JAZZ IN THE GARDENS CELEBRATES 10TH YEAR WITH WORLD CLASS LINEUP

The City of Miami Gardens is proud to announce the first round of artists for the 10th Annual Jazz in the Gardens (JITG) music festival at Sun Life Stadium. The three-day weekend festival on March 20th to 22nd, 2015 will feature artists Maxwell, Toni Braxton, R. Kelly, Men of Soul’s Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson and Freddie Jackson, and Brian Culbertson. Comedians and nationally syndicated radio personalities D.L. Hughley and Rickey Smiley will co-host the festival. 

First round of artists include Maxwell, R. Kelly, Toni Braxton, Men of Soul, and Brian Culbertson with more artists to be announced soon.

This event is predicted to break attendance records, surpassing last year’s 68,000 tickets sold, and promises a memorable kick off for springtime Miami. “This signature event was birthed from humble beginnings with just 1,800 people in attendance our first year,” said City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert. “I am proud to have watched this festival grow in number and esteem and reach this landmark of 10 years. With our top notch production team, the City of Miami Gardens promises this year’s experience is one for the books, you haven’t seen anything yet!”

Official Site: www.jazzinthegardens.com

Facebook:www.facebook.com/jazzinthegardens

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jazzgardens

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jitg10

#JITG10

NEW RELEASES: CARLA BENSON – YOU SHOULD BE HERE; BOBBI HUMPHREY - THE GOOD LIFE; PHILLY CREAM – GROOVIN’

CARLA BENSON – YOU SHOULD BE HERE

A sweet solo record from Philly singer Carla Benson – a vocalist you'll probably know best for her role in the Sweethearts Of Sigma trio, where she backed up countless soul singers in the 70s! The set's a new one, but has a nicely classic vibe – done in more of an 80s Philly modern soul mode, with production and arrangements by Butch Ingram that nicely match his other recent work for the Society Hill imprint. Carla's vocals are richly expressive – maybe more so now than ever – and the set is mostly mellower numbers and midtempo cuts, with titles that include "You Show Me", "I Dreamed A Dream", "You Should Be Here", "Autumn Leaves", "Outstanding", and "Ready For Love".  ~ Dusty Groove

BOBBI HUMPHREY - THE GOOD LIFE

First Time Ever on CD Release. Includes 4 Bonus Tracks Liner Notes by Alex Henderson Re-Mastered using the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan at Battery Studio s New York Bobbi Humphrey's major-label swan song eradicates the final traces of jazz remaining in her music's elemental makeup. Produced by Ralph MacDonald and William Eaton, The Good Life is a 1979 straight-up R&B record. Humphrey always embraced commercial sounds and sensibilities regardless of jazz conventions, but this music is simply too slick for comfort. Her skills as a flutist remain exceptional, which gives The Good Life the funky grooves and gossamer textures that buoyed her classic Blue Note sides. The Good Life is quite an unashamedly commercial album for Bobbi Humphrey as she has drops the high class approach of her earlier albums and opted for making a full-on in-your-face disco album. This is a big fat disco cliché, even right down to the electronic bongos, But my bet is you'll be so impressed that you'll make an easy move to get some of the Good Life. ~ Amazon

PHILLY CREAM – GROOVIN’

The wonderful return of Philly Cream – a group who made some great records at the end of the 70s, and who seem like they haven't missed a beat at all! The style here is really in the old school Philly harmony mode – maybe the modern soul variant, with some slight contemporary touches in the instrumentation – but an overall feel that has all the vocals coming together wonderfully! Old group member Art Austin is working here with younger female singers Simone Talley and Adrienne Aje – and the record has plenty of musical support from Ingram, with Butch Ingram at the production helm – in a similar mode to the other great recent sides on Society Hill. Titles include "Somebody Told Me", "A Beautiful Morning", "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Slow Down", "Cowboys To Girls", and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".  ~ Dusty Groove

DEE BROWN'S BROWN SUGAR, HONEY-COATED LOVE

On his Innervision Records debut dee Brown, whose tasty melodies, grooves and vibe perfectly reflect its unforgettable title: Brown Sugar, Honey-Coated Love collaborates with some of Detroit’s best local talent including Desi McCullers, Jr. The son of one of the original Motown “Funk Brothers”; Valdez Brantley, longtime keyboardist and MD for Usher; his brother, bassist Kern Brantley, Musical Director for Lady Gaga; Chip Dixson, a notable gospel player, “soul trumpeter” and instrumental recording artist Lin Rountree and DJ Shannon Weiss.

Realizing that jazz comes out tastier when he’s inspired by and bouncing ideas off musicians and songwriters he admires, Brown co-penned with Dixson “Honeycomb and “I’m Here For You (I’ll Never Leave You),” featuring the soulful vocals of co-writer Shaunia Edwards.   In addition, the guitarist co-wrote seven new tracks with Valdez, including “My Love’s Forever” (with McCullers); “Smile Again” (with lead vocal by co-writer Arnell Carmichael); “Pleasurable Dream” (featuring Brown on scat vocals); “Ice Cream Sunday”; “Natural Love”; and the infectious title track featuring Rountree’s soaring trumpet and flugelhorn. Brown includes a glorious, old school cover of The Intruders’ Philly Soul hit “I’ll Always Love My Mama” as a dedication to his beloved mother, Roceal Brown.

Where does all the sweetness on Brown Sugar, Honey-Coated Love come from? Same place Brown’s music always has--his faith in God. Raised in church, Brown plays gospel music every Sunday at his congregation Baptist World Changers in Detroit. To that end, Brown happily offers thoughtful and dynamic music that stands apart in today’s crowded contemporary urban jazz landscape. The guitarist also notes that just as honey is natural sugar, his sound and his tunes come from an organic, soulful place.

"Even when I’m playing music that both fans of sacred and secular music can enjoy, that’s always a foundational inspiration for me as a songwriter and artist.”

"My father George "Sonny" Brown introduced me to Jazz and improvisational music, had that not happen, I would've never known my true passion. ‘Sonny’ is the song I dedicate to my dad, and ‘A Little Elbowroom’ is the CD that is dedicated to the man who is my true hero George "Sonny" Brown." 

NINHO DE VESPA, THE FIRST US RELEASE FROM 17-PIECE BAND FROM BRAZIL - THE SPOKFREVO ORQUESTRA

Bringing a traditional style of music into the 21st century is no easy task, yet virtuoso saxophonist and arranger Inaldo Cavalcante de Albuquerque, better known as Maestro Spok, has done just that on his US debut, Ninho de Vespa (Wasp’s Nest). Spok has assembled a 17 piece orchestra, performing what is arguably Brazil’s most creative music – frevo – and infusing it with the improvisational spirit of jazz. Just as The Buena Vista Social Club served to shine a light on the legacy of the great players of Cuban music, Ninho de Vespa‘s guest performers include many of the legendary musicians from Pernambuco, the birthplace of frevo.

