Chicago drummer, bandleader, composer Mike Reed announces his new album 'The Separatist Party'. Featuring Ben LaMar Gay, Marvin Tate, and Cooper Crain, Dan Quinlivan & Rob Frye of Bitchin Bajas. An exciting new ensemble conveying a wide array of styles and influences into a groove-oriented expression of communion in the face of crippling solitude. One can glean wisps of Don Cherry’s Organic Music conception, the ecstatic fire of Pharoah Sanders, the cycling minimalism of Terry Riley, the motoric rhythms of Krautrock, the exploratory tones of Sun Ra, and clipped soul of vintage Ethiopian music within The Separatist Party, but no single element arrives wholesale Lead single and album opener 'Your Soul' features the striking vocals of Tate, the longtime leader of D-Settlement. His hectoring, biting oratory conveys an indelible sense of Chicago street culture, as his narratives quietly underline the complex, often contradictory realities of working class struggles, whether through the pernicious veil of racism or fear of connection.
The second installment of the Neujazz series sees label manager Oliver Glage explore a wealth of (mostly) homegrown talent from the Sonar Kollektiv camp. There has always been Neujazz - the improvised art-form by its very nature and definition always delivers something “new”, and despite the popularity of the genre in the late 90s, and the media’s desire to pigeon-hole music as such, “new jazz” has been omnipresent even since the first musicians played together in New Orleans, or even further back to the genus’ African roots. Here then is a family snapshot, rooted in jazz, of the contemporary artists making their mark on our scene in the early 2020s. Some, like Micatone, Radio Citizen and label luminaries Jazzanova themselves are veterans of the movement; others, like WAAN, Tutu Amuse and Key Elements are relative newcomers, experimenting with their sound and finding their groove in this always forward thinking musical clan.On this album you’ll find a number of exclusive tracks and slept on gems, but one thing they all have in common is something that is shared with King Oliver a century ago, and the African drummers that came before - that desire to spread a positive message by use of the musical freedom that jazz gives them.
In Flower, In Song is the debut album from Trio Xolo, an improvising group composed of Mexican-American bassist Zachary Swanson, Baltimore-based saxophonist Derrick Michaels, and Lithuanian percussionist Dalius Naujo. With a telepathic ear toward musical interplay, Trio Xolo performs free-flowing stream of consciousness improvisations. The result is true, in the moment composition. The trio moves together dynamically as their voices simultaneously overlap and converge into one. In Flower, In Song was recorded live in one room and unveils a warm, organic sound: Swanson's distinctive use of gut strings produce a dark, woody tone, Michaels draws robust color from a vintage saxophone, and Naujo expresses a nuanced control of energy and dynamics. Through explorations of melody, atmosphere, and texture, they can either embrace or dispel the traditional hierarchy of the trio format. At its core, Trio Xolo creates music that seeks to capture the essence of the moment through deep listening.
Guitarist, composer and educator Jim Witzel has long enjoyed the “organ trio” format in jazz (Hammond B-3 organ, guitar and drum set) as both a listener and as a working guitarist. In his second album, Feelin' It, he puts his own spin on those great recordings of the 50s and 60s (up to the present day) with a project comprising four standards, three of Witzel's originals and a well-known pop tune. Feelin' It is a showcase for Witzel's straight-ahead, modern jazz compositions that reflect the mid-sixties’ Blue Note influence of such players/composers as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and others. Attracted to their lyrical, accessible style, he calls his player inspirations the Great 8, which include Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, George Benson, Pat Martino, John Abercrombie, and Pat Metheny. The standards on the album feature the organ trio, which comprises Witzel on guitar and two great musicians based in Northern California, Brian Ho on the Hammond B3 and Jason Lewis on drums. Jazz writer Andrew Gilbert has said, “Brian Ho, rising jazz star. These days, Ho is one of the region’s most promising young jazz organists,” while Lewis is an in-demand drummer who has performed with many top names in the jazz firmament. Witzel asked tenor saxophonist Dann Zinn to join the trio on Witzel’s own compositions. Zinn is a renowned reed player who has appeared on over 100 albums as a leader, soloist, and/or sideman. Although Jim Witzel has an extensive resume as a sideman, he is not widely known outside of Northern California. Although he has been flying under the radar for far too long, his highly accessible playing and compositional talents on Feelin' It will certainly garner new fans who are interested in organ/guitar/sax bands or anyone who likes fun, toe-tapping yet lyrical music.
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