Acclaimed vocalist Sara Serpa explores her own story of migration, family, birth, loss, music and home on her breathtaking, autobiographical new album. Encounters and Collisions, out November 15, 2024 on Biophilia Records features saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, cellist Erik Friedlander and pianist Angelica Sanchez

“Serpa possesses a preternatural cool, injecting weightless sophistication and melodic grace into everything she touches.” – Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

“Sara Serpa is a vocalist wielding an instrument as favorably unadorned and pure as any in jazz... literally, she sounds as if she must sing whenever she speaks.” – Phil DiPietro, All About Jazz

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The voice of Sara Serpa possesses an innate intimacy, so subtle and graceful as to feel like a whispered confession no matter the lyric, or whether there’s a lyric at all. Writing about Night Birds, Serpa’s 2023 duo album with her husband, guitarist André Matos, Nate Chinen said that the music, “feels like a peek inside a private conversation; the depth of their musical interplay, an extension of their personal bond, has the sense of something irreplaceable and precious.”

Despite that, Serpa has long avoided writing her own lyrics because, she says, “they're so personal and show so much about you.” With her breathtaking new album, Encounters and Collisions, she changes course, embracing the art of intimate revelation with the most autobiographical music of her career. The album, due out November 15, 2024 via Biophilia features Serpa’s longtime collaborators Ingrid Laubrock on saxophone and Erik Friedlander on cello, joined by pianist Angelica Sanchez.

The themes that Serpa explores as the story of Encounters and Collisions unfolds will undoubtedly resonate with many of her listeners – compelling tales of migration, home, family, motherhood, loss and art. Not only does the singer reveal her experiences and emotions through her poetic, impressionistic lyrics, but she relates her personal history explicitly through an accompanying set of short narrations, as well as a collection of hand drawn comic strip-style illustrations that will be available for purchase in person or via the Biophilia website.

“The lyrics are an exercise in discovering how can I simplify the ideas and still make them somehow poetic or beautiful,” Serpa explains. “I wanted them to be not just plain text, but also reflect a very specific mood, emotion and feeling.”

Serpa didn’t originally set out to create such an autobiographical work. Her original intention was to adapt another writer’s work along the lines of her acclaimed 2021 album and multimedia performance Intimate Strangers, a collaboration with the Nigerian writer and critic Emmanuel Iduma. The new project proved frustrating, however, and she discovered during the process that the ideas that she was responding to in other authors’ work were the ones that reflected her own journey. The focus immediately shifted.

“The elements of the story that I connected with were things like migration, being in a new country, dealing with languages, missing home, losing some kind of identity and having to build a new one,” she relates.

“Then throughout that process, becoming a mother with all the victories and losses that accompany that process. I realized that maybe I was writing about myself rather than someone else, and it started to make sense that I would write about my story.”

Encounters and Collisions charts the almost two decades since Serpa moved from her native Lisbon, Portugal to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music. Originally intending to stay for a year and then move home, she’s since established a home and a family in New York while garnering acclaim as one of the most captivating and inventive vocalists in modern jazz.

The album begins with “Language,” in which the singer contends with the necessity of translating oneself into an adopted tongue. The idea becomes woven through the remainder of the album, at times explicitly – as in her story of becoming a mother, when a fellow Portuguese speaker at the hospital puts her at much-welcome ease – but also implicitly, as she sings her lyrics in English. Serpa is widely hailed for her gorgeous ability to sing wordlessly, often becoming an ethereal instrument within the various ensembles in which she plays. Encounters and Collisions is her most lyric-heavy project to date, and the English words reveal her gift for expressing herself in a language not wholly her own.

The frantic “Visa,” accompanied by a chaos of pointillist sounds, captures the overwhelming confusion and fear of navigating the bureaucracy of a foreign government. The oppressive piano chords of “Things Must Move Quickly” depict the more high-pressure tempo of life in the States as compared to Portugal. “Between Two Worlds” settles into the purgatory of acclimating oneself to a never completely comfortable new country while losing the connection to home: “Your roots vanishing like fog.”

“Labor” and “A Mother’s Heart” bristle with the tension and joy of motherhood, the former a frenzied, angular portrait of childbirth, the latter a stunning love letter from mother to son. The stark “The Phone Call” recalls the shocking, sudden death of Serpa’s father, a devastating loss that severed one of her remaining ties to her native Lisbon. “Music Makes Me Who I Am” revels in the art form, before concluding with the uncertain wisdom of “Two Cities, Many Homes.”

