Toronto vocalist Noah Kosta is bringing the traditions of big-band jazz and classic pop to a younger audience with his debut album, Right Here. At 22, the Canadian singer is building on seven years of live performance experience with a seven-track collection combining original material, carefully selected covers and arrangements rooted in the classic jazz-pop songbook.
Raised listening to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack at his grandfather’s home, Kosta has developed a vocal approach influenced by that era while seeking to establish his own identity. His style has also drawn comparisons to Canadian jazz-pop singers Michael Bublé and Matt Dusk.
‘Right Here’ Combines Original Songs and Classic Influences
Recorded at Mark Camilleri’s Imagine Sound Studios in Toronto, Right Here features arrangements by Charles T. Cozens. The album consists of three original compositions co-written with longtime family friend Aaron Dean and four covers.
Kosta has also assembled four different live configurations — a big band, quintet, quartet and trio — allowing the material to be presented in different performance settings.
“I want to respectfully bring what the legends of the past created into the present,” Kosta says of the project, “and I think, and I hope, that we’ve succeeded.”
Title Track Revives an Earlier Collaboration
The album’s title track, which Kosta describes as his favourite song on the record, originated as an unreleased collaboration with Dean in 2021. The song was later revived after Cozens developed a new arrangement.
“Pull me closer, let’s put love into practice, don’t get emotional yet, and wonder what we have right here,” Kosta sings on the track.
Another original, “Someone Else,” carries personal significance for the Toronto singer. It was the first song he recorded with Dean when he was 17 and reflects Kosta’s experiences with high school relationships and early heartbreak.
The song includes the lyric, “should’ve seen it comin’ from the start, told myself it’s over, that there’s no place left to fall down.”
Mentorship Plays a Major Role in Kosta’s Development
Kosta’s early career has included collaborations and training with several established figures in the Canadian and international music industries.
At 17, he won the Grand Prize at the LIVECITY Music Awards. A year later, he won the Long & McQuade Singing Contest with John Santos, which provided an opportunity to record eight songs with producer Anthony Wright.
Wright’s previous credits include work involving Bryan Adams, Christina Aguilera, B.o.B, Jadakiss and Flo Rida.
Kosta also trained with vocal coach Elaine Overholt, whose students have included John Travolta, Zac Efron and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes. He additionally worked with Stanislas Vitort, a finalist on The Voice in Russia, and alongside artists Alma Deutscher and Bill King.
More recently, Kosta has been mentored and managed by Laura van Leest, CEO of Bellefair Artists. Her involvement helped shape elements of Right Here, including repertoire selections and the direction of its arrangements.
Toronto Performances Build Kosta’s Live Profile
Kosta has already performed at several recognizable Toronto-area venues and events, including Koerner Hall, Mel Lastman Square and the International Beaches Jazz Festival, as well as Casino Rama north of the city.
His performances have included appearances with his own group, The Experience, and The Metro Big Band.
Canada’s Got Talent Appearance Expands National Exposure
A recent appearance on Canada’s Got Talent introduced Kosta to a broader national audience ahead of the release of Right Here.
His approach to established material focuses on interpreting songs through his own experiences rather than simply reproducing earlier versions.
His rendition of “Way Back When,” for example, reworks an earlier synth-oriented demo into what Kosta describes as having the wistful atmosphere of the final song at a prom.
For another ballad selected to close the album, Kosta chose a more restrained arrangement featuring only Cozens on piano, creating a contrast with the fuller big-band sound heard elsewhere on the record.
Kosta Looks to Carry Jazz-Pop Tradition Forward
With Right Here, Kosta is positioning himself within a Canadian jazz-pop tradition that has maintained a strong connection to classic crooners while evolving for contemporary audiences.
The debut reflects years of vocal training, live performances and industry mentorship, while its mix of original compositions and reinterpretations provides Kosta with an opportunity to move beyond nostalgia.
With big-band, quintet, quartet and trio configurations prepared to perform the album, Right Here represents both a debut recording and the next stage in Kosta’s development as a young Canadian jazz-pop vocalist.