jazz2love

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:   Simply ‘S Wonderful-The Magic of Gershwin Artist:   Juliet Ewing Label:   HoneyDiva Music/Lexicon Classics Website: www.julietewing.com INSTAGRAM @thejulietset Facebook #thejulietset Juliet Ewing, a former Broadway theater performer, reveals her affinity for swing jazz in her 2025 release Simply 'S Wonderful, a collection of standard favorites written by George and Ira Gershwin.  From the sashaying samba beats of "Oh, Lady Be Good" to the sauntering stride of "But Not For Me" and the thoughtful mood of "The Man I Love," Ewing reminds audiences what makes the Gershwin tunes relatable to the human spirit and heart.   Her elongation of poignant notes along "The Man I Love" keeps the listener on tenterhooks, solicited to share in the hopeful aspirations expressed in the lyrics. "A Foggy Day" ensconces Ewing's upbeat vocals in a swinging rhythm while the candlelight ambience of "The Lorelei" kindles a ragtime rh...

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:  Boptism Christmas Artist:  Rich Willey Label: Boptism Music Website: https://tinyurl.com/BopXmas https://boptism.com Call it old fashion, call it nostalgic but whatever people call holiday tunes garbed in traditional swing fixings and classic jazz decor, it is just what the soul needs.  Trumpet player Rich Willey tweaks an assortment of Christmas fan favorites with his own handcrafted stylizing and signature champagne-imbued cheer on his release Boptism Christmas .  Willey shines a spotlight on everything good about swing jazz.  He is endearingly the Lawrence Welk of his day. Willey's bubbly trumpet toots flutter and furl smoothly across "Silver Bells" as the smoky fumes of Alex Taub's organ embellish the liveliness surging along the melodic progression.  The fluid motion of Taub's keys cruising languidly along "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is accentuated by the soft undulations of Andy Page's guitar, creating a tranquil atmosphere...

Album:  Somewhere Artist:   Angela Verbrugge Label:   Origin/OA2 Records Websites: Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/angelaverbrugge Official website: https://www.angelaverbrugge.com   Vancouver Island based vocalist and songwriter Angela Verbrugge intones expressive and nuanced vocals with a youthful aplomb that is infectious.   The clarion tune of her timbres is Broadway showtunes worthy as the warm resonance in her register grips the human heart.   Her latest release Somewhere demonstrates the suppleness of her voicing and the nimbleness in her articulation.    From soothing lullabies to romantic ballads and stargazing ruminations, Verbrugges captures the most alluring cross-section of the jazz spectrum. Most stunning is her original number “Je Ne Veux Pas Te Dire Bonsoir,” translated “I Don’t Want To Say Goodnight To You.”  The languid gait in Verbrugge’s vocal purr is magnetic as Dave Say’s lounging saxophone toots and Mile...

Album:  The Venetian Artist:  Vin Venezia Label:  Innervision Records Website:  www.vincentvenezia.com Guitarist Vin Venezia's latest release, The Venetian , features 13 tracks consisting of vintage jazz standards, contemporary works, and original material by Venezia.  Supporting Venezia are Richie Morales on drums, Harvie S on bass, David Budway on piano, Danny Walsh on tenor saxophone, and special guest Bob Magnuson, who plays tenor sax on Miles Davis's gem "Solar" with a fervor reminiscent of Davis himself. Venezia mesmerizes the audience with his interpretation of Victor Young and Ned Washington's tune "Stella By Starlight," stroking his guitar strings with a tenderness that ignites waves of soothing emanations. Another vintage standard "Alone Together," penned by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, is treated with a funky flare in Harvie S's grooving bass line as Walsh's tenor sax intersperses twirling toots along the rollicking prog...

