by Jane Lambert

Todd Mosby’s “Moonrise Samba” is a Mesmerizing Latin Jazz Fusion Masterpiece

Todd Mosby’s “Moonrise Samba” is a contemporary Latin jazz fusion single that showcases his strong lead melody writing and intriguing Steely Dan-esque chord sequences. With imaginative arrangement skills, he includes a samba-flavored bridge, beautiful vocal pads, dynamic soloing, and memorable melodies that will leave you wanting more.

Completed in a 1960’s vintage Air Stream under a starlit New Mexico night, this tune’s unique architecture is derived from Latin Soul, samba, and Sergio Mendes influences. Todd’s ability to master western composition, jazz improvisation, and Indian raga music forms sets him apart from other musicians in America.

Todd’s compositions feature strong melodies, sometimes sung by female vocalists recalling the aesthetic of Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, virtuosic but lyrical instrumental prowess, deep-pocket grooves informed by a variety of jazz, world, and rock-based traditions, and a deep sense of spiritual intent. His impressive musical resume includes six albums and one single, and he has earned recognition from several notable musicians, including Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman, ZZAJ’s Dick Metcalf, India’s Music Ambassador Ustadt Imrat Khan, 17-time Grammy nominee and jazz guitar legend Mike Stern, and Berklee College of Music President, 7-time Grammy Award winner, and jazz legend Gary Burton.

Todd’s dedication to his craft and attention to detail in the creation of “Moonrise Samba” is evident, and it is a true testament to his musical abilities. If you are a fan of contemporary Latin jazz fusion, “Moonrise Samba” is a must-listen track. It is an impressive piece of music that will leave you wanting more from this talented musician.

Connect with Todd Mosby

Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

04.12.23

by Jane Lambert

Musique Noire Connects with The Younger Musical Generation in their Album ‘intergenerational’

Musique Noire is the Detroit based all female jazz fusion group. Members Michelle May (violinist and flutist), Leslie Deshazor (violist), JoVia Armstrong (percussionist), and Leah Lucas (violist and violinist), are all accomplished musicians who have performed with high-profile artists such as Stevie Wonder, KEM, and Aretha Franklin. The group’s name reflects their interest in jazz and world music, and their music is informed by the culture of Black people.

Musique Noire’s latest album, intergenerational, showcases the band’s signature jazz and world music fusion sound with a unique twist. The album is a collaboration with three talented up-and-coming musicians, who were asked to write based on their experiences as women or from a woman they admired. The result is an eclectic mix of tracks, each with its own story to tell.

Intergenerational opens with Leslie’s arrangement of the traditional spiritual “Motherless Child,” which incorporates African-style rhythms. Leah’s original composition, “Kaleidoscope,” is a beautifully crafted jazz tune, written by her husband John, who is a pianist, drummer, and composer. JoVia’s contribution, “Nirvana – Feast or Famine,” features lyricist Mahogany Jones and explores themes of Afro-futurism. Michelle’s “Cuban Sunset (Arterdercer Cubano)” is an entirely improvised tune that showcases her violin and flute playing skills.

The impressive collection of tracks reveals the unique talents of Musique Noire and their collaborators. The band believes in leaving a legacy and wanted to have a unique way to reach out to a younger generation.

The album’s sophisticated sound and unique arrangements of world, jazz, soul, and R&B traditions make it a must-listen. With a nomination for a 2023 Detroit Music Award for Outstanding World Recording, Musique Noire continues to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Connect with Musique Noire via:

Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud

11.02.22

by Jane Lambert

The Progressive Rock Fusion Band Siren Share Their New Album ‘Beyond the Rainbow’

American band Siren has released their brand new album Beyond the Rainbow.

This is an album that you can truly become immersed in; raw, authentic, contemporary metal rock. The opening track “Lawless Life” starts with a progressive metal guitar riff. The lyrical “High Wire” and “Sympathetic Response” are more laid-back rock songs, written by Mike and Rob Phillips.

Many songs on this album are unexpected, in the sense that musically it is extremely tight and well written, as well as experimenting with different musical concepts. Siren have really gone the extra mile with this new release.

¨When we began writing Beyond the Rainbow, we would write as a group with the exception of ‘High Wire.’ ‘Empty Ocean,’ and ‘Sympathetic Response,’ which Mike and I wrote. Normally Mike and I will bring the songs to the band, and let them work out their parts. A process we have gone back to for our upcoming material, as it seems to work much better for the writing process.” – Rob Phillips

When Phillips had sought to reunite the band back in 2005 with drummer/engineer Mike Cupino, and a new musical direction, the band did release their first Siren album called “Don´t Mind”. It wasn´t until much later, as three new band members joined the group, that the musical sound developed even more.

