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Marie-Claire Giraud Unveils Her Most Ambitious Musical Journey Yet With New Album MY BIG BOLD & BEAUTIFUL TECHNICOLOR FANTASY 

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2 months ago

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A genre-defying celebration of jazz, opera, pop, and world music featuring collaborations with Grammy Award-winning Vernon Reid, Sondra Radvanovsky, and Lisa Marie Simmons

Acclaimed vocalist, composer, and visionary artist Marie-Claire Giraud invites listeners into a dazzling universe of sound, color, and imagination with the release of her highly anticipated new album, MY BIG BOLD & BEAUTIFUL TECHNICOLOR FANTASY.

Blending the sophistication of jazz, the drama of opera, the energy of pop, and the vibrant rhythms of world music, the album is a deeply personal reflection of the influences that have shaped Marie-Claire’s extraordinary artistic journey. Inspired by the glamour of Carmen Miranda, the golden age of Hollywood musicals from the 1940s and 1950s, and a lifetime of musical exploration, MY BIG BOLD & BEAUTIFUL TECHNICOLOR FANTASY creates a world that is bold, layered, and endlessly expressive.

“This album is a celebration of everything that has inspired me—the music, cultures, artists, and stories that have shaped who I am,” says Marie-Claire Giraud. “It’s a journey through sound, imagination, and emotion, where every song reveals another color of the fantasy.”

The album features an impressive collection of collaborations that highlight Marie-Claire’s ability to seamlessly bridge musical worlds. Grammy Award-winning guitarist Vernon Reid joins her on “Honey Honey Baby,” a soulful, retro-inspired track inspired by Ronnie Spector and the iconic girl groups of the 1960s. Opera superstar Sondra Radvanovsky lends her extraordinary voice to a reimagined jazz interpretation of Jacques Offenbach’s timeless classic “Barcarolle,” while Lisa Marie Simmons appears on “BLU X,” a soaring and uplifting anthem about resilience, healing, and transformation.

Adding to the album’s vibrant tapestry is “It Had To Be You,” an immersive celebration inspired by the rhythms, colors, and spirit of Brazilian Carnival. Throughout the record, Marie-Claire transforms classic influences into something fresh and contemporary, creating a musical experience that feels both nostalgic and completely new.

Known as a fearless innovator, Marie-Claire Giraud is a true Renaissance musician whose artistry exists at the intersection of sound, culture, and creativity. Her signature style, HipHopera, combines the rhythmic power of hip-hop with the emotional depth and grandeur of operatic vocals, while her rich soprano voice brings a soulful elegance to jazz, reggae, and contemporary music.

Marie-Claire’s songwriting is equally distinguished. She co-wrote two songs on the album with Grammy-nominated songwriter Jeff Franzel and also co-wrote a song with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison, further reflecting the remarkable breadth of her artistic collaborations.

Throughout her career, Marie-Claire has collaborated across genres with artists including reggae legend Spragga Benz on “Rastaman Chant” and hip-hop artist Rob $tone on “Chill Bill,” featured in RCA/Sony’s Out of the Comfort Zone series. Her reggae-influenced EP Dreamland further showcased her versatility, while her original works and reinterpretations of jazz standards have established her as one of today’s most compelling genre-defying vocalists.

Her artistry has also inspired celebrated creators. Jamaican music icon Bob Andy wrote “Constellation” specifically for Marie-Claire, while Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison created a four-song cycle tailored to her voice, with Marie-Claire contributing original lyrics and melodies.

Raised in the Bronx, New York, and born on the Caribbean island of Dominica, Marie-Claire Giraud has built a remarkable career spanning intimate jazz clubs, major international festivals, and some of the world’s most prestigious stages. She has performed at the United Nations, Barclays Center (performing the U.S. National Anthem), Central Park SummerStage, Dizzy’s Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, and the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. Internationally, she has also appeared at the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, Cartagena Jazz Festival, and Creole in the Park in her native Dominica.

In more intimate settings, Marie-Claire has captivated audiences at legendary venues including Preservation Hall in New Orleans alongside the Preservation Hall All-Stars, Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., and New York City institutions such as Smalls Jazz Club, Joe’s Pub, and Omar’s.

With MY BIG BOLD & BEAUTIFUL TECHNICOLOR FANTASY, Marie-Claire Giraud continues her mission of transcending boundaries and connecting cultures through music. More than simply a collection of songs, the album is a vibrant, cinematic experience where jazz, opera, pop, and global sounds collide to create a breathtaking celebration of artistry, imagination, and fearless self-expression.

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JOHN CLAYTON CELEBRATES FAMILY, COLLABORATION AND JAZZ TRADITION ON HIS EIGHTH ALBUM, THE TWO-O DUO PROJECT

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15 minutes ago

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September 21, 2026

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One of Los Angeles’ treasured bassists, composers and bandleaders, John Clayton, returns with his eighth album, The Two-O Duo Project, an intimate and inventive recording that brings together three remarkable musicians: Clayton, acclaimed vocalist René Marie, and his son, celebrated pianist and composer Gerald Clayton.

Built around the idea of musical conversation, The Two-O Duo Project explores the possibilities of the duo format while celebrating the unique relationships between its performers. Across the album, John Clayton moves between duo collaborations with René Marie and Gerald Clayton, creating a collection that feels both deeply personal and musically adventurous. The project also features several trio performances, allowing the three musicians to come together and expand on the ideas developed throughout the recording.

René Marie brings her distinctive combination of soul, blues and expressive storytelling to the project. Her performances on the rich interpretation of “Blue Bayou” and the relaxed, blues-inflected “Beautiful” showcase her ability to move effortlessly between intimacy and strength. On “On The Day You Were Born,” Marie adds poetry and spoken expression, while the “Smile Medley” finds her swinging alongside John Clayton. She also brings a spiritual depth to “Come Sunday” and a striking, earthy intensity to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

Gerald Clayton brings a different kind of musical chemistry to the album. His playing on “Some Other Time” is fluid and understated, while his original composition “Forth” highlights his graceful, highly individual approach to the piano and overdubbed keyboards he plays. With “En La Orilla Del Mundo,” father and son explore the poignancy of this beautiful song, John, playing the melody with his bow and Gerald, employing the sensitive touch he learned from mentors like Kenny Barron. 

The recordings offer a rare opportunity to hear father and son in a setting that strips the music down to its essential elements: listening, interaction and trust.

For John Clayton, the album represents both a long-awaited reunion and the beginning of a new collaboration.

“My son, Gerald, and I haven’t done a duo recording in many years. I have never done a recording project with René Marie, though we’ve talked about it many times. So, I decided to have and eat my cake. This was my chance to record duos with two of my favorite people. Since we were all there, hanging out on the same day, why not do a few trio things as well? And so, we gave birth to The Two-O Duo Project.”

That spirit of spontaneity is at the heart of the album. Rather than approaching the sessions as a conventional leader-and-guest project, Clayton created an environment where each musician could bring their own voice and respond naturally to the others.

The result is an album shaped by family ties, friendship and decades of musical experience, moving comfortably between jazz standards, original compositions, vocal interpretations and intimate instrumental exchanges.

The Two-O Duo Project was recorded at Clear Lake Recording Studio in North Hollywood, California, and engineered and mixed by Joel Moss and Steve Generwick.

With his eighth album, John Clayton continues to demonstrate why he remains such an important voice in the jazz community. The Two-O Duo Project is not simply a collection of duets—it is a celebration of musical connection and the special chemistry that emerges when artists listen as deeply as they play.

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