Wednesday, March 22, 2017

NEW RELEASES: JACO PASTORIOUS: TRUTH, LIBERTY & SOUL; LEE - 2 + 2 = 5; GERARDO FRISINA - BLUE LATIN

JACO PASTORIOUS: TRUTH, LIBERTY & SOUL

Resonance Records presents another previously unreleased gem in association with NPR Music. Truth, Liberty & Soul is the first official release of the complete Jaco Pastorius Word of Mouth big band's legendary 1982 concert at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC, including over 40 minutes that was never aired on the original NPR Jazz Alive! broadcast.  Includes an extensive 100-pg book featuring rare photos, essays by acclaimed jazz writer Bill Milkowski (author of Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius) and producer Zev Feldman, the original recording engineer Paul Blakemore, as well as interviews with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who produced the award-winning documentary JACO (2014), Jaco's son John Pastorius, and musicians - drummer Peter Erskine, saxophonist Bob Mintzer, trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Victor Wooten and more!

LEE - 2 + 2 = 5

Lee may not know his math, but he sure knows how to give us some great music – both back when he was working as the Square Egg, and now when he's out under his own name too! The man's a one man force in underground soul – a very creative songwriter and sharp-edged producer who's always out to make music that's a cut above the rest, and which doesn't fall into some of the easier labels and categories of the current soul underground! This time around, there's a vocal chorus working with Lee on some of the tracks – which creates an uplifting vibe and positivity that's even a bit different from his previous records. The album's got a good structure overall – with interludes balanced between the fuller tracks – and a sense of timing between the moods that really makes the whole thing work well together. Titles include "Drowning", "Extranjero", "More Than You Know", "Where Are You", "Drive", "Heroes", and "2 + 2 = 5". ~ Dusty Groove

GERARDO FRISINA - BLUE LATIN

A great small combo set from percussionist Gerardo Frisina – a set that feels as if it's got some programming in the rhythms, a bit like some of his earlier singles – but which also features a fair bit of live jazz instrumentation too! The album's got a sound that really fits the color of the title – tunes that are upbeat, but nicely chromatic too – thanks to some excellent piano lines, balanced alongside trumpet, tenor, and flute – plus some warm acoustic basslines, and a bit of Fender Rhodes as well! As always with Frisina, even when the rhythms are programmed, they're never too stiff – as the man draws more inspiration from classic Latin sounds than most of his producer contemporaries, and really knows how to make things sound great. Titles include "Mulata", "Blue Latin", "Incanto", "Baracoa", "Naquela Base", and "Olympia (part 2)".  ~ Dusty Groove


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