Ayana Contreras

2 weeks ago | downbeat.com | Ayana Contreras

News, From the Magazine, Lucía By Ayana Contreras   I  Jun. 10, 2025 In March, when asked about how she first encountered jazz, Mexican vocalist Lucía shared that, at first, “ thought it was a coincidence.” But really, for the winner of the 2022 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, that chance encounter was more like kismet.

1 month ago | bostonglobe.com | Ayana Contreras

“To get here, it hasn’t been a yellow brick road. Even now, it’s not no damn yellow brick road,” trumpeter and composer Brandon Woody said on a video call from a hotel room in Fort Myers, Fla. It was mid-March, and Woody, 26, was between tour stops supporting Luther S. Allison. In the weeks leading up to the release of his first album as a bandleader, Woody’s eyes glimmered with vigor. The road he spoke of was both metaphorical and literal.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Ayana Contreras

Brandon Woody refined his songs in shows around his hometown Baltimore and channeled the city's lessons on his debut album, "For the Love of It All."Credit... Kyle Myles for The New York Times Brandon Woody refined his songs in shows around his hometown Baltimore and channeled the city's lessons on his debut album, "For the Love of It All."Credit... Kyle Myles for The New York Times "To get here, it hasn't been a yellow brick road.

2 months ago | lpm.org | Stephen Thompson |Ayana Contreras

It's Friday, which means if you forgot to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 yesterday, you're going to need to console yourself. Luckily, we've got plenty of new music available immediately that will cost you far less than $450. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomed Ayana Contreras of Denver public radio stations KUVO Jazz and The Drop to our New Music Friday podcast to discuss the latest from rising R&B star Coco Jones, revered saxophonist David Murray and much more.

2 months ago | laist.com | Stephen Thompson |Ayana Contreras

It's the end of the week, which means if you forgot to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday, you're going to need to console yourself. Luckily, we've got plenty of new music available immediately that will cost you far less than $450. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomed Ayana Contreras of Denver public radio stations KUVO Jazz and The Drop to the New Music Friday podcast to discuss the latest from rising R&B star Coco Jones, revered saxophonist David Murray and much more.