Ninho de Vespa will be released on October 28, 2014, on Motema Music, as the Orquestra kicks off a multi-city tour that includes stops in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Iowa City and Lemoni, Iowa, and St. Louis.

Much more than a style of music, frevo’s combination of music, dance with the uniquely Brazilian hybrid of martial arts and dance known as capoeira represents the wealth of imagination and originality that is at the heart of Brazilian culture. Its vivid, frenetic and vigorous rhythm stems from the amalgam of several music genres such as march, Brazilian quadrilha, polka and pieces from the classical repertoire, all of which can be found among Ninho de Vespa’s 13 tracks, which include compositions from leading lights of Brazilian music, including Dori Caymmi, Jovino Santos Neto, Hamilton de Holanda.

“The fact that these songs were mostly unknown was definitely a factor that made us choose them, but it’s also true that there just aren’t that many frevos in the repertoires of Dori, Jovino and Hamilton,” says Spok. “ ‘Ninho de Vespa’, by Dori Caymmi and Paul Cesar Pinheiro, was released in the early 1990s and is representational of what we want to promote in Brazil – to have composers from several states and of different origins, and not only from Pernambuco, composing frevos. This is why we chose songs from composers that were not from Pernambuco: Hamilton and Jovino are from Rio de Janeiro and Nelson Ayres is from Sao Paolo.”

Spokfrevo Orquestra formally emerged as a group in 2003, but its roots go back at least another decade. Inaldo Cavalcante de Albuquerque, aka Maestro Spok, is the band’s saxophonist, arranger and musical director, fronting a true big band with saxophone, trumpet, trombone, rhythm sections, bass and guitar. In the northeastern state of Pernambuco, from which frevo emerged over 100 years ago, the genre was performed mainly at street festivals. Spokfrevo Orquestra adds a new dimension to frevo, moving it from its supporting role to that of a leading actor, shedding light on its original texture and complex playing techniques while remaining faithful to its more traditional origins; succinctly, the group breaks patterns and reinvents tradition without subverting it.

Spok provides a bit of historical background to Spokfrevo Orquestra’s evolution of the style. “Originally, in Recife, frevo was essentially music for dancing, played by orchestras in clubs in the months that preceded Carnival, and on the streets during Carnival itself. People usually didn’t pay as much attention to the musicians or the arrangements as they did to how well the groups could reproduce the classics. Felinho was a saxophone player in the famous orchestra of Maestro Nelson Ferreira who began improvising during their performances. That sparked a major revolution in the way that frevo was played since, for the first time, people began to notice an individual musician’s performance. As frevo musicians today, we have been very influenced by that bold approach that Felinho took, showcasing his performance instead of just being part of a party orchestra.”

The infectious energy of Ninho de Vespa’s opener, “Onze de April,” introduces a set that is marked simultaneously by a sense of graceful movement and a playful mood, a pair of contrasting yet complimentary sensations which the Orquestra’s seventeen musicians and twelve guest artists express throughout the album.

And what an impressive cast of guest artists have been tapped to join the Orquestra! Clarinetist Paulo Sergio Santos, best known to international audiences for his work in Uakti and their collaborations with Peter Gabriel and Phillip Glass in the 1980s, virtually shimmers on “Onze de Abril,” written by the renowned composer and musician Dominguinhos. Jovino Santos Neto’s “Comichao, which the acclaimed pianist recorded on his own 2003 album, Canto de Rio, here feels somehow richer and even more vibrant than the original. Adelson Viana, who guests on electric piano on his own “Spokiando” (co-written with João Lyra), brings a sparkling sophistication to the song’s propulsive marching rhythm, supported by Spok’s equally effervescent solo. Beto Hortis takes center stage on the accordion on “Capibarizando,” and Luciano Magno’s capering guitar seems to literally embody the title of his “Pisando em Brasa “ (“Jumping in the Embers.”)

The prominent pianist/composer/arranger Nelson Ayres, who has worked with an astounding array of internationally acclaimed artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, and Milton Nascimento throughout his nearly sixty-year long career, brings an imposing elegance to “Quatro Cantos.” Ayres has also worked with the equally venerated singer and composer Dori Caymmi, whose “Ninho de Vespa” (“Wasp’s Nest”), is the album’s only track with vocals. Master Zé Maria (trumpet) and Nilsinho Amarante of Trombonada ( a five piece trombone only band whose collaborations consistently challenge genre pigeon holes)perform together on “O Que Nelson Gostou,” a sprightly light-hearted romp.

Mandolin virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda’s performance on his composition, “Tá Achando Que Tá Devagar? “ seamlessly integrates the mandolin, which has a long and rich tradition in Brazilian folk music, into Spokfrevo’s big band sound, once again positioning de Holanda among the most eclectic innovators on his instrument. Further innovation takes “De Baixo Do Frevo,” with its almost improvisational bass solo by bassist, arranger, producer and songwriter Bráulio Araújo, well into jazz territory, a region also explored by the the lively “Pipocando,” (“Popping”) led by flutist César Michilles, and “Cara de Carranca,” written by guest artist, pianist Thiago Albuquerque, who trades strong solos with the Orquestra’s guitarist Renato Bandeira. Spok takes center stage on the album’s final selection, “Moraes É Frevo,” which cements his reputation as an audacious catalyst for musical evolution.

While determined to propel frevo’s evolution, Spok remains equally committed to preserving its rich tradition. He has produced a film, Sete Corações (Seven Hearts,) which pays tribute to the music, its masters and to Pernambuco, just as the Buena Vista Social Club did for the then-obscure heroes of Cuban music.

Many critics, who recognize Spok’s music as the harbinger of a new school, endorse his boldness. In an article for Jornal do Brasil (17/07/2009), musical critic Tárik de Souza writes that “the time has come for frevo‐jazz”, pointing to Spokfrevo as “a big band that has synthesized frevo and jazz in a blazing way”. In 2005, O Globo newspaper ranked the Spokfrevo performance at TIM Festival as one of the ten best gigs of the year in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2009, the band’s first album, Passo de Anjo – Live was awarded the Prêmio da Música Brasileira (one of the most important awards in Brazilian music) as the best instrumental music CD of the year. Spokfrevo was elected the best group in the same category.

Spokfrevo’s international career received a definite boost in 2008, as their first large-scale European tour proved the universal appeal of its music. When in France, the Orquestra was invited to perform at the closing ceremony of the World Music Day (Fête de la Musique). It has played the final gig of the event at the Palaisdel’Élysée, the official residence of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who attended the performance accompanied by First Lady Carla Bruni. Spokfrevo’s summer tour of festivals throughout France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland, served to position frevo as a unique musical language, as well as a proper integration of the genre into the jazz and world music scenes.

“Frevo has always been very identified as a music from Pernambuco, made by musicians from the state, but what we have been trying to prove is that this regional restriction has never been a real limitation,” says Spok. “We believe that frevo is a style that can easily touch people from all over the world. Even if the songs sometimes have lyrics, frevo is essentially an instrumental genre, so there’s no linguistic barrier that would stop anyone from enjoying it – it’s vibrant, it’s rich, and it’s very energetic.”

With the release of Ninho de Vespa, fans of Brazilian music around the world will discover yet another facet of the music that moves them both in the flesh and in the spirit. Frevo, as performed by Spokfrevo Orquestra, will join samba, choro, MPB , bossa nova and forro in the rich cultural mélange of Brazil.

Matuto Chronicles a Life-Changing Journey Across a Continent with Africa Suite

This playful assignment was the genesis of Matuto’s Africa Suite (EP) (Motema Music; release date: November 4, 2014). About to embark on a five-week, five-country African tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the five-member Appalachia-gone-Afro-Brazilian band decided to create tributes and love letters to the sounds they heard along the way, and the people who welcomed them. They divvied up the task by country, at random, but the results sound anything but.

“It had been our dream to tour in Africa for a long time, and we knew in advance that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We wanted to perform for African audiences, but more importantly, we wanted to allow the people, music, and culture to seep in, to live with us, and to change us,” explains Clay Ross, Matuto singer and guitarist.

From young voices lifted in a song of thanks in Mozambique to hot 70s-era Ivorian beats, from palm wine music and village jams to beloved Cameroonian rhythms, Matuto dived into a sea of African sounds. The resulting songs brought all they experienced home, blending the band’s signature sway and charm into shimmering, uplifting tracks.

“We decided we wouldn’t be too strict about the geography of sound, but in the end, there was just so much information, so many rhythms and sounds, that allowing each individual to focus on one country worked out great,” Ross reflects. “We’re happy with the diversity that it brought to the final work.” It’s a diversity that mirrors the band’s adventures.

The pieces that make up the Africa Suite range from the sweet (“Mozambique,” with its moving chorus of “kanimambo,” “thank you” in Shangaan) to the mysterious (the opening of “Cameroon,” with violinist Mazz Swift’s lyrical playing). Fans of Afropop will catch the winks to Ghanaian highlife and to Ivorian popular music (ziglibithy), but there are plenty of surprises for the African music aficionado, too: “Senegal” bristles with gorgeous rock energy, while drawing on regional styles the band encountered while performing for (and learning from) musicians and listeners in Senegal’s rural south.

The biggest source of inspiration: the people who welcomed the band. Bassist Mike LaValle was moved by the young people they met in an arts center in Mozambique. Accordionist Rob Curto caught the gentle, unedited joy of Accra’s music scene. Ross pays tribute to the positive energy of the powerhouse Ivorian band, Zieti, who hosted and jammed with Matuto.

With all the fresh sounds and friendly receptions, there was ample food for thought and music making. Then the pieces, composed immediately after returning to the US, took on that certain Matuto shine, as passionate playing and clever arrangements gave the diverse ideas a unified feel.

This came, in part, from the band’s unusual instrumentation. “The violin and accordion are not all that common in most African popular music and that led to some creative orchestrations,” notes Ross. “Often we would use the violin and accordion to emulate different rhythmic figures found in African guitar music. Ultimately, like James Brown said, ‘All the instruments are drums.’ We just happen to have an accordion drum in our band!”

They may have had an unexpected sonic palette to play with, but their full-on tour schedule left them no time at home to record. So they did the most logical thing: They recorded impressions of one tour while out on another, tracking the session at Catamount Recording Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

In the crucible of road life, they took pains to dig into and refine their approach to the technically challenging material that informed the pieces. “There is a deep complexity to the polyrhythmic interplay in the music we engaged with on our journey,” Ross says. “In the Suite, there are a lot of musical layers. It was challenging at times to strike the right balance or decide which instrument should play which rhythmic building block. This is where the pieces became truly collaborative efforts, with everyone weighing in to help make these decisions.”

Collaboration lies at the heart of The Africa Suite, and it hasn’t ended with the band’s exit from the studio. The band got a chance to share their work with new friends like Mozambique’s leading music and dance troupe, Wuchene, who danced along to the grooves. Matuto hopes to bring the piece back to Africa, the root of its inspiration, playing it for and with collaborators, and letting the piece grow and evolve as they do.

“Mozambique” (by bassist Mike LaValle): “After a short concert at an arts-centered school in downtown Maputo, the class sang us a song expressing their gratitude from which I took inspiration for my piece. A simple yet elegant melody using only the word Kanimambo; the Shangaan word for ‘thank you.’”

“Ivory Coast” (by guitarist Clay Ross): “This song was inspired by our collaboration with our local hosts, Zieti, and the lyrics chronicle the people and events from our stay there, especially the grisgris, the positive energy we got from them.”

“Ghana” (by accordionist Rob Curto): “My piece was inspired by a very light and optimistic sense of life I experienced immediately upon arrival in Ghana. The sound and emotion of the music I heard in Accra, especially high life and palm wine music, and of the people I met there, were uplifting and also very gentle. I wanted my piece to express that direct honest feeling, free from much irony or tension.”

“Cameroon” (by drummer Richie Barshay): “The medley captures Matuto’s diverse adventures in Cameroon. From a chanted tribute to its capital city Yaounde, to an upbeat rendition of the popular melody ‘Zaminamina,’ and a groove section dedicated to one of the country’s unique rhythms, bikutsi.”

“Senegal” (by violinist Mazz Swift): “I took my affinity for Rock, set to a specific rhythmic motif we learned from a group of musicians in Ziguinchor, a village we visited in the deep south of Senegal. The piece also utilizes a vocal call and response, which imitates the traditional music of the Djiola people of the Casamance region in Senegal, but is conceptually turned on its head: the voice of a woman is calling and the men responding.”

The Africa Suite follows up Matuto’s acclaimed sophomore album, The Devil and the Diamond (Motema 2012) and their debut Matuto (Galileo MC 2011). It will be available commercially in digital form only, though true fans can pick up a physical CD at live shows and online at www.matutomusic.com, where various merchandise is also available.

The compelling artwork for The Africa Suite, was created by Ty Wilkins who recently won a coveted Communication Arts Design award for his work on The Devil and The Diamond.

 

KOKO JONES, FORMER PERCUSSIONIST FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON AND THE ISLEY BROTHERS, STEPS OUT FRONT ON WHO’S THAT LADY

Koko Jones has a story to tell.  On Who’s That Lady, her new album dropping from Motema Music on November 18, the percussionist reveals her hidden abilities as a lyricist and songwriter.  While building on the artistic excellence and percussive brilliance of her previous world-jazz releases, Tenth World and Tenth World Live!, Who’s that Lady delves deeply into the 1970s and 80s soul and R&B crucible which first formed the percussionist and producer’s prodigious musical vision, and at the same time renders a timeless musical narrative of this extraordinary woman’s past, present and future.

In a career spanning four decades, Koko has performed and/or recorded  as a first call percussionist for some of the most well known names in pop, R&B, jazz, house and African music. Her resume and discography includes the likes of Whitney Houston, The Isley Brothers, Carlos Santana, Angela Winbush, Raul Midon, Marcus Miller, Randy Weston, , Jose Feliciano, Buddy Miles, Clarence Burke, Louie Vega, Luisito Quintero, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, DJ Kenny Dope, Archie Shepp, and Reggie Workman.  Her two albums on Motema (released as Kevin Jones) – Tenth World (2005) and Tenth World Live! (2008) – drew major kudos from critics and audiences alike. Koko’s always uplifting performances have been praised as having a “genre-crossing platform, energy and relentless grooves” (All About Jazz); as being “a feast for the ears” (Global Rhythm magazine); and as “a very special blend of Latin, soul, world, and jazz.” (Jazz Times).Writing about Tenth World Live!, the reviewer at Jazz.com went so far as to remark that “At the ten minute mark, I swear you will feel the urge to rip off your shirt, throw yourself to the ground and writhe in the beauty of it all.”

A musician first and foremost, Koko – who was previously known as ‘Bujo’ Kevin Jones – is a transgender woman of color. That identity, as integral to her being as is her musical talent, has propelled her to a parallel role as an activist and a voice in the trans community.  In addition to Koko’s ground-breaking work as an interventionist at the Center for HIV Education Studies and Training (CHEST) at Hunter College, where she is a part of T-Talk, a project delivered by trans women for trans women that seeks to reduce sexual health risk, substance use, and internalized stigma affecting the community, she frequently speaks at events, and recently gave a TEDx talk at Seton Hall University and delivered a lecture on Current Issues in the Trans Community at Columbia University Teachers College.  She is also an active member of Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC). The November release of Who’s That Lady happens to coincide with the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20; several tracks on the album reflect either personal or universal issues facing the trans community:  “Why” honors those trans individuals who have lost their lives due to violence or suicide and “Turn It” pays tribute to the heroes, past and present, who strive for civil rights, justice and equality.  “I’m Free” celebrates the joy of reveling in who you really are despite societal norms and constraints. And “Xtravaganzas” pays homage to the House of Xtravaganza, one of the most important cultural institutions in the trans community.

With Who’s That Lady, Koko brings these two elements of her identity – the expert side artist and the charismatic bandleader – into perfect musical alignment. Moving beyond the instrumental  world-jazz that marks her Tenth World releases, Koko here calls on her early soul influences, creating a vocal driven album with a cast of players firmly rooted in jazz, crossover jazz and R&B: producer Onaje Allan Gumbs (Cassandra Wilson, Phyllis Hyman, Gerald Albright); vocalists Derrick Dupree (Gloria Gaynor), Mike Hammond (Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, Kelly Price, 50 Cent, Incognito), and Myoshi Marilla (former co-host of The BETJ List); keyboardist Jesse Fischer (Ryan Shaw and his own band, Soul Cycle)and bassist Kenny Davis ( Freddie Hubbard, Cassandra Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, Diane Reeves, Art Farmer and with Kevin Eubanks in the Tonight Show Band). Together with her extended group, Koko delivers a dozen groove driven tracks that serve as powerful aural vignettes revealing the fascinating trajectory of her intersecting musical and personal life.

Who’s That Lady opens with the disco-era redolent beat of “Xtravaganzas,” Koko’s tribute to the legendary House of Xtravaganza, the most publicly recognized “house” to emerge from the 1980s NYC ballroom scene, and an on-going cultural influence in the areas of dance, music, visual arts, fashion, and community activism. The opening riff of “That Lady” is immediately recognizable to music fans of every generation; Koko and band’s version of the Isley Brothers’ rock-funk fusion cover of their own earlier single (“Who’s That Lady,” which appears later on this album as well), is just as funky and soulful as the 1973 original, courtesy of Mike Hammond on vocals and the relentless groove of Koko’s propulsive arrangements for her expert band.  “I included ‘That Lady’ out of my deep respect and love for Ronald, Rudolph, O’Kelly, Ernie and Marvin Isley and Chris Jasper, and to honor the years that I  created music with them, which were very formative years for me,” explains Koko.

A casual listener to Koko’s original “Why” might take the song for a 1970s style R&B ballad; in fact, “Why,” featuring interchanging lead vocals by Koko, Derrick Dupree and Myoshi Marilla, is among the most personal and poignant tracks on the album. “Intimately, this is a song about something that happened to me early in my transition, when I was brutally beaten,” says Koko. “But it is dedicated to all of those who suffer senseless violence due their gender, sexual or racial identity.”

As if to echo Koko’s own ability to move forward despite that traumatic event, Who’s That Lady moves forward with a positive, upbeat groove on Whitney Houston’s Top Ten hit, “Love Will Save the Day.”  That affirmative attitude is one that has long been a stabilizing force in Koko’s life journey, instilled by her early adoption of the Buddhist path.  “In Buddhism the ultimate goal is happiness. I often equate it to love, she explains. “It is a two-fold path. You might say that you cannot achieve this absolute happiness without love for others as well as self love. It has been easy for me to love others but difficult to have self love. Like a mother’s love it is unconditional and the one thing that we cannot live without.” Derrick Dupree’s “Get on Up” is a reggae-tinged funk paean to that same message.

Michael “Moon” Reuben’s lilting guitar opens Koko’s anthemic “I’m Free,” which quickly unfolds into an exuberant Afro beat influenced romp that supports the whole album’s theme of the importance of being free to feel comfortable in one’s own skin.  “Sometimes the bonds that hold us back are of our own making, inside our own minds,” says Koko.  “I’ve often found that music is the key to releasing me from those bonds, so I wrote this to capture the freedom that music can bring.”

“Decatur Avenue Stomp,” another of Koko’s originals, is the album’s only instrumental track, and it showcases the astonishing percussive chops that led to her early – she was working professionally by the time she was 13 – and ongoing success.  “Decatur Avenue was the street I grew up on and where I enjoyed endless days and nights of jam sessions,” recollects Koko.  The song also features the incredibly talented Kevin Louis (Jimmy Heath, Kermit Ruffins, Nicholas Payton, Gary Bartz, Will Calhoun, Mos Def) on trumpet and drummer Jerard Snell (Jennifer Holiday, Glenn Jones, and the Elements of Life band) who is featured on the percussion breakdown with Jones. Both Jerard and Koko have, for the past 14 years, been known as a “dynamic duo” of sorts, lending their percussion prowess to the bands of Gloria Gaynor, Chops the Band and Louie Vega.  Also contributing to this “jam” of a song is the solid bass support from Mamadou Ba (Leni Stern, Regina Carter.) 

