MARION MEADOWS – SOUL CITY
'Soul City', Marion's most intimate and heartfelt album to
date, is a star-studded event that takes the listener on a sensuous journey
through a soundscape of brilliant original compositions and masterful
improvisations. The album is co-produced by Marion's long time hit-making
collaborators, Chris "Big Dog" Davis (Will Downing, Gerald Albright,
Maysa), Rahni Song (Najee, Melba Moore, Freddie Jackson) and Dave Love. With
special guests: Will Downing, Norman Brown, Peter White, Peabo Bryson, Maysa
and more!! Includes: Soul City; Consequences; You; Playa; Merry Go Round; Be
With You;. No Wind No Rain; Time After Time; Dreamin'; and Only.
BOB BALDWIN - NEVER OUT OF SEASON (REMIXED AND REMASTERED)
In 1986, Bob Baldwin helped to lay bricks for the foundation
of what is now called "Gospel Jazz" with his work on the Tom Browne
"No Longer I" disc. Prior to him, only groups like Koinonia and
Seawind preceded both funk-jazz icon Browne and Baldwin, as they both wanted to
showcase their love for the creator while being known for the music they enjoy
playing...jazz. That said, Baldwin finally fulfills a promise made to his late
Aunt (Lettie Ayers) by re-mixing his project of 2011 in high-res 24-bit audio,
finally issued on CD for the first time. This Gospel-Jazz piece features Marcus
Anderson on sax, opening the disc with an uplifting groove piece called
"Be Blessed (no Stress)"...he's later featured on the Donnie McClurkin
classic "Speak to my Heart". Pianist Baldwin hearkens us back to the
1600's with jazzed-up classic hymns like "The Lord's Prayer / Let the
Church say Amen", featuring Corvina Nielson (Vocals). Baldwin speaks to
the current social conditions today with "Where's That Smile?",
featuring Washington, D.C. Vocal sensation Lori Williams. Interpretations of
"Silent Night", "Hallelujah" and "Jesus Loves Me"
round out the set with a piano 'churchy' original "Prologue". This NY
pianist shows off his church chops he honed when playing for churches in the
1980's. Those chops were reinforced when he saw Tramaine Hawkins live in
college in the early 80's...it was there he envisioned the blend of Jazz and
Gospel as a format. While his love for Gospel music is evident, he never strays
far from his first love of jazz on this project, staying true to his
"Baldwin sound". This is a must-have for Baldwin fans and those in
Gospel looking for a new twist in their music collection. - written by the
staff at City Sketches, Inc.
AIRELLE BESSON / EDOUARD FERLET / STEPHANE KERECKI - AIRES
Édouard Ferlet has already explored intriguing byways for
the Alpha label: in 2015 he and Violaine Cochard recorded Plucked Unplucked ,
an album associating piano and harpsichord a successful venture that will soon
see a follow-up. The bassist Stéphane Kerecki has already made several
recordings for Outhere, including Nouvelle Vague , a prizewinner at the
Victoires de la Musique. The career of the trumpet player Airelle Besson has
been on a high since 2015, when she won both the Prix Django Reinhardt of the
Académie du Jazz and the Révélation Award at the Victoires du Jazz.These three
jazz musicians met and decided to form a trio in order to combine their
universes and their ambitions. Here is the fruit of their first year of
companionship, a programme presenting compositions by each of them, an album
wearing the colours of jazz but featuring several tracks directly inspired by
great standards of the classical repertoire, including Es ist vollbracht from
Bach s St John Passion, the Pavanes of Ravel and Fauré, the Valse sentimentale
of Tchaikovsky, and Khachaturian's Sabre Dance, which can be recognised behind
the Stances du sabre . The refinement of the compositions and the playing and
the musicians capacity for listening to each other are a source of endless
pleasure and fulfilment.
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