DHAFER YOUSSEF - BIRDS REQUIEM

The oud-the 11-string, fretless, acoustic relative of the lute so central to the culture of the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean-is inextricably tied to tradition, more than 5,000 years of it. But in the hands of Dhafer Youssef, one of the most highly respected and influential virtuosi of the instrument in the world, the oud takes a giant leap into the future. For more than two decades, Youssef has paid his respects to the ancient legacy of the oud while integrating its melodious, robust and resonant-but simultaneously delicate tones-with modern sounds and sensibilities, transcending genre and defying the expected. On his new album Birds Requiem (available now on OKeh Records) Youssef has created his most breathtakingly powerful work to date, a suite of 11 interconnected compositions that, he says, were "constructed as music for an imagined movie."

 Recorded primarily in Gothenburg, Sweden, with additional recording in Istanbul, Birds Requiem features Youssef on oud and vocals, clarinetist Hüsnü Senlendirici, trumpeter Nils-Petter Molvaer, Aytaç Dogan on the zither-like kanun, Eivind Aarset handling electric guitar parts and electronics, pianist Kristjan Randalu, double bassist Phil Donkin and drummer Chander Sardjoe.

Youssef envisions the entirety of Birds Requiem as a score for a film that exists only in his creative mind. "I imagine the movie being about two entities," he says, "myself and my permanent search for a wandering soul. It symbolizes the idea of the disappearance of the body and the wandering of the soul. This idea is also reflected in the image of the birds depicted in the songs and in the album's pictures."

For Youssef, Birds Requiem marks the continuation of a journey into the possibilities of the oud that began during his childhood in Tunisia, where he was born in 1967. He discovered jazz as a youth and knew as he explored his instrument and composition that his lot in life would be the fusion of Eastern and Western styles into something wholly exhilarating and new. He relocated to Europe in the '90s and his reputation as an artist who blurred the lines between world music, jazz, classical and even contemporary genres such as funk grew exponentially with each new release. Albums such as 2002's Electric Sufi and 2006's Divine Shadows redefined the role of the oud in modern music, and Youssef's compositions, which also often featured his impassioned vocals, have been hailed as cutting-edge. He has received many honors for his work including a nomination for the BBC Music Awards For World Music in 2006. "I've always been in a permanent search for new sonorities," he says. "Even at the age of 6, I was curious. I discovered the echo of my voice and its resonances. Later, I experienced the undulations and the resonances of sounds that we find in Electric Sufi."

Birds Requiem is a culmination of all that he's accomplished previously, taking Dhafer Youssef's music to the next level. But he prefers not to overanalyze it all. "I sincerely think it is hard to succeed in describing the mood in this album or the others," he says. "I am convinced that its essence can only be felt while listening. It solicits the participation of the listener and the audience. Each one can feel it according to his own background or experience. Birds Requiem continues my search."

DhaferYoussef.com

IRMA THOMAS - FULL TIME WOMAN (THE LOST COTILLION ALBUM)

“Soul Queen Of New Orleans” Irma Thomas enjoyed a run of national success in the U.S. in the mid-’60s with classics like “Wish Someone Would Care,” “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” along with the original vocal version of  “Time Is on My Side” (later a massive hit for the Rolling Stones), recorded for Imperial Records. Following a short stint at Chess Records, Irma recorded for Canyon before being signed to Atlantic Records by the label’s much renowned executive, Jerry Wexler.  A first session in 1971 yielded one single, “Full Time Woman” (produced by noted New Orleans music legend Wardell Quezergue), which failed to chart but was singled out by Wexler in a 2007 interview as one of his all-time favorite recordings.

Undaunted, Atlantic arranged further sessions for Irma in Detroit, Miami and Philadelphia throughout 1972 – yet none of the material was ever issued.  Noted soul music historian and SoulMusic Records founder David Nathan uncovered all the tapes of this treasure trove of previously unreleased material during vault research in 2005; now, more than 40 years after they were originally recorded, Full Time Woman: The Lost Cotillion Album brings all of Irma’s recordings for Atlantic (under its Cotillion imprint) to light for the first time! Irma puts her own distinctive, ever-soulful stamp on such tunes as the standard “Time After Time,” Bobbie Gentry’s 1969 hit, “Fancy,” and Billy Walker’s country hit, “Tell Me Again,” alongside the funky “She’s Taken My Part,” (the flipside of “Full Time Woman”), and R&B-flavored original material including the highlights “Waiting For Someone,” “Our Love Don’t Come Easy” and two early ‘70s Philly soul cuts, “No Name” and “Adam And Eve.” With remastering by Alan Wilson at Western Star Studio in the U.K. and liner notes by David Nathan that recount his personal odyssey in search of these tapes, Irma Thomas: Full Time Woman—The Lost Cotillion Album features a full 13 unreleased tracks and represents a major addition to the Irma Thomas discography. Brought to you by Real Gone Music and SoulMusic Records!

