THE BRECKER BROTHERS BAND REUNION WITH RANDY BRECKER, DAVID SANBORN, MIKE STERN, WILL LEE, DAVE WECKL AND OTHERS…

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, trumpeter Randy Brecker and his younger, sax-playing brother Michael helped define a sub-genre by blending sophisticated jazz harmonies and searing solos with slamming funk grooves and a visceral energy that grabbed rock ears. The Philly-born Brecker Brothers set the tone for a generation of aspiring musicians who followed.

"When the band started back in the day, the original intent was to do a Randy Brecker record," Randy explains. "We were rehearsing tunes every week with Michael, Don Grolnick, David Sanborn, Steve Khan, Chris Parker and Will Lee. Somehow, producer Steve Backer had gotten wind of the rehearsals. He knew of us - Michael and I had played together in Dreams, Billy Cobhamʼs band and Horace Silverʼs quintet. He rang me and said, ʻIf you call this band The Brecker Brothers, Iʼll sign you tomorrow to Clive Davisʼ new label, Arista Records.ʼ" Randy recalls his first inclination was to say no, because "I wanted to do my own record," but he ultimately relented. "And thatʼs how this whole thing started."

Sadly, in 2005 Michael Brecker was diagnosed with the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and died from complications of leukemia on January 13, 2007.

During the process of assembling a band for a week-long engagement at New York Cityʼs Blue Note jazz club last year for a solo record, Randy realized that all the musicians he has contacted have played in various editions of The Brecker Brothers Band: bassist Will Lee (who served the earliest incarnation of the group in the mid-ʻ70s), along with guitarist Mike Stern, keyboardist George Whitty and drummer Dave Weckl (veterans of the early ʻ90s edition). Filling in for his late brother is saxophonist Ada Rovatti, an accomplished improviser and bandleader, also known as Randyʼs wife and the mother of their four-year- old daughter, Stella. "Here it is 30-some years later, Iʼm getting set to do another solo record, and the Brecker Brothers thing creeps in again," Randy says. "In fact," he continues, "the club billed it as 'Brecker Brothers Band Reunion'. At first I wasnʼt crazy about the idea. But the week was sold out, it became an event, and fans loved hearing the old tunes along with the new ones. I realized this band was my legacy."

This set of original compositions, among them tunes like "Some Skunk Funk" and "Straphangin", brings back the excitement of the 70s with the technological advances of the 21st century. Add to the mix, the appearance of Randroid, a vocalist fans of Randy Brecker will recognize.

Randy Brecker and former members of the studio and touring bands have reconvened to make new, exciting music. The story continues.

www.randybrecker.com 

www.breckerbrothersband.com

NEW RELEASES - STING, LOU PRIDE, LAURA NYRO

STING - THE LAST SHIP 

New album from the 16-time Grammy® Award winner set for release on September 24, 2013. The album is inspired by Sting’s forthcoming play of the same name and explores the central themes of homecoming and self-discovery, drawing upon his memories of growing up in the shadow of the Swan Hunters Shipyard in Wallsend. His personal reminiscences illuminate universal truths – the complexity of relationships, the passage of time and the importance of family and community – to form an affecting, complex parable for our modern times. The play, in which Sting has been creatively immersed for nearly three years, debuts on Broadway in 2014 and is a collaboration with Tony Award winners Joe Mantello (director; Wicked, Other Desert Cities), John Logan (writer; Red, Skyfall) and Brian Yorkey (writer; Next to Normal)."The Last Ship" tells the story of the demise of the shipbuilding industry in 1980s Newcastle which had, for so long, shaped and overshadowed the city, its development, and its community. "The Last Ship" album is produced by Rob Mathes (Sting, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Lou Reed, Carly Simon) and engineered and mixed by Donal Hodgson. "The Last Ship" will be available as both a digital and physical release in two configurations - a 12-song version and a 2-disc deluxe version featuring 5 additional tracks. (The 12-song version will also be available on vinyl.) A super deluxe edition, containing 2-discs comprised of 20 tracks within special packaging, will also be sold as a physical product exclusively at Amazon.com. AmazonMP3 will be the exclusive retailer for the 20-track, super deluxe digital edition.

LOU PRIDE – AIN’T NO MORE LOVE

Severn Records is proud to release the final recording by late soul-great Lou Pride. Ain't No More Love In This House, which showcases Lou's work in the final years of his life, features 4 originals and 7 covers including Ann Peebles (I Didn't Take Your Woman), Peter Hunnigale's Never, the standard Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast, and a beautiful version of the Simply Red classic, Holding Back the Years. Lou's subtle but powerful vocal style is complemented by strong grooves and elegant production. Packaged in Digipak format. Features Ain't No More Love In This House, I Didn't Take Your Woman, Take It Slow, Never, She Boom Boom Me, We Can Do What We Want, Love Come Got Me, Key to the World, I Gotta Move On Up, Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast, and Holding Back the Years.

LAURA NYRO - LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL: THE CLASSIC 1976 RADIO BROADCAST

This superb 1976 concert recording showcases the extraordinary talents of the late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro. Her performance this particular evening also received the accolade of being the first live radio broadcast by a ""Pop"" artist from Carnegie Hall, New York City's most prestigious music venue. Laura had come a long way since her 1966 residency in San Francisco's 'Hungry i' coffee house. Born in 1947, a native New Yorker from the Bronx, Laura Nyro released nine studio albums during her lifetime - a tenth, 'Angel In The Dark', although recorded in the mid-1990's, was issued posthumously in 2000, after her untimely death from ovarian cancer in April 1997. In March 1976, when this broadcast was made, Laura was amidst a four-month tour in support of her sixth record, 'Smile', which is consequently very well represented with live versions of six tracks (the title track, Stormy Love, Money, I Am The Blues, The Cat Song and Midnight Blue). The tour was a substantial undertaking, complete with an eight-piece backing band including such consummate professionals as John Tropea on guitar (a highly regarded session musician, he also played with Van Morrison, Eric Clapton and Paul Simon) and Andy Newmark on drums (previously with Sly and the Family Stone). 1968's 'Eli and the Thirteenth Confession' is clearly a favourite of its author as well as her audience, and contributes four songs to proceedings: The Confession, Sweet Blindness, Timer and Emmie. Of the remaining quartet, And When I Die comes from Laura's 1967 debut, 'More Than A New Discovery', Sweet Lovin' Baby from 1969's 'New York Tendaberry' and two from 1970's 'Christmas and the Beads of Sweat' (Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp and When I Was A Freeport and You Were The Main Drag). Fate may have robbed the world of Laura Nyro, but this broadcast stands as a fitting testament to her prodigious talents as a songwriter, musician and performer. ~ amazon.com

NEW RELEASES - IVAN LINS, URSULA RICKS, ERIC REED

IVAN LINS – AMORAGIO

Quintessential Brazilian songwriter, vocalist and keyboardist Ivan Lins returns with his first solo studio album released in the U.S. in almost twenty years. JazzTimes Magazine writes that &ldquo:Amoragio is steeped in Brazilian rhythms that recycles the romanticism that punctuates much of the composer's songbook." Sure to be an instant classic, the album brings together several special guest vocalists in Maria Gad£ ("Quem Me Dera"), Ant“nio Zambujo ("Fado Saramago"), ATEN€AO ("X No Calendario"), Fioravante e Guimaraes ("Atras Poeira"), and Tatiana Parra ("Amoragio"). ` amazon.com

URSULA RICKS – MY STREET

Severn Records is proud to release My Street, the debut recording of longtime Baltimore based soul-blues artist Ursula Ricks. Produced by David Earl and Steve Gomes with horns by Chicago legend Willie Henderson, My Street showcases Ursula's astounding vocals and fresh approach to song writing. She's backed by the label's studio house band, with special guests Kim Wilson (harmonica) and Johnny Moeller (rhythm guitar) of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, plus Sugar Ray & the Bluestones' guitarist 'Monster' Mike Welch featured. In addition to 8 originals penned by Ricks, My Street highlights the Bobby Rush classic Mary Jane, and Curtis Mayfield's Just a Little Bit Of Love all delivered by the big-voiced singer who's star is clearly on the rise. ~ amazon.com

ERIC REED – REFLECTIONS OF A GRATEFUL HEART

Reflectons Of  A Grateful Heart is the latest CD release from Eric Reed, one of the most innovative pianists in modern jazz. This CD features Reed in a rare solo piano setting, performing jazz and gospel selections and celebrating the music that has been this critically-renown artist's greatest influences. The CD includes the gospel standards I Love The Lord by Richard Smallwood, Changed by Walter Hawkins, and solo piano renditions of Reed's own compositions Prayer, and New Morning. Reed, whose first performances were in his father's storefront Baptist church, was bitten by the jazz bug after hearing recordings by Art Blakey, Ramsey Lewis and Dave Brubeck. Reflections Of A Grateful Heart is the continuation of Reed artistically blending his jazz and gospel influences in a unique fashion. ~ amazon.com

NEW RELEASES - SPYRO GYRA, JOE COCKER, HAROLD LOPEZ-NUSSA

SPYRO GYRA – THE RHINEBECK SESSIONS

2013 album from contemporary Jazz supergroup Spyro Gyra. Founded in 1974 by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, Spyro Gyra have consistently been one of the commercially successfully Pop Jazz groups of the past 30 years. The band became a full-time venture in 1976 and has been touring ever since. Critics love to attack this band's music, which combines R&B and elements of Pop and Caribbean music with Jazz, but its live performances are often stimulating -- unlike many of its records, which emphasize the danceable melodies. ~ amazon.com

JOE COCKER - LIVE AT MONTREUX 1987

Joe Cocker has enjoyed a hugely successful career around the world since the late sixties when he topped the charts with his version of the Beatles With A Little Help From My Friends, a song that he managed to make completely on his own. A string of hugely successful albums and singles followed and he continues to record and to perform to huge audiences wherever he goes. Cocker's impassioned delivery and instantly recognizable voice are immediately in evidence on this Montreux concert from 1987, the first of several appearances that he has made at the festival. The tracklisting features hit songs from across his career and is now being made available on CD for the first time. Includes Dear Landlord, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Feeling Alright, Civilized Man, Inner City Blues, Just Like Always, Up Where We Belong, Seven Days, Shelter Me, With A Little Help From My Friends, You Are So Beautiful, Watching The River Flow, and Guilty. ` amazon.com

HAROLD LOPEZ-NUSSA - NEW DAY

With roots in both Cuba and Europe, the thrilling young jazz pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa displays an impressive maturity, which at merely thirty years of age will no doubt guarantee him a place amongst the greats. His latest album, New Day, clearly represents an watershed moment - the rising star refines his style and adds color to his artistic palette (listen for the Fender Rhodes keyboard), all to further charm his ever-growing audience across the globe. Lopez-Nussa's music is an intoxicating blend of lush melodies and quicksilver rhythms that owes as much to the distinguished school of Cuban piano as to the pianist's innate virtuosity, which has been cultivated under the influence of such great jazzmen as Keith Jarrett and Wayne Shorter.~ amazon.com

NEW RELEASES - THE CLARKE DUKE PROJECT, THE ANTHONY SMITH VIBRAPHONE QUARTET, DAVID SANBORN

STANLEY CLARKE / GEORGE DUKE - THE CLARKE / DUKE PROJECT 

2013 Japanese pressing BLU-SPECCD2. Audiophile BSCD2 uses phase transition mastering, the technology developed for mastering of Blu-ray discs. Playable on standard CD player. Sony A big hit among The Fusion/Quiet Storm crowd. ~ Ron Wynn Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Studio D, Berkeley, California. Personnel includes: Stanley Clarke (vocals, cello, guitar, sitar, bass); George Duke (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer); Jerry Hey (trumpet); Gary Foster (alto & tenor recorders); Michael Boddicker (synthesizer); John Robinson (drums).Features Wild Dog, Louie Louie, Sweet Baby, I Just Want To Love You, Never Judge A Cover By It's Book, and others. 

THE ANTHONY SMITH VIBRAPHONE QUARTET - CONNECTIONS VOLUME ONE 

Connections Volume One is an ambitious, fresh collection of both originals and imaginatively re-arranged standards by jazz vibraphonist/pianist Anthony Smith, a mainstay of the Southern California music scene. Anthony has enjoyed a varied, well-traveled career as both a keyboardist and vibist, and this new two-volume recording represents his arrival on the international jazz scene as a master of jazz vibraphone. The band includes a "who's who" of Southern California's greatest jazz musiciains, including legendary pianist Mike Wofford, guitar virtuoso Peter Sprague, and flute master Holly Hofmann. With this new double album, Smith firmly establishes himself as both a world class improviser and also composer. 

DAVID SANBORN - SANBORN

This album is one of David Sanborn's better early recordings. Although the record is perhaps best known for the altoist's version of Paul Simon's "I Do It For Your Love," Sanborn's playing on some of the other cuts (most notably "Mamacita" and "7th Avenue") finds him really stretching within the R&B/crossover genre. Only "Smile" (which has some mundane vocalizing) is a minus, and it is more than compensated for by Sanborn's passionate improvising elsewhere. ~ Scott Yanow 2013 limited edition Japanese pressing 24 bit remastering. Warner Recorded at A & R Studios, New York, New York. Personnel: David Sanborn (soprano & alto saxophones, flute); Paul Simon, Phoebe Snow, Patti Austin, Lani Groves (vocals); Rosalinda de Leon, Richard Tee (keyboards); Hiram Bullock (guitar, background vocals); Herb Bushler (bass); Victor Lewis (drums, background vocals); Jumma Santos (percussion).

THE NEW JERSEY BLUES & JAZZ FESTIVAL FEATURING HERBIE HANCOCK, BELA FLECK, B.B. KING, BOB JAMES AND DAVID SANBORN

State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ presents the New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival, October 3-27, 2013. This year’s performances include Herbie Hancock (10/3/13), Rutgers Jazz Ensemble featuring Randy Brecker (10/8/13), Béla Fleck’s Banjo Summit (10/13/13), B.B. King with special guest The Robert Cray Band (10/18/13), and Bob James and David Sanborn (10/27/13). Festival Line-up

Herbie Hancock

Thurs., October 3, 2013 at 8 p.m.

 A true icon of modern music, there are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As a member of the Miles Davis Second Great Quintet, he became one of the pioneers of the 60s avant garde jazz sound. Over the years, Hancock has won 14 Grammy® Awards and an Academy Award® for his film score for Round Midnight. His songs include “Canteloupe Island,” “Maiden Voyage,” “Watermelon Man,” “Chameleon,” “I Thought It Was You,” and “Rockit.”

The Fifth Annual ‘Prof’ Fielder Memorial Concert featuring Randy Brecker

Tue., October 8, 2013 at 8 p.m.

The Rutgers Jazz Ensemble joins this year's New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival line-up! The Rutgers Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Conrad Herwig, is the top student jazz ensemble at Mason Gross School of the Arts. Joining the ensemble is Grammy® Award-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker, best known for his work with Blood, Sweat and Tears; The Brecker Brothers; and Larry Coryell's Eleventh House.

Béla Fleck’s Banjo Summit

Sun., October 13, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Generally considered the most accomplished master of the banjo, Béla Fleck began making waves with a series of progressive banjo-centric recordings in the 1970s and as a member of the Newgrass Revival in the 1980s. As the leader of the genre-busting Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since 1989, he has used the banjo to define the band’s one of a kind fusion of jazz, rock, bluegrass, and world music. Fleck will be joined by fellow pickers Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Richie Sterns, Eric Weissberg, and Noam Pikelny. In performances ranging from solos and duets to full-tilt banjo blowouts, the concert stage will range from the traditional backdrop of bluegrass and old-time country music to the more unconventional banjo genres including jazz, classical, and rock music.

B.B. King with special guest The Robert Cray Band

Fri., October 18, 2013 at 8 p.m.

