jazz2love

  New Release:  The Litteral Truth from Paul Litteral Label: Outrageous8 Records Release Date: August 15, 2025 Artist Website: www.plitteral.com Label Website: Outrageous8.com Leader and trumpet player Paul Litteral garnered fame in the rock 'n' roll arena but his latest release The Litteral Truth moves beyond the pop/rock palette, incorporating hues of soul, R&B, funk, reggae, and smooth jazz.  His work embodies a union of warm flavors that simmer, sizzle and soak the listener in frothy undulations.  The reggae accents sewn into the funky grooves of "Ghostown," penned by Jerry Dammers, drench the arrangement in exotic bubbles.  The blend gives the track a psychedelic aura reminiscent of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, as the penetrative tone of James Orbison's timbres brandish a haunting voicing.  The sultry vocals of Angela O'Neill firmly grip and caress the lyrics through "Use Me," written by Bill Withers, as the billowy ripple...

Album:  Live at Vic's Artist:   Nicole Zuraitis Label:   Self-Released Website:  www.nicolezmusic.com Warm and sensual, Nicole Zuraitis's vocals lure her audiences into an uplifting mood, lull them into a tranquil state, and leaves an indelible imprint in their minds.  Her 2025 release Live at Vic's was recorded in front of a live audience, giving the listener insight into her animated interactions with her band and personalized touch at a live performance.   A fusion of soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and adult contemporary, Zuraitis's vocals softly cradle the lyrics, as her purring timbres shape and refine the delicate nuances in her delivery of "Pure Imagination," making it an exceptional piece.  Turning her vocals shimmery and percussive through her reimagination of Dolly Parton's tune "Jolene," Zuraitis's vocals portray unbridled passion.  Her duet with bassist Samuel Weber cruises charmingly along "The Coffee Song," demonstratin...

Album:  I Guess We're Not Alone Artist:  The Beveled Edges Label Name: Detrallas Records Website: https://thebevelededges.com Endowed with a voice that can lull audiences into a blissful respite and equally lure them onto the dancefloor, singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan is partnered with 7-string guitarist Anthony Lanni whose playing wraps delicate embellishments around Bhushan's vocal melodies.  Together, they form The Beveled Edges, a multi-faceted duo who integrate Parisian soul with Latin swing, prairieland folk, classic orchestral pop, and bluesy torchlight vocalese.    Their debut recording I Guess We're Not Alone is comprised of 10 original tunes, featuring an accompaniment that includes:  Arei Sekiguchi on drums and percussion, Haruna Fukazawa on flute, Tosh Sheridan on piano, Brad Whitely on organ, Garry ianco on strings, Alejandro Berti Delgado on trumpet, Ric Becker on trombone, Jeremy Powell on saxophone, and Will Holshouser on accordion. ...

  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...

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:  World Traveler Artist:  Aleksi Glick Label:  Pinch Records Website:  https://www.aleksiglick.com World Traveler, the new recording from guitarist and composer Aleksi Glick fuses jazz guitar hooks with R&B/soul grooves and bossa nova trimmings, offering a listening experience filled with feel good vibrations from start to finish.  Featuring vocalist Laureana on a handful of tracks, Glick opens the listener's mind to picturesque soundscapes and aurally pleasing explorations. The bossa nova wavelets traveling along "Guitar and Me" are steered by Glick's shimmering chords, producing an atmospheric sonorous that suspends the listener, keeping one in blissful flight.  Laureana's soulful vocals sweep sensually across the bluesy terrain of "She Told Me," moves rhythmically along the bubbly R&B traction of "Leaving LA." and coasts smoothly through the soothing Latin tremors found in "Nordic Bossa."  Musical influences of jazz ...

Album:  Orchestral Sessions Artist:  Countermeasure Label:  Self-Released Websites: https://www.countermeasuremusic.com/ https://twitter.com/countermeasure https://www.instagram.com/countermeasuremusic/ https://www.facebook.com/Countermeasureacappella/ https://www.youtube.com/user/CountermeasureMusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Fq6MmK05Q8Q34ogCdQtg5?si=7sDyY64WTyqrxAZHwYmgtg The 12-member Toronto-based vocal group Countermeasure is presenting their fourth studio album Orchestral Sessions to the global market.  Led by the group's Artistic Director and vocalist Aaron Jensen, Countermeasure has come to fuse vocal harmonies with jazz, pop, soul, R&B/dance, and choral melodies.  Accompanied by the Burlington New Millennium Orchestra, conducted by Charles Cozens, and a rhythm section comprised of Larnell Lewis on drums, Jeremy Ledbetter on keyboards, and George Koller on bass, the music has a profoundly positive effect on listeners. The recording opens with ...

