After years of playing in a variety of regional soul, funk and even big band ensembles, the San Francisco Bay Area based saxophone sensation has captivated thousands with his robust, heartfelt vibe at numerous prominent Northern California jazz festivals – including a four year run at the Stockton Jazz Festival, where he has opened and performed along with urban jazz greats Marion Meadows, Eric Darius, Paul Taylor, Nick Colionne and Julian Vaughn. Fans in Southern California have seen him jam with guitarist Nils at Spaghettini. Now, with the release of “Up and Up” and his multi-faceted debut album Embrace, Jeff Ryan Taboloff is in prime position to join their ranks as one of contemporary jazz’s top emerging artists of 2018.

Though he is engaging us right out of the box with his powerful funk/R&B artistry, and the ten track collection will include other hard grooving tracks like “Matter of Fact,” the multi-talented artist is equally excited about presenting his more sensual, romantic side on passionate mid-tempo ballads like the soaring title track. “I approached each piece differently, to showcase all the contrasting facets of influence that have developed me as a player,” he says. “I focused on having this initial album represent as many aspects of my artistry as possible. I hope to convey to the listener a genuine passion in each note that I share. For me, music is intensely emotional, a personal expression unique to us all. It can guide, heal and reveal in so many ways.”

For Ryan, the simple yet high impact title Embrace works on many different levels – not the least of which is at last embracing a destiny that seemed inevitable from the moment he heard Richard Elliot’s radio hit “Candlelight” at age ten when he began playing the sax himself. “I love the word “embrace,” and it is undoubtedly a power ballad,” he says. “It has such a positive driving feel and is intensely emotional. On top of that, there are so many great connotations associated with the idea of an embrace. I want there to be a mutual embrace between the audience and myself, a musical career is not possible without pure relatability. These songs are the full embodiment of what I have hoped to achieve with this project. Every step to this point has opened my eyes to what it truly means to be an artist. It is really about me embracing the music and sharing it with others.” Continue reading →