TIA FULLER - ANGELIC WARRIOR

"Fuller is a modernist who incorporates touches of funk, gospel and R&B into her sound. Nevertheless, it's all articulated through a language that is rooted in postbop." - JazzTimes

Tia Fuller's third release on Mack Avenue Records, Angelic Warrior, marks her deep-rooted evolution as an instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. After five years in Beyoncé's band, the pop diva's attention to detail in the studio rubbed off on Fuller. She has since developed a heightened focus in the editing, mixing and mastering process of Angelic Warrior, as the producer. And as the Assistant Musical Director for Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society touring band, Fuller applies her pop and jazz chops on behalf of some of the hottest artists in music today.

On Angelic Warrior, Fuller makes an aesthetic statement that's fully her own. The album celebrates the peaceful demeanor of the 'angel' and the drive and determination of the 'warrior' spirit within. Fuller says, "While writing this album, I was balancing different aspects in my life and career...trying to pull from the 'warrior' energy, while remaining graceful in my spirit. We can all celebrate the Angelic Warrior within ourselves by trusting in our vision, doing the work and maintaining a level of peace." In addition, Angelic Warrior pays homage to the angels in Fuller's life: her family and friends. "I wanted to celebrate core individuals who serve as pillars of inspiration," she says.

shift in the texture of Fuller's front-line on Angelic Warrior is further evidence of her expansion as an artist. Instead of sharing the front-line with trumpet, this time it is with John Patitucci on piccolo bass (which can easily be mistaken for guitar).

"It was an exciting challenge for me, because I was expanding upon a new concept to utilize the electric bass as both a melodic and harmonic voice...playing contrapuntal lines with me," Fuller states. Patitucci's virtuosity and versatility is heard throughout, such as on "Royston Rumble" where he plays both melody and bass lines.

The piano and drum chairs are held by Fuller's sister Shamie Royston, and her brother-in-law Rudy Royston respectively, both to whom the first number "Royston's Rumble" is dedicated. Fuller calls the opening part of the song a "beautiful duel." She considers them role models because they set an example of work ethic and perseverance in the course of a marriage approaching two decades-"I wanted to celebrate their unconditional love for each other."

Drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr. is the inspiration for "Ralphie's Groove," a sultry song with a sexy beat derived from Peterson's "Surrender," itself inspired by a creative synthesis of Ahmad Jamal's "Poinciana" and Tony Williams' "Sister Cheryl."

The album's third track, "Angelic Warrior" is inspired by elements of Terri Lyne Carrington's GRAMMY® Award- winning recording, The Mosaic Project and the Beatles' "Blackbird." On the title track, the melody line on soprano soars as the drums play a military beat-Fuller "wanted to sonically portray the 'angel' in the melody and evolve to the 'warrior' element, reflecting the feeling of going to war. On a daily basis, we, as people, deal with so many things that require us to tap into that warrior spirit." Carrington is the inspiration for this song, "She encompasses the graceful, yet warrior spirit, who has blazed the pathway for many musicians and female instrumentalists," Fuller says.

Carrington explains, "From playing with great horn players like Wayne Shorter and Stan Getz, I just wanted to help and encourage her. I fell in love with Tia's playing. She has a lot of respect for the history of the music and has done her homework."

"Lil' Les," composed at the request of Leslie Browder, is a calming song that evokes the innocence of a children's tune. Fuller conceived it for Browder's then-unborn child, Lesleigh Marie Browder. "This song was actually the first that I wrote for the album. As a 'toy playing' theme for Lesleigh."

Fuller's father would call for "Body and Soul" when they'd gig together back in Colorado, her birthplace. "Here I'm paying homage to my mom and dad, the body and soul of the family. I wanted to incorporate a solid bass line to represent my father [bassist Fred Fuller] and feature master vocalist, Dianne Reeves, to celebrate my mother [vocalist Elthopia Fuller]. What a dream come true to have Dianne featured on this arrangement."

Fuller wrote her originals over a period of five months while on the road. For example, she sang the melody and bass line of "Descend to Barbados" into her voicemail when about to touch down in Barbados. Dedicated to good friend Mimi Jones, Fuller states, "Having come from Barbadian parents, Mimi has 'Descended from Barbados,' and serves as the ultimate groove master."

Structurally, "Ode to Be" is at the midpoint and end of the recording. Musically, she says, it's "a musical pause, allowing the album to breathe. The title has a dual meaning: an ode to Beyoncé spurred by a song she sang in a dream, and an ode to just 'being'."

"So In Love With All of You" is felicitous melding of two Cole Porter compositions. Carrington's arrangement, reminiscent of Thelonious Monk's "Evidence," inspirits the intro to this Porter tribute. The sax, bass and drum trio allows the longtime musical kinship between Carrington and Patitucci (having both played with Wayne Shorter) to be explored further. Fuller improvises on top of Carrington's cymbals like a surfer riding a wave as Patitucci provides a rhythmic and harmonic seabed.

"Tailor Made" is a rock-out backbeat tune Fuller penned for lifelong friend, Ed Legin. "We always talk about how you have to tailor-make your life for you. He loves R&B from the '70s." What better way to pay nostalgic homage to R&B than with a head-bopping groove inspired by another good friend, Esperanza Spalding and her song "Winter Sun." The short ballad "Core of Me" is a "celebration of the self, coming to a place of reflection and being comfortable in your own skin. Embracing who you are." "Simpli-City" begins basic, with sweet swing. Then urban complications enter, thus capturing the "duality: simple vs. complicated." For "Cherokee," Carrington's crafty arrangement grounds the rhythm in a hybrid jungle beat. "Terri Lyne and Rudy were playing simultaneously with this version. Two drummers plus a drum track! Merging the experience of house music meets jazz tradition," reflects Fuller.

Of Fuller's saxophone performance, Carrington says: "She plays with the kind of aggression that men do. My dad says, Tia's a woman playing that horn like it's supposed to be played. He's old-school. I understood what he meant." You will too when hearing the searing bite and intelligence-grounded-in-feeling of Fuller's alto and soprano sax. On alto, she's like a warrior-her fire and punch, as well as rhythmic freedom and drive are obvious to listeners. Furthermore, her soulful soprano sax styling is the angelic voice in her sound spectrum.

Fuller's aesthetic statement on Angelic Warrior is grounded in a jazz mode of expression that embraces both the classic and the contemporary sounds surrounding her. It's no mistake that artists from Ralph Peterson, Jr. and Esperanza Spalding to Terri Lyne Carrington and Beyoncé include her instrumental voice and vision in their work. With this recording, Tia Fuller surfaces clearly, rising to the top of her generation of musicians. Fusing traditions, styles, and unafraid of genre boundaries, Fuller's music transgresses the musical frontiers of today, manifest to last well into the future. Release Date: September 25, 2012

Angelic Warrior - Track Listing/Personnel
1. Royston Rumble (Tia Fuller) - 6:26
2. Ralphie's Groove (Tia Fuller) - 6:34
3: Angelic Warrior (Tia Fuller) - 5:53
4. Lil' Les (Tia Fuller) - 5:41
5. Body and Soul (feat. Dianne Reeves) - 7:00
6. Descend to Barbados (Tia Fuller) - 5:02
7. Ode to Be - Interlude (Tia Fuller) - 1:01
8. So in Love w/ All of You (Cole Porter) - 5:47
9. Tailor Made (Tia Fuller) - 7:08
10. Core of Me (Tia Fuller) - 2:32
11. Simpli-City (Tia Fuller) - 5:59
12: Cherokee (Ray Noble) - 3:47
13, Ode to Be - Outro (Tia Fuller) - 1:26

Tia Fuller: Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
Shamie Royston: Piano, Fender Rhodes
Mimi Jones: Acoustic Bass
Rudy Royston: Drums
Shirazette Tinnin: Percussion Track 2, 6, 9

Special Guests:
John Patitucci: Electric/Piccolo Bass Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, Acoustic Bass Track 8
Terri Lyne Carrington: Drums Track 3, 8, 12
Dianne Reeves: Vocals Track 5

Upcoming Tia Fuller Appearances:
+ Indicates performance(s) with Tia Fuller Quartet
** Indicates performance(s) with Esperanza Spalding Radio Music Society

