It’s almost the end of 2023, and we can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by. There have been so many amazing new releases this year, but for this blog, we want to focus on 2023 releases from artists we’ve worked with here at Savage Content. We’ve had the pleasure of working with and getting to know many great artists over the years, and some of those incredible talents have new music to check out in 2023. Here’s a list of artists that Savage Content loves who have put out awesome music this year.
Benny Benack III – Third Time’s the Charm
Released in June 2023, the latest album Third Times the Charm by Benny Benack III is an absolute must-listen. As a third in his family, Benack followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather when it came to music, but he came onto the scene and carved a big name for himself to stand on his own. With a mixture of original compositions and reimagining of classic songs, there’s something for everyone in Third Time’s the Charm. To get a real feel for the album, check out the title track featuring stunning vocals from Benack himself.
We love Benny’s charisma on stage. Working with him is always such a joy. You can check out his Savage Content performance at The Cutting Room belo
Peter and Will Anderson – Songbook Summit
Recorded on February 12th, 2023, at Trading 8’s Studios in Paramus, NJ, Songbook Summit is a great album to spin going into the end of the year. The twin brothers have such a tight bond both on and off the stage, and the easy flow between them is wonderful on this album. The Songbook Summit features works from The American Songbook and works from legends such as Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington. The album also includes some original works such as “Going to the Shedd” and “The Journey of Jazz”. Check out their take on Irving Berlin’s underrated song, “There’s No Business, Like Show Business.”
We love the creative energy between these two when they’re up on stage. One of our favorite performances they did with Savage Content took place at The Cutting Room in New York City. The Anderson Brothers go to town on “Fascinating Rhythm” featuring stunning vocals from Molly Ryan. Check it out below.
Nicole Henry - Single: “Is It a Crime?”
Fans of Nicole Henry’s beautiful vocals- rejoice! Henry has released a single called, “Is It a Crime?” A cover of the 1985 Sadé song, the track was originally released on her 2021 album Time to Love Again, but this is a newly edited version paired with a music video. “Is It a Crime?” has a great blend of jazz, blues, and soul intertwined. Also happening this year is Nicole Henry’s annual winter concert! The concert benefits the SAVE foundation and Miami Music Project. This year, Henry is celebrating and paying homage to The Divas including Whitney Houston and Doris Day. The event is on December 5th at the Colony Theatre in Miami, Florida, but if you missed it, take a look on social media for some cool clips from the performance!
Watch the music video for “Is It a Crime?” which was released just a few months ago.
Nicole has been a friend of Savage Content since the beginning, and each time we work with her, it’s such a blast! We love her vocal delivery on “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” performed with the Konrad Paszkudzki Trio. Check it out below.
Pasquale Grasso - Single: “Winter Wonderland”
Just in time for the holidays, Pasquale Grasso has gifted us with his take on a Christmas classic, “Winter Wonderland.” This is the perfect song to throw on while you’re cozying up by the fire on a cold winter night. If you need more Christmas from Grasso, he also recorded his take on “White Christmas.”
Pasquale Grasso is such a warm prescence and absolutely mesmerizing to watch as he plays. We love the performance of “Will You Still Be Mine” that Grasso and his band recorded for us at The Cutting Room in New York City. There’s an especially captivating solo by Grasso at about 2:40 into the performance that will give you an idea of what I mean when we describe his playing as mesmerizing.
Elsten Torres - “Benedita Cuba”
Elsten Torres, who has been called a pioneer of Latin alternative rock, released a heartfelt single called “Benedita Cuba” in March 2023. The song is an homage to his late mother who always represented Cuba in his life. Beyond being a heartfelt topic that many can relate to, it’s also a very suave, beautifully written song.
Check out the song and its accompanying music video below.
We have had the pleasure of working with Torres during the creation of our performance series Look Mom, I Made It. I dare you to listen to Torres singing “When I’m Gone” and not feel like a changed person afterward. His vocals will take your breath away. Watch his performance here:
Jeb Patton – Preludes
Jeb Patton’s new album Preludes came out on May 26, 2023, and was recorded in Astoria, New York. Patton revisits his classical roots in Preludes, which is an immersive blend of jazz and classical. Preludes is a song full of preludes, as they are all labeled as such in different key signatures aside from the final track “Prelude to a Kiss”, a cover of Duke Ellington’s song. Give Patton’s version of “Prelude to a Kiss” here:
Jeb Patton has appeared on Savage Content a few times as part of Peter and Will Anderson’s ensemble. There were a few great songs to choose from to highlight, but I especially like Patton’s piano solo in their take on “Rhapsody in Blue.” Give it a listen.
