Chris Spector, Editor and Publisher, Midwest Record
“Most highly recommended . . . Shimmering vocals . . . Kathy's music will remain in your mind/heart/head for days (if not months) to come.”
Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation Nation
"Singer-songwriter Kathy Sanborn breaks ground for World Groove music with her 2015 CD, Lights of Laniakea. There’s plenty of World Music sounds, courtesy of top musicians like Ricky Kej (arrangements, keys, bass), Vanil Veigas (santoor and keyboard programming) and Varsha Kej (sitar) and others, but the spotlight is on Kathy’s sultry sounding vocals. Merging exotic instrumentation with a kind of New Age oriented smooth jazz sound, Lights of Laniakea is all over the map musically but that’s what makes it so appealing. If the goal of Lights of Laniakea was to relax and inspire the listener, than Ms. Sanborn has wildly succeeded. That place where exotic Indian influenced jazz meets New Age vocals is where you’ll experience Lights of Laniakea. Music just doesn’t get more relaxing and sublime sounding than Lights of Laniakea."
www.mwe3.com
“Lights of Laniakea is one of the top new age (and world) vocal albums of the year.”
Magle International Music Forums
"When you can say that an album of music does not exactly sound like anyone else, it is generally a compliment, but also a bit scary for listeners used to familiar touchstones in popular art. But when the music is this good, it over-rides all concerns and simply pleases anyone who takes the time to sit back and enjoy this cosmological ride."
Review Centre
"Kathy Sanborn describes her musical style as versatile; in her latest release, ‘Lights of Laniakea,’ she has delivered once again with her wonderful range of vocal styles being presented at their best.
Moving effortlessly from pure vocalisation as an instrumental component of her band to the Latin jazz rhythms, cool jazz beats, a little dash of the blues and sultry velvety sounds reminiscent of Sade, the work is fresh, enjoyable and delicate in a strangely robust manner.
The inspiration for this album comes from the mapping of a new supercluster in space by the University of Hawaii in 2014, which contains the Milky Way. The supercluster was named 'Laniakea,’ which means Immeasurable Heaven, and also pays tribute to the Polynesian navigators who used the stars and star maps to navigate their way across the oceans.
Immeasurable variations created and blended together to take the vocalisation of sound into the light of spiritual awareness, has been captured by Sanborn and Ricky Kej, working together to create a symbolic transference relating to movement towards the light of the cosmos to help light our way, as we search for positivity, light, love and goodness as an integral component of our lives.
As you listen to the words gently melded into the music you will hear a recurrent theme of light, abundant love, a belief that someday people will stop the wars and work towards making the world a better place, coupled with a genuine desire to encourage people to move away from the darkness, into the healing light. The pallet is as diverse as it is beautiful and with the undoubted skills of Kej adding to the mix, the alchemy reaches out to touch and soothe on many, many levels making incredibly pleasurable listening."
Bluewolf Reviews, Australia
"The fluid beauty of Lights of Laniakea hearkens to its inspiration, a recently mapped supercluster in space containing our galaxy, dubbed Laniakea (meaning 'Immeasurable Heaven') by astronomers. An enchanting, cross-cultural audio experience, Lights of Laniakea is rapturously radiant."
Library CD Music Shelf, Midwest Book Review
“Lights of Laniakea almost feels as revolutionary as bebop did to jazz. Gentle but certainly a wild ride.”
Chris Spector, Midwestrecord.com
"Kathy’s music creates a dreamy ambience that is as relaxing as it is uplifting; contemporary, yet timeless. Lights of Laniakea provides an enchanting listening experience to tune into the cosmos and drift away on."
Michael Diamond, Awareness Magazine
“Kathy Sanborn is one of the most original vocalists in the American musical landscape.”
NoSoloSmoothJazz.com
“Kathy Sanborn is able to convey emotional truths with a sound no one else can produce--a quavering joy that works equally well over an ocean or acoustic chords of ballads. No one else sings like that.”
John Shelton Ivany, National News Bureau
“Kathy's voice truly is a gift from the heavens.”
Eric Cohen, radio station WAER 88.3, New York
“Dreamy ambience . . . reminiscent of vintage Anita O'Day.”
Susan Frances, Yahoo.com
“A success . . . Tranquil musical atmospheres . . . Six Degrees of Cool demonstrates, once again, Sanborn’s silky voice and excellent vocal control.”
NoSoloSmoothJazz.com
“Ten delicious selections . . . You will find yourself playing it continuously . . .”
Eunice Moseley - The Pulse of Entertainment
“Steamy . . . Classic jazz with a torchlight finish . . . a jacuzzi for the ears."
JazzTimes
“Kathy Sanborn brilliantly alternates ballads with upbeat music as demonstrated by songs like ‘Secret Paradise,’ ‘Waterfall,’ ‘Blame It On A Kiss,’ ‘Tell Me Goodbye,’ ‘Painted Blue,’ or the impeccable ‘Blues For Breakfast.’ Sensuality, freshness and well-constructed melodies are the common denominator of Blues For Breakfast.”
Javier - Nosolosmoothjazz.com