SONAR with David Torn - Tranceportation (Volume 1)

Swiss band Sonar announces Tranceportation (Volume 1), their fifth studio album and the second by them to feature American avant-guitarist legend, David Torn.

"Had MC Escher made music instead of drawing impossible and perplexing perspectives, it would sound like Sonar" is how writer Sid Smith once assessed the Swiss-based band's work.

It remains an apt description for the outfit's method of creating hypnotic pieces by gradually building intricate patterns of picked notes, plucked harmonics, mesmeric bass, and insistent rhythms.

The music created by Stephan Thelen (tritone guitar), Bernhard Wagner (tritone guitar), Christian Kuntner (tritone bass), Manuel Pasquinelli (drums, percussion) harnesses elements of rock, jazz and contemporary classical minimalism and fuses them to create a distinctive musical language.

Their partnership with David Torn began with their 2018 release, Vortex. Initially brought in as producer, such was Torn's enthusiasm for the quartet's music he couldn't help but add his flowing brand of effusive, vivid soloing and textural layering across the breadth of the record. While that was a spontaneous, off-the-cuff reaction to music that had been composed for a quartet, for Tranceportation the music has been specifically composed with Torn in mind from the very beginning.

Bringing a renowned and adventurous musicality to everything he does, Torn's reputation as a 'wild card' instrumentalist has seen him work with an impressively wide array of diverse artists that includes David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Bill Bruford, David Sylvian, Tori Amos, Mick Karn, Madonna, Jeff Beck and Jan Garbarek among others.

With parts written and arranged for a new quintet formation of Sonar there's a greater integration of space for improvisation and deeper sonic exploration built into the music. 

Sonar's principal composer, Stephan Thelen, says of Torn, "David is somebody I have known all my life through his music and whom I really admire for his work. So to get him over to work with us in Switzerland first as a producer and then as a player was really exciting." Torn's fluid improvisations over Sonar's tight clusters of sound added yet more depth to their work.

Recorded in Bellmund, Switzerland during a marathon five-day session that yielded over 80 minutes worth of material, they have chosen to release the first half of those sessions as Tranceportation (Volume 1) in November 2019 with Volume 2 scheduled for release in May 2020.

Thelen, who in addition to his work for Sonar has previously been commissioned to write for the acclaimed Kronos Quartet, explains how the music of Tranceportation works. "The seven new pieces which make up the two volumes of Tranceportation are all based on harmonically remarkably simple patterns that only consist of a few notes and that are, in one form or another, repeated throughout the whole piece, which is clearly where the 'trance' element comes in. However, using rhythmical techniques like isorhythms, polyrhythms and odd time signatures, these seemingly simple patterns actually subtly create complex rhythms and twisted sonic illusions."

Likening this aspect of his work to the conceptual puzzles embedded within MC Escher's paintings, Thelen explains that the repetitions don't appear immediately obvious. "So, even if you only hear a few notes, it sometimes takes a very long time until the overall pattern is in fact repeated."

While the conceptual and structural underpinning of Tranceportation's music is vital, so too are the impassioned performances that resonate at the heart of the four tracks that make up Volume 1. Riding alongside the metronomic certainties of the sonic architecture, surges of dialogue and discursive ideas are vented and examined as the tension within the music builds and creative sparks fly.

At its heart, the compositions and performances on Tranceportation invites listeners to step away from the mundane and enter into the transformative space that Sonar and David Torn create. They say every journey begins with a step. This journey begins with your ears.

TRACKS

1. Labyrinth (14:26)

2. Partitions (5:37)

3. Red Sky (11:14)

4. Tunnel Drive (7:42)

Volume 2 is scheduled for release in May 2020.

Jazz/Rock Reissue From David Axelrod - Seriously Deep

The rediscovery of the music of David Axelrod in the 1990s was a revelation to the scores of Hip-Hop and breakbeat DJs that sampled him, but his composition genius was on display as early as the 1960s. After producing and arranging major critical and commercial hits for Lou Rawls, The Electric Prunes, David McCallum, and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, he was encouraged by Capitol Records to record and produce solo material. Coming right on the heels of The Beatles' revolutionary 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, Axelrod would produce a slew of instrumental baroque pop records, which were intricately orchestrated, fused elements of jazz, psychedelic rock, chamber music, and neo-classical, and tackled issues of mental enlightenment, environmental impact, and would be hailed by critics as highly ambitious pieces of conceptual art.

The albums Song Of Innocence (1968), Songs Of Experience (1969), and Earth Rot (1970) are most often hailed as David Axelrod's finest moments, but little is mentioned of the producer's 1970s material. Among these records is Seriously Deep, his lone album recorded for Polydor, and an unheralded gem of jazz-rock fusion. On Seriously Deep, Axelrod dispenses with the heavily orchestrated measures of previous works to conduct a powerhouse crew of session musicians, including Leon Ndugu Chancler of Santana on drums, Mailto Correa on percussion, Jim Hughart on bass, Joe Sample on electric keys, and many others, with production from frequent Axelrod collaborators Cannonball Adderley and Jimmy Bowen.

Seriously Deep is an obscure release, but also one of David Axlerod's tightest, and most exploratory ones. Across six tracks, Axelrod and his collective of players dip in and out of bounding jazz-funk, Afro-Latin grooves, cinematic flourishes, psychedelic synth washes, and blaring big band horns. It's a singularly insular curiosity of musical impressionism that's equal parts brooding and joyous, a definitive part of Axelrod's discography, and a well of sample material for tracks by Mobb Deep, Large Professor, The Black Eyed Peas, and Beanie Siegel, among others.



Two-Time Grammy Nominated Jazz and R&B Duo The Baylor Project FREE at Harlem Stage

Harlem Stage, the legendary uptown venue that for over 35 years has promoted the creative legacy of Harlem and artists of color from around the corner and across the globe, is proud to present its Fall 2019 season of performances. The season is curated by Monique Martin, Director of Programming for Harlem Stage, and will celebrate the centennial legacy of the Harlem Renaissance. This season also welcomes legendary rock goddess, Nona Hendryx, as the Artistic Director for Harlem Stage’s new year-long initiative focusing on Sun Ra and Afrofuturism. The initiative will present performances that interweave music, technology, literature and dance to celebrate the legacy of visionary and pioneer of Afrofuturism, Sun Ra, along with the contributions of the countless artists he has inspired. Through these two powerful themes, which will carry into the 2020 season, Harlem Stage will reflect on and celebrate the past, present and artistic future of Harlem and explore how the Harlem Renaissance continues to be a rich source of inspiration across the globe while Afrofuturism continues to push the boundaries of our artistic imagination.

