Open Up Your Senses (Artwork Records)
Tyreek McDole
Released June 6, 2025
Jazzwise Top 20 Albums of the Year 2025
L’Académie du Jazz Meilleur Disque Jazz Vocal 2025
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l_h7Yx965bh–RijclynwZn6D0_dox67I
Spotify:
About:
Rising jazz vocalist Tyreek McDole will release his much-anticipated debut album, Open Up Your Senses, on June 6 via Artwork Records. A rich baritone with a deep connection to the jazz tradition, McDole makes a bold and enthralling statement on this rich debut, establishing him as one of the most compelling young jazz vocalists of his generation.
At just 25 years old, the Haitian-American, New York-based baritone has already earned significant acclaim, including winning the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2023 — one of only two male vocalists to achieve this honor in the competition’s 12-year history. Jazz scholar Will Friedwald, who also contributes liner notes to the project, referred to McDole as “the leading jazz voice of his generation” and acclaimed DJ Gilles Peterson said “it is refreshing to hear a new voice that is so clearly connected to the tradition but also pushing it forward with such strong energy. This is a brilliant opening statement from someone I reckon will be around for some time.”
Open Up Your Senses is a bold statement from a young artist who masterfully blends tradition with innovation. Featuring standout performances by pianist and arranger Caelan Cardello and saxophonist Dylan Band, McDole’s debut evokes the legacy of jazz greats while forging his own distinctive path.
The album’s repertoire highlights McDole’s penchant for spiritually resonant and philosophically rich material. His stirring rendition of Leon Thomas’ “The Creator Has a Master Plan” features a powerful solo from Tomoki Sanders, progeny of saxophone legend Pharoah Sanders. Meanwhile, his interpretation of Thelonious Monk’s “Ugly Beauty” (with lyrics by Mike Ferro) is enhanced by a special guest appearance from legendary pianist Kenny Barron.
McDole’s thoughtful selection of repertoire speaks to his artistic depth. While many jazz vocalists gravitate toward romantic ballads, McDole explores themes of self-reflection, spirituality, and social consciousness. On Nicholas Payton’s “The Backward Step,” he embraces a meditative, chant-like delivery underscored by Jerome Gillespie II’s expressive drumming.
Drawing from his Haitian roots, McDole offers a mesmerizing performance of the traditional chant “Wongolo Wale,” accompanied solely by master percussionist Weedie Braimah. The album also highlights McDole’s ability to breathe new life into standards, including his tender reading of “Under a Blanket of Blue,” which evokes the intimate spirit of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s classic recording.
McDole’s versatility shines through in more lighthearted selections as well. His swinging take on the timeless blues standard “Everyday I Have the Blues” channels the dynamic energy of Count Basie and Joe Williams, complete with expressive scatting and a powerful tenor saxophone solo by Dylan Band. On “The Umbrella Man,” McDole embraces the playful side of bebop, leading the band in a spirited ensemble vocal and engaging the audience in a joyful call-and-response.
The album’s title track, “Won’t You Open Up Your Senses” by Horace Silver, serves as the album’s emotional centerpiece. Anchored by Rodney Whitaker’s resonant bassline and featuring recent GRAMMY winner Sullivan Fortner on electric keyboard, the track invites listeners to embrace curiosity, awareness, and openness — themes that resonate throughout the entire project. Another highlight is the transcendent aria “Somalia Rose”, written by Allyn Johnson. Featuring a thoughtful solo by Emmanuel Michael, the lyrics incorporate the vintage phrase “smelling like a rose,” an age-old expression of resilience and triumph.
Closing the album is McDole’s powerful rendition of Leon Thomas’s “Sun Song,” a hopeful, chant-like piece that encourages connection and resilience. The song’s communal spirit reflects McDole’s ability to create a shared experience with his listeners — a quality that has already made him a standout performer on the New York jazz scene.
With Open Up Your Senses, Tyreek McDole emerges as one of the most compelling young vocalists in jazz today — a dynamic artist who honors tradition while forging a sound entirely his own. This remarkable debut affirms McDole’s place in the lineage of great jazz voices and signals the arrival of an exciting new force in the genre.
Track Listing:
1. The Backward Step (Nicholas Payton) 5:45
2. The Umbrella Man (Vincent Rose, Larry Stock, James Cavanaugh) 4:04
3. The Creator Has a Master Plan (Intro) (Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas) 1:51
4. The Creator Has a Master Plan (Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas) 7:18
5. Ugly Beauty (Thelonious Monk, Mike Ferro) 4:41
6. The Sun Song (Precious Energy) (Leon Thomas) 4:15
7. Somalia Rose (Allyn Johnson) 5:42
8. Wongolo Wale (Traditional Haitian Chant) 1:15
9. Won’t You Open Up Your Senses (Horace Silver) 6:14
10. Under a Blanket of Blue (Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes) 3:14
11. Love Is a Four-Letter Word (Nicholas Payton) 1:28
12. Everyday I Have the Blues (Pinetop Sparks, Milton Sparks) 5:59
13. The Sun Song (Reprise) (Leon Thomas) 1:14
Personnel:
Tyreek McDole: vocals
Dylan Band: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Rodney Whitaker: bass (1-7, 9-13)
Justin Faulkner: drums (1-7, 9-13)
Caelan Cardello: piano, keyboards (1-8, 11-13)
Kenny Barron: kenny barron (5)
Sullivan Fortner: keyboards, organ (6, 9, 13)
Emmanuel Michael: guitar (7)
Weedie Braimah: djembe (8, 9)
Tomoki Sanders: tenor saxophone, percussion (3, 4)
Michael Cruse: trumpet (6, 9, 7, 13)
Produced by Brian Bacchus
Review:
Winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2023, this much-anticipated debut album from Haitian-American, NYC-based jazz vocalist McDole is an eloquent tour de force. All he touches here turns to gold, from an incandescent reading of ‘The Creator Has a Master Plan’, which features an intense solo from Tomoki Sanders (son of sax legend Pharoah), to lesser-known delights such as the spellbinding performance of the traditional Haitian song ‘Wongolo Wale’, with the singer accompanied solely by djembe maestro Weedie Braimah.
Whether channelling a Johnny Hartman-type croon on the standard ‘Under a Blanket of Blue’, scatting on a deliciously rambunctious take on ‘Everyday I Have the Blues’, or connecting to the inner harmony of ‘The Sun Song (Precious Energy)’ in the company of Sullivan Fortner guesting on keys, McDole’s impossibly rich baritone with its multifarious timbral qualities carries everything before it. Also featuring an inspired piano-vocal take on Monk’s ‘Ugly Beauty’ (with lyrics by Mike Ferro), with the wondrous Kenny Barron in the piano chair, this is an instant modern classic and a must-have recording for any lovers of vocal jazz.
Peter Quinn (Jazzwise)
