DAYBREAK ~ SK with Mixed Remotions
“Daybreak may have been largely remotely recorded, but the mood is intimate and pensive. In a society starved for tranquil beauty, Susan Krebs supplies a much-needed and highly eclectic remedy.” ~ (Richard J Salvucci – All About Jazz)
“If it seems we can feel the longing for love and connection in every sensual, soulful and intimate phrase emoted by veteran vocalist Susan Krebs on her exquisitely conceived and arranged album Daybreak, it’s with good reason… beyond Krebs’ always inviting vocals and pinpoint phrasing, the heartfelt connections she has with these guys is not only essential to the project but in many ways, Krebs’ emotional survival through the time of lockdown.” ~ (JW Vibe by Jonathan Widran)
“The Latin read of “Stardust” is brilliant and she’s richly bohemian on “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”. California West Coast Cool’d voices and vibes.” ~ (JazzWeekly by George Harris)
“There is much emotion in the mix from the Mixed Remotions and Susan Krebs. In her singing there is involvement and an intensity, with warmth and a patina of melancholy that adds gravitas and grace.” ~ (Talkin’ Broadway by Rob Lester)
“Susan Krebs delivers splendid vocals…she has an intriguing, expressive voice that enhances the gorgeous arrangements and superb musicality of Mixed Remotions. DAYBREAK is a warm and affective recording that should be in your collection of jazz vocalists.” ~ (Sounds of Timeless Jazz ~ Paula Edelstein)
trio WoRK
“Together, this band of three creates a unique listening experience with creative arrangements, awesome musicianship and a vocalist who’s unafraid to jump off any musical precipice without a parachute.” ~ Dee Dee McNeil/Musical Memoirs
“The three celebrate one of the great joys of music making in Los Angeles: the opportunity to meet serendipitously at a single gig and create an indelible musical chemistry that collectively takes the musicians into depths of their artistry explored in no other outlet… pure lightness and freewheeling magic in each re-imagining.” ~ Jonathan Widran/JW Vibe
“This is about as elegant as music gets… the epitome of late night listening. Turn down the lights, put another log on the fire, and cuddle up with a special someone if you’re so fortunate… Elegant, classy and that special “low lights” mood that make for a most enjoyable listen.”~ Jim Hynes/Making A Scene
“A jazz vocal trio that keeps it simple, there’s nothing here but tasty elegance served right… Well done.”~ Chris Spector/Midwest Record
SPRING
light out of darkness
Vocalist Susan Krebs has carved a niche for herself as one of the premier singers in chamber jazz, a hybrid style characterized by classical influences, intimate recording quality, delicate musical interplay and poetic lyrical content. She’s a silky-toned performer with an intuitive melodic sense and a literary way with words, and she’s been instrumental in ushering chamber jazz into the 21st century. ~ Brian Zimmerman/JAZZIZ Magazine
Krebs has an intriguing sound; where appropriate she can be wryly amusing or slyly knowing, and she is always highly musical… A very good album that will appeal not only to those who enjoy jazz singing, but also to a wider audience. ~ Warmly recommended.” ~ Bruce Crowther/Jazz Journal/UK
Susan Krebs‘ two previous recordings, Simple Gifts (2015) and Everything Must Change (2012) are the journey bringing us to the present Spring: Light Out of Darkness. Krebs is already well known for a bold soul and fearless creative muse, two characteristics she draws upon deeply as she recasts the songs of spring, emphasizing the season’s reputation for renewal and regeneration…Splendid, as is the treatment of Stravinsky’s Rite. First rate music making, this. ~ All About Jazz/C. Michael Bailey
Anyone soulful and spiritually intuitive enough to celebrate the season of renewal by juxtaposing a bluesy Ray Charles classic alongside fresh, inspired arrangements of pieces by Vivaldi and Stravinsky deserves our deepest love and attention… Working with her unique four piece jazz chamber band – featuring piano, woodwinds, percussion and violin – Krebs mines the jazz, classical and Broadway realms to create a beautiful story. ~ JW Vibe/Jonathan Widran
Krebs’ strong, passionate voice bursts through the beauty of her latest release. Her chamber band takes jazz to a new level as they fill the airwaves with so much sound. It is so appropriate that their latest is called SPRING-Light out of Darkness, as that is just what their music brings forth. You can’t listen to these glorious standards without being filled with light. Thanks to Susan Krebs for bringing that light to our world. ~ Bob Leggett/Indie Voice
As you listen to Susan’s magical vocal work, you will find your ears are totally wrapped around the aura she creates… like a really great book, you won’t be able to stop listening until the last note – it’s spellbinding… I give Susan’s enchanting Chamber Band a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, for this treasure of an album. ~ Dick Metcalf / Contemporary Fusion Reviews
I would have liked more … memorable. ~ Robert Rusch / Cadence Magazine
A very interesting, out of the ordinary session. ~ Chris Spector/Midwest Record
Simple Gifts
Krebs’ recording is that potent, fecund, and essential… an extension and a perfection of that effort to push jazz boundaries into alternate areas… I do not anticipate hearing a more satisfying or original recording the rest of this year. ***** 5 Stars ~ C. Michael Bailey/All About Jazz
Like food cooked over a slow Bohemian fire, Simple Gifts is savory and satisfying… Honed in small venues and living rooms, Simple Gifts is an album to ponder vignette by vignette. ~ Carlo Wolff / DownBeat
Krebs and her band sound like no one else in today’s jazz world… the vibe here is contemporary jazz drawing from many influences from the past… Susan is an excellent singer, blessed with a strong voice that understands jazz nuance. ~ John Sanders/Jazz Music Archives
Inventive arrangements and concepts always carry risks… there’s magic to be heard. – All About Jazz
The Susan Krebs Chamber Band takes the classic Chamber Music concept, infuses wonderful modern day musical thinking and performing and suddenly it becomes a new Jazz paradigm. ~ Music Man Blog
The SUSAN KREBS Chamber Band – “Simple Gifts” CD is a synergy of memorable compositions, and outstanding performances by impeccably talented artists condensed into a single, intimate collaborative recording. This “music of friends” first heard in ‘living rooms and small theaters’ has all the forceful ingredients of the killer, classic ‘jam session’ that it is: virtuosic spontaneity; a reprise of the music of remarkable composers, with in-the-moment verve and conviviality; tempered and ‘cooked’ by riveting lead vocalist Susan Krebs… But describing Susan Krebs solely as a “jazz Singer,” is to miss what she is deep in her heart: “a song stylist.” A vocalist assigned to this poetic realm, must be by definition, a fastidious interpreter of the lyric. Krebs is exceptional; she eschews no vocal challenge: demonstrating enviable pitch range, extraordinary intonation, and a finely tuned sense of vocal dynamics which she puts to good use over the course of eight highly entertaining music tracks… There is no escaping the magic embedded in these “simple gifts”, as Krebs makes her songs personal, authentic and unforgettable. ~ C.J. Bond/Jazz Music Blog
Everything Must Change
A jazz singer steeped in experience with a “no fear” soul… The double-shot of experience and exuberance is what characterizes Krebs’ art, and she spreads both liberally on Everything Must Change. ~ C. Michael Bailey/All About Jazz
Krebs has the latitude to make the music she wants to make and add her own special sauce as and when needed. Here we have an intimate, gutsy jazz vocal date…and she once again shows that she can handle any facet of jazz singing. ~ Chris Spector/Midwest Record
The creative arrangements allow for warm, expressive conversations between the vocalist and instrumentalists. Krebs’ earthy vocal presence is surrounded by the intimacy of her longtime collaborators, Rich Eames (piano) and Jerry Kalaf (drums)… She’s a sincere singer whose ballads and sense of swing remind me of Shirley Horn. At the same time, think Sheila Jordan for the witty interpretations. ~ Joe Ross/BlogCritics.Org
Jazz Aviary
In JAZZ AVIARY, Krebs has created a rare and mesmerizing creative experience. ~ Don Heckman/Int’l Review of Music
Irresistible offerings from a formidable jazz artist. ~ All Music Guide
Krebs’ interpretive passion, intelligence, and love for the project can be heard throughout. ~ Jazz Improv Magazine
Blessedly free of affectation, Krebs rivals Karrin Allyson and Diana Krall in her ability to climb inside a lyric and make it seem she’s lived there her entire life…..a series of delicate yet masterfully constructed origami creatures. ~ Jazz Times
Krebs and her amazing musicians have created something of singular beauty. ~ LA Jazz Scene