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:  I Am Soul Artist:  Sofia Rubina Website:  https://www.sofiarubina.eu/ https://sofiarubina.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-soul Bridging the lanes of cool jazz, smooth blues, R&B/soul, and sonic pop, I Am Soul from Estonian vocalist Sofia Rubina is a pleasing synthesis.  Her command of the vocal melody is reminiscent of Joss Stone, and her natural fit into the melodic grooves is emblematic of jazz music's treasures like Dianne Reeves and Jane Monheit. The album is a collection of eleven tracks with six songs written or co-written by Rubina and the others are covers of works by L. Spenser Smith and Testament, George Duke, Chick Corea and Neville Potter, Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin.  Rubina collaborates with Evgeny Lebedev, an award-winning pianist and graduate of Berklee College, on the recording.  Also joining Rubina are Anton Revnyuk on bass and Ignat Kravtsov on drums, along with a string quartet featured on several tunes. The bluesy texture of her v...

Album:  Living In A Daydream Artist:  Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion Label: Self-Released Website:  miguelespinozafusion.com Living in a Daydream is Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion’s third full length album, featuring original compositions by leader and guitarist Miguel Espinoza.  Along with Espinoza is cellist Dianne Betkowski and bassist Randy Hoepker at the group's core.  Also performing on the recording are guest musicians Howard Levy on harmonica and piano, Andy Skellenger on tabla, cajon, and vocals, Mario Moreno on congas, timbales and percussion, Linda Richardson on castanets, and Nabin Shrestha on tabla and vocals. The stimulating fusion of flamenco guitar with jazz improvisation, Latin dance grooves, and folkloric soul is an exciting blend that breeds merriment and liveliness through the swirling rustles of the strings from Espinoza's guitar, Betkowski's cello, and Hoepker's bass traversing across "Nagi Yaté."  Like celestial bodies sparkling in...

Album:  In the Moment Artist:  Ella & The Bossa Beat Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.ellaandthebossabeat.com In the Moment  from Ella & The Bossa Beat is comprised of nine original songs composed by Ella Borges and her band, which features her father, Magrus Borges, on drums and percussion.  Ella sings in both English and Portuguese in a backdrop tinted in shades of R&B, soul, smooth jazz, bossa nova, and sonic pop.  The starry-eyed imaginary radiating from the brushed percussive strokes and elevating strings along "Dreamer" have a sonic pop hue reminiscent of Billie Ellish's penchant for stirring contemplation and Lewis Capaldi's fondness for intimating emotion through nuanced vocals. She muses, "When did I come to love this little dream / I think it started when I learned how to talk / And now it's bigger than me / It was not long ago / That I heard... if life's not about chasing my dreams / Then what will I hold on to when there's n...

Album:  Urbanessence Artist: Tito Carrillo Label: Origin Records Website:  www.titocarrillo.com Urbanessence is the second solo album from trumpeter/composer Tito Carrillo, fusing elements of pop, blues, funk, soul, and Latin swing, all the cultural flavors Carrillo has been exposed to and performed.  Comprised of nine original scores composed by Tito and one original by Phillip Kocheril, the recording is a pleasing ride through multi-shaded landscapes and multi-shaped arrangements. Accompanying Carrillo are Troy Roberts on tenor and soprano saxophones, Ben Lewis on piano, Clark Sommers on bass, Jay Sawyer on drums and cymbals, and Victor Gonzalez, Jr. on congas.  The slow burn of "Fire and Ice" showcases a dynamic drum solo that wilts away into the gentle musings of Carrillo's trumpet and Roberts' sax, entangling and moving in tandem.  Following along the slow burn theme is "Bliss Point," projecting a reflective mood tinseled in the willowy toots of Carril...

Album:  Not Quite Yet Artist:  Paul Marinaro Website:  www.paulmarinaro.com In the vane of great jazz vocalists like Engelbert Humperdinck, Johnny Mathis and Tom Jones, singer-songwriter Paul Marinaro charms and captivates his audience on his latest release Not Quite Yet .  The collection presents Marinaro's emotive voicing as he performs a handful of jazz standards and pop/rock covers. The album opens with a swinging Mel Tormé standard “Born to be Blue,” trimmed in brisk bopping beats with Marinaro's vocal strolls giving the track a persuasive character.  Turning sensual and dreamy on Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bossa-nova gem “Someone to Light Up My Life," about the quest for new love after a breakup, Marinaro's vocals have a mesmerizing sway that continue through "Make Me Rainbows," from the 1967 Dick Van Dyke film Fitzwilly , composed by John Williams with lyrics by Alan and the late Marilyn Bergman, and contoured in a smooth rhythmic pulse. His treatment of D...

