NEW RELEASES - ELVIN JONES, CHICO HAMILTON, EDDIE HENDERSON

ELVIN JONES - MR. JONES

A overlooked gem in Elvin Jones' Blue Note career – and an album that's virtually the blueprint for the Stone Alliance sound forged later in the decade by bassist Gene Perla and reedman Steve Grossman! Both players are working to full effect on this smoking little set – mixing some of the more spiritual modes of other group members with their own sharper-edged, funky-leaning styles – all held together perfectly by both Jones' tight work on drums, and his expansive musical vision! Other players are great too – and include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, David Liebman on flute and tenor, and Jan Hammer on acoustic piano – an instrument he handles with surprising subtlety and soul. Many cuts have a hard, choppy groove – and titles include a remake of "Gee Gee", plus "One's Native Place", "Mr Jones", and "What's Up – That's It". ~ Dusty Groove

CHICO HAMILTON - CHICO HAMILTON & THE PLAYERS

Chico Hamilton in the 70s just can't miss – he's really changed loads from his mellow 50s work in LA, and has a tendency to go for a hard grooving sound – but also one that's slightly left of center than the work of most other 70s jazz drummers – and we mean that in a good way! This cooking set for Blue Note is a great example of that offbeat approach – a tight set of fusion tracks with a warm finish and an edgey approach to the rhythms – awash with some really compelling numbers that will have you hunting down the rest of Chico's work from the decade! The group's got a great mix of acoustic and electric musicians – including Steve Turre on electric bass, Arthur Blythe on alto, Rodney Jones on guitar, and Abdullah on congas – and titles include the massive groover "Abdullah's Delight", plus the cuts "Ode to Miles", "Sex Is A Cymbal", "Mr Sweets", "First Light", and "Adair". ~ Dusty Groove

EDDIE HENDERSON - SUNBURST

Funky fusion doesn't get any funkier than this – and the album's one of the greatest 70s recordings by jazz funk trumpeter Eddie Henderson! The album's got a harder edge than a lot of Eddie's other records of the decade – razor sharp rhythms crackling away underneath a sublime space-heavy mix of keyboards, bass, saxes, and Eddie's funky trumpet. The group includes work by Bennie Maupin on reeds, George Duke on keyboards, Julian Priester on trombone, and Harvey Mason on drums – and the great Skip Drinkwater is at the production chair, cutting the grooves here with a lot more fire than in some of his later work! The whole thing's great – and titles include "Galaxy", "Kumquat Kids", "Involuntary Bliss", and "Explodition". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - BOBBY HUTCHERSON / CARMEN MCRAE / EARL KLUGH, BLUE NOTE NOW, HORACE SILVER

BOBBY HUTCHERSON / CARMEN MCRAE / EARL KLUGH - BLUE NOTE MEETS THE L.A. PHILHARMONIC

An oft-overlooked gem from 70s Blue Note – and a great little record that's especially nice for the Bobby Hutcherson material! As you'd guess from the title, there's a larger orchestra working with the artists here – and in Hutcherson's case, this creates the same sort of soulful, sophisticated feel as his excellent Conception The Gift Of Love album – vibes mixed with strings, underscored by hip rhythms, and coming off as a wonderful extension of Bobby's earlier 70s work. His group features Manny Boyd on tenor and soprano, and George Cables on piano – and arrangements are by Dale Oehler, on tracks that include "Now", "Slow Change", and "Hello To The Wind" – all numbers co-penned with Eugene McDaniels, but done here as instrumentals. Carmen McRae sounds great in the setting too – similar to her other excellent Blue Note sides of the mid 70s – with Bill Holman arrangements on tunes that include "With One More Look At You", "Star Eyes", "The Man I Love", and "Sunday". Earl Klugh rounds things out with his own sweet guitar, plus keyboards from Onaje Allen Gumbs – set to Dick Hazard arrangements of "Angelina", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Cabo Frio". ~ Dusty Groove

BLUE NOTE NOW - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Blue Note Now – and Blue Note Then – a cool little set that mixes contemporary grooves from the Blue Note catalog with some of the older gems that made the label great back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s! In truth, some of the contemporary cuts go back more than a few years – but come together nicely on CD1, to show the way the label's really grown in the past decade or two – moving into great soulful territory with tracks like "Little B's Poem" by Quasimode, "Freedom Dance" by Lionel Loueke, "It's All Over Your Body" by Jose James, "Black Radio" by Robert Glasper Experiment, "Soin Something" by Soulive, and "Time After Time" by Cassandra Wilson. CD2 features loads of older killers – including "Feel Like Makin Love" by Marlena Shaw, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Kathy" by Horace Silver, "Adams Apple" by Wayne Shorter, "Afrodisia" by Kenny Dorham, "Black Byrd" by Donald Byrd, and "Speedball" by Lee Morgan. ~ Dusty Groove

HORACE SILVER - SILVER 'N' PERCUSSION

An excellent 70s album from Horace Silver – one that's often overlooked, but which yields of listening joy, once you open it up! The set's got some wonderful modal/spiritual numbers – in a mode that would make the record highly prized if it were issued on Strata East, and which is pretty darn great for Blue Note at the time – easily one of Silver's most righteous moments of the late 70s! The percussion promised in the title really stands out – and helps shape the rhythms with an even more exotic feel than usual – but the set also cooks with some great horn solos too – trumpet by Tom Harrell and tenor by Larry Schneider – both players whose arcing lines really help add a lot of color to the grooves. The whole thing's great – proof that Silver never stopped growing as an artist – and titles include "The Aztec Sun God", "The Mohican & The Great Spirit", "The Gods Of The Yoruba", and "The Spirit Of The Zulu". ~ Dusty Groove

ROBERT HURST - BoB: A PALINDROME

Bassist Robert Hurst is an M.V.P. -- a long-standing member of Diana Krall's and Chris Botti's touring bands, an esteemed colleague of jazz stars like Branford Marsalis and Robert Glasper, and most recently a key player on Sir Paul McCartney's Grammy-winning Kisses on the Bottom. But Hurst's own recordings, with his compositions and his bands front and center, are especially welcome events in the jazz world. On March 12, BoB: A Palindrome, an all-star Hurst date and the fourth release on his Bebob label, will be released after an unusually lengthy gestation.

Recorded in October 2001, the CD features a stellar lineup including Marsalis and Glasper as well as Bennie Maupin and Marcus Belgrave (Detroiters like Hurst), Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Adam Rudolph. It immediately follows a pair of simultaneously released, critically praised 2011 albums: Unrehurst, Volume 2, an electrifying live piano trio date recorded in 2007 featuring Robert Glasper and Chris Dave (Unrehurst, Volume 1, featuring Glasper and Damian Reed, came out in 2004), and Bob Ya Head, a politically tinged, radio-friendly studio work that delves into Afro-pop and electronica.

In 2004, Hurst became an Associate Professor of Music, now tenured, at the University of Michigan. It was a positive development that required a reordering of his career priorities. He had hoped to release BoB: A Palindrome by then, but in the days following 9/11, it was difficult to find time to put all of its pieces together. Between flying back and forth between Los Angeles (where he was a member of the Tonight Show band) and Michigan, and recording and touring with Diana Krall and Chris Botti, he also needed more time to complete Bob Ya Head, which he began working on during 2007.

With originals written as far back as 1985, BoB: A Palindrome draws warm inspiration from people who have played important roles in Hurst's life, and the sessions proved to be an exercise in spiritual healing. The jaunty and elegant "3 for Lawrence," which begs for a big band treatment, pays tribute to Lawrence Williams, a drummer and composer from Detroit who set an important example for Hurst before his untimely death. The patiently unfolding, powerfully climactic "Big Queen" and sweetly reflective "Little Queen" were written for Hurst's wife (and manager) Jill and daughter Jillian. "Tigers on Venus" commemorates a day on which Tiger Woods and Venus Williams both triumphed, a doubly proud moment for African Americans.

