Lizz Wright steps out of the shadows on Blues and Greens.

Class will out and The Sun Will Still Be There Tomorrow.

Joan Torres is a Puerto Rican bassist, composer, and producer. He chose the bass as his instrument when he was ten years old and formed a band while still in eighth grade. As a young musician, he was mentored by luminaries including Berklee alumnus Orlando Collado, and four-time Grammy-award winner bassist and educator, Oscar Stagnaro. Twice, Torres gained prestigious scholarships to Berklee Summer Schools. He gained experience in a Puerto Rican Plena Orchestra, a jazz quartet, a reggae group, and an indie band named Raices Rusticas and performed at the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival. Raices Rusticas opened for Black Guayaba at the Arena Pier Ten in Puerto Rico. With guitarist and friend Gabriel Vicens, Torres started A Modern Jazz Quintet, playing original music. Eventually, the project diverged into two, one being the Gabriel Vicens Quartet, and the other Torres’ All Is Fused, the name deriving from the fact they include multiple influences fused into a jazz-laced sound. All Is Fused has been successful as a jazz fusion band, with the band’s debut album receiving many nominations and awards. The outline for the album ‘Embrace Form,’ came together during the Covid pandemic, then the band members traveled to record at Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Cotati, California. As Joan Torres All Is Fused prepares for more traveling and performances, KOJ caught up with Joan for an interview.   

Jazz as catharsis.

LA based alto saxophonist impresses on her fourth release, Mosaic.

Lyia Meta is a multi-award-winning singer and exhibited visual artist. She has a warm contralto voice and her music blends jazz with blues, rock, and popular genres. She has an operatically trained voice which affords her techniques which she seamlessly blends into her music. Based in her homes of L.A. and Malaysia, her popularity is soaring on both sides of the Pacific and further afield as more people discover the depth of talent this artist has. At the 2022 Global Music Awards, Meta scooped Best Album and Best Female Vocalist awards, and at the 2022 Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards, she won the sought-after Performance of The Year Award, proving her multi-genre appeal. KOJ caught up with her ahead of ‘Next’, her next album release which hits platforms on July 26th, and the release of her single ‘Easier and Easier’ on July 5th (independent).