Songs: Full Time Woman // All I Wanna Do Is Save You // She’s Taken My Part // Shadow of the Sun // Waiting for Someone // Fancy // Time After Time // Our Love Don’t Come That Easy // Turn Around and Love You // Tell Me Again // Try to Be Thankful // It’s Eleven O’Clock // Could It Be Differently // No Name // Adam and Eve

DR. JOHN, THE NIGHT TRIPPER: GRIS-GRIS

“Gris gris” is the New Orleans term for voodoo, and one could be forgiven for thinking this album was recorded in the dead of night in one of the city’s famed graveyards. Well, it was recorded in the dead of night—at Los Angeles’ famed Gold Star Studios, where Phil Spector recorded many of his classics. Long-time New Orleans session man Mac Rebennack wangled some free, after-hours studio time originally intended for Sonny & Cher, gathered the Los Angeles diaspora of New Orleans musicians—including Jessie Hill (known for “Ooh Poo Pah Doo”), Shirley Goodman (of Shirley and Lee), saxman Plas Johnson and percussionist Richard “Didimus” Washington—and adopted a new persona of Dr. John the Night Tripper, he of the feathered headdresses and name taken from an 1840s New Orleans root doctor. The result was probably the spookiest and most hypnotic album ever made—“voodoo psychedelia” is about as close as you can come, but doesn’t quite capture the otherworldly vibe. One thing is for sure—if you don’t get goosebumps when listening to “Croker Courtbullion” or “Walk on Guilded Splinters,” you probably are already dead and the subject of a voodoo ritual yourself! Our Real Gone reissue features notes by Richie Unterberger and added photos, with new remastering by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios in NYC. Absolutely indispensable in this life or the next. Songs: Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya; Danse Kalinda Ba Doom; Mama Roux; Danse Fambeaux; Croker Courtbullion; Jump Sturdy; and I Walk on Guilded Splinters.

4 CLASSIC DAVID RUFFIN ALBUMS REISSUED ON 2 CDS

DAVID RUFFIN - MY WHOLE WORLD ENDED / FEELIN' GOOD

The incandescent talent of David Ruffin was too big for even the Temptations to hold. As Smokey Robinson observed, “The only way David could survive at Motown was as a solo artist.” And so Ruffin left the Temptations in 1969 to strike out on his own with a series of releases that further established him as one of Motown’s great voices. These two albums from 1969 have only come out on CD in the U.S. as a part of a long out of print, limited edition box set, and only overseas on high-priced Japanese reissues; each of them rank among the greatest soul albums of the late ‘60s. 1969’s My Whole World Ended went to #1 on the R&B album charts on the strength of its hit title cut and “I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved,” while Feelin’ Good went to #9 on the R&B album charts and sported the hit “I’m So Glad I Fell for You.” Liner notes by Gene Sculatti…sheer soul genius. Songs include: My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me); Pieces of a Man; Somebody Stole My Dream; I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved; Everlasting Love; I’ve Got to Find Myself a Brand New Baby; The Double Cross; Message from Maria; World of Darkness; We’ll Have a Good Thing Going On; My Love Is Growing Stronger; Flower Child; Loving You (Is Hurting Me); Put a Little Love in Your Heart; I’m So Glad I Fell for You; Feeling Alright; I Could Never Be Presidentl; I Pray Everyday You Won’t Regret Leaving Me; What You Gave Me; One More Hurt; I Let Love Slip Away; I Don’t Know Why I Love You; The Forgotten Man; and The Letter.

