Today sees the release of Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan, the fourth album from multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and leading UK jazz vocalist Zara McFarlane.   The album honours the jazz great who inspired Zara on her own artistic journey and whose centenary year is honoured in 2024.

To mark the release, Zara unveils her impassioned interpretation of the Marvin Gaye classic, Inner City Blues, an album focus track among many stand-out tracks. The track was recorded by Sarah Vaughan for her 1972 comeback album, ‘A Time In My Life’ which Gaye had originally released the year before. It would become one of the era’s greatest protest songs.

“Sarah was not afraid to lend her voice to the troubles of the times” notes Zara, “her version was pretty full on, with horns and a large band” she continues, “but we wanted to strip it back, leaving it sparse and intentional with the feel centred around the bass line.  It’s crazy to think how this song still resonates so poignantly today”.

Just as Vaughan’s straight up soul-funk version serves as a reminder of Vaughn’s versatility, Zara’s exceptional brazen, bluesy version does the same.

Nicknamed ‘sassy’ or the ‘Divine One’, Sarah Vaughan was revered not just for her incomparable vocal range, but for the depth, control, emotion and playfulness of her voice. A pioneering woman, she brought bebop to vocal jazz, her contemporaries marvelled at her enviable musicianship and subsequent generations of jazz vocalists have been inspired by her.

Sarah Vaughan’s recording career spanned 50 years notching up almost 60 albums (plus nearly 30 again in compilations and box sets), so it’s not hard to imagine  immense task in selecting the songs for ‘Sweet Whispers’. Yet the album is more than a run-through of some of Vaughan’s most popular songs. Through a thoughtfully chosen selection of songs, formed across months in collaboration with producer, and the album’s clarinettist and saxman, Giacomo Smith – Zara journeys through the musical life of Sarah Vaughan, from her first to last recording, breathing new life into some of her best and less familiar songs. But importantly, the songs that mean the most to Zara.

‘Inner City Blues’ follows the album’s first single, the stunning The Mystery Of Man released in April. It appeared on Vaughan’s 1984 album, The Planet Is Alive...Let it Live that featured the philosophical poems of Pope John II. The song features Zara’s soaring voice and layered harmonies and is an epic track of immense power and spirituality.

Elsewhere, we hearMean to Me, Zara’s favourite Sarah Vaughan song. Appearing on her 1950 debut, the song showcases her technical prowess and bebop leanings. Just as Vaughan did before her, Zara’s swinging version is imbued with emotion and soul and a deft presentation of her stunning jazz voice. If You Could See Me Now, the 1946 jazz standard composed by the great pianist Tadd Dameron especially for Sarah, is another of Zara’s favourites since the lyrics really speak to her.  Zara provides a superb rendition of Obsession taken from Vaughan’s last studio album, 1987’s Brazilian Romance featuring Milton Nascimento. The addition of steel pans provides a nod to Zara’s Caribbean roots. 

The collection includes one original, the title track Sweet Whispers, a divine, short but touching hymn-like ballad swathed in cello, inspired by quotations from Sarah Vaughan uncovered by Zara on the creative journey. With a soft, beguiling voice, this is Zara’s sonic love letter to her inspirational jazz pioneer.

‘Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan’ was recorded analogue at Durham Studios, London. Giacomo assembled a stellar cast of musicians - Joe Webb on piano, Ferg Ireland on double bass, Jas Kayser on drums, Marlon Hibbert on Steel Pan and Gabriella Swallow on cello – to record 11 tracks live to tape; with minimal overdubs, the recording has retained a live, vintage feel.

Zara McFarlane said “It was when I started to listen to Sarah Vaughan that I really began to appreciate jazz vocals. She had such control across her range and a vocal command that was cheeky, playful and fun yet sophisticated and articulate. I really wanted to pay homage to her as I feel she has been somewhat overlooked amongst the jazz singers. Although I do love Ella and Billie, it's all about Sarah for me.”

A celebration of Sarah Vaughan could be in no better hands than that of Zara McFarlane, who makes an inspired homage to the ‘Divine One’. Beautifully performed in Zara’s own inimitable style, with her own playful swoops and slides, she has added her own touch to the music. With a silken voice and timbre that brings emotional depth, attitude and personality to this collection of Sarah Vaughan songs, this is a masterful celebration.

