NEW RELEASES: IAN LEVINE'S SOLID STAX SENSATIONS; ROSCOE MITCHELL QUARTET – CELEBRATING FRED ANDERSON; DANIEL SMITH - JAZZ SUITE FOR BASSOON

IAN LEVINE'S SOLID STAX SENSATIONS (VAROUS ARTISTS)

A deep deep dig into the legendary Stax Records – a set that goes way past the hits, way past some of the bigger reissued tracks, and pulls out some true treasures from the label's ultra-rich second chapter! The work here is all from that post-1968 period when Stax split with Atlantic Records – a time when the company was recording so much wonderful music, and trying to do so much at once, that lots of gems like these hardly got noticed at the time – even though they're every bit as wonderful as the bigger Memphis hits from the time. And although Ian Levine is a name you might normally know from disco productions, or older Northern Soul work – he's got a surprisingly great ear for Stax, too – and pulls out these fresh, different moments from the label's catalog – most of them tracks from some of the lesser-known artists who recorded at the time. We're really surprised at how much we love this set – truly one of the freshest Stax collections in years – and titles include "Since I Lost My Baby's Love" by Major Lance, "Can You Win" by Charlene & The Soul Serenaders, "Loser's Seat" by Joni Wilson, "You're My Only Temptation" by Roz Ryan, "City Of Fools" by Colette Kelly, "Hang On" by Annette Thomas, "If You Look Into My Eyes" by Proud As Punch, "I Still Love You" by TSU Tornadoes, "Habit Forming Love" by Reggie Miller, "One More Chance" by Margie Joseph, "Cool My Desire" by The Cheques, "Put Me In The Mood" by Sylvia & The Blue Jays, "Where Would You Be Today" by Ilana, and "Special Kind Of Woman" by Paul Thompson. ~ Dusty Groove

ROSCOE MITCHELL QUARTET – CELEBRATING FRED ANDERSON

One of the boldest performances we've heard from Roscoe Mitchell in years – a beautiful live set performed in dedication to the late Fred Anderson – at Chicago's Constellation performance space, a music club that's picked up the torch from Anderson's legendary Velvet Lounge! The sound of the set is wonderful – beautifully recorded, with so much tone and texture, you'd hardly think the setting was a concert – and Mitchell builds his reed passages wonderfully in a quartet that also includes Tomeka Reid on cello, Junius Paul on bass, and Vincent Davis on drums – all players who seem to hit Mitchell's very AACM-centric style of performance for the evening. Tracks are mostly long, and echo some of Anderson's freewheeling spirit on tenor – and Roscoe plays alto, soprano, and sopranino – on tracks that include "Hey Fred", "Velvet Lounge", "Song For Fred Anderson", "Bernice", and "Cermak Road".  ~ Dusty Groove

DANIEL SMITH - JAZZ SUITE FOR BASSOON

Daniel Smith has had an illustrious career over the years showcasing the potential of the bassoon in classical, jazz and crossover.  With his many recordings and liver performances, he has taken the bassoon into unchartered territory with ground breaking and award winning albums.  Along with recording 50 concertos with orchestra, his albums featuring crossover, ragtime, bebop, swing, Latin, and now this unique Jazz Suite, have demonstrated just how versatile a bassoon can be, and performed at the highest level of artistry and virtuosity.  With this release of ‘Jass Suite For Bassoon’ on the Summit Label, Michael J. West, in his liner notes, points out how this recording represents a ‘manifesto’ for Saniel Smith, a ‘vision of what’s possible on his too-often pigeonholed instrument’, and ‘a display of what Smith and the bassoon can do’. With future recordings in the pipeline showcasing the music of the great swing bands, as well as the music of Charlie Parker and his contemporaries, Daniel Smith has proven, and will continue to do so, what a bassoon is capable of doing in the hands of a master of this instrument.