One of Smooth Jazz's most exciting recent comeback stories is the cosmopolitan global fusion collective Ultrablue, which former music teacher and NYC keyboardist John Smatla took to great heights in the 2000s, then brought back to genre consciousness with a self-titled album in 2023. Following "Something Like Summer," their recent Brazilian sun infused single featuring Gabriela Anders and Pete Belasco, Ultrablue caps a prolific year with the beautiful "Heartland." A cinematic musical journey that starts as a passionate ballad trading off piano and sax before exploding into an epic jazz adventure, settling into a splendid free flow featuring gorgeous piano playing and dreamy backing vocals. "Heartland" is ultimate Ultrablue… Expressive, moving and captivating.
