NEW RELEASES: RC & THE GRITZ – THE FEEL; JEREMY PELT – NOIRE EN ROUGE: LIVE IN PARIS; ROSCOE MITCHELL & MONTREAL-TORONTO ART ORCHESTRA – RIDE THE WIND

RC & THE GRITZ – THE FEEL

RC Williams really outdoes himself here – moving The Gritz way past their previous role as the backing band for Erkyah Badu – and finding their own wonderfully strong sense of soul! The groove is fantastic right from the start – funky, but very fresh in approach – with lots of crisp crackle on the edges, but never in that overdone way that sometimes buries other groups – and mixed with plenty more organic instrumentation that changes nicely throughout! The singers shift too, but never in a way that feels schizophrenic – as there's a really collaborative spirit to the whole record – singers and musicians, performance and studio – all coming together to make something really fresh and wonderful. Titles include "The Feel", "Lessons", "Feathers", "Good Day To You Sir", "Anxiety", "Jazz & Reverse", and "I'll Be Waiting For You". ~ Dusty Groove

JEREMY PELT – NOIRE EN ROUGE: LIVE IN PARIS

A really great live set from trumpeter Jeremy Pelt – who seems to use the format to open up with even more bold energy than his recent studio albums! There's a freewheeling vibe here that reminds us of the way that Freddie Hubbard could really transform in a live setting – both searing as a soloist, and this very powerful force as a leader – really urging the best out of his group on the date – a quintet that includes Victor Gould on piano, Vincente Archer on bass, Jonathan Butler on drums, and Jacqueline Acevedo on percussion! The other players have this incessant energy that can't help but drive Pelt forward – and the whole group gels together wonderfully, on titles that include "Black Love Stories", "Sir Carter", "Re-Invention", "Make Noise", "Evolution", and "I Will Wait For You". ~ Dusty Groove

ROSCOE MITCHELL & MONTREAL-TORONTO ART ORCHESTRA – RIDE THE WIND

The headier side of the great Roscoe Mitchell – a project that has some of the reedman's compositions transcribed for larger orchestra performance – but at a level that seems to be a natural evolution of the notion of "black classical music" that Mitchell first helped pioneer with the AACM! Make no mistake with that term – this isn't classical music at all – instead, the larger group works here to realize this beautiful balance between improvisation and composition, almost working as a whole to embody the ideas that Mitchell has brought to his music in much smaller settings, carved out of a large group of woodwinds, a touch of brass, and a bit of strings. Gregory Oh conducts the group, and titles include "They Rode For Them", "Splatter", "Nonaah", "Shards & Lemons", and "Ride The Wind". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: AZAR LAWRENCE - ELEMENTALS; GENE PAGE – HOT CITY / LOVELOCK!; NAT BIRCHALL – COSMIC LANGUAGE

AZAR LAWRENCE - ELEMENTALS

Saxophonist Azar Lawrence has been having a hell of a renaissance in recent years – and a record like this only helps move that process forward – providing a mighty large feather in Azar's ever-growing cap! The album's a great one from start to finish – a evolution of the spiritual vibe that Lawrence had in the 70s, with maybe some slight Latin currents in the rhythms – all rolling along with this vibe that's soaring and freewheeling, but never too far outside – just boldly stepping into the cosmos, amidst some great new tunes by Lawrence himself, and a few more by pianist Benito Gonzales – whose work here is a key part of the album's sound! The group also features Jeff Littleton on bass, Munyungo Jackson on percussion, and Marvin Smitty Smith on some tremendous drums – on titles that include "African Chant", "La Bossa", "Eye Of The Needle", "Brazilian Girls", "Koko", "Sing To The World", and "Solar Winds". ~ Dusty Groove.

GENE PAGE – HOT CITY / LOVELOCK!

A pair of 70s soul classics from arranger Gene Page – back to back on a single CD! First up is Hot City – an excellent album of Barry White-styled instrumentals – put together by Barry's right hand man Gene Page, and produced by Barry himself! The record's one of the best that Gene Page ever cut – apart from his seminal blacksploitation soundtracks – and it's very much in the mode of White's Love Unlimited Orchestra albums from the same time, although perhaps with less of a string section – and more of an emphasis on funky drums at the bottom. Players are an all-star cast of LA studio groovers that includes David T Walker and Ray Parker on guitar, Ernie Watts and Wilton Felder on saxes, and Clarence McDonald on keyboards – and tracks are mostly originals by Page and White. Titles include "Jungle Eyes", "She's My Main Squeeze", "I Am Living In A World Of Gloom", "Satin Soul", and "To The Bone". Lovelock features Gene Page at the height of his 70s powers – using all the talents he forged as a background artist for other soul talents, and all the majesty he added to his soundtrack work – all focused nicely into a sweet set of warmly soulful grooves! The style's a bit clubby, but also has some wider depth too – maybe an undercurrent of fusion that comes from players like Lee Ritenour and David T Walker on guitar, Joe Sample and Sonny Burke on keyboards, and Oscar Brasher on trumpet – who find a way to work wonderfully alongside the albums vocals from singers Merry Clayton, Edna Wright, and Jim Gilstrap – all with a style that's not unlike some of the best Quincy Jones material of the time! As with Quincy, there's a sense of care and confidence that really holds the album together – on titles that include "Higher My Love", "Organ Grinder", "Into My Thing", "Wild Cherry", "Fantasy Woman", "Straw In the Wind", and "Together Whatever". ~ Dusty Groove

NAT BIRCHALL – COSMIC LANGUAGE

The language of saxophonist Nat Birchall has always been pretty cosmic – but this time around, he seems to be reaching out even more – working on these long-spun tracks with a really unique quartet! The group features sublime work on harmonium from Adam Fairhall – an instrument that we don't normally associate with jazz, but which works perfectly in Birchall's slow-building spiritual style – really shading in the tunes with otherworldly sounds which are then cut through by Nat's searing, soulful work on tenor! The album moves at a meditative pace, but there's also plenty going on, too – and the tracks draw plenty of energy from the work of Michael Bardon on bass and Andy Hay on drums and percussion. We've been following Nat on his musical journey for over a decade, and he's never let us down – and this time around he takes us to even farther reaches – on titles that include "Dervish", "A Prayer For", "Man From Varanasi", and "Humility". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: HOPES & DREAMS: THE LULLABY PROJECT; ATOMIC – SIX EASY PIECES; MEMPHIS RENT PARTY - THE BLUES, ROCK & SOUL IN MUSIC'S HOMETOWN

