New Music Releases: Omar Sosa and Yilian Cañizares, III Considered, Wildflower

Omar Sosa / Yilian Cañizares - Aguas

Pianist Omar Sosa and violinist-vocalist Yilian Cañizares have come together to create Aguas, a beautiful and very personal album. Featuring their compatriot, percussionist Inor Sotolongo, Aguas reflects the perspectives of two generations of Cuban artists living outside their homeland, interpreting their roots and traditions in subtle and unique ways. Songs range from the poignant to the exuberant, and are expressive of the exceptional musical chemistry, poetic sensibilities, and originality of the artists.

III Considered – III Considered 3

We can't get enough of this group – and their unique piano-less style has a different approach to spiritual jazz modes than you might ear from another combo – especially since the drums and percussion are often used in ways that are complicated, but never to free to lose the groove of the tunes! As on other records, there's a fantastic balance here between the tenor work of Idris Rahman, the bass of Leon Brichard, the drums of Emre Ramazanoglu, and percussion of Satin Singh – hard to describe in the way these guys find a very unique, personal space of expression – while still soaring in a way that would be right at home alongside the legacy of Impulse or Strata East. Titles include "Djinn", "Meditation", "Perplexity", "Scatter", "Retreat", and "Incantation". ~ Dusty Groove

Wildflower - Wildflower

Fantastic sounds from this offshoot of the Ill Considered group – a freewheeling trio that features Idris Rahman on saxes and flute, Leon Brichard on bass, and Tom Skinner on drums – a combo that comes together in a very spiritual way! The bass and drums often build up cyclical rhythms in this brooding sort of style – which then allows Rahman to really open up and express himself on the solos – often moving in relatively free, open territory – but still held tightly to the planet by the rhythms! The approach is maybe in the more spiritual side of loft jazz territory – and titles include "Flute Song", "Hogol", "Other Worlds", "Long Way Home", and "Where The Earth Meets The Sky". (Comes in a slim cardboard sleeve.)  ~ Dusty Groove

“StringShot – Blues and Latin” is a new collaboration by Roy Rogers, Badi Assad and Carlos Reyes

“StringShot – Blues and Latin” is a new collaboration of three artists: Roy Rogers(slide guitar/vocal), Badi Assad (guitar/vocal) and Carlos Reyes (violin/stringed harp).

These three artists have joined together to form a musical “tour-de-force”, blending their artistry and talents to create a new synthesis of Blues and Latin music. This unique combination of musicians – all virtuosos in their own right – features an amazing interplay and repertoire that promises to dazzle audiences!

Roy Rogers is one of the world’s great slide guitarists – an 8 time Grammy-nominated producer and recording artist – renowned for his live performances around the world as well as his collaborations with John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt and Ray Manzarek, among others.

Badi Assad (from Brazil) was ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the world’s great guitarists. Classically trained, she has received numerous international awards in her prolific career. As a vocalist and percussionist, she is a true innovator, not only in technique but in performance. She has appeared in a variety of musical settings – from classical concerts with The Assad Brothers to jazz festivals with Pat Metheny and Larry Coryell.

Carlos Reyes is well known for his supreme virtuosity, not only on the violin but on the

Paraguayan stringed harp. Classically trained as well, he has performed in many diverse genres of music worldwide – with his own band, in symphonies and featured with such artists as Steve Miller and Arturo Sandoval.

Jazz Superstars Jimmy Haslip, Scott Kinsey and Gergö Borlai team up for Arc Trio

Jazz Superstars Jimmy Haslip, Scott Kinsey and Gergö Borlai team up to deliver a powerful album with gorgeous songs, deep grooves and inspiring improvisations. Featuring guest appearances by Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Novak, Steve Tavaglione and Judd Miller. “Arc Trio” is a must-have for fans of virtuosic musicianship.

Low end powerhouse and former Yellowjacket backbone, Jimmy Haslip collaborates with Scott Kinsey (Joe Zawinul protégé - Weather Report, Zawinul Syndicate, Tribal Tech) and Hungarian superstar and session guru Gergö Borlai to create the best jazz release of this decade. ARC Trio features guest appearances by Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Novak, Steve Tavaglione and Judd Miller and delivers unbelievably listenable virtuosity.

​

Jimmy Haslip was a founding member and 32 year band mate of The Yellowjackets. Mr. Haslip has been nominated for 22 Grammy awards and has won 3. Over his 50+ years of playing, he has contributed to the biggest names in music over a plethora of genres. To list a few: Al Jarreau, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, Toots Thielemans, David Sanborn, Kenny G, Michael Bolton, The Rippingtons, The Yellowjackets, Peter Erskine, Bela Fleck, Jeff Lorber, Allan Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jerry Garcia, Joe Walsh, Tommy Bolin, Gary Wright, Randy Newman, Bruce Hornsby, Kenny Loggins, Dusty Springfield, Gino Vannelli, Herb Alpert, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Anita Baker, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, Robben Ford, Oz Noy, Robert Cray and Harvey Mandel​

Scott Kinsey has also played with the biggest names in jazz music. Mr. Kinsey is, in fact, the musical director of the Zawinul Legacy Band founded by Joe's eldest son, Tony Zawinul. Over the years, Scott has worked with Matthew Garrison, Alphonso Johnson, John Scofield, Dennis Chambers, Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin, Peter Erskine, Mike Stern Dave Weckl, Bill Evans, Jimmy Herring, Victor Wooten, John Patitucci among others.

Hungarian drummer Gergö Borlai began playing at age 3 and has appeared on more than 300 albums. Since 2012, Mr. Borlai is a professor at the Liceu Academy/Jazz Departement in Barcelona and has received two lifetime achievement awards, the Golden Drumstick Prize and the Artisjus Lifetime Achievement Award in Hungary. He has played with greats such as Al DiMeola and Hiram Bullock.

