Jazz vocalist Sandra Booker takes the first courageous step towards reclaiming her life after surviving sexual assault and a life-threatening cancer battle, releasing “The Reunion Concert Live” on July 14 is the first in a series of new projects.

LOS ANGELES (12 June 2023):  Sometimes the best way to move forward is to go back. For jazz singer-songwriter Sandra Booker, she’s ready to pick up exactly where she left off eight years ago when she recorded a live album with her then band, The New Trio. Releasing the album, “The Reunion Concert Live from Pasadena Conservatory of Music: Barrett Hall,” this July 14 is a monumental step forward for Booker after enduring a traumatizing eight years that include sexual assault and a life-threatening cancer bout, which combined to put a halt on her once promising performing, recording and touring career.  

The 2015 concert showcasing Booker elegantly singing and astutely scatting a set of standards and a few of her original storytelling compositions took place several months after she was sexually assaulted by a musician she knew and trusted. Still numb and traumatized, Booker was determined that the show - and the recording - must go on.

“Producing that show was such a labor of love because I was still reeling from the assault in silence but determined not to let it take away my passion for music and the joy I knew it gave to others,” said Booker.

A year after the Pasadena concert, Booker was diagnosed with bladder cancer, a diagnosis she believes came as a direct result of the sexual trauma she endured. The assault awoke memories of past childhood abuse. The lengthy cancer battle that ensued became the primary focus of Booker’s existence for six years.

The gifted songbird to whom five-time Grammy winner, six-time Academy Awards nominee and four-time Emmy nominee Lalo Schifrin – the legend who wrote the liner notes for “The Reunion Concert Live from Pasadena Conservatory of Music: Barrett Hall” - calls one of his two favorite jazz vocalists was silenced over these years when all she wanted to do was sing and entertain.

Last fall, after no longer showing signs of disease, Booker didn’t know where or how to begin her comeback. But reading a timely post on social media about creating a comeback changed that. In those words, Booker saw a path towards getting back to doing what she loved. It meant going back to when life as she knew it came to a halt. It meant finally releasing the recording she intended to release eight years ago. She believes releasing the collection is pivotal to resuming her life, restoring her reputation and rebuilding her brand.         

“I feel it is time to release this project to the world and get it off of my heart and spirit. I’m proud of the work and due to health challenges that nearly took my life, time is now of the essence. I have had a rough life but I’m not a victim. I’ve built my life on speaking the truth and being genuine. I love the person I have chosen to be, and I search for the good in myself. I am determined not to become like the people who have harmed me. Facing my mortality gave me the resilience and motivation to do that and whatever is left of my life is dedicated to being the best I can be. Music is medicine to me, life is for living, and reclaiming that part of my life means everything to me,” said Booker defiantly.

“The album is a love letter to myself and chronicles my ups and downs of falling in love, being betrayed by it, and finding the hope to love again. It explores the perils of unrequited love, the dream of reunion and reconciliation, and the bitter disappointment of knowing that sometimes the love we wanted will never come to fruition. It touches on family and friendship, and the psychological and emotional challenges of losing those bonds. At its core, this album is about love in its various manifestations. I wanted to musically express the highs and lows of realizing the only love we can surely rely on is the love we create and nurture within ourselves,” said Booker, who was accompanied by Tamir Hendelman (piano), Robert Perkins (drums), Dave Robaire (upright bass) and Steve Cotter (guitar).

“The Reunion Concert Live” is the first of a prolific slate of recording projects Booker has in the pipeline to make up for lost time. The release marks the rebirth of a career, but, more importantly, the resumption of a radiantly gifted life interrupted by unimagined darkness and sorrow. If everyone really does love a comeback story, just wait until Sandra Booker writes hers by the life she courageously lives beginning with the release of this inspired album.