Album:  Saxology Artist:  Wayne Alpern Label:  Henri Elkan Music Website:  www.waynealpern.com Saxology, the latest release from leader and arranger Wayne Alpern, showcases a quartet of saxophones performed by Steve Kenyon, Todd Groves, Dave Noland, and John Winder.  The recording features an array of jazz standards and classic pop novelties reworked with Alpern's acute sensibilities and finesse. The sassy twizzles accenting the saxophones phrasing and their fiery punctuations dotting "Fascinating Rhythm," written by George and Ira Gershwin, shows Alpern's confidence to take control of the reins and make moves along the track that are bold and daring.  Alpern's treatment of the Beatles pop hit "Hide Your Love Away" is envisioned with a torchlight ambience as the softly twirling saxophones evoke a reflective mood. Another pop hit for the Beatles, "When I'm Sixty-Four," is delivered with vaudeville-style pomp and joviality.  Contrastly, Rich...

Album:  Once Upon a Summertime Artists:  Sharon Sable and Joe Holt Label:  Self-Released Websites:  SharonSableMusic.com                   JoeHoltNotes.com Vocalist Sharon Sable and pianist Joe Holt fell in love with the music of another time, the classic jazz era, and it shows on their self-released recording Once Upon a Summertime .   The pair perceive classic jazz as an era when musicians performed songs that speak directly to people's hearts.  From material that has filled the lounges of casinos to the corridors of jazz festivals, Sable and Holt's repertoire contains stimulating reinterpretations of classic tunes and rare novelties. The pair's retweaking of Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's bluesy mid-tempo "You Fascinate Me So" is driven by Sable's smooth vocal strut with Holt's keys punctuating the lifts along the melodic progressions.  Stoking a swinging groov...

Album:  Where Flamingos Fly Artists:  Naama Gheber Label:  La-Reserve Music Label Websites:  https://www.naamasings.com   Female jazz singers of yesteryear such as Sarah Vaughan and Peggy Lee can rest comfortably seeing vocalist Naama Gheber pick up the reins where these ladies left off.  Gheber's forthcoming release Where Flamingos Fly from La-Reserve Music Label is loaded with charismatic swing and torchlight warmth as she hones an intimate and friendly relationship with her audience.  Her recreations of nostalgic melodies and jazz standards extends their life span and allure Gheber's vocal strut has a poised saunter gently supported by Bruce Barth's piano stride cruising sensually along Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold's sentimental tune "You Don't Know Me," emoting an evocative lilt shrouded in a warm, bluesy ambience.  Gheber eloquently muses, "You think you know me well, but you don't know me, no you don't know the one, who dreams of you at...

Album:  My America 2:  Destinations Artist:  Jim Self Websites:  bassethoundmusic.com facebook.com/JimSelfMusic The second installment to tuba player Jim Self's 2002 recording My America , which featured iconic melodies reflective of America's early songwriters like Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward's perennial "America the Beautiful" and Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King's country classic "Tennessee Waltz," changes course on his recording My America 2:  Destinations .  His second installment in his America series concentrates on iconic melodies descriptive of America's states and cities, of which Self had lived or worked like the luxurious and bucolic destinations of Kansas City and Georgia.  The recording is a collaboration between Self and arranger Kim Scharnberg, who offer the ensemble of musicians ample space for soloists to play stirring improvisations and demonstrate their fluency in the jazz language. The album starts off with Scharnber...

Album:  The Reel To Real Sessions Artist:  Nancy Kelly Label:  SubCat Records Website:  www.nancykelly.com Singer, songwriter and freelance educator Nancy Kelly takes a leap forward with her 2-track solo EP, The Reel To Real Sessions.  Accompanied by a litany of guest musicians, Kelly demonstrates a zeal for swing and an instinct for soul.  Both tracks are original tunes written by Kelly and display her leaning for jazz standards emblematic of Stephen Sondheim and adult pop in the ilk of Carly Simon. "Jazz Woman" wields a catchy stride in the rhythm section as Harry Allen's tenor sax flares at poignant moments along the track.  Kelly's versing moves naturally with vocal inflections that punctuate the lyrics as she muses, "Sang out the blues and wore platform shoes /  Made all the scenes in my Vanderbilt jeans / Danced on a stage in a furious rage / Screamed rock 'n' roll and R&B/Soul... such a jazz woman."  The lyrics have an autobiograph...

Album:  Hollywood Christmas Artist:  Richard Williams Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://www.richardmusic.com/   https://www.facebook.com/RichardWillliamsMusic/ Composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Williams rings in the holiday season with his latest release Hollywood Christmas , a 22-track recording comprised of classic Christmas singalong tunes using a palette of big band, swing jazz and orchestral ambiences.  In the vane of Gene Autry, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, and The Carpenters, Williams revisits traditional holiday music and celebrates its perennial luster. Partly driven by his Mormon faith, Williams exercises his arranging chops by putting his own touch-ups on a handful of well-known and beloved Christmas-themed songs.  Williams sets the cheerful tone of the album with the opening number, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The song features the sauve voicing of Alex Stiles, a young vocalist whose style and vocal quality i...

Vanessa explains the Historical Significance of Italians in Jazz https://youtu.be/pViEb5mtF7o   Italians have been a force in jazz almost since the music was born. The backbone of the first recorded jazz group, the Original Dixieland Jass Band, was cornetist and trumpeter Dominick (Nick) LaRocca, the New Orleans-born son of Sicilian immigrants. In 1917, the members wrote “Tiger Rag,” a perfect crystallization of the freewheeling thrill of early jazz. Ever since then, Italy has given jazz one influential figure after another: Joe Venuti, Louis Prima, Morgana King, Lennie Tristano, Bucky Pizzarelli, Chick Corea, Stefano di Battista, and many more. Jazz singer, Vanessa Racci, is an ambassador for that heritage. Vanessa grew up in Westchester County, New York amid an Italian-American family that steeped her in Italian song, theater music, and jazz. Vanessa developed a vocal style drawn from all three; it combines a tart, brassy, catch-in-the-throat sound with Italianate ardor, dramatic...

Album:  DIVA Swings Broadway Artist: The DIVA Jazz Orchestra Label: DIVA Jazz Website:  https://divajazz.com/ The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, a 15-piece all female ensemble, is comprised of versatile musicians seasoned in reed, woodwind and brass instruments as well as rhythmic and percussive tools.  The group's latest CD entitled DIVA Swings Broadway is an assortment of covers showcasing nostalgic Broadway musicals personalized by these innovative musicians.  Led by drummer Sherrie Maricle, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra are torchbearers of swing jazz and big band romps.  Bursting with merriment from start to finish, the recording leaves elation and mirth in its wake. Noriko Ueda's bass solo opening George and Ira Gershwin's ageless tune "The Man I Love" sets the momentum along a course of rolling crests and ebbs through the melodic progressions.  Horns take flight intermittently, catapulted by the knolls crafted by the bass line.  Turning reflective, the languid ...

Album:  Isolation Emancipation Artist:  Mace Francis Plus 11 Label:  Self-Released Website:  http://macefrancis.com Trombonist and bandleader Mace Francis celebrates the virtuosity and uplifting spirit of big band music with his latest endeavor Isolation Emancipation .  Joining Francis is Plus 11, comprised of 11 musicians who stoke the embers of swing jazz, a timepiece that Francis believes is a bygone era though he proves its principle idioms transcend the ages.  Adorned in catchy rhythms and attractive harmonies, the music's appeal is noticeable from the start, crafting a slew of subliminal, melodic passages. The sinewy bursts of the brass and woodwinds, constituted of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and Tahlia Denn on French Horn is bountiful, thrusting ardently while delightfully splayed across the title track.  Harry Mitchell's piano keys bolster a gleeful prance as the steady drumbeats of Bronton Ainsworth are partnered with the bopping pumps ...

Album:  Ever Since the World Ended Artist:  Lauren White Label:  Café Pacific Records Website:  www.laurenwhitejazz.com A torchbearer of cabaret jazz, vocalist Lauren White's contribution to the genre is embraceable.  Her fifth CD, Ever Since the World Ended features a collection of cover tunes and originals, finely groomed to a melodic sheen.  From the smooth jazz cruising of the title track to the swing jazz-influenced shimmies of "Take Love Easy," White moves through a series of vignettes, each presenting listeners with a sonically picturesque setting.   Like a favorite pillow, White's performance is comforting, offering solace and warmth.  The lingering tone in her voicing through "Alone Together" is supported by the bubbling doodles of Quinn Johnson's keys.  Switching to a light-hearted scamper along "Just the Two of Us," White's optimism is infectious, wrapping the listener in her perky timbres.  The soft flutter of Grant Geissman...