To create the multifarious elements of Encounters and Collisions Serpa drew upon her early training in visual arts, recent classes at the New School on Illustrated Journalism and Memoir, and her deeply felt personal experiences. With all of that, her initial presentation of the music on stage was nerve-wracking – until she began to feel the connection she achieved with audiences.

“The most humbling thing is discovering that suddenly it's not about me anymore,” she says. “It's about all of us, and how we humans share so many experiences.”

Sara Serpa

A native of Lisbon, Portugal, Sara Serpa is a singer, composer and improviser who explores the use of the voice as an instrument. Serpa has been working in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music since moving to New York in 2008. Her ethereal music draws from a broad variety of inspirations including literature, film and visual arts as well as history and nature. As a leader, she has produced and released ten albums, the latest being Intimate Strangers (2021) and Recognition (2020). Serpa has been described by the New York Times as “a singer of silvery poise and cosmopolitan outlook,” and by JazzTimes as “a master of wordless landscapes.” She has collaborated with an extensive array of musicians including John Zorn, Nicole Mitchell, André Matos, Okkyung Lee, Guillermo Klein, Linda May Han Oh, Kris Davis, Dan Weiss, Matt Mitchell, Zeena Parkins, Mark Turner, David Virelles and Tyshawn Sorey, among many others. Serpa has been active in gender equity in music and is the co-founder (along with fellow musician Jen Shyu) of Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³), an organization created to empower and elevate women and non-binary musicians.

saraserpa.com

saraserpa.bandcamp.com

Information provided by Ann Braithwaite at Braithwaite and Katz PR.

Vocalist and songwriter Vanisha Gould heralds an ode to the power of imperfection with She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, releasing November 8, 2024 via Cellar Music Group

To purchase click here

Every performer, whether a musician, orator, thespian, or athlete, knows the sensation: despite everything being pre-planned – from wardrobe and stage plot to the materials and the travel route – inevitably, there will be some unforeseen eventuality that threatens to derail the flawless facade of the performance. Simply put, if the devil is in the details, then the danger is in the design. While to some, this inability to control every element may be a stressor, to vocalist and songwriter **Vanisha Gould**the vivacity of every onstage moment is the execution of the craft despite, and even due to, the nature of unavoidable flaws. Armed with a fresh perspective and an indomitable ability to hit the song home regardless of circumstances, Vanisha presents She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, an homage to the beauty that abides within and around the flaws in everyone’s perfect plans.

Vanisha’s embracing of imperfection was not something that initially came naturally, but was a realization and perspective that came with experience. “All of these little things we do, that I do, to make sure everything goes smoothly – you can bet your bottom dollar that something will go wrong,” Vanisha expresses. “That perfect outfit I finally chose? I’ll sweat through it within ten minutes on the stage. That perfect makeup? It’s gone by the time I get off the subway to the gig.” Amidst the ever-present torrent of potential hangups that encompass daily life for a performer, Vanisha embodied the choice that every individual has to make: either be crippled by the entropy of one’s circumstances, or use the cracks in the wall as a new canvas for something remarkable. “This album was created when I realized I can’t be perfect,” she says. “And you know what? Dammit, I like that. What a relief to embrace that idea.”

The timing of Vanisha’s watershed realization could not have been more fortuitous. Shortly after she gained her newfound outlook, Vanisha was commissioned by The Jazz Gallery to compose a complete set of music. “BAM! My writer’s block was cured,” Vanisha says. “I fed off of that idea: imperfections and embracing them.”

It is from these circumstances – the ideation and the motivation – that She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth was born. The phrase that became the album’s title is also the first phrase heard on the album, further hammering home the central concept of Vanisha’s work. “It seems to me that true adulthood or maturity is accepting that you cannot and will never be perfect,” Vanisha says. “I will never be shiny. I will never be smooth.” Beyond the title track itself emphasizing this point directly, Vanisha further reinforces the concept on the piece “Demure”, but done in an almost tongue-in-cheek cute manner. The further layers of meaning behind “Demure” are, however, obstinate and emphatic. “I was raised in a society where being demure is cute. To shrink is cute. To not be demanding, to not ask for too much, to make yourself small in order to leave room for others to shine,” Vanisha says. “I’m not rude or disrespectful, but I’m also not a fool and I’m not invisible. I want there to be absolutely no misunderstanding: I am not demure; not anymore.” 

As the album continues, Vanisha explores the concept of embracing imperfection in varied manners and through universal themes. Whether speaking on empowerment, joy, or heartbreak, she admits, “I’m not trying to reinvent any wheel. The only wheel that’s been reinvented is my mindset of acceptance – acceptance of myself and the circumstances of life; riding the wave and making art out of it.” A salient example of Vanisha’s practice of ‘riding the wave’ can be heard in the track “Don’t Worry Bout Me”, which she composed after an off-putting stranger stole her phone. Instead of growing irate about circumstances she could not control, she chose to write about it and process through it. “In the moment I was livid, then – because I didn’t have a phone, I was bored,” she explains. “So I wrote that song. Thank you, weird dude.” Vanisha’s favorite song on the album is anthemic, with arguably the starkest message. Entitled “Get Out Of My Way”, the piece contains a clear-cut message. Unobscured by florid, metaphoric language, the composer wanted the piece to be a clapback against the selfish, unkind actions taken by those individuals with whom everyone is unfortunate to know in some form or fashion. 

One of the most powerful elements of Vanisha’s album is the contributions of her band. Jongkuk Kim, the band’s drummer and a powerhouse name in the New York jazz scene in his own right, is beloved by the bandleader for his emotive playing to the lyrics of her every song. “His sound is so tasteful and complementary to my voice,” Vanisha says. “My songs have a lot of lyrics and I want each word heard. He allows that for me and he never overpowers until the lyrics call for it.” Notably, she remarks that “I don’t use a drummer if Jongkuk is not available”, a further testament to his prowess. Pianist Chris McCarthy is described by Vanisha as her “right hand man”, and is credited with bringing every chord and line to life in a lush and vibrant way. “He can make anything sound like a masterpiece,” she says. Bassist John Sims is admired for his immovable sense of time, and eternal adherence to her vision and intent for every song. At the core, Vanisha values how intimately they know and respect her music. “They know me, and they show up and treat my music like I’d like them to treat my music,” she says. “I know my music with my eyes closed, upside down, in my sleep; they do too.”

With She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, Vanisha Gould presents a musical philosophy and ultimatum, declaring the beauty of imperfection, and the artistry of dancing between the fractures in every fleeting moment. Vanisha summarizes it all aptly when she speaks to the heart of the recording itself. “The band knows I’m not shiny, and they know I’m not smooth. I think subconsciously that’s why it all works,” she says. “Because they’re not either, and we don’t try to be. We’re all just hangin’.”

*She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth *releases November 8, 2024, via Cellar Music Group.

Thank you to Lydia Liebman for sharing the press release

3 years in the making, the new album from multi-award-winning vocalist, pianist and composer Laila Biali offers a cinematic set of winter-themed original songs that feature JUNO-winner & GRAMMY- nominee Jane Bunnett, the Venuti String Quartet and chamber orchestra.

Release Date: November 1, 2024 (Independent Release)

Stream/purchase here

18 months after the release of her critically acclaimed and JUNO-nominated jazz standards album, Your Requests, Laila Biali is back with an entirely fresh and original offering, marking her 10th recording as a bandleader. Composed from a cabin surrounded by snow-capped mountains during a writing retreat in the heart of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, ***Wintersongs ***is Biali’s musical love letter to winter.

For more than 10 years, Alberta’s **Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity **has been a creative haven for Biali, who expresses deep gratitude for the intensive independent residencies that have allowed space for the genesis of new work:

“The Banff Centre is where I go to meet my muse. I have been fortunate to spend time there in every season, but I was especially surprised at how much I loved winter. I was offered a 2-week residency as part of their Fleck Fellowship and arrived on campus in late November of 2021. Every day from dawn to dusk, all I could see and hear was music – in the awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets behind mountain silhouettes, in the wind as it rose up through towering trees, and in snow that constantly shape-shifted from stillness to storm. Those images and that experience fill this suite of songs.”

With funding support from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council, Biali and her team moved this ambitious project from concept to realization. As new production ideas emerged, the vision for ***Wintersongs ***expanded to include not only Biali’s usual collaborators – like her longtime co-producer, drummer and husband Ben Wittman – but also one of the most in-demand orchestrators, Rob Mathes (Sting, Bruce Springsteen).

Biali comments, “Rob Mathes has been on my dream-list since I first heard his early work.. There was magic in his writing. He and (GRAMMY nominee) Drew Jurecka really brought grandeur and a spirit of play to Wintersongs through their string treatments.”

