ALEX LEVIN TRIO - NEW YORK PORTRAITS

Originally from Philadelphia, Alex Levin has performed in Philadelphia and New York as a leader and a sideman for almost two decades. After studying at The New School with teacher Gary Dial, he transferred and graduated from Brown University in 1998 with a degree in English Literature. From 1998-2001 he lived in Berlin, Germany, where he started his first quartet, The Living Room. The popular band played at numerous clubs and festivals throughout Germany, and gained notoriety for unique interpretations of pop songs by the likes of Bjork and Tom Waits.

Alex has played with multiple vocalists and instrumentalists since returning to New York in 2001. He has appeared at countless upscale venues throughout the city. On occasion, you can also find Alex and his trio performing at smaller jazz clubs in the village and Brooklyn. He has composed numerous pieces, and has arranged music for top vocalists, including the brilliant Paulette McWilliams.

Alex released his first CD of trio music, Night and Distance, in April of 2005. His first run of his CDs sold out within eight months of its release. In October, 2006, he released his second CD, A Reason for Being Alone featuring his own compositions and an expanded lineup of musicians, including saxophonists Stacy
Dillard and Max Hacker, and cellist William Martina. His composition "Your Call" was heard in the 2005 film "Parkstories.” In addition, "New Schooled" has been licensed by MTV, and "Emma's Ennui" from the same CD has been downloaded 8540 times at All About Jazz.com. Levin’s jazz writing has been published in The Saint Ann’s Review. In the summer of 2006, Alex was invited to play as part of the Jazz Composer's Forum in Asheville, North Carolina, where he presented a special concert of original music.

In 2008, Alex’s trio was invited to be the artist in residence at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Since then, he has been playing weekly gigs at Manhattan Youth Downtown Community Center in Tribecca, where he and his trio perform all-ages shows every Friday evening to a loyal audience ranging in age from 1-80. Originally the band was hired for a month-long residency at the Community Center, but that contract was extended and continues to this day. Always eager to pass along the jazz tradition, Alex invites
students under 16 to sit in with the band for a song or two. Besides his gigs at the Community Center, Alex performs regular gigs as a sideman with vocalist Chris Staffel at Bistro Citron on the Upper West Side, and at Abigail's in Brooklyn as an accompanist to saxophonist Tina Richarson.

Review by Susan Francis / JazzTimes
Standards like George and Ira Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" and Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers' classic tune "My Heart Stood Still" are garnished with a modern flare in the hands of pianist Alex Levin. Levin's trio comprising of bassist Michael Bates and drummer Brain Floody grazes the stars of jazz music's yesteryear on the group's latest recording New York Portraits, which additionally features two original tracks written by Levin. Pensive and penetrative, New York Portraits is driven by the winds of showtunes style harmonies and swing-inspired melodies. The tracks elevate the spirit with each one displaying Levin's keen melodic sensibilities and the trio's ability to fuse their ideas into a striking mix.

The title of the album, New York Portraits, refers to the theme resonating through the recording as Levin uts together a collection of songs that are descriptive to him of New York City including his original contributions, the cushiony gospel tones of "Last Train To Brooklyn" and the jitter-fused swing palpitations of "Blues For Charley." Levin's strokes are elegantly hewn and the trio's interlocking verses exude a sophistication reminiscent of Nat King Cole. The group's renditions of the Gershwin's "Isn't It A Pity?" and Irving Berlin's "Cheek To Cheek" are checklist perfect, and the musicians own improvised add ons like Bates' whirling arcos in "My Heart Stood Still" and Levin's wiggling keys glittering along "Who Can I Turn To" produce a sleek ruffling. The somber coloring of "Body And Soul" closes out the album with a vision of the city winding down and its inhabitants having a last dance before turning down the lights.

In many ways, New York Portraits seems like Levin's dream of what the music played in the swing clubs around New York City during the '40s, '50s, and '60s must have sounded like. The melodies live in two worlds, the past and the present. The songs are steep in nostalgia in their phrasing but the tones and the improvised lines are purely contemporary. New York Portraits is a vital asset to jazz music's gallery. It bridges two worlds that are far apart and yet enjoy each other's company, at least the way Levin's trio presents it.

NEW RELEASES - CONYA DOSS, MALIA, PAULETTE McWILLIAMS w/TOM SCOTT

CONYA DOSS – POCKETFUL OF PURPOSE

Damn – we love Conya Doss! Just one note into the record, and we're reminded again of why we've had so much faith in her music over the years – and why she's one of the few who can rise up from the underground, yet still keep things real – moving with an instant-classic approach to soul music, and letting those with ears to hear that, yes, they do still make 'em like this these days! Nothing is forced, nothing's too heavy, and Conya's got a rare flow that holds the whole thing together wonderfully – and a sense of vocal presentation that only seems to have deepened since we last heard from her – a voice that could make millions in the mainstream, yet which has that strong Doss commitment to finding its own way in the end. Great stuff throughout – with titles that include "What About You & Me", "Paradise", "Reaching For The Stars", "Don't Change", "Just Me", "Here For You", and "Where Do We Go From Here". ~ Dusty Groove

MALIA – BLACK ORCHID

Bits of jazz and bits of soul, perfectly folded together with a raspy brilliance that really grabs our attention – a subtle depth of singing that almost takes us back to Nina Simone at times, but which also has some leaner 21s Century styles that are mighty nice too! Malia's vocals alone are plenty great – but the album's also got these great gentle instrumentations – bits of vibes, organ, guitar, and drums – used in simple ways that almost have a Brownswood Recordings sort of vibe – as if this record were a female equivalent to Jose James' great work for that label! Titles include loads of Nina Simone numbers – and tracks include "Four Women", "If You Go Away", "Don't Explain", "Baltimore", "Feeling Good", "Wild Is The Wind", and "Marriage Is For Old Folks". ~ Dusty Groove

PAULETTE McWILLIAMS / TOM SCOTT - TELLING STORIES

Life's musical journey has come full circle for McWilliams. After years of touring and recording with artist like Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, Bette Midler, Johnny Mathis, and countless others. Singing solo/back up for other artists for tv shows, concerts, one-night stands, and life's ups and downs "her dues" has been well paid, and she is finally beginning to reap the rewards it affords. Her latest project, a collaborative effort with long time colleague, Tom Scott, is a labor of love that features a duet with the incomparable sultry voice of Mr. Will Downing on Kool & The Gang's classic "Too Hot". "I believe that everything I've done in my life has brought me here. For the first time in my life I feel like I am on a path to really embracing the jazz singer that I am."

MIKE LEVINE - THINKING OF YOU

Pianist Mike Levine is a man of many talents whose career is a blend of different aspects of music. He attended the University of Miami where he studied piano with Vince Maggio. Here at the UM, that Mike formed a group with Billy Ross. They released their first album That Summer Something in 1981, which featured Pat Metheny as a guest artist. Mike wrote the majority of the bands compositions. The recording earned national recognition for them and stayed on the top ten contemporary Jazz (AOR) charts for six weeks. Subsequently they recorded “Humidity” which also did well. The Ross-Levine Band was the opening act for Michael Franks, Gato Barberi, Dionne Warwick, and many others.

Mike's latest release Thining Of You is an amazing CD offering thirteen tracks ten of which are originals produced by composer, pianist and producer Mike Levine. Thinking Of You brings you the best in contemporary soft Jazz music.

Levine can be found on Michael Bolton’s “Vintage”;Geraldo Flores “Junto A Ti”; Jaco Pastorius Big Band “Word of Mouth Revisited”, “The Word is Out”; Less DeMerle’s “Live At The Jazz Corner Volume 1 and 2”; Ed Calle’s “Sunset Harbor”, “Double Talk”; Billy Ross’s “The Sound”, “Woody”, on Fantasy Records; Duffy Jackson’s “Swing, Swing” as well as Raul Di Blasio’s “Solo”, “Piano America”, “El Tiempo de Amor”; Bertin Osborne “Soledad”, “Tu Me Acostumbraste”; Lucia “Yo”; Ricardo Montanier “Una Manana Y Un Camino”; Guillermo Fernandez “Porque Te Quiero”; Jose Jose, Julio Iglesias and Armando Manzanero albums.

He toured with Raul DiBlasio where he visited Mexico, Costa Rica, New York, Dominican Republic, San Francisco, Seattle, and Austria. With Ed Calle and Dana Paul, he performed at the Aruba Jazz Festival and with the Jaco Pastorius Big Band he played at both the Reading Jazz Festival and the Detroit Jazz Festival. At the “Taste of Art & Jazz Festival” in Miami Lakes he played with The Nantucket Sound, The Atlantean Driftwood Band, Ross-Levine Band, and Ed Calle Quintet, Mike also performed at the Hollywood Jazz Festival, Jazz Showcase in West Palm Beach, Pleasure Island in Orlando and the Jazz Corner in Hilton Head. At the “Jazz on the Green” festival , Mike played for thirteen years with Peter Graves’s Atlantean Driftwood Band.

He backed up the following artists: Tom Scott, Michael Brecker, Toots Thielman, Stanley Turrentine, Nat Adderly, Randy Brecker and Ira Sullivan. Mike was also a sideman for saxophonist Marc Colby on tour opening for Hubert Laws and Hank Crawford. He accompanied female Jazz vocalist Dee Daniels with the Palm Beach Pops Orchestra. Levine did a weeklong trio engagement with Mel Torme at Bubba’s the former Fort Lauderdale Jazz Club. He worked on both “Sabado Gigante” and “Don Fransisco Presenta” television programs; two top Hispanics Shows seen internationally for many years.

He has programmed for Latin artists, such as Gerardo Flores ”Junto A Ti”; Olga Tanon, Raul Di Blasio, Ricardo Montanier, Millie and can be found on releases from Alejandro Fernandez, Charlie Saa, and John Secada. His writing includes music for Ed McMahon’s Star Search, Univision Network, Televisa Network, WRLN Radio and Boosey & Hawkes, Inc Library. Other credits are his participation in Jingles for Pizza Hut, Burger King, Lowenbrau, Amoco, Southern Bell, McDonalds, Kraft, and Mattress Giant. In 2002, in the producer role, Mike yielded a Grammy Nomination for Harpist, Roberto Perera, “Sensual” in the category, Latin Pop Instrumental.

He performs locally in South Florida’s top Jazz and Blues venues, Arturo Sandoval, Jazzid, Van Dyke, O’Hara’s, Hard Rock Café, and as well various hotels and restaurants in the area with local artists, Dana Paul, Wendy Pederson, Paulette Dozier, Billy Ross and Peter Graves Band and many more. Summer of 2007 Levine performed at the Syracuse and Montreal Jazz Festival with the Jaco Pastorius Big Band. At the Amelia Island Jazz Festival, October 2007, Mike was one of the featured artists. Mike's first CD, "From The Heart", which features both Hiram Bullock and Ed Calle as guest artists, is available at www.rhombus-records.com as well as www.mikelevinemusic.com. Mikes latest CD, Thinking Of You, with Special Guests: Will Lee, Ed Calle and Billy Ross, is available at www.mikelevinemusic.com, CD Baby, Amazon, I-tunes and other Internet sites.

www.mikelevinemusic.com

CINDY BRADLEY - UNSCRIPTED

With the release of Unscripted, her latest Trippin’ N Rhythm recording, Cindy Bradley is not only keeping the trumpet and flugelhorn hip and grooving lead jazz instruments like her late great heroes Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Blue Mitchell--she’s also continues her knack for picking spot on album titles.

Calling her 2009 debut Bloom proved prophetic, as the multi-talented performer blossomed into a powerful and charismatic presence at radio and on the contemporary jazz festival circuit. Along the way, Cindy performed everywhere from the River Raisin’ Jazz Festival in Monroe, Michigan to the Dubai Jazz Fest. She won Best New Artist at the American Smooth Jazz Awards and was named Debut Artist of the Year by the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival and Smooth Jazz News. How to follow up? Easy. Don’t over-think or worry about everyone’s great expectations. Like a lot of the most exciting moments in life, it’s sometimes just best to go Unscripted—the perfect moniker for the whimsical spirit and stylistic diversity that drives Cindy’s new album.

For the NYC area based Cindy, collaborating on Bloom with Grammy winning producer Michael Broening (George Benson, Wayman Tisdale, Marion Meadows, Steve Oliver) in his Phoenix studio proved to be a stroke of creative genius. The collection was an incredible showcase for her multitude of talents as a player, which extend from traditional jazz and hard bop to R&B and pop influenced contemporary jazz. For those sessions, Broening had laid out a lot of tracks in advance for Cindy to co-write to and work her horn magic over. Wanting the new project to reflect her artistic growth since the first album and a deeper sense of her true emotions, Broening insisted this time in essentially winging it. He invited her to his Phoenix studio without any prescribed agenda.

Cindy shared with the producer a lot of what she had been going through behind the scenes even as her solo career was taking her to new heights and connecting her with fans all over the world. Within a span of a few months, she ended a romantic relationship and both her grandmother and mother (and admitted best friend) Doreen were diagnosed with cancer; her grandmother has since passed away but Doreen has had clear scans and is doing well now. What started out as essentially Unscripted sessions ultimately became a wonderfully cathartic experience.

“Michael is so good at getting in my head to see where I’m at when we work together,” says Cindy. “He knew I was going through a lot and that this would lead to me writing a lot more than I did on the first album. He really did a lot to get the best songs and performances out of me. It was a unique creative process because we essentially wrote as we went along, and it evolved into a longer, deeper process. Ultimately, I feel that Unscripted is more ‘me’ than anything I had recorded before. It was completely my vision of what I wanted to play.”

“Including ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ and ‘Footprints’ was a way to further explore my roots in straight ahead jazz and infuse more of my background into the mix. Considering that Mindy Smith wrote the song ‘A Moment More’ for her mom who was dying of cancer, concluding the album with a cover of it seemed very appropriate. At first I was a bit afraid flying out to work with Michael with nothing prepared beforehand. But ultimately that was the point, because an amazing concept took shape and the end result was more magical than I could have imagined. Music kept me going through these scary times in my personal life, and as a result, Unscripted is a much more intimate and powerful experience.”

The overriding theme that takes shape finds Cindy on a mind clearing, soul-lifting stroll through the hustle, bustle and multiple shades of dance music and jazz found in New York City. The moody, atmospheric opening “Prelude” includes sounds of high heels hitting the pavement and a cab door closing as the trumpeter begins her evening’s adventure. On the brisk, percussive “Mass Transit,” she enters a club and is immediately inspired by the thumping retro soul funk beat to pick up her trumpet and soar along. Then she gets back in the car (“Interlude”) and heads off to a trad jazz club, where she engages in a dreamy, easy rolling take on “Footprints” and an elegant and lush, film score flavored vibe on “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” Afterwards, she heads to a contemporary jazz-friendly spot for the seductive, in the pocket (and yes, optimistic!) flugelhorn driven “Lifted” and “A New Day.”

The next “Interlude” features some heavy radio station flipping to get Cindy into the next musical headspace—which winds up being the fiery and festive, brass-intense celebration “Déjà Blue,” whose grooving funk opens the door for her to explode on trumpet and trombone alongside saxman Tim Veeder. The fun continues—also led by her trumpet and trombone mix—on the high octane horn jam “Pink Slip,” which features Broening adding a deep and bluesy Hammond B-3 texture to the mix. Cindy’s evening winds down with the sensual and sexy flugelhorn ballad “Inevitable,” a flugelhorn solo “Interlude” and the haunting reflective “One Moment More,” which closes Unscripted with a burst of powerful emotions that puts life in its proper perspective.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Cindy loves telling the story of how she became a trumpet player by accident in fourth grade: “I started playing the piano when I was six, but we had to choose a different instrument to be part of the band program. I forgot to bring my permission slip to class, so the teacher just had me randomly circle an instrument that I wanted to play. I picked the trumpet, which turned out to be a life and career defining fluke.” By 12, she was performing professionally with “Sugar and Jazz,” a Buffalo area jazz band that consisted of promising musicians, ages 12-17, which emulated the big bands of the 1940s. Cindy played with many jazz groups during her formative years, but it was with this group that she fell in love with performance, jazz, and especially the trumpet.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from Ithaca College, she went to the New England Conservatory to study for her master’s in jazz trumpet performance; at the conservatory, she studied with and was influenced by many jazz greats including John McNeil, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi, George Russell and Steve Lacy. After earning her degrees, Cindy immediately headed to the New York City area and immersed herself in the vibrant jazz scene, discovering equal passions for straight ahead be-bop and contemporary jazz, as well as funk, Top 40, R&B and jazz fusion. The bands she was involved with played clubs as well as high profile events like the Emmy Awards and even the Super Bowl.

Cindy has also applied her skills and background in a way to inspire future generations. She has conducted hundreds of jazz workshops at high schools and colleges all over the country. “These workshops are a way of giving back to the community,” she says. “It’s inspiring just to see the influence a few encouraging words can have on young people who really want to develop their passion for music. It’s amazing to realize that a lot of the younger kids I teach have never seen anyone play a live wind instrument before their eyes!”

Cindy has impressed thousands of jazz loving adults as well over the years, touring with legendary urban jazz group Pieces of a Dream, performing in NYC with the Sly Geralds Band (bassist for Maceo Parker) and—since the release of Bloom—playing such renowned events as the Big Bear Lake Jazz Festival, Omaha’s Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival, the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival in San Antonio and the North Carolina Wine and Jazz Festival.

“It took me a some time to find my voice as a solo artist on trumpet and flugelhorn,” says Cindy, “but it’s been an exciting learning process and I have had so much fun along the way meeting so many great people and being able to play for audiences who love all styles of music. The title Unscripted certainly applies to the way Michael Broening and I went about making this album, but in a larger sense, it’s about the reality of life. Life has no script and you never know how it’s going to go as we experience its ups and downs. Working on this project was definitely a way to keep things up after going through a challenging emotional time.”

www.cindycradley.com

NEW RELEASES - DAN ACKERMAN, ROLF & JOACHIM JUHN, DANIEL FREEDMAN

DAN ACKERMAN – THE FUTURIST

The bossa-nova-tinged The Futurist is the fourth album from former radio DJ turned journalist Dan Ackerman. Inspired by his love for classic Brazilian jazz, from Antonio Carlos Jobim to Sergio Mendes, the album lays bossa beats over indie jazz rock, with plenty of Rhodes organs and slinky basslines.
Like his previous albums, The Futurist is a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, combining influences from jazz, funk, and soul, with lo-fi singer-songwriter rock, creating an eclectic mix of songs that recall artists from Steely Dan to Beck.When he's not recording his unique brand of music, New York native Dan Ackerman is best known as a longtime reporter and columnist, covering consumer technology topics. He's a semi-regular TV news talking head, and has written about music, games, and gadgets for CNET, Men's Journal, SPIN, and other publications.

ROLF & JOACHIM KUHN - LIFELINE

The brilliant return of Rolf and Joachim Kuhn to Impulse Records – and a set that's every bit as their landmark album for the label in the 60s! As with that classic – Impressions Of New York – there's a sound here that's let free right from the start – bold stepping forward by both players, with piano and clarinet interwoven together in lines that are free, yet still have an inherent sort of pulse – guided subtly by the work of John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums! What's truly amazing is that the Kuhns sound as vibrant, urgent, and potent as ever – as if the passage of decades hasn't dimmed them a bit, and that they're still breaking down barriers of jazz with a record like this. Titles include "Girona", "Mosquitas", "A Little Time Machine", "Light Year", "Lion's Speech" and "Researching Has No Limits". ~ Dusty Groove

DANIEL FREEDMAN – BAMAKO BY BUS

A jazz set, but one with plenty of world music roots – thanks to help from a great range of guests! Daniel Freedman grounds the session nicely on drums – but the album features strong contributions from Meshell Ndegeocello on bass, Lionel Loueke on guitar and vocals, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Abraham Rodriguez on clave and vocals, and Mark Turner on tenor – all artists with deeply distinct voices of their own, coming together to help color the record with many flavors – but in ways that still come across with a nicely unified groove! Some cuts have the Afro-lyricism you'd find in Loueke's work, while others dig into deeper Afro-Cuban roots – and others go for a straighter funky sort of sound. ~ Dusty Groove

VANESSA PEREZ - CHOPIN: THE COMPLETE PRELUDES

Venezuelan-American pianist Vanessa Perez will make her Telarc International debut when the label releases her all-Chopin collection, including the 24 Preludes Op. 28, in April in Europe and May in the U.S. Perez is a product of the same energized musical culture in Venezuela that produced such international stars as conductor Gustavo Dudamel and pianist Gabriela Montero. Praised for a bold, passionate performing style allied to musicianship of keen sensitivity, Perez has been championed by the most iconic of performers. Conductor Zubin Mehta said of the pianist: “Her level of musical perception and artistic awareness impressed me as much as her total command of the keyboard.” And the legendary pianist Claudio Arrau was touched by her playing, describing Perez as “a pianist whose technique, musicality, and intelligent approach to the music she plays made a profound impression on me.”

Perez’s influences in Chopin’s 24 Preludes range from “the poetry and grandeur” of Arrau’s Philips recordings – “the way he would sing the melodies on the piano,” she says – to “the energy and intensity” of another hero, Martha Argerich, “always a huge inspiration” to her. Yet Perez has made the music of the 24 Preludes – as well as the Fantasie in F minor Op. 49, Barcarolle Op. 60 and two Preludes from Op. 25 – very much her own on the album. “The way I play this music may not be stereotypically `beautiful’ – it may be more raw than some,” she says. “But I wanted the music to sound organic and real, above all. I didn’t want pretty. I wanted honest.”

Celebrating the release of her Telarc debut, Perez will perform a recital on May 31 at the Americas Society in New York City, with the program including Chopin’s 24 Preludes. Prior to the New York event, she will perform a recital in Milan on April 12, the day of the CD’s release in Europe. Perez has an international profile, with the pianist having played prestigious venues across the United States, Latin America and Europe. She has performed not only with Dudamel and Montero (a close friend since childhood), but also with such top musicians as pianist Ingrid Fliter, cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Colin Jacobsen and conductors John Axelrod, Enrique Batiz, David Gimenez Carreras, Karel Mark Chichon and Diego Matheuz. Reviewing a Perez performance of Mozart’s D Minor Concerto in Germany, the Dortmunder Zeitung called her “a virtuosa wild at heart and with a gentle touch,” combining “spontaneous freshness and poetic expression.” The Miami Herald, witnessing Perez in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, marveled at her “youthful fire” and “rapt lyricism.”

Reviewing a solo recital, the Washington Post said: “Vanessa Perez is not to be taken lightly. She stormed through some beautiful works at the Venezuelan Embassy, her fiery impetuosity proving her technical prowess in works by Villa-Lobos, Albéniz, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Even Mozart's Sonata in F, K. 332, had muscular energy as she raced through the Allegros. The Adagio was pure grace.” A critic for the Connecticut Post was enraptured by Beethoven playing that was “not only crystalline. . . but overflowing with emotion,” while El Clarin of Buenos Aires said that just “to watch Perez play is an amazing show itself.” And reviewing a performance of Chopin’s Fantasie in F minor – one of the new album’s highlights – Messagero Veneto of Italy praised Perez’s “diamond touch, never lacking full expression and feeling.”

Chopin is some of the music “closest to my heart,” Perez says. “I listened to my mother play Chopin on the piano when I was a child. And my grandmother, who lived in Argentina for years, would always tell me about how she used to listen to a neighbor play Chopin’s 24 Preludes all day next door. Her favorite was the last one, in D minor, which is one of my favorites, too. Each of the 24 Preludes may be brief, but they are powerful – each one a whole world of feeling, highly condensed. The way Chopin speaks through the piano is very intimate, very passionate.” The recording sessions at Patrych Sound Studios in the Bronx “felt like a live concert at times, with friends there in the studio,” Perez recalls. “But then I don’t have a separate `concert mode’ and `studio mode.’ Even in the recording studio, I’m performing, period.”

Perez has had other high-profile experiences in the studio. Joining superstar violinist Joshua Bell, she recorded Astor Piazzolla’s Oblivion for Bell’s At Home with Friends album, released by Sony Classical in 2009. She also teamed with Jan Vogler to duet on Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango and other pieces for the cellist’s 2008 Sony Classical album, Tango. Under her own name, the pianist’s new Chopin collection follows her 2005 solo album for VAI that featured Chopin’s four Ballades, pieces from Albéniz’s Ibería and a work by contemporary composer Suzanne Farrin. Reviewing that album, International Piano magazine said: “Perez can hold her head up high in the most distinguished company in Chopin’s Ballades. If anything, her Albéniz is even more impressive – impassioned, rich-toned and seductively coquettish where appropriate.” Chiming in with its acclaim, the American Record Guide called Perez a “spirited, hot-blooded pianist. . . Her wide-ranging expression can go inward, and she can unleash a torrent of passion.”

Born in Miami, Perez was raised to age 11 in Venezuela, where she began her studies with Luminita Duca. In the U.S., she studied with noted Claudio Arrau pupils Ena Bronstein and Rosalina Sackstein; at 17, she won a full scholarship for London’s Royal Academy of Music to study with Christopher Elton. She continued her studies with pianists Lazar Berman and Franco Scala in Italy at the renowned Accademia Pianistica Incontri Col Maestro in Imola; she then completed post-graduate studies with Peter Frankl at Yale University and pianist Daniel Epstein in New York City. Perez made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2004, but her first performance in New York wasn’t in an uptown classical concert hall – it was at the downtown jazz shrine of the Blue Note, where Latin jazz star Arturo Sandoval had her perform his Sureña, a piece laced with Venezuelan folk melodies. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Venezuela, she currently resides just outside Manhattan, in New Jersey.

Recalling her myriad musical experiences, Perez comes back to Arrau as a catalyst. “Meeting Arrau when I was 14 changed me – he was so humble, and his encouragement gave me so much strength when things became difficult, as they do,” she says. “Some of his best advice wasn’t about playing the piano, per se. He took my hand and said, `You must learn about everything, not just music – live life to the fullest, all aspects of it. Only then will life come through your playing.’ I have always taken this to heart.”

ERNALDO BERNOCCHI / HAROLD BUDD / ROBIN GUTHRIE - WINTER GARDEN

At a time when music is becoming faster, louder, glitzier and everyone is looking for the perfect hook, three visionary artists have pooled their talents to bring a cleansing breath to the modern musical landscape. With Winter Garden, producer-sound designer and RareNoiseRecords co-founder Ernaldo Bernocchi has teamed up with the enigmatic poet-pianist-composer and ambient music pioneer Harold Budd and multi-instrumentalist-sound engineer Robin Guthrie to present an ambient music offering of rare beauty. Contrary to more conventional band recordings, Winter Garden, can be thought of more as a studio concoction; Budd plays piano, while Guthrie’s subtle touches of guitar, piano, keyboards and auxilliary instruments is radically treated with reverb and effects in the post-production stage. A pastiche of shimmering, tranquil soundscapes that gently insinuate themselves into the subconscious, Winter Garden may serve as the perfect antidote to urban frenzy.

With such evocative titles as “Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You,” “Losing My Breath,” “Harmony and the Play of Light” and “South of Heaven,” the music heard on Winter Garden can be considered a modern day extension of such early ’80s ambient music classics as Brian Eno’s Music for Airports and Budd’s atmospheric collaborations with Eno on The Pavilon of Dreams, The Plateaux of Mirror and The Pearl. Only two pieces – the pulsating “Entangled” and “Stay With Me” – stray from the ambient nature of the project by incorporating beats and groove. Elsewhere, Winter Garden provides lots of billowy sound washes for listeners to luxuriate in, with Budd’s minimalist grand piano playing and Guthrie’s signature reverb-soaked guitar drones informing the atmospheric mix.

For Bernocchi, the zen-like approach taken on the album is a far cry from his beginnings as a guitar player in Italian punk bands. “I was 14 when punk exploded and I was living on the empire border, this is how I recall Italy. From a distance, everything appeared even bigger. Before punk I was listening to hard rock and stuff like Pink Floyd or Tangerine Dream. Punk gave me the idea that anybody could do music, could use energy on stage. It mattered nothing who was a great player or not, it was about the message, the power. At 14 this was a real blast. Soon after, I became interested in experimenting with sound. This explains why I’ve always been into electronic music or treated music.”

The producer also cites Brian Eno as a major influence in plotting his new musical direction. “Eno was a real master for me. Sound-wise I really was into his stuff from the beginning. But to be honest, what Eno really transmit to me was space – the same sense of space I found in Miles Davis records years after or in Bill Laswell albums.”

Ambient music pioneer Budd previously collaborated with Bernocchi on 2005′s Music for Fragments on the Inside, the soundtrack for an installation at Italy’s Palazzo Delle Papesse Centro Arte Contemporanea by videographer Petulia Mattioli and poet Mara Bressi. Robin Guthrie, founder of the early ’80s Scottish post-punk alternative rock trio Cocteau Twins, had also previously collaborated with Budd on the 2005 soundtrack for the Gregg Araki film Mysterious Skin and on two sister projects recorded simultaneously in 2006 — After the Night Falls and Before the Day Breaks. Their ongoing musical relationship was forged in the mid ’80s when Budd appeared on the Cocteau Twin’s 1986 album, The Moon and the Melodies. Budd and Guthrie most recently collaborated on 2011′s Bordeaux.

Regarding the Winter Garden sessions, Bernocchi says, “We recorded for five days in a studio in Tuscany, a lovely place 20 minutes from my house. We played all together in the same room. Harold took care of the acoustic piano. I played all electronics and the electric piano…I was scared to death to duet with Harold. When he proposed that to me I was astonished because I’m not a piano player. And Robin took care of the guitars. It was a risk. We knew really well that recording the piano with me and Robin in the same room could lead to some serious background noise and pollution, but we did it anyway. I spent two weeks cleaning tracks! The result is really immediate, really emotional.”

Bernocchi and Guthrie mixed the album together, their sound engineering tendencies overlapping in post-production. As Bernocchi says, “Ultimately, there’s a maximum of maybe 15% post-production in this album. We only repeated some guitars or piano parts. That’s all.”

As for where the peaceful, ethereal Winter Garden fits in the ever-expanding RareNoise catalog, Bernocchi says: “RareNoise was created with the aim to produce good music perfectly knowing the music business was and is a disaster. We are not really concerned about genres or pigeonholing records. I think it’s an honor for RareNoise to have Harold and Robin on board for this album. I’d love one day to be on stage with them and also some other RareNoise artists at the same time. It could be interesting.”

ANIMATION RE-IMAGINES "BITCHES BREW" WITH ASIENTO

Unconventional. Unheard of. Some might add unreal. Upon first listen, you’ll be struck by the startling freshness and flat-out nerve that have become hallmark sounds of Animation, the best rock & jazz mélange you’ve never heard of.

With two Grammy nominated Blue Note CDs, animation * imagination (1999) and re*animation LIVE! (2000), the group has raised the bar for experimental music, carrying with it infectious tinges of hip-hop, trip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, fusion and whatever your own imagination might add with each new listen.

The journey continues with Asiento, the group’s long-overdue album to be released on the UK-based RareNoiseRecords. Spearheaded by music visionaries Bob Belden (producer/saxophone), Tim Hagans (trumpet) and Scott Kinsey (keyboard/synthesizer), as well as Matt Garrison (bass), Guy Licata (drums) and DJ Logic (turntables), Animation re-imagines the landmark 1969 Miles Davis release Bitches Brew.

A bit of history: In December 2006, as part of a series called “Reissue: Classic Recordings Live,” Belden led Animation into New York City’s famed and more classically oriented Merkin Hall for a rare show performed by his extremely happenstance, inconspicuous aggregate. That’s where they “re-imagined” Bitches Brew, and where the BBC, in tow, recorded the music for posterity.

No, you won’t find Bitches Brew played verbatim with this group. To the contrary, Animation proves that a group of musicians can distill the essence of a classic album while creating a unique musical fingerprint to make it a “new original.” Asiento showcases musicians taking liberties, reinventing a work of art from 40 years ago and reinterpreting and applying the original work to the parameters and context of the 21st century. Such now-classic material like “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down,” “Spanish Key” and the title track, as well as other tracks from the original album, are heard in a new setting with new and oftentimes radical perspectives.

And there could be no better person for the task of reinventing and “re-imagining” Miles Davis and Bitches Brew than Bob Belden. In 1998 he produced a four-CD box entitled The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, which included not only the six tracks from the original 1969 double-LP, but an additional 15 different songs by more or less the same edition of the Davis ensemble that existed at that time. While working on this reissue, Belden profited from having a strong accord with Davis’ legendary producer Teo Macero. As producer for the original Bitches Brew sessions, Macero provided Belden with invaluable guidance on the work he did with Davis over the years.

Room does not permit going into too much detail about Belden’s personal catalogue. Suffice to say, he traces the evolution of the Animation group back to the late 1980s and his innovative Treasure Island big band, continuing on with material that’s had the main members of Animation on board to this day. His acclaimed releases – such as Black Dahlia, Strawberry Fields, Tapestry, Straight To My Heart: The Music Of Sting, When Doves Cry: The Music Of Prince, and Puccini’s Turandot - canvassed the 1990s musical terra firma and helped cement the foundation of his ever-changing musical aesthetic

And, along with Belden who were those musicians who added so much to the musical proceedings? Scott Kinsey, Matt Garrison, Guy Licata and DJ Logic all played major roles in the musical creation process.

Kinsey has been like an alter ego to Belden and Hagans, now making a name for himself with his innovative group Human Element and also having worked with such artists as the late Joe Zawinul (Kinsey was the only keyboardist Zawinul would share the bandstand with or let sub on gigs!), Tribal Tech with Scott Henderson, Bill Evans. Kinsey has also had soundtrack gigs with David Holmes for films such as Ocean’s Eleven through Ocean’s Thirteen.

Garrison, the son of the legendary bassist Jimmy Garrison, has worked with, among others, Jack DeJohnette, Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock and currently plays with Kinsey in Human Element. Additionally, Garrison recorded and toured in guitarist John McLaughlin’s project, The Heart of Things (Verve – 1997).

Licata’s credits include work with Bill Laswell’s Method of Defiance as well as Bernie Worrell and The Collective.

As for DJ Logic, the man’s credits run long and wide and include sizeable streaks with such names as Vernon Reid, John Mayer, Bob Weir’s Ratdog, and Medeski Martin & Wood. His background is loaded with work in and around hip-hop, funk, soul jazz and jazz.

It makes complete sense that RareNoise should be in on the production side. Co-founded by Giacomo Bruzzo and Italian musician Eraldo Bernocchi, RareNoise credits also include working with example fellow experimentalist Bill Laswell of M.O.D. Technologies. Yes, that same Bill Laswell, responsible for those radical late-’90s reconstructions and remixes of electric Miles Davis from the 1960s and ’70s.

Says Belden of RareNoise: “RareNoise is way into the music. For the first time I have a company that ‘gets it,’ and is into the music, the band and the musicians individually.” Speaking of Bruzzo, Belden adds, “He’s into progress and not nostalgia!!!”

As for the name of the album, Asiento, label-head Bruzzo says it “refers to a particular level of initiation within Santeria.” “And what is Santeria?” Bruzzo asks proverbially. “Santeria is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin. And a disciple who has passed the Asiento is considered, for the first time, a fully-fledged ‘Santero,’ a priest within the order. This point is both one of arrival and one of departure.”

Referring to the Merkin show and forthcoming album, Bruzzo concludes, “This title wants to honor the very personal importance of that evening’s performance, to declare that performance to be a point of arrival, but also a point of departure for Animation. Finally, it is to provide a reference to the music and their authors without being overly explicit or subservient.”

JUDI SILVANO – INDIGO MOODS

Storied jazz vocalist and composer Judi Silvano celebrates the 20th Anniversary of her recording career, with the release of her tenth album, Indigo Moods (Jazzed Media). What makes this release different from most of Silvano’s previous nine albums is that Indigo Moods consists entirely of familiar popular jazz standards delivered in an extremely intimate setting.

This album exemplifies the impact of the trio format with which the veteran singer has been working for several years, in venues across New York, Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic area, featuring pianist Peter Tomlinson and trumpeter Fred Jacobs.

“The reason that I did this album now, with these songs and with these musicians,” she says, “is because our musical communication felt so connected. Peter Tomlinson has a flowing and evocative touch and Fred Jacobs is a beautifully melodic player. It felt like the time was right to feature these songs that I have known virtually my entire life, with these musicians.”

The songs are mostly pieces that the trio has performed live on gigs, but, she elaborates, “There are always surprises when you get into the recording studio! We didn’t start with set arrangements. I led the session but with a collaborative attitude and because we are so attuned to each other, things would just spontaneously happen in intriguing places – I love that!”

A Philadelphia native who has lived in New York for most of her professional life, Silvano’s background was originally in dance and formal “classical” music. However, once immersed in Manhattan’s bustling “downtown” arts scene, she was invariably drawn to jazz and improvised music.

CAROL WEISMAN - JOURNEY

On her highly anticipated tenth recording, vocalist/pianist Carol Welsman invites us to tag along on a spirited yet intimate adventure. She explores 14 classic songs on Journey (Justin Time Records), all inspired by her lifelong love of traveling.

While jaunting from city to city can be somewhat draining for most people, Welsman enjoys the same sense of happy wanderlust that she had the first time she flew to Boston from her hometown of Toronto to attend the Berklee College of Music as a piano performance major. Since then, she has jazzed thousands of fans everywhere from Tokyo and New York to Italy and Brazil; lived for years in France, Italy and Los Angeles; and continues to be an iconic figure in her home country of Canada, where she has received five Juno nominations over the course of her 15 year recording career.

While her rich discography includes numerous acclaimed recordings showcasing her powerful skills as a songwriter, Journey follows in the tradition of Welsman’s previous thematic excursions, including Swing Ladies Swing! A Tribute to Singers of the Swing Era (1999), What’cha Got Cookin’, a set of jazzed up country standards produced by Pierre and Mary Cossette (2005), the Japan-released Benny Goodman tribute Memories of You (2008) and Welsman’s the tour de force I Like Men, Reflections of Miss Peggy Lee, which earned the singer her fifth Juno nod for Best Jazz Vocal Album of the Year in Canada and was named one of USA Today’s Top 5 albums of the year (alongside Barbra Streisand and Mark Knopfler) and #3 album of the year in Jazz Times.

Produced by Welsman’s longtime band members, guitarist Pierre Coté and drummer/percussionist Jimmy Branly, Journey also features Marc Rogers on bass and a guest spot by trumpeter Ron Di Lauro on “You Came A Long Way From St. Louis.” The musical and emotional centerpiece is, as always, Welsman’s piano and a vocal style that goes from sly and witty to seductive and sensual with the clever turn of a phrase or flip of the proverbial light switch. Though most songs are sung in her native English, she draws on her fluency in French for “Volons Vers La Lune” (an exuberant, coolly swinging adaptation of “Fly Me To The Moon”) and the hauntingly eloquent “Si J’étais Un Homme,” and sings Portuguese throughout the first part of a spirited romp through Jobim’s “Samba De Avião.”

The Journey of this extraordinary recording began with a simple suggestion by famed jazz journalist Don Heckman, who over dinner with friends one night casually asked Welsman if she would ever do an album of “travel songs.” She quickly warmed to the idea and started a folder on her computer to fill with suggestions of material-which came over a period of time from many musical colleagues and close friends, including legendary guitarist and Sergio Mendes musical director Oscar Castro-Neves (who produced Welsman’s 2003 Juno nominated The Language of Love) and famed Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall. As Heckman later wrote in his thoughtful liner notes, “…the prime difficulty lay in having to answer the recurrent question, ‘Oh no! How can I leave that out?’”

The true joy in experiencing the 14 tracks that made the final cut comes not only from hearing Welsman swing a batch of obscure tunes that were new even to her (including “You Came A Long Way From St. Louis” and “Detour Ahead”), but also hearing her explore new harmonic possibilities and create deeper emotional worlds for familiar pop chestnuts like “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and “On The Road Again.” Welsman takes sly and sensual turns with more obvious choices (“Route 66,” “Two For The Road”) and smartly picks some titles where the traveling is embedded in the lyrics, including “Never Make Your Move Too Soon” (a jazzy romp showcasing Welsman’s dynamic scatting style), Johnny Mercer and Jimmy Van Heusen’s “I Thought About You” and “Where Can I Go Without You”.

There were also a few (originally unintentional) winks back to Peggy Lee with “…St. Louis” and “Where Can I Go Without You,” whose lyrics were penned by the legendary singer. Journey closes with an elegant rendition of her friend Marian McPartland’s “Twilight World,” which Welsman performed as an instrumental piece many years ago in Canada. “She emailed me a song she had written with Peggy Lee and just as an extra item sent me an original lead sheet for ‘Twilight World’ with words,” the singer says. “I always loved the song but had no idea it had lyrics. It was a perfect fit for the new album.”

Beyond the compelling song list and Welsman’s unique interpretations, another fascinating element of this Journey is the fact that every tune was recorded in one or two takes, with the band recording 16 tracks in four days. Welsman prepared for the sessions with pre-production demos and, embodying the true essence of jazz, was open to changing course and improvising when the spirit of the song led the band in a different direction during the rehearsal session before recording. Her idea to drop the drums from “Route 66,” for instance, happened during the first run through the song in the recording studio.

“That’s the great thing about jazz, being open to making last minute changes to make every song and arrangement flow just right,” says Welsman. “I wanted to play with the intimacy of the music, which means there could be a sudden change of attitude, as in ‘Never Make Your Move Too Soon,’ which started out as a straight blues but seemed too forced that way. The result was that we were able to have a nice palette of colors with which to present this special array of songs. One of the key things was vibe. I didn’t want to be too over the top, but more on the quiet side so that you could put it on during dinner and then later it would lend itself to more detailed listening. Because we were drawing from so many sources and influences, I was amazed at the end that everything had an organic feel and was totally cohesive. All the themes connected as if we had somehow planned it that way. Dropping an instrument here and there definitely was part of the balanced approach we took.”

JIMMY AMADIE TRIO - SOMETHING SPECIAL

As simple and descriptive as it may seem, the title “Happy Man’s Bossa Nova” actually speaks volumes. One of two Jimmy Amadie originals contained on the pianist’s latest CD, Something Special, the tune is as joyful and celebratory as its name implies. Given the struggles and setbacks Amadie has faced on the path to recording this, his eighth album, it could easily be otherwise. But he is indeed, and indefatigably, a happy man.


“This is the best time of my life,” Amadie says. “I’m 74 years old and I’m getting better every day.”

Amadie’s story has been recounted often since his miraculous return to the piano bench in the mid-1990s, but it bears repeating. The North Philadelphia native was a promising young pianist in the fifties, accompanying the likes of Mel Torme, Woody Herman and Red Rodney, when his performing career was brought to an abrupt halt by severe tendonitis in both hands. Playing the piano suddenly became sheer agony, and Amadie was reduced to improvising only in his head for the next 35 years.

He managed to maintain an influential presence on jazz through those decades thanks to his own teaching (students included Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Di Martino and famed TV composer Edd Kalehoff) and the publication of two highly-regarded instructional volumes: Harmonic Foundation for Jazz and Popular Music and Jazz Improv: How To Play It and Teach It. His own belated recording debut finally arrived in 1995, thanks to a series of surgeries and his own indomitable fighting spirit, honed as a young man in the boxing ring.

That solo debut, Always With Me, was followed by a series of widely praised sessions on which Amadie was joined by legendary peers like Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Lee Konitz, and Lew Tabackin. Just as his luck seemed to be improving he was faced with a further setback. Following the 2007 recording of The Philadelphia Story, he was diagnosed with lung cancer; having reached the summit of one mountain, he suddenly found himself at the base of another.

Something Special is, in many ways, a direct result of that diagnosis. Most people are forced to reassess their priorities when confronted with a life-threatening illness; for Amadie, the cancer, which he continues to battle successfully, helped him come to the decision of recording his first trio session.

“I didn’t know if I was going to get another chance to play,” Amadie explains. “I decided to give it my best shot and play without holding back. I’m glad I did. I can’t tell you what I learned.”

There is one other trio recording in Amadie’s discography: In a Trio Setting (2002), with drummer Bill Goodwin, who returns for Something Special as he has on each of the pianist’s recordings, and bassist Steve Gilmore. But for the most part, that earlier album was produced in a very unusual way. Amadie painstakingly recorded his parts over a period of several years, as the pain in his hands allowed, and then turned the finished product over to Goodwin and Gilmore, who added their contributions during one marathon 14-hour session. Amadie was so moved by their creativity, however, that he couldn’t keep himself away from the keyboard, spontaneously laying down two more pieces in more traditional fashion.

Something Special, on the other hand, was recorded live from beginning to end, which shows in the spirited interaction of Amadie, Goodwin, and bassist Tony Merino. Nowhere is that cohesion more evident than on the classic “All the Things You Are.” The leader begins his solo with a sprightly exploration of the familiar melody, but the trio quickly takes off on a more assertive bent, adding intensity without ever sacrificing beauty.

“If I had the chance to pick any rhythm section in the world, that’s the rhythm section I’d pick,” Amadie says of his cohorts. “Bill Goodwin is one of the greatest musicians alive. His musicianship is immaculate. And Tony Merino’s playing is so robust. He can be so light and so heavy at all different tempos. Those guys make everything I do better.”

The range and individuality of Amadie’s talents are evident throughout Something Special. The blazing tempo of “Blues for Sweet Lizzy” and the percussive attack of “Get Happy” both bring out a more aggressive side of his playing, one rarely aired due to the stress it places on his hands – a factor that he never lets intrude into the studio. His tenderness emerges on “Fly Me To the Moon” and “Sweet Lorraine,” a tribute to pianist Dave McKenna whose achingly beautiful solo introduction becomes a gentle swing showcase upon the entrance of Merino and Goodwin.

“I want to do the kind of tunes that great players did,” Amadie says with regards to his choice of repertoire for the session. “You’ll hear the difference, because I don’t sound like any of them. I’ve got my own thing.”

Ultimately, it’s sharing that unique voice that drives Amadie to overcome what seem like insurmountable obstacles. He’s now looking forward to his first live performance for almost 50 years, scheduled for this spring at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And he has new music and new collaborations always in mind.

“I think this is the best playing I’ve ever done,” he says of Something Special. “I keep getting closer. I’ll never get there, but I keep getting closer. That’s what keeps me alive.”

RALPH PETERSON - THE DUALITY PERSPECTIVE

The painting by Edward LaRose that graces the cover of The Duality Perspective, drummer/composer Ralph Peterson's new release and 16th as a leader, is a dynamic illustration of the album's driving principles. The yin yang symbol in the background represents the balance between the two ensembles that appear on the record, the young, next-generation Fo'tet and the more established Sextet. The names of the members of each group are spelled out on the branches of a tree, the Sextet side fully flowering while the Fo'tet side is still budding; the tree's roots are inscribed with the names of elders and mentors including Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Bill Fielder.

At the center of all of this is a portrait of Peterson himself, the locus of the enterprise both musically and spiritually. It is Peterson that nurtures this living, growing entity so that buds will bloom, branches will grow and thrive, and roots will delve ever deeper and stronger.

The Duality Perspective thus embodies youth and maturity, past; past, present and future; and diverse stylistic approaches based on a common language. In a bit of word association, Peterson characterizes the young, hungry Fo'tet as "dry ice, so cold it'll burn you," and the all-star Sextet as "richly rooted, one foot in the tradition, the other foot in tomorrow." But as he acknowledges, "Each has a distinct sound and approach, yet they have a commonality at the core."

Of course, as Peterson is quick to point out, there are more than two sides to his musical identity. ("Later on there might be a record called The Multiplicity Perspective," he muses.) Besides his incomparable talent behind the drumkit, which has led to collaborations with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Roy Hargrove, Jon Faddis, Michael Brecker, Steve Coleman and Betty Carter over a nearly thirty-year career - not to mention being hand-picked by Art Blakey as the second drummer in the legendary bandleader's Jazz Messenger Big Band until Blakey's 1990 death - Peterson is an agile trumpeter and a respected educator.

Celebrating Peterson's fiftieth birthday, The Duality Perspective is the veteran drummer's 16th album as a leader and the second release on his own Onyx Music label, following last year's acclaimed Outer Reaches. Turning 50, Peterson says, has been accompanied by some positive adjustments in his lifestyle. "These changes helped me to be the best person I can be," he says, "and the best person will always produce the best music. I think this is one of my best records because it very much says where I am right now."

The importance of unifying distinct elements into a distinctive whole springs directly from Peterson's martial arts training. A third-degree black belt and Buddhist, Peterson has studied tae kwon do on and off for more than two decades. "As I continue my martial arts training," he says, "Asian philosophical concepts like yin and yang become more important to me and I'm able to fuse them back into my other artistry, my music art. It also helps me stay physically fit, so I can play with the vigor of my youth but add to it the maturity and wisdom I've gotten through my experiences."

The latter role, in particular Peterson's professorship at Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, is well represented in the Fo'tet, the members of which are all current students at the school. Originally conceived in 1989, this serves as an introduction to the band's new incarnation. The new album's "4 in 1" represents a torch-passing, as founding Fo'tet member Bryan Carrott plays marimba alongside current vibraphonist Joseph Doubleday. It has become a mentorship program along the lines of Blakey's talent-fostering Jazz Messengers.

"I treat them like grown folks and I allow them to not be," Peterson says of his role in the Fo'tet. "Musically, when they're demonstrating the measure of how much they have to learn, I don't beat them up for it. I try to share with them similarities that I can find in my own experience."

The growth and replenishment of the album cover's family tree is vividly evidenced by the current membership of Peterson's Sextet, most of whom were in the budding stage themselves when Peterson began working with them. Trumpeter Sean Jones was a student at Rutgers University, who then introduced Peterson to saxophonist Tia Fuller; saxophonist Walter Smith III was a student in one of Peterson's clinics at Berklee prior to his professorship; the drummer taught bassist Luques Curtis and played in the senior recital of his brother, pianist Zaccai Curtis.

The fact that all of them have gone on to be celebrated and in-demand players on the current jazz scene - a testament to Peterson's gift as a talent scout and mentor, a legacy passed on directly from Blakey. It's also an added incentive to keep a close eye on the lesser-known (for now) members of Peterson's younger band.

The Fo'tet receives the honor of the CD's first half, opening with the gritty groove of "One False Move." In his liner notes, Peterson refers to the piece's down-and-dirty sound as "Swunk," a hybrid of swing and funk that perfectly captures its gut-level momentum, propelled by the meaty bass sound of Alexander L.J. Toth. The aforementioned "4 in 1" offers an exotic arrangement of the Monk classic contributed by Indonesian musicians Sri Hanuraga and Elfa Zulham.

The lullaby lilt of "Addison and Anthony," featuring Felix Peikli's winsome bass clarinet, was inspired by Peterson's grandchildren, while "Bamboo Bends in a Storm," honors Peterson's wife Diane and her resiliency of their marriage, characterized by the insistent, driving percussion of Reinaldo Dejesus. The final Fo'tet piece, the joyously darting "Princess," reprises a piece from Peterson's second release dedicated to his daughter Sonora Tiye - now 23 years old.

Tia Fuller's silken soprano opens the Sextet half of the disc with "Coming Home," a piece from Peterson's leader debut that begins to smolder with the addition of the leader and the Curtis brothers. The Afro-Cuban rhythms of "Impervious Gems," penned by Peterson's student Jonathon Pinson, provide a showcase for Sean Jones' agile trumpet and the huge, soulful tenor sound of Edwin "Eddie" Bayard.

The title track is appropriately meditative, encompassing the broad-minded harmoniousness at the album's core. Walter Smith III navigates the piece with a deeply-felt, introspective solo, followed by Fuller's searching, upward-reaching alto. Peterson illustrates the title's inter-generational concept by drawing inspiration from both elders and peers, particularly the work of Wayne Shorter, longtime friend Terence Blanchard, and Sextet member Tia Fuller. "How does the saying go? Good writers borrow, great writers steal. I've added a third part: Genius writers steal and hide it right under your nose," Peterson concludes with a raucous laugh.

"You Have Know Idea" is the album's second tribute to Peterson's wife, this one more seductive and playful. "Like her," Peterson writes of his better half, "the groove is sensual and elegant."

The album's closer, "Pinnacle," corrals the ensemble for a breakneck burner, powered by Peterson's high-octane fuel. As always throughout the album and throughout his career, Peterson refuses to hog the spotlight, but renders himself essential to the overall musicality of the undertaking. "I'm a musician who plays the drums," he says - a simple statement but one, in the spirit of the album's dualistic perspective, that speaks volumes.

Ralph Peterson · The Duality Perspective
Onyx Music · Release Date: June 19, 2012
RalphPetersonMusic.com
OnyxMusicLabel.com

LAURA NYRO - THE FIRST SONGS

Laura Nyro had just turned 19 when she recorded this album in 1966. This debut is such a mature piece of work, glistening with alluring pop melodies and fashionable ’60s arrangements, yet so fresh and gorgeous it sounds as beautiful, sophisticated and modern as it did nearly 45 years ago. The bare-bones simplicity of her singing is disciplined, careful, and exquisite and on track after track she delivers a performance equal with any of the top female pop singers of the day – her singing is riveting and unforgettable.

Laura Nyro was a genius songwriter and musician, and the album features the majority of her most famous and revered compositions and her own interpretation of several pieces that would be hits for other artists – Blood Sweat and Tears – ”And When I Die” (US #2), The 5th Dimension – ”Wedding Bell Blues” (US #1) and ”Blowin’ Away” (US #21), and Barbra Streisand – ”Stoney End” (US #6).

On this album, Nyro shows off her awesome talent, a potent and diverse mix of folk rock, jazzy cabaret stylings, blues, r & b, gospel and pure, delicious girl-group pop, to which she adds a lyrical intelligence not to be found elsewhere – Nyro knows each of theses genres as if she’d been performing in them for decades. It’s just breathtaking how it all effortlessly tumbles forth.

She began so young and was lost to the world before her time. She is one of the most overlooked and greatest of the female ”confessional, ”poetic” and hit making songwriter/singers of that generation. She belongs up there among the best, with Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Judy Collins, Janis Ian, Roberta Flack and Rickie Lee Jones.

NOTE: The album was released as More Than A New Discovery at the beginning of 1967and reissued, with a revised track order in 1973 as The First Songs. In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.



”…one of the most original and brilliant artists in popular music.”

Mastered by Kevin Gray

Track Listing:

SIDE ONE

1. Goodbye Joe

2. Billy’s Blues

3. And When I Die

4. Stoney End

5. Lazy Susan

6. Flim Flam Man

SIDE TWO

1. Wedding Bell Blues

2. Buy and Sell

3. He’s a Runner

4. Blowin’ Away

5. I Never Meant to Hurt You

6. California Shoeshine Boys

Thinkindie.com

GARLAND JEFFREYS - THE KING OF IN BETWEEN

Co-produced by Larry Campbell (Grammy-winning producer with Levon Helm), The King Of In Between marks a return to the more rootsy sounds of Jeffreys’ earlier work. According to The New Yorker, The material is as uncannily fresh and forceful as the songs on his début record, from 1973. The Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, native specializes in an endearing snarl over an insistent, sinuous beat, and when he sings “twenty-two stops to the city,” on the new song “Coney Island Winter,” you’re on that train.

Long known for his amazing roster of supporting musicians on every record, with names such as Dr. John, Sonny Rollins, James Taylor, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Sly and Robbie, The King Of In Between doesn’t disappoint. Among the contributors are Duncan Sheik, with caterwauling guitar on “I’m Alive,” and old friend Lou Reed on the somewhat ironic, insinuating doo-doo-doo backing vocals on “The Contortionist.” “My fourteen-year old daughter Savannah came to the studio and laid down a doubling vocal on top of Lou’s part. I don’t think she understands how cool that really is-yet,” muses Jeffreys.

Track Listing:
1. Coney Island Winter
2. I’m Alive
3. Streetwise
4. The Contortionist
5. All Around the World
6. ‘Til John Lee Hooker Calls Me
7. Love Is Not a Cliché
8. Rock and Roll Music
9. The Beautiful Truth
10. Roller Coaster Town
11. In God’s Waiting Room
12. (Hidden Bonus Track) Rock On

http://www.thinkindie.com/

THE FILTHY SIX - THE FOX

I'm a huge fan of the UK's Jazz FM and this week their Jazz FM Album of the Week is The Fox by The Filthy Six. The Filthy Six are a cut above your average Organ Jazz combo. They look to the blueprint of the late '60s Organ groups for inspiration and then add Soul-Jazz, Funk and Boogaloo to create an intoxicating musical brew.

Signed to Acid Jazz Records and led by trumpeter Nick Etwell (Tom Jones/Jill Scott/David Axelrod), the band recorded this second album almost completely live in the studio. On this stylish mixture of originals and a few well chosen covers, the front line is dominated by Brendan Reilly's soulful vocals and Etwell’s crisp solos, Mark Brown’s masterly saxophone, Pete Whitaker’s bluesy organ and Nigel Price’s nimble guitar work. The rhythm section of Dan Drury and newcomer Simon Lea provide the flexible support and rhythmic dexterity that this sort of music demands.

‘The Rum Diary’, a cooking slice of Latin soul, is a tribute to the Hunter S Thompson novel. The covers are, by coincidence, both Michael Jackson-related. ‘Girlfriend’ from ‘Off The Wall' gets a funky revamp while the Jackson 5 track ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ is given a stunning instrumental makeover with Price taking the lead as if paying tribute to the great balladeering style of Boogaloo Joe Jones.

The band tour the UK in April, here are the full dates:
Tue 17th April - London, The Social **ALBUM LAUNCH**
Thur 19th April - Cardiff, Cafe Jazz
Fri 20th April - Bristol, Mr Wolfs (+ Thee Ones)
Sat 21st April - Exeter, Cellar Door
Thur 26th April - Limerick, Nancy Blakes
Fri 27th April - Belfast, Hudson Bar (Communion Night)
Sat 28th April - Dundalk, Spirit Store (+ The Trampz)
Sun 29th April - Dublin, Academy 2 (Communion Night)
Mon 30th April – Galway, Roisin Dubh (Communion Night)

JazzFM

MOLE - WHAT'S THE MEANING?

It was nearly eight years ago that Mexican born pianist-composer Mark Aanderud joined forces with Argentinian drummer Hernan Hecht. Their chemistry was immediate and natural. "The first things we did were all related to free music, with electronic elements or not, but always with the idea of creating songs or forms in the moment," says Aanderud. "We do have some incredible magic going on, inasmuch as we can play concerts or record without ever speaking of music, and never repeating ideas or stifling development. This actually hasn't changed over the years."

From their initial encounter, the two kindred spirits progressed to the formation of Mole (pronounced Mo-Lay), an exhilarating quartet that is breaking new ground in its approach to contemporary jazz with their auspicious RareNoiseRecords debut, What's The Meaning?. "I think this project is an inevitable spot in my career," says Hecht, who is also a member of the RareNoiseRecords band Brainkiller. "It is our version of contemporary jazz, the sum of all the things we've heard and experienced in our lives related to jazz and everything else we have acquired; sounds of other music, other arts, the sense of song. It's a freedom of expression, not determined by traditional jazz or directly from any line of traditional language learning. I am interested in music that is broad, not determined by a style."

Though both Aanderud and Hecht would cringe at the prospect of being labeled a fusion band, Mole does indeed fuse a variety of music styles, from jazz and rock to classical, funk and hip-hop. "I don't really like the fusion concept, but of course with all the groove and electronic elements in our music it's natural to think it sounds like fusion a little bit," says Aanderud. "But I see us more in the same line as groups like Phronesis, e.s.t. and Kurt Rosenwinkel and in terms of electronic music, groups like Sigur Rós, Massive Attack and Radiohead."

After a few years of exploring their chemistry together, Aanderud and Hecht began inviting other musicians into their inner circle to see how it affected their music. "We always considered the possibility of working with more people to achieve different characters, sounds and experience new artistic possibilities," says Hecht. "So I instigated tours and recordings with Tim Berne, Rick Parker, Eli Degibri, Jonathan Kreisberg, Marco Renteria, Aaron Cruz and many more musicians, always with the desire of novelty."

For their super-charged What's the Meaning?, Aanderud and Hecht recruited New York guitarist David Gilmore, whose impressive list of credits includes tours and recordings with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Trilok Gurtu, Don Byron and Steve Coleman's Five Elements. "When we decided to tour with someone else from New York, to have new sounds and pressure to work with someone already recognized internationally, someone from which to learn with a shared philosophy and professionalism, we automatically thought of David Gilmore," says Hecht.

Adds Aanderud, "There is probably no other guitarist as diverse in groove, time and the free approach as him. So it was easy to know he was the one we were looking for."

Rounding out the quartet is Mexican upright bassist Jorge "Luri" Molina, whom Aanderud met years ago in their native country. "I've known Luri since I started playing jazz music," says the keyboardist who is currently based in Prague. "We were still kids and we were starting to dig this music. He was a very straight-ahead player but he became one of the most charismatic and strong rhythm players I know, and an incredible musician who just understands any musical situation."

Throughout the course of the eight pieces on this dynamic RareNoiseRecords release, Hecht shifts gears from surging swing to slamming backbeats to driving drum 'n' bass and sensitive, coloristic rubato playing. "My approach to the instrument is completely determined by a lot of different influences, says Hecht, who has resided in Mexico City for the past 16 years. "Many drummers are important in my training, but I'm not one of those musicians who listens only to the instrument they play. What I like is the music and the depth of communication, not just my own instrument. I like the relationship between all the instruments, so it is possible that my playing is more influenced by a pianist than a drummer."

The opener, "PB," begins with free-form textural improvisations before segueing to the cascading theme, played at odd intervals between Aanderud's Wurlitzer electric piano and Gilmore's warm-toned electric guitar. Molina grooves this piece with his steady, full-toned upright bass sound as Hecht plays loosely and melodically around the kit. Gilmore offers remarkably fluid six-string work, showcasing Wes Montgomery-styled octave playing on his stellar solo. Hecht is turned loose at the end of the piece, traversing the kit with boundless energy and a flood of ideas. The hard-hitting "Stones" is fueled by Hecht's kinetic drum 'n' bass pulse while Aanderud layers on classically-inspired lines on grand piano. The moody "Trees And The Old New Ones" opens with Molina's bowed bass setting a droning ambient tone. He is soon joined by guest cellist Dorota Barova, who creates a chamber-like latticework pattern of sound in tandem with Molina's bass. Aanderud reveals his classical roots on this waltz-time number, which is underscored by Hecht's sensitive, swirling brushwork and Gilmore's deliberate, warm-toned guitar lines.

"Flour Tortilla Variation" is a rock-tinged workout marked by Aanderud's forceful piano motif and underscored by Hecht's sizzling drum 'n' bass groove. Gilmore kicks in an aggressive guitar solo that will thrill six-string connoisseurs. The darkly droning title track deals in minimalism while also showcasing the indelible nature of Aanderud's rhythmic hookup with partner Hecht. Mark brings a calming quality with his restrained piano solo while Gilmore elevates the proceedings with rare fretboard abandon, bringing this dynamic offering to a cathartic peak.
"Greenland" is a hypnotic jam featuring torrents of challenging unison lines by Aanderud and Gilmore on top of an insistent groove laid down by Hecht and Molina. Gilmore turns in another distortion-laced solo that adds heat to this throbbing jam and Aanderud follows with a chiming Wurlitzer solo that brings the piece to another level. For the accelerated finale, "Grubenid," Gilmore breaks out some of the taut, odd-metered James Brown-meets-Fela funk lines that he cultivated as a member of Steve Coleman's Five Elements. Hecht feeds the funk with slickly syncopated backbeats as Molina anchors the tune with his bubbling bass groove.

Hecht and Aanderud have made a giant leap in their longstanding partnership on Mole's audacious debut, What's the Meaning?

Mole · What's The Meaning?
RareNoiseRecords · Release Date: May 15, 2012
RareNoiseRecords.com

STEVE GADD AND FRIENDS LIVE AT VOCE

One of the most recorded drummers of all time, Steve Gadd has worked with everyone from Chick Corea to Paul Simon, Maynard Ferguson to Eric Clapton. When it comes to his own projects, Gadd loves to play good-time groove music that has the danceable qualities and bluesiness of the best R&B along with the adventurous solos and impeccable musicianship of jazz. On Live At Voce (Deluxe Edition), Gadd is joined by Joey DeFrancesco (arguably the World's greatest organist), the passionate baritone-saxophonist Ronnie Cuber, and the versatile guitarist Paul Bollenbeck. Together they create grooves and hard-driving swing that are reminiscent of the best organ groups of the 1960s including an early George Benson band that featured Cuber. The infectious rhythms, catchy material, and colorful ensembles make this band impossible to resist.

For this project the quartet, which has been together since 2007, is heard at a popular club in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Watching The River Flow,” which is based on “Swanee River,” has exciting solos by all four musicians. The one-chord vamp “Way Back Home” gives Ronnie Cuber a chance to preach on his horn. “Undecided” is taken at a burning tempo that is perfect for the musicians, with DeFrancesco showing why he is considered the master of his instrument. “Bye Bye Blackbird” starts out with a surprising duet between Gadd on brushes and DeFrancesco, who is heard on a muted trumpet a la Miles Davis. “Them Changes” finds the group rocking out on an R&B groove that alternates with some furious straight ahead jamming. Cuber is featured on a heartfelt rendition of “Georgia On My Mind.” “Back At The Chicken Shack” has the Gadd band returning to the blues, really digging into the music. Horace Silver's “Sister Sadie” is given quite a ride by the musicians, with this being the most stirring performance of the heated set.

As a bonus, the deluxe version of Live At Voce concludes with a pair of intriguing duets (“Here I Am Now” and “Down”) by Gadd and singer/songwriter Edie Brickell. Gadd and Brickell lead the newly formed band, The Gaddabouts, featuring Andrew Fairweather Low and Pino Palladino. About The Musicians:

Steve Gadd has had a remarkable career during the past 40 years, and there are no signs that he plans to slow down. He began playing drums when he was three, sat in with Dizzy Gillespie at the age of 11, and became a major studio drummer in 1972. Since then his countless number of recordings include important sessions with Chuck Mangione, Bill Watrous, Jim Croce, Joe Farrell, Bette Midler, Chet Baker, Phoebe Snow, Bob James, Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, George Benson, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Tom Scott, Chick Corea, Grover Washington Jr, Jim Hall, Maynard Ferguson, Al DiMeola, Carla Bley, Judy Collins, Stanley Clarke, Stuff, Joe Cocker, the Brecker Brothers, Dave Grusin, Charles Mingus, Eddie Daniels, Weather Report, Lee Ritenour, Michael Franks, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington Jr, the Manhattan Transfer, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, James Brown, the Manhattan Jazz Quintet and Natalie Cole plus the Gadd Gang. Just in the past year, Gadd has toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Alain Clark and Edie Brickell.

Joey DeFrancesco is largely responsible for the Hammond B-3 organ making a comeback in the 1990s. The son of organist Papa John DeFrancesco, Joey began sitting in at his father's gigs when he was just six. He learned from the masters, befriended Jimmy Smith, and toured with Miles Davis right after his high school graduation in 1988. His brilliant playing and enthusiasm led to the organ, which had been neglected in favor of electric keyboards, being restored to its former place of prominence. His success has led to many other young organists entering the scene, but Joey DeFrancesco still ranks at the very top.

Baritonist Ronnie Cuber, whose deep guttural tone is influenced by the late Pepper Adams, has been a major force on his instrument since the 1960s. His stints with the Maynard Ferguson big band and with George Benson made him well known in the jazz world. In recent years he has often been heard with the Mingus Big Band.

Guitarist Paul Bollenback started playing music when he was seven. Originally a rock player, he changed his musical direction after hearing Miles Davis. He has been associated with Joey DeFrancesco off and on since the early 1990s and has also worked with Mark Murphy, Gary Thomas, Ron Holloway, Joe Locke, Houston Person, Geoff Keezer, Jim Snider, Jack McDuff, and Tony Monaco. Steve Gadd's Live At Voce lives up to its great potential, resulting in bluesy music that is both accessible and superbly played by four master musicians.

bfmjazz.com