For more information, please visit Sandra Booker here

The second recording as a leader by **Roberta Baldizzone **for the ParmaFrontiere label, featuring her White Quartet, a now well-established albeit unconventional ensemble that sees Roberta Baldizzone on piano accompanied by Gabriele Fava on soprano and tenor sax, Michele Bonifati on electric guitar, and Marcello Canuti on drums.

The compositions, once again created entirely by the pianist, offer a broader view of her compositional palette. The result is a work that encompasses multiple aspects of European jazz, from the 1970s to the present day, and incorporates many of her own influences. This time, the focus is on storytelling, while still maintaining a strong interest for experimentation.

At the core of the musical exploration of this album lies the interaction between composition and improvisation, their fusion within the structure, and a search for timbral blends.

Some Pictures explores the universe of images, whether they arise from paintings, memories, or snapshots of real events. The merging of images into sound passes through the sensitivity of four storytellers, guided by a score but left free to tell their own version of the story along the musical fabric. It is not so much about descriptive music or a synesthesia between distinct sensory spheres, but rather a pretext to infuse movement into the image and make the resulting music as 'alive' as possible.

 Further information here

Gathering together an eight-piece band of outstanding musicians, Zoe Rahman has created The Colour Of Sound: the most ambitious, many-hued, uplifting large-ensemble music of her multi-award winning career.

Her choice of collaborators reflects her deep engagement with the diversity of contemporary Britain. Starting with the foundational rhythm team of explosive US native Gene Caldarazzo on drums and long-time scene stalwart Alec Dankworth on bass, she’s built up a frontline of players from across the generations of current UK players. Trumpeter Alex Ridout and trombonist Rosie Turton represent the new wave of young empowered female players: flautist Rowland Sutherland and Zoe’s brother Idris Rahman on saxes and clarinet are joined by guest trumpeter Byron Wallen to bring their wealth of diverse musical heritage, their gravitas as long-time scene leaders, and their undimming passion and commitment to the project. The music paints on a wide canvas in vibrant colours.

Colour Of Sound combines Zoe’s unique and powerful writing with thrilling arrangements and dynamic performances from the whole band to create an album of jazz at it’s highest level that still communicates its message directly to the listener. It’s a splash of colour and a bold statement beautifully realised that is Zoe Rahman’s most compelling work to date.

Releases July 7, 2023

Written, arranged and produced by Zoe Rahman
Recorded at Master Chord Studios
Engineered by Ronan Phelan, assisted by Michele Catri
Additional recording at Rokit Studios
Engineered, edited and co-produced by Idris Rahman
Mixed by Laurent Dupuy
Mastered by Caspar Sutton-Jones at Gearbox Records
Photos by Ilze Kitshoff
Make-up and hair by Nina Davis

Order here

Nigeria-born, Los Angeles-Based Jazz Vocalist Douyé Breathes New Life into the Great American Songbook on The Golden Sèkèrè

Douyé Blends Her Polyrhythmic African Heritage with the Lyricism of the Western Jazz World to Create an Astonishing 14-Song Collection of Sublime Beauty and Percussive Festivity. Featuring Trumpeter Sean Jones, Guitarist Lionel Loueke and Bassist Buster Williams: Available July 7 via Rhombus Records

The Great American Songbook offers delightful lyrics and delicious melodies that have been recorded and performed by a plethora of singers. While some jazz vocalists since the ‘90s strayed from that straight-ahead path by covering pop tunes of the day and writing their own compositions, the standards have continued to serve as the vocal’s bedrock of jazz over the past decades. However, the repetition sometimes takes the surprise out of the depth of the songs. Often an album of standards performed by the best vocal talent can sound predictable. 

Enter the extraordinary Lagos, Nigeria-born, Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist **Douyé **who breathes new life into the tried-and-true standards on The Golden Sèkèrè—her fifth album named after the beaded percussion instrument unique to her homeland. She blends her polyrhythmic African heritage with the lyricism of the Western jazz world to create an astonishing fourteen song collection of sublime beauty and percussive festivity. It stands tall as a special font of creative innovation.

