Articles by Sherry Rubel

Interview

Stevie Holland: Finding the Pocket

by Sherry Rubel
June 4, 2026

Great vocal jazz relies on a delicate balance between absolute structure and spontaneous freedom. On her album, Talk to Your Tomatoes (150 Music, 2025), singer and lyricist Stevie Holland strikes that perfect balance, delivering a masterclass in narrative swing. At the heart of this “California Cool" sonic landscape is her longstanding creative partnership with her husband, award-winning composer and arranger Gary William Friedman. Together, the duo has spent years carving out a distinct artistic lane, treating each arrangement not as a ...

Interview

Melissa Errico: A Voice Reimagined

by Sherry Rubel
April 28, 2026

Melissa Errico is much more than a Broadway star with a great voice. She is an artist who really digs into the “why" behind the music. Her mentor, Stephen Sondheim, once told her to “sing the silence"--to make the quiet moments in a song just as powerful as the big notes. That advice didn't just change her singing; it changed how she tells stories and how she understands the things so many women often leave unsaid. In this interview, Melissa ...