News – Sylvia Brooks

Goldmine Magazine Reviews Sylvia Brooks New Single “Amazing Grace”

dynamite — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 09:08:35 +0000

It was the core and primary catalyst for the idea that Brooks would manifest with regard to recording an homage to each and every 9/11 victim. The bringing to fruition a true-to-genre and unadulterated jazz rendition of this timeless and archaic 240 year-old song – Amazing Grace.

Occhi Magazine Feature “Amazing Grace”, Sylvia Brooks New Single

dynamite — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 09:14:52 +0000

During her visit to New York City for the 2023 Jazz Congress, Sylvia Brooks felt compelled to visit the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. While there, she was struck by a musical inspiration as she heard “Amazing Grace” at the hallowed ground where nearly 3,000 people lost their lives.

Take Effect Reviews Sylvia Brooks Live With Christian Jacob Album

dynamite — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:32:23 +0000

The inimitable vocalist Sylvia Brooks returns with a 5th album, where live selections from the American Songbook were fleshed out at Herb Albert’s Vibrato, and with an all star cast on hand.

O’s Place Jazz Magazine Review Sylvia Brooks with Christian Jacob Live Album

dynamite — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 14:42:14 +0000

O’s Notes: Sylvia Brooks Live is a warm set of ballads backed by musical director, pianist Christian Jacob and his band. The place is Herb Albert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill in Los Angeles. Sylvia’s soft vocals and rich tones are perfect for these blues-based ballads with very intriguing stories. Among the best are “Blues In the Night” – an instrumental, “The Red Pig Flew Up the Hill” with sweet horn harmonies, and “Tender Trap” with Jacobs dazzling solo. This is a fine showcase of the headliner’s songwriting and musical talents.

Anne Carlini Shared Review About Sylvia Brooks with Christian Jacob Live Album

dynamite — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 07:16:32 +0000

If the American Songbook feels like a repository of timeless wisdom it’s because jazz vocalists breathe new life into familiar tales, interpreting the music with visceral emotional immediacy. In the case of chanteuse Sylvia Brooks, the songs serve as a barometer, marking the increasing depth she plumbs.

Her evolution is evident throughout her fifth album, which was recorded at Herb Albert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill. Revisiting material from earlier releases, Sylvia Brooks Live [with Christian Jacob] provides both a snapshot of an artist in full command and a revelatory index of the distance she’s traveled since her impressive 2009 debut Dangerous Liaisons.

Michaels Music Log Shared Notes on Sylvia Brooks: “Live With Christian Jacob”

dynamite — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:59:29 +0000

This new album from vocalist Sylvia Brooks was recorded live at Herb Albert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill, and finds her revisiting some material she released on her studio albums. Joining her on this release are Christian Jacob on piano, David Hughes on bass, Kevin Kanner on drums, David Witham on keyboards and accordion, Jeff Bunnell on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Brian Scanlon on tenor saxophone and flute. She opens the album with a delicious rendition of “When The Sun Comes Out,” written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. It’s a song she recorded for her debut album, 2009’s Dangerous Liaisons. There is something sexy about this rendition, in the horns and in her vocal approach, particularly the power behind it. And of course it features some really nice work on piano.

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Goldmine Mag featured Sylvia Brooks’ Album – Signature

dynamite — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 06:46:27 +0000

Whoever said that Los Angeles, California is not a hot bed for Jazz, and that the American west coast was the last place to host true-to-genre Jazz performers? While the idea of the American Jazz mecca seems to always default to New York City, we have to remember that so many other U.S. geographic regions produced and purported birthing—or at least being home to—some of the best jazz players in the history of the genre, and all of it’s bona fide sub-genres and styles.

Sylvia Brooks Live with Christian Jacob – Wild Mercury Rhythm

dynamite — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 06:40:03 +0000

On her fifth release, Sylvia Brooks Live With Christian Jacob, Sylvia Brooks kicks open the door and issues a robust reading of her recital book. Drawing from her four previous recordings: Dangerous Liaisons (CD Baby, 2009), Restless (CD Baby, 2012), The Arrangement (SBM Music, 2017), and Signature (Rhombus Records, 2022), Brooks reveals herself as a song stylist as opposed to a jazz singer, putting her more in the arena of Frank Sinatra than Betty Carter.

Stereo Stickman Featured Sylvia Brooks LIVE with Christian Jacob Album

dynamite — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:50:34 +0000

Pristine and powerful jazz vocals light up timeless sentiments throughout this musically sublime live album from Sylvia Brooks and Christian Jacob.

Celebrating an extensive career by revisiting some favourite songs from her performance repertoire, Sylvia Brooks delivers ten freshly captured recordings of big-band soulful jazz tracks, elevated by faultless musical unity across a live set of piano, bass, wind and rhythm.

Skope Entertainment featured ‘Sylvia Brooks LIVE with Christian Jacob’

dynamite — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:49:55 +0000

This live jazz album from Sylvia Brooks was made with help from pianist Christian Jacob, who is also her musical director. It’s an album of mostly familiar vocal standards and features Brooks strong singing voice.

While Brooks shines on these many times well known songs, her live group also covers Jacobs’ composition “The Red Pig Flew Up The hill.” She also provided the lyrics to “The Flea Markets of Paris.” This latter one, and “Holding Back Tears,” are taken from Signature, Brooks’ 2022 album that focused on her original music. Yes, she knows her way around many American standard songs, but she also has added her personal songwriting signature to this long tradition.