Andréa Lisa, the South African-born and New Zealand-raised artist, is a musical powerhouse driven by personal experiences and her deep-rooted inspirations. As a singer, guitarist, composer and producer, Andréa’s diverse talents shine through in every aspect of her music.Her journey in music began at a young age, with soul, jazz, and R&B sounds infusing her daily life. At 15, she started crafting her own music and lyrics, setting her on a path of artistic exploration. A graduate of the New Zealand School of Music with a major in jazz guitar and vocals, Andréa’s passion for composition led her to create a rich assembly of genres that blend into a unique and captivating artistic alchemy.
She creates music that aims to uplift, help, and heal others, reflecting her main desire to make a positive impact through her art. Her powerful vocals, soulful melodies, and heartfelt lyrics shine in live settings when she can truly connect with the people in front of her. Her debut album release “Silver Lining” showcases her distinctive voice and guitar skills through a genre spanning set of vocals and instrumentals. Andréa shares, “The album is a reflection of my experiences, a melodic diary of lessons learned and triumphs achieved.” Through nuanced storytelling and heartfelt lyricism, “Silver Lining” offers a profound narrative of hope, perseverance, and self-discovery. Her vocal and instrumental contributions on Kirk Whalum’s Humanite and Epic Cool albums further showcase her skills in full bloom. As does the current chart hit “Feelin’ Free” – a lyrically empowering collaboration with vocalist Rebecca Jade. She has also collaborated with Jonathan Butler, and her guitar work was featured on Kool and The Gang’s lastest album.
Visit Andrea Lisa’s website for the full bio, music links and more
Here’s a playlist that includes her solo work and songs she did with Kirk Whalum and Kool & The Gang (guitar )
Andrea Lisa on Instagram
And TikTok here
And enjoy this:
Jeff Ryan is one the most essential young voices in contemporary jazz today. From his uniquely relatable emotive tone to his explosive performance and stage presence, it’s no question why he is a staple across the country in the jazz festival scene. Jeff has held consistent radio successes with 5 Billboard #1s, the 2020 Billboard Artist of the Year and Song of the Year in 2021 with his track “Sentimental Soul.” In 2018, his first year on the scene, he was awarded the JazzTrax Breakout Artist of 2018 and the Smooth Jazz Network Debut Artist of 2018.
One of Jeff’s primary goals has always been in connecting to the audience through music and performance. From his first radio single, “Up and Up”, to now, he has shown how his soul-drenched sound and delivery is key to the future of smooth jazz. “I know what relates to people, from the bottom to the top of the horn, there’s a lot of variety to dig deep into peoples spirit and get them feeling the groove,” said Ryan. Jeff spent his teen years “cutting his teeth” with traveling soul bands and weekly performances at rowdy bars with a not-so-legal ID. “It was a lot of fun playing those early bar shows,” said Jeff, “I had to stay on the down low about my age, but the nightly experience performing for engaging crowds really helped pave the way to the performer I am today.
He has performed as a featured solo artist coast to coast in the largest jazz festivals in the country. He has also been performing alongside performer/producer Greg Manning, where they have performed across the country and internationally at festivals such as the Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival.
“Throughout my years as a performer, I have learned one of my strengths is being able to relate to people. Every time I am on stage, my goal is to inject emotion and passion into my playing as if I am communicating to each person individually,” Ryan says. “If anything will keep me going strong and moving forward in this genre, it is the fact my sound is relatable to people, especially those who love this genre of music. I love connecting with the audience, keeping things spontaneous and seeing the way everyone responds. When I am up there baring my soul and speaking to the crowd through music, I embrace those moments. The expression is always worth it.”
Ryan was influenced by smooth/urban icons like Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Dave Koz and Grover Washington to jazz legends Michael Brecker, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. Some of his other influences include Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Rick Braun, Wes Montgomery, Lee Ritenour, Earl Klugh and Jonathan Butler. Taking the baton from his mentors, he has shown with his consistent quality and feel, he is not just a saxophonist, but an essential artist worthy of your attention
Visit Jeff Ryan’s website here
Next gen trumpet and vocal senseation Ilya Serov definitely lives up to the phrase “born for this” with a big serving of musical diversity on the side. He picked up the trumpet at age 7 and later took a deep dive into developing his skills studying in an intense five year academic program. His early influences covered an impressive slice of jazz history, from Chet Baker, Miles Davis and Arturo Sanadoval to the classicGreat American Songbook vocalists. A supberb singer whose vocals are shaded by influences like Sinatra and and Nat “King” Cole on the standards side and contemporary stars Boz Scaggs and Bobby Caldwell. Or check out the layered harmonies he does with vocalist Matt Casson that point straight toward Take 6 or even Jacob Collier. The joy is in the almost chamelion like range and texture of his voice. He brings an original and timeless flair to both heritage and contemporary material. Instrumentally, he is captivatingly listenable, without being imitative, you can hear shades of Botti and Braun in his contempoorary/smooth tracks but the style is all his own.
This man has no limits. He originally made a name for himself as a big band leader and solo artist performing in Los Angeles. His first two albums His early career featured high profile gigs both solo and a as a big band leader. His first two albums highlighted that side of his talent. His arrangements have also been featured in film scores and a symphonic performance. Plus, he created an instrument – the Jazzohorn, which is designed as a mashup of trumpet and flugelhorn, designed to resemble a saxophone. You can check it out here.
He caught the attention of Dave Koz, who introducted him to the smooth/contemporary world. He headed in that direction on his two most recent albums Just Friends and his most recent, Colors. These are must hear projects due to the quality and diversity of the music. Moody chill, danceable funk, updated standards and impressive originals, he does it all. Plus, they feature feature genre star guest shots and producers.
You can check out a more extensive Bio and all things Ilya on his website
And of course you can hear both the singles and deep tracks from his albums on The Stream.