New Single drops today: Everybody Wants To Rule The World!
Canadian-born vocalist Kari Kirkland began collaborating with producer/arranger/pianist Shelly Berg in 2016. Shelly, a five-time Grammy nominee, possesses the rare ability to translate Kari's wide-ranging musical inspirations into unique jazz arrangements; defying genres, creating a distinctive sound with sophisticated harmonies and honest, intimate storytelling. Creating jazzy expression with non-jazz material has become their collective superpower. With Don Murray engineering and Paul Blakemore mastering, the results are extraordinary.
Kari’s first album, 'Wild Is The Wind', featured Shelly on keyboards, Dean Parks on guitars, Gregg Field on drums, Kevin Axt on bass, Roy Hargrove and John Daversa on trumpet and flugelhorn, with Brian Kilgore adding percussion. The album’s 4th single, ‘Break Your Heart’ (originally by Taio Cruz and Fraser T Smith), reached #28 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart.
Kari’s second album, ‘If, When You Go’ (recorded in the iconic Capitol Studio A in Los Angeles), saw the return of Parks and Kilgore. Peter Erskine replaced Field on drums, Carlitos del Puerto and Kevin Axt shared bass duties, and Terell Stafford was featured on trumpet.
In March, 2024, Kirkland and Berg began work on her third studio album. Recorded at Village Studios in Santa Monica, CA in May, 2024, Kari's third album was released on June 5, 2026, featuring contemporary pop songs transformed into modern jazz. Kari’s music is available on 180-gram vinyl, CD’s, and downloads on Slea Head Records.
