NEW RELEASES: QUASIMODE - HOT & COOL; JAZZTRONIK - VAMOS LA BRASIL; STEVE COLEMAN AND THE COUNCIL OF BALANCE - SYNOVIAL JOINTS

QUASIMODE - HOT & COOL

Stunning work from Quasimode – and a great reminder that, even in the 21st Century, a combo can still cook strongly with just acoustic instruments! These guys come across like some lost soul jazz group from the 60s – the kind of outfit that worked endlessly in clubs, and found a way to effortlessly build together jazz expression, soulful rhythms, and a tightness that still never sounds slick or forced at all. Imagine the Ramsey Lewis Trio or Quartette Tres Bien with horns, and you get part of the picture – or maybe some of Bobby Timmons' best groovers of the mid 60s – as the group's core approach with percussion, drums, piano, and bass gets augmented by just the right amount of tenor and trumpet for the set. The performance is a live one – and titles include "Overjoyed", "Jeannine", "The Man From Nagpur", "Ant Soldier", "All Is One", and "Seven Colors".  ~ Dusty Groove

JAZZTRONIK - VAMOS LA BRASIL

Jazztronik on Blue Note – and with a bold new sound as well – one that's even more Brazilian based than on previous records! Jazztronik's always had an ear for Brazilian sounds and styles – which are then integrated into their own music – but this time around, the approach is a lot more organic, and almost more respectful of the older modes of the 60s and 70s – particularly the best jazzy styles of the latter decade! Acoustic instrumentation rings out strongly on most numbers – especially percussion and guitar – and the album carries echoes of older work by artists like Joyce, Elis Regina, and Edu Lobo – and features singers who include Robert Gallagher, Nina Miranda, and Adriana Vasques! Titles include "Samba De Flora", "Aquelas Coisas Todos", "Aguas De Marco", "Jazz Carnival", "Menina Ilza", and "Upa Neguinho". (SHMCD pressing.)  ~ Dusty Groove

STEVE COLEMAN AND THE COUNCIL OF BALANCE - SYNOVIAL JOINTS

Synovial Joints is the most ambitious project of Coleman s 30+ year career, featuring 21 musicians from the jazz, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian and contemporary classical circles on horns, woodwinds, piano, vocals, percussion and strings. The music is based on the physiological processes, functions and rhythms of the human body, in particular the musculoskeletal system. Coleman also explores an orchestration technique inspired by sounds that he recorded in the Amazon Rainforest, in which instrumental colors move gradually from foreground to background, much as the variety of layered sounds reveal themselves in the rainforest. Recently hailed as 'one of the most influential figures in the last half-century of improvised music' by the New York Times. In The Wall Street Journal, pianist Vijay Iyer said 'It s hard to overstate Steve s influence... as much as anyone since John Coltrane...' ~ Amazon

Jazz singer-songwriter Micah Barnes' New York Stories debuts in Top Five on iTunes National Jazz Chart

Renowned and award winning Canadian jazz singer-songwriter Micah Barnes has released his long-awaited CD New York Stories, which has debuted in the Top Five on iTunes National Jazz Chart due to brisk advance orders. Penned by Barnes, his third jazz recording, is a romantic collection of original songs inspired by New York City’s rich musical history, as well as Barnes’ own personal experience in the city that never sleeps. It features instrumentals by Barnes’ brother Daniel on drums, Russ Boswell on bass and Michael Shand on piano.

New York Stories was officially launched on Sunday, May 3, 2015, at Glenn Gould Studio. It was a triumphant evening of jazz, well-received by an enthusiastic audience who gave Barnes and his ensemble three standing ovations during the live performance. In this performance, Barnes and his band were joined by talented back up vocalists Miku Graham and Rique Franks, and award winning and acclaimed Canadian vocalist and actress Jackie Richardson.

Following the release of the title track and the first single in April 2014, New York Story reached Number One in Canada and Top 20 on the U.S. iTunes jazz charts, which resulted in Barnes being named the Toronto Indie Music Awards as best Jazz Act of 2014. An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Juan Palacio and Luisa Valencia. Barnes recently released a video for the second single Harlem Moon directed by Dean Vargas, available on YouTube, which gathered over 6000 views in its first week!

New York Stories was conceived while Barnes was romancing his partner who was working on Broadway at The Palace Theatre. Their apartment was on Lenox Avenue in Harlem right on the site of the legendary Savoy Ballroom, and just a few blocks from Apollo Theatre. Micah decided to make the most of the musical and romantic inspiration and rented an hourly piano studio off Times Square to sketch the songs that would become New York Stories.

Inspired by Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim and the Brill Building writers who had composed so many of the classic Jazz, Broadway, Pop songs in those very piano studios; Barnes found it to be a magical experience and a productive time.

This summer, Micah will be on tour in support of New York Stories, as well are remounting the critically acclaimed Stand By Me: The Music of the Brill Building. Tour dates and locations will be announced at a future date.

Micah Barnes was born to a European-Canadian musically artistic family. His grandmother was a Russian pianist; his father, Milton an acclaimed classical composer, and his mother, Lilly, is an author who was the head writer for the beloved CBC TV's children’s show Mr. Dressup. His musical career began as a teen in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Queen Street West alongside The Parachute Club, Molly Johnson, Holly Cole and Jane Siberry. He joined Canada’s legendary a cappella group The Nylons in 1989, singing with them in concert around the globe as well as appearing on three recordings including their Juno-nominated hit single Don’t Look Any Further.

Micah launched his post Nylons solo career in Los Angeles, California where he collaborated with Thunderpuss on the Number One Billboard and international club hit Welcome to My Head and was described by Rolling Stone magazine as “An Indie Artist to Watch.” While in the U.S. he developed popular Singers Playground workshops designed to support the next generation of up and coming artists. In addition to coaching individual artists, he has worked with Golden Globe nominee Tatiana Maslany on the hit show Orphan Black, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit CBC TV show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, the original cast of Tomson Highway’s The Rez Sisters, and cast members of the Broadway production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Matilda & Pippin.