HOPES & DREAMS: THE LULLABY PROJECT

The Lullaby Project, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, pairs expectant and new mothers with professional artists to write personal lullabies for their babies, supporting maternal health, aiding child development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. Now operating nationwide with partner organizations, the Lullaby Project began in New York City, reaching mothers in hospitals, homeless shelters, schools, and at correctional facilities. Born of this program, Hopes & Dreams: The Lullaby Project features a selection of these original lullabies as recorded by a range of artists representing a variety of genres and styles, including Fiona Apple, the Brentano String Quartet, Lawrence Brownlee, Roseanne Cash, Joyce DiDonato, Janice Freeman, Rhiannon Giddens, Angélique Kidjo, Patti Lupone, Natalie Merchant, Dianne Reeves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Pretty Yende, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Pre-order the album and instantly receive a lullaby from Janice Freeman (as seen on NBC’s The Voice).

ATOMIC – SIX EASY PIECES

Fantastic work from this avant jazz supergroup – their first album away from the Jazzland label, and a set that maybe seems to show a whole new direction for the quintet! Some of the music here has a stronger set of arrangement at the core – balanced between the completely incredible individual strengths of the members – a bit, maybe, like the way that Charles Mingus could strike that rare balance in his prime – even if there's nothing Mingus-like about this music at all! The interwoven spirits of the players is completely sublime – as much a lead feature as the breakout solos – which include work by Fredrik Ljungkvist on tenor and clarinet, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wilk on piano, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Hans Hulboekmo on drums. Titles include "Stuck In Stockholm", "Falt Strid", "Be Wafted", "Sinusoidal Arches", and "Ten Years".  ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

MEMPHIS RENT PARTY - THE BLUES, ROCK & SOUL IN MUSIC'S HOMETOWN

A pretty great little collection – put together by Memphis music expert Robert Gordon in support of his book of the same name! The sounds here aren't overdone Memphis cliches – no Elvis hits or Stax Records standards – and instead, the record showcases those criss-crossing modes that have always been the most interesting thing about the city – rural bluesmen going urban, country singers going rock, and even rockers picking up all the earlier elements to craft something very different and personal. The tracks are pulled from recordings that span the early 60s to the present, and many of them are previously unreleased and provided to Gordon by the artists themselves – making the whole thing a completely essential set, even if you already love some of these performers. Titles include "Chevrolet" by Luther Dickinson & Sharde Thomas, All Night Long" by Junior Kimbrough, "Desperados Waiting For A Train" by Jerry McGill, "Johnny Too Bad" by Alex Chilton, Harbor Lights" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "Little Bluebird" by The Fieldstones, "Same Thing On My Mind" by Mose Vinson, "Defrost Your Heart" by Charlie Feathers, "I'd Love To Be A Hippie" by Jim Dickinson, "Frame For The Blues" by Calvin Newborn, "Why Don't You Come Home Blues" by Furry Lewis, and "Drop Your Mask" by The Panther Burns. (Indie exclusive "rent money" green vinyl pressing – with download!)  ~ Dusty Groove

Mystic Bowie To Release Debut "MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS" Album Featuring Reggae Versions Of Talking Heads Hits And More

Reggae artist Mystic Bowie will release his debut album titled MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS, featuring classic Talking Heads songs, and more, reggae-style, on June 15.  The debut single, "Once In A Lifetime," will be released on May 4. 

As a former member of the Tom Tom Club, a band that included former Talking Heads founders Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, Mystic Bowie infuses fresh life into Talking Heads' classic catalog with his high octane mix of roots reggae, ska and lover's rock.

The Talking Dreads album features a lineup of legendary reggae figures including singer Freddie McGregor; ska guitar master Ernest Ranglin (Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Monty Alexander); Soul Train Award nominated Tarrus Riley ("Start Anew," "Good Girl Gone Bad"); and saxophone great Dean Fraser. The album also features drummer Kirk Bennett and Lincoln Thomas, McGregor's longtime guitarist. Cindy Wilson of the B-52s special guests on a duet with Mystic for "Heaven."

The album will include 11 Talking Heads songs with Mystic's own unique, Jamaica-fied spin; plus two additional tracks, including: "Love Goes to Building On Fire," "Slippery People" (Feat. Tarrus Riley): "Burning Down The House," "House In Motion," "This Must Be The Place," "Once In A Lifetime," "Pulled Up," "Life During Wartime" (Feat. Freddie McGregor); "Crossed Eyed And Painless;" Grateful Dead's "Shakedown Street," "Psycho Killer," "Piece of My Heart," "Heaven" (Feat. Cindy Wilson). 

Says Salon of a recent Talking Dreads live performance: "Talking Dreads covers Talking Heads songs as shimmering one-drop reggae jewels…swapping out urbanity for roots and sincerity."

Since introducing his musically revolutionary Talking Dreads project at the High Times Music Festival in Negril in 2015, the Jamaican-born singer has performed at more than 100 shows across North America – spinning the heads of initially skeptical Talking Heads fans, and getting everyone grooving along to the rhythms and jubilant spirit of his native island.

With the success of these performances, Mystic Bowie, based in the Northeastern U.S., headed back to his homeland to the famed Barry O'Hare Studios in Ocho Rios. Gathering old friends he had played music with since childhood, along with younger musicians, legendary Jamaican artists and other special guests, Mystic captured all the magic of his live performances on MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS.

"Talking Dreads is much more than a cover band," Mystic says. "I am very much drawing on my own musical culture and history to make these amazing songs my own, while at the same time preserving the integrity of the Talking Heads songs."  He continues, "I've always felt that reggae's dance-inspiring, feel good vibe is universal, as are many of the band's songs. And don't forget their intelligent, powerful lyrics, which are fun to sing and shine fresh light on through this new fusion of styles."

Mystic's close personal and professional relationship with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of began when he joined the Tom Tom Club as a singer in 1996. He appeared on their 2000 album THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNKY and performed with them for nearly 20 years.

In conjunction with the release of MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS, the band will tour the U.S.; following are dates/venues for 2018, with additional performances to be announced.

 

XamVolo Announces 'A Damn Fine Spectacle' EP

Rising Neo-Soul polymath XamVolo releases new single Lose Love, the first track to be taken from his upcoming debut EP A DAMN FINE SPECTACLE.

