By: Michael A. Graham
I’m in love with jazz! I’ve been in love with jazz for well over five decades. I know good music when I hear it and Kayla Waters plays Gooood Music. Kayla Waters is not just a fresh face in jazz but she’s a musical force that will make your head bob and your toes tap. She is young, gifted and extraordinarily talented. It stands to reason, because Kayla comes from good stock, her father is the award-winning jazz saxophonist, Kim Waters.
But Kayla is blazing her own musical trail with her smooth piano stylings. In this, her sophomore effort, Kayla takes us into her world with “Coevolve.” Coevolve is twelve tracks of pure smooth jazz joy. This latest effort is the perfect follow up to our introduction into Kayla’s world when she gave us “Apogee” last year. To be so young, she graduated from Howard University just a few years ago, Kayla is well grounded, humble, spiritual and mature. She’s dedicated to her craft and is enjoying the journey.
When we spoke about how “Coevolve” came to be, Kayla replied “This year I went underground, no social media, just perfecting my production skills and growing closer to God. I wanted my album to reflect this phase of my life and it really mirrored the life of a plant. When you put the seed into the ground and it gets watered, it gets nurtured, it grows and then it blossoms out of the ground. It’s called “Coevolve” because two things are happening at one time. The life of a plant is being described musically but I’m also letting people know where I have been personally this past year. So, there’s two things evolving, myself and the life of a plant, hence, “Coevolve.” The music just flowed as I was writing this album. It was all motivated from my personal journey so what you hear is organic. It really came from a personal place, that’s why it feels so natural and organic. It came from my spiritual walk and people can hear the growth in my musicality. So that was really the inspiration, the personal walk in my life inspired the songs, the titles, the lyrics, the composition and the melodies. I like to work in my studio at night where I can work on my songs, I can write and produce until it feels right.”
Well Kayla, it feels just right to us and in a world where people buy just one or two songs from an artist’s project, with “Coevolve” the whole album ROCKS!!!
For more information and tour dates for Kayla Waters visit her website at: www.Iamkaylawaters.com
@Iamkaylawaters
You may purchase the CD on iTunes or any download service.