New Jazz Voices

Another selection of Vocal Jazz albums including yet to be released material with an example track from each.

AUDIO

PLAYLIST

1. Nicole Yvette “Crossing Over” from Say Yes (Self Released - 14th August 2026) - rooted in contemporary soul/R&B the record features a full roster of working jazz musicians — Terri Lyne Carrington, Larry Goldings, Joel Ross, Keyon Harrold, Lenard Simpson, Dawn Clement, Andrew Renfroe and Paul Cornish — whose playing naturally brings jazz phrasing and harmonic detail into the arrangements. Jermaine Paul provides bass, J. Ivy contributes spoken word, and Kurt Elling appears as a guest vocalist. The result is a soul/R&B vocal album shaped by the instincts and musicianship of a jazz‑trained ensemble.

2. Douyé “Days Of Wine And Roses” from Stay With Me (Groove Note Music Records - 26th June 2026) - Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist and songwriter Douyé with her sixth album and the first of her jazz albums to include original songs. The 13-track album places three new songs by Douyé and Rufus Bordal among 10 Great American Songbook standards arranged and largely co-produced by pianist George Cables. Recorded in two complementary settings — standards arranged by Cables at Sear Sound in New York and originals arranged by pianist/arranger Mina Choi at The Village Studios in Los Angeles — Stay With Me frames Douyé’s songwriting inside the classic language she has spent years making her own.

3. Nicole Zuraitis “Call My Name (I Dare You)” from The Devil I Knew (La Reserve Records - 17th July 2026) - A cinematic, five-part concept album that explores themes of self-reckoning, emotional agency, and accountability. Produced by the legendary Larry Klein, the project blends jazz virtuosity with literary influence, structured across thematic movements—The Mirror, The Martyr, The Malediction, The Reckoning, and The Requiem—that incorporate poetry from iconic writers like Dorothy Parker, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Representing a shift toward a “New Romanticism” in jazz, the album is notable for its lush, emotionally expansive sound.

4. Tom Ricci “Simply Love” from Happening In Buenos Aires (Tom Ricci Music - June 20th 2026) - This release captures Argentine-American vocalist and guitarist Ricci performing live in his birthplace, joined by a remarkable South American trio featuring Argentine pianist Pablo Sanguinetti, Brazilian bassist Bruno Migotto, and Argentine drummer Oscar Giunta. Recorded on June 20, 2023 at Borges 1975, the album documents a night where Ricci’s worlds came together: American jazz standards, Brazilian bossa nova, Argentine tango, blues, personal repertoire, and reimagined modern material, all filtered through the intimacy and risk of a live performance. With no full-band rehearsal beforehand, the four musicians shaped the music in real time, giving the album its sense of immediacy — and its title.

5. Yoko Miwa Mikayla Shirley “Modinha” from The Midnight Hour (Cupcakes & Muffins - August 28th 2026) - Last year, pianist Yoko Miwa and vocalist Mikayla Shirley began performing together during The Mad Monkfish’s Midnight Sessions in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and those evenings became the foundation of their musical collaboration. Their intimate duo sets have quietly become one of the Boston jazz scene’s hidden treasures. Here we have two musicians exploring an eclectic repertoire that moves effortlessly between jazz standards, Broadway songs, Brazilian music, classic pop, and contemporary songwriting. What unites the material is not genre, but a shared belief in the power of a great song.

6. Amber Weekes “Hazel’s Hips” from To Oscar With Love (Amber Inn Records - August 7th 2026) - The fifth studio album by acclaimed American jazz recording artist. Produced by Mark Cargill, this deeply personal project celebrates the birth centenary of the legendary songwriter, poet, playwright, and Civil Rights activist Oscar Brown, Jr.. Moving through a narrative arc that mimics a single summer night in New York—traversing blues, romance, and spirituality—Weekes utilizes her signature “velvet voice” and interpretive gift to breathe new life into Brown’s influential songbook. Often described as the most powerful and unique record of her career, the album serves as both a tribute to a musical hero and an intimate reflection of Weekes’s own family history and artistic identity.

7. Eve Cornelious “Lonely Town” from Again…Naturally (ToneEveJa Records - May 24th 2026) Marking a significant return to form, the album features a collection of nine tracks—including “Big City,” “Lonely Town,” and “My Baby Just Cares for Me”—that showcase her seasoned vocal approach. Supported by a skilled ensemble that includes pianist Anthony Wonsey, bassist Will Lyle, and drummer Larry Q. Draughn Jr., the record highlights Cornelious’s interpretive depth and enduring connection to the jazz tradition.

8. Michelle Lordi & Matthew Parrish “When Stars Go Blue” from Live At The Dirty Dog (Bump Jazz Promotions - July 31st 2026) - Marking a turning point in their decade-long creative partnership, the album is the first to feature the two artists with equal billing, capturing an intimate and refined performance recorded at the renowned Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe. The project serves as a sophisticated testament to their musical chemistry, blending precise arrangements with emotive, authentic vocal delivery to breathe new life into the standards of the jazz tradition.

9. David Bassee “On My Baby’s Side” from The War Within (Big Head Productions - September 12th, 2025) - Recorded at the intimate Kulak’s Woodshed in Los Angeles, the album features Basse performing on drums and vocals alongside pianist Stuart Elster and acoustic bassist Lester Hughes. The project, which originated from a collaboration suggested by vocalist Mark Winkler, serves as a raw and deeply introspective showcase of Basse’s vulnerability and rhythmic command, blending vocal jazz with honest, heartfelt storytelling that draws from his decades of experience as a cornerstone of the Kansas City jazz community.