Jazz music is the perfect metaphor for democracy,” says famed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. At a time when America—and indeed, the whole world—finds itself at a crossroads, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer has been inspired to write a poignant and buoyant work, The Democracy! Suite, which proves that the joy and beauty of jazz can bring us all closer together.
That new suite is now a digital album from Marsalis and a septet composed of members of the famed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Recorded live in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room during the Covid-19 lockdown, the work is irresistible and irrepressible. Tracks like “Out Amongst the People (For J Bat)” and “Be Present” are an impassioned reflection of turbulent times that find peerless musicians working as a harmonious community, urging us to reflect on the past and reconsider the future.
“The question that confronts us right now as a nation is, ‘Do we want to find a better way?’” Marsalis says. The music of The Democracy! Suite may be instrumental, but it speaks for itself, urging us onto action—to get out of our seats and fight for the world we believe in.

Take one of the best rhythms in circulation in Europe: Dario Deidda and Andy Watson, add a couple of "masters" of international guitarism: the American Peter Bernstein and the Italian Guido Di Leone and you will get a mix of great quality for one of the best tributes, to be found in circulation dedicated to the figure of the great Jim Hall. A very enjoyable record, the result of a tour that took place in Europe at the end of 2019. The pleasure of listening to pieces from the repertoire of the great Jim Hall reinterpreted with respect and stylistic relevance and at the same time with modernity and freshness. A careful recording where you can enjoy the different personalities and expressiveness of two super guitarists on individual left and right channels. (Review courtesy of Albeat)

Mark Reilly’s Matt Bianco have been around since the 80s. Reilly has continued to work and record with different band line ups. One of their most successful recent outings was 2016’s ‘The Things You Love’ which was a collaboration with Dutch band, New Cool Collective. Reilly and the Collective share the same inspirations and motives so a joint effort in many ways was logical. Now, Matt Bianco and the Dutch team are back together again for the 10 tracker that is ‘High Anxiety’… a musical mixed bag that offers contemporary takes on Latin jazz, smooth jazz, classic pop, blue-eyed soul and – a style new to both parties – South American cumbia – a sound that is a hybrid of the music of native South Americans and enslaved Africans, tempered with European traditions.

A brand new recording by Dave Koz, his 20th album as an artist and first collection of original material in 10 years. Conceived and recorded completely under the umbrella of COVID-19, this album’s purpose is to give the listener a ‘musical hug’, hopefully providing a sense of comfort and good feeling amidst the intense backdrop of the pandemic we are all experiencing globally. With a roster of very special guests including David Sanborn, Bob James, Brian McKnight, Meshell Ndgeocello, Rick Braun and more…all of whom recorded their parts virtually…30 years and one day after the release of Dave’s debut album.

Christian McBride solidifies his role as the champion of the past, present and future of jazz with his GRAMMY® Award-winning Big Band’s new album in tribute to Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery and Oliver Nelson. Featuring special guests Joey DeFrancesco and Mark Whitfield, "For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver" honours the historical legacy of the jazz legends who shaped the soul of music for generations to come.

It was back in 2010 when Rumer first came to British music fans’ attention, when she released her debut album Seasons Of My Soul. The record was an instant hit. It earned  her a MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act and eventually went Platinum. Another album of note is 'B-Sides & Rarities made up largely of ‘60s and ‘70s soft rock and singer-songwriter staples. Her crystalline, impeccably precise vocals are perfectly suited to the slick arrangements and performances associated with this particular era and style of pop music. Since then she's been interpreting classic songwriting, including the music of Burt Bacharach on her 2016 album This Girl’s In Love.

On this her latest release, Nasville Tears, she’s turned her attention to the work of one of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame stars, Hugh Prestwood. Her voice is breathy, clear, rich, smooth and sometimes a little bit husky,. She pours her heart into her interpretations of these songs and making them completely believable on an emotional level.

The last few years have been a roller-coaster for Laila Biali. For nearly every major triumph—a highly acclaimed return to jazz, winning the JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, touring the world—the singer-songwriter has faced a private debilitating crisis. In just a few short years, Biali lost a close friend, mourned a family member, and dealt with health challenges of her own. It was a period of change and heartache—but it was also a season of great inspiration and hope. The result is Biali’s deeply personal new album, Out of Dust.“These new songs took shape as I processed my own feelings of doubt and loss,” Biali reveals. “I believe that nothing is wasted, that even life's greatest trials can produce something meaningful, if only to make us more empathetic to the struggles of those around us.” 

