Walter Beasley wants you to relax, and his upcoming CD, Sax Meditations, appears to be just what the doctor ordered. Sax Meditations is the haunting, ethereal, half-sibling to Beasley's 2009 smooth jazz gem Free Your Mind. Sax Meditations seems determined to, well, free your mind. Recently, I spoke to the saxophonist/vocalist/educator about the sound and vision of his latest release. JazzReview: You recorded Sax Meditations around the same time you we …

In the sea of chaos and uncertainty that is modern life, one of the most crucial struggles we wage is the struggle to achieve, and hold onto, peace of mind. Free Your Mind is both sage advice and the title of Boston-based Saxophonist/vocalist/educator Walter Beasley's new CD. "All I wanted to do", explains Beasley, "was accurately reflect the times and how I felt about them". JazzReview: Your last CD, Ready For Love, was widely considered an artistic and c …

Pianist/composer Leslie Pintchik’s new CD, Quartets, follows the success of her delectable 2004 debut, So Glad To Be Here. Quartets actually features two different quartets, the core of each being Pintchik’s working trio Pintchik on Piano, Scott Hardy on Bass, and Mark Hodge on drums. Percussionist Satoshi Takeishi and saxophonist Steve Wilson round out the two quartets. We caught up with Leslie recently, and she was happy to discuss her new CD and mor …

Try to put singer/songwriter Kellylee Evans into any one musical category, and marvel as she effortlessly soars over, glides under, dances around, or bursts through it. Her electric, eclectic, vibe is a heady brew of jazz, soul, blues, carribean, and more. Evans gained worldwide recognition as runner-up in the 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, and her recently released debut CD, Fight or Flight, has inspired comparisons to Erykah Badu, and Cassandra Wilson. Jaz …