Total tonal fluency is attained through hard work and love for the craft, something vocalist Sharón Clark knows a lot about. Her recent collab with Mattias Nilsson had their small but mighty ensemble fill the room with sonic pleasure. On “Sometimes I’m Happy” the way she bends a note is so sublime that you can... Continue Reading →
Debut Jazz Album from Clifton Davis “Never Can Say Goodbye” Says it All, From the Heart
A blockbuster tune that’s resonated with generations of soul and R&B fans has a new life with its original creator, vocalist and composer Clifton Davis. “Never Can Say Goodbye” is Davis’ jazz debut in a sizzling new collab with pianist Beegie Adair backed up by vocal group Take 6 and singer Monica Ramey. Singing the... Continue Reading →
Beauty Tinged with Hope: Hannah Baiardi’s “What Will Our Children Say”
A soft and sweet piano intro sweeps open the curtains, allowing vocalist Hannah Baiardi to sing her latest release, “What Will Our Children Say.” A paean of positivity, the song is socially current and pointedly asks what kind of world we are leaving to our progeny. Baiardi deftly navigates this simple melody with imaginative lyrics... Continue Reading →
Skyward, Gently, with “Into the Light” from Amanda Addleman
A song starts out and you’re totally open, ready to get your mind around the rhythm of it, the main tune of it, and soon after, to identify where the harmonies lie and where the other textures will start to fit in. What happens if, within the first few bars, you get hit with an... Continue Reading →
Going Up: Story Elevation by Leonisa Ardizzone
Multi-instrumentalist Leonisa Ardizzone believes in a world with fluid musical boundaries; that’s why in her latest release “All in Good Time” she delicately re-threads a Go-Go’s staple (“Our Lips are Sealed”) and adds new coloration to The Smiths’ “Girl Afraid.” Ardizzone’s crystal-clear vocals and intuitively placed phrasing make this album extremely accessible. “Cyclone” is a... Continue Reading →
Emotion Seeps Out of Singer/Songwriter Gaby Paul
There's a unique timbre to Gaby Paul’s voice that makes it hard to describe; rich and sweet but with layers of character, like burnt caramel. At its core is a titanium-strength midrange and depth, but it can easily shoot to the higher registers with sniper-like accuracy. Hot and bluesy on originals like “The Record.” Mournful... Continue Reading →
Weather Forecast: Strong North Wind Approaching
With an octopus-like grasp into the performing arts world, Bianca Rossini has done so much already: acting in films and TV dramas, and hosting her own TV talk show; writing, composing and performing music heavily influenced by her Brazilian roots; publishing a romance novel and poetry books; dancing; and even puppetry. The creative flow is... Continue Reading →