Say what you want, but I am such a fan of Valentine’s Day. Seeing everyone celebrating love is such a beautiful thing, whether it’s through cards, candy, balloons or music. Love seems to be such an easy thing for songwriters to write about, which means we aren’t short of good music to listen to! TV, movies and even restaurants have shown us that no genre captures the feeling of love quite like jazz. One of my favorite jazz love songs is “Misty,” which was originally composed by Erroll Garner. The lyrics, later added by Johnny Burke, are beautifully descriptive, allowing the listener to understand a love so intense that it’s confusing.

Many jazz artists have recorded “Misty,” including Johnny Mathis, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and more. My absolute favorite has to be Ella’s version. She has such a gentle intensity while singing this song, giving you the sense that she is truly enchanted by the person she’s singing about. She embellishes it enough to make it interesting, but nothing that would distract from the beauty of the melody. No matter what she’s singing, she’s one of those artists that are just easy to listen to.

@cecilyalexa

“Steady” by Cecily is the perfect, simple song for your devotional/prayer time. It’s all about the consistency of God’s love, even when we are inconsistent. When we are slipping away, experiencing heartache or being resistant, God is still eager to be the first to say “I love you.”

@christinaperri

The month of February can be hard for those experiencing lost love, no matter what that loss may look like. I love the song “evergone” by Christina Perri because it talks about how the love we carry for others doesn’t leave. It lives on through our songs, dreams and memories.