Then there's "Middle Passage Suite," a lyrical, three-part meditation on black history inspired in part by Charles Johnson's prize-winning novel, Middle Passage. And the Headhunter-like "Jamming (Ichabad)," a fusion-y workout that, as literary sleuths can deduce from the parenthetical reference, has no head.

Robert Hurst was born in Detroit and took up bass as a young boy after seeing the Modern Jazz Quartet perform and meeting Percy Heath. Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, a Detroit icon, was an early mentor for Hurst, who began working professionally with Belgrave at 15. After meeting drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts on a gig, Hurst was recommended by Tain to his boss, Wynton Marsalis, whose group the bassist joined after college at the University of Indiana and with whom he recorded seven albums for Columbia.

In 1985, the year he made his recording debut on Out of the Blue, a Blue Note Records project featuring a group of young lions including Kenny Garrett and Ralph Peterson, Hurst began touring with Marsalis. He stayed with the band (which initially included brother Branford and pianist Marcus Roberts) for three years, appearing on such classics as Live from Blues Alley and J Mood. "That was when I started to take myself seriously as a jazz musician and began feeling a real sense of pride in being one," he recalls.

In 1989, Hurst began working with Branford Marsalis and remained for five years, again recording for Columbia. Hurst continued on with Branford to California to begin work on The Tonight Show. When Marsalis left leadership of the show's band in 1994, Hurst stayed on for another six years.

The bassist debuted on record as a leader in 1993 with Robert Hurst Presents: Robert Hurst (DIW/Columbia), featuring Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Marcus Belgrave, Ralph Jones, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Most of the music on the disc was specifically written with this exact personnel in mind. The following year, Hurst released a trio session, One for Namesake (DIW/Columbia), with Kirkland and Elvin Jones.

In support of BoB: A Palindrome, the Robert Hurst Ensemble will be appearing Fri. 4/5 as part of the Detroit Chamber Winds' Nightnotes Series, at Hagopian Carpets in Birmingham, MI; and Fri. 5/3 in the WEMU/Sesi Motor 501 Series at the Ravens Club in Ann Arbor. Hurst is also scheduled to headline the Detroit Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend. More dates are in the works.

HERBIE HANCOCK, AL JARREAU, WAYNE SHORTER, GEORGE DUKE AND OTHERS HEADLINE ALL-STAR CONCERT IN ISTANBUL



Herbie Hancock

 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue Herbie Hancock, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoglu and its Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ömer Çelik, have announces that the main event for the second annual International Jazz Day will be hosted by Turkey in the city of Istanbul.
Held every year on the 3th of April, International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools and groups from across the world to celebrate jazz, learn about its roots and highlight its important role as a form of communication that transcends differences.

This year, the main concert for International Jazz Day will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. UNESCO's Director-General, Irina Bokova, stated, "I am delighted to announce that Istanbul will serve as the Host City for the 2013 International Jazz Day celebration on 30thApril. A meeting place of global cultures, Istanbul is an ideal location to highlight the extensive influence of jazz. Official celebrations, concerts and educational programs will take place in Istanbul and around the globe, expanding on the tremendous success of last year's inaugural International Jazz Day."

Al Jarreau

 Taken forward in partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, International Jazz Day was adopted by UNESCO Member States on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, in order to encourage and highlight jazz's unique power for advancing intercultural dialogue and understanding across the world. International Jazz Day is recognized on the official calendars of UNESCO and the United Nations. Its programs and events will be coordinated with all 195 Member States of UNESCO.

"International Jazz Day is a means to highlight, support, and leverage the unifying attributes of music through worldwide celebratory events and activities on 30thApril each year," said Herbie Hancock. "On International Jazz Day, jazz is celebrated, studied, and performed around the world for 24 hours straight. Collaborations abound among jazz icons, scholars, composers, musicians, dancers, writers, and thinkers who embrace the beauty, spirit, and principles of jazz, freely sharing experiences and performances in our big cities and in our small towns, all across our seven continents."

Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoglu and its Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ömer Çelik, stated: "Turkey welcomes the opportunity to host UNESCO's International Jazz Day on 29-30 April, 2013, in Istanbul. On this occasion we shall celebrate jazz music not only as a global language of the human soul, but also as that of more inclusive societies, mutually enhancing civilizations and UNESCO ideals."


George Duke

Tom Carter, President of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, said, "The Institute is pleased to partner with UNESCO and the Republic of Turkey to present the second annual International Jazz Day. Last year's celebration reached more than one billion people through educational programs, performances and media coverage. This is a phenomenal figure that we believe will be surpassed in 2013."

Celebrations in Istanbul will kick off with a special early morning performance for high school students conducted by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others. The evening concert at Istanbul's famed Hagia Irene will feature performances by stellar musicians from around the world, including pianists John Beasley, George Duke, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Abdullah Ibrahim, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento and Dianne Reeves; trumpeters Hugh Masekela, Imer Demirer and Christian Scott; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller, and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinetists Anat Cohen and Husnu Senlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedro Martinez on percussion and other special guests to be announced in the weeks ahead. John Beasley will be the event's musical director.

Dating back to the 4th century, the Hagia Irene, located in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is regarded as an international treasure for music lovers because of its brilliant atmosphere and enchanting acoustics. The concert will be streamed live on the internet via the UNESCO, U.S. State Department and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz websites, and will be taped for future broadcast on public television stations around the world.

Wayne Shorter

In addition, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will work with UNESCO and its 195 Member States, national commissions, UNESCO networks, UNESCO Associated Schools, universities and institutes, public radio, public television, and NGOs to organize and promote Jazz Day events worldwide. Libraries, schools, performing arts centers, artists and arts organizations of all disciplines throughout the world will be encouraged to celebrate the day through presentations, concerts, and other jazz-focused activities.

To date, nearly 80 events have been organized in more than 30 countries, including Argentina, Australia, the Republic of Korea, France, Gabon, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago. In Armenia, the Municipality of Yerevan is organizing an open-air concert and will introduce jazz history and jazz performance in several schools around Yerevan. In Mexico, more than ten jazz concerts are scheduled throughout the country. Denmark will host "Jazz as a Verb" in Copenhagen, a day seminar and evening concert for both Danish and international musicians. In India, Jazz Goa in will celebrate the Day with a mega event featuring jazz artists from all over the world. In Swaziland, a special program "Jazz across Borders and Cultures" will include workshops, jam sessions, and concerts over three days. Additional events are being confirmed each day.

NEW RELEASES - MARGARET WHITIING, BARBARA & ERNIE, JOHN LEE & GERRY BROWN

MARGARET WHITING - THE WHEEL OF HURT (DELUXE EDITION)

Margaret’s first album for London — remastered from the original stereo master tapes — incorporated contemporary and country influences (to which she was no stranger, having charted with all those Jimmy Wakely duets in the ‘40s and ‘50s) into her sound and scored a Top 40 hit with the title track in 1966. Real Gone Music has added a full 13 rare single sides including her German-language version of “Wheel of Hurt” for a total of 25 tracks, all on CD for the first time! Includes notes by Will Friedwald and photos from the Whiting family’s private archive. ~ realgonemusic.com

BARBARA & ERNIE - PRELUDE TO...
Totally obscure, utterly beguiling and shockingly relevant to today’s music scene, this 1971 pairing of guitarist Ernie Calabria and soul singer Barbara Massey is a good example of why reissue labels exist. Prior to this recording, Calabria had played on sessions for Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone and Anita Carter, while Massey had sung backup for Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Cat Stevens among others. With those influences, the duo made exactly the kind of album you might expect—a funky, folky (!), psychedelic soul gem graced with a stellar list of sidemen (e.g. Joe Beck and Keith Jarrett) that vanished without a trace in the more stratified world of early ‘70s music retail. Nowadays, of course, the record’s mix-and-match blend of styles sounds amazingly current—thanks in part to disco pioneer Eumir Deodato’s orchestrations—and its oft-sampled sound has won devotees from the jazz, soul, psych and funk factions of crate diggers worldwide.  Nevertheless, this Real Gone release marks its first legitimate release on CD, with added liner notes by Pat Thomas. For starters, check out the slow-burning version of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”—you’re gonna fall instantly in love with this album. ~ realgonemusic.com 

JOHN LEE & GERRY BROWN - STILL CAN'T SAY ENOUGH  

Great work from John Lee and Gerry Brown – a pair of fusion stalwarts who added key help to a number of classic 70s sessions for other artists – and got to make a rare few albums like this on their own! Lee's on bass and Brown's on drums, and the pair are in perfect time throughout – working with Skip Drinkwater production, which helps them find even more focus than before, and shake off some of the more jamming aspects of their rock-fusion performances with others – a move that helps them come up with a wonderfully soulful sound in the process – very much in the best Drinkwater soul jazz style of the time! Some cuts have vocals that get nice and soulful – from Donald Smith, CP Alexander, and Tawatha Agee – and titles include the brilliant "Love The Way You Make Me Feel" – plus "Freeze It Up", "Breakin", "Rise On", "Funky Now", "Strut N Get Up", and "Down The Way". ~ Dusty Groove

EMILIO TEUBAL - MUSICA PARA UN DRAGON DORMIDO

Argentinean pianist/composer Emilio Teubal has recently recorded his complex and beautiful third album as a leader, Musica Para Un Dragon Dormido, to be released on April 1, 2013 on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records. The album features some of Teubal's longtime collaborators, Moto Fukushima, Sam Sadigursky and John Hadfield, plus special guests Erik Friedlander and Satoshi Takeishi. This recording is Teubal's follow up to his previous critically acclaimed CDs, La Balteuband (2006), and Un Monton de Notas (2009), which Jazzchicago.net called "one of the strongest Latin jazz albums of the year . . . highly recommend for listeners looking for something new."

"Without being too superstitious about it, Musica Para un Dragon Dormido (music for a sleeping dragon), is a reference to the Chinese horoscope as we contemplate 2012, the year of the Dragon. During 2012 I became the father of a little 'dragon', and being an older dragon myself, this event made think about the strong connection with this new creature, and the huge footprint that year left on my being," said Teubal. When the pianist released previous recordings he defined the music as "Argentine jazz", which to him meant, original compositions using elements and rhythms from Argentinean music, plus improvisation. He feels that, "this label it's not accurate for this album. Of course I hear a lot of Argentinean influences on it: Un simple Objeto has a strong Chacarera flavor (chacarera is a folkloric Rhythm from the north of Argentina). The Constant Reinventor has a 'bordoneo,' (a guitar-like figure very common in Tango music) and several other typical things from Tango music, etc," explained Teubal.

For Teubal, however, the stylistic accuracy of these Argentinean elements is not the goal on Musica Para un Dragon Dormido, it's just one of the many habitants coexisting in the music. That artistic clarity gave him the freedom to include elements from other world music, and also kept him wide open to what these amazing musicians heard in his music, without being stylistically rigid about it. "I am very happy with the final result. The music still sounds Argentinean but it has a strong cosmopolitan New York sound in it, with strong hints from other world music. At the end of the day we are all coexisting in this city, and on this album, bringing our own influences to the palette and creating a new sound fed by all those influences."

Un Simple Objeto (a simple object) makes reference to a peculiar compositional event that can trigger an endless flow of other ideas, sometimes more interesting than the initial motif. It's fascinating that sometimes the original idea ends up being left out of the tune. The Constant Reinventor was composed at the beginning of 2011 as a way to motivate myself and to keep my band alive in the middle of a dark NY winter. El Tema de Ludmila is a tune I composed for my niece Ludmila when she was born. It's also the title of beautiful song by whom I consider to be the best songwriter from Argentina, Luis Alberto Spinetta; unfortunately also in this year of the Dragon, Spinetta passed away, so this tune is my homage to one of my all time idols. El Acrobata is a chamber- like piece with a very atmospheric vibe. This tune really came alive when I heard Erik blowing on it, and it was composed for him. The title track, Un Dragon Dormido,is a great platform for a nice collective improvisation, and a tune that gave me the confidence to let go and realize that when you are around superb improvisers, the music finds its way by itself. La Espera: (the wait) was composed in the summer of 2010 right after Argentinean soccer team got eliminated once again from the world cup. Nikko: I composed this tune with ECM artist Nik Bartsch in mind. The tune has a coda that is one of my favorite moments of the whole album; somehow it differentiates from the Nik Bartsch style and jumps into a more balkanic vibe. La Perla (the pearl): I start composing this tune in The Pearl, Qatar, while doing a month-long 'forgettable' gig back in May 2011. I always liked duos and trios of clarinets and flutes, and I felt that with Sam Sadigursky I had the perfect guy for doing this, as he would play/read/interpret anything I wrote. In Spanish we make reference to la perla (the pearl) as kind of the fruit on the cake; that last magic touch. The coda is the pearl of this tune, and the tune is the pearl of the record. Milonga para Terminar (milonga to finish): Milonga is the faster cousin of the Tango and has an Afro influence derived from its other cousin, el Candombe (from the Rio De la Plata-Uruguay-Argentina). The idea for this tune came to me the day before a gig while I contemplated what to play if they asked me for an encore; so since then it has become the perfect finale with all the requirements for an encore, a collective solo, a drum solo, and a super fast ending in the style of Hermeto Pascoal. It also worked nicely to finish the CD (with some humor), leaving no doubts that, it's OVER.

Pianist/Composer Emilio Teubal was born in Madrid, Spain in 1976. At that time, his parents were in exile from the dictatorship government in Argentina. After a year in Spain, the whole family moved to Mexico City where they spent five years. In 1984, with the return of the democracy, his family moved back to Argentina. Once in Buenos Aires, Teubal started playing the piano at the age of nine. He studied at the National Conservatory, and composition, arranging, and orchestration with private teachers. He was a very active performer in the tango and jazz scene of Buenos Aires until 1999, when he relocate to New York City to continue his musical studies, earning a BFA in Music from the City College of New York, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He also received the Bushwick Composition Award for two consecutive years. At CCNY his teachers included prominent jazz figures such as Marc Copland, Scott Reeves, Bruce Barth, Mike Holober, John Patitucci, Cliff Korman and Ron Carter.

Emilio has performed as a leader in some of the most prestigious venues in New York City, among them the Iridium, Joe's Pub, the Knitting Factory, BAM cafe , Cornelia Street Cafe, the 55 Bar, as well as major jazz festivals. In 2007, Emilio was awarded Meet The Composer's prestigious Van Lier Fellowship, which provides support for talented, culturally diverse young people who are seriously dedicated to a career in the arts.

His credits include performances and recordings with artists like the Grammy award winners Raul Jaurena and Fernando Otero, Erik Friedlander, Hector del Curto, Bob Mover, John Benitez, Lucia Pulido, Pedro Giraudo, Lisandro Adrover, Miguel Bertero, and Astor Piazolla's legendary violinist Fernando Suarez Paz. Teubal has also been a steady member of different New York based bands like Sebastian Cruz's Coba, and Los Chantas Tango Group, and the Marta Gomez Group, with whom he has toured the U.S., Mexico, Spain and Argentina.

