jazz2love

  New Release:  For the Record from Pete Mills Label:  Mighty Ernie Records 1002 Release Date:  September 5, 2025 Website:  www.petemills.com Toronto-born saxophonist Pete Mills fuses traditional bebop with modern swing and blues on his new release For the Record .  Comprised of original compositions by his quartet, which features Jon Eshelman on Hammond B3 organ, Tom Davis on electric guitar, Zach Compston on drums, and Mills on tenor saxophone, the recording effectively creates a synergistic performance, putting each instrument up front.  No musician takes a backseat in these performances and is heard bold and clear.  The rattling beats of Compston's drums form tremors along "Kenny, Ken," a track written by Tom Davis as a tribute to guitarist Kenny Burrell.  Interfacing with the ruffling motifs of Davis's guitar and frothy ripples of Eschelman's organ, Mills's tenor courses a serpentine path across the melody.  Switching to a relaxing...

  New Release:  A Celebration of Maurice Hines, Tappin’ Thru Life from the DIVA Jazz Orchestra Label: DIVA Jazz Release Date: May 15, 2025 Website: https://divajazz.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divajazzorch YouTube: https://youtu.be/IYvmtKvMVHI Capturing the glitz, pomp, and merrymaking of Prohibition Era jazz and the Golden Age of jazz, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, accompanied by a cadre of special guests, sizzle, shuffle, sway, swoon, and strut their way across their new release A Celebration of Maurice Hines, Tappin' Thru Life .  The recording is a tribute to the life and times of Maurice Hines, the award-winning singer, dancer, actor, choreographer, writer, director, and the older brother of iconic actor and dancer Gregory Hines.  Born in 1943, Maurice Hines passed away in 2023, leaving a legacy that holds the harbingers of vintage swing in reverence.  The recording revisits tunes featured in Maurice Hines's award winning show Tappin' Thru Life , a soundt...

Singer-songwriter Nancy Newman is oftentimes described as delivering heartfelt interpretations in her music.  Her most recent recording DREAM is evidence of this trademark quality.  In Vancouver, British Columbia, Newman fills a niche in jazz vocals for audiences who crave emotional connection and heartfelt resonance in their listening experience — qualities she delivers with exceptional depth.   She reveals, "I’ve always been fascinated by dreams—both the kind that fuel our hopes and ambitions, and the ones that emerge from our unconscious while we sleep." "With a background in counseling and therapeutic dream work," she cites, "I wanted to create an album that reflects both sides: the dreams that guide us, and the symbolic, often mysterious ones that speak to us in the night."   She sums up, "Each song on DREAM was chosen to explore these dual themes. My one guideline was simple: every song had to include the word 'dream' or 'dreaming...

  New Release:  Vagabond from Royce Campbell and the Vosbein Magee Big Band Label: Max Frank Music Release Date: April 21, 2025 Label Website: maxfrankmusic.com/catalog/vagabond Guitarist Royce Campbell is joined by the Vosbein Magee Big Band, directed by Terry Vosbein on Vagabond .  The music is iconic big band jazz with all tracks composed by Royce Campbell, except for “Body and Soul,” which was composed by Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, John Green, and Robert Sour.   The arrangements are done by Carroll DeCamp, who is Royce Campbell's uncle.  The scores have a traditional bopping rhythm, sprinkled in blazing horns that swing and surge, as Matthew Billings's piano keys join with jaunty interludes and Campbell's guitar slides across with billowy riffs.  Having performed with such legendary artists as Gene Bertoncini, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughn, Dave Brubeck, Jimmy Cobb, Rosemary Clooney, Henry Mancini, and Ken Poplowski, Royce Campbell tap...

  New Release:  Planet D Nonet presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams Release Date: April 19, 2025 Label: Eastlawn Records Website: https://rjspangler.com/ The late Big Band vocalist Joe Williams, who sang with the Count Basie Orchestra through the 1950's and later enjoyed being a solo artist, is treated with reverence on Planet D Nonet's latest recording Planet D Nonet Presents Doctor Professor Leonard King in Tribute to Joe Williams .  King's vocals take the listener down memory lane, when jazz combos filled ballrooms with rhapsodic romps, swinging scat, bluesy candlelight vibes, and smoldering bebop.  The scores may stem from the 20th century but King's arrangements are contemporary, sowing meaningful interpretations that lure the listener in from his catchy vocal inflections to Michael Zaporski's percolating keys and the impromptu raptures of the horns.  The interaction is emblematic of the spontaneity audiences recall that made ja...

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:  Dream With Me Artist:  Naama Gheber Label:  La Reserve Records Website:  https://www.naamasings.com/ Endowed with a vocal depth reminiscent of CeCe Gable enhanced by a smooth vocalese reflective of Donna Singer topped in a sprightly youthfulness recalling of Fleur Seule, vocalist Naama Gheber's talent is vast and multi-layered.  She demonstrates an unwavering command of nuancing her phrasing with impromptu punctuation and interpolating poignant inflections, spiking the tracks on her latest recording Dream With Me with a liveliness that compels the listener's attention and holds each one spellbound. From the rhapsodic scatting she unleashes across "Weaver of Dreams" to the dulcet vocal swells wistfully ruminating through "Street of Dreams," Gheber keeps her audience enthralled.  Her focus to detail and staying true to the traditional swing ethos is applaudable.  Her talent to hold the listener magnetized makes her an alluring songstress, as her ...

