April Varner is a rising jazz vocalist and the 2023 winner of the International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition. Her full-length Christmas album, featuring unique and reimagined holiday standards, is called ‘Winter Songs Vol. 2’ just released on the Cellar Music Group label. 

We have chosen to showcase the project as one of the standouts from a long list of holiday recordings produced every year at this time. The album features an impressive gathering of Varner collaborators, including GRAMMY- winning producer Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, pianist Luther Allison, guitarist Leandro Pellegrino, and an outstanding vocal trio The Sunhouse Singers, featuring June Cavlan, Kate Kortum, and Joie Bianco. 

My holiday gift to you is a conversation with this amazing and talented artist about the development of her holiday recording, as well as a little bit about the backstory of a vocalist and a name you’re going to want  to remember.