jazz2love

Album:  Dream Artist:  Nancy Newman Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://nancynmusic.com/ Vancouver, British Columbia jazz vocalist and songwriter, Nancy Newman has the effect of a nightingale's call, enshrouding the listener in wispy plumes of tranquility.  Her 2025 release Dream is her third endeavor as a solo artist.  She describes it features “9 jazzy interpretations of classic pop and jazz standards.”  Her commanding vocalese as an intoxicating storyteller sweeps across the listener's ears like a gentle breeze, warm to the touch and tender on the soul. Newman projects an intimacy with her audience in her rendering of "Moonraker," helmed by her fluid vocal sonorous and buttressed by the soft embers of Jennifer Scott's keys and Bill Buckingham's synth, supported by the steady beats of Rene Worst's bass and Buff Allen's percussion.  It is as though Newman knows instinctually how to reach into the depths of a dreamer's reflections.   Fro...

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:   Love on the Tyrrhenian Artist:   CeCe Gable Label: CCGableLLC Website:   https://cecegable.com   Love on the Tyrrhenian , the sixth full-length recording from vocalist CeCe Gable blends American swing with Latin influences and easy listening/contemporary adult pop serenity.   Track after track weaves a melodious tapestry of picturesque tunage, sweeping listeners away along a blissful cruise. A lounging samba rhythm transports the title track and "Little Boat" into a balmy, paradise-imbued realm with the keys twinkling softly as Gable's warm vocals blanket the listener in succor-rich vibrations.   There is a nostalgic slant in the music reminiscent of the alluring escapes penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim.      Gable continues serenading the listener with the luxurious atmospherics of "The Riviera," a staple of Cy Coleman and Joseph Allen McCarthy .   The arrangement is given an elevating boost by pianist-arranger John Shipley, en...

Album:  Wonderful World Artist:  Chris Standring Label:  Lateralize Records Website:  http://www.chrisstandring.com Guitarist and improviser Chris Standring performs with a 19 piece orchestra on his 14th release as a leader, Wonderful World .  He puts his own unique spin on songs from the Great American Songbook as he reimagines an assortment of jazz standards, setting the listener at ease track after track.  His articulation of the verses beckons the listener to savor each musicians input, enticing one to be absorbed by the warm climate Standring creates with his guitar riffs. His treatment of Cole Porter's staple "Night and Day" highlights the ruminating mood of the track, transitioning into the soft billowy phrasing of "Autumn in New York," composed by Vernon Duke.  Vocalist Kathrin Shorr's performance on "What a Wonderful World" is spellbinding as her vocals caress the lyrics with warm, feminine tenderness.  The low-lit simmer in her timbres h...

Album Title: Deviate from Standards Artist: David Larsen Label: DLP Website:  https://larsenjazz.com Deviate from Standards , a compilation of original compositions by saxophonist David Larsen, emerged during the shutdowns imposed on global communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, as a means for him to keep playing music. The concept for the tracks evolved over time as Larsen worked on them, tweaking the arrangements and grooming the melodic layers. The final product swings with a kinetic propulsion that lifts listeners off the ground and through passages of fun-loving soundscapes. Ken Peplowski's clarinet is the driving force on "Augmented Reality," honing the track into a delightful romp. His playful interaction with Larsen's saxophone pervades a spontaneous jostling that is reminiscent of vintage jazz combo jamming. The rapid pulse of Nick Isherwood's bass secures a bedding of tiny quivers along "Smoke Screen," setting the jet-skiing pace of the tra...