Hailed as the King of Blues, B.B. King is considered one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of all time. King has released over 60 albums, including the definitive live blues album Live At The Regal (1965), and his iconic collaboration with Bobby “Blue” Bland, Together For The First Time (1976). His hits include “The Thrill Is Gone,” “Three O’Clock Blues,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Please Love Me,” “You Upset Me Baby,” “Sweet Sixteen, Part I,” and “Don’t Answer The Door, Part I.” Joining B.B. King on tour is special guest, The Robert Cray Band. Five-time Grammy® Award-winning Blues guitarist and singer Robert Cray is a consummate performer. He has written and played with blues luminaries ranging from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughn, from Bonnie Raitt to John Lee Hooker. Recently inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame at the age of 57, he is one of the youngest living legends to receive the prestigious honor.

Bob James and David Sanborn featuring Steve Gadd and Scott Colley

Sun., October 27, 2013 at 8 p.m.

Modern jazz titans Bob James and David Sanborn share the stage in what will surely be an amazing night of jazz at its best. In 1986, alto saxophonist David Sanborn and keyboardist Bob James released their collaborative hit album Double Vision, which sold over 1 million copies and won a Grammy® Award for “Best Jazz Fusion Performance.” The album included the hits “Maputo,” “Since I Fell For You,” “Moon Tune,” and “You Don’t Know Me.” Now, they join forces again for their second album, Quartette Humaine. James and Sanborn will be joined by drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Scott Colley.

http://www.StateTheatreNJ.org

 

BRIAN CULBERTSON SET TO RELEASE LATEST ALBUM - ANOTHER LONG NIGHT OUT - FEB 2014

Brian Culbertson was a 20-year-old student at DePaul University recording demos in his bedroom “studio” in a crowded apartment that he shared with three roommates above a costume shop on a busy Chicago street. Those demos not only landed the then trombone player in DePaul’s jazz ensemble a record deal, but they were released a year later - February 1994 - as part of his debut album, “Long Night Out,” on which Culbertson played most of the instruments himself. Twenty years later, he’s an award-winning recording artist, songwriter and producer who is currently in the studio revisiting that first collection of songs that will be released in February 2014 as “Another Long Night Out,” but this time he’ll be accompanied by many of the contemporary jazz artists who influenced him when making the original.

Culbertson’s recent releases have primarily been excursions aboard R&B and funk grooves thus “Another Long Night Out” marks a return to his roots in contemporary jazz. Among the preeminent musicians joining him in the recording studio to play on the 11-song album are the Rippington’s Russ Freeman, Eric Marienthal, Candy Dulfer, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Paul Jackson Jr., Fourplay’s Chuck Loeb and Nathan East, Jimmy Haslip and Will Kennedy of Yellowjackets fame, Ricky Lawson, Michael Thompson, Lenny Castro, Michael Bland, Patches Stewart and a 38-piece orchestra with additional legendary artists soon to be added. Culbertson is producing the record.

Another major change for the keyboardist-trombonist who has released his 13-album catalogue through major record labels is that Culbertson decided to go the independent fan-funded route in order to get his worldwide fan base intimately involved with the project. In recent years, he has been a leading figure in contemporary jazz when it comes to embracing technological innovation, social media and video blogs and is energized about the new music business, the creative freedoms it affords and the opportunities to interact directly with fans.

Said Culbertson, who discusses the new project and shares footage from some of the recording sessions in his latest video blog (www.YouTube.com/BrianCulbertsonMusic), “I’m excited about being able to make the album the way I’ve always wanted to make it. With the limited resources I had at the time, most of ‘Long Night Out’ was just me on drum machines, synth bass and sampled/synth piano trying to sound like real instruments. Now I’ve got some of the best contemporary jazz musicians on the planet playing those parts. This record is a true passion project and a return to my roots as a recording artist. I’m also enthused about opening up the recording process to fans via fan funding, which is almost like having them there in the studio with us. They’ll get to hear demo versions of songs and early mixes in almost real time. The entire recording process will be documented on my video blog. Plus we’ll be offering fans extraordinary experiences such as personalized videos and phone calls, private concerts, concert tickets, video blog shout outs or a thank you in the album’s liner notes, signed sheet music and CDs, a limited edition vinyl copy of ‘Another Long Night Out,’ an opportunity to hang with me at the mastering session followed by dinner or the chance to come to a rehearsal for my 2014 tour. I can even play on your record.”

A highly-popular headline concert performer, Culbertson is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Brian Culbertson’s Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, a five-day festival of wine and jazz in breathtaking Napa, California. The luminous lineup for the third edition of the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, slated for June 11-15, 2014, will be revealed by the end of the month in conjunction with the release of tickets.

JOE LINDSAY - I WANNA GROOVE

Articulate, soulful guitarist Joe Lindsay smoothly grooves through jazz, funk, rock and blues with an abundance of feeling and flow, expertly expressing his personal journey and life’s diverse experiences. His ability to imprint his own distinctive style on a multitude of genres with refined sensitivity illustrates his extensive training and deep understanding of the musical universe. And his proficiency and professionalism are the products of formal study and his many experiences co-writing and collaborating live and in the studio with R&B legends including James Brown, Roy C and Howard Hewett, jazz stars Ronnie Laws, Brian Simpson and Tom Browne and exciting multi-dimensional artists like Ki-C & JoJo, Anthony Hamilton, Calvin Richardson and Stephanie Mills, plus countless others. 

As a solo performer and seasoned recording artist, he strives to constantly reinvent his sound and consistently introduce his instrument to delightfully unexpected territory in order to expand the horizons of the imagination. His energetic performances, resonant recordings and gracefully-written original tunes are evocative of the timeless, talented artists that have made an enduring impression on him, such as Curtis Mayfield, Buddy Guy, Larry Carlton, Prince, Hiram Bullock and Miles Davis.

Rooted in Charlotte, North Carolina and educated at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Lindsay was first moved by music in his church, where his mother regularly played the piano and sang. Inspired from the moment he discovered his father’s vast collection of records and 8-track tapes, his passion for guitar was ignited as he hung on every note while his neighbor played on the porch next door. Ever since those earliest illuminating moments, Lindsay has devoted himself to perfecting the fine art of songwriting, performing, recording and managing his own destiny as a professional musician, throwing himself whole-heartedly into the challenge of creating and learning about the guitar and music’s infinite possibilities. Bolstered by his desire to craft memorable melodies and harmonies that awaken every vibrant emotion and speak the exquisite mysteries of his heart, he has made it his mission to perform music that makes the soul feel good.

joelindsaymusic.com

 

NEW RELEASES - THE WARRIORS SOUNDTRACK, THE GRACE, OH NO VS. NOW AGAIN

BARRY DE VORZAN + OTHER ARTISTS - THE WARRIOR – ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

An incredible version of The Warriors soundtrack – one that not only features the full original album material, but which also contains – for the first time ever – all of Barry De Vorzon's wonderful instrumental work! These cuts comprise over an extra 30 minutes not on CD before – and are really wonderful stuff, with loads of cool funky electric bits that easily rival the best horror soundtrack funk of the early 80s – with similar use of Goblin-like keyboards and wicked guitar riffs! De Vorzon instrumental cuts include "Baseball Furies Chase/The Fight", "Wonder Wheel", "Graveyard", "Night Run", "March To Station", and "Skater/Mens Room/The Fight" – and other titles include "Echoes In My Mind" by Mandrill, "In Havana" by Kenny Vance & Ismael Miranda, "Nowhere To Run" by Arnol McCuller, and of course the classic "In The City" by Joe Walsh. Lots of great notes – and over 70 minutes of music! (Limited edition of 3000 copies.)  ~ Dusty Groove

THE GRACE - TROUMACA

A nice mix of bubbling electronic grooves and warm, earthy atmosphere from Troumaca – and another solid set of genre-skirting soundscapes on the Brownswood label! It's a mix of compelling beats, keyboards, synth and more organic instrumentation. They've got quite a sun-toasted vibe, with strains of dancehall and tropical club grooves – but what really sets the group apart is their devotion to the songs. There's a nice vocals-centric approach at play here – with some really catchy choruses. Good stuff! Includes "Trees", "Sanctify", "Gold, Women & Wine", "Kingdom", "The Sun", "Tiger Eye", "Ivory", "Lady Colour", "The Grace" and more.  ~ Dusty Groove

OH NO VS. NOW AGAIN VOLUME 2 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Heavy funk galore – all hand-picked by Oh No, and mixed together in a way that really opens up the grooves! The cuts are all from the wonderful reissues on the Now Again label – work that includes rare funk and soul, African psych, and even some oddball middle eastern grooves – all perfect building blocks for Oh No's studio techniques – which often have the original cuts stripped down to their core, then reworked as these really bold funky elements! In keeping with the "sound library" style of this series, the tunes are often given new titles and presented in a really cool way – on cuts that include "Hear Me", "Bar Fights", "Winters Sweet", "Are We", "War Dance", "Curb Fluids", "Forgive Me", "Spring Clean", and "Sun Walker". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - ENSEMBLE NOVO, GILLES PETERSON BROWNSWOOD BUBBLERS, CHARLES WATERS QUARTET

ENSEMBLE NOVO – BLUE NIGHT

A new ensemble, but one with a strong influence from older Brazilian modes – especially the best bossa jazz styles of the 60s! The group's got a sweet approach that mixes vibes in with bossa grooves – a really nice change from the usual, and backed up by more classic elements on acoustic guitar and tenor sax! The sound's wonderfully stripped-down, and recorded in a very basic style – so that there's none of the too-smooth feelings you'd get from other contemporary bossa outings – which leaves a really nice sense of personality and expression from the instruments. Behn Gillece plays vibes and Tom Moon plays tenor – and titles include "Andorinha", "Tristeza", "Wind", "Berimbau", "Grace Engine No 1", "O Sol Nascera", and "Boranda".  ~ Dusty Groove

BROWNSWOOD BUBBLERS TEN - COMPILED BY GILLES PETERSON (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

There's plenty bubbling up this time around – a rich range of contemporary tracks that show that our man Gilles Peterson still has his ear to the ground for the best new sounds around! The vibe is very soulful – and tracks are a wonderful blend of older modes and very fresh future elements – served up back to back in a way that few other collections could ever handle this well – the same sort of special feeling we get when we dig Gilles in a club or on the air! And even ten volumes in, the man's still opening up our ears to so much wonderful stuff – quite a feat, but that's why we've been digging his sounds for 25 years. Titles include "Recognise" by Oscar & Martin, "Ezra Was Right" by Grandbrothers, "Gatekeeper" by Eska, "Goodnight" by Philip Owusu, "Do You" by Reginald Omas Mamode, "Sleep With Stars" by Tuseday Born, "Notes On A History" by Nia Andrews, and "When I Was On Horseback" by The Memory Band.  ~ Dusty Groove

CHARLES WATERS QUARTET – CHROMA COLOSSUS 13 VISIONS OF THE CITY

A really great set from reedman Charles Waters – and one that returns to one of our favorite jazz sub-styles of the postwar years – the "city portrait", a musical picture of New York – served up here in a batch of music that's as vivid as the city itself! The title's a reference to Waters' attempt to match the harmonic sequences of the city – something he does quite well in the album's tones and pulses – a journey begun in post-911 New York, but which takes a much warmer feel towards the end. Waters plays tenor and clarinet – and the quartet features Chris McIntyre on trombone, George Rush on bass, and Andrew Barker on drums. Titles include "City Limits", "Central Park", "Port Authority Buss Ride Blues", "Broadway Truce", "Brooklyn Bridge", "Rush Hour", and "Times Square Black Out". (Includes MP3 download with bonus digital track.)  ~ Dusty Groove

JAZZ HARMONICA VIRTUOSO ENRICO GRANAFEI RELEASES SECOND ALBUM ALONE (AND) TOGETHER

Enrico Granafei, jazz harmonica player, guitarist, singer and owner of Trumpets Jazz Club,  has released his second album Alone (and) Together. Granafei, who studied with Toots Thielemans, has distinguished himself for his solo playing with Hands-Free Chromatic Harmonica and guitar, something that nobody had ever done before in jazz. As guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli said: "What he does playing two instruments at the same time is truly amazing."

Alone (and) Together showcases Granafei's solo playing alone and with special guests: trumpeter Wallace Roney, guitar wizards Vic Juris and Dave Stryker, percussionist Diego Lopez (who played with Gato Barbieri), and drummer Gordon Lane.  

The CD also features Granafei in quartet/quintet settings with legendary drummer Billy Hart, bassist Rick Crane, pianist Amina Figarova, and violin virtuoso Vitali Imereli. Enrico's multilingual singing is also showcased on two songs, the Italian standard Estate and Que reste-t il de nos amour, the well- known French song also known as I Wish You Love.

Granafei's first solo CD, In Search of The Third Dimension on Miles High Records, earned wide acclaim. The CD was done without any overdubbing using the HFC (Hands-Free Chromatic harmonica) and a nylon string guitar. The HFC, invented by Vern Smith, is a simple and ingenious device that allows Granafei to play two instruments at the same time by pressing the mouthpiece down with his lips instead of pushing the slide with his finger.

Alone (and) Together takes Granafei's unusual technique a step further through the use of the DB guitar. The instrument - a combination of bass and guitar invented by Italian guitarist Nico Di Battista - makes Granafei sound like a small combo playing 3 instruments at the same time.  The title of the CD Alone (and) Together also refers to the famous standard Alone Together.

Enrico Granafei has a long history of musical experience that encompasses both classical music and jazz. He received his degree in classical guitar from the Conservatory of l'Aquila in Italy in 1976 and his artistic career started in Rome where he soon became known in the musical community.  In 1978 Granafei moved to Germany where he began to perform and to teach in two different music schools. In the early 1980s, after returning to Italy, he started to broaden his horizons by discovering jazz through the harmonica. Following in the tradition of the legendary Toots Thielemans, he began to explore new possibilities for the harmonica, an instrument too often associated solely with rock and blues. In addition to playing in the best jazz clubs in Italy during that period, Granafei performed regularly on national television where he was a member of the Pippo Caruso Orchestra.

His love for jazz led him to New York City, where he soon started to perform in local jazz clubs including The Blue Note, Birdland, Visiones, Angry Squire, and the Bottom Line. He has performed extensively on the chromatic harmonica in the United States and continued to be a featured musician in major European Festivals, including Pori Jazz Festival (Finland), Euromeet Jazz Festival (Italy), other jazz festivals throughout Italy and France, and major clubs throughout Europe. In 1992 Granafei received his master's degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he was the only student of Toots Thielemans.

Granafei has been the owner and musical director of the prestigious Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, New Jersey since 1999. He continues to perform at that venue and at other jazz venues throughout the United States and Europe, as well as to record as a leader and sideman on CDs with Marc Johnson, Eliot Zigmund, Eddie Gomez and Ted Curson, among others, and is featured on Nnenna Freelon's CD "Tales of Wonder" (Concord Records).  One of the most respected players of the Chromatic Harmonica in the world today, Granafei continues to cultivate an audience for the instrument through his international performances.  As jazz pianist/historian Lewis Porter says: "This could be the start of something big for harmonica players everywhere."

http://www.enricogranafei.com/

 

MARCUS CORBETT - STRUNG DEEP

Much to the excitement of music enthusiasts worldwide, Folk-World music artist Marcus Corbett has released his highly anticipated debut album Strung Deep. Based between Marlborough and Oxford in the UK and Pune in India, and having gigged the length and breadth of the UK and on the western coast of India, Marcus has quietly been gaining an esteemed reputation for his esoteric, unique blend of Indian classical music and British folk. Says Marcus, “I have studied Indian Classical Music because it is (for me) an undeniably beautiful and compelling musical genre. In my composition, I do not try to play it directly as my music is mine and mine alone.”

Marcus started to travel to India in the mid ‘70s and has since spent the following decades continuing to cultivate an ongoing relationship with Tabla and Indian Classical Music. As Corbett puts it – “I traveled first to India as a wide eyed 18 year old and I heard a Tabla solo by the river Ganga. All I can say is my world changed; but it was the vocal that really hooked me – the voice in the music found an echo in me.”

On the subject of his musical influences, aside from his times in India, Marcus states, “I've been affected by John Martyn, Nick Drake, Roy Harper – anybody that makes the guitar sing or speak. John McLaughlin with the 'Mahavishnu Orchestra' and early 'Shakti' was a revelation as has been Jerry Garcia's soulful musicality.”

Over the last decade Corbett has been on yearly travels to Pune and Gadag in western India to work with renowned Tabla players Nitin Gaikwad and Sharanappa Gutteragi. The most recent in a series of recordings to come out of these sessions is Strung Deep.Mostly recorded with engineer Abhijit Saraf of Musical Stars Studios in Pune, Strung Deep perfectly encapsulates the beauty, grace and dexterity of Corbett’s extraordinary talent and unique vision to fuse UK and European folk musics with India classical tradition. Aided and abetted by the majestic Bansuri (Indian flute) playing of Milind Date and exquisite violin talents of Sanjay Upadhye, Strung Deep is a joyous meeting of musical worlds.ade)

NEW RELEASES - SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS, ALIFIC, ALEXIS CUADRADO

SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS - CIRCLES

Beautiful grooves from Soil & Pimp Sessions – a sweet jazzy combo who are already plenty great on their own, but who get some help here from Jose James, DJ Kentaro, Rhymester, and a few other guests! Different singers grace each new number – helping to give even more shape to that great Soil & Pimp sound – a tight groove of acoustic bass, drums, piano, and horns – the epitome of all that's great about the Japanese club jazz scene in recent years! And yes, there name is terrible, but their sound is sublime – a really universal groove that's helped transform the role of jazz in the clubs in recent years. Titles include "Light Blue Soldier", "Bon Bon Villa", "Summer Love", "Frog In The Wrold", "Ananta", and "Iceburn". ~ Dusty Groove 

ALIFIC - ECHOES FROM THE SOUL

The man behind Alific is artist and producer Brendan Dane.  Dane lived in San Diego for six years where he played in a local reggae band called Stick Figure.  In early 2011, he relocated to Washington, D.C. where he became exposed to the DJ and electronic downtempo scene, at which time his reggae-dub sound began to evolve.  The result of which is Echoes From The Soul - a 14-song downtempo reggae album, written and produced by Dane along with a number of collaborators, including Scott Woodruff and Kevin Bong of Stick Fugure, and Frank Mitchell, Jr. of Thievery Corporation.  Tracks include: Echoes From The Soul, Up To Me, Live Up, Fat Drops, The Cost, Feet To The Breeze, and Madness featuring Frank Mitchell, Jr.

ALEXIS CUADRADO - A LORCA SOUNDSCAPE

Bassist and composer Alexis Cuadrado has released A Lorca Soundscape, a brand new cycle of original jazz protest songs drawn from Lorca's poetry, to be released on Sunnyside Records on September 24. With an exceptional band, featuring Claudia Acuña, Miguel Zenón, Dan Tepfer, Mark Ferber and Gilmar Gomes, Cuadrado creates a groundbreaking dialogue across time utilizing a unique marriage of jazz, flamenco and new music.  Barcelona-born Cuadrado has become one of the most sought-after musicians on the New York jazz scene. Cuadrado's compositions show a unique voice that draws from the crossover of jazz, flamenco and new music. His output as a composer has peaked in recent years, with new works such as Noneto Ibérico, A Lorca Soundscape, Jazz Miniatures for Double Quartet and Hispalis. Cuadrado has published four CDs as a leader: Noneto Ibérico (BJURecords, 2011), his most recent recording, and a seminal work that has received massive critical acclaim. His previous albums, Puzzles (BJURecords, 2008), Visual (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2004) and Metro (FSNT, 2001), document his compositions and have received excellent reactions from critics, presenters and fans alike.

GREGORY PORTER RELEASES VIDEO TO LIQUID SPIRIT + TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

GRAMMY-nominated jazz and soul singer Gregory Porter has just released the music video for “Liquid Spirit,” the title track of his impressive Blue Note debut, which will be released in the U.S. on September 17. Porter has also announced Fall tour dates in support of the new album including appearances in Los Angeles at the El Rey Theatre on September 25 and two New York City shows at Le Poisson Rouge in Manhattan on October 24 and Littlefield in Brooklyn on October 26.

Liquid Spirit  features 3 covers and 11 new originals which showcase Porter’s innate gift for writing poignant songs based upon personal experiences with a relatable and emotional immediacy. Porter sees the album as a logical progression in his burgeoning discography as it touches on some of the same themes, particularly the highs and lows of romance, his childhood, and socio-political observations. More pointedly, he views the title track, a rousing, hand-clapping gospel-jazz romp, dealing with replenishing “thirsty” listeners with more substantial music, as the flipside to last year’s “Bling Bling,” a blistering song on his previous album Be Good on which the protagonist had so many artistic gifts to give but no one to give them to. Similar sentiments occur on “Musical Genocide,” on which Porter declares his refusal of accepting the insistent squashing of quality, diverse music and culture by a mainstream in favor of disposable, homogenized pap.

In part, these songs are based upon Porter’s reflections on new fans, worldwide, who come to him saying, “Where have you been?” or “How come I’ve never heard you before.” “Not saying that I am ‘what is,’ Porter says, “But I think maybe what I’m doing is what people actually want to hear. There are some people who want that liquid spirit – a soulful, thoughtful sound – and they haven’t been getting it.”

 GREGORY PORTER – FALL TOUR DATES

 Sept. 5 – Blue Note Nagoya – Nagoya, Japan

 Sept. 6 – Blue Note Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan

 Sept. 11 – Cabaret Sauvage – Paris, France

 Sept. 12 – Espace Ligeria – Montlouis-sur-Loire, France

 Sept. 13 – Grande Halle de La Villette – Paris, France

 Sept. 14 – Blue Note Milan – Milan, Italy

 Sept. 16 – Kulturfestival Kunstflecken – Neumunster, Germany

 Sept. 20 – Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA

 Sept. 21 – Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival – Guerneville, CA

 Sept. 22 – Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA

 Sept. 25 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA

 Sept. 28 – Robert Ferst Center for the Arts – Atlanta, CA

 Oct. 9 – Centro Cultural de Belem – Lisbon, Portugal

 Oct. 11 – Casa Da Musica – Porto, Portugal

 Oct. 12 – So What’s Next Festival – Eindhoven, Holland

 Oct. 13 – Main Hall De Doelen – Rotterdam, Holland

 Oct. 14 – Concertgebouw – Amsterdam, Holland

 Oct. 15 – De Oosterpoort – Groningen, Holland

 Oct. 16 – Concert De Vereeniging – Nijmegen, Holland

 Oct. 18 – El Mediator / Theatre De L’archipel – Perignan, France

 Oct. 19 – Theatre Ollioules – Chateau Vallon, France

 Oct. 20 – Salle du Vigean A Eysines – Eysines, France

 Oct. 21 – Cave Cooperative de Bouillargues – Nimes, France

 Oct. 24 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY

 Oct. 25 – Miami Nice Jazz Festival – Miami, FL

 Oct. 26 – Littlefield – Brooklyn, NY

 Oct. 27 – Shea Center for the Performing Arts – Wayne, NJ

 Oct. 30 – Royal Albert Hall – London, England

 Nov. 1 – Art Across Campus Legends of Jazz Series – Syracuse, NY

 Nov. 14 – Kulturzentrum Kammgarn – Kaiserslautern, Germany

 Nov. 15 – Circus Krone – Munich, Germany

 Nov. 16 – Konzerthaus Dortmund – Dortmund, Germany

 Nov. 18 – Stadthalle – Heidelberg, Germany

 Nov. 19 – Alte Oper – Frankfurt, Germany

 Nov. 20 – Theater Am Aegi – Hannover, Germany

 Nov. 21 – Kammermusiksaal – Berlin, Germany

 Nov. 23 – Laeiszhalle – Hamburg, Germany

 Nov. 24 – Die Glocke – Bremen, Germany

 Nov. 25 – Tonhalle Dusseldorf – Dusseldorf, Germany

~ Blue Note Records

ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT ANNOUNCE DELUXE EDITION OF BLACK RADIO 2

Robert Glasper Experiment have announced the forthcoming release of Black Radio 2, both a standard as well as an expanded Deluxe Edition of Black Radio 2 that will also be available October 29 digitally and on CD and will include 4 additional tracks featuring special guests Macy Gray, Jean Grae, Bilal, Jazmine Sullivan, and Eric Roberson, as well as a cover of the Bill Withers classic “Lovely Day” that includes a spoken intro from Mr. Withers himself.

On their 2012 breakout Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment laid out a new paradigm for creative music, reaching beyond entrenched genre boundaries to create a singular vision that drew from all reaches of contemporary black music and beyond. Black Radio drew unanimous praise from critics across the board and earned Glasper the highest chart positions of his career when the album debuted at #10 on Billboard's Top Current Albums chart. The album kept earning accolades (a BET Centric Award nomination, a Soul Train Award win) all the way to the 2013 GRAMMY Awards where Black Radio was awarded Best R&B Album.

Robert Glasper Experiment ups the ante with the release of Black Radio 2, another genre-defying effort that takes the Black Radio blueprint and builds to even greater heights. The core remains the Experiment, as astoundingly versatile a band as has ever existed, featuring Robert Glasper on keyboards, Derrick Hodge on bass, Mark Colenburg on drums, and Casey Benjamin on vocoder and saxophone. Providing the vocals on the album’s standard edition is another jaw-dropping roll call of vocalists including Common, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Brandy, Jill Scott, Dwele, Marsha Ambrosius, Anthony Hamilton, Faith Evans, Norah Jones, Snoop Dogg, Lupe Fiasco, Luke James, Emeli Sandé, Lalah Hathaway, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

The track listing for Black Radio 2 (Deluxe Edition) is as follows:

1.Baby Tonight (Black Radio 2 Theme) / Mic Check 2

2.I Stand Alone featuring Common and Patrick Stump

3.What Are We Doing featuring Brandy

4.Calls featuring Jill Scott

5.Worries featuring Dwele

6.Trust featuring Marsha Ambrosius

7.Yet To Find featuring Anthony Hamilton

8.You Own Me featuring Faith Evans

9.Let It Ride featuring Norah Jones

10.Persevere featuring Snoop Dogg, Lupe Fiasco and Luke James

11.Somebody Else featuring Emeli Sandé

12.Jesus Children of America featuring Lalah Hathaway and Malcolm-Jamal Warner

[BONUS TRACKS] 

1.Big Girl Body featuring Eric Roberson

2.You’re My Everything featuring Bilal and Jazmine Sullivan

3.I Don’t Even Care featuring  Jean Grae and Macy Gray4.Lovely Day (Intro by Bill Withers)

~ Blue Note Records