcamp.com Dramatic, emotive, and inflamed, Cursed Month , the debut recording from guitarist-composer Lingyuan Yang, enshrouds the listener in a raging delirium.  The oblique signatures, jarring shrills and fierce dissonance produce a tension and polarization that touches the listener's psyche, vibrating at the frequency of the subconscious.  Segments of "Moondial" create an agitated spinning that mirrors feral currents and uncontrollable anxiety, while intervals of pounding and raging keys, performed by Shinya Lin across "Song of the Mist," whip up a maelstrom that sweeps over the resonating drum strikes of Asher Herzog.  Reflected in the recording's title, Cursed Month refers to Chinese astrology, according to the press release, "whereby each of the Zodiac's constituent animal si...

Album:  Motherhood Artist:  Brenda Earl Stokes Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://brendaearle.com brendaearlestokes.bandcamp.com/album/motherhood facebook.com/BrendaEarleStokes youtube.com/brendaearlestokes IG: @brendaearlestokes Pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator Brenda Earle Stokes returns with her sixth release as a leader entitled Motherhood .  The recording is an assortment of ten original compositions that explore the private side of being mother, examining identity, fear, expectations, body image, friendship, and growth. Performing in New York City opened her up to a talented pool of musicians, some of whom play on the disc, including bassist Evan Gregor, drummer Ross Pederson, and special guest, renowned trumpeter Ingrid Jensen.  Also appearing on the arrangements are vocalists Melissa Stylianou and Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis on backing vocals. Although Stokes's repertoire is rooted in jazz, she drew additional inspiration from singe...

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:  Aspenrose: Live at the Opera House Artist:  Herb Silverstein Label: Silver Tunes Website:  www.herbsilversteinjazz.com Pianist and composer Herb Silverstein's online biography reveals that "In the early 1980s, one of Herb’s sons introduced him to a recording of Chick Corea, and this began a long love affair with jazz music."  His bond with stride piano, bebop, and improvised music has motivated him to release his 17th recording Aspenrose:  Live at the Opera House , recorded with Michael Ross on bass and produced by Silversten.  Containing twelve original compositions written by Silverstein, the listener immediately becomes aware of Silverstein's ability to create lyrical phrases that are comforting and therapeutic for the aural senses.  His practice as an Otologist (the branch of medicine concerned with the ear) and as an Otolaryngologist (the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the ears, nose, and thro...

Album:  Love Finds Everyone Artist:  Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra Label:  Self-Released Website: https://www.facebook.com/henrygodfreymusic              https://henrygodfreyjazzorchestra.bandcamp.com When melting pots like jazz collectives are done to their potential, the voices of multiple instruments move in harmony with one another while making individual statements through the clusters of billowing masses.  Such is the case of the Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra whose leader, drummer Henry Godfrey, conducts a grand ensemble of musicians where out of many voices evolves compatible interchanges, which form an agreeable menagerie. The Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra made their debut with Love Finds Everyone , self-released on July 1, 2020.  The recording features Boston-based musicians with six out of the seven compositions and all of the arrangements written by Godfrey.  Some tracks are live recordings...

Album: Antonio Adolfo Artist: BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento Website:  https://antonioadolfomusic.com If audiences enjoyed the music of singer-songwriter-guitarist Milton Nascimento, they will surely relish Antonio Adolfo's tribute to the Brazilian artist.  A prolific pianist, bandleader, and composer in his own right, Adolfo draws out the delicate beauty in Nascimento's melodies on his latest CD BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento , featuring a talented litany of musicians.  Adolfo's personalized messaging in his keys permeates affection for Nascimento's music, giving the tracks an authenticity that touches the listener. The cascading toots of Jesse Sadoc's trumpet on "October/Outubro" are perched above the tender strokes of Adolfo's keys, bringing out a serenity that is exquisite sounding on the ears.  The reflective mood switches gears to the party atmosphere of "Salt Song/CANÇÃO Do Sal," scaffolded in soaring horns and pulsating be...

Album:  Heat Songs Artist:  George Nazos Label:   Street of Stars Website:  www.georgenazos.com Born in Athens, Greece and working in New York City, guitarist-composer George (Giorgos) Nazos blends various styles of guitar from acoustic jazz and flamenco to collaborative freestyle and ambient.  Nazos moves through a gamut of expressions on his latest recording Heat Songs , weaving sublime sensations in the chord sequences integrated with improvised patterns.  His studies on the guitar demonstrate his imaginative leanings and melodic sensibilities.  Joined by Harvie S on bass, Tony Jefferson on drums, and vocalist Tamuz Nissim, the effort is a finely orchestrated collaboration. Nissim's soothing lullaby-lilt along "Bird on a Wire" is catacomb by Nazos' guitar trickles as his chords amble in a meditative fashion.   Plucking at notes in a freestyle manner across "Our Melody," Nazos creates a mosaic of sounds framed in Harvie S' throbbin...

Album:  Incontre Artist: Massimo Biolcati Label: Sounderscore Website: www.massimobiolcati.com Bass player, bandleader, and arranger Massimo Biolcati releases his sophomore endeavor Incontre , following his debut full-length release Persona from 2008.  Sensuous, refined, and inventive, Biolcati's offering caresses listeners senses and stimulates their concept of stylized arrangements. Biolcati's bass line on "Hello, I Lied" invites drummer Jongkuk Kim, pianist Sam Yahel, and saxophonist Dayna Stephens to travel on their own, inventing animated improvisations.  The main theme is a catchy hook that the wandering musicians venture off from and return to like a home base.  Moving on, "Boo Boo's Birthday," originally written by Thelonious Monk and dedicated to drummer Art Blakey, crafts rhythmic twists that absorb the listener and demonstrate the musicians flexibility and versatility.  Another tribute to jazz greats is Biolcati's rendition of "D...

Album:  Kayleidoscope Artist:  Kaylé Brecher Label:  Penchant Four Music Website:  www.brecherjazz.com Part spicy, part sublime, and part exotic sounding, singer-songwriter Kaylé Brecher displays the many facets of her vocals on her 8th release Kayleidoscope from Penchant Four Music label.  A collection of classic pop standards and original tunes, the release gives Brecher a platform to enchant audiences with bursts of scatting, an art form that is rarely exercised.  Accompanying Brecher on the recording are a variety of musicians who contour her vocals, bringing out the firm grip that her timbres have on the lyrics. The elegant inflections in her vocals create an amorous mood in "Something About You" as she whirls into a salsa rhythm, nuzzling the lyrics while she calls out, "There's something about you / Something that puts the magic in a song / You are the colors of the sunset... You are love and you are grace / And you are everything that i...

Album:  Diversity Artist: Zlatko Kaučič Label:  Not Two Records Website:  http://www.kaucic-zk.si/discography.htm Pure, unadulterated self-expression is channeled into a stream of impromptu notes and improvised chord sequences on Diversity , a 5-CD compilation from percussionist Zlatko Kaučič.  Collaborating with Kaučič on the recording are Agustí Fernandez on piano, Evan Parker on tenor saxophone, Rafal Mazur on acoustic bass, Lotte Anker on tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones, Johannes Bauer on trombone, and vocalist Phil Minton.  The material on the CD's was recorded at several jazz festivals from 2012 to 2016, providing audiences with an aural portrait of Kaučič's musical journey during this phase of his life. Known for his nonconformist tendencies when composing music, Kaučič invites his team of musicians to play from impulse, expressing their thoughts and emotions in their music, treating their instruments like a paintbrush that channels their individ...