“I’ve seen thousands of people on YouTube sing these jazz standards, but so much of it feels inauthentic,” Douyé says. “Like my father taught me, I needed to connect with the spirit of each of the songs to understand them directly.”

 While all the standards she renders on The Golden Sèkèrè are familiar*,* it is impossible that one has ever heard them in this soundscape. With her exquisite dark-roasted voice, Douyé ranges her delivery from horn-packed, percussion-driven big bands to more intimate settings that are spiced by talking drums and sekèrès. In the making of *The Golden Sèkèrè,*Douyéwas inspired by Fela Sowande, a Nigerian musical virtuoso and recognized classical composer who blended Nigerian musical sounds with classical music. In addition to her Nigerian-steeped support team featuring arrangers Bada Ken Okulolo, Tosin Aribisala, Zem Audu; Guitarist Dokun Oke and Percussionist Najite Agindotan contributed their musical skills to this project. Douyé enlists an impressive guest list, including trumpeter Sean Jones, who appropriately lights a fire on Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine,” most recognized by Miles Davis. He embraces Douyé’s voice with sensitivity. “Sean has that touch,” she says.

Douyé also invites the majestic guitarist Lionel Loueke (born in Benin, neighbor to Nigeria) to the fore on the love song “Fly Me to the Moon” and the romantic ballad “I’m Confessing That I Love You” where he follows her swooning vocals as a complement to the percussive undergirding. “Lionel’s gift is his openness in catering to my intent on this album,” Douyé says. “Being an African, he understood what I was envisioning.”

Bass legend Buster Williams swings in on “Devil May Care,” largely a duet with Douyé that serves as one of many highlights in the album. It’s lightly spiced by African percussion. She sought him out because she admired his work and attitude. “Plus, he recorded with one of my teachers, Sarah Vaughan,” Douyé says. “When he asked me what I was looking for, I told him that I wanted to blend the Nigerian sounds into the standard sound. He was intrigued and mesmerized by such an innovative idea.

In choosing the songs for the collection, Douyé says, “Every song has its own spirit and these songs spoke to my me. I’m spiritually inclined.

She opens the album with a swinging take on Ray Nobel’s classic bebop standard, “Cherokee.” With her 11-piece band, Douyé starts the party with ebullience. “I wanted to introduce the talking drum right away,” she says. “This song introduces how we are going straight into Africa, ushering the world into talking drums and sèkèrè.” Along the way she celebrates the blend on such tunes as the Kurt Weill gem “Speak Low,” the tempo-changing “Key Largo” and two originals with a full percussion feast from the Duke Ellington songbook: the swinging “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and the dramatic and playful “Azure” fully bringing to light the heraldic blue color.

The inspiration for starting The Golden Sèkèrè project was her affection to Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” which appears twice on the album. To bring more of the rich Nigerian culture into the festive version of the song, she cites the influence of Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti. She grew up listening to him as her father played his music every day. “It was a blessing and a privilege to take a crack at this song with Fela in mind,” she says. “While Cole Porter wrote this tune, Frank Sinatra, another one of my teachers, is the inspiration of this song. He holds the spirit of this song, and I needed his blessing.”  

Douyé visited Sinatra’s burial site at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City near Palm Springs to pay respect. The song kept coming back to her mind. “On my way driving back to L.A., I was singing it and trying to figure out how I add my own flare to the tune,” she says. “Then while taking a shower, the beats came to me. I sent them to Bata Ken Okulolo and I expressed my interest in completing this song with a big band. It was not going to be done like Frank, but it would offer an experience to the world to see the song in a different light.” With a 15-piece band, the song is a plethora of exuberance. 

Douyé returns to the song for the album’s quieter, soulful finale. “It’s Palm Wine Music,” she says. “The African groove of percussion is about relaxing, lounging and listening.” It’s the perfect end to showcasing the rich Nigerian culture meeting the beauty of Western culture through a captivating jazz journey.

