Diane Taber’s new album, Serve with Straw, is the edgy side of indie in a hot relationship with 21st century jazz.
As one fan describes the CD: “It’s the perfect balance of what you love about rock, pop, and indie mixing with everything that’s the whole point of jazz.”
As one fan describes the CD: “It’s the perfect balance of what you love about rock, pop, and indie mixing with everything that’s the whole point of jazz.”
Sunspots News and Reviews
Produced by Diane Taber for DTM-Music
℗© 2016All rights reserved
℗ Didja Tangle the Music Publishing
℗© 2016All rights reserved
℗ Didja Tangle the Music Publishing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
And for More Than One Ingredient
“Such maturity and depth in her writing, with each offering on this brilliant CD sounding like a standard but with an extra large portion of freshness, and that ain’t easy. Let’s have more from Diane.”
Brian Soundy, “Jazz in the 21st Century”, ukjazzradio.com
“Your album sounds amazing!”
Roman Lunz, MTV Russia
Brian Soundy, “Jazz in the 21st Century”, ukjazzradio.com
“Your album sounds amazing!”
Roman Lunz, MTV Russia
"Included in the recording of this album are some of Buffalo's finest musicians...
Clarissa Markiewicz on vocals."
Review of More Than One Ingredient by Tony Zambito, Jazz Buffalo, 4/27/2014
Clarissa Markiewicz on vocals."
Review of More Than One Ingredient by Tony Zambito, Jazz Buffalo, 4/27/2014
Graphics by Alban Low
Web Design by MJ Daniels
Web Design by MJ Daniels
Indie rock-jazz is the natural progression for Diane’s music. She writes lyrical stories in smart compositional structures. Serve with Straw is the 2nd release from her label, DTM-Music. More Than One Ingredient came out in 2013 to world-wide airplay and acclaim; however, it’s clear this new CD is not a follow-up album. Serve with Straw is brand new for every musician on the CD and they demonstrate their unique talents on each dynamic track.
The players, Kevin Scott on keyboards and accompanying vocals, Charlie Dye on drums, Alfredo Grado Jr. on bass and Matt Sargent on guitars, have strong musical foundations from classical to jazz to rock, with R&B, experimental, and a variety of world music genres. As a band, Sunspots constantly pursues its own musical expansion described at various stages by critics as “…rootsy rock with touches of soul pop…” to “…post-country…analog synth…” In 2011, they produced their own full-length CD, New Century. Guest artist Clarissa Markiewicz is a singer known for her solo work as well as being the voice to deliver a creative punch on accompanying vocals. Her musical experience expanded from early classical and choral work to jazz, rock, and pop vocals. These musicians insist on always moving forward musically and Serve with Straw is their full stride onto entertaining new ground.
The songs, all original, have a rod of steel behind even the softer lyrics and melodies. “We’ve all been there” is the maxim for this recording. We love, fight, give it one more try, say a last goodbye, eventually, move on and celebrate with a favorite drink. Whether you’re somewhere on a relationship-go-round, or happy to be on to something better, the music grabs you.
“The album,” says a listener “is different movements to my ear. The songs work apart and as part of the whole. It’s not like when you only want to hear a couple of songs from a CD, I like all of these.”
The CD features the artwork of award-winning UK-based artist, Alban Low. Both the music and illustrations are a work of art presented as a performance for the eyes and ears. The songs will not be available for streaming as full cuts or in clean tracks. The only place to enjoy the whole experience is with the album.
For more information and interesting details such as the album being recorded in CT, at Silk City Music Factory and mixed at Select Sound Studios in Buffalo, NY, please contact diane@dianetabermusic.com
The players, Kevin Scott on keyboards and accompanying vocals, Charlie Dye on drums, Alfredo Grado Jr. on bass and Matt Sargent on guitars, have strong musical foundations from classical to jazz to rock, with R&B, experimental, and a variety of world music genres. As a band, Sunspots constantly pursues its own musical expansion described at various stages by critics as “…rootsy rock with touches of soul pop…” to “…post-country…analog synth…” In 2011, they produced their own full-length CD, New Century. Guest artist Clarissa Markiewicz is a singer known for her solo work as well as being the voice to deliver a creative punch on accompanying vocals. Her musical experience expanded from early classical and choral work to jazz, rock, and pop vocals. These musicians insist on always moving forward musically and Serve with Straw is their full stride onto entertaining new ground.
