I'm a great lover of piano solos that can take your breath away. Jazz pianist, Fred Hersch did just that when I listened to his latest song Begin Again. A beautiful composition that blew me away. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio this talented musician, educator, and activist for HIV/AIDS has been making mesmerizing music since he was eight years old. At age 4 he began playing the piano. He won several piano competitions by the age of ten. Later while attending Grinnell College in Iow

Jazz pianist, Danilo Perez is just fascinating to watch perform. Born in Panama he started playing at age three. His father was a teacher and singer himself and wanted his son to learn to play an instrument and learn about music. As a matter of fact, his father felt that all subjects like math, science, and more could be taught through music. Danilo Perez had a fascinating upbringing one that has served him well with his music. When he was ten years old he started learning cl

I just love this album by jazz trumpeter, Michael Leonhart. He not only mixes classical with jazz but has a little something for everyone. You may know this artist if you are a huge fan of Steely Dan like I am and know he has been playing and collaborating with them since 1996. This New York native grew up with music all around him and it was destined for him to be in jazz since his father is the great jazz bassist, Jay Leonhart. His father played with the best from Judy Garl

Nothing is more captivating than a beautiful piano solo. Jazz pianist Joy Ellis from London, U.K. plays with such beauty that her piano solos leave me enthralled. She not only plays the piano but is also a composer and vocalist. Her voice is unique and hard to compare to other jazz vocalists. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and since her graduation has been playing at many jazz festivals throughout Europe. She describes her music as a mix of jazz

German indie jazz band, Fazer has been making music together since they all met at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Munich. The band consists of trumpeter, Matthias Lindermayr, guitarist Paul Brändle, both Simon Pop and Sebastian Wolfgruber on drums, and Martin Brugger(aka Occupanther)who is their bassist and producer. Their blend of jazz mixes Western African polyrhythms, classical Indian music with techno dubs, and post-rock, that's a mouthful. Many bands and ar

When I was at my college radio station I came across some interesting music and singers. I love both Kate Bush and stuff by Nina Hagen so when I heard this artist it brought me back to those vocalists. Kristin Hayter, professionally known as Lingua Ignota makes the kind of music that is both classical in nature but also industrial and at times chaotic. Born in Del Mar, California, and now based in Pennsylvania, this talented multi-instrumentalist draws on her experiences. She

Discovering new artists and especially those that are double bass players is always exciting. Listening to jazz double bass player, Matt Ridley's album, The Antidote was mind-blowing. Based in London, U.K he started playing piano by age 6 and in his teens started playing bass guitar. He started playing professionally by age 19. Matt Ridley is a child of the '90s and fell in love with the electric bass just watching Flea of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers he also loves Pearl Jam an

When an artist gives me the chills I'm excited. Listening to this very talented saxophonist, composer and vocalist were mind-blowing. Fabia Mantwill from Berlin, Germany has been on the jazz scene for some time. She has been gaining international recognition with her orchestra which mixes jazz with classical and folk music. Although there are selections that mix contemporary jazz with African rhythms and other music genres. She was destined to have a music career from a very

I am a lover of the double bass, well the bass in general but the double bass is sexy. When I first heard the music of this talented jazz double bass player I had to investigate some more. Lars Danielsson Libretto from Gothenburg, Sweden first became mesmerized by this great instrument when he was at a concert watching jazz bass legend, Nils-Henning Ǿrsted Pedersen. It was then he decided to abandon his classical cello lessons and start playing the double bass. He didn't aban

You may not have heard of this talented pianist, composer, and bandleader but you will soon. Lisa Hilton from San Luis Obispo in California taught herself to play the keyboard at age six. It was a color-coded one and started writing songs at an early age. As with all pianists, she studied classical music but that all changed when in her teens she fell in love with jazz and the blues. She loved the music of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and Jellyroll Morton. She first composed

Searching for new artists is a passion that is the air I breathe. This indie classical pianist has an interesting forte. Hania Rani from Gdansk, Poland is a composer, pianist, and singer. Although she is classically trained and studied music at the Music School Feliks Nowowiejski in Poland she is not above composing electronic music. She has been playing and composing for the past twenty years and says music is her passion. Hania Rani grew up with music playing in her home. H

In jazz, there are so many singers who interpret the different nuances in different ways. This female jazz singer's voice reminds me of some of the great singers of our time like Rosemary Clooney or Anita O'Day. Georgia Mancio has been on the jazz scene for the past decade. She was born in London, the U.K. but her parents are from Italy. She says her parents gave her and her sister an appreciation for the arts. She started playing the flute as a child and although she wanted

The resurgence of jazz and it's popularity among the younger generation is so refreshing. Many like this young violinist are mixing jazz with either music from where they originate from or with classical music. Rebekah Reid from London, U.K. has been playing the violin since she was a child. When she was three years old she was listening to an orchestral record that her mother was playing in their living room, she became fixated on the sound. Once her mother figured out what

When you first hear of the harp you picture hearing beautiful musical landscapes. Jazz harpist Alina Bzhezhinska makes her harp play some funky groove sounds that you wouldn't expect from this beautiful instrument. Originally from Ukraine, Alina Bzhezhinska first started studying art and classical music at a young age in Poland. It was her discovering Alice Coltrane's music that steered her into jazz music and into daring new directions. She plays her harp like a pianist woul

I've realized in featuring indie artists that I have not focused too much on classical music up til now. This Indie classical cellist really blew me away with several of her songs. Her name is Julia Kent and she was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. Since then she has been living in New York City and not only plays classical music but also loops it with electronica sounds. Her songs can be haunting and at times ethereal and that combination really gets to your he

Throughout all the years I have been following jazz I have very rarely seen the cello played in that music genre. So I was intrigued when I heard of jazz cellist, Tomeka Reid. And if you check out the latest jazz polls the cello is still listed as a miscellaneous instrument. But in the hands of Tomeka Reid, it is essential. She grew up outside of Washington D.C. and started playing the cello at age 4. She studied classical music since her teens and through her 20's. In her la

Jazz pianist/composer, Maria Chiara Argiro, London based, Italian born has been mixing jazz music with contemporary sounds and mixing electro keyboards into her compositions. Her music sounds like an ethereal dream. She was born and raised in Lazio, Rome surrounded by ancient ruins and beautiful sounds. Her interest in music began at an early age and she started singing in the Clara Schumann choir as well as playing piano, which is her beloved instrument. She studied jazz at

Ibrahim Maalouf was born in Lebanon to a musical family who fled the country during the Lebanese Civil War. Settling in Paris, the family was able to provide a stable environment where Ibrahim could explore his passion for music, beginning with trumpet lessons from his father Nassim when he was just seven. He continued his studies in a range of styles, from classical to contemporary, as well as Arabic traditions. Performing with his father, he became fluent on his father’s i

UK cellist Shirley Smart infuses her jazz with classical, blues, and world music, Her eclecticism stems not only from her curiosity as a musician but also from a decade-long residence in the middle east that exposed her to a rich heritage of regional melodic and rhythmic traditions. She began her studies on the cello with a focus on classical, studying at the Guildhall School of Music. From there she went to Paris and eventually Jerusalem, where her exposure to jazz and Med