Koko dedicated “Turn It” to Sylvia Rivera and to Marsha P. Johnson , who were at the center of the Stonewall Riots in 1969.  “In their honor, it’s also dedicated to all those fighting for justice and equality around the world,” says Koko.

The haunting, rhythmic “Yemaya, Parts 1 and 2”, written by vocalist Christelle Durandy  of CoCoMaMa, are based on a traditional African Yoruba chant in honor of the orisha (goddess) Yemaya,  who Koko describes as “the nurturer, the ocean, the essence of motherhood and a fierce protector of children.”

Koko’s composition, “The Treasure Tower,” is inspired by a Buddhist reference: ‘No treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra.’ Those words, attributed to the founder of Soka Gakkai Buddhism, represent the center of Koko’s driving life force. Koko says that the song, which features an outstanding vocal performance by Myoshi Marilla, “reminds me that everyone possesses the treasure tower within their own lives and that, in the end, the heart – and nothing else – is what truly matters.”

Who’s That Lady concludes with its title track, which was written by the Isley Brothers in the 1960s, and is the precursor to their much more well-known “That Lady.”  Koko and band offer up a smooth, Latin-tinged version of the song, one which the percussionist also dedicates to the Isleys, with who she toured for years; however, more than merely paying tribute to that rich piece of her history, the track truly encapsulates the spirit of Koko’s re-emergence as a solo artist.  “Who’s That Lady?” The answer lies within the words and grooves on these twelve delightful and powerful tracks.

A native of Englewood, New Jersey, Koko grew up in a household immersed in jazz, soul, gospel and blues, from Charlie Parker and Lou Rawls to Nat King Cole and Mahalia Jackson, along with the pop and R&B legends of the times. Reportedly, Koko’s grandmother, Maggie Walker Jones, once played with (and maybe even recorded with) Bessie Smith. The arts of all types were nurtured in the Jones household and piano lessons were a requirement, not an elective.

Jones traces her percussion expertise to the age-old ‘academy of the streets.’ Over the years she has evolved an increasingly comprehensive approach to her instruments, commanding respect from artists such as the Isley Brothers, Whitney Houston, Winard Harper, and Reggie Workman.

Immersed in drumming since the tender age of 10, Koko literally learned to play by the seat of her pants. Neighborhood drummers were prone to testifying on front lawns and park benches, hand drums and various percussive enhancements in tow; their massaging, pulsating, skin-on-skins thoroughly hooked the impressionable youngster. Among these master drummers were Marvin “Bugalu” Smith (Sun-Ra, Archie Shepp, Mal Waldron), Earl “Buster Smith (Eric Dolphy,Sun-Ra), Karl Potter (The Isley Brothers, Pino Daniele) and Babatunde Lea (Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas), who all spent time with her and made a long-lasting impression on the young Koko’s life.

Along with jazz, Jones also was magnetically attracted to Latin music, particularly the Latin Soul sounds that permeated the New York/New Jersey byways during the late 60s/early 70s; sounds by Nuyorican artists like Joe Cuba, Joe Bataan, and assorted Fania soul-seros, and especially the bands of Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente. “I can remember watching Mongo on television when I was around 12 years old. I became a permanent fan.” She became immersed in Afro-Cuban flavors through the influence and teaching of fellow percussionists Babatunde Lea, Steve Kroon, and Richie “Pablo” Landrum, who taught the youngster at one of New York’s premier music academies, Jazzmobile. However, it was a trip into the city with Babatunde Lea and Thelma Mwandido, to a rehearsal of Tanawa Drum and Dance 1976, led by Congolese griot-musician Titos Sompa, which hooked Koko on African rhythms, song and dance.

Koko has always continued to be an “eternal student of the drum” by constantly seeking to increase her percussion vocabulary with studying various genres of drumming and percussion. In addition to having recorded eight albums during her thirteen years with the Isleys, Koko’s percussion prowess can be found on recordings by Charles McPherson, Archie Shepp, Omar and Angie Stone, Babatunde Lea, Winard Harper and Joey DeFrancesco as well as by House music icons Josh Milan and BLAZE (Kevin Hedge), Louie Vega and Kenny Dope to name just a few. Koko has also graced the bandstands of Archie Shepp, Benny Powell, T.K. Blue, Randy Weston, Hilton Ruiz, hip hop artist Q-Tip and many, many more. She is perhaps most proud of her work with Tenth World,  the band she created  with pianist Kelvin Sholar, Brian Horton, Jaimeo Brown, Kevin Louis and Damon Warmack. Tenth World’s music represented a clear turning point in the development of Koko’s vision and ability to bring talented players together. “The creation of Tenth World was a distinct snapshot of where I was at that time, and the musicians that I had the pleasure of collaborating with brought the most heavenly sounds together.” Koko has not ruled out a reunion of some configuration of this band to record once again in the future.

NEW RELEASES: IT'S CHRISTMAS ON MACK AVENUE (COMPILATION); BRIAN CHARETTE - GOOD TIPPER; APHEX TWINS - SYRO

IT'S CHRISTMAS ON MACK AVENUE (COMPILATION)

A really great jazz-based Christmas album – one that's done in the best style of vintage gems like Jingle Bell Jazz or God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen – with an equally great blend of instrumental and vocal artists throughout! The package highlights some of the best artists on the Mack Avenue label, performing a mix of Christmas standards in very different styles – some relatively straight, some full of fire and improvisation – and with a shift in instrumental lineups that makes for a very fresh record throughout! Titles include "Christmas Time Is Here" by Warren Wolf, "Silent Night" by Christian McBride, "Little Drummer Boy" by Tia Fuller, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Sean Jones, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Cecile McLorin Salvant, "Sleigh Ride" by Aaron Diehl, "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto" by Christian McBride, "Skating" by Hot Club Of Detroit, and "Carol Of The Bells" by Warren Wolf. A classic set you'll be playing at seasonal gatherings for years to come!  ~ Dusty Groove

BRIAN CHARETTE - GOOD TIPPER

Great Hammond work from Brian Charette – served up in a style that's a bit different than most contemporary organ jazz sessions! The tracks here are sometimes short – like the old soul jazz organ singles back in the 60s – and Charette mixes things up nicely with a few great covers of soundtrack and pop moments – a bit like some Jimmy McGriff album on Sue Records! Yet Charette's also got a much wider range of sounds than McGriff ever did – a knowledge of the Hammond that embraces all the changes from Larry Young forward – worked out with a sweet trio that includes either Avi Rothbard or Yotam Silberstein on guitar, and Mark Ferber or Jordan Young on drums. Joe Sucato guests on tenor on the album's one long track – and titles include "The Kicker", "Good Tipper", "Another Quarter", "Standing Still", "You Only Live Twice", "Up Up & Away", and "Time Of The Season".  ~ Dusty Groove

