2025 opened with the completion of my new album, *Pieces of Me*. I wrapped up recording, mastering, and distribution early in the year, and it felt incredibly satisfying to finally bring the project to life. At the same time, my single **“Seaside Story”** was still climbing both the MediaBase and *Billboard* Smooth Jazz Airplay charts—eventually reaching the **#1 position**.


What made that moment especially meaningful to me was the overwhelming positive response from listeners and fans. Hearing people say that “Seaside Story” became one of their favorite tunes was truly humbling and deeply rewarding.


Throughout the spring and summer, I had the joy of performing a string of shows across the country.  Each show was unique, and I loved meeting new people and experiencing new places along the way. Whenever I travel for performances, I always try to be a bit of a tourist—even if only for a short time. Those moments of discovery add another layer of inspiration to the journey.


In June, I officially released *Pieces of Me*, launching the album with **“Pink Flamango”** as the lead single. The companion video was a lot of fun to create, and the song felt like the perfect soundtrack for summer—light, colorful, and joyful.


As the year moved into fall, I decided to record **“My Favorite Things”** as a Christmas single. I truly enjoyed arranging, playing and producing this piece, and it was a pleasure collaborating with **Brian Bromberg**, who provided bass and valuable production assistance. **Ragan Whiteside** added beautiful, expressive flute melodies, with **Dan Needham** on drums. The track was expertly mixed and mastered by **Tom McCauley**, bringing everything together seamlessly.


On a personal note, 2025 also included meaningful time traveling with family and friends, as well as celebrating a very special milestone—having a high school graduate in the spring.


As an independent artist running my own label, **CAHARA LLC**, much of my year was also spent managing the many administrative tasks that come with releasing music independently: distribution, booking shows, writing new material, and staying on top of the technical demands of my studio. At times it can feel overwhelming, but I’m grateful to be able to navigate these challenges. While my college training and years of performing prepared me musically, nothing quite prepares you for an industry that’s constantly evolving—requiring ongoing attention to new technology, registrations, publishing, and the business side of being an artist.


As I launch into 2026, I feel energized and ready to continue composing, recording, and producing music, while also exploring some new creative ideas. I already have a few performance dates scheduled and look forward to adding more—hopefully in your city.


Please feel free to reach out for updates, information, or simply to say hello. Thank you for being part of the journey.


Much love, 
Carol 

The New Single “Sol Ipanema” from the Carol Albert “Magic Mirror” Album is gaining momentum going for Radio Adds September 4.  Justin Rogers shot a great video, which is now available on CarolAlbertMusicOfficial UTube Page. We had a blast making it with Guitarist Stephon Williams and Dancers Leah & Tyler Winkler, LC & Keith Lynn, Angie & Josh Sarno, Joanne & John Rainone and other friends cheering us on with makeup artist Kimaris Jones supporting with her magic.  


The Summer seems like it was short as it’s winding down now.  I have always felt the most productive in the Fall for some reason.  When I look back, even in my school years, Fall gave me a boost of energy to dive into new projects.  Maybe it’s the cooling down of the weather or just that all the schools start again for the school year and it allows more time to focus. Regardless I find myself in a creative mood and writing new songs for my next album, new collaborations and possibly other artists as well.  All things are possible.  


Highlights of my Summer shows include Performing for a MS Bike Ride Event sponsored by State Farm Thomas Waters in Birmingham, Alabama. Great Southern hospitality can always be counted on with Thomas Waters & his Associates. Travelling to Elmira, New York was challenging with flight delays but once we were all there it was great fun performing for the Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival, which uses proceeds to fund the Elmira Economic Opportunity.  Mountain Brooke Jazz Festival in Tryon, North Carolina proved to be a great musical day.  Bryson Promotions did a spectacular job with the Wine & Jazz Dinner, a well-organized Jazz Festival and making the Artists feel special.  Closing out the Summer series will be a show at the Grayson Amphitheater September 9th, which is free to the public.  Bring your chairs and blankets and hang out with a great band for the night starting at 7 p.m.   

​“Magic Mirror” Album has been submitted for Grammy Consideration to the “Best Contemporary Instrumental” Category. If you haven’t heard the full Album yet it can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and all digital streaming outlets as well as purchase of the physical CD from my Web Store.


There are more upcoming shows October 27 Suwanee Dam Dinner, Suwanee, Georgia, Women in Jazz, Lyman Center for Performing Arts, New Haven, Connecticut and more so stay tuned to my website for new announcements.  
​

My Birthday month of August saw the fulfillment of one of my dreams of publishing my original Piano compositions in sheet music.  Even though I previously composed and arranged some original pieces for the Keyboard Colosuss Concert for Roland Corporation to be performed at the Music Educators Conference in 1994 and they were performed on stage by a multitude of  keyboards, I haven’t pursued the goal again until this summer. 

The most requested original piece for sheet music for piano has been  “Stronger Now” from my Album “Stronger Now”.  Thanks for the transcription help of Noriko Jazz it finally was finished in August.  I can proudly announce that it is now in my Web store for purchase www.carolalbertmusic/store.  I plan to add other pieces along to make a Collection of Carol Albert Songs.  “Perfect Sunday” has also frequently been requested as well as an older original “Morning Song”.

I had a beautiful interview with Keivu Knox from Smooth Jazz Magazine for a feature in the September/October Issue.  We had a lovely talk and I’m excited to share the interview when it’s published. 

A soon-to-be milestone of reaching 4,000,000 million streams on Spotify is about to happen.   I am currently at 3,979,514 million for “Perfect Sunday”.    I am absolutely blown away that it has reached so many ears and grateful for the listeners out there. 

I will be in Atlanta Downtown Woodruff Park September 22 Performing with my Bandmembers from 7-8 p.m. The concert is free to the public. Bring a lawnchair and enjoy.

Until next month enjoy the Summer as it begins to transition into Fall.  

Much love, 

Carol

June opened with a flurry of preparation and activities.  The promotion of “For The Moment” Single was off to a great start with Billboard most Added and Most Increased plays as well as other Smooth Jazz Chart Debuts. 

The Elkhart Jazz Fest in Elkhart, Indiana June 18 proved to be a great success.  It felt great to be performing in a Theatre on a Grand piano with amazing band members Kris Brownlee, Andrew Hauser, Rafael Chavez Moreno, Chris Chapman, and Jeff Keefer.  The audience was very receptive and everyone was happy to be out and about for the summer. 

The performance at “Jazz Under The Trees” in Birmingham, Alabama on July 4 also was great fun and a huge success.  The top-notch band members Roberto Vally, Dan Baraszu, and PJ Spraggins lived up to their stellar reputations. Thomas Waters of State Farm was an outstanding host for the evening and left no stone unturned to make us feel welcome and appreciated with fans old and new in the audience.

SmoothJazz Magazine featured Carol on the Summer Jazz Festival July/August 2021 Issue. 

Stay tuned for more performing dates to be announced and get ready for Catalina Jazz Trax October 24 at Catalina Island, California. ​

Spring has sprung to a set of new possibilities and a renewal after the long winter.  New ventures are on the horizon for me. 

I will be performing June 18 at the Elkhart Jazz Festival in Elkhart, Indiana as well as an event in Birmingham, Alabama July 4.  Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival is on and I will be there the 2nd weekend of October.  Stay tuned as well for updated events as they are confirmed. Music venues continue to open back up and Festivals are on for the summer. 

The Single released in April “For The Moment” debuted on Billboard Most Added in the 1st week to Radio and Most Increased plays in the 2nd week.  The response has been very positive to the video on UTube and Radio outlets.  I am also continuing my composing of new music for a new Album to be released.  Also stay tuned for updates on new songs as they are released 

On a personal note, I have enjoyed a beautiful spring in Atlanta.  There’s an air of optimism and growth all around.   I have been able to get out and see my friends and catch up with my family since I received the Covid Vaccine.  Many activities I enjoy doing have resumed with an air of caution.  For the many who are still struggling with the effects of Covid, I send my love and thoughts to continue on this healing journey to full recovery. 

I’m grateful for the amount of support this past year for my Album “Stronger Now” and hope to be in your city to perform soon and meet you all. 

Much love,

Carol

Summer is in full swing but like so many other people I have not taken a vacation, travelled, performed or enjoyed my usual summer fanfare.  My 4th of July was spent at home watching fireworks on TV and burning sparklers in my back yard.  While this summer has been so different from all my other summers I have found hope lying in so many hidden aspects of my life.

I have hope for the future.  I have hope that as an Artist I can tap into this experience and create my best work yet. I have hope and inspiration from my daily surroundings from my garden, nature and family. I have hope due to the innovations and creativity that has risen in all facets of life from this time. My biggest hope is that we can learn from this and treat others with more kindness, respect and love.

With some extra time on my hands I have had a renewed interest in history. Looking back through history I’m reminded of the despair and unbearable events humans have suffered throughout the ages through disease, tyrants, incredible cruelty, wars, but also the hope in the human spirit that has allowed survival and renewal. 

Music continues to provide inspiration, healing, and unification. I continue to write and practice and hope to be able to share with you in the future through performances and new recordings.  As tough as this time has been, it has also been a time of hope.

I want to close with my latest video “Love Again” from my new Album Stronger Now which embraces this theme Hope and Love. ​

Much love,
Carol

During April and May “Stronger Now” Single continued to be in the Top 20 Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart and is currently on its 16th week , Top 10 MediaBase for 16 weeks peaking at #1, Top 5 Smooth Jazz Network and Smooth Jazz Global, #2 Groove Jazz and RadioWave the week of May 25th. Many positive personal  comments have been made on my UTube Video of Stronger Now  as well as increased listeners on Radio Outlets, 75.8K listeners on Spotify for May , Apple Music  and others.  My Album Stronger Now and Merch is available directly from the Official Store by clicking here.

While I haven’t performed during this period due to Lockdowns and postponed events, I have been booked for Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival for the closing weekend October 18 http://jazztrax.com/ , Re-booked for Elkhardt Jazz Festival June 2021, and have other dates soon to be announced. ​

My students have continued to take piano  lessons via Facetime. I was able to have a Spring Piano Recital via Zoom. It hasn’t been an easy time but there are some Silver Linings. Several families had relatives all over the world to tune in via Zoom for the Recital which was a new experience for all of us and made the families very happy. ​

On a personal note, I have had some time to catch up with my family, my home and garden, and some friends on Facetime and Zoom. I also have a new puppy named Marigold. She and Zeno have had lots of attention and play all the time.  We have enjoyed some walks along the river trail and other outdoor trails. ​

​March 2020 blew in with a whirlwind of anticipation. I performed at The Tin Pan March 5 in Richmond, Virginia with the best Band imaginable, which included Joseph Patrick Moore, Dan Baraszu, Jay Williams, and Art Sherrod. We absolutely killed it on the Stage. Unfortunately it was clouded with the oncoming storm of Coronavirus COVID-19. It was the beginning of the storm overtaking the US and we were very concerned on our travel through the airports. But we had no idea it would be our last show for a while to come.

As March is coming to a close I have spent time picking up on projects that I have put on the backburner for a while. One of these is putting to Sheet Music my Piano Pieces for others to learn on the piano. I’ve been working on “Stronger Now” and “Sun’s Out” to start with. My goal is to have all my piano pieces available from my website so please check out my web store from time to time to keep up with the latest available.

I have Performances lined up for the Summer and Fall and I am hopeful that I will be able to Perform at these and we will see a resurgence of Festivals and Live Concerts return in a new healthy environment for all of us.

In the time I have had at home while sheltering in place I’ve spent some time in my Garden pulling weeds and tending to neglected plants. It’s been a time of self-examination and quiet introspection. I’ve explored some ideas for new music and had lots of melodies run through my mind.

During this time I have also had great pleasure in seeing “Stronger Now” rise to #1 on MediaBase Smooth A/C, Top 20 on Billboard, Top 10 on Smooth Jazz Top 20, #1 Smoothjazz.com , #3 GrooveJazz Chart, #5 RadioWave Smooth Jazz now we will all emerge “Stronger“ and more resilient at the end of this. Check with your favorite Radio Station for “Stronger Now”.

Stay tuned for more upcoming news…

Love, 
Carol

The evening featured a live band with and opening act by Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Konner Scott and Flutist, Vocalist and Songwriter Ragan Whiteside. In fact, Stronger Now includes the Brazilian flavored "Femme Flight," which hit #4 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart. Produced by Carol, mixed by two-time Grammy-winning hit-maker Paul Brown and featuring flutist Ragan Whiteside and saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova, the track also earned Albert a new legion of fans via airplay on SiriusXM's Watercolors.

Carol Albert received a standing ovation from over 100+ fans in attendance, including WCLK program director David Linton and a host of media representatives and family members.