Alex Sipiagin is a jazz trumpeter and composer who built an impressive thirteen-album catalog as a leader. His thirteenth album is titled Mel’s Vision and is being released on the Criss Cross label. The ensemble is Sipiagin on trumpet, tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Johnathan Blake. The set has three originals, a Ukrainian folk melody, and seven other songs from the jazz catalog.

The title track, “Mel’s Vision,” opens the project with the ensemble creating a beautiful modern jazz setting. Kikoski’s shifting chords set the tone in the intro before the two horns enter with the melody. [...]

Isolde Lasoen has released her latest album called Oh Dear.  The drummer, songwriter, and vocalist created each of the ten tracks from the drums up and presented both instrumental and vocal selections with influences from jazz to pop. Each piece is an adventure in texture, rich orchestrations, varying instrumentations, and captivating harmonies.

The mood of Oh Dear hits its stride with the ever-evolving French-influenced duet with Bertrand Burgalat titled “Douce Mélancolie.” The strings add drama as the psychedelic rock feel cradles the two vocalists. Lasoen’s backing vocals have depth and gorgeous harmonies. The different colors of the guitar [...]

Christopher von Deylen is the mastermind behind Schiller and is one of Germany’s most successful electronic artists. This is proven by various #1 albums and numerous gold and platinum awards for his electronic music. Schiller is now releasing Illuminate, on which von Deylen is broadening his musical path, focusing on edgy electronic beats with catchy melodies. In addition, Schiller has returned to his electro-pop to create electronic sound worlds and pulsating rhythms.

“Empire Of Light” builds upon a guitar part as multiple layers stack to the theme. Schiller’s instruments’ sounds are full and natural sounding, adding [...]

Jordan Davis is a country singer with more than 4 Billion career streams; Davis has solidified himself as one of the most in-demand artists and songwriters on the country scene. Davis brings us his new project with Bluebird Days, his second studio album, featuring seventeen songs. The album includes the #1 double-platinum CMA Song of the Year, “Buy Dirt,” with Luke Bryan. The hit song (about faith, family, and friends) continues to resonate with fans worldwide, topping the Country Radio Airplay chart, amassing over 735M global streams, and earning NSAI Song of the Year. Also featured is the #1 Country hit, “What My World Spins [...]

Caroline Polachek is back with her sophomore release called Desire, I Want To Turn Into You. Polachek continues her journey of bending the norms of pop music to her whims, making something out of nothing, and summoning nuance from disorganization. Polachek wrote nine of the twelve songs for the album in London with her close collaborator Danny L Harle. The album is themed with her vision of love and desire, and she explores the obtuse with the sublime.

Polachek’s warm and expressive voice opens the album with “Welcome To My Island,” which displays impressive vocal range and tone. The cybernetic and repetitive lyrics [...]

Paul “Hollywood” Litteral has been an in-demand trumpeter for decades, appearing on over 150 albums. Litteral founded the Uptown Horns with saxophonist Arno Hecht in 1978, and he has since worked with many rock and soul groups (including J. Geils, the Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Joe Cocker, James Brown, Pat Benatar, and Ray Charles). In addition, Litteral’s work as a trumpeter, arranger-composer, and musical director resulted in him gaining the nickname “Hollywood Paul.” He currently performs with Angela O’Neill and the Outrageous8, and many others. Litteral is releasing his debut album as a leader titled Legacy, on which [...]