Album:  Abiola Time Artist:  Abiola Label: Aladé Enterprises Website:  www.abiolatime.com Fraught in infectious Caribbean rhythms seamed in uplifting R&B trimmings and the soulful sonorous of Nigerian-born Abiola, Abiola Time offers listeners aural vistas that take them away to sweet retreats.  Abiola takes listeners back to a time when clubs were frequented after hours to unwind and let loose.  The track "Werey Style" does just that, inspiring listeners to body roll, shimmy their hips, and undulate their limbs with unbridled release.  Containing songs all written by Abiola, the recording keeps audiences in a state of blissful escape from the pumping beats of "What We'll Be" to the stirring sensations of "Free" and the sensuous cascade of R&B verses along "Ko Le To."  The palliative swells project an image of plush beachscapes while the hypnotic club beats piping through "Naked Talk" give the track a dancehall vibe.  The ca...

Album:  Something Here Inside Artist:  Benji Kaplan Label: Wise Cat Records Website:  https://www.benjikaplan.com/home A blending of soulful flamenco, ambient jazz, balmy meditations, and breezy torchlight musings, guitarist Benji Kaplan performs solo on his latest release Something Here Inside .  Inspired to be a painter by his mother, Kaplan applied his skills using the hues of the rainbow spectrum to the sounds of the music spectrum.  The pastoral textures, twirling patterns, and tranquil moods he projects convey a message to  listeners that he shares without inhibition. Using a swing jazz palette fringed in swathes of Latin accents on "Anything Goes," Kaplan brings a freshness to Cole Porter's track, viewing the classic melody with a contemporary set of eyes.  The gliding strokes of his fingers have a lulling effect on listeners along "Easy To Love" and  rather uniquely, he pervades a soothing, Hawaiian-like caress along "But Not For Me."...

Album: Morning Star Artist: Thomas Heflin Label Name: Blue Canoe Records Website: www.thomasheflin.com The acrobatic configurations and gliding sails piloted by Thomas Heflin with his trumpet bedazzle the mind.  His latest CD Morning Star from Blue Canoe Records sees him navigating his team of musicians through scores with a sense of expressive verbosity and seamless interaction.  From the samba vibes wafting through "Haiku" to the soul jazz grooves imbibing "Morning Star" and the soft bluesy quakes shimmying along "Evensong," the recording is a vibrant tapestry of jazz, soul, and blues with a speckling of Latin-imbued components. The lobbing knolls crafted by Heflin's trumpet coast along "Evensong," ebbing on occasion to make space for the warmly tempered solos of keyboardist Peter Stoltzman and saxophonist Gregory Tardy.  The arrangement is shellacked in the breezy riffs of guitarist Aaron Matson,  keeled by the gentle rocking of bassist S...

Album:  Daybreak Artist:  Susan Krebs with Mixed Remotions Website:  https://susankrebsmusic.com Daybreak , the eighth album from soul-blues vocalist Susan Krebs celebrates the trope of torchlight jazz. Joining her is her band dubbed the Mixed Remotions, comprised of Rich Eames on piano, Jerry Kalaf on drums and vibraphones, Domenic Genova on bass, Scott Breadman on percussion, Riner Scivally on guitar, and Rob Lockart and Doug Walter on woodwinds From the Latin-imbued sway of the title track to the waltzing gait of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's  jewel "How Little We Know," her interpretation of classic torchlight tunes sprinkles a refreshing glint on these handful of timeless melodies. The andante pace of Krebs's vocals infuses the title track with an infectious sprint. The sweeping glide of her vocals whisks listeners out of their chairs and invites them to join along the leisurely ride. There is a conversational tint in Krebs's lilting vocals that leads ...

Album:  The Heart Wants Artist:  Jo Harrop Label:  Lateralize Website:  https://www.joharrop.com/about If the Beatles had a female band member, she would have been singer-songwriter Jo Harrop.  Of course, the Beatles would have needed to arrive 60 years later than they did to make that happen.  To everyone else's good fortune, Harrop has arrived, and her latest CD The Heart Wants features all original songs written by her and accompanied by sparse arrangements, placing her nuanced vocals in the forefront.  The smoky textures of her vocals give the tracks a misty veneer like she recently brushed off old memories and brought them up to the surface for reflection.  Her voicing is appealing like that of an old friend coming along and taking a trip down memory lane.  The audience isn't merely a spectator but is invited inside to remember along with Harrop those moments that earmarked chapters in one's life. Her voice turns sultry and flirtatious ...

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...