Written and produced by XamVolo during sessions in LA alongside heavyweight producer Freddie Joachim (J Cole, Aloe Blacc, Joey Bada$$), Lose Love’s bouncing groove opens up the EP.  Released via Universal on the 13th April, A Damn Fine Spectacle is an inventive concept EP and serves as a teasing distillation of what is to be explored on his forthcoming debut album, All The Sweetness on the Surface.

A testament to XamVolo’s cinematic method of creating worlds within his music, across four songs, it tells a neo-noir story of a young girl who finds herself confronted with a hive containing a black honey substance, (which XamVolo has named ‘Slaize’) that can grant her every desire.

XamVolo explains “Everybody wants something, whether it’s money, power, justice, a clean slate, or a new pair of shoes. Some people would go to great lengths to acquire the things they want, but whenever there's an easier option available, most people would rather save themselves the hassle. This EP [and the album to follow] are all about the nature of our desires. When someone is told of this black honey – of an easy way to obtain everything they’ve ever wanted – their curiosity is piqued.”

The accompanying artwork for the EP features four bespoke illustrations, one for each track, from prolific London artist Illustrator, animator, designer and exhibitor, Koby Martin. Described as ‘what art has been missing’ and nominated for the Artist Extraordinaire Award, Koby has worked with the top names from the creative and music industries. Koby says, “Xam’s sound is completely different from anything I have worked. His music threw me in the deep end, one that feels like I have been missing on my creative journey in the music industry.”

Mixing together elements of neo soul, jazz, and pop the Liverpool based singer, songwriter and producer is a truly unique artist. In 12 short months, he has risen to the attention of critics and music fans the world over, been compared to everyone from D’Angelo to Anderson .Paak, racked up hundreds of thousands of streams, landed countless places on influential playlists and been championed by a wealth of tastemakers – from Annie Mac and Gilles Peterson to Notion, Dummy Magazine and Esquire .

This week Xam begins a huge arena support tour across the UK with Paloma Faith culminating in his own headline show at London’s Omeara on the 11th April. His debut album All The Sweetness on the Surface is due for release via Universal worldwide in 2018.

Perhaps, beyond the infectious big hits and staggering vocals, it’s the attention to detail and flourishes of genius that will keep garnering XamVolo so many comparisons to the greats of music.

LISTEN TO LOSE LOVE NOW: https://lnk.to/XVLL1

SEAN KHAN FT. HERMETO PASCOAL – PALMARES FANTASY

The a new album from Sean Khan, the London based multi-instrumentalist who recently ventured to Rio de Janeiro to collaborate with iconic Brazilian polymath Hermeto Pascoal. Taking its title from the escaped slave settlement ‘Palmares’ in the Northeast of Brazil during the 1600s, Palmares Fantasy is Khan’s utopian jazz message for the world, and features Azymuth drummer Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti, bassist Paulo Russo, guitarist Jim Mullen, and guest vocals from Brazilian singer Sabrina Malheiros, and Cinematic Orchestra frontwoman Heidi Vogel.

Like Hermeto Pascoal, Sean Khan is a self-taught musician. Never able to afford his original dream of studying at Berklee, and having been turned away from Guildhall School of Music for being ‘too raw’, he became disillusioned with what he saw as the exclusivity, elitism and dangerous institutionalisation of the jazz world. Yet Sean’s love for music and the drive to create never faltered.

Hermeto Pascoal, the man Miles Davis once dubbed “the most impressive musician in the world”, is a similarly independent artist. A true maverick whose ingenuity and freedom from conventional restraints is so great that he has essentially conceived his own musical language, made him the dream collaboration for Khan.

A vision of inclusivity and equality also informs the message in the music. Inspired by the 17th Century settlement of Palmares in Brazil’s Bahia region - the birthplace of Capoeira - which resisted the Portuguese and Spanish crown’s murderous exploitation of South America for a century, Khan notes his fascination with the fact that "while majoritively made up of escaped African slaves, many deserter conquistadors joined the settlement, and women had equal rights in the community, which was unheard of for this time."

Listening to the deep-grooving title track 'Palmares Fantasy' with this history in mind, you're transported to Khan's futuristic musical eden, with Mamão’s insatiable 10/8 rhythm back-boning Hermeto’s beautifully wild improvised vocals, rhodes and whistles.

HUDSON: Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, John Scofield Announce "Record Store Day" Exclusive

HUDSON, the supergroup collective co-lead by Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, and John Scofield (four of the world's top instrumentalists), is proud to announce the "Record Store Day" exclusive release of their eponymous album in 180 gram double-disc gatefold vinyl format on April 21, 2018 (via Motéma Music). Hudson was one of the most talked about jazz/rock albums of 2017, charting in Top 3 positions on Billboard's Jazz charts every week since its June 9, 2017 CD/digital release. The group toured extensively in North American and received critical accolades from outlets such as NPR Music, Pitchfork, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PEOPLE.com, and many more.

The "Record Store Day" exclusive release of Hudson will feature an exclusive bonus track of the band's interpretation Jimi Hendrix's classic "Castles Made of Sand" and will be packaged in a gatefold sleeve with a souvenir poster featuring printed signatures from each member of the band. A download card and will also included. The complete track listing can be found below.

Hudson is an awe-inspiring collective that brings together four of the world's most influential jazz musicians who are writing a new chapter in the marriage of jazz and rock which began with Miles Davis in the 1970s. The group captures the atmosphere and beauty of the Hudson Valley region while celebrating the iconic music that has emerged from it, inspiring original music and creative takes on Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and The Band.

Members of HUDSON Reflect on their Audiophile Vinyl

"Record Store Day" Release:

Jack DeJohnette:

"I am excited our Hudson album is being released on vinyl. Much of the material we rediscovered was released originally in an analog format. There was a warmth and depth to those sonic sounds not transparent with a digital release that we hope fans will appreciate in this configuration"

Larry Grenadier:

"The music on Hudson definitely harkens back to the era when vinyl ruled. The repertoire and the overall vibe represent a time when there was a Side A and Side B. I'm really glad listeners will be able to experience the music in this format."

John Medeski:

"Record Store Day has a unique audience and it's a special opportunity to share Hudson in a sacred format. The dimensions of the recording take on a whole new life on vinyl. I'm especially excited since we really only listen to records at home."