With this Kandace's third album, soul-jazz singer Kandace Springs pays tribute to some of her greatest inspirations - those female vocalists who most impacted her music, stylings, and journey.

I saw her at Ronnie Scotts in 2019 when Kandace said she was to release her third album this year. It was certainly worth the wait!

Her soulful singing led her late mentor Prince to praise her “voice that can melt snow” This album is produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock) — who produced her 2016 debut Soul Eyes 

Relax and Enjoy! And if you're new to her take a listen to her other two albums as well!

While Karen Souza´s voice may sound like it was made for jazz, she is in fact a relative newcomer to this genre of music. Her career began under various psydeonymns as she provided vocal support to a number of electronic music producers and was part of several International House hits. 

She can be found singing under these pseudonymns on albums such as Pacha Ibiza, FTV (FashionTV), Paris Dernier, Hotel Costes and Privé. She had just begun to flirt with the idea of singing to jazz when she was contacted and invited to join the production of the first volume of the series, Jazz and ´80s. No one imagined the success that the series would have almost over night. The producer of the series knew a good thing when he saw it and he quickly shared his enthusiasm in the project with Karen and made her and her voice an important part of each album. 

Now that Karen had gotten her toes wet in the studio, her label decided it was time to dive in and they sent her and the rest of the Quartet on tour to Brazil in late 2009. The visit was a great success and Karen came into her own onstage, gaining confidence and ever tuning and refining her singing.

Language of Love is Souza's latest release - hope you enjoy!

''My Favorite Songs'' is Simone Kopmajer´s first ''Best Of'' album, a collection of songs from her last 12 recordings. This collection features artists such as George Mraz, Victor Lewis, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Houston Person and many more on a 32-songset that presents songs from ''The Great American Songbook'', originals and exquisite covers of songs made popular by Frank Sinatra, Ray Orbison and Bill Withers. 

She has soul and a particular charismatic tone in her voice that gives each song that special something. Born in Austria, Simone Kopmajer already achieved at a young age what many musicians, bands and ensembles dream of - the launch of a successful international career. In the United States, Japan and Southeast Asia, the singer is a household name for lovers of demanding and refined jazz music.

The historic meeting of two Smooth jazz icons! Between them, they have scored more than 25 Top Ten Smooth Jazz radio hits, more than 15 Top Ten Billboard Contemporary Jazz albums, toured to packed houses worldwide and shared the stage with everyone from Larry Carlton and George Duke to The Neville Brothers! 

Brian and Steve are famous for their melodic richness, captivating grooves and delicate touch and 'Unified' is the perfect expression of those qualities. Highlights include the romantic, dreamy "Last Summer," the super-sophisticated "Café du Monde," the grooving title tune "Unified" and much more. 

"Simpson is in the forefront of Smooth Jazz keyboard icons." Allmusic 

"As soon as Steve Oliver strums that guitar, you know you are about to hear some great tracks." TheJazzWorld

Brian Simpson/Keyboards

Steve Oliver/Guitar

Duo - it's the most reduced way of making music together. At the same time it can open a whole musical world without borders. Two musicians acting as one and in a dialogue at the same time. Call and response - it's jazz in its purest form. Sometimes less is more…

The sound world of “Kristallen” relishes the moment when the surfaces and edges of crystals shimmer and cast off unexpected colours. There is a certain stillness, and also room for the imagination to unfold. Magic with fragility. Nils Landgren and Jan Lundgren have a consistent vision of lyrical chamber jazz which flows gently and naturally. Rather than clamouring for our attention, this is music which reveals its true beauty the more attentively one listens.

The wonderfully instinctive way in which Nils Landgren and Jan Lundgren interact could already be admired on the Leonard Bernstein tribute “Some Other Time”. Now with just the two of them, their sixth sense, their authentic feeling for the same musical styles is all the more evident. A Nordic spirit, deeply romantic emotions, impressionistic colouring and an affirmation of the American jazz tradition: all of these pervade “Kristallen” and bring a special magic to it. Through their deep affinity and their cohesion, this duo has meticulously shaped a radiant and many-hued musical diamond.

Nils Landgren/Trombone & Vocals

Jan Lundgren/Piano

Possibly not to everyone's taste and maybe an album to go on some peoples guilty pleasures list! However, a great recording from the late 1950's just remastered.

Following a career as a jazz and dance band guitarist and studies as a classical stringmeister, Al Hendrickson became one of the most prolifically recorded studio guitarists in the history of American music. His name is frequently mutilated in recording credits, leading to the mistaken if perhaps understandable conclusion that more than one guitarist was responsible for all this work. He can be cited as the missing link between the Weavers and the Monkees or between artists with such cool names yet diverse styles as country novelty king Sheb Wooley and bebop pianist Dodo Marmarosa. Famous records this guitarist contributed to include "Moon River," "Memories Are Made of This," and "Goodnight, Irene." 