ALBERT KING'S BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN REISSUED WITH BONUS TRACKS

Any list of seminal 1960s electric blues albums is incomplete without Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign positioned near the top. The Indianola, Mississippi-born “King of the Blues Guitar,” who cut his professional teeth as a resident of the St. Louis suburb of Lovejoy, Ill., cemented his legacy with his Stax Records debut album. While he’d recorded for labels like Vee-Jay, Parrot and Bobbin, it was his chemistry with the Stax team — label executives Al Bell, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, songwriters Booker T. Jones and William Bell, and backing from Booker T. & the MGs and the Memphis Horns — that put King on the blues map.

The Stax Remasters deluxe edition of Born Under a Bad Sign will be released by Stax Records, a unit of Concord Music Group, on April 2nd, 2013. Music historian Bill Dahl wrote the new set of liner notes.

King was influenced by pre-World War II bluesmen Lonnie Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson, and post-war artists T-Bone Walker and Howlin’ Wolf. He came to Stax by way of Al Bell, a Little Rock native who’d met King when he played shows in the area. King’s first Stax recording was “Laundromat Blues,” included on this album, backed by Booker T. Jones on piano; Duck Dunn, bass; and Al Jackson, Jr., drums; plus the Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) and Raymond Hill (sax player on Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88”). The song had come by way of an unsolicited songwriting demo that Stax co-founder Estelle Axton correctly believed could be a hit for King.

“Crosscut Saw” is one of King’s best-known recordings as yet dated back to 1941 when Delta bluesman Tommy McClennan recorded it for Bluebird, and Willie Sanders & the Binghamton Boys cut it in ’63. A.C. “Moohah” Williams, a veteran DJ at Memphis R&B station WDIA-AM, brought it to King’s attention.

Booker T. Jones and Stax soul singer William Bell came up with the thundering bass riff that defined the title track “Born Under a Bad Sign.” The song notched #49 on the R&B chart in 1967, and was covered in short order by Cream on its 1968 Wheels of Fire album. Soon King himself was playing venues like the Fillmore Auditorium to young white rock audiences.

Another one of the signature tracks, “Oh, Pretty Woman,” written by WDIA DJ Williams, required the steady presence of Steve Cropper’s rhythm guitar to augment King’s lead licks. King received songwriting help from David Porter, on leave from his usual collaboration with Isaac Hayes, on “Personal Manager,” which was the B-side of the title track single.

Born Under a Bad Sign was also notable for its selection of covers. King gave the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller R&B standard “Kansas City” an urban blues treatment. He’s right at home with Fenton Robinson’s “As the Years Go Passing By.” Ivory Joe Hunter’s “I Almost Lost My Mind” is a rare King ballad with countrypolitan overtones and jazz flute, an unlikely showcase for his rich baritone.

For this special reissue Stax Records has reached into its vaults to provide previously unissued bonus tracks in the form of alternate takes of “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw,” “The Hunter,” “Personal Manager” and an untitled, never-before-released instrumental.

According to annotator Dahl, “Thanks to Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert King became a full-fledged blues luminary, masterfully bridging the gap between the Chitlin’ Circuit and the rock arena. He would make more great Stax albums, but he’d never top this one.”

Albert King will be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 18, 2013.

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL ADDS MARCUS MILLER TO LINE-UP

Marcus Miller, the stellar composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist best known as a bassist, has been added to the Saturday, August 3, line-up of the Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, which takes place August 2 - 4 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Fort Adams State Park. Miller, who by the age of 15 was already playing bass and writing songs for flutist Bobbi Humphrey and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, is the personification of the Newport Festivals Foundation's mission of presenting the best of emerging and established artists.

Raised in a musical family that includes his father William Miller (a church organist and choir director), the jazz pianist Wynton Kelly and rapper Foxy Brown, Miller has put his stamp on hundreds of jazz, R & B, fusion and rock recordings for more than 30 years. His credits as a sideman on albums cross the spectrum of musical styles: rock (Donald Fagen and Eric Clapton), Jazz (George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Sample, Wayne Shorter and Grover Washington, Jr.), pop (Roberta Flack, Paul Simon and Mariah Carey), R&B (Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan), hip hop (Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg), blues (Z.Z. Hill), new wave (Billy Idol), smooth jazz (Al Jarreau and Dave Koz) and opera (collaborations with tenor Kenn Hicks and soprano Kathleen Battle).

As a producer, writer and player, Miller was the last primary collaborator of Miles Davis, contributing the composition and album "Tutu" to the catalog of contemporary jazz music. His collaborative talents have been showcased in his work with Luther Vandross, contributing to more than half of the singer's albums as a producer, composer and/or player on a string of hits including "Power of Love/Love Power" for which Marcus won his first Grammy, 1991's R&B Song of the Year. He also left an unforgettable mark on David Sanborn's distinctive sound.

In 2008, Marcus co-led the all-star bass trio S.M.V. with Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten for an album (entitled "Thunder") followed by an extensive world tour. The following year, he put together a new band of young musicians for "Tutu Revisited" - a project that started as a special one night only event that culminated with the CD/DVD "Tutu Revisited" featuring Christian Scott. In 2011, he co-led the trio DMS, a funk-jazz collaboration with George Duke and David Sanborn. Last summer, Marcus conceived of and produced "Tribute to Miles," a 9-city tour of Europe with fellow Davis alumni Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, in which they presented their unique vision of every era of Miles' music. (Shorter celebrates his 80th birthday with Hancock as special guest at the Newport Jazz Festival also on Saturday, August 3.)

Miller's 2012 album, "Renaissance," is his eighth studio project since his 1983 debut, "Suddenly." The compilation includes special guests Gretchen Parlato, Ruben Blades and Dr. John and covers of hits by The Jackson Five, WAR, Ivan Lins and Janelle Monae.

The bassist, who started his career as a young sideman, now finds himself as an elder to many of today's younger artists. He tells ebony.com, "Well, I was always the youngest guy in the group, by far. All of a sudden, one day, man, I looked up, and I've got these guys who are like, in the same position that I was. I'll tell a story about somebody like Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie, who they only read about ... and they're all looking at me with really big eyes. And I realize, oh wow: I'm that guy, now. I'm the connection for these guys to the history of this music."

The Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management features Natalie Cole and the Bill Charlap Trio with special guest Freddy Cole, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino (194 Bellevue Avenue) on Friday, August 2, at 8:00 pm. The festival continues on Saturday, August 3, on three unique stages from 10:30 am - 7:00 pm at Fort Adams State Park (90 Fort Adams Drive). The roster includes Wayne Shorter's 80th Birthday Celebration: Wayne Shorter Quartet featuring special guest Herbie Hancock and Danilo Perez, John Patitucci & Brian Blade; Marcus Miller; Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society; Michel Camilo Sextet; Terence Blanchard Quintet; Robert Glasper Experiment; Gregory Porter; Edmar Castañeda; Ray Anderson Pocket Brass Band; Amir El Saffar Two Rivers; Bill Charlap Trio with guests Bob Wilber and Anat Cohen; Mary Halvorson Quintet; Rez Abbasi Trio, among others.

On Sunday, August 4, the music continues at Fort Adams at 10:30 am with Chick Corea & The Vigil with Christian McBride, Tim Garland, Marcus Gilmore and Charles Altura; Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra; Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band featuring Jaleel Shaw, Martin Bejerano and David Wong; Dizzy Gillespie™ Big Band under the direction of Paquito D'Rivera; Hiromi: The Trio Project with Anthony Jackson and Steve Smith; Joshua Redman Quartet; Jim Hall Quartet featuring Julian Lage; Jon Batiste & Stay Human; Dee Alexander: Songs That My Mother Loved; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Lew Tabackin Quartet with Randy Brecker, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash; Donny McCaslin Group; Steve Coleman Projects: Five Elements, Talea Ensemble and Duo with Tyshawn Sorey; David Gilmore & Numerology featuring Claudia Acuña, Miguel Zenón, Luis Perdomo, Christian McBride, Jeff "Tain" Watts and Mino Cinelu; and others.

NEW RELEASES - NICOLE WILLIS AND THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS, NEW COOL COLLECTIVE, LIONEL BELMONDO TRIO

NICOLE WILLIS AND THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS - TORTURED SOUL

The shining stars of contemporary soul music, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, re-emerge with their much anticipated album Tortured Soul on the Timmion Records label. The new album presents a new personal sound for the group, that was first heard in 2005 with their debut album Keep Reachin' Up. Keep Reachin' Up drew praise from the media and audiences around the globe. The first single, If This Ain't Love, became a dance floor hit from New York clubs to the UK's northern soul circles. The second hit single, Feeling Free, was chosen as the Track Of The Year by the renowed music connoisseur Gilles Peterson in his Worldwide Awards in 2006. Keep Reachin' Up was also listed among the Urban Albums Of The Year by Mojo magazine. Naturally, this new album has all the qualities that made their cardinal album a worldwide smash; the raw production techniques of Didier Selin, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators' unique songwriting and self-styled musicianship, and the sultry stylings of Pekka Kuusisto's string arrangements. Several tracks also feature horn arrangements and playing by the multi-talented jazz musician, Jimi Tenor. An equally new turn is the dusky sound of these raw tracks, which could be compared to the era when Motown stepped from their 1960s pop sound to more progressive times.

NEW COOL COLLECTIVE - OUT OF OFFICE

The guys that once brought jazz to the dance floor have now arrived at their seventh album. Out of Office is a record with a whole new groove: the sound, though still jazzy and dance-able, has become deeper and darker. This new record takes unexpected turns and fresh brass-sounds create an atmosphere that's bigger and darker, "nearly cinematic". Out of Office sounds unrestricted, more nonchalant, and is sturdier than their previous work, even rock influences are clearly audible. ~ Amazon.com

LIONEL BELMONDO TRIO - PLAYS EUROPEAN STANDARDS

After the success of the Hymne au Soleil trilogy, which earned him several Victoires du Jazz, Lionel Belmondo has opted for the more intimate trio format for his latest project, entitled European Standards. On it, Belmondo reimagines classical music - European ''standards'' - much like American jazz musicians did in the past with popular music. A storyteller born with sturdy lungs and the most charming of Southern French accents, Belmondo gives us Schubert's ''Serenade,'' Chopin's ''Prelude'' and Wagner's ''Song to the Evening Star,'' as well as several of his own compositions. This is an organic album from an extraordinarily talented saxophonist, one who favors realistic, natural and totally acoustic sounds and jazz without a safety net: no frills, no effects. ~ Amazon.com

NEW RELEASES - BLUEY, MICKY BAKER, THE JAZZFAKERS

BLUEY - LEAP OF FAITH

After 15 albums with Incognito, the band’s driving force Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick has recorded his debut solo album. Very rarely featured as a vocalist on any of the band’s albums, Bluey impresses in handling all the vocals on “Leap of Faith”. Co-produced and co-written with one of his long standing collaborators Richard Bull, the album ranges from dance anthems to funk to modern soul classics such as lead single “Got To Let My Feelings Show”. His solo debut is both a surprise and a delight, featuring as it does both lead and backing vocals from this most reluctant of singers. “I have always felt comfortable leading from the back – guiding others and bringing out the best of their artistry,” he says. “This past year was the first time I felt a compelling desire to bare my soul in this way with what one of my friends called my musical autobiography.” Bluey has fashioned a truly impressive, soulful album, with stunning falsetto performances and stand-out house tracks “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” and “Why Did I Let You Go?”, as well as the laid back jazzy soul of “Take A Chance On Me and “Stronger”.

MICKY BAKER - JAZZ ROCK GUITAR [ENHANCED]

Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1925, Mickey Baker first noticed music via youthful street jug bands. He lived for 87 years. Mickey recorded and wrote the perennial hit Love Is Strange with Mickey & Sylvia. In his later years Mickey went back to his roots of blues, jazz and rock. His solo blues playing took him around Europe and Africa. On his last tour of Africa he was joined by the bass player Alex Sanders and Mickey's show was able to expand to the full gambit of his musical experiences - from country blues to jazz. During this tour Alex and Mickey started to compose together and decided to try and record an album that would highlight their sounds and explorations. This is in fact the first solo jazz rock guitar album that Mickey ever recorded and it is full of intriguing and wonderful sounds from a rendition of Rachmaninoff's Prelude In C# Minor to the disco sound of Alexander's Funk Time to the 7/4 of Ouagadougou. Mickey has combined his skills of being one of the finest jazz guitarists with those of a guitar teacher and prepared a tab/music booklet for this project. This booklet is included on the enhanced CD as a PDF file. ~ Amazon.com

THE JAZZFAKERS - HERE IS NOW

Confused, driven, and curious, the JazzFakers come alive from eons of pulsing sound waves. the JazzFakers quartet emerged from the chaotic New York music scene in 2008. The idea originated from saxophonist/keyboardist David Tamura who runs the New York City Experimental Music Meet-Ups, (former projects of David s are Charles K.Noyes, Von LMO). During this time, David teamed up with drummer Steve Orbach, and multi-instrumentalist Robert L. Pepper of avant garde experimentalists PAS, later to add bassist Raphael Zwyer to complete the project. (In 2013, Matt Luczak has taken the role of drums/percussion). The JazzFakers incorporate various forms of music including jazz, avant garde, noise, improv, and minimalism, along with a few mainstream hooks, to develop a new cutting edge sound which can only be described as beautifully schizophrenic and original. Over the past few years the JazzFakers have coordinated various events in the New York area including the New York City Experi-MENTAL Festival and have played numerous gigs trying to network and develop a community of like minded individuals to resurrect the New York City music scene. the JazzFakers sound matured and in 2010 they released their first self-titled album (at that time still with their former bassist Isaac Taylor) recorded and mixed by Martin Bisi, legendary producer of artists such as John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Jim Thirlwell. ~ Amazon.com

NEW RELEASES - GIACOMO GATES, JIM ROTONDI AND THE LOOP, PHILIP CATHERINE

GIACOMO GATES - MILES TONES: GIACOMO GATES SINGS THE SONGS OF MILES DAVIS

Here, performing music written by and associated with Miles Davis, vocalist Giacomo Gates proves, as he did with his historic Gil Scott-Heron recording, that great music is not bound to the instrument on which it was created. Though there are notable contributions from pianist John di Martino , laying down some tasty changes, and Freddie Hendrix sounding quite Miles-like in his muted utterances this disc is all about Giacomo Gates joyously creating music both carefully rehearsed and on the spot while all the time spreading that joy to his audience. ~ Amazon.com

JIM ROTONDI AND THE LOOP - HARD HITTIN' AT THE BIRD'S EYE

Sharp Nine Records is pleased to present the debut recording of a hot new organ quartet, The Loop, led by hard bop trumpet master Jim Rotondi and assisted on the front line by his longtime partner in jazz pyrotechnics, Eric Alexander. This live date was recorded at the Bird's Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland during the band's initial European tour in early 2012 and features the same hard-hitting, hard-swinging vibe jazz fans have come to expect from these two horn masters' domestic exploits. Ably assisted by Renato Chicco on organ and up-and-coming drummer Bernd Reiter, this CD is a 50/50 mix of great standards and originals. The tracks are long and the blowing is intense, so sit back and enjoy some heavy hittin' from across the pond. ~ Amazon.com

PHILIP CATHERINE - COTE JARDIN

Philip Catherine, who recently turned 70, shows that he is as strong and original as ever and a big inspiration to younger generation musicians! Has worked with Chet Baker, Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Larry Coryell, Stéphane Grappelli, Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, and more. CD covers a wide scope of moods, colors, grooves, and emotions. Repertoire consists of original compositions as well as standards and works by Nicola Andrioli. ~ Amazon.com

KEVIN EUBANKS - THE MESSENGER

With his second Mack Avenue Records release, The Messenger, acclaimed guitarist Kevin Eubanks continues to explore his own unique musical vision. This vision offers the listener an opportunity to share a musical journey that truly exemplifies where Eubanks is at this stage of his illustrious career; one that, for over three decades, has seen him incorporate into his creative process a willingness to embrace the broad spectrum of his musical experience, while continuing to seek out new vistas.

The Messenger is a project that reflects not only the guitarist's virtuosity on his instrument, but also his impressive compositional skills-writing all but two tracks. Best described simply as a "Kevin Eubanks" recording-without specific categorization-as his intent with The Messenger is to communicate the breadth of his artistic influences. "I wanted to branch out a little bit more on this recording," Eubanks states. "I didn't want to be as concerned with the 'jazz sound' as much; I wanted to let out a little bit more of what I've been musically exposed to." Eubanks compares this philosophy to sports: "It's like with professional athletes; most of those guys can play three or four sports. Society makes you choose one or the other. But that doesn't change who you are inside," or in Eubanks' case, preventing him from showcasing his versatility on this album.

From the infectious groove of the title track that begins the program, the guitarist gives notice that a unique listening experience is on the way. This album is: reflective-"Sister Veil," "Queen Of Hearts," "Loved Ones," "The Gloaming"; funky-"JB," a nod to James Brown; "Led Boots," a Jeff Beck tune; and John Coltrane's "Resolution," from A Love Supreme; and bluesy-"Ghost Dog Blues." One of the funkier tracks on this recording is Eubanks' arrangement of "Resolution" (with a vocal bass line sung by Alvin Chea of Take 6). "With 'Resolution,' I didn't want to be blasphemous, with people saying 'Oh, no, he didn't'," Eubanks laughs. "But I'm thinking, you know, that maybe Trane might dig it!" As for the blues: "I like playing the blues; I like to sit in and jam with Buddy Guy at his blues club in Chicago. If I had the opportunity, I'd play a lot more blues." These particular tracks provide Eubanks and his band with an opportunity to stretch out and essentially just jam. Eubanks ultimately reflects, "We wanted the groove to take over; also, those tunes will be fun to do live, and people will be able to sit in."

Eubanks is joined on most tracks by his sterling fellow quartet members: Billy Pierce on reeds, Rene Camacho on bass, Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums and Joey De Leon, Jr. on percussion. This project also has a family flavor, featuring younger brother Duane on trumpet ("Sister Veil," "JB," "420"), and older brother Robin on trombone ("JB," "Queen Of Hearts"). For Eubanks, in addition to his brothers making valuable contributions to this recording, their involvement is representative of something more. "Their participation came about through some conversations that we've had, and I asked them if they'd like to be a part of the record. We've actually been talking about doing a family project for years, so their participation is really an entry to that."

Perhaps The Messenger's most distinctive element is its broad sense of musicality. This is certainly, in part, attributable to

Eubanks' experience with leading The Tonight Show with Jay Leno band for so many years. But it is much more than that. Eubanks' prestigious tenure there is probably more indicative of a situation that was a perfect fit for his musical personality. As Eubanks views it, ''to me, it's all just music."

For this album, it was important for Eubanks not only to embrace his musical philosophies, but also to reflect the common thread that exists throughout all of contemporary music; for example, the aforementioned rhythmic, funky, groove-oriented nature of several tracks on the project. "I love playing funk; I grew up playing it. The 'Motown Sound'? They were jazz musicians! If I had played '420' for some cats who are real 'funkateers,' they'd say, 'Whoa, I hear some Sly [Stone] in there, and I'm thinking, 'Ok, it looks like I'm good to go.' It felt good and very natural to me. As jazz musicians, we can play anything."

The Messenger is Eubanks' testament to being musically honest. It's a realization of what he feels is particularly important at this point of career and his life. "I feel that I'm at the point where I just have to be me," he says. "I want to do what has the most immediate honesty, and just lay it out." Throughout the album there is a feeling of exploration and revelation that invites the listener in. The guitarist never ceases to surprise, creating a program reflecting that honesty-offering a full range of moods, textures and tempos.

With this album, Kevin Eubanks takes another step in his evolution not only as a guitarist and composer, but also as a musical communicator. It's his way of making a statement about his personal view regarding the musical spectrum and its place in our lives, with sincere ideas of spreading the word to others. Arriving at the name of the title tune, Eubanks explains, "There is an urgency about it; it has the energy of a message that really should get across. The Messenger, I feel, is in everyone. We're at the point [in our lives], that whatever it is that you feel strongly about, that can help a person or persons that you love, or a situation that affects your life...you should let that message out".

By adding another sterling recording to his outstanding repertoire, Eubanks has done just that-let his message out. The Messenger is a project that not only showcases the outstanding technical facility from the guitarist and his bandmates, but also is full of music that is soulful and energetic, as well as emotive, earthy, with a touch of the blues. And for Kevin Eubanks, it represents a message successfully delivered.

Upcoming Kevin Eubanks Appearances:
February 22 & 23 / The Smith Center Cabaret Jazz / Las Vegas, NV
March 3 / Tower Theatre (double bill w/ Stanley Jordan) / Bend, OR
March 5 / Kirkland Performance Center (double bill w/ Stanley Jordan) / Kirkland, WA
March 9 / The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center / Huntingdon, TN
March 21 - 24 / Blues Alley / Washington, D.C.
April 6 / Cypress Creek Foundation / Spring, TX
April 9 - 13 / Birdland / New York, NY
May 17 / The Carolina Theatre (double bill w/ Stanley Jordan) / Durham, NC
May 18 / High Point Theatre (double bill w/ Stanley Jordan) / High Point, NC
June 12 / Pearson Lakes Art Center / Okoboji, IA

The Messenger - Track Listing/Personnel
1. The Messenger - 5:39
2. Sister Veil - 5:46
3. Resolution (John Coltrane) - 5:41
4. JB - 4:23
5. 420 - 4:20
6. Led Boots (Max Middleton) - 5:34
7. M.I.N.D. - 5:59
8. Queen Of Hearts - 3:49
9. The Gloaming - 5:28
10. Loved Ones - 4:07
11. Ghost Dog Blues - 5:24

All tracks composed by Kevin Eubanks (unless otherwise noted) // Produced by Kevin Eubanks // Kevin Eubanks / acoustic and electric guitar // Bill Pierce / tenor and soprano saxophone (all tracks except #6,#10) // Rene Camacho / bass (all tracks except #6,#10) // Marvin "Smitty" Smith drums / (all tracks except #8,#9,#10) // Special Guests: Robin Eubanks / trombone (#4 JB, #8 Queen Of Hearts) // Duane Eubanks / trumpet (#2 Sister, #4 JB, #420) // Alvin Chea / vocals (#3 Resolution, #6 Led Boots) // Joey De Leon / congas and percussion (#1 The Messenger, #5 420).

PEDRITO MARTÍNEZ RUMBA DE LA ISLA

Sony Masterworks in partnership with Calle 54 Records will release Cuban musician, Pedrito Martínez's new album Rumba de la Isla on March 12th, 2013. Featuring songs once interpreted by Camarón de la Isla, the legendary flamenco icon, Rumba de la Isla is produced by Fernando Trueba and Nat Chediak. The album celebrates the convergence of both the Cuban and Flamenco rumbas. The great rumbero Pedrito Martínez manages to integrate, in his own personal way, classic songs by Camarón de la Isla in a unique tribute to the greatest flamenco artist of all times.

Alongside Pedrito Martínez (vocals, conga drums, chekeré, cowbell and harmonies), Rumba de la Isla features many important musicians, who are "essential figures of Cuban music and flamenco." On the Spanish side, collaborators include Niño Josele, playing the guitar and Piraña (the cajon flamenco) and John Benítez, a double bass and bass player from New York. Adding to the list are Alfredo de la Fé - the legendary violin player born in La Habana and current resident of New York, and Román Díaz (cajón, batás, spoon and vocals). Xiomara Laugart and Abraham Rodriguez are included to contribute to the harmonizing vocals.

From the daring first track, "Que a mí me vió de nacer"to the last, "Homenaje a Camarón"(written by Pedrito Martínez and Román Díaz), Rumba de la Isla boasts originality and moves away from well-trodden musical paths while providing a creative merge of Cuban and flamenco music. The record does not include any trite "rumbita-con-son" tracks-instead, it has a percussion basis which along with delightful guitar and violin arrangements, enrich the songs musically and dive directly into the essence of Cuban music.

Pedrito Martínez was born in La Habana in 1973, but has lived in New York since 2000. He has recorded and toured with Paquito D'Rivera, Brian Lynch, Steve Turre, Me'shell Ndege'Ocello, Eddie Palmieri, Bill Summers and Los Hombres Calientes, Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill, Stefon Harris, Bebo Valdés, Cassandra Wilson, Joe Lovano, Isaac Delgado, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Edie Brickell, Eliane Elias, and Sting. He also took part in the film Calle 54, directed by Fernando Trueba in 2000. Pedrito Martínez has received six Grammy® nominations, winning for Simpático, on which he collaborated with Eddie Palmieri and Bryan Lynch. Martínez was also a member of Yerba Buena, a band he recorded and toured with worldwide, accompanying artists like Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.

TOMMY FLANAGAN / JAKI BYARD - THE MAGIC OF 2

Two titans of jazz piano are captured in flight on the new Resonance Records album, Tommy Flanagan/Jaki Byard: The Magic of 2. Scheduled for April 9 release as a CD with 24-page booklet, a digital download with digital booklet, and a deluxe limited edition 2-LP set, The Magic of 2 presents a 1980 concert recorded at San Francisco's celebrated Keystone Korner and the second entry in Resonance's Keystone Discoveries series.

"It's a revelation, how well they played together," says Keystone's owner Todd Barkan, who co-produced the CD with Resonance Records' Executive Vice President and General Manager Zev Feldman. "They had quite disparate styles, but they share such an incredibly large vocabulary and frame of reference that it makes their language coherent. They're both referring to the same knowledge and experience of the history of jazz piano."

The music is a "gift [from the past that] is both unique and stupendous," says jazz historian Dan Morgenstern, one of seven annotators in the CD package's 24-page illustrated booklet. " . . . Alone and especially together, Tommy and Jaki show us what spontaneous creation is all about."

When Resonance started working with Barkan, says Feldman, on the lauded 2011 release of Pinnacle, a magnificent 1980 performance by Freddie Hubbard and the first Keystone Discoveries title, "We became aware that the Flanagan-Byard session was something Todd was absolutely passionate about."

Over the past few years, Resonance has established itself as a home for such notable rediscoveries through acclaimed releases like Hubbard's Pinnacle, Bill Evans's Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate, and Wes Montgomery's Echoes of Indiana Avenue. Each of these releases has boasted vivid sound quality and an attention to detail that attests to the label's respect and admiration for the musicians.

"Resonance is trying to become a leader in historical jazz recordings and this totally fits the bill," Feldman says. "We're putting out this music because we really believe in it -- we believe in Jaki Byard, we believe in Tommy Flanagan, and we want to celebrate both of these artists for their contributions to this music. And we also want to celebrate Todd Barkan's vision."

Five of the eleven tracks find Flanagan and Byard melding their encyclopedic knowledge of jazz piano history in festive fashion: "Scrapple from the Apple," "Just One of Those Things," "Satin Doll," "Our Delight," and "The Theme." The disc also features six solo pieces, split evenly between the two pianists. All three of Flanagan's three unaccompanied contributions come from the pen of Billy Strayhorn ("Something to Live For," "Chelsea Bridge," "All Day Long"). Byard leads with Stevie Wonder's "Send One Your Love," and also places his stamp on the Jule Styne standard "Sunday" and Chuck Mangione's "Land of Make Believe."

The Magic of 2 brings the listener back to that night through the loving sound restoration of label president George Klabin and Resonance's engineer Fran Gala (from cassette tapes, no less). The CD comes with a 24-page booklet annotated by Barkan, Feldman, and Morgenstern as well as jazz critic Howard Mandel, pianists Renee Rosnes and Bill Charlap, and Jaki's daughter Diane Byard. Iconic images from the archive of Keystone staff photographer Tom Copi, some being published for the first time, illustrate the booklet, along with work by photographers Brian McMillen and Kathy Sloane.

The new album is also available as a digital download with digital booklet (where available), and as a limited edition 2-LP set pressed on 180-gram vinyl at 45-RPM by audiophile leaders R.T.I., with a deluxe gatefold, hard-stock jacket by Stoughton Press. Art direction and design was handled by industry veteran Burton Yount (Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall; Wes Montgomery/Echoes of Indiana Avenue).

Additionally, in the LP edition only is a special commemorative set of Keystone Korner postcards by Tom Copi, along with a retro reproduction of a Keystone Korner punch card (which regular patrons used when attending the club). The LP edition was mastered by Bernie Grundman (Sonny Rollins/Way Out West; Michael Jackson's Thriller).

JOHN LEE HOOKER, JOHN MAYALL, BIG MAMA THORNTON, LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS FEATURED IN ELECTRO BLUES REMIX COLLECTION

ELECTRO BLUES VOLUME ONE (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Freshly Squeezed, the UKs leading electro-swing label and debonairs of all things vintage, proudly present the hotly anticipated release of Electro Blues.

Freshly Squeezed Music is the birthplace of the Electro Swing phenomenon that took the world by the hand and lead it wholeheartedly into the world of vintage and vintage revival.

This two-disc Electro Blues album is pioneering the most vibrant, captivating and down-right electrical musical genre that Freshly Squeezed label boss and DJ Nick Hollywood states "will become a massive global sound within a few years".

It has a sweaty, earthy, rugged, but hard-hitting and totally contemporary sound. Set for a phenomenal reception in 2013 it will soon be the hottest new genre around and its home is with Freshly Squeezed Music. Mixing the styles of the 1930s Mississippi delta, 1940s Jump Blues and 21st century earth-rattling synth bass lines, Electro Blues is a musical gem that has lay all-but undiscovered... until now.

ELECTRO BLUES CD1 comprises an array of some of the finest vintage blues remixes around. It can't get better than this! The passion and grit of the blues not only lives, breathes and thrives within this astounding compilation but it also embodies something bigger and more prominant than ever before. Featured on this album is the genre defining Moby, France's illustrious Lazlo, and the suave sounds of Cabbie Hat Recordings' 4Peace.

ELECTRO BLUES CD2 can be considered the quintessential guide to 'jump & jive blues' featuring artists such as Big Mama Thornton, Amos Milburn and the ever elusive B.K. Anderson. Fear not, this is not another slap-dash assorment of dreary blues songs that leave you crying into your beer. These tracks are BIG, bold and unashamably in your face with the gusto that many artists still strive for today!

NEW RELEASES - HEIDI VOGEL, THE RELATIVES, NILSON MATTA

HEIDI VOGEL - TURN UP THE QUIET

A great solo set from Heidi Vogel – a vocalist you may know from previous work with the Cinematic Orchestra – stepping out here in a bossa-heavy set that's a perfect fit for the Far Out label! Heidi's style is deeper and more expressive than before – not a voice as part of larger instrumental backdrops, but a lyrical presence first and foremost – often supported with lighter instrumentation that echoes an older bossa era – with strong use of acoustic guitar, light percussion, piano, bass, and cello – all with very melancholy shades of sound. There's a light glow to the record that's really beautiful – mellow, yet soulful enough to have some subtle power – and the set also features guest vocals on two tracks by Cleveland Watkiss, and guest piano on two other numbers by Austin Peralta. Titles include a nice version of Joao Donato's "The Frog" – plus "Inutil Paisagem", "Chelsea Bridge", ""Bonita", "Juazeiro", "Black Narcissus", "Copacabana", "Love Dance", and "Modinha". CD also fatures three remix numbers – "Black Narcissus (Cinematic Orchestra rmx)", "Black Narcissus (Emanative rmx)", and "Turn Up The Quiet (IG Culture rmx)". ~ Dusty Groove

THE RELATIVES - ELECTRIC WORD

The magnificent return of The Relatives – the group's first new recording since the 70s – hot on the heels of their rediscovery on the Don't Let Me Fail compilation! The lineup features some younger members alongside leader Reverend Gean West – but the sound here is very much in the spirit of the early recordings – with a strong emphasis on vocal harmonies, served up in the righteous blend of soul and gospel roots that made the group so great in the first place! Other instrumentation is mostly funky, and pretty darn respectful – some sharp-edged guitar and tight drums that often sit out and let the vocals take center stage. Titles include "Revelations", "We Need Love", "Say It Loud", "Trouble In My Way", "Things Are Changing", and "Bad Trip". (Heavy vinyl and cover – with a bonus CD of the whole album, and an MP3 of the album as well!) ~ Dusty Groove

NILSON MATTA - BLACK ORPHEUS

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from bassist Nilson Matta – a set that mixes Brazilian jazz modes with a much more complex approach – all in a style that offers up a really rich reworking of the famous soundtrack to the film Black Orpheus! The original score by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa is augmented by key passages from Matta himself – and other moments feature just spare percussion and cuica, in ways that recall the almost-ethnographic quality of the the original film recording. Yet together, these elements are all interwoven into a rich musical tapestry with a shimmering sense of sound – pulled together from diverse contributions by artists who include Kenny Barron on piano, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Anat Cohen on clarinet, Guilherme Monteiro on guitar, Anne Drummond on flute, and Leny Andrade on vocals. Titles include "Batucada", "A Felicidade", "Samba De Orfeu", "Repinique Interlude", "Ascend My Love", "Violao Interlude", "Hugs & Kisses", "Um Nome De Milher", and "Frevo De Orfeu". ~ Dusty Groove

THE EGO RECORDINGS OF LESZEK ZADLO AND ALAN SKIDMORE

A treasure trove of rare work from the obscure German Ego label – four different albums, all of them great – packaged here in tiny LP-styled covers too! The set's especially noteworthy for the work of British saxophonist Alan Skidmore – working here on some of his best material of the late 70s – records that easily rival the best sides cut back home in the UK, but which also have a very different feel and flavor!

On Morning Rise, Skidmore plays tenor and soprano sax, alongside Gerd Dudek, who also plays both horns too – in these long, textural lines that merge and diverge nicely with Skidmore's – creating these majestic shapes in sound, before then taking off towards much more powerful solos. Rhythm is from Adelhard Rodiginger on bass and Lala Kovacev on drums – and titles include "Morning Rise", "Macedonian Market", "Dr Les Mosses", and "Nakemiin".

SOH is a trio outing from Alan Skidmore, drummer Tony Oxley, and bassist Ali Haurand – hence the title – and the set really allows Skidmore to expand on some of his most open, expressive lines on tenor and soprano sax! Tracks are quite long, and build with this almost late-Coltrane sort of energy – almost glowing with a sense of spirituality that's pushed along strongly by the reed lines. Titles include "One Two Free", "Das Ist Alice", "Lost In WG", and "Trio Nr 10".

European Jazz Quintet features tremendous reeds from the trio of Alan Skidmore, Gerd Dudek, and Leszek Zadlo – all of whom play both tenor and soprano sax – and work alongside the bass of Ali Haurand and drums of Pierr Courbois! The set features two long tracks – "Das Ist Alice" and "Miss B" – both of them balanced nicely on the cusp between European free jazz and some stronger spiritual jazz structures, in a very nice way.

Last up is Thoughts, from Leszek Zadlo – a record that has Zadlo on both flute and tenor, working with the excellent Ego Records rhythm trio of Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Joe Nay on drums! The sound is quite different than other Ego sessions with the trio – as the tracks here build very slowly, often through the initial utterings of Zadlo on his reeds – kind of growing into a spiritually expressive style that gets increasingly focused as the set goes on – in ways that are a nice change from European free jazz. Titles include "Two Friends", "Some Body", "Struggle", and "Thoughts". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA, UKITUSA QUINTET, FABRIZIO BOSSO & JAVIER GIROTTO LATIN MOOD

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA - LATE NIGHT TALES

This classic late night tales release is now finally available on heavy weight double vinyl, released back in 2010 this edition has gone on to become one of the most successful albums in the series 12 year history, cut using the unique "half speed" mastering technique's and pressed on virgin 180 gram vinyl this is the ultimate audiophile format, each beautifully pressed disc is housed in a special anti static inner sleeve and comes with a special 30cm cover art print and the package also includes the original CD mixed disc and 12 page booklet. ~ Amazon.com

ANTONIO FGURA / CLEVELAND WATKISS / WILLIAM LENIHAN / MILKO AMBROGINI / ETTORE FIORAVANTI - UKITUSA QUINTET

Starring the multi-awarded vocalist Cleveland Watkiss and pianist Antonio Figura, UKITUSA was recorded in July 2011 in an open, mountainous region of Northern Italy in a peaceful town in the vicinity of Udine. Five musicians from three different countries came together with open ears and hearts to create a special collection of music. The genesis of the band was interesting. Through Antonio Figura, the nuclear member of the group, each of the musicians had some prior contact with at least one other member of the band. The music recorded in those two days demonstrates a shared experience with various improvised and composed music, European, American, African or otherwise. It will be interesting to see how the sound of this band expands in concept and depth as it concertizes. The chemistry among the musicians in the sessions was exciting and full of potential. UKITUSA begins to tell a story of common experience, differing expressions, and all through the desires of five men to communicate their stories. ~ Ishtar.it

FABRIZIO BOSS & JAVIER GIROTTO LATIN MOOD - VAMOS

Founded by trumpetist Fabrizio Bosso and saxophonist Javier Girotto, Latin Mood features a bunch of great artists. Tango, milonga, chacarera, candombe - everything springs and sparkles under the jazz banner. Launched for the 2006 edition of the Brianza Open Jazz Festival, the quintet has two leaders: Turin native Fabrizio Bosso and Argentinian Javier Girotto (Italian by adoption). Bosso’s hard bop meets Girotto’s latin world on the fruitful soil of improvisation. Featuring original tracks by Javier Girotto, Natalio Mangalavite, and Fabrizio Bosso. At electric bass we have Luca Bulgarelli; Tucci’s drums and Marcozzi’s percussions complete the ensemble. Latin jazz has been influencing jazz and other music genres since years. Think of ‘Spanish Tinge’ by Jelly Roll Morton or Tito Puente’s orchestras or Stan Getz’s great commercial success with bossanova. Boppers also, from Charlie Parker and Bud Powell – with his classic ‘Un Poco Loco’ – to other great musicians (like Mingus, Dorham, Joe Henderson, just to name a few) approached with love, curiosity and respect latin world and its themes. Ishtar.it