​ARC Trio opens with "Owosso" as Mr. Borlai places the listener under his spell with a rhythmic trance-like groove. Slowly, Mr. Haslip enters with his hypnotic response in lock-step with Scott Kinsey's subtle assurance on keys. When asked about Arc Trio, Mr. Haslip says, "I wrote music that deals with deeper emotional experiences...searching for knowledge and opening my awareness of a world in need". Certainly, a song like "Owosso" fits this bill and is timely in these contentious times.

​The dynamic flow of ARC Trio leads followers skillfully to track four, "Viera", a song about Mr. Haslip's mother. At this point, the core trio makes introduction to guests that need no introduction. The soulful strength of Vinnie Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, many others) on drums and Latin fusion hero Steve Tavaglione (Jorge Strunz, Eduardo Del Barrio, Dave Weckl, Sly & The Family Stone, Steve Winwood) on flute. This powerful tribute starts with distinct Latin rhythm and brings in Mr. Tavaglione' soaring injections. It is chaotic at first before locking in tightly and fusing genres and styles. The interplay of flute and keyboard melody is masterful on the a palette of constantly evolving drum and bass improvisation.

ARC Trio is the biggest sound you will hear this year. The fusion of gratifying sounds, feels and styles leaves one satisfied yet craving more. When asked about live performances relating to this masterpiece, Jimmy Haslip exclaimed without hesitation, "ROCK THE HOUSE". 

One Note At a Time Soundtrack from Award-Winning Documentary Focuses on Musicians Who Returned to New Orleans In the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Louisiana Red Hot Records has announced the release of the soundtrack from the multi-award-winning documentary “One Note At a Time.” The feature film focuses on musicians who return to New Orleans after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina to keep the music alive and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic that keeps them alive. 

  

Some of these world renowned and legendary artists are Grammy winners Dr. John and “the Soul Queen of New Orleans” Irma Thomas, Damion and Charmaine Neville, British jazz drummer Barry Martyn, jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Walter Payton, Jr., The Cliff Hines Quintet, Ben Jaffe of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and poet Shelton “Shakespear’ Alexander, to mention a few. The soundtrack score was written by British composer Ray Russell.

“One Note At a Time” was directed by British film maker Renee Edwards, whose father is a Crescent City resident. Filmed over the course of four years it also includes interviews with New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic & Assistance Foundation co-founders Johann Bultman and President and Director Bethany Bultman.

  

Live recordings from Snug Harbor, filmed during a Health Initiative Benefit for the Musicians’ Clinic on August 7, 2011 include Damion Neville and the Charmaine Neville Band’s version of “Papa Was A Rolling Stone.” Dr. John performing “Roscoe’s Song,” an improv tribute to Herman “Roscoe” Ernst, his drummer who had passed away earlier that year and “Down the Road.” Poet Shelton “Shakespear” Alexander’s “Second Lining,” was written expressly for the film.  “This Little Light of Mine,” the finale for that show, features Dr. John, Gaynielle Neville, Cyril Neville, Amasi Miller, Shannon Powell, Jesse Boyd, Paul Pattan and Donald Harrison, Jr.

  

Additional tracks include the Hot 8 Brass Band’s “Let Me Do My Thing,” “Higher” by Felice Guimont, “Slip Away” by Chip Wilson and Jesse Moore, “Ray Nagin” by the To Be Continued Brass Band, Bud Tower’s “Please Don’t Take Me Home,” written for the Musicians’ Clinic benefit, and Ms. Pearl singing “Summertime,” live in the French Quarter. “Down By the Riverside” is sung by Barry Martyn and “Carnival Time” is an early version of Al “Carnival Time” Johnson’s classic hit. Additional tracks include the Cliff Hines Quintet’s “Tehran” and “Blue Monk” by Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra.  Award-winning British composer Ray Russell’s tracks from the motion picture score include “From The Heart” and the “One Note At a Time” theme song.     

Since its first screening at the New Orleans Film Festival “One Note At a Time” has gone on to win a Gold Award at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Review Independent Film Awards, opened the Santa Barbara Jazz Redux festival in California, screened at Sync Up Cinema as part of New Orleans Jazz Fest and won Best Feature Documentary at the Studio City (California) International Film Festival. United Kingdom accolades include Best Feature Documentary at the Nottingham International Film Festival, screening at the Guild of British Film and Television Editors Festival and winning Best Feature Documentary, Best Score and Film of the Festival at the Oxford International Film Festival.

“One Note At a Time” is being released to coincide with Munro Film’s United Kingdom theatrical release, starting on August 24 in select cities. Some of these cities include Chichester, Manchester and London. The digital film release is slated for September 3, 2018. Plans are under way for a world wide release later this year.

 

PONCHO SANCHEZ TO HEADLINE FREE TUCSON DOWNTOWN JAZZ FIESTA ON MLK DAY 2019

PLUS THIS DYNAMIC LINEUP INCLUDING: TROMBONE SHORTY, KATHLEEN GRACE WITH LARRY GOLDINGS, UA STUDIO JAZZ ENSEMBLE WITH TERELL STAFFORD, AND SHEILA JORDAN WITH CAMERON BROWN

The line-up for the 5th annual Tucson Jazz Festival, scheduled for Jan. 11-21, 2019, continues to take shape with the announcement of Poncho Sanchez headlining the free Downtown Jazz Fiesta on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019 (MLK Day). Last year the Jazz Fiesta drew more than 12,000 people downtown. Funding for the concert is provided, in part, by the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Rio Nuevo.

As the finale, the Downtown Jazz Fiesta will transform downtown Tucson into a concert destination with 30 bands performing in 5 venues including 2 outdoor stages on MLK Day, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. In addition to live performances, the Downtown Jazz Fiesta will include beer gardens, food trucks featuring a variety of cuisines, art demonstrations, interactive experiences and the unique and eclectic bars and restaurants of downtown.

Poncho Sanchez is a Mexican American conguero, Latin jazz band leader, and salsa singer. In 2000, he and his ensemble won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for their work on the Concord Picante album Latin Soul. Sanchez has performed with artists including Cal Tjader , Mongo Santamaría , Hugh Masekela , Clare Fischer and Tower of Power.

"This year, with the addition of Poncho Sanchez, we expect the Downtown Jazz Fiesta to continue to grow and we are anticipating more than 15,000 attendees," said Yvonne Ervin, founding Executive Director and current Artistic Director.

Tucson Jazz Festival organizers also announced that several recently added concerts will go on sale Friday, August 24: On Monday, Jan. 14, Kathleen Grace, an internationally recognized jazz vocalist, songwriter and educator, will be performing at Club Congress with pianist Larry Goldings. Grace, a Tucson native, appeared with Portugal the Man on the American Music Awards and will be featured on Jim James' (My Morning Jacket) solo 2018 album.

The UA Fred Fox School of Music Studio Jazz Ensemble with Terell Stafford will be at Crowder Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Stafford, an acclaimed trumpet player and educator who is Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University, has been hailed as "one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player" by piano legend McCoy Tyner.

Saturday, Jan. 19 NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown will perform a jazz vocal and upright bass duo at the Temple of Music and Art. Jordan made history with her classic 1963 debut Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note record's first album by a vocalist.

The 11-day Tucson Jazz Festival, scheduled for Jan. 11-21, 2019, will also feature performances by Joey Alexander plus the Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Band with special guest Terell Stafford, Bobby McFerrin, Asleep at the Wheel, Trombone Shorty, Pink Martini and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Special EXF with special guests Regina Carter and Eric Marienthal, Tucson Swings Brightly: The Music of Nelson Riddle featuring Ann Hampton Callaway, and an all-women double bill with the Magos Herrera Quartet and Jane Bunnett and Maqueque. Two of the shows are sponsored by the Tucson Desert Song Festival: Mr. McFerrin and the all-female show.

All shows are expected to sell out this year as ticket sales are currently far ahead of last year's numbers. Seven of nine shows sold out at the last Tucson Jazz Festival held in January 2018.

Tickets can be purchased through the festival website - www.tucsonjazzfestival.or....

Artists in order of appearance:

Friday, Jan. 11

Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Band with Terell Stafford

Joey Alexander

7:30 p.m. Fox Tucson Theatre

Saturday, Jan. 12

Groover Quartet

Special EFX with special guests Regina Carter and Eric Marienthal

7:30 p.m. Fox Tucson Theatre

Sunday, Jan. 13

Tucson Swings Brightly: The Music of Nelson Riddle featuring Ann Hampton Callaway, Katherine Byrnes and Joe Bourne with Jeffrey Haskell, conductor

7:30 p.m. Fox Tucson Theatre

Monday, Jan. 14

Kathleen Grace with Larry Goldings

7:30 p.m. Club Congress

Tuesday, Jan. 15

UA Studio Jazz Ensemble with special guest Terell Stafford

7:30 p.m. Crowder Hall

Wednesday, Jan. 16

All-Women Double Bill

Magos Herrera Quartet

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

7:30 p.m. Fox Tucson Theatre

Thursday, Jan. 17

Asleep at the Wheel

7:30 p.m. Fox Tucson Theatre

Friday, Jan. 18

Trombone Shorty

Presented by UAPresents

7:30 p.m. Centennial Hall

Saturday, Jan. 19

Pink Martini and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra

7:30 p.m. TCC Music Hall

Saturday, Jan. 19

Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown

7:30 p.m. Temple of Music and Art Cabaret Room

Sunday, Jan. 20

Pink Martini and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra

2:00 p.m. TCC Music Hall

Sunday, Jan. 20

Bobby McFerrin: circlesongs

7:30 p.m. Fox Tucson Theatre

Monday, Jan. 21

Free Downtown Jazz Fiesta

Poncho Sanchez plus 30 bands on various stages downtown

11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Trumpeter Erik Jekabson takes his sextet on a musical journey through the San Francisco Bay Area

Trumpeter Erik Jekabson spent nearly five months composing new music while going about his San Francisco Bay Area life before gathering his sextet at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley to track “Erik Jekabson Sextet,” which drops September 7 on Wide Hive Records. Inspired by places, events, moods and ideas, the nine original compositions that he wrote for his seventh album were recorded all in one day with Gregory Howe in the producer’s chair. 

Jekabson regathered the musicians – guitarist Dave Macnab, saxophonist Dave Ellis, drummer Hamir Atwal and bassist John Wiitala - who appeared on his 2017 outing, “Erik Jekabson Quintet,” and added seven-time Grammy-nominated percussionist John Santos.

  

Hazy stop lights and blurred lines mix and meld on “San Pablo Avenue,” a richly-textured tune that combines some of Jekabson’s trademarks: lyrical melodies, unexpected rhythmic shifts and modern harmonies. The transcendent “Floating Song” unfolds at a deliberate pace, slowly adding layers, countermelodies and builds in intensity over a solemn bass line. “The Hills of Santa Cruz” is an atmospheric sojourn featuring Jekabson’s dark trumpet tone and Macnab’s nuanced guitar accompaniment. The pace picks up on the charismatic “Chrysalis,” a grooving Brazilian baiao showcasing Santos’ skillfully-layered percussion and special guest keyboardist Matt Clark. Humor and quirkiness abound on “Cat and Mouse”; the storming “Hive Wide” slashes a soulful path highlighting Ellis’ tenor saxophone; and “Gentle Wave” washes over the shoreline full of restraint and grace. A literal “Change Up,” the outfit gets into a swinging mood on the head bobbing, finger-popping jaunt propelled by the tight hookup of bassist Wiitaka and drummer Atwal. “Medjool” closes the collection with a Middle Eastern-flavored melody featuring Santos’s rife embellishments. 