On December 5th, Harlem Stage in partnership with Carnegie Hall Citywide will present a FREE concert from two-time Grammy nominated, The Baylor Project. The Baylors will raise the audience up and inspire them to clap along as they entice ears with the swinging mid-tempo tune of original compositions and new arrangements of classic pieces. 

The Baylor Project is the husband-and-wife team of vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor.

The collaboration is deeply rooted in the heart and soul of Jazz, with influences of gospel, blues, and soul.

Their debut CD "The Journey" released on their own label, Be A Light, topped the Billboard Jazz Chart at Number 8 and a year later garnered 2 Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Jean Baylor is well-equipped with an agile mezzo-soprano range and combines a fresh, whimsical approach to phrasing with clever improvisation resulting in singing of such vocal purity that it embraces the soul. She has performed with such stars as Marcus Miller and Buster Williams. Marcus Baylor is a former member and drummer of the Grammy Award-winning jazz quartet “Yellowjackets,” and since then has come into his own as a composer, arranger, producer and bandleader. He has previously performed alongside Cassandra Wilson, John Scofield, and Kenny Garrett, among others. 

Lead support for Carnegie Hall Citywide is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation. Additional support is provided by the A.L. And Jennie L. Lucia Foundation. 

EVENT DETAILS

Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project

Thursday, December 5 @ 7:30pm

Harlem Stage Gatehouse- 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th Street)

Tickets: FREE with RSVP

https://harlemstage.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0F0W00000qYdEQUA0

New Music Releases: Leon Ware, ALexis Joi, Ori Barel

Leon Ware - Inside Is Love

A great moment in the career of the mighty Leon Ware – a set recorded after his famous 70s work for Motown, and before his return to fame at Elektra – but still with a super-tight quality that shows that Leon was always great, no matter what the setting! Leon's warm, mellow, and totally right on the money here – serving up some wicked midtempo grooves that sparkle way more than most of his contemporaries – and which even rise above most of the other work on TK records at the time! Ware wrote and produced the whole set himself – with that masterful studio approach that first rose to prominence on Marvin Gaye's album I Want You – and like that classic set, the whole thing here is great – never a clunker or a bit of filler at all. Titles include the great "What's Your Name" – an extremely catchy two-step number, with a hook that will ring in your head long after the track is over – and other cuts include "Inside Is Love", "Try It Out", "Club Sashay", "Inside Your Love", and "Love Is A Simple Thing".  ~ Dusty Groove

Alexis Joi - More Than Love

Alexis Joi, one of San Diego’s most polished voices, has released her latest musical project to the world, “More Than Love”. More Than Love is Alexis’ first Jazz project featuring pianists Ron Kobayashi and Irving Flores, bassists Henry (The Skipper) Franklin and Will Lyle, drummers Al Williams and Julien Cantelm, Nolan Shaheed on trumpet, and Louis Venezuela on guitar. This album consists of seven Jazz standards and four original songs. With strong vocals and masterful musicianship, this album is an instant classic. The album’s title and second single, “More Than Love” was written by Alexis Joi’s husband Isaiah Ham. The arrangement of the music was masterfully provided by producer and bassist Kevin Cooper. Cooper also provided production for the titled track “Stay Right Here” and also produced and wrote titled track “Springtime”. The final track on the album, “Philanthropy”, is a tune written by Phil Morrison and also can be found on Mikole Kaar’s project “Turning East”. More Than Love is an amazing collection of standards and new Jazz tunes. Joi’s use of Gospel, Classical and Operatic training offers a unique interpretation of America's greatest art form, Jazz. Alexis Joi will have touring dates to follow.

Ori Barel - Centrifugal Force For Player Piano

Albany Records has released a new album from composer Ori Barel featuring music for Player Piano. Featuring Barel's 4 part composition Centrifugal Force, a work inspired by robotic art, Barel comments: "We live in a culture where things happen extremely fast and so much information is condensed. I wanted to create a piece that would explore that aspect of our culture using elements of traditional and free jazz as well as silent film music, culminating in a musical fusion of today's technological world with pieces of the past. Using the player piano, I explored rhythms and tempos that would have been impossible for a performer to play accurately. To create a twist on this aesthetic, some sections of the piece accentuate the machine element and others sound like a performer is playing. This interplay between extreme fast and slow speeds fascinates me: an automated world contrasting a fake manual world."

UNA NOCHE CON RUBÉN BLADES from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Rubén Blades Receives GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Latin Jazz Album

Blue Engine Records proudly announces Una Noche con Rubén Blades from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Rubén Blades has been nominated for “Best Latin Jazz Album” for the 62nd annual GRAMMY® Awards, as announced by the Recording Academy® this morning. This is the first album GRAMMY® nomination for Blue Engine Records.

The 62nd annual GRAMMY® Awards will take place on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Rubén Blades — the salsa giant and nine-time GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and activist — collaborated with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in 2014 for an extraordinary series of performances on the Jazz at Lincoln Center stage. On these very special style-straddling, Americas-spanning nights, the worlds of salsa and swing collided.

Music-directed by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra bassist Carlos Henriquez (called an “emerging master in the Latin jazz idiom” by DownBeat magazine), Una Noche con Rubén Blades features Blades backed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The group, performs Blades’s own beloved compositions including “Pedro Navaja,” “Patria,” and “El Cantante,” as well as swing-era standards like “Too Close for Comfort” and “Begin the Beguine.” 

“I’ve known Rubén Blades since I was two years old—or at least I feel like I have,” Henriquez says. “His albums—and the sound and the warmth they generated–filled my family’s apartment at 146th and Brook Avenue in the Bronx, and his music was one of my earliest influences.”