Daniela Padrón – SOLA
There is not enough love for violinists, so when making this list, we knew it had to include one of our favorite violinists, Daniela Padrón. SOLA is her third album as a solo artist and was released in May of 2023. If you like enchanting instrumentation, you’ll want to give SOLA a listen. Check out “Aquarela Do Brasil” below.
We loved working with Daniela Padrón for the Look Mom, I Made It performance series. It’s impossible to look away from Padrón while she’s playing “Awakening” standing atop a table on the living room-like stage setup. Check out the performance below.
Karrin Allyson – Singles: “Just Passing Through” and “Falling Up”
One of our favorite jazz vocalists, five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson has released two singles this year for jazz lovers to sink their teeth into. Allyson wrote “Falling Up” during the pandemic and released the single in July of this year. It’s all about learning a new way to feel productive and finding positivity despite the world’s changes. Her second single “Just Passing Through” was released in September 2023. The song is about multiple things, but one that Allyson highlights is the idea of moving ahead and not dwelling in the past. You can listen to both singles below.
We’ve had a relationship with Karrin Allyson for a couple of years now, and we love getting a chance to work together. She was on our panel of judges for our How I Fell in Love with Jazz contest in 2020. She has also worked with us in releasing her MCG Jazz performance from Pittsburgh. Her performance of her original song “Some of That Sunshine” is a beautiful song that we were lucky enough to capture to share with our audience. Check it out below.
Judy Buendia – Judy
If you haven’t heard of Venezuelan pop singer Judy Buendia, 2023 is a great year to find her. In 2023 alone, Buendia has released a full-length album called Judy, released a music video for her song “Gladiadora”, and just in October released her single, “Descontrólate.” With such an infectious fun energy like Buendia’s, it’s impossible to sit still while listening to her music, especially “Gladiadora” which is also included on her album Judy. Check out the music video below.
Judy Buendia was another one of the very talented Latin artists that performed for the Savage Content project Look Mom, I Made It. While most of Buendia’s content is in her native language, Spanish, her performance for Savage Content was a cover done in English of the classic song, “At Last.” Her rendition is absolutely stunning, and it was such a treat to have her in our studio. Check out her performance of “At Last” below.
Nicki Parrott – Misty
Vocalist and bass player Nicki Parott came out with a new album in February that celebrates the great women of jazz. From Sarah Vaughan to Peggy Lee to Etta James, Misty is a beautiful ode to the greats of the genre. Some of those renditions include "Whatever Lola Wants," "Big Spender," and "At Last." Check out the album’s title track below.
Nicki Parrott has been a friend of Savage Content for years, and we’ve had the pleasure of sharing performances featuring Parrott with our audience a few times. One of our favorite performances of hers comes from The Living Room series where the performance takes place in a domestic, cozy setting. In the performance of “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” Parrott is joined by Konrad Paszkudzki to deliver a stunning performance. Check it out below.
Warren Wolf – Chano Pozo: Origins
Vibraphone master Warren Wolf has a new album to throw on as the end of the year is winding down. Released in July of this year, Chano Pozo: Origins is not a tribute record to the legendary percussionist Chano Pozo. It’s actually a nickname given to Wolf by his late father. The album, meant to exemplify the musical stylings that have shaped Wolf into the musicians he is today, features Wolf (or in this case Pozo) playing all the parts on the record, except for the horns. Check out “Havoc,” a track from the album, below.
It was such a treat to have Warren Wolf perform a handful of numbers for Savage Content taking place at The Cutting Room in New York City. Joining Wolf onstage for the performances include Sullivan Fortner on piano, Russell Hall on bass, and Willie Jones on the drums. The one we wanted to highlight is Wolf’s rendition of the Wayne Shorter classic, “Infant Eyes” here:
Ale Mor – Beautiful Humans Vol. 1
We couldn’t make this list without giving a shoutout to Ale Mor who not only released a killer new album in 2023 but also received a nomination for Best Latin Pop Album at 2023 Latin Grammys. The Colombian-American musician expertly weaves pop, latin alternative, R&B, soul, and hip hop into her albums, including on Beautiful Humans Vol. 1. With each song featuring a collaboration of some sort, they all have a unique sound and feeling yet still flow together beautifully. Ale Mor has said that she seeks to create music with which listeners can feel identified and validated. Beautiful Humans Vol. 1 absolutely accomplishes that. Check out the music video for the song, “Y Qué?” which is featured on the album.
2023 has been such a great year for music! We hope you find something new to check out from our list. In just a couple weeks, we will be sharing individual favorite songs of the year from members of our team, so there will be even more music to check out from our recommendations. Until then, there’s plenty of amazing music to stream from this post. Enjoy!
Written by Kristen Petronio