jazz2love

  New Release:  Fool's Fate from Rik Wright and the Fundamental Forces Label:  HipSync Records Release Date:  July 10, 2026 Website:  www.rikwright.com Seattle-based guitarist and composer, Rik Wright is at the helm of Fundamental Forces, a quartet that hones psychedelic jazz soundscapes,  balancing improvised movements with melodically structured motifs.  Their 2026 recording Fool's Fate , comprised of original material written by Wright, shows the quartet's malleable quality to be spontaneous, riffing off one another while maintaining the core thread.  Tracks like "Nothin' But A Thang" and "Freezer Jam" are hold together by a recurring motif that each musician builds from, exercising their extemporaneous leanings.  The soft splendor of "Luminescence" is tasseled in James DeJoie's dulcet saxophone twirls, cradled in the lounging bass pump of Geoff Harper and steady beats of drummer Greg Campbell, as Wright's unbridled musings on th...

  New Release:  A Texas Sized Band from the Joymakers Label:  Turtle Bay Records Release Date:  April 24, 2026 Website:  www.facebook.com/colin.hancock2101 Based in Austin, Texas, the Joymakers revive stomping ragtime jazz, which emerged in speakeasies through the 1920's and early '30s.  Rejuvenating the hot jazz of vaudeville shows, Broadway's tinpan alley days, and the nostalgic dancehalls of Storyville in New Orleans, the 10-piece ensemble delivers Prohibition Era jazz with a modern tilt on their sophomore release A Texas Sized Band .  Fronted by multi-instrumentalist Colin Hancock, the tracks are vintage standards, arranged by Hancock and saxophonist/vocalist Lauryn Gould.  The tunes are overwhelmingly sunny and jubilant anchored by strutting rhythms, horns that blare and pop, keys that rattle and sizzle, and Westen Borghesi's banjo that quivers and flares.  The clip-clopping beats of "The Pay Off" induce a party atmosphere, turning to a ...

  New Release:  Steppin' Out from Mike Davis Label:  Turtle Bay Records Release Date:  April 5, 2024 Website: https://mike-davis-jazz.com/ Traditional ragtime transcribed in a modern language for contemporary listeners is cornetist and arranger Mike Davis's forté.  His new disc Steppin' Out has the leisurely lollygagging gait of vintage 1920's jazz and the liberating romps of flapper era kicklines, popularized through the Roaring Twenties.  Davis's music takes audiences back in time to the halls of speakeasies like 21 Club, the Stork Club, and the Cotton Club in New York City.   Recalling of artists like cornetist Bix Beiderbecke and pianist Jelly Roll Morton, the compilation is a blend of New Orleans jazz, Dixieland swing, and Tinpan Alley ragtime.  Davis sprouts a jubilant collection of standards and one original, “Half-Seas Over,” created by the band's pianist, Andy Schumm.  The arrangement nestles flaring horns beside a kickline rhy...

  George Coleman with Strings from George Coleman Label:  HighNote Records Release Date:  August 29, 2025 Website:  http://georgecoleman.com Saxophonist and improviser George Coleman established himself firmly in straight-ahead jazz music's annals as a member of jazz ensembles over a span of 7 decades, beginning with Max Roach in the 1950's and continuing with Miles Davis, Slide Hampton, Charles Mingus, and Betty Carter, to name a few.  Since 1973, Coleman has been focusing on leading his own band and featuring his own original works.  His 20th album George Coleman with Strings sees him accompanied by a 10-piece string arrangement under the direction of Bill Dobbins, and supported by a rhythm section consisting of John Webber on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and David Hazeltine on piano.   Additionally, the project includes percussion virtuoso Café da Silva, whose Latin accents add silky undulations to several of the tunes like Henry Mancini's "...

Album:  Sing A Song of Bird Artist:  Roseanna Vitro Label:  Skyline Records Website:  https://roseannavitrojazz.squarespace.com/skyline-records-1 Sing A Song of Bird is the 15th recording from Grammy-nominated vocalist Roseanna Vitro, who shares vocal leads with some of her mentors including the late bebop jazz legend Bob Dorough, Sheila Jordan, and Marion Cowings each of whom take solo turns, imprinting their own unique and soulful interpretations on several compositions by Charlie "Bird" Parker.  The recording is a celebration of Bird’s music, conceived and guided by Vitro.  Produced by Paul Wickliffe, the release relishes the fancyfree spirit that enabled Parker to take flight. The buoyant scatting along "The Scatter" infuses a percolating thrust into the melody, giving the tune a catchy vibe.  Moreover, the elevating flights made by Mark Gross on alto sax propping up "Bird's Song" stir up merriment from start to finish.  The recording cools t...

Album:  The Joy of Playing Artist:  Benjamin Schnake Label:  BSG Website:  https://benjaminschnake.com A whirlwind of graceful instrumentation, The Joy of Playing from guitarist-composer-arranger Benjamin Schnake's ensemble amasses a collaborative collective that showcases the vitality of pianist Santiago Leibson, the expressive doodling of saxophonists Dave Pietro, Sunhyun Yoo, and Tim Struven, the soulful eloquence of trumpet player John Blevins, the billowy flutters of trombonists Eric Quinn and Jennifer Wharton, and the fluid traipsing of Ammon Swinbank's flute, all companioned by the pulsing beats of bassist Gui Duvignau and drummer Paul Shaw.  At the helm is Benjamin Schnake whose guitar augments the melodic passages, adding texture, movement and dimension to the tracks. The suave strumming of Schnake's guitar cruising along "Aju" boasts a cha-cha vibration encircling Liebson's keys bouncing joyfully then ebbing as Shaw's drums pounce and plume. The...

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...