His professional involvements started with big-band leader Artie Shaw in 1940. He then began working with bandleaders such as Freddie Slack, Ray Linn, and Benny Goodman, at one point holding the guitar chair in a special sextet fronted by Goodman. He was soon in extreme demand for film and television soundtracks as well as pop sessions, with Columbia label signing him up to an exclusive contract in 1959.

The band includes:
Pete Jolly, piano, accordion
Paul Horn, saxophone, flute, clarinet
Gene Estes, vibraphone
Al Hendrickson, guitar
Jimmy Bundy, bass
Irv Cottler, drums 

Eric Alexander's prowess on the tenor saxophone, his unimpeachable virtuosity and technical skill, is obvious to anyone who has paid attention to his fluent and stirring work over the past three decades. His reputation as a hard blowing jazz gladiator has stood him well with fellow musicians and loyal listeners. Admired and enjoyed for his exceptional powers, Alexander is a model of mainstream jazz expertise. However, on his latest HighNote recording Eric, backed by three of his favorite colleagues - David Hazeltine, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth together with the lush sounds of a string orchestra, brings his lyrical side to the fore. "I wanted to get straight into the beauty of a song, always putting the melody first", Alexander states about his expressed intentions for the album. Improvisations are the icing on the cake. With the fruition of this dream project Alexander has again succeeded in proving that his long obvious gifts as a player are equaled by his respect for the gift of song. 

29th August 2020, will mark the centennial of Charlie Parker, one of jazz’s most iconic figures. The global celebration of Charlie Parker begins with a historic alto saxophone summit bringing together three of modern jazz’s most acclaimed voices.  Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson, and Gary Bartz, three of the most heralded alto sax jazz musicians in the last 40 years, join forces to pay tribute to Parker’s legacy in the aptest fashion for this ground-breaking pioneer: by carrying his innovations forward in their own utterly singular styles.

The three alto sax masters on Bird at 100  are taken to new heights by a rhythm section that has made their mark in the jazz world: pianist David Kikoski, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Carl Allen. All three are regular collaborators with many of the prominent jazz masters performing today and are individual masters in their own rights. 

This collection features ''cool jazz" Baker's music recorded with jazz label Riverside during 1958 and 1959. These albums feature amongst others Bill Evans, Kenny Burrell and Johnny Griffin on recordings which have been cut from the original analogue master tapes now made available for hi-res streaming and download. The album set includes (Chet Bakers Sings) It Could Happen To You, Chet Baker in New York, Chet and Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe as well the bonus of outtakes and alternate takes.

For this album, Kyle Eastwood brings together his two great passions, cinema and music. The album revisits both well-known and lesser known film scores performed with regular bandmates Hugh Coltman and Camille Bertault. The musicianship on this album is exemplary with some interesting arrangements.

Chosen by a guest at one of our recent listening sessions, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is Jeff Goldblum's second album released one year after his debut. He learnt the piano whilst growing up in Pittsburgh, and has played lounge gigs with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra throughout his career.

The focus is on mainly female guest singers including Fiona Apple and Miley Cyrus (has anybody heard them sing jazz before?) together with Anna Calvi and Inara George. There's a guest apprearance by Gregory Porter too!

Enjoy this playful and inviting album as Goldblum returns to lead the band and takes his rightful place back at the piano.

This is simply a fantastic showcase of Porter’s music combined together with Connick’s talent. The singer/pianist/orchestrator shares some great songs with swinging big band backing. There’s a mixture of romance and sophistication throughout with some great arrangements. Pleasantly presented in hi-res on this Connick’s first album on the Verve label.

Accompanied by Benny Green and Emmet Cohen, two of the finest jazz pianists of their respective generations, Swift performs with her deliciously evocative voice and fabulous vocal technique.

At just 25 years old, Veronica Swift has built a résumé that even many late-career jazz singers would envy.  In 2015 she earned second place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, the most prestigious contest in the art form. In other words, her command of the vocal-jazz tradition is astounding. 

In this album, she's picked a selection of songs that tell stories she can really get across.

The title really says it all. This album majors on American and French composers and songwriters including Bernstein, Gershwin, Ravel and Aznavour. Lucienne at the age of 20 years together with her trumpet joins Bill Elliot and the BBC Concert Orchestra for this her second album. Sit back and enjoy and be transported from Paris to New York!