About the album
Atlantic Jazz Collective feat. Norma Winstone and Joe LaBarbera
Seascape is the debut album by the Atlantic Jazz Collective, a supergroup that brings together Juno Award-winning artists Mike Murley (tenor and soprano saxophone), Florian Hoefner (piano and accordion), and Jim Vivian (bass) with the revered jazz talents of Norma Winstone (vocals) and Joe LaBarbera (drums). Recorded in the evocative coastal city of St. John’s, Newfoundland, the album captures the essence of the sea—a boundless force of rhythm, mystery, and renewal that serves as both muse and metaphor for the music.
This record offers a fresh take on modern jazz, featuring stunning vocal interpretations of beloved originals. With a repertoire including compositions by Maria Schneider, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, and more, each track is elevated by Norma Winstone’s poetic lyricism, delivering new perspectives on familiar tunes.
Atlantic Jazz Collective
Mike Murley (tenor and soprano sax)
Florian Hoefner (piano)
Jim Vivian (bass)
with special guests:
Norma Winstone (vocals)
Joe LaBarbera (drums)
Reviews
Modern Drummer (USA)
“Florian Hoefner really steps out and becomes the perfect support for Winstone, while Labarbera becomes the perfect musical instigator of the band. This is interesting music and a beautiful recording with a well-conceived concept.”
Making A Scene (USA)
“This is an historic musical production that should catch any jazz collector’s eye and capture worldwide attention with its global scope.”
Marlbank.net (UK)
“Overall I find Seascape even more satisfying than the guitar flavoured Jason Keiser gem Kind of Kenny issued last year and is up there with Winstone’s own magical Wheeler With Words perhaps to some long time followers her best work since her stirring collaborations with Gesing and Venier on their classic Stories Yet To Tell (2010).”
Exclusive Magazine (USA)
“Beyond its breathtaking repertoire, Seascape is a meeting of musical minds and hearts. From the poignant lyricism of Norma Winstone to the dynamic interplay of Joe LaBarbera, every performance captures the essence of modern jazz at its finest.”
Paris Move
“When a collective of artists finds such perfect harmony, the magic is instantaneous. Rooted in classical influences and shaped with classical precision, this group ventures into jazz with a sense of daring, surprising, never redundant, and pouring as much passion into their instruments and voices as into their silence. This kind of artistry feels rare, intimate, cerebral, perhaps even spiritual.”
Jazz Weekly
“Hoefner is prismatic when featured on the dark “Running Through My Head” and intimate with Winstone and Vivian for “Always By Your Side”, with the master LaBarbera getting some space on the assertive “Raffish”. […] A classy class.”