Today, Siren exists with the same lineup as previous releases, except for the lead guitarist. Todd Grubbs replaces Leo Boland as the lead guitar, and brings a guitar virtuoso which really makes the band stand out with a progressive, fusion style.

The first track on the album, “Lawless Life” was released earlier this year as a single to much critical acclaim, together with a music video produced by Nathan Mowery. With influences such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters, it is hard not to enjoy this eclectic blend of progressive rock.

Stay current on Siren´s Website and social media channels Instagram and Facebook. Stream music on YouTube , Spotify and Soundcloud

10.13.22

by Jane Lambert

Video Voyager: Happy For No Reason’s “Canaries (Hot Summer Night)”

Happy For No Reason is a band that is the antithesis of their name. The band based out of Portland Oregon celebrate every single one of life’s precious moments as two of their members are literally happy to be alive. Comprising of Jo Alexis (vocals and percussion), Neil Goldstein (guitar), and Mark Pritchard (flute), the founding members of Happy For No Reason navigate the rich waters of Jazzy Folk with a pinch of rock, a dash of soul, and even a touch of Bossa Nova.

Their jazzy folk rock single “Canaries (Hot Summer Night)” was revived from Neil and Jo’s early music careers. Neil wrote this chord progression with a jazz band in 1974 and Jo wrote the lyrics in 1991. They put them together one night in 2015 to make the song we hear now. It’s an example of how many of their songs came together.

“The lyrics are about my boyfriend who was working in Harlem at the time and I went to visit him knowing we might break up,” says Jo. “Breaking up when you are still in love is painful but the song has turned into a raucous uptempo sing-along, like the rat pack with a female lead!”

They finished recording, mixing, and making the music video during the pandemic. A friend of Jo’s told suggested the lead vocals were initially too aggressive. So, Jo bought a new microphone and redid her parts, also learning how to use Logic, the DAW (digital audio work station) and spent many hours comping the flute and piano solos.

Their video for “Canaries(Hot Summer Night)” depicts the band on a steampunk style ship, captained by Jo. They are on a mission to catch a canary. The ship and crew are eventually wrecked and never catch the canary. It’s a metaphor for self-destruction, you want something so bad that you’re willing to ignore red flags.

We spoke with Jo Alexis about the video:

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

We didn’t actually choose it but trusted the animator to come up with something fabulous! I saw one of his videos on YouTube and looked him up. He does a combination of live action and animation and I thought it would be amazing for this song!

What was the inspiration behind this video?

Honestly, we gave Christian Bolorinos, our director/animator/producer complete creative freedom on this so all of the ideas were his and we showed up in costume and followed direction. He is SUCH a joy to work with and has an incredible sense of humor! I was delighted with the result and so was the wonder world. The video has acquired 136k views on Facebook and is also a favorite on my YouTube channel.

What was the process of making this video?

The process was so much fun! We rented a studio in Portland and showed up in steampunk outfits(during the pandemic so we wore masks except when shooting!). We shot the music video in Portland but our director, animator and script writer, Christian Bolorinos, was in Barcelona. So we FaceTimed with him during the shoot which actually worked out really well! He directed us from Spain and we just followed his directions. I rented boat props like a steering wheel and a nautical telescope and of course, ropes. We used a fan to make it look as if we were in a terrible storm. Here are some cool pics of our shoot with the band in steampunk costumes.

Connect with Happy For No Reason via:
Website / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

09.21.22

by Jane Lambert

Celia Berk’s ‘Now That I Have Everything’ is truly EVERYTHING

Celia Berk is an award-winning vocalist whose recordings have attracted listeners around the world. She has made memorable appearances at Carnegie Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Birdland Theater, The Town Hall and the National Arts Club. Celia has been praised by some of the most prominent champions of The Great American Songbook.

She just released of her widely anticipated third album, Now That I Have Everything. Arranger/pianist Tedd Firth brings a Nat King Cole Trio feel to the recording, which explores the ways we try – successfully and unsuccessfully – to connect our heart to someone else’s. Co-Produced by Tony and Grammy Award-winning sound designer Scott Lehrer, it features the kinds of hidden gems by great songwriters that are Celia’s trademark. Many of those songs were featured in COMES LOVE, a 2019 show Celia created with pianist Sean Gough.

In his Liner Notes, author and journalist Will Friedwald writes, “Celia Berk makes us realize, in a way few singers can, that love is, in fact, never ever the same.”