“Jazz is the story of taking old parts and building something new,” he continues. “When Rubén joined us for our performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, we did exactly that using the Great American Songbook and the Afro-Cuban rhythms that propel all the wonderful music that Rubén sang that evening. The music I arranged for Rubén Blades to perform with the Orchestra sounds like Panama, New Orleans, and New York all mixed into one. Those sounds form the heart of all our stories as musicians, and in combining them we reaffirmed that we’re all in this together.”

The album was released on October 19, 2018 and received critical praise from outlets including Rolling Stone, NPR Music, and New York Times, which called the original concert “radically beautiful.” Billboard Magazine sums up the release best stating, “Ruben Blades surrounds himself with a robust music ensemble: [the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis] who put a new spin on his classics.”

Gary Corben's Gods in Brasil

Joao Donato and Gary McFarland meets Anglo Polish Brazilian Bossa Pop with a 1960s and 70s feel.

In the mid 90s Gary lived in Rio sharing a flat with Kassin, then in an unknown local band but later to become one of Brazil’s greatest producers working with Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso and Gilles Peterson. Back then Gary used to constantly write songs but could never be persuaded to do anything with them. But the songs would stick in Kassin’s head and plague him for years. Over the following decades Kassin would regularly ask ‘what about your album?’ and Gary would shrug and say, yeah, maybe, one day. Then, in 2018 Kassin played in London with members of multi-platinum Polish supergroup Mitch & Mitch and this time when Kassin posed the question, Gary said ‘Yes! Let’s do it, but we have to do it in Poland with these guys.” 

This led to recording Gods in Brasil at the Polish Radio Studios in Warsaw with the Mitch & Mitch guys and a bunch of classical sessions musicians and finishing off in Kassin’s studio in Rio with some special guests.The record turned out so well that Gods in Brasil Vol 2 is already under way.The album touches on the classic sounds of 60s and 70s Brazilian records with nods to Gary McFarland on the way. The song Juanito Caminante is already a favourite with Joao Donato who was a huge influence on the sound of the album.

The arrangements were shared between Alberto Continentino and Ryszard Borowski of the Polish Radio Big Band.Gods in Brasil will be released on Mad About Records via Bandcamp on vinyl, and special editions on cassette and MiniDisc.

Gary helped develop the world’s first digital distribution system in the mid 90s and ran the service in Rio where he got deeply involved in the local music scene. He later founded cult reissue label Whatmusic and reissued over 80 albums on vinyl and CD as well as reissue series for EMI Odeon and recently the CBC’s hidden archive of classic albums from the 60s and 70s.

New Music Releases: Ornette Coleman; Melba Moore; The Mark Kelso Jazz Project

Ornette Coleman – The Shape Of Jazz To Come

Presented here are three seminal albums by the great Ornette Coleman (1930-2015): The Shape of Jazz to Come, featuring the debut of the splendid piano-less quartet with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins; Change of the Century, with the same personnel, and Something Else!!!!, which marked the debut recording by the Ornette Coleman Quintet, also showcasing Cherry and Higgins. THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME ****(CROWN AWARD) PENGUIN GUIDE TO JAZZ: Brash as the titles are, the music is surprisingly introspective and thoughtful. Most of the essential Coleman pieces are to be found here, though interestingly only one of them--'Lonely Woman'--has ever come close to repertory status. (Richard Cook & Brian Morton) *****ALL MUSIC: THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME Any understanding of jazz's avant-garde should begin here. (Steve Huey) *****ALL MUSIC: CHANGE OF THE CENTURY An absolutely essential purchase and some of the most brilliant work of Coleman's career. (Steve Huey) ****ALL MUSIC: SOMETHING ELSE!!!!This record swings from the rafters of the human heart with the most unusually gifted, emotional, and lyrical line since Bill Evans first hit the scene. (Thom Jurek).

Melba Moore – The Day I Turned To You

Melba Moore is an American prolific five-octave, four Grammy-nominated Singer and Tony Award-winning actress. Broadway, contemporary Soul/R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Gospel, and Classical Melba Moore was destined to be a star! It could have been her Grammy-nominated cover of the Aretha Franklin classic Lean On Me or her Tony Award-winning performance as LuttieBelle GussieMae Jenkins in Purlie that solidified her place in America's hearts, or when she became the first African-American woman to perform the role of Fantine in Les Misérables. She scored a string of Billboard charted hits - eight Top 10 R&B hits including two #1 smash hits and four Grammy nominations, AMA Nominations, and rewards received including a Tony Award, Ellis Island Award, Artist Guild Award, Trumpet Award of Excellence, NAACP Spingarn Award and History Makers Tribute. In the '80s and '90s, Melba Moore gifted us with classic jams like Lean On Me, This Is It, You Stepped Into My Life, Love's Comin' At Ya, Livin' For Your Love, Falling and A Little Bit More a #1 duet with Freddie Jackson. Melba Moore's produced a version of Lift Every Voice and Sing which was entered into the United States Congressional Record as the official Negro National Anthem in 1990, was just named an American Aural Treasure, by the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for Ms. Moore's co-produced recorded rendition of the anthem. Music is what God allows me to do declares Melba Moore.

The Mark Kelso Jazz Project - The Chronicles Of Fezziwig

Mark Kelso is an award-winning Jazz drummer who has worked with artists such as Donny McCaslin, Pat Metheny, Holly Cole, Gino Vannelli and numerous others. As the leader of the Juno nominated Jazz Exiles, Mark is no stranger to the world of music. Playing in every genre from Jazz to Pop to Latin to Orchestral, Mark has been able to finesse his technique as a drummer and composer, as well as open himself up to a wide variety of influences. The Chronicles of Fezziwig is the new solo project from Mark Kelso. Featuring all original music, this project is a departure from the Fusion styles of the Jazz Exiles, and instead explores a more traditional style. It once again shows the versatility of Mark Kelso as a musician, composer, and leader.

Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band

New West Records will release Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band on November 22, 2019. Released in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Allman Brothers Band’s debut album, the 10-song set of jazz interpretations of Allman Brothers Band favorites features Marc Broussard and Ruthie Foster on vocals on two songs each. Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band also features Jack Pearson on guitar, who performed as a member of the Allman Brothers Band from 1997 to 1999. The celebrated trombonist Wycliffe Gordon of Jazz at Lincoln Center fame is featured as a soloist on “Don’t Want You No More,” and wrote the arrangement for “Statesboro Blues.” The 15-piece Big Band of Brothers was produced by Mark Lanter, Charles Driebe, and John Harvey and was recorded & mixed by Eric Bates at Bates Brothers Recording in Hueytown, AL.

While jazz interpretations of Allman Brothers Band classics might come off as a surprise to some, the genre always held great inspiration for the band and its members. Gregg Allman, recalling the band’s early days, told the journalist Bob Beatty, “Jaimoe [Allman Brothers Band drummer Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson] turned all of us on to so much neat stuff. He gave us a proper education about jazz and got us into Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Kind of Blue was always on the turntable -- Duane really got his head around that album -- and he also seriously dug Coltrane’s My Favorite Things.”

While speaking to Relix in 2013, longtime Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes offered this about founding member Duane Allman, “It’s interesting when you think about Duane’s roots in blues and R&B. As he was growing as a musician, jazz musicians were becoming more and more important to him. He talked a lot about how important Coltrane was in influencing him. It’s almost a cliche to say that you’ve been influenced by John Coltrane these days because it’s so obvious that he’s an icon. But for somebody in the early ‘70s to actually take that influence into a rock or pop sensibility was quite a stretch. Perhaps he helped to make Coltrane a universal influence in ways he didn’t even realize, the same way that people like Duane and Clapton contributed to the rediscovery of Robert Johnson.”

Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band will be available on compact disc, across digital retailers, and Peach Colored vinyl. Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band is now available for pre-order via New West Records.

Big Band Of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band Track Listing:

1. Statesboro Blues featuring Marc Broussard

2. Don’t Want You No More featuring Wycliffe Gordon

3. It’s Not My Cross To Bear featuring Ruthie Foster

4. Hot ‘Lanta

5. Whipping Post featuring Marc Broussard

6. Stand Back featuring Jack Pearson

7. Dreams

8. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed

9. Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ featuring Ruthie Foster

10. Les Brers In A Minor

New Music Releases: Joe McPhee / Graham Lambkin / Charlie McPhee / Oliver Lambkin, Javier Santiago, Yazz Ahmed

Joe McPhee / Graham Lambkin / Charlie McPhee / Oliver Lambkin - Live In The Batcave

The legendary Joe McPhee is back in his home turf of upstate New York – working in a mode that really goes back to his heritage in the avant scene – and at a level that's something of a family affair for all the members of the group! The music is a collaboration between Joe and his brother Charlie McPhee – and label owner/preservationist Graham Lambkin and his son Olivier Lambkin – recorded on the spot in Charlie's "Batcave", with a freewheeling sonic approach that takes us back to some of the earliest days of Joe's music. Instrumentation includes lots of odd reed moments – the notes don't list any specific details – but there's also vocalizations, offbeat percussion, and lots of elements from found objects and found sonic sources too – a real improvisatory party, in the best way possible. Titles include "High Above The Batcave", "IO Stand Accused", "Eulogy To The Paddock", and "Cable Flow".  ~ Dusty Groove

Javier Santiago - Phoenix B-Sides

We loved the Phoenix album by keyboardist Javier Santiago – and although this set bills itself as if it's a relation to that record, it's more of a completely different effort – but one that's equally fantastic as well! Santiago is a tremendous up-and-coming talent – a hell of a pianist, and also great on Fender Rhodes – working in that sense of rhythm that's been unlocked in the 21st Century by a few key figures in jazz – and which a new generation of players like Javier is taking in some wonderful directions of their own! The core group features really inventive rhythms from Corey Fanville on drums and Zach Brown on bass – and the work features an guest performances on a few tracks each from Dayna Stephens on tenor and soprano, Nir Felder on guitar, and Ben Flacks on soprano and tenor. Titles include "Change Is The Only Constant", "For Unity", "Cedar Avenue", "A Second Chance", "Aries' Peace", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", "Beautiful Love", and "King Klave's Return".  ~ Dusty Groove

Yazz Ahmed - Polyhymnia

A spacious second set from British/Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed – a record that features dedications to feminist inspirations on every single track – but which has a soaring, righteous quality that marks Ahmed as an inspirational force of her own! The songs are long, and the music is rich in textural elements – strong trumpet solos from the leader, but also a globe's worth of contributions from other members of the contemporary London scene in which Ahmed's been making waves for the past few years – with a level of expression that maybe matches some of our favorite recent jazz releases on the Brownswood label! If you know the charms of the London scene in recent years, you'll have plenty to love here – and will find yourself adding Yazz to a list of artists to keep your ears on. And if you don't, this album's a great place to begin your musical discovery – on titles that include "Ruby Bridges", "Barbara", "Lahan Al-Mansour", "One Girl Among Many", and "Deeds Not Words". ~ Dusty Groove

The Nick Fraser / Kris Davis / Tony Malaby Trio release 'Zoning"

The Nick Fraser / Kris Davis / Tony Malaby Trio is a group featuring compositions by Nick Fraser and improvised pieces by the trio. They released their debut, Too Many Continents on the Portuguese Clean Feed Records label in 2015. 

"This album rewards repeated listenings. It’s wholly musical, well paced, and there’s not a wasted note within. There’s an undeniable bond between the three, and this kinship results in a totally organic, balanced session. Nick Fraser’s Too Many Continents is a grand slam. " ~ Peter Gough, freejazz.org

"Fraser allows his collaborators free rein in a program that combines three of his charts with four cooperative creations, the borders between the two modes remaining deliciously unclear. Malaby delights in blurring and obscuring his conceptual impulses with impetuous and unpredictable blowing. With her patented amalgam of minimalist gesture invoking the likes of Morton Feldman and the dash of Cecil Taylor, Davis brings a sense of structure to even the most off-the-wall settings. Fraser harnesses both these talents in a wonderfully edgy set packed with contrapuntal interplay." ~ John Sharpe, New York City Jazz Record

  

Nick Fraser (leader, drums, compositions) has been an active and engaging presence in the Toronto new jazz and improvised music community for over twenty years. He has performed with a veritable "who's who" of Canadian jazz and improvised music and with such international artists as Marilyn  Crispell, Anthony Braxton and David Binney. For ten years, he co-led the group Drumheller, who released four critically acclaimed recordings. "Fraser not so much plays the drums as hurls himself whole body and soul against skin and metal... truly talented." ~ Bill Stunt, CBC Radio

Pianist-composer Kris Davis has blossomed as one of the singular talents on the New York jazz scene, a deeply thoughtful, resolutely individual artist who offers “uncommon creative adventure,” according to JazzTimes. “Davis draws you in so effortlessly that the brilliance of what she’s doing doesn’t hit you until the piece has slipped" ~ Jazz Times 

Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Tony Malaby (saxophone) has been based in New York since 1995 and has been a member of many notable jazz groups including Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, Fred Hersch's quintet, and bands of his own. “One of New York City's most in-demand tenor saxophonists, Tony Malaby has become one of the most distinctive artists of his time." ~ Troy Collins, All About Jazz New York

Lina Allemano is a Canadian trumpeter, improviser, and composer based in Toronto ON since 1993. She has an active international career, performing and recording cutting-edge contemporary music primarily in free-jazz and improvised / experimental settings, but also working in a wide array of other genres. For the past several years, Lina has been splitting her time between Toronto and Berlin, with one foot in Berlin's flourishing and uncompromising art-music scene and the other foot in Toronto's vibrant but somewhat under-the-radar experimental-music scene. "(Trumpeter) Lina Allemano is one of the most exciting new voices of the last few years" [Brian Morton, Point of Departure, June 2013].

Originally from Germany, Ingrid Laubrock is a saxophonist/composer based in Brooklyn since 2009. Laubrock is interested in exploring the borders between musical realms and creating multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds.She has worked with: Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richards Abrams, Dave Douglas, Kenny Wheeler, Jason Moran, Tim Berne, William Parker, Tom Rainey, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn, Luc Ex, Django Bates’ Human Chain, The Continuum Ensemble, Wet Ink and many others.

David Sanborn Presents the First Season of His New Show "Sanborn Sessions"

David Sanborn, veteran saxophonist and six time Grammy Award winner announced today that he will soon present the first episode of his new music show, Sanborn Sessions. The new series is hosted by Sanborn and features a diverse roster of accomplished artists from a variety of genres and generations. In its initial season Sanborn welcomes Kandace Springs, Terrace Martin, Michael McDonald, Brian Owens, Bob James, Jonatha Brooke, Charlie Hunter and Cyriille Aimee.

Bucking conventional presentation, the show lets viewers become voyeurs as world class musicians come together to discuss, explore and play music. "To me this show is not just about dialogue," Sanborn says. "It's absolutely essential that we keep this authentic. Because then they [the audience] get the real unfiltered stuff. This show comes out of humor and friendship and just trying to get on the same musical wavelength. It's intimate, fly-on-the-wall stuff."

While Sanborn Sessions is inventive in its lack of script, teleprompter, or studio audience, a good part of the impetus for recording the series came from Sanborn's celebrated NBC music show in the late 1980s. Called Night Music, the show paired Sanborn with such legends as Eric Clapton, Lou Reed, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, to name a few.

Brian Owens, David Sanborn & Michael McDonald

With his new show, the holder of eight Gold albums and one Platinum continues to explore the essence of music through candid conversations and free-flowing studio sessions. Full episodes contain the deeper conversations, behind-the-scenes lead-ins to the music, and the performances themselves. Original song recordings that come from Sanborn Sessions will also be issued for individual consumption across digital audio platforms.

The series is co-produced and sponsored by music equipment juggernaut Sweetwater. "I've been a longtime fan and customer of Sweetwater," Sanborn says. "They are the ultimate destination for musicians and they have been the perfect partner for us in bringing this vision to life."

A true homegrown project, the show is executive produced by David's nephew, Noah, brother-in-law, Steve, and David himself. Episodes will be released starting on December 3rd, and can be viewed along with the trailer at sanbornsessions.com, as well as on the Sanborn Sessions YouTube channel.

ECHT! - instrumental, futuristic four-piece absorbed in jazz + electronic music

ECHT! – an instrumental, futuristic four-piece inspired by the concepts absorbed in electronic music and musical production. Having crystallized their innovative style and sound on the Brussels scene, this group of visionary music makers are pleased to announce the release of their debut EP ‘DOUF’, released 29th November via groove-heavy record label Sdban Ultra.

Recorded in an empty space in Colfontaine, Hainaut in just three days, ECHT! draw on influences including Electro, Hip-Hop, Psychedelic Groove, Footwork, Trap, Funk and Futuristic Jazz. Artists that excite them include Jonwayne, DJ Rashad, Deantoni Parks, J Dilla, Dorian Concept and Aphex Twin. Across 8 tracks consumed as one continuous 16-minute mix of swirling beats and edgy offbeat rhythms, ECHT! weave together a musical collage of sound - equal parts acoustic and electric.

"R2-D2 is the fruit of a night jam. We found that kind of sampled piano riff combined with space-full yet heavy hip-hop groove. We wanted to add some of our weirdest, most futuristic sounds (the name 'R2-D2' refers to one of those) and a robotic gimmick emerged. Then we alternated this part with a frenetic, condensed flow growing more and more to finally submerge you. This tune reflects our approach: we try to integrate the inhuman heritage of electronic music and "re-humanize" it in an instrumental performance".

ECHT!

Tracks like the sonic sound explosion of ‘Bonjour’, the scatter rhythms and busy hi-hats of ‘Tsht’ and the abstract beats and subby bass of ‘Mad Merckx’ are symptomatic of the ECHT! sound that is heavy in groove and deep in intrigue. ECHT! look to emulate the producer’s off-beats, the compressor’s swell, the repeating samples or the DJ’s transitions.

Echt means ‘vrai de vrai’ - ‘true’ or ‘real’ in brusseleir (Brabantian dialect of Brussels). It is a direct reference to the fact that their sound transmission is ‘real’, performed with conventional musical instruments as oppose to computer music which the production might suggest. It also relates to the fact that none of the members of the band are originally from Brussels – bassist Federico Pecoraro is from Italy, keyboardist Dorian Dumont is from France and drummer Martin Méreau and guitarist Florent Jeunieaux are both from Mons. 

Elsewhere, debut single ‘R2D2’ is a raw, gritty musical adventure while the skittish future funk of ‘Chicago Stuk’ and subtle vibrations of ‘So Zat’ offer further explorations into the world of ECHT! “’DOUF is our tribute to Teklife DJs such as DJ Rashad, DJ Earl, Taso and DJ Spinn”, says keyboardist Dorian Dumont. 

ECHT! are Martin Méreau: drums, Dorian Dumont: keys, Florent Jeunieaux: guitar, Federico Pecoraro: bass.

 

KELLEY JOHNSON, A TRUE JAZZ SINGER RELEASES HER 5TH CD -- SOMETHING GOOD

There are many vocalists with lovely voices who mine the Great American Songbook for material; however, very few have the depth and jazz chops of KELLEY JOHNSON. A vocalist and arranger, Johnson doesn’t rehash familiar standards. She understands the music from the inside out, and with her spot-on phrasing and silky, rich timbre, she is certainly one of the finest purveyors of sophisticated lyrics on the scene today. Johnson’s newest album, SOMETHING GOOD, is a program of 10 mostly familiar songs that she re-imagines with fresh and personal interpretations. Her voice is warm and sexy with an effortless sense of swing that never overwhelms the material with faux hipness. There is an ease to her delivery that makes it sound as effortless as breathing.

SOMETHING GOOD is Johnson’s fifth CD. Her previous projects include Home (2011), Live at Birdland (2004), which she taped in one special night at the historic New York City club, Music is the Magic (2003), which earned her First Place in the International JazzConnect Vocal Competition, and Make Someone Happy (1998), her debut CD that she recorded with renowned pianist Fred Hersch. Each of her recordings have garnered critical acclaim. The Seattle Weekly said, "With a strong, engaging voice that's winsome without being sweet, Johnson is the kind of singer you can lose yourself in for an evening.”

Johnson grew up in the Midwest, but has lived in Seattle for many years, where she performs regularly in and around the city. She participated on lengthy tours abroad in 2004 and 2008 for the U.S. State Department’s Jazz Ambassadors program. Begun in 1956, the program today is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The group performed in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Japan, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia, Suriname, and Central America. After one tour, Johnson received an email from an appreciative fan from Kyrgyzstan that read, "I felt your spirit through the meanings of your songs, the spirit of a revolutionary person who is for a true and fair world of people."

Indeed, Johnson chose the songs on SOMETHING GOOD not just because they’re great songs, but because they resonate with her on a deeper level. “These songs are about being an artist, being a partner, and being a daughter,” says Johnson. “Like most people, I’m trying to maintain meaningful relationships and continue pursuing love and music with all the glory and humility that we need to keep our balance in an ever-changing world. Whether a song is about art or love or spiritual pursuit, it’s really all the same path to acceptance.”

Johnson’s philosophical outlook grew from a tumultuous and very loving upbringing, surrounded by art and music. Her mother was a visual artist who bought and fixed up houses to subsidize her career. Home for Johnson was a transient thing. Her mother filled her art studio with the music of the 60s and 70s, and Johnson grew up listening to R&B, country, jazz, and especially the blues. When her mother was severely injured in an auto accident, her family took in boarders to make ends meet. Among their guests were singers, songwriters, actors, and comedians. The house was full of art and music and interesting, creative people. By the time the family moved to Milwaukee, Johnson was in love with jazz. She listened to Billie, Miles, Keith Jarrett and Betty Carter records and hung out in the city’s clubs, listening to local jazz musicians. She went on to pursue her own musical aspirations at The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, from which she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has also served as an

assistant professor at Cornish College of the Arts and Director of the Seattle Metropolitan Urban League’s Children’s Jazz Chorus, among countless other musical ventures.

The musicianship on SOMETHING GOOD is top-notch and features some of the best musicians from the Pacific Northwest, including her husband, pianist JOHN HANSEN. Johnson and Hansen have been married and performing together for over 20 years. Hansen is one of the most in-demand jazz pianists and finest jazz soloists in the Northwest. Renowned jazz host Jim Wilke said of Hansen, "Highly talented, unassuming, and offering his best effort in every musical situation, John Hansen is a versatile sideman, accompanist and soloist who's a valued part of several top recording and performing jazz groups.”

Also joining Johnson are bass player MICHAEL GLYNN, who has performed with jazz legends such as Bud Shank, Jon Hendricks, Bobby Shew, Dave Grusin, and Eric Alexander, to name just a few; Houston-raised, NY drummer KENDRICK SCOTT, who records as a leader on the Blue Note label; and the versatile multi-instrumentalist JAY THOMAS, one of Seattle’s storied legends who has performed with a Who’s Who of top jazz artists, and has recorded with Ray Brown and Elvin Jones, among many others.

Johnson opens SOMETHING GOOD with Stephen Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle,” a song that posits that allowing oneself to experience love is as easy as learning to whistle. “Goodbye to Love” was originally a pop song composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, and first performed by The Carpenters. But the arrangement by Johnson and Hansen turn the song into a straight-ahead jazz tune with solid scatting. Johnson adds a suggestive element to Cole Porter’s “You Do Something to Me” and demonstrates her creative phrasing on a subtly swinging version of “Lullaby of Birdland.” Johnson was attracted to the clever lyrics of “Let’s Do It,” and her swinging, sensual interpretation mines them perfectly. Her arrangement of Leonard Bernstein and Adolph Green’s “Some Other Time” takes the song into new territory with unexpected changes in meter. Johnson loves Carmen McRae’s version of “Tip Toe Gently,” but rather than emulate McRae, Johnson takes the song in a new direction. Johnson and Hansen made it new with a re-harmonization of “Unforgettable,” which features a seductive muted trumpet performance by Thomas. Johnson closes the CD with “You for Me,” an upbeat love song first performed by Blossom Dearie, and “Something Good” -- a perfect description of the music on this album, composed by Richard Rodgers (after Hammerstein’s death) for the film version of The Sound of Music.

Kelley Johnson is endlessly creative. She plays with time and melody like a horn player, while her voice has a luminous quality. She and Hansen are also inventive arrangers, and their takes on these classics make them sound completely fresh and new.

Third Coast Percussion - Fields

Cedille Records releases "Fields," the latest album from Third Coast Percussion, with music composed by Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange).The first album to feature Hynes' classical compositions, "Fields" includes three works written for and arranged by Third Coast Percussion

Over the past several years, Third Coast Percussion's albums for the dynamic Cedille Records have included 2018's "Paddle to the Sea," whose title track was collaboratively composed by all four members of the quartet; and 2016's "Third Coast Percussion | Steve Reich," the winner of the 2017 GRAMMY Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. This fall, TCP continues to expand the possibilities of the percussion repertoire with the release of "Fields," featuring the first-ever recordings of classical compositions by Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange).

Although he is best known as a performer and producer in the R&B and pop music spheres, classical music was the first music Dev knew, first as an observer at his older sister's piano lessons, and later as a young cellist. Even today, Dev still considers classical music the foundation of his musical background, citing Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Giacomo Puccini, and Philip Glass as particular influences on his sense of melody and timbre.

Third Coast Percussion, though longtime fans of Dev's work as Blood Orange, first came to know him personally through the choreographer Emma Portner. TCP was at the time immersed in a collaborative project with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Portner was one of the choreographers involved. She had worked with Dev on several of his music videos, and suggested him as a natural fit for this project, and for TCP's adventurous style.

Dev composed all the music for the project in a Digital Audio Workstation, and sent recordings and sheet music to Third Coast Percussion for them to orchestrate for their own instruments. Each of the four members of TCP worked on arranging and orchestrating a different section, offering feedback on each other's work, and eventually sending their versions back to Dev and the choreographers. Although this was TCP's first time working with a composer in this way, their naturally collaborative ethos made the process exhilarating and ultimately liberating.

"This was the first time I've written music that I've never played, and I love that," said Dev. "It's something I've always been striving to get to. Seeing what Third Coast Percussion had done with these pieces was magical."

The actual music is a blend of Dev's love of classical and minimalist music with many of the characteristic elements of his work as Blood Orange-lush and powerful synth pads, beautiful melodies, intricate, light, bubbly rhythmic structures. In "Perfectly Voiceless," a wall of Philip Glass-esque old school minimalism parts to reveal a catchy pop melody; "There was Nothing" blends epic synthesizer sounds with bowed mallet percussion instruments, and includes moments of meditative lyricism reminiscent of Lou Harrison; and the expressive harmonies buried in the hazy textures of "For All Its Fury" point to Dev's love of Debussy.

"We've always felt that the future of classical music depends on deepening the collaborative process and removing the strict barriers between composers and performers," TCP writes in the liner notes to the album. "Dev gave us a beautiful field to play in, and we think the music that resulted couldn't have been created any other way."

Producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, and vocalist Devonté Hynes is one of the most influential voices in music today. Raised in England, Hynes started out as a teenage punk in the UK band Test Icicles before releasing two orchestral acoustic pop records as Lightspeed Champion. In 2011, he released Coastal Grooves, the first of four solo albums under the moniker Blood Orange. His 2016 album, Freetown Sound, was released to critical acclaim and saw Hynes defined as one of the foremost musical voices of his time, receiving comparisons to the likes of Kendrick Lamar and D'Angelo for his own searing and soothing personal document of life as a black man in America. His 2018 album, Negro Swan, was released to equally rapturous response, exploring elements of black depression and identity. His most recent release, the 2019 mixtape Angel's Pulse, which Hynes describes as an epilogue to Negro Swan, further explores and builds upon those thematic elements. He has collaborated with Solange Knowles, fka twigs, A$AP Rocky, Puff Daddy, Janet Mock, Mariah Carey, and many more, and was recently one of four artists invited to the Kennedy Center to perform alongside Philip Glass. In addition to his production work, he scored the film Palo Alto, directed by Gia Coppola.

MILTON NASCIMENTO'S MARIA MARIA TO BE RELEASED ON VINYL FOR THE FIRST TIME

Far Out Recordings proudly presents Milton Nascimento’s Maria Maria. Recorded in 1976 and unreleased until almost thirty years later, the album was written as the soundtrack to a ballet which dealt with the legacy of slavery in Brazil. Raw, atmospheric and emotionally charged, Maria Maria reveals one of Brazil’s greatest ever songwriters at his creative peak. Featuring an all-star cast of fellow Brazilian legends including Nana Vasconcelos, Joao Donato, Paulinho Jobim, and members of Som Imaginario, Maria Maria holds what Milton considers to be the definitive versions of some of his classic songs, including ‘Os Escravos De Jó’ and ‘Maria Maria’. Originally released in 2003 as a double CD package, with Milton Nascimento's 1980 follow up ballet soundtrack Ultimo Trem, Maria Maria will be available on vinyl for the very first time from December 2019, with Ultimo Trem set for vinyl release early 2020.

Milton Nascimento possesses one of the most immediately recognizable voices in Brazilian music: high and sweet and as breathtakingly sublime as that of any soul singer. It was this voice that the legendary Brazilian singer Elis Regina fell in love with back in 1964, having heard Milton perform his song ‘Canção do Sal (Sultry Song)’ at a private party in Sao Paulo. Ellis went on to record the song in 1967 -giving Milton his first hit in Brazil and beginning a career that has spanned over 50 years.

Born in Rio on the 26th October 1942, Milton moved with his adoptive parents at the age of 18 months to Tres Pontas, a rural town in the state of Minas Gerais, 500 miles north of Rio. He began his musical career as a young teenager, singing in a crooner style he learnt from listening to Brazilian singers and US groups such as The Platters on the radio. Hungry for more opportunities to perform, Milton moved to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, at the age of twenty. By the beginning of the 60s Milton had made a name for himself both as an accomplished singer and guitarist.

Milton became part of a local network of musicians, film makers, dancers, theatre directors and writers that included the journalist and song writer Fernando Brant as well as lyricist Marcio Borges and his younger brother Lo Borges. Together these four wrote and produced what would become Milton’s milestone album, ‘Clube da Esquina (Club on the Corner)’. The originality of ‘Club da Esquina’ shaped the local scene, and it reflects the essence of ‘the Nascimento Sound’. Milton’s religious upbringing as an Afro-Brazilian Catholic saw him exposed to church choral music from an early age. His love of this genre of music is apparent in both his celestial falsetto and vocal choral arrangements. This collection also displays his early fascination with evocative, non-verbal, scat-style singing, spare, harmonic guitar work and local folk music, jazz and rock.

In 1976, Milton and Fernando Brant teamed up with a new contemporary dance company called Grupo Corpo, whose Argentinian choreographer Oscar Araiz, would become a collaborator with the two musicians. Together, they conceived a show based on the composite life story of the daughter of a black slave called Maria. Nascimento wrote music to Brant’s lyrics and “Maria Maria” was premiered in the main theatre of the Belo Horizonte Palacio das Artes that year. “Fernando wrote the lyrics for the ballet, but there were originally no lyrics for the theme song, “Maria Maria’”. Milton and Fernando worked on the lyrics together, basing them on folk stories about black women of the countryside. Adds Milton “These memories are mostly things that we witnessed – Fernando and I – rather than what we experienced ourselves.

Milton’s music is impressionistic, emotional and romantic. Relying on songs without lyrics as well as evocative vocalizing and choruses, Milton experimented heavily with Afro-Brazilian percussion and taped jungle sounds. His composing method for these recordings was highly unconventional: “I wrote the music for ‘Maria Maria’ in a tiny Rio apartment with friends and their kids running around and having fun! I love to be in noisy places, surrounded by people”, he says.

The music on ‘Maria Maria’ was performed by an impressive group of young musicians who are today household names in Brazilian music, including Naná Vasconcelos (percussion and effects), Toninho Horta (guitars) and Paulo Moura (sax). Several vocalist including Naná Caymmi, Fafá de Belém, Beto Guedes, and Milton himself, had hits in years to come with reworkings of these songs.

Milton says his compositions follow his visions “like a movie”, and he believes that reflects his long love affair with cinema. “I only began composing because of enjoying the movies so much,” he says. “I wrote my first song “Peace for the Coming Love” after seeing ‘Jules et Jim’ (the cult 60s French film directed by François Truffaut), with my friend Marcio Borges. We went early in the morning and watched it four or five times in a row, then went to Márcio’s home and wrote the song.”

The songs also include solo spoken passages set to music, clearly influenced by this style of French art cinema. On the title track, Maria’s story is narrated and translated to music through the use of African Percussion, drums and metal signifying the field slave tools of the day. ‘Trabalhos (Works)’ runs to work rhythms and whipcracks: no words, just pain. ‘Lília’ documents the beating of the slave woman. After ‘A Chamada (The call)’ and the triumphant ‘Era Rei e Sou Escravo (I was a king now I am a slave’ things begin to turn and Milton employs tropical jungle cries to symbolize freedom. ‘Santos Catholicos x Candomble (Catholic Saints vs Candomble)’ represents the battle between African and European religions through the music of both sides. Milton’s heavenly falsetto pours into ‘Francisco’ and ‘Pai Grande (Great Father)’ and the outstanding ‘Eu Sou Uma Preta Velha Aqui Sentada no Sol (I’m an old black lady, sitting under the sun)’ conjures images of an old woman sitting deep in the forest, her memories painted in drums, piano and voices.

Set for its first ever vinyl release, Maria Maria will be available on 2XLP from the 13th December 2019 via Far Out Recordings. 

GRAMMY-nominated Recording Artist Deborah Cox Hits an Emotional Core with the New R&B Single ‘Easy Way’

GRAMMY-nominated recording artist Deborah Cox hits an emotional core and the charts with the new R&B single, “Easy Way.” The triple-threat artist returns with an impressive debut at No. 2 on TIDAL’s streaming chart, and the single is catching fire among fans, digital and streaming sites including Apple, Spotify, and Pandora, among others. “Easy Way” is written by hit-maker Rico Love, and produced by Rico and DTown. Rico production credits include Usher, Beyoncé, Diddy, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Fergie, and Fantasia.

While working on her seventh album recording, scheduled for release in 2020, Cox is overwhelmed with the response she has received on the new single. “My purpose has always been to speak about commitment and unconditional love,” she explains. “My mission is not to define it but rather to help one understand that self-love is where the journey begins. I don’t think people consider that. I find that people fantasize about love but don’t understand that if you want something to work, you have to fight for it, and you have to fight for it daily. I believe that’s why ‘Easy Way’ resonates with so many people.”

Rico Love draws inspiration about working with Cox on his new single from a quote he references by prolific writer E.M. Forster, “To make us feel small in the right way is a function of art, people can only make us feel small in the wrong way,” which succinctly sums up his collaboration with Cox. “I experience feeling small in the most amazing way while working with my dear friend, Deborah Cox,” says Rico. “I am fortunate that another one of my dreams came true. To have her trust me to be the practitioner of this art has blessed me to my core.”



From R&B to Pop to Jazz, the “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” songstress has released six career albums, including her debut album, Deborah Cox, followed by One Wish, The Morning After, Remixed, Destination Moon, and The Promise. With an impressive career in entertainment, Deborah not only scaled the music charts with six top 20 Billboard magazine R&B singles and an impressive 13 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, but she has also carved out her place within the worlds of Broadway, television, film, and fashion.

Last seen as Rachel Marron in the national sold-out tour, The Bodyguard: The Musical, Cox has continued her work on screen and stage in a number of key roles including the voice of Whitney Houston in Lifetime’s biopic Whitney, directed by Angela Bassett; and her starring role in the Asolo Repertory Theatre musical production Josephine, among others.

The Canadian-born star continues her longstanding commitment to various social issues in the LGBTQ community and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Out Music Pillar Award and the Harvey Milk Foundation recognized her at the Diversity Honors ceremony for her efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQ community.

www.DeborahCox.com