February 22, 2025 — Aurora Cultural Centre — Aurora, ON
Some music is meant for certain times and occasions, but others can transport you to those lazy Sunday mornings, reflective afternoons, or cozy evenings with a loved one. For St. Catharines, Ontario-based jazz singer Sammy Jackson, those feelings and emotions are pieced together in her complex but incredibly captivating new album In The Meantime, the follow-up to her 2021 Juno Award-winning album With You. It’s a seven-song collection led by the stunning “Home Sweet Home,” a song epitomizing the album’s style: extremely rewarding and innovative while almost effortlessly pushing the boundaries of jazz with subtle but succulent pop hues.
“In The Meantime is a collection of songs written between 2020 and 2022 focusing on personal experiences and feelings,” Jackson says. “The music on this album is a continuation of my last album With You, touching on topics about love and relationships but now exploring the complexities of marriage, family life, and motherhood.”
Produced by Jackson and Jon Bartel (who also recorded and mixed the album with assistance by Kevin Fallis), In The Meantime is a brilliant blend of Jackson’s delicate but deeply soothing vocals and a group of musicians playing to her strengths perfectly. This is exemplified on “Home Sweet Home,” which begins with the chirping of birds and wind chimes before Jackson builds the song with earnest lyrics and an arrangement that mirrors life with its elegant ebbs and flows. Think of Joni Mitchell or Carole King with a jazz-oriented motif, and Jackson’s lovable, listenable approach emerges.
“‘Home Sweet Home’ is about the intimate moments of everyday life as a family that grounds me in the midst of chaos,” Jackson says of the song she co-wrote with Barbra Lica and Danielle Knibbe. “This song sincerely captures this season of life that I’m currently in. I’m a mother of two boys – a three-and-a-half-year-old named Chuck and a three-month-old named Cruz. I sometimes find it difficult navigating marriage, motherhood, and a career as a musician. But at the end of the day, my family is what matters the most to me.”
Her family would approve of both “Home Sweet Home” and the other six gems included on In The Meantime. “Through To You,” one of four co-written by Jackson and Jacqueline Teh (“Turn Away,” “Honey” and “Sunday In The Park”), showcases her subtle but stylish pop sensibilities, bringing to mind the likes of Alicia Keys or Natalie Merchant. Backed by guitarist Thomas Fleming, pianist and synthesizer guru Chris Pruden, bassist Mark Godfrey, and drummer Ian Wright, the track is anything but cookie-cutter but sinfully sweet. The ensemble set the tone with the opening “Turn Away,” which has a dreamy quality as the music builds and then simmers throughout.
Aside from the closing “Chucky” (featuring James Hill on synthesizer and, along with “See You,” co-written by Jackson and James Bryan McCollum), another great track is “Sunday In The Park.” Here Jackson allows the music to set the tone before her light, airy delivery brings the song’s grace and elegance to the forefront. It’s a gorgeous, urbane jewel that saunters along, going on a sonic journey that is as serene as any lovely, carefree Sunday should be.
Recorded at Toronto’s Revolution Recording and mastered by Joao Carvalho, In The Meantime is the latest offering from Jackson, who honed her skills at talent competitions, concerts, and appearing in musicals in her teen years. A Jamaican-Canadian, Jackson studied under Sienna Dahlen and classical soprano Patricia O’Callaghan and earned two degrees from the University of Toronto, including a Bachelor of Music in Performance in Jazz Voice. In 2016, while completing her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Spanish, Jackson released her debut EP entitled Take Me Back. Subsequent releases include the Juno Award-winning EP With You while 2023 and 2024 saw the release of singles “Honey” and “Sunday In The Park,” respectively.
Jackson has worked with a wide array of artists including Rich Brown, James Bryan, Barbra Lica, and Larnell Lewis. She has also performed at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, among others. And she’s performed at a myriad of venues including Toronto’s Koerner Hall, the Glenn Gould Studio, Hamilton’s Rock Garden and the Flato Markham Theatre.
Now with In The Meantime ready for eager national and international audiences, Sammy Jackson is on the cusp of even greater achievements thanks to her music, which is sensual and substantive.