SUPER'JAZZ'GROUP BWB FEATURING RICK BRAUN, KIRK WHALUM, NORMAN BROWN REUNITES, CELEBRATES MICHAEL JACKSON ON NEW ALBUM

Individually, they are three titans of contemporary music: Rick Braun, the gifted trumpeter/flugelhornist with the golden voice; GRAMMY® Award-winning tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum, the Memphis-born wunderkind who mixes Beale Street, gospel, the blues and bop; and Norman Brown, the GRAMMY®-winning guitarist who brings a Louisiana lilt to his Wes Montgomery/George Benson influenced six-string soulful strut. They came together eleven years ago as the supergroup known as BWB and their historic album Groovin’, made them one of the most sought-after groups at that time.

This terrific triad reassembles with the June 18, 2013 release of Human Nature on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group (international release dates may vary). This long-awaited sequel to their debut project spotlights BWB’s stupendous reimaging of eleven selections made famous by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

“We made the first BWB record in 2002 when we were all on Warner Bros. Jazz,” Braun says. “We did a world tour behind the record. And then we’ve all been off doing our own thing – so this is really a reunion. We have an incredible amount of respect for each other: We phrase together. We complete each other’s sentences, musically. We’re really just a good bunch of guys making music, and grateful to be doing that.”


Norman Brown / Kirk Whalum / Rick Braun


“This is a fun collaboration,” Brown says. “First of all, we really love each other. We’ve been good friends for the longest time. Rick is a very serious trumpet player; so is Kirk on his horn. And then we feed off each other and bring stuff to life that way. So it was Rick’s idea to make these songs, to do the Michael Jackson songbook. So we just started picking our favorite ones. It was hard to narrow it down, but we narrowed it down to eleven tunes and we hope that we did him proud.” BWB is augmented by keyboardist John Stoddart, bassist Braylon Lacey, drummer Khari Parker, percussionist Lenny Castro and organist Ralph Lofton.

Though Braun, Whalum and Brown are often labeled in the limiting category of “smooth jazz,” the selections on this project prove beyond doubt that this recording was produced in the time-honored tradition of modern jazz musicians interpreting and elevating popular music, like Ahmad Jamal did with “Poinciana” and John Coltrane did with “My Favorite Things.”

“You take a Miles Davis,” Whalum says, “for him to record a Michael Jackson song [like ‘Human Nature’] says something. It’s a validation. We’re not the first musicians to take a serious approach to Michael’s music. But for us it’s an honor because the feeling of the music communicates so beautifully. That’s ultimately what music is supposed to be about.”

The eleven tracks on Human Nature offer an exciting potpourri of Michael Jackson’s artistry – from his days with The Jackson Five to his historic albums as a solo artist, including Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad. And BWB brilliantly recasts Jackson’s hits in new and imaginative ways. The CD’s title track – arguably Jackson’s most original and haunting song – was rendered with a spare arrangement at a slower tempo than the original, but with the same Quiet Storm, Debussyian melodic imagery of the original track, laced with vocalist Sheléa’s airy, angelic vocal. “We broke it down. We kept it at a quiet overtone,” Brown says. “The melody speaks for itself, with Sheléa delivering that beautiful melody. We played around that. I played a lot of arpeggiated chords. It turned out to be a beautiful piece.”

BWB’s jazz extensions of Jackson’s music are also evident of their energetic and evocative take on the megahit “Billie Jean,” played with a riff familiar to all post-bop aficionados. “Michael had an ear for that [harmony] and had a real jazz sensibility,” Braun says. “Let’s take ‘Billie Jean.’ When you look at the chord comping pattern, and the bassline, you can actually play Miles Davis’ ‘Milestones’ on it. The harmonies in the song ‘I Can’t Help it,’ which was written by Stevie Wonder, are so complex, that playing solos on top of that was challenging for all of us. So it’s not a fluke that Michael Jackson became the king of pop. The way he phrased melodies, it’s surprisingly complicated. It’s lyrical, but interesting and a lot deeper than would expect from a pop artist.”

Another Jackson hit, “Who’s Lovin’ You,” from his days with the Jackson Five, is given a below-the-Mason Dixon Line, Juke Joint makeover, courtesy of Whalum’s down-home arrangement. “It was the perfect example of Michael’s music and how profound it is,” Whalum says. “Arguably the blues is the most profound expression of what’s inside of your soul. Michael sang that song when he was eleven years old, and he sang it like he had his heart broken, in the classical form of the blues. Harmonically, it’s a blues song.”

“I’m playing a lot of blues guitar on that one,” Brown remarked, “because Kirk’s arrangement was a Memphis blues. And I heard Albert and B.B. King. So I picked up a smaller, hollow-body guitar.”

BWB’s take on “Shake Your Body Down to the Ground,” dances with a Miami Sound Machine Latin vibe, “The idea is to connect with the audience on a different level,” Whalum says. “[Our version of the song says] you paid your money, you might as well shake your butt!” Braun’s ingenious reggae-ska version of “Beat It” rocks with the kind of pop-Caribbean cadences one would hear from Sting and the Police. Whalum and Stoddart rework Jackson’s Stevie Wonder composed track, “I Can’t Help It” with some sly aural alchemy. “We started by taking the song out of even meter signature, and we put it in 3/4 - 6/8,” Whalum says. “So right away that changed the complexion of the the song. And we had to morph the melody into something different. I thought it was so sexy!”

The scintillating music on this provocative project is the culmination of three master musicians who came together from diverse backgrounds. Hailing from Allentown, PA, Rick Braun, a graduate of the prestigious Eastman School of Music, gigged with a fusion group, Auracle, wrote “Here With Me,” a hit with the rock group REO Speedwagon, and released over fifteen recordings as a leader, including Intimate Secrets, Body & Soul, Shake it Up (with Boney James) and Rick Braun “Sings with Strings.”

Growing up in Memphis, TN, saxophonist/flutist Kirk Whalum came of age in one of America’s most musically rich cities, where one was required to master gospel, R&B, jazz, and the blues. Graduating from Texas Southern University in Houston, Whalum cut his jazz chops during the city’s vibrant night club scene of the ’80s. Though he’s recorded with a variety of artists, from Yolanda Adams and Barbra Streisand to Quincy Jones and most notably Whitney Houston, Whalum, an ordained minister, has a passion to educate young musicians and serves as Chief Creative Officer of the STAX Music Academy and the STAX Museum of American Soul Music in his hometown. A 2011 GRAMMY® winner for Best Gospel Song, he has recorded twenty-plus solo CDs including The Promise, Romance Language and The Gospel According to Jazz series.

Hailing from Shreveport, LA, Norman Brown was raised in Kansas City, KS, and absorbed a complex confluence best of southern and Midwestern musical styles. Inspired equally by Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery, Brown moved to Los Angeles after graduating high school, attended and taught at the Musicians Institute in that city. Brown’s eight CDs released as a leader include his 1992 MoJazz label debut, Just Between Us, his 1994 gold- certified album After The Storm and Better Days Ahead, released in 1996. In 1993, his Just Chillin’ CD earned him a GRAMMY® in the Best Pop Instrumental category. In addition to his career as a musician, Brown also works as a broadcaster on the Smooth Jazz Radio Network.

It all comes together on Human Nature – three great musicians celebrating one immortal artist in a celebratory reunion that’s music to everyone’s ears. “We went our separate ways eleven years ago,” Norman Brown says. “But I find it really fascinating that after all of that time, we could come back together and gel right away, and keep that same old feeling. What ultimately comes out is a cohesive BWB sound.”

BWB On Tour:
6/1/2013 2013 Jazz Festival @ Hyatt Newport Beach CA
6/6/2013 Napa Valley Opera House Napa CA
6/14/2013 A Celebration of Black Music Cincinnati OH
6/15/2013 One World Theatre Austin TX
6/21/2013 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival Wilmington DE
6/22/2013 Uptown Charlotte Jazz Fest Charlotte NC
6/26/2013 Spirit Cruise Ship New York NY
7/19/2013 The Norfolk Jazz Festival Norfolk VA
7/20/2013 Bonelli Park - JazzFest West San Dimas CA
7/21/2013 Bonelli Park - JazzFest West San Dimas CA
8/3/2013 Rodney Strong Winery Healdsburg CA
8/10/2013 Festival of the Vine - Fraze Pavilion Kettering OH
8/11/2013 Richmond Jazz Festival Richmond VA
9/13/2013 Back Bay Amphitheatre @ Hyatt Newport Beach CA
9/14/2013 Thornton Winery Temecula CA
10/5/2013 Akron Civic Theatre Akron OH

NEW RELEASES - SARAH VAUGHAN, NANCY WILSON, DAVE DOUGLAS QUINTET

SARAH VAUGHAN - DIVINE - THE JAZZ ALBUMS 1954 - 1958: IMAGES / LAND OF HI FI / SARAH VAUGHAN / MISTER KELLY'S / AFTER HOURS LONDON / NO COUNT

Some of the most important recordings in the career of Sarah Vaughan – rich package of albums that really helped her refine her style strongly, and unlock an approach to jazz that nobody else could touch! Vaughan had always been a great singer, no matter what the setting – but here, she takes things a strong step forward – by mixing instrumental inspiration with careful lyrical delivery, all at a level that's quite different than Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, or any other contemporaries! Vaughan's got this mature approach that's never overdone, and never tries to call too much attention to itself – even though Sarah's singing in ways that are technically mindblowing, and set to the kinds of backings that never would have been so subtle a few years before. The beautiful package is a 7" square book – with heavy hardcovers, and lots of color images on the many pages inside – plus four CDs nestled alongside the words – containing the full albums Images, In The Land Of Hi Fi, Sarah Vaughan, At Mister Kelly's, After Hours At The London House, and No Count Sarah – plus 11 bonus tracks added to the Mister Kelly's album, and 5 more bonus tracks from the Swingin Easy record as well. 72 tracks in all – in a really lovely package! (Limited edition.) ~ Dusty Groove

NANCY WILSON - MUSIC ON MY MIND / LIFE, LOVE & HARMONY

A pair of stunners from Nancy Wilson – back to back in a single set! Music On My Mind is an overlooked gem from Wilson's excellent 70s run on Capitol Records – a set that goes way beyond the spirit of some of her earlier records, and features a very unified vibe overall! The set was done in heavy collaboration with producer/composer Clarence McDonald – and features all original album penned for the date, most of which has a sublime blend of strings and soul that really pushes Wilson into even more sophisticated territory than before! Nancy's really on a par here with Marlena Shaw at her 70s best – even though Wilson had hit some of the territory years before – and the set's overflowing with great little numbers – including the funky classic "I'm In Love", plus "Let It Flow", "I'm Gonna Let Ya", "Music On My Mind", "He Makes Me Feel Good About Myself", and "Light". Life Love & Harmony is a killer from Nancy – very different than most of her earlier work, and proof that she was still growing as an artist on Capitol! The record's arranged and produced by Larry Farrow – who gives the session a jazz funk feel that brings Nancy into a whole mode, a smooth modern one that's kind a perfect fit for the rich character of her vocals – a much-needed update of the classy sound of her late 60s work, in territory that still shows that Wilson can hit this sort of groove better than anyone else! The standout cut is the massive "Sunshine" –a sparkling jazzy groover with a monster hook and some wonderful stepping arrangements – and other tracks include "You're The One Wrapped Up In The Comfort Of Your Love", "Heaven", "Here's To Us", and "Life, Love, & Harmony". CD also features bonus single mixes of "Sunshine" and "Life Love & Harmony". ~ Dusty Groove

DAVE DOUGLAS QUINTET - TIME TRAVEL

One of the best albums we've heard in years from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a really in the pocket session that's filled with rhythmic intensity, and some of the boldest music we've heard from Dave in years! There's plenty of edges to the set – especially the trumpet of Douglas and tenor of Jon Irabgon – but there's also a groove to many numbers too – a kind of forward-rolling energy that really takes the whole thing to great points throughout the set, and which makes a great progression from the somber tone of Dave's last album – almost a musical rebirth of sorts! Crack rhythms flow from the trio of Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and titles include "Time Travel", "Beware Of Doug", "Little Feet", "Garden State", and "Bridge To Nowhere". ~ Dusty Groove

CHUCK OWEN & JAZZ SURGE - RIVER RUNS

The sun dappling the surface of the water, the roar of a waterfall, the heart-quickening rush of a stretch of rapids - riding a river can be both relaxing and exhilarating, an escape from stress and a thrill ride. Composer/bandleader Chuck Owen captures the beauty and excitement of a day on the river with his latest album, River Runs, which combines his long-running big band the Jazz Surge with a full orchestra for a gorgeous symphonic hybrid.

The Distinguished University Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of South Florida, Owen founded the 17-piece Jazz Surge in 1995. Since then it has been a vehicle for his own compositions and his arrangements of work by the likes of Michael Brecker, who was the subject of Owen's acclaimed 2009 album, A Comet's Tail, which featured guest appearances by Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman. JazzTimes wrote that "while the individual solos are quite impressive, it is the ensemble playing and spirit of the full ensemble that really stands out."

That spirit is vividly amplified with the addition of an orchestra comprising some of South Florida's finest classical musicians on River Runs. The project was facilitated by a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship; while Owen has undertaken commissions for the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra and began his career writing for the Cincinnatti Symphony Orchestra under the baton of famed conductor Erich Kunzel, the Guggenheim afforded him the freedom to follow his own muse into the orchestral realm for the first time. Longtime Surge members tenor saxophonist Jack Wilkins, guitarist LaRue Nickelson, and violinist Rob Thomas are the featured voices on River Runs, bringing the ensemble's unique voice to the orchestral setting.

The project started out as a double concerto for orchestra and a few guest soloists, but soon expanded in Owen's mind to encompass the whole of the Jazz Surge. "My focus was on trying to write a piece for orchestra that seamlessly attempted to blend jazz elements - improvisation, strong rhythmic grooves - with a symphony orchestra," he says. "I very quickly realized I was going to need to involve at least bass and drums to be able to provide the atmosphere I wanted, to avoid the sort of rigid division between orchestra and jazz musicians that I really dislike. I wanted to create something that felt very natural and organic and I thought the members of the Surge would add to that."

A respected and esteemed educator for more than 30 years, Owen also founded and serves as artistic director for the USF Center for Jazz Composition. In 2012, he chaired the Pulitzer Prize in Music committee and has also served as President of the International Association for Jazz Education and as governor for the Florida Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In addition to the Guggenheim Fellowship he has received the prestigious 2000 IAJE/ASCAP commission in honor of Louis Armstrong and three Florida DCA Individual Artist Fellowships.

With his latest project, Owen combines that wealth of professional experience with inspiration from some of his most personally fulfilling moments. River Runs uses the jazz big band and the symphony orchestra as the colors in a bold landscape that is his finest and most ambitious work to date.

THE LE BOEUF BROTHERS REMIXED

A remix is an alternate version of a recording made by rebalancing, recombining or altering individual tracks. The art of remixing is most common in technology-oriented genres such as electronic music, but can certainly be applied to any recorded music, although it seems quite rare in jazz/improvised music. However, there is actually a fertile, underground scene comprised of jazz musicians who are closet DJs. Amongst them are identical twins, the Le Boeuf Brothers, saxophonist/composer Remy and pianist/composer Pascal, whose latest project fuses their New York jazz background with a fresh blend of electronica, trip-hop and drum 'n' bass to create the remix collaboration project, Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed (available April 30 on Nineteen-Eight Records); an intelligent, entertaining, voguish new work, based on their recent album, In Praise of Shadows (Nineteen-Eight Records).

"Remy and I have always been interested in electronic production based music. Something about growing up in the 90s has given us a special connection to Bjork, Radiohead, Aphex Twin or anything with programmed drums and scratched vinyl. Though we moved to NY in 2004 to play jazz, you might think otherwise if you looked through our iPods," explained Pascal.

The brothers feel that electronic music is a natural progression and a logical next step in their creative lives. "I noticed that the electronic music community seemed to grow out of the digital recording era through 'remix' collaborations. Although electronic production is generally a solitary process, electronic artists have managed to develop a community by revamping and building upon each others' ideas via remixing, mash-ups (mashing two songs together), re-works (re-composition using the same process as remixing), etc. I see this as similar to the way in which jazz musicians recorded jazz versions of show tunes - so electronic producers are developing remixed versions of today's standards. Many within the jazz community share this passion for electronic music and are 'closet DJ's'. Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed is about bringing to light the growing underground community of electronic musicians associated with the jazz community and the huge potential for remix collaborations," said Pascal.

Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed opens with "Red Velvet". "On our 2011 release, In Praise of Shadows, the production for this tune was largely inspired by Q-tip's approach to Kurt Rosenwinkel's 2003 album Heartcore. This version was then remixed by L.A.-based IDM/electronica artist, 'Yellow Then Blue' (a.k.a. Justin Deming)." - Pascal. "I first became acquainted with Justin through Myspace in 2007 and have been deeply into his music ever since. We kept in touch over several years until the opportunity came to collaborate in 2011 with our Remix project." - Remy.

"For Every Kiss"- Kissy Girls Remix. The electronic duo, Kissy Girls is the brainchild of Pascal and singer/songwriter Emily Greene. "We met at summer camp when we were 15 while eating ice cream with forks and reconnected in 2007 to write songs based on a mutual respect for each other. When Remy and I started our remix project, Emily and I were in the process of finishing the first Kissy Girls EP and we decided to remix "For Every Kiss" as a throwback to the new wave synth ballads of the 80s." - Pascal.

"Around/Fire Dancing - Pascal Mashup". Remy explains, "I remember when I first heard Louis Cole's music; I was hanging out with several friends after playing a jam session in Harlem and we were sitting on the couch playing songs for each other off our iPods. Louis' music came up and we listened to almost the entire album. I realized later that Pascal and I were good friends with his Canadian cousin, Spencer Cole, who is also a drummer." Louis later joined them for a Le Boeuf Brothers performance in Los Angeles in 2010 where they learned about his project with Genevieve Artadi. When Cole and Artadi released their 2nd album, Think Thoughts, in 2011, the Le Boeuf Brothers approached them with the idea of making a mash-up of the song "Around" from Think Thoughts and "Fire Dancing" from In Praise of Shadows. Pascal explains, "Making this track was a lot of fun because of the sounds used to create it. I added the 'clink' of a small plastic test tube that fell over while I was recording (enters at 1:13). This tiny plastic tube was perfectly pitched to a 'C' and became a huge part of the track. Also, using Louis' sampled drum sounds to play Henry Cole's original beat from 'Fire Dancing' was fun to show to Henry afterwards." - Pascal.

"Everything You Love Intro"- Armand Hirsch Remix. "I first met Armand when he was still in High School through the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' youngARTS program. I learned that in addition to his amazing guitar chops, he is also a great recording engineer. We've since had the pleasure of collaborating on various projects and it was only natural to develop a collaborative track for this remix album." - Pascal.

"Everything You Love" - Lucky Luke Remix (AKA: Luke Moellman), "is largely responsible for my becoming an electronic producer. In 2007, a mutual friend showed me Luke's electronic music on Myspace and I consequentially abandoned NYC for 2 weeks to study with him in Miami. I continued to visit Luke for years until he moved to Brooklyn in 2011. We have since collaborated on other remixes. When Remy and I started our remix project, Luke was already in the process of developing a remix for my solo project and he decided to remix 'Everything You Love' for this one." - Pascal.

"In the Shadow of Your Silence"- Remy Remix. "Although silence, like shadow, is an absence in its essence, it can be substantively felt--at times very powerfully-as a restive pause, an awkward moment, or a gaping distance. On a purely musical level this song does nothing with silence, as for the emotions and intention behind it, I'll leave you in the shadow of my silence . . ." - Remy.

"Everything You Love"- Wolff Parkinson White Remix. "When Remy and I joined Nineteen-Eight Records, we were floored by the work of our label mate, "Wolff Parkinson White" (AKA: Jochen Rueckert). I had been a fan of Jochen's work as a jazz drummer ever since I first heard him on Henry Hey's Watershed but had no idea he created glitchy electronic music. After enjoying his first album for a few weeks Remy and I approached him to remix a track for our album. We're glad to have him on board!" - Pascal.

"Calgary Clouds"- Tim Lefebvre Remix feat. Louis Cole. Like "Wolff Parkinson White", the brothers got in touch with Tim after joining Nineteen-Eight Records. They had seen him perform as a bassist with various bands around New York but didn't know he produced electronic music until Henry Hey suggested they contact him. Tim also works with Louis Cole & Genevieve Artadi as a guest on "Think Thoughts" and included some of Louis' driving drum beats in his track.

"Fading Apart" - David Binney Remix, Feat Nickel Killsmics and Nina Geiger. "Remy and I have always enjoyed David Binney's compositions and approach to music.

When we were just getting into electronic music, he introduced us to a number of bands (such as Telefon Telaviv, Prefuse 73 and Tycho) that broadened our perspective and drastically changed our approach to making music. When Dave began remixing 'D2D' he included a hook recorded by the wonderful Nina Geiger. He also asked if we knew any good rappers, and after a year of performing regularly at Smoke Jazz Club, I got to know Nickel Killsmics (AKA: Mike Winnick), a phenomenal rapper with a talent for improvisation and crossover with jazz musicians." - Pascal.

"Green Velvet"- Pascal Remix. This simple song is the first of a number of "Velvet" compositions named after the brothers' velvet furniture from their childhood home. It was recorded at the same time as In Praise of Shadows, but didn't make the album simply because they didn't have time to add electronic production elements. Here it is fleshed out. All individual instruments are as they were originally performed.

The Le Boeuf Brothers are best known for their innovative compositional projects, which span as broadly stylistically as they do collaboratively. Over the course of their careers, they have collaborated with artists as diverse as Ambrose Akinmusire, Linda Oh, Nir Felder and the Myth String Quartet in genres ranging from jazz to contemporary classical to electronica.

In addition to being the youngest person ever to receive the ASCAP/IAJE Commission in honor of Quincy Jones in 2004, Pascal has garnered several Independent Music Awards for Best Jazz Album & Best Jazz Song in 2006 and Best Dance/Electronica Song in 2012. In 2011, Remy received a New Jazz Works grant from Chamber Music America to write a piece for the Le Boeuf Brothers and the Myth String Quartet based on a the short story "A Dream" by Franz Kafka. Additionally, the brothers received an Astral Grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts in 2008, and were awarded 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition in 2010.

The Le Boeuf Brothers have also toured internationally and performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Jazz @ Lincoln Center.

On their prior album In Praise of Shadows the Le Boeuf Brothers expand upon the jazz tradition by continuing to sculpt their compositions after the initial recording process, using modern production techniques, sampling, and layered arranging/recording methods. The album also takes the "enhanced CD" concept to the next level, allowing listeners to manipulate the tracks on their computers and make their own remixes. This new direction lays the foundation for the next decade of jazz innovation, and for the Le Boeuf Brothers new album, Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed.

Also available on Nineteen-Eight Records on May 28, 2013, Pascal Le Boeuf's Pascal's Triangle, featuring Linda Oh and Justin Brown.

www.leboeufbrothers.com
www.nineteeneight.com

TREVOR ANDERIES - SHADES OF TRUTH

Shades of Truth (available on May 21, 2013), the debut album from L.A. based drummer/composer Trevor Anderies is a reflection of this artist's musical and spiritual journeys. In bringing together his closest colleagues, a deep sense of trust and comfort is created while they weave through each of these nine unique compositions. This album purposefully and naturally blurs lines of genre, taking influence from avant-garde, hard-bop, classical, soul, and the blues, seeking to create an exciting sound all its own. Producing a deep sense of spirituality, the music gives listeners an honest look into an artist whose main intention is to use music as a healing force, and to encourage listeners to reach deeper into their own lives to find the hidden gems within themselves. Shades of Truth promises to introduce drummer/composer Trevor Anderies as an exceptional drummer and composer who will be on our radar for years to come.

On Shades of Truth Anderies surrounds himself with musicians who are collaborators, bandmates (in the band Slumgum), players that are near and dear to his musical heart, and artists that have admirable resumes: vocalist Dwight Trible (Pharaoh Sanders, Billy Higgins, Horace Tapscott's Pan African Peoples' Arkestra, Charles Lloyd, Billy Childs, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Garrett, Steve Turre, Harold Land, Harry Belafonte, Patrice Rushen, Babatunde Lea, Ernie Watts, Kahlil El Zabar, as well as contemporary soul artists like LA Reid and DJ Rogers); tenor saxophonist Jonathan Armstrong (Slumgum, Vinny Golia, Bennie Maupin, Butch Morris, Hugh Ragin); alto saxophonist and flutist Gavin Templeton (Vinny Golia, Charlie Haden, Joshua White, Nels Cline, Joe La Barbera, Larry Koonse, Darek Oles, Butch Morris, Peter Epstein, daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra, The Temptations, Wayne Newton); bass clarinetist Brian Walsh (Peter Maxwell Davies, Bobby Bradford, Nels Cline, Larry Koonse, Muhal Richard Abrams, the Henry Mancini Orchestra, the Riverside Philharmonic); pianist Rory Cowal (Slumgum, Hugh Ragin, Bennie Maupin, Butch Morris, Premasoul); trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom (Vinny Golia, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, Southwest Chamber Music, Long Beach Opera, Wadada Leo Smith, Miroslav Tadic, Markus Stockhausen); and bassist David Tranchina (Slumgum, Hugh Ragin, Bennie Maupin, Nate Wood, Bobby Watson, Mike Barone, Butch Morris, Vinny Golia, Larry Koonse, Joe La Barbera).

Attainment - while composing this piece Anderies was contemplating accomplishment and the beauty of life's circular motion: "when we achieve one thing, doors are opened that lead to new struggle. After struggling we attain something, each time becoming a little wiser," he explained.

Shades of Truth - "I wrote this song specifically for my collaboration with Dwight Trible on the album. The vibe and lyrics of the piece take on the spirit and mission I sense when I listen to Dwight. The lyrics speak to my belief in both a seeking spirit as well as self empowerment as a means of being true to oneself", said Anderies.

Thunder - This piece dates back to a time when Anderies' writing was influenced by the music of John and Alice Coltrane, as well as Pharaoh Sanders. Recently, when the drummer reconnected with this music, his decision to write lyrics for the piece revealed a new meaning. He explains, "as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with the sound and energy of thunder. I remember one storm in particular on a day when I was back home in Denver visiting my old drum teacher. We sat outside watching the lightning and feeling the roar of the thunder as it vibrated through our beings, and I was fascinated by its power, strength, confidence, and grace. Many cultures recognize this energy in their folklore; the Greeks worship Thor while the Yoruba praise Shango. Though we cannot become thunder, we can access the energy and spirit it represents in our own lives."

Vermillion - Inspired byAnderies' love of Beethoven's string quartets. While all of the tracks on the album include members of the collaborative group Slumgum, this is the only piece that features the band itself.

Three-Four vs. Six-Eight Four-Four Ways - This piece was written by pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali and recorded in 1964 with Art Davis and Max Roach. The album, made up entirely of unique compositions by Hasaan, is the only recorded documentation of a brilliant artist who fell into obscurity. "Needless to say this record has been very influential on my development and I was just dying to play some music from it!"

Aren't You So Lovely - "This composition has personal meaning for me. Written no more than two weeks before the recording date, it coincided with a lack of faith and confidence in myself, followed by the realization that I was bigger than the problems I was facing. At the time, I had put my energy into getting to know someone who eventually pushed me away. When I wrote this song I was toying with the way my emotions took turns between "Aren't you so Lovely" (with the perspective of an admirer) and "Aren't you so Lovely?" (having a hint of sarcasm). The music took on a much deeper meaning when on my first performance of the piece I accidentally called it "Aren't You So Lonely." Fortunately for me, a very special person (my current girlfriend) must have caught on to that. I couldn't be happier that she did. The tune has now returned to "Aren't You So Lovely", from the perspective of a happy admirer."

Clear Eyes of the Moon - This title, and some of the lyrics, were taken from a poem by the Buddhist philosopher, Daisaku Ikeda, which reflects on the symbiosis of the vastness of the universe with the vastness of our lives.

Lenny - Originally written for a collaboration that Slumgum did with a chamber ensemble. The lyrics apply to the idea of loss, expressing the idea of life and death, and the mystery, confusion, and expansiveness that they represent.

Wild Ox Moan - "This resonates with me in a different way each time I hear it. It was written by Vera Hall and recorded for the Library of Congress in the 1930s. Hall was the wife of a coal miner in Alabama, and eventually gained national exposure with the help of Alan Lomax. To me, the song speaks to the humanity in all of us. We all need each other to live in this world; the relationships and the bonds of trust we cultivate in our daily lives ultimately lay the foundations for the types of lives we choose to live."

More on Trevor Anderies: Resolve, innovation and passion define Anderies' musical direction. Based in Los Angeles, he performs locally and on the national scene with many groups including Slumgum, the Walsh Set Trio and the Nigerian Talking Drum ensemble. He received his Bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies at the California Institute of the Arts where he studied drum set with Joe La Barbera and Ewe music from Ghanaian master drummer Alfred Ladzekpo. Among Anderies' other mentors are Paul Romaine, Bennie Maupin, Darek Oles, Alfonso Johnson, and Vinny Golia. He has had the opportunity to perform with a wide array of artists, most notably: Dwight Trible, Bennie Maupin, Ron Miles, Larry Coryell, Slumgum, Darek Oles, Ron Miles, Greg Gisbert, Nestor Torres, Eric Gunnison, Hugh Ragin, Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Vinny Golia, Francis Awe, Alfred Ladzekpo, and others.

Trevor was selected to participate in the 17th annual IASJ conference in Siena, Italy where students and teachers from twenty-six countries performed original material. Along with his band Slumgum he was accepted into the JAS (Jazz Aspen Snowmass) Academy summer program led by bassist Christian McBride. He was also chosen to play Ewe drums in Sandeep Bhagwati's interdisciplinary work, "Vineland Stelae," a performance that gathered together some of the greatest musicians from around the world.

Trevor was on the JAS academy faculty for two years. He shares his love of music through private lessons, teaching in public schools and offering clinics both individually and with his group Slumgum at many elementary, middle and high schools as well as universities throughout the country.

www.TrevorAnderies.com

HARRY CONNICK JR. TO RELEASE EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW

Harry Connick, Jr. has built a reputation for musical and emotional honesty. Never one to rest on his ever-growing list of laurels, Connick exposes his feelings as never before on Every Man Should Know. The new CD to be released on Columbia Records on June 11, contains twelve original songs for which Connick wrote music, lyrics and arrangements.


"No rules, no limits," is how the multi-talented artist describes the songs in his liner notes for the new collection. "I don't recall ever reaching quite as deeply – or confidently – into my inhibition pool."

When asked about the transformation, Connick explains that "I used to be more comfortable writing in a fantasy-style concept, using ideas that intrigued me but didn't necessarily come from personal experience. It's one thing to assume the role of a storyteller – it's quite another when the story is your own. I felt ready to explore some of my personal experiences in some of the songs this time around."

The title track is indicative of how anecdote and imagination yield inspired results. "I was building a workbench with a carpenter friend," Connick explains, "and my lack of any knowledge about carpentry left me feeling so inadequate. It led me to think about other things that every man should know, like how to change a tire. Then I began thinking about what everybody should know how to do, and that's to love."

"'Come See About Me' is a song about a guy who's heartbroken that was inspired by a line Kim Burrell sang on 'All These People' [a song about the abandoned Katrina victims from Connick's 2007 CD Oh, My NOLA]. It was tough for me to sing, because the thought of watching the one you love move on is so painful. Just the idea of it hurts, and it took me a few tries just to figure out how to sing it."

More immediately personal feelings underscore "The Greatest Love Story," a song for Connick's wife Jill that includes both "inside" allusions ("Jill's from Texas, which is why the pedal steel guitar is in there") and a direct reference to Connick's late mother Anita. "Before, I would never talk about my mother, much less write about her," he admits. "It took years and years, and this might be my first specific lyric reference to her in a song. Her life and her death were so significant to me, and over time they've gained layers. I actually cried the first time I sang the lyrics in the studio."

Connick is quick to credit his collaborators, including guest soloists Branford Marsalis (whose soprano sax enriches "Let Me Stay") and Wynton Marsalis (extending the reflective mood of "Being Alone" with his trumpet) and longtime Band regulars Jerry Weldon on tenor sax and old friend Jonathan DuBose, Jr. on guitar on "I Love Her." He gives special credit to guitarist Brian Sutton and the Nashville musicians assembled for several tracks. "Those Nashville guys are deep," Connick marvels. "Before they play a note, they ask, `What are we playing about?' And they like to play with you when you sing rather than laying down tracks before you sing, because they want to understand the sentiment of each song. They really helped me capture 'Love My Life Away,' a song about a guy dying from a disease who is facing the plodding nature of his life."

A common feature of every track, from the jazz feel of "One Fine Thing" to the country feel of "Time to Go," is the perfect fit of each Connick arrangement. "You have to know what's right for each tune," he explains, "I've learned to trust my instincts. I usually start with the lyrics, which suggest a melody, which suggests a groove – at which point the arrangement becomes fairly clear."

The cornucopia of music contained on Every Man Should Know reflects only some of the songs that Connick has created in the past two years. More of his recent output can be heard on Smokey Mary , a limited-release album that appeared in February to mark the 20th anniversary of the Krewe of Orpheus, a Mardi Gras parade that Connick helped co-found. "It was my idea to have a Mardi Gras Krewe that represented all races and genders, and every corner of New Orleans," he says. "Our captain, my high school drama teacher, Sonny Borey , suggested that I write a song called ` Smokey Mary Choo-Choo Train ,' in honor of a coal-engine train that ran from the Faubourg Marigny to the levee a century ago. All of the songs on that recording have the same spirit, and soon I had an entire party record."

One track, the jubilant "S'pposed to Be," is included on both discs. "That's the one real New Orleans track on the new album," he acknowledges, "but what [guest vocalist] Kim Burrell and [trumpeter] Leroy Jones did with it just has to be heard. I gave them a very simple melody with simple chord changes, and what Kim sings and Leroy plays are just works of art."

In addition to the wealth of original music on his new discs, Connick will release " Love Wins ." The song is dedicated to Ana Grace Marquez-Greene , one of the children killed in the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy and the daughter of former Connick Big Band tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene . Connick sang at Ana Grace's funeral, and was inspired by a speaker at the service who emphasized that love trumps even the greatest tragedy. All proceeds from sale of " Love Wins " will go to the Ana Grace Fund www.anagracefund.com.

The range of these songs is vast, touching upon love and loss, celebration and sorrow, tragedy and hope. With Every Man Should Know, Harry Connick, Jr. triumphs once again, with a depth of feeling that signals another milestone for one of the music world's most multi-faceted artists.

Source: Columbia Records

FINDERS KEEPERS: MOTOWN GIRLS 1961 - 1967 FEATURING THE MARVELETTES, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, THE SUPREMES & OTHERS...

Female Motown, way past the hits – a wonderful selection of rare cuts from the 60s, including a dozen previously unissued tracks! The collection is a real discovery, even for Motown fans – and the set is filled with gems that go way past the obvious – some real Detroit soul treasures that make the whole thing a delight! Lots of the work is from that key early Motown stretch, when the label was really coming into its own, but still trying out a lot of new ideas too – and as such, were really willing to move past some obvious hit modes of the time. And make no mistake – these cuts aren't leftovers, or half-baked – as all of them have top-shelf production and arrangements – further proof that the Motown approach never dimmed at all. Titles include "Do You Know What I'm Talkin About" by LaBrenda Ben, "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" by Brenda Holloway, "Build Him Up" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Like A Nightmare" by The Andantes, "Dance Yeah Dance" by Thelma Brown, "When Somebody Loves You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "My Black Belt" by Hattie Littles, "It's Too Soon To Know" by Kim Weston, "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" by Liz Lands, "If Wishes Came True" by Anita Knorl, and "So Let Them Laugh At Me" by Linda Griner. ~ Dusty Groove

LASZLO GARDONY - CLARITY

Great improvisers combine probing intellect with keen emotional sensitivity. Boston pianist Laszlo Gardony displays the head and heart of a jazz master on his breathtaking new solo recital Clarity, a soul-bearing album full of rhythmic variety, melodic discovery and an abundance of grace. Slated for release on May 7, 2013 by Sunnyside, the CD arrives two decades after Gardony's acclaimed Sunnyside debut Changing Standards, the album that established him as one of jazz's foremost practitioners of the solo piano format.

More than a gifted improviser, Gardony is a cagey musical architect who understands that "shape is paramount. Without shape, regardless of what you create in your solo piano playing, it's not going to connect. On Clarity I created these 10 short stories building on each other and I naturally pause between them. The idea is to transcend the sense that here is a pianist and here is a listener. It's more of a joint journey.

A longtime professor at Berklee College of Music, Gardony has spent much of his career in the company of jazz's most formidable artists, including his long running band with John Lockwood and Yoron Israel, and entrancing trio sessions with Dave Holland, Bob Moses, and Miroslav Vitous. Always open to exploring new musical territory, he's also performed and recorded widely with the Wayfaring Strangers, violinist Matt Glaser's ingenious old-time jazz project. But Gardony is at his most unfettered alone at the piano, where he often records long sessions of spontaneous composition for his own edification.

On a brisk fall morning in 2012, feeling inspired and brimming with inchoate emotions over the recent passing of his parents, he started a digital recorder, sat at the bench and promptly lost himself in an extended session of searching improvisation. Afterwards, suspecting that he had reached some new place, he set the music aside to give himself some perspective. When he listened to the session several months later he found that he had indeed captured a powerfully coherent, deeply personal and startlingly beautiful cathartic journey. He retrospectively titled the 10 pieces to offer signposts to listeners, as in a guided meditation, but the music's wondrously balanced ebb and flow speaks for itself, singing a song of bountiful life.

"I always find a title that feels poetic or playfully alludes to the mood or meaning of the tune." Gardony says. "In this case I felt it would be more appropriate to describe what was happening in my system, going through these stages after losing my parents. None of this came to me when I was playing. It was a very joyful, expansive but introspective session. I sat down, felt really inspired, and one tune led to another.°®

The album flows with an internal emotional logic, opening with the stately, gently insistent "Settling of a Racing Mind." "Working Through" sounds like a lost treasure from the Lennon/McCartney songbook, circa Abbey Road, while the ethereally winsome "Opened Window (Hopeful Horizon)" feels laden with promise. "Resilient Joy," an expansive, ebullient dance in a green field, displays Gardony's gift for sturdy, folk-like melodies. Clarity closes with "Resolution (Perfect Place)," beatific melody suffused with a well-earned sense of peace.

Born in Hungary, Gardony showed an early aptitude on the piano (the cover photo captures him at three years old, already looking intent and rhapsodic). He wasn't much older when he started improvising, devising little tunes inspired by the blues, pop and classical music he heard around the house. Immersed in the European classical tradition while growing up, he was drawn to progressive rock as a teenager, and spent countless hours improvising blues-based music at the piano. He investigated gospel and studied jazz, a passion that soon overshadowed his classical pursuits. "We had jazz and African music classes at the Conservatory,°® Gardony recalls. "There were some very knowledgeable people and a lot of records. When it came to jazz it was a tiny community, but very inspiring.

After graduating from the Bela Bartok Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest, he became one of Europe's most sought after accompanists, and released his first albums as a leader. Possessing a powerful sense of swing, a strong feel for the blues and a firm command of post-bop vocabulary, he gained invaluable insight by sharing festival stages with acts like Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Abdullah Ibrahim. After several years on the road, Gardony decided he needed to deepen his knowledge of jazz.

A full scholarship to Berklee brought him to America in 1983, and a faculty position at the school upon graduation kept him stateside. He made his US recording debut with the acclaimed 1988 album The Secret (Antilles) featuring Czech bass great Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman, but it was his 1st place win the following year at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition that catapulted him into the national spotlight.

He seized the moment with 1989's brilliant release The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles), a trio session with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses focusing on Gardony's finely wrought original compositions. The album earned rave reviews. Scott Yanow wrote in the All Music Guide, "the most impressive aspect of this performance is how the pianist totally integrates his playing with that of his sidemenŠso they speak in one unified voice.

He's collaborated with saxophone greats like David "Fathead" Newman and Dave Liebman, but his subtle and rhythmically intricate pianism has meshed particularly well with jazz's most inventive guitarists. Over the years he's performed with Mick Goodrick, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Mike Stern and Garrison Fewell. "Being with Dave and Miroslav was such an education," Gardony says. "If you really immerse yourself in those moments, it can change you, whether it's one concert or a week-long gig. If you're really present, amazing transferences and exchanges can happen.

His primary vehicle for the past decade has been his state-of-the-art trio with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel, an ensemble first documented on the 2003 Sunnyside release Ever Before Ever After. One of the finest working bands in jazz, the group performs and records regularly, exploring Gardony's extensive book of original pieces as well as the occasional standard and jazz classics by the likes of Horace Silver and Billy Strayhorn. Gardony augments the trio's latest release, 2011's beautifully textured tribute to jazz's African roots Signature Time (Sunnyside), with Stan Strickland on saxophone.

"It's heaven playing with such great musicians," Gardony says. "John and Yoron hear the music around them so well. If I give them charts they immediately understand what I'm trying to do. People think it's a great career move to do projects. You do something and then you move on. But all of my heroes in rock or jazz, Coltrane or Pink Floyd, created in the context of a great band.

No band has stretched Gardony more than The Wayfaring Strangers. A long-time fan of Gardony's who credits the pianist's first solo album Changing Standards with opening his ears to modern jazz, violinist Matt Glaser initially recruited him to perform on one track of 2001's Shifting Sands of Time (Rounder), contributing a haunting solo to Ralph Stanley's elemental rendition of "Man of Constant Sorrow." By the release the project's second album, 2003's This Train (Rounder), Gardony was an essential member of the ensemble. The group continues to perform, exploring its singular synthesis of bluegrass, Appalachian roots music, and jazz. Like every other profound musical experience under his belt, some of the Wayfaring Strangers has shaped Gardony's expression in straight ahead contexts.

"Playing with Matt and people like Tony Trischka you learn so much about American folk and Appalachian music," Gardony says. "I've developed such reverence and love for it. There's an immediacy, intimacy and intensity when you hear folk musicians playing for each other. It's definitely influenced my music making.

There's no mistaking the music on Clarity for anything but 21st century jazz, but the frank immediacy of Gardony's solo playing brings to mind that Thelonious Monk once told Bob Dylan, "we all play folk music.°

www.laszlogardony.com

THE NOAH PREMINGER GROUP - HAYMAKER

The Noah Preminger Group's Haymaker - to be released by Palmetto Records on May 14, 2013 - is the tenor saxophonist's third album, following the highly praised Before the Rain (Palmetto, 2011) and Dry Bridge Road (Nowt, 2008). Jazz Review lauded Preminger's "incisive musical instincts, a distinctive personal sound and an ability to write great tunes." The New York Times said: "Mr. Preminger designs a different kind of sound for each note, an individual destiny and story." Haymaker sees Preminger lead a kindred-spirit band of top-flight players: guitarist Ben Monder, double-bassist Matt Pavolka and drummer Colin Stranahan. The album showcases a brace of fresh Preminger compositions, along with one number penned by Monder, the Annie standard "Tomorrow" and a cover of jam-band rocker Dave Matthews' "Don't Drink the Water." Blending atmosphere and energy, the Noah Preminger Group can remind a listener of the Motian/Frisell/Lovano trio in one tune and the Mark Turner/Kurt Rosenwinkel pairings in the next - even as this band has its own, individual soundprint. Haymaker is modern jazz that balances musical integrity with sensual allure.

Beyond cultivating his engaging tenor sound - a tone that's intimate and dark-hued with a streak of silver - Preminger pursues several adventurous, competitive avocations, including training as a boxer. The title of Haymaker comes from that sport, as he explains: "According to Webster, a `haymaker' is a wild knockout punch - something direct, with some force to it. That idea seemed in line with this album, because I didn't want to hold back. I aimed for the music to be attractive and have a sense of a romance, but with a drive that's undeniable - and I wanted the band to let loose, which they did."

About his road-honed quartet with Monder, Pavolka and Stranahan, Preminger says: "There is something special about having a band that stays together long enough to develop a second nature - that's what I admire about a group like Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, the continuity and communion they have. But what I really love about my guys is their individuality, their sonic personalities. Monder has a palette of colors that suits my music like no other guitarist, and he has his own true voice, whether he's swinging his ass off or creating these amazing colors and atmospheres. Matt Pavolka has this big, beautiful sound - sound is almost always the thing that draws me to a player - and he knows my music so well. And Colin is just an incredibly intuitive musician. I don't have to say one word to him - he just gets it. I wrote all this new music with the talents of these players in mind."

Preminger named the album opener, "Morgantown," for the town in West Virginia and "the sense of purpose" he felt on a working visit to the place, "a get-it-done vibe." Stranahan's hip drum patterns - including a hypnotic solo - drive the track, like on much of Haymaker. "My Blues for You" is a smoky, after-hours number that Preminger "wrote so long ago that I can't remember who I wrote it for, though I'm sure it was a girl. But the oddly phrased rock-blues feel of it, with a bit of a churchy thing going on, seemed ideal for this band and record." His title track, "Haymaker," features elliptical, exploratory improvisations by the leader, along with the group sound - a mix of the rhythmically driving and texturally atmospheric - that Preminger aptly describes as "powerhouse."

Monder's composition "Animal Planet" originally appeared on an album the ever-distinctive guitarist made with singer Theo Bleckmann. Preminger was drawn to the "strong and beautiful" melody, and the performance includes a characteristically alluring solo by Monder. Preminger was inspired to record "Tomorrow" from teaching the Annie hit on piano to a 5-year-old bright spark of a girl. He explains: "She just loves the tune and teaching it to her made me realize that it could be cool - an uncommon Broadway song that not too many instrumentalists do, with a pretty melody. I always thought it was great the way Sonny Rollins would transform these overplayed, even hokey tunes and turn them into something hip. Ben's voicings helped us achieve something different with the song."

The title of Preminger's gripping original "15,000," one of the album's highlights, references another of his high-octane pursuits: skydiving. He says: "It's almost programmatic the way the piece illustrates my first experience skydiving, in New Zealand - from the floating to the sheer exhilaration." The track "Stir My Soul" stemmed from a challenge Preminger set himself to write an uplifting tune - "the sort of thing you play at a gig to make people feel good," he says. "There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not as easy to pull off as it might seem." He dedicated the lyrical "Rhonda's Suite" to the late wife of his first saxophone teacher, "who was like a second father to me."

As "a typical Connecticut boy," Preminger grew up "listening to the Dave Matthews Band and Phish, a lot of the jam bands," he says. "Dave Matthews has written a lot of cool tunes, but I've always really liked `Don't Drink the Water.' We do it our way, playing it faster and doing our own thing in the middle of the song. There's a breakdown section where we build and build like a rock band, stoking the tension. We nailed the song in one take, like a lot of the album." Haymaker closes with Preminger's floating ballad "Motif Attractif," a brief free duo with Monder that further illustrates the sax player's musical connection with the guitarist, a longtime friend, as well as the sense of cliché-free romance that fans and critics have come to appreciate in Preminger's previous albums. "This band can do anything - we can play a pretty ballad or take a left turn or just rock out," he says. "That means making music with these guys is free and open - and that feels good."

Noah Preminger grew up in Canton, Connecticut, studied at New England Conservatory in Boston and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. His debut album, Dry Bridge Road, released just after he graduated from NEC, is a sextet session that was named Debut of the Year in the Village Voice Critics Poll, along with making top 10 Albums of the Year lists in JazzTimes, Stereophile and The Nation, among other publications. Preminger's second album as a leader, Before the Rain, an essay in atmospheric romance that blends virtues both modern and old school, was released by Palmetto in 2011. Reviewing the album, All About Jazz said: "Sensitivity and an ear for aural sophistication are the hallmarks of tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger." Along with playing in bands led by Cecil McBee and John McNeil, Preminger recorded two albums for Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records with the Rob Garcia 4.

Preminger has performed on key stages from Boston and New York to Europe and Australia, and he has played with the likes of Billy Hart, Dave Holland, Fred Hersch, Dave Douglas, Victor Lewis, John and Bucky Pizzarelli, Billy Drummond, George Cables, Roscoe Mitchell, Dr. Eddie Henderson and Dave Liebman. The Boston Globe said about Preminger: "He plays with not just chops and composure, but already a distinct voice: His approach privileges mood and reflectiveness, favoring weaving lines that can be complex but are also concise, without a trace of over-playing or bravado." And Boston Phoenix declared: "Preminger's sound is beholden to no one. That makes him continually unpredictable and continually satisfying."

www.noahpreminger.com

GREGG KALLOR - A SINGLE NOON

Five-time Grammy nominee Fred Hersch calls Gregg Kallor’s A Single Noon “the work of an extraordinary pianist, a composer of great distinction and a true conceptualist… This ambitious and unique suite takes us somewhere that is very deeply heartfelt and dazzlingly executed. This is 21st-century music that has clearly absorbed the past and looks to a bright and borderless musical future.” Kallor is the recipient of an Aaron Copeland Award for composition, and is one of ten composers nationwide selected for this prestigious residency. Kallor’s first album, There’s a Rhythm, features his jazz trio with bassist Chris Van Voorst Van Beest and drummer Kendrick Scott.

A Single Noon is a musical tableau of life in New York City, told through a combination of composed music and improvisation. The nine movements are meant to be evocative snapshots - moments of caffeinated bliss, embarrassing subway mishaps, the buzzing energy of a city driven by dynamic, thoughtful, talented, and slightly crazy people - that coalesce into a more complete story like an album of postcards, or memories. Each movement develops an aspect of the Single Noon theme, and improvisation is incorporated throughout the suite as a commentary on and development of the themes in the music. Tracklist: A Single Noon // Broken Sentences // Night // Straphanger's Lurch //
Found // Espresso Nirvana // Giants // Things to Come // Here Now.

NEW RELEASES - LOS-PO-BOY-CITOS, THE LAYABOUTS, SIMONCINO

LOS-PO-BOY-CITOS - HASTA

Wonderful work from this New Orleans combo – a Latin act that feels like they'd be much more at home in the Spanish Harlem scene of the 60s, especially given the soulful undercurrents of this set! On previous releases, the group already showed a great talent for crafting just the right sort of classic Latin groove – tight percussion and sharp instrumentation, all honed down with the rhythms in a way that really carried a strong old school punch. But this time around, they've got all that and more – a stronger Latin soul spirit than before, which really comes through in the pacing and presentation of the songs – holding back sometimes to give the listener more, in ways that few young Latin groups seem to get! The style is wonderful – and in addition to older New York modes, these guys bring in a few other elements as well – always without any hoke or gimmick at all. Titles include "Dejame", "Mary Wants To Boogaloo", "Oye Mamacita", "Hasta", "Sad Eyes", and "Swahili Baby". ~ Dusty Groove

THE LAYABOUTS - FUTURE RETRO

Spacey club soul from The Layabouts – who lay down a nicely cosmic sound that's still rooted in soul – and with a great roster of guest vocalists including Terri Walker, Omar, Portia Monique, Tony Momrelle, Imaani and more! The record's called Future Retro, but it feels pretty comfortable in the here-and-now to us – with percolating beats and compelling groove of timeless house, but taking to deeper soul realm thanks to such an impressive roster of singers and solid songs for them to work with. Nice stuff! Includes "1 Step To Love" feat Tony Momrelle, "As Long As You Believe" with Omar, "Fearless" and "Too Late" with Imaani, "Do Better" and "Tell Me Now" with Portia Monique, "Perfectly" with Shea Soul, "Here With You" with Terri Walker and more. ~ Dusty Groove

SIMONCINO - OPEN YOUR EYES

Spacey club grooves from Simoncino – showing love for some of best Chicago and Detroit dancefloor sounds of the past quarter century, from house to techno – along with some more globally-steeped soundscapes! Compelling beats and cosmic keys are prevalent throughout – along with some Afro and Latin bits that really give it a diverse vibe overall. The 2LP vinyl version is heavy with alternate material not on the CD version – and the titles include "Open Your Eyes", "Jungle Dream (Ron Trent Remix Part One)", "In A Dream" feat Gregg Fore of Dream 2 Science (original mix and Dream 2 Science mix), "Trip To Japan", Use Me Lose Me", "Saber", "Tramonto Sulla Spiaggia", "A Shi Tai (Japanese Love)" feat Soichi Terada and more. ~ Dusty Groove

MOSAIC RECORDS CELEBRATES THE JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET - THE COMPLETE SUN SHIP SESSION RELEASED FOR THE FIRST TIME

Mosaic Records is set to release The Complete Sun Ship Session which includes newly discovered and previously unissued alternate takes from one of the final studio sessions by the John Coltrane Quartet. The three LP set will be released May 21 and is also being made available on a two CD set through Verve Records on April 16.

Sun Ship, recorded August 26, 1965, captures one of the last sessions by the Classic John Coltrane Quartet (Coltrane, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones). It comes at the culmination of a year in which Coltrane arguably reached his creative peak, a year rich in such masterworks. The Sun Ship album, though, was not issued until 1971, one of several Coltrane albums issued by Impulse Records after his death. And Sun Ship was, like many jazz albums, the product of editing between takes, a process overseen by John's widow Alice.

"This Complete Sun Ship Session edition is much more: sourced from newly discovered original reels, the set includes the album's five original compositions, unedited, in sequence of recording, with all of the takes as they evolved, as well as the surrounding conversations. More than just a sampling of a few alternate takes, The Complete Sun Ship Session offers a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on an iconic master at work." - David Wild, liner notes

John Coltrane's Sun Ship session was recorded at the RCA Recording studio on 24th Street by engineer Bob Simpson who also did superb work with Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Albert Ayler and others. The original three-track masters with the tenor sax on one track, the piano and bass on another and the drums on the third track were recently discovered, enabling the complete session to be released for the first time. Kevin Reeves remixed the entire session from the original three-track masters with great sonic results, improving greatly on the original LP mix. Mosaic has remastered them and pressed them on 180-gram vinyl at the renowned Record Technology Inc. plant in Camarillo, California.

NEW RELEASES - SHAOLIN TEMPLE DEFENDERS, CHARLES BRADLEY, RONNIE CUBER

SHAOLIN TEMPLE DEFENDERS - FROM THE INSIDE

The amazing return of the Shaolin Temple Defenders – a group who've really deepened their sound since we last heard from them! On previous albums, the Defenders were a razor-sharp funk combo – a French ensemble who'd really studied the funky 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – and definitely knew how to get that sound right! This time around, they've also picked up a deep soul vibe as well – bringing vocals into the mix even more strongly than before – sung by Brother Lion with this raspy style that feels like some of the best southern soul at the start of the 70s. The funky currents of the group are still firmly in place – sometimes with a heavy 70s twist, sometimes with a more laidback vibe that lets the vocals take center stage – and titles include "Blue Shades", "Do You Remember", "Spirit Of The South", "Temple Of Soul", "Super Nacho Funk", "Let Your Love Shine On Me", "It's So Easy", "Our Love Will Live Forever", and a cover of "Kung Fu Fighting". (Includes free MP3 download.) ~ Dusty Groove

CHARLES BRADLEY - VICTIM OF LOVE

Damn amazing work from Charles Bradley – an instant soul classic for all generations, as you'll hear from the very first note! Not only are Bradley's vocals incredible – the kind of once-in-a-long-time approach he brought to his debut – but the backings and production are completely sublime too – magical music from the Menahan Street Band, who sound here like some lost combo from 60s Memphis, but without any of the hoke that reference might imply – instead that really unique approach that you'd only find on one of your few favorite vintage soul albums – maybe Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, or Jesse James on his 60s album for 20th Century! Yet the sound here isn't just vintage for vintage sake, either – as there's an intensity that's very present, contemporary, and urgent – a sound that doesn't die – and which just gets better and better with each new listen. Tremendous stuff – even from the Daptone universe we've been loving for years and years – with titles that include "Strictly Reserved For You", "You Put The Flame On It", "Dusty Blue", "Love Bug Blues", "Hurricane", "Through The Storm", "Confusion", and "Where Do We Go From Here". (Includes free download.)  ~ Dusty Groove

RONNIE CUBER - LIVE AT JAZZFEST BERLIN

Ronnie Cuber's an overlooked monster in jazz – a hell of a player, and has been for decades – and one of the last few cats who can really handle a baritone sax! Cuber was late in a legacy of baritonists that included Pepper Adams, Sahib Shihab, Cecil Payne, and Lars Gullin – a youngster when all those players were getting old, but more than able to swing with the lean energy that made the 50s baritone sax players as important as the giants on tenor! Here, Cuber really demonstrates that legacy strongly – picking up the giant horn and handling it with effortless ease – producing these beautifully-blown solo lines that are nice and long, and filled with imagination – in the company of a combo that features Kenny Drew Jr on piano, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, and Ben Perowsky on drums. The recent date is a great reminder that Cuber can still cook heavily – and titles include "Passion Fruit", "Coco B", "Perpetuating The Myth", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Arroz Con Pollo". ~ Dusty Groove

2013 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED...

The 2013 ESSENCE Festival, the 19th annual gathering of music, culture, community, empowerment and inspiration, is proud to announce its heavily anticipated night-by-night line-up. The 2013 ESSENCE Festival, taking place July 4-7 in New Orleans, LA, promises to be the most exhilarating cultural celebration of the year; featuring a mix of bold names, exciting newcomers and cherished Essence Festival favorites.

Festival attendees will experience a dazzling aural event with the thrilling headlining line-up of Grammy-Award winners Jill Scott and Maxwell (Friday, July 5th); Charlie Wilson and New Edition (Saturday, July 6th); and a powerful closing performance from Grammy-Award winning icon Beyonce (Sunday, July 7th). Nephew Tommy from The Steve Harvey Morning Show will once again return as the Mainstage host, assuring laughs and a lively audience interaction.

Additional names to be added to the previously announced Mainstage line up include buzzed about songstress Solange, who will be bringing her fiery brand and fashionable stage set to the Mainstage for the first time; heartthrob Trey Songz; Essence May issue cover star and vocal powerhouse Janelle Monae , who will curate a nightly lounge performance; and Supergroup TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank). Newly added superlounge acts include Faith Evans , Luke James , Tamia, Emeli Sande , Alice Smith , Maya Azucena and Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs, among many others.

"We are pleased to present such a stellar and diverse line up of performers, with more than thirty acts across five stages!" says Michelle Ebanks , ESSENCE Communications President. She adds, "From icons to the most exciting rising stars, we are offering it all. This extraordinary line-up is just one of the many components of what will be an empowering and inspiring overall weekend experience!"

The 2013 ESSENCE Festival night-by-night musical line-up is as follows:
•Friday, July 5th: Mainstage: Maxwell, Jill Scott , LL Cool J and Brandy. Superlounges: Blackstreet, Anthony David, Les Nubians, Emeli Sande, Maya Azucena, Simphiwe Dana, Mali Music and Shamarr Allen and The Underdawgs.

•Saturday, July 6th: Mainstage: New Edition, Charlie Wilson , Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole and Solange. Superlounges: Faith Evans, Bridget Kelly, Big Daddy Kane, F.Stokes, PJ Morton, Jody Watley, Leela James and Avery Sunshine.

•Sunday, July 7th: Mainstage: Beyonce, Janelle Monae and TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank). Superlounges: Rachelle Ferrell, Mia Borders, Mint Condition, Luke James, Daley, Tamia, Kourtney Heart and Alice Smith .

•More acts to be announced soon. 

NEW RELEASES - MILLIE JACKSON, JACKIE MOORE, FERN KINNEY

MILLIE JACKSON - THE MANY MOODS OF MILLIE JACKSON: HER BEST BALLADS

A side of Millie Jackson that we really really love – her ballads and mellow tracks – a style that Millie did unlike anyone else back in the day! Jackson's sometimes best remembered for her sassier side, but we love it when she kicks back and moves slowly into a groove – drawing on her southern deep soul roots, but giving things a warm modern twist too – that perfect balance of modes that made Millie a key force in changing the sound of soul back in the 70s! The track selection here is sublime – and pulls together some real gems from Jackson's famous Spring LPs – including some tracks that begin with these really cool monologues, and others that have kind of a midtempo groove that nicely changes up the pace. The whole thing's tremendous – the kind of Millie Jackson collection we made for ourselves decades ago on cassette – and titles include "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "There You Are", "A Love Of Your Own", "I'll Be Rolling", "From Her Arms To Mine", "Angel In Your Arms", "I Still Love You", and "Making The Best Of A Bad Situation". ~ Dusty Groove

JACKIE MOORE - SWEET CHARLY BABE

A classic set of 70s crossover deep soul – recorded in the mode of similar work by Betty Wright or Laura Lee, and done with a similar mix of raw southern vocals and tighter production! About half the work was handled by the team of Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro – working in the Criteria Studios in Miami to give Jackie a sound that's similar to Shapiro's work with Millie Jackson. The other half was produced in Philly, by the Young Professionals team of LeBaron Taylor, Tony Bell, and Phil Hurt – who give Jackie a warm, gliding, sweet 70s Philly groove! And although you might think that this Philly/Miami split would make for a mixed bag of tunes, the album's surprisingly unified – and in a way, does plenty to link together the growing dancefloor scenes in both cities. Titles include "Willpower", "Both Ends Against The Middle", "Time", "Something In A Look", "Clean Up Your Own Yard", "If", and "Darling Baby". ~ Dusty Groove

FERN KINNEY - GROOVE ME

A standout classic from Fern Kinney – and a set that not only marked a big moment of evolution for southern soul, but also for the Mississippi scene as well! The set was recorded at the Malaco studios in Jackson, but has a vibe that's much closer to some of the TK Records material from Miami – that maturation of southern soul during the disco era – as warmer, more modern touches came into play with rootsier styles of vocals! Mike Lewis handled the string arrangements – giving the record the same disco vibe as some of his other work of the time, including Anita Ward's big debut – and Fern's vocals have this higher range than usual for a southern singer – almost more innately tuned towards clubby rhythms. Titles include a big hit remake of King Floyd's "Groove Me" – really marking the change from the original version – plus "Baby Let Me Kiss You", "Pillow Talk", "Sun Moon Rain", "Angel On The Ground", and "Under Fire". CD features bonus tracks "Let's Keep It Right There", "I Want You Back", "Movie Show", "Baby Let Me Kiss You (single)", "Sweet Life", "Tonight's The Night", and "Groove Me (single)". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - THE SIGN OF FOUR, KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION, BONOBO

THE SIGN OF FOUR - HAMMER, ANVIL, STIRRUP

Oscillating and reverberating chaotically through sonic orbs and polyphonic sound textures, The Sign of Four is a new creative concept from the Natural Yogurt Band's Miles Newbold. Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup is the debut album from The Sign of Four on Jazzman Records and is spread exquisitely across 2x10" LPs in hand-printed sleeves, digipack CD and digital download formats. Recorded live at Chicken Shack studios in Nottingham, real musical instruments are used to create a swirling jungle of throbbing palpitations evoking the spaced-out vibes of an unsound mind. It's an infectious fermentation of debauched instrumental chaos, sometimes calming, but often unnerving, that will leave the listener bewildered, wide-eyed and gasping for more. The 11-track album also contains two tracks from Sun Suite, an alternative incarnation of The Sign of Four, that see out the release in a less chaotic fashion, a sonic antidote to the preceding pandemonium.

KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION: INDEPENDENT JAZZ SOUNDS FROM THE 70S & 80S (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
A completely sublime collection of spiritual jazz numbers from the 70s – put together by the legendary Kev Beadle, one of the first cats to spin the music with Gilles Peterson on the UK scene! The package is a great mix of essentials from years back, plus some under-discovered nuggets from the American underground – all with a nice emphasis on the grooves and rhythms – in a way that you might have heard back at Dingwalls on a Sunday afternoon! The set's a great reminder that music can be progressive and groovy at the same time – and the whole thing's overflowing with righteous treasures. Vinyl version features some exclusive tracks not on the CD – "Safari" by Frank Walton, "Padali" by Chuck Flores, and "I See Chano Pozo" by Jayne Cortez & The Firespitters – plus "In Every Way" by Reverie, "Open Your Mind" by Southern Energy Ensemble, "Brotherhood" by Kamal Abdul Alim, and "Freedom Road" by The Pharoahs. ~ Dusty Groove

BONOBO - NORTH BORDERS

A deeply effective set from Bonobo! North Borders has beats that are as compelling as any in Bonobo's canon – often thumping pretty hard – paired with gorgeous electronic sound washes and really deft use of vocal samples and guest singers. The mix of compelling beats and lighter, more ethereal atmosphere is a nice touch – and the use of voices, whether sampled or sung by a guest, really brings in an uncommon emotional depth. Includes "First Fires" with Grey Reverend, "Emkay", "Don't Wait", "Cirrus", "Heaven For The Sinner" with Erykah Badu, Towers" with Sjerdene, "Jets", "Antenna", "Know You", "Ten Tigers", "Sapphire", "Transits" and "Pieces" feat Cornella. ~ Dusty Groove