With Paul Taylor, one of contemporary urban jazz’s primary hitmakers, it’s all about those sensual onstage moves (his female fans especially can’t get enough of!), the incredible hair, those uber-infectious melodies and grooves, and those up to the minute sonic textures. Paul’s enduring presence, sense of connection and success in the genre begs the question – how does the multi-talented saxophonist stay so timeless, fresh and hipster (personally and musically) even after ove

Even if it was just the singer onstage solo alternating with acoustic guitar, a keyboard and electronic tracks with wild sound effects, I’m super grateful that I got to experience Devon in person, holding court, before a packed Second Stage at Hotel Café, singing the delightfully quirky yet often incisive and insightful lovelorn tunes from her latest album Helium. That way, I could feel her genuine dynamic, uplifting energy and joyful spirit at the heart of her unique breath

Seemingly innocent in their conception, clever album titles sometimes prove prophetic. There’s literally no way that when Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band titled their Grammy winning 2014 album Life in the Bubble – which features my all time favorite chart by this powerhouse ensemble, a sly, playful and swinging jam on the theme to “Get Smart” – they could have known a pandemic and a literaal lockdown bubble was a few years in the offing. Yet there’s great news for fans of the

The name and voice of Donna De Lory sparks a fond, unique and essential memory for me that traces back several decades, long before this opportunity to share my passionate praise of her latest – and perhaps most soothing, soulful and necessary, considering the pandemic era from which it emerged – meditation centered collection, the appropriately titled Gone Beyond. No doubt most who reflect on these expansive eight tracks will trace the veteran and richly versatile vocalist’s

As part of her artistic mission statement that must be cited in any insightful profile or review of a recording or live performance, Award winning new age/classical composer and soprano Danae Xanthe Vlasse has long made it her goal to use the transcendent eloquence of her music to bring beauty, truth and elevation to her listeners and the world. Though not as prominently expressed, the other powerful attribute she’s mastered is the joyful art of collaboration and sharing the

Stylistically, songwriter and vocalist extraordinaire Tiffany Bynoe’s done it all - from her early gospel success with Seasons through her recent foray into contemporary urban jazz with producer Darren Rahn and guitarist Tim Bowman on her latest single “Closer & Closer.” Hitting our hearts with an irrepressible burst of musical joy just when we need the uplift, cheer and optimism most, her vibrant, soulfully infectious holiday jam “Christmas With You” – written by Tiffany wit

On a roll these past months with two international hit singles – “I Called Her Rose” and “A Box For Jewels” – rising high on the Euro Indie Music Chart and World Indie Music Chart, singer-songwriter Chris St. John’s latest track, the uber-infectious “Hey Siri,” perfectly captures the zeitgeist of our techno-crazy modern world, humorously yet pointedly addressing both our addiction to and frustration with Siri, Alexa, Facebook and Amazon while lamenting the loss of simpler tim

Manisero, the Munich tracked first recorded collaboration between legendary and influential Brazilian guitarist, arranger and educator Carlos Barbosa-Lima and his frequent German classical guitar duo partner Johannes Tonio Kreusch, is a seductive and deeply emotional yet precise and sonically intricate masterwork that showcases the glorious reality that sometimes the grandest musical concepts are best rendered via simple expressions of subtle intimacy. Beginning with the duo’

While continuing his impactful educational career as Professor of Commercial Music at Dallas College, Cedar Valley campus, keyboard centered multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Mike Bogle’s artistry is so prolific that fans have to look under three names on the streaming services: Mike Bogle (for his early albums Other Life and Eternal Family), Mike Bogle Trio (for his prolific output from 2014’s Bigger Than Dallas through 2018’s Dr. B! and now, Dr. Mike Bogle for th

Hailed as one of the most unique voices on the NYC jazz scene for over two decades, Alexis Parsons scored a fascinating coup of dual critical acclaim in 2012 when her self-titled solo debut was named one of DownBeat Magazine’s best CDs of the year and she also released the vocal-piano duets album Hippin’ with Connie Crothers. A decade is a long time to wait for sensual magic to spring forth again, but her long awaited follow-up, simply titled Alexis, will quickly pick up the

That’s the exciting thing about emerging indie artists – one day, you’re just ho-humming along, listening to the same ol’ same ol’ and the next day is August 15, 2021, and you’re graced with a fresh, super unique father and daughter duo like L.A. Cowboy (aka singer/songwriter/producer J. Frederick Millea) and his incredible daughter, sultry jazz/pop singer Lady Millea. And then, once you’ve listened to both, your musical sensibilities are never quite the same. Even if they’re

After nearly 40 years leading and recording with his own large ensembles under the moniker Bob Mintzer Big Band, the veteran saxophonist is as renowned in this genre as the legends he cut his proverbial teeth with way back when – including Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Jaco Pastorius and Buddy Rich. Yet these past 30 years, he’s also been a key part of the ongoing success of The Yellowjackets. Mintzer finally found a way to fuse these two key aspects of his musical expression on Jack