As always, I am adding a number of new tunes this week — Carmen Mcrae, Arturo Sandoval, Jimmy Rushing among others. However, I’d like to put the focus on three new MySpace friends. This is becoming one of my favorite things to do, encountering great, new musicians (new to me) on MySpace.

If you’ve read this blog before, you may have seen me mention my independent movie pal Stacy. Every couple of Sundays we get together and check out a movie then have a few beers afterwards. Well, today was no exception. The one exception to the norm was the discovery of the fact that our bartender is actually a musician. Nashville is to musicians what Hollywood is to actors. No one here is just a waiter or a bartender. They are all aspiring towards loftier goals, most of them musical. I have to say, though, that our bartender, Jamie Floyd, is not only an aspiring musician, but a GOOD aspiring musician. Now, her music isn’t in the classic jazz style which is what Evening Melancholy plays. However, she has an incredible amount of talent and I am pretty sure that she will not be tending bar for long. If you get an opportunity, please check her out and let her know what you think. She writes her own music, as well, so how much more could you ask for.

http://www.myspace.com/jamiefloyd

 

Next we have Meilana McLean Gillard (pronounced Muh-Lay-Nuh). There’s not much I can say about her that most probably don’t already know. I get the feeling she is pretty well known. All I want to say is that I love love *love* her version of “In A Sentimental Mood”. It isn’t played in the slow ballad style that we are accustomed to. It is a complete departure. But it is incredibly well executed and her command of her instrument is amazing. Did I mention I loved the song? I am going to add it to the playlist. You can also go to her MySpace page and check out this song and many others.

http://www.myspace.com/meilanagillard

 

Last and in no way the least is a pianist from Seoul Korea who goes by the moniker of JB. She has a very soulful touch on the keys and I think she is well worth a listen. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

http://www.myspace.com/jbfunkyjazz

 

 

I am adding a number of new tracks this week including a MySpace friend and fellow Nashvillian (by way of Daytona Beach), Kimber Manning. Her album is called “Eventually”. She sent me a copy and I gotta say I really enjoyed her work. She could have tried to emulate Etta James with her version of “At Last” (which would have been a mistake — a mistake many have made), but she didn’t. She made it her own and you have to appreciate that. I am adding that to the playlist as well as her versions of “When I Fall In Love” and “What A Wonderful World”.

http://www.myspace.com/kimbermanning  

 

I know that the EMMusic page is supposed to be for new artists and due to time constraints I have not been able to update the page. My apologies. Please check the blog for new artists and MySpace finds until I am able to get off my procrastinating butt and update the EMMusic page.

I am adding a number of tracks this week, but wanted to put the spotlight on Rachel Charson, another MySpace encounter. As far as I know, she is unsigned so hopefully some label will notice her talent and snap her up. Let me know what you think. Better yet, let her know.

 http://www.myspace.com/rachelcharson  

Due to the overwhelming amount of time I have spent on MySpace recently, I have come to realize that there is a great amount of untapped talent out there. There are an innumerable amount of really wonderful classic jazz musicians and vocalists on MySpace and I’ve had a great time listening to their music. Some of these men and women so incredibly good I wonder why they aren’t signed to a label or better known in the jazz world.

I would like to support these musicians as best I can and the best way that I can is to play their music on Evening Melancholy’s station. If you are a jazz musician who plays in the classic style and you have a ballad or two you would like to get heard, let’s talk. I would definitely like to mix up my playlist a bit, and combining the old with the new would really be an exciting thing for me, musicians and listeners alike.

If you have material you would like to share, please contact me at emadmin@eveningmelancholy.com

Just met this group of musicians on MySpace and I’m really diggin’ Bridget’s sound. If you get a chance, check out her page. “Kitchen Man” is both colorful and slyly profane and I love it.

http://www.myspace.com/bridgetthebiggirlsblues