Douyé made this album to celebrate her heritage in culture and sounds. The Golden Sèkèrè is also a loving tribute to Douyé’s father Landy Youduba. Even though she started her career recording R&B music, she never forgot her father insisting that she sing jazz. In her album liner notes, she writes about her father’s blessings when he told her, “Omo mi, you should never forget that you came from a background that is rich in culture. I want to encourage you to create an album that celebrates your talent and heritage. I know God with you every step of the way.”

Further info here

Toulouse-born, Montreal-based vocalist Olivia Maisel’s debut album A Moment In Time is a reflection of decades of personal experience. Maisel chose the songs based on the story she wanted to tell: "A story of unity, a past we hold in common, a present we could experience together, and a future of hope and change."

Very early on in her process, Maisel created a storyboard for the album with the guidance of acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer Kate McGarry. Those first steps set her on a path to create something truly personal. Maisel decided to tell her story using some of her favourite songs from the Great American Songbook, all while showcasing a few of her many different musical influences. The album evolved into a refuge and an outlet for her deepest feelings about her past. It stands as a tribute to relationships, love, loss, and life.

For Maisel, the title of the album, A Moment in Time, is about learning to accept the present moment without needing to define it; acknowledging its existence, and letting it go. It is also a reminder that as time passes, feelings and perspectives inevitably change. Without giving too much away about her intentions behind the record, she hopes everyone will see a version of their own story here.

A Moment in Time will be released worldwide on Friday, July 7th 2023.

Olivia's website

“Tatiana Eva-Marie has consistently delighted audiences with her buoyant style and effervescent personality, all of which fit firmly into the vintage jazz manouche genre that Django pioneered.”   -- Will Friedwald

The Great American Songbook has stood the test of time, and its influence on popular music has been felt around the world. That’s what brought the young Swiss-born chanteuse TATIANA EVA-MARIE to New York City, where it all began. Tatiana is now releasing TWO AT THE MOST, a collection of romantic songs from the Great American Songbook presented in an intimate duo setting.

TWO AT THE MOST is Tatiana’s seventh CD as a leader. She was recently included, alongside Cyrille Aimée and Cécile McLorin-Salvant, in a list of rising jazz stars picked by Vanity Fair, and she was named “one of the best young singers around” by the Wall Street Journal. Nicknamed the Gypsy-jazz Warbler by the New York Times, Tatiana’s music is inspired by her French and Balkan heritage, a love for the Parisian art scene era spanning the 1920s to the 60s, and a passion for Gypsy music. But she is also fascinated by New Orleans jazz and has a deep connection to the Great American Songbook. 

Tatiana is joined on TWO AT THE MOST by pianist JEREMY CORREN. A mainstay on the New York City jazz scene, he performs regularly at the Blue Note, Smalls Jazz Club, and the Jazz Gallery. He has also performed at the Newport and Chicago Jazz Festivals, and internationally at the Blue Note clubs in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing, as well at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, among other international venues.

Tatiana’s voice is sweet and warm, the perfect vehicle for this romantic selection of songs. Corren’s accompaniment is a tasteful canvas that gives Tatiana the colors and space over which to paint her song stories. On TWO AT THE MOST, Tatiana Eva-Marie and Jeremy Corren create a retro feel that would not be out of place in a 1940s nightclub. They work together regularly, and their empathy and mutual respect is palpable.

Tracks

1. The End of a Love Affair 4:57

2. Penthouse Serenade 4:20

3. Fly Me to the Moon 4:17

4. Sophisticated Lady 4:10

5. I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good 3:35

6. You Go to My Head 5:21

7. They’ll Never Believe Me 3:22

8. The Nearness of You 4:31

9.  You Are Too Beautiful 3:37

10. I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face 2:24

Personnel

Tatiana Eva-Marie, vocals

Jeremy Corren, piano

Mark Buchan, vocals (7, 10)

Tatiana website