To purchase album click here 

https://www.zaramcfarlane.com/

Violinist/ Composer Alexa Torres and her Quartet to release new recording : IN SITU

In July 2022, Alexa Torres set out on a one-year trip to interview and collaborate with improvising violinists across Belgium, France, and Poland. Her hybrid research and performance sojourn was funded by two prestigious awards: The Presser Graduate Music Award and The Fulbright Grant. Torres recorded her debut album, In Situ, in preparation for this journey, to reflect internally on the sound cultures that shape her personal musical milieu before turning her gaze externally to new soundscapes.

“In situ is an archaeological term which refers to the original position of an artifact found in place. When I was 21, I spent five weeks excavating Maya ruins in the Belizean jungle. We spent 8 or 9 hours a day digging in the wet dirt, often without finding much. But I remember the sense of awe I felt when I finally dug up an artifact. It was a scraper – a type of tool, carved out of stone. As I held it, I thought about how I was likely the first person to touch it in over a thousand years, and I imagined stories about the people who had used the tool before me so long ago. I wanted to bring that very particular feeling of awe to this album. The term in situ evokes a sense of rediscovery and recontextualization which are processes that I think play a big role in improvisation. It also conveys a feeling of connection between past, present, and future. Artifacts found in situ represent material culture which we use to construct narratives of the past in order to better understand our present and our future.”

This sense of temporal connection is reflected musically through the textures, improvisational languages, and timbres of In Situ. With a blended acoustic-electric violin sound, Torres’s be-bop lines intertwined with modern diminished and altered vocabulary float over guitarist Wellman’s bright, distinctly contemporary voicings. Further mirroring Torres’s goal of bridging past, present, and future, In Situ brings together original compositions as well as contemporary arrangements of jazz standards. The result reflects an intimate engagement with jazz idioms and with Torres’s own Latinx heritage by synthesizing Latinx rhythms, modern jazz devices, and improvisation.

“I recorded this album right after I had finished my master’s degree in jazz violin from The University of North Texas. It was real transition moment – I was preparing to leave the country for an extended period of time, I was in the process of moving, and my future was uncertain. And I really wanted to use this record as an opportunity to sit in that liminal space between where you are coming from and where you are going. I wanted to use it as an opportunity to reflect not just on this deep digging into jazz traditions I did in my master’s, and what it means to try to transfer these traditions to the violin, but to move further into the past to also reflect on my Cuban heritage, and on the years I spent living and performing in Chile. I saw this album a sort of excavation of my own past, and also as a deeply personal, multilayered syncretism. When I say this, I mean that I saw it as a way of integrating the different physical spaces I’ve occupied, the various soundscapes I’ve encountered in those spaces, and also of uniting my research and performance practices.”

In addition to being a professional improvising violinist, Torres is a music researcher with a background in cultural anthropology. “I view my work as an ethnographic researcher and my performance practice as an improvising violinist as intrinsically connected,” she says. “They mutually inform each other.”

Torres was awarded the Austin Live Music Grant to support the release of In Situ and the album will be available on all streaming platforms on June 14th, 2024. Immediately following its virtual debut,  In Situ is set for a live release concert on June 15th at the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin, Texas. Torres has teamed up with the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, TX to offer a community-centered performance that is free to the public, which will be complemented by additional summer release performances in New York City and Austin, TX.

In December and January 2023-2024, Alexa performed a pre-release tour of In Situ in Chile. During the tour, Alexa played in the cities of Valparaiso and Santiago, performing at some of the country’s top jazz clubs such as Thelonious Lugar de Jazz.

“My four years living in Chile were really formative for me. I did a lot of growing up in Chile. I learned a lot about myself, and about what I want in life and in music. And so much of this album is about connecting different spaces and times that were important to me, so I was thrilled to be able to do that not only conceptually but also physically by performing this album in Chile with some really great friends and musicians.”

Torres’s violin is supported by a rhythm section of talented musicians: Mario Wellmann on guitar, Josh Newburry on bass, and Jordan Proffer on drums. Weaving an aural landscape that is both personally and historically grounded, In Situ sculps a sonic bridge between the past and the present, between tradition and innovation, and between musical idioms and cultures.

