Category: Vocal Jazz

JOHNNY SUMMERS - WHEN IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME

12/10/2015

You'll hear a bit of Harry Connick Jr. in this New Orleans flavored track from Johnny Summers, and that's no coincidence. Listening to Harry as a youngster is what inspired Johnny to become a Jazz musician of the Big Band variety. Johnny Summers is a Canadian vocalist, trumpet player, composer and arranger. "When It's Christmas Time" is just one song from Johnny's new album of the same name. On the record, he shows himself equally at home with any number of styles, including Gospel and Swing. You can get the full album (CD and/or digital) from CD Baby and iTunes. But "When It's Christmas Time", for a limited time, is available as a free download on Soundcloud (though you'll have to go to Soundcloud to get it since the download button isn't included on the above widget... Fair enough). You can also visit Johnny at his website or on Facebook.

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SVETLANA & THE DELANCEY FIVE - BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

11/24/2015

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The retro sound is obviously in.

Svetlana Shmulyian has an obvious affinity for the old "Speakeasy" style of Jazz. Her tone and phrasing, the clarity of her voice, all lend themselves to precisely the style of music she's making. So the only "trick" is finding musicians with a similar feel for the genre. And she found them. The Delancey Five play the style of Jazz so well, you'll feel they jumped into a time machine back in the thirties and magically appeared in the present.

This three-song EP, "Baby It's Cold Outside", dates from 2012 and, as good and authentic as it is, you still get the feeling they hadn't yet found that additional ingredient to make their sound completely their own. The reason that I'm featuring them now is because I'm thrilled to report that they've found it. Svetlana & The Delancey Five have a full-length coming this January on Origin/OA2 Records. In addition to the all-stars who are The Delancey Five, "Night At The Speakeasy" also features the magnificent Wycliffe Gordon. I've heard a couple of tracks from the new album and they are sensational. And original songs written by Svetlana, herself, feature prominently, as well they should. I'm going to put this nugget in your noggin for future reference. "All I Want". It's killer. It's not a Christmas song, of course (otherwise they'd release the record in December rather than January), but it is winter themed enough that you could definitely include it in your seasonal soundtrack without anyone batting an eye. Hold the thought and look for "Night At The Speakeasy" come January 15.

In the meantime, Svetlana's three-song EP, free on Bandcamp, will help keep you warm through the holidays. The two holiday tracks are "Let It Snow" and "Baby It's Cold Outside". Yes, I know. The latter song has developed a reputation as being stalkery. For some reason--perhaps because the style takes you back to a simpler time decades ago--"Baby It's Cold Outside" sounds a lot more innocent when Svetlana sings it. And Adrian Cunningham's velvety vocals in duet offer just the right counterpoint. The EP rounds out with "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"--just a way of letting you know that Svetlana & The Delancey Five are as much a dance band as anything else. You know, we have lost something valuable with the modern emphasis on large venue concerts. Years ago, a singer I knew--an old-timer--asked me, "How can you tell if they like the music if the people can't get up and dance?" The man had a point.

You can also get the "Baby It's Cold Outside" EP on a physical CD, if you prefer your music on hard copy. That's not free, of course, but look at the cool packaging--like an old time 78 rpm record (kids, ask your parents about 78s, or, um, maybe you should ask your grandparents). You'll find the music and details on Bandcamp.

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The FREE List

Here we hope to direct you to some of the Christmas music on the web that can be yours absolutely free. We will not direct you to mp3 or sharity sites, here, but only to artist sites, label sites, and other authorized and unquestionably legal locations.

JOHNNY SUMMERS - WHEN IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME

SVETLANA & THE DELANCEY FIVE - BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

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