Another fresh collaborator for Biali is the highly-decorated flutist and soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett, who will join Biali on an extensive tour in support of the album’s launch this November and December. Bunnett sparkles as she adds sweeping improvisational phrases and solos to both Rocky Mountain Lullaby, Biali’s ode to the majestic peaks of Banff National Park, and Dance of the Pines, a sonic journey inspired by flora, fauna and the aurora borealis. Other guests include the acclaimed trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, organ wizard Sam Yahel and the Detroit-born singer Wade O. Brown.

Together, they elevate one of the album’s more epic tracks, Outside (a Biali original) with such irresistibly hooky melodies, romantic imagery and opulent orchestration it could well become a contemporary seasonal classic.

The spirited original romp, Keep on Moving, takes off with soaring vocals from Joanna Majoko, Genevieve Marentette, and Jackson Welchner. Here the Venuti String Quartet (Rebekah Wolkstein, Drew Jurecka, Shannon Knights & Amahl Arulanandam) add their trademark virtuosity to George Koller’s formidable bass, Ben Wittman’s dynamic drums and Biali’s blistering piano. It is a stunning contrast to the album’s tender opening number, Drifting Down Ice, a warm invitation into a world of winter wonders as Biali’s vocalise floats overtop shimmering strings and **Lori Gemmel’**s lilting harp.

Gemmel makes an enchanting reappearance ensconced by Mathes’ ornate orchestral voicings on the lyrical ballad, Snow.

Winter Waltz is a charming instrumental version of the French chanson she co-wrote with Sonia Johnson, released last year as Belle nuit de Noël. It’s a whimsical nod to Vince Guaraldi (A Charlie Brown Christmas) that shines a spotlight on the Venuti String Quartet, with a masterful arrangement and bandoneon playing from Drew Jurecka. The album concludes with Jesus, He is Born (Iesous ahatonnia’), a 17th-century carol first attributed to Jean de Brébeuf that most listeners will recognize as “The Huron Carol.” Following extensive conversations with the Wendat artist, Andrée Lévesque Sioui, who is decolonizing this traditional song with her own brilliant re-written verses, Biali felt it was crucial to strip away John Middleton’s English lyrics, to offer an instrumental arrangement she hopes will help create space and open up dialogue about Lévesque Sioui’s important work.

Wintersongs draws us into an organic experience that feels entirely new and yet achingly familiar – uncharted terrain that resonates with the strong echoes of home.

Upcoming Performances click here

Emma Smith new album ‘Hat-trick!’ Out on Oct 25th (pre-ordered copies are sent out 3 weeks before official release!)

Emma Smith returns with 'Hat-trick!', her third studio album following the success of 2022’s ‘Meshuga Baby’, which received a plethora of praise from fans and critics alike.

Pre-order your signed copy of Emma's new album now and receive it before everyone else.

'Hat-trick!' will be introduced to the world by a triple show album launch by Emma and her swinging trio and is an amalgamation of music from three very diverse EP’s, but is much is much more than a celebration of all things thrice, as Emma explains: 

"Being an independent artist in this day and age is a roller coaster, to say the least. But whilst the music industry landscape remains totally unpredictable, there is one thing that can be relied upon; one must be capable of wearing an abundance of hats. We must be able to write the theme tune, sing the theme tune, design the front cover of the theme tune, register the theme tune for royalties collection services...etc. So this album is simultaneously a tip of the hat (whoops!) to all the incredible, brave and resilient independent artists out there following their dreams, and also to the supportive, loving and culture-curious music fans who buy the music, come to the shows, and roar with joy when we succeed. I see you, I respect you and I am you!"

 It is this outlook that has helped Emma Smith achieve a whole range of diverse and extensive experiences throughout her career to date, performing everywhere from the 02 Arena to the leading jazz clubs of New York City, collaborating and recording with the likes of Michael Buble, The Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum, Georgie Fame and Seal along the way. Emma Smith has created a formidable reputation as a powerful and expressive artist in UK jazz and will continue to augment this with Hat Trick, as its concept can extend beyond the music word.

Emma remarks that “As a society we so used to wearing so many hats; mother, daughter, sister, wife, employee, friend, career, student, boss, explorer, creator... it’s sometimes a challenge to get in touch with the truest, purest part of who we are. Music helps me to do that, the intangible, heartfelt, joyfulness of it. And so my wish is that this record allows you, even if for a few minutes. to get close to that pure, magical true, YOU.”

Some of the music on Hat-Trick will remain off streaming platforms for sometime to give exclusivity for those who purchase the album. To honour you, my loyal fans.

