At just 23, jazz vocalist, pianist, and actor Isabella Isherwood steps onto the national stage with The Sweetest Sounds, a debut album that introduces a remarkably assured artist with a firm grasp of lyric, tone, and storytelling. Drawing from the Great American Songbook, modern jazz repertoire, and a carefully chosen selection of contemporary material, the record is held together by Isherwood’s clear, warm alto and an actor’s sensitivity to language, phrasing, and emotional subtext. The album is produced by Champian Fulton, whose work as both pianist and vocalist has earned consistent recognition from the Jazz Journalists Association and DownBeat critics.
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A Chicago native, Isherwood’s musical roots run deep. She began studying classical piano at the age of four, and her early relationship with jazz was shaped at home through the record collection of her grandfather, Jerry Libby — a Detroit-based pianist and club owner who founded the independent Sabrina Records label in 1964. Today, Isherwood helps steward that legacy, and The Sweetest Sounds carries a quiet tribute within its details: the album’s catalogue number is 063, marking June 3, Libby’s birthday.
Even at this early stage, Isherwood’s résumé reads with the confidence of an artist who’s already done the miles. She has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall and Ravinia, appeared at the Chicago Jazz Festival, and toured extensively across Europe. Alongside her music career, she is also an accomplished actor and co-founder of a theatre company — experience that brings a distinctly dramatic awareness to her interpretations, where each line lands with intention, and each lyric feels lived-in rather than sung.
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Joining Isherwood on The Sweetest Sounds are three standout Chicago musicians. Guitarist Mike Allemana, formerly a member of Charles Earland’s quartet, has shared stages with Dr Lonnie Smith, Von Freeman, and Jimmy Cobb, and co-founded the George Freeman/Mike Allemana Organ Quartet. Bassist Joe Policastro — a writer and arranger — leads the Joe Policastro Trio and has performed and recorded with artists including Diane Schuur, Jeff Hamilton, Phil Woods, Tim Ries, Ira Sullivan, and Billy Hart. On drums, Alejandro Salazar brings his extensive touring experience across Europe and the US, with credits that include Bobby Watson, Jon Faddis, and Emmet Cohen.
The Sweetest Sounds will be released on Sabrina Records, with physical and digital editions available via the artist’s website, Bandcamp, and all major streaming platforms.
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Images courtesy of Mouthpiece Music
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