With the release of MERGE, Karla Harris’ fifth album, the celebrated jazz vocalist offers up a multifaceted landscape where varied musical and cultural influences shimmer with original approach. Within MERGE, Harris stays rooted in jazz as she gives a loving nod to the diverse musical styles she grew up with. The album artfully melds swing, Latin, blues, reggae, funk, musical styles she grew up with. The album artfully melds swing, Latin, blues, reggae, funk, hip-hop, and ballads as Harris and co-producer/pianist Tyrone Jackson arrange Great American Songbook standards with a respectful contemporary approach and color old-school R&B classics with a jazz-infused brush. The album’s 13 tracks breathe with an honest and sophisticated sound that leans modern, reads soulful, and draws on Harris’ innate ability to convey deep emotion. “This album is about convergence – the intersection of stories, sounds and styles that flowed into my world early on and gave shape to a lifelong stream of joy,” Harris says.