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'Under a Brooklyn Moon': New Jazz Ballads

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The JC Hopkins Biggish Band's debut album, Under a Brooklyn Moon, sounds like a throwback to an earlier time, but its songs are definitely original and grounded in the present.

The music features a robust horn section with xylophone accents and throaty vocals by Queen Esther, while the lyrics often evoke modern urban life. Hopkins wrote all of the songs, with Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux appearing as co-writers.

Hopkins and Queen Esther talk with Scott Simon about their music. The band appears Saturday at Rockwood Music Hall and Oct. 27 at the Slipper Room, both in New York City.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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