Blessed & Bewitched

Austrian vocalist Maja Jaku sings with power, magic, depth, and a striking emotional range—a sound both timeless and vibrant.
Era Jazzu (Poland)

Blessed & Bewitched is a deeply personal reflection of Vienna vocalist Maja Jaku's artistic spirit. Growing up immersed in the sounds of jazz with her trumpet player father, and later through studies with mentors at the Graz Conservatory—including Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, Andy Bey and Jay Clayton—Jaku's art evolved through her life-long devotion to the jazz legacy continuum. With encouragement from drummer Johnathan Blake, Jaku assembled an extraordinary ensemble to mark this period of her path and recorded this, her fifth album, in New York City along with Blake, bassist Dezron Douglas, pianist Alan Bartuš, and trumpeter Michael Rodriguez. Co-producer/drummer Adrian Varady also performed on a track that he composed. Jaku invites listeners into this set of five original songs and two classics, providing a journey through a space of reflection, connection, and emotional honesty.

"Maja Jaku's voice radiates soulful grace and raw honesty—intimate, effortless, and full of depth. A sound that feels timeless, yet strikingly modern..." Otmar Klammer, Austrian jazz journalist

Production Info:

Produced by Maja Jaku & Adrian Varady
Recorded February 19-20, 2025 by Alex Conroy
at The Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, NY
Mixed & mastered by Vlado Dzihan
at Milkshop Mastering, Vienna, Austria
Maja photo by Seva Mazurika
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Blessed & Bewitched

Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
"Blessed & Bewitched": Maja Jaku finds her voice between tradition and self-discovery. In many ways, Blessed & Bewitched feels like the kind of album that might have arrived in the late 1980s or early '90s, a period when jazz singers often sought a delicate balance between reverence for tradition and a hunger for personal reinvention. To be clea ...

Musical Memoirs (Dee Dee McNeil)
"Blessed & Bewitched" is the new album by Vienna vocalist, Maja Jaku that reflects a very personal journey that began as a child, growing up immersed in the sounds of her father's jazz trumpet. Later, she pursued her love of music through studies with mentors at the Graz Conservatory. Her mentors were familiar iconic names like Mark Murphy, Sheil ...

Bman's Blues Report (Bman)
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blessed & Bewitched, by Maja Jaku, and its quiet and dynamic. Opening with The Witch, Maja Jaku applies her vocals like drops of silver on the lush piano chords by Alan Bartus. Michael Rodriguez on trumpet really adorns the track nicely with well-conceived lines making for a solid opener ...

Skope Magazine (Editor)
European jazz icon Maja Jaku steps confidently onto the American jazz stage with her fifth studio album, "Blessed and Bewitched." Recorded in Brooklyn and released on Origin Records, this album is a carefully curated statement; balancing a range of emotional themes across originals and standards. Intimate and assured in its delivery, Blessed and ...

Roots Music Report (Robert Silverstein)
RMR presents an interview with MAJA JAKU RMR: Tell us about growing up in Kosovo. Did you leave Kosovo because of the war, and how did growing up in a war zone affect you on a personal and professional basis and when did you arrive in Austria? And tell us about your diverse musical influences while you were growing up. MAJA JAKU: I grew up in ...

Amazon (Joseph Ross)
5-STARS Recorded in Brooklyn, NY, and released on the Washington state-based Origin Records label in 2025, Blessed & Bewitched is a fine introduction to the music of Austria-based singer Maja Jaku. With her intriguing-sounding name and colorful background in her native Kosovo, Maja is sure to stir up interest with her Origin debut. Ostensibly free ...

Exclusive Magazine (Anne Carlini)
For those not in the know, Blessed & Bewitched is a deeply personal reflection of Vienna vocalist Maja Jaku's artistic spirit. Growing up immersed in the sounds of jazz with her trumpet player father, and later through studies with mentors at the Graz Conservatory — including Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, Andy Bey and Jay Clayton — Jaku's art evo ...

Jazz Blues EU (Olivia Peeva)
I'll begin this article with a brief statement: what follows is about an artist whose album I consider the best jazz and jazz-pop record. Her unique voice and poignant, emotional style of singing have made her a well-known and highly respected artist in Europe and around the world. If you listen to all of Vienna vocalist Maja Jaku's recordings, ...

JazzViews (UK) (Tim Larsen)
For many American listeners, Blessed & Bewitched will be an introduction to Maja Jaku, a Kosovo-born singer who has already built a strong reputation in Europe. She brings a voice that can be powerful and direct, yet she's just as comfortable pulling it back to a hushed intensity, shaping phrases carefully and letting the meaning of the lyrics come ...

Jazz Journal (London) (Editor)
Blessed & Bewitched is Maja Jaku's most personal and ambitious project, recorded at Bunker Studio, NYC. This all-original album fearlessly explores jazz emotional and spiritual depths raw, transcendent, and poetic. Leading a powerhouse ensemble featuring Johnathan Blake, Adrian Varady, Michael Rodriguez, Alan Bartus and Dezron Douglas, Maja brings ...

Women in Jazz Media (Editor)
A deeply personal, fully original album exploring the emotional and spiritual dimensions of jazz — raw, poetic, and transcendent. Blessed & Bewitched blends five original compositions with two reimagined jazz classics, recorded between New York City and Vienna with an international ensemble. The music bridges the intimacy and elegance of golde ...