THIRD WORLD TO CELEBRATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE JAMAICA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL

The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will celebrate with Third World Band, their 40th anniversary in what is anticipated to be a musical journey of the bands successful catalogue spanning four decades. Mary J Blige, John Legend and Michael Bolton are also set to perform at the 17th staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival January 24 – 26, 2013. The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will celebrate with Third World Band, their 40th anniversary in what is anticipated to be a musical journey of the bands successful catalogue spanning four decades. Mary J Blige, John Legend and Michael Bolton are set to perform at the 17th staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival January 24 – 26, 2013.

Third World Band will join other bands on Thursday night which will feature classic Reggae bands and classic singers. Roots Underground, whose career was launched on the talent stage of the Festival several years ago, returns to the main stage to demonstrate their prowess which makes them one of Jamaica’s most popular bands worldwide.

Walter Elmore, producer of the Festival, promises a heightened wholesome entertainment experience on and off the stage for patrons. “We have a tradition of great entertainment experiences at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and this year we will return aspects of the experience favoured by our patrons and add some new elements. 2013 will be even more interactive and engaging for persons at the event with the introduction of our digital lounge, and an integration of our social media spaces.”

On stage Mary J Blige, loved by Jamaicans for her dynamic and passionate music and delivery, will be a powerhouse with favourites such as No More Drama, All I Need, Mr. Wrong. Michael Bolton returns to the Festival and promises a love affair with Jamaicans with hits such as How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Said I Loved You But I lied and his ardent rendition of When A Man Loves A Woman. John Legend who considers himself a friend of the Festival will bring an intimate performance to his adorers with hits such as Ordinary People, Everybody Knows, The Best You’ve Ever Had and the mega hit Stay With Me covered by Reggae Star Tarrus Riley.

Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will be held on January 24 – 26, 2013. Further updates will be provided on http://www.jamaicajazzandblues.com and https://www.facebook.com/jamaicajazzandblues in the coming days.

GLENN GOULD, CHARLIE HADEN, LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS, CAROLE KING, PATTI PAGE, RAVI SHANKAR AND THE TEMPTATIONS HONORED WITH THE RECORDING ACADEMY® LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Recording Academy® (www.grammy.com) announced its Special Merit Awards recipients and this year's honorees are: Glenn Gould, Charlie Haden, Lightnin' Hopkins, Carole King, Patti Page, Ravi Shankar and the Temptations as Lifetime Achievement Award recipients; Marilyn & Alan Bergman, Leonard & Phil Chess and Alan Livingston as Trustees Award honorees; and Ikutaro Kakehashi & Dave Smith and Royer Labs as Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients. A special invitation-only ceremony will be held during GRAMMY Week on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards® telecast, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.

"Each year, The Academy has the distinct privilege of honoring those who have greatly contributed to our industry and cultural heritage, and this year we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "Their exceptional accomplishments, contributions and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing® Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, as well as The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

About The Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:
A prodigy and four-time GRAMMY winner, Glenn Gould* became one of the best known and most celebrated classical pianists of his time with a style of playing that was deeply expressive and rhythmically precise. In 1956 he earned international recognition with his first Columbia release, Bach's Goldberg Variations, but his repertoire went on to include such works by Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schoenberg, and Strauss. Gould, who was also a composer, conductor, broadcaster and writer, often offered original, deeply personal and shocking musical interpretations filled with extreme tempos, odd dynamics and finicky phrasing that made him a unique talent.

A three-time GRAMMY winner Charlie Haden is an all-American jazz musician best known for his signature lyrical bass lines and his ability to liberate the bassist from an accompanying role. In addition to his groundbreaking work as an original member of the Ornette Coleman Quartet, he has collaborated with such jazz artists as Chet Baker, Ed Blackwell, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Billy Higgins, Art Pepper, and Archie Shepp. Throughout his five decade career, Haden has revolutionized the harmonic concept of bass playing and has covered such genres as free jazz, Portuguese fado and vintage country.

Lightnin' Hopkins* was a Texas country/blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist whose career spanned more than six decades. He recorded approximately 1,000 songs, including such hits as "T-Model Blues," "Tim Moore's Farm" and "Mojo Hand." Hopkins gained recognition with his intense mournful style and his distinctive fingerstyle playing, earning him a spot on Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

Carole King is one of the most significant and talented singer/songwriters in the modern era. King, along with songwriting partner Gerry Goffin, was honored with a Recording Academy Trustees Award in 2004 for having written such prolific hits as "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "The Loco-Motion," "Chains," and "I'm Into Something Good." In 1971 King released Tapestry, which included the songs "I Feel The Earth Move," "It's Too Late," and "You've Got A Friend." The album garnered four GRAMMY Awards including Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year, and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame® in 1998. In 2010, King joined friend and fellow singer/songwriter James Taylor during the successful "Troubadour Reunion" tour. In 2012, she released her New York Times best-selling autobiography A Natural Woman.

Throughout her seven-decade career, Patti Page has recorded a number of hits, including "(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window" and "I Went To Your Wedding." Her unique and smooth vocal style seamlessly blended country and pop music. Page's version of "Tennessee Waltz" was a best-selling single, and landed her concurrently on the top of the pop, country, and R&B charts. Her Live At Carnegie Hall — The 50th Anniversary Concert album garnered her a GRAMMY in 1998 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. In 2009, Page published This Is My Song: A Memoir.

As one of the world's most renowned sitar players, three-time GRAMMY winner Ravi Shankar* is a true ambassador for international music. As a performer, composer, teacher and writer, he is considered a pioneer in bringing Indian music to the West. With a performance career spanning more than 80 years, he has influenced a variety of musicians, including the Beatles, John Coltrane, Philip Glass and his daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar. A humanitarian and philanthropist, in 1971 Shankar, along with George Harrison, organized the Concert for Bangladesh, which paved the way for many other fundraising charity concerts.

Recognized for their slick choreography, distinct harmonies and flashy attire, the Temptations are one of the most influential R&B acts in music. A Motown staple, the Temptations pioneered their sound by focusing on songs that reflected social change, politics, love and a strong connection to their audience. In 1968, the group earned a GRAMMY Award for their performance of the hit "Cloud Nine." Additionally; their hits "My Girl" and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" have been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, with the latter recording garnering two GRAMMYs in 1972.

About the Trustees Award Honorees:
Songwriters Marilyn & Alan Bergman are two of the world's most distinguished lyricists. Among their songs are such pop culture signatures as "Nice 'N' Easy," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "The Windmills Of Your Mind," GRAMMY Song Of The Year winner "The Way We Were," and the themes for TV shows such as "Maude" and "Good Times," among others. They have collaborated with many renowned composers, Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, Cy Coleman, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, John Williams, and Quincy Jones. The pair has won three Academy Awards® and two GRAMMY Awards and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980, among other honors. The Bergmans have also been active within the music industry and supported charitable organizations. Marilyn served as president and chair of ASCAP for 15 years and in 2002, she was appointed the first chair of the Library of Congress' National Sound Recording Preservation Board. Alan serves as a board member for the Johnny Mercer Foundation and the Artists' Rights Foundation.

Through their Chess Records label, Chess Records founders Leonard* & Phil Chess played a pivotal role in bringing wider attention to Chicago blues and legendary artists such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. But equally important, they were instrumental in the birth of rock and roll. Signing and recording rock legend Chuck Berry alone ranks the Chess brothers with Sun Records founder Sam Phillips as the industry's most visionary rock and roll leaders, but they also recorded what many critics argue was the first rock and roll record: "Rocket '88'" by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats. Ultimately, Chess and its affiliates would sign other influential giants, including Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, and Etta James, among others. Nine Chess recordings have been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame to date.

There's only one industry leader who can be credited with bringing Bozo the Clown, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and the Beach Boys under one roof: former Capitol Records executive Alan Livingston*. Charged with forming a children's division for Capitol in the '40s, Livingston created the Bozo character, which remained popular into the '60s. After rising to an executive position at the label in the '50s, he helped revive Sinatra's career, and in the '60s he was instrumental in bringing the Beatles to the United States, as well as leading Capitol into the rock era with such signings as the Band and Steve Miller. Later, after joining 20th Century Fox Records, he co-produced The Story Of Star Wars with George Lucas.

About the Technical GRAMMY Award Recipients:
In 1983, Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland Corporation, and Dave Smith, president of Sequential Circuits, unveiled MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of MIDI, a standard that motivated the cooperation of an entire industry and helped move music technology into a new era. In a nearly unprecedented collaboration between competing manufacturers, what would soon prove an inescapable new technology was born when two competing manufacturers' electronic keyboards were connected, enabling them to "talk" to one another using a new communication standard. The announcement ultimately revolutionized the music world. Today, MIDI is ubiquitous in the musical equipment industry, and is the de facto standard feature on virtually every electronic music product made by every manufacturer.

Royer Labs' line of ribbon microphones has made a profound difference in the way engineers record music. The company's ribbon technology is extremely natural sounding and brings a more realistic, analog sound and feel to digital recordings and live sound reproduction. In the '90s, Royer Labs single-handedly brought ribbon microphones into mainstream recording. Older ribbon microphone designs had fallen out of use in the '60s due to low output and because they were heavy and fragile. Royer designed a radically different line of ribbon microphones — small, lightweight, durable, and achieving incredible sound — which were revolutionary and moved the art of recording forward. Royer's innovations continue to win the praise of artists, producers and engineers today.

*Denotes posthumous.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Foursquare, GetGlue, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.

NEW RELEASES - JEREMY STEIG, WILLIAM HOOKER QUINTET, DANIEL HUMAIR

JEREMY STEIG - WAYFARING STRANGER

A mindblower from flute man Jeremy Steig – his only album ever for Blue Note – and quite possibly his best! There's a stripped-down feel here that beats even the rich soul of Steig's sets for Solid State – a brilliant pairing of Jeremy's choppy lines on flute with the soulful bass of Eddie Gomez – amazing interplay that really sets the record on edge right from the start – and gives things this raw funky feel that's even different than other Blue Note dates of the time! If you dig Steig's funky flute on other records, you'll totally love it here – and in addition to Eddie's great round, deep, soulful lines on bass – the set also features heavy drums from Don Alias, and some shadings on guitar from Sam Brown – a pair who are perfectly picked to round out the quartet. Tracks are all nice and long, and have a feel that's freewheeling, yet still funkily focused too – almost an electric vibe, although both Jeremy and Eddie's instruments aren't electrified at all – just their souls and spirits! A gem through and through – with great cuts that include "All Is One", "In The Beginning", "Waves", "Space", "Mint Tea", and "Wayfaring Stranger". (On the Dusty Groove label.) ~ Dusty groove

WILLIAM HOOKER QUINTET - CHANNELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

A brilliant showcase for the drums of William Hooker – ringing out loudly and proudly here in the company of younger players who really help support his energy! Hooker's got this sharp punch that comes through right away – that mixture of freewheeling rhythms and more expressive musical vision that's made so much of his recent work so great – given a slightly different spin here in the company of Dave Ross on guitar, Chris Di Meglio on trumpet, Adam Lane on bass, and Sanga on percussion. The passages that have interplay between Sanga and Hooker are especially great – and titles include "Character", "The Unfolding", "Thought & Intention", "Compelling Influences", "Three Hexagons", and "Connected". ~ Dusty Groove

DANIEL HUMAIR - SWEET & SOUR

The title's a great way to sum up the unique mood of this session from drummer Daniel Humair – a really wonderful blend of his own percussion with saxes, accordion, and bass – a mix of sounds that's definitely got plenty of French jazz touches! The sweet moments are those warm passages where the accordion and sax swell together beautifully – in sounds that are seductive, but still pretty sharp-edged – even more so on the sour elements, which really have the group pushing themselves – letting loose in a frenzy that's usually driven by Humair's drums. Yet on many passages, he also reminds us what a sensitive percussionist he can be – really well-skilled at softer sounds that open up the lower sonic ranges of the set. Titles include "7A3", "Care 4", "Ground Zero", "Unicorn In Captivity", "Oppression", "Debsh", and "Ground One".  ~ Dusty Groove

BRIAN CULBERTSON'S NAPA VALLEY JAZZ GETAWAY RETURNS

When multitalented musician Brian Culbertson announced the first Napa Valley Jazz Getaway last New Year’s day, he didn’t imagine that the 5-day celebration of music and wine in the Golden State’s idyllic wine country would sell out in just one week, but that is exactly what happened. The chart-topper and high-energy performer will again top the marquee of the 2013 edition slated for June 5-9 that adds numerous events to the schedule and luster to the list of performers in the form of Grammy winners Take 6, Ray Parker Jr., Norman Brown and Kirk Whalum united with Rick Braun as BWB, seminal funk outfit Larry Graham & Graham Central Station, saxophonists Eric Darius and Michael Lington, guitarist Nick Colionne, party band DW3 and special guest comedian Sinbad. Ticket packages are currently on sale and are being made available in four phases with priority given to returning guests.

In June, over 1,200 attendees will again converge upon Napa Valley from all over the nation to experience this extraordinary opportunity for jazz and wine enthusiasts to share their common passions with their favorite musicians. Festival goers will enjoy headline concerts at the Napa Valley Opera House and Lincoln Theater while more intimate shows will be held at several wineries including Silver Oak and Chimney Rock. VIPs will be treated to a solo piano performance by Culbertson staged in the wine cave at Miner Family Winery, which was one of the most buzzed about shows this year. Throughout the festival, the backstage divide is removed allowing fans to interact freely with the musicians while dining, during wine receptions and tastings at one of the many winery partners, at autograph sessions, a golf tournament at Silverado Resort & Spa, and casual evening hangs at the Westin Verasa Napa for the late night crowd. A silent auction will be held in support of music education to benefit The GRAMMY Foundation with the hopes of far surpassing this year’s impressive haul of over $31,000.

“Wine and jazz have always been a perfect fit so to be able to share those two passions of mine with people who share similar tastes is truly a gift. Our amazing lineup for 2013 is very exciting and we’ve partnered with some of the finest wineries and restaurants in Napa to ensure that the music, food and wine will be first class all the way! I had a feeling we were onto something when we created this one of a kind getaway and the enthusiastic response from the fans far exceeded even our own expectations. I can’t wait to welcome everyone to Napa, share the stage with some of my good friends, and kick back with a glass of wine while taking in the beauty of the magical Napa Valley,” said Culbertson, the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway’s founder and artistic director.

Through 13 solo albums and worldwide concerts tours, Culbertson has established himself as a consistent hitmaker and a consummate entertainer, which has made him one of the most popular artists on the contemporary jazz scene. The award-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer distills a smooth, soul-splashed vintage of shimmering jazz, R&B funk grooves and mellifluous adult pop. His latest collection, “Dreams,” was released last summer and was supported by solo and co-headline concert tours with sax legend David Sanborn.

Tickets for Brian Culbertson’s Napa Valley Jazz Getaway are available as VIP (5-day pass for $1,999 per person), Gold (4-day pass for $449 per person) and Silver (2-day pass for $199 per person) packages. For more information, including an itemized breakdown of the ticket packages, the complete schedule of events, or to watch video highlights from the 2012 Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, please visit www.NapaValleyJazzGetaway2013.com.

NEW RELEASES FROM FETEN: RARE JAZZ RECORDINGS FROM SPAIN, SADAO WATANABE, WILTON FELDER

FETEN - RARE JAZZ RECORDING FROM SPAIN 1961 - 1974 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Tremendous work from the Spanish scene of the 60s and early 70s – way more than just a batch of obscure jazz cuts, and instead a true testament to this very vibrant musical community! The package brings together some really special tracks from Spanish labels like Edigsa, Ensayo, Hispavox, and others – and really shows that in Spain at the time, there was musical growth that was every bit as strong as in better-known scenes in Germany, France, and Italy – a really rich step forward from American inspiration of the postwar years – into a world of freshly inventive rhythms, really imaginative solos, and some key local touches that really made the music sparkle! Not all players here are of Spanish origin, as the set also shows the key crossroads the scene was offering at the time – a wealth of wonderful hardbop, soul jazz, and modal numbers that include "El Cant Dels Ocells" by Catalonia Jazz Quartet, "Movimiento" by Lou Bennett, "Psique" by Juan Carlos Calderon, "Tema Per Alicia" by Jazz Group, "Asteriscs" by Nits De Jazz Al Jamboree, "Bosnia Calling" by Dusko Goykovich, "Israel" by Modern Jazz Sextet, "Rememberance To Madrid" by Elia Fleta, "Marcha De Los Dioses" by Tino Contreras, and "Laberinto (2nd part)" by Vlady Bas.  ~ Dusty Groove

SADAO WATANABE - SADAO WATANABE

One of the sharpest altos of the east – heard here in a great early album! Sadao Watanabe sounds wonderful on the set – blowing in a quintet setting, with a groove that's a bit like Lou Donaldson on Blue Note at the same time – slightly modern at moments, but also laidback and soulful on the ballads, and always with a clear, crisp sound on the alto sax. Other players on the date include Akira Nakano on trumpet and Kazuo Yashiro on piano – but Watanabe's firmly in the lead on most numbers, getting plenty of space to carve out the tunes with his sharp-edged, youthful sound. Titles include "Greasy", "M&M", "Amen", "My Elegy", "Del Sasser", and "Romande". ~ Dusty Groove

WILTON FELDER - WE ALL HAVE A STAR /  INHERIT THE WIND

A pair of albums from saxophonist Wilton Felder – back to back on a single CD! We All Have A Star offers up solo sounds from Crusaders reedman Wilton Felder – a really great set that's very much in the best vibe of his larger group at the time – yet one that also offers up a stronger focus on Wilton's sublime solo work on tenor! The album's got plenty of Crusaders help on board – given that Stix Hooper and Joe Sample produced the set along with Wilton – and the vibe's a wonderful blend of electric backings, with especially great keyboard lines, and Felder's well-phrased saxophone lines over the top! A few cuts feature vocals – sung by Angela Bryant or Debbie Demoia Ross – and titles include "We All Have A Star", "I Know Who I Am", "The Cycles Of Time", "Why Believe", "Ride On", and "You & Me & Ecstasy". Inherit The Wind is one of the best Crusaders-related solo projects – a soulful bit of fusion from saxophonist Wilton Felder, co-produced with his fellow Crusaders! The album's got the best sunny finish of the group's late 70s albums – traces of Latin, funk, and soul bubbling through a warm jazzy mix – staying soulful all the way through, and coming up with a sound that's smooth, but never sleepy. The blueprint for a million other records – none of which ever sounded this good! Titles include "Insight", "LA Light", "Until The Morning Comes", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "Inherit The Wind". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - WAR, NEW BIRTH, GENERAL JOHNSON

WAR - THE WORLD IS A GHETTO 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

A monster from start to finish – not only the greatest album from War, but maybe one of the greatest mainstream funk albums of all time! The set's got a really unique groove – one that so many others tried to copy, but which was forged here first – in a wicked LA blend of Chicano funk, heavy organ lines, and soulful singing that sews the whole thing together perfectly. Just about every cut is upbeat and funky – rolling along at that low-rider pace that was War's lasting contribution to funk music – and the album features the huge hits "World Is A Ghetto" and "Cisco Kid", two of the brightest spots on radio funk from the 70s – plus classics like "Four Cornered Room", "City Country City", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles In The Bog". Features great bonus tracks too – previously unreleased "Ghetto Jam" numbers that are even more open and freewheeling than cuts on the album – titles that include "Freight Train Jam", "58 Blues", "War Is Coming (blues version)", and a sweet rehearsal take of "The World Is A Ghetto". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW BIRTH - NEW BIRTH

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar together wonderfully with backings from The Nite-Liters – who help give the record a righteous undercurrent at most points, which makes the whole thing sound way hipper than any other projects of this nature! Vernon Bulllock acts as the music director for the whole group – really pulling things together with a tightness that's outta sight – and leadership of the project comes from Harvey Fuqua – who arranged and produced as well. There's some massively heavy talent on board for this initial outing, and you can definitely hear it all come into play beautifully – a wonderful harmony of rich talents, without any egos or issues to get in the way. Vocals chance nicely throughout – sometimes a female lead, sometimes male – as do the grooves, which are funky one minute, and mellow the next! Tracks include "All The Way", "Pretty Words Don't Mean A Thing", "One Way Bus", "It's You Or No One", "Do The Funky Chicken", "The Unh Song", and "What'll I Do". Great reissue – with excellent sound, and very detailed notes! ~ Dusty Groove

GENERAL JOHNSON - GENERALLY SPEAKING

A great solo album by this member of Chairmen of the Board – done with some wicked Holland Dozier Holland production, at a level that almost makes Johnson sound heavier here than in his work with his more famous group! The vocals have that same sort of crazy pinched sound that he had with The Chairmen, and there's loads of great original tunes here – plus a few Chairmen numbers, thrown into the mix, in the way that things sometimes got repeated on the Invictus label – but that's OK with us, because the tunes are so great. The grooves are nice and bouncy – and cuts include "God's Gift To Man", "Every Couple's Not A Pair", "I'll Never Get Tired Of You", "Mary Lou Thomas", and "My Credit Didn't Go Through". CD also features four bonus tracks – "Only Time Will Tell" in vocal and instrumental versions, plus "Savannah Lady", and "I'm In Love Darling". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - MARY WELLS, FONTELLA BASS, BOBBY PATTERSON

MARY WELLS - ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU / TWO LOVERS

A pair of incredible early Motown albums from Mary Wells – one of the label's first truly great singers – in a great single set from Kent UK! Mary Wells never sounded better than in her Motown years – and 1962's The One Who Really Loves You is key proof of her talents, as it's overflowing with laidback and mellow soul tunes – done in Mary's great blend of bluesy and classy styles! Titles include classics like "Drifting Love", "Strange Love", "The Day Will Come", "I've Got A Notion", "The One Who Really Loves You", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right", "I'll Still Be Around" and more. The follow-up Two Lovers features the subtitle And Other Greatest Hits, but it's actually a great batch of songs that were most newly-recorded by Mary at the time – and not at all a simple round-up of singles! The approach here has just a little more rawness than some of the girl groups Berry Gordy was scoring hits with at the time, but also a sense of urban classiness. As is their wonderful way, Kent goes above and beyond here – with a great booklet of notes and photos – which shines a necessary light on the making of these great records. Wonderful stuff! Titles include "Two Lovers", "Guess Who", "My 2 Arms - You = Tears", "Goody, Goody", "Stop Right Here", "Laughing Boy", "Looking Back", "(I Guess There's) No Love", "Was It Worth It" and "Operator". ~ Dusty Groove

FONTELLA BASS - FREE

Very righteous work from Fontella Bass – an album done after her time at Chess Records, and after her work in Paris with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – in a heartfelt, southern soul mode that's totally great! Fontella's back working with producer Oliver Sain, who first brought her fame back in the 60s – but the sound is a bit more sophisticated than before, drenched with roots from gospel and country soul, but also inflected with some of the more righteous modes of the early 70s, too. Fontella's vocals are incredible – with a range that should have made her one of the leading ladies of soul in the 70s – and titles include "To Be Free", "I Need Love", "Wiping Tears", "Hold On this Time", "Talking About Freedom", and "My God My Freedom My Home". 4 bonus tracks on this CD edition: "It Sure Is Good", "I'm Leaving The Choice To You", "Home Wrecker" and "It's Hard To Get Back In". ~ Dusty Groove

BOBBY PATTERSON - IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME

One of the best soul records to come out on the Paula label in the early 70s – one with a number of beautifully soulful moments – and a few surprisingly funky ones, too! Although Bobby did a lot of work for other singers, this is one of the few albums he actually cut under his own name – and it's a lasting testament to his talents as both a singer and writer. It's got a nice mix of southern soul ballads and more uptempo tracks, and loads of original compositions by Bobby! Includes "This Whole Funky World is a Ghetto", "If You Took A Survey", How Do You Spell Love", "Make Sure You Can Handle It", "I Just Loved You Because I Wanted To", "Right On Jody", "Quiet! Do Not Disturb", and "I Get My Groove From You". 7 bonus tracks on the CD edition: "She Don't Have To See You (To See Through You)", "It Takes Two To Do Wrong", "Take Time To Know The Truth", "I Get My Groove From You", "I'm In The Wrong" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

PATRICIA BARBER - SMASH

PIANIST, VOCALIST AND COMPOSER PATRICIA BARBER SET TO RELEASE HER CONCORD DEBUT, SMASH, JANUARY 22, 2013

On Smash, her January 22, 2013 debut on Concord Jazz, Patricia Barber reiterates her unique position in modern music as a jazz triple-threat – imaginative pianist, startling vocalist, and innovative composer (international release dates may vary). With a new band and a dozen new compositions, she also continues her two-decade crusade to retrieve the ground that jazz musicians long ago ceded to pop and rock: the realm of the intelligent and committed singer-songwriter, tackling even familiar subjects (like love and loss) with a nuance and depth beyond the limits of the Great American Songbook.
Once again – in the crisp chill of her vocals, as well as the fiery feminine intellect that informs her music and lyrics – Barber makes most of her contemporaries sound like little girls.

A prime example is the title track, where Barber paints the end of a love affair with subtly stated allusions to destruction: the erosion of edifices; a bloody road accident. The lines are more akin to poetry than conventional song lyrics, as she depicts “the crumbling of tall castles built / on kisses and blood / and dreams so like sand.” The song’s reprise compares “the sound of a heart breaking” to “the sound of / the red on the road” – a devastatingly effective mélange of synesthetic imagery. Aided by a raw, forceful guitar solo, the performance illuminates a counter-intuitive realization about loss:

"It just struck me, as it does everyone who experiences great loss, that on the outside, no one can tell,” Barber explains. “You go to the grocery store, and everything’s the same, which is shocking. It struck me that this is the sound of a heart breaking: silence. You’re alone. And I felt that this was an interesting juxtaposition, since the sound of a heart breaking should be the loudest, screamiest, shriekiest combination of sounds there could be.”

Barber has another song on the subject of “loud, shrieky” emotion: “Scream,” paradoxically set to a gentle, quiet melody that belies its message, and which has proved extremely popular with those audiences hearing it prior to this recording. “Scream / when Sunday / finally comes / and God / isn’t there . . . . the soldier / has his gun / and the war / isn’t where / we thought it would be.” As Barber points out in conversation, with only the slightest sarcasm, “It’s an angry song – and everyone wants that.”

Her anger finds a more whimsical (but no less impactful) outlet in the catchy “Devil’s Food,” written specifically from Barber’s perspective as a gay woman: “boy meets boy / girl meets girl / given any chance / to fall in love / they do . . . / like loves like / like devil’s food / like chocolate twice / I’m in the mood / for you . . . .” She wrote the song in reaction to last year’s highly publicized efforts to quash gay-marriage initiatives around the country:

“It made me mad, and it made me want to make a declaration – but to make it fun. I find one of the best ways to bring people to your perspective is of course to charm them, and music can always do that. That’s how I get a lot of people thinking about a lot of things. I mean, the lyrics are fairly graphic – ‘sweet on sweet, meat on meat’ – but the music is so beguiling, I think I make the case. And when it becomes clear that it’s turning into a gay disco song, it’s really fun watching people’s reaction, which is surprise and mostly delight.”

It’s not the usual territory trod by jazz singers and songwriters; we’re a long way from “The Man I Love.” (“Smart songs about the way we think and live, not just about the way we love,” wrote Margo Jefferson in The New York Times.)

Much of Barber’s magic lies in setting these words to music as fully evocative as it is coolly provocative. Many of her arrangements attain a thrilling friction between style and substance. (For a defining example, turn to “Redshift,” in which Barber weds the science-geek lyric – itself a miraculous marriage of physics and love – to the gentle lull of a bossa-nova beat.) Throughout the album, her Chicago-based quartet – comprising the superlative rhythm team of bassist Larry Kohut and drummer Jon Deitemyer, with the edgy and arresting John Kregor on guitars – functions as a translucent extension of Barber’s own musicality, while her piano work enjoys a prominence that some of her newer fans may not previously have experienced.

One song, “Missing” – perhaps the album’s most indelible portrait of heartache – came about in an unusual way: “This was a commission, I guess you could call it. A woman sent me a letter and her story, and a very small check, and asked if I could turn it into a song. It was sort of an outrageous request, but it really hit me, so I wrote it; it was my idea to take the story through the four seasons. In some ways, it’s the sleeper of the record. When I play this in concert, a lot of people cry at this one.”

The other songs on Smash represent the fruit of Barber’s decision to write what she calls a “syllabic song series”; these pieces resulted from a disciplined framework, based on the number of beats in each poetic line. (For instance, “The Swim” consists entirely of two-syllable lines; “Spring Song” has three such phonemes per line; “The Wind Song,” six.) “I studied the songwriters, but now I just study the poets,” she explains. “I’m trying to make the poetry of a finer order. But I still need to rhyme, because rhyme is rhythm, and rhythm is music.”

Audiophiles will be especially glad to know that Smash reunites Barber with her long-time recording engineer Jim Anderson (with whom she first worked in 1994, on her Premonition Records debut Café Blue.) Anderson – who is Professor of Recorded Music at New York University’s Tisch School for of the Arts – has again captured Barber’s music with the clarity and presence that led Stereophile Magazine to label Café Blue a “Record To Die For.” HDTracks and Mastered for iTunes versions of Smash are also available.

After her long association with Premonition and then Blue Note Records, Barber self-released her two most recent albums – recorded at Chicago’s legendary Green Mill, her weekly showcase for more than two decades – and had no plans to sign with anyone else at this point in her career. “I didn’t have a contract, or even a recording in mind,” she states. “I assumed that when I had a group of ten or so new songs I would probably put it out myself.” Halfway through this process, Barber received an offer from Concord, which she promptly turned down: “I was really enjoying the freedom of not having a label, especially in this environment, and just doing what I always do – trying to advance myself musically, practicing a lot, and locking in on what I consider a really good band.”

But the persistence of Concord producer Nick Phillips won out. “He came to see me, and he reminded me so much of Bruce Lundvall,” Barber recalls, referring to the former Blue Note president with whom she worked closely. “I had been grieving the loss of that professional relationship. And then Nick mentioned that he has great respect and admiration for Bruce. So we hit it off personally, and that’s what it takes for me.”

That, and the chance to take her time – to read poetry, practice piano, and do some gardening on a tract of farmland she owns in Michigan, a welcome getaway from city life in Chicago. That’s how Barber’s ideas take root and bloom. She remains an electrifying performer, but performance is not the most important aspect of her art. “My favorite part is the internal part – the research,” she points out. “All the interesting stuff happens inside your head and at the piano.”

Fortunately, those of us not in Patricia Barber’s head or at her piano still get to enjoy the fruits of that labor.

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP RECEIVES 26 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

Concord Music Group artists nabbed a stunning 26 Grammy nominations.  

 

Best Pop Instrumental Album: 24/7
Gerald Albright & Norman Brown
[Concord Jazz]

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
A Holiday Carole
Carole King
[Hear Music]

Kisses on the Bottom
Paul McCartney
[Hear Music]

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
"On the Outskirts of Town"
The Time Jumpers
Track from: The Time Jumpers
[Rounder]

Best Country Album:
The Time Jumpers
[Rounder]

Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
"Hot House"
Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists
Track from: Hot House
[Concord Jazz]

"Alice in Wonderland"
Chick Corea, soloist
Track from: Further Explorations (Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez & Paul Motian)
[Concord Jazz]

Best Jazz Vocal Album:
1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project
Kurt Elling
[Concord Jazz]

Live
Al Jarreau (And the Metropole Orkest)
[Concord]

Radio Music Society
Esperanza Spalding
[Heads Up International]

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Further Explorations
Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez & Paul Motian
[Concord Jazz]

Hot House
Chick Corea & Gary Burton
[Concord Jazz]

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)
Arturo Sandoval
[Concord Jazz]

Best Bluegrass Album:
The Gospel Side Of
Dailey & Vincent
[Rounder]

Nobody Knows You
Steep Canyon Rangers
[Rounder]

Best Blues Album:
33 1/3
Shemekia Copeland
[Telarc International]

Best Instrumental Composition:
"December Dream"
Chuck Loeb, composer (Fourplay)
Track from: Esprit De Four
[Heads Up International]

"Mozart Goes Dancing"
Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)
Track from: Hot House
[Concord Jazz]

Best Instrumental Arrangement:
"A Night In Tunisia (Actually An Entire Weekend!)"
Wally Minko, arranger (Arturo Sandoval)
Track from: Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You)
[Concord Jazz]

"Salt Peanuts! (Mani Salado)"
Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Arturo Sandoval)
Track from: Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You)
[Concord Jazz]

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
"City of Roses"
Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding, arrangers (Esperanza Spalding)
Track from: Radio Music Society
[Heads Up International]

"Spain (I Can Recall)"
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest)
Track from: Live
[Concord Records]

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
Ram - Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition)
Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul and Linda McCartney)
[Hear Music]

Best Album Notes:
Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles
Billy Vera, album notes writer (Ray Charles)
[Concord]

Best Historical Album:
Ram - Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition)
Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Simon Gibson, Guy Massey & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (Paul and Linda McCartney)
[MPL/Hear Music/Concord]

Best Long Form Music Video:
Radio Music Society
Esperanza Spalding, Pilar Sanz, video director; Esperanza Spalding, video producer [Heads Up International]

Source: Concord Records

DENISE DONATELLI - SOUL SHADOWS

Denise Donatelli, the GRAMMY® nominated and critically acclaimed award winning Savant recording artist, has become one of today’s premiere jazz vocalists. Her 2010 release When Lights are Low — which received two GRAMMY® nominations, one for Best Jazz Vocal Album and another for Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist for pianist and collaborator Geoffrey Keezer for his arrangement of "Don't Explain" — confirms Denise's status in the upper echelons of talented and engaging jazz artists in the country and internationally.


Denise’s four recordings, Soul Shadows (Savant Records, September 2012), When Lights are Low (Savant Records 2010), What Lies Within (Savant Records 2008), and In the Company of Friends (Jazzed Media 2005), have consistently topped the National Jazz Week radio charts. Her GRAMMY® Nominated recording When Lights are Low peaked at #2 and remained on the chart for 23 weeks. It resurfaced 28 weeks later where it remained for another 7 weeks. Soul Shadows is another collaboration with 2 time GRAMMY® nominated pianist, composer, arranger, Geoffrey Keezer. KSJS-FM Radio Programmer, Dr. Brad Stone considers Soul Shadows to be “Simply her best work to date!”

Denise also appears as guest vocalist on GRAMMY® Award Winner Bill Cunliffe's Christmas recording, That Time of Year. (2011).
 
In addition to Denise’s 2010 GRAMMY® Nomination, The Los Angeles Jazz Society has honored Denise with their 2012 Jazz Vocalist of the Year award. 


Denise tours extensively, performing at jazz festivals , jazz clubs, performing art centers, and with university jazz bands where she conducts master clinics.

Donatelli’s innate musicianship and pure tone have won her spots singing for episodes of The Simpsons, television promos for Frasier, Card Sharks and Turner Classic Movies and has appeared in national and international commercials for CNN, Hyundai, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz among others.

Growing up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Denise's talent was discovered at the early age of three when she plunked out Silent Night on the family piano. By the age of four, Denise began studying classical piano. She was an active member of the Allentown Music Club along with area musicians including jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. She garnered numerous ‘Superior’ awards for her piano performances in the National Federation of Music Club’s regional piano competitions.

While piano study was a major part of Denise’s musical background, she always loved to sing and soon realized that her true passion was jazz and popular music. 

Placing her musical career aside in favor of motherhood, Denise found her voice again years later after relocating to Atlanta, Georgia. It wasn't long before she became immersed in Atlanta's jazz scene working by day at Turner Broadcasting System and singing at night with a jazz trio at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

 A decision to move to Los Angeles in 2000, put her in touch with some of the city’s stellar musicians including Neil Hefti. Described as "a musician's singer" by GRAMMY® Award winning saxophonist, Phil Woods, Denise has performed as guest vocalist with Roger Kellaway, Terry Trotter, Christian Jacob's Big Band Theory, Alf Clausen's Jazz Orchestra, Les Hooper's Big Band and the Stan Kenton Alumni Band.

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

GRACE KELLY LIVE AT SCULLERS

Album Focuses on Original Compositions and Features Jason Palmer and Zach Brown, Among Others

"It's a blessing from the gods, this kind of talent, and when we see it in someone young, we marvel at the contrast..." - Todd Leopold, CNN

Stream Tracks From Live at Scullers

There are snapshots in the family photo album of Grace Kelly at Scullers Jazz Club at the age of six, falling asleep in her father's arms. When she began studying saxophone at the tender age of ten, she dreamed of one day performing on that very same stage. In those childhood visions, it was a much older Grace Kelly that she envisioned on the bandstand, but she made her Scullers debut at thirteen and held a CD release concert there the following year.

These days, the Boston club is a second home for Kelly, where she is a top draw for her regular performances. She claims to have set a record for the number of times she's sat in with headliners there, ranging from David Sanborn to Steve Tyrell to Ann Hampton Callaway. And she has her own dedicated seat at the bar, although she's still a few months away from being legally able to order a drink.

All of which made it a no-brainer to choose Scullers when the saxophone prodigy decided to record her first live album. "It was the perfect place to record a CD," Kelly says. "I knew if I was going to do a live CD I wanted to have a really great audience. Having grown up in Boston and developed a fan base there since I was twelve, it literally sounds like a yelling, hooting stadium when we come on stage at Scullers. People are just so enthusiastic, and I feel with this audience I can do whatever I want."

On Live at Scullers, Kelly offers a set mostly composed of new material which shows off her remarkable versatility. Her sax chops have been granted the imprimatur of jazz elders like Phil Woods and Lee Konitz, both of whom have recorded with her. But here, Kelly's instrumental virtuosity shares the spotlight with her winsome voice via her most song-oriented collection to date.

I listen to a wide range of music, from Miles Davis to John Mayer," Kelly explains. "Lately I've been listening to more contemporary music and songwriters and at the same time I've been more inspired to write songs. Growing up and learning the saxophone, I always listened more to singers than instrumentalists. Whenever I play a standard I always make sure to know the lyrics behind it. I feel like words are a really big connection between myself and the audience."

Kelly boldly offers her mission statement on the opening track, "Please Don't Box Me In." The title plea is made by a gifted musician and songwriter who sees no reason why the music she makes should be more single-minded than the music that she enjoys.

"As a young person," she says, "I love the tradition but I also I listen to the radio. So I've been trying to figure out how to meld some of this contemporary stuff with jazz in a different way. I'm like a mad scientist in my laboratory experimenting."

Those experiments have resulted in a stunningly diverse set of songs. The repertoire on Live at Scullers ranges from the smoldering "Night Time Star" to the tender "Autumn Song" to the country-tinged ballad "Kiss Away Your Tears."

Live at Scullers is by no means a complete break from Kelly's jazz roots, however. "Searching for Peace" is a scintillating burner, and the set closes with two familiar standards, both of which the saxophonist has recorded in the past. "The Way You Look Tonight" is reprised from Man With the Hat, Kelly's last record, which featured the legendary saxophonist Phil Woods. And the evening draws to a funky close with her groove-oriented take on "Summertime," which she previously recorded in a completely different arrangement on her 2006 album Every Road I Walked.

The band that took the stage that February night features a blend of old and new collaborators. Trumpeter Jason Palmer has been a fixture of Kelly's line-ups for the past six years, and their easy, empathetic interplay is evident throughout - as is their playful camaraderie. On "Searching for Peace," Kelly can be heard bursting out in laughter as Palmer begins his solo by quoting the theme from Sanford and Son. "We've gotten to the point where it feels like when we play together we're reading each other's minds," Kelly says. "It's so comfortable to communicate with him on stage musically."

Guitarist Pete McCann is a new addition, replacing the usual piano spot in Kelly's band. He also doubles on ukulele for "Falling" and "Ready, Set, Stay," a love song about a lazy day under the covers penned by Kelly and Emily Dale, a friend from Berklee College of Music.

Kelly recently graduated from Berklee at the age of 19, and the school provided many of her bandmates for the gig: cellist Eric Law (whose birthday was on the same night, resulting in a brief quote of "Happy Birthday" from Kelly on "Searching for Peace"), backing vocalists Jaime Woods and Chantale Sterling, and bassist Zach Brown. Drummer and Berklee professor Mark Walker - who, like Brown, plays regularly with Cuban clarinet master Paquito D'Rivera - rounds out the ensemble.
And, of course, there's the Scullers audience, which provides a character of its own. "The thing that's different about creating a live CD for me is the fact that I'm thinking about how I can program the set for my audience," Kelly says. "It's not so much about the album or the concept, and it's not only about how we can feature ourselves. But how can we capture the energy of the audience and more importantly connect with them?"

The answer, in Kelly's case, was to make the kind of personal, engaging music she's been making for most of her life. For the audience at Scullers - not to mention listeners to this CD - that's more than enough.

Live at Scullers - Track Listing/Personnel
1. Please Don't Box Me In - 6:55
2. Eggshells - 4:53
3. Night Time Star - 5:45
4. Autumn Song - 5:51
5. Ready, Set, Stay (Kelly/Dale) - 2:59
6. Searching for Peace - 8:34
7. Kiss Away Your Tears - 4:01
8. Falling - 4:17
9. The Way You Look Tonight (Kern/Fields) - 7:35
10. Summertime (Gershwin/Gershwin/Heyward) - 8:19

All tracks composed by Grace Kelly (unless otherwise noted)
Grace Kelly / vocals & saxophones
Jason Palmer / trumpet
Zach Brown / bass
Pete McCann / guitars/ukelele
Mark Walker / drums
Eric Law / cello
Jaime Woods & Chantale Sterling / backing vocals

Upcoming Grace Kelly Appearances:
January 8 / Blues Alley / Washington, DC
January 12 & 13 / APAP Showcase (Hilton) / New York, NY
January 26 / Exodus to Jazz (Hochstein School of Music) / Rochester, NY
February 6 & 7 / Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe / Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
February 8 & 9 / Eastern Illinois University / Charleston, IL
February 14 / Gilly's / Dayton, OH
February 15 / Germantown Performing Arts Centre / Germantown, TN
February 16 / Walton Arts Center / Fayetteville, AR
February 17 / Murry's / Columbia, MO
February 18 / The Blue Shop / Burlington, IA
February 26 / Hagan Center at Assumption College / Worcester, MA
February 27 / Club Passim / Cambridge, MA
March 2 / The Chocolate Church Arts Center / Bath, ME
April 18-20 / ASCAP Expo / Los Angeles, CA
April 26 / Jazz Festival / St. Ingbert, Germany
May 11 / Kirkland Performance Center / Kirkland, WA
May 12-17 / Juneau Jazz / Juneau, AK
August 24 / Boston Harbor Hotel / Boston, MA

gracekellymusic.com

TONY BENNETT KICKS-OFF HIS FIRST EXTENSIVE TOUR OF LATIN AMERICA

On December 3, Brazilian Star Ana Carolina Welcomed Tony Bennett At A Sold-Out Concert In Rio de Janeiro, And Presented The Legendary Entertainer With A Gold Record For Sales Of His Recently Released “Viva Duets” Album In Brazil.

The Global Ambassador Of The Great American Songbook Will Now Continue His Tour With Additional Shows in Brazil, And Upcoming Visits To Argentina, Chile, Mexico & Puerto Rico (See Dates Below)

Mark Your Calendars For December 9th at 10:00PM When Tony Becomes The First Non-Latino Performer To Star In A Primetime Univision Broadcast Special

Hosted by Giselle Blondett, the groundbreaking "FELIZ NAVIDAD CON LOS NUESTROS...TONY BENNETT Y SUS AMIGOS" will give an inside look at the recording of Bennett's critically praised "Viva Duets" album - Featuring segments with Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Romeo Santos, Vicente Fernandez, Thalía, Juan Luis Guerra and more. The special will also highlight solo performances of two Bennett classics and unveil newly recorded duets with Shaila Durcal and Armando Manzanero - including a heartfelt rendition of "Silent Night" to usher in the Holiday Season.

TONY BENNETT’s “Viva Duets Tour” Continues Across Latin America With These Concert Dates
December 01 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Via Funchal
December 04 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – Teatro Do Sesi
December 06 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Gran Rex
December 08 - Santiago, Chile – Teatro Municipal
December 10 & 11 - Mexico City, Mexico - Metropolitan Theatre
December 13 - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Bellas Artes

(Left): Ana Carolina presents Tony Bennett a Brazilian Gold record for sales of “Viva Duets” (Right): Tony Bennett and Ana Carolina perform duet in Concert last night in Rio de Janiero – Photos courtesy SONY Brazil

“Tony Bennett's 'Viva Duets' is a bilingual beauty … “Viva Duets,” the latest in the increasingly adventurous series of collaboration CDs by Tony Bennett, is, in its dapper way, as experimental as anything you’ll hear out of a Brooklyn basement noise-rock band or European knob-twister this year… The songs are, with a few exceptions, bilingual in the truest sense, toggling between languages right in the middle of verses… The emotional heft of some of these melodies — Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” sung with the Argentine balladeer Vicentico, in particular — is sufficiently powerful to transcend language barriers. Bennett, always a genial host and an outstanding conversationalist on the microphone, generates chemistry and heat with each of his collaborators. His voice remains a marvel… His comfort zone, apparently, is as big as the world…. If “Viva Duets” turns his U.S. audience on to some of the fantastic balladeers of Mexico, South and Central America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, it will put the veteran singer on the side of the angels. …It’s another gift from a veteran entertainer who keeps on giving” – Star Ledger

www.tonybennett.com - www.exploringthearts.org - www.zenofbennett.com

NEXT COLLECTIVE’S COVER ART DELIVERS THE NEXT GENERATION

Features rising stars: saxophonists Logan Richardson and Walter Smith III, guitarist Matthew Stevens, keyboardists Gerald Clayton and Kris Bowers, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Jamire Williams, and special guest trumpeter Christian Scott (aka Christian aTunde Adjuah)

Concord Jazz, a division of Concord Music Group, releases an exciting new project by NEXT Collective titled Cover Art — an ensemble recording by the next generation of jazz greats exploring their own interpretations of songs by such contemporary artists as Bon Iver, Drake, N.E.R.D, Little Dragon and more. The album contains 10 tracks and the digital version will include special bonus tracks.

Not often—maybe every quarter century—a new generation of musicians gets to the scene and rapidly develops a collective musical identity of its own. So it was in the jazz of the late ’60s and into the ’70s when a group of newcomers helped bring the funk and R&B grooves. We saw it again in the early ’90s, when a loose-limbed hybrid of jazz and hip-hop became the hippest flavor of the day, a crew of jazzmen working closely with deejays and rappers. As one looks further back in the tradition, other generational examples pop up, almost like clockwork.

Yet it’s never some carefully worked-out plan that ushers in the new breed. It simply happens—and it’s happening again now. The right people together at the right time, with a marked sound of their own: a sound best described as flowing with the improvisatory rush of modern jazz, all the while reflecting many of today’s most expressive popular styles— electronica and hip-hop; ambient and alternative rock as well as embracing uptempo or slow and moody, there’s a distinct undercurrent of funk. A Dutch music festival coined the term “New Urban Jazz” just this past summer. The leading lights making up this new wave include saxophonists Logan Richardson and Walter Smith III, guitarist Matthew Stevens, keyboardists Gerald Clayton and Kris Bowers, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Jamire Williams and special guest trumpeter Christian Scott (aka Christian aTunde Adjuah).

Together these names stand as the best of this next generation. They are improvisers, melodists, and arrangers. Some are bandleaders, some soon to be, and they’re a tight bunch: long-time friends, including a few who have studied together, and all of them have played together, on stages and in sessions.

Now, they are all featured on an exciting project—NEXT Collective—an ensemble recording that documents this new jazz age. “There was a point in the sessions for this album,” says producer Chris Dunn, “when I looked around the room and suddenly realized the level of talent packed in there together, the cream of the new crop, so to speak—and how much they are invested in jazz and also soaked in the music going on around them.”

Sr. Director of A&R for Concord Music Group, Dunn conceived, coordinated and produced this debut recording along with the members of NEXT Collective. Titled Cover Art, the album is scheduled for release February 26, 2013 (international release dates may vary) on Concord Jazz. Speaking to the album’s development, Dunn states, “It began as a way of introducing three new artists on Concord—Richardson, Smith, and Stevens. They are all great writers, but doing a recording of their originals, when not using their own band members, and all three having very different styles as leaders… that’s a tall order musically. It could make for a very disjointed experience no matter how great the playing. Instead, I thought it would be cool to do a project of covers from their generation and make a super group of the same. Each player chose and arranged tunes that came from any contemporary style they really liked: strong melodies but no jazz. The tunes we ended up with really bring something fresh to the table.”

The range in the feel of the tunes on Cover Art speaks both to the arranging talents of the members of NEXT Collective, and also to the diversity of their collective taste (what jazz veterans like to call “big ears”). The styles represented by these originals are a hyphenated hodge-podge—hip-hop and punk-funk, singer-songwriter and guitar-pop, electro-R&B and alt-rock. From Jay Z and Kanye West’s “No Church In The Wild” to Pearl Jam’s “Oceans” to Meshell Ndegeocello’s “Come Smoke My Herb,” to Drake’s “Marvins Room,” to Bon Iver’s “Perth,” the album delivers a cohesive flow. Other themes by Missy Elliott, Grizzly Bear, Rufus Wainwright and more not only serve as bonus tracks but also give a wide-lensed view of today’s musical outlook.

The versions that comprise Cover Art are often striking in how the songs have been reimagined, and compelling in the way they bounce off each tune’s original mood. Check how a tune like “Fly or Die”— a rock-fueled slice of R&B by N.E.R.D.—is recast by Ben Williams with the bounce and gear-shifts of a late ’70s fusion workout. Or how efficiently close to the atmospheric, neo-soul buoyancy of D’Angelo’s “Africa” Clayton steers his own reworking. Or how the metronomic beats and laconic lyricism of Little Dragon’s “Twice” are faithfully recreated in an acoustic jazz setting, courtesy of Richardson; the reversed horn lines that kick off the tune (and the album) are a clear signal that this project is both as mindful of the studio-craft of its many musical sources as it is of the live interaction of the jazz tradition. Cover Art has its feet firmly planted in the overlap of as many styles as possible.

Yet there remains an intuitive consistency throughout the album that owes much to an almost wordless connection felt by the musicians as they recorded together in Manhattan’s Sear Sound. “I was glad to hear that all the music fits together as an album even though it comes from a wide variety of places,” says Walter Smith III, who chose and re-arranged the Bon Iver, Becca Stevens and Dido tunes. “The main thing that still sticks out for me is how everyone was on the same page during the sessions. There was little to no discussion about much other than the basic road maps of the arrangements. When music can happen that way, something special usually comes out of it.”

For Matthew Stevens—who brought in the Pearl Jam, Wainwright and Portishead compositions—Cover Art benefited from familiarity with the songs and with each other. “The sessions were a blast, equally focused and relaxed. It felt like a family reunion—a lot of mutual respect present and a lot of laughs. It’s a great concept for an album since everyone had a connection with all the material.”

“When I listen to this album, and remove myself from having been a part of it, it sounds like a classic from beginning to end,” says Logan Richardson, who contributed arrangements of songs by Little Dragon and Ndegeocello. The remaining tunes were interpreted by Gerald Clayton (D’Angelo, Missy Elliott), Kris Bowers (Stepkids, Grizzly Bear), Christian Scott (Jay Z & Kanye West, Drake), Ben Williams (N.E.R.D.), and Jamire Williams (Stereolab). The temptation to dig these versions, and compare them to the originals is difficult to deny; in fact, it’s an exercise that should not be resisted, as it reveals the degree of inspiration and thought that went into Cover Art.

Time—as it always does—will tell how prescient this collection is of what is coming, what is truly around the corner for this music we tend to limit to the term “jazz” (and yet often includes much more). Cover Art is one of those albums that captures a rare moment in time—the coming together of a new generation and a new sound—while the NEXT Collective stands as one of those ensembles too laden with talent and future bandleaders to remain together for too long. “They’re young—but they’re not young players,” says Dunn. “All of these cats are real players despite their ages, with real experience under their belts.” And the majority of that experience has found them in each other’s company. That’s as good a reason as any to explain why Cover Art feels so much like the document of the next generation in jazz.
Complete Album Track Listing (bonus tracks on digital album to be announced):
1. Twice (Little Dragon)
2. No Church In The Wild (Jay Z and Kanye West)
3. Africa (D’Angelo)
4. Fly Or Die (N.E.R.D)
5. Oceans (Pearl Jam)
6. Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Stereolab)
7. Marvins Room (Drake)
8. Come Smoke My Herb (Meshell Ndegeocello)
9. Perth (Bon Iver)
10. Thank You (Dido)

KENDRICK SCOTT ORACLE - CONVICTION

With the 2007 release of The Source – his debut recording as a leader – drummer and composer Kendrick Scott established a reputation right out of the gate as an explorer, someone with a generous measure of wisdom and insight to counterbalance his youth and newcomer status.

Nearly six years later, Scott and his band continue to dig beneath the surface to find the deeper truths in Conviction, their new CD scheduled for release on Concord Jazz on March 26, 2013 (international release dates may vary). As the title suggests, Conviction is the vehicle by which Kendrick and company look past the mundane and examine the motivating forces that propel us through life, even in those times when the greater truths are obscured by the tedium of the everyday.

“The first record was almost like a potluck project,” says Kendrick, who has developed associations with numerous high-profile jazz figures in the decade since his emergence from the Berklee scene in 2003. “There were so many of my friends and people whom I love to play with, and I wanted to have them all in one place on that record. But Conviction is something different. I wanted to make this more of a band statement. This current lineup of the band just molded itself around this music, and then took it in all different kinds of direction at the same time. It all came together so easily and so well.”

The streamlined version of Oracle on the new recording includes saxophonist and bass clarinetist John Ellis, guitarist Mike Moreno (the only member to also appear on The Source) pianist Taylor Eigsti and bassist Joe Sanders. Guest vocalist and guitarist Alan Hampton makes appearances on two tracks.

“These guys create a totally different vibe from the band on the previous album,” says Scott. “They bring something that has definitely added to my writing. The way they interpret my compositions is exactly the way I want them to be interpreted. I provide them with just a few elements and ideas to get started, and then they take it wherever they feel it should be taken – which always turns out the be a good place.”

The album plays as a continuous and seamless stream of music with no breaks between tracks, the net result being an atmospheric soundscape rather than a series of individual tracks. The set opens with Scott’s nod to his gospel roots in a traditional prayer in which seeks to be an instrument of peace, faith, hope and love. The prayer segues immediately into the shimmering “Pendulum, which showcases the captivating solo work of saxophonist John Ellis atop the solid foundation set up by Taylor Eigsti on piano and the full-bodied rhythm section of Scott and Sanders.

"Pendulum,” originally performed by UK indie electronic band Broadcast, moves seamlessly into a melodic cover of avant popster Sufjan Stevens’ “Too Much,” a song propelled by Hampton’s intriguing vocals and a lurching backbeat that forces the listener to engage and come along for the ride.

Scott and company deliver an expertly rendered cover of Herbie Hancock’s “I Have a Dream,” which morphs directly into a short and quiet – but nonetheless intense – solo bass track entitled “We Shall Overcome By Any Means.” The haunting “Liberty Or Death” is built on a simple four-note piano riff that escalates to near-crescendo proportions midway through its near seven-minute run time.

The title track, written by Derrick Hodge (also the co-producer on Conviction), is built on a piano/bass/drum configuration that dances around any clearly defined rhythmic pocket, yet establishes a unique groove nonetheless.

In the final stretch, “Serenity” once again features the vocals of Alan Hampton. The following track “Be Water,” includes an opening monologue by legendary martial arts master and philosopher Bruce Lee that encourages a shapeless, fluid approach to the creative process rather than adherence to any concrete style. “Be water, my friend,” he intones more than once, as the track segues into a piece of music that is just that – fluid, flowing, energetic and crystal clear.

The closer, “Memory of Enchantment,” is a gentle solo piano piece crafted with plenty of breathing space between the notes and a poignant melody that briefly conjures a sense of urgency but ultimately instills a sense of closure and peace.

“Just like the title suggests, I’d like this album to encourage people to consider their own convictions,” says Scott. “We can live day to day and not really think about what our greater purpose is in this lifetime. What inspires me most about life are the opportunities we have to create and evolve. At any given moment, it’s our knowledge – and unfortunately, sometimes our lack of knowledge – that informs everything we do. And in those actions, if we’re wise enough to recognize it, there’s a quiet understanding that whatever we do has a purpose. With that understanding comes a sense of conviction. This record is my way of trying to give more thought to the things that I sometimes take for granted. Hopefully, I can take the listener on that same journey of self-discovery.”

NEW RELEASES - THE ROLLING STONES, GLENN UNDERGROUND, KELLI SAE

THE ROLLING STONES EP

The Stones first EP finally reissued in its original format for the first time! Back in 1963 The Rolling Stones were driving audiences wild all over the UK with their covers of American R&B songs. They covered tunes by Chuck Berry, Arthur Alexander and many more, and developed their own sound in the process. Despite their success, the girls losing it and the angry dudes waiting for them after their shows, their label still felt like they needed to test the waters before they would commit to an album. The result was their self titled EP released on 7" as a mono recording in 1964. - Reviewed by Michu Meszaros /  Turntablelab.com

GLENN UNDERGROUND - JULY 12 1979

Warmly soulful sounds from Chicago deep house icon Glenn Underground – who continues to masterfully translate dancefloor-tailored soundscapes into the full length album format – and does it with a compelling vibe that leaves a lot of his contemporaries in the dust! Glenn is great simply on the dancefloor tip, but he goes well beyond the call of duty by bringing in a wealth of jazzy and soulful instrumentation. So, along with the percolating beats and insistent rhythms, you get these sax solos and other brass goodness, some brilliant keyboard grooves and lots more. Dancefloor soul with an uncommon depth! Includes "Calor (Heat)", "For The Love Of Money", "Master Fuze", "Scenic Route", "The Band Played On" "DiscoSucks (Interlude)", "Going Bananas (Gorilla Interlude)", "Service", "AfterHours", "Reckless Art" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

KELLI SAE - PURE

Kelli Sae's really come a long way since we first started digging her vocals years ago – growing from a soulful singer with a jazzy vibe to a richly visionary artist with a great ear for the bigger picture too! Kelli wrote, arranged, and produced the whole set – and it bursts forward with positive energy right from the start – a magnificently mature vibe that really gives other contemporary soul singers a run for their money! Nona Hendryx guests on one track, and some of the others on the set have a Nona-like love of electric guitar – some nice fuzzy touches used alongside the more expected beats and keyboards, which really furthers the energy of the set. Titles include "Mask", "No Good", "Warrior", "Son Of A Gun", "Shot Me", "Nothing But A Fool", "White Rabbit", "Call Me", "Come Over", and "Urgency". ~ Dusty Groove