| L.A. Jazz Scene by Scott Yanow Jacobs is a fine singer with an appealing voice, a subtle style and the ability to swing. lt is always fun to discover new up-and-coming talents in the jazz world. On her debut recording "No Frills" she is joined by Mike Petrone or Robert "Skeets" Ross on piano, Martin Block or Jesse Dandy on bass, on four of the nine songs drummer Roy King and on three tunes the saxes of Gerald Linthicome. Among the highlights are a pair of vocal-piano duets; "Black Coffee" and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Based in Cleveland at the time of the recording (she has since relocated to L.A.), Maria Jacobs sings mostly melodic versions of standards (plus her own "No Frills"), stretching out a bit on "Corcovado," "In A Mellow Tone" and "You Don't Know What Love Is." This is an impressive start to what should be a productive career. Singer Magazine by Greg Tutweiler I heard Maria sing at the IAJE conference in Long Beach this past January. I was so impressed with her vocal talent I approached her afterward and asked if she ever thought of doing anything along the lines of Nora Jones. She promptly reached into her bag and handed me a CD, "Chasing Dreams," with a sheepish grin on her face, "I'm working on one right now." she said. "This is the demo." 'I'll take it,' I said happily. And of course I was not disappointed. Maria studied classical flute for fifteen years, but her days spent as a research assistant for a Cleveland jazz radio station DJ whet her desire to sing the smooth jazz she had been listening to. She found herself in LA in 1997 studying privately for three years with JVC recording artist Kevyn Lettau, and then on to the LA Music Academy. "Chasing Dreams" is not Maria's first CD, but quite possibly could be her best work to date. Her sultry voice, and eloquent lyrical content are captivating. Buzz Weekly Jacobs can be forgiven for her love of the Cleveland Indians and their offensive "smiling Indian" logo, thanks to her gorgeous, decidedly inoffensive vocals, which have graced commercials and the national anthem in major League ballparks across America, and which shine on her debut CD, "No Frills." WCPN, Cleveland, Ohio by Bobby Jackson, Music Director, Liner Notes From the shores of Lake Erie comes a vocalist, gifted with talent and signs of a future filled with great promise. Maria Jacobs is a native Clevelander who discovered her voice in jazz while attending Ohio State University in nearby Columbus. It's been a decade of traveling back and forth from Cleveland to Columbus and neighboring communities expanding her vocabulary and gigging with some of the hippest musicians in this Midwestern hub. Jacobs is determined, focused, and ready to live out this next chapter in her development as an artist. This CD you hold in your hands represents her first opportunity to share with a larger audience some of the experiences she has gleaned over the years, absorbing what she could from her environment both musically and personally. coating here, just favorite classic tunes she has rendered over the years. Rendered to the point where, in 1997, one could say she "owns" them. Accompanying this aspiring recording artist is Mike Petrone or Robert "Skeets" Ross on bass, Roy King on drums, a Gerald Linthicome on sax. These musicians share a common musical heritage - the "Cleveland" sound - and this bond comes out in the interaction among all the players on each tune. It is not overstated or understated. It is not pretentious. It is warm. It is real. Charlie Parker was quoted, "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Jacobs has a story to tell out of her own life experience, through the vehicle of music. I have no doubt it will be the first of many. |