By Vienna vocalist Maja Jaku will certainly not reveal all the secrets of jazz vocals, but at the same time, we think this material will be of interest to those who are interested in such a specific jazz instrument as the human voice, especially aspiring vocalists.
I’ll begin this article with a brief statement: what follows is about an artist whose album I consider the best jazz and jazz-pop record. Her unique voice and poignant, emotional style of singing have made her a well-known and highly respected artist in Europe and around the world.
If you listen to all of Vienna vocalist Maja Jaku’s recordings, it’s easy to notice that from album to album her songs have become more beautiful, deeper, and slightly different. Of course, the most relevant at the moment is her latest album Blessed & Bewitched, which is very intimate and emotionally powerful.
Maja Jaku’s talent lies in areas of intense spiritual tension that have haunted her people for centuries, and whose ghosts still remind her compatriots of the country’s bloody and difficult history. Through her songs and dances, Maja Jaku seems to illuminate the path from the past to the future.
This record came from a desire to leave my comfort zone and realize a long-held dream: to come to the United States and record with musicians I deeply admire. The experience of recording in New York was magical. We recorded at The Bunker Studio, and the environment, the players, the energy — everything was on point. I was able to give a completely authentic part of myself without effort; the sessions felt true and alive. A big part of the inspiration came from Adrian Varady, who contributed two compositions to the album — The Witch and Lonely Little Fox. Adrian’s voice as a composer and performer added a special spark to the project. The whole record grew from that collaboration and from the impulse to create something honest and heartfelt,- an interview with us said Maja Jaku.
A musical Cinderella story – it turns out that to win, you can record an album of high-quality and decent music – and you’ll become Number One.
In reality, everything is much simpler, and there are no calculated manifestations or demonstrations of political correctness here – in fact, Europeans simply love the kind of music that Maja Jaku makes.
And you can accuse the mass consciousness of depravity, limitations, and pop-jazz bias as much as you like, but the fact remains: these people only listen to what they like. And the deeper the roots – the sounds of her father’s jazz trumpet – the higher the heavens above and the brighter the white stars on the multi-colored flag.
Maja Jaku’s album – Blessed & Bewitched – is deep, roots music, where there is real authentic folk, echoes of country, a transparent jazz foundation, and a completely bluesy atmosphere.
Considering that Maja Jaku truly represents an amazing quintessence of the audience’s preferences and received all her awards completely deservedly. While there may not be much innovation in her music – it’s simply very good and sincere pop-blues-soul with jazz vocals.
If, due to a lack of sufficient information, readers still have the same question as the mainstream music press – “So, who is this Maja Jaku?” … Origin Records presents an international vocal talent based in Austria who bridges continents with her artistry and exceptional jazz performances.
We recommend that you definitely purchase the CD of this beauty from the European continent, also from here, and enjoy it.
