Details: Blessed and Bewitched is a deeply personal reflection of Vienna vocalist Maja Jaku's artistic spirit. Growing up immersed in the sounds of jazz with her trumpet player father, and later through studies with mentors at the Graz Conservatory - including Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, Andy Bey and Jay Clayton - Jaku's art evolved through her life-long devotion to the jazz legacy continuum. With encouragement from drummer Johnathan Blake, Jaku assembled an extraordinary ensemble to mark this period of her path and recorded this, her 5th album, in New York City along with Blake, bassist Dezron Douglas, pianist Alan Bartus, and trumpeter Michael Rodriguez. Co-producer/drummer Adrian Varady also performed on a track that he composed. Jaku invites listeners into this set of five original songs and two classics, providing a journey through a space of reflection, connection, and emotional honesty. "Austrian vocalist Maja Jaku sings with power, magic, depth, and a striking emotional range - a sound both timeless and vibrant." Era Jazzu (Poland) "Maja Jaku's voice radiates soulful grace and raw honesty - intimate, effortless, and full of depth. A sound that feels timeless, yet strikingly modern..." Otmar Klammer - Austrian jazz journalist