Alexa website click here

Espial release new album The Act Of Noticing on May 24th 2024, with DISCUS MUSIC

The Act Of Noticing is an invitation to enter a sound world rich in sonic imagery, evocative atmosphere, and finely wrought detail. This album takes listeners on a journey, at one moment guiding them through changing musical landscapes at high speed, at another inviting them to simply stop and stare.

Espial emerged from a discussion between David Beebee and myself about how to develop and extend the musical language we had established on our duo album for Discus, “Ripples”. David felt that expanding the group to a trio would be a good idea, and suggested inviting Josephine. Our first session playing together worked very well and so this new ensemble was born. 

The music on the album is almost entirely improvised. Listening back to the takes, there seemed to be a very evocative, organic quality to the pieces which informed the titling decisions. Just one piece, “… fresh snowfall at dawn”, used pre-composed material as a basis for improvisation. Everything else is entirely spontaneous. Everything is played live, with no overdubs. 

Espial is an archaic word meaning “the act of noticing”, which seemed hugely appropriate and appealing as the name for an improvising group.

Josephine Davies - tenor and soprano saxophones
David Beebee - electric piano / effects
Martin Pyne - vibraphone / balafon / percussion

BIOGRAPHIES

Winner of the 2019 Parliamentary Award ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the year’, Josephine Davies is a musical artist at the forefront of the UK contemporary music scene. Her current main artistic project is Satori – a sax/bass/drums trio with an emphasis on extended and collaborative improvisation. It is a project that combines her seeking of freedom of expression with an interest in Japanese philosophy and lifestyle. As well as Satori she now leads her own big band ‘The Enso Ensemble’.  She is known for her melodic focus, versatility and unique style which has been described as “consistently inventive” (Jazzwise Magazine), “strong and authoritative” (The JazzMann) and “with winning immediacy” (MOJO Magazine).

David Beebee is a pianist , bass player, and composer. He leads his own trio, and a quartet playing his own music featuring saxophonist Julian Nicholas, drummer Eric Ford and bassist Jakub Cywinski. He plays in the trio Small Blue , with Marianne Windham and Martin Pyne , who have just released an album The Stealthy Moon,  and he  recently performed on singer Imogen Ryall’s highly acclaimed new album “Charles Mingus / Joni Mitchell Songbook” released on Rubicon Jazz. In addition to his work as a musician David is a highly accomplished recording engineer, and runs his own studio, Beeboss Studio, in Seaford on the South Coast of England.

Martin Pyne is a versatile musician, playing vibraphone, drums, and a range of other percussion. His own music ranges from free improvisation to relatively straight-ahead jazz, and takes in influences from jazz, world music, Americana, and the avant-garde. He leads a quartet, the trio Small Blue, and performs solo. He has an ongoing song writing partnership with singer Laura Zakian, and records and performs with Martin Archer and Charlotte Keeffe in the group Hi Res Heart. He also works regularly with leading silent film accompanist Stephen Horne. By far the greatest part of Martin’s professional time is spent working with contemporary dance. Martin’s solo album, Spirits Of Absent Dancers, was named by writer Richard Williams in The Guardian, as once of his top albums of 2020.

Josephine Davies website click here

LA-BASED SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER NICOLE MCCABE SHARES CAPTIVATING ORIGINAL MUSIC ON HER FOURTH RELEASE, MOSAIC
PRODUCED BY JEFF PARKER.

Release Date: 24th May 2024 on Ghost Note Records

Featuring:  Nicole McCabe – alto saxophone

Logan Kane – bass
Tim Angulo – drums
Julius Rodriguez – piano and Rhodes Jon Hatamiya – trombone (1, 8) Aaron Janik – trumpet (1, 8) Jeff Parker – guitar (6)

“Nicole’s saxophone tone ... is full, rich and self-assured with balance and nuance in all ranges.... Her improvisations are creative and informed by the jazz tradition in their substance and daring, [with] adventurous rhythmic pulses and challenging harmonic movements.” — Patrice Rushen

“There is humility and respect in her playing, a true cognizance of the tradition from where her art comes, and a feeling of surrender to where the music is directionally head.” — All About Jazz

Alto saxophonist Nicole McCabe established herself as one of the most compelling figures on the Los Angeles jazz scene with Introducing Nicole McCabe (2020, feat. George Colligan) and Landscapes (2022), two releases mainly for quartet on which she exhibited a strong sense of swing and an exploratory compositional approach. McCabe’s Improvisations EP, a 2022 solo session for alto with effects, revealed another part of her musical self, in terms of sonics and abstract, open-form extemporization. She is also one-half of the electro-jazz duo Dolphin Hyperspace with bassist Logan Kane, her partner in life and in music, bassist of choice for the great David Binney.