DAVID RUFFIN: DAVID RUFFIN / ME 'N' ROCK 'N ROLL ARE HER TO STAY

The incandescent talent of David Ruffin was too big for even the Temptations to hold. As Smokey Robinson observed, “The only way David could survive at Motown was as a solo artist.” And so Ruffin left the Temptations in 1969 to strike out on his own with a series of releases that further established him as one of Motown’s great voices. These two records, released in 1973 and 1974, respectively, did not spawn any hit singles but instead reflected Ruffin’s growth as an artist away from the Motown formula and towards a life spent in the fast lane. David Ruffin, produced by Bobby Miller, whose writing credit appears on eight out of the 10 tracks, is a psychedelic soul masterpiece, and features the definitive version of Gamble and Huff’s “I Miss You (Part 1).” Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here to Stay, meanwhile, marked the fiery collision of Ruffin with the brilliant producer Norman Whitfield, with the creative sparks to prove it. Both records appear here on CD for the first time outside of a long out of print, limited edition set, with notes by Gene Sculatti. Songs include: The Rovin’ Kind; Common Man; I’m Just a Mortal Man; (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right; There Will Always Be Another Song to Sing; I Miss You (Part 1); Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can); A Little More Trust; Go On with Your Bad Self; A Day in the Life, of a Working Man; I Saw You When You Met Her; Take Me Clear from Here; Smiling Faces Sometimes; Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay; Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are); No Matter Where; City Stars; and I Just Want to Celebrate.

CHRIS READ FEATURING MYLES SANKO AND THE SO MUCH SOUL PLAYERS - THE MAGIC IS GONE

Chris Read returns on Breakin Bread with a slice of uptempo vocal funk dancefloor magic.This is Chris’s fifth 7inch single for the label. Ever exploring new territory and showing his versatility, Chris follows his 2013 throwback rap smash 'Rap Tradition' with a pacey Hammond funk number aimed squarely at the dancefloor. The latest offering taken from Chris's forthcoming long player 'Small Steps', we expect big things from 'Magic is Gone'.

Side A's The Magic Is Gone is a gritty funk number full of live energy, this track showcases the growth of Chris Read as more than just a producer. Featuring Speedometer vocalist Myles Sanko, 'Magic Is Gone' delivers a soulful vocal over an energetic drum break underpinned with a funky b-line and topped with catchy horns, memorable guitar licks and a killer Hammond solo courtesy of collaborators The So Much Soul Players (named after Chris's London contemporary Funk & Soul night)*.

On Side B is The Magic Is Gone (Hammond Reprise). In what is now becoming a Breakin Bread tradition and a nod to many classic 7”s of yesteryear, the flipside features an instrumental edit. The 'Hammond Reprise' follows in the footsteps of the A-Side, replacing Myle's soulful vocal with the throaty Hammond which dominates the second half of the original version to create a full pace Hammond work out, topped with crowd rousing vocal ad-libs.

*The So Much Soul Players are a collection of musicians with whom Chris has collaborated on other recording projects brought together for this release and include Rob Barron on Keys, Giles Barratt on guitar and Joe Egan on horns

The digital version also features an instrumental mix and a great remix from Germany's 'Renegades of Jazz'.

Chris Read, a collector of Hip Hop, Funk, Soul, Boogie and related Jazz based music since the late 80s, came to prominence in the mid 90s as a result of a high profile 10 year residency at Midlands Hip Hop and Funk institution 'Substance' (one of the largest nights of its kind in the UK). Launching his production career a little over a decade ago, Chris has released music for the cream of Europe's independent labels including Different Drummer, Push the Fader, Bastard Jazz and BBE. Recent remixes and collaborations include DJ Spinna, Oddisee, Lizzy Parks and many others. He’s also a prominent DJ on the UK and European scene spinning highly crafted sets honed over years of DJing and producing mix CDs.

Never one to rest, Chris's 2014 release schedule is already packed with two BBE albums in the pipeline, a multitude of high profile remixes and of course Chris's debut Long Player for Breakin Bread 'Small Steps' from which this single is taken due for release in the Spring.

CAVA MENZIES / NICK PHILLPS - MOMENT TO MOMENT

Ballads reign on Moment To Moment on the extraordinarily self-possessed new album by pianist Cava Menzies and trumpeter Nick Phillips. But this recording is much more than just a "ballads album."

  

Many artists have produced albums filled with love songs and torch tunes at slow tempos; they're designed to pull at the heartstrings, or turn up the nostalgia, or to highlight the introspective phrasemaking that ballads allow. But very few succeed at also doing what this album accomplishes. It creates a cocoon of space around the listener. It lowers the blood pressure; it slows the heartbeat; it seems to slow time itself. (If it weren't so supremely musical, you might consider marketing it as a medical device.) On Moment To Moment, Menzies and Phillips locate their music very much in the present - in that space, Menzies explains, "where you have a moment to breathe." And they transport their listeners to a place where each of those moments really counts.