John Scofield:

"I really enjoy the sound of my tube guitar amp on vinyl more than any other format. My earliest music listening experiences were on records and I'm happy they are back."

HUDSON - Vinyl Release Track Listing

SIDE A: "Hudson" / "El Swing"

SIDE B: "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" / "Woodstock" / "Castles Made Of Sand"

SIDE C: "Lay Lady Lay" / "Tony Then Jack" / "Song For World Forgiveness"

SIDE D: "Dirty Ground" / "Wait Until Tomorrow" / "Up on Cripple Creek" / "Great Spirit Peace Chant"

Hudson · Hudson (vinyl)

Label: Motéma Music · Release Date: April 21, 2018

The Maguire Twins-- Drummer Carl & Bassist Alan-- Display a Mastery of Their Craft That Belies Their Age on "Seeking Higher Ground"

Maguire Twins Seeking Higher Ground The Maguire Twins' mastery of their craft as jazz instrumentalists and composers is in sparkling evidence throughout their U.S. debut recording, Seeking Higher Ground, which will be released by Three Tree Records on March 30. Drummer Carl Seitaro Maguire and bassist Alan Shutaro Maguire, who'll turn 22 on March 19, take their place in the lineage of jazz brothers that includes such illustrious last names as Heath, Farmer, Montgomery, Mangione, Brecker, and Marsalis.

Produced by Memphis legend Donald Brown, the CD finds the twins living up to its title by more than holding their own in the heady company of saxophonist Gregory Tardy, trumpeter Bill Mobley, and pianist Aaron Goldberg. The Maguires contribute two originals each to the program, which includes songs by their bandmates and producer. And without sacrificing cohesiveness, the songs are stylistically diverse.

Tardy's "Theodicy" is a timely commentary on misguided religion. He plays tenor with his usual Coltrane-like intensity and, says Carl, "I try to somewhat embody Elvin Jones, who is one of my heroes." Brown's tricky "The Early Bird Gets the Short End of the Stick" boasts sudden time shifts and dramatic swoops that both twins laughingly said they were greatly relieved to have handled after numerous attempts.

Carl's "Machi no Michi" (translation: "The Road of the Town") is an elegant tribute to his Japanese origins, as reflected in the Japanese scale in the bassline and the traditional taiko drum feel in the composer's playing. "I love the taiko drum's huge sound and the commanding way it is played," says Carl, who tunes his snares tightly to highlight the melody.

Goldberg's composition, "Shed," was the first modern jazz tune the Maguires learned to play, having heard the pianist play it as both sideman and leader. "It has been one of our favorites for the longest time," says Carl. "Just watching Aaron count off his tunes helped me internalize time, made my time stronger," says Alan.

Born in Tokyo in 1996 to a Japanese mother and an American father who both worked in the airline industry, identical twins Carl Seitaro Maguire (above left) and Alan Shutaro Maguire (above right) were raised in Hong Kong from age 3 and moved with their family, at 15, to musically rich Memphis. There they enrolled at the Stax Music Academy and started playing jazz. "Memphis is where most of our musical growing happened," says Carl. "I can't imagine us getting to where we are if we hadn't come here."

They learned to improvise listening to musicians at jazz clubs. "The music just took us over," says Carl. "When I heard a bassist, I would tell Alan about it. When he heard a drummer, he would make suggestions to me based on what he saw and heard. We helped each other out.

Maguire Twins "We were open to criticism from each other as well as ideas," he adds. "Friends don't want to be too harsh, but we can criticize each other as much as we want."

Saxophonist Kirk Whalum, then artist in residence at Stax, had much to do with their development as did Donald Brown, whom they met when he came to scout students as a faculty member at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. They went on to study there with him, Gregory Tardy, and bassist Jon Hamar, who composed one of the new album's heartfelt ballads, "Clarity."

"It all goes back to Donald," says Alan. "He has kept us motivated. He's always giving us something new to work on, new CDs to check out, keeps us listening to all kinds of music and encourages us to get as many lessons from as many people as we can."

When the Maguire family made its annual visit to Japan to visit the twins' maternal grandmother in the inland town of Kitaakita City, the boys performed in various spots, building a following among local musicians as well as fans. Requests for CDs led them to record, at 18, The Sound of Music, a demo-style album released in 2014.

With each tour of Japan and Hong Kong, where they began performing on an annual basis in 2013, their Asian following has grown. So has the talent pool they draw from over there. The twins have performed with artists such as guitarist Yosuke Onuma, trombonist Shigeharu Mukai, pianist Yuichi Inoue, and saxophonist Yosuke Sato in Japan as well as pianist Ted Lo in Hong Kong.

"Now when we go back to Japan," says Carl, "where jazz has been really important to a lot of people for a long time, we do so as individuals who really appreciate this music. It's been quite an awakening for us, and it keeps getting more fun."

 

MULTI-GRAMMY®-WINNING ELIANE ELIAS REVIVES SONGS FROM A CLASSIC BROADWAY MUSICAL WITH MUSIC FROM MAN OF LA MANCHA

Created at the request of the original composer, the April 13 release features Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette, Marc Johnson, Satoshi Takeishi and Manolo Badrena

Following her 2015 GRAMMY®-winning Made in Brazil and 2017’s Latin GRAMMY®-winning Dance of Time, Eliane Elias returns with Music from Man of La Mancha, set for release on April 13, 2018, via Concord Jazz. Recorded with two different trios—one that finds the piano virtuoso accompanied by bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette and the other featuring Marc Johnson on bass with Satoshi Takeishi on drums, with Manolo Badrena joining on percussion—the nine-track collection is a unique all-instrumental reinterpretation of songs from the legendary Broadway musical.

Dance of Time, which debuted at number one on two Billboard charts, the iTunes Jazz Albums chart and the Amazon.com Brazilian and Latin Jazz charts, and Made in Brazil, also debuting at number one on the iTunes and Amazon.com Jazz Albums charts, were recorded in Elias’ homeland. The back story for the new release adds another chapter to the prolific pianist-singer-composer-arranger and producer’s résumé: Although Elias has, in the past, recorded tributes to such giants as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chet Baker and Bill Evans, Music from Man of La Mancha marks the first time she has put her own spin on a specific set of songs from a Broadway musical.

Elias’ 26th album in a highly distinguished career, Music from Man of La Mancha was recorded in 1995 and produced by Elias with co-production by Mitch Leigh, the late composer of the music for the original Broadway production.

Man of La Mancha premiered in 1964 and was inspired by an earlier, non-musical stage production, I, Don Quixote, itself inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century masterpiece Don Quixote.  Among the classic songs authored by Mitch Leigh for the musical was the oft-recorded “The Impossible Dream,” reimagined by Elias for this project.

 The concept for the album came about, Elias recalls, when she was asked out of the blue to meet with the Tony Award-winning Leigh. The composer came to the musician’s New York apartment with a proposition: that he commission Elias to arrange, perform and record a new album of songs from the show. The Brazilian pianist, who had already been living in the United States for more than a decade, immediately warmed to the idea.

“Of course, I knew about the show, and was flattered when Mitch, who was accompanied by Neil Warner, the arranger for the original musical, chose me for the project he had in mind. He said he liked what I had done with the music of other composers,” Elias recalls. “I’d made a recording called Eliane Elias Plays Jobim and he was inspired by that as well as other things I had done.  He was taken by the way I treated songs and he loved the arrangements. He wanted me to do something like that with his music. He gave me a copy of the original Broadway cast recording and I chose the songs I felt I could create more around.”

Upon re-familiarizing herself with the material, Elias ultimately focused on nine pieces including “The Impossible Dream,” as well as the show’s title track and such favorites as “A Little Gossip,” “The Barber’s Song” and “It’s All the Same.” Each track bears Elias’ indelibly personalized touch. “This record is Brazilian/Latin/jazz,” she says. “It has all the elements together, which felt like a natural blend to me.” 

Music from Man of La Mancha begins with back-to-back arrangements of “To Each His Dulcinea” and “Dulcinea,” the former featuring the Johnson-Takeishi-Badrena combo and the latter Gomez and DeJohnette.  “When sequencing the tracks, I thought it was a beautiful way to start by showcasing the two trios,” she says. Elias approached each arrangement differently, based on what the music said to her. “A Little Gossip,” Elias explains, “felt just perfect to be set within the Brazilian rhythm of frevo.  In general, arranging the songs was a combination of applying different rhythms, re-harmonizations, new improvisational sections, inventing completely new parts such as introductions, interludes, endings, using modulations to create color and overall momentum, lift and interest while staying true to the original melodies. Some of the songs have more Latin flavor; others have more of a Brazilian flavor. ‘The Barber Song’ is more like a Brazilian baião where I harmonize every note of the melody and freely play over the bar-line. ‘The Impossible Dream’ is a samba. Every tune has its own treatment. ‘What Does He Want of Me’ and ‘Man of La Mancha’ have a lot of interplay. There’s a lot of variety.  I really enjoyed preparing the arrangements for this recording because Mitch gave me artistic freedom.”

All of the music was recorded live in NYC’s Power Station Studio and it was mixed at Leigh’s Secret Studio in New York City. “For the most part, we usually ended up using the first take,” she says. “That spontaneity and freshness when you first record something is hard to beat. Of course, the musicians were prepared and rehearsed. My choices as to which musicians played on which songs were based on the type of arrangements that I wrote. I played to the strengths of each trio. It brought beautiful and varied interpretations, different feels and colors to the music by having two different bassists and two different drummers.”

Due to contractual circumstances, the album was not released at the time of recording, and Leigh has since passed away. Elias says that she was gratified to see how much Leigh enjoyed what she had done, saying, “I was thrilled to see Mitch’s excitement, enthusiastic approval, joy and delight with these arrangements and interpretations. Speaking from the arranger’s chair, it is the highest praise when the composer is enamored with the reimagining of his work.” Leigh’s children have stated, “Our dad loved this album, playing it for guests, with pride, but also when he was on his own, listening to it again and again. We all feel sure he’d be very proud it’s being issued for the public.”

Guitarist LENI STERN with her trio featuring Mamadou Ba and Alioune Faye release "3"

Critically acclaimed guitarist/composer returns to SXSW with her trio featuring Mamadou Ba and Alioune Faye. They are excited to be performing music from Leni Stern's latest album, "3" (LSR), to be released on April 27th.

With "3", guitarist/composer Leni Stern offers us her most authentic recording to date, a true trio collaboration, featuring Mamadou Ba on bass and Alioune Faye on percussion and vocals. This band weaves the rhythms of Senegal into the music of NYC, creating the brilliant follow up to Stern's critically acclaimed "Dakar Suite" (2016). For more than two decades Stern has been a beacon of inspiration and a nomadic force, spreading the beauty of her music from her native Europe to her adopted home of NYC. Since the mid-2000s, Stern has followed her heart to Africa and her travels have harvested many rewards, not the least of which is her brilliant new album, "3".

Leni Stern is an unstoppable force of bottomless energy. Her long-time fans know her from a successful jazz career that saw her touring the globe on the stage of every major festival and legendary club with bands that included some of the biggest heavyweights on the scene (Dennis Chambers, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell... to name a few). Everything changed when in 2005 Leni was first invited to perform at the Festival au Desert in Timbuktu, Mali. It was there that she would meet Bassekou Kouyate and his wife Ami Sacko, embraced by their family and their bands, she dove headfirst into the traditions of West African guitar and later the n'goni (African banjo). It was a natural path from jazz, a personal journey to where her playing and the genre all began, a sort of spiritual exploration coupled with devoted study and practice.

In the past 13 years Leni has worked her hardest, forging a new sound that is all her own, composing, studying, practicing, with the rhythms and tonalities of West Africa through the chops of an accomplished jazz guitarist. It is finally, with "3", that her most authentic voice can be experienced.  Joined by her regular NYC-based trio of Mamadou Ba and Alioune Faye, Leni's compositions pay humble homage to the drum patterns of traditional Senegalese folk songs. What emerges is a new repertoire of cross-pollinated ideas and reverence to jazz, to blues, to Africa, to a folk music of today's diaspora.

Andrew Rathbun Releases New Jazz Orchestra Recording - Atwood Suites

Continuing a prolific streak over the past two decades, saxophonist-composer-arranger Andrew Rathbun premieres three new suites of moving, meaningful music on his triumphant large ensemble debut for Origin Records. Two of the suites, "Two Islands" and "Power Politics," are set to the evocative poetry of Margaret Atwood, who has enjoyed a rediscovery in the wake of the popularity of the Golden Globe-winning original series on Hulu, The Handmaid's Tale, based on the Toronto native's darkly dystopian and some would say prescient novel published in 1985 set in a near-futuristic totalitarian society. Rathbun's extremely ambitious 2-CD set, Atwood Suites, includes music from a third five-movement suite. Recorded in just three days in New York, it documents the composer's most accomplished and compelling writing to date, performed by a stellar crew of the Big Apple's finest, many of whom are leaders and composers in their own right. Anchored by drummer Bill Stewart, who's propulsive drive and interactive instincts color the proceedings in wholly unique ways, this mammoth undertaking features the brilliant flugelhorn playing of Tim Hagans and showcases the wistful, alluring vocals of Rathbun's longtime collaborator Luciana Souza, who breathes new life into the Atwood poems "Excerpt From Circle/Music Poems" on the "Two Islands" suite and "We Are Hard On Each Other" on the "Power Politics" suite. "Luciana does such a great job," he said. "The project really can't be realized without her in a lot of ways. Of course, she did a record of poems by Pablo Neruda and another set to the poems of Eliza- beth Bishop, so she really knows what's involved. She's a pivotal part of this recording."

The composer thanks his mother, an English teacher, for initially turning him on to the poetry of Margaret Atwood. "I had read 'The Handmaid's Tale' but knew nothing about her poetry. My mom just sent me a photocopy of a bunch of different things, a couple of which I actually set to music for my True Stories project in 2001, which also featured Luciana."

Regarding his main muse for this project, fellow Canadian Atwood, the Toronto native and Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University recalled, "We've met twice. The last time was after a lecture she gave on her book "Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing" in New York. I was just really lucky again this time around again to get her blessing to use her work. I was a bit concerned this time around, due to the fact that the Netflix series has been so popular, but luckily it all worked out."

The roots of this latest Rathbun project go back to 2001, when the saxophonist was asked by the great Canadian trumpeter-composer Kenny Wheeler to write some new material for an engagement at the Birdland nightclub in New York City. He came up with the three-movement "Power Politics" suite, which was performed by Wheeler's big band at Birdland but never recorded. "I wrote those with Kenny in mind," he explained. "One of my dreams was to get to get to record that with him but it just wasn't in the cards. I've been working with Tim Hagans a little bit lately and thought he'd be great for this. He's got a whole other thing, this incredible slippery chromatic language that he brings to the table, which I adore.

Hagans figures prominently on the two Atwood suites contained on the first CD. As renowned big band pianist-composer-arranger Jim McNeely points out in his liner notes to Atwood Suites, the flugelhornist's "lyricism ranges from thoughtfully introspective to wildly expressive." From his bracing solo on the first movement to "Two Islands" to his golden tones on the achingly beautiful second movement to his surging exclamations on the swinging section of the third movement, Hagans presence is deeply felt on this outing. Likewise, he delivers an attractive flugelhorn solo in the first movement of "Power Politics," navigates the churning 6/8 groove of the second movement and delivers a bristling solo over Stewart's interactive pulse and guitarist Nate Radley's rich voicings on the third movement. Trombonist Mike Fahie, tenor saxophonist Dan Pratt and alto saxophonist John O'Gallagher also contribute potent solos throughout the highly charged "Power Politics" suite.

  

Rathbun conceived "Two Islands" during his residency at the Atlantic Center of the Arts artists' colony in Florida during the late 2000s. "I brought a couple anthologies of Margaret Atwood's work with me and just and started experimenting with that poem. And after a couple of weeks I had sketched most of the suite. There was a composer there at the same time named Lewis Spratlan, an amazing Pulitzer Prize winning composer. He was really helpful in bouncing ideas off of during the writing, frequently offering sage suggestions. And the things he'd say about music were really inspirational to me."

The other pieces on this 2-CD set, including the aggressive "Fractured" (inspired, as Rathbun notes, "by the continued political divisions that have plagued this county for the last decade and seem to get worse rather than improve") and the majestic three movements, "V" "I" "II," utilize the soaring wordless vocals of singer Aubrey Johnson. "I used her voice more like an instrument," Rathbun explains. "She's got this beautiful sound, with a light and flexible vocal quality, which blends really well in the ensemble. She sang some of my other vocal music, and I thought she would be a great addition to this project."

Rathbun has similar kudos for Stewart, a remarkably flexible drummer who has been a longstanding sideman to guitarist John Scofield. "He's not normally known as a big band guy, but I was curious to see what it would sound like if he was put in the middle of all this stuff. His beat and his phrasing and the way he sets things up are incredibly contagious and also different than anyone who, for lack of a better term, is more of a big band drummer. So I was really excited to get him into the mix. He just brings this propulsion to the music that is one of a kind. He's not only got great time and feel but he's also an incredible listener. He knows exactly how much to contrast what the soloist is playing and how much to complement."

All the elements of churning rhythms, attractive melodies, exquisite textures and rich colors come together in stunning fashion on Atwood Suites, Rathbun's crowning achievement to date. Meanwhile, the composer is "clearing the decks" to create his next opus. "My writing has taken on, I hope, some new characteristics that I do want to document in the future. So I was determined to get all this stuff that I've written out of the way and next time around start with a blank-slate. I want to put the things that I've already completed in the rear view mirror now. Let's look ahead and see what comes next." Stay tuned. There's more to come for this important voice on the modern jazz scene. - Bill Milkowski

Flutist JAMIE BAUM Explores Links Between Sacred Music Traditions on BRIDGES

Hailed by DownBeat Magazine for her "remarkable artistic facility" and by The New York Times for her "remarkable balance of fluidity and restless creativity," New York-based flutist/composer and 2014 Guggenheim Fellow Jamie Baum is proud to announce the release of her sixth CD as a leader, Bridges, featuring The Jamie Baum Septet+. The highly anticipated follow-up to her 2013 recording In This Life, Bridges offers yet another recording of incredible depth, beauty, spirituality, undiluted zeal and is the culmination of Baum's search for common links between some of the world's great religious music traditions. While conducting research for her Guggenheim Fellowship Award, Baum explains, "I found there to be very deep connections going back centuries, between certain types of Jewish music (my earliest musical influences), and Muslim/Arabic and Hindu/South Asian music." Exploring these musical connections, and composing new music inspired by her findings, became the focus of Bridges.