Kane and drummer Tim Angulo make up the formidable rhythm section on Mosaic, McCabe’s vibrant fourth release as a leader. On piano and Rhodes, impeccable and distinctive, is Verve recording artist Julius Rodriguez. McCabe expands the lineup on two tracks with trombonist Jon Hatamiya and trumpeter Aaron Janik, adding possibilities for denser orchestration and counterpoint. And guitarist Jeff Parker, of Tortoise and Chicago Underground renown, adds his focused melodic acuity on the ballad “Tight Grip.” Parker’s role as producer of Mosaic was a blessing, McCabe remarks: “I’m a big fan of Jeff’s music, and the way he’s able to push things forward. I was so grateful that he agreed to do this. He did what he does on his music, but in a way that fit my music.”

There’s a great deal of personal meaning to the two opening pieces, “Force of Good” and “Architect,” which McCabe refers to as a suite “for women that have influenced my life, who shaped me, female mentors specifically.” The final track, “Derecske” (pronounced DARE-ski), is named for a town in Hungary, McCabe explains: “It’s for my grandma, the only grandparent I have, one of the only family members I have. I called her and asked about her life, and that’s the town she grew up in. It means ‘little dew’ in Hungarian.”

Two of the tunes grew out of McCabe’s time in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency program at the Kennedy Center, where she studied under Jason Moran. “‘Walking Statue’ is about preserving history and also moving things forward, which to me is what the Jazz Ahead program is doing,” she remarks. “‘Tight Grip’ was written for my uncle who I lost to drug addiction about a week before I started with Jazz Ahead. He was a musician, so I feel like he would be really proud of what I’m doing.” The dramatic crescendo and transition to all-out free playing toward the end, McCabe adds, “is maybe me venting my anger out about the cards my uncle was dealt and things I wish I’d done or said. And then at the end the tune enters a kind of peace. So the section before is about struggle, and at the end, it’s peace. I think everybody in the band really helped convey all those emotions.”

What Mosaic represents most, to McCabe, is the kind of live, spontaneous energy she and her colleagues aim for and consistently achieve on the bandstand. “It was fun to try out a new band, because this was something I wanted to build on compared to Landscapes, which was more about beauty and nature. For Mosaic I wanted to capture more of how I feel when I play live. And this felt so close to it.”

The band rises to the occasion in meeting that goal, lighting a rhythmic spark as they navigate forms and changes that aren’t as traditional as what McCabe might have used in the past. “‘Force of Good’ has the least amount of chords I think I’ve ever put in a piece,” she quips. “I’ve been listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell and things that depart from jazz, but I’ve also been influenced a lot this year by Kurt Rosenwinkel, Walter Smith III and Melissa Aldana, that kind of writing as well. To me Julius and Tim really embody the New York sound that I love. It’s very aggressive and right there with you—I can play whatever I’m feeling and they’re going to follow me. And Tim really pushes me to play beyond what I’m putting out. Julius is just incredible; he brings so many things to life in the music that I hadn’t written, different feels over things. And my musical bond with Logan continues to evolve. We always talk through gigs after the fact and advise each other a lot in the creative process. We both take pride in learning each other’s music really well, so if Logan is on a gig with my music I know that everything’s going to be okay.”

Originally from Marin County, California, Nicole McCabe now works and lives in Los Angeles, where she earned a Master’s from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, studying with Vince Mendoza, Patrice Rushen and Russell Ferrante. Her music stretches her hard-bop roots into new territory, informed by an expansive melodic sensibility. She’s become embedded in LA’s interdisciplinary scenes brewing outside the academy and around boundary-stretching labels including Ghost Note, Brainfeeder, Leaving and Minaret. She’s a mainstay at local hotspots Sam First, Altamira Sound and ETA, where she’s performed with Rachel Eckroth, Tina Raymond, Dave Harrington and more.