August 3 / Martha's Vineyard Jazz Festival / Oak Bluffs, MA (w/Terri Lyne Carrington Quartet)
August 11 / San Jose Jazz Festival / San Jose, CA
+ August 12 / Levitt Pavilion / Pasadena, CA
** August 21 / Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay / San Diego, CA
** August 22 / Hollywood Bowl / Los Angeles, CA
** August 24 / Wells Fargo Center for the Arts / Santa Rosa, CA
** August 25 / Paramount Theatre / Oakland, CA
+ September 1-3 / Detroit Jazz Festival / Detroit, MI (also w/Mack Avenue Super Band)
** September 7 / The Artiste 2012 / Seoul, South Korea
** September 9 / Tokyo International Forum Hall / Tokyo, Japan
+ September 14 / Cornell Concert Series - Bailey Hall / Ithaca, NY
** September 23 / Monterey Jazz Festival / Monterey, CA
** September 25 / Boulder Theater / Boulder, CO
** September 26 / The Ogden Theatre / Denver, CO
September 29 / BeanTown Jazz Festival / Boston, MA (sets w/Terri Lyne & Mosaic Project & Ralph Peterson Sextet)
** September 30 / State Theatre / Minneapolis, MN
+ October 3-6 / Dirty Dog Jazz Café / Grosse Pointe, MI
** October 8 / Orpheum Theater / Wichita, KS
+ October 10 - 12 / Madison Jazz Society / Madison, WI (Solo appearance 10 &11)
** October 19 / Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center / Atlanta, GA
+ ** October 20 / Clearwater Jazz Holiday / Clearwater, FL
** October 23 / Ferguson Center / Newport News, VA
** October 26-27 / Apollo Theater / New York, NY
** October 30-31 / Sala BBK (Club) / Bilbao, Spain
** November 2 / Frieburg Theatre / Frieburg, Germany
+ November 15 / Strathmore - Music in the Mansion Series / North Bethesda, MD
+ February 2, 2013 / TBD / Kalamazoo, MI
February 12-14, 2013 / Duke University (Residency) / Durham, NC

tiafuller.com

AMIKAEYLA - BEING IN LOVE

The big, broad, joyful musical vision of jazz vocalist and renaissance woman Amikaeyla is conveyed with grace and soulful authority on her new CD, Being in Love, which will be released on August 28 by RootsJazz Records.

Last year’s Eva Cassidy tribute CD on Patois Records, made with her singing partner Trelawny Rose, introduced national audiences to Amikaeyla’s glowing mezzo-soprano pipes and her embrace of unexpected repertoire choices. On Being in Love, those choices range from Lionel Hampton, Tom Jobim, and Bill Withers compositions to a traditional capoeira song and a Southern hambone, as well as several affecting originals—seemingly disparate styles unified by her poised, forward-looking artistry.

“I really do feel a deep connection to so many types of sounds,” says Amikaeyla. “Currently in the music industry, where you have to kind of pocket yourself in one genre, it’s really challenging for me because I want to be a part of all the things that make me happy sonically. Jazz is Roots music,” she adds, “and when you feel the music of, say, jazz and hambone, you realize that they are really part of the same tradition.”

Recorded in both Washington, DC and Oakland, Being in Love finds Amikaeyla surrounded by an all-star cast of world-class musicians. Members of Trio Globo—pianist, harmonica virtuoso, and pennywhistle blower Howard Levy, cellist Eugene Friesen, and percussionist Glen Velez—are present, individually and together, on all but one of the songs. Other contributors include bassist Esperanza Spalding, percussionists Sheila E., her brother Peter Michael Escovedo, John Santos, and Michael Spiro, guitarists Ray Obiedo (who co-produced the CD) and Theresa Perez, and singing percussionist Linda Tillery.

Born Amy Marie Gaston in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1968, Amikaeyla moved with her family to Potomac, Maryland, at age 6. She’d already begun piano studies with her mother, Dr. Marilyn LuAnne Hughes Gaston, and continued with a private teacher in Maryland, performing youth recitals with the National Symphony through high school.

Her father, Alonzo DuBois Gaston, played bass and conga drums with such artists as James Brown, Fats Domino, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk before becoming a professor at Howard University. There he served as the university’s liaison to Africa, and often the whole family went along on trips to Africa as well as Israel, Greece, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico.

Dr. Gaston, a pioneer in screening children for sickle cell disease, served as Director of the Bureau of Primary Health Care in the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration from 1990 to 2001, working under three Surgeon Generals. “These are people who were always in my life and in my thinking, which is why music as medicine plays such a strong role in my life,” Amikaeyla says.

As a young woman, Amikaeyla performed around the DC area with West African, R&B, South Indian, Celtic, straight-ahead jazz, and Americana folk groups, winning eight Washington Area Music Association Awards in the process. In a 1999 Washington Post review of a CD by Bottomland, an R&B band in which she was featured, Mike Joyce wrote, “…best of all, singer Amikaeyla Gaston’s sinuous voice, sultry and spirited by turns.”

In 2003 in Michigan, Amikaeyla encountered five white men who screamed racial epithets at her, then ran over her with a truck, crushing her ribs into her lungs and causing third-degree burns over 70 percent of her lower body. She spent three months in intensive care, following by nearly a year in recovery. “I died and came back,” she says.

Musician friends from many cultures gathered in her room at Bethesda Naval Hospital to play and pray for her recovery. “The blessing of all that is it allowed me to explore medicine in a way that was larger than what I’d been exposed to as a child, which was just Western medicine,” she reflects. “I experienced the power of music as medicine and I experienced the power of intentional prayer. It changed my life.”

Amikaeyla recorded her debut album, Mosaic, in Washington in 2004 following her recovery, and since 2007 has been dividing her time between Washington and Oakland. In 2006, she traveled to New Delhi, India to sing for His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his request and founded the International Cultural Arts and Healing Sciences Institute shortly thereafter. She has since traveled throughout the world on its behalf. In 2010, she worked in the Middle East with Iraqi and Palestinian refugee children to help alleviate the pain and trauma caused by war. This year, she traveled to Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

“I’m so blessed to travel as a cultural ambassador,” says Amikaeyla. “I’ve seen people coping with the stress of living and keeping their families together through war, poverty, and so much more yet we always connected through music. Music and love are always present.”

Amikaeyla brings her own music to Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz 8/24 and to Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland 10/12. She’ll also be performing at an Eva Cassidy tribute concert in Bethesda 8/16, with Trelawny Rose. European dates are being scheduled for the fall.

BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET - LIFETIMES

Since the early 1970s, Chris and Dan Brubeck have performed and recorded frequently with their father Dave in Two Generations of Brubeck, the New Brubeck Quartet, and Trio Brubeck. Now, on the Brubeck Brothers Quartet's new CD LifeTimes, they and "honorary brothers" Mike DeMicco (guitar) and Chuck Lamb (piano) have chosen to honor Brubeck père by reimagining a number of his best-known songs.

"Dave Brubeck's music is rich with challenging chord progressions and beautiful melodies," says Chris. "Dave is one of the biggest inspirations in all our lives, and we all thought it was time to salute his compositions, adding the BBQ's fresh approach to some of his most enduring tunes."

Those would be "Jazzanians," which first appeared on Trio Brubeck (1993) and was written in honor of the like-named multiracial South African student band led by eldest brother Darius Brubeck; "Kathy's Waltz," introduced on Dave's Time Out (1959) and named for his only daughter; "My One Bad Habit," inspired by a remark Ella Fitzgerald made to Dave ("My one bad habit is falling in love") and first sung by Carmen McRae on Dave and Iola Brubeck's 1961 all-star album The Real Ambassadors; and "The Duke," an Ellington tribute first recorded by Dave in 1955 and heard here in an arrangement with "a little bit of half time and double time from the first bar," says Dan, "with those grooves alternating throughout the track."

Also included is Dave's biggest hit "Take Five" (composed by Paul Desmond), which Dan kicks off with a second-line New Orleans groove in 5/4, along with two originals by pianist Lamb ("Go Round," "The Girl from Massapequa") and one by guitarist DeMicco ("Prezcence").

LifeTimes, BBQ's fourth CD and their first since 2008's Classified, is the latest chapter in the brothers' near-lifelong series of collaborations. Chris (b. 1952) and Dan (b. 1955) benefited from early exposure to the family business: the Brubeck Quartet regularly rehearsed at the Brubecks' Connecticut home, and drummer Joe Morello would leave his practice set behind. "He let me bang around on 'em," Dan recalls. "I used his drums all through high school."

Chris, who started on piano at age 5 and trombone in fourth grade, met Trummy Young, Louis Armstrong's trombonist, while Young and Armstrong were working with his parents on The Real Ambassadors and years later, as an adult, got to know Young. "He and Paul Desmond really shaped my ears," says Chris.

In addition to recordings and performances over the years with their illustrious father, Chris and Dan have recorded together with pianist Andy LaVerne (for Blackhawk); made two albums with brother Darius featuring Larry Coryell; and pursued their own very different individual paths. Chris, a self-taught arranger and composer, has had compositions commissioned and performed by orchestras around the world, including the Boston Pops, Baltimore Symphony, and Czech National Symphony Orchestra; he also tours and records with the blues-roots group Triple Play. Dan's résumé includes work with Coryell, Roy Buchanan, the Band, and the Dolphins, a group he co-founded with Mike DeMicco. Mike and Chuck Lamb first played together 30 years ago in Chuck's fusion group, Dry Jack. The intertwining pasts of the BBQ have helped them to forge a unique musical bond.

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is touring this summer in support of LifeTimes, with shows scheduled as follows: ME; 8/2 Rockport (ME) Opera House (second half of concert: BBQ will perform Chris's Vignettes for Nonet with the Bay Chamber Concerts woodwind quintet); 8/25 Vancouver (WA) Wine & Jazz Festival; and 10/5 Fredfest, Fredericksburg, VA. (Photo of Chris and Dan by Stephane Colbert.)
On 9/12, the Quartet will embark on a two-week tour of Russia, co-sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The group will be performing by themselves as well as with the Russian National Orchestra (at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow) and with various guest artists including saxophonist Igor Butman, flutist Maxim Rubstov, and trumpeter Vladislav Lavrik.

At the Tchaikovsky Hall concert, on 9/17, the group will perform selected tunes with the Orchestra, and Chris Brubeck and Vladislav Lavrik will play Chris's trumpet and trombone concerto, From the Blues to Beyond. Other dates include: 9/14 Igor Butman Jazz Club, Moscow; 9/19 Town Hall concert, Efremov; 9/21 Music School concert, Samar; 9/22 Moscow Conservatory Great Hall; 9/25 Mariinsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg.

www.brubeckbrothers.com

ERIC VAUGHN - MINOR RELOCATION

Eric Vaughn has devoted most of his life to jazz, but recognition for his distinctively personal music has long eluded him. Vaughn's luck can be expected to turn, however, with the release on August 7 of Minor Relocation, the 58-year-old pianist/composer's first nationally distributed album.

The new CD, released on his Vaughn Music label, serves as an introduction to a fresh and intriguing voice on the piano. Vaughn describes his music, which fuses elements of Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, McCoy Tyner, and others, as "hard bop to modern-esque." "I've definitely learned from the traditional players," he says. "I've taken from a little bit of everybody and I've taken some classical and I've put it all in there."

The "minor relocation" of the disc's title refers to the pianist's 2009 move back to the Bay Area from Seattle, where he'd resided the previous 12 years. Vaughn recorded the CD over a three-year period in both locales, working in Seattle with bassists Nate Omdal and Mark Bullis and drummers Nicholas Quitevis and Jamiel Nance, and in the Bay Area with tenor saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu, bassist John Wiitala, and drummer Kent Bryson. "I hadn't seen them in 35 years," Vaughn says of the three latter musicians, with whom he once worked in San Francisco's North Beach.

Most of the CD's repertoire consists of Vaughn's striking originals, including the swinging title track, the minor-blues-based "Tune for Trane," and the bossa ballad "Joyce," as well as his takes on "Stella by Starlight," "Alone Together," and "On Green Dolphin Street."

Bronx, NY-born Eric Vaughn grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he moved at age 7 with his mother and stepfather, a semi-professional musician. When Eric was 9, both he and his stepdad began taking piano lessons from Sal Mosca, the Lennie Tristano disciple noted for his recordings with Lee Konitz, among others. The younger Vaughn continued his studies till he was 14, when basketball became a primary focus.

A basketball scholarship brought Vaughn to the University of San Francisco, but knee injuries thwarted his athletic ambitions. He applied for, and won, a music scholarship, despite having been away from his musical studies for nearly five years. Vaughn went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in music and a Master's in music performance, both from USF. Several years of classical piano lessons during this time "influenced my technique for sure and my ideas as well," he says now. "It's useful for improvising and my chops and reading."

Vaughn spent two years in the early '80s playing in Europe with bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz, another former Mosca student, then moved to Oakland and became part of a circle of avant-garde players that included saxophonists Ghasem Batamutu and Julius Hemphill, trumpeter Rasul Siddik, and bassist James Lewis. In 1985 he moved to Vancouver, BC and remained there for 12 years, performing regularly at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and working a steady club engagement with trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach. He also spent two years in the early '90s touring as a member of former B.B. King bassist Russell Jackson's blues band.

During his years in Seattle (1997-2009), Vaughn played with his own groups and those led by tenor saxophonist Bert Wilson and conga drummer Billy Poindexter (son of Pony Poindexter). He recorded three little-noticed albums -- a solo piano date titled Reflections: Past and Present; the trio session A New Beginning; and The Chaotic World We Live In, on which he overdubbed piano and melodica parts. With Poindexter's quartet, he recorded Live at the Birkshire (2007).

Vaughn's "minor relocation" back to the Bay Area in 2009 marks an exciting new chapter in his musical life. A Kickstarter campaign is supporting the release of his new CD, and higher-profile gigs are coming his way. To celebrate the release of Minor Relocation, Vaughn and his quartet (Bob Kenmotsu, John Wiitala, Kent Bryson) will be performing at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on Thursday 8/9 at 8pm. He's also set to appear at Rasselas, San Francisco, on Wednesday 8/15, 8pm, and at Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland on Saturday 10/13, 8pm, with more bookings in the works.

www.ericvaughnjazz.com

MELVIN TAYLOR - SWEET TASTE OF GUITAR

Melvin Taylor was born in 1959 in Jackson, Mississippi. His musical roots however have always been in Chicago, where he moved with his music-loving, guitar playing family when he was just three years old. Melvin started playing guitar himself at a very young age and was inspired and influenced by some of the world's greatest blues players - many of whom lived in or near his Chicago neighborhood.

By the time he was a teenager, Melvin's incredible ability and unique style was already grabbing attention on Maxwell Street. And indeed when Joe Willie Pinetop' Perkins needed a great guitarist to play his European tour, he invited Melvin to join the Legendary Blues Band. Melvin made an immediate impact on the European circuit, and while he was in France, he cut two albums - Blues on the Run in 1982, and Plays the Blues for You in 1984.

Following his return to the United States, Melvin recorded four additional CDs through Evidence Music - Bang That Bell in 1999, Dirty Pool in 2002, Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band in 2003, and Rendezvous With the Blues in 2004.

Melvin's recent burst of creativity has resulted in two new CD's, Beyond the Burning Guitar (2010) and Sweet Taste of Guitar (2012). Beyond the Burning Guitar contains 23 original, instrumental guitar songs plus Melvin's arrangement and adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth.

Melvin's 2012 release, Sweet Taste of Guitar is a splendid accomplishment for this virtuoso - he composed, arranged, produced and recorded 10 songs. What really makes this project unique is that Melvin plays all of the instrument on the CD. Both of these are available on iTunes and other digital sites.

With new management now in place, Melvin Taylor continues his musical journey into the 21st century. His unique sound and outstanding performance skills continue to thrill and entertain audiences around the globe.

LOVING THE SILENT TEARS: A NEW MUSICAL TO PREMIERE AT THE SHRINE IN L.A. THIS OCTOBER

The red carpet premiere of Loving the Silent Tears: A New Musical is set to be one of the most star-studded, spectacular year-end events, to be held on October 27 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

The musical will star 2-time Grammy winning artist Jon Secada, Grammy winning icon Jody Watley, and Broadway stars: Tony winner Debbie Gravitte, Tony winner Kiril Kulish, and Tony winner Michael Maguire.

They will be joined by Grammy-winning reggae legends Black Uhuru, Grammy-nominated Persian artist Siavash Shams, Korean platinum singer Kim Johan, Arab singer Camellia Abou-Odah, Italian tenor Mark Janicello, award-winning Israeli singer Liel Kolet, Irish soprano Katie McMahon, and award-winning Brazilian singer Fabiana Passoni.

The first of its kind in theatre history, Loving the Silent Tears will take the audience on a cultural journey across 6 continents and 16 countries, to tell a story about humanity’s search for inner peace and happiness.
The show was inspired by a poetry anthology titled Silent Tears, written years ago by world-renowned spiritual teacher, humanitarian and artist Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Award-winning playwright Cynthia Ferrell noted, “What interested me most in ‘Loving the Silent Tears’ honestly was the poetry. The poetry is so beautiful and the message of the poetry, it’s so consistent throughout the piece and the nuances of it are gorgeous and it’s just so inspiring. It just makes you come to the project with a happy heart.”

Eminent composers have come together to set Supreme Master Ching Hai’s soulful verses to music: 5-time Grammy winner & Oscar nominee Jorge Calandrelli, 2-time Oscar winner Al Kasha, Emmy winner Doug Katsaros, 2-time Grammy winner & Oscar nominee Henry Krieger, Tony and Emmy winner Don Pippin, Grammy winner Nan Schwartz, and Oscar and 2-time Grammy winner David Shire.

Composer Al Kasha stated, “All these composers who are the best in the world and all of these singers who won Grammys and Tonys from Broadway were willing to work on this piece because they saw the spiritual nature of it. I think it will lift the audience up inspirationally, I really do.”

Loving the Silent Tears will be directed by Tony nominee Vincent Paterson, Emmy-winning choreographer Bonnie Story, Emmy-winning set designer, John Iacovelli, and award-winning costume designer Sharell Martin. With a superb cast and creative team, beautiful poetry as lyrics, plus accompaniment by a 30-member dancing ensemble and a live orchestra, Loving the Silent Tears promises to be an unprecedented musical experience.

The evening will commemorate the 19th anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day honoring the values of philanthropy and peace. A pre-show art exhibition at the venue will feature Supreme Master Ching Hai’s uplifting creative works, with free admittance for all attendees.

There will also be a celebrity red carpet.

All media are welcome to attend. Live filming is welcome. Coverage will include: celebrity arrivals, limited performance footage and the post-VIP vegan banquet.

Loving the Silent Tears on October 27 will be a one-time event that will inspire audiences of all backgrounds.

For more information, please visit: www.SilentTearsMusical.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SilentTearsMusical
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lovesilenttears

LOVING THE SILENT TEARS
Saturday, October 27, 2012
3pm: Art Exhibit
4pm: Red Carpet Arrivals
5pm: Show
Shrine Auditorium
700 W. 32nd Street, Los Angeles, CA

1-800-745-3000 www.ticketmaster.com

ART PEPPER - UNRELEASED ART PEPPER, VOL VII + NEON ART: VOLUME ONE

Laurie Pepper founded Widow's Taste Records in 2006 to "introduce unreleased and unheard Art to people who love him as well as to people who don't yet know him, so they can fill their lives with soulful beauty." Since then, the label has been releasing prime Pepper recordings on an annual basis. Widow's Taste's latest offering, Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. VII, is a two-CD set recorded in November 1980 in Osaka, Japan. Its August 28 release will coincide with that of Neon Art: Volume One, the first of three Art Pepper vinyl singles scheduled for 2012 release by Omnivore Recordings.

The Osaka session is a happy one, swinging and melodic. It reunites the alto saxophonist with pianist George Cables, and "Art's mood was sunny throughout this trip," recalls Laurie, "because he loved being on the road with George and loved working with him every night."

Other reasons for Art's cheer (he mentions them onstage): The acclaim accorded his just-published book Straight Life, co-authored with Laurie, and the satisfaction he felt after completing his ballad album with strings, Winter Moon (Galaxy). Art's inspired live performance of "Winter Moon" at this Osaka concert is, as far as Laurie knows, the only one extant and one good reason for releasing this material.

The vinyl singles owe their existence to Omnivore Recordings' Cheryl Pawelski, who happened to hear the burning version of Art's deeply funky tune "Red Car" posted by Widow's Taste last year as a free listen for the fans. Cheryl immediately called Laurie to ask if they could make a deal for a vinyl release. They did. Between them they chose that "Red Car" and, for the flip side, an effervescent "Blues for Blanche." "Art hated the idea that people put jazz in a pigeonhole," says Laurie. "He said he wanted to make people forget the categories. 'I want to make them open up and listen.'" Omnivore, with its comedy, pop, rock, and what-is-it catalog, is a vehicle that's made to carry absolutely everything.

"When I first heard the live version of 'Red Car' from Parnell's [1981]," says Pawelski, "I instantly wanted to share it with everyone I know, and that's when I knew we had a project. Omnivore, by design, aims to share outstanding previously unissued music, and rarely is it as good and as much fun as these Art Pepper recordings. Omnivore is grateful to be working with Laurie Pepper to bring Art's music to a new audience." To which Laurie says, "Amen!"

Volumes Two and Three of Neon Art are scheduled for October and November and offer greatest hits: Volume Two, "Mambo Koyama," "Over the Rainbow," "Allen's Alley"; Volume Three, "Make a List," "Everything Happens to Me," and "Arthur's Blues."

Widow's Taste's seventh Unreleased Art Pepper is all about the music, especially the soulful "Winter Moon" and blazing "Make a List" performances. It was recorded by an anonymous audience member on cassette. The crowd was absolutely silent, Laurie recalls, "but the room is a presence; let's just say it's very live. So this particular album plants you firmly in the audience beside that sneaky fellow on that night at Sankei Hall." It's been remastered by Wayne Peet, as have all six preceding Widow's Taste releases, and he revivifies this show. The album also includes a 32-page booklet, packed with photos of the tour and, as usual, Laurie's gossipy reminiscences of life on the front lines.

By the time of this recording, Art had settled on his favorite drummer, Carl Burnett, who appears on almost every recording Art made during his last years. Tony Dumas was the youngest, shyest member of the band, but he's impressive, and Art says so. With Tony Art made Landscape and Besame Mucho (Galaxy). And Tony is the bassist on last year's best-seller for Widow's Taste, Blues for the Fisherman, the four-disc set from Ronnie Scott's in London. George Cables is on the historic Art Pepper Live at the Village Vanguard set, The Trip, and No Limit (Contemporary) plus all the Galaxy Maiden Voyage albums, Tête-à-Tête, and Goin' Home. He's also featured with Carl on Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. I: Abashiri (Widow's Taste) and on upcoming Neon Art: Volumes Two and Three (Omnivore).

Previous Widow's Taste releases:
Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. I: Abashiri
Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. II: The Last Concert
Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. III: The Croydon Concert
Art Pepper: The Art History Project (Vol. IV)
Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. V: Stuttgart
Blues for the Fisherman: Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. VI
www.artpepper.net
www.artpeppermusic.blogspot.com

RICKIE LEE JONES - THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

Produced by Ben Harper, Jones Presents Songs by Jagger/Richards, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, Van Morrison & More

"It's a simple, surprising record," says Rickie Lee Jones of The Devil You Know, her sophomore recording for Concord Records, slated for release September 18th, 2012. Produced by songwriter (and longtime fan) Ben Harper, The Devil You Know turns Jones' focus to the rock & roll masterworks that shaped a generation, including the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Play With Fire", Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", and The Band's "The Weight".

"This record takes me to a new place in my work, my art," says Jones. "I've found another voice; it's a quieter one, older, perhaps, but more likely younger than I've ever been. These songs were recorded with care and impulse. They deserve that."

Jones brings an exploratory bravery to the desolation of the New Orleans lament "St. James Infirmary," the solace of Van Morrison's "Comfort You" and the longing of Donavan Leitch's "Catch The Wind" to name just a few. Though these songs are burned deeply into our brains, Jones - who plays piano, guitar and percussion and is accompanied by Harper on nearly every track - peels them back with spare, intimate arrangements, uncovering layers of emotions that feel both familiar and new. Album producer Ben Harper, who first collaborated with Rickie on her 2009 album Balm in Gilead, contributes his new song "Masterpiece", a ballad he could only picture Rickie singing.

Some singers might be intimidated by the enormity of this material but Rickie Lee Jones has made a career of fearlessly experimenting with her sound and persona; and though one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of our time, interpretive singing has long been part of Jones's arsenal. Such previous collections as Girl at Her Volcano (1983), Pop Pop (1991), and It's Like This (2000) have illustrated the fresh and inimitable feel that she has for classic American compositions. She won a Grammy for both her sly duet with Dr. John on the naughty-but-nice standard "Makin' Whoopee" and was nominated for her version of "Autumn Leaves" with Rob Wasserman.

The Devil You Know - Track listing:
"Sympathy For The Devil" (Mick Jagger-Keith Richards)
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Neil Young)
"Masterpiece" (Ben Harper)
"The Weight" (Robbie Robertson)
"St. James Infirmary" (traditional)
"Comfort You" (Van Morrison)
"Reason To Believe" (Tim Hardin)
"Play With Fire" (Mick Jagger-Keith Richards-William Wyman-Robert Charles Watts-Brian Jones)
"Seems Like A Long Time" (Theodore Anderson)
"Catch The Wind" (Donovan Leitch)

"Sympathy for the Devil" Premiering on Rolling Stone:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/song-premiere-rickie-lee-jones-sympathy-for-the-devil-20120719

TONY BENNETT - VIVA DUETS

Bennett's Latest CD Features Duets with Top Latin Recording Artists Including Marc Anthony, Roberto Carlos, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernandez, Juan Luis Guerra, Romeo Santos, Thalia and Many Others

Legendary performer and 17-Time GRAMMY winner Tony Bennett, who celebrates his 86th birthday on Friday, August 3rd, releases his latest CD, Tony Bennett: Viva Duets, worldwide on Tuesday, October 23rd on Columbia Records. Viva Duets, is the singer's third duets-themed project, following the platinum selling and critically praised Duets and Duets II CDs. Featuring many top names in the Latin recording industry, Viva Duets finds Bennett performing his greatest hits with a celebrated roster of artists including Marc Anthony, Miguel Bose, Robert Carlos, Ana Carolina, Chayanne, Franco DeVita, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernandez, Maria Gadu, Juan Luis Guerra, Dani Martin, Romeo Santos, Thalia and Vicentico, with additional duet guests to be announced. A truly international endeavor, Viva Duets, features performances in English, Spanish and Portuguese with artists representing eight countries and three continents.

Tony Bennett is known for recording duets live and Viva Duets was no exception, with sessions recorded in Ft. Lauderdale, New York, and in the case of famed Mexican performer Vicente Fernandez, on his 400 acre ranch in Guadalajara. All of the tracks are from Bennett's extensive hit catalog, with the exception of the duet with Vicente Fernandez, which features an English/Spanish version of the song, "Return To Me," originally recorded by Dean Martin. Viva Duets presents Bennett's classic songs with an international flavor that will generate widespread appeal for this unique multi-lingual presentation. Working with this unprecedented list of Latin artist, many of whom he met for the first time in the recording studio, Bennett commented, "Each of these artists were so warm and welcoming that there was an instant rapport. Latin music has always been about melody and harmony and a lot of soul, so there was a very close artistic connection with each duet guest. I am absolutely thrilled about the record."

Tony's first two duet projects, Duets and Duets II, both achieved platinum sales, multiple GRAMMY awards and were the best selling albums in his career to date. Bennett made music industry history when Duets II entered Billboard's Top 200 at the #1 position, making him the oldest artist, at the age of 85, to have a CD in the top spot. The Duets project also had international acclaim, hitting the top of the charts in several countries including Portugal and Mexico.

The current track listing for TONY BENNETT: VIVA DUETS is as follows:
"For Once In My Life" with Marc Anthony
"Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with Miguel Bose
"The Very Thought of You" with Ana Carolina
"The Best Is Yet to Come" with Chayanne
"The Good Life" with Franco DeVita
"Who Can I Turn To?" with Gloria Estefan
"Return to Me (Regresa A Mi)" with Vicente Fernandez
"Blue Velvet" with Maria Gadu
"Just in Time" with Juan Luis Guerra
"Are You Havin' Any Fun?" with Dani Martin
"The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalia
"Cold, Cold Heart" with Vicentico
(Song selections for Roberto Carlos and Romeo Santos TBD)

Just days before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, the great-grandparents of the singer Tony Bennett took a major leap of faith and embarked on steamship, along with hundreds of other Italian immigrants of limited means, seeking a better life in America. Little did they know that their great-grandson would make the American Dream come to life as an Italian-American born in New York City during The Great Depression, to become one of the most legendary singers of popular song in the world…..Tony Bennett.

No one in popular American music has recorded for so long and at such a high level of excellence than Tony Bennett. The essence of his longevity and high artistic achievement was imbued in him in his loving childhood home in the Astoria section of Queens where he was born on August 3, 1926 under his given name, Anthony Domenick Benedetto. His father died when Tony was 10 and his mother, Anna, raised Tony and his older brother and sister, John and Mary, in a home surrounded by loving relatives who were Tony's first fans filling him with encouragement and optimism. Each Sunday, his family would gather in a circle while Tony and his siblings performed for them. "Although these were very tough times for everyone, our family connection was so strong and positive that I felt very lucky and it was during those Sundays of my childhood that I knew being a performer was what I was meant to do with my life." He attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, where he continued nurturing his two passions, singing and painting, but at the age of 16 he had to leave school to find a job to assist his widowed mother, who worked as a seamstress, with meeting their expenses. As Tony recalls, "It was a regret that I was not able to finish my formal education, so ever since then, every day, I am still studying and learning things, and I am always reading books. Even today as I approach 86 years of age, I am still learning more and more -- I am what I call a perpetual student. My education really was the "school of life."

As a teenager Tony sang while waiting on tables and then enlisted in the Army during World War II and while in Europe he performed with military bands. He later had vocal studies at the American Theatre Wing School. The first time Bennett sang in a nightclub was in 1946 when he sat in with trombonist Tyree Glenn at the Shangri-La in Astoria. Bennett's big break came in 1949 when comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village in New York City. As Bennett recalls, "Bob Hope came down to check out my act. He liked my singing so much that after the show he came back to see me in my dressing room and said, 'Come on kid, you're going to come to the Paramount and sing with me.' But first he told me he didn't care for my stage name (Joe Bari) and asked me what my real name was. I told him, 'My name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto' and he said, 'We'll call you Tony Bennett.' And that's how it happened. A new Americanized name -- the start of a wonderful career and a glorious adventure that has continued for over 60 years."

With millions of records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received seventeen Grammy Awards -- including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his MTV Unplugged CD which introduced this American master to a whole new generation -- and the Grammy Lifetime Award. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. His initial successes came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950's, including such chart-toppers as "Because of You," "Rags to Riches," and a remake of Hank Williams "Cold, Cold Heart." He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including "I Wanna Be Around," "The Good Life," "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" and his signature song," I Left My Heart In San Francisco," recorded 50 years ago this coming January 2012. This song garnered him two Grammy Awards. Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and now in the first two decades of the 21st century. He has introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music. He has toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs.

Tony Bennett is a dedicated painter whose interest in art began as a child. He continues to paint every day, even as he tours internationally. He has exhibited his work in galleries around the world. The United Nations has commissioned him for two paintings, including one for their 50th anniversary. His original painting, "Homage to Hockney," is on permanent display at the Butler Institute of American Art and the landmark National Arts Club in New York is home to Tony's painting "Boy on Sailboat, Sydney Bay." Three of his paintings are part of the Smithsonian Museums permanent collections including his portrait of his friend Duke Ellington that became part of the National Portrait Gallery's collection in 2009.

Throughout his career, Tony Bennett has always put his heart and time into humanitarian concerns. He has raised millions of dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, which established a research fund in his name. His original paintings each year grace the cover of the American Cancer Society's annual holiday greeting card, proceeds from which are earmarked for cancer research. He is active in environmental concerns and social justice. He marched with Dr. King in the historical Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights movement and the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta bestowed upon him their "Salute to Greatness Award" for his efforts in fighting racial discrimination. Bennett founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in 2001 and in 2009 a state-of-the-art permanent facility was built in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife, Susan Benedetto, he established Exploring the Arts, a non-profit organization that supports arts education in NYC public schools. By the fall of 2011, Exploring the Arts will be partnering with 14 public high schools in every borough of New York City to enhance and foster the arts.
www.tonybennett.com
www.exploringthearts.org
www.zenofbennett.com

~RPM/Columbia Records

BRUCE HORNSBY - RED HOOK SUMMER (SOUNDTRACK)

Bruce Hornsby has put the finishing touches on his soundtrack to the Spike Lee film Red Hook Summer, which will be released in New York City August 10 and nationally on August 24th. The self-produced soundtrack consists of Hornsby's distinctively evocative original instrumental solo piano compositions with two vocal tracks also included. Through a partnership with 429 Records, Hornsby's album is available now on iTunes, followed by a wide digital release on August 7th. 429 Records will release a CD version on August 28th.

Red Hook Summer, Hornsby's second project for 429 Records, follows up 2011's Bride Of The Noisemakers a 2-CD collection of 25 handpicked songs recorded live on tour in various venues between 2007 and 2009. The American singer, pianist, accordion player and songwriter has nurtured a highly respected repertoire, drawing freely from the musical worlds of classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock and blues. This diversity is reflected in his songwriting and the seamless improvisations of his creative live performances.

Red Hook Summer is a film written and directed by Spike Lee. The film will be released on August 10th by 40 Acres and a Mule. The story is centered on Flik Royale, a thirteen year old boy from Atlanta who is sent to live with his preacher grandfather, Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse. Spike Lee will reprise his role as Mookie, the main character from his 1989 film Do The Right Thing.

RED HOOK SUMMER Track Listing:
1) Boiler Room
2) Gospel Camp
3) Claus Ligeti
4) Song E (flat)
5) Arc de Terre
6) Camp Variation
7) Sordid Pastime
8) Hymn In C (instrumental)
9) Ogerman
10) MNF
11) Arc de Terre (live)
12) Ogerman (live)
13) Spirit Climbing (Hornsby on vocals)
14) Hymn In C (Hornsby on vocals)

www.redhooksummer.com

NEW RELEASES - NONA HENDRYX, MICHAEL KIWANUKA, KEVIN TONEY 3

NONA HENDRYX – MUTATIS MUTANDIS

Nona Hendryx in the 21st Century – sounding every bit as funky and righteous as she did back in the day! The set's got a nicely stripped-down groove, and is very heavy on the sort of raw guitars that Nona used increasingly during her 80s years – that variant of funk that's almost a bit punky at times too – which makes for more than enough sharp edges to match the wit and politics in the lyrics! There's almost a deep soul vibe running through some of the cuts – a quality that's similar to some of the Anti treatment other older soul stars have gotten in recent years – but from start to finish, the spirit of the album is definitely Nona's own. Titles include "Oil On The Water", "Tea Party", "Black Boys", "The Ballad Of Rush Limbaugh", "Strange Fruit", and "When Love Goes To War". ~ Dusty Groove

MICHAEL KIWANUKA – HOME AGAIN

The full length debut for Michael Kiwanuka – a record that stands out brilliantly, not only for it's strength and depth – but also because almost no one is making airy, often acoustic soul music a major label in 2012! The record has been compared to Terry Callier's work with producer Charles Stepney in the early 70s – and that's not off base at all, but Kiwanuka has a sound and a voice of his own. The songs are engaging and immediate, his voice confident and assured – and the instrumentation is pretty amazing for a contemporary soul album! We're talking sax, trumpets, shakers, flutes, bells, blocks and more. A wonderful surprise! Includes "Tell Me A Tale", "I'm Getting Ready", "I'll Get Along", "Rest", "Home Again", "Bones", "Always Waiting", "I Won't Lie", "Any Day Will Do Fine", "Worry Walks Beside Me" and "Lasan". ~ Dusty Groove

KEVIN TONEY 3 – NEW AMERICAN SUITE

The first album from The Kevin Toney 3 – headed by the piano player and one-time leader of the legendary Blackbyrds – and it's a nicely melodic set of soulful trio jazz! There's a warm, affectionate vibe throughout, and it's played by skillful veterans with genuine passion. Toney composed, produced and arranged in collaboration with bassist Michael Bradford, and the trio is completed by the great drummer Chris Coleman. They're working with a range moods that roll from smoothly measured to charged and anthemic. Solid stuff! Includes "New American Suite", "Love Is All We Need", the slow-building standout "A Soulful Union", "Spacious Skies", "Cyberia", "The Entertainer", "E Pluribus Unum", "In God We Trust" and "Family Times – Getting Happy". ~ Dusty Groove

UPCOMING RELEASES - DR LONNIE SMITH, JEFF KASHIWA, JONATHAN FRITZEN

DR LONNIE SMITH - THE HEALER

The great B3 organ master and conjurer of sound, Doctor Lonnie Smith, has made some great studio recordings, but he'll be the first to tell you that his music needs to be experienced live. The release of his brand new live recording The Healer marks the Doctor's first live recording since his landmark 1970 album Live At Club Mozambique. It showcases the great bandleader reinventing the possibilities of sound along with two young stars - guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Jamire Williams. The Healer puts the listener front row center at a wild ride of a show that seamlessly blends jazz, fusion, hip hop, world music, and of course the B3 funk that Doc helped create. It also marks the launch of Pilgrimage Records, the good doctor's new completely artist controlled record label. Tracks include Backtrack, Mellow Mood, Dapper Dan, Chelsea Bridge, Beehive, and Pilgrimage. Release date: August 14.

JEFF KASHIWA - LET IT RIDE

Rippingtons saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa returns to Native Language for his eighth solo project overall, a spirited and contemporary Let It Ride. Featuring a who's who of special guests, including pianist David Benoit, Rippingtons guitarist Russ Freeman, Spyro Gyra keyboardist Tom Schuman, and guitarist Chuck Loeb, Let It Ride is being released in between a hectic tour schedule as featured soloist for the Rippingtons and the Sax Pack, a sax trio supergroup he fronts with saxophonists Steve Cole and Marcus Anderson. His last few albums have all debuted Top 10 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, and this album should be no different. Release date; August 21

JONATHAN FRITZEN - MAGICAL

Recently named by legendary broadcaster Art Good as his `debut artist of the year,' Swedish-American composer and keyboard player Jonathan Fritzen is back, and then some, with his latest CD, the appropriately titled Magical. With featured performances from Boney James, Paul Brown, Jackiem Joyner, Darren Rahn and Vincent Ingala, Magical is Fritzen's fourth solo release and follows the highly acclaimed Diamonds which enabled him to reach #1 on both the Billboard airplay charts and the Amazon.com sales charts. Now Magical seems certain to cement his position as the master of delightfully accessible contemporary jazz. Tracks include: Magical feat. Boney James, Love Will Overcome feat. Jackiem Joyner, Sweet Spot feat. Paul Brown, Electric, Nostalgia, To The Top feat. Vincent Ingala, Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind feat. Malene Mortensen, Turn Back Time, Nordic Light, Lullaby feat. Darren Rahn, and Angels. Release date: August 21\

~ amazon

JAZZ CONNECT CONFERENCE DATES FOR APAP/NYC 2013 ANNOUNCED

On January 10-11, 2013 in New York City, the Jazz Connect conference will bring together a broad range of elements and constituencies of the jazz community in a series of workshops, panels, plenaries and special events, all dedicated to expanding the worldwide audience for jazz. Organized by JazzTimes and the Jazz Forward Coalition and supported by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), this hands-on interactive conference aims to share best practices, provide tools to empower individuals and organizations, and establish a voice for jazz.

The jazz industry and community has been looking for a time and place to aggregate since the spring of 2009 when the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) folded. Various entities have been convening around APAP/NYC, the world's largest networking forum and marketplace for performing arts professionals, but until now there has not been an overall tent for the entire jazz community to share its resources and collective power.

An initiative to create a stand-alone jazz confab began with APAP/NYC 2012, with multiple sessions over the course of six days, including: an all-day DIY seminar hosted by JazzTimes, a welcoming address, a series of pecha-kucha presentations (short visual presentations) from innovators in the field, three panels at APAP and a culminating town-hall session presented by the Jazz Forward Coalition. The Jazz Connect organizing committee decided to adapt the model further to create a focused event dedicated to the jazz community in 2013.

Peter Gordon, co-founder of Jazz Forward Coalition, president of Thirsty Ear Recordings and one of the conference's organizers, sees the gathering as a well-timed opportunity for jazz to shape its future. "Though we live in uncertain times, market disruption is also market opportunity," he says. "As the music industry positions itself to be part of the massive reorientation of how people discover, consume and experience music, jazz is left to decide whether to be part of the revolution or be left behind. We have assembled a vast number of thought leaders to guide, cajole, shape and give inspiration for jazz culture to thrive in the coming years-mapping a strategy to take jazz from an often marginalized genre to a well-known powerhouse."

The 2013 Jazz Connect Conference will have two full days of panels, workshops and presentations, featuring artists and professionals from all over the globe. Lee Mergner, publisher of JazzTimes and also an organizer of the conference, says that although the industry has changed since the days of the JazzTimes Convention and the IAJE Conference, the importance of bringing people together to discuss issues and best practices remains. "We've seen a real seismic change in the jazz industry, with more artists, organizations and companies operating with less resources," says Mergner. "It's become a much more DIY genre, and now more than ever, jazz people need to get together face-to-face in order to deal with all the challenges they face-from new models for touring to the effect of changing technologies."

The Jazz Connect conference, held during the day at the Hilton New York Hotel and Sheraton New York Hotel, will also feed into the nighttime performances of Winter Jazzfest. "It's important that the jazz community connects with the world at large, whether that be general music listeners or the mainstream media," explains Mergner. "Winter Jazzfest has become a hotbed for both new and established artists to showcase their performance chops. And it's attracted new and younger audiences to the music."

In addition to the two full days of sessions preceding APAP/NYC, Jazz Connect will assist with programming of sessions during APAP/NYC 2013 addressing issues related to the community of arts presenters about how they interact with the jazz genre.

"One of our missions is to be a convener of the various performing arts," says Mario Garcia Durham, president and CEO of APAP. "APAP/NYC has hosted similar platforms for theater and dance in the past, and we are dedicated to be a support system for jazz, one of the country's classical art forms and a unique expression of American identity. The 2012 Jazz Connect gathering was a stellar success, and we want to continue to support jazz professionals and practitioners."

Admission to the Jazz Connect conference is free. The Jazz Connect conference is organized by a committee of industry professionals, including Marty Ashby, Sara Donnelly, Erika Floreska, Peter Gordon and Lee Mergner. For more information about the Jazz Connect conference, call 617-315-9154 or e-mail jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com.

KONBIT MIZIK HARNESSES THE UNIVERSAL POWER OF MUSIC TO BUILD COMMUNITY IN HAITI

Konbit Mizik, a not-for-profit recording studio currently based in the streets of Port-au-Prince, uses music to build community and grow community leaders through education, workforce development and artistic expression for Haiti’s most vulnerable youth. Founded by musician Ian Evans and filmmaker Nick Cannell in the wake of one of the most catastrophic natural disasters of our time, Konbit Mizik has recorded hundreds of songs, produced numerous music videos, filmed interviews with artists, and hosted multiple free outdoor concerts across the country.

Co-Founder & Executive Director Nick Cannell explains, “What’s unique about Konbit Mizik as an NGO in Haiti is the groundswell support that we have built through a common love and passion for music. We go into some of the most disadvantaged parts of Port-au-Prince and give voice to some of the most talented and neediest populations.”

With the help of locals such as Lavalasse Russell (Outreach Director) and Daniel Laurent (Executive Director, Group en Priere), and guided by a community-based, binational board of directors, Konbit Mizik prides itself on cultural and linguistic competency and a commitment to the underground artists they represent. They have copyrighted and released three albums so far, arranged recurring paying gigs for artists, and several of their songs and videos have been featured on national Haitian TV and radio stations.

In addition to acting as a record label for underground artists, Konbit Mizik believes they have a responsibility, and a great opportunity, to teach and mentor Haiti’s most underserved youth in the areas of music theory, audio recording, and video production. Konbit Mizik is currently seeking funding to create a permanent studio and school which will serve as an exchange program for professors, students, and professionals from around the world.

Konbit Mizik is a NYS not-for-profit corporation with 501(c)3 status-pending from the IRS. Konbit MIzik assures complete transparency for its donors by requiring all funds to be reviewed by John F. Payne Associates and their policy allows for zero waste, fraud, or abuse.

For additional information, visit the Konbit Mizik website at www.konbitmizik.org.

NEW RELEASES - DADO MORONI / MAX IONATA, MAIS QUE NADA: A&M POP BOSSA, TROPICALIA: OU PANIS ET CIRCENCIS

MAX IONATA / DADO MORONI – TWO FOR DUKE

Two For Duke brings together two of the big names on the Italian jazz scene, pianist Dado Moroni and tenor player Max Ionata, on a set of eleven tunes from the Ellington repertoire. There's a wonderfully intimate live in the studio feel to this, making the listener feel as he or she is sitting in on an exclusive session. This duet is a match made in heaven, with Moroni's warm piano playing laying down a rich harmonic tapestry onto which Ionata is free to weave in some rich detail. A tribute project to an all-time great is always fraught with risks, as there are high standards to live up to, but Ionata and Moroni are more than equal to the task and at times their mutual understanding is so spot on that it almost feels effortless. On Two For Duke, the pair delve into all era of the Ellington catalogue, with some well-known standards as well as some tunes that aren't revisited as often these days. The high points on the set include the Billy Strayhorn composition The Intimacy Of The Blues, the swinging Just Squeeze Me and the late night mood of In My Solitude. A superbly accomplished album, Two For Dukes is a refreshing new take on the Ellington songbook, and a great album to chill out to. Originally posted on Tokyo Jazz Notes HERE

MAIS QUE NADA: A&M POP BOSSA (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A sublime selection of grooves from the legendary A&M Records – and a key document of the way the label helped shape the sound of Brazilian music in the 60s! Far more than any other American imprint, A&M had a key dedication to bringing Brazilian sounds to the US – not just through work by artists like Sergio Mendes, Edu Lobo, Bossa Rio, and others – but also through the way it introduced Brazilian songs, arrangements, and instrumentation to work by other singers too! This package brings together some of the best of those moments – great music mostly from the late 60s – showing not just the presence of Brazilian music on the label, but the strong influence of bossa nova as well. Titles include "Old Devil Moon" by Bossa Rio, "Dindi" by Claudine Longet, "Fool On The Hill" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, "One Note Samba" by Chris Montez, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Roger Nichols, "Fly Me To The Moon" by Chris Montez, "Day By Day" by Bossa Rio, "Misty Roses" by The Sandpipers, "The Girl From Ipanema" by Chris Montez, "Up Up & Away" by Bossa Rio, "Mas Que Nada" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, and "Our Day Will Come" by Roger Nichols Trio. ~ Dusty Groove

TROPICALIA: OU PANIS ET CIRCENCIS (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

This is it: the landmark record that brought together all the brilliant young talents of the radical Tropicalia movement – Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, Nara Leao, and Gal Costa. The groundbreaking album served as a "manifesto" for the Tropicalia movement, and it's still the best introduction to the fantastic sounds of the group. Gal and Caetano sing "Baby", Caetano and Gilberto sing "Tres Caravelas", and the whole group sings the tracks "Parque Industrial" and "Hino Do Senhor Do Bonfim". Also includes Gilberto Gil's great reading of "Bat Macumba", Nara Leao singing "Lindoneia", and Os Mutantes storming through "Panis Et Circenses" (bread and circuses). Beautiful cover, too, featuring the group all sitting together, looking super intellectual. Essential stuff! (On heavy vinyl – and with a bonus CD of the album!) ~ Dusty Groove

THE FARAH QUINTET

The first four releases from Timeless featured the acoustic trio RF, with hip covers of classic soul, jazz and hip-hop tunes of years gone by. Producer Farah has now assembled Farah Quintet, led by pianist Nao Suzuki for the label's latest project.

Again, this is a covers project, this time one with a distinctly Brazilian feel to it, reviving the jazz samba sound of the sixties. To recapture the mood of the era, the session was recorded on open-reel tape using a vintage mic, and then mastered for CD. The results are stunning, sounding like the band have been recorded playing live in a small club.

The nine-track set opens with a faithful rendition of the Dee Felice Trio classic, Nightingale, with the rhythm section slightly further forward in the mix than the original making it very club-friendly. From there its on to the fast-paced samba of Muito A Vontade, a Joao Donato tune and a blistering version of the Fritz Pauer composition Terra Samba, with something of a deep house arrangement.

There is a heavy percussion arrangement of Baden Powell's classic Berimbau that makes it ideal for the dancefloor at either jazz events or crossover nights. Its full of energy with an unrelenting rhythm, and the slight imperfections you get from one-take recordings add to the live feel of the piece. Also worth a mention are Zimbo Samba and Fiesta Espanola, the latter of which features Shoji Haruna on tenor sax.

There's no doubt that it's mission accomplished on The Farah Quintet, with the spirit of sixties jazz samba successfully revived and given a contemporary twist all the time keeping the authentic analogue sound. A great soundtrack for the summer.

~ Originally posted on Tokyo Jazz Notes HERE

BLUE NOTE RELEASES SIX JAZZ CLASSICS IN HIGH DEFINITION AUDIO

Albums by John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, and Larry Young Digitally Remastered from Original Analog Masters

Blue Note/EMI has announced today's high definition, master-quality audio release of six classics from the label's legendary catalog on HDtracks (http://www.hdtracks.com/). John Coltrane's Blue Train, Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch, Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil, Horace Silver's Song for My Father, and Larry Young's Unity have been digitally remastered for the first time in 96kHz/24bit and 192kHz/24bit from their original analog multi-track masters. All of the albums are accompanied by their original sleeve notes plus additional photos and newly-written package essays.

Blue Note president Don Was says, "In preparing these hi def remasters, we were very conscientious about maintaining the feel of the original releases while adding a previously unattainable transparency and depth. It now sounds like you've set up your chaise lounge right in the middle of Rudy Van Gelder's studio!"

Today's HDtracks debuts, remastered in hi-res by Alan Yoshida and Robin Lynn at Blanche DuBois, follow the recent HDtracks bows of several other EMI albums, including The Beach Boys' landmark 1966 album Pet Sounds, Norah Jones' new album, Little Broken Hearts, and Jones' earlier Blue Note albums: Not Too Late, Feels Like Home, and Come Away With Me.

HDtracks is a high-quality music download service offering a diverse catalog of music from around the world. HDtracks offers both AIFF and FLAC lossless files, and select titles are available in ultra-high resolution 96khz/24bit files, providing audiophiles who demand the highest quality recordings with an online experience not available anywhere else.

In 1957, while in the midst of finding his own voice on the tenor saxophone in bands led by jazz freedom riders Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane enlisted a band of peers and entered Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack, N.J., studio. With a new spirit rising, Coltrane created Blue Train, a 40-minute-plus masterwork that stands as one of the greatest jazz records of all time. It was only Coltrane's second album as leader, and his sole recording under his own name for Blue Note Records.

Free-flying Eric Dolphy veered into the contrarian zone in his musical approach on his one and only Blue Note album, 1964's Out To Lunch. Breaking away from the clichés of post-bop jazz and speaking boldly on his array of instruments (flute and alto sax, as well as bass clarinet), Dolphy displayed the avant-garde modus operandi to expect the unexpected. The sometimes abstract and off-kilter yet often whimsical album turned heads and opened ears, and it has gone down in jazz history as one of the genre's masterpieces. A must-hear. A best bet. A revelation.

1965's Maiden Voyage sprang from the mind of one of the most adept and creative of the sound-sculpting facilitators, pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. By the time he recorded the album, Hancock had been in the Miles Davis Quintet for several years, an experience he, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams (the rhythm section here) all described as transformative. Arguably Hancock's peak solo statement from the 1960s, Maiden Voyage appropriates elements of the Davis group dynamic for a transfixingly understated meditation on the lure of the sea. The album is also a perfect case study in the art of group interplay; it offers an array of thoughtful answers to the question "How, exactly, does conversation happen in jazz?"

On the spectrum of jazz challenges, Wayne Shorter's 1965 album Speak No Evil appears to lean toward the easy side. It sits in a comfortable and utterly approachable medium swing. Its primary theme is a series of long tones outlining placid, open-vista harmony. Its bridge resembles something from the notebook of Thelonious Monk – a simple staccato motif that stair-steps up and down, each phrase defined by strategic accents. Yet, as often happens in the music of Wayne Shorter, things are not entirely what they seem. There are layers. The notes of the melody tell one story; the chords nudge the musicians someplace else, a realm where theory lessons are of limited value and instinct matters more than intellect.

Song for My Father stands as the milestone of Horace Silver's oeuvre, not only for its snappy songs (most originals, no songbook standards), but also for its top-tier ensemble interplay. Silver's pianism is unmistakable in its percussive bounce, with his light pounce on the keys fashioning chords that contribute to the hard bop rhythm. While he's not a flashy virtuoso of the instrument, he's a charismatic craftsman whose mesmerizing songs afford his band mates ample room to improvise with brio. The sessions were recorded a year apart, from October 1963 to October 1964, by two different ensembles (Silver's old band on two songs, and his then-new quintet on the other four).

If you happened to be a fan of the jazz organ sound in 1965, you knew exactly what to expect when you stepped into a club – greasy blues, ballads and jazz warhorses played at racecar tempos. Larry Young's Unity changed that. In one elegant stroke. All by itself. Embracing modal harmony and the freer, more open structures/language favored by the rising crew of post-bop musicians, Young expanded commonly held notions of what was possible on the instrument; his brisk, restless, masterfully syncopated performances on this album brought the organ into the modern post-bop conversation.

John Coltrane – Blue Train

1: Blue Train
2: Moment's Notice
3: Locomotion
4: I'm Old Fashioned
5: Lazy Bird

Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil

1: Witch Hunt
2: Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
3: Dance Cadaverous
4: Speak No Evil
5: Infant Eyes
6: Wild Flower

Eric Dolphy – Out To Lunch

1: Hat and Beard
2: Something Sweet, Something Tender
3: Gazzelloni
4: Out to Lunch
5: Straight Up and Down

Horace Silver – Song for My Father

1: Song for My Father
2: The Natives Are Restless Tonight
3: Calcutta Cutie
4: Que Pasa
5: The Kicker
6: Lonely Woman

Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage

1: Maiden Voyage
2: The Eye of the Hurricane
3: Little One
4: Survival of the Fittest
5: Dolphin Dance

Larry Young – Unity

1: Zoltan
2: Monk's Dream
3: If
4: The Moontrane
5: Softly As In a Morning Sunrise
6: Beyond All Limits

~ Blue Note/EMI

NEW RELEASES - JOHN AMBERCROMBIE QUARTET, DUDUKA DA FONSECA QUINTET, THELEMA

JOHN AMBERCROMBIE QUARTET – WITHIN A SONG

Tenorist Joe Lovano makes a wonderful appearance here – really bringing in a lot of soulful depth to an otherwise mellow set from guitarist Jon Abercrombie – providing a perfect foil to the lead player's sense of tone and timing! Abercrombie's guitar feels like it's swinging a bit more than usual – just a bit, but in all the right ways – and it's darn hard to ignore the presence of Lovano, whose well-chosen notes burst brightly in these great little lines throughout. The rest of the group features Drew Gress on bass and Joey Baron on drums – and titles include "Where Are You", "Easy Reader", "Sometime Ago", "Interplay", "Wise One", "Nick Of Time", and "Blues Connotation". ~ Dusty Groove

DUDUKA DA FONSECA QUINTET – SAMBA JAZZ – JAZZ SAMBA

Samba jazz, but lots more too – a set that's got plenty of dark edges amidst the warmer rhythms – which makes for one of the most compelling albums we've heard so far from drummer Duduka Da Fonseca! The group's a quintet, with some especially nice work on tenor from Anat Cohen – whose tone really helps flesh out the sound of the record, and bring in a strong sense of depth – amidst some lighter sounds from Guilherme Monteiro on guitar and Helio Alves on piano. Lenoardo Cioglia rounds out the combo on bass – and titles include "O Guarana", "The Peacocks", "Rancho Das Nuvens", "Sabor Carioca", "Depois Da Chuva", and "Melancia". ~ Dusty Groove

THELEMA – HEARING THE LIGHT

A cinematic cover, and some cinematic music to match – one of the moodiest projects we've heard from the contemporary underground of artists inspired by older film soundtracks! Keyboards are the dominant instrument here – often used in spare, snakey ways that recall older European cinema – but with a quality that's less scene-setting than just purely musical – sometimes groovy, sometimes a lot more stark and atmospheric. There's a few moments of spoken Icelandic dialogue – and titles include "Ljos", "Close Your Eyes & See", "Become A Hearer", "Grey Evening", and "Still Hearing The Light". (Includes a bonus CD of the entire album!) ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - JOE MCPHEE & INGEBRIGT HAKEN-FLATEN, DEBO BAND, MALABIMBA

JOE MCPHEE & INGEBRIGT HAKEN-FLATEN – BROOKLYN DNA

Not just a great duo set between reedman Joe McPhee and bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten – but also a set that pays tribute to the rich legacy of Brooklyn jazz from the 40s onward – pulling together strands of influences from Sonny Rollins, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, and others! McPhee always sparkles in a setting like this – and his alto and soprano sound sharper and more expressive than we've heard in years – a perfect fit for the well-chosen basslines from Flaten, who seems to have a new sort of soul that really makes the recording shine. Titles include "Spirit Cry", "Blue Coronet", "Putnam Central", "Crossing The Bridge", "Here & Now", and "214 Martense". ~ Dusty Groove

DEBO BAND

Great grooves from Debo Band – a contemporary combo, but one who's steeped in older Ethiopian modes – particularly the best 70s sounds inspired by artists like Mulatu, Mohammad Ahmed, and Tilahun Gessesse! The album may well be the funkiest set ever issued by Sub Pop – and has a hard-rolling power that rivals classic sounds you might hear on the Ethiopiques series – sent home especially well by the sax lines of Danny Mekonnen, and amazing vocals of Bruck Tesfaye – an artist who's really got his sound just right! Other instrumentation is right on the money, with some occasional touches of funkier elements – but usually just the right sort of classic Ethiopiano percussion, horns, and strings to make the music come out beautifully. Titles include "And Lay", "Asha Gedawo", "Habesha", "Abassel", "DC Flower", "Not Just A Song", "Ney Ney Weleba", and "Akale Wube". ~ Dusty Groove

MALABIMBA

A really great group with a strong influence from 70s Italian soundtracks – one that serves up some mighty spare instrumentation that just includes percussion and keyboards – the latter of which is heavy on organ and synthesizer! The music has a really sinister feel – like the kind of grooves, both funky and mellow, you'd find on some sort of spooky soundtrack from years back – almost like some of Goblin's best film scores of the 70s, but without as much jamming overall! The approach is really wonderful – lean, mean, and far from cliche – and titles include "Isolato", "Malabimba 1", "La Fortuna Alterna", "La Svolta", "Addormentato", "La Piaga Dell Umo", and "La Violenza". (Comes with a bonus CD of the album!) ~ Dusty Groove