CARMEN INTORRE - FOR THE SOUL

Drummer/Percussionist Carmen Intorre is pairing up with producer Bob Belden on his debut album For The Soul (Random Act Records); the organ-based session covers a wide range of musical stylings from Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan to Chick Corea and Weather Report. Intorre is joined by John Hart on guitar, Jon Irabagon on alto and tenor sax, and Pat Bianchi and Joey DeFrancesco - two of the world's most formidable jazz organists. The album swings within the tradition while expanding upon the vocabulary and boundaries of the idiom.

Currently Intorre performs with legendary jazz guitarist Pat Martino, touring extensively throughout the world with the guitarist's organ trio. He is always eager to uncover the latest information about music and drumming and to share that information with others. He states, "This is my job. I have to give back what I was given a chance to do." He goes on to explain, "Music is an opportunity for me to give up my soul, while in the process connecting with the audiences' souls as well. I want the musicians on the bandstand and the members in the audience to feel uplifted after a performance, to feel great about themselves through the experience that they encountered. That is what For The Soul is all about."

The opening track, Stevie Wonder's "Too High," sizzles with intensity. Along with the leader's backbeat, Bianchi's funky bass line and Hart's strumming sets up a compelling groove. Everyone solos with aplomb, with Hart rocking out, Bianchi displaying harmonic depth and Irabagon illustrating how and why he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk Competition in 2008. Of course, Intorre makes his own joyous statement while driving the arrangement to its conclusion.

Gene Perla's "Tergiversation" is a seldom-performed gem. Intorre's version features the organ tandem of DeFrancesco and Bianchi. Friendly fireworks ensue as the two masters solo and trade statements; the fire escalates as they trade fours with the leader's thoughtful drums. This is an organ-lover's dream.

The Chick Corea opus, "Steps" is rendered by Intorre, Bianchi and DeFrancesco. Few organ groups could handle this tricky composition, let alone perform it at a breakneck tempo. These three navigate the time and changes in a romp, with Intorre taking his longest solo on the album. Producer Belden contributed "Carmen's Caddie," his homage to Intorre's ride of choice. A boogaloo out of the McDuff tradition, the quirky melody leads to solos from Hart's clean lines, Irabagon's throaty tenor and a master class in the blues from the irrepressible DeFrancesco.

The album progresses with an homage of a different sort: Joe Zawinul's tribute to Mr. Adderley, "Cannonball." Intorre leads the group with soothing percussion, DeFrancesco delves into his Weather Report vibe, and Bianchi contributes keyboard textures. The ballad tempo still cooks, with Intorre piloting the ensemble to soaring flights. Everyone pays their own heartfelt testimony to Cannonball - However, perhaps the most heart is displayed on the drummer/leader's own tune, the gorgeous "Only One." Inspired by the wisdom, courage and beauty of the drummer's deceased mother, Joan, the beautiful melody is underpinned by sophisticated harmony. Everyone does Mrs. Intorre proud:She surely smiled down upon the entire session.

More soulful sounds emanate from Big Chief Donald Harrison's "Good For The Soul," as Irabagon features his alto for the only time. Swinging from the jump, the happy melody is as sunny as Intorre's big beat. His joyful countenance is also felt on Freddie Hubbard's "Gibraltar," as DeFrancesco takes over the organ again and is provoked by the soul/funk influences to quote from Parliament Funkadelic.

Another unique tune choice, "Josie," is far different from the original Steely Dan version. This Josie is on the corner, maybe a bit too high, but still ready for anything. With Hart's rollicking opening guitar riffs to the free conversation that ensues, the tune is a highlight of modernity. Towards the end, Intorre absolutely raises the roof - the musicians evoke memories of Tony Williams' Lifetime. The album's closer is a flag-waver for the soul. Weather Report's "Black Market" struts with pure ingenuity, prompting a howl from an exuberant DeFrancesco, who wails with impunity as Irabagon does Shorter. Intorre drives it home, ending abruptly on the stately melody.

Born in Buffalo, NY, Carmen Intorre developed an early interest in music and began playing drums at age five. A graduate of The Institute for Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School, he has performed and recorded with numerous musicians such as George Benson, Larry Coryell, Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, George Coleman, Eric Alexander, George Cables, Benny Golson, Richie Cole, Joe Locke, Lew Tabackin, Bobby Watson, Ira Sullivan, Bobby Watson, and many others.

A 2011 GRAMMY® nominee for his performance on the critically acclaimed album by Joey DeFrancesco entitled Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson, Intorre also had the pleasure of performing alongside DeFrancesco and Dr. Lonnie Smith on the PBS show Legends of Jazz, hosted by Ramsey Lewis. "Carmen is one of my favorite drummers; he has a very wide groove and strong beat, and most of all he swings his ass off! I love him!" says DeFrancesco.

Perhaps one word best describes Carmen Intorre and his music: Joy. Reminiscent of Billy Higgins, Intorre brings a palpable swing and drive to virtually all the tracks, making this a palatable musical feast "for the soul."

Random Act Records' motto "Great Music for the Greater Good" adheres to Carmen's philosophy of "giving back." The label donates 10% of all proceeds to charities.

Upcoming Carmen Intorre Tour Dates:
Carmen Intorre - drums/percussion
Jon Irabagon - saxophone
Pat Bianchi - organ
John Hart - guitar

June 14 - Birdland (album release celebration), New York, NY
June 18 - Iris, Buffalo, NY
June 19 - Abbott's Downtown, Rochester, NY
June 20 - Night Town, Cleveland, OH

Carmen Intorre · For The Soul
Random Act Records · Release Date: May 22, 2012

ALIFIC - DUB IN THE DISTRICT

Alific is the product of musician and producer Brendan Dane who started out playing bass guitar in a number of different styles of bands growing up. Ranging from rock, reggae, funk, jam and hip hop to infectious beach style dub rhythms, Alific has no boundaries when it comes to music. Gaining knowledge of the recording arts while in college, Alific crafted the skills of recording, engineering and producing by learning from his musical influences and always leaving room to grow as a professional.

Alfic enjoys acquiring new recording tricks and production techniques and continues to strengthen his own skills as a musician by continuously practicing and learning from close friends and fellow jammers. Living life to its fullest, Alific continues to create and produce music wherever his living situation may be. Currently living in DC, Alific writes, records, and produces all his music out of his home recording studio and his main goal is to make grooves that will get you tapping your feet.

“There is no right or wrong way of creating music. If its your own, it can be anything you want it to be”, says Alfic.

Alific released his debut album Dub In The District back in August of 2011, and if you enjoy reggae, then you will truly enjoy this album. On Dub In The District, Alific produces nifty baselines and has some underrated vocals. It has something for everyone, and his aptitude mixing in the studio combines for an awesome album and live experience. Whether he continues to collaborate with others or do it on his own Alific will be filling people’s playlists for years to come.

Alfic says that “the foundation of every song is the bassline" of which there is plenty of in Dub In The District.

Favorite tracks on here include "Sun Roots", "Campfire", "Looking Back", and the title song "Dub In The District". Enjoyable and recommended.

Musicians:
Brendan Dane - all instruments, vocals, lyrics
Andy Schmitt - vocals, lyrics
Todd Smith - drums
Dr. Peter Dane - keyboard

Tracklisting:
1. Full Moon Raid [3:35]
2. the Dubbal Vision [2:51]
3. No Workin [2:38]
4. Campfire [3:47]
5. Sun Roots [2:35]
6. Looking Back [4:21]
7. Poons [4:30]
8. Stolen [3:05]
9. Tribal Root Seed Dub Drop [3:23]
10. Dub In The District [3:15]

JEF STOTT - ARCANA

Jef Stott has been deftly navigating the realms of world fusion music for over a decade, where he has consistently been at the forefront of the International Global Bass movement. His sound is a conscious inspired blend of the highly articulated electronica compositions fused with the mystery and depth of an inner ethnography. He works and performs with master musicians and dancers from the Middle East, Northern Africa, the Balkans and India. Jef is also a highly accomplished multi instrumentalist adding a live performance element to his live shows with Arabic string and percussion instruments, guitars, bass and live dub effects. As a trained anthropologist, he has made an in depth academic study of the instruments of the Middle East with master teachers including Hamza el Din, Omar Faruk Tekbilek among others. Jeff released a digital-only EP, Souksonik, with Six Degrees Records in 2007, followed by the Arabic-drenched album Saracen the following year.

Arcana, (the title refers to the major arcana of the Tarot), his stunning new full length recording comes to us after Stott suffered a series of recent setbacks: the end of a long-term relationship, losing a career job and having his apartment broken into. The stolen objects included all of his computer equipment, including the hard drive in which the two-month old Arcana lived.

“I just went back into the studio and made this album,” he says “It’s about reclaiming my place in the world, and bringing really powerful female energy back into my life.” Stott knew that life is circular. His upswing awaited.

Jef sums up the scope and power of his new project best when describing his motivations behind the music. “The album is meant to be an imaginary soundtrack to an epic adventure film set far in the distant future. Behind it all is a really strong athletic female goddess with a huge sword in her hand. She’s a warrior of light. She’s always strong and compassionate, but she knows how to use her sword.” ~ Six Degrees Records

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND - EVERYBODY'S TALKIN'

Everybody's Talkin'—to be released on May 22, 2012 —is the title of the uplifting, energy-packed sophomore recording by Tedeschi Trucks Band, the 11-piece ensemble led by husband-wife team Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi that recently marked their first anniversary with a Grammy win for their debut album Revelator. TTB (as their fans know them) shows off a stunning rate of musical progress on Everybody's Talkin', eleven tracks selected from a year's worth of concerts from around the globe plus one new track ("Nobody's Free"). The performances—a hearty blend of originals and spirited covers of rock, R&B and even gospel classics—capture the group's roots-rich musical mix, laced with Truck's signature slide-guitar sound and fronted by Tedeschi's pliant, honey-to-husky voice (as well as her own gritty guitar-work). The collection also includes all of the joyful, spontaneous energy that has helped TTB build a growing circle of fans and earned them an unprecedented string of triumphs in just the past few months.

Besides the Grammy for Best Blues Album of the Year in February, Trucks himself, along with TTB bandmate Oteil Burbridge, were honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for their membership in The Allman Brothers Band. In March, Tedeschi and Trucks were invited to perform at the White House with B.B, King, Buddy Guy, and yes, President Barack Obama himself (who sang a verse of "Sweet Home Chicago"). A week later, they appeared at the Apollo Theater, joining Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and a host of guitar heavyweights in an all-star tribute to bluesman Hubert Sumlin. On April 30th Tedeschi and Trucks will perform at the United Nations General Assembly in New York at a concert to celebrate International Jazz Day. Other featured performers include: Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Wynton Marsalis and others.

"I really never imagined it would have turned out quite like this, especially the last few months. The momentum picked up and it just really started rolling—everything kind of happened at once," says Trucks, who maintains that his focus, and that of TTB have remained steadfast on the music itself. "As over the top as a lot of that stuff is, the one thing I notice is, it doesn't really feel any different than being on the road and having successful shows. The way the band took shape musically around the time that we decided to record a live record was pretty exciting."

True to its intent, the tracks on Everybody's Talkin' flow one into the next with the collective spirit and lift of a typical TTB concert—raising the roof with a Saturday night sense of abandon, and gently concluding with a Sunday morning spiritual. Featured are versions of tunes from Revelator that are already crowd favorites—"Bound For Glory", "Love Has Something Else To Say"—some with added details, like the fresh horn part that pushes "Learn How To Love" a notch higher than the studio original, or the tasteful, quotes of "Swamp Raga" and "Little Martha" on slide-guitar that set the stage for "Midnight in Harlem". Other songs portray the group's abiding affection for a truly wide range of soulful and gritty forebears, including Stevie Wonder ("Uptight"), Elmore James ("Rollin' And Tumblin'"), Bill Withers ("Kissing My Love"), Joe Cocker ("Darling Be Home Soon"), Bobby Bland ("That Did It"), Harry Nilsson ("Everybody's Talkin'") and the traditional gospel ("Wade In The Water").

Beyond the song list, the most attention-grabbing aspect of Everybody's Talkin' is the marked progress of the group itself, as this past year has seen TTB develop at a jaw-dropping rate into a fully mature ensemble. What was at the outset a powerful lineup of players that drew its power from a rich brew of roots music—blues, gospel, soul, and rock— has matured like a fine wine. Tedeschi's vocals and Truck's guitar-work are front-and-center as in the beginning, yet have become more intuitively intertwined. Tedeschi's own guitar-playing is more strident and assured. TTB's ace rhythm section works together with a deeper sense of funk, and a more liberated jazz feel. As an ensemble, they build a song from a tender whisper to a soul-rending scream, and often extend the close of a well-chosen R&B number into a thrilling, open-ended jam. Onstage, they exhibit interplay on the level of a group with years of experience together, improvising with almost telepathic link between all the musicians.

As Everybody's Talkin' is assuredly a group album, so TTB stands as a true musical collective, as opposed to the standard lineup of bandleader-with-backup. It helps that the eleven-member ensemble is one overflowing with talent and musical familiarity: besides Tedeschi and Trucks who are married and have two children, Mike Mattison (former lead singer with the DTB) and Mark Rivers handle harmony vocals, while brothers Oteil Burbridge (longtime member of The Allman Brothers Band) and Kofi Burbridge (another DTB member) play bass, and keyboards and flute, respectively. The lineup also includes a pair of drummers—J. J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell—and a horn-section with trumpeter Maurice Brown, tenor saxophonist Kebbi Williams, and trombonist Saunders Sermons (Sermons will also step forward for a vocal feature now and again, as he does on "Kissing My Love").

Trucks compares the rapid growth of TTB favorably with that of his first group, The Derek Trucks Band. "I remember the last five years with the DTB we started really feeling that the thousands of shows in front of 30 people in bars were finally starting to pay off, to the point that there was this wave of goodwill with people rooting for the band to make it. But I feel like this band went through that same thing in a smaller time scale."

According to Tedeschi, the group's accelerated progress owes much to the way that her husband leads the band—more like a jazz ensemble, allowing enough freedom for the group to find and nurture its own strengths. "Derek is a great leader in the way that he knows the potential of everyone in the band and has a really nice way of trying to show off all the talent in this group. Because it's such a big band, we only have so much time to play all the songs and make sure they're done right, but then you want to showcase people. I think he has a really good handle on how to make that work."

As evidence of this more democratic approach, Tedeschi points to the notion of TTB as a group that encompasses many possible lineups, depending on who's taking the spotlight or even onstage at any given moment. "There are times when I'll leave the stage or the horns might step away and it will just be a trio or a quartet out there, with Derek, Oteil and maybe J.J. doing their thing. Then slowly the others will start coming up and adding to the music. Every show is exciting but it's not always 11 pieces blaring at you. There's always a different mix and there's so much going on."

The mix Tedeschi speaks of is one that TTB shares with their audiences every time they hit the stage—gleefully delivering concerts that never fail to connect with their listeners. Everybody's Talkin' serves both as evidence of the smiles they leave behind as they continue to tour and develop, as well as a catalog of the group's first triumphant year, with a promise of more progress and adventures to come.

With a marked sense of pride, Trucks admits that at this point, "the only goals are to continue refining what we have, to keep the flame lit and keep rolling." "The great thing about this band," Tedeschi adds, "is that we realize we don't have to please anybody other than ourselves. And honestly if you can make this eclectic group happy, that's an accomplishment! It's moving fast in a really great direction."

TRACKLISTING:
Disc One:
1.Everybody's Talkin' (Live)
2.Midnight In Harlem (Swamp Raga intro with Little Martha) (Live)
3.Learn How to Love (Live)
4.Bound For Glory (Live)
5.Rollin' and Tumblin' (Live)
6.Nobody's Free (Live) *
7.Darling Be Home Soon (Live)

Disc Two:
1.That Did It (Live)
2.Uptight (Live)
3.Love Has Something Else To Say (with Kissing My Love) (Live)
4.Wade in the Water (Live)
* New track

~ Sony Masterworks

MARC STAGGERS – KEY TO MY HEART

Marc Staggers—a talented Washington, D.C. native—has released his new album Key to My Heart on Expansion Records, much to the excitement of many of his supportive fans. This album continues the soulful musical journey that started with the release of his debut R&B album Then and Now in 2009. His vocal style, often compared to famous soul singers of the past and present, will certainly captivate and continue to generate fan interest across the world.

The development of his unique style is the result of a lifetime of musical influence, including the late Luther Vandross.

Staggers has one of those great deep soulful voices, similar to Will Downing in style, in fact this album could easily have been recorded by Will. 'Lets Just Take Our Time' is a really nice upper mid tempo floater, 'Steppin Out Tonight' and the more uptempo 'Stop Playing With My heart' will keep the dancefloors moving, the ballads 'Promise Me', 'Lifetime Lover' and 'Soul Summer Love' are also strong. The mid tempo 'Key To My Heart' is another highlight on this strong solid traditional soul album.