The songs, all original, have a rod of steel behind even the softer lyrics and melodies. “We’ve all been there” is the maxim for this recording. We love, fight, give it one more try, say a last goodbye, eventually, move on and celebrate with a favorite drink. Whether you’re somewhere on a relationship-go-round, or happy to be on to something better, the music grabs you.
“The album,” says a listener “is different movements to my ear. The songs work apart and as part of the whole. It’s not like when you only want to hear a couple of songs from a CD, I like all of these.”
The CD features the artwork of award-winning UK-based artist, Alban Low. Both the music and illustrations are a work of art presented as a performance for the eyes and ears. The songs will not be available for streaming as full cuts or in clean tracks. The only place to enjoy the whole experience is with the album.
For more information and interesting details such as the album being recorded in CT, at Silk City Music Factory and mixed at Select Sound Studios in Buffalo, NY, please contact diane@dianetabermusic.com
"Sunspots played a set of rootsy rock songs with soulful pop hooks. Singer and keyboard player Kevin Scott has a clear, clean voice, and he gave a strong performance on opener ‘Wrecking Ball,” an up tempo rocker. Scott sang with earnest feeling on “Rainy Days” and harmonized with guitarist Matt Sargent over a swift, steady drum pattern on “New Century.” The group plans to release its debut in July."
Eric Danton, Hartford Courant
"On the night the String Theorie, Little Ugly, Sunspots and Heirlooms all shared the stage for the first time in front of nearly 200 fans, there was a sense that something may finally be starting to arrive in Hartford."
Karl Messerschmidt, Hardware City Arts
Eric Danton, Hartford Courant
"On the night the String Theorie, Little Ugly, Sunspots and Heirlooms all shared the stage for the first time in front of nearly 200 fans, there was a sense that something may finally be starting to arrive in Hartford."
Karl Messerschmidt, Hardware City Arts
Praise for Clarissa Markiewicz
Quotes and Press for Diane Taber
"...the drive of blues rock with an urban jazz vibe...rocking jazz album with a city feel. To pull off the balance of driven upbeat jazz and rock actually takes some doing and Diane has got it absolutely right and even more impressive, of course, they're all her own compositions."
Praise for the new indie rock-jazz CD, Serve with Straw, by Diane Taber and Sunspots from on-air review
by Robert Chantler, UK host of Rob's Jazz Club on Radio Way
Praise for the new indie rock-jazz CD, Serve with Straw, by Diane Taber and Sunspots from on-air review
by Robert Chantler, UK host of Rob's Jazz Club on Radio Way
"I think she is a wonderfully unique and talented person, a blend of...star quality and soul that will make her a force...."
Charles Anzalone, Editor, Buffalo Magazine/The Buffalo News
Clarissa delivered "a strong, sensitive, brave performance," says writer/musician Paul McComas on Clarissa's lead vocals in his theatrical rock show, "Unplugged," performed at NYC's historic Bowery Poetry Club.
Charles Anzalone, Editor, Buffalo Magazine/The Buffalo News
Clarissa delivered "a strong, sensitive, brave performance," says writer/musician Paul McComas on Clarissa's lead vocals in his theatrical rock show, "Unplugged," performed at NYC's historic Bowery Poetry Club.
If you pulled the rusting factories, odd urban centers, and dairy farms of Connecticut into a sound, you’d come close to a band like Sunspots. The group has been described as a combination of "rootsy rock with soulful pop hooks" (Eric Danton, Hartford Courant) In July 2011, the group released a self-titled full-length album, which was engineered over even months by guitarist Matt Sargent. With a quality described as "Motown-meets-Abbey Road" (Karl Messerschmidt, HardwareCityArts) the album presents Sunspots hook-driven live material within an expansive soundworld, pulled from a variety of unusual recording techniques and spaces including late-night reverb recordings in the hallways and stairwells of a borrowed Samuel Clemens-era Hartford mansion.
“This is a marvelous album featuring all of Taber’s own original songs and music…One song displaying Diane’s originality and infectious rhythmic tempos is a tune entitled Piranha. Just recently released is an animated (youtube) video for Piranha by celebrated U.K. artist Alban Low.’
Jazz Buffalo, review by Tony Zambito
Jazz Buffalo, review by Tony Zambito