In a culture where Christmas is often celebrated by non-religious or “spiritual but not religious” people as a secular holiday, it’s not surprising that some of the most acclaimed and popular seasonal solo piano recordings have come from artists who don’t specifically identify as Christians. Immediately coming to mind are the late George Winston’s seminal album December , several by David Lanz and a few decades worth of excellent holiday collections by Jim Brickman. These are

Esteemed retro-jazz label Turtle Bay Records and veteran pianist, band leader and two-time Grammy winning jazz scholar Loren Schoenberg are a match made in contemporary updates of classic obscure big band arrangement heaven. Four prolific decades after his original big band recorded the first of five albums, and years after he began overseeing the Benny Goodman Archives at Yale University, the longtime Julliard jazz history professor mines fresh magic in the historically impo

Truly a musical citizen of the world, the delightfully sultry and sensual force of vocal nature globally renowned as “Sacha” was born to Mexican and French Lebanese parents, raised in a European home in San Diego and boasts the otherworldly distinction of speaking seven languages and singing in 14. It’s her affinity for French, and perfect phrasing in that most romantic of tongues that brings poetic charm, beautiful ambience and masterful storytelling flow to Sacha: Paris Aft

Here are some fascinating points to ponder as listeners immerse in the surreally expansive vocal range, spirited scat and wildly eclectic stylistic terrain traversed by Josie Falbo on her majestic, richly orchestrated and appropriately titled jazz, big band and Brazilian fired third album Kickin’ It . Tucked into her bio, behind her hundreds of commercial jingles and backing work with legends (Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Mavis Staples, et al) is the coolness that the Chicag

It’s testament to the timeless melodic excitement, seductive, funky and fiery grooves and crackling electric guitarisma of multi-instrumentalists and sound designers Dieter Spears and Brian Paris that the revamp of their extraordinary dual new age/rock instrumental project Speris is having such an impact nearly 30 years after they originally conceived and recorded it. Pop in on their dedicated website ALBUM: SPERIS - Inhaus Creative and you’ll see it plain as day: Speris is

Oneness-World , an extraordinarily hopeful and powerfully inspirational masterwork from the expansive, ever-evolving imaginations of visionary creative team and husband and wife duo Premik Russell Tubbs and Margee Minier-Tubbs, is driven by a sense of celebration about the interconnectedness of human hearts. A fascinating, richly textured 47-minute sonic journey, the album artfully and soulfully fuses elements of world music, jazz fusion, Indian and Celtic influences, dashes