Donald Fagen's fourth solo album for Reprise Records, Sunken Condos, will be released on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. His first three solo albums, The Nightfly, Kamakiriad and Morph the Cat, comprised the project known as the Nightfly Trilogy. Sunken Condos begins a new chapter in the creative evolution of this innovative artist, whose career is still going strong after forty years. The nine tracks on Sunken Condos were co-produced by Michael Leonhart and Donald. All but one track, an Ashkenazi recasting of Isaac Hayes' Out of the Ghetto, are new Fagen originals. Some familiar names from the Steely Dan family of players are on hand (Jon Herington, the Steely Dan horns, Freddie Washington) plus some new faces. The word is that, from now on, everything Donald does has got to be funky. Release date is October 6, 2012. www.donaldfagen.com
For two decades, the contemporary jazz quartet known as Fourplay has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B, pop and a variety of other sounds to their unwavering jazz foundations. In the course of a dozen recordings – six of which have climbed to the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album charts – the supergroup has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz while at the same time appealing to a broad mainstream audience. “All four of us have been in this business long enough to know that there’s always pressure to compromise, and we don’t want to do that,” says Bob James. “We don’t want to end up in the middle of the pack. We always aim to be leaders, and take the music to another level and raise the standards higher. I think the music on this new record, thanks in large part to Chuck’s early contributions – and to the ongoing team spirit of the band as a whole – is very much a reflection of that philosophy." Espirit De Four will be released on September 16, 2012.
A second helping of Latin Beat from Cesar's Salad – and a
feverish, funky and tight set on Perfect Toy that's easily as strong its
predecessor! Led by percussionist Cesar Granados – who really knocks us out on
the congas – the group is a quartet with a raw approach and a live feel. Rooted
in 60s and 70s Afro-Cuban jazz, soul and funk, they do it with a modern,
hard-grooving immediacy. Hajo Von Hadeln is on drums, Jo Junghanss on the piano,
and Jerker Kluge on bass – and we really love the big sound from this small
combo! Titles include "Jenjere", "El Dynamico", "Watermelon Man", "Song For My
Father", "Pushing Spaces", "Bahamas", "Recordame", "On Broadway" and more. ~ Dusty Groove
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