Ultrablue’s SOMETHING LIKE SUMMER is a richly expressive, eight‑track journey that finds composer and pianist John Smatla distilling time, memory, and place into a warm, contemporary jazz statement. Rather than spotlighting individual songs, the album unfolds as a cinematic moodscape — from the urban‑to‑coastal shift of “The Length of Days” to the joyful lift of “Over the Moon” and the seductive, dream‑lit atmosphere of “Oasis.” Special guests deepen the palette, including Gabriela Anders, Pete Belasco, Romero Lubambo, and Gregoire Maret. The finale, “He Was Here,” is a powerful emotional summit, driven by jazz royalty John Patitucci and Omar Hakim, closing the collection with virtuoso grace and heartfelt resonance.
