Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
For Canadians, the arrival of spring is momentous: the scent of the air is fresh and full of possibility. It’s an apt theme for a musical collaboration named after Ostara, the Germanic goddess of the spring equinox. “The Ostara Project” is the brainchild of co-leaders Amanda Tosoff and Jodi Proznick. The album features lush arrangements that arise from the fruitful collaboration of outstanding female Canadian jazz artists who embody the geographic, cultural and ethnic diversity of the Canadian mosaic. Their commitment to play so as to best serve the music allows them tackle a diversity of musical styles with grace and artistry.
Legendary pianist and composer Oscar Peterson led a storied career, spanning over half a century with new creative heights at every turn. 1971 saw Peterson touring the world once again, joined by bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer Louis Hayes. As heard on “On Clear Day,” a never-before-released live recording from Zurich, Switzerland, the collaboration and artistry between these musicians in unmatched.
Also this week, vocalist Nikki Yanofsky returns to her jazz roots with a cast of stellar musicians including Nathan East and Arturo Sandoval on “Nikki By Starlight”;
drummer and composer Jae Sinnett’s Zero to 60 Quartet is joined by the Symphonicity Orchestra on a program of his originals arranged by Allen Farnham “Live at the Sandler Center”;
and the Danish singer Sinne Eeg and bassist Thomas Fonnesbaek unveil their second duo release, “Staying in Touch.”