Featured Single

Band Name: Allesandro Bottura
Featured Single: Stern Memories
Album: Morning Grooves
Genre: Jazz Fusion
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"Who Walks In" by Miss Rose and Her Rhythm Percolators (Jazz Artist from Washington(WA))

"Who Walks In," the debut album from Miss Rose and Her Rhythm Percolators, captures the sound & feel of 1920's & 1930's popular jazz styles with a mix of 11 classics & nearly forgotten songs from the era, including wonderful takes on such generation-crossing standards as "Ain't She Sweet" & "'Deed I Do". Singer & ukulele-player Sunga Rose leads a spot-on 4-piece band through a repertoire of pure nostalgia. And yet, this is no museum piece. The Rhythm Percolators quartet gives these songs new life with their deft & bouyant readings, making gems like the sprightly "At the Codfish Ball" sound almost contemporary. In addition, the outstanding title song, "Who Walks In," has a wonderful Eastern European bounce while the ballad "Shanghai Lil," exhibiting some of Miss Rose's best vocals, reveals as much about its era as it does the timelessness of great song craft. As the Deperession era's popular radio hits can be seen as timeless classics, Miss Rose and Her Rhythm Percolators' excellent new release "Who Walks In" is sure to appeal to music fans looking beyond today's hottest sounds and should definitely be given a listen to.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Miss Rose & Her Rhythm Percolators's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"Reformed" by Reform (Jazz/Rock Artist from Sweden)

Equal parts jazz and instrumental psychedelic / progressive rock, Reform's debut CD, "Reformed," charts a middle ground that ably fuses classic styles and influences - with an unusual twist. With a stellar 6-piece ensemble behind him, harmonica player Àlvaro Fernandez Gavíria's full, lower-octave playing serves as a primary lead instrument for much of the album. With studied restraint, Gaviria's tone – which recalls that of accomplished blues harp-stylist, Corky Siegel, approaches his instrument like a fusion-oriented Miles Davis, drawing out found harmonics within the framework of the band's rich and melodic songscapes. Guitarists Johan Glasson and Peter Åkerberg create the underpinning for Reform's – at times, Steely Dan-like jazz-rock sound, while drummers Anders Bergman and Åke Eriksson provide the forward thrust, effectively filling passages with deft and meticulous hits and textures. Not to go unmentioned, bassist Jesper Bergman and keyboard player, Magnus Ramel's contributions are no less vital - and noteworthy, to Reform's decidedly adventurous leanings. Regardless of whether it's fusion jazz or spacey art rock, Reform's CD is a terrific set of original music by unique players with unbounded skills.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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"We R a Nation" by Thumper & Generation One (Jazz Artist from Nebraska(NE))

"We R a Nation," the 3rd CD by Thumper & Generation One, finds the one-man band continuing to navigate the sounds and styles of R&B, jazz, funk, rock, and pop with the intuitive finesse of a veteran ensemble. Opening with a propulsive R&B rock gem, "It's Time," worthy of Prince, Thumper establishes the contours of the 13 tracks to follow. The title song, "We R a Nation," rides an R&B quiet storm groove in a call-out for unity and tolerance, while "Dreams do Come True" is an urban-leaning contemporary song with a smooth jazz composition of both melody and rhythm. Finishing as strong as it started, the album closes with a bang with the bracing funk of "Chicken Pickin'," with its Southern-influenced groove and bursts of soulful horns. But throughout the album, its Thumper's tasteful guitar virtuosity – at times, reminiscent of George Benson, among other stalwarts – that provides the musical backbone to his accessible and catchy compositions. Definitely for fans of contemporary R&B and smooth jazz, Thumper & Generation One's "We R a Nation" CD has more than enough going on to satisfy the broadest of audiences.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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"Another Monday Night" by Swingadelic (Jazz Artist from New Jersey(NJ))

On "Another Monday Night," the latest CD from Swingadelic, the accomplished "little" big band from the NY area shines as an ensemble as much as they do a collection of prolific soloists, proving the timelessness of sparkling and proficient jazz in an era when it sometimes feels like the great American invention has been marginalized. Bristling with solos of melody and bravura – like the stratospheric tenor of "Dance With You" or the deft piano skills of the "Puttin' On the Ritz"-like "Early Morning Special" – this group resembles no less a band (though half the size) than the famed Count Basie Orchestra, investing each number with volleys of inspired but precise mayhem. Can they swing? Absolutely! Their take on Ellington's "The Gal From Joe's" is insistent and nuanced. Can they get down and dirty? The dynamics of the Basie-esque "Buddy's Thang" make that a resounding "yes." What about the blues? They've got it covered. "Busy Body Blues" and "Big Band Blues" are steeped in the language and phraseology of the idiom's best practitioners. They do vocals too: "Back In New York City" is an excellent original, praising the city that never sleeps with a treatment that is both classic and contemporary – or, if you will, timeless. The music and playing on Swingadelic's latest disc "Another Monday Night," will want you hearing more of this swinging jazz with the kind of flair, melody, and dynamics to stir the heart and move the feet.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
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Check out Darin Seldes, one of RadioIndy's favorite Rock artists

Radioindy Artist Spotlight for darin seldes

 

 

Band Name: darin seldes
Band Location: Unknown
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RadioIndy is pleased to present Randolph with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Euphony"

RadioIndy is pleased to present Randolph with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Euphony"

The widely eclectic album "Euphony" by Randolph offers a vast variety of both songs and acoustic instrumentation. Most full band albums consist of the usual key instruments (drums, bass, guitar, and vocals) but Randolph has opened the door wide open on his newest collection of jazz/blues/world pop with use of djembe, cajon, congas, bongos, tablas, timpani, drum kit, violin, trombone, sax/flute, alto flue, bassoon, oboe, and numerous ethnic instruments. The result is magnificent and is well displayed on songs like "That Piece of Me" and "Analog Man." The album is also filled with numerous lead vocal appearances, all of which are tastefully done and fit well within the song choice. There is also a great throwback to the singers of the '60's on songs such as "Let's Get Connected." If you are into pop/jazz or anything Elvis Costello has put out in recent years, you will enjoy "Euphony."

-Shaun H. and the RadioIndy Reviewer Team
Check out Randolph 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"Insight" by Flora Ware (Jazz Artist from Canada)

Highly talented in the arts, singer/songwriter Flora Ware reaches well beyond the roots of jazz with her smooth vocal style on her latest album "Insight." Ware's voice is impressive with pure and polished clarity, yet there is a wonderful silky and sultry taste to it. She projects her voice with clean articulation only to be complemented by the dynamic and well-balanced instruments. Molded for a night club scene with a soft and subtle atmosphere, "You Don't Know What Love Is" is sweet and has sophisticated elegance. Feel the relaxed orchestrated production on "I've Never Been In Love Before" as the horns dance around Ware's graceful vocals and stunning lyrics. Flora Ware's "Insight" is an album that has the versatility to mix jazz with R&B and pop with progressive, modern touches. This treasure of exquisite jazz songs will have listeners wanting more of this gifted artist, and is an album well worth listening to.

-Diane and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Flora Ware's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"Happy Talk" by Andrea Hopkins & Jonathan Katz (Jazz Artist from Japan)

Twirling Jonathan Katz's nimble and deft piano accompaniment around her finger like an alluring chanteuse, Andrea Hopkins explores Vocal Jazz styles in a voice as emotive as it is beguiling on their engaging and very fine CD, "Happy Talk." Tackling a collection of primarily Great American Songbook standards – from Hoagy Carmichaels' "The Nearness of You," to Harold Arlen's immortal "Over the Rainbow," to Ray Noble's "Cherokee," Hopkins & Katz neatly strike a balance between provocative interpretations and familiar readings, proving how much life is still left in these old warhorses. Nevertheless, covering such standards as these (as well as "Bye Bye Blackbird" or "Misty") can be a double-edged sword for performers, exposing - as it does, new renditions to the harsh glow of comparison (i.e., to the Sinatra's, Fitzgerald's, and Garlands et al whose voices defined the songbook.) To their credit, the duo handles the challenge with assurance and no lack of self- confidence. Hopkins' voice is equal parts sultry, evocative, and pitch perfect, while Katz' keys delve the melodic and harmonic possibilities of these classic tunes with intelligence and nuance, but always in a manner that allows Hopkins room to interpret. In sum, the combined talents and sheer musicality of Andrea Hopkins & Jonathan Katz make "Happy Talk" an endearing and completely satisfying CD.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Andrea Hopkins & Jonathan Katz's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites