There is nothing more classic than a vocal thrush that offers an authenticity that is not contrived or trying to fit into the latest fad. Enter Lois Bruno, a seasoned vocalist that is only now coming out with her debut release. Aptly titled And So It Begins, the album traverses many song genres but is firmly rooted in the jazz idiom in style and execution. Bruno has performed with such notable musicians as George Cables, Billy Cobham, and Bill Mobley. Including countless recordings in the studio of “Sung Like the Artist.” Early in her career, she caught the ear of DJ superstar, Casey Kasem, who introduced her to Herb Alpert [...]
Acute Inflections is a jazz duet comprised of singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress Elasea Douglas and upright bassist Sadiki Pierre. Not your traditional jazz duet, being bass and vocals, Acute Inflections have an energy and a vibe that is totally as unique as their instrumentation. The duet is now releasing their third album, Electric Psychology, which presents fifteen tracks. The theme of the album is to tell the personal story of how this talented bass and voice duo from New York discovered their connection. Each song is given their brand of bold arrangement style and is drawn from every genre. Sounds from Nina [...]
Shannon Gunn is a Washington D.C. based composer, educator, and trombonist. Gunn earned her Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and also attended James Madison University and Michigan State University for her music studies. She also runs Jazz4Justice, a non-profit based out of Fairfax, VA. Jazz4Justice creates collaborative partnerships between the legal community, the business community, the music community, and Universities to raise funds for Legal Aid (pro bono civil case legal assistance for low-income individuals) and music scholarships. Gunn started Jazz Girls [...]
Jerry Bergonzi is back with another impressive collection of standards and original tunes on his new release called Nearly Blue on Savant Records. Bergonzi is a living legion; his discography documents his inventive harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic playing, both through his compositions and his re-worked standards. Joined by Renato Chicco on Hammond B-3 and Andrea Michelutti on drums, the three explore ten tracks consisting of three Bergonzi originals and seven standards. Bergonzi explains, “I just adore the melodies of these tunes. I love standards. People always tell me, ‘Man, you’ve got to make more records like [...]