"We've done all sorts of material in our gigs together," Menzies points out, "but the ballads really brought out something special in our playing - a gentleness. At a house concert we did about a year before the recording, we played a duo version of 'You Don't Know What Love Is,' and at the end we were both weeping. It was so powerful emotionally; we feed off each other's energy when we play, and we wanted to just go deeper and deeper."

In repertoire drawn primarily from the jazz catalog as well as the Great American Songbook, Menzies and Phillips - joined by the tastefully simpatico rhythm team of bassist Jeff Chambers and drummer Jaz Sawyer - go far beneath the surface of the melody lines and chord changes. Their improvisations have a quiet wakefulness, a deceptive simplicity that reveals a carefully constructed, unassuming majesty. Together, they follow the advice of Miles Davis in not only knowing what to play but also, more important, what to leave out. And their instrumental lines dovetail with an ease that would normally bespeak years of collaboration.

Which makes it all the more surprising that Menzies and Phillips first met in July, 2012; their partnership is still in its infancy, and this album represents their recording debut as a collaborative duo."I had this regular restaurant gig," Menzies recalls, "and our vocalist couldn't make it one night. The bassist recommended Nick, and we just had this magical musical chemistry. The more gigs we did together, the more we realized that we had so much in common." Adds Phillips: "In that first meeting, it was surprising to me how instantly compatible Cava and I were musically. The subtle nuances, the phrasing, the way we both leave space in our playing to let the music breathe - it was all there."

Equally shocking, to Menzies, was the revelation that Phillips had essentially stopped playing the trumpet in the years leading up to their introduction. "I've been a performing musician on the side throughout much of my career, but I really had to put that on the back burner for a while, given the demands of my day job," Phillips explains. Menzies remembers thinking that Phillips must be a busy working musician, given what she was hearing on stage. "So I was shocked when we chatted after the gig and he told me that he had put the trumpet aside. I started urging him to play more - to use this incredible gift he has, this incredible sound. It's been beautiful to watch it develop."

Neither Menzies nor Phillips makes a living through performance, but they each make a living in music. As a longtime staff producer and Vice President at Concord Music Group, Phillips has worked on hundreds of albums - by noted artists ranging from Karrin Allyson to Poncho Sanchez to Gary Burton - and overseen the label's acclaimed jazz reissue program, where his personal involvement has elevated collections of work by such giants as Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk. 

Menzies teaches music to kids in grades 6 through 12 at the Oakland (CA) School for the Arts, where she chairs the vocal department and conducts the school choirs; what's more, she can lean on a rich family history. Her grandmother danced at the legendary Cotton Club in New York (the home of Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway); her mother is a classically trained flutist; and Menzies' father, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, was a founding member of the legendary Herbie Hancock Sextet in the late 1960s, and has recorded nearly two dozen albums under his own name.

For both artists, their "day jobs" strongly inform their music. "I think this project benefited from my experience as a record producer. That requires not only making the right choices to ensure the highest sound quality, but also knowing how to create a relaxed, comfortable recording environment for musicians, to allow the music to flow effortlessly," Phillips says. "I had the rare experience of working with some of the greatest living jazz artists on their recording projects, and also spending countless hours listening and digging deeply into recordings by some of the most important artists in the history of the music. It's all made for a lifetime's worth of profound musical lessons that are deep in my DNA." His work at Concord left little time to pursue performance engagements. "But when I played that first gig with Cava, I knew right there and then that I had to make my trumpet playing a bigger priority."

For Cava, teaching singers has had a significant impact on her own instrumental work. "I sang a lot when I was younger," she explains, before choosing to focus on the piano in her mid-20s. "And I think that what I coach in vocalists informs my playing, in terms of letting the emotions out. It's the lyrical element. The program [at OSA] is famous for producing great musicians, but our signature is the stage presence and emotional quality of these performers. So while I really care about my touch at the piano, I'm also concerned with the energy behind the phrases. It's about sincerity and authenticity in your delivery: how honest and vulnerable can you get up there?"

  

"It's a very, very moody album," Menzies remarks. "Not in a negative way, but 'moody' in that it's the type of album where you sit and reflect on life. There are moments in which it plays with both dark and light. It's moody in that way, and it really tries to capture the range of human emotion - the emotion that you feel just moving through life."  

TRACKS 

1.         The Peacocks (Jimmy Rowles)

2.         Mal's Moon (Cava Lee Menzies)

3.         For All We Know (Fred Coots, Samuel Lewis)

4.         You (Nick Phillips, Clifford Goldmacher)

5.         You Don't Know What Love Is (Don Raye, Gene DePaul)

6.         Almost Blue (Elvis Costello)

7.         Phantoms (Kenny Barron)

8.         Speak Low (Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash)

www.CavaMenziesNickPhillips.com

PAULINHO GARCIA'S BEAUTIFUL LOVE INFUSES AMERICAN SONGBOOK STANDARDS WITH BOSSA NOVA SOUL

A prolific recording artist long based in Chicago, Garcia is a regular presence on the international concert circuit who has never quite broken through to American jazz audiences. Beautiful Love showcases his essential gift for inhabiting songs as if speaking directly from his soul, with an emotional intimacy that flows directly from his burnished baritone.

In an age that too often celebrates a more-is-more aesthetic, Garcia stands out as an artist who understands the power of silence and simplicity. Beautiful Love serves as an ideal introduction to Garcia, a master improviser whose deftly orchestral guitar work and deceptively unadorned delivery puts a potent personal stamp on classic material while honoring timeless melodies. "I always try to be very truthful to the composer," says Garcia, who is known for uncovering rarely played verses of otherwise familiar songs. "I change the harmony to fit my way of playing, but I never change the melody. And if the composer took the time to write a beautiful verse, we should do it too."

Something of an odyssey through the mysteries of the human heart, Beautiful Love avoids imposing a conspicuous narrative structure on the program, but there's a sense of emotional discovery around each turn. Garcia moves from Portuguese to English and Spanish and back again, enfolding the American Songbook material with two Brazilian treasures. A seamless and unabashed sojourn into the vicissitudes of love, from roiling passion and headlong romance to heartache and despair, the album opens with Jobim and De Moraes' quietly beguiling "Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar" (I Know I'm Going to Love You) and closes with the captivating folk song "Casinha Pequenina" (The Little House Where Our Love Was Born), with a midway detour through the aching bolero "Historia de un Amor."

Like many a romance, the album takes off with a mood of beaming optimism, even as Garcia injects a note of longing into the usually sweeping ballad "When I Fall In Love." The affair picks up steam as he captures the giddy rush of infatuation with "Like Someone In Love." Approaching the title track almost like a soliloquy, "Beautiful Love" feels like an homage to Shirley Horn, with Garcia's note choice every bit is interesting and apt as the grand dame's supremely sophisticated piano. As a song that usually lends itself to melodrama "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a perfect example of Garcia's knack for quietly revelatory interpretation. Setting the tune to a tango beat, he injects a note of irony into the cautionary tale. From the carnal to the ineffably sensual, he sighs out "But Beautiful," turning Van Heusen and Burke's daydream into an almost spiritual vision.

In many ways, Beautiful Love is something of a departure for Garcia, who is known for his eclectic repertoire. "My last CD was all Beatles compositions, Beatles Nova," he says. "And before that I did a Two For Brazil album that's more jazz oriented. But many critics say they love the romantic feeling I bring to songs, so Judith and I thought I should do a CD all talking about love."

A musician, writer and psychologist, Dr. Judith Schlesinger is the album's co-producer. She was drawn to Garcia by the understated mastery of his music and the healing quality that emanates from his intimate and soothing sound, which she feels offers "an antidote to the darkness, frantic pulse, and noise out there."

Born on August 16, 1948 in Belo Horizonte, the cosmopolitan capital of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, Garcia can't remember a time when he wasn't surrounded by music. He wasn't part of Milton Nascimento's legendary Clube de Esquina, but some of the members lived close by and their musicality suffused the neighborhood. Singing on the radio as part of a youth choir by the age of nine, Garcia actually wanted to be a soccer player, but by the time he was in his mid-teens it was clear that he wasn't headed toward an athletic career. While he ended up graduating from college with a degree in physics, Garcia's determination to follow his passion for music shaped the course of his life.

"My first interest was in rock, especially British rock, and in school I played drums in a little rock band," Garcia says. "One day the bassist got mad and left, and I picked up the bass. Within two years I got hired as house musician at the local TV station where I accompanied a lot of acts from Rio."

He turned his attention to African American music when a recording by gospel legend Mahalia Jackson seized his imagination. He was further entranced by Nat "King" Cole, and then utterly smitten by trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, whose sound had already played an essential role in shaping bossa nova. Immersing himself in jazz gave him the harmonic vocabulary to create his own chord voicings for whatever songs he feels moved to interpret. "I do my own harmonies on the original melody, and with my phrasing and feeling on guitar it becomes Brazilian," Garcia says. "As I like to say when I introduce a tune, here's a great song by the Brazilian composer named Gershwin. These American standards are so beautiful. When you have great melodies you can do whatever you want