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:  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: Next Gen Artist:  John Stein Label:  Tiger Turn Artist Website:  Johnstein.com A mix of jazz standards and originals, guitarist-composer John Stein's 2025 offering Next Gen features music inspired by his five grandchildren.  Making the tunes personal for him while appealing to listeners on a broad scale, Stein's 19th project displays the flexibility and the sonorous lilt of the guitar, riffing with his band mates Ed Lucie on bass and Mike Connors on drums in splendid synchronicity. Opening with "AJ," a track Stein wrote for one of his granddaughters, the arrangement synchronizes puffy rivulets from Stein's guitar perched on the calming knolls of Lucie's bass.  The track is followed by the lounging grooves of the jazz standard "Lover Man," brandishing a soft simmering ether that jumps into the bouncy rhythm of "Kai," named after Stein's oldest grandson. Another jazz standard, "Star Eyes," is illuminated in pixilated gui...

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:  Jazz Passion & Satin Latin Artist:  Jimbo Ross Label:  Bodacious Records Website:  Bodaciousrecords.com/about-jimbo-ross Facebook.com/jimboross Jazz Passion & Satin Latin , the latest edition to violist Jimbo Ross's catalog takes audiences back to his jazz roots with selections from the Great American Songbook, jazz standards, and a few original compositions.  Partaking on this adventure with Ross are guitarist Joe Gaeta, pianist Stuart Elster, bassist Peter Marshall, and drummer Ron Wagner. The band recorded the 13 tracks at the Sonic Boom Room studio using minimal overdubbing and no track-stacking over a four-day period.  The press release supplies, "Ross plays a modified copy of a classic viola, reproduced on a 3-D printer, and dually upgraded with a 5th string to extend the upper range of the instrument, and an electronic pickup to allow it to be heard alongside the other instruments." Ross's viola is well pronounced on each track while ...

Album:  Justifiably J.J. Artist:  John Fedchock Label:  Summit Records Website:  Johnfedchock.com Facebook.com/JohnFedchockMusic IG: @Johnfedchockofficial Youtube.com/@JohnFedchockMusic Summitrecords.com For trombonist John Fedchock's eleventh album as a leader, he showcases a tribute to the trombone master J.J. Johnson’s Justifiably J.J. , marking its centennial. The release is a collection of eight swinging compositions either written by or associated with Johnson. Rather than “re-imagining” Johnson’s music, Fedchock performs Johnson’s original arrangements in honor of the pioneer. Johnson is noted for effectively fashioning the trombone's booming flair to be applied to the flexible tempo changes of the bebop style at a time when the trombone was popular in Dixieland and swing music.  Johnson is considered the first trombonist to adapt the trombone to the complexities of bebop, honing a legacy that has influenced jazz trombonists since. In 2024, in celebratio...

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:  The Sound of Love Artist:  Tania Grubbs Quintet Label:  Travlin Music Website:  Taniagrubbs.com Facebook.com/taniagrubbsjazzvocalist Taniagrubbsquintet.bandcamp.com/album/the-sound-of-love YouTube: @taniagrubbsjazzvocalist7356 Threads: @taniagrubbs IG: @taniagrubbs Soulful and expressive, vocalist Tania Grubbs serves audiences an engaging delivery of classic pop favorites, jazz standards, and a handful of original work on her 2024 release The Sound of Love .  The entire album was recorded in one day, supported by her band mates that includes pianist David Budway, guitarist Ron Affif, drummer James Johnson III, and her husband Jeff Grubbs on bass. The program opens with “But Not For Me," as Grubbs's nuanced vocals indulge in a playful interplay with the bopping drums and keys.  The cheerful mischief and frolicking exchanges will remind audiences of stage performances at lounge rooms across the Las Vegas strip.  The organic interactions are remin...

Album:  A Window Within Artist: Olivia Foschi Label: Self-Released Website: OliviaFoschi.com Coalescing impressions of bossa nova, swing, scat, and smooth jazz, vocalist-composer Olivia Foschi's latest release A Window Within expresses an array of moods from festive to reflective and convalescing, as the listener follows her personal journey from her marriage to the loss of her grandmother.  The recording is a collaborative effort from Foschi and her drummer Mauricio Zottarelli in the the heart of the arrangements.  The tracks are further defined by pianist Matt King, bassist Marco Panascìa and guitarist Vinicius Gomes, giving Foschi’s compositions distinctive features and dimension. “Caught Me By Surprise” captures the memorable moment of Olivia’s first encounter with her future husband, Joel Kretschman. The piece is clad in percussive vocals that amplify raw emotion.  Shifting gears to the mollifying melody of “Pieces of Central Park,” Foschi creates a cozy and co...

Album:  Beatin' The Odds Artist:  Leigh Pilzer's Seven Pointed Star Label: Strange Woman Records Website: leighpilzer.com Label Website: strangewomanrecords.com The current project of saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator Leigh Pilzer is creating a library of compositions and arrangements for her septet, Leigh Pilzer’s Seven Pointed Star. The group’s debut recording, Beatin' The Odds , released in March, 2024, includes eight of Pilzer’s original compositions and one by long-time DIVA colleague, bassist Amy Shook.  That one being the title track, a bebop jazz romp garnished in the flashing bellows of the saxophone flares moored by the pulsating thrums of Shook's bass and the stocky beats of drummer Sherrie Maricle, the leader of DIVA. The press release sites Pilzer's words about the recording, “the music on this recording was written between September 2017 and October 2023, a period that included life-changing events both personal (a cancer diagnosis) and uni...

Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...

Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom...