Browsing Tag

jazz

Andelo made an irresistible jazz-pop plea in ‘Take it Easy on Me’

Posted on 26 April 2023

Easy listening has never been easier than slipping into the superlative slice of jazz, Take it Easy on Me, from the artist and producer, Andelo. It is a far jazz pop cry from Andelo’s internationally accoladed and celebrated former releases, which pay homage to 80s pop and rock anthems, but there’s no doubt that jazz-pop is also one of his wheelhouses. His signature theatrical flair is more nuanced in the jazzy ensemble, but it resounds all the same, especially when the swooning sax lines proliferate the single with seduction.

The flourishing piano keys, bluesy guitar licks and steady percussive fills tightly enmesh to deliver a sensuously mellifluous platform for the featuring female vocalist’s vulnerable harmonies that project the fear of getting burned in a new relationship when you can still feel the sting of old flames dying out. We’ve all been there; few can allude to the sensation as soulfully.

Take it Easy on Me is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazz pianist legend Marcio Garcia is at his graceful best on Nocturnal

Posted on 25 April 2023

Featuring 2x Grammy award-winning conga player Giovanni Hidalgo, Marcio Garcia is at his majestic best with an ear-calming melody to play all night as the rain flows cheekily from gutters on Nocturnal.

Marcio Garcia is a multi-talented Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic-born jazz pianist, composer and educator who was classically trained at various prestigious institutions.

”Marcio has performed at the Festival de Jazz Restauración Santo Domingo, White Plains Jazz Festival, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, Five Points Jazz Festival, Dazzle Jazz Club, Carnegie Hall, Blue Note NYC, Nublu, The Bitter End, Birdland Jazz Club and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in Lincoln Center.” ~ Marcio Garcia

Known as a prolific creative who has performed on some of the best stages, Brooklyn-based Marcio Garcia is radiant here and shall cause some blushes to project out from the deepest part of our souls. This is spellbinding stuff from a true master of his craft, who has blessed all tired hearts with something rather special. Just what the world needs more of right?

Calm all worries away on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Angolan-Portuguese artist Dabie Simul impresses with the wonderfully catchy FOGO

Posted on 19 April 2023

With a cheeky and cute giggle to start off proceedings, Dabie Simul shall spark a ray of sunshine to emerge even if there are dark clouds brewing like a volcano on the sexy new single FOGO.

Dabie Simul is an Angolan-born, Portuguese music artist and student who blends jazz, soul, afro sounds and hip-hop into her introspective creations.

”The pure essence of who I’m choosing to be in this present moment.” ~ Dabie describing her new sound

Startling all innocent ears with a lovely single to hold tightly, Dabie Simul is on top form with a tremendously instinctive soundtrack. She sends our hearts into a whirlwind of emotions on a rather magnetic single to dance with all night.

FOGO from Angolan-born, Portuguese musician Dabie Simul is a rather catchy experience for the betterment of current society. Sung rather marvellously and with a  smile never far away, all moods are flipped over like a pancake on this gem of a single. Featuring positive vibes and loads of imagination to swim deeply into, this is a delightful track to simmer sweetly into.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Show Me: Nick Pritchard is losing his mind on Baby One More Time

Posted on 19 April 2023

With a new version of the Britney Spears single from 1998, Nick Pritchard feels the tension and looks for the sign which will change everything on Baby One More Time.

Nick Pritchard is a 25-year-old British jazz singer who has emerged as one of the UK’s best-known swing musicians and has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world.

”Nick is currently filming a Christmas movie alongside Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Dame Shirley Bassey, in which he sings a solo number. He is looking forward to expanding his career in film and TV.” ~ Nick Pritchard

Educated at The University of Exeter, Nick Pritchard delights all listeners with his supreme vocal capabilities and powerfully impressive tone. He sings with meaning and leaves us in no doubt of his magnetically astute superpowers.

Baby One More Time by much-loved British jazz singer Nick Pritchard is a reminder of a song from the heydays that has been enhanced by a majestic creative at the top of his game. Pulsating with a likeable aura and sending shivers down our spine, we find a must-listen waiting for us to embrace.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Puts You At Ease: Bessie Deakin loves the freshness of the Magic Man

Posted on 18 April 2023

Inspired fully by Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks, Bessie Deakin enters our hearts in the best way imaginable with her sultry ways which are so genuinely sweet on Magic Man.

Bessie Deakin is a fast-rising London, UK-based indie jazz singer-songwriter and creative who performs with love so pure and caring.

Reenergized from her show at the legendary Troubadour on the 12th of April 2023, we are thrilled to the core by a sensational talent who is an angelic wonder in an often cruel world. Bessie Deakin is terrific here and projects her voice above the noise and seems to unwrap the plastic covering our lungs to let us breathe better again.

Magic Man from London, UK-based indie jazz singer-songwriter Bessie Deakin is an ear-warmer of note to ward off that unconscious, lonely romantic-less feeling. Sung with comforting energy which feels so good on our brittle bones, this is an angelic release from a kind soul who makes music to heal all weary spirits.

Listen up closer on SoundCloud.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Jazz Blues songstress Senobia is demurely pure in her single, Time to Breathe

Posted on 7 April 2023

Jazz, RnB, and blues fusionist, Senobia has declared it Time to Breathe in her new four-track EP, which soaked the airwaves in organically absolving soul on March 31. The standout title single is a sublime reminder of how sweet music used to be when it came straight from the soul, away from the strain of chart success.

The smoky blues layers enmeshed with the swaying jazz breeze and the ardent RnB piano keys pull together to create a superlatively impassioned platform for Senobia’s celestial vocal lines that are enough to compel you to take time in our fast-paced era, which forces you to feel that we should keep on moving, especially when it comes to moving on.

Before Senobia turned her talents to jazz, she projected her voice in the realm of gospel, doo-wop and pop; evidently, she hasn’t left her roots far behind her. Her demurely pure vocals will leave evocative surges ricocheting between your synapses, even when she’s harmonising her non-lexical vocal lines that will subdue you to her mesmerising grace.

Stream the Time to Breathe EP on SoundCloud and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marlon Bianco Dials Major Tom in His Psychy Jazz-Funk Feat of Sonic Dystopia, Planet Coronet

Posted on 17 March 2023
https://soundcloud.com/user-277095369/planet-coronet/s-9FqWUOnhS3h?si=51dc22e2904242f797dc135424286ab8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

With a tonal palette spacey enough it wouldn’t be out of place spinning on a turntable in the TARDIS in a vintage Dr Who episode, Marlon Bianco’s take on psychedelic jazz-funk in his latest release, Planet Coronet, will have you transcending into outer space from the first synthy oscillating note.

Bianco took care of every instrumental, bar the reverently jazzy sax lines laid down by Jonny Chung, who well and truly embodies the spirit of jazz to bring you back down from the astral plane the synthetics have transported you to.

Unlike many of the lockdown-born projects, the solo endeavour from the North London-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, which started by laying a few chords down on a Roland keyboard, Bianco is an artist the airwaves would cry out for if silence should fall around his ingenuity.

His dystopia-encompassing sounds are reminiscent of the alien times we find ourselves insulated within, but it’s hard to shed a tear when the end sounds so euphonically sweet.

Planet Coronet will officially release via Other Planet Records on March 17th. Catch it on Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

All The Misconceptions: Alex Maes and The Connection transmits deeper than most on We

Posted on 8 March 2023

Searching for the truth and performing with so much elegant class, Alex Maes and The Connection swim away from the misconceptions on the deeply-projected new single We.

Alex Maes and The Connection is a New England-based indie RnB/jazz group that just loves putting smiles on faces all over the world.

”The Connection established themselves as a versatile trio that could elevate any song, but after performing and playing Alex’s music they realized they had created a unique sound, so with Alex they decided to formally call themselves Alex Maes & The Connection. Together they have graced the stages of Rockwood Music Hall, The Narrows, and Boston City Plaza. Additionally, they have been nominated for awards in New England Music Awards 2021 (Best R&B/Soul Nominee) and New England Last Band Standing Competition 2022 (Finalists) for their lyrics, music, and engaging performances.” ~ Alex Maes and The Connection

Tingling our hearts and displaying so much poise and precision, Alex Maes and The Connection are rather spectacular on this ear-soothing single of much substance. This is that Sunday afternoon meditation soundtrack to drift away for a little while, in a world which seems to make everything so unnecessarily complicated.

We from New England-based indie RnB/jazz group is a rather thought-provoking single which will put many minds into a different mindset altogether. Serene to the core and showing us a cinematic-like story, this is a rather stunning effort which shall ease all fears away.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Mike Blue gazed into the twilight of the soul in his jazzy feat of soulful folk, Saphire

Posted on 24 February 2023
Mike Blue

The soulful rhythmicality of the folk singer-songwriter, Mike Blue’s latest single, Saphire, will tattoo itself to your memory from the first euphonically melodic meeting. As a departure from his previous sound, along with his band, Blue melded elements of blues, jazz, prog and rock to construct a track visceral in authenticity and sticky sweet in emotionally balanced sentimentality.

The first single taken from his forthcoming album, The Unbearable Weight of All Things Considered, stands as a soul-stirring testament to his ability to envelop you in the stories he eloquently weaves atop his acoustic guitar strings. The sax solos, which soar as high in the mix as the electric guitar riffs, amplify the intimacy of the lyrical expression while never compromising the resonant impact.

If the singer-songwriter was born decades ago when folk raconteurs were celebrated in modern culture, there would be few names as revered as Mike Blue. After the release of Saphire, the luminary artist will take his full band on tour across the UK, which also featured on the accordantly-bodied release that has the capacity to captivate a stadium.

Saphire will officially release on February 24th. Hear it via Mike Blue’s website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Spruit is star-roving in her spacey blues pop single, LifeSway

Posted on 2 February 2023

Bowie and David Lynch never came together when the sonic star man was of this earth; if they did, their combined artistic alchemy would have undoubtedly had the same disarming appeal as Chris Spruit’s latest single, LifeSway.

With the singer-songwriter sharing the same timelessly spiritual timbre as Stevie Nicks, there was no better pairing for the instrumentals, which pull together as a sonorously virtuosic amalgam of blues, jazz, pop, and soul.

When Chris Spruit isn’t orchestrating her solo singles, she’s pouring soul into the blues rock band Blue Attitude. If LifeSway has given you an insatiable need for more sonic beguile, you will be gratified to hear it is the first of eight tracks from her forthcoming album, Trip to Mars, due for release in February 2023.

LifeSway was officially released on January 29th. Hear it on Spotify. Check out Chris Spruit via her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast