Chris Rizik: You're favorite old album is coming back...really

Until earlier this year I had never heard of the band Phyrework. And I wasn’t alone. Phyrework issued a single, self-titled album in 1978 before being dropped by Mercury Records. The album did not chart. It also had no hits. So why am I even writing about Phyrework? Because the group’s long lost album has now been released on compact disc for the first time. And while that may not seem like a big deal, it symbolizes something that IS a big deal.

From the time that the compact disc was popularized in the mid 80s, record companies realized the new media form created a new sales opportunity: the chance to get music fans to buy their entire vinyl collections again in CD format. Even outtakes, demos and alternate takes could be repackaged and sold profitably. It was like money falling from heaven, and it kept the labels flush for the next 20 years. But while rock music fans could buy digital versions of every sneeze or blurry basement take of a song by their heroes, it was a different situation for R&B music fans. Sure, you could find the Earth, Wind & Fire or Isley Brothers catalog, but beyond the biggest stars the cupboard was bare. Tavares was my favorite soul group of the 70s and had a bunch of top 10 hits, but not one of their studio albums was available on CD in the US. And forget finding music by less successful but talented artists like Al Johnson or Enchantment. The major labels, which controlled the thousands of popular R&B releases from 1970-85, apparently didn’t believe there was a sizeable audience for CD reissues of these artists.

But a funny thing began to happen during the past decade. An underground movement of R&B music warriors took matters into their own hands, determined to bring back the funk…and the soul. I’m not talking about musicians, but about an intrepid group of entrepreneurs, largely in Europe, who decided that there was indeed a generation of fans, now in their 40s and 50, who wanted to have the opportunity to hear the music from their youth in crisp and convenient digital format. So they formed their own record companies, some based in physical CD stores and some based in kitchens, but all dedicated to the mission of reissuing worthy 70s and 80s R&B, funk and soul music on compact disc.

While there were some obvious picks for reissues like gold albums by Natalie Cole and Peabo Bryson, these entrepreneurs were digging much, much deeper, often seeking out obscure but usually interesting soul, funk and disco. We’re talking about stuff like LaToya Jackson’s lowest selling album, post-peak Stylistics and Chi-Lites, and even forgotten acts like the L.A. Boppers, Tease and JM Silk. It should be noted what they were doing was no easy feat. Due to the consolidation of the record industry, the process of obtaining the rights to music, finding the original master recordings and negotiating the licensing of the music could be a combination of scavenger hunt and bureaucratic nightmare. Fortunately, these folks were in it for the love even more than for the money, and through creativity and relentlessness labels like FunkyTownGrooves, SoulMusic.com, BBR, Cherry Red, Wounded Bird and Vinyl Masterpiece, as well as the up and coming Purpose Music Vaults, cracked the code and opened up a treasure trove of great classic music that went more than a quarter of a century in the dark.

It was a tremendous gamble. I mean, can you really be sure that there is enough of a market for a double disc by the group Chocolate Milk to justify all the costs of reissuing? But, thankfully, these labels found a surprising number of European, American and Asian fans willing to shell out $15 for the CD version of an album that they had when they were 16, even if the album was a small seller back then.

Due to this new generation of record company mini-moguls, over the past year I’ve had the chance to hear all over again some amazing lost gems from artists such as Carl Anderson, Enchantment, Loose Ends and even my beloved Tavares – gems that otherwise would simply be gathering dust in the major labels’ vaults.

It all came to a head for me last week, when I received a package from Vinyl Masterpiece that included the 1978 album Phyrework, an obscure release by almost any standard and for me a bellwether as to just how deep into the mines these labels are digging. But you know what? It’s pretty good. Featuring lead singer and guitarist Clarence Pitts guitarist Willie Smith, percussionist John Bryant, saxman Bill Eden, bassist Gerald Calhoun, trumpeter Jim Foster and keyboardist Frank Hames, Phyrework enlisted the production help of Con-Funk-Shun’s Michael Cooper and issued a solid album of the horn-filled funk sound that was emerging at that time from groups like the Bar-Kays and even Maze. And Phyrework the band was tight, mixing up funk-dance numbers like “Comin’ For Your Love” with Cameo-like ballad like “Dance With Me” and even jazz fusion flourishes on “Mystic Mariner.”

The most important thing about Phyrework is not that it wasn’t a hit in 1978 and probably has a limited market now. It is that the work of the band Phyrework, like T.S. Monk, Michael Wycoff, Ca$hflow and the dozens of other acts who’ve been rescued from the dustbins by the upstart labels, really deserved to be available again. These were talented acts who created music that may have had limited commercial appeal but had critical merit and a small but interested group of fans. And it is a tribute to these R&B rescuers that they are giving this worthy music the opportunity to be heard again by longtime fans -- and perhaps to be discovered by new ones. And that’s great news for SoulTrackers that goes far, far beyond Phyrework.

Chris Rizik
Soultracks.com

ROOM732 – JUST FOLLOW THE WHITE SIGNS

Just Follow The White Signs is the debut album by ROOM732, and it features instrumental music that is filled with sound textures from the world  of ambient and new age music. The difference here is that ROOM732 takes it to the next level.

ROOM732’s music not only has depth, but also pulse and edge. The music in Just Follow The White Signs is put together by small journeys of moods and sound stories. Each individual track appears with its own sound pattern and safely melts together with the rest of the tracks in a thread of sound and rhythm.

What you’ll find here are classic chill out vibes with Brian Eno-esque production traits that carries you on a pleaseant wave, and along the way you will hear touches of Trentemoller, Jonsi, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, as well as Cold Play. The title of the debut album Just Follow the White Signs, is an invitation to relax, and to let the sounds be the white signs that guide your experience in your intimate space.
ROOM732 is the creation of Frank Gustafson, and through the creative maniplulation of sound, combined with regular conventional instrumentation (such as guitars, keyboards, and percussion), he has created ROOM732’s 'studio music' as he likes to call it.

Gustafson’s road to ROOM732 has been a long path through various forms of expression, including theatre, dance, film, photography, painting, and writing. Over the years music has become a more and more profound factor. Today music is the art-form in which he feels that he can express his soul in the most direct way.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG - SATCHMO AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB: RED BEANS AND RICE-LY YOURS

What if your favorite musician could return from the great beyond and play one last set that would, for a moment, make his music live again? And what if the music were new – something you have never heard before? It would be a moment to savor.

Well for those of you who are waiting for Elvis or John Lennon to return, you might have to keep waiting. But for those of you who long to hear the music of the greatest trumpeter of all time, Louis Armstrong, just one more time your dreams may be answered. And you should come to the National Press Club on April 27 for what is sure to be a memorable and historic occasion. On that day there will be a news conference followed by a panel discussion followed by a reception. Details will be released as the date gets closer.

Officials from the National Press Club, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and the Louis Armstrong Foundation will announce their agreement to release a recording made on January 29, 1971 in the Ballroom of the National Press Club. The live recording is one of the last times Armstrong played his trumpet in public and is believed to be his last recorded trumpet performance. The recording was made into a limited edition record with only 300 copies most of which have vanished into attics. For several years a determined group of Press Club members have been working with their partners at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to bring the music to the public. Now, with the help of the Louis Armstrong Foundation, the moment has arrived.

On April 24, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the nonprofit record label of the national museum, will release Satchmo at the National Press Club: Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours on CD and digital download via www.folkways.si.edu and retailers including iTunes and Amazon as well as the streaming services. The album release is part of the Smithsonian Institution's celebration of the 11th annual Jazz Appreciation Month.

Armstrong agreed to perform at the 1971 inaugural party of incoming National Press Club President Vernon Louviere who was a Washington correspondent but a native of Louisiana. At the time he was booked, Mr. Armstrong's health was poor. He had not played trumpet for much of 1970 and his shows were mostly 10 minutes of singing. So the Press Club crowd expected to hear Louis sing a couple of songs. But Armstrong packed his horn when he traveled to Washington. He was feeling better and ready to play.

January 29, 1971 was a gala evening at the Press Club. The master of ceremonies for the event was the British Journalist David Frost. The crowd of journalists, dressed in black tie, had a real sense that they were about to witness history. Louis responded to the crowd's enthusiasm with more than 30 minutes of spirited singing, scat and to everyone's great surprise, trumpet. His trumpet was only to be recorded two other times: during a taped television show with David Frost; and on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson before a studio audience. It is believed that neither was turned into a recording offered to the public.

Source: National Press Club

WHEEDLE'S GROOVE: SEATTLE'S FINEST IN FUNK & SOUL 1965 - 1979

Amazing stuff – and way more than a rehash of the legendary Wheedle's Groove compilation! Instead, the set is kind of a "back to the roots" collection – one that presents 10 vintage 45 singles, reproduced with label artwork and everything – all packaged in a beautiful box with a magnetic flip-top lid – and containing a 96 page booklet with new liner notes, interviews, rare photos, a trading card, and lots more archival goodies! Plus, there's also a CD of a lost Robbie Hill's Family session from 1975 – and a bonus download card for all the songs in the set. And so far, we haven't even told you about the music – a killer collection of rare funk and soul from the Seattle scene – rare singles that originally appeared on the Camelot, Sepia, Jerden, Topaz, and Decimal labels. Titles include "Deep Soul (parts 1 & 2)" by Ron Buford & Ural Thomas, "I Let A Good Man Go" b/w "Little Love Affair" by Patrinell Staten, "Brighter Tomorrow" b/w "Ca Ba Dab" by Soul Swingers, "Peace Dance" b/w "Undecided Woman" by Woody Carr, "This Is Me" b/w "The Song I Sing" by Cookin Bag, "Grooving Is Easy" b/w "Poor Fool" by Stringfello, "You & Me" b/w "My Funky Feeling" by Acapulco Gold, "I Wonder Love" b/w "I Wanna Love You" by Seattle Pure Dynamite, "Holding On" b/w "Oh Girl" by Unfinished Business, and "Love In Your Life" b/w "Look At Me" by Priceless. (Limited edition release for Black Friday, 2011. 2000 hand-numbered copies.) ~ Dusty Groove

GWEN McCRAE @ THE HAPPY DAYS FESTIVAL

For over three decades, Gwen McCrae has been a soul and blues powerhouse singer entertaining audiences worldwide. She started out singing as a child with her mother who played piano in church. With a heartfelt phrasing for the blues and the spirit-filled sounds from her soul, Gwen has entertained audiences in countless sold-out venues and set her music in a Blues and Soul category of its own. Since the early '60s, Gwen has paid her dues, on tour with the likes of Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, James Brown, The Temptations, The O Jays, Spinners, James Cleveland, and many more. Gwen's entertaining has included concerts at The Apollo Theatre, Madison Square Garden, Cow Palace in LA, Disneyland, television shows such as "American Band Stand', "Soul Train', "Midnight Special', "In Concert', as well as various venues throughout the world in London, Paris, Germany, Scotland, and Venice, just to mention a few.
 
Gwen's hit song "Rockin' Chair" earned her a Grammy nomination, sold over 3 million records, and went to No.1 on Billboard's R&B charts. Gwen McCrae has recorded over 20 albums, with nine of her songs breaking into Billboard's "Top 100 list'. Her latest album, Gwen McCrae Sings TK, earned her "Best Blues & Soul Woman Song Of The Year Award " in 2007 for "Let's Straighten It Out," presented by Jus' Blues Music Awards Show. She was also nominated for the 2008 "Blues & Soul Woman Of The Year Award." Gwen looks forward to touring in Europe every year. Recently Gwen performed before a sold out audience in one of London's premier venues, "The London Indigo 2'.

Gwen McCrae's music career has touched the hearts of music lovers all over the world, with award winning hits in every music genre, from Blues, Soul, R&B, Funk, Disco, to Jazz. Her deep soul style singing created a music genre all her own. Gwen's music is known for its soulful sound and dance oriented beats. Loyal European music fans have in fact renamed her "The Queen of Rare Groove'. Among her European and USA hits include songs such as "All This Love That I'm Giving', Keep The Fire Burning', "Funky Sensation', "90% Of Me Is You', "Let's Straighten It Out' , "Girlfriend's Boyfriend', "Rock Your Baby', "Clean Up Women', and the list goes on.

Gwen McCrae does not just perform on stage but makes the audience feel they are part of the musical experience. In an interview Gwen stated that "The only time I'm really happy is when I'm on that stage, in front of my audience. Then, I'm the happiest woman in the world! And there is nothing that anybody can say or do to make me unhappy, because I'm doing just what the Lord wants me to do; satisfy the people. Not the people that you recorded for and all of that; Satisfy that audience, they're the ones that love you; they're the ones that buy your records.'

Gewn McCrae is scheduled to appear at the upcoming Happy Days Music Festival on June 2, in Surrey, UK, along with artists Jocelyn Brown, James D-Train Williams, and Colonel Abrams.

http://www.happydaysfestival.co.uk

LORENZO FELICIATI – FREQUENT FLYER

Italy’s Lorenzo Feliciati has been one of the best kept secrets on the European modern jazz scene for the past decade. On Frequent Flyer (RareNoiseRecords), his third solo outing, the Jaco Pastorius-inspired electric bassist fronts an all-star lineup that includes his Naked Truth bandmates — Seattle trumpeter Cuong Vu (who has worked with artists such as Laurie Anderson, Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny), British jazz keyboardist Roy Powell and longtime King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto – along with Yellowjackets saxophonist-composer Bob Mintzer and a host of players on the Italian prog-rock-jazz scene including fellow electric bassist Patrick Djivas (of the group Premiata Forneria Marconi), keyboardist Aidan Zammit, Hammond organist José Fiorilli, violinist Andrea Di Cesare, guitarist Daniele Gottardo, drummers Lucrezio De Seta, Roberto Gualdi, Maxx Furian, Pier Paolo Ferroni, Stefano Bagnoli and Daniele Pomo, Peruvian percussionist Paolo La Rosa, and turntablist DJ Skizo.

An ambitious blend of jazz, prog-rock and nu-funk, Frequent Flyer is Feliciati’s follow-up to Shizaru, Naked Truth’s 2011 outing on RareNoise. From the ominous-sounding opener “The Fastwing Park Rules,” featuring some urgent tenor sax blowing from Mintzer, to the kinetic “Riding the Orient Express” to the slow-grooving “The White Shadow Story,” Feliciati distinguishes himself as an accomplished, forward-thinking composer and improviser of the highest caliber. His chops showcase, “Groove First,” in which his burning basslines are accompanied by Powell’s Fender Rhodes and La Rosa’s percolating conga work, recalls Jaco Pastorius’ fleet-fingered bass manifesto “Teen Town” (with a brief quote from Jimi Hendrix’s “Power of Soul” along the way). “‘Groove First’ is the song I am most known for,” says Feliciati. “So from this point of view, ‘Groove First’ is my ‘Teen Town,’ but mine is harmonically way simpler, though still pretty complicated to play sometimes, to tell the truth.”

Elsewhere on Frequent Flyer, Feliciati turns in a rousing Afro-Cuban-infused rendition of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” with the leader carrying the familiar melody on fretless bass against a propulsive backdrop of drums and percussion. The mournful “Never Forget,” which is underscored by Feliciati’s warm, woody tones on electric upright bass, features the reverb-soaked trumpet work of Vu while the hard-grooving “Gabus and Ganabes” is a showcase for the wonderful violinist Di Cesare. He says the intricate, prog-rock showcase “Law and Order” was jointly inspired by King Crimson and Jeff Berlin. “King Crimson is one of my favorite bands and I always loved the classically influenced stuff that Jeff Berlin did back in the day with Bruford, so I was trying to incorporate some complicated bass stuff with a touch of prog-rock and a bit of classical flavor. There is also a quote from King Crimson’s ‘Red’ in the middle of the song that you might be able to hear.”

The King Crimson influence is more obvious on Feliciati’s cover of their “Thela Hun Ginjeet” (from 1981′s Discipline). “Playing with Pat Mastelotto helped me to discover the magic in some of the most complicated and strange-sounding King Crimson tunes,” he explains. “‘Thela Hun Ginjeet’ was a song I always play at soundcheck, and during a music fair in Italy I did it with my good friends Roberto Gualdi on drums and Guido Block on vocals, and we were all enthusiastic about the way it turned out. So we decided to do it for my album because they are wonderful musicians, very good friends and we play together often. They fit perfectly in the Frequent Flyer format.

This hard-hitting project is a product of Feliciati’s musical journeys over the years. As he explains, “I wanted to do an album with all the wonderful musicians I met during my traveling around for gigs, festivals and sessions. And actually the musicians that are in the Naked Truth band — Pat Mastelotto, Cuong Vu and Roy Powell — had already played on songs for Frequent Flyer before I asked them to form a band. It is strange but during Naked Truth’s Shizaru sessions I never stopped to work on mixing Frequent Flyer, but as soon as the songs were finished I went from one project to the other. It has been a really busy moment of my life but it seems, seeing all the wonderful reviews that Shizaru had and hearing the final result of Frequent Flyer, I think I did a good job.”

Essentially self-taught, Feliciati was drawn to the music of Led Zeppelin early on. By age 14, he gravitated to fretless electric bass after seeing Jaco Pastorius in concert with Weather Report during their Night Passage tour in 1982. “It was the last tour Jaco did with the band and one of my first live concerts. I had heard his first solo album in 1980 but seeing him that night changed my life. I discovered that you could be a bass player and still be the coolest cat on stage. All the eyes of the people in the audience were on Jaco that night. His playing was so powerful and full of joy. As a kid playing a bass, seeing Jaco — in his top form and with the best band ever — was a shock! But in years later, I came to appreciate Jaco for more than just his chops. I still see him first and foremost as a musician and composer. He was a genius in music, not only on the bass.”

By age 20, he was playing blues-rock in clubs around Rome, but off stage he was discovering and analyzing the work of other influential fretless bass players like Mick Karn of Japan, Pino Palladino and Percy Jones along with the great fretted electric bassists Jeff Berlin and Victor Bailey. King Crimson also became a powerful influence on him in those formative years. Feliciati debuted as a leader in 2003 with Upon My Head on Schoots Records and followed up with 2006′s Live at European Bass Day, recorded in Viersen, Germany. He has since appeared at Bass Day conventions in Verona, Italy and Manchester, England, sharing the stage with fellow bass monster Richard Bona, Linley Marthe and Dominique Di Piazza, among others. He has been spotlighted as “Bass Face of the Month” (February 2005) by the International Institute of Bassists and has conducted clinics at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Tilburg and the Academy of Contemporary Music of London. Now, with the release of his brilliant Frequent Flyer, Feliciati’s profile should make an incremental leap. As a player, composer and bandleader, he ranks among the heavyweights on the international bass scene.

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