APHEX TWINS - SYRO

The first proper full length album by Aphex Twin in more than a dozen years – and like all of his preceding efforts, he transcends all electronic music genre distinctions, delivering a sound that's distinctly his own – a sound that'll stand the test of time! Glance at the ultra-complicated track titles, and you might expect the strangest, most outre aural science of his career, but to the contrary, it's highly melodic and insistent stuff – finding him him working comfortably at home in his own canon, without repeating past glories. Excellent later work from one of the most consistently rewarding electronic music artists of the past several decades. It seems like Richard D. James doesn't ever bother to release his stuff if he doesn't have something great in the hopper, and Syro is indeed pretty great! ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - BOP (FEATURING ALL STAR LINEUP); NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA; MATHIAS LANDAEUS

CHUCK LOEB / JEFF LORBER / HARVEY MASON / EVERETTE HARP / BRIAN BROMBERG / RICK BRAUN / ERIC MARIENTHAL / RANDY BRECKER / TILL BRONNER / BRIAN DUNNE / JOHN PATTITUCCI - BOP

Announcing a really cool recording of some of the greatest players out there: Jeff Lorber, Harvey Mason, Everette Harp, Brian Bromberg, Rick Braun, Eric Marienthal, Randy Brecker, Till Brönner, Brian Dunne, & John Patitucci, all playing the classic Bop songs by Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and more....All proceeds to benefit The PKDcure Foundation to find a cure for Polycystic Kidney Disease.

THE NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA - LE DEJEUNER SURE L'HERBE

A wonderful wonderful set from the British jazz scene of the late 60s – beautifully inventive large ensemble material, done under the direction of Neil Ardley – and featuring some of the best British jazz musicians of the time! The group's a showcase not only for creative young talent in the UK, but also for the growing sense of composition as well – and the music on the set is penned by Ardley, Michael Garrick, Mike Taylor, and Michael Gibbs – as well as new arrangements of work by Miles Davis and John Coltrane. As in the best material from Ardley, Garrick, and Gibbs, there's a really fresh way of coming together for the instrumentation – quite different than large group material in both the US, and even other areas of the 60s European scene – delivered with wonderful imagination by musicians who include Derek Watkins, Henry Lowther, Harry Beckett, and Ian Carr on trumpets; Michael Gibbs and Derek Wadsworth on trombones; Barbara Thompson on flute and soprano sax; Dick Heckstall Smith on tenor and soprano; Frank Ricotti on vibes; and even Jack Bruce on bass! Titles include "Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe", "Naima", "Angle", "Ballad", "Dusk Fire", "Study", and "Rebirth". (Limited to 250 copies!) ~ Dusty Groove

MATHIAS LANDAEUS - INTO LIFE

Maybe the best album so far from Mathias Landaeus – a wonderful pianist, and one we've dug for years for his excellent albums on the Moserobie label – working here at a level that has so many things going on at once, the end result is far different from the usual piano trio album! Matthias' group includes Jonas Holgersson on drums and Johnny Aman on bass – and although all three players can come together well in a conventional trio format, they also have a way of expanding their approach too – so that the balance of structure might shift, with results that can make the group highly percussive on one track, warm and lyrical the next, angularly Monkish at another point, and so on – with a strong sense of creativity that really holds up throughout. Titles include "King Kres", "Empty Apartment", "Goober Walk", "Hallelujah", "Amateur's Night", and "In Watermelon Sugar".  ~ Dusty Groove

Randall Kline of SFJAZZ Named First Recipient of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award

The Jazz Connect Conference is pleased to announce that Randall Kline, founder and executive artistic director of SFJAZZ, is the first recipient of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award, presented by Jazz Connect. He will receive the award on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at the Jazz Connect Conference in New York City. Held at Saint Peter's Church, the two-day conference brings together members of the international jazz community for a series of panels, workshops and events, all dedicated to expanding the audience for jazz.

The formation of the award was announced at the 2014 Jazz Connect Conference at the culmination of a panel (sponsored by NARAS) saluting Lundvall's legacy and featuring Michael Cuscuna, Robert Glasper and Jason Moran. The Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award, presented by Jazz Connect, was created in honor of the longtime jazz record executive who was a champion and advocate for so many jazz artists over the last four decades. The annual award recognizes someone who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in expanding the audience for jazz and who has made a real difference for the artists, the music and the audience.

Commenting on the Visionary Award being named for him, Lundvall said, "I am truly humbled and honored by this award and was amazed to first learn of it. I have always approached my job with passion and honesty. I love jazz so much. It's provided me with my life's work, filled with rich experiences through relationships with many special artists and talented executives."

Peter Gordon, of the Jazz Forward Coalition and one of the organizers of the conference, said that, "Empowered by Bruce's gracious grandeur, we wanted his legacy memorialized with a new standard of excellence, to drive us to places we never thought achievable." He added, "Though we are all soldiers on the battlefield, this award is Jazz Connect's recognition of an against-all-odds effort that an individual has had to shoulder to make the impossible possible and challenge the rest of us to do the same." 

Dr. George Butler, McCoy Tyner, Bruce Lundvall

The organizers of the Jazz Connect Conference chose Kline as the first recipient, based on not only a long career as a jazz presenter and champion, but also based on the herculean task of establishing the SFJAZZ Center in 2013. The Center comprises 35,000 square feet in a transparent and open structure features the state-of-the-art Robert N. Miner Auditorium with seating adjustable from 350 to 700, the 100-seat multi-purpose Joe Henderson Lab, rehearsal spaces, digital learning lab, South at SFJAZZ (bar/café from renowned chef Charles Phan), ground floor lobby, retail shop/box office, and SFJAZZ administrative offices. The SFJAZZ Center is the result of a $64 million capital campaign that was completed in September of 2014.

Lundvall reinforced Kline's unique contributions to the jazz community. "Randall is a true visionary, working in the most important jazz city in America after New York City," said Lundvall. "The new SFJAZZ Center has attracted great artists and he's put the city on the map which has reinforced his venue and the city as the west coast center for jazz."

SFJAZZ -- originally titled Jazz in the City -- was founded in 1983 with a seed grant from Grants for the Arts of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund. Seventeen years later in December of 1999 Kline announced the establishment of SFJAZZ, the San Francisco Jazz Organization, a much-expanded organization with year-round concert and educational programs. The SFJAZZ Collective -- now the resident ensemble of the SFJAZZ Center -- was established in 2004 and its eight members are commissioned to write a new composition and new arrangement of jazz' modern masters. The Collective has produced over 71 original compositions and 75 new arrangements in its 10 years - all recorded and produced by SFJAZZ.