Baum's advanced harmonic sensibility and sonic imagination, beautifully brought to life by the stellar members of her long-running ensemble, proves yet again the capacity of modern jazz to absorb and transform music of diverse traditions, without sacrificing the improvisatory element at the core of jazz's identity. In her album notes Baum cites Wikipedia's definition of the word "bridge," one that seems to sum up her artistic mission here: "a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath." At the same time, Baum's musical wanderings highlight something even deeper: our shared humanity, and the common threads that run throughout our history.

With great respect for these varied traditions and their vast languages, Baum's goal was not to play or compose exactly in these styles, but to have her travels and playing experiences inspire new ways of writing and improvising. The diverse musicians who make up the Jamie Baum Septet+ are all first-call artists on the jazz scene, many of them accomplished leaders in their own right. Their presence gives Baum limitless compositional freedom and inspiration: "Having specific players to write for is a bandleader/composer's dream and offers an incredible opportunity for experimentation and growth," she says. We hear this borne out in the lyrical melodies, intricate contrapuntal passages and complex rhythmic ideas at the heart of Bridges, and in the textural warmth and surprise of Sam Sadigursky's alto sax and bass clarinet, Brad Shepik's guitar, Amir ElSaffar's trumpet and voice, John Escreet's dazzlingly virtuosic piano and of course Baum's compelling improvisations on flute and alto flute throughout the album.

Baum's fascination with world sacred music traditions stemmed from her love of South Asian music and in particular for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistan's late Qawwali vocal master. Her previous album In This Life was inspired by Khan's legacy, because she "found in him what I have found in those musicians who have touched me, like Coltrane, Miles and Pavarotti...a truly gifted, deeply spiritual and soulful artist," Baum writes in her album notes. Expanding her focus from Qawwali outward to other forms of religious music, Baum arrived at the focus of Bridges.

Khan's influence is also felt on "Joyful Lament," derived from a melody of Khan's called "Lament," Baum explains. This piece was arranged with Shepik's guitar in mind, and "his solo certainly exceeds anything I could have imagined," Baum enthuses.

In addition to her study of Khan, Baum's travels to India and especially Jazzmandu, the Kathmandu Jazz Festival, in 2003 and again in 2009, widened her musical horizons immeasurably. The three-movement "Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite," a centerpiece of Bridges, represents Baum's wish to give back to a community that has given her so much. The piece was commissioned by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art in New York. "It was difficult to watch the pain and destruction the 2015 earthquake caused to the beautiful people and historic sites in Nepal, including musicians I knew and places I'd been," Baum writes. "I knew I wanted to highlight and pay tribute in some way to this event and found inspiration in a painting of Shiva ... a pan-Hindu deity revered widely by Hindus in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Shiva is the 'destroyer of evil and the transformer' within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is the Supreme Being who creates, protects and transforms the universe. Completely contradictory aspects of life have been built into the personality of Shiva.... A particular 'thank you' to my rhythm section [Escreet, bassist Zack Lober and drummer Jeff Hirshfield] for their drive, sensitivity and expertise in navigating and highlighting the changing colors, dynamics and intensity, giving so much meaning to the arc and intent of this suite!"

The Nepali influence emerges again on "Mantra," arranged by Baum with Nepali musician Navin Chettri, who plays tanpura and sings on the track. The tune is based on Mahamrityunjaya Mantra "meant for healing, rejuvenation and nurturance," Baum writes. "According to Shiva Purana when you have fear of any unknown event this chant helps you to overcome the fear. The Shiva Purana is the highest science of elevating human nature to the very peak of consciousness, expressed in the form of very beautiful stories."

"From the Well" opens the album with the sound of a scale "common to Maqam, Jewish and South Asian music," writes Baum. "Song Without Words," a tribute to Baum's late father, highlights the composer's Jewish influence - in particular the Kol Nidre prayer so central to the holiday of Yom Kippur. "There Are No Words," with its relaxed straight-eighth feel and beautiful chamber-like interplay within the ensemble, revisits the theme of loss as well. And the closing track, "Ucross Me," was written during Baum's residency at the UCross Artist Colony in Clearmont, Wyoming in March 2015. It's a piece "about crossing boundaries and connecting influences," Baum writes, encapsulating the theme of Bridges as a whole.

  

In addition to her Guggenheim Fellowship (an honor she shared the same year with Steve Coleman and Elliott Sharp), Baum was awarded the 2017 New Music USA Project Grant and selected as a 2014-15 Norman Stevens Fellow during her MacDowell Colony residency. Baum's exemplary career has been built on superlative performances in the studio and on stages around the world, alongside a long list of renowned jazz artists including Randy Brecker, Mick Goodrick, Tom Harrell, Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch, Uri Caine, Ralph Alessi, David Binney, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith and many others. She has placed in the DownBeat Critics' Polls annually since 1998 and has been nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association as "Flutist of the Year" eight times; the Jamie Baum Septet+ was nominated in 2014 as "Best Midsize Ensemble of the Year" in the same category as the Wayne Shorter Quartet and Steve Coleman's Five Elements. She has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, International Jazz Composers Alliance, Meet the Composer, Chamber Music America and the American Music Center. Her playing credits include tours as a State Dept./Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador, in 1999 to South America and in 2002 to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Bangladesh. Baum has served on the faculty of the jazz department at Manhattan School of Music since 2007 and on the adjunct faculty roster at the New School University since 2004. Altus Flutes/KHS America has sponsored her innovative clinic "A Fear-Free Approach to Improvisation for the Classically Trained Musician"™ at colleges, conservatories, festivals, flute clubs and "music and art" schools worldwide since 1993.

 

Other Upcoming Tour Dates, With Jamie Baum & Short Stories:

Jamie Baum & Short Stories: Jamie Baum-flutes, Andy Milne-piano,

Andrew Rathbun-sax, Joe Martin-bass, Jeff Hirshfield-drums 

April 13 - University of Wisconsin-Madison, concert & workshops 

April 14 - The Glen, Glenview, IL, afternoon concert

April 14 - Constellation, Chicago, IL, evening concert

April 15 - Chicago Flute Club, afternoon concert & workshop

April 15 - The Jazz Estate, Milwaukee, WI, evening concert

April 16 - Western Michigan University School of Music, Kalamazoo, MI    concert & workshops

 

U-Nam's #1 Best Seller Album in the US and Japan "Weekend in L.A" (A Tribute to George Benson), originally released in 2012 is back for more in a very special deluxe edition

"This monumental project includes some of my superstar friends who are among the world’s best known artists of our time.The man known as U-Nam, is destined to become one of the most controversial musicians and his music will give you renewed desire for powered guitar. It is an honor to be the subject of this new guitar and musical star. This project sounds FANTASTIC…”  - 10X Grammy Award Winner and NAC Jazz Legend George Benson -

Featuring George Duke, Marcus Miller, Stokley (Mint Condition), Phil Perry, Patrice Rushen, Paul Jackson Jr., WahWah Watson, Ronnie Foster, Andreas Oberg, Tim "TiO" Owens, Torsten Goods, Michael White, Dwayne "Smitty" Smith, Dio Saucedo, Denis Benarrosh, Linn Rountree, Jeff Lacey and many more...

