Reviews of Maria Solena’s new album:
There are albums that charm, others that dazzle—but then there are those rare records that heal. Maria Solena’s latest release, Yesterday and Tomorrow, is firmly rooted in that final category … it isn’t just a musical milestone for the internationally celebrated vocalist—it’s a declaration of identity, growth, and emotional clarity. ~ Apricot Magazine
Solena offers musical solace through lyrics that illuminate the resilient spirit required to navigate today’s tumultuous world, portraying love as a steadfast anchor amidst chaos. Her work is both a balm for the weary and a call to embrace the promise of tomorrow. ~ Songplode
With “Yesterday and Tomorrow“, Maria Solena has given us something rare: an album that is timely and timeless. It acknowledges hardship without sinking into despair, celebrates love without descending into cliché, and honours the past while leaning firmly toward a brighter future. It is, in every sense, a refuge. And in today’s world, that may be the most radical thing an artist can offer. ~ Hit Harmony Haven
The whole album … meanders through jazz, soul, and pop with the elegance of someone who’s lived through love, loss, and triumph. “Yesterday and Tomorrow” has flutes fluttering like feathers, warm piano lines, and Solena singing softly but surely about time, memory, and what it means to stop and love for all that it costs. ~ Illustrate Magazine
There is a delicate elegance to Solena’s nostalgic songs; it bubbles to the surface on “Before The Night Is Done” and the Latin-tinged “Hold Me Tight. “She demonstrates her ability to merge an unhurried, tasteful approach with contemporary flair, creating arrangements that feel both classic and refreshingly modern. Light without being insubstantial, soulful, romantic and full of genuine promise. ~ All About Jazz
Recorded at Vancouver’s renowned Greenhouse Studios, the track [The Dream] blends Maria’s signature vocal elegance with lush harmonies and vivid lyricism. With delicate phrasing and dynamic warmth, she offers listeners a journey through joy, sorrow, and unwavering ambition, from vision to reality. ~ Creative Executive Lens
In the pantheon of contemporary jazz singers, few embody the poise and artistic devotion of Maria Solena. Her latest offering, “The Dream,” recorded at the prestigious Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver, BC, stands as a radiant testament to her skill as both an immaculate vocalist and an introspective songwriter. ~ Skope
With her signature blend of soulful jazz elegance and poetic vulnerability, Maria Solena returns with “The Dream”—a breathtakingly intimate original that feels both deeply personal and profoundly universal. Capturing the ache, the hope, and the quiet determination that underscore a life devoted to the arts, Solena weaves a musical spell that lingers long after the final note. ~ Rockdafuqout
On “The Dream,” Maria Solena doesn’t just sing—she bares her soul. With a voice like moonlight on still water, the acclaimed jazz vocalist and songwriter delivers a lush and deeply affecting performance that speaks directly to the heart of anyone who’s ever dared to chase a dream. ~ We Write About Music
This was absolutely brilliant, and I loved the entire approach, aesthetic, and overall soundscape that this created because it’s not often that you come across an artist that is able to pull together such a vintage and classic tonality so well with such well thought out, lyrics, tones, sounds and everything else. ~ Rag Talent
You will certainly won’t forget the name Maria Solena anytime soon, with her well-known emotional voice and inspiring songs … The music and spoken words of Maria make you feel like you are watching a film and they invite listeners to focus on women’s wisdom, love and courage, instead of their age or the way they look. ~ Music Arenagh
Maria Solena doesn’t just sing—she summons … Maria Solena has long held her own among jazz heavyweights, but with “Open Your Eyes,” she transcends genre entirely. This is music as mirror, as balm, as beacon. And as the title suggests, it’s a gentle command: open your eyes—not just to the song, but to the strength and splendor of the women all around you. ~ Electro Wow
Maria Solena returns with “Open Your Eyes,” a stirring new single that pays tribute to the depth, resilience, and quiet power of women. Known for her lyrical finesse and emotional range, the internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist delivers a song that challenges stereotypes while honoring the lived experiences of women everywhere. ~ Substream Magazine
Okay, so here’s the thing: Maria Solena isn’t just singing on her new single “Open Your Eyes”—she’s casting spells. The jazz queen with the voice smoother than a triple-shot macchiato is back, and this time she’s taking aim at every dusty old stereotype about what a woman “should” be. ~ Skope Mag
Her enchanting and modern cocktail of jazz and pop is something that has seen Maria Solena grow into an internationally recognized and celebrated artist over the last few years. ~ Clout Magazine
With this release, Solena is carving out a space of her own, one that values subtlety over spectacle and emotional honesty over artifice … Open Your Eyes’ is yet another quiet triumph in a growing catalogue of introspective gems. ~ The Real Ding
I’ve been listening to your new cd. Guess “Yesterday And Tomorrow” is one of my top tune. The music is amazing and your vocals tells each story in your songs. I can hear a little bit your style similar to your other CDs. Your originals catches the mood. Looking forward for more of your originals, great vocals, lyrics, and music. ~ Albert Fong, San Francisco
Follow Maria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariasolena5/
Michael K. Leader, EMMY Award Winning Recording Engineer, NBC Television New York and BBC Television London
I first became aware of Maria’s exceptional voice while living in Beverly Hills. Canadian producer and broadcaster Gary Barclay invited me to a concert in Vancouver 18 years ago. I became an instant fan. Maria transported me back in time. Her meticulous phrasing and delicate dynamics of the lyric recalled to my long-term memory the performance of the great female songstresses. I spend my life in developing sound recording technologies and systems. I frequently use three of Maria’s CDs in evaluating the musical qualities of our studio monitor systems that we create for professionals.
