"Light and Darkness" by Ivan Valentini (Jazz artist from Italy)

"Light and Darkness" by Ivan Valentini is a fresh contemporary jazz album that gives your body and mind a workout. The arrangements are unique, mixing traditional Jazz elements with "outside the box" type soloing. The vibe of the album is very mystical and a bit haunting. There is intense and nicely restrained power about it. The album is also packed full of great performances. The musicians are truly top notch. The clarity of the recording is excellent, allowing the instruments to clearly cut through in the recording. Highlights are "Sottane Emiliane" with harrowing strings, eerie Sax and obscure changes. "Linda's Mood" is gorgeously dark and cinematic, with an offbeat rhythm and beautiful strings. "Riflessi di Viloa" is upbeat and driving, with some great guitar, string and Sax work. If you like experimental jazz and listening to musicians who are masters of their instruments, you should pick up a copy of this CD.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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“Changes” by Robert Payne (Jazz artist from South Africa)

"Changes" by Robert Payne is a jazz CD that demonstrate's Robert's exceptional talent and versatility. Taking center stage on this CD is Rober's virtuoso jazz piano skills. Robert nicely changes his style on different tracks throughout the CD. Regardless of the style, his piano work makes for great listening. The production and recording quality are excellent, allowing the outstanding individual instrumental work to cut through the recording clearly. This is truly a rare experience. Each instrument is nicely highlighted in the recording, for instance the flute in "Satisfy your Soul." The Sax solo in "Diminished Dreams" pulls and draws energy from the surrounding drums and keyboard. The piano work displayed in "Realization" is exquisite and followed in that selection by an impressive sax solo. If you enjoy listening to master musicians showcase their talents into finely crafted tracks, you'll enjoy this excellent jazz CD.

-Lea & The RadioIndy Team
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"Taking the soul for a Walk" by Dafnis Prieto Sextet (Jazz artist from New York City, New York (NY))

"Taking the soul for a Walk" by Dafnis Prieto Sextet represents some of the best in jazz. The piano and trumpet on this CD will make those of us who love jazz take a deep relaxing breath and say "yes"! The CD fills nicely changes tempos to keep the listener's interest. Great trumpet, piano, drum, and sax flow expertly throughout the entire collection. "En Las Ruinas De Su Infancia" will make the stiffest dancer loosen up and want to sway. The brilliant piano work in "Until the last minute" can make the classically trained turn green. The production is precise and gives each of the tracks radio-ready finished quality. This is a CD featuring some extremely talented jazz musicians: A must listen for all jazz lovers.

-Lea & The RadioIndy Team
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"Soup:Jazzing The Blues" by Robert Soup Campbell (Jazz Artist from Kentucky(KY))

"Soup:Jazzing The Blues" by Robert Soup Campbell is a collection of classic blues songs and jazz numbers that features Soup's energized and emotional vocals sitting above an excellent rhythmic groove. The sound quality of the album is very raw and "analog," giving it a cool retro flavor. "Soup" has a great grittyness to his voice and his blues vibe is distinct. The band is tight and accomplishes the feat of "Bringing it all together." Highlights are the cover of "Born Under a Bad Sign," which pays tribute to Soup's excellent voice. "Baby, Tell Me What You Want Me To Do" (Recorded Live) puts the true energy of the band in perspective - a classic blues dirge with a little harmonica. "The First Time I Saw Your Face" is a touching Jazz number that features strings and a strong vocal performance. If you like Ray Charles, you'll enjoy this CD

William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team

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"Speak Low" by Bari Hyman (Jazz Artist from New York, New York(NY))

"Speak Low" by Bari Hyman is a classic Jazz album that puts you right in front of the fireplace with a glass of Brandy. Bari's voice is earthy, rich and her lyrics are delivered gently with a touch of flair. The band behind her is top-notch and there is no shortage of sounds with 7 different instruments to tickle your ear drums. The arrangements are classic and yet innovative. Highlights are the opener "Moonlight in Vermont," which displays the full sound of the band with a high-energy, all inclusive arrangement. The title track "Speak Low," is the most naked of all the tracks and showcases Bari's beautiful voice. "It's Magic" features some beautiful guitar work along with another fine vocal performance. If you enjoy female jazz vocalists you'll like this one.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team

 

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"Under The Radar" by Andy Roberts (Jazz Artist from Pennsylvania(PA))

"Under The Radar" by Andy Roberts is a Progressive Rock album rooted heavily in Jazz. The arrangements are highly advanced, yet effectively retain listenability. The music on the CD has a great energy and the tracks clearly demonstrate the extremely high musicianship level of Andy and the other top-notch musicians on the CD. Both the male and female vocals complement the sound very well. You'll notice a constant lounge vibe throughout the twists and turns of these adventuresome songs. Highlights are the opener "There I Was," a high energy number with a lot going on and some cool changes. "Trance Dance" has a very creative arrangement and keeps you on your toes."King Ool" wraps it up nicely with some fine piano work and a fusion of ambient sounds. If you enjoy progressive rock or jazz/rock fusion, you will enjoy this one.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team

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"We Get Paid for This" by The Juggernauts (Jazz artist from Kentucky (KY))

"We Get Paid for This" by The Juggernauts is quite a thrill to the ears. Taking sounds from the 20's, 30's and 40's, The Juggernauts not only produce an attention-grabbing musical atmosphere, but also hook listeners with their witty and creative lyrics. Listeners are sure to smile and groove their way through this entire voyage. The instrumentation on this CD is of top-notch quality, and exhibits great diversity. One standout track is the fun-filled, upbeat "Let's Misbehave." The only thing this song is missing is a naughty giggle. The slide flute solo is simply priceless. "Nagasaki" is downright wacky, as you can imagine, and features some scatting and overall vocal nuttiness. "My Window Faces the South" is a down-home-number that features some nice fiddlin'. If you like a little twang mixed with a little fun and a little boogie, you will surely enjoy this one.

-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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“Frittata” by Rolf Kempf (Jazz artist from British Columbia)

"Frittata" by Rolf Kempf/ Woody Sparks is a very soothing concoction of jazz/standards-style tunes. The song structures and instrumental arrangements on these songs have a nice jazz structure to them, with an adult pop aspect as well, giving them a nice blend that is tough to characterize, but reminds us of Sting meets Ray Charles. The raspy male vocals are effective for this laid-back Jazz style. "Lazy Solea" demonstrates a stunning violin section. "Alone With the Wind" crosses into the field of pop, and introduces some very laid back vocals that add to its emotional appeal. Moreover, the piano-led ballad "Midnight Butterfly" stands out because of its soaring and powerful vocal arrangement and performance, as well as its beautifully written poetic lyrics. Overall, this CD flaunts excellent production, appealing musicianship, and unforgettable songwriting. If you enjoy jazzy pop artists with a raspy male vocal style, such as Ray Charles, you will enjoy this CD.

-Xavier
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“Hardly Ever” by Anya Thomson (Jazz artist from United Kingdom)

"Hardly Ever" by Anya Thomson is a very groovy and memorable jazz collection that had us amazed. WOW! This CD demonstrates great talent, superb musicianship, and top-notch production that portrays a very live feel. "Sleuths, Scoundrels, Saints And Sinners" introduces listeners to the very beautiful vocal performances of Anya. Her pitch-perfect, airy vocal tone adds a thick emotional atmosphere to these songs. Lyrically, these songs are poetically sharp, emotion-invoking, and quite memorable. The upbeat "Good And Wrong!" flaunts some very audacious instrumental runs, including a very memorable piano and saxophone run. Bearing the whole-package, "Hardly Ever" is one album well worth a listen for any jazz fan, and also any pop music fan that enjoys artists such as Norah Jones.

-Xavier and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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“Sleeping Giants” by Vali&saxolution (Jazz artist from Austria)

"Sleeping Giants" by Vali&saxolution is a remarkable smooth jazz collection that leaves a lasting impression. Demonstrating great talent and skill, this CD serves up some very soothing piano and saxophone-led compositions. The recording is cystal clear, allowing the finer details of the instruments to push through. Moreover, the percussion arrangements on this album employ great creativity and hold these tunes together like glue. Everything about this CD, including the interesting songwriting, and especially the musicianship, is top notch. "Fly" demonstrates the mesmerizing sax melodies that bring these instrumentals to life. "Paris" introduces a very nice electric guitar lick, adding to the instrumental diversity. All around, this album radiates musical passion, creativity, and excellent production. This is an excellent addition to any jazz collection.

-Xavier and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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