It includes a lot of bonuses that were only available in the Japanese release as well as alternate versions (ex: Japanese version of Before You Go/ Breezing' features a different piano solo from Patrice Rushen!)

Weekend in L.A (A Tribute to George Benson) [Deluxe Edition]

15 tracks - 1Hour 46Minutes

1. Weekend in L.A (feat. Andreas Oberg & Ronnie Foster)

2. Give Me the Night (feat. Tim Tio Owens)

3. Shiver (feat. Paul Jackson Jr. & Tim Tio Owens)

4. Love X Love

5. Nature Boy (feat. Stokley Williams)

6. This Masquerade (feat. George Duke, Marcus Miller, Phil Perry, Lin Rountree & Tim Tio Owens)

7. Hip Skip

8. I Just Wanna Hang Around You (feat. Tim Tio Owens)

9. Turn Your Love Around

10. Before You Go / Breezin' (feat. Patrice Rushen)

11. On Broadway (feat. Tim Tio Owens & Jeff Lacey)

12. Never Give up on a Good Thing (Japan Bonus) [feat. Torsten Good]

13. This Masquerade (Japan Bonus) [feat. George Duke, Marcus Miller, Phil Perry, Lin Rountree & Tim Tio Owens]

14. Before You Go / Breezin' (Japan Bonus) [feat. Patrice Rushen]

15. Give Me the Night (Rap Version) [feat. Jeff Lacey & Tim Tio Owens]

Pianist Dayramir Gonzalez Releases The Grand Concourse

Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez (recently welcomed as a Yamaha Artist) has innovative style, energetic performance, and impressive diversity shining through on his upcoming album,

The Grand Concourse. Serving as the follow up to his 2007 debut, this record is defined by the voyage of a young artist from Havana whose creation of musical works sheds light on the gems of traditional Cuban sentiments, contemporary Afro-Cuban jazz, and the vanguard sounds of New York.

Extending the concept of his debut album Dayramir & Habana enTRANcé, Gonzalez continues the Cuban musical feast on The Grand Concourse with songs featuring GRAMMY® Award-nominated guest artists like Pedrito Martinez, Yosvany Terry, and Oriente Lopez in special musical configurations that span string quartet, full orchestra, solo piano, choir, and Afro Cuban jazz septet.

With songs like "Situaciones en 12/8," a purely Afro-Cuban jazz sentiment driven by pulsating rhythms, or his contemporary approach to Cuban classical music on the orchestral chamber piece "Sencillez," to more contemporary popular Cuban sounds found on "Iyesa con Miel" (a tribute to the Yoruba goddess Ochun), whose melody is carried by the iconic voice of Martinez, Gonzalez's music is defined by just that: the diverse spectrum of musical genres executed with virtuosity, approached with a contemporary perspective that maintains an underlying Cuban savor.

"This is an ambitious project that doesn't present me as only a pianist or improviser, but also as a composer, arranger, orchestrator, and bandleader," says Gonzalez. "For me, making an album is always about creating a full and complete piece of art, where I have a palette of different colors to choose from and can paint all those sounds that float in my head."

Gonzalez was born in the humble Havana neighborhood of Cerro, during what is referred to in Cuba as "the special period" and known as one of the toughest economic times in Cuba's history. Although the island severely lacked many of the basic necessities, it continued to support and promote musical education on the island.

Gonzalez's young life centered on music. His father, Fabian Gonzalez (a successful Afro-Cuban jazz trumpet player) became a driving force and inspiration in his musical development. At the age of eight, he began attending Paulita Concepcion Elementary School of Music, where he found his instrument, the piano. He was later accepted to Cuba's famed National High School for the Arts (ENA).

Gonzalez kept busy during his time at ENA. In his first year there, at the age of 16, former Irakere singer and percussionist Oscar Valdes discovered him. He was invited to become a founding member, pianist, and composer for Diakara. After three successful years with Oscar, Cuban drumming legend Giraldo Piloto found Gonzalez and invited him to join Klimax, with whom he would perform and record with for the next six years.

In 2004, he won first place in performance at the annual JoJazz Festival and competition known as Havana's top venue for up and coming jazz performers. In 2005, he won first place in the composition category and won his first record deal with the national record label Colibri. He recorded his first album with his recently founded group Habana enTRANCé, which became for him the perfect platform to develop his skills as artist, bandleader, and composer. This album would later win three Cubadisco, known as the Grammys of Cuba, for Best Debut Album, Best Jazz Album, and Best Engineered Recording.

Gonzalez was accepted to the prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana, where he spent four years studying composition with renowned professor Juan Piñera. Even with his intensified workload and studies, Gonzalez was invited by now longtime friend and mentor Chucho Valdés to open the Havana Jazz Festival in 2008.

In 2009, Gonzalez received an exciting invitation to prepare an application and audition for the venerable Berklee School of Music in Boston. His acceptance to the school made him the first Cuban national to receive a full scholarship. In 2011, in only his second year at the institution, Gonzalez was signed by Berklee's Jazz Revelation Records. In that same year, he was selected as one of the top five pianists in Berklee's annual Piano Gala, performing at the Berklee Performance Center.

In 2012, he was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of their Voices of Latin America series, along with Chucho Valdés, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Danilo Perez, Egberto Gismonti and Aldo Lopez-Gavilan. In 2013, Gonzalez graduated Berklee Summa Cum Laude after receiving the Wayne Shorter Award for Most Outstanding Composer of the Year.

  

Dayramir Gonzalez · The Grand Concourse

Digital Release Date: March 2, 2018 · Physical Release: June 15, 2018