“This recording is a documentation of the sounds of my busy life here in the San Francisco Bay Area, interpreted by some of my favorite Bay Area musicians. I suppose all composers are influenced by their environment and I'm no different. I wrote music for this particular band, but I allowed the ideas and inspirations for the songs to come to me as I went about my life here. I would hear the beginnings or seeds of these songs at different times - sometimes during reflection, sometimes while traveling, often when watching something that interested me and made me think, ‘How would this sound if it were a piece of music?’ I would immediately sing most of these musical ideas into my iPhone and then sit down at the piano later to finish them. I was able to envision the sound of these particular musicians when writing as we’ve been playing and recording together now for a few years,” said Jekabson, a musician, composer, arranger, band leader, educator, mentor and author who manages to balance his life with aplomb. 

“I came up with the compositions for this album in between gigging, teaching, running the Young Musicians program at the California Jazz Conservatory, leading the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra Big Band, arranging and composing for other projects and getting prepared for the birth of my second daughter,” said Jekabson who will support the new record with a series of album release concerts throughout the Bay Area (Sept. 28 in San Jose, Sept. 29 in Oakland and Oct. 12 in San Francisco).                             

Jekabson debuted as a leader on 2002’s “Intersection” and his solo records have placed him in a variety of band configurations. After earning a master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2005, he’s been busy in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene, co-producing and performing on two Electric Squeezebox Orchestra albums. Last year, Jekabson played alongside Kamasi Washington as part of Throttle Elevator Music. As a sideman, he performed on iconic late-night television shows – from Letterman to Leno – and/or toured with John Mayer and Galactic. His deft touch as an arranger has burnished works by an interesting assortment of vocalists including Madeleine Peyroux, Ani DiFranco and Jane Krakowski as well as a host of orchestras, symphonies and jazz ensembles. Jekabson regularly serves as an instructor at Jazzcamp West along with several esteemed workshops and institutes. In addition to the California Jazz Conservatory, he is on the faculty at several colleges and is a seasoned clinician.           

  

“Erik Jekabson Sextet” includes the following songs:

“San Pablo Avenue”

“Floating Song”

“The Hills of Santa Cruz”

“Chrysalis”

“Cat and Mouse”

“Hive Wide”

“Gentle Wave”

“Change Up”

“Medjool”

www.erikjekabson.com

Montreal-Based Pianist Andrés Vial Launches Series of Recordings Exploring Thelonious Monk's Music With "Sphereology Volume One"

Andres Vial Sphereology Volume One Pianist Andrés Vial (pronounced Vee-al) launches a series of recordings offering new perspectives on the oeuvre of Thelonious Sphere Monk with the September 28 release of Sphereology Volume One on Chromatic Audio Records.

It's a project the Montreal native has been working on since 2005, when he organized an annual Thelonious Monk Festival in Montreal. "My band played four nights of Monk's music there," says Vial. "I transcribed about 50 of his tunes for those gigs, and the festival ran for four years."

Sharing the front line with Vial on the new album, his fourth, is guitarist Peter Bernstein, who released his own critically acclaimed disc celebrating Monk in 2008. Vial also employs two different rhythm sections: Bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Rodney Green, mainstays of the New York jazz scene, appear on the first six tracks of the album, which was recorded in the fall of 2017, on the eve of the Monk Centennial. Bassist Martin Heslop and drummer André White, who have been Vial's Montreal rhythm section since Monk Fest, appear on the last three tracks of the album.

"I consider Peter one of the leading interpreters of Monk's music today," Vial says. "He's one of the rare people who if we're on a gig together, I can call a bunch of practically esoteric Monk tunes and he'll know them. Even though Monk is a hugely important part of the jazz canon, musicians usually only play about a dozen of his tunes. There are another 60 tunes that are very infrequently performed."

  

Sphereology introduces listeners to more obscure, rarely recorded pieces over familiar ones. The opening track, "Bluehawk," is a blues Monk only recorded once as a solo. In one of the few instances on the album where a song's groove has been changed from the original, Green uses the infectious New Orleans Second Line rhythm made famous by drummer Vernel Fournier on Ahmad Jamal's "Poinciana."  

"I had a few simple arrangement ideas," Vial adds, "but I wasn't really interested in going into the studio with 10-page-long charts and lots of reharmonizations. I wanted to keep it loose and just dive in. The musical interaction that happens within the tunes is the important part."

The other nine tunes include "Coming on the Hudson," with its unique 18½-bar form and unusual chord progression, and -- perhaps the most recognizable piece on the album -- "Think of One," which is re-contextualized with an Afro 6/8 groove, shifting to swing on the bridge and the piano solo. "Ask Me Now" is a duo performance by Vial and Bernstein, and the little-known "Introspection" (composed in 1947) is the oldest Monk song on the album.

 

 Andres Vial Born in 1979 in Montreal, Andrés Vial recalls sitting at the piano improvising songs as a child. He began taking lessons but wasn't interested in learning to sight-read. "I would listen to my teacher play the piece," he recalls, "and then basically learn it by ear instead of off the page." He also learned from the classical, Latin, and pop records he heard around the house. 