When asked about the album, Celia says, “The story of this album really begins and ends with my friend Debbi Bush Whiting, daughter of Margaret Whiting and granddaughter of Richard Whiting. She had given me recordings of her mother’s appearances on a radio show, including Irving Berlin’s NOW IT CAN BE TOLD. The premise of that song is that the real story of a great romance has yet to be written. As I listened, I asked myself, ‘So what exactly can now be told?’ And then I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to do an album about love!’ So I set out to find songs about the ways we try – successfully and unsuccessfully – to connect our heart to someone else’s.”

The songs cascade from a jazz silhouette of toe tapping to rain on a rooftop. This album is like sipping a nice cup of tea on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It encompasses the Broadway jazz element all the way down to songs reminiscent of Moon River. “Boum!” Is a fun loving dance number that incorporates feelings from your head to your heart and personifies the emotions. “Right as the Rain” brings a melancholy and somber feeling that captivates the whole body. The title track “Now That I Have Everything” dances on the piano keys and takes the center stage of the whole album in this show stopping number.

Listen here:

Celia debuted her new cabaret show, ON MY WAY TO YOU: Improbable Stories That Inspired An Unlikely Path, directed by Mark Nadler with music direction by Tedd Firth. Marilyn Lester of Theater Pizzazz called it “An enchanting show, executed with abundant smarts, humor and grace, and terrific choices of music known and unknown.”

Celia’s accolades include the album MANHATTAN SERENADE in which she received the 2017 LaMott Friedman Award. It was arranged and conducted by Alex Rybeck and co-produced by Scott Lehrer, the team behind her debut album YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING. Lyricist David Zippel (whose “The Broadway Song” written with Cy Coleman received its first commercial recording) wrote in the album notes, “A tribute to her hometown, this collection is anything but renditions of the obvious New York songs. MANHATTAN SERENADE is curated: a connoisseur’s compilation of one exquisite, undiscovered musical gem after another.” YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING and Celia’s solo cabaret debut, directed by Jeff Harnar, earned Celia a 2015 Bistro Award: Vocalist; 2015 MAC Award: New York Debut – Female; 2015 BroadwayWorld Award for Best New York Cabaret Debut; and The 2015 Margaret Whiting Award.

We have no doubt that “Now That I Have Everything” will follow suit brining about awards and notoriety to the ever so talented soul that is Celia Berk.

Connect with Celia Berk via:
Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

06.28.22

by Jane Lambert

Joanna Ramirez’s Latest Album Keeps Us on Our Feet

A soulful voice, lyrical depth, infectious music, everything you want in an artist Joanna Ramirez has. The Dallas native Austin-based neo-soul, jazz, and R&B artist has been making music for some time now. Starting in the 1990’s, Joanna launched her career with her funk/blues band called Soul Providers. When she moved to Austin in 1998, she joined the blues/R&B band Shake ‘Em On Down formed by guitarist J.P. Lilliston.

It was only inevitable that Joanna would go into a career in music seeing as it’s in her blood. Her grandfather was a singer and guitarist of traditional Mexican music and recorded for the Bluebird and Victor labels in the 1930s. Her father was an R&B guitarist and harmonica player, and, along with his two brothers, Charles and Chick, played in various combos during the 1960s.

“It is not easy to bare your soul through music, but I believe it is the only way to truly impact others and possibly inspire, comfort, heal, or just get people to dance,” she says. In her latest album, On My Way, she does just that, exposes her truest self. The album has 11 upbeat R&B, jazz, and neo-soul songs, each giving a glimpse into Joanna’s eyes and heart.

The title song, “On My Way” is a neo-soul song that chronicles her musical career, a narrative of overcoming and showing the world that she is not to be underestimated. “I think a lot of people can relate to the song’s narrative of wanting to give up on something, but knowing that they can’t ignore a voice inside telling them to keep going,” she says. “Happy” explores self love and a jazzy and bluesy sound lead by the keyboard. “This one was a bit scary to write, because I knew I had to get personal and tell my story through this song, starting with childhood, remembering the feeling of not measuring up to my parents expectations, the fearful environment of our home, then to my failed romantic relationships and now, still feeling that I’m not being fully myself as a musician and creator,” she says. “Seems it’s the universal experience of being human – always striving to just be happy.” “Whaddui” is a soul and R&B song with a hook and melody that truly makes you sing out loud. It’s an anthem-like song seemingly about the craziness that was 2020, with a global pandemic and the political drama that was unfolding. She sings “whaddui whaddui whaddui have to do to prove to you/that there’s no need for all your crying/oh I just want to help you/get through/this crazy dream.”

It can’t go without mentioning Joanna’s voice. There is no other singer out there who encompasses her strength, power, and self-confidence that Joanna does. You can hear every emotion and all her passion in her singing. It’s one of the most stunning things about her music, particularly On My Way.

Listen here: