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SMOOTH CHRISTMAS VIBES FOR THE WINTER
Concord Christmas classics from the greatest contemporary and silky instrumentalists and velvety vocalists that celebrate the holiday joy with warmth and intimacy. |
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Showing posts with label New Releases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Releases. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Smooth Christmas Vibes For The Winter (Concord) #jazz #music
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
Jazz trumpeter-vocalist Ilya Serov celebrates "Christmas with Friends" retro style #jazz #music
The new album of holiday classics available now features Dave Koz, Aubrey Logan, Casey Abrams, Ariana Savalas, and Dylan Chambers. Serov launched a U.S. concert tour with Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, and Ruben Studdard.
AJazz trumpeter-vocalist Ilya Serov has a busy holiday season planned with friends. He collaborated with a handful of friends – ten-time GRAMMY® nominee Dave Koz, Aubrey Logan, Casey Abrams, Ariana Savalas, and Dylan Chambers - on his first Christmas album, “Christmas with Friends,” which was released last Friday (November 28) by Neo Sound Records. On Saturday (November 29), Serov embarked on an 18-city U.S. concert tour with friends Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, and Ruben Studdard.
Indulging a long-held desire to record a holiday album, the question for Serov was what kind of an album to record. His catalog consists of a variety of jazz and pop spanning standards culled from the Great American Songbook, straight-ahead instrumental and vocal jazz, soulful R&B-pop, and contemporary jazz instrumentals. As a devout fan of the treasured Christmas recordings by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Perry Como, Serov decided to pay tribute to those timeless records. Producing the album himself, he brought in keyboardist, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor Nick Petrillo to help realize his vision of creating a retro-style collection. Swinging cadences, big band horn section, sweeping strings, and bebop ornamentation form the decorative backdrops for Serov’s debonair vocal delivery. Crooning with charisma, clarity, and elegance, he also plays trumpet and jazzohorn - the latter being a unique sounding instrument that he helped pioneer, which is a hybrid that is part flugelhorn and part saxophone - throughout “Christmas with Friends.”
“As we were working on the album, writing the arrangements, and seeing these songs come to life, I started hearing and imagining the sound of some of my friends who I absolutely admire and whose sound I was confident would open up and elevate these tracks. I feel so blessed and grateful that I got to collaborate with friends on this project: Ariana Savalas (vocals), Aubrey Logan (vocals and trombone), Casey Abrams (vocals and bass), Dylan Chambers (vocals and guitar), and one of my long-time musical heroes and mentors, Dave Koz (tenor saxophone), who introduced me to all these amazing artists. Each one of these artists has a distinct artistic voice and charisma and matches the vibe of the song and the arrangement so perfectly. Working with them made the process in the studio so special, unforgettable, and so much fun,” said Serov about “Christmas with Friends” that was primarily recorded at the legendary Henson Studios in Hollywood, which is now owned by GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist John Mayer who popped in during the recording sessions to offer support.
Serov and his duet partners were backed on “Christmas with Friends” by a collective consisting of Gary Matsumoto (piano and keyboards), Shane Savala (guitar), Cooper Appelt (bass), Greg Sadler (drums), and Jose Perez (percussion). The horn section was comprised of Michael Stever (trumpet), Bob Lawrence (trombone), Dan Kaneyuki (tenor saxophone and flute), and Tim McKay (baritone saxophone). Enhancing the tracks was the LA All-Star String Ensemble.
“Everything on this album was recorded live with real musicians and traditional acoustic instruments, which was typical for that era. It was especially important to me to make this record pure, performed by great musicians straight from the heart,” said Serov who is based in Austin, Texas, where additional recording sessions for the project took place.
Selecting a set list of traditional holiday songs and carols, Serov makes them his own with fresh arrangements, lush instrumentation, and spirited retro cool performances. Koz is featured on a keen medley blending “Skating” and “O Christmas Tree.”
Serov gifts listeners on “Christmas with Friends” with two originals: a new song that he wrote with Petrillo and Myah Marie, “That Christmas Feeling,” and “Angel,” a previously unreleased song written by a friend.
“My three-year-old son, Caden, loves Christmas music. I wrote ‘That Christmas Feeling’ to become part of the legacy that I want to leave for him. I hope he will grow up with this song and appreciate it. ‘Angel’ is an incredibly special song that was written by my dear friend, Laura Hagen, and her late husband, Earle Hagen. Earle was a legendary Hollywood composer, scoring music for television shows and films such as ‘I Spy,’ ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ ‘Mod Squad,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ and many more. ‘Angel’ was originally written for a television series as an instrumental composition but was never used. Laura later wrote the lyrics for it and this album is the song’s official premiere,” explained Serov.
Serov costars on the Home for the Holidays concert tour that launched on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He shares the marquee with two-time GRAMMY® winners Bryson and Easton and GRAMMY® nominee Studdard. The tour’s seasonal-themed set list presents holiday standards and a curated assortment of hits from the artists’ R&B, adult contemporary, and pop repertoire.
Friends served as an earlier muse for Serov who has a history with Koz that spans records and performing on the popular saxman’s annual jazz cruises. Koz appeared on Serov’s third album, 2021’s “Just Friends,” which was a mix of songs from the Great American Songbook and original tunes that peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard chart. Serov was joined on the outing by keyboardist Greg Manning, who has notched over a dozen Billboard No. 1 hits, along with guitarist Kay-Ta Matsuno, vocalist Matt Cusson, and saxophonist Alex Hahn.
Serov issued his debut album, “September in the Rain,” in 2013, which was a big band date made up of jazz standards. Five years later, his sophomore disc, “Back in Time,” offered classic cuts and contributions from noteworthy artist including GRAMMY-winning piano legend Roger Kellaway, two-time GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal, and GRAMMY-winning percussionist Poncho Sanchez. Last year’s “Colors” album included music produced by two-time GRAMMY winner Paul Brown, multiple GRAMMY nominee Darren Rahn, and Billboard hitmaker Adam Hawley. GRAMMY-winning bassist Hussain Jiffry and Billboard chart-toppers Jeff Ryan and Oli Silk were featured soloists. On the big screen, Serov has crafted music and performed on the film score for “Creed II,” “Deadpool 2” and “Addams Family 2.”
“Christmas with Friends” contains the following songs:
“Let It Snow”
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” featuring Ariana Savalas
“Home For The Holidays”
“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
“Skating/O Christmas Tree” featuring Dave Koz
“The Christmas Song”
“Holly Jolly Christmas” featuring Casey Abrams
“Angel
“That Christmas Feeling”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” featuring Aubrey Logan
“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” featuring Dylan Chambers
“Silent Night”
The complete itinerary for the Home for the Holidays tour with Ilya Serov, Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, and Ruben Studdard appears below:
November 29 Wilkes-Barre, PA
November 30 Collingswood, NJ
December 1 Old Saybrook, CT
December 3 Morristown, NJ
December 4 Lynn, MA
December 5 Waukegan, IL
December 6 Salamanca, NY
December 7 Detroit, MI
December 9 Elkhart, IN
December 10 Cincinnati, OH
December 12 St. Louis, MO
December 13 El Cajon, CA
December 14 Cerritos, CA
December 16 San Francisco, CA
December 17 Phoenix, AZ
December 19 Arlington, TX
December 21 San Antonio, TX
December 22 Abilene, TX
For more information, visit https://www.ilyaserov.com.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Pianist Michael Dulin offers the gifts of jazz, soul, and spirituality to "We Three Kings" #jazz #music
His new version of the Christmas classic is available now accompanied by a video.
While the three Wise Men bestowed gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, pianist Michael Dulin is gifting the globe this holiday season with jazz, soul, and spirituality on his new version of the Christmas standard, “We Three Kings.” The Equity Digital single release available now from all digital service providers completes the slate of diverse recordings this year from the Juilliard-trained Dulin spanning solo piano, contemporary jazz, and inspirational music.
In Dulin’s prodigious hands, “We Three Kings,” written in 1857 by John Henry Hopkins Jr., is a swinging and soulful sojourn rife with resplendent and resonant piano. Illuminating Dulin’s fresh arrangement is a decorated ensemble of musicians. The Nashville-based rhythm section consists of four-time Academy of Country Music Bass Player of the Year nominee Alison Prestwood (Peter Frampton, George Benson, Vince Gill) and two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music Studio Recording Award for Drummer of the Year Greg Morrow (Blake Shelton, Joe Bonamassa, Kacey Musgraves). The tinsel is provided by Scott McDavid’s strings, adding luster to the backdrop.
“I’ve always loved ‘We Three Kings’ for its beauty and mystery. It’s not just a carol – it’s a journey. ‘We Three Kings’ has that perfect mix of mystery and groove. I wanted to take something ancient and timeless and make it shimmer in a modern, contemporary jazz setting. Christmas, to me, is about connection — with our past, our loved ones, and something larger than ourselves. If this track can light a candle in someone’s heart, then I’ve done my job,” said Dulin who also released a video for the single (https://youtu.be/uSwOaoAIu2M).
Dulin follows his creative muse, which has produced a variety of recordings this year, a trend boding to continue next year. Last March, he dropped “Shimmer and Fade,” a stunning solo piano piece knitting swatches of jazz, classical, and ambient new age. In September, Dulin issued his first contemporary jazz single, “Slow Burn.” On it, Dulin paints borderless, genre-crossing sonicscapes, in this case a passion-infused romp exploring contemporary jazz and Latin rhythms. After celebrating the holidays at home in Birmingham, Alabama, Dulin will head to Nashville to record four new country songs in January. His next contemporary jazz single is slated for release in February.
A common thread sewn throughout Dulin’s twelve album catalog of contemporary instrumental and classical music projects is his ability to communicate and connect on an emotional level with listeners via his compositions and piano. His piano work is known for being masterful, evocative, and lushly harmonic. Dulin’s debut recording, “The One I Waited For,” was released in 2003. He’s won two Lifestyle Achievement Awards (Best Solo Piano Album and Best Neo-Classical Album) and an EPR Solo Piano Album of the Year award. On stage, Dulin has performed in an array of settings - from solo and with an orchestra to touring with The Temptations.
For more information, please visit https://michaeldulin.net.
Monday, November 10, 2025
Contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Cates opens up on "Us" #jazz #music
The new album is an intimate collection about his relationship with his wife as she fought for her life.
Saxophonist Michael Cates’s new album, “Us,” is a love story with a happy conclusion, yet it could have had a tragic ending. The same day that he and his wife, Judy, celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary last August, she was diagnosed with a massive tumor on her spinal cord, living inside the spinal canal. A life-saving surgery took place soon after in Dallas. As Judy entered the ICU for the surgery performed by a world-renowned brain and spine surgeon, Cates told her that the album he had been working on would now be titled “Us” and he presented her with the album cover - an image of the two of them kissing. The Sonic Redoubt Entertainment album, which Cates wrote and produced, is out now on all major digital platforms.
The day of Judy’s diagnosis, Cates was devasted and struggled to process the very real possibility that he may lose his wife, the partner who believes in him and selflessly stood by him for over thirty years while he pursued his music career. Seeking solace in his recording studio, Cates wrote “Judith Lorraine,” the new single from “Us” that will begin collecting playlist adds and airplay on November 17.
“I told Judy that this is a song of power and great healing and the gates of hell better get out of my way because I had it on Divine authority that the Lord Himself had inspired me through prayer to transcribe what he planted into my consciousness when writing this song for her. As we entered the hospital for this terribly difficult surgery, I knew she was going to come out of it healthy. And the song played on in my head, and her head and heart, too,” said Cates who brought in Billboard hitmaker Blake Aaron to co-produce and mix “Judith Lorraine.”
Cates wrote most of the music for his fourth solo album prior to Judy’s life-altering diagnosis. Writing “Judith Lorraine” the day of her diagnosis, he wrote “Recovered” in the ICU post-surgery.
“I lived in the ICU with Judy as she healed from the surgery. ‘Recovered’ is full of joy and you can feel it in the production,” said Cates about the celebratory track that opens the album.
“Us” is a dynamic collection of a dozen R&B, funk, contemporary jazz, blues, and pop cuts. GRAMMY-winning keyboardist Jon Gilutin co-produced three tracks with Cates (“Your Shadow,” “Summer Breeze,” and “South 45”) and GRAMMY® nominated keyboardist Rob Mullins wrote and co-produced “Here In My Heart.” Cates’s inspired and impassioned alto and tenor saxophone is supported on the album by Gilutin and Mullins’s keyboards, guitarists Randy Jacobs, Paul Pesco, and Todd Parsnow; bassist Larry Antonino, and drummer Sergio Gonzalez. Cates also plays guitar on the album.
Last summer before Judy’s health scare, Cates dropped a single, “77 Hours,” to preview the album. The song was submitted for a GRAMMY® nomination as Best Instrumental Composition.
The album’s lone remake, Seals & Croft’s “Summer Breeze,” is a sensory memory tied to when Cates first met his wife. He reimagines the song as a romantic ballad.
“The song lyrics about jasmine always represents an image of beauty to me. Whenever I smell jasmine, I’m instantly back in Irvine meeting Judy in a parking lot near John Wayne Airport. We were near some jasmine that night and the song’s lyrical association made me want to record this song, which I do love,” shared Cates who splits his time between living in California and Texas.
Growing up in New Jersey, Cates’s breakthrough came after moving to Los Angeles and winning a recurring role as “the saxophonist” for five seasons on David E. Kelly’s Emmy Award-winning television series “Ally McBeal.” To date, Cates has released four albums, a pair of EPs, and singles that consistently hit the national charts. As a concert performer, he’s played major US and international jazz festivals and renowned venues. Cates has performed with or shared the stage with Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barry White, Joe Sample, Tina Turner, and Mariah Carey, among others.
Two weeks after Judy’s surgery, the Cates’ found out that the tumor was benign. Relieved, her recovery continues as Cates’s album offering arrives.
“Before we could even wake from the nightmare, it was over, and we were home again. It all happened so fast,” Cates said before getting emotional.
“Judy has given me thirty years and asked for nothing. For many tens of thousands of nonrefundable hours, my wife has sacrificed her years and her comfort to let me continue to compete as a recording artist. I gave her ‘Us,’ an album that is entirely about her and our life together. In comparison, that’s not much, but it is all I have. I poured every ounce of me into this group of twelve tracks – for her.”
“Us” contains the following songs:
“Recovered”
“Vibes”
“Here In My Heart”
“All Saxed Up”
“Her Dangerous Touch”
“Judith Lorraine”
“Go”
“77 Hours”
“Your Shadow”
“Classified”
“Summer Breeze”
“South 45”
For more information, please visit https://michaelcates.com.
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