Bay Area native
Lilan Kane works the soul/R&B edge of the jazz continuum, her smoky, emotive vocals inhabiting a space between old-school and new. Based in Oakland, the Berklee College of Music grad, like so many of her musical colleagues during the past year, struggled with pandemic-induced isolation, loss of performance opportunities and creative inertia. Her solution was to compose a tune dealing with those topics, simultaneously honoring the influence of soul-jazz pioneer and vibraphonist Roy Ayers. She then sent a demo track to her collaborators, who recorded their parts remotely, the seamless results of which can be heard on the single “TKMO,” or “Time Keeps Moving On.” Chase Jackson’s vibes maintain a jazzy feel throughout the atmospheric track, offering echoes of Ayers. Bassist Marcus Philips and keyboardist Mike Blankenship further add to the chill-out vibe, over which Kane’s vocals float ethereally and effortlessly. The singer, who has performed with the Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra and opened for acts such as Hall & Oates, The Doobie Brothers and Sharon Jones, certainly evokes the milieu Ayers innovated, providing a soothing soundscape for troubled times.
