JESSE FISCHER & SOUL CYCLE - RETRO FUTURE

Ambitious Project Ties Together Jazz, Electronic, Soul, Classical, Psychedelia, and World Music

What did the future used to look like? The space-age exploration of the Mad Men era? The free love and flower power of the hippies? The technological utopia of the early Internet pioneers? The promise of today's era of global interconnectedness? With each new generation of dreamers, a new future is imagined, and when the future actually arrives, it ends up both stranger and more interesting than we could have imagined.

On his new album Retro Future, Brooklyn-based keyboardist, composer, and producer Jesse Fischer weaves together many different strands of futuristic sounds from the past to create a brand new sound that is ahead of its time yet incredibly cemented in the present.

"I love the music of the late 60's and early 70's, but the fact of the matter is that I was born in 1980 and have been influenced by so much music and culture of the past three decades," explains Fischer. "I wanted to make a record that goes beyond paying homage to the styles of the past, and create something new that resonates with where we are today as a society -- we're still organic beings but increasingly living in an electronic world -- and at the same time give you an intimate view of what I'm going through in my life."

Following up 2011's independent release, Homebrew (which featured turns from Gretchen Parlato, Stefon Harris, and Sean Jones), Retro Future marks Fischer's label debut with ObliqSound, and features his tight-knit working group Soul Cycle, consisting of alto saxophonist and flautist Brian Hogans, trumpeter and flugelhornist Jean Caze, trombonist Corey King, guitarist David Linaburg, bassist Solomon Dorsey, percussionist Shawn Banks, and drummer Gabriel Wallace. Emerging vocalists Rachel Eckroth and Chris Turner are also featured on one song each. The album includes seven originals along with compelling new takes on The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius", Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland", and Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide".

Retro Future is an offbeat, curious blend of jazz-funk, electro, hip-hop, psychedelic soul, various African influences, as well as classical, romantic and impressionistic music. Once again commanding a rich arsenal of textures, Fischer expands his palette to include kalimba, glockenspiel, a variety of analog synths, sweeping electronic pads, 8-bit video-game sounds, vocoder, movie samples, cavernous echoes mixed with flutes, blistering horns, kinetic world percussion, as well as piano, Rhodes, and organ.

Regarding the broader concept of Retro Future, Fischer explains his goals: "I wanted to explore themes of technology and change. How does technology change us? How can we keep up with the way the world is changing? How can we use technology to change ourselves and the world for the better?" Born only months after the Apple II came on the market, Fischer is old enough to remember life before computers and the Internet, but young enough to consider them an integral part of his life. Throughout the album, his experiences with technology and change are portrayed musically, lyrically, and texturally in various ways.

Culturally omnivorous, Fischer takes inspiration from an unlikely array of sources with Retro Future: "I've been influenced by so much new music - artists like Hudson Mohawke, YMCK, King, Evan Marien, Mister Barrington, Thundercat, and Snarky Puppy, who are finding new and exciting ways of integrating electronic and jazz sounds - as well as going back and listening to a lot of Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy, and Ravel." He also cites William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novels, Philip K. Dick's sci-fi stories, as well as cult films like WarGames, Sneakers, and Pi as setting the philosophical, cinematic tone of Retro Future.

"With my new tunes, I was really looking for a way to combine the precision of electronic time with the exhilaration of human imperfections." Throughout the album, Fischer explores various methods of balancing the spontaneity of organic group improvisation with meticulously constructed digital pre and post-production. On some songs, the band performed live over a pre-programmed electronic track aligned to the computer grid. On other songs, software was used in post-production to digitally alter and enhance certain human elements. The result is a scintillating symbiosis of man and machine.

Religiously D.I.Y., Fischer not only composes, arranges, and plays on Retro Future, but the polymath also produced, engineered, and mixed the record. "I grew up around the punk-rock D.I.Y. ethos which is still deeply ingrained in me," Fischer says. "Best way to make something happen is to learn how to do it yourself. Not only do you save money and time while educating yourself, but the fewer people that are involved in a piece of art, the more authentic, coherent, and intimate it can be."
Three years ago, while subletting a medium-sized studio to record his own projects, Fischer found himself becoming an in-demand engineer and producer. "I found all my contacts who knew me as a musician suddenly started calling me to record their projects! It was a no-brainer. They knew that I understood music and they were finding out quickly that I knew the sound they wanted and could get it for them with no stress." Since then, Fischer produced and engineered Atlantic Records soul songstress Laura Izibor's latest EP, The Brooklyn Sessions: Vol.1, at Electrik Indigo Studios, his own recording space. Izibor is best known for her Billboard R&B Top 40 hit "From My Heart to Yours" as well as writing "What More Can They Do" for Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls.

Retro Future is as much a showcase for Fischer's producing and engineering chops as it is a vehicle for his composition, arranging, and keyboard playing. "I love engineering and producing just as much as I love composing and performing," enthuses Fischer. "They're just two different sides of the same musical coin." While previous albums saw him shying away from the front man role, Fischer steps out into the spotlight on Retro Future, featuring himself prominently on searing synth solos as well as his deft classically influenced touch on acoustic piano.

From the video game strut of "Cyberphunk" to the dubbed-out Afrobeat of "Digital Savanna" to the psychedelic soul of "Aquarius" to the summertime house-party funk of "Tanqueray & Tonic", Retro Future is definitely not for the faint of heart. Fischer admits, "There's a lot to take in - so I always made sure to have some type of hook, either a simple melodic figure or some type of repeating rhythm - to make sure you don't get lost. Then if you come back a second and third time, you discover all the intricate layers below the surface." What holds the project together is Fischer's unwavering sense of groove and timeless devotion to melody.
The child of a math teacher and a science teacher who both loved music, Fischer ended up developing strong passions for both the sciences and the arts. At Rutgers College, he was a computer science and linguistics double major with minors in math and cognitive science, while still finding time to study piano with Stanley Cowell. After school, Fischer dabbled in web design, construction, and restaurant jobs before moving to New York in 2005 and quickly establishing himself on the scene.

Since then, he has performed with Stevie Wonder, Freddie Jackson, Black Moon, Laura Izibor, Ryan Shaw, and Lakecia Benjamin, and self-produced and independently released five albums with his group Soul Cycle. His television credits include Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson, The Mo'Nique Show, Good Day New York, BET's Rising Icons, Jools Holland, 90210, and One Tree Hill, and his compositions have been heard on Centric's Model City as well as the independent film Hush.

With Retro Future, Fischer offers up a cinematic vision of the not-too-distant times to come that are both inspirational and cautionary.

Retro Future Personnel & Track Listing:
Jesse Fischer / piano, Moog, Rhodes, vocoder, organ
Brian Hogans / alto saxophone and flute
Jean Caze / trumpet, flugelhorn
Corey King / trombone
David Linaburg / guitar
Soloman Dorsey / bass
Shawn Banks / percussion
Gabriel Wallace / drums
Rachel Eckroth / vocals (track 3)
Chris Turner / vocals (track 6)

1. Tanqueray & Tonic (Jesse Fischer) - 5:59
2. Moon Ship (Jesse Fischer) - 5:42
3. Aquarius (Galt MacDermot, James Rado, Gerome Ragni) - 4:39
4. Digital Savanna (Jesse Fischer) - 6:15
5. Cyberphunk (Jesse Fischer) - 5:55
6. Electric Ladyland (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:55
7. Gotham Underground (Jesse Fischer) - 5:16
8. Midnight Dancer (Jesse Fischer & Josh David) - 6:07
9. Keep the Faith (Jesse Fischer, Gabriel Wallace, Brian Hogans, Jean Caze) - 6:44
10. Landslide (Stevie Nicks) - 4:30

JesseFischer.com

NEW RELEASES – SHAWN LEE, JOE MORRIS/WILLIAM PARKER/GERALD CLEAVER, DON CHERRY

SHAWN LEE – SYNTHESIZERS IN SPACE

A fresh new sound from the Shawn Lee universe – one that's every bit as funky as before, but which has some great twists and turns too! The album definitely lives up to its title – and offers up plenty of keyboards soaring off into space – but there's also some unexpectedly gritty rhythms at the bottom, making for a nice degree of acoustic funk – and not just the drum machine bits you might expect! And in fact, there's even some sweet congas and other percussion at points – bringing in a deeper, rootsy quality that's a great contrast to the moogy moments – almost as if Jean Jacques Perry was sitting in some some lost combo from the funky 45 years! Titles include "Black Hole", "Galactica", "Celestial Waltz", "AJ's Mood", "Low Riders In Space", "Jupiter's Jam", and "Tiger Style". (Includes download card.) ~ Dusty Groove

JOE MORRIS / WILLIAM PARKER / GERALD CLEAVER - ALTITUDE

A strong trio set from guitarist Joe Morris, bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver – their first together – and it's an exciting one! Recorded live at The Stone, in NYC , it includes a pair of great 25+ minute pieces – "Exosphere" and "Thermosphere – plus the shorter, but plenty spacious Troposphere" and "Mesosphere". It's great stuff! It's all about the free trio dynamic here. Each player asserts himself throughout – in an energetic, but never too far out manner. ~ Dusty Groove .

DON CHERRY – ORGANIC MUSIC SOCIETY

Early 70s greatness from Don Cherry – a double album's worth of profoundly spiritual soundscapes paired with lots of weird effects – and a very laidback groove overall! Tracks are written by Cherry, Terry Riley, Pharoah Sanders, and Nana Vasconcelos – and include performances by Don on trumpet, voice, and harmonium. Lots of cool percussion elements by the group, with some tabla and other Indian instrumentation. Titles include "Elixir", "Relativity Suite (Parts 1 & 2)", "Terry's Tune", "Hope", "The Creator Has a Master Plan", and "Resa". In a cool, trippy gatefold, too! ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES – DELMONTIS, ASTRAKAN, CHERRY BOPPERS

DELMONTIS – STRAIGHTFORWARD FASCINATION

Funky soul, but with a touch of jazz – almost a mod soul undercurrent that really sets these guys apart from the rest! The blend is great – nice and tight, yet never too slick – almost the sort of direction Georgie Fame should have gone in the early 70s, had he stayed on the right track – with lots of lead vocals from songwriter Frank Montis, who's got this raspy sound that's perfect for his hip lyrics! Frank also plays Fender Rhodes and Hammond as well – amidst some great horns, and backing vocals from Laura Vane on a number of cuts too. Tracks include "Make It Right", "Fading", "Right From Wrong", "Façade", "Life Is Short", "We'll Meet Again", "Sunny", "Straightforward Fascination", and "Live My Life". ~ Dusty Groove

ASTRAKAN – COMETS & MONSTERS

A really cool British group – one who work here with plenty of echoes of the 70s progressive jazz years – yet in a more stripped-down way too! The set's got lots of great sharp reeds over complex grooves – of the sort you might have heard from Elton Dean, yet handled here by contemporary player Raymond Hardy – who turns in great work on tenor, soprano sax, and flute. Celia Lu sings a bit on the record – often in this cool wordless mode that's quite musical – and almost a bit like the great Norma Winstone in her early years. Rhythms are never too overdone – really preserving the right sort of space between the sounds – and titles include "Overflooded", "The Giver You Get", "Blink & Miss", "Soapstrop", "Broadbanned", and "Comets & Monsters". ~ Dusty Groove

CHERRY BOPPERS – SHAKIN’ THE HOOD

Great grooves from The Cherry Boppers – way more than you'd expect from the cover! We'll be honest in saying that these guys have a name and look that sometimes puts us off at first glance – but digging into their music, the sound is totally great – a tight blend of Hammond and horns, handled with equal parts jazz and soul – and a bad-stepping set of rhythms that lie somewhere between mod soul and 60s soul jazz! The sound is funky, but not in the usual deep funk way – more a London late 60s mode – and titles include "Flyin High", "Hey", "The Harvest", "Two Sides Of The Groove", "Deep Down Inside", and "Humo En El Ambiente". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES – STEIN & MARI’S COMMUNITY, ROB MAZUREK PULSAR QUARTET, LOS FULANOS

STEIN & MARI’S DAYDREAM – STEIN & MARI’S DAYDREAM COMMUNITY

Moodier music than you might guess from the lush image on the cover – a really evocative mix of acoustic and electronic elements – filtered together in ways that lie somewhere between the world/jazz experiments of 70s Sweden, and some of the more creative moments at ECM! The music's performed by the duo of Mari Kvien Brunvoll and Stein Urheim – who each sing a bit, play various percussion instruments, and work some cool tape effects to kind of flesh out the sound – yet often in ways that preserve the acoustic core of the instrumentation. Stein uses some extra-cool "fretless bouzouki" – and Mari plays a kalimba quite nicely, too – and titles include "Voss", "We're So Many", "I Don't Wanna Go", "Paradoxes", "Don't Mind", and "Sleeping In The Bush". ~ Dusty Groove

ROB MAZUREK PULSAR QUARTET – STELLAR PULSATIONS

One of the most striking records so far from the mighty Rob Mazurek – a set that makes us more than glad we've been following his musical journey for the past two decades! The set's got a nicely compressed feel – one that takes some of the looser energy that's been bubbling up in recent Mazurek records, and delivers it in a tight quartet format – with Rob's sparkling cornet in the lead, amidst great piano from Angelica Sanchez, bass from Matt Lux, and drums from John Herndon! Given the wide resumes of all players, there's a really shifting sense of sound here – one that's bold one minute, introspective the next – and never falls into too-familiar jazz phrasing modes. Yet Mazurek's also really matured as a player, too – working here with a sensitivity we never would have expected years ago – captured with great clarity in the recording. Titles include "Magic Saturn", "Spiritual Mars", "Twister Uranus", "Spanish Venus", "Folk Song Neptune", and "Spiral Mercury". ~ Dusty Groove

LOS FULANOS – SI ESTO SE ACABA QUE SIGA EL BOOGALOO

Latin funk, soul and boogaloo from Los Fulanos – a modern Barcelona combo whose Lovemonk singles have done a terrific job of showing some love for diverse old school styles – and they do that even better on this solid full length! It's got rave-up boogaloo, slower-cooking Latin soul, raw rhythms and some spacier disco touches. They're known for being a great live band – but it seems like they made a wise choice to use the studio to experiment a bit – and without ever compromising on the live-ready group dynamic. Good stuff! Includes "Prelude", "Why Don't We Do Some Boogaloo?", "The End Of The World", "Kind Of Guy", "Sobran Cueros", "You Know What I Mean", "El Que No Esta Se Lo Pierde" (parts 1 & 2), "Manny", "Hold On (Baby Hold Me)" and a great curveball for a closer – their great Latin dancefloor cover of New Order's "Blue Monday". (Includes a bonus 7-inch with "End Of The Dub" and "Gentle Dub" featuring The Pepper Pots – plus album download.) ~ Dusty Groove

TEDDY PANTELAS TRIO W/MICHAEL GRAPPO - TOGETHER AGAIN

Teddy Pantelas is a self taught guitarist since the age of 6. A private instructor, he has also been on the faculty of the Allegheny Music Festival and Montessori School System and has been the Musician in Residence at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio and North side Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio for the last five years using the Healing Art of Music for the patients and their families.

Pantelas has performed extensively throughout the greater Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania region with such artists as Jack McDuff, Snooky Young, Vanessa Rubin, Jeri Brown, Steve Wilson, Jim Walker, Jimmy Ponder, Greg Bandy, Eddie Baccus, Sean Jones, Jamey Haddad, John Fedshock, Phil Keaggy, In Time, and Kenny Blake.

He has recorded CDs with Glass Harp "Strings Attached", drummer Darrell Alexander, Damian Knapp "Will You Cry When I Die", Jim Jeffery "So Cold, and vocalist Siri Pursey. He also has recorded his own CD "Teddy Pantelas Trio" with bassist Jeff Grubbs and drummer Olivia Sci which features his own music. An accomplished composer, his originals set him apart from any other contemporary jazz guitarist.

His Release It Makes Me Glad Teddy Pantelas Trio was released April 1, 2006 on Tatsou Records. Joining him on this CD are a cast of masterful musicians, the phenomenal bassist Jeff Grubbs, drummer extraordinaire Darryl Pelligrini and Special Guest the truly gifted Sean Jones on trumpet! The collective of theses musicians really brings Pantelas' 8 originals to life which explains the title of the CD It Makes Me Glad.

His newest Together Again (Teddy Pantelas Trio W/Michael Grappo) was released on  July 24, 2012 on Tatsou Records .This is his “Standards CD“. A collection of standards from the heroes of jazz that have inspired him and many other jazz musicians. Joining the trio is guitarist Michael Grappo. It is refreshing hearing these two guitarists play together with their own unique sound and voice, that’s what makes this CD special. Jeff Grubbs is back with his expertise as the bassist and the new addition drummer Nathan Douds. Douds has had a long history playing with Pantelas which can be heard here. This is definitely a feel good CD and one to be enjoyed for a long time.

Teddy feels it is important as an artist to share music that "comes from the heart" and in this way make a contribution to the art of jazz.

One of Teddy’s favorite quotes: "Freedom from hate unconditionally; Freedom from self pity; Freedom from fear of possibly doing something that may help someone else more than it would him, and Freedom from the kind of pride that could make a man feel he is better than his brother" ~ Duke Ellington

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

QUADRO NUEVO - GRAND VOYAGE

Since forming in 1996, the music of Quadro Nuevo has transported listeners to exotic locales around the world. These four intrepid adventurers, who hail from the South of Germany and Austria, have boldly sought out new sounds to incorporate into their distinctly European-flavored brand of music, venturing out to far away places from Mexico to the Balkans, Turkey to Tunis, Korea to Kuala Lumpur to soak up the local culture. To date, they have performed over 2500 concerts and on every continent.

Grand Voyage the group's 12th recording, documents their potent collective sound from Munich to London, across the Crimean peninsula and the Mediterranean, in New York City and Paris, then on to Transylvania and Malaysia. It's an exuberant, inspiring musical travelogue marked by instrumental virtuosity and an unpredictable air of discovery. Recorded over a three-year period (2008-2011), Grand Voyage includes the last contributions of guitarist and Quadro Nuevo charter member Robert Wolf, who was paralyzed in a tragic car accident in 2008. His gentle guitar work can be heard on a tango rendition of the moody jazz standard "Nature Boy" (recorded after a gala performance at New York's Carnegie Hall and featuring a guest appearance from American harmonica ace William Galison) and on the tender waltz "Lethe." Wolf also plays Turkish bouzouki on the exotic track "Antakya." The group's resident saxophonist and bass clarinetist, Mulo Francel, plays guitar on one track, a moving rendition of the standard "In the Still of the Night," in tribute to his fallen comrade. "I tried to imitate him on that song," says Mulo of Wolf. "He loves to play and to compose very quiet songs. Every time we play a ballad I think of him because he was a very quiet guy and this was his world, to play quiet songs with a very nice sound on the guitar. We all miss him."

Harpist Evelyn Huber, who replaced Wolf in the Quadro Nuevo lineup, brings a new musical dimension to the group with her unique virtuosity on tunes like the tango flavored tone poem, "Die Reise Nach Batumi," the dreamy Portuguese ballad "Cancao Do Mar," the bristling "Samba Para Parapente" and the popular Mexican tune from the 1940s, "Cien Años." She also plays dulcimer on the Turkish flavored "Meteora." Francel, who was originally a guitarist before switching over to tenor saxophone, brings a warm, Stan Getzian quality to the bouncy ditty "Die Abenteurer (The Adventurer)" and the lovely "Cien Años." His impeccable bass clarinet work is also featured on "Samba Para Parapente" and the sublime ballad "Dopo lo Spettacolo," and he offers some soaring clarinet work on the Turkish flavored number "Antakya." Accordionist Andreas Hinterseher provides the harmonic glue throughout this ambitious recording, also playing piano on "Dopo lo Spettacolo," while D.D. Lowka switches nimbly from assorted hand percussion to upright bass, giving Quadro Nuevo rare flexibility to morph into a myriad of colors and textures, which is evident on the richly-appointed three-movement suite, "Mosaique Tunisienne."

Several of the pieces on Grand Voyage were recorded in exotic locales. The restful "Secret Garden" was recorded in an open terrace in Kuala Lumpur. As Francel explains, "This was recorded in the middle of a very loud, very busy metropolis in Malaysia where there was a lot of construction going on during the day on new houses and big skyscrapers. Then in the nighttime, around 11 o'clock in the evening, we had a time where it was really quiet there. It was really hot and really humid and we went out on this terrace with our sound engineer and recorded this piece. And we named it 'Secret Garden' because it was like an oasis in this loud, big city."

"Goaz boq Muzik," a challenging fast-paced number recalling Ivo Papasov's Bulgarian Wedding Band, was recorded at an old castle in Transylvania. "We played a tour of the Balkan countries - Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania," Francel recalls. "We were on tour for several weeks where we'd play one night then have five days off. So we had time to travel and learn about the people there. Traveling in the middle of Romania is like traveling 100 years ago. We encountered Gypsies on their wagons with horses, collecting old metal that they sell in the next village. We were invited to play with them over in the Gypsy village, which was musically a very deep experience for us because they live in very poor conditions, but have a very interesting musical culture. Django Reinhardt came from that culture. He was a Gypsy too, touring around in wagons like that. So this tune 'Goz boq Muzik' was inspired by this area."

The beautiful Mexican folkloric number "Cien Años" was recorded in a mountain hut in the Austrian Alps while the three-movement "Mosaique Tunisienne" suite ("Morning," "Afternoon," "Night") was recorded in an old theater in Tunis. The final stirring track on Grand Voyage is an orchestral version of the album's opener, "Die Reise Nach Batumi," recorded with the NDR Radio Symphony Orchestra of Hannover.

Says Francel of Quadro Nuevo's mission: "In the beginning, we were four guys coming from different directions. I'm coming more from jazz direction and I very much like bossa nova. The Stan Getz-Charlie Byrd album (1962's pivotal Jazz Samba) was a big inspiration for me when I was just starting out. The bass player D.D. Lowka comes from Latin music. Robert Wolf comes from flamenco music and had toured with the great flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia. Our accordion player Andreas Hinterseher is very much into tango music and French musette waltz. And we put all of those elements together in our program. We played a tango, a French musette waltz, a jazz tune, a Latin tune, so everybody was represented. For years, that was our formula. Then we started to travel a lot and our experiences in other countries with other musicians and other music cultures began to influence our music. So in our music now there is a strong influence from Asian music, Oriental music, Middle Eastern music, Russian music and even Mexican music. And this all came with the years traveling in these areas."

Quadro Nuevo  offer a cornucopia of refreshing world music on their aptly titled release, Grand Voyage.

Grand Voyage - Track Listing/Personnel:
1. Die Reise nach Batumi (Mulo Francel) - 5:57
2. Cançao do Mar (Francisco Ferrer Trindade) - 2:30
3. Cien Años (Cervantes Gonzalez & Fuentes Gasson) - 3:16
4. Krim (Mulo Francel) - 5:35
5. Samba papa Parapente (Andreas Hinterseher) - 5:14

6. Aus der Stille der Nacht (Andreas Hinterseher) - 4:55

7. Nature Boy (Eden Ahbez) - 5:06

8. Die Abenteurer (Philipp Sterzer & Mulo Francel) - 4:12

9. Lethe (Robert Wolf) - 6:34
10. Antakya (Mulo Francel & Andreas Hinterseher) - 6:35

11. Meteora (Mulo Francel) - 4:33

12. Secret Garden (Mulo Francel) - 2:25

13. Mosaique Tunisienne (Morning) (Andreas Hinterseher, D.D. Lowka, & Mulo Francel) - 2:31

14. Mosaique Tunisienne (Afternoon) (Andreas Hinterseher, D.D. Lowka, & Mulo Francel) - 2:23

15. Mosaique Tunisienne (Night) (Andreas Hinterseher, D.D. Lowka, & Mulo Francel) - 3:29 16.Goaz boq Muzik (Andreas Hinterseher) - 3:52

17. Dopo lo Spettacolo (Robert Wolf) - 4:01

18. Die Reise nach Batumi (Orchestral Version) (Mulo Francel) - 5:33

Mulo Fancel: saxophone, clarinets

Robert Wolf: guitar, bouzouki, piano, steel drum
Andreas Hinterseher: accordion, vibrandoneon, bandoneon
D.D. Lowka: acoustic bass, percussion
Evelyn Huber: concert grand harp, hammered dulcimer

Also available on Justin Time Records from Quadro Nuevo:
Cine Passion, Tango Bitter Sweet, Luna Rosa, Mocca Flor, and Canzone Della Strada

For more information on Quadro Nuevo, visit quadronuevo.de

 

HOT CLUB OF DETROIT - JUNCTION

Following up It's About That Time, Night Town and the eponymous 2006 debut Hot Club of Detroit - Hot Club of Detroit expands its sonic and compositional horizons with Junction. Retaining its original lineup of reeds, two guitars, accordion, upright bass and no drums, this is the band's fourth release for Mack Avenue Records. There are personnel changes, however, and for the first time, the Hot Club of Detroit is joined (on three tracks) by a vocalist: French musician Cyrille Aimée, a native of Django Reinhardt's hometown and third-place winner of the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Vocal Competition.

Junction's sound is at once vintage and boldly new, rooted in the legacy of Django Reinhardt but also the sensibilities of Ornette Coleman, Pat Metheny, John Zorn and even the rock band Phish. Far from a traditional gypsy jazz ensemble, Hot Club of Detroit (HCOD) proves itself a versatile modern jazz group, with a unique acoustic-electric sound that surges past expectations and genre boundaries.

"A lot of bands that model themselves after the Hot Club of France are now working with drummers, or percussion of some sort," says HCOD rhythm guitarist Paul Brady. "We never have. And by doing that it forces us to think creatively about what we can do without it. How can we approach odd meter, how can we approach certain grooves? Regardless of what a drummer can add, that absence to me is interesting and different."

Unfortunately, Junction comes at a difficult time. HCOD bassist Andrew Kratzat and his fiancée were both seriously injured in an auto accident in July 2011, and are currently on a long road to recovery. "This album is a dedication to both of them," declares Brady. "It's been tough for us, musically but also emotionally," adds HCOD accordionist Julien Labro. "Andrew is like a brother, a family member. But we're still hopeful, and one day I'm sure he'll be back to playing."

Honoring Kratzat's example, bassist Shawn Conley brings stellar musicianship to Junction. Another new face is saxophonist Jon Irabagon, winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition and member of the acclaimed punk-jazz quartet Mostly Other People Do the Killing. Andrew Bishop, also on reeds, makes appearances on three tracks, increasing the band's power and timbral variation. (Family obligations required Carl Cafagna, the group's original saxophonist, to step aside.)

Irabagon is assertive from the start, contributing his own "Goodbye Mr. Anderson" as the album opener. (The title comes from The Matrix, the chords to an extent from Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" and John Coltrane.) The writing partnership of Labro and lead guitarist Evan Perri is also central to the album's sound. From their rich creative exchange comes the flowing soprano sax/accordina melody of "Song For Gabriel" (named for pop legend Peter Gabriel); the Pat Metheny-esque 6/8 time of "Junction"; and the French-style waltz "Midnight in Detroit" (a parallel to Stephane Wrembel's "Midnight in Paris," used in the Woody Allen film). "The openings of 'Song For Gabriel,' and 'Junction' are very idiomatic to the guitar, which makes them feel like pop tunes to me," adds Perri.

Perri and Labro also co-arranged "Rift," by Phish's Trey Anastasio, to close the album, adding a foundation of brisk la pompe rhythm guitar, even a hint of Western swing, to a 1993 rock song of fairly epic (and very electric) proportions, though without abandoning the tune's structure. "I considered it sacrilegious, and refused to shorten the original form of 'Rift' during rehearsals!" Perri laughs.

Labro's pieces make clear his rigorous attention to craft and his wide-ranging influences. "The thing with 'Hey!'" he explains, "is that it was not supposed to be two tenors at first. When we knew Andrew was able to participate, I started thinking I could hear a dialogue and absolutely wanted to include his voice." John Zorn is the inspiration behind "Chutzpah," with a blasting free-form intro that gives way to precise ensemble passages and a riot of changing tempos and feels. The darker and calmer "Goodbye Mr. Shearing" honors the late piano master George Shearing, who in fact started out on accordion. "There are just a few recordings where he plays accordion and his language was great, so ahead of its time for the instrument."

Another Labro composition, "Django Mort," was inspired by a Jean Cocteau poem that was read at Reinhardt's funeral. Aimée sings the French text as the band plays in a laid-back shuffle feel with a romantic flair. "I tried to imagine when those words were first recited, perhaps with an organ playing in the background," Labro says. "So the accordion starts by itself, and the counterpoint is very Baroque. I also thought about Django being a jazz musician, and why not have a procession like they do in New Orleans. So I opened that up into a bluesy vibe, thinking about guitarists like Howlin' Wolf."

Just before "Django Mort" is Labro's arrangement of an unfinished Django Reinhardt mass, "Messe Gitane." While researching Django's death, Labro came upon the only recording of this remarkable work-in-progress, a roughly 10-minute fragment for solo organ. "Django never orchestrated any of it," Labro reports, "but you can tell that something bigger was supposed to arrive." Irabagon and Bishop both play clarinet on the piece, enhancing its chamber-like beauty.

Aimée also offers "a nice bit of vocal athleticism," in Brady's words, on the Angel Cabral tune "La Foule" ("the crowd"), a Parisian standard associated with Edith Piaf. "The lyrics are about two people who meet in a crowd and they dance," Brady offers, "and the party gets more and more crowded and they lose each other." Labro resets the popular waltz in a tricky but natural-sounding mixed meter. "The song is actually Peruvian in origin," he says, "so I wanted to bring that Latin back in. It was already in Cyrille's repertoire, but to sing it that fast with the different meters was a challenge, and she hung in there. She's really willing to take risks."

No less challenging was Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman," also arranged by Labro, featuring Irabagon on alto saxophone and Aimée singing a lyric written by Margo Guryan. Labro explains: "In the original, the time and the harmony are there but they're so loose. We needed to find a way to capture what the words are about, without destroying what Ornette intended."

Labro and Brady share composer credit on "Puck Bunny," which is slang for a female hockey fan. "A critic once called us 'puckish'," Brady explains, "so I was originally going to call this 'Puck,' as in the Shakespeare character." Brady also cites the free-spirited influences of Mostly Other People Do the Killing as well as Jason Moran's Bandwagon. Labro scored the piece for bass clarinet (Bishop) and sopranino saxophone (Irabagon), creating the widest possible sonic range. "What's great about having Jon and Andrew together," Labro says, "is that they can play so many woodwinds, so it gives you a lot to work with. You can mix and match and get totally different sounds."

Different sounds coming together, band members collaborating from different cities: all of this makes Junction the perfect album title. "It's a nice mix of pop-oriented material and also rather avant-garde stuff," Brady concludes. "I remember an interview with Marc Ribot, my favorite guitarist in the world, talking about how avant-garde and pop have a lot of crossover, and even some of the musicians are the same people, like Marc himself. It made total sense to me, and it came into my mind while preparing this record." Perri concurs: "We've always believed that if Django Reinhardt were alive today, he wouldn't play the same way he always did. In his short lifespan you can see how much evolution and vision he had. To pay tribute to him is to continue pursuing our own ideas."

ALEKS GIRSHEVICH TRIO - TOMORROW

Gifted jazz combo fronted by a prodigious 11-year-old drummer garners airplay and positive reviews

Already nearly 50 radio stations are playing tracks from the promising debut disc, Tomorrow, by the Aleks Girshevich Trio, which was released today by Dapper Music and welcomed with critical praise along with airplay on 16 new radio stations including Santa Monica’s influential NPR broadcaster KCRW.

There are two unique elements that make the Aleks Girshevich Trio intriguing. A glimpse at the artsy black & white photo adorning the Tomorrow cover depicts two men and an 11-year-old boy. The kid is Aleks for whom the chamber jazz trio is named. He’s a prodigious drummer who astounds by innately dispensing complex drum beats and advanced Cuban and Brazilian-influenced percussion polyrhythms that confound and impress jazz masters.

Aleks’ father is Vlad Girshevich, a conservatory trained pianist and composer who emigrated from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Vlad crafts evocative melodies, classically tinged jazz that is intimate and inviting. He can lure you with a beautiful melody, provoke pondering with contemplative noodling, or captivate with a scholarly musical exploration spanning an expansive array of art and culture. Rooted in Russian classical, Vlad has found a home in jazz where he has performed with Wayne Shorter, Arturo Sandoval and legendary drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez. He penned seven compositions for Tomorrow and collaborated with his cohorts to write the closing cut (“Dithering”).

Bridging the two exceptional players is Juilliard trained bassist David Arend, who produced Tomorrow during the two-day recording process in San Francisco. Capable of making classical riffs swing with his upright bass, the award-winning Arend is remarkably diverse having played jazz, modern chamber music, electronica, opera, and extensive orchestra gigs with the San Francisco Symphony and world-renown film composers (John Williams, Tan Dun, George Crumb) in addition to collaborating with Ornette Coleman, Bela Fleck, Bobby McFerrin and Carlos Santana.

The Denver-based Girshevichs’ are being shadowed by a documentary film crew focused on the extraordinary relationship and apprenticeship between father and son. The trio hopes to record their sophomore collection this fall.

Below are excerpts from some of the early reviews of the Aleks Girshevich Trio’s Tomorrow:

“Pianist and composer Vlad Girshevich is a thrilling and adventurous talent, whilst bassist (and producer) David Arend is an engaging player with a great warm tone. His bass work on Tomorrow, with its slippery, sliding groove, and his Ron Carter flavored solo on the stand-out track ‘Broken Promises’ are both fabulous. He accredits himself well throughout the album and his playing is a pleasure to listen to.” – Bass Players United

“The ‘Piano Trio’ is usually led by the …drumroll…PIANIST! Aleks Girshevich, however, leads from behind, which might not work for Middle East politics, but definitely is successful here. Along with Vlad Girshevich/p and David Arend/b, he creates some flying sparks on originals such as ‘Strange Memories’ or ‘Broken Promises.’ The leader cajoles his band mates through an exciting and varied display of rolls, paradiddles, hi hats, ride cymbals and changing of meters throughout, keeping everyone alive and alert throughout. A real workshop of being adept at every part of the percussive traps.” – Jazz Weekly

NEW RELEASES - DONALD FAGEN, FOURPLAY, CESAR'S SALAD

DONALD FAGEN - SUNKEN CONDOS

Donald Fagen's fourth solo album for Reprise Records, Sunken Condos, will be released on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. His first three solo albums, The Nightfly, Kamakiriad and Morph the Cat, comprised the project known as the Nightfly Trilogy. Sunken Condos begins a new chapter in the creative evolution of this innovative artist, whose career is still going strong after forty years. The nine tracks on Sunken Condos were co-produced by Michael Leonhart and Donald. All but one track, an Ashkenazi recasting of Isaac Hayes' Out of the Ghetto, are new Fagen originals. Some familiar names from the Steely Dan family of players are on hand (Jon Herington, the Steely Dan horns, Freddie Washington) plus some new faces. The word is that, from now on, everything Donald does has got to be funky. Release date is October 6, 2012. www.donaldfagen.com

FOURPLAY - ESPIRIT DE FOUR

For two decades, the contemporary jazz quartet known as Fourplay has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B, pop and a variety of other sounds to their unwavering jazz foundations. In the course of a dozen recordings – six of which have climbed to the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album charts – the supergroup has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz while at the same time appealing to a broad mainstream audience. “All four of us have been in this business long enough to know that there’s always pressure to compromise, and we don’t want to do that,” says Bob James. “We don’t want to end up in the middle of the pack. We always aim to be leaders, and take the music to another level and raise the standards higher. I think the music on this new record, thanks in large part to Chuck’s early contributions – and to the ongoing team spirit of the band as a whole – is very much a reflection of that philosophy." Espirit De Four will be released on September 16, 2012.

CESAR'S SALAD - THE LATIN BEAT VOL. 2

A second helping of Latin Beat from Cesar's Salad – and a feverish, funky and tight set on Perfect Toy that's easily as strong its predecessor! Led by percussionist Cesar Granados – who really knocks us out on the congas – the group is a quartet with a raw approach and a live feel. Rooted in 60s and 70s Afro-Cuban jazz, soul and funk, they do it with a modern, hard-grooving immediacy. Hajo Von Hadeln is on drums, Jo Junghanss on the piano, and Jerker Kluge on bass – and we really love the big sound from this small combo! Titles include "Jenjere", "El Dynamico", "Watermelon Man", "Song For My Father", "Pushing Spaces", "Bahamas", "Recordame", "On Broadway" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

NICOLAS BEARDE - YOU'RE SENSATIONAL

This week on the Jazz Network Worldwide Featured Vocalist/Songwriter, Nicolas Bearde Shares a "Sneak Peek" of his Upcoming CD with his New Single, "You're Sensational"

Nicolas Bearde explores the soulful and jazzy side of samba, while paying homage to West Indian jazz artist, Jon Lucien on his new single, "You're Sensational". Backed by a stellar group of musicians, including legendary bassist, Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report), keyboardist David "Creatchy" Garfield (George Benson), drummer Mike Shapiro and guitarist Kleber Jorge (both from the Sergio Mendes band) Nicolas puts his own unique stamp on this skillfully written ode to beauty and passion.

The voice of Nicolas Bearde, has captivated audiences around the world for over twenty years, all the while following his own muse. With a style that is timeless and diverse, regardless of prevailing trends, Nicolas' recordings feature outstanding original songs and covers, top drawer musicianship, and his signature "buttery baritone". My 4th album will take me back to my Jazz and R&B roots," says Bearde. "It's focus will be on my original compositions, along with the music of a few contemporary songwriters such as James Taylor, Jon Lucien and Stevie Wonder, and... this outing will be more musically polished and expanded in it's approach. It is a slice of heaven to work with this team of legendary producers - Grammy musical director, Larry Batiste, Grammy-nominated CD producer, Bud Spangler, and renowned bassist/producer/educator, Alphonso Johnson along with the world class musicians who are signed onto this project."

Crowd-funding is a new trend in the music business these days and it been quite successful for many artists," says Jai Jai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide."I am glad that Nicolas has decided to jump on that bandwagon asking for support from his loyal fans and friends to help make his musical dream a reality. The Jazz Network Worldwide is his family and we support his Kickstarter Campaign so that a new Nicolas Bearde selection can become part of our musical library. If his new single, 'You're Sensational' is indicative of what is to come, rest assured that it will be the kickoff to a musical masterpiece. We are proud to have the opportunity to showcase it to the jazz community and beyond", states Jackson. Bearde welcomes all music lovers to check out his Kickstarter campaign at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/402215474/youre-sensational-nicolas-beardes-jazz-for-the-sou?ref=email, and become one of his supporters, garnering special offerings for various levels of contribution.

In addition to being in the studio, and touring internationally, Nicolas has been involved with numerous collaborative projects - performing with drumming legend Bernard "Pretty" Purdie as part of his All Star Band and recording with social activist, Holly Near. Purdie's rocking, groove-heavy ensemble features a varied list of music icons, including guest artist Dr. Lonnie Smith, venerable frontman and Blues Brothers vocalist Rob Paparozzi and bassist, John "Big Pocket" Hart.
Internationally, Nicolas headlined the first annual “Classics and Jazz” Festival held on the palace grounds of Katherine the Great in Moscow as well as a ground breaking musical experience at the LMC Jazz Festival held in Croatia, and.....come November, he is excited about returning to his adjudicating duties with the Young Arts Program in Miami, Florida.

Philanthropically, Nicolas donates his time to organizations such as the Womens’ Cancer Research Center and Bread and Roses, an organization dedicated to uplifting the human spirit by providing free, live, quality shows to people who live in care centers, institutions or are otherwise isolated from society. In addition, Nicolas supports the "Keep Music Rockin" foundation, which promotes the importance of music for the youth in public schools, and provides the needed funds to help maintain seventeen different school music programs.

Be sure to come by The Jazz Network Worldwide this week http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com to enjoy the 'sneak peek' of "You're Sensational" which is available at CDBaby, iTunes and Amazon.com

NEW RELEASES - THE EMOTIONS, THE STAPLE SINGERS, THE RONETTES

THE EMOTIONS - FLOWERS

A soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". CD features a bonus single version of "Flowers". ~ Dusty Groove

THE STAPLE SINGERS

The Staple Singers in a direction none would have guessed a decade before – a half-pop, half-arty approach to the dancefloor – served up in a surprisingly nice batch of jaunty tunes! The approach here mixes electric rhythms with the deeper soul vocals of the group – often putting Mavis in the lead, supported by the production and arrangements of Mike Piccirillo and Gary Goetzman, who'd first launched the group in this direction with their efforts on a few tracks on the previous record. As on that one, one of the best numbers here is a Talking Heads cover – "Life During Wartime" – and David Byrne also guests on guitar on another track. The sound's a bit slick, but it works really well for them! Other tracks include "Are You Ready", "We Stand", "Reason To Love", "Start Walking", and "Love Works In Strange Ways". This CD version has 3 bonus mixes, too: "Are You Ready (US Single)", "Are You Ready (US Extended Dance Mix)" and "Are You Ready (US Dub Mix)".  ~ Dusty Groove

THE RONETTES - PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES FEATURING VERONICA

The surprisingly hard-to-find Philles album by The Ronettes – and an appropriately-titled one – as this pop soul masterpiece is fabulous, to say the least! To say a bit more, this incredible record, with Ronnie Spector shining brightly out front (she's the Veronica they're featuring, if you didn't know that already) is as fine of a showcase for the Wall Of Sound as any album in the canon. Best remembered for their timeless hit singles, there's no overstating how great this album is as a whole. It indeed features several of those huge hit singles – and it includes "Walking In The Rain", "Do I Love You?", "(The Best Part Of) Breaking Up", "I Wonder", "What'd I Say", "How Does It Feel", "Be My Baby", "You Baby" "When I Saw You" and "Chapel Of Love". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - THE CACTUS CHANNEL, LEE FIELDS, MOONCHILD

THE CACTUS CHANNEL - HAPTICS

Raw, original instrumental funk from The Cactus Channel – who are coming straight outta Melbourne – and they're barely outta high school! It's kind of stunning that a group as youthful as this one is delivering such a finely-honed set of rave-up funk! It's largely done in the 70s action soundtrack and psych funk modes – recorded to analog for an authentic feel – with heavy drums, solid guitar and bass, a five piece horn section and lots of organ. There's some slower-cooking groovers, too, leaving space for some sharp solos. We really need to visit Australia and study whatever it is down there that's inspiring such a wealth of modern funk! Includes "Emanuel Ciccolini", "The Colour Of Don Don", "Budokan", "Tom Has Ideas", "Level Up", "Boss Cat", "Jungle Run", "Under The Birdcage" and "Hot Teeth". (Includes digital download.) ~ Dusty Groove

LEE FIELDS - FAITHFUL MAN

The instrumentals for the smoking soul set by the mighty Lee Fields! The record's billed as a follow-up to the previous My World – but it's got a style that's much more deep soul, much more southern-tinged than that great record – a beautiful indication of Lee's rich legacy in soul music – which stretches back decades, with rare releases on small indie labels! Yet the sound here is much stronger than Fields ever got back in the day – thanks to help from The Expressions, and some sublime Truth & Soul production – a combination that really has the record feeling as if it were recorded for Atlantic at Muscle Shoals at the end of the 60s. A stone home run throughout – with titles that include "Faithful Man", "Wish You Were Here", "Moonlight Mile", "Walk On Thru That Door", "Still Hanging On", "You're The Kind Of Girl", and "I Still Got It". ~ Dusty Groove

MOONCHILD - BE FREE

Amazing sounds from Moonchild – a group as lovely as their name! The style here is slinky and stellar – spacey funk that's heavy on keyboards, yet really laidback too – stepping along in a cool cosmic vibe that's perfect for the lead vocals of Amber Navran – a hell of a great singer who really makes her voice work well with the keys! The album's really a cut above the rest – very fresh, with a crisp edge that's wonderful – and proof that there's still some great folks out there in the underground making righteous music like this! Titles include "Back To Me", "Be Free", "Out Of My Mind", "Ocean Deep", "Gone", "What Shall We Do", and "Turn It Up". ~ Dusty Groove

BEATLOUNGE CHILLOUT LIFESTYLE

Beatlounge Chillout Lifestyle is an album with a decisive - as defined by its name - "ChillOut LifeStyle" essence, full of beautiful melodies, ambient sound passages, warm, heartfelt female vocals combined with Downtempo, Chillout and Ambient sounds.

After their first seven years online, BeatLounge Music continued its growing evolution and in March 2012 in a strategic move and thinking ahead, mutated to the Weekend Radio format. Less than a month after the launch, and thanks to an unprecedented demand from our audience, they were forced to add air days and so in a production efort, started airing from Monday to Monday.

Just a few weeks after BeatLounge Radio's launch, another GIANT step! They signed contract with the German label "Schalldeluxe Records" to edit their first compilation CD, kicking offwhat will be a series of albums released every year, with your typical BeatLounge Radio sounds, from Chill to Trance, and everything in between!

Beatlounge Chillout Lifestyle is an album with a decisive - as defined by its name - "ChillOut LifeStyle" essence, full of beautiful melodies, ambient sound passages, warm, heartfelt female vocals combined with Downtempo, Chillout and Ambient sounds. With tracks both by emerging and renowned artists, such as Lenny Ibizarre, Alejandro de Pinedo, and Moby.

It includes 13 tracks + a BonusTrack, by Spanish artists Oscar Masala and Jesus Estevill, members of Âmes Blue, a track which will serve as a clear preview of what will be BeatLounge Radio's second album, which in fact is already in its pre-production phase.

Beatlounge Chillout Lifestyle will be strategically released on August 17 - 2012 coinciding with the Northern Hemisphere summer, and will be available as a continuous digital mix exclusively on iTunes and a number of other digital retailers, such as Amazon, Juno, Rhapsody and many more.

Tracklist
1. Mariano Sinestesia - Construction at the Sea
2. Ibizarre - Bird Beyond Fear
3. Thomas Lemmer feat. Lena Belgart - Is it too late (Original Album Mix)
4. Motif feat. Lena Belgart - Halo
5. Klangstein - One
6. Moby - The Right Thing (Ben Hoo Derivation)
7. All India Radio - The End or Near (The Bomb Mix)
8. Vital - Shine
9. Alfonso Caballeros - Chillasco Falls
10. Vivi Pedraglio feat. Lewait - Let it Flow
11. Gushi & Raunk -The Inside
12. Alejandro de Pinedo - Gemini
13. Hugo Kant - Ranjia (Scratch by Zé Mateo - Chinese Man)

Bonus Track:
14. Âmes Blue - Masai Mara

Produced by Alejandra Iorgulescu & Luis Blanco
BeatLounge Music
Mixed by Tim Angrave
Artwork Diego Correa
Genres Chillout
Ambient
Downtempo

Lanzamiento Agosto 17
2012

©2012 Schalldeluxe Records

ANITA BAKER RELEASES NEW SINGLE "LATELY", NEW ALBUM DUE OCTOBER 2012

Legendary soul, jazz & R&B songstress, and producer Anita Baker is set to make fans of her romantic style excited with her seventh studio album, Only Forever, which will be released on Blue Note Records/EMI. The ten track offering lives up to its title, featuring the same classic music that Baker is known for, but with a modern twist. This past Monday, August 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. ET, Baker became the first recording artist ever to have an unprecedented premiere on Urban Contemporary Radio for all Clear Channel radio stations as they played her new single Lately every hour on the hour. The single was officially released on August 7th. The R&B icon has added her musical touch to Tyrese Gibson’s 1999 hit and has made it her lead single. Lately is produced by The Underdogs and executive produced by Anita Baker and Don Was. The new album, Only Forever, her first in seven years, is due out on Tuesday, October 21, 2012.

Of this new release, Baker said: “I just had this concept of walking into a digital universe with an analog heart [on Only Forever]. Se we’re kind of marrying the two. I started cutting analog down in Nashville, and once I knew what we were gonna do, we bounced it over to the digital format so that the 21st century producers like Harvey Mason, Jr. could manipulate it. I was just very focused on getting some analog energy in there somewhere. So it’s a lovely bridge that I’m trying to build tech-wise as well as musically.”

Baker is an eight-time Grammy winner with four platinum and two gold albums to her name. She shot to fame with her classic album Rapture, and experienced critical and commercial success with subsequent albums – Giving You The Best I Got, Compositions, Rhythm Of Love, and My Everything. She has also released a successful greatest hits collection (The Best Of Anita Baker), a holiday album (Christmas Fantasy), and a live album (A Night Of Rapture: Live).

NEW RELEASES - U-NAM & FRIENDS, DIGGS DUKE, DJ KEMIT

U-NAM & FRIENDS - WEEKEND IN L.A.: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE BENSON

A nice little tribute to soul, jazz and fusion legend George Benson – and a project that's a labor of love for Benson-devotee, soulful spirit and brilliant guitarist U-Nam – with an allstar lineup that features Ronnie Foster, George Duke, Patrice Rushen, Andreas Oberg, Tim Owens, Marcus Millers and others! Benson is an artist who embraced diversity and creative evolution – and this tribute does that legacy proudly. It’s rich with fusiony soul groovers that are laced with some truly impeccable guitar work. It's got some throwback swagger in spots, but it's also got some distinctly modern soul appeal – and an all around affectionate spirit. U-Nam plays guitars, keyboards and more here – on top of handling the recording and arrangements – and the guests bring their best! Includes "Weekend In LA" with Rhodes and clavinet by Ronnie Foster and vocals by Andreas Oberg, "Give Me That", "Shiver" and more with singer Tim Owens, "This Masquerade" with more great Fender Rhodes – this time by George Duke, "Hip Ship", "Before You Go/Breezin'" with Patrice Rushen, "Nature Boy" with Stokely Williams and more. ~ Dusty Groove

DIGGS DUKE – MASS EXODUS

Here’s a new collection of music from Diggs Duke entitled Mass Exodus. If it's best to approach music with a child's curiosity and an elder's wisdom, Diggs Duke is a boy with a man's aspirations. Mentored by alumni of classic jazz groups of Max Roach and Cecil Taylor, Diggs Duke combines jazz sensibilities with the R&B, Hip-Hop and Latin music of his 90's upbringing. The result is a stellar mix of raspy vocals, fascinating horn arrangements and adventurous song forms. Within the last year, the Washington DC-based singer, instrumentalist and composer has released a steady stream of quality music that's been dominating playlists from L.A. to Amsterdam to Indonesia. His debut EP, Gravity, popped up on many “Best of the Year” lists at the start of 2012 and was swiftly placed into the rotation of tastemakers across Europe, including Gilles Peterson in the UK and DJ Lefto in Brussels. Shortly after, another collection was released (Black Gold), followed by a pair of impromptu singles and several ambitious covers of Herbie Hancock and Thundercat. As November approaches, several more releases are in the works and it's becoming obvious that this young man can consistently create music that's timeless and original all at once. Tracks include “Crazy Like A Fox” and “Nine Winning Wives.” www.diggsduke.com / www.soundcloud.com/diggsduke

DJ KEMIT - EVERLASTING

A smoking little set from DJ Kemit – done in that great old school mode we used to love – in which a hip producer gets vocal help from a range of key contemporary singers! Vocals here are from the best of the best – Eric Roberson, N'Dambi, Osunlade, Frank McComb, Lady Alma, Carl McIntosh, Choklate, and others – each of whom step in on a different track, and really help shade in the different flavors of the record! Kemit comes up with a different groove for each guest – often one that really helps show them at their best – and titles include "Digital Love", "You Don't Know", "Funky 8 Ball", "Inside Out", "Summers Night", "Spread Love", "Never Go Away", "Fortune Teller", and "I Was I Am". ~ Dusty Groove

DONNY HATHAWAY - ACROSS 110TH STREET (40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) / FACTS OF LIFE / LOOKING FOR A LOVE AGAIN

A very cool set! This one comes in a hardcover book-like package – and not only includes the main record, but two full other records as well! Across 110th Street is one of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of wah-wah guitar, funky keys, and tight riffing by the band – especially on the cuts "Harlem Clavinette", "Hang On in There", and "Harlem Love Theme". Also features "Do It Right" and another vocal version of "Hang On In There", both by Bobby.

Facts Of Life features Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the studio – almost as if Bobby brought a special sort of magic to the sessions that made everyone rise above the sometimes too-familiar work they were giving to the bigger names who were traipsing through the studio. Of course, a big part of the success of the album comes from Womack's amazing vocal delivery – that style that's raspy, yet warm – and which is a perfect fit for the well-penned tunes on the set. Titles include "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "Nobody", "If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up", and a very cool version of "The Look Of Love".

Looking For A Love Again is perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer funky stepper "You're Welcome, Stop On By", which has been sampled and covered many times over the years – plus "I Don't Wanna Be Hurt By Ya Love Again", "Let It Hang Out", "Lookin For A Love", "Doing It My Way", and "Don't Let Me Down". ~ Dusty Groove 

MARGO REY - HABIT

Organica Music Group has announced the release of Margo Rey's highly anticipated CD, Habit. The album features Margo's new Top 20 charting single "Between Us," as well as her recent hit song "Let the Rain." The latter, co-written by Ms. Rey and the legendary John Oates, remained on the charts for an astonishing 21 weeks, making it Billboard's "Hot Shot Debut" and additionally earning her kudos in the magazine's "Bubbling Under" column. The duo also teamed up on the stunning cut "Saturn Returns." Oates sings on both tracks and he provides an ideal complement to Rey's powerful yet nuanced vocals. Listeners closest to it claim that Habit is its own brand of sonic luxury and Rey emerges as a force of nature - in heels no less.

In addition, Margo is preparing for her upcoming national holiday tour with Dave Koz which is certain to please her diverse and loyal fan base. Based on her track record, Rey's following is understandable. In less than a two-year span she has delivered five hits in diverse genres that include Adult Contemporary as well as Dance and Pop. She also charted two #1 Dance hits and if that's not enough, Rey also generated an original Christmas hit.

Reflecting on the direction of Habit, Margo explains: "I wanted something 'lo-fi' as opposed to the cloned sounds of today's pop culture environment. I needed my music to sound like me rather than the equipment it was recorded on. Plus, I feel a huge affinity - love affair even - for the singer/songwriter era of the seventies and eighties." Ms. Rey employed a technique as simple as it is novel in today's recording environment. She gathered extraordinary musicians in a room and they recorded (equally extraordinary) music together. If that doesn't sound radical, it should - and Habit underscores the point. It's a CD that never leaves the human vibe behind. It revels in it and, if anything, deepens it.

Margo has produced a collection of songs that reverberates with a gamut of emotions. Greed, love, lust, doubt, remorse, obsession and crazed vulnerability are all present - in abundance. "I hope listeners respond to the penetrating pulse in each of these songs. They're an exploration of my contradictory feelings over the past two years. Roll all of those emotional tangents into a set list and you have, well, something that I hope will become a 'Habit.'"

The album unleashes thirteen songs, all of which are original. One exception is a gorgeous cover of The Zombies' hit, "She's Not There." If you think you've heard the song before, think again. This version has more down-under burn than most people can handle. But it gets better. Ms. Rey will be on tour. Habit was recorded and mixed at Rusk LA by Elton Ahi, mastered by Yossi Shaked, produced and arranged by Margo Rey in collaboration with Elton Ahi and Chris Wabich.

Organica Music Group is a boutique media company with four divisions that include: music; stand-up comedy; publishing; television and film. OMG's distributor is Universal Music Group. Michael Blakey serves as President and has worked with top artists around the world, receiving over 60 gold and platinum albums and 5 Grammy nominations.

http://www.margorey.com

ON THE ROAD WITH PAT METHENY...

Pat Metheny was born in Kansas City on August 12, 1954 into a musical family. Starting on trumpet at the age of eight, Metheny switched to guitar at age 12. By the age of 15, he was working regularly with the best jazz musicians in Kansas City, receiving valuable on-the-bandstand experience at an unusually young age. Metheny first burst onto the international jazz scene in 1974. Over the course of his three-year stint with vibraphone great Gary Burton, the young Missouri native already displayed his soon-to-become trademarked playing style, which blended the loose and flexible articulation customarily reserved for horn players with an advanced rhythmic and harmonic sensibility -- a way of playing and improvising that was modern in conception but grounded deeply in the jazz tradition of melody, swing, and the blues. With the release of his first album, Bright Size Life (1975), he reinvented the traditional "jazz guitar" sound for a new generation of players. Throughout his career, Pat Metheny has continued to redefine the genre by utilizing new technology and constantly working to evolve the improvisational and sonic potential of his instrument.

Metheny's versatility is almost nearly without peer on any instrument. Over the years, he has performed with artists as diverse as Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Milton Nascimento, David Bowie, and many more. He has been part of a writing team with keyboardist Lyle Mays for more than twenty years -- an association that has been compared to the Lennon/McCartney and Ellington/Strayhorn partnerships by critics and listeners alike. Metheny's body of work includes compositions for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras, and ballet pieces, with settings ranging from modern jazz to rock to classical.

As well as being an accomplished musician, Metheny has also participated in the academic arena as a music educator. At 18, he was the youngest teacher ever at the University of Miami. At 19, he became the youngest teacher ever at the Berklee College of Music, where he also received an honorary doctorate in 1996, more than twenty years later. He has also taught music workshops all over the world, from the Dutch Royal Conservatory to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to clinics in Asia and South America.

He has also been a true musical pioneer in the realm of electronic music, and was one of the very first jazz musicians to treat the synthesizer as a serious musical instrument. Years before the invention of MIDI technology, Metheny was using the Synclavier as a composing tool. He has also been instrumental in the development of several new kinds of guitars such as the soprano acoustic guitar, the 42-string Pikasso guitar, Ibanez's PM-100 jazz guitar, and a variety of other custom instruments.

It is one thing to attain popularity as a musician, but it is another to receive the kind of acclaim Metheny has garnered from critics and peers. Over the years, Metheny has won countless polls as "Best Jazz Guitarist" and awards, including three gold records for (Still Life) Talking, Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He has also won 18 GRAMMY® Awards spread out over a variety of different categories including Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, and Best Instrumental Composition. The Pat Metheny Group won an unprecedented seven consecutive Grammys for seven consecutive albums. Metheny has spent most of his life on tour, averaging between 120-240 shows a year since 1974. At the time of this writing, he continues to be one of the brightest stars of the jazz community, dedicating time to both his own projects and those of emerging artists and established veterans alike, helping them to reach their audience as well as realizing their own artistic visions.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
Aug 9 - Kennet Square, PA, Longwood Gardens
Aug 10 - Pittsburgh, PA, Robert Morris University 
Aug 11 - Highmount, NY, Belleayre Mountain
Sept 1 - Rochester, NY, German House Theater
Sept 2 - Detroit, MI, Detroit Jazz Festival Ampitheatre
Sept 4 - Minneapolis, MN, Dakota Jazz Club
Sept 5 - Minneapolis, MN, Dakota Jazz Club 
Sept 6 - Kansas City, MO, Folly Theater
Sept 7 - Denver, CO, Botanic Gardens - York Street 
Sept 8 - Aspen, CO, Wheeler Opera House
Sept 9 - Salt Lake City, UT, The State Room
Sept 11 - Portland, OR, Alladin Theater
Sept 12 - Spokane, WA, Martin Wodson Theater
Sept 13 - Seattle, WA, Jazz Alley
Sept 14 - Seattle, WA, Jazz Alley
Sept 15 - Seattle, WA, Jazz Alley
Sept 16 - Seattle, WA, Jazz Alley
Sept 18 - Napa, CA, Napa Valley Opera House
Sept 19 - San Francisco, CA, Yoshi's
Sept 20 - San Francisco, CA, Yoshi's
Sept 21 - San Francisco, CA, Yoshi's
Sept 23 - Monterey, CA, Monterey Jazz Festival
Sept 24 - Santa Monica, CA, The Broad Stage 
Sept 26 - San Diego, CA, Anthology 
Sept 27 - Santa Barbara, CA, Lobero Theater
Sept 28 - Costa Mesa, CA, Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Sept 29 - Mesa, AZ, Mesa Performing Arts Center
Oct 1 -Tucson, AZ, Fox Theater 
Oct 2 - Santa Fe, NM, Lensic
Oct 4 -  Austin, TX, Moody Theater
Oct 5 - Dallas, TX, House Of Blues
Oct 6 - Meridian, MS, MSU Riley Center
Oct 7 - Atlanta, GA, Playhouse 
Oct 9 - Erie, PA, Mercyhurst College
Oct 10 - Syracuse, NY, Onondaga Community College
Oct 11 - Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
Oct 12 - New York, NY, Town Hall 
Oct 13 - Storrs, CT,  University of Connecticut
Oct 14 - Boston, MA, Berklee College of Music