Marc started singing in the church choir and studied voice as he was growing up. Marc's Television appearances have been featured on the Maryland Public Television (MPT) program "Artworks This Week," with Nate Howard; ABC Channel 2 News, with Terry Owens; ABC Channel 2 "Grace & Glory," with Lee Michaels; PAX Cable Television show "Life Styles," with Deborah Britt; and the cable program "Glorify His Name," hosted by James McCollum.
Marc’s soulful voice has carried him into many venues, including singing background for Mom and Pop Winans at "From the Heart Ministries" and for Kathy Myers at Lincoln Theater in Washington DC. He has also performed and recorded with the Late Clifton Dyson and Stu Gardner, musical director for Bill Cosby.

After many years of pursuing gospel music, Marc felt that his true heart’s desire was in producing music that was reminiscent of the type of soul music he listened to while growing up. This led to his debut CD Then and Now, which had topped the UK’s “Sweet Rhythms Chart,” for three weeks at the number one position. The album has received critical acclaim from music critics from around the world. The album has also made inroads into the U.S. radio market, thanks in part to independent Smooth Jazz/R&B promoters “Gorov Music Marketing”.

In 2011, Marc released a summertime single entitled “Soul Summer Love” that reached #13 on the U.S. jazz charts, and still continues to be played in regular rotation on a number of stations. “Soul Summer Love” is included in Marc’s new album Key to My Heart, which features such talented artists as musical composer and arranger John Stoddard; world-renown Saxophonist Kirk Whalum; and versatile Soprano Adoree Johnson, who appeared on the U.S.-version of American Idol.

Other behind the scenes opportunities have included producing a radio talent show that showcased new gospel acts called "If You Can Dream," which lived a short season on Radio One's WYCB 1340AM in Washington, D.C. Marc Staggers has also been featured on numerous live performances, including The Million Moms’ March in Washington, D.C. and at the British Embassy for former Washington Redskin Darrell Green’s Charity foundation.

On passed visits to the United Kingdom, Marc has been interviewed by Solar Radio's Deejays Dave Brown, DJ Bigger (now on Starpoint Radio), and Gary Spence. Marc also performed at Solar Radio's 20th Anniversary celebration and at Smooth FM's (now known as Smooth Jazz) TSOP event in Prestwich, which was hosted by DeeJay Richard Serling. ~ Amazon.com

WES MONTGOMERY CELEBRATION FOR ECHOES OF INDIANA AVENUE

Resonance Records has announced a Wes Montgomery celebration on Saturday, May 12 at Joe's Record Paradise in Silver Spring, MD. Beginning at 2pm and open to the general public, the event will feature a 60-minute panel discussion on Montgomery and Echoes of Indiana Avenue, the newly unearthed, critically acclaimed album, as well as live performances.

Panelists include Larry Appelbaum (Library of Congress, JazzTimes, WPFW), Zev Feldman (Echoes of Indiana Avenue producer and Executive Vice President & General Manager of Resonance Records), Willard Jenkins (WPFW, Open Sky, Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, author), guitar legend Pat Martino, and Robert Montgomery (Wes' son). Tom Cole (NPR, WPFW) will serve as panel moderator. Additionally, greater Washington D.C. area guitarist Jerry Gordon and his trio will perform two sets at the event.

"It gives me great pleasure to return to my hometown and share this music and story with the community," states Feldman. "We're also really grateful to Joe and Johnson Lee [founder & owners of Joe's Record Paradise] for allowing us to host this event at the store. Since its founding in 1974, the store has provided a foundation of music learning for countless music fans in the area, including myself. The barbershop-like shopping environment truly makes it an D.C. area institution."

With a lot of sleuthing and a team of experts on the case, long lost tapes of Wes Montgomery have been discovered and restored. Resonance Records released Echoes of Indiana Avenue - the first full album of previously unheard Montgomery music in over 25 years - on March 6, which would have been Montgomery's 89th birthday. Over a year and a half in the making, the release provides a rare, revealing glimpse of a bona fide guitar legend. The tapes are the earliest known recordings of Montgomery as a leader, pre-dating his auspicious 1959 debut on Riverside Records. The album showcases Montgomery in performance from 1957-1958 at nightclubs in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as rare studio recordings. The release is also beautifully packaged, containing previously unseen photographs and insightful essays by noted music writers and musicians alike, including guitarist Pat Martino and Montgomery's brothers Buddy and Monk.

Wes Montgomery Celebration -
Panel & Performances @ Joe's Record Paradise
Sunday, May 12 · 2pm

*Free general admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.*
8216 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone - 301-585-3269
joesrecordparadise.com

BRIA SKONBERG - SO IS THE DAY

Less than two years ago, trumpeter-vocalist-composer-bandleader Bria Skonberg uprooted from Western Canada and arrived in New York City. Lured by the music and those who play it so well, the already-seasoned musician hoped to thrive and to learn in the jazz mecca. The city landscape and abundance of clubs proved to be a stark contrast to the hobby farm Skonberg was raised on in Chilliwack, British Columbia, but the young musician dove in head-first, ready to make an impact with her unique, modern take on the traditional jazz and hot swing the scene was built on. Soon, in the spring of 2011, she found herself performing a highly successful first solo concert at New York's renowned Symphony Space for the Sidney Bechet Society. During the performance, Skonberg announced that one of her resolutions for the year was to record a new album of mostly original material. With nine freshly-minted originals and three equally intriguing interpretations of well-known pieces, So Is The Day, her debut for Random Act Records, is that album.

Joining Skonberg in the frontline are two of her staunchest supporters: saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist Victor Goines, and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon (who has employed Skonberg in the brass section of his big band and small ensembles on several occasions). The rhythm section features pianist Jeff Lashway, guitarist Randy Johnston, bassist Kelly Friesen, and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., joined by percussionist Roland Guerrero on several tracks; special guests include trombonist Michael Dease (on "Gymnopedie") and John Pizzarelli, who sings and plays with Skonberg on "I Wish I Hadn't Forgotten." Scott Elias (Random Act Records Founder/President and So Is The Day's producer), also plays organ on the upbeat "Penny In Your Pocket."

Elias was introduced to Skonberg through Lashway, whose Reunion album was Random Act Records' debut release in 2009 (the same year Skonberg released her independently produced debut, Fresh). Lashway performed at a festival in Idaho where Skonberg also happened to be playing, called Elias and told him, "Bria Skonberg should be your next artist-she has it all."

Soon after, Elias and his wife Anna (also his business partner) went to see Skonberg play at the Suncoast Jazz Festival in Florida. "Of course, she rocked the room; they had the crowd dancing. We were thoroughly impressed," remembers the producer.
So Is The Day, releasing on April 10, features nine of Skonberg's own ingenious originals, plus three familiar melodies. The album kicks off with "Keep Me In The Back Of Your Mind," giving us our first taste of Skonberg's tangy-toned trumpet, as well as her compelling vocal style. "Keep Me" also features some inspired growling from Gordon.
The title track is one of the musician's signature achievements as a composer-bandleader thus far, a wailing, bluesy number that's equal parts New Orleans and early Duke Ellington; it features a soulful clarinet solo from Goines. The influence of New Orleans is also clearly evident on "Chilliwack Cheer." The track is a traditional Crescent City style anthem for marching and partying, featuring Skonberg's rapturous trumpet, as well as prominent participation from the boisterous tandem of Goines and Gordon.

Inspired by her father's hockey-playing hobby, "Hip Check" is a funky hard-bop style vamp (complete with a big toned tenor solo from Goines) that could have been played by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Its odd-metered groove amply complements the quirky melody.

"Far Away" best exemplifies the leader's more contemporary songwriting skills. As with the best tunes, a seemingly autobiographical story is displayed here. A tale of longing and the challenges of a long-distance relationship is a universal hurt to which most would-be couples (and perhaps all road-weary musicians) can easily relate.

"Penny in Your Pocket" and "I Wish I Hadn't Forgotten" are quite possibly Skonberg's most charming originals on the album. The latter recalls the snappy swing numbers of the 1940s, a mood that is perfectly realized by the composer, both in solo and together with Pizzarelli's voice and guitar. "Have A Little Heart" is her most notable contemporary sounding ballad, and though it's somewhat slow, the mood is essentially optimistic and far from a torch song. It gives us a welcome solo by Skonberg on flugelhorn, in addition to her heartfelt singing.

The album introduces three new interpretations of others' tunes, including Erik Satie's classical piece "Gymnopedie", interpreted here in an Afro-Cuban vibe; Irving Berlin's tune written for Ginger Rogers, "Let Yourself Go", now a funked up groove; and Joni Mitchell's classic, "Big Yellow Taxi", which is phrased over pan-American polyrhythms, and made vital by Skonberg's percussive, staccato phrasing on both flugelhorn and vocals.

"My Friend" is a suitable closer, a standout feature for the composer-trumpeter's singing, a highly emotive, traditional-style spiritual that spotlights her solo voice as accompanied only by pianist Lashway.

Originally from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Skonberg comes from a musical family in which everyone played an instrument. "My parents were teachers but thought it would be a cool experience to raise cows and chickens along with three kids," she remembers, "so we always had chores to do on our two-acre hobby farm. My surrounding neighbors owned farms, so we had lots of space to run around and make lots of noise, which is good when you're learning the trumpet."
Encouraged by her father to study the instrument, she also learned to play and compose music on the piano, and sing. Her first influences on the trumpet included Louis Armstrong, Kenny Ball, and Nicholas Payton - all of whom she listened to for their expertise in the swing and traditional jazz styles. "My first real trumpet mentor was Simon Stribling who's an incredible Australian jazz/life enthusiast now in Whistler, BC. He opened my ears to players like Roy Eldridge, Jabbo Smith, Red Allen, lots of Louis and more when I was 17. He still inspires me."

Skonberg was also drawn to this music because Chilliwack was home to an annual trad festival, for which bands and soloists flew in from all over the world. The Vancouver Dixieland Jazz Society sponsored her attendance at the Mammoth Lakes Jazz Camp. "That changed my life - I really fell in love with the whole culture," states Skonberg. "I'm now a full faculty member at the annual student and adult Sacramento Traditional Jazz Camps." Her first paid gig was as a singer, with the Moonlighters Big Band from Abbotsford. Bria was 16 at the time (most band members were 30-40 years older), and she proved her worth to the orchestra by doubling on trumpet, as well.

She auditioned for and was accepted by Capilano University in Vancouver, and upon graduating Skonberg worked and recorded regularly with her own groups The Big Bang Jazz Band, which grew out of her high school in Chilliwack, Bria's Hot Five which was dedicated to the music of Louis Armstrong and the swing dance scene, and the Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band that she co-founded in 2004. Comprised entirely of young women from the West Coast of the USA and Canada, they have played all over the states and have released four albums. From 2006-2010 she honed her show chops as a featured soloist in the big band of Canadian icon Dal Richards. Her career grew exponentially when she moved to New York City. Even though it's a city that is hardly bereft of trumpet players, almost immediately she found herself studying with legendary brass star Warren Vache and playing in the big band of Nicholas Payton.
Now, as an 18-month veteran of the competitive New York scene, and with her forthcoming U.S. debut, So Is The Day, Skonberg is prime to position herself as one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation. "Bria Skonberg brings the great tradition of Louis Armstrong into the 21st Century," says Elias. "Her songwriting is intelligent and touching, her trumpet playing is swinging and sublime, her voice is angelic and heartfelt. Her beauty is rare and shines from the inside out."
SoBar Entertainment Presents:
Bria Skonberg So Is The Day Album Release Performance @ The Iridium
with special guest Warren Vaché
Tuesday, April 24 - sets at 8pm & 10pm
1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212)582-2121

Bria Skonberg - trumpet, flugelhorn, voice
Warren Vaché - cornet
Will Anderson - saxophone, clarinet
Mike Dease - trombone
Jon Weber - piano
Sean Cronin - bass
Roland Guerrero - percussion
Tommy Campbell - drums

Bria Skonberg · So Is the Day
Random Act Records · Release Date: April 10, 2012

NEW RELEASES: JOHN BARRY, DEXTER WANSEL, UNDERGROUND SYSTEM AFROBEAT

JOHN BARRY - ICPRESS
One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the great John Barry – a set of tracks that echoes some of his famous modes from James Bond films, yet also has a unique quality all its own! Barry's got a strongly jazzy sensibility here – and spaces out some great instrumentation with the same sensibilities used in the equally great music for The Knack! Staff aren't listed, but there's clearly some great Brit jazz players in the lineup – given the record's key use of vibes and tenor solos – as well as this very cool slow-plucked guitar with a noisy, echoey quality. The sound is brilliant – everything you'd hope for in the best 60s soundtracks – and titles include "The Ipcress File", "Alone In Three Quarter Time", "A Man Alone", "Jazz Along Alone", "Goodbye Harry", "Alone Blues", and "If You're Not Clean I'll Kill You". CD package is great too – much better sound than any previous versions, with full notes, bits of dialogue, and even a secret track too! ~ Dusty Groove

DEXTER WANSEL - CAPTURED
An overlooked gem from Dexter Wansel – a mid 80s set recorded after his famous albums for Philly International, and a record that offers a nice transition of his earlier groove! The set's got a keyboard-heavy vibe – similar to the mode that Wansel brought to the studio in the late 70s, but with a different 80s spin overall – especially given the use of drum programs in most of the rhythms, and a mix of other instruments from electric sources as well. Yet given Dexter's ear for a tune, the whole thing comes together with a nice degree of warmth, and a sense of soul that's deeper than you'd expect – especially given that Virgin Records were clearly trying for a crossover hit on this one. There's some great vocals on the leadoff track by The Jones Girls – and other vocals are by Meeta Gajjar, Dr Pearl Williams Jones, and Cynthia Biggs El – who co-wrote most of the record with Wansel. Titles include "Captured", "Do What You Wanna Do", "Nam", "In The Wind", "East Meets West", "Heart On The Line", "Conversations", "Turn Me On", and "Year Of Living Dangerously". CD also features a bonus 12" mix of "Captured". ~ Dusty Groove

UNDERGROUND SYSTEM AFROBEAT - THE B.O.B. EP
Modern Afrobeat from Brooklyn – with a unique vibe! This is the debut EP from Underground System Afrobeat – recorded after honing their craft on the live scene for a solid year-or-so – long enough to really get it down! This is the way contemporary Afrobeat ought to sound – heavy rhythms, tight horns, funk & soul guitar, bass and keys – played by dexterous musicians. One thing that sets USA apart in a fertile New York scene is their strong female vocal front. Multilingual singer and flautist Domenica Fossati is on lead vocals – and she's great, not to overlook a sharp ensemble. Players include founder and guitarist Peter Matson, guitarist Bob Lanzetti, David Cutler on bass, drummer Yahoteh Kokayi, Yoshi Takemasa on congas, Greg Sanderson on tenor, Jackie Coleman on trumpet, Colin Brown on keys, and Maria Christina Eisen on baritone sax and vocals. Includes 2 lengthy jams: "BOB" at 8+ minutes and "95 South" at just short of 12 minutes. ~ Dusty Groove

SOUL CAL - DISCO & MODERN SOUL 1971 - 1982

An amazing compilation – a decade in the making, and filled with wonderful grooves – most of which have never appeared on CD or LP reissues! And while the music itself is already wonderful, the package also includes an amazing 80 page book, too – a rich research project that digs deep into the American underground of the 70s – and features a wealth of photos, images, and historical details on music that never got it's due back in the day! The set's based around the groundbreaking series of Soul Cal 12" reissues put together by Stones Throw about a decade ago – wonderful records that unearthed rare grooves that fall beautifully in a space between funk and club – almost all originally issued on tiny little labels from all over the US, but working together to create a rich vibe in the set. Given the book, there's a Numero-like heft to the whole thing – although the range of grooves is even greater than one of their collections – and titles include "Ecology" by Anubis, "You Can Be A Star" by Luther Davis, "Don't Get Discouraged" by UPC All Stars, "Things Cannot Stop Forever" by Stanton Davis, "Free Your Mind" by Record Player, "Get Down" by Freedom Express, "Keep Running Away" by Clifford Nyren, "Love Is" by Leon Mitchison & The Eastex Freeway Band, "What It Takes To Live" by Key & Cleary, "I'm Gonna Miss You Girl" by Ellis & Cephas, "It's A Bad Feeling" by Mixed Sugar, and "Put A Smile On Time" by Rhythm Machine. ~ Dusty Groove

DR. JOHN & PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND @ THE NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Dr. John

Two of the most renowned names in New Orleans history, Dr. John & The Lower 911 and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, will be featured at the opening night concert of the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino, 194 Bellevue Avenue, on Friday, August 3, at 8:00 pm. Bourbon Street Comes to Bellevue Avenue: Newport Salutes New Orleans promises to be one of the most enjoyable evenings in the history of the Friday night concerts at the Casino.

George Wein, creator of both the Newport Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival said, "It has been a dream come true that I have been able to enjoy producing these two great festivals. My love for New Orleans cuisine of gumbo and crawfish is only exceeded by my passion for Narragansett Bay lobster and New England clam chowder."

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 am on Wednesday, April 11, at http://www.newportjazzfest.net/ and http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

In addition,the Newport Jazz Festival Opening Night Cocktail Party, a Newport summer tradition, kicks off the evening from 6:30 - 7:45 pm, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino. This exclusive party welcomes a limited number of attendees for an evening of great music, food and beverages. Tickets are $40 for Tennis Hall of Fame members and $50 for non-members. Pricing includes open bar and hors d'oeuvres. Party attendees must have a ticket to the Newport Jazz Festival concert. To order Cocktail Party tickets, call (401) 324-4072.

Dr. John, aka Mac Rebennack, is universally celebrated as the living embodiment of New Orleans' rich musical heritage. His colorful musical career began in the 1950s when he wrote and played guitar on some of the greatest records to come out of the Crescent City, including music by Professor Longhair, Art Neville, Joe Tex and Frankie Ford. Later, he gave up the guitar and concentrated on organ and piano, and after a move West in the 1960s, he continued to be in demand as a session musician, playing on records by Sonny and Cher, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones. During that time, he launched his solo career, developing the charismatic persona of Dr. John: The Nite Tripper. Adorned with voodoo charms and regalia, a legend was born with his breakthrough 1968 album Gris-Gris, which established his unique blend of voodoo mysticism, funk, rhythm & blues, psychedelic rock and Creole roots. The multiple Grammy Award winner and 2011 Rock and roll Hall of Famer continues to write, arrange, produce and interpret with a passion that has yet to wane. Beginning March 29, Dr. John celebrates his 50+-year career with a three-week artist-in-residency at New York's prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music, and his latest CD, Locked Down, hit the streets April 3. Join in the second line, Newport-style, with Dr. John & The Lower 911 when Bourbon Street Comes to Bellevue Avenue.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (PHJB) derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. The band, now celebrating its 50th anniversary season, has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. Their music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit. Under the leadership of the Jaffes' son, Ben Jaffe, the PHJB continues with a deep reverence and consciousness of its greatest attributes in the modern day as a venue, band, and record label. The PHJB began touring in 1963 and for many years there were several bands successfully touring under the name Preservation Hall. Many of the band's charter members performed with the pioneers who invented jazz in the early twentieth century including Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and Bunk Johnson. Band leaders over the band's history include the brothers Willie and Percy Humphrey, husband and wife Billie and De De Pierce, famed pianist Sweet Emma Barrett, and in the modern day Wendall and John Brunious. These founding artists and dozens of others passed on the lessons of their music to a younger generation who now follow in their footsteps. The PHJB is also celebrating their 50th anniversary at the Newport Folk Festival (http://www.newportfolkfest.net/) on Saturday, July 28.

Stay tuned for information about some very special guests, Cajun food and more when Newport Salutes New Orleans on Friday, August 3.

Tickets for Newport Jazz Festival concerts at Fort Adams State Park, featuring Pat Metheny, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dianne Reeves, Jack DeJohnette's 70th Birthday Celebration, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon and more, are on sale now on-line, by phone and by mail. General admission tickets (single-day passes only) also can be purchased in person at the Newport Visitor Information Center, located at 23 America's Cup Avenue. There will be a festival office in the Newport area where tickets can be purchased in person at a later date.

For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call the festival hotline at (401) 848-5055. For more information, log on to http://www.newportjazzfest.net/.

VINCE MENDOZA - NIGHTS ON EARTH

After a remarkably productive decade which saw him writing stellar orchestral arrangements for recordings by such popular singers as Bjork, Melody Gardot, Sting and Joni Mitchell (he won two of his six Grammy® Awards and 25 nominations for his contributions to her Both Sides Now in 2000 and Travelogue in 2003), Vince Mendoza has shifted focus back to his own compositions for the first time in 13 years. His most personal and compelling project to date, Nights On Earth is yet another crowning achievement in the career of the acclaimed composer-arranger-conductor.

On this eagerly-awaited follow-up to Epiphany (which he recorded in 1997 with the London Symphony Orchestra), Mendoza recruited an all-star cast of longtime collaborators like guitarists John Abercrombie, John Scofield and Nguyen Le, drummer Peter Erskine, percussionist Luis Conte, organist Larry Goldings, steel drummer Andy Narell, pianists Kenny Werner and Alan Pasqua, saxophonists Bob Mintzer and Joe Lovano. He is also joined by such new friends as Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza, Malian kora player and singer Tom Diakite, Argentinian bandoneon master Hector del Curto, Algerian drummer Karim Ziad, French saxophonist Stéphane Guillaume and young American jazz stars in bassist Christian McBride, drummer Greg Hutchinson and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, a winner of recent awards from the Jazz Journalists Association and DownBeat. Along with members of the Metropole Orkest, the Dutch ensemble that Mendoza has presided over as chief conductor for the past six years, they bring to life these evocative pieces that flow directly from the composer’s heart to his pen.

“I always thought that being a musician is about having a community of artists that inspires you,” says Mendoza, “and I think part of the process of the creation of this recording has to do with the people that I have met and learned from along the way. A lot of what this music has to do with is celebrating that community of the musicians from the many traditions that they represent.”

While names such as Abercrombie, Scofield, Lovano, Werner, Mintzer and Erskine represent the jazzier side of Mendoza’s community of artists (they appeared on his 1990 Blue Note album Start Here and his 1991 follow up for the label, Instructions Inside), musicians like Souza, del Curto, Diakite and Ziad represent his adventurous explorations into world music (as on 1992′s Jazzpana and more recently on 2009′s Viento: The Garcia Lorca Project). “I have an affinity with these musicians and their music, as they also have with my writing,” says Mendoza. “I wanted to incorporate them into my compositions, to frame their voice in an interesting way. And I thought they would have a connection to my writing style in their improvisations.”

From the flamenco flavored opener “Otoño,” fueled by the sound of cajon and palmas, to the soothing bossa nova “Ao Mar,” with lyrics composed by Souza and sung with alluring tones in her native Portuguese, to the African flavored “Shekere,” featuring stirring vocals and kora playing by Diakite and a killing distortion-laced electric guitar solo by Le, Mendoza cuts a wide stylistic swath through his Nights on Earth. Add the epic sweep of “Poem of the Moon,” featuring bracing solos from Akinmusire and Abercrombie, along with gentle and evocative numbers like “The Stars You Saw” and “Beauty and Sadness,” both featuring heart-wrenching, lyrical solos by Werner and Lovano, the atmospheric and chamber-like “Addio” for bandoneon and string quintet, and the romantic “The Night We Met,” featuring a delicate, transcendent piano solo by Pasqua, and you begin to get a fuller portrait of Mendoza the composer.

“Gracias,” simultaneously evokes the spirit of Santeria in the Obatala groove of Luis Conte’s bata, and the church in the swells of Larry Goldings’ organ work. Scofield also turns in some highly expressive string-bending in his solo here. Says Mendoza of Scofield’s solo, “You know it’s John from the first second – from his sound and where he puts the notes, and the freshness with which he approaches my music. That’s something I’ve always appreciated about what he’s brought to these records. Nothing is calculated. It always feels like he’s in that moment there…and the moment is always brilliant and soulful.” “Everything Is You,” is a refined number that opens with classical counterpoint between flutes, harp, piano and cello before yielding to potent solos by Pasqua and Mintzer. The closer, “Lullaby,” is a stirring duet between cellist Fred Sherry and bandoneon virtuoso Curto. “I think that the music on this record has a lot to do with the loss of my parents and the value of love,” says Mendoza in reflecting on Nights On Earth. “‘Otoño is about my father. He really loved flamenco music and Spanish culture. ‘The Stars You Saw’ is about telling my mother stories of my first trip across the ocean when I was a young budding musician starting to travel many years ago. And the use of the bandoneon on ‘Addio’ has a lot to do with the Italian background on my mother’s side. The bandoneon and the accordion were always sort of a part of family functions. ‘The Night We Met’ and ‘Everything is You’ have to do with my wife. They are about romance and the miracle of love. ‘Ao mar’ and ‘Lullaby’ have to do with my son and the heart-connection we have with our family.

“We chose a beautiful photograph of the Aurora Borealis for the cover, and to me this says a lot about a life in music and art. Our experiences and encounters are sometime brief, sometimes magical and fleeting, but the images and feelings from these encounters always go deep into our hearts and create lasting memories. This is the place where I find music.”

An inspired, affecting collection of moving and deeply meaningful music, Nights on Earth is Mendoza’s most profound and heartfelt offering to date.

ARTURO SANDOVAL DEAR DIZ (EVERY DAY I THINK OF YOU)

On May 8th, Arturo Sandoval will release his second album on Concord Jazz, Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You). Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You) is Sandoval’s tribute to Dizzy Gillespie, the mentor and friend who literally rescued him and his family from an oppressive existence and gave them a chance at an entirely new and better life. The album is a collection of classics from Gillespie’s massive body of work, each framed in big-band arrangements that throw the spotlight squarely on the elements of bebop that underscore so much of the iconic trumpeter’s work and set the tone for the music of his era.

Backing Sandoval on the project is a crew of top-shelf jazz artists: vibraphonist Gary Burton, Yellowjacket's leader saxophonist Bob Mintzer, organist Joey DeFrancesco, clarinetist Eddie Daniels, saxophonist Ed Calle, drummer/co-producer Gregg Field and several others. Also along for the ride are a couple of unlikely but well-placed surprises – actors Andy Garcia on percussion and vocalist Manolo Gimenez. The resulting set is, as Field puts it, is Sandoval’s “love letter to an old friend.”

The set opens with Gillespie’s voice, introducing a young Arturo Sandoval as “one of the young grand masters of the trumpet” during a live performance in the late ‘80s. What follows is a contemporary re-construction of Gillespie's signature “Bebop,” arranged by 2012 Grammy-winner Gordon Goodwin. Goodwin, whom Field calls “The most interesting voice in contemporary big band writing,” is also responsible for the fiery arrangement of “Salt Peanuts!,” which features Bob Mintzer on tenor sax, Gary Burton on vibes and if you listen closely you'll hear Sandoval friend Joe Pesci joining in the band vocal. “This is such a perfect example of Gordon’s genius,” says Field, “of his ability to take something that is so familiar to jazz musicians and fans and completely rework it.”

Dizzy’s “Birks Works” is rechristened here with the tag “a la Mancini,” thanks to the contributions of saxophonist Plas Johnson, who famously recorded Henry Mancini’s iconic Pink Panther theme nearly 50 years ago. Album pianist Shelly Berg’s arrangement utilizes alto flute, trumpet, tenor sax and strings – all of which further evoke the Mancini sensibility.

“Con Alma,” arranged by Grammy-winner Nan Schwartz, includes a classical-string quartet arrangement that’s a very beautiful thing,” says Sandoval. “This tune has been recorded many times, but I don’t think it’s been recorded quite this way before. The string quartet gives the song such a fine, elegant sound.”

The exotic and impassioned “Tin Tin Deo” features vocalist Manolo Gimenez , supported by Mintzer on tenor sax, by actor Andy Garcia on percussion, Wally Minko on piano and Joey DeFrancesco on organ – all carefully balanced in an arrangement by Dan Higgins. The album closes with an eleventh track, “Every Day I Think of You” a poignant, string-infused ballad by Sandoval that serves as the coda to this heartfelt tribute recording. Propelled by Sandoval’s stirring vocals, the track veers completely away from the big band vibe that precedes it, opting instead for something much more intimate, understated and personal. “I really mean every word of that song,” says Sandoval. “Dizzy encouraged me so much. He opened so many doors for me and showed me so many opportunities that I would not have had otherwise.”

At the heart of Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You) is the bebop groove that Gillespie spent a lifetime exploring and refining, says Sandoval. “When it comes to bebop, you either know it or you don’t,” he says. “There’s no halfway. If you’re going to be a good bebop player, you really need to be a hell of a musician with a lot of skill and a great education and a great command of your instrument. This is what Dizzy was all about. He wasn’t just a trumpet player. He was an innovator and a creator. That sense of innovation and creativity that he brought to every note he played is what inspires this recording and everyone who plays on it. In that sense, he’s still very much with all of us. I do think of Dizzy every day.”

Below is the tracklisting:
1. Be Bop featuring Shelly Berg & Zane Musa
2. Salt Peanuts! (Mani Salado) featuring Bob Mintzer & Gary Burton
3. And Then She Stopped featuring Joey DeFrancesco
4. Birks Works (ala Mancini) featuring Plas Johnson & Joey DeFrancesco
5. Things To Come featuring Bob Mintzer, Bob Sheppard & Joey DeFrancesco
6. Fiesta Mojo featuring Eddie Daniels
7. Con Alma (With Soul) featuring The Ralph Morrison String Quartet
8. Tin Tin Deo featuring Manolo Gimenez & Wally Minko
9. Algo Bueno (Woody and Me) featuring Dan Higgins & Andy Martin
10. A Night in Tunisia (actually an entire weekend!) featuring Bob McChesney & Ed Calle

ENCORE
11. Every Day I Think Of You featuring Arturo Sandoval, vocal

PHILIP BAILEY - CHINESE WALL / INSIDE OUT

Two crucial albums from Philip Bailey – back to back in one package! First up is Chinese Wall – a big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – in ways that push the Kalimba aesthetic even more into mainstream modes. Yet the album's still got some solid soul grounding, too – thanks to arrangements by Tom Tom and Arif Mardin – which is a nice contrast to the production by Phil Collins, who also guests on the hit "Easy Lover". Other cuts include "Time Is A Woman", "Go", "Walking On The Chinese Wall", "Photogenic Memory", "I Go Crazy", and "Children Of The Ghetto".

On Inside Out, Philip Bailey hits a great groove – working with Nile Rodgers, who gives him a lean, clean sound that works perfectly with his vocals! The sound is a nice change from the direction Bailey was heading in previously – a return to the focused soul of the later Earth Wind & Fire years, with his amazing lead opening up in ways that few other singers can match. Tunes are pretty well-penned too – catchy, but never cloyingly commercial – and titles include "State Of The Heart", "Welcome To The Club", "Special Effect", "Because Of You", "Take This With You", "The Day Will Come", "Back It Up", and "Echo My Heart". CD also features the bonus track "State Of The Heart (dub mix)". ~ Dusty Groove 

AHMAD JAMAL - BLUE MOON

Blue Moon is not just celebrated pianist-composer Ahmad Jamal‘s latest album, it’s his current masterpiece, suffused with a predominant feeling reminiscent of his greatest periods with Chess and Impulse! Records.

Comprised of brilliant new interpretations of songs from two of America’s most storied mediums of entertainment (classic films and Broadway) and originals that convey pure majesty, each of the nine pieces showcases Jamal’s creative reinvention of swing, provides a pretext for breathtaking melodies, and showcases sophisticated ensemble interplay with his new working group.

In regards to cinema, Jamal’s roots run deep. When he was younger, he used to be a movie aficionado. “I would occasionally watch several films a day,” he states. Jamal sees music and film as closely related bodies. In fact, his own music was even used in the 1995 Clint Eastwood film, The Bridges of Madison Country.

Jamal reflects, “Music plays a central role in cinema. That is the very reason why generations of great composers and arrangers dedicated themselves to this art: Johnny Mandel, Quincy Jones….even during the silent era, pianists were in demand.” That respect and understanding of the interconnectivity between music and film – from a composition standpoint – is clear on Blue Moon through the album’s repertoire.

The title track, a song popularized by the like of Billie Holliday, Mel Torme and even Elvis Presley, was actually written in 1934 for the MGM film Hollywood Party. Jamal knows its very depths. “I used to play it a lot when I was a child, in private. It is the first time I am putting it on an album.” Jamal offers a most expansive and comprehensive version of the composition.

“Blue Moon” is not the only composition drawing from the world of film. He revisits “Invitation,” a song from the original soundtrack of A Life of Her Own, the 1950 George Cukor movie. Jamal’s interpretation of the composition gives the adopted jazz standard new meaning, featuring an infectious groove underneath Jamal’s distinctive approach to the melody. In the same vein, though in solo format, Jamal reinterprets “Laura,” the Johnny Mercer classic that gave its title to the 1944 Otto Preminger masterpiece (a song that he considers to be “one of my favorites”).

Just as other jazz musicians have often transfigured popular Broadway shows over the years, Jamal showcases his version of “This Is The Life,” excerpted from Golden Boy, a 1964 success that featured Sammy Davis Jr. Without erasing its original melodic energy, Jamal draws original obliques with the strength of his personal, sensual approach to the keyboard.

Such a ubiquitous gift allows the pianist to prove in turn allusive and even more expressive on “The Gypsy,” another borrowing from the popular songbook repertoire, and which has become a standard since Charlie Parker recorded the composition 1946. As far as “Woody’n You” is concerned, it is one of Jamal’s “go-to” classics. “My first version appears on the ‘Live At Pershing.’ It was an enormous success. I have been playing those pieces for a very long time.”

In addition, he added three compositions of his own: “Autumn Rain,” already recorded, but presented on Blue Moon in completely different form, “Morning Mist,” and “I Remember Italy,” which underlines the empathy he has for that country. On the latter, Jamal draws a musical novel, full of bright colors reminiscent of the most important painters (a track that channels the impressionistic classical music period of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel). “I am often influenced by the cities I travel through, to which have been many. But Italy really has a peculiar flavor. Traveling is good for me, even if my favorite city is home,” Jamal is in tune with a world, “so vast one will never be able to see it all, but one should do everything in his/her power to make it a better place.”

For the album, Jamal surrounded himself with a renewed team: three impeccable guardians of the tempo in bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley and percussionist Manolo Badrena. Veal, whom has made a name and a sound for himself with the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Joshua Redman, is a younger musician, yet provides the group with a rock solid foundation. On one side of the group sits Riley, whom after spending years of work on the New York scene recently came back to work with the pianist [Jamal] who got him started in the mid-1980s. On the other side sits Jamal’s old friend Badrena, a percussionist who was part of Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul’s Weather Report in the mid-to-late 1970s.

Jamal is not just a living legend of jazz; he is one of the most inspired and inspiring artists in music today. An important and influential figure in jazz history (he was a key influence on Miles Davis in his formative years, and countless others), he introduced the concepts of space, silence and dramatic dynamics into jazz performance. He continues to influence a diverse generation of artists from Herbie Hancock, Hiromi to Matthew Shipp. Renowned critic Stanley Crouch considers Jamal’s distinctive style as having an influence on the same level as “Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver and John Lewis, all thinkers whose wrestling with form and content influenced the shape and texture of the music, and whose ensembles were models of their music visions.”

In reflecting on the overall album and group’s chemistry, Jamal states, “Recording an album is like playing on stage. All together and most importantly not isolated in our booths. There is no secret: it is a very human matter.” This organic interaction is clear on the album.

At 81 years old, with Blue Moon, Ahmad Jamal is at the peak of his art.

ahmadjamal.com

JACK DEJOHNETTE - SOUND TRAVELS

2012 promises to be a banner year for legend Jack DeJohnette, renowned as one of music’s most adventurous artists and prolific drummers. He’ll receive a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship, the highest U.S. honor for jazz musicians. The Chicago-born, New York-based artist will also turn 70, boasting a top-drawer historical resume that ranges from his early days as a charter member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet and his seminal drumming in Miles Davis’s pioneering fusion band in the late ’60s and early ’70s (including Bitches Brew) to his longstanding quarter-century-plus contributions to the Keith Jarrett Standards Trio as well as his own diverse solo career recording for such labels as ECM, MCA/Impluse!, EMI/Blue Note, and his own imprint Golden Beams.

Add to that another crowning achievement: DeJohnette’s latest and arguably best album, Sound Travels (a co-release between Golden Beams and eOne). It’s a superb genre-spanning, nine-song collection that grooves with Latin rhythms and West Indian energy, muses with meditative tunes, and buoys with straight-up jazz swing. Sound Travels features an array of collaborators, including vocalists Bruce Hornsby (on the funky, bluesy tune “Dirty Ground” that has AOR hit potential), Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding. Also on board are emerging talents such as trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and guitarist Lionel Loueke (and Spalding, who plays bass on seven of the tracks) and established jazz stars such as saxophonist Tim Ries, percussionist Luisito Quintero and, on one track, pianist Jason Moran.

But DeJohnette is the spotlighted star of the album. He composed all of the tunes (he co-composed “Dirty Ground” with Hornsby, who wrote the lyrics), he drums with his distinctive and passionate style, and he plays the piano (his first instrument on which he studied classical music from the age of 4 to 14) on nearly all the tracks, including the lyrical solo bookends.

DeJohnette’s goal for the album was simple: “I love to play grooves and beautiful melodies,” he says. “It was fun once we got started. It was like, let the juices flow.”

Given his Jazz Master award and his significant birthday, DeJohnette made plans to do something special for 2012. To help plot the course, he sought out his longtime industry friend Chuck Mitchell at eOne, whom he’s known for over 40 years, to discuss ideas. “We talked about people who could play on the album,” says DeJohnette, “but Chuck was also firm that I play piano as well as drums. I’ve made a few piano albums in my career, and he likes them. I enjoy playing the piano. I love the melodies and harmonies, the way the piano sounds and the touch. I loved it.” (Moran was originally slotted to play more than one number, but DeJohnette says, “As things developed in the studio, I felt so comfortable on the piano that it just worked its way into the fabric of nearly all the songs.”)

While Mitchell serves as executive producer of Sound Travels, DeJohnette enlisted the services of Robert Sadin as the album’s producer. “When Chuck and I talked about the album, I told him that I liked the intuitive way Bob worked on albums by Sting and Herbie Hancock,” DeJohnette says. “Bob also helped me think through the players on the album. For example, I knew I was going to use Ambrose. But we both felt that we needed another horn voice, so we thought of saxophonist Tim Ries, who is a fine jazz composer and has worked with the Rolling Stones. He was in Budapest at the time, so I called him and it happened to be his birthday. I told him I had a record date, and he arrived the next day jetlagged. Even so, he really took care of business.”

DeJohnette wrote most of the music last July when he was touring Europe with Jarrett’s trio. “I had a [Korg] M3 keyboard on which I wrote sequences and played around with arrangements,” he says. “Bob would check them out, and he was excited.”

DeJohnette also wanted to focus on vocals for some of the tracks. The first of the album is from Spalding, whom DeJohnette had met via Hancock and later contributed three tracks to on her Radio Music Society album. “It was Bob’s idea to have Esperanza sing,” he says. “It wasn’t planned that way. But she was gracious enough to go along. Because of the creative environment in the studio, Bob asked Esperanza to improvise over the chord changes of the first solo section on ‘Salsa for Luisito.’” The Latin-jazz-infused song is DeJohnette’s salute to his percussionist Luisito Quintero, whom he met via Danílo Pérez. “I can count on Luisito,” says DeJohnette, “and he can play anything. We play a drums-timbales call-and-response section.”

The second vocal track comes courtesy of singer-songwriter Hornsby, who had enlisted the drummer for his 2007 trio jazz album, Camp Meeting, with Christian McBride. After hearing one of DeJohnette’s instrumentals in 7/4 time, Hornsby asked him to send the music. The result: the Band-like “Dirty Ground” that Hornsby sings. “I love the groove of that song,” DeJohnette says. “It reminds me of Levon Helm, who lays a funky groove. For those kinds of grooves, he’s my favorite drummer. So Bruce wrote the lyrics partly about New Orleans and Mardi Gras, but there’s also a nod to Levon.”
DeJohnette also singles out Loueke’s contributions to the tune. “He’s a master of understatement,” he says. “I had the opportunity to work with him before, and I enjoyed it. But on ‘Dirty Ground,’ he knocked me out with the way that he played in a Delta blues style.”

The final vocal number features McFerrin’s wordless singing on the haunting “Oneness.” “Bobby just came in and sang the melody,” says DeJohnette. “And then we agreed to do a call-and-response section. Bobby is amazing in his ability to improvise.”

Another top-tier tune in the collection is DeJohnette’s tribute to Sonny Rollins, “Sonny Light,” a dancing tune steeped in West Indian rhythms. “I played this for Sonny and he was touched,” DeJohnette says. “He likes calypsos. Originally I wrote this on my keyboard, but I wanted to get Lionel’s nylon-string guitar to sound like a kora. It reminded me of something that Sonny might play.”

DeJohnette also took the straight-ahead jazz path for two tunes, including the swinging “New Muse,” which features Ries on soprano sax and the leader displaying his trademark vitality on the drums. “Ambrose was great on this track,” he says. “I just love his melodic and harmonic solos. I love his sound and his ideas.”

The second jazz-oriented track, “Indigo Dreamscape,” is a gentle groove with an angular melodic architecture and a fine trade between Moran and Ries on tenor sax toward the end. Originally recorded by DeJohnette on his 1990 Parallel Realities album with Hancock and Pat Metheny, the leader decided to make a new arrangement that included Spalding’s bass and the horns. Also in the middle of the album, serving as an interlude of sorts, DeJohnette delivers the title track, joined by Loueke, Spalding and Quintero.

The beginning and conclusion of Sound Travels features DeJohnette on solo piano. “Enter Here” is a meditation and welcome with a resonating bell punctuating the end, while “Home” is a slow celebration. As for going it solo, DeJohnette says, “Why not? That way I cover all the bases. ‘Enter Here’ is a neutral song, inviting the listener in for a journey through the rest of the album, and ‘Home’ is an improvisation that’s like church. It’s like the 1-4-5-1 chorus you hear in South African music, which reminds me of Abdullah Ibrahim, who is one of my favorite pianists. I played it in the studio and Bob said, ‘It sounds like home,’ hence the title.”

Just like most of the tunes on Sound Travels, the piano solos are both brief. “Nothing goes on too long on this album,” DeJohnette says. He proudly adds, “I wanted to make something that would make people move, to make them relax and forget their troubles. I wanted to bring a smile.”

HERE COMES...SHORTY LONG - THE COMPLETE MOTOWN STEREO MASTERS

The 2 fantastic albums Shorty Long cut for Soul/Motown – '68's funky Here Comes The Judge & '69's soulful Prime Of Shorty Long – a perfect pair, put together with 2 bonus tracks and great notes by the rare soul-reverent heroes at Kent UK! The CD kicks off with the Here Come The Judge – a fantastic album of funky soul – actually only one of two albums he cut – and the only one that was issued before his untimely early death – a killer batch of tracks that mix together funk, Detroit soul, and a great sense of humor! The album kicks off with Shorty's hit single "Here Comes The Judge", a funky musical version of the "judge" routine that had been knocking around the Chittlin Circuit comedy scene for years, particularly in the work of Pigmeat Markham. The album also features Shorty's legendary "soul party" cut, "Function At The Junction", plus lots of other tasty numbers like "Night Fo Last" (done in vocal and instrumental versions)", "Here Comes Fat Albert", "Stranded In the Jungle", "Don't Mess With My Weekend", "Ain't No Justice", and "Sing What You Wanna".

The Prime Of Shorty Long is a beautiful album from Shorty – issued shortly after his early death from drowning at the age of 29 – and an amazing document of the mighty soul powers he would have had in years to come! There's a depth here that Shorty never had before – a sense of power and righteousness that comes through not just in the vocals, but in the construction of the songs as well – very tight, with a musical vision that shows a sense of pride and power that was never present in Long's earlier singles. Paul Riser handled the arrangements, in a way that really illustrates that cresting Motown intensity at the start of the 70s – and titles include "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Baby Come Home To Me", "When You Are Available", "The Deacon Work", "Give Me Some Air", "I Had A Dream", and "I Wish You Were Here". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Mobile Lil The Dancing Witch" (previously unissued stereo mix) and "Chantilly Lace" (previously unissued stereo alternative version). ~ Dusty Groove

LOU RAGLAND - I TRAVEL ALONE (HOT CHOCOLATE / THE CONVEYOR)

An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate.

Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too! ~ Dusty Groove 

KENNY GARRETT - SEEDS FROM THE UNDERGROUND

Over the course of a stellar career that has spanned more than 30 years, saxophonist Kenny Garrett has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. From his first gig with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (led by Mercer Ellington) through his time spent with musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis, Garrett has always brought a vigorous yet melodic, and truly distinctive, alto saxophone sound to each musical situation. As a bandleader for the last two decades, he has also continually grown as a composer. With his latest recording (and second for Mack Avenue Records), Seeds From The Underground, Garrett has given notice that these qualities have not only become more impressive, but have provided him with the platform to expand his horizons and communicate his musical vision clearly. Seeds From The Underground is a powerful return to the straight-ahead, acoustic and propulsive quartet format that showcases Garrett's extraordinary abilities.

For Garrett, Seeds From The Underground is a special recording. It once again consists of all original compositions, and is truly an homage to those who have inspired and influenced him, both personally and musically. "All of these songs are dedicated to someone," says Garrett. "And the 'seeds' have been planted, directly or indirectly, by people who have been instrumental in my development."

With Seeds From The Underground Garrett has crafted a project that offers his appreciation while always making the listener aware of his band's skillful approach to melody, harmony and rhythm. From personal nods such as the opening track "Boogety Boogety," dedicated to his memory of watching western films with his father (the title refers to the sound of a galloping horse); "Wiggins," which references his high school band director Bill Wiggins; and "Detroit," an evocative, reflective composition about his hometown, and a celebration of mentor Marcus Belgrave; to his appreciation of some of his musical heroes on "J Mac" (Jackie McLean); "Haynes Here" (Roy Haynes); and "Do Wo Mo" (Duke Ellington, Woody Shaw and Thelonious Monk).

Melody, as a matter of fact, was a key element for the saxophonist when writing for the recording. "I wanted to focus on the melody," Garrett reflects. "I want people to remember what the melody is before we start improvising...and on some songs I heard voices, the singing of the melody." This latter point is in evidence on the selections "Haynes Here," "Detroit" and "Welcome Earth Song."

Another notable component compositionally for Garrett on Seeds From The Underground is his approach to rhythm and meter. Over the past few years, one of the most popular and acclaimed groups that he has been a part of is the GRAMMY® award winning Five Peace Band, joining guitarist John McLaughlin, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Christian McBride, and drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Brian Blade. His participation in that band led him to experiment with writing in different meters. "Some of these songs are in odd meters; in my experience with John, we played some songs in odd meters, so I thought, this is a different way of writing songs," Garrett states. "So there is some of that approach here."

Garrett's current working band is very much up to the task on Seeds From The Underground. And like all successful bandleaders, Garrett knows what he wants musically and has formed a band that will best communicate his message (with implicit trust among one another). Bassist Nat Reeves is a rhythmic anchor and a long-standing member of Garrett's past aggregations. However, for this recording, Garrett thought a lot about the talents of fellow Detroiter, drummer Ronald Bruner, as well as Venezuelan pianist Benito Gonzalez. "When I decided I wanted to do the album, I had Ronald in mind; I thought that he would work well on these songs. And Benito has been in my band for a while, and we talked conceptually about how I hear the piano in the band. McCoy Tyner is my man, so I wanted to have more of that sound, and there aren't a lot of young guys around who are dealing with that like Benito is." Percussionist Rudy Bird also provides a driving, rhythmic pulse to the recording.

A very important contributor to Seeds From The Underground is the project's co-producer: pianist, composer and educator, Donald Brown. His friendship with Garrett goes back to their days with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. He has been an integral part of past Garrett recordings, and has been a musical inspiration for him. "I feel comfortable in the studio with him and I know he's going to hear what I hear, because we think alike in how we hear music," states Garrett. "I've also always admired his compositions and he was really inspired by these compositions, so he was glad that we were able to hook back up on this project."

Garrett has always expressed interest in music from other parts of the world. Whether it's Africa, Greece, Indonesia, China or Guadeloupe, he immerses himself in the culture and gleans from his experience something that becomes a part of his artistic message. On Seeds From The Underground, the African-influenced "Welcome Earth Song" and "Laviso, I Bon?" (the latter was inspired by a musician friend in Guadeloupe) are prime examples.

The album highlights Garrett's overall approach to music: wide-ranging, receiving ideas from all musical sources and genres. Garrett states, "I love the challenge of trying to stay open...about music and about life. If it's music, I just try to check it out. Right now I'm listening to some music from Martinique and I'm lovin' it. If I like it, maybe I can incorporate some of it into what I do." As for composing: "I don't try to control what I write," he says. "Music comes from 'The Creator.' It's a gift that's coming in, and I receive it. I write in all genres, and I'm writing all the time. It's never about what it is...I just say thank you."

Seeds From The Underground is the latest stop on what continues to be a fascinating musical journey for Kenny Garrett and his listeners. It's a recording that is not only a significant personal statement from the saxophonist, but a musical declaration of his continued growth as a musician, and in particular, as a composer.
"Since my last recording, [his Mack Avenue debut, Sketches Of MD/Live At The Iridium, I've had a lot of different experiences [including the aforementioned Five Peace Band, as well as The Freedom Band featuring Corea, McBride and Haynes]," Garrett reflects. "What I liked about putting this album together was the idea that my writing had grown and had become a little different, partially the result of Seeds From The Underground." ~ Mack Avenue Records