BRIAN CULBERTON'S NAPA VALLEY JAZZ GETAWAY RAISES FUNDS TO BENEFIT THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION®

Enthusiastic bidders and generous event sponsors packed the Lincoln Theater in Napa, Calif. on June 8th during Brian Culbertson’s Napa Valley Jazz Getaway to raise an impressive $66,000.00 at a fundraising auction and wine reception to benefit The GRAMMY Foundation® more than doubling last year’s take. With over 3,000 jazz and wine enthusiasts gathered from across the nation for the 5-day festival, Brian Culbertson auctioned off the Mason & Hamlin 7-foot model BB grand piano that he used to record many of his chart-topping contemporary jazz albums, including “It’s On Tonight,” “Bringing Back The Funk,” “A Soulful Christmas,” and “XII.” The highly-esteemed piano that was also featured in a number of Culbertson’s videos was donated by festival sponsor Mason & Hamlin.

Tom Lagomarsino, Executive Vice President of Mason & Hamlin Piano and PianoDisc, was thrilled that one of their exclusive handmade pianos, which are still built in the United States, was the coveted centerpiece of the auction. “We are honored to partner with Brian (Culbertson) and the wine and jazz communities to sponsor this great fundraiser to benefit The GRAMMY Foundation. We all recognize the essential need for music education programs in schools as well as the value of preserving our cultural heritage in both music and art. Together, we can truly make a difference."

Mason & Hamlin pianos are acclaimed for their even touch, consistent action, and well-balanced tone, and are Culbertson’s exclusive piano choice. He describes them as having “the purest and richest tone on the market - period. To make great music, it always starts with an amazing instrument. That’s why I’m excited about exclusively playing Mason & Hamlin,” said Culbertson, the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway’s Founder and Artistic Director, a passionate music education advocate.

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture — from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music professionals. The foundation works to bring national attention and support to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education. Kristen Madsen, The GRAMMY Foundation’s Senior Vice President, expressed her sincere appreciation for the tremendous support. “The value of this generous donation from Mason & Hamlin and Brian (Culbertson) can certainly be calculated in the number of grants to schools and students it will facilitate. But equally important is the vision it reflects of a promising future, where music takes a central position in the vibrancy of our communities. We are delighted to have such remarkable support."

The Napa Valley Jazz Getaway is a not-to-be-missed interactive lifestyle experience at which fans share their passion for wine and jazz with the star studded lineup of concert performers while dining, during wine receptions and tastings, autograph sessions, a golf tournament and at casual post-concert hangs. The third annual festival will be held June 11-15, 2014 and will again include an auction to benefit The GRAMMY Foundation. Additional information is available at www.NapaValleyJazzGetaway.me.

ERIC CLAPTON'S CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL 2013 COMES TO CINEMAS

Bringing the ultimate guitar concert featuring the most legendary guitarists in the world to select U.S. movie theaters, NCM Fathom Events and Crossroad Concerts LLC present “Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013” on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. (local time). This special, one-night event will feature the best performances and backstage access from Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival pre-recorded over two nights at Madison Square Garden this past April. Tickets for the live concert sold out within minutes of going on sale, but fans can experience one of the hottest events of the year from their local theater as Clapton gathers his most respected colleagues in the music industry for a jam session. The live concert and portions from the cinema event benefit the Crossroads Centre, a treatment and education facility for chemically dependent people, based in Antigua and founded by Clapton.

“NCM Fathom Events is thrilled to bring audiences the concert event of the summer as Eric Clapton and the world’s best guitarists combine for an unforgettable night in cinemas across the country”.“Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013” will be presented in nearly 500 select movie theaters around the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Musicians featured in the cinema event include the Allman Brothers Band, Blake Mills, Booker T., Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., Gregg Allman, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Keith Richards, Keith Urban, Los Lobos, Robert Cray, Sonny Landreth, Vince Gill and Warren Haynes.

Since 2004, the Crossroads Guitar Festival has taken place every three years and the 2013 edition is the fourth in the series. A mix of sultry blues, classic rock and country jams, the festival offers a wide sampling of legendary guitarists and their greatest hits, where anything can unfold onstage at any time. Since its inception, Clapton’s vision for the Crossroads Guitar Festival has been to create an event where his friends and contemporaries can have fun and perform together for the benefit of a good cause.

“NCM Fathom Events is thrilled to bring audiences the concert event of the summer as Eric Clapton and the world’s best guitarists combine for an unforgettable night in cinemas across the country,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Business Development of NCM Fathom. “The Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival has long been one of the premiere events in music, and communities of fans nationwide will enjoy the ultimate concert experience on the big screen with amazing sound and front row seats.”

NEW RELEASES - AL DI MEOLA BEATLES TRIBUTE, MARY J. BLIGE, DHAFER YOUSSEF

AL DI MEOLA - ALL YOUR LIFE (BEATLES TRIBUTE)

Celebrated guitarist and composer, Al Di Meola’s latest release, “All Your Life” is an acoustic tour de force that has him revisiting the music of the Beatles. A virtual one-man show of virtuosity, it features the guitar great interpreting 14 familiar Beatles tunes in the stripped-down setting of strictly acoustic guitar. “I’ve come full circle with this Beatles project. I started out my life loving the Beatles, and I never stopped, just like a lot of so many other guitarists from my generation. In the middle, we all went into whatever music we pursued in our careers – fusion, jazz, whatever it might be. We all wanted to further our craft. But when you come back to the Beatles’ music, it’s like, ‘Man, this stuff is still happening!’ All of it!” -Al Di Meola.  ~ www.aldimeola.com

MARY J. BLIGE - A MARY CHRISTMAS

Iconic Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Mary J. Blige will release her first-ever holiday album in October of 2013. The album is titled "A Mary Christmas," and features her soulful interpretation of classic holiday tunes. This is Blige's 11th studio album since her 1992 debut What's the 411? In two decades, Blige's work has earned her numerous awards and she has sold over 50 million records. Among her many accolades, Blige can claim eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy® Awards (she has been nominated for a staggering 29) and four American Music Awards. "A Mary Christmas" is the first collaboration between legendary producer and hit-maker David Foster and Blige for Matriarch Records/Verve Records/Interscope Records. Sixteen-time Grammy winner and Chairman of The Verve Music Group, Foster is the producer of multi-platinum Christmas albums by Michael Bublé, Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Celine Dion. ~ Interscope Records

DHAFER YOUSSEF - INCANTATION (BIRD'S REQUIEM)

Another release not to miss is Dhafer Youssef’s new album “Incantation (Birds Requiem)”. It will be available this October. This is his most personal album so far – a collection of songs of amazing beauty. The power and clarity of his voice is simply overwhelming. The Tunisian singer and oud player will be on tour with his new release in November, December and throughout 2014. Yousseff has a voice. Tracks include: Birds Canticum Birds Requiem Suite; Hymn to the Absent Sweet Blasphemy; Blending Souls & Shades; Ascetic Mood; Fuga Hirundinum Birds Requiem Suite; Khira Indicium Divinum; 39th Gülay - Aytac Dogan; Archaic Feathers Birds Requiem Suite; Sevdah; Ascetic Journey - Aytac Dogan; and Whirling Birds Ceremony Birds Requiem Suite.

GERI ALLEN - GRAND RIVER CROSSINGS: MOTOWN & MOTOR CITY INSPIRATTIONS

Motéma Music has announced the release celebrated pianist-composer-bandleader Geri Allen's new album, Grand River Crossings: Motown and Motor City Inspirations. The recording marks Allen's fourth for the label and third in a trilogy of solo recordings beginning with the 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship project, Flying Toward the Sound, followed by her spiritual Christmas exploration, A Child is Born in 2011, and culminating this year with Grand River Crossings.

Named for the major thoroughfare near her childhood home in Detroit, Grand River Crossings is a highly personal reflection on an influential time and place in America - a cultural crossroads - with Motown at the center of it all.

Allen's first recollection of exposure to the Motown sound was at age seven when she heard Marvin Gaye's and Gladys Knight's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," and other hits on WCHB and WJLB Soul Radio the music clearly had a profound effect on the young girl. Allen states: "The music and the poetry still blows my mind each time I hear it. Marvin Gaye was a brilliant improviser. You can see and hear his sensibility, open fearlessness and soulful beauty on songs like 'What's Going On', the iconic Civil Rights Anthem. The music continues to connect to our lives today as though it were just recorded yesterday." Sighting many critical and historical flashpoints in the history of African American culture, Allen notes that Berry Gordy's Motown Records produced an anthology of hits and, more importantly, a soundtrack for a generation. That soundtrack includes the work of those who are now known as some of the most influential artists of the 20th Century-Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, the Contours, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Junior Walker & The All-Stars, among others.

On this recording, Allen carefully crafts a collection of songs into something truly personal. Compositions by NEA Jazz Master Gerald Wilson, Detroit drum legend Roy Brooks and Allen's mentor Marcus Belgrave, the great trumpeter Jazz Master Laureate of Detroit, who is the last living original member of the Ray Charles Band, along with Allen's own compositions, sit comfortably next to known anthems and pop hits. Allen's musical performance ties together the choices of repertoire she lovingly culled from the classic Motown & Motor City Songbook and in doing so, she further stakes her claim as one of a long lineage of Motor City artists whom have contributed to the fabric of music history. This list includes iconic composer, bandleader, trumpeter and Cass Tech alumnus Gerald Wilson, who is represented on the album's closing track titled, "Nancy Jo." On Grand River Crossings, Allen deftly merges and integrates genres- from classic to the modern, from spirituals to the blues and beyond creating a one-of-a kind listening experience.

Fellow Detroit Cass Tech High School classmate, Greg Phillinganes, the celebrated producer and musical director, writes in the liner notes for Grand River Crossings: "through a body of work spanning many albums, Geri has become a force of nature with this, her latest offering." He continues by saying, "Welcome to the 'New Classical' music..."

Grand River Crossings: Motown and Motor City Inspirations - Track Listing
1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Michael Jackson)
2. Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Henry Cosby)
3. That Girl (Stevie Wonder)
4. Grand River Crossings I (Geri Allen)
5. The Smart Set (Roy Brooks)
6. Let it Be (Paul McCartney)
7. Space Odyssey (Marcus Belgrave)
8. In Appreciation (Geri Allen)
9. Baby I Need Your Lovin' (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
10. Itching In My Heart (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
11. Stoned Love (Frank Wilson)
12. Grand River Crossings II (Geri Allen)
13. Inner City Blues (Marvin Gaye)
14. Save the Children (Marvin Gaye)
15. Nancy Joe (Gerald Wilson)

Upcoming Geri Allen Appearances:
** = ACS Trio: Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding
** July 23 / Jardins Palais Longchamp / Marseille, France
** July 24 / Arena Del Mare / Genova, Italy
** July 25 / Palazzo del Congressi Della Fiera di / Cagliari, Italy
** July 27 / Marciac Jazz Festival / Marciac, France
** August 28 / Hollywood Bowl / Los Angeles, CA
** August 29 / Red Butte Garden Theatre / Salt Lake City, UT
September 1 / Detroit Jazz Festival - Duo w. Danilo Perez / Detroit, MI
September 2 / Detroit Jazz Festival - w. Detroit Homecoming Band / Detroit, MI, feat. George Bohannon, JD Allen, Bob Hurst, Karriem Riggins, Shelia Jordan
September 27 - 29 / Newark New Jersey Symphony - w. Afro Blue / Newark, NJ
** October 5 / Quick Center / Fairfield, CT
** October 11 / Kennedy Center / Washington, DC
** October 17 / Paramount Theatre / Austin, TX
** October 19 / Cullen Theatre / Houston, TX
** October 20 / Hiland Theater / Albuquerque, NM
** October 22 / Ikeda Theater / Mesa, AZ
** October 25 & 26 / Samueli Theatre / Costa Mesa, CA
** October 27 / The Broad Stage / Santa Monica, CA
October 31- November 2 / The University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar 2013:  Celebrating Nathan Davis, / Pittsburgh, PA, feat. All-Stars Jeff Watts, Randy Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, Carmen Lundy, Russell Malone, Kenny Davis and other surprise guests
** November 7 / Helsinki Music Center / Finland, Helsinki
** November 8 / Stockholm Konserthuset / Sweden, Stockholm
** November 9 / National Jazzscene / Oslo, Norway
** November 11 / Gothenburg Konserthus / Gothenburg, Sweden
** November 12 / Master Class (Women in Jazz) / Gothenburg, Sweden
** November 13 / Stadtcasino / Basel, Switzerland
** November 14 / Paulu de la Musica / Barcelona, Spain
** November 15 / Sala Mutiusos / Zaragoza, Spain
** November 17 / Barbican Centre / London, England
** November 22 / Massey Hall / Toronto, Canada
** November 24 / Boston Symphony Hall / Boston, MA
December 17 - 22 / The Village Vanguard - w. Quartet / New York, New York, feat. Ravi Coltrane, Jeff Watts, James Genus

BADLANDS - TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT

Given their upbringing, it’s no wonder Trampled Under Foot have quickly become one of the hottest up-and-coming blues bands on the circuit today. Siblings Danielle Schnebelen (lead vocals and bass), Nick Schnebelen (guitars and vocals) and Kris Schnebelen, (drums) have a lifelong connection with the blues. Growing up in Kansas City, MO, the hard-charging trio soaked up the music of their parents, who were active in the thriving blues scene.

“Our dad was in bar bands but he was also recognized as a great blues guitar player,” says Nick, describing the influence his father had on his music. “He’d take us to blues jams where we’d meet some real old school artists and hear a huge cross section of roots music.” His father’s love of poetry also made an impact. “It led to a more intellectual style of writing and tipped us off to some techniques that made our music more dynamic.”

After years of playing in separate bands, Danielle, Kris and Nick decided to keep things in the family and formed Trampled Under Foot (TUF). “The bonds are stronger with family,” Kris says. “You’re more familiar with each other, that’s for sure.”

“We just decided to go for it,” adds Nick. “In our younger years, we were still developing, so it was good to take on this group in our early- to mid-twenties after we already had some experience under our belts.”

A pivotal moment came in 2008 when Trampled Under Foot headed to Memphis for the Blues Foundation’s 24th International Blues Challenge and walked away with first place, proving to the world that they’re a band to be reckoned with. Nick also took home the prestigious Albert King Award for best guitarist. “When we won, I couldn’t believe it,” says Danielle. “It opened up a lot of doors for us, and we got some really great gigs out of it.”

After several acclaimed self-released albums, Trampled Under Foot debuts Badlands July 9, 2013 on Telarc, a division of Concord Music Group. Toughened by years of nonstop roadwork, Badlands reveals a musical sophistication well beyond the band’s years.

On Badlands, the band worked again with producer Tony Braunagel at his Ultratone Studios in California. The drummer in the Phantom Blues Band, Braunagel plays some percussion on the album and recruited veteran keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Bonnie Raitt, Etta James) to play keys. Johnny Lee Schell, who also recorded the album, adds acoustic guitar to one track and even mother Lisa Swedelund provides some additional backing vocals. John Porter mixed the final results at Independent Street Studios in New Orleans.

“Tony Braunagel is awesome,” Nick says. “He’s the guru guy. He has a blues crew. They’ve all been playing together for 20 plus years. We came on their team. I was excited about the star quality of the guys on the album, but their musical ability let us really dig in. Mike Finnigan plays more piano and organ and Rhodes than he did on the last record. That makes the record shine so much more.”

The album shows off the band’s maturity right from the opening notes of the first track, the break-up ballad “Bad Bad Feeling.” Danielle sounds particularly vulnerable (and hurt) as she adopts the persona of a woman scorned and sings, “You say I’m crazy/I’m making it up” and recounts seeing “the other woman” at a party. While the songs on the album aren’t all dark, they do have a sharper edge to them than the tunes on the band’s previous studio efforts.

“Everyone’s writing ability came up,” says Nick. “And there’s grittier guitar on this record that I’m excited about. We don’t pick one style of rock blues. There’s gospel and full-on dirty blues. There’s also a danceable quality.”

Propelled by a funky keyboard riff, “Dark of the Night” offers a bit of inspiration despite addressing “broken dreams.” A mid-song guitar solo shows off Nick’s terrific chops. He holds his own on the mic, too, as he sings lead on the roadhouse rocker “Don’t Want No Woman” and the soulful title track. The disc comes to a close with a spirited rendition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World.”

“That song has always been propelled by such a large band, and they have a huge horn section with strings on it too,” says Nick. “I think it’s awesome. Midwestern guys don’t get a lot of funk influence, but we got that going on. I was a huge James Brown fan. I decided to make it stark and bare and Danielle shines over the top. For this song, it’s about her vocals. That’s Danielle in her essence.”

Kris agrees the song provides a showcase for Danielle’s powerhouse vocals. “It’s a legendary tune and I just lay back on it,” he says. “I just try to support it and let her put it all out there. She’s such a talented performer.”

Danielle also demonstrates her range on “You Never Really Loved Me,” as she nails the upper register notes and then simmers down into a lower register for the song’s finale. And she’s in terrific form on the soulful ballad “I Didn’t Try” and the mid-tempo number “Home to You.”

Now, only a few years after hitting the radar, Badlands represents a rite of passage for a band that is knocking on the door of greatness. “All I really want to do is inspire goodness in people. I’m really passionate about the blues and about music,” Danielle says. “My lyrics are really personal to me; I’m like an open book. I’m always honest about the music, and I hope I can inspire people. I want the listener to get something out of it. I want the audience to have a good time dancing and laughing with me while I take them on a journey.”

One thing is certain, Trampled Under Foot are in it for the long haul. Look for them to flex their blues-rock muscles this summer when they go on tour, performing live throughout the United States and Europe in support of Badlands.

THE GREEN MAN - SOUND POWER

The Green Man’s Sound Power is “Bass Music” with a lot of soul. Its 30 tracks are a sound journey from melancholy to euphoria, covering both speedy and half-time beats, coolness and emotion. It features mainly drum & bass, but also dubstep, ambient, jazz, soul, techno, trap and trip hop. It switches between lush arrangements and minimal simplicity, between wide spaces in sound and the intimacy of a drummer’s booth – with a big final at the end, featuring three of Green Man’s former biggest hits at the end of CD2. “Sound Power” is a sound adventure – which is supposed to be experienced from the beginning to the end.

“Sound Power” is “Bass Music” with a touch of Air or Massive Attack. Singers like Peter Boucner (I’m a Junglist, UK Top 10 with Shut Up & dance’s I’m Ravin I’m Ravin), Demolition Man, MC Navigator, Mystic Dan and Ras Abraham are performing on Green Man’s sound, resulting in tracks with soul like “Face the Father”, “Word Sound Power” (both on Basswerk 38 limited edition vinyl), “Junglist Soldier”, “Keep Trying” or “Playing In The Dark”. Shut Up & Dance’s “The Green Man” once was the spark initiating “The Green Man”‘s artist career delivered the artist name, so having Peter Bouncer to sing the opening track matches not only soundwise. It’s the positive energy of his singinig – in Jamaica they call it “Word, Sound, Power” – which became a hook for the whole album, which is about “Sound” that lets you smile, gives power or also makes you wonder. Besides the groovy material tracks like “Chainsmoker”, “Apokalypse” or “We Destroy The World” show Green Man’s “dark” side.

TGM’s first album “You Decide” on Duesseldorf’s electronic crossover label Combination (who also released SEBA and Kabuki albums) back then convinced the fans not only with the music (“Infinity” entered the MTV Dance Charts and was #1 in the German DCC club charts), but also with its accompanying little written essay in the artwork. “You Decide” was loved by drum & bass nerds and Elle magazine at the same time. It is a coincidence that Heiner Kruse a.k.a The Green Man (or in short “TGM”) has his birthday on the same day with Matthew Herbert. Nevertheless it is no surprise one can find allusions or political statements in track names, colours and pictures plus another little essay also in “Sound Power”, they are not so much hidden though and feel quite personal. The Green Man does not only enjoy details when it comes to sound design but also when it comes to writing down his “TGM” moniker as a logo on the album the same way he does it with an Edding waterproof pen on self-burnt dubplate CD’s, developping a fonts out of it and doing the whole artwork.

While currently “Bass Music” is the new word for drum & bass and dubstep, the borders between genres seem to “blur”. TGM and Basswerk are known for running one of Germany’s most famous drum & bass events called “Basswerk Sessions”, being an absolute term in the scene featuring a wide musical variety of drum & bass since 1995, featuring artists such as Intalex, D-Bridge, State Of Mind, BSE, Doc Scott, Spectrasoul, Enei, Calibre or Dub Phizix recently. With over 40 Vinyl and CD releases including regular musical contributions by The Green Man’s own Basswerk label, founded 1997, soon developed to become one of Germany’s most famous drum & bass labels receiving various Future Music Awards for the best label, which were the German equivalent to the UK’s D&B Arena votings.

As an artist TGM is known to enjoy surprises, be it within his dj sets, productionwise with “crossover” tracks like “Easy” or “Infinity”, or with his dark “Chainsmoker”, released on Big Bud’s UK’s Soundtrax label played by DJ’s like Rockwell, Phace, Naibu or Intalex – or long ago producing a coop with Klute called “Chicks” in his Cologne studio. He covers a variety of electronic music and drum & bass. No wonder his music was used for various films and performances like CSI Miami, BBC Blue Peter, Sky, Arte, CreativeReview.co.uk, Current TV, Holiday On Ice and more, including his works as a composer for the “Lichtfaktor” lightwriting artist collective and its movies.

The Green Man has been performing dj and live sets internationally including overseas gigs and in 2008 also contributed a DJ Mix on behalf of Groove Attack for Knowledge Magazine’s CD. In 2011 UK Mixmag has chosen his Basswerk dc2 digital compilation including a TGM dj mix to be compilation of the month. He also does music videos and artist tutorials on www.youtube.com/basswerkrec. He is also known as an author of various books on music production in German language and teaches music production and beatdesign lessons in an engineering school once a week in Cologne.

www.basswerk.de

Tracklisting:
CD1
01. Word Sound Power (feat. Peter Bouncer)
02. Keep On Movin
03. Face The Father (feat. Demolitian Man)
04. Reasonjazz
05. Can We Change
06. Shy Conversations (with Sam KDC)
07. The Black & White Walkways
08. Keep Trying (feat. MC Navigator)
09. Automation
10. Somehow You Know When It’s Right
11. Stay Tune
12. Junglist Soldier (TGM Remix)
13. Love,Change Or Leave It
14. A Deeper Love
15. A Song for Chloe

CD2
01. Playing In The Dark (feat. Mystic Dan)
02. I Go (Subz Heatwave RMX) (feat. Ufo! & Sage)
03. Mindless
04. Polaroid
05. I’ve Got It in My Head (feat. Mystic Dan)
06. Electronic Supersymphonic
07. Passage To India
08. A Greater Hood (My Lady Dub Vocal)
09. Poona
10. Apocalypse
11. We Destroy The World
12. Information
13. Chainsmoker
14. Euphoria (with Dizplay)
15. Easy (Video Version) (feat. MC Dragoon & Chevy)

~ groove attack

JOHN COLTRANE'S AFRO BLUE IMPRESSIONS - REMASTERED AND EXPANDED EDITION

Concord Music Group will reissue a remastered and expanded edition of John Coltrane’s Afro Blue Impressions album on August 20, 2013 (international release dates vary). Enhanced by 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, three bonus tracks, and new liner notes, the new reissue celebrates the 40th anniversary of Pablo Records, the jazz label founded by Norman Granz in 1973.

The story of Pablo Records is a story of one veteran producer’s return to the music he loved best. Norman Granz, founder of Jazz at the Philharmonic, so missed the recording aspect of the music business — which he’d abandoned in 1962 when he sold his Clef, Norgran, and Verve labels to MGM — that a little more than a decade later he decided to take the plunge and start up yet another label. Based in Beverly Hills, California, at the time, Granz secured a distribution deal and launched Pablo Records in 1973, quickly building a world-class catalog of albums by legendary artists Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, and Oscar Peterson — all of whom Granz managed — as well as Count Basie, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughan, and many others. After releasing more than 350 albums in a span of less than 15 years, Granz sold Pablo to Fantasy in 1987, which in turn merged with Concord Records in 2004 to form Concord Music Group.

Afro Blue Impressions represents an anniversary within an anniversary. By the time Granz launched Pablo in 1973, he’d already stockpiled several years worth of previously-recorded tour performances in his vaults, including these sets from Stockholm and Berlin in late 1963 (October and November, respectively). This new two-disc reissue of the classic Coltrane Pablo album — originally released as a double LP in 1977 — arrives just a few weeks ahead of the 50th anniversary of the original concerts.

Coltrane fronts a stellar quartet on both European dates that includes McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. In addition to the nine tracks that appeared in the original Afro Blue Impressions double album, the reissue also includes three bonus tracks from the Stockholm date: “Naima,” “I Want To Talk About You,” and “My Favorite Things.”

“When you compare and contrast the performance of a composition that was released on the original album to a different performance of the same composition from among the bonus tracks,” says Afro Blue Impressions reissue producer Nick Phillips, “it perfectly illustrates just how restlessly creative Coltrane and his band were. Each song was a springboard for unpredictable improvisation and boundless creativity.”

“These tracks brim with the wonder and the power of discovery,” says Neil Tesser, author of the new liner notes accompanying the reissue. “At this juncture, the Coltrane Quartet existed in a state analogous to quantum mechanics . . . Each new performance yielded new insights. As the musicians gathered this data and sifted through it, they would arrive at the polished theories underlying the eventual masterworks to come, such as the album Crescent and the monumental suite A Love Supreme — achievements that would then launch a new age of chaotic discovery, on such albums as Om, Sun Ship, and Meditations. How much those recordings will resonate on their 50th anniversaries will likely engender some controversy; Coltrane didn’t live long enough to complete the journey that began with them, and the jury remains out, even decades later, regarding the impact of that work. But history long ago weighed the import of his work in 1963, when his music stretched and struggled its way toward becoming Coltrane’s iconic stylistic statement.”

CHARNETT MOFFETT - SPIRIT OF SOUND

Spirit of Sound is a cinematic free/world/jazz adventure conceived, composed and produced by the visionary bassist Charnett Moffett in association with Motéma label president Jana Herzen, his son Charnett “Max” Moffett, and famed jazz manager Mary Ann Topper, who co-produced his previous release, The Bridge (Solo Bass Works). Spirit of Sound takes the listener on a groundbreaking sonic journey into Moffett’s very adventurous composer/performer/producer world of multi-layered basses – an upright acoustic, a fretless electric and a piccolo bass guitar mystically intermingle with magical vocalese, mysterious poetry and East Indian drones along with hard-swinging jazz piano, drums and sax. Spirit of Sound also features the current generation of the Moffett family musical legacy, along with cameo appearances from five acclaimed leaders from the Motéma roster: Marc Cary, Oran Etkin, Jana Herzen, Babatunde Lea and Tessa Souter.

Respected as one of the most virtuosic and expressive bassists in jazz, Moffett has outdone even himself this year. Spirit of Sound, his 13th release as a leader, follows his searing and internationally acclaimed solo recording The Bridge, released by Motéma in April 2013. The intensely focused release was an astounding acoustic solo bass tour-de-force on which Moffett pulled a seemingly impossible symphony of sounds out of one instrument. In contrast, Spirit of Sound has the composer toying with an extraordinarily wide spectrum of sounds and textures on a multi-dimensional studio project. These two 2013 releases join Moffett’s previous recordings for Motéma: Treasure (2011) and his 2009 label debut The Art of Improvisation.

In the words of Moffett:
I seek to free my mind and the listener’s mind with my music. I believe that music is an art of seeking truth and of healing. That’s why it was such a pleasure to continue creating musical history with Moffett family musicians. It was an incredible experience to have performed with my father's family band, and now I get to continue this wonderful tradition with the next generation. My son Max, who plays drums and who co-produced this project with me, studied drums with his grandfather Charles at a very early age. My daughter Amareia is one of the featured vocalists performing on this project. And my wife Angela provides a beautiful foundation for it all with the tamboura. This drone instrument sets up a space for the acoustic upright bass to be used as a solo instrument. It also brought me great joy to feature guest artists from the Motéma family: Mary Cary, Oran Etkin, Babatunde Lea, Tessa Souter and Motéma’s founder Jana Herzen. This release represents the newest expression of my ensemble vision to date, whereas the solo project was my most personal and challenging release so far.

Spirit of Sound features 11 compositions, 10 originals plus a moving rendition of “Lonely Woman” by the iconic jazz musician Ornette Coleman, Moffett’s namesake along with his father, Charles, who played drums for Coleman and led the original Moffett Family Band.

Spirit of Sound’s opening track, “Bassland” may be just that – a land only bassists know how to travel. “Seeker of Truth” is based on an E.E. Cummings poem and showcases spoken word by Angela Moffett. Next their daughter Amareia provides a haunting vocalese on “Opera.” The poet Emily Dickinson inspired “Hope,” which features clarinetist Oran Etkin and percussionist Babatunde Lea. Vocalist Tessa Souter is featured on “Natural Heritage,” a moving, atmospheric tune that could easily fit inside of a Quentin Tarantino film. Motéma’s founder Jana Herzen lends her rootsy soul voice to “Swing Raga,” which also features Lea. Moffett’s upright bass introduces “Blues Walk Groove” which leads into “Overpass” – a song he describes as an Eastern hoe-down – which showcases Etkin and Lea. “Lonely Woman” then leads into “For Those Who Know” followed by the closing tune, “Spirit of Sound,” a fitting summary statement for this evocative musical program.

These Moffett recordings also available on Motéma:
The Bridge (Solo Bass Works). Moffett’s debut solo bass recording, is one of a very limited number of solo acoustic bass albums ever recorded. It features 20 dynamic vignettes of original compositions and selected arrangements of songs associated with his bandleaders through the years including Wynton Marsalis, Ornette Coleman, McCoy Tyner and Stanley Jordan. The CD became a #1 most added release to the JazzWeek radio chart, impressing the industry with its astounding musicality, range and appeal.

Duo Project with Jana Herzen. Moffett is featured on Passion of a Lonely Heart, an intimate duo recording led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Jana Herzen, founder of Motéma Music. Passion’s conversational feel elicited great critical response. Its release at the dawn of Motéma’s 10th anniversary of “promoting artists of power and distinction” prompted profiles in Downbeat, Jazziz, Jazz Inside, NYC Jazz Record and Hot House magazines. Learning Jana’s music forced me play in a different style and concept that was unusual for me to experience, shares Moffett.

About Charnett Moffett. Appearing on over 200 recordings, Moffett is a veritable bass legend and has one of the most distinguished careers in jazz. He first appeared on a recording at age seven with the Moffett Family Band. At age 16 he left Juilliard to join the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, before starting his non-stop career working with innumerable icons of music including Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, McCoy Tyner, Tony Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Arturo Sandoval, Anita Baker, Stanley Jordan, Harry Connick, Jr., David Sanborn, Branford Marsalis and Bette Midler. Most recently he’s been touring with vocal sensation Melody Gardot. Moffett recorded three CDs for the esteemed Blue Note label and six others on various labels before his path led him to Motéma. Whether as the leader or in a supportive role, his intense and energetic solos inspire audience ovations around the world.

Touring
August 5 – with Will Calhoun Trio, Hartford Jazz Society, Hartford, CT
August 28 – Jazz Standard, NYC
September 15 – Solo / Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Half Moon Beach, CA
September 16-20 – West coast dates pending
September 21 – Solo / Monterey Jazz Festival, Garden Stage. Monterey, CA
September 22-24 – West coast dates pending
September 26 – with Will Calhoun Trio, Beantown Jazz Festival, Boston, MA
November 9 – Jana Herzen/Charnett Moffett duo. Exit O Jazz Festival, Cape May, NJ.
Nov 29-Dec 15 – Japan. With Sadao Watanabe.

~ Motema Music

GEOFFREY KEEZER - HEART OF THE PIANO

On his first solo project in thirteen years, virtuosic improviser Geoffrey Keezer is on a mission to redefine solo jazz piano as a personal and interactive showcase of melody, energy and groove. Of his many diverse projects, Heart of the Piano is the most direct and focused recording of Keezer’s career. And, after more than 20 years leading his various ensembles and collaborating with artists from Art Blakey to Chris Botti to Sting, Keezer firmly states: “Now it’s time for me to be me!”

Geoffrey titled this album the Heart of the Piano because “this is home base for me—where my heart is, where I find the most freedom.” For Keezer, the biggest challenge going solo was selecting material where he could “generate enough rhythmic interest, enough groove to keep it moving, to keep the ideas flowing.” The end result is an album of ten divergent choices that “are not the most obvious choices for solo piano,” including less familiar pop and jazz covers, a traditional Scottish melody, and two original pieces of spontaneous improvisation in the studio. These selections reflect the influences of early role models, favorite rock bands, and even a chance discovery via music site Shazam. Also informing his approach to solo piano is Keezer’s “singular style of intellectually abstract lyricism woven over exotically complex rhythms and harmonies” (Jazz Police), with “more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole” (Time Magazine), “whose originality and gleaming skills result in music that is fresh and fine beyond genre” (Sunnyside Records).

Heart of the Piano opens with Geoffrey’s tightly textured arrangement of Rush’s “Limelight,” paying homage to both his favorite rock band and the Hank Jones album, Tiptoe Tapdance. Drawing from Scottish folk tradition, he included Eva Cassidy’s version of “My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose,” noting “that song is just so pretty and the way she sang it would just break you down. Interpreting Peter Gabriel’s “Come Talk to Me” for solo piano meant, “having enough happening to keep the groove going. Peter always uses a lot of drums.” With the regal energy of a big band and the frenetic pulse of the Big Apple, Geoffrey takes off on mentor Donald Brown’s “New York,” written for Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Geoffrey includes the little known “Still,” the Alanis Morissette song that ran over the closing credits of the 1999 film, Dogma. Covering pop music via solo piano adds special challenges, he notes, “because the lyrics are so important.” Keezer stumbled upon K.T. Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” via Shazam. “I had never heard of the artist or song. I loved the hook, the middle section, and the happy little melody. I gave it a mixture of Brazilian choro and mid-60s Coltrane quartet.” What do ladybugs listen to as they find sleep? Surely Geoffrey’s slightly countrified, jaggedly swinging arrangement of Christian McBride’s “Lullaby for a Ladybug” should do the trick. “I played this song in Christian’s band for nine years, every night. This is a great tune that should be a standard.” In the studio, Geoffrey created ten spontaneous improvisations, from which two were selected for the album. “Chirizakura” was inspired by Japanese cherry trees, “when pink blossoms fall like snow. It’s so gorgeous.” He chose to close the album with a gently syncopated and spacious blues, “Take Time for Love,” from an early mentor, the late James Williams.

Adding to the mix is the extraordinary sound of the recording. “Particularly for a solo piano album,” states Keezer, “it was very important the sound have pristine clarity.” To capture this type of detail and accuracy, Keezer recorded the album with one KMF Audio stereo microphone, which produces an audio signal of unprecedented strength and detail, reproducing a three-dimensional soundstage with exceptional natural “breath” and depth.

For Heart of the Piano Keezer also enlisted the services of another artist, San Diego based Billy Martinez, whose paintings grace the artwork for the album and merchandising materials. Additionally, Martinez recently joined Keezer on stage in concert for a unique live-art improv piece. Due to the incredible response, look for Martinez to join Keezer for further music-art improvisations in concerts to be determined. Keezer will be on tour throughout the summer in conjunction with Heart of the Piano, in addition to performances with Chris Botti worldwide.

Keezer’s only previous solo recording, Zero One, was released in 1999 when the pianist was a mere 29. Yet the Eau Claire, WI native, now 42, was already a veteran performer, having taken over the piano bench for Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers after a year at the Berklee College of Music. He felt it was time to reconsider the solo piano format. “I think I am a better pianist in general. I have a lot more technical control over the instrument--more subtleties, better touch and better sound. There’s just more life behind it, informing everything.” That intervening life includes marriage, fatherhood, relocating to Southern California, years as a sideman with Ray Brown, Christian McBride and Chris Botti, and collaborations with Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Keola Beamer, Okinawan vocalist Yasukatsu Oshima, guitar legend Jim Hall, vibes master Joe Locke (Locke/Keezer Group), and Locke and saxophonist Tim Garland (Storms/Nocturnes), among others. Keezer also has garnered two GRAMMY® nominations to date, for Best Latin Jazz Album (Auréa) and Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist ("Don't Explain" by jazz vocalist Denise Donatelli from her album When Lights Are Low, produced by Keezer and nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2010). Geoffrey also produced and arranged Donatelli’s follow-up recording, Soul Shadows, which received a second Best Jazz Vocal Album nomination this year.

In commenting on his mentor, the late James Williams, Keezer states: “He was a very close to my heart and incredibly important in my life. I have a career in jazz largely because of him, or at least my career would have looked a lot different than it does.” And a solo piano album by anyone but Geoffrey Keezer would surely look a lot different than does Heart of the Piano!

~ Motema Music

KT TUNSTALL - INVISIBLE EMPIRE // CRESCENT MOON

Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall‘s stunning new album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon is set for an August 6 release in the U.S. on Blue Note Records. IECM – KT’s fourth studio album overall and the first to be released on Blue Note – was released June 10 in the U.K. on Virgin Records.

IECM represents both a return to the delicate simplicity of the multi-platinum artist’s early work and an evolution of her sound. IECM’s country-folk tinged undercurrents grew out of KT’s decision to travel to Tucson, Arizona to record with producer and alt-country leading light Howe Gelb (aka Giant Sand). KT describes the album as “full of songs from the heart,” adding “I followed my path of truth and ended up in a different place.”

IECM is made up from two sessions with a season in between them, and KT saw the work as naturally separated into two distinct parts - an 'A' side and a 'B' side. The first batch sees songs like the exquisite “Made Of Glass” and “Yellow Flower” focusing on the themes of mortality, a subject close to her heart following the passing away of her father last year. The second batch evokes an ethereal mood, more reflective of deeply felt changes in outlook and shifts in her personal life. Together they add up to KT's most cohesive and affecting album to date.

Since scoring a worldwide hit with her debut album Eye To The Telescope in 2005 – which sold more than 4 million copies worldwide and earned platinum status in the U.S. – KT has remained at the forefront of UK singer-songwriter talent. Two more well-received albums Drastic Fantastic (2007) and Tiger Suit (2010) followed, cementing the Scottish songtress’s reputation as a major recording talent, as well as a mesmerizing live artist.

KT TUNSTALL – FALL 2013 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Sept. 20 – Dansforth Music Hall – Toronto, ONT
Sept. 21 – Eglise du Gesu – Montreal, QC
Sept. 24 – NYU Skirball Center – New York, NY
Sept. 25 – Somerville Theatre – Boston, MA
Sept. 27 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 30 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Oct. 1 – Belcourt Theatre – Nashville, TN
Oct. 3 – Park West – Chicago, IL
Oct. 4 – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI
Oct. 5 – Cedar Cultural Center – Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 7 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
Oct. 8 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 11 – Masonic Lodge – Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 13 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
Oct. 15 – Aladdin Theatre – Portland, OR
Oct. 16 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA
Oct. 17 – Rio Theatre – Vancouver, BC

NEW RELEASES - SANTE PALUMBO, BILLY HARPER, ALFIE SILAS

SANTE PALUMBO - STASERA IN CASA SEDUTI IN POLTRONA CON LA LUCE DIFFUSA: COMPLESSO DI SANTE PALUMBO

A wonderful little set from Italian pianist Sante Palumbo – one that reflects his important work in the Rai studios, but which also really shows his work in jazz as well! The album's a relaxed small group outing – delivered with a breezy blend of bossa nova and other lyrical modes – of the sort that really show the special sound of the Italian scene at the time, and which draws a definite link to some of the soundtrack styles of the period too. Sante plays mostly acoustic piano – although some keys seem to be electric too – and the group features really wonderful flute from Gianni Bedori, who also plays some tenor too – plus guitar from Sergio Farina, bass from Marco Ratti, and drums from Lino Liguori. The group get a bit funky at points – making for some great energy alongside the more laidback tunes – and titles include "Sbam", "Dixi Samba", "Oriental Dog", "Saxoscopio", "Bossa Kiss", "Cartavetrata", and "Swingin Bossa". (Limited to 300 copies – in a beautiful package with very faithful cover reproduction, special sleeve, and insert too!) ~ Dusty Groove

BILLY HARPER - THE AWAKENING

A wonderful little set from Italian pianist Sante Palumbo – one that reflects his important work in the Rai studios, but which also really shows his work in jazz as well! The album's a relaxed small group outing – delivered with a breezy blend of bossa nova and other lyrical modes – of the sort that really show the special sound of the Italian scene at the time, and which draws a definite link to some of the soundtrack styles of the period too. Sante plays mostly acoustic piano – although some keys seem to be electric too – and the group features really wonderful flute from Gianni Bedori, who also plays some tenor too – plus guitar from Sergio Farina, bass from Marco Ratti, and drums from Lino Liguori. The group get a bit funky at points – making for some great energy alongside the more laidback tunes – and titles include "Sbam", "Dixi Samba", "Oriental Dog", "Saxoscopio", "Bossa Kiss", "Cartavetrata", and "Swingin Bossa". (Limited to 300 copies – in a beautiful package with very faithful cover reproduction, special sleeve, and insert too!) ~ Dusty Groove
 

ALFIE SILAS - ALFIE / BE YOURSELF   A pair of Alfie Silas albums for RCA – back to back on a single CD! First up is Alfie – filled with sweet crossover grooves from Alfie Silas – a singer with the same hook-heavy approach used by other 80s female singers like Denice Williams or Cheryl Lynn – set up here with some great grooves to match! The tunes are all pretty upbeat and catchy – playful tunes that never try too hard for the charts, yet have an instantly appealing sound that should have made this album way bigger than it was. Rhythms are straightforward, never too overdone – and Alfie surprises us with some deeper tones on a few of the album's hipper tracks. The album contains the singles "There I Go" and "A Puppet To You" – plus the tracks "Put The Freeze On", "Body Heat", and "Can't We Do It All Again". CD also features bonus tracks "A Puppet To You (12" mix)", and "A Puppet To You (inst)". Be Yourself is a shorter album than usual – part of the "mini LP" format that RCA was trying out in the early 80s – but a set that steps forward strongly with some great studio help from Larry Graham – who produced, wrote all tracks, and also plays drums, bass, and keyboards. Alfie's catchy vocals get just the right sort of focus from Graham's grooves – and titles include "Be Yourself", "Just A Little Bit", "You Put The L In Love", "Stay With Me", and "I'm Available". Also features the bonus track "You Put The L In Love (12" mix)". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - THE GARY BURTON QUARTET, THE WILLIE JONES III SEXTET, SCOTT WALKER

THE GARY BURTON QUARTET - LIVE IN TOKYO

A wonderful live set from Gary Burton – originally issued only in Japan, but a wonderful record that stands strongly with Gary's classic early 70s work for Atlantic and ECM Records! The group's a quartet – and has Gary's vibes alongside warm guitar lines from Sam Brown – a player whose sense of tone and timing really echoes that of Burton – cascading fresh sounds one minute, laying back in waves the next – always hitting the right balance of space and tone to keep things right. Other players include Tony Levin on electric bass and Bill Goodwin on drums – and tracks are nice and long, with that sort of extra-imaginative quality that always seems to happen with American jazzmen working in Japan at this time. Titles include "Ballet", "On The Third Day", "Sunset Bell", "Portsmouth Figurations", and "The Green Mountains". ~ Dusty Groove

THE WILLIE JONES III SEXTEXT - PLAYS THE MAX ROACH SONGBOOK: LIVE AT DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA

Drummer Willie Jones takes on the music of Max Roach – and not just songs composed by Max, but his whole overall aesthetic too – served up here in a smoking sextet that's especially strong on the righteous elements of Roach's late 50s Mercury years, and his important groups of the 60s on records for labels like Impulse, Atlantic, and Candid! Jones picks just the right songs as standouts – a few penned by Roach, but others by Stanley Cowell, Gary Bartz, and some of the key young talents who helped Max really grow as an artist during the 60s – served up here with a wicked lineup that includes Steve Davis on trombone, Stacy Dillard on tenor, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Eric Reed on piano, and Dezron Douglas on bass. The set was recorded live, and all tracks are long – and titles include "Libra", "Equipose", "To Lady", "Freedom Day", "Mr X", and "Ezz Thetic". ~ Dusty Groove

SCOTT WALKER - SCOTT: THE COLLECTION 1967-1970 (5 ALBUMS)

Some of the greatest music ever recorded – seminal sounds from one of the most enigmatic artists to ever walk into a recording studio! This wonderful set brings together the five key albums in the early career of Scott Walker – Scott 1, Scott 2, Scott 3, Scott 4, and Til The Band Comes In – music that's beyond description, and which came as a real surprise to folks who'd only known Walker as a poppish act just a few years before! Scott draws from a few key moments of mid-century pop music – with an especially strong influence from Jacques Brel – but he also adds in plenty of his own words and darkly complex themes – all set to lavish orchestrations that feel like mainstream music, but which are something deeper and much spookier underneath! The balance is amazing – a mixture of modes that comes off with the same sort of edge you'd get in a classic Ingmar Bergman film, or a vintage episode of The Prisoner – one of those weird once-in-a-lifetime pieces of work that comes forth with a compelling aesthetic that's all its own. We love these records to death, and have done so for decades – and this LP set features all 5 albums in indivudal packages with artwork, plus a booklet that has new notes on each record, and really puts the music in context.  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, MILES DAVIS, HUGH LAURIE

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS

This record represents the first recorded incarnation of the Doobies part II, the edition of the band featuring gravel-voiced keyboardist Michael MacDonald. It's clearly a transitional album, and a pretty big departure from the band's original style. You can hear the new direction most clearly on the album's two hit singles--the title tune and "It Keeps You Running." The closing track "Carry Me Away" marks the first appearance of the see-saw keyboard riffs later immortalized in "What A Fool Believes" (and later ripped off to good commercial effect by various MacDonald wannabes like Robbie Dupree). ... Full Description The rest of the album deals in various forms of funk. Japanese only SHM paper sleeve pressing. Features 2009 remastering. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC & Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Warner.2009. Recorded at Warner Bros. Recording Studios, North Hollywood, California. The Memphis Horns: Wayne Jackson, Andrew Love, James Mitchell, Lewis Collins, Jack Hale. The Doobie Brothers: Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons (vocals, guitar); Michael McDonald (vocals, keyboards); Tiran Porter (vocals, bass); Keith Knudsen (vocals, drums); Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar); John Hartman (drums). Additional personnel: Maria Muldaur (vocals); Novi (viola); Jesse Butler (organ); Richie Hayward (drums); Bobby LaKind (congas). ~cduniverse.com

MILES DAVIS - ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS (5 ALBUMS)

These five-disc box sets issued by the German arm of Sony BMG are for the most part a fine way to reissue original recordings en masse -- unlike their American counterparts who do the sloppiest job possible. If you already have these classic '50s sides by Miles Davis with his first great quintet and with Gil Evans, then don't bother reading further. If you don't, pick up these sides with Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain (the only complaint is that these weren't in this set instead of 58 Sessions and Miles Ahead, but there were reasons for that and some of them have to do with commerce).  ... Full Description In any case, these are the extended versions of the albums when they were reissued definitively on CD in the 1990s and early 2000s. They contain bonus cuts not on the original CDs, the sound is warm and balanced, and each disc comes in its own case. The other cool thing is for the consumer: if you look around online, you can find these boxes dirt cheap, for about six or seven dollars a disc, which is cheaper than their domestic counterparts would be. ~ Thom Jurek / cduniverse.com

HUGH LAURIE - DIDN'T IT RAIN

His blues bona fides buttressed by his 2011 debut album Let Them Talk, Hugh Laurie returns with Didn't It Rain, another collection of jazz and blues standards, usually of the New Orleans variety but not always (his heart will sometimes stray to Kansas City), produced by Joe Henry. If Let Them Talk had a slightly burnished, rich veneer, Didn't It Rain is a bit lighter, with Laurie content to let himself slip into the background as both pianist and vocalist, which is odd as he has considerably fewer guests here than he did on his debut. Apart from Taj Mahal, this is pretty self-contained, Laurie playing the boogie with his band, sometimes lying back and letting his backing singers steal the spotlight, which they do with ease. Nobody is concerned with reinterpreting the songs or surprising a listener, they just want to enjoy re-creating sounds and tunes they've loved, an attitude that's rarely alienating although it's never quite infectious, either. All involved love the boogie and love the swing, happy to hit the accents hard and draw out the eighth notes, and if there's never a compelling reason to listen to Laurie and crew tackle these well-loved tunes, nobody involved embarrasses themselves, and it's a pretty enjoyable way to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine / cduniverse.com

NEW RELEASES - BOZ SCAGGS, DAVID PORTER, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

BOZ SCAGGS - ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS (5 ALBUMS)

This Sony UK entry in the Original Albums Classics series contains five Boz Scaggs recordings; one of which is a true classic, two more which should be, and two more middling albums. These are the remastered versions of these recordings. The inarguable standout in the pack is the legendary Silk Degrees album from 1976, which includes, as bonus cuts, three live versions of tunes on the album's track list: "What Can I Say," It's Over," and "Jump Street." Two very important recordings in Scaggs' catalog that are included here both preceded Silk Degrees: Moments, issued in 1971, reveals (whether he admits it or not) Van Morrison's influence on the singer and songwriter.  Scaggs is moving more directly into blue-eyed soul as evidenced by the stellar title cut, "We Were Always Sweethearts," and "Near You." Slow Dancer, issued in 1975, immediately preceded Silk Degrees and finds Scaggs digging deeper into the blue-eyed soul vein while actively seeking a bigger, more polished, and richer palette of sounds in his production. The tunes here somehow bridge the gap between the rootsier and grittier Morrison and the theatrical, sultry, groove master Isaac Hayes. Stand-out tracks include "You Make It So Hard (To Say No)," the title cut, and a killer cover of Allen Toussaint's "Hercules." The two albums issued after Silk Degrees, 1977's Down Two Then Left, and 1979's Middle Man (his last album for eight years), are slick disco and post-disco soul workouts with some rock tinges. While they are less successful than their monumental predecessor, they still contain more than their share of fine tunes, and as albums, are better appreciated in the 21st century than they were in the 20th. Stand-out tracks include "Still Fallin' for You," "Hollywood," and "1993" on the former, and "Jojo" and "Breakdown Dead Ahead" on the latter. In all, this Boz Scaggs entry in the Original Album Classics series is a fine value. ~ Thom Jurek / cduniverse.com

DAVID PORTER - GRITTY, GROOVY & GETTIN' IT

Digitally remastered and expanded edition. Gritty, Groovy And Gettin' It was the first of three album releases by Grammy award-winning songwriter David Porter, a singer before teaming up with Isaac Hayes to write songs including 'Soul Man', 'Hold On, I'm Comin' and 'When Something Is Wrong With My Baby' . Porter's debut album was released in the wake of Hayes massive success with Hot Buttered Soul. Although it was not as commercially successful, it proved that anything Hayes could do, David Porter could do as well, if not better, by taking mostly familiar Soul songs all personal favourites and rearranging (and sometimes extending) them creatively. The album gave Porter a Top 30 hit with 'Can't See You When I Want To' , a song he had recorded in very different form for Stax in the mid-60s. The rare earlier version is also included here, as one of five bonus songs, two of which have never been issued before. Recorded with many of the same musicians who played on Isaac Hayes best-selling albums, this album has never been reissued in the UK until now. ~ cdunverse.com

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

This live date, recorded in 1979, shows British blue-eyed soul vocalist Dusty Springfield at the height of her powers. Not only was Springfield's voice in top shape, but she had also achieved an iconic status as England's premiere diva (as the rapturous response of the audience indicates). Energetic, polished, and full of professional flair, LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL contains many of Springfield's best-known songs, including "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man." A stirring set. ... Full Description Filmed in 1979, this audio-visual package captures Britain's Dusty at the height of her powers, performing a show packed with her signature songs - and not a few delightful surprises - in the presence of royalty - HRH Princess Margaret, Countess Of Snowdon. Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to say that Dusty herself was also royalty, pop royalty. The convent school-educated, blue-eyed soul singer with the uniquely affecting, longing timbre inspired a fervour that is almost palpable throughout this historic concert, filmed for British television by Mike Mansfield, with several audience members invading the stage to get even closer to their heroine towards the end of the show. ~ cduniverse.com

NEW RELEASES - BOB BALDWIN, ELVIS PRESLEY, JACQUES LESURE

BOB BALDWIN - TWENTY

Twenty celebrates a humble milestone in the career of New York native, arranger, producer, and entrepreneur Bob Baldwin and represents 20 discs in 25 years, which has been a great journey for Baldwin, also radio host of NewUrbanJazz Lounge, now over 453,000 listeners weekly. “I remember growing up listening to great records by Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones, then actually meeting Herbie (in LA) and Mr. Hubbard (at the Blue Note/NYC) back in the late '70's, this has a profound impact on my career, and as a result, I wanted to salute them both on a couple of pieces “Butterfly” and “Chameleon” (Hancock) and “Red Clay” (Hubbard). “For me, it's always been about pushing that envelope because I don't really think it's possible to be totally original anymore because of the huge mass of music in the universe,” says Baldwin, “however, the challenge is still to maintain your own voice so that when people hear your music, they say, 'Oh, that's Herbie or Quincy,' or hopefully, 'that's Bob Baldwin on the keys. The disc is part of that evolution of honing your voice, and using great musicians to bring the best out of you, and vice versa.'
The album, which features Marion Meadows, Joey Sommervile, and Ragan Whiteside, among others, is chock-full of drummers ike Lil' John Roberts, Poogie Bell and PFunk drummer Benjamin Cowan, which adds a cool dose of jazz funk drumming. Ballads like “Music Changed My Life” and “On and On” urge you to turn up the blue light, while party tracks “Turn the Club Up,” and the anointed 100 Million+ viewer YouTube sensation Sweet Brown who joins on the theme song “Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' Dat.” Baldwin elaborates, “That track is funny AND funky!” Twenty is a must-have for your Baldwin collection, and if this is your first taste of this artist, there's plenty of catalog with which to familiarize yourself!  ~ amazon.com

ELVIS PRESLEY - ELVIS AT STAX: DELUXE EDITON  

Chronicles the 40th Anniversary of Elvis' historic hometown studio sessions of July and December 1973. Deluxe 3-CD Box Set marks the first gathering of 28 masters and 27 outtakes in one comprehensive package. The last major studio sessions in the career of Elvis Presley have finally been gathered together for the first time in one comprehensive package, as Elvis At Stax: Deluxe Edition. The deluxe 3-CD box set, a 40th anniversary chronicle of a dozen nights that Presley spent at Stax Recording Studios in his hometown of Memphis in July and December 1973. Elvis At Stax; Deluxe Edition bristles with energy and dynamism. The proof is in the six consecutive singles that the Stax sessions produced, all of which skirted the Top 40 from 1973 to 1975. In effect, they rivaled some of the hottest streaks that Presley had charted a decade earlier. The Stax singles still resonate today: "Raised On Rock" b/w "For Ol' Time Sake" (Hot 100 #41, country #42); "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" b/w "Take Good Care Of Her" (Hot 100 #39, country #4); "Promised Land" b/w "It's Midnight" (Hot 100 #14, country #9); "If You Talk In Your Sleep" b/w "Help Me" (Hot 100 #17, country #6); "My Boy" b/w Thinking About You (Hot 100 #20, country #14); and "Mr. Songman" (B-side of "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," Hot 100 #35, country #11). ~ amazon.com

JACQUES LESURE - WHEN SHE SMILES

Jacques Lesure, one of the premier jazz guitarists on the west coast, releases his debut CD When She Smiles on WJ3 Records. This recording showcases his interpretations of jazz classics such as Horace Silver's Gregory Is Here, Miles Davis' Blue and Green and Sonny Rollins' Sonnymoon For Two, and Lesure's own composition, When She Smiles. Lesure is joined on this CD by Eric Reed (piano), Willie Jones III (drums) and Mike Gurrola (bass). Lesure has shared the stage with jazz icons including Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine and Les McCann. ~ amazon.com

JOHN ALCORN / MICHAEL MASSARO - BEATITUDE IN BLUE

The history behind this recording is that it was originally recorded in 2006 with piano, bass and drums with a guitar intro and solo. Dave then approached John Alcorn to do the vocals. After he recorded the vocals, the recording sat for a few years. Then last year Mike Massaro was asked to record a sax line as well as guitarist Kevin Barrett to record a Freddie Green type strumming guitar to finish off the recording. This whole process was somewhat unconventional but in this case it worked rather well. The premise of the lyric is that generic spirituality is its own reward.

Vocalist John Acorn brings a soulful rendition of the song; The Toronto Star calls him "one of our finest interpreters of the ‘great American songbook,’ an artist who always knows how to walk the fine line between respecting the material and offering an original interpretation."

Michael Massaro is no stranger to the Canadian air waves as he is one of Canada’s premier musicians. His talents were heard on a Redmond Broadcasting compilation recording with some of Canada’s foremost instrumental performers including David Foster, Liona Boyd, Moe Koffman, Andre Gagnon, and Frank Mills to name only a few.

Ostrovsky had fun producing the music video consisting of Charlie Chaplin silent movie clips humorously depicting the lyrics in this new jazz song which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utGbqeYtrhQ.

The major promotional thrust is to have jazz journalists give this recording a nod so that this single will be given a chance to be discovered by record labels that enjoy the premise and feel of the music. The caliber of producers being sought are Jorge Calandrelli and Andre Fischer as well as the vocal stylings of jazz artist Steve Tyrell to name a few.

"I truly enjoyed ‘Beatitude in Blue’; it had a rhythmic shuffle-beat groove as a toe-tapping backdrop to uplifting lyrics that exemplify the true meaning of ‘seeing love through’ in life. I believe it being featured on The Jazz Network Worldwide will open the ears of vocalists, instrumentalists and producers globally that are looking for creative, original material to be used for their upcoming projects," says Jaijai Jackson, Owner and creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

2013 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL® CELEBRATES THE 35th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND

Showcasing the powerful and enduring excitement and influence of New Orleans brass band music on American culture, the 2013 Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management is celebrating the 35th Anniversary of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band on Sunday, August 4, at 1:25 pm on the Harbor Stage. The festival, which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year, takes over Newport beginning August 2 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino and August 3 and 4 at historic Fort Adams State Park.

"When the Dirty Dozen swings into Newport, jazz fans are in for a treat," said George Wein, producer and creator of the Newport Jazz Festival. "We go back together since their beginning and I am always excited to hear their special magic. In fact, I recorded their first album through the George Wein Collection on Concord Records. They ushered in a bold new sound then, and they continue to make their mark on new audiences around the world."

The now seven-piece ensemble, which revolutionized the traditional New Orleans brass band style by incorporating funk and bebop into the mix, has been a major influence on many Crescent City based brass bands over the ensuing decades. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's success inspired a resurgence of New Orleans' brass band music, both in the city and nationwide. The band was most influential in the 1980s, when they demonstrated by example that brass band music could be successful by moving beyond a type of music that risked becoming known as simply a tourist attraction.

Established in 1977 by bass drummer Benny Jones, with members of the Tornado Brass Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has brought to its global travels a strong appetite for musical adventure, a commitment to honor tradition while not being constrained by it, and a healthy sense of humor.

To describe how the group arrived at its 35th anniversary, trumpet player Gregory Davis employs a tried-and true New Orleans-centric analogy: "It ends up being like a pot of gumbo - you drop in a little okra, drop in a little shrimp, you drop in some crabs. Before you know it, you've mixed in all these different ingredients and you've got a beautiful soup. That was our approach to music early on and it still is today."

Baritone sax player Roger Lewis -- who, like Davis, has been with the band since its inception in 1977 -- echoes that sentiment: "It's a big old musical gumbo, and that probably made the difference, separating us from other brass bands out of New Orleans. It put a different twist on the music. We were not trying to change anything, we were just playing the music we wanted to play and not stay in one particular bag."

To celebrate its 35th Anniversary, which was technically in 2012, the band released Twenty Dozen, its first studio release in six years. Cut at the Music Shed in New Orleans, the collection reunited the Dirty Dozen Brass Band with producer Scott Billington, who helmed their first major label release Voodoo in 1989. The set offers a blend of R&B, jazz, funk, Afro-Latino grooves, Caribbean flavors, a Rihanna cover - and a high spirited rendering of "When the Saints Go Marching In."

Produced by Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™, the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, is set for August 2 - 4 featuring Natalie Cole, Wayne Shorter with special guest Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, Eddie Palmieri, Marcus Miller and many more.

SARAH VAUGHAN - SOPHISTICATED LADY: THE DUKE ELLINGTON SONGBOOK COLLECTION

Concord Music Group will release the two-CD Sarah Vaughan set Sophisticated Lady: The Duke Ellington Songbook Collection on August 20, 2013 (international release dates vary). Featuring six previously unreleased tracks and new liner notes, the compilation celebrates the 40th anniversary of Pablo Records, the jazz label founded by Norman Granz in 1973.

The story of Pablo Records is a story of one veteran producer’s return to the music he loved best. Norman Granz, founder of Jazz at the Philharmonic, so missed the recording aspect of the music business — which he’d abandoned in 1962 when he sold his Clef, Norgran, and Verve labels to MGM — that a little more than a decade later he decided to take the plunge and start up yet another label. Based in Beverly Hills, California, at the time, Granz secured a distribution deal and launched Pablo Records in 1973, quickly building a world-class catalog of albums by legendary artists Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, and Oscar Peterson — all of whom Granz managed — as well as Count Basie, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughan, and many others. After releasing more than 350 albums in a span of less than 15 years, Granz sold Pablo to Fantasy in 1987, which in turn merged with Concord Records in 2004 to form Concord Music Group.

Recorded between August 1979 and January 1980, Sophisticated Lady: The Duke Ellington Collection is a two-disc set that features six previously unreleased recordings along with classic tracks originally from Vaughan’s 1980 albums of Duke’s music, Duke Ellington Song Book One and Duke Ellington Song Book Two.

“What makes this reissue especially significant,” says Tad Hershorn, archivist at the Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies and author of the collection’s liner notes, “is a rare confluence of what I have come to think of as ‘late breaking history’ and late-breaking news: this collection is both. In this case, it is the inclusion of six previously unreleased recordings of arrangements by the peerless Benny Carter which opens this collection of the Vaughan-Ellington recordings, presented chronologically by recording date.”

The six Carter-arranged tracks — “Sophisticated Lady,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” “Lush Life,” "Solitude,” “Day Dream,” and “Tonight I Shall Sleep (With a Smile on My Face)” — include what Hershorn calls “a lush orchestral backdrop” of big band and string arrangements, along with shining solo work by Zoot Sims on tenor saxophone. “These are not alternate takes. They are recordings of entirely different arrangements of the songs than those that were released on the original Ellington Songbook albums,” says compilation producer Nick Phillips. “It’s fascinating now to not only hear, for the first time, each of these six newly discovered arrangements and recordings and appreciate them on their own merits, but also to be able to compare and contrast the very different arranging approaches to the same songs.”

Regardless of the song arrangements, one fact about Sarah Vaughan remains perfectly clear while listening to Sophisticated Lady: “She’s one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time,” says Phillips. “Her singing throughout this collection certainly underscores that.”