Saxophonist Vincent Ingala to Release New Album “Escape With Me”

CHART-TOPPING MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST
VINCENT INGALA
CONJURES A SONIC OASIS ON NEWEST RECORDING
ESCAPE WITH ME OUT JULY 12TH

“My ultimate escape is music and on this new album, I have the joy of sharing with others where music takes me,” exclaims the young, handsome, and talented saxman and multi-instrumentalist, Vincent Ingala. If music is the ‘soul of the universe,’ Ingala taps into its universal themes of love, serenity, and exaltation, on his new and eighth recording, Escape With Me, to be released on July 12, 2024, on Shanachie Entertainment. Ingala has amassed nine #1 hits and 22 Top Ten singles. He impressive accolades also include the titles as Billboard Magazine’s “Smooth Jazz Artist Of the Year” and SiriusXM’s “Watercolors Breakthrough Artist Of The Year.” The humble Prospect, CT native reflects, “Accolades and awards are certainly wonderful, but they fade over time. More importantly is the enduring effect of the music that we as artists put out into the world that lasts forever.” One of the most in-demand touring artists on the Contemporary Jazz circuit, Ingala is lauded for his ability to wow his audiences with his energized sets, fun-loving and inviting stage presence and consummate musicianship. His mission, passion and purpose are clear. “My most important job as an artist is to take the audience on a musical journey where they forget their trials and tribulations for 90 minutes. I have the privilege of bringing them happiness and inspiration,” shares the saxophonist.

Shanachie Entertainment · 01 – Vincent Ingala – “Movin’ And Shakin'” from ESCAPE WITH ME

Escape With Me is the perfect summer soundtrack for both those lazy summer days and action-packed adventures. Who doesn’t long for a summer escape? “I am just thrilled to be able to deliver new material to my fans,” muses Ingala who confesses that he enjoys cooking and gardening when he is not making music. “Early on it is never clear what direction the album will go. I like to let the music decide the direction.” The path on Escape With Me is decidedly harmonious and cool, as Vincent showcases eight captivating originals and two surprising reinventions. A one-man band, Vincent Ingala skillfully plays all the instruments featured on the recording and even sings and wears the hat of producer and engineer. The rhythmically driving and funky opener (and the album’s first single) “Movin’ and Shakin’,” highlights Vincent’s soul-drenched multi-layered sax which rides an insatiable percolating groove to superb effect. The result is a song that is hard to get out of your head. The sultry “Fantasy Or Reality” is the perfect showcase for Vincent’s penchant for beautiful emotive melodies that seem to sing themselves, while “Let’s Get To It,” wastes no time cutting to the heart of why Ingala has so many endearing fans. His playing manages to seamlessly harness the best elements of Jazz, Soul, Blues, Pop, and R&B. The album’s title track beckons you to abandon your worries and let the music transport you to a place of serenity.

Escape With Me also features the 1967 hit penned by Thom Bell and William “Poogie” Hart, “La-La Means I Love You.” Vincent gives the R&B/Soul classic sung by the Delfonics a fresh update and even features himself on vocals. Ingala shares, “‘La-La Means I Love You’ fits right into my wheelhouse of old-school classic R&B remakes. It’s just a timeless feel-good song that everyone can relate to. I always manage to sneak in some of my own vocals into all my records, be it a lead vocal or just background. The great vocalists of our time comprise most of my influences, as opposed to instrumentalists. My favorite singers are vocalists that cannot ever be duplicated like Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Teddy Pendergrass, and Lou Rawls, to name a few.”

A standout on Escape With Me is the composition “That Familiar Feeling” which is the ultimate winning combination of undeniable groove, crisp and perfectly executed horn lines, driving rhythms and slick chord changes. “Ramp It Up,” as the title suggests finds Ingala pulling out all the stops for some high-octane swing with a funk edge. The hypnotic “Midnight Confession” is a soul-searching showcase for Ingala’s ethereal keys while “Lene’s Groove” is a lush and romantic R&B infused number with a dance inducing back beat that is led by Vincent’s urgent and simultaneously laid-back flow.

“Music is a universal language. The ultimate goal is for music to connect us all, and let it be our common denominator in life and love.” – VINCENT INGALA

Vincent pairs off with chart-topping Soul Jazz chanteuse and label-mate Lindsey Webster for the Ultra Naté hit “Free.” “‘Free’ was more of a left field approach in that I ventured into the dance world and put my own spin on one of the biggest club anthems of the 90s. Good music is good music, and this song has always resonated with me. It had that infectious beat and groove that I wanted to get my sax all over. Having Lindsey Webster sing the lead was just the icing on the cake and a music marriage made in heaven,” declares Vincent. “She has that signature sound that really resonates when you hear her. You know instantaneously it’s her – the sign of a true artist.”

Music has been Vincent Ingala’s lifelong calling. “There are countless saxophonists that have shaped my influences over the years, the main three for me have always been Sam Butera, Wilton Felder and Gato Barbieri,” shares Vincent. “I remember hearing Sam Butera’s saxophone solo on ‘Oh Marie’ on the car radio one day while my cousin was driving us around, and immediately knowing that I wanted to play tenor sax. He is one of the most underrated saxophonists of all time. What inspires me most about his playing is his use of the melody and his phrasing. Coming from a musically rich New Orleans background and playing with Louis Prima taught Sam that it’s not necessarily about how many notes you can cram in, or how fast you can play, but rather playing for your audience and giving them a beautiful melody that everyone can relate to.” Ingala has taken lessons from Butera both on and off the stage. He shares, I have always valued what Sam Butera once said: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” Ingala has lives by this motto.

Vincent Ingala burst on the Contemporary Jazz scene in 2010 with the release of his critically heralded debut North End Soul. Two years later he was crowned Billboard “Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year” and Sirius XM Watercolors “Breakthrough Artist Of The Year” in 2013. Ingala’s sophomore recording, Can’t Stop Now, was released in 2012 and Coast To Coast followed in 2015, featuring two singles that hit #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. Vincent Ingala featured his vocal driven Christmas in 2016, showcasing holiday classics. Ingala is a DJ on Smooth Jazz 24/7 where he can be heard weekly. “It’s a completely different dynamic being a radio host because you’re now sitting on the other side!” he exclaims. “You get used to hearing your music being played on the radio, but then suddenly the roles reverse and you’re now the one introducing and spinning the songs. I enjoy being a mascot for the genre and supporting the artists, many of them my friends who I have collaborated with or shared the stage with over the years.” In 2018 Vincent made his Shanachie debut with Personal Touch, featured the #1 hit “Snap, Crackle, Pop.” Echoes Of The Heart followed in 2020 with special guests and Shanachie label mates David Benoit and Steve Oliver. The album featured the Top Five single “Caught Me By Surprise” and the Top Ten single “Maybe You Think.” Fire & Desire released in 2021 featured a remarkable three #1 singles (“Shadow Dancer,” “Riding The Wave” and “On The Move”) and a tribute to tenor hero Houston Person.

Coming up in the 90s, Ingala is in a unique position in that he is now sharing stages around the world and studio sessions with many of the artists he has long admired. “I literally grew up listening to many of the guys that I now call my friends and close collaborators,” shares Vincent. “It’s really surreal. With the release of Escape with Me, Vincent Ingala is striving to use his music as a unifying force. He concludes, “Music is a universal language. The ultimate goal is for music to connect us all, and let it be our common denominator in life and love.”

Shanachie Records