In addition to Mini Giraffe with Dolphin Hyperspace (2021), McCabe released the EP Orbit with beatmakers 10.4 Rog and Vooo. She was also featured on Jacob Mann Big Band’s Greatest Hits Volume

She has played with David Binney, John Escreet, Anna Butterss, Henry Solomon, Sasha Berliner, Louis Cole, Thumpasaurus and more. While at USC, she received the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Jeff Clayton Memorial New Note Award and the Keep an Eye International Jazz Award. She currently teaches undergraduates at California State University, Northridge, as well as Los Angeles public school students through the Musicians at Play Foundation and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz program Jazz in the Classroom.

 To purchase click here

London’s finest electro-prog-jazz group Emily Francis Trio are back to build on the futuristic soundscapes explored on their 2022 album ‘LUMA’. New EP ‘Atomic’, builds on the release of singles After The Rain and Lydian Child, creating a dystopian, sci-fi leaning soundtrack.

The ‘Atomic’ EP explores themes of conflict and turmoil, the importance of wellbeing, and even the supernatural, all channeled through the Trio’s customary approach to melody- driven, dynamic, and sonically ambitious compositions. Influences span the electro-jazz scenes of New York and Scandinavia, whilst also borrowing from vintage TV sci fi themes and 20th century contemporary classical and film scores. The project sees bandleader Emily Francis at her most free-wheeling to date, mixing up complex sound design with tender, melodic piano playing. Trevor Boxall’s other-worldy, thunderous bass tones compliment Emily perfectly, especially in the mix with the wildly innovative grooves of Jamie Murray.

“Where LUMA was occasionally sprawling, with its share of 7-minute-plus tracks, Atomic takes a more direct approach, placing melody front and centre, employing cinematic-style leitmotif, and propelling the music forward with driving rhythm and groove. The sound palette is more important than ever, playing a vital role in bringing characters within the music to life.”

Reflecting an emergence from a period of conflict and turmoil, lead single After The Rain paints an auditory picture of riding out a dystopian storm. Sparking images of a Blade Runner-esque cityscape pummelled by torrential rain, the dynamically rich composition builds to a captivating synth solo, before a triumphant resolution aims to inspire optimism for what lies ahead once the storm is over. Elsewhere, Lydian Child builds on the the bands distinctive blend of synth lines and other-worldly washes, emulating synesthesia with a vibrant assortment of sounds and harmonic flavours.

The Trio’s debut album, 2015's ‘The Absent', established their fresh take on the piano trio format, creating a sound with a strong emphasis on melody and groove, resulting in compositionally rich, original music. 2022's follow up ‘LUMA’ reinvented the trios sound, weaving synth-heavy soundscapes amongst prog-rock-tinged, odd-time grooves. Support for the record came from BBC Radio 6, Jazz FM, Music Is My Sanctuary, Twistedsoul and Women In Jazz, to name a few.

Buy and Listen here

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UK saxophonist, vocalist and composer KIM CYPHER presents her latest single release, ‘Birdie in the Grass’ – A light-hearted, jaunty, original Latin track with a feel-good summery vibe. 

This relaxed Bossa-Nova evolved out of appreciating the smaller things in life. One day during the pandemic lockdown, Kim observed a tiny baby bird playing in the grass, learning to fly, flapping its wings and just loving life. Standing at the window observing the activity, a cheeky little Latin melody soon evolved to accompany the joyful scene.

From Kim Cypher's forthcoming album 'Catching Moments', this track is one of twelve tracks on the album, including ten original tracks inspired by world and personal events of the past few years and focused around catching precious moments in life.

Featuring a whole host of special guest performers including Antonio Forcione, Liane Carroll, Ray Gelato, Ashley Slater, together with an ALL-STAR band, the album is part of Kim's vast, inspired 'Brighter Tomorrow' project, which has been devoted to paying tribute to those who work in The Arts #brightertomorrowforthearts

Track composed and produced by Kim Cypher

Personnel:

Kim Cypher - tenor saxophone

Antonio Forcione - guitar

Raph Mizraki - double bass

Karl Vanden Bossche - percussion

Mike Cypher - drums

Juanjo Lopez Vidal - recording engineer

Track release – 22nd May 2024

Click here to buy

Album release – 4th October 2024

Kim will debut ‘Birdie in the Grass’ together with a selection of other tracks from the album live at RONNIE SCOTT’S on Sunday 16th June as part of a special ALBUM PREVIEW Father’s Day celebration. Tickets available here