If the only way you’ve ever experienced legendary poet T.S. Elliot’s verses set to music is “Cats,” allow the beautiful, Astrud Gilberto styled Hungarian jazz singer Rozina Patkai take you into the darker, haunting realms with her ambient and hypnotic musical adaptatio...

Though the DIVA Jazz Orchestra only began officially affiliating with the MCG Jazz label for the 2014 release of A Swingin’ Life, the hard and soulfully swinging all-female ensemble boasts a lengthy and fascinating history that extends back nearly 30 years.

The inspirat...

It’s probably a good bet that master jazz guitarist and all-around Renaissance Man John Basile played his share of Christmas music while touring throughout his lengthy career with everyone from Count Basie and Peggy Lee to Rosemary Clooney and Michael Brecker. And sure...

From the get go on her latest, perfectly titled album Stronger Now, pianist/composer Carol Albert takes us on a soaring, optimistic journey reflective of the own spiritual/emotional breakthroughs she has made in the wake of great personal loss. She sets the gorgeous, s...

Throughout his illustrious career as a sideman, veteran percussionist amped up the grooves behind everyone from The Manhattan Transfer and Aretha Franklin to Tania Maria. Yet the release of his multi-dimensional musical experience Latin Lounge – much too rhythmically e...

Four years after making her recording debut with an original holiday track, NYC jazz singer, songwriter and performer puts an exclamation point (this time with a bow!) on another groundbreaking year with her sensual and stylish, hip yet retro twist on the Eartha Kitt o...

Closing in on a fascinating quarter century as a multi-faceted recording artist, Costa Rican born, California based drummer, percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and orchestrator Luis

Muñoz joins forces with the exquisite Guyanese vocalist Lois Mahal...

In my review (sparkling, naturally) of the Rob Mullins Trio’s 2018 album, I marveled at the way he so seamlessly integrated swinging arrangements of “Sleigh Ride” and “Winter Wonderland” amidst a lengthy, otherwise-non-Christmassy set. Before explaining the cool story...

Legendary lyricist Sammy Cahn once wrote about the holiday season, “It’s that time of year when the world falls in love…” Blessedly for contemporary jazz fans, that means more than simply getting cozy by the fire, hearing sleigh bells ring, dashing through the snow and...

With a versatile, wanderlust driven stylistic palette that’s long taken her beyond her jazz foundations to explore everything from New Orleans blues and Kansas City jazz to gospel, funk, pop, rock, you name it, a live performance is literally the only way to fully capt...

A famed Hollywood marketing executive and long beloved patron of the arts, Richard Del Belso never wrote a song or sang or played a note. Yet three and a half years after his passing, he was ever present in spirit at the Second Annual Richard Del Belso Animal Rescue Be...

To paraphrase the title from a whimsical British Invasion hit co-written by Carole King, Seattle based vocal interpreter and sassy scatter extraordinaire Kelley Johnson is truly into Something Good on her fifth album – which also marks the start of her third decade as...