Maria’s voice has a most revealing almost transparent quality. Her superb diction brings true beauty to the entire performance. The technical quality of her recordings and arrangements represent benchmark levels of performance. Maria’s personality and delivery on recordings and in person has that special honest dimension. She builds a believable story making the lyrics her own, while transporting me back in time to the romantic period when pen set to paper in creating these songs that we all revere. Yes, Maria represents a musical breeze with the kiss of a butterfly to our ears.
“Yesterday and Tomorrow” – An album review by Francesco Sorrenti, President of Holly Music in Treviso, Italy
“A sweeping rich soul…” The internationally acclaimed jazz singer celebrates beauty through her singing in this song, which, as she herself says in the liner notes, is “A jazz anthem for women…” painted with warm, intense brushstrokes. A painful fresco that delves into the most intimate folds of the female soul with sincerity, an invitation to awaken without compromise. Her interpretative style is always controlled, measured, and conversational, with phrasing drained of all banality, enhancing the lyrics and melody with unsettling credibility. Her tone, with its rare evocative power and subtle shading at the end of phrases, allows her to explore the unfathomable recesses of the human heart, its miseries and weaknesses, an exhortation to react, to open one’s eyes, but even more so one’s mind, and she does so with soft sensuality. Her drive unfolds with minute inflections, reflective determination, intimate calmness, with a sequence that lays bare the most beautiful and positive feelings. In this compelling new album by Maria Solena, the songs are all of the highest value and substance, well structured and arranged.
“Open Your Eyes” is sublime and deserves the 2025 Grammy Award for emotional intensity, elegance of harmonic structure, captivating melody, and orchestration as refined as her voice, which manages to convey deep emotions with remarkable delicacy tinged with a healthy dose of self-irony. A subtle interplay of light and shade, rich in pulsating rhythms, which in the introductory instrumental section highlights the evocative contrasts between vibraphone and saxophone, while at the same time enveloping and warming the overall emotionally charged atmosphere. The poetic and expressive lyrics sketch a story that strikes a chord with us all and leaves us breathless: “A journey of sorrows she has to face … in this ocean of tears, the weight of the world was upon her shoulders … freedom Is the music of her soul.” Listen to it repeatedly in silence and concentration, and you will feel a pleasant sensation of inner well-being around you.
“As Time Goes By” – An album review by Francesco Sorrenti, President of Holly Music in Treviso, Italy
Maria is surely one of the most talented singers I have heard in the last few years. This CD is so captivating. I love her voice and style with her incredible sense of melody. Her tender phrasing is nothing short of perfection — intimate and warm, cool and beautiful diction. There is an elegance of orchestration, of melodic build-up that makes this CD majestic and memorable. It’s time to pay the tribute she is due. She is in a class of her own for her honest and involving soulfulness. The believability of her poignant vocals truly stand out from the shadows to enlighten our hearts. In all the songs, she sings like she feels it, and always comes straight to our emotions. It is particularly fascinating to hear her sensibility in this lavish context with her outstanding musical partners, all of them with their own relaxed delivery expressing a boom of strength and discipline. Maria puts her own stamp to every song.
