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Jazz

Vanna Pacella Haunts with Her Soul-Steeped Indie Pop Single, ‘Wolf’

With Wolf, Vanna Pacella doesn’t just revisit the time-old tale of naivety and misplaced trust—she reconstructs it through the raw magnetism of her voice and the expressive precision of her songwriting. At 18, the Cape Cod-based singer-songwriter, pianist, and self-taught producer proves that age has no bearing on the depth of emotional insight. Wolf is a soul-stirring excavation of entrapment, emotional dependency, and the slow corrosion of identity in toxic connections that confuse devotion for destruction.

Written and produced by Pacella and her Power Trio bandmates, Tom Davis and Nick Simpson, Wolf holds its weight in every detail. The swanky piano keys drop a moody noir atmosphere over the track, while Tom’s guitar injects bold, bluesy punctuation into the heartbreak. Meanwhile, Nick’s percussive pulse carries the emotional tide with stoic force. Pacella’s voice, equal parts timeless chanteuse and conduit of contemporary soul, weaves between jazz-tinted verses and gut-wrenching admissions, wielded like the most expressive instrument known to man.

The hook, penned on Halloween and later brought to life through obsessive refinement, carves out space for layered interpretations. Lines like “I built you into home” and “I can feel the bleed of time” reflect how easily love becomes confinement, while “Oh, but I am growing cold” closes the curtain with numb finality. The song’s melodic depth is only rivalled by its lyrical scope—Wolf exists as a sobering reminder of how easily we lose ourselves while chasing comfort in chaos.

Wolf is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

JohnnyTheWidower on Pain, Performance and Purpose

Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

Between smoky stage setups and stripped-bare blues ballads, JohnnyTheWidower is steering independent music into a space where authenticity is the standard. In this interview, he opens up about the heartbreak-fuelled pulse of Broken Piano, the intimate electricity of his live shows, and the broader mission powering FLOWCEx Music. There’s no PR gloss or industry fluff here—just an artist building a legacy out of grief, grit, and grassroots growth. From the Kickstarter campaign that’s setting the stage for a wider movement to the way each show becomes a live-wire retelling of personal rebirth, Johnny offers a candid and compelling glimpse into what it really means to be a modern DIY artist with a message. Whether you’re new to his music or already part of the VIBE sessions, this is one read that’s worth sticking with to the final note.

Welcome to A&R Factory, JohnnyTheWidower! Your passion for raw, authentic music shines through in everything you do, from your weekly VIBE sessions to the Kickstarter campaign for Broken Piano. Let’s dig into your upcoming tour, the live experience, and what fans can expect. Broken Piano is shaping up to be a major milestone for you. With your upcoming shows, how are you bringing the album to life on stage?  

The album comes to life as a story—a journey through loss, loneliness, and heartbreak, but also resilience and rebirthBroken Piano is deeply emotional, but it also lays the foundation for my next album, JTW Come Alive, which represents that turning point—stepping out of the darkness and into light.

On stage, I want the audience to feel that transformation. The scene opens dark and intimate—a dimly lit bluesy setting with an upright piano, upright bass, drums, and guitar quartet. There’s a bottle of whiskey on the piano, shot glasses on the table, cigars in the air. That’s where I introduce “My Lady Is Gone”, the song that truly defines JohnnyTheWidower.

From there, the emotion deepens with “I Never Let Go”, the second single from Broken Piano, followed by “Be My Friend”, a song from my COVID Universe album that shifts the mood toward connection and hope.

This set isn’t just about performing songs—it’s about immersing the audience in my world, taking them through the pain, but also showing them the strength to move forward.

VIBE has been a big part of how you connect with listeners. Do you see your live performances expanding on that, or will they bring something completely different to the table?

Expansion, without a doubt. If you check out my YouTube channel, you’ll see that I’ve already started building something bigger—I’ve done two episodes of JohnnyTheWidower: The Reality Series, I host open mic events, and heck, I even do Shakespeare!

VIBE has been about connecting with listeners in an authentic way, and my live performances will only elevate that experience. The energy, the storytelling, the raw emotion—it’s all about bringing people into my world in real time.

Moving forward, I’m evolving VIBE with new segments to deepen that connection:

Musicians Speak – A platform where studio musicians and struggling band members can share their journeys, talk about their grind, and promote their work.

The Healing Power of Music – A holistic segment where we’ll meditate and explore how music can heal, uplift, and transform lives.

At the core of everything I do, whether it’s VIBE or my live performances, the goal remains the same: to create an experience that resonates, inspires, and connects people through music.

You’ve taken a hands-on approach with mixing My Lady Is Gone but are pushing for professional mastering for the album. How does performing these tracks live help you refine their final sound?

It’s all part of the creative process. Mixing My Lady Is Gone myself was an important step, but when it comes to mastering the full album, I need fresh ears on it. It’s like being a doctor—you don’t want to be the one diagnosing and treating your own condition. I’ve been hands-on with my music for years, but this time, I want outside expertise to make sure Broken Piano reaches its full potential.

For a long time, my music was stagnant, and I know that’s due to one of two things:
1️-Lack of marketing and promotion (which I strongly believe is the issue)
2️-Mixing & mastering quality (which could play a role, but I won’t know until I remove that variable)

That’s why I’m making the investment in professional mixing and mastering—to eliminate doubt and give these songs the best chance to shine.

And hey, if you know anyone who’ll do it on spec—send them my way!

Is there a particular song from Broken Piano that you think will take on a life of its own in a live setting?

Absolutely—“Somebody’s Gonna Win, Somebody’s Gonna Lose” is built for the live stage.

It’s a blues jam session at its core—loose, raw, and unpredictable. This is one of those songs that can go on and onbecause every time I perform it, it takes on a new energy. I swear, I’ve never played it the same way twice—which my guitarist loves because he gets to rock out, but my drummer and bassist? Not so much.

But that’s the beauty of it. In a live setting, this song breathes—it becomes its own thing. And the audience feels that freedom, that spontaneity, that real musicianship happening in the moment.

When Broken Piano hits the stage, this track is gonna be a show-stopper.

 With FLOWCEx Music in motion, do you see your upcoming gigs as a platform for showcasing other artists under your wing, or will the focus be on cementing your own presence first?

I’m only as good as my roster—my team. My project is out front right now because it was the most cost-effective wayto set the stage for FLOWCEx Music.

Since September 2024, I’ve produced:

 Two full albums (8 tracks each) on myself

 A 10-track compilation featuring 8 different artists

If I had tried to launch with another artist first, I’d still be working on one album—and I would have spent twice as much already.

This was strategic—I needed to establish the standard, create the blueprint, and launch a promotional campaign that will eventually filter other artists through the pipeline.

So when I perform, if my artists are available, they’re on that stage with me. Every time. Because FLOWCEx Music is bigger than just me—it’s a movement.

You’ve got the Kickstarter running alongside the tour. How much has the crowdfunding experience shaped your approach to engaging with fans?

Right now, my touring is local out of practicality—we’re a startup label, so I’m not booked on a national tour… yet. But that doesn’t mean I’m not making strategic moves to expand my presence.

I perform regularly at Kingston Public House, a whiskey bar in Brooklyn, and this spring/summer, I’ll be hitting Prospect Park at the BandShell.

Beyond that, as the creator of Performing Artists in Real Estate—a group of artists who also sell real estate—I’ll be performing at our monthly mixers, tapping into a network that blends business, art, and entertainment.

And I’m always on the hunt for bigger stages. I plan to throw my name in the hat for opening slots at major venues like The Barclays Center, Billie Holiday Theatre, Madison Square Garden, and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

That’s where the Kickstarter and marketing push come in. This campaign—and interviews like this—aren’t just about funding. They’re about building visibility and momentum. The more people engage with my movement, the more leverage I have to secure bigger opportunities and bring FLOWCEx Music to a wider audience.

What’s the one thing you want people walking away from your shows feeling—whether they’re hearing you live for the first time or they’ve been following you since day one?

Music is meant to make you feel good—but nowadays, a lot of it vibrates at an aggressive frequency. When you come to my show or listen to my music, I don’t want you to feel aggressive—I want you to feel happy, warm, loved, inspired, amused, and thoroughly entertained.

I want to make you smile and cry at the same time. I want to tell a story that keeps you riveted, one that stays with you long after the last note fades.

Most importantly, I want my audience to feel loved. When I cook for people, I do it with love—choosing the best ingredients for the most flavorful outcome. I approach music the same way. Every lyric, every melody, every performance—it’s all crafted to nourish the soul.

That’s what I want people walking away with—an experience they’ll never forget.

Beyond the gigs lined up now, what’s the bigger vision for your career? 

My bigger vision is to run FLOWCEx Music as a full-fledged independent label. Right now, I’m out front, performing and pushing the movement, but ultimately, I want to fall back from constant gigging and shift my focus to mentorship, artist development, and strategic growth for the label.

The young, hungry artists on my roster? I want them gigging non-stop. That’s what they want, and that’s what I want for them. My job is to make sure they have the right opportunities, the right support, and the right platform to shine.

At my core, I’m a builder and a guide. I’ve walked this path, I know the struggles, and I want to pave the way for the next generation. FLOWCEx Music isn’t just about me—it’s about creating a legacy of independent artists thriving on their own terms.

Stream JohnnyTheWidower’s latest single on Bandcamp now.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

BOMiN’s ‘Mirror’ Holds Listeners in a Chokehold of Bittersweet Reverie

BOMiN’s seminal single Mirror from her sophomore EP, Again, by Accident, delivers a filmic piano ballad while commanding attention with an emotive energy rarely found in the genre. The chanteuse vocal lines beguile the seraphic piano keys, creating an intoxicating contrast between fragility and power. The brass section and basslines rise like a tide, lifting the melancholy from the piano and vocals, allowing the composition to wade between sorrow and solace without ever losing its elegance.

BOMiN’s versatility as a jazz pianist, composer, and arranger has led her across some of the world’s most revered stages, from Seoul to New York, where she has performed at Nublu, Williamsburg Music Center, and Silvana Harlem. As a collaborator, she has worked with the UN Symphony Orchestra and played alongside artists like AKMU and Sam Ock.Her academic background, including a Master’s in Jazz Studies from the Manhattan School of Music, has been complemented by prestigious accolades like the ASCAP Foundation AAPI Songwriter Scholarship.

With Mirror, she continues to redefine the intersection of jazz and contemporary pop. The precision in every note ensures that no second of its runtime is wasted—each meticulously placed shift in instrumentation brings a cathartic resolve, making it impossible to pull away.

Stream the Again, by Accident EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Seungmin Jung’s ‘Acadia’ Smokes Out Complacency with Sophisticated Jazz Fluidity

For 12 minutes, Seungmin Jung and his virtuosic ensemble take easy listening jazz and give it a smoky revival with Acadia, a composition that reaches the epitome of fluidity. The time signatures refuse to leave room for complacency, locking listeners into a state of mesmerised anticipation. It’s textural tonal alchemy at its finest—low reverberating basslines create a striking contrast against ascending brass notes and the ornate chimes of piano keys, threading together a soundscape as suave as a tailored suit.

Jung’s journey into jazz began in Seoul, where a spontaneous purchase of a double bass at 17 set the course for his future. Now based in New York, he has studied under some of the biggest names in the scene, including Buster Williams and Ingrid Jensen, earning his master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. His career has seen him grace renowned venues from Korea’s Giwon Art Museum to Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York, and his talent has been recognised with a second-place win at the Hyunsik Kim competition.

Acadia showcases a musician who understands the elegance of timeless jazz while fearlessly pushing its parameters. Jung orchestrates moments of undeniable intrigue, making every shift in tempo feel like a deliberate seduction.

Stream Acadia on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

James Austin Melton Strips Jazz to Its Core and Rebuilds It with ‘Adaptive Fiction’

James Austin Melton

James Austin Melton may still be breaking ground in the jazz scene, but Adaptive Fiction proves he’s set to shake the foundations. His intricate, classically influenced guitar style intertwines seamlessly with a cinematically smoky brass section, creating a deeply rooted and refreshingly unrestrained sonic signature.

The single is catharsis in melodic motion. As the Latin-esque guitars set the groove, the energy only intensifies with the arrival of Melton’s soul-imbued vocals, soaring above the instrumentation with effortless conviction. The production strips jazz to its core and rearranges it with a vision that few would dare to share, yet every note remains as accessible as it is sanctifying.

A musician, educator, and writer, Melton approaches his craft with the kind of thoughtfulness that turns compositions into experiences. His discography is quickly shaping into a sanctuary of sound, offering respite from the noise with arrangements that challenge convention without ever alienating the listener.

With Adaptive Fiction, Melton reaffirms that jazz isn’t just alive—it’s still evolving in ways that demand attention.

Adaptive Fiction is now available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Siren of Jazz, Ippi Roy, Hits Every Note with Effortless Elegance in ‘Dat Dere’

Ippi Roy proves she’s a soulfully sublime force to be reckoned with in the jazz scene with her latest single, Dat Dere. Laying her expressively rich vocals atop swanky piano keys, she crafts a soundscape that hypnotises with its effortless grace. The keys are ornate enough to bring a neo-classic touch to the release when they’re not injecting bluesy grooves that underscore the depth of her reverent connection to aural expression.

With an extended piano solo, there’s plenty of opportunity to lose yourself in the instrumental panache before Roy’s vocals return, carrying even more impassioned zeal. Her voice has all the power needed for international stages rather than a smoky jazz bar, and if Dat Dere is anything to go by, it won’t be long before the rest of the world catches up.

From her early days fronting Delhi-based blues outfit Big Bang Blues to making waves across India’s festival circuit, Roy has long been making her mark. With a jazz degree from the prestigious University of North Texas and accolades like the Paris Rutherford Jazz Leadership Award, she’s now navigating the US jazz world with a reputation that’s impossible to ignore. Dat Dere is just another step towards the recognition she deserves.

Dat Dere is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JohnnyTheWidower’s ‘My Lady is Gone’ Rains Soul into the Blues

Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

JohnnyTheWidower, AKA The Solar Guy, doesn’t just touch on loss in My Lady is Gone—he lets it simmer, steeping every note in raw feeling without letting the weight drag the groove down. The Brooklyn-based songwriter, producer, and engineer channels blues, R&B, and afrobeat into a smoky, jazz-kissed atmosphere that feels less like a structured composition and more like a session that caught fire in real time.

With a cohesiveness that gives the impression of a seasoned band rather than a solo project, the track makes space for fluidity without sacrificing precision. The instrumentation carries the kind of ease that can only come from instinct, stripping back the years to a time when music was created for catharsis, not marketability. It’s indulgent without excess, hitting that rare sweet spot where musicianship and emotion are balanced without tipping too far in either direction.

For those tired of surface-level soundscapes, JohnnyTheWidower delivers oceanic depths, leading listeners further out before hitting them with a visceral crescendo in the outro. It’s impossible to walk away unaffected.

 My Lady is Gone is available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keys from Neptune Maps the Stars in His Classical Composition ‘Do the Cosmos Think?’

True to his moniker, Keys from Neptune is out of this world in the star-roving classical composition Do the Cosmos Think? Synthesising elegance with wonder, the self-taught San Diego-based pianist visualises the vastness of space in the twilight of the production; each piano key is a starlight illumination in the pitch black that surrounds us. The spatial effects and the intensity of the subtle yet affecting crescendos leave you under no illusion of the composer’s talent.

Words are surplus to requirement in this eloquent reminder of our place in the world, in the galaxy, allowing any anxiety you felt before nestling into the production to feel completely inconsequential. With each note, the ambient jazz artist extends a moment of solace, yet leaves you yearning for the next sanctifying note.

Slowly building his repertoire, Keys from Neptune has already proven his ability to pull listeners into the gravity of his compositions. Do the Cosmos Think? is a celestial reflection set to sound, and the perfect way to introduce yourself to Keys from Neptune’s talent.

Do the Cosmos Think? is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Goetia Served Up a Dish of Political Fire with ‘Pumpkin Ravioli’

With a track title like Pumpkin Ravioli, you’d expect a self-indulgent, hipster-friendly groove; what Goetia actually delivered is a sharp political broadside wrapped in a deceptively smooth instrumental package. The Brighton-based six-piece makes genre-fluidity their playground, pulling from jazz fusion, hip-hop, funk, and alternative rock to create something that transcends parameters.

Their sound thrives on tension and synergy in equal measure. Every element in Pumpkin Ravioli locks into place with the ease of an impromptu jam session, the instrumentals grooving towards a singular, almost hypnotic aim. But while the sonics may be silky, the vocals cut through with urgent intensity, proving that punk isn’t just about thrashing drums and knowing four chords—it’s about using music as a conduit for action.

Goetia’s philosophy of making music that is “unexpected yet easily received” couldn’t be clearer here. The track pulls together with an energetic sublimity that isn’t just a passive listen—it’s a call to get in the crowd, absorb every note, and feel the full force of their electric live presence. Pumpkin Ravioli subversively steamrolls expectations, leaving you desperate to indulge in more installations of groove-stirred alchemy.

Pumpkin Ravioli was officially released on February 20th and is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Wherewithal by Yellow Couch Music ft. NYALLAH – An RnB Jazz-Funk Flame That Refuses to Burn Out

Helmed by drummer, musician, and producer Layton Weedeman, the ensemble Yellow Couch Project thrives on collaboration, pulling in artists from across the globe to breathe life into his intricate, groove-laden compositions. Jazz, funk, R&B, hip-hop, rock, and world music all find a place in the mix, but it’s the seamless cohesion that makes each track distinct.

With The Wherewithal, Yellow Couch Music, alongside NYALLAH, delivers a jazz-funk feast laced with soul and caressing catharsis. The instrumentals twist into arcane textures, yet the vocal lines remain grounded, inviting you into a session of soul-affirming relaxation. Beneath the smoothness, there’s fire—a scorned R&B love song at its core, carrying an emotional weight that cuts through the silky rhythms.

The interplay between the expressive percussion, fluid basslines, and sultry vocal delivery ensures no note is wasted. Each element serves its purpose, whether to soothe or stir. Yellow Couch Music  sets the tone for modern jazz fusion, proving that tradition and innovation can walk hand in hand without stepping on each other’s toes. With tracks like this, they won’t be waiting long for a place on the jazz map.

The Wherewithal is now available on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast