The ease with which one can cling to keyboardist Javier Santiago is very reminiscent, oddly enough, of the better corners of smooth jazz. Santiago as a leader melds the best elements of jazz, R&B, and soul in very contemporary senses while maintaining an accessibility that can please many. This is an album that celebrates nature, so why would a human connection to tones not be … [Read more...]
John Raymond & Real Feels – “Joy Ride”
Trumpeter John Raymond has been leading Real Feels, his band comprised of guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer Colin Stranahan, for over four year now. The trio is set to drop Joy Ride, their sophomore album, February 9th on Sunnyside Records. The majority of the music on Joy Ride was written during a self-imposed, month-long retreat in which Raymond spent hours composing each … [Read more...]
John Raymond Releases ‘Foreign Territory’ (EPK + Stream)
If you’ve paid close attention to my Sounds For Sunday playlists (which you should), you’ve certainly noticed that I played cuts off John Raymond’s April 28th release, Foreign Territory, both on March 1st and March 8th. The album, his second to date, marks the trumpeter’s debut on Fresh Sound New Talent and aims at reimagining jazz tradition all the while maintaining a contemp … [Read more...]
An Interview with John Raymond
I’ve been a fan of up-and-coming trumpet player John Raymond for a while now, pretty much ever since he became a Nextbop artist. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Raymond and ask him some questions I’ve been wondering concerning his life and career. Though Raymond can easily be given the title “up-and -coming”, he is by no means an amatuer. Not only was he a finali … [Read more...]