Whether she’s dipping into the magic of Blossom Dearie on Blossom & Bee or belting in front of a German instrumental jazz act on Where Time Stands Still, Seattle-born Sara Gazarek is as close to a jazz “it” girl as you can get right now. Her love of that one great lyric coupled with her unfussy but stunning … Continue reading »
I recently had the opportunity to talk to Kayo Dot’s Toby Driver about the band’s new record, Gamma Knife, and some other subjects, including the nature of “jazz” and other genre conventions. The conversation was an interesting one and Driver’s opinions are compelling. Kayo Dot has always been a band to defy easy categorization and it should be that … Continue reading »
In a classic case of a small-town girl gone big, Mia Martina’s story begins in an improbable setting and carries on through to finding her first single, “Stereo Love,” at the tenth spot in the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Mia about what it means to be a dance … Continue reading »
Los Angeles-based composer and pianist Josh Nelson is one busy dude. When he’s not lost in the worlds of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, he’s expanding his musical repertoire. Nelson has played with some of the most respected names in the business, including Ralph Moore, Natalie Cole, Ernie Watts, Jack Sheldon, Queen Latifah, and Tom Scott. Discoveries is … Continue reading »
Canadian composer and performer Rob Mosher is never one to shy away from a challenge. In creating (and successfully completing) the 31 Chorales Project, the recipient of the 2009 ASCAP Young Composer Award shows his stuff through the creation of, yes, 31 Bach-style chorales in 31 days. The 31 chorales have just been recorded by Mosher after what … Continue reading »
A while back, I was fortunate enough to review the latest record from Montreal indie rockers The Dears. I found Missiles to be a rich and generous record, offering a more stripped-down rock and roll sound while maintaining the band’s famous graceful, cinematic atmosphere. The band, now down to the duo of vocalist Murray Lightburn and keyboardist Natalia … Continue reading »