Album:  For the Record Artist:  Vinnie Riccitelli Octet Label:  Self-Released Websites:  https://www.discogs.com/artist/2295583-Vinnie-Riccitelli http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/news/2021/02/0202.html https://karionpresskits.com/reviews/exclusive-magazine-reviews-vinnie-riccitelli-octet-with-his-new-album-for-the-record/ Straight-ahead jazz through the ages is portrayed on For the Record from the Vinnie Riccitelli Octet.  From the swinging grooves of the 1950's to the big band influenced-harmonies of the 1970's and the personalized solos descriptive of jazz in the new millennium, Riccitelli's acuity to remain connected to modern jazz is strong even at the tender age of 94 years old.  A handful of original scores by Riccitelli are interspersed with an assortment of jazz standards, moving seamlessly through the recording. Heady saxophone solos, improvised drum rolls, and bopping bass vamps are signature themes throughout the recording, shedding light on cha...

Album:  The Mulligan Chronicles Artist:  David Larsen Label:  David Larsen Productions   Website:  http://larsenjazz.com Twentieth century saxophonist-composer-clarinet player Gerry Mulligan led a long and prolific livelihood as a professional musician.  His passing in 1996 was followed by a legacy that continues to live on through 21st century musicians like saxophonist-composer David Larsen.  Larsen's latest offering The Mulligan Chronicles is tailored to capture the breadth of Mulligan's catalog and his jazz-imbued styles, having written for Big Bands, jazz combos, film scores, and symphonies.  Joined by Dave Glenn on trombone, Bill Mays on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Ron Vincent on drums, Larsen stays true to Mulligan's language and phrasing. The familiar motifs of "Festive Minor" are sewn with diligence as Larsen and his bandmates tightly string along graceful steps that form an elegant dance.  Johnson's plucking on the bass s...

Album:  Christmas in 3D Artist:  3D Jazz Trio Label:  DIVA Jazz Website:  www.3divasjazztrio.com The 3D Jazz Trio swing, samba, shimmy, scoot, and sprint through a selection of holiday favorites on their new recording Christmas in 3D .  Comprised of Jackie Warren on piano, Sherrie Maricle on drums, and Amy Shook on bass and fiddle, 3D Jazz Trio's kinetic rapport brings the party to their listeners with Maricle's signature drum splashing, Warren's nimble fingers articulating each curve in the tracks, and Shook's melodic sensibilities for fun-loving bop. The 3 Divas Jazz Trio show a luster in their playing that enlivens the holiday spirit.  Their smooth shuffling coasting along "Silent Night"  infuses a cool jazz swagger with a bourbon-brewed cheerfulness.  The soft tone of Warren's doodles on the piano articulate a clarion shimmer across "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," as Shook's subtle bass notes finesse the track to a buttery sheen...

Album:  Mad Romance And Love Artist:  Maurice Frank Label:  Jumo Music Website:  www.mauricefrank.com Blues crooner Maurice Frank performs a stimulating rendition of swinging jazz numbers on his latest release Mad Romance And Love .  His contemporary interpretation of such nostalgic tunes as Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's memorable "How Little We Know" and  Billy Strayhorn and John Latouche's lounging melody " Day Dream" are captured in his soothing vocalese.  The lyrics are cradled in his register as though they were precious gems, needed to be handled with care.  His affection for these songs is palpable. His performance of Robert Wright and George Forrest's showtune "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" rekindles a famous favorite from the Great American Songbook, possessing the sultry swagger of Michael Feinstein and the dreamy resonance of Paul Anka.  His refreshing interpretation of "In My Life," penned by the Beatles, revitalizes...