Humans need beauty.
Doing a mix in my hotel room might have changed my after show rituals, new mixes and more...
Hey there,
First off, thank you to all the new paid subscribers (Hi Mom!) - your support really helps out because it permits me to stay caffeinated while I write.
And to all the new subscribers: Welcome to J*zz Adjacent!
In due time I believe I'll build up regularity, but for now it's fluctuating.
Ok, I fell off but I have some good news.
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote, and I'll focus on the positive: My album it’s complicated… is finished. I've made two videos with a third one on the way. This weekend I'm singing with a the Kelag Big Band in Austria, and my New Year's will be spent on stage in Paris - 3 nights at the Duc des Lombards. I also just got back from gigs in Poland, Portugal, Norway, Denmark and Italy.
(even was on the news forgive the IG post but that is where the captions are)
An album is finished... I type those words and feel a strange disconnect. As an indie artist producer who spends most days not just creating but curating other people's music into radio shows and mixes, I'm acutely aware that having a finished project ain't really special anymore. I mean it matters deeply to me - or at least I think it should - but even writing that makes me wince at what feels like self-importance, leaving that aftertaste in my mind. It definitely is a form of respect to all those who who lent me their talent to create a musical vision. Sometimes my self-esteem gets chipped away by the constant waves of musical releases in the realm I evolve in.
In those moments, I have to go back to the reason why I do this: To stay alive. To nurture joy, personal and shared. To make beauty.
"Humans need beauty"
I heard that in a Sean Kuti interview for his new album, and I can't stop saying it, whether I'm on stage, having phone conversations, on air, or here with you.
So here is some beauty for you.
J*zz Adjacent on East Village Radio:
Even though these mixes are from a few weeks back, I can pretty much guarantee you'll discover artists you haven't heard yet, or maybe catch those new releases you haven't gotten around to exploring.
Please look these names up, these artists deserve to be heard (imho).
This was the first time I did a mix in my hotel room. The kind folks at the Baerum Jazz Fest in Norway lent me a podcast mic and arm - what a luxury setup compared to the wonky tripod of my faithful Apogee Mic+. While the band was outside exploring lakes in the soft but cold winter sun, I dove headfirst into my inbox and just started playing tunes. Had my own personal party right there.
Listening to all these tracks with good headphones gave me the full listener experience, a beautiful distraction keeping my mind from obsessing over last night's show. Making this mix became my meditation, easing that familiar after show anxiety that usually creeps in. And you know what? I think it worked just as well as stretching and drinking tea - maybe even better.
Recommendations:
This woman-run, not-for-profit, volunteer-based magazine is worth a major detour. The playlists and podcasts that accompany it are gold. Created in 2020 by the multi-talented Fiona Ross, this online magazine is the perfect comeback for when people hit you with that tired "well there aren't that many women in jazz" line. It's living proof of just how wrong that statement is.
A new Jazz Club in these times? Yes! Fee Schlennstedt, who I met when she was booking the gorgeous Schloss Elmau , also Quasimodo in Berlin (they won an award thanks to her), has opened a special place for live music. She is a force. So happy for her, proud of her all of that!
Probably one of the best line ups all year round. And housed in the sleek Nobu Hotel. I wanna go back already and just do a week there. 190 seats. That is it. State of the art sound system delicious food and cocktails and Adam and Greg, the bookers and founders, are probably some of coolest people you have ever met.
I truly missed the relief these "open" journal entries bring - these moments of reflection, these digital letters to whoever's out there listening.
Hope your family & loved ones are doing well…
-cm
#singerontheroad