KAY KOSTOPOULOS

ALL THIS IS POSSIBLE

Black Olive Jazz

Kay Kostopoulos, vocals; John Dimartino, piano; Sean Conly, bass; Vince Cherico, drums; Peter Brainin & Noel Jewkes, soprano & tenor saxophones.

Kay Kostopoulos unveils a collection of eight jazz standards on her latest album, “All This is Possible.”  Her band is stellar!  They add sensitivity and beauty to each song production.  I enjoyed the Kostopoulos take on “Never Let Me Go.”  It was very sincere and emotional.

Kostopoulos has made her mark with many successes as a seasoned actress and a 25-year Stanford lecturer in both the Business and Theatrical departments.  That enhances her  ability to connect to an audience when singing.  You hear it in her patter before singing “Mad About the Boy.”

She uses the swiftly arranged Charlie Parker jazz tune called “Segment” to spit original lyrics out like scat notes. Kay Kostopoulos sings along with the melodic saxophone during this swiftly moving arrangement.

She also sings the McCoy Tyner favorite, “Search for Peace.”  This slower production gives her more time to put sincere emotion into her delivery of these original lyrics.

The production on “I Enjoy Being A Girl” is reimagined in a minor key with Middle Eastern flavor.  On this tune, Kostopoulos lets her theatrical flair shine. At the fade, she adds her own musical chant that recalls her Greek heritage.

With a solid background in theater, earning a master’s degree from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, she currently teaches and lives in New York. There, she also coaches leadership teams at major tech companies.  Her work in communication seems to crisscross disciplines.  Kostopoulos taught at Stanford for 25 years before retiring.  This is her fourth album release.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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