Tag: jazz

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Kaylene Peoples Celebrates a Year of Milestones and Achievements in 2024

Los Angeles, CA – September 2024 – Multifaceted artist and entrepreneur Kaylene Peoples continues to make waves in 2024, solidifying her status as a true Renaissance Woman. Known for her extraordinary talents as a jazz and Bossa-nova musician, award-winning filmmaker, and pioneering publisher, Peoples has achieved a series of notable accomplishments this year across various creative fields.

Peoples was recently featured on the cover of Essence Weekly Magazine, marking her latest appearance on prestigious magazine covers. This year alone, she has graced the covers of Your Spirit, The Hollywood Magazine, Maxim Fashions, and Essence Weekly, further underscoring her influence in the entertainment industry.

Reflecting on her journey, Peoples shared:
“This year has been an incredible ride! From creating new music to seeing my vision for AGENDA Magazine come to life, I feel blessed to be able to share my passions with the world. Being the cover story of four esteemed magazines has been a career highlight, and it’s a reminder that as artists, we’re always evolving and pushing boundaries. I hope to inspire others through my personal story and successes.”

Peoples’s latest album, Vampire Odyssey, was released just a few months ago and showcases her ever-evolving artistry. The project takes listeners on a captivating musical journey, blending gothic themes with classical influences. Vampire Odyssey has already garnered significant attention for its originality and depth.

Her other upcoming album, Romantic Bossa-Nova 2, features original compositions that continue the legacy of her critically acclaimed Romantic Bossa-Nova, which earned international praise, including being named Album of the Week by Smooth FM in Portugal.

Peoples is also working on Doppelganger, an experimental album blending spy jazz, fusion, and lounge music with her group Peoples Republic. Her ongoing role as the flutist for the Grammy-nominated fusion band CAB remains a cornerstone of her career, showcasing her versatility and technical mastery.

As the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AGENDA Magazine, Peoples is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024. Recently recognized as one of the “Top 20 Best Magazines in Los Angeles” by Feedspot, AGENDA continues to be a trendsetting voice in fashion, lifestyle, and culture. Peoples’s leadership has also expanded through KL Publishing Group, where she has published a diverse array of books, art collections, and other literary works.

“AGENDA has always been more than a magazine to me,” Peoples said. “It’s a platform to elevate voices, tell unique stories, and create a space where fashion, culture, and art can thrive together. Reaching 20 years and being named a top magazine in LA is truly humbling.  This news precedes the awards gala and 20-year celebration of AGENDA, which will be on December 10th, 2024, at my favorite jazz venue, Catalina Jazz Club! I am thrilled to be able to recognize all the contributors who helped to make this magazine great!”

In addition to her music and publishing achievements, Peoples’s work in film scoring continues to shine. Her award-winning film Redemption demonstrated her ability to seamlessly blend her skills as a composer, director, and storyteller. Her contributions as a string arranger for Hollywood films and major record labels remain timeless, with notable works like her string arrangements for Oleander’s Unwind, recognized as one of the best post-grunge albums.

With the recent release of Vampire Odyssey, upcoming music projects, a thriving magazine, and her ongoing success in film and publishing, Kaylene Peoples continues to redefine what it means to be a modern Renaissance Woman.

For interviews, bookings, or more information about Kaylene Peoples, please contact:

Press Contact:
First Take PR
Email: contact@firsttakepr.com
Website: www.firsttakepr.com

About Kaylene Peoples

Kaylene Peoples is an award-winning jazz and Bossa-nova artist, flutist, vocalist, and renowned publisher. Just this year alone, she has been featured on the covers of Your Spirit, The Hollywood Magazine, Maxim Fashions, and Essence Weekly. As the founder of AGENDA Magazine and KL Publishing Group, Peoples continues to make significant contributions to fashion, music, and culture. (To stay up to date with everything Kaylene, visit: kaylenepeoples.com)

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I HAD A CONVERSATION: “THE HIGHER SELF” BUNNY BRUNEL PODCAST PART 2

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BY KEN HADA:

This is the second part of Bunny Brunel’s interview with Ken Hada.  Bunny talks about iconic jazz instrumentalists Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, and more. He discusses EDM, RAP, PRODUCERS, AND DJ’S. And the music business, studio recording, music companies today, and how to play your instrument at the highest level.