Kline currently serves on the board of directors of Chamber Music America, the Western Jazz Presenters Network, and is member of the Board of Governors of the University of California Humanities Research Institute. This is such an honor," said Kline. "Bruce is one of the true beacons of the jazz and music business and it is humbling to be considered for an award that is named in his honor."

New Releases: DONALD BYRD - Byrd In Paris; JOHN LEE HOOKER - Boogie Chillin'; CARLOS GARNETT - Cosmos Nucleus

DONALD BYRD – BYRD IN PARIS

Early in his career, Donald Byrd spent some time in Paris – where he not only got a chance to work in a whole new setting with some really great players, but he also got to record some fantastic sides that still stand as some of his best hardbop work! This rare album was originally issued on the French Brunswick label – and it features a quintet that includes Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The set was recorded live – and the tracks are all quite long – really giving the group ample room to stretch out on hard-blowing solos with a lot of soul. Titles include "Ray's Idea", "Flute Blues", "Paul's Pal", "Dear Old Stockholm", and "The Blues Walk". (Vinyl 180 gram limited to 1000 copies.) ~ Dusty Groove

JOHN LEE HOOKER – BOOGIE CHILLIN’

Sublime live work from John Lee Hooker – a set that features the legend on solo guitar and vocals, but recorded at a level that's even crisper and more personal than some of his other albums from the time! The performance is clearly pitched more towards the folk blues audience of the time, which means that Hooker is looser, more open, and maybe even more creative than on some of his more singles-oriented material from the 60s – with some tracks that almost feel like personal statements or recollections, set to wonderful interplay between vocals and guitar. Titles include "Run On Babe", "TB Is Killing Me", "I Was Standing By The Wayside", "Matchbox", "I Want To Get Married", "I Need Some Money", "Cruel Little Baby", and "You Been Dealin With The Devil".  ~ Dusty Groove

CARLOS GARNETT - COSMOS NUCLEUS

One of the excellent early albums cut for the Muse label by soul jazz sax player Carlos Garnett! This set's one of his most righteous – and features a larger than usual ensemble, with players that include Cecil McBee, Kenny Kirkland, Zane Massey, and Al Brown – playing in a strident vein that recalls other albums of this sort on the Stata East label. Titles include "Mystery Of Ages", which features vocals by Cheryl Alexander, plus "Wise Old Men", "Kafira" and "Bed-Stuy Blues".  ~ Dusty Groove

Neil Diamond's ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS Set for Release Noember 24, 2014; Two-CD Collection to Feature 42 Original Studio Recordings

Capito will release Neil Diamond’s ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS, a 42-track, two-CD collection that will mark the Grammy® winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s most comprehensive hits collection since signing a long-term recording agreement with the iconic label, Capitol Records, last January. The historic agreement unites Diamond’s complete Columbia, Uni/MCA and Bang catalogs, encompassing the artist’s entire body of work, from the earliest recordings through the present-day.

On October 21, Capitol Records released Diamond’s MELODY ROAD, his first original studio album since 2008’s HOME BEFORE DARK. The new album, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, is Capitol’s first original Neil Diamond release since THE JAZZ SINGER, which featured three of Diamond’s all-time greatest hits: “Hello Again,” “America,” and “Love On The Rocks.” “Something Blue,” a track from MELODY ROAD, will also be included on the two-CD ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS.

Neil Diamond’s ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS is an expanded version of the single-CD set which came out in July 2014, and features the original studio recordings of such standards as “Sweet Caroline,” “Holly Holy,” “I Am…I Said,” and chart-toppers like “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue” and the rarely heard original solo version of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” The set captures his beginnings as a songwriter-turned-singer in New York to his multi-platinum days in Hollywood, all the way to a track from his new album, MELODY ROAD.

Throughout an illustrious and wide-ranging musical career, Neil Diamond has charted 37 Top 10 singles and 17 Top 10 albums in the U.S. and has sold more than 128 million records worldwide, racking up 72 multi-platinum, platinum and gold album certifications in the United States alone. A Grammy® Award-winning artist, Diamond is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters. Diamond’s many other achievements include a Golden Globe Award, 13 Grammy® nominations and 2009’s NARAS’s MusiCares Person of the Year award. In 2011, Diamond received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime contributions to American culture.

Here is the complete track listing for Neil Diamond’s comprehensive, two-CD ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS.

CD #1:

BROOKLYN ROADS

SHILO

BROTHER LOVE’S TRAVELING SALVATION SHOW

GLORY ROAD

SWEET CAROLINE

HOLLY HOLY

SOLITARY MAN

FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS

AND THE GRASS WON’T PAY NO MIND

SOOLAIMON

I AM…I SAID

CRUNCHY GRANOLA SUITE

STONES

PLAY ME

DONE TOO SOON

KENTUCKY WOMAN

MORNINGSIDE

YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS (ORIGINAL SOLO VERSION)

SONG SUNG BLUE

SOMETHING BLUE

CRACKLIN’ ROSIE

CD #2

CHERRY, CHERRY

I’M A BELIEVER

GIRL, YOU’LL BE A WOMAN SOON

YOU GOT TO ME

LOVE ON THE ROCKS

LONGFELLOW SERENADE

I’VE BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE

BEAUTIFUL NOISE

RED, RED WINE

SEPTEMBER MORN

HELLO AGAIN

AMERICA

DESIREE

WE

YESTERDAY’S SONGS

HEARTLIGHT

PRETTY AMAZING GRACE

THE BOAT THAT I ROW

THANK THE LORD FOR THE NIGHT TIME

HELL YEAH

IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN 

DAVID BUCKINGHAM RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM - THE VIEW

The View was the name of an estate in the heart of the English countryside that David used to work at when he was a student to fund his way through college. The photo on the album cover is of the Andalusian skyline. These two "views" reflect the crossover of influences and inspiration in David's compositions. Or as Gordon Giltrap put it: "It's good to hear so much Englishness coming through those Spanish influenced pieces".

Views aren't the only form of inspiration that seems to run as a theme throughout these compositions; water also seems to play a big part in inspiring, from Waterscape, a composition for Spanish guitar re-tuned to DADGAD, an Irish tuning; to the composition entitled Chiemsee, inspired by a lake in Southern Germany of the same name; to Agua Clara (Clear Water).

Taking a view across the diverse styles that flavout this album one can hear flamenco, classical, subtle hints of jazz and latin harmonies (particularly in Brisa Flamenca) and minimalism (in the beautiful and reflectional Agua Clara).