When Vial was 11, his mother came home with a copy of John Coltrane's Blue Train. "I was just floored," he says. "That was the record that really changed the course of my life, and I was obsessed with it for years to come." He joined his middle school and high school jazz bands and also began playing drums and vibraphone. 

Andres Vial Vial studied jazz drums and classical percussion at Montreal's Vanier College before transferring to the New School in New York, earning a degree in jazz piano and studying with Bill Charlap, Hal Galper, Joe Chambers, and Buster Williams. Returning to Montreal, he immediately became active on the jazz scene as well as joining the Kalmunity Vibe Collective, a grassroots group of musicians from all over the world working within black musical forms. Through the collective, he met singer Malika Tirolien (Snarky Puppy, Bokanté) and joined her band (she appeared on his debut recording, 2007's Trio/Septet).

Vial's three previous albums -- also including The Infinite Field (2011) and conception/oblivion (2015) -- reveal that he is not afraid to take risks. His fidelity to Monk's vision springs not from a lack of boldness, but from a recognition that it needs no elaboration. 

"Monk tunes are already perfect," says the pianist. "It's impossible to separate the melody from the rhythmic concept and chord voicings in each composition. Of course, you don't only want to play Monk voicings the whole time; you have to find your own way to play the tune.

"I see it as a two-step process. One, go as deeply as you can into Monk's music, and two, figure out what you're going to do to bring your own voice to it. That's what the Sphereology project is really about." 

JOSÉ JAMES PAYS TRIBUTE TO BILL WITHERS WITH "LEAN ON ME" OUT SEPT. 28

Singer, songwriter and lifelong fan José James honors the great Bill Withers with the September 28 release of Lean On Me (Blue Note), a loving tribute album that features 12 of the legendary singer and songwriter’s most undeniable and soulful songs in honor of his 80th birthday year. Lean On Me was produced by Blue Note president Don Was and recorded in Capitol's legendary Studio B with a dream team band: Pino Palladino (bass), Kris Bowers (keys), Brad Allen Williams (guitar), and Nate Smith (drums), along with special guests including vocalist Lalah Hathaway, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and trumpeter Takuya Kuroda. 

James is often celebrated for his genre-blending— his prolific output over the past decade has crisscrossed jazz, R&B, soul, hip-hop and indie rock—but this project is different. “Bill wrote the songs you love your whole life,” he says. “I didn't want to put hip-hop beats under his music or deconstruct it with 10-minute bebop solos. There was only one right move here: show up with a killer band, run the tape, capture the vibe. We just played the songs.”

That's also how all of this began, over the past few years, with James adding more and more Withers hits to his live set until he wound up with a massive medley that felt “like the best kind of church—people crying, dancing, singing and shouting. It was powerful,” he says. At the same time, James was reeling from the deaths of so many of his musical heroes. He couldn't shake the urge that he ought to celebrate that living icon among us, Withers, whose influence is everywhere and yet whose name is too often left out of the canon. Along the way James' silken voice has only gotten richer, warmer, and more resonant—a perfect delivery system for Withers' humane wisdom.

Lean on Me was born in late 2017 as a touring project but an album was always the goal. James, who has created masterful tributes to Billie Holiday and John Coltrane, went full ethnomusicologist in choosing the songs, poring over Withers' nine LPs, the 2009 Still Bill documentary, and some untold number of YouTube clips for clues. When he had his short list, he still doubted himself: “I reached out to Don to ask, ‘Do you think these songs would be cool?’ Don's like, ‘I dunno. Let's ask Bill.’ I felt like: ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’” But Withers gave his blessing over dinner at Hollywood's storied Musso & Frank's. For James it was a bucket list moment.

“Meeting Bill Withers was one of the personal highlights of my life,” says James. “He's a total genius and one of the coolest people I've ever met. I learned more in that one hour with him than I learned at music school or a decade's worth of live shows. We all adore him and any songwriter worth their salt knows that Bill is up there with Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Carole King, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elton John, Billy Joel – he's in the pantheon of greats. Plus he's an amazing singer and developed a sophisticated sound that blends funk, singer-songwriter, blues, R&B and gospel. I showed him my list of his songs and he absolutely loved it. I think he's happy that his music still has a place in the lives and hearts of people worldwide and that we all want to celebrate his life and talent.”

Withers retired decades ago, but this band reminds us how much he's still with us. Part of that is familiarity—this is largely the lineup from James' breakout 2013 Blue Note debut No Beginning No End—but no amount of chops or mindmeld explains the earnestness they call up for Lean on Me. “You have to believe every word of it,” says James. “With Bill, there's no space to not be genuine. You need to be comfortable with your emotional self, your masculine and feminine side, and hang it all out there.”

  

José James – Tour Dates:

Aug. 29 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA

Sept. 9 – Jazz à la Villette – Paris, France

Sept. 10 – Union Chapel – London, UK

Sept. 11 – Ancienne Belgique – Brussels, Belgium

Sept. 12 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Sept. 13 – Heimathafen – Berlin, Germany

Sept. 22 – Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA

Oct. 19 – Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA

Oct. 20 – The Hamilton – Washington DC

Oct. 26 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY

Oct. 31 – Billboard Live – Osaka, Japan

Nov. 1 – Billboard Live – Tokyo, Japan

Nov. 2 – Billboard Live – Tokyo, Japan

Nov. 8 – Garfield Theatre – La Jolla, CA

Nov. 15 – Arts Commons – Calgary, AB

Jan. 25 – Berklee Performance Center – Boston, MA

Jan. 26-Feb. 2 – Blue Note at Sea

Mar. 15 – Chicago Symphony Center – Chicago, IL

Reel People are back with "Retroflection"

Reel People are back. Back to their roots. Back to the future. Back with a bang. Eagerly awaited new album Retroflection sees the revered collective recreating 12 soul, disco and boogie classics pivotal to their formation nearly 20 years ago and subsequent hugely successful evolution. Band leader Oli Lazarus has gathered a stellar cast of musicians and singers, – the likes of Angie Stone, Mica Paris, Omar, Tony Momrelle, Navasha Daya, Anthony David, LaSharVu and Sharlene Hector breathing fresh and irresistible life into seminal grooves by Maze, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King and Teena Marie among others.

Mica Paris opens proceedings, her powerful take on Alicia Myers’ gospel-R&B jam I Want To Thank You an impressive herald for what’s to come – authenticity, contemporary edge, rich musicianship, beating soulful heart. 

Angie Stone provides sass ‘n’ slink over signature low-end synths for a suitably raw retooling of Yarbrough & People’s 1980 hit Don’t Stop The Music, whilst the funky strut of Thinking About Your Love (a crisper, more urgent update of Skipworth & Turner) perfectly complements Omar’s expansive, one-in-a-million vocals. 

Elsewhere, Reel People regular Tony Momrelle revisits Carl Anderson’s mid-Eighties gem Buttercup (penned by Stevie Wonder) with considerable finesse as well as Bill Withers’ seriously underrated collabo with guitarist Jose Feliciano, Can We Pretend. 

Basement Jaxx songstress Sharlene Hector uplifts on a sparkling new version of Side Effect’s Always There. 

Reel People’s sweet summer hook-ups with Baltimore chanteuse Navasha Daya are also present and correct – I’m In Love and Can’t Fake The Feeling pay affectionate tribute to Evelyn‘Champagne’ King and Geraldine Hunt respectively at the same time as showcasing Daya’s sublime, jazz-flecked delivery. 

There’s still room for Anthony David’s luscious rendition of deep-soul bomb Keep It Up (originally by Milton Wright) and for LaSharVu – a white-hot amalgam of Hector and fellow female powerhouses Vulu Malinga and LaDonna Harley-Peters – to smartly re-dress Teena Marie joint I Need Your Lovin’ . Sleek instrumental twists on Maze’s Twilight and Pleasure’s Joyous complete the incredible line-up.

Reel People’s first full studio album in 10 years (following acclaimed releases Second Guess and Seven Ways To Wonder , as well as compilation work including Golden Lady), Retroflection reflects the highest possible level of passion and polish. Such soulful devotion and craftmanship has ever been a Reel People hallmark. Recorded in London and Atlanta over an intense 12-month period, Retroflection also avoids the formulaic overload of modern beats and basslines that countless others pursue. Here the past is artfully reawakened, Reel People’s talented cast of performers re-treading classic riffs with new yet respectful purpose. 

Their compelling neo-soul blend of now and then should awe diehards and newcomers alike. Retroflection is one hell of a return. Oh, and before you ask – (it’s the question Lazarus gets the most) – live shows are set to follow. Reel People have recorded Retroflection with an easy translation to ‘the road’ front of funky mind. Looks, then, like we’ll be enjoying this incredible group’s company well into 2019…and beyond. It really is good to have them back.

www.firstexperiencerecords.com

New Music Releases: Art Hirahara, Willie Hightower, Nick Finzer

Art Hirahara – Sunward Bound

Pianist Art Hirahara soars to the sun here – really rising to the top with an excellent group that features superb rhythm from Linda May Han Oh on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – plus a bit of tenor from Donny McCaslin as well! The core trio is more than enough, though – and the pairing of Oh and Royston is superb, with this round, rolling, always-soulful energy that really seems to illuminate Art's piano more than usual – setting a fire that's taken ever onward by Donny when he slides into a tune with those raspy notes of his! Most tunes are Hirahara originals, and are great too – with titles that include "Brooklyn Express", "Ruse For Blues Shoes", "Suspended", "Up Turn Out", "Beyond Right & Wrong", "Points Of View", "Unbound", and "Sunward Bound". ~ Dusty Groove

Willie Hightower – Out Of The Blue

The long-overdue return of a southern soul legend – as the great Willie Hightower returns to the Muscle Shoals scene that gave him some of his best music of the 60s! Hearing the sound of the record, it's as if nothing's changed at all – and we mean that in the best way possible – as Willie's vocals are still wonderful, and the backing has that right mode of easygoing soul to really let the singer flow – which he does wonderfully under the production guidance of equal southern soul legend Quinton Claunch, with backing from all star players who include Travis Wammack on guitar and Clayton Ivey on Hammond. The whole thing's better than you might even expect – like lost tapes from the mid 70s, with a warm glow that shows Willie in perfect for all the way through! Titles include "Everybody Wants My Girl", "No Gettin Over Me", "You Can't Love", "I Found You", "Raining All The Time", "Somewhere Dry", "Tired Of Losing You", and "Easy Loving". ~ Dusty Groove

Nick Finzer – No Arrival

Trombonist Nick Finzer's got a round, warm sound throughout – a well-blown approach to his instrument that comes on with all the rich colors of a classic player like Curtis Fuller or JJ Johnson! Yet there's also a freshness to the record, too – partly because Nick wrote about half the songs himself, and partly because the whole thing has that crisp crackle that we love so much from the Posi-tone label – a rock-solid quality, delivered by a lineup that includes Victor Gould on piano, Lucas Pino on tenor, Alex Wintz on guitar, Dave Baron on bass, and Jimmy MacBride on drums. Titles include "Never Enough", "Rinse & Repeat", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "No Arrival", "Tomorrow Next Year", and a version of the Prince tune "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold". ~ Dusty Groove

BUDDY GUY “The Blues Is Alive And Well” features appearances by MICK JAGGER, KEITH RICHARDS, JEFF BECK & JAMES BAY

Multi-Grammy Award winning blues icon Buddy Guy has released his brand new studio album, The Blues Is Alive And Well via Silvertone/RCA Records. Included on the album are “Cognac” featuring Keith Richards & Jeff Beck, “Blue No More” featuring James Bay, and the Sonny Boy Williamson penned-classic “Nine Below Zero.” The album also features Mick Jagger joining Buddy on “You Did The Crime.” Grammy Award winning producer/songwriter and longtime collaborator Tom Hambridge produced the album and penned 13 original songs for the album.

The press has been raving about the new tracks released thus far —  Rolling Stone called the first track out “Nine Below Zero,” “searing” and “masterful” and declared “Buddy Guy proves blues is alive and well” and Guitar World wrote “scintillating” and “powerful.”   Of the second song released, “Blue No More” featuring James Bay, Billboard described it as a “soulful slow-jam,” and Rolling Stone noted “…Bay knows he’s singing in the company of musical royalty, so he pushes his voice as hard as he can, exploring the rougher edges of his register. Buddy Guy is 81, but he shows no signs of decreasing productivity.” Last week, Buddy released “Cognac” featuring Jeff Beck & Keith Richards to continued raves. In their review, Rolling Stone writes “the five-minute six-string showcase doubles as a bluesy drinking session between the trio of ‘Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists’ as Guy howls about women, the past and one late bluesman who was a drinking buddy.” Guitar World calls “Cognac” “the trio’s wonderful concoction” and Grammy.com writes it’s “a spell-binding dip into the blues.”

It was previously announced that Buddy Guy will be the recipient of the The Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award on September 12th ceremony at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Visit http://americanamusic.org/ for more information.THE BLUES IS ALIVE AND WELL is Buddy Guy’s follow up to his 2015 album Born To Play Guitar, which won “Best Blues Album” at the 2016 Grammy Awards, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Blues Album charts and marked Guy’s fifth #1 album on the chart and twelfth Top 10 Billboard Blues album.

In his quest to keep the genre vital, Guy chats about the origin of southern blues and performs on David Letterman’s series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, airing now on Netflix.

The Blues Is Alive And Well track list:

01 A Few Good Years

02 Guilty As Charged

03 Cognac (featuring Jeff Beck & Keith Richards)

04 The Blues Is Alive And Well

05 Bad Day

06 Blue No More (featuring James Bay)

07 Whiskey For Sale

08 You Did The Crime (featuring Mick Jagger)

09 Old Fashioned

10 When My Day Comes

11 Nine Below Zero

12 Ooh Daddy

13 Somebody Up There

14 End Of The Line                         

The recipient of the 2015 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Buddy Guy’s incredible career spans over 50 years with just as many albums released. Career highlights include 7 Grammy Awards, 37 Blues Music Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, NARM Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement, Billboard Music Awards’ Century Award for distinguished artistic development, Presidential National Medal of Arts, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to name a few.

At 81 years young, Guy proves that it gets greater later as he continues to record and tour around the world with recent performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater and more (click here and see below for full touring schedule).

Stay connected with Buddy Guy:

www.buddyguy.net

www.buddyguy.com

www.facebook.com/therealbudyguy

twitter.com/therealbuddyguy

instagram.com/therealbuddyguy/

BUDDY GUY TOUR DATES

8/25 Quebec, CN – Trois-Rivieres en Blues Festival

8/31 Peoria, IL – Peoria Blues Festival

9/06 Richmond, VA – Carpenter Theatre

9/07 Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester

9/09 Charleston, WV- Clay Center

9/13 Louisville, KY- Louisville Palace

9/20 Conway, AR- University of Central AR

9/27 Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre

9/28 Greenville, SC – Peace Center

9/29 Chapel Hill, NC – UNC Chapel Hill

10/3 Windsor, ON – Caesars

10/5 Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live

10/6 Ft Wayne, IN – The Clyde Theater

10/27 Monte Carlo, MONACO – Sporting Club

11/02 Frederikshavn, DENMARK – Blues Heaven Festival

11/03 Naestved, DENMARK – Blues Paradise

11/06 Paris, FRANCE- Salle Pleyel

2/14/19   Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Rock Legends Cruise VII

2/15/19   Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Rock Legends Cruise VII

2/16/19   Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Rock Legends Cruise VII

2/17/19   Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Rock Legends Cruise VII

2/18/19   Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Rock Legends Cruise VII

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE… IT’S “SUPERHEROES”! RANDY WALDMAN’S JAZZ SUPERHEROES-PACKED CD COMING SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 ON BFM JAZZ

RANDY WALDMAN’s career spans more than 40 years, and he’s performed and toured with many of the biggest names in the jazz, pop and R&B worlds. His work can be heard on hundreds of movies, television shows, and albums. Randy has been Barbra Streisand’s pianist and musical director for over 30 years and is featured on many of her albums, movies, and live performances. He won a Grammy for co-arranging "Somewhere" on Streisand's The Broadway Album, and he received a Grammy nomination for Best Vocal Arrangement for The Manhattan Transfer's track, "Code of Ethics" from their album Bodies and Souls. He also toured with George Benson for seven years as his pianist, conductor and arranger. Waldman has worked with the brightest stars in the music firmament, from Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney to Michael Bublé and Quincy Jones.
Waldman’s newest project is called SUPERHEROES. 

Five years in the making, SUPERHEROES features the stellar rhythm section of pianist RANDY WALDMAN, drummer VINNIE COLAIUTA and bassist CARLITOS DEL PUERTO, who are joined by jazz luminaries including CHICK COREA, WYNTON MARSALIS, STEVE GADD, RANDY BRECKER, EDDIE DANIELS, GEORGE BENSON, JOE LOVANO, ARTURO SANDOVAL, CHRIS POTTER, and the vocal group TAKE 6.

Waldman re-arranged theme music from his favorite superhero movies and TV shows, transforming them into fun, accessible, and exciting jazz tunes. Waldman got the idea for this project a few years ago when he had the good fortune to be seated at an event next to actor Adam West, the original TV Batman. “We talked a lot about music,” relates Waldman. “Adam loved jazz, and the thought occurred to me that he was an actual jazz superhero. That surprising and unexpected conversation stayed in the back of my mind for years.” That chance encounter percolated in Randy’s mind, and inspiration came like a bolt out of the blue. He would make a CD of superhero theme music played by some of his jazz superheroes!

Although he works with artists across many genres, jazz is Waldman’s first love, and he’s previously produced and released three Randy Waldman Trio CDs. Wigged Out (1998) features jazz greats John Patitucci on bass (Chick Corea) and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums (Herbie Hancock, Sting), as well as several legendary musical guests, including Arturo Sandoval, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Freddie Hubbard. UnReel (2001) comprises a variety of soundtrack and theme music from many different films and television shows that Waldman re-arranged and presents as jazz tunes.

Timing is Everything (2003) features bass player Brian Bromberg and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. Like most kids growing up, Waldman watched all the popular superhero TV shows, but his favorite was “Adventures of Superman,” and he included in this project the themes from both the TV show and the movies. Waldman opens the TV theme with voiceover cameos by JOHN TRAVOLTA, JEFF GOLDBLUM, JAMES BROLIN, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, MICHAEL BUBLÉ, AND JOSH GROBAN. The track features Eddie Daniels, who leads off with a beautifully crafted tenor sax solo. Trumpeter Randy Brecker effortlessly follows up the piano solo with a harmonically rich and textured improvisation. 

The track culminates with a drum solo by Colaiuta that defies the rhythmic laws of physics.
Waldman captures the clash between good and evil on the “Superman Movie” theme in a musical interchange between guitar legend George Benson and bassist del Puerto.
“Mighty Mouse” was also popular in the movies and on TV. Waldman created a difficult, polyrhythmic arrangement of the theme that features an intricate drum pattern by Colaiuta and a powerful 13-piece horn section with solos by del Puerto and saxophonist Joe Lovano.
“Spiderman” movies are surely one of the most popular, contemporary superhero franchises, and the theme from the movies is instantly recognizable. The vocal group Take 6 performs an a cappella intro to the tune, arranged by MARK KIBBLE, while saxophonist Chris Potter wails over the Latin groove.

In a unique pairing, drummers Colaiuta and Steve Gadd perform together for the first time on the theme to the “Six Million Dollar Man.” The tune also features trumpet great Arturo Sandoval soaring over the propulsive Latin beat.

“Super Chicken” begins with a slow, deliberate, ascending Rhapsody in Blue-like clarinet glissando by Eddie Daniels, which quickly turns into a barn-burning 360 beats per minute number that features BOB McCHESNEY on trombone and Sandoval on trumpet.
For “The Incredible Hulk,” Waldman chose to focus on the character’s sensitive human side rather than on his manifestation as a gigantic green monster. Chick Corea, one of Waldman’s favorite pianists, joins in on this track with a signature synth solo.

The “X-Men” theme, from another popular and very contemporary movie franchise, features solos by trumpeter TILL BRÖNNER and Colaiuta.

The “Batman” TV theme is backed by a supercharged 13-piece horn section accentuating the “bam,” “sock,” “pow” hits. Legendary Wynton Marsalis lends his super talents to this caped crusader’s musical mission. The “Batman” movie theme is very different than the TV theme. Waldman captures the dark and mysterious feel of the theme, which is highlighted in a solo by guitarist MICHAEL O’NEILL.

Colaiuta and Gadd bounce off each other in asymmetrical rhythms in the “Underdog” theme. McChesney’s trombone solo achieves stunning, technical articulations.

SUPERHEROES is serious music performed by superheroes of the jazz world. This is music of the highest caliber. It’s fun and accessible even for people who don’t normally listen to jazz.

Featuring
RANDY WALDMAN  piano, trumpet (3,4,5), background vocals (5)

GEORGE BENSON guitar(2)

WAYNE BERGERON lead trumpet (4)

RANDY BRECKER trumpet (1)

TILL BRÖNNER trumpet (10)

VINNIE COLAIUTA drums

CHICK COREA piano (9)

EDDIE DANIELS clarinet (1,11)

CARLITOS DEL PUERTO bass

BRANDON FIELDS saxes

STEVE GADD drums (5,7,8)

JOE LOVANO sax (5)

WYNTON MARSALIS trumpet solo (4)

BOB McCHESNEY trombone (7,11)

MICHAEL O’NEILL guitar

RAFAEL PADILLA percussion

CHRIS POTTER  (6)

TAKE 6 vocals (6)

ARTURO SANDOVAL trumpet (8,11)

STEVEN SZABADI trombones

Cameos by

JAMES BROLIN, MICHAEL BUBLÉ, JEFF GOLDBLUM, JOSH GROBAN, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, JOHN TRAVOLTA

Tracks

1.   THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (TV THEME)  6:53

2.   MIGHTY MOUSE THEME  5:16

3.   SPIDERMAN THEME  5:07

4.   SUPERMAN (MOVIE)  4:52

5.   BATMAN THEME (TV)  5:17

6.   THE INCREDIBLE HULK (MAIN TITLE)  3:19

7.   SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN THEME  6:08

8.   BATMAN THEME (1989 MOVIE)  4:53

9.   X-MEN TV THEME  5:02

10.  UNDERDOG TV THEME 6:36

11.  SUPER CHICKEN THEME  4:06