On the surface, the electric guitar and God aim to inspire two polarized behaviors from people. The electric guitar is typically idolized for being loud and wild, unlike the soft billowing resonance of the violins which people associate with angels, God’s choir made in the image of himself. But smooth jazz guitarist/arranger/composer Dee Brown shows us that the guitar makes a vital contribution to choirs made in the image of God, and that the electric guitar inspires love equal to that of a …

Sephardic jazz is the voice of the Spanish Jews, whom singer-songwriter Kat Parra has a special bond with as a descendent of this spirited community. This is the music that moves her and inspires her to reach into her soul and find her voice, which resounds stunningly on her latest release Azucar de Amor. The melodies have an ethnic feel which combines influences of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, South American folklore, Sephardic music of the Spanish Jews, and some Brazilian standards whi …

The film documentary A Touch of Noir put together by Dr. Ana-Isabel Ordonez and François Olivieri pays homage to film noir, which is based on the dramatic look portrayed in German Expressionism and cinematography. Ordonez and Olivieri add a new dimensional to its presentation with live improvised music played by avant-garde musicians during the showing of these films in select theaters throughout the USA and Europe. Film noir is a form of filmmaking that accentuates the drama of human …

Pianist, singer, composer, and arranger, Dena DeRose is a natural when it comes to bringing out jazz music’s warm resonance and emotive punctuations, garnishing classic and modern standards that she plays. She never seems to run out of ideas to put into words and music, and reflects, "Inspiration for writing music comes in many, many forms for me. Whether it be personal experience, listening to other musicians, learning a new musical technique as in a theoretical approach to harmony or rhythm …

It is impossible not to like Frank Macchia. The sax man could not grate anyone the wrong way even if he tried, which may explain why when he asked five other world renown saxophone players to join him on the recording of his latest album, Saxolollapalooza, none of them expressed any hesitation about coming on board for the project. Macchia has a proven track record as a talented bandleader and gifted saxophonist in his own right, but even he admits that there were challenges in corrall …