Contemporary jazz’s most promising artist is set to release her fourth studio album.
Ragan
Whiteside, the flautist-singer who catches the ear like few in the
world of contemporary jazz can, is getting ready to make waves this May
12th with her fourth studio album, Treblemaker.
A favorite of
well-known stages such as Capital Jazz, Whiteside’s sound brings to mind
the stylings of Najee and Dave Valentin. The preceding album, Quantum
Drive, has received major airplay and acclaim by such publications as
Jazz In M.E.E., and was described as "an enchanting and vibrant album"
by Hans-Bernd Hülsmann of smooth-jazz.de. As its successor, Treblemaker
promises a further expanse of Whiteside’s variety and style. Frank
McComb, Kim Waters, Marion Meadows, and Tom Browne make their
appearances on the album to lend their touch to a well-seasoned musical
mix.
Whiteside is not one to shy away from shaking up
expectations. In contemporary jazz, where there is always a thirst for
fresh material, she steps up and delivers, both in studio recording and
on live stage. "Her tenacity makes her a force to be reckoned with. Mark
my words!" said Bob Baldwin of her once, and this tenacity is obvious
at every show and in every track. "We need new music," the fans say, and
Ragan Whiteside is always up to deliver exactly what they ask for.
Still
a New Yorker at her core and in her every note, Ragan Whiteside brings
no shortage of sound to shake up some perceptions of what a flute – and a
jazz artist – can do.