15 Feb
Don't Move by Natasha Miller
Wednesday, 15 February 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Singer Natasha Miller and songwriter Bobby Sharp continue their unique collaboration on Miller’s latest CD Don’t’ Move. The album is made up of 11 Sharp tunes, some …
09 Feb
Somethings Gotta Give by Al Oxenhandler
Thursday, 09 February 2006
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Al Oxenhandler’s new CD is titled Something’s Gotta Give, but it could easily be called Al Swings Gently. The St. Louis vocalist grooves gracefully through…
08 Feb
thhunderbird by Cassandra Wilson
Wednesday, 08 February 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
I got turned on to Cassandra Wilson in 1996 with her second Blue Note disc New Moon Daughter. Everything about it thrilled me: the mix of folk, country, blues, pop, …
It is such a real shame that this creation took Literally (yes with a big L) ages to get into my hands, but.... it’s worth the time that I’ve waited! Singer Karen Blixt …
02 Feb
Roots, Blues & Jazz by Bonnie Bramlett
Thursday, 02 February 2006
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Bonnie Bramlett reminds us how good she is with the release of Roots, Blues & Jazz. The longtime singer has recorded infrequently over the years, so she doesn’t wast…
Say hello to a Canadian’s prodigy: Yoon Sun Choi, a gifted artist. She has done in her own unique way something which defies convention - yet marrows through the bone in…
27 Jan
Thunderbird by Cassandra Wilson
Friday, 27 January 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Cassandra Wilson is one of those jazz stalwarts that need no introduction. Her music and her sultry alto speak for itself and she's one of the most talented jazz vocalis…
Since the age of Swing, Anita O’Day remains a constant inspiration to singers and fans. This writer’s introduction to O’Day’s music was from her days with the Gene Krupa ba…
Tyler Stephenson is one of the finest tenor jazz vocalists now performing, and this CD shows his remarkable vocal range and excellent phrasing. His voice is clear, intim…
The moods and ambiance of Paris light up even brighter, but with a more sensual tone, as Raquel Bitton vocalizes the times of that passionate city then to the emotions n…
The daughter of jazz piano great Mal Waldron rests on her own laurels with this delightful recording. Here, keyboardist/vocalist Mala Waldron fuses soul, funk and jazz d…
21 Jan
Spin This by Karen Karen Blixt
Saturday, 21 January 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Producer/Arranger Frank Martin assembled an incredible collection of musicians to weave together a fantastic debut for singer Karen Blixt. Karen has been delighting audienc…
A vibrant collection of re-worked jazz standards/Broadway favorites and three, original compositions, Karen Blixt’s Spin This is a most enjoyable debut from the S…
Superb Studio Debut Spares No Expense San Francisco Bay-area singer Karen Blixt makes her presence known in a major way on Spin This, delivering …
20 Jan
Musical Echoes by Sathima Bea Benjamin
Friday, 20 January 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Sathima Bea Benjamin sings with the clarity of mellowed church bells. One is not apt to misunderstand a single word in any of her songs. It’s that particular asset that tru…
Los Angeles based vocalist, Karen Blixt, is out to make an instant good impression. Her debut CD does exactly that. There’s an old expression that urges "If you’ve got it, …
This is an exceptional debut album by an accomplished jazz vocalist whose fidelity to mainstream jazz is simply incredible. Karen has made a huge splash with this motley…
15 Jan
Roots, Blues & Jazz by Bonnie Bramlett
Sunday, 15 January 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
It seems like yesterday when this writer placed Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett’s Home on the turntable, but reality tells me it was at least 35 years ago. Bonnie Bramle…
13 Jan
Music For Crocodiles by Susheela Raman
Friday, 13 January 2006
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
If you are looking for vocal music that is uniquely qualified to be different, you must by any means necessary check out Music For Crocodiles, Susheela Raman’s…
Paulette Dozier is a multi-talented entertainer, able to convincingly wear many hats without losing focus and most importantly the integrity of each role that is require…
10 Jan
A Thousand Beautiful Things by Janis Siegel
Tuesday, 10 January 2006
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Janis Siegel is a remarkable jazz singer. Her voice is unique, sensitive and lovely. In this collection, she reveals even more the tremendous range of her voice. On "Hid…
07 Jan
Happy, Sad and Satisfied by Beat Kaestli
Saturday, 07 January 2006
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
For aging rock and pop stars, drawing upon The Great American Songbook has been both a source of inspiration and a path back on the musical charts. There's a certain biz…
04 Jan
The Sky Could Send You by Sherri Roberts
Wednesday, 04 January 2006
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
There are some fine new recordings emerging from the San Francisco area recently. Sherri Roberts’ The Sky Could Send You is among them and, I dare say, very near the…
Ms. Speer has released her new CD Nature Girl, which is fifty minutes of beautiful, mostly mellow, not smooth, jazz. Cynthia has put together a great roster of …
23 Oct
This Is Always by Maureen Kennedy
Sunday, 23 October 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Maureen Kennedy is a Canadian vocalist based in Toronto. She has a voice that soothes the soul with a distinct sound that is reminiscent of some of the jazz greats from ano…
20 Oct
The Small Hours by Andrea Wolper
Thursday, 20 October 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Andrea Wolper - The Small Hoursby Skoot Larson, skootsjazz.com Andrea Wolper has a mellow voice and style to be savored like a fine…
20 Oct
The World Disappears by Larra Skye
Thursday, 20 October 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
When I received in the mail a copy of young Canadian jazz singer Larra Skye’s CD The World Disappears, I was happy to see that the impact she has in her live perf…
19 Oct
Nearer The Sun by Alexis Cole
Wednesday, 19 October 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Add Alexis Cole to the list of young, emerging jazz vocalists to watch. Her latest CD, Nearer The Sun, is a fine effort that showcases her rich, coffee voice and …
18 Oct
Labor of Love by Angelyna Martinez
Tuesday, 18 October 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Angelyna Martinez’s 2005 debut album titled Labor of Love could be misleading. Martinez flows through her chosen songs with grace and poise that there could not…
17 Oct
The Sweetest Sounds by Sherie Marshall
Monday, 17 October 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Sherie Marshall has been working for more than twenty years in the Toronto music scene, backing up other singers, opening for visiting performers, joining in other people’s…
12 Oct
Great Women Singers of the 20th Century (DVD) by Sarah Vaughan
Wednesday, 12 October 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Sarah Vaughan was one of the definitive female jazz voices of the 20th century. She had an impeccable ear that could pick up hidden nuances and subtleties in any chord p…
10 Oct
The World Disappears by Larra Skye
Monday, 10 October 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
The World Disappears is Larra Skye’s first record. As first efforts go, this one has a lot. Larra Skye has composed or co-composed with Adrian Farrugia, Gerard P.…
Thank God for Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Jose Feliciano, for without their collective spirit, we would not be blessed with the superlative talent of Raul Midon and h…
02 Oct
Love Pages by Cafe Soul All Stars
Sunday, 02 October 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Love Pages is a vocal R&B session aimed at smooth-jazz FM radio play. The project evolved from the New Orleans based Essence Music Festival of 2000, a project spe…
21 Sep
Cup of Joe, No Bull by Bull Fonda Duo
Wednesday, 21 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
From the moment Katie Bull starts singing, you are aware that she is a musician of prodigious talent. Her range is staggering, her vibrato fast and sure and her pitch accur…
20 Sep
It Amazes Me... by Jenny Davis
Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
All things contain two aspects: a Yin aspect (shady side) and Yang aspect (sunny side). As a result, time can be divided into night and day, places into earth and heaven…
18 Sep
Good Night, and Good Luck by Dianne Reeves
Sunday, 18 September 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
The soundtrack to the film "Good Night and Good Luck" could stand alone as just a great Dianne Reeves record. Set to the back drop of 1950s America, the soundtrack has R…
18 Sep
Catching Tales by Jamie Cullum
Sunday, 18 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
After making waves with his 2005 release Catching Tales, Jamie Cullum found himself on the covers of a lot of magazines around the world, including "Jazztimes."…
15 Sep
Somethin Else by Charlie Wood
Thursday, 15 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Vocalist and keyboardist Charlie Wood offers his third album as a leader in Somethin' Else. A veteran pianist and organist (Hammond B-3 organ), Wood has been fe…
10 Sep
It's A Good Thing by Jamie Davis
Saturday, 10 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Take one burnished Lou Rawls/Joe Williams-inspired baritone voice, an incredibly swinging big band that includes drummer Butch Miles and other members of the current Cou…
10 Sep
Devoted to You by Gloria Cooper
Saturday, 10 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Jazz vocalist/pianist, Gloria Cooper, adds a veteran's voice to the mainstream jazz idiom with her second release, Dedicated to You. In this collection of instrument…
09 Sep
At the Jazz Bakery: Retromania by Dave Frishberg
Friday, 09 September 2005
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Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Some might say pianist/vocalist Dave Frishberg is a bit of an anachronism. A quirky, 73-year-old songwriter who rambles on about baseball, boxing, betting and Bernie (hi…
07 Sep
Dave Frishberg at the Jazz Bakery: Retromania by Dave Frishberg
Wednesday, 07 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Dave Frishberg is a sports buff with a severe case of retromania. He longs for the days when "basketballs had laces and halfbacks played safety on defense...and there were …
06 Sep
Favorites From a Long Walk by Greta Matassa
Tuesday, 06 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
Jazz vocalist Greta Matassa makes a big statement in an understated way with her latest release Favorites From a Long Walk, a sterling collection of songs perfo…
04 Sep
Hoagy N Me: Janis Carnes Sings the Songs of Hoagy Carmichael by Janis Carnes
Sunday, 04 September 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
From country to cool...we ever so lucky to have this young lady grace the corridors of jazz classics as Janis Carnes greets and treats us to Hoagy Carmichael’s magic! Wi…
As I am wont to do, when I haven’t heard of an artist I often listen before reading anything about them, allowing myself to be completely unbiased. Such was the case wit…
For an artist to come full circle in range with rhythmic vocals along with flawless precision in a single cut is special. Thus describes the craft of Cris Barber as for …
27 Aug
X-Rated Musical by Larkin McLean
Saturday, 27 August 2005
Published in
Jazz Vocals - CD Reviews
It's been a good year for LA vocalist/songwriter Larkin McLean. Since the fall, she's covered a lot of ground, including: releasing her latest CD, "X-Rated Musical" and …
With Love is a tribute to Danita Mumphard’s vocal elasticity. She has a beautiful sound and moves through her range with tremendous fluidity. The recording vacilla…
Always nice to hear fresh faces and fresh vocals done not only to their own songs but to classics as well. Sara Gazarek, the 23-year-old newcomer who has been getting a lot…