WHENEVER JAZZ ARTISTS attempt to meld their sound with other genres, or vice versa, the results tend to be a mixed bag. The music often pitches too hard in one direction, with one style taking precedence over the other. Lately, though, a few musicians have found that sweet spot where both elements are served in equal proportions. Trumpeter Dave Douglas has found a fantastic collaborator of late with LA beatsmith Shigeto, and David Bowie’s final album was a pure partnership with the Donny McCaslin Quartet.
Jumping on that shortlist is local artist Coco Columbia. This young singer/songwriter has been cutting quite a figure in the local scene with her long colorful wigs and flashy outfits, but it’s her music that’s left the longest-lasting impression. Her 2014 debut, The Weight, was a dazzling if occasionally unbalanced clash of flickering jazz guitar, drum ’n’ bass-like rhythms, and flashes of pure soul and hip-hop. On her newest release, When the Birds Begin to Walk, Columbia’s bold, multi-layered vision has come into complete focus.