Tuesday, July 25, 2017

NEW MUSIC: MARK WHITFIELD – LIVE AND UNCUT; ZARA MCFARLANE - ARISE; ARTHUR VINT & ASSOCIATES – DEATH RIDES A HORSE

MARK WHITFIELD – LIVE AND UNCUT

Mark Whitfield has been a celebrated guitarist for nearly three decades, performing with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakely, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine and his greatest teacher and mentor George Benson. Part of the new Virtual Audio Series from Chesky Records, this album was recorded in front of a live audience at Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan, using a single binaural microphone.  This Binaural+ technique places the listener in the middle of a live show.  Listen on headphones and for the first time in audio history when the audience applauds, it is not on the stage with the musicians but to the right, left, and behind you.  Finally correct spatial cues are here!

ZARA MCFARLANE - ARISE

Tracing the musical heritage of the Caribbean, Zara McFarlane explores her interconnected vision of the diaspora. Exploring the musical possibilities of British-Jamaican identity, it’s a cultural exchange that’s born of London’s current musical climate. For Zara, Jamaica’s musical legacy is deeply intertwined with her sense of the place itself. Spending whole summers in the hills of Jamaica, it’s the sounds and smells which she most vividly associates with her stays there. In particular the local sound systems which were an everyday feature of the local area; be it in shops or bars, each of the small local shacks would have a sound system where they’d play music through the day and evening. Zara McFarlane’s debut album, 2011’s Until Tomorrow, came garlanded with rave reviews and a MOBO award nomination, and heralded a major new talent in the world of British jazz. The follow-up, also recorded for Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label, is a more ambitious collection that draws from many more influences: from the deep spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders to dub and reggae.  Set for release September 2017.

ARTHUR VINT & ASSOCIATES – DEATH RIDES A HORSE

The music of Ennio Morricone – completely recast into a jazz setting by drummer Arthur Vint and his associates! The project's maybe a bit like the famous John Zorn reworking of Ennio Morricone music from decades ago – but the approach here is more unified, and has as much ear for the tunefulness of the original compositions as it does for making something fresh and new! As you'd guess from the cover, the focus here is mostly on the western side of Morricone's scoring – and instrumentation includes tenor, harmonica, violin, guitars, piano, organ, bass clarinet, and flute – which makes for some great tonal combinations. Titles include "Death Rides A Horse", "The Sundown", "For A Few Dollars More", "Man With A Harmonica", "The Ecstasy Of Gold", "Vamos A Matar Companeros", and "Once Upon A Time In The West".  ~ Dusty Groove


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