“Jazzy and engaging without sacrificing a shred of pop sensibility”

— Rock the Pigeon Music Blog

“Technically formidable and immensely communicative, her performances grab you by the ear and refuse to let you go. ”

— Raul de Gama, Jazz Sensibilities

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For as long as she can remember, jazz bassist and singer-songwriter Nicole Saphos has always gotten lost in the elegant emotionality of The Great American Songbook. Upon graduating from Temple University in 2012, the Los Angeles native relocated to DC, and began her professional music career in earnest. To date, she’s performed at such venerated venues as The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Strathmore Mansion, and The Kimmel Center, among others. In 2012, she formed her own trio, which has coalesced around drummer Ele Rubenstein and guitarist John Lee. Downbeat Magazine describes her as a “distinctive & warm presence on the bandstand”. In Fall 2016, Saphos released her critically acclaimed debut album, Tiptoe.

In the short time since the release of Tiptoe, Saphos has been vigorously writing and recording music for her next project, Buzz & Bloom; a collection of seven original songs in a style reminiscent of Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Aimee Mann.

As for her inspiration for the title, Saphos reveals, “I first came across the phrase ‘buzz and bloom’ in an Adrienne Rich poem, and it struck me as a beautifully succinct way of describing my own creative process, and the anxieties that linger around it”.

Buzz & Bloom was released March 30, 2018 with Local Woman Records.

Washington Post: "On ‘Buzz & Bloom,’ Nicole Saphos knows her jazz, back to front, top to bottom"

Michael Doherty's Music Log: Buzz and Bloom album review

Temple News: Jazz bassists creates "Indie Jazz" fusion 

Washington City Paper: "There's a New Bassist in Town"

All About Jazz: Tiptoe review

Jazz Weekly: Hip Voices

All About Vocals: Tiptoe review

Blogcritics: Tiptoe review
 

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