Check out the interview here:  https://www.ihadaconversation.com/bunny-brunel-part-2/

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“Real” Jazz and the Inspiration Behind “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook”

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By Sean McKenzie | The Indie Hotspot | April 11, 2017

“I wanted to let people know more about some of these well-known songs, many of which have evolved into jazz standards. Every song has a backstory.  I also thought it would be a good way to introduce real jazz to a young audience, too. I really think that was accomplished with this recent private concert,” states Kaylene Peoples

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Kaylene Peoples performs at “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook,” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Kaylene Peoples does a lot of things.  She has been called a renaissance woman more than once in the press and her musical disciplines are varied. These disciplines range from jazz, classical, and even pop.  Since her release of her first jazz album All Jazzed Up!, Kaylene has embraced “real” jazz with a bear hug. Kaylene released her second jazz masterpiece titled My Man, and with that she invited legends Hubert Laws, Bunny Brunel, and Bobby Lyle to guest perform, seeming to further make her point . . . “It’s all about the ‘real’ jazz.” Between these two albums, the performances and new arrangements of songs from the Great American Songbook have been the theme with the exception of “Run Away with Me,” “My only Crime,” and the song that charted independently back in 2005 “Do You Remember?” . . . her three originals that could easily be mistaken for standards off of All Jazzed Up!  

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Host Chase Masterson performs at “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook,” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Ultimately, Kaylene started a private Facebook group just for real jazz lovers.Back in 2012, she created the Indie Hotspot Jazz Series to bring more ‘real’ jazz to Los Angeles on a regular basis. And it’s not so hard to understand why her live performances consist of only ‘real’ jazz. What is real jazz? The term defines when the medium became popular in the United States. Many songs that were featured in classic Old Hollywood films by a well-known group of composers and performed by popular singers of the time. This practice continued for almost a century now, but has broken up into many different styles of jazz.

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Bunny Brunel performs at “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook,” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Jazz is defined as an improvisational discipline, where the instrumentalists use modal jazz changes as their guide. Classic vocal jazz consisted of jazz chords with subtle to extreme vocal improvisation, sometimes incorporating scatting. Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook was a concept Kaylene Peoples had to marry standards with real jazz. [Footnote: Today we have a genre called smooth jazz, which is often confused with real jazz. The theory of the two genres are very different, yet they both have their own unique appeal. And sometimes these two genres cross over into the other genre’s style.]

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Larry Dunn and Luisa Dunn attend “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Kaylene Peoples Standards and Stories from the Great American Songbook premiered April 2nd, 2017 at the Mouse House Studio in Altadena, the third private concert put on by The Indie Hotspot. It was an intimate setting with an impressive lineup: Kaylene Peoples (vocals/flute), Bunny Brunel (acoustic bass), Mahesh Balasooriya (grand piano), and Bryan Cabrera (drums). Chase Masterson narrated and sang three Peggy Lee standards. Using a traditional trio and old-fashion storytelling, the audience was captivated by the stories and performances by this mega-talented ensemble.

Continue reading ““Real” Jazz and the Inspiration Behind “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook””

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A GREAT SHOW OF ACOUSTIC JAZZ & ELECTRIC FUSION BY BUNNY BRUNEL & KAYLENE PEOPLES!

By Mike Harvey | Theindiedhotspot.com | March 4, 2017

Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the Alvas Showroom in San pedro, I saw masterful bassist Bunny Brunel II and the lovely and multi-talented Kaylene Peoples at the Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, CA. Bunny gave us a great version of “Dolphin Dance” (my personal favorite of all his recordings) and flautist Kaylene blew us away on the flute with Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” Virgil Donati provided a creative & solid foundation on drums, and Bronx brother, Joe Calderon shredded on guitar from metallic outbursts to gentle complements to the ensemble. A surprisingly inventive and emotional performance by up and coming pianist Mahesh Balasooriya seemed to be enjoyed by his bandmates, as much as it was by the audience. Kaylene‘s vocals hit the spot, and what a charming lady she is!

Some highlights of jazz favorites performed that evening were “Dolphin Dance,””Take Five,””Lullaby of Birdland,””Night Streets,” “The Slide,””One Note Samba,” and more.

Original Soucre: http://www.theindiehotspot.com/2017/03/04/a-great-show-of-acoustic-jazz-electric-fusion-by-bunny-brunel-kaylene-peoples/

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