Jazz music is often considered to be a relic of the past, shelved in the 1940s and 1950s. However, it’s still a thriving genre, despite not having such a mainstream pull anymore. There are thousands of fantastic artists making music within this style, deserving of your attention. If you’re a fan of the jazz genre or like your big bands, then this list is for you!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by MINA
MINA – The One That Got Away
First up is MINA, a young singer with a penchant for creating stripped-back jazz songs. It’s very clear from the start that she has a fantastic singing voice, really enveloping the music here. The One That Got Away features an organ as the main instrumentation, alongside the typical rhythm section you might expect from the genre. The beat has a typical jazz sound, having a slow and waltzy style about it. The leisurely tempo really allow’s MINA’s sumptuous vocals to shine through.
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Manny Wilde – My True Love’s Eyes
My True Love’s Eyes is a track that has that classic jazz sound from the 1940s, seeing Californian singer Manny Wilde crooning in a lovely way over the music. He’s got a fantastically deep voice which is absolutely perfect for this style of music. The piano provides the main instrumentation here, with a rhythm section also added into the background. The strings are absolutely gorgeous to behold, adding another layer to the piece. It’s actually rather beautiful at times!
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Cross-Channel Music – Oh My Lady
Cross-Channel Music is a French singer-songwriter based in London who combines a few different genres into one. Oh My Lady has quite a fast beat – it wouldn’t be out of place in an Eastern European folk song. However, the brass instrumentation and the piano adds a jazzy quality to the song, working well with the fast beat. The vocals are rather low, having a sultry flavour to them that will draw you in straight away. Oh My Lady has a fantastic atmosphere, set to get under your skin and into your ears in no time!
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UsThree – Just Come Over
Just Come Over is upbeat from the very start, featuring a catchy drum beat and some cool acoustic guitar melodies which make it seem more like a pop song at times. The trumpets appear shortly before the first verse, adding a funky vibe to proceedings. UsThree’s vocals were one of the things that really stood out to me at first, as they have a smooth and soulful quality that suits the music well, reaching some lofty heights at times! The rapping was also a nice surprise, adding something different to the usual jazzy style.
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Raine Stern – So Precarious
The ‘wah wah’ style guitar melodies that open up So Precarious make the track sound effortlessly cool from the very start, with a funky trumpet melody also added, alongside the backing instrumentation. Musician and singer-songwriter Raine Stern has really produced something fantastic here, simply oozing cool throughout. Her vocals are stunning to behold, flowing through the track in an effortless way. Just try and listen to this track without wanting to get up and start dancing!
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Hoos Collective – Union Street
Hoos Collective are a collaborative group hailing from London, taking influence from both jazz and hip-hop. Union Street starts out with a typical jazz piano melody, before the other instruments are added. It’s certainly a genre-bender of a song, featuring a jazzy percussive beat, alongside some more modern synth effects in the background. It’s an instrumental piece of music, which allows every instrument to shine through on its own right. The tempo increases suddenly about a third of the way into the song, creating a massive stomp of a beat.
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Beatroot – Falafel Funk
Beatroot are a slightly different proposition, although they’re no less worthy of your time! The Portsmouth nine-piece band categorise their music as being within the funk genre, but there’s definitely more than a hint of jazz thrown in there. They’ve got a huge brass section, bringing their groovy tunes to the forefront of Falafel Funk. It’s a really catchy song, oozing cool throughout this amazing banger. The track breaks down in the middle to allow the saxophone to shine through with a mellow solo.
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Chris Hyson – Honey Magnet
Now it’s time for something a little different! Chris Hyson is a London-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who creates unique electronic soundscapes. Honey Magnet also features Josh Arcoleo – the track has a tribal percussive beat, which is complemented by the gorgeous swathes of synths in the background. This might sound odd for a jazz tune, but the beat aligns itself well with the genre. It’s hard to put a finger on why this track is so good, so you’ll just have to listen to it yourselves!
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Joel Rivendell – Dandelion
Dandelion is quite a quirky sounding song, opening with what sounds like a xylophone playing at the start. The bass and drums join the main melody like any good jazz trio, with Joel Rivendell’s eccentric vocal style appearing soon after. A clean guitar melody that’s equally as divergent takes over the song in the middle, as it descends into more of a jam style. The track isn’t going to be for everyone due to how experimental it sounds, but it’s well worth a listen anyway!
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Desarae Dee – Holiday Soul
Desarae Dee is another multi-instrumentalist, bringing all her talents to her latest release, Holiday Soul. As the title of the track suggests, the song was released as a Christmas song for the holiday season, however it’s good enough to be heard at any time of year. It’s an instrumental piece of music with an 80s theme, as different synth and keyboard melodies play together, over the bass and drums. It’s rather organ heavy at times, but the instrument actually makes it all sound suitably funky.
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Nadia Moon – Bittersweet
Brighton-based singer-songwriter Nadia Moon has quite an interesting voice, suiting the genre well. It’s full of soul, which is another fantastic element that Nadia brings to her track Bittersweet. A flowing piano melody runs underneath the vocals, adding a steady yet pretty sounding vibe to the tune. A saxophone appears later on, playing a fantastic solo that really tugs at the soul. It’s quite an understated piece, yet the minimalism only makes it stand out more!
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Jacob J Stoney – Clothes in the Dryer
Clothes in the Dryer is actually the first of two songs from Jacob J Stoney, showing just how talented he is! It’s a piano-based song that would also fit the classical genre well, bridging multiple styles at once. It’s quite a subtle piece of music, as the piano is rather minimalist at times, building up slowly over the course of the music. It’s the sort of jazz track that you would expect to hear being played in a piano bar on an evening, exuding relaxing vibes. Regardless of genre, it’s extremely beautiful to behold.
Jacob J Stoney – Gentle Giant
The second track on this list from Jacob J Stoney is Gentle Giant. It’s still a piano song, however there’s also an organ included for good measure. This makes it sound a little jazzier than the previous tune, although it’s no less beautiful. A selection of chords are played on repeat, with little motifs tailing off every so often, adding a little more variety to proceedings. It’s another understated piece of music, although one with a slightly different vibe to it.
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Gus Walker – Come Find Me
Gus Walker’s track is a little different to the other songs mentioned here, as it probably has more in common with the reggae genre. However, regardless of genre, Come Find Me is a fantastic tune and I feel that it still fits this list well. It features the standard staccato rhythm you might expect from such a track, making it sound incredibly catchy! The horns add something of a Mariachi quality when they appear, helping to create a suitable atmosphere. Gus’ vocals are well suited to the style of music, sounding effortlessly cool.
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Dave Mohan – Shadows in the Fire
We actually featured Dave Mohan’s music in another round-up review last year based on classical music, showing just how great his remit is! Shadows in the Fire is definitely more of a jazz number, both in terms of the style and the rhythm of the piece. It’s a slow tune, featuring a gorgeous selection of strings playing in the background, alongside the piano and drums. A female vocal line has been added, drifting through the music in a wonderful way, full of soul as it goes. I’m interested to see what Dave comes up with next time around!
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Justin Tibbs – A Funky Nightmare
Despite this song being titled A Funky Nightmare, it’s more of a dream to listen to! A groovy bassline and percussive beat open the tune, before the brass instruments appear, adding several cool melodies that will seep under your skin on the very first listen! Justin Tibbs is a talented saxophonist, although the track also sees the other instrumentation performing their own solos – the organ and trumpets are particularly astounding! It’s a delightful piece of music that will get you up and dancing straight away!
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Dee & d’Z – Flow
Dee & d’Z is a Dutch band formed by vocalist/songwriter Bernadette Dengler and drummer/composer Hans-Peter de Zeeuw, bringing their own wonderful form of jazz to the masses. Flow has more of a chilled-out jazz sound, with the piano being particularly prominent here. The drums are really impressive, adding a great tempo to this tune, as Bernadette’s vocals soar over the music. The chorus adds more of a driving rhythm to the piece, with the backing vocals complementing the lead vocals perfectly here.
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Gavan Waldby – Thanks For That (Instrumental)
Gavan Waldby is another artist that we’ve featured before, although in a review based on folk music. Thanks For That (Instrumental) is, as the name suggests, an instrumental version of the original song. The acoustic guitars lend a folky quality to the song, although the lovely saxophone that drifts through the piece is more suited to the jazz genre. It all makes for a wonderful mix of sounds, showing just how good Gavan’s songwriting skills are! Why not relax in style with this glorious piece of music!
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