Whilst Gordon Giltrap also said of the album "I defy anyone to better the virtuosity displayed in these pieces" Martin Taylor also noted David's sensitivity and said "what I love about David's compositions and arrangements is that he puts the music first". Possessing an impressive technique can sometimes lead to unnecessary embellishments but David knows exactly when to let the music breath and when to inject that special something.

The album opens with Waterscape, David's composition for Spanish guitar tuned to DADGAD. The middle section for this piece is haunting and reflective and the flamenco five-note tremolo is used to wonderful effect. 

After gently bringing us into his musical world with Waterscape David ups the ante and invites a few musician friend to join us in the form of Manuel Berraquero (flamenco guitar), Claire Furley (vocals) and Marco Vargas (taconeo - flamenco footwork). The piece is call Brisa Flamenca which means flamenco breeze in Spanish and, true to word, it washes over you like a welcome Mediterranean breeze on a balmy evening.

  

David's ability to arrange well-known pieces and present a fresh take on them is shown in his re-workings of You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Stevie Wonder, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton and Street Life by The Crusaders. 

Nic France, percussionist for Pink Floyd's David Gilmore can be heard on three tracks: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, The View and Street Life. Nic's ability to lock in with David and catch each and every one of David's subtle expressions makes him the perfect addition to these tracks. 

Chiemsee is perhaps the most classical composition on the album, inspired by the great Bavarian lake in Germany. San Vicente too is classical in style but David sneakily leads us into a jazzy groove before sauntering back to the second section of the song.

  

The View takes us back to David's flamenco roots and has a really energetic feel with Nic helping to drive the  groove forward from beginning to end. Argentine singer Guillermo Rozenthuler also joins in the fun, adding some smooth floating melodies that play perfect compliment to the grittier underlying textures laid down by David and Nic. 

After taking us on a musically eclectic journey many faceted flamenco moods David ties things up with a very reflective, thought provoking composition entitled Agua Clara. This is the perfect end to musically and creatively rich debut album and leaves the listener intrigued as to which direction David will go in next. One feels that the waters that so inspire him could flow in any direction but that they will flow in a beautiful and eclectic manner with ripples of flamenco, classical, jazz and romance.

JASON YEAGER TRIO RELEASES "AFFIRMATION"

The CD features Yeager's longstanding trio with bassist Danny Weller and drummer Matt Rousseau, as well as special guests saxophonist Noah Preminger, vocalist Aubrey Johnson, and trumpeter Jean Caze in ten original compositions, as well as The Beatles' "Julia" and an adaptation of excerpts from a movement of the Quartet For The End Of Time by the 20th century classical master, Olivier Messiaen. 

An acclaimed artist's second recording as a leader shivers with expectation. Was all the promise heard so clearly on the debut album illusory, or is this nascent performer the real deal? Jason Yeager can rest easy. His sophomore recording, Affirmation (to be released October 21 on Greg Osby's Inner Circle Music label), indeed affirms that the young New York-based pianist, composer and bandleader is expanding his individual voice as an artist while further developing the gifts first revealed on his 2011 album, Ruminations. At the helm of a longstanding trio featuring the bassist Danny Weller and the drummer Matt Rousseau, Yeager explores the supple contours of ten original compositions, as well as The Beatles' "Julia" and an adaptation of excerpts from a movement of the "Quartet For The End Of Time" by the 20th century classical master, Olivier Messiaen. To enrich the sonic palette of the ensemble, Yeager carefully incorporates the talents of much-praised saxophonist Noah Preminger, vocalist Aubrey Johnson, and trumpeter Jean Caze. Affirmation boldly and persuasively displays Yeager's interest in blending his various jazz, classical, blues, pop and world music inspirations; the results speak of a deepening artistic vision that demands attention.

If the performances captured on Affirmation resonate with assurance, this quality may lie in the gestation period that preceded the recording. Tunes were polished in rehearsals and on the bandstand long before the trio ever saw the inside of a studio. In fact, during much of that time, Yeager, Weller, and Rousseau all lived and rehearsed in the same Brooklyn apartment building. The comfort that exudes from the album is also testament to the power of longtime friendships: Yeager met four of the supporting players as a student at New England Conservatory; he met Caze at Smalls, the New York nightclub that acts as an incubator for burgeoning jazz players, soon after he (Yeager) moved to New York City.

"For me, the album's title reflects an affirmation of the important choices I've made over the past four years," Yeager says. "My increasing passion for music, the friendships I've made, the support that I've received, and the amazing performances that have taken place in the past few years have all convinced me that I am on the right track. In a sense, Affirmation charts my transition from being a young adult to becoming a full-fledged adult. The album is true to who I am, and how the trio has evolved. I want the music to connect with listeners, to make them feel something, to be both accessible and challenging. As Danilo Perez stressed to me, music is about community and connecting with people. I want the music to be heard and to mean something to others. As for the trio, experience has allowed us to become more fearless. We are taking more chances because we feel comfortable with and supportive of each other. Both as friends and as musicians I feel that we have each other's back."

Yeager's piano style embraces the past and present, with traces of such heroes as Bud Powell, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk mingling with a unique and contemporary approach to melody, harmony, rhythm and form. Featuring plenty of improvisation, his original tunes are indeed compelling compositions, pieces intended to impact listeners with their distinct melodies and aural appeal, rather than serve merely as springboards for the leader's pianistic wares, impressive as they may be. While Yeager's command and invention are heard throughout, each performance also demonstrates the integral nature of the supporting players: "Achi" and "Blues For Billy P" offer convincing displays of the awesome talents of bassist Weller, while "Stumblebop" and "Twelve Etude" give the impressive Rousseau a chance to shine. "Smiled First" makes exceptional use of Preminger's lyrical qualities; "Julia" takes on newly expressive contours through Johnson's vocalizing; and "Keep the Fire" captures fierce statements by Caze and Preminger. The extraordinarily sensitive interplay heard on excerpts from Messiaen's "Dance of Fury, For the Seven Trumpets" is yet more proof that a major, far-thinking piano trio is among us.  

Now a New York resident, the 27-year-old Yeager has considerable personal and professional ties to the New England area where he was born and raised. Currently teaching at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where he is one of the college's youngest faculty members, Yeager graduated with honors from a double degree program at Tufts University and New England Conservatory (NEC), where he studied International Relations and Jazz Performance. At NEC, he was mentored by such prominent pianists as Danilo Perez, Fred Hersch, Ran Blake and Frank Carlberg, as well as such significant instrumentalists as Jerry Bergonzi and John McNeil.

Yeager has performed with several noteworthy artists, including Greg Osby, Linda Oh, Sara Serpa and Mark Walker. He can also be heard on the album Tipping Point by violinist Jason Anick, among other recordings.

www.jasonyeager.com

www.innercirclemusic.com