In the opening track “As Time Goes By,” the voice is carefully measured. Campbell Ryga embellishes his alto sax solo with delicate inlays. In “Tenderly,” Maria uses her superb control and perfect diction, offering a wistful reading while the tenor sax solo of Seamus Blake draws the listener in, tinged with yearning. “That Sunday, That Summer” continues to astound with Maria’s nuances and the classic guitar of Torben Oxbol. Even on piano, he is consistently tasteful and supportive. “What The World Needs Now” deserves full support. This gorgeous ballad seems to have been tailored for the singer and the violin of Lionel Young creates a precious interplay in the intervals while Maria wraps each note with her tender but penetrating voice. A great album that gives an emotional glow of great intensity.
Click here to read Amedeo Furfaro’s review on Maria’s latest album “As Time Goes By”.
Click here to see the bio of Amedeo Furfaro.
Accolades:
“I recently heard As Time Goes By on KUVO, Denver. I was totally knocked out!!! Now, I’m trying to find a way to buy the album.”
– Tom Anderson, TA-Audio.com
“What a fabulous voice she’s got! She’s a great talent!”
– Emmy Award-winner, Michael Leader, President of Leader D-Cinema Systems, Inc.
“You have excellent timbre … a voice suited to jazz.”
– Ian McDougall, trombonist, composer, educator, Professor Emeritus – University of Victoria
“To hear her sing is like a breath of fresh air.”
– Gary Barclay, radio broadcaster (CHQM, National Public Radio and CBC).
“First of all, let me congratulate you on your great singing! Your voice sounds very full and has a very nice tone and timbre, and your intonation is perfect. I like your interpretation very much.”
– George Robert, Director of the Jazz Department at Lausanne Conservatory in Switzerland, alto saxophonist, Officer in the Order of Arts and Letter of France.
“She’s good!”
– George Noory, Coast to Coast AM
“To make a better review, I got the whole CD and this lady has a beautiful voice and the songs she does are fantastic, like New York Afternoon, Time After Time and Where or When. The cuts are done with grace, along with the other cuts on this CD. It is well worth getting for your collection. Thank you, Maria Ho the best.”
– James E. Joyce, Radio Broadcaster, Denver, CO
“It’s difficult to put into words how much I love the music . . . it is flawless. I work as a police officer assigned to a high school. My drive home to our ranch takes awhile since my son and I live in the country. Point being, is I look forward to the end of the day listening to your music during the trip home. Even my 14-year old son listens to it with me. I will order more for my daughters and relatives. Thank you so much.”
– Rick Dutcher, Douglas, Wyoming
“I first heard your music on Coast to Coast with George Noory. I always listen to your music after work, or on a rainy day to make the sunshine come out and feel warm. I’m looking forward to hearing more great music from you in the future.”
– Callen C. Carroll
“As a testimony to the power of live music, when it’s well sung and well played, I’d have to say that listening to Miss Ho’s lovely singing voice and the Jazz instrumentals that accompanied it, I can say that it’s the happiest I’ve genuinely felt in 3 years of living in Vancouver. In fact, I can say that it’s the happiest I felt in the 5 years since my dad died.”
– Dracul Van Helsing
“Maria – your voice just gets better and better. I hope that you come out with a CD asap. Jazz people and others who hear your great sound want to play on the high dollar home system. I might add that I am one of those old guys who plays a piano to new female vocalists like yourself. I also have friends waiting for a CD of your great sounds. Bless that great voice!”
– Tom Reed
“A CD with intense light – poetic, singular, and suggestive. A unique attraction on the jazz scene, her pearly, refined singing is a breath of fresh air made tangible by her intimate voice. Contemplative introductions cross harmonic space in an apparent absence of gravity. Through her effortless, graceful phrasing, the fine distribution of the melody in an oblique play of suspensions and dilations, shifts of accents and tensions, Maria Ho is a mature and very credible singer. Her music, in search of an abstraction, is intimate and sacred. Her high-level musical partners provide the necessary substratum to her songs with a sense of sincere participation that makes this album memorable. I recommend the purchase to those who want to rediscover the emotions of true jazz.”
– Francesco Sorrenti, President of Holly Music, Treviso, Italy
Additional Highlights:
“September in the Rain” the 7th track on the album Smile, was chosen on July 3, 2015 for the All About Jazz – Download of the Day.
All About Jazz has been awarded “Jazz Website of the Year” thirteen times by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Chosen as one of top five vocalists in “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, SingerUniverse, Los Angeles, March and May 2014.
From nearly 2,000 artists, “Where or When” was selected for Amazon MP3 U.S. – the TuneCore artist compilation The Power of Independence: Volume 2, and “Little Boat/Day By Day” was chosen for Valentine’s 2013: Volume 2.
New Talent Demo Award, 2006 Recipient – FACTOR (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records)