Returning to Canada Micah joined Molly Johnson's Canadian tour, opening the show and singing harmony vocals, and, for four years now Micah and Jackie Richardson have presented their annual Valentine's concert at Hugh’s Room to standing room only audiences. In 2014, Barnes launched Stand By Me: The Music of the Brill Building a show that features Micah and his musical friends, (including another former Nylon Billy Newton Davis), performing some of the most memorable pop songs of the 60s. The show has become a critical and popular smash taking audiences by storm wherever it plays! A more extensive tour of Stand By Me and upcoming tour dates by Micah Barnes and his jazz trio in support of New York Stories will be announced at a later date.

Micah Barnes - New York Stories

Track List

1. New York Story (4.28)

2. After The Romance The Rent (2.54)

3. Starting Tomorrow (4.17)

4. Harlem Moon (4.14)

5. I'm Going Back To My Used To Be (3.02)

6. La Rouge Ou Le Noir (The Roulette Wheel) (3.58)

7. Don't Take My Baby (New York, New York) (4.42)

8. Some Other Man (3.32)

9. I Came Back (4.12)

10. I've Been Awake Too Long (2.56)

www.micahbarnes.com

Pianist DAVID BERKMAN Brings TOGETHER OLD AND NEW FRIENDS On New CD

The title of Old and New Friends, the latest release from award-winning pianist/composer David Berkman, refers specifically to the exceptional sextet that he assembled for the recording. The band joins two members of Berkman's recently-formed quartet - saxophonist Dayna Stephens and bassist Linda Oh - with three renowned musicians who can definitely be considered old friends: drummer Brian Blade, who appeared on three of Berkman's albums in the late '90s and early 2000s; and saxophonists Adam Kolker and Billy Drewes, both of whom Berkman has known for more than 30 years.

But Old and New Friends also reunites Berkman with a label, producer, and way of working that has come to seem almost old-fashioned as the music business has undergone rapid changes over the course of the last decade. The album will be released May 5, 2015 on Palmetto Records, which issued four of Berkman's CDs between 1998 and 2004. Like those discs, the new album is produced by label founder Matt Balitsaris at Maggie's Farm, his recording studio built in a beautiful 18th century stone barn in bucolic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

"Going back to that place was very evocative and nostalgic," Berkman says. Working with Balitsaris again also helped to shape his vision for the album, adding a helpful filter too often lost in today's independent-minded digital age. "The first thing to go in the internet age was editing. I like having somebody to work with who brings an outside voice and can add their perspective. Matt's approach is dynamic and involved and he had a big hand in shaping the recording."

In the eleven years since his last Palmetto release (2004's Start Here, Finish Here), Berkman has released a solo piano record (Self-Portrait) and a pair of live small-group albums recorded at NYC clubs Smalls and Smoke. But Old and New Friends marks the first new studio album of his original music in that time, and it's a captivating showcase for Berkman's eloquent, sophisticated compositions, which deftly weave together six strong but disparate voices into an organic and exhilarating unity.

"Everybody on the record has very different personalities," Berkman says, "but they're very clear personalities to me. Dayna Stephens is very adventurous, loose and open-minded; Adam Kolker brings a really refined and sophisticated quality, with beautiful lines and great pitch; and then Billy Drewes is very lyrical, with a sensibility a little like Ornette Coleman or Dewey Redman, great free players from the 60s and 70s."

Bandleaders like to say that they write for personalities, not instruments, but Berkman's familiarity with his bandmates is evident throughout Old and New Friends. The three saxophonists all have opportunities to bring their identities to the fore, whether volleying ideas back and forth on "Past Progressive" or weaving soaring soprano lines around one another on "Strange Attractions Then Birds." On his lush arrangement of "West 180th Street," Berkman takes full advantage of the range of woodwinds and voices available to him from the three-horn frontline, while the opening "Tribute" pays homage to frequent collaborator Tom Harrell with its plain-spoken but resonant melodicism.

Brian Blade, one of modern jazz's most acclaimed drummers both as a sideman for greats like Wayne Shorter, Bill Frisell and Joshua Redman, and as leader of his own Fellowship Band, appeared on three of Berkman's four earlier Palmetto CDs (Handmade [1998], Communication Theory [2000], and Leaving Home [2002]). "The second I hear a recording I can tell that it's Brian," Berkman says. "His use of dynamics is really unique and very personal."

Those dynamics are on vivid display on tunes like "No Blues No Really No Blues," a puckish not-quite-blues rejoinder to Miles Davis' "No Blues" - which, as Berkman points out, is paradoxically very bluesy - and "Psalm," a piece of simple beauty which Blade illuminates with delicate, shimmering colors, like rays of light through stained glass. He also contributes a jaunty, precise swing to "Up Jump Ming," a sly, fiery nod to Freddie Hubbard.

Both Stephens and Oh are rapidly rising stars, and have been part of Berkman's working quartet for the last several years along with drummer Johnathan Blake. Stephens has worked with names like Kenny Barron, Ambrose Akinmusire, Eric Harland, and Brad Mehldau, while Oh has recorded and toured with the likes of Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, and Steve Wilson. Oh's articulate playing is spotlighted in the chorale-like first half of "Past Progressive" and anchoring "Deep High Wide Sky," written on the chord changes of Irving Berlin's "How Deep is the Ocean."

Berkman himself has been an integral part of the jazz community since moving to New York in 1985. He was awarded the 2000 Doris Duke/Chamber Music America New Works Creation and Presentation Grant and his recordings have appeared on numerous year-end critic's lists, including the New York Times, Village Voice, Downbeat, Jazziz, JazzTimes and others. He's played in countless bands including those of Cecil McBee, Tom Harrell and the Vanguard Orchestra, and co-leads the New York Standards Quartet with Tim Armacost, Daiki Yasukagawa and Gene Jackson.

Berkman is also a teacher and clinician who has performed and taught at numerous jazz camps, universities and conservatories around the United States, South America, Asia and Europe. He has published three books with Sher Music Publishing: "The Jazz Musician's Guide to Creative Practicing" (2007), "The Jazz Singer's Guidebook" (2009) and "The Jazz Harmony Book" (2014).

http://davidberkman.com/

Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA Set For Release On August 7, 2015

Gregg Allman is one of the most acclaimed and beloved icons in rock and roll history. As a founding member of the legendary Allman Brothers Band and in his own storied solo career, Allman has long been a gifted natural interpreter of the blues, his soulful and distinctive voice one of the defining sounds in the history of American music 

At the 54thAnnual Grammy Awards in 2012, the Allman Brothers Band was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, in part a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the group’s seminal album Eat a Peach. Gregg himself, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, was also nominated for Best Blues Album for his acclaimed first solo record in thirteen years, Low Country Blues.

Allman’s critically acclaimed tell-all memoir, My Cross To Bear, was a New York Times bestseller for many weeks and is now available in both hardcover and paperback. The book focuses on his journey as a struggling artist through the formation of the Allman Brothers Band and their ultimate explosion on the music scene, informed by the hindsight of Allman today, the survivor of unimaginable loss, alcohol and drug addictions as well as a recent liver transplant.

With the Allman Brothers wrapping up their storied forty-five year career last October, Allman is showing no signs of slowing down. In August, Rounder Records will release Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA, a stellar live DVD/CD package that captures Allman and his eight-piece solo band in a high-energy performance. This emotive show was recorded in January, 2014 at the venerable Grand Opera House in Macon, GA, the Middle Georgia town where it all began for the Allman Brothers Band.

Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA features sixteen tracks, made up of a nicely-varied selection of songs from the ABB catalog, (“Statesboro Blues,” “Melissa,” “Whipping Post”) tunes from Allman’s solo albums, (“Queen of Hearts,” “I’m No Angel”) and several dynamic cover songs. The DVD will include two bonus tracks, as well as special interview segments.    

In November, 2014, Allman received the “Living Legend” award from Classic Rock magazine, and recently was the guest of honor at the 67th annual BMI/NAB Dinner.  An active spokesman for the “Tune In to Hep-C” campaign, Allman has a full slate of shows scheduled for this summer, including a number of co-headlining dates with the Doobie Brothers. He is currently making plans for a new solo record.

NEW RELEASES: ACOUSTIC BLUES: THE ROOTS OF IT ALL - THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION! VOL 3; SOUL JAZZ RECORDS PRESENTS DOWN BEAT SPECIAL; SKA FROM THE VAULTS OF WIRL RECORDS

ACOUSTIC BLUES: THE ROOTS OF IT ALL - THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION! VOL 3 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A stunning selection of acoustic blues – a series of well-done, deep-detailed CDs put together by the folks at Bear Family – who always give way more than 100% when it comes to this sort of project! The package comes with 2CDs and a super-heavy booklet that's filled with notes on the music, and song-by-song details – and this final volume traces the continuing revival of acoustic blues – something nobody would have guessed back in the postwar years – with work from the 80s, 90s, and more recent years too! 40 titles in all – with tracks by Guy Davis, Paul Rishell, Etta Baker, Jo Ann Kelly, Guitar Slim, Albert Macon, James Son Thomas, Henry Townsend, Blind Jim Brewer, Ted Bogan, John Hammond, Robert Lockwood Jr, Paul Geremia, Homesick James, Jimmie Lee Robinson, and many others. ~ Dusty Groove

SOUL JAZZ RECORDS PRESENTS DOWN BEAT SPECIAL (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Limited Edition Studio One 7inch Box (5 x 7 inch box set) (2015 Record Store Day Release).Gritty groovers from the legendary Studio One Records – a special, limited box set that brings together a host of great 45s for the label – all in a sweet little package! All tracks have a nice added punch in this 45 format – and titles include "No No No" by Dawn Penn, "Feel Like Jumping" by Marcia Griffiths, "Armagideon Time" by Willie Williams, "Hooligan Dub" by Dub Specialist, "Nice Up The Dance" by Michigan & Smiley, "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "Ten To One" by The Mad Lads, and "Queen Of The Minstrels" by The Eternals.  ~ Dusty Groove

SKA FROM THE VAULTS OF WIRL RECORDS (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Early ska material from a time when the genre was still really coming into its own – still unique, still soulful, and still free from so many of the cliches that would mar the style in later years! The music here is primal Jamaican ska – that first great step forward on the Kingston scene, after years of absorbing influences from American soul and R&B – as Jamaican musicians really found their own groove, and a way of mixing in some wonderfully jazzy instrumentation as well! Most cuts are instrumental – and sparkle from the contributions of Roland Alphonso and Tommy McCook on tenor, John Dizzy Moore on trumpet, Don Drummond on trombone, and Lester Sterling on alto – and the rhythms bubble up brilliantly from the bottom, with tight piano from Jackie Mittoo and guitar from Jerome Hines. Titles include "Chinatown", "The Reburial", "Live Wire", and "A Shot In The Dark" by The Skatalites – plus "VC 10" and "Determination" by Roland Alphonso, "Love In The Afternoon" by Don Drummond, and "South China Sea" by Johnny Moore. ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: BEHN GILLECE - MINDSET; JD ALLEN - GRAFFITI; JOSHUA BREAKSTONE - 2ND AVENUE

BEHN GILLECE - MINDSET

The first solo album as a leader from vibist Behn Gillece – a player who's been making great sounds on other sessions for the Posi-Tone label in recent years! Behn's voice is very firmly upfront here – on a set of all original compositions that really showcase his unique approach to the vibes – a style that can be hard and biting one minute, but filled with flowing currents of color the next – a mode that sometimes owes a bit to Bobby Hutcherson, but which really stands out as Gillece's own unique approach – and which is one of the freshest voices on vibes we've heard in years! The group's a quintet – with frequent musical partner Ken Fowser on tenor, plus Rick Germanson on piano and Fender Rhodes, Paul Gill on bass, and Charles Ruggiero on drums. Behn wrote all the tunes – and titles include "Crashing Down", "One Mile With You", "The Great Quarterly", "Mindset", "Things Are Happening", and "The Mean Sea". ~ Dusty Groove

JD  ALLEN - GRAFFITI

JD Allen's career ascendence suggests that he's making plenty of the right choices. The native of Detroit has been on the New York scene since 1993, when his youthful precociousness earned him a spot in “Jazz Ahead”, the singer Betty Carter's acclaimed touring program for up-and-comers. TimeOut New York says he will “remind you of giants like Coltrane and Rollins but placing a special kind of premium on concision, directness and accessibility.” The Chicago Reader adds, “Allen has gravitated toward a more brooding, elliptical approach with a strong jolt of John Coltrane at his most probing.” Finally, JD is, in the words of Connecticut's WNPR, “A man for all seasons,” who “plays ballads with warmth, beauty and truth, grooves hard in a post-bop mode or wails in a free jazz setting with passion saturated with the soulful spirituality, grace and inspired abandon recalling the power and the glory of John Coltrane.” One of the telltale symbols of his upward trajectory is the fact that his trio, bassist Gregg August (lead bass chair in the Brooklyn Philharmonic) and drummer Rudy Royston (a much sought-after rhythm power since relocating to New York from Denver), has remained solid throughout his rise. ~ Amazon

JOSHUA BREAKSTONE - 2ND AVENUE

After his critically acclaimed release, With the Wind and Rain, Joshua Breakstone returns with 2nd Avenue, an appropriate title for this second excursion with his cello quartet. Mike Richmond, a great guitarist in his own right, returns on cello. Bassist Lisle Atkinson and drummer Andy Watson round out the group. Breakstone and Atkinson each contribute one original composition and the remaining 7 tunes come from the likes of Lee Konitz, Sonny Clark, Dexter Gordon and Cannonball Adderley as well as Johnny Mercer, Harry Warren, Peter DeRose and Bert Shefter. ~ Amazon

George Wein to Receive Honorary Doctorate from Boston University on Sunday‏

George Wein, music impresario, NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award winner, will receive an Honorary Doctorate at Boston University's (BU) 142nd Commencement on Sunday, May 17. The founder of the Newport Jazz Festival® (1954), Newport Folk Festival® (1959), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival™ (1970) and countless other events around the world, Wein forever changed how music is presented and, at 89, continues to build new audiences for emerging and established artists at the iconic Rhode Island events. 

Journalist and TV personality Meredith Viera will deliver Boston University's Commencement  Address and Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP, will deliver the Baccalaureate Address. Both will receive honorary degrees along with Wein and Allen and Kelli Questrom, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and University benefactors. The graduation ceremony, including the commencement address and awarding of honorary degrees, can be watched via live webcast at www.bu.edu or listened to on Boston radio station WBUR 90.9FM/www.wbur.org at 1:00 pm on Sunday. 

Wein enrolled in premed courses at BU to please his father, Barnet Wein, who graduated from the university with a medical degree in 1920. However, the younger Wein, whose heart was in jazz and performing, soon realized that it was "a mistake" and graduated in 1950 with a degree in history.  Shortly after graduation, he opened a jazz club, Storyville, in Boston's Copley Square Hotel. Already an accomplished pianist, Wein performed in his club, and quickly turned it into a music Mecca for some of the world's greatest musicians.

George Wein's years at BU ended up playing a major role in his life in music.

Joel Brown wrote in today's edition of BU Today (www.bu.edu/today/2015/george-wein-honorary-degree-bu):

Jazz fan Donald Born, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of English, was a Storyville regular, and although Wein hadn't taken a course with him, they became great friends. Wein's career as a music-festival organizer had its origins at the club one night in 1953, when Born brought wealthy Newport socialite Elaine Lorillard there. Lorillard, who had been auditing one of Born's classes, was looking for ways to liven up Newport's boring summers with some jazz. Born thought Wein might be able to help. The rest is music history.

Wein also told Brown:

"I had a course in the theory of aesthetics that has helped me all my life," he says. "It just caused me to think about what the standards are for beauty and for love, on a very aesthetic level, and as I've traveled around the world, looking at museums, looking at architecture, that course gave me more enjoyment of life."

In addition to his life in jazz and folk music, Wein has a long history of involvement with philanthropy and the arts, including the establishment of the Joyce and George Wein Chair of African American Studies at Boston University, the Alexander Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at Simmons College and an annual artist prize given through the Studio Museum in Harlem in honor of his late wife, Joyce Alexander Wein.

George Wein founded the Newport Festivals Foundation™ in 2010 to enhance and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Festivals present performers who respect and honor jazz and folk music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today's musical trends. Through the establishment of partnerships with local high schools, colleges/universities and community organizations, the Foundation offers programs to educate young people about jazz and folk music as presented at the annual festivals.

This year's Newport Folk Festival (www.newportfolk.org) is set for July 24-26 and the Newport Jazz Festival (www.newportjazzfest.org) takes place the following weekend, July 31-August 2.  The Foundation also will present a free Family Concert at Fort Adams State Park on July 29.  

Photo credit: Ayano Hisa

NEW RELEASES: KENNY BARRON - FLIGHT PATH; THE RODRIGUEZ BROTHERS - IMPROMPTU; PEARL DJANGO – TIME FLIES

KENNY BARRON - FLIGHT PATH

The cultured piano style of Kenny Barron has graced many albums in the last half century. He is an easy swinger, deeply admired for his nonpareil musicianship and innate sensitivity to the needs of his musical companions of the moment. Born in 1943 he was gigging with Philly Joe Jones at sixteen and soon playing in a band with his tenor saxophonist brother Bill. In 1962 he was hired by Dizzy Gillespie and the five year stint he had with Dizzy established him firmly on the jazz scene throughout the world. This celebration of Kenny's fifty years on that scene is marked by this program of highlights from his Candid recordings in a variety of settings. Amongst his companions are vibes star Steve Hobbs, saxophonists Bud Shank, Gary Bartz, Donald Harrison, Paquito d'Rivera and Ricky Ford as well as trumpeters Claudio Roditi, Mark Morganelli and others. Together with several of Kenny's fine original compositions, the piano duets with Barry Harris and John Hicks on show here add spice to this truly tasty offering. ~ Amazon

THE RODRIGUEZ BROTHERS - IMPROMPTU

A working unit since 2002, The Rodriguez Brothers - trumpeter Michael Rodriguez (Reverence - CRC 1356) and pianist Robert Rodriguez - present their kinetic, masterfully rendered concept of 'Jazz Latin, 'incorporating traditional and modern Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, bolero and hardcore jazz flavors. The brothers, each in their mid-thirties, are virtuoso storytellers on their respective instruments, as are their generational peer group bandmates Carlos Henriquez (the bassist with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra since the early '00s after several years with Gonzalo Rubalcaba), Cuban traps drummer Ludwig Afonso, and the eminent Columbian-born percussionist Samuel Torres. ~ Amazon

PEARL DJANGO – TIME FLIES

Time Flies . . . is the twelfth release by Pearl Django in a little over 20 years of performing. For the period of the past four CDs the group has moved away for Django style covers and has exploited the composing skills of the band members. On this CD you will find nine PD originals and a beautiful cover version of Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa. While there is still strong evidence o for the influence of Django Reinhardt, with titles, Django Bop, Djangolatry and Something Borrowed, there are a few compositions which, push the boundaries of what may be considered Gypsy jazz or Hot Club Swing. The compositions are quite good, quite good indeed. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: ADAM ROGERS / DAVID BINNEY - R&B; MICHAEL GIBBS & THE NDR BIGBAND – IN MY VIEW; MARCO MARCONI TRIO - NORDIK

ADAM ROGERS / DAVID BINNEY - R&B

From his many Criss Cross dates as a leader to his extraordinary sideman work with Chris Potter, the late Michael Brecker and many more, Adam Rogers continues to blaze a path as one of jazz's most compelling guitarists. His longtime associate David Binney, alto saxophone great and an influential composer and producer, has also distinguished himself with numerous innovative sessions for Criss Cross and others. On R & B, Rogers and Binney unite to co-lead a lean and hard-swinging quartet with bassist Reuben Rogers (no relation) and drummer Gerald Cleaver. In a departure from their usual focus on original material, Rogers and Binney aim straight for bebop, ballads and classics by Thelonious Monk, Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter, among others. ~ Amazon 

MICHAEL GIBBS & THE NDR BIGBAND – IN MY VIEW

Gibbs' relationship with the NDR Bigband stretches back for 40 years and IN MY VIEW represents a 'typical' pairing of these two huge talents, with the track list evenly divided between Gibbs originals and wildly creative recastings of other composer's works.Since his debut release in 1970, and throughout a number of significant releases under his name and collaborations with major artists such as Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel, Jaco Pastorious and John McLaughlin, Gibbs has honed a subtle and highly personal approach to arranging that often avoids layering sections.Favoring sinuous lines and lapidary textures, his pieces often draw a listener in with a shapely melodic phrase before revealing unexpected implications with a rhythmic motif or counter melody. ~ Amazon

MARCO MARCONI TRIO - NORDIK

Italian born Marco Marconi is just simply one of the most amazing pianists in Europe. Classically trained he has developed into a sensational jazz pianist and has appeared at festivals ranging from Umbria to Cheltenham. This album was recorded by ECM stalwart Stfano Amerio at the Artesuono Studio in Italy. The trio features bassist Andrea di Biase and the drummer, well known to UK audiences, Enzo Zirilli. Includes: Too High Don't Try, Nordik, I Mean You, U.K. Journey, Blizzard, Take Five, Photos In Regent's Park,’sunside, I Got It Bad, Pecan Girl, Better With You, and Maple Leaf Rag. ~ Amazon

Jazz's Ode to Rural America: New NDR Bigband Recording

Inarhyme Records has announced the release of the NDR Bigband: Hamburg Radio Jazz Orchestra’s latest feature recording, Tall Tales of Jasper County: The Double Doubles Suite. The full-length concept work features new music by the inimitable award-winning composer Dale Wilson and the tasteful stickwork of heralded UK drummer Gary Husband as a special guest. In addition, the album includes liner notes by The New Yorker contributor Steve Futterman. NDR, encouraged by the band’s lead alto saxophone player, Fiete (Ernst) Felsch (alto saxophone, alto flute, flute, piccolo), commissioned Wilson to write a set of pieces which would extensively feature Felsch and NDR's tenor saxophone player, Lutz Buechner (tenor saxophone, clarinet), along with the rest of the ensemble. “Double Suite” refers to the compositional and thematic thread that connects the pieces as well as the project's extensive utilization of “doubles”, musicians' jargon for additional woodwind instruments that saxophonists sometimes play in a big band. The NDR Bigband would eventually bring the challenging work to life, resulting in this uniquely sophisticated and surprisingly earthy album. This brave exploration of doubles, both written and improvised, Wilson’s masterful soundscaping, and sensational performances by Felsch, Buechner, and fellow ensemble members make for a beautifully lush and powerfully poignant record reminiscent of the American Heartland; a place like Jasper County, Missouri, where Wilson has strong familial connections. The album won a Critics Pick for May from Downbeat magazine. The NDR Bigband is the premiere orchestra of German public radio in Hamburg and is easily one of the best European jazz big bands. Among many others who have performed with the group are Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, George Coleman, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tomasz Stanko, Art Farmer, Don Cherry, McCoy Turner, Lionel Hampton, Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, Carla Bley, and Wayne Shorter. The very first jazz concert of the Orchestra took place in May 1974 in the Hamburg "Fabrik". Since that moment, they have become deservedly Internationally-acclaimed, appearing on stages in Hamburg, Copenhagen, Nuremberg, Chicago, New York, Paris, London, and Beijing.

 The project will be premiered with special guests Lutz Buechner and Fiete Felsch at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, New York this Friday, May 15 at 8:00 p.m. 

Duchess to Hit the Road this Summer

Duchess channels the 1930s inspiration of the virtuosic Boswell Sisters into a wonderfully entertaining and contemporary package. The album was produced by Oded Lev-Ari, who helmed previous acclaimed Anzic releases by Cervini and Stylianou.  The songs of Duchess range from the Peggy Lee number "I Love Being Here With You" and Johnny Mercer's "P.S. I Love You" to new twists on "Que Sera, Sera" and the indelible standard "I'll Be Seeing You." There's a playful Gershwin rarity with "Blah, Blah, Blah" and a direct Boswell Sisters homage with their arrangement of "Heebie Jeebies." And there are solo spots for each of the Duchess ladies with "My Brooklyn Love Song" (Hilary), "A Doodlin' Song" (Amy) and "Humming to Myself" (Melissa). A blend of the vintage and the fresh, Duchess is a fizzing cocktail of an album. 

 The group promises "three good-time gals singing together in harmony," Hilary says. "There's a big wink in what we do, a mix of levity and sincerity." Amy had sung previously many times with Hilary and Melissa, separately. It was the suggestion of Amy's husband - producer-arranger Oded Lev-Ari - to convene a threesome at one of her regular nights at the 55 Bar in the West Village, as he envisioned the trio sound in his head. Amy says: "We sang old Boswell Sisters and Andrew Sisters charts, and it went so well that Oded was inspired to write custom arrangements for us. He has a voice in this group, so much so that it's almost a quartet."

The historic muses for the Duchess sound are the Boswell Sisters, a trio from New Orleans whose pioneering close-harmony records for Brunswick in the Thirties are a prize in the jazz canon. "The Boswell Sisters were such originals," Hilary explains. "This kind of music got more conservative a decade later in the 1940s, with the Andrew Sisters taking the vocal trio format more mainstream, even though they were swinging and super-tight in their own way. But the Boswell Sisters had a kind of instrumental approach to harmony singing, and there was a wildness to what they did, with abrupt tempo changes, crazy harmonies and ensemble scatting as if they were singing from one brain. We love them. That said, we're not doing re-creations at all. Our voices, personalities and 21st-century sensibilities help impart individuality to what we're doing. We're making these songs our own, naturally. Oded's arrangements are tailored to our singing, and what Jeff Lederer plays isn't something that you'd hear on a Boswell Sisters record. It sounds like now."

Melissa shares a story about one of the best responses to the Duchess sound and sensibility: "It was from a musician, a vibes player who had a set after us at the 55 Bar. He came up to us and said, 'You know, the audience doesn't realize how difficult what you're doing really is. They're having too good of a time'."

May 16 / Cafe Noctambulo in NYC  

June 20 / The TD Ottawa Jazz Festival

June 23 / The RegattaBar, Boston, MA

June 25 / The TD Toronto Jazz Festival

June 26 / The Xerox Rochester Int'l Jazz Festival 

June 27 / Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival

NEW RELEASES: LIN ROUNDTREE - SOULFUNKY; JESSY J - MY ONE AND ONLY ONE; THE PRINTMAKERS - WESTERLY

LIN ROUNDTREE - SOULFUNKY

Soulfunky, The new CD from Lin Rountree is a collection of some of the most soulful, funk filled grooves to hit the contemporary jazz scene in quite some time. Arguably Rountree's greatest work to date, this project features collaborations with some of the industries hottest musicians.  Guest  appearances include:  Kenny "Mac" Martin, Julian Vaughn, Lebron, Nicholas Cole, Michael "Big Mike" Hart, NIls, Kim Scott, Nate Harasim,  Al Turner, Beth Griffith and HIdden Beach Recording artist Mike Phillips. Lin Rountree is the latest soul-jazz and R&B artist to emerge from the ‘new’ Detroit music factory. His playing has been described as soulful, funky, and sensual.  Be it R&B, Soul or Groove Jazz, he has an innate ability to connect his music to his listener’s soul.  ​

JESSY J - MY ONE AND ONLY ONE

My One And Only One is Jessy J's most deliciously grooving, sensuous, creative work to date. Produced by the great Paul Brown (George Benson, Boney James, Peter White), the album features fellow musicians Gregg Karukas, Roberto Vally, Sergio Gonzalez, Richie Gajate, Michael Ripoll, Zoux, Oskar Cartaya, Ruslan Sirota, Alex Al, Taku, Michael Angel, Frank Abraham, Iajhi Hampden, Bryant Siono, Norman Jackson, Jay Gore, Lee Thornberg, Dave Hooper, Ronnie Gutierrez, Janis Leibhart & Dave Darlington. Highlights include Jessy's sensitive re-imaginings of Adele's "Lovesong," Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High," the R&B classic "Strawberry Letter 23" plus 7 great Jessy J originals! Includes: The Tango Boy, Una Mas, My One and Only One, Paraiso Magico, Back to the Basics, Lovesong, Cuba, Siempre, Strawberry Letter 23, and You're Makin' Me High.

THE PRINTMAKERS - WESTERLY

The Printmakers is a collaboration between some of the finest talents in British Jazz. Led by pianist Nikki Iles and pioneering ECM recording artist, Norma Winstone, this is an ensemble with a vast emotional range, with exceptional contributions from Mark Lockheart, Mike Walker, Steve Watts and James Maddren. This long-awaited debut recording, Westerly, is a multi-faceted album where Iles' originals - both rugged and reflective - are found alongside innovative treatments of contemporary standard songs. The name of this band is very much a metaphor for the process in printmaking where each new print can reveal a subtle, sometimes surprising take on the original. Recorded live, in the beautiful surroundings of Hawkshead in the Lake District, Westerly captures the intimate and ever-changing environment in which it was made. This notion of 'place' weaves itself throughout the entire album with the evocative Tideway being named after Norma Winstone's coastal house in Deal and the title track (one of Iles's best loved compositions) originally written to set the scene of writer Mary Webb's birthplace in rural Shropshire. In the spirit of printmaking however, Norma Winstone's lyrics have recast this tune as an American Western tale - including some authentic banjo playing from Steve Watts. In addition to Iles and Winstone's intriguing originals, the remaining pieces emphasise some longstanding working relationships. Two tracks find Norma Winstone penning lyrics for Ralph Towner compositions (the great guitarist who recorded with Norma, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler in 1979), whilst 'O' acknowledges the influence John Taylor has had on every member of this ensemble. The final piece, The City Of Dallas (a humorous note on which to conclude), is written by Steve Swallow, with whom Norma Winstone and guitarist Mike Walker both have long working associations. Brought together by their collective love of song and a powerful spirit of collaboration, The Printmakers set out to cross many musical boundaries. With themes of obsession, murder, migration, home and first love, Westerly presents a brilliant unity of concept and sound, delivered with honesty and stunning clarity. ~ Amazon

Maysa’s New ‘Back 2 Love’ Album Marks 20th Anniversary as Recording Artist

There are very few singers on the contemporary scene who have a unique, instantly identifiable vocal sound; there are even fewer who have the stylistic range to encompass both Jazz and R&B in their performances. Grammy-nominated Soul/Jazz diva Maysa, who celebrates her 20th year as a solo recording artist this year, marks that achievement with her new album

Back 2 Love, a tour-de-force that validates her status as the greatest Soul-Jazz singer of her generation-the latest in a distinguished line of singers that stretches back through Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Will Downing, Angela Bofill, Marlena Shaw and more recently, Ledisi and Chrisette Michele.

Back 2 Love, which is set for a May 26th release, may be her widest-ranging album yet, incorporating contemporary R&B, jazzy Soul balladry, straight-up dance music, inspirational pop and more. With production from the likes of J.R. Hutson (Jill Scott, Earth, Wind & Fire), Lorenzo Johnson (Ledisi), Stokley Williams (Mint Condition, Kelly Price, Wale’), and Chris “Big Dog” Davis (Kim Burrell, George Clinton), the album coheres around Maysa’s peerless vocalizing highlighted by her amazingly rich, evocative vocal tone. That’s the sound that led her mentor Stevie Wonder to proclaim “Maysa is WONDERful!” In the wake of her first Grammy nomination and Soul Train Music Award, it seems that the world-at-large is finally recognizing just how special an artist Maysa is.

“Back 2 Love represents the fact that I’m ready to get back to having a personal life with a very special man in my life. I have worked hard on my career so I could take care of us (my son and I). My son is almost 16 and I think he is old enough to have a mom who is going to be dating and possibly married. I am ready to meet Prince Charming. The music is exactly who I am. Being a Shanachie artist, I was always given the freedom to express who I am musically but this time I feel like spiritually we all went to a pure place to get this music. The music represents who I am as a woman and a human being who lives to love people. As a professional singer I should be able to sing anything and my records are just me trying to love everyone. And that’s why I am proud to be able to go from Jazz to R&B to Pop, etc.”

Back 2 Love kicks off with a classic dance-pulse on the title track. Though Maysa has recorded dance tracks before (mostly notably with Incognito), those often had a Brazilian or more overt Jazz spin but Back 2 Love shows that Maysa has what it takes to be a dance diva if she wanted to.

The opener is followed by the distinctive R&B groove of “Keep It Movin‘” produced by Mint Condition’s lead vocalist/producer/songwriter Stokley, who also contributes a guest vocal on the track. It is unlike anything Maysa has done previously and the chemistry between her and Stokley is magical. “Stokley is an amazing artist,” Maysa says. ” I love his writing, his voice and performing style. I think our styles are like smoke and fire together, like a sweet barbecue sauce! I was so happy he joined me on this record.” Stokley adds, “Working with Maysa was so familiar even though we’ve never collaborated before. We have a lot of the same influences. Maysa has such a unique gift. Think if velvet, butter & brown had a sound… weave a few high textures in there, that’s her! You feel her soul when she delivers a song. I’m very honored to have worked with Maysa.”

The song “Heavenly Voices” is a masterpiece of jazzy Soul, quintessential Maysa, a spiritually-oriented song. Likewise, such tracks as “Last Chance For Love,” “Go Away Little Boy,” and “Smilin'” all have the hallmarks of Maysa’s classic style-rich vocal sound, deeply felt, evocative phrasing, lyrics relating to affairs of the heart, and a song structure that embodies the essence of R&B but adds a Jazz sensibility. “Go Away Little Boy” is inspired by Marlena Shaw’s classic hit of the same name. “Big Dog, my producer, came to me with the title and the music and I thought it would be fun to create our own vibes,” Maysa relates. “Marlena Shaw’s version is perfection and one of the songs I listened to growing up. I would never try to cover it.” On “Last Chance For Love,” a Seventies-style R&B ballad, Maysa is joined by the incomparable Phil Perry, likewise a singer who is revered by other musicians. “Finally working with Phil was amazing,” Maysa says. “He is the falsetto king and my buddy! He is a master vocalist and I learn a lot from him whenever I hear him sing. Years ago before we were Shanachie artists, we had six-hour marathon phone conversations about the industry and here we are! He’s a fun and wonderful person.”

Maysa Leak was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and knew by the time she was six that she would be a musician. “I was six years old when my mom took me to see Purlie,” she recalls. “When Melba Moore came on stage and sang her heart out, I knew at that moment I wanted to make people feel the way she made me feel.” Maysa graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in classical performance, meeting Stevie Wonder while a student. Upon graduating she moved to North Hollywood to join Wonder’s Wonderlove group, with whom she performed for a year, appearing on the Jungle Fever soundtrack and such television shows as Oprah and The Tonight Show. In the early Nineties, Maysa auditioned over the phone to become the new lead singer of the acclaimed British Jazz/Funk/R&B band Incognito, moving to London for four-and-a-half years. 

She has appeared on over nine Incognito recordings and continues to appear as featured vocalist with them from time to time. Maysa recorded her self-titled debut album for GRP in 1995, following it up with All My Life in 1999, Out Of The Blue in 2002 and Smooth Sailing in 2004. She then made an impact with her interpretations of classic soul music on two acclaimed albums for Shanachie Entertainment, Sweet Classic Of Soul (2005) and Feel The Fire (2007), on which she showed her ability to put her own unique stamp on familiar songs from the 1970s era. Metamorphosis (2008) showed off Maysa’s prowess as a composer and A Woman InLove (2010) found Maysa returning to her roots as a jazz singer. Motions Of Love (2011) was highlighted by the ballad “Have Sweet Dreams” co-written by Stevie Wonder (who plays harmonica on the track) and inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as “Flower Girl,” a duet with Dwele. Blue Velvet Soul (2013) yields Maysa’s first Grammy nomination, for her performance of the song “Quiet Fire.” A Very Masysa Christmas (2014) delighted fans as the songbird released her first ever holiday album. Now Back 2 Love brings together all the facets of Maysa’s artistry in one album. “I hope people love this album,” Maysa says. “I want this to be the soundtrack to their summer of 2015 and I pray it helps somebody feel good and forget problems and worries and just feel love.