Beyond its many meanings, Hat-trick is quite simply a showcase of Emma Smith’s unique and uniquely exhilarating vocal ability – a slice of inspiration in musical form for the world to enjoy.

Pre Order here
For Emma Smith website click here

KRISTIN KORB BRINGS NEW LIFE TO EURYTHMICS CLASSICS! "SWEET DREAMS" ALBUM DROPS OCTOBER 25.

“She has a way of taking anything and making it sound cool!" - London Jazz News

Step back into the iconic sounds of the 80s with American jazz vocalist/bassist Kristin Korb's eagerly anticipated Eurythmics tribute album Sweet Dreams, set to drop on October 25, 2024.

REIGNITING THE 80s

MTV and the innovative sounds of Eurythmics provided the soundtrack to Kristin Korb's teen years. Annie Lennox’s powerhouse vocals and striking imagery were impossible to ignore and left a lasting impact. Now, Kristin brings her unique artistry to these timeless hits, blending her skills as a bassist and vocalist to create spellbinding renditions that honor the originals while showcasing her personal connection to Annie and the band’s music.

 A JAZZ JOURNEY THROUGH EURYTHMIC'S GREATEST HITS

Sweet Dreams is more than just a cover album. Kristin Korb reimagines Eurythmics' classics through her jazz-infused lens, weaving vibrant new arrangements and interpretations.

The project began with a sensational live debut at the legendary Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2023. The crowd went crazy, and the enthusiastic response spurred Kristin and her band to capture this magic in the studio, resulting in twelve carefully curated tracks that embody the essence of Eurythmics with a jazz twist.

FEATURING A-LIST COLLABORATORS

Kristin's bass grooves swing deep and hard with her long-time co-conspirators Magnus Hjorth on piano and Snorre Kirk on drums. Their familial connection is clear from the first beat, and you can really hear the trust and friendship that comes only with years of making music together!

The album also features the multi-awarded young Danish harmonica virtuoso Mathias Heise, who masterfully extends Stevie Wonder’s original solo on "There Must Be An Angel", transforming it into an outstanding lead part with a catchy Brazilian twist.

Joining in is also Swedish saxophonist titan Karl-Martin Almqvist,adding a dynamic layer to the songs, e.g. to the up-tempo version of the iconic anthem "Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves". Additionally, the project includes Danish trombone master Steen Nikolaj Hansen, and the vibrant rhythms of Cuban percussionist Yohan Ramon.

"Sweet Dreams" is available on CD and on all major digital platforms from October 25, 2024.

Kristin Korb website

The gorgeous and fluid album from Canadian born, New York-based cellist Sahara von Hattenberger entitled 1Q84. 

IQ84 will be released worldwide on Friday, October 18th, 2024 on ODD SOUND.

To purchase follow this link

Fans of Japanese literature may recognize the title of Montreal cellist Sahara von Hattenberger’s new album as having been borrowed from acclaimed author Haruki Murakami’s most famous fantasy novel, 1Q84. The story begins in 1984 and follows a young woman named Aomame as she travels to a parallel universe - one almost identical to our own, except for a few eerie differences. She calls this parallel reality 1Q84 (‘Q’ is pronounced Kyuu, the same way that the number 9 is pronounced in Japanese.)

The year 1984 also sees the completion of composer Claude Bolling’s Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio - and whether it was his intention or not, this new music acted as an antidote for the angst of the era. Massive inflation, the AIDS epidemic, financial unrest, an overwhelming fear and obsession with technology - these all loomed large in the zeitgeist. Von Hattenberger’s bold re-imagining of this famous crossover suite maintains the same sense of overwhelming joy and wit as the original. The Bolling Suite - over an hour in length, in 6 movements— is what comprises the first CD of this ambitious double album.

The second disc represents the 1Q84 of this project. Composed in the ‘alternate reality ‘of 2024, where we’re experiencing an entirely different pandemic, inflation is as high as it was 40 years ago, and the threat of AI is suddenly omnipresent. (It shouldn’t be surprising that mullets have come back into fashion...) 2024 feels a lot like 1984 - reminding us of Aomame’s parallel reality in Murakami’s tale. In that spirit, the record’s second disc is a beautiful collection of newly commissioned pieces that pay homage to the original Bolling suite. Both halves of this record will evoke pure joy for everyone who listens. This album is a welcome respite from the pressing darkness we often find ourselves in today.

Thank you to Orange Grove Publicity for sharing with us