Effervescent, ever-witty and stylish L.A. jazz blues and soul icon Betty Bryant is perhaps the only singer alive of which we can say, at age 96, it feels like she’s just getting warmed up. Quickly following up her critically acclaimed 2024 album Lotta Livin’, she joins forces with longtime collaborator and saxophonist/producer Robert Kyle for Nothin’ Better To Do , a lively, soulfully lived in, stylistically eclectic and beautifully loving set of engaging originals and offb

That elementary school teacher who taught Ricky Alexander the Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s “Tiger Rag” and other ragtime classics would fall in love quickly with the innovative, wildly versatile clarinet master’s third Turtle Bay Records recording Ragology. In addition to showcasing Alexander’s effervescent passion for seminal century-plus old romps like “Buffalo Rag,” “Ragtime Oriole,” “Nola” and the Jelly Roll Morton classics “Shreveport Stomp” and “Sweetheart O Mine,”

Fully embracing and embodying the title of his full-length debut Songs of My Dreams , James Judson reveals himself not only as a graceful, deeply soulful balladeer and charming crooner with an impeccable sense of swing, but also as an effortlessly talented vocalist who never gave up on his lifelong dream to sing - and literally gains inspiration from his subconscious dreams. After pursuing music into his 30s, he reached a crossroads to raise his large family (six kids) and bu

The title and overriding theme of The Dave Wilson Quartet’s When Even Goes East  gives his fans a glimpse of his life before he was an in-demand jazz cat to the tune of 120 annual dates with big bands and small ensembles and headlining festivals, jazz clubs and private engagements while also owning and operating a woodwind based musical instrument company. The buoyant, percussive and coolly strutting title track feels like an adventurous ride with him years ago during his bri

During his whirlwind 20+ year tenure as touring and recording keyboardist for contemporary jazz supergroup The Rippingtons, Bill Heller counts two enduring blessings above all others – the opportunity to vibe with some of the genre’s most creative and esteemed saxophonists (Eric Marienthal, Jeff Kashiwa, Paul Taylor) and learning from group founder and sonic architect Russ Freeman the value and excitement of creating instrumental albums around a specific theme that drives an

One of contemporary jazz and R&B’s most prolific and celebrated sidemen, bass virtuoso Roberto Vally has kept the grooves in both genre’s hoppin’ for the past few decades, serving as musical director for Diane Schuur, touring with David Benoit and recording and/or touring with everyone from George Benson and Boney James to Norman Brown, Boz Scaggs and Jeffrey Osborne. Since the early 2020s, he’s expanded the scope of his solo artistry with a flurry of popular, acclaimed singl

On Metanoia , Falling You’s sonically expansive, intricately textured and stylistically eclectic first album since 2017’s Shine, veteran composer/sound painter-sculptor John Michael Zorko joins forces with seven soulful, emotionally impactful vocalists to craft a mythology-rooted masterwork that journeys the listener from lamenting a ravaged world and a broken heart, through a proverbial dark night of the soul and on to discovering a certain solace in letting go of binding, u

A two-time Independent Music Award winner for Best New Age Song, veteran guitarist/composer Lynn Patrick is such a master at creating her “optimistic acoustic” fusion of folk, jazz, country and bluegrass that she has practically created her own genre over the past three decades. Beyond competitive accolades and prominent TV placements – including being a featured show songwriter for “The Young and the Restless” – she’s built an impressive catalog of albums over the last three

In an industry where many independent artists who have awesome, inspirational “day jobs” still prefer to hide their alter egos so as to keep the focus on their musical artistry, Stacy Robin stands out by putting it all out there. It’s right there in the first line of her bio. Beyond her years of accolades from L.A. Music Awards, Las Vegas FAME Awards and Producers Choice Awards – and countless songs appearing on commercials and TV/Film (Toyota, Nestle, The Young and the Restl

As Owner and President of Wayfarer Music Group, multi-instrumentalist and inventive sonic architect enjoys a vast influence on the realm where ambient/chill, electronic and new age music meets post-rock, spiritual, world music and cinematic styles. Yet as a composer and artist recording masterfully eclectic, creatively expansive and deeply intricate albums for the label, he’s been delightfully hard to pigeonhole these past few years. The handful of recordings I’ve written abo

After a rockin’, bold splash of brassy fanfare, the audience at the Fred Kavli Theater eager to celebrate the life of one of contemporary music’s most storied and versatile composer/arrangers heard a colorful intro from the recently departed - but very much there in spirit – legend himself. With percussive brass punches chiming in for emphasis after each phrase, they heard, “Good evening, everybody. This is Gordon Goodwin and I really want to thank you for coming tonight. Hol

Both widely acclaimed treasures of NYC’s contemporary classical scene with extensive, impactful individual histories, contemporary classical/opera soprano Sara Paar and pianist Marcia Eckert bring to their exquisitely rendered, intricately produced and thematically powerful full length collection Wisdom’s Harvest  the full force of their longtime partnership, shared performance history and passion for sharing overlooked musical treasures they’ve found throughout their careers