Friday, August 09, 2013

NEW RELEASES - JOSE JAMES, CYRUS CHESTNUT, STEVE KUHN

JOSE JAMES - COME TO MY DOOR EP

Jose James has released a 5-song EP entitled Come To My Door, this after releasing his Blue Note debut, No Beginning No End, to wide acclaim. The 5-song Come To My Door EP, features the album's second single "Come To My Door," which was written by Emily King. The EP also includes remixes of the album's tracks by José's frequent collaborator Taylor McFerrin, as well as FaltyDL,Oddisee, and Flako. No Beginning No End is a seamless musical experience that moves between different styles with remarkable fluidity, bound together by James' transcendent voice. Conceived, recorded and produced independently, the album is James' most personal statement yet. José James is scheduled to perform at Giant Step's Central Park SummerStage event in NYC with Shuggie Otis and Hiatus Kaiyote this Sunday, August 11th, as part of his greater US tour. ~ giantstep.net

CYRUS CHESTNUT - SOUL BROTHER COOL

This one is a really hard-hitting set from pianist Cyrus Chestnut – wrapped up here in a cover that's an homage to Max Roach in the 60s, and served up with a groove that definitely evokes the best jazz of that decade too! The group's a very sharp quartet – with Chestnut handling piano, plus Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Willie Jones II on drums – and also acting here as producer, given that the set's issued on his own label! The team of Douglas and Jones is mighty deft – and really adds a bristle to the rhythms right from the start – providing a perfect place for Hendrix to show off his tight skills on trumpet, while Chestnut mixes things up with lyrical moments and some harder punch on his piano. All tunes are originals by Cyrus, which furthers the fresh feeling of the record – and titles include "The Rav~ Dusty Groove

STEVE KUHN - STEVE KUHN

Here are 2 early 70s gems from pianist Steve Kuhn – back to back on one CD! First up is his amazing self-titled set for Buddah from 1971 – an incredibly inventive album that takes his earlier modern style, and fuses it with a warmer sort mode for the 70s! The approach is quite unique – in that Kuhn's core trio style is augmented both by additional percussion from Airto, plus occasional string quartet backing – for a sound that's fresh and different on each new tune! Some tracks feature Fender Rhodes, but most are acoustic – and Steve even sings a bit at one point, showing his newly discovered talent for penning a creative lyric. Favorites are the groovers "The Baby (aka Saharan)" and "Time To Go (aka Tomorrow's Son)" – and the album also features a great version of "Pearlie's Swine (aka The Zoo)". Other tracks include "The Drinking Song", "The Meaning Of Love", and "Silver". Added to that set is another equally brilliant set – one that features all Fender Rhodes throughout, with a combo that includes Steve Swallow on electric bass, Bruce Ditmas on drums, and Sue Evans on percussion – a lineup that's almost similar to Kuhn's Trance album for ECM, as is the sound of this set! The groove's a bit more open and flowing than Trance, though – with more of those wonderfully rolling numbers that were fast earning Kuhn a name at the time – tracks that are a bit modal, but also have their own unique sense of flow, and a sound that's never nearly as outside as Steve's work from a few years before. Titles include "Day Dreaming", "A Change Of Face", "Remembering Tomorrow (aka Ulla)", "Last Tango In Paris", "Life's Backward Glance", and "Trance".  ~ Dusty Groove

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