 ~ Shanachie

NEW RELEASES: VAN HUNT – THE FUN RISES, THE FUN SETS; JEFF RICHMAN - HOTWIRE; SLIM HARPO – BUZZIN ‘ THE BLUES: THE COMPLETE SLIM HARPO

VAN HUNT – THE FUN RISES, THE FUN SETS

The fun never sets when Van Hunt's around – especially given the fresh sound of this sweet little album! There's a crispy, gritty approach that's a bit different than Van Hunt's previous work – a way of bringing up the basslines and drums, while also dropping the singer's voice down into the mix a bit more – so that there's this kind of swirl of rhythm and lyrics together, which makes for a really unique groove! The sound is neither broken beat, nor 70s funk – but seems to draw plenty of inspiration from both – and the setting's really helped us get back into Van Hunt's music, especially as it's been a few years since we last heard from him – plenty of time for the singer to plot this great step forward from his previous album, What Were You Hoping For? Titles include "Headroom", "French For Cloud", "Teach Me A New Language", "Old Hat", "She Stays With Me", "A Woman Never Changes", and "Emotional Criminal".  ~ Dusty Groove

JEFF RICHMAN - HOTWIRE

"Hotwire" is the newest release by jazz guitarist Jeff Richman. The album features some of the best musicians in the world including drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Novak and Gergo Borlai, bassists Jimmy Haslip, Anthony Jackson and Dean Taba, Keyboardists.  Tracklisting: Hit Spot, Seven Up, Chloe, Oh, Yeah?, North Shore, One Last Kiss, Little Waves, Solar City. Golden Arrow, and Miles Per Hour. Jeff Richman is a professional guitarist with a 35 year career in performance guitar, composing, arranging and recording. In addition to his 16 solo releases, Jeff has produced six tribute CD's to Carlos Santana, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Steely Dan, Miles Davis, Jeff Beck and John Coltrane. Plus, he has appeared on countless tv/film scores and conducts the Fusion Ensemble at Musicians Institute

SLIM HARPO – BUZZIN ‘ THE BLUES: THE COMPLETE SLIM HARPO

The complete works of the mighty Slim Harpo – easily one of the coolest, grooviest blues musicians ever – but one who was also taken from our planet all too soon! Slim came into the fold a bit late – he didn't start recording until the late 50s – but that timing also meant that his work was less conventional blues than a blend with lots of R&B styles, which soon morphed into more soulful expressions as the 60s came on – at a level that's gone onto give Harpo a presence with so many different audiences over the years. His music is all wonderful – harmonica blues, but with a twist – and that twist is often an early example of funk, which keeps lots of these numbers really raw, and plenty darn interesting! The massive box brings together everything Slim recorded in his too-short career – a whopping 142 tracks on 5CDs, with both a and b-sides of every single, additional album tracks, alternative versions, and even a rare session for Imperial Records too – never issued during Harpo's life. There's also an extended version of a 1961 live show, with four never issued tracks – and the whole thing comes with a heavy, hardcover book – over 100 pages of notes, photos, and other great images. ~ Dusty Groove 

NEW RELEASES: KEITH JARRETT – CREATION; EL MICHAELS AFFAIR – SOUNDING OUT THE CITY; MONOPHONICS – SOUND OF SINNING

KEITH JARRETT – CREATION

Keith Jarrett in his best old school mode – peforming solo piano improvisations, at a level that takes us back to his groundbreaking Koln Concert album of the 70s! The material here is from a recent Jarrett tour – one of the first in many years in the improvisational mode (and maybe one of the last, given the energy needed to sustain the creative brilliance – and features material from 2014 performances in Tokyo, Rome, and Paris – all shorter selections than some of the freewheeling album-length jams Jarrett's youth, but no less captivating overall! There's an introspective quality to the music that makes a great change – a moody vibe that's similar to the Paris album from the previous decade – and the quality of the performance is superb throughout, and still represents our favorite side of Jarrett's many talents.  ~ Dusty Groove

EL MICHAELS AFFAIR – SOUNDING OUT THE CITY

Easily one of the greatest new funk records of the 21st Century – and a set that goes way beyond some of the cliches that are currently gripping others in the deep funk underground! El Michels Affair have a cool, easygoing style to their music – one that's as much 70s jazz as it is 60s funk – and which makes for tunes that have a looser structure overall, which allows much more room for instrumental interplay, and the kind of sweet surprises that make the album so great! These guys have a real penchant for an unusual rhythm and interesting instrumental flair – and they borrow as much from 70s soundtracks and Latin albums as they do from the funky 45 era that clearly gave them their start. Totally fresh all the way through, and a record that delights us a lot more than we might have expected! Titles include "Detroit Twice", "El Pueblo Unido", "Behind The Blue Curtains", "Ocho Rios", "Hung Up On My Baby", "This Song's For You", and "Slide Show". 2CD set also features the excellent Loose Change record – recorded around the sessions for their Sounding Out The City album, and appearing here for the first time ever! The set shows an even richer vibe than on that classic album – great little funky moments that really have El Michels stepping way past their contemporaries – to a point where so few other funk groups have touched, even a decade later! The set's got five great instrumentals, all awash in that hip blend of sweet soul, funky rhythms, and harder edges the group pioneered – plus a vocal track from Lee Fields too! Titles include "A Little Sloppy (full version)", "Kiddy Ditty", "Little House", "Yennicita (alt)", "This Song's For You (alt)", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". ~ Dusty Groove

MONOPHONICS – SOUND OF SINNING

Heavy funk, but with a definite psychedelic twist – as you might guess from the image on the cover! The Monophonics have strong qualities that tie them back to 60s soul – including the kind of tight rhythms, funky currents, and even soulful vocals you'd find on vintage singles – but they're also not afraid to layer in a fuzzy guitar, too – which really trips things out nicely, and may well make them one of the headiest combos in the funky underground today! There's currents here that echo material by Connie Price & The Keystones, or El Michels Affair – but what sets these guys apart from both is their honest, earnest approach to the music, especially the lyrics – which are often delivered with the heartfelt quality of a vintage Stax Records single. Titles include "Promises", "Falling Apart", "La La La Love Me", "Hanging On", "Strange Love", "Too Long", "Find My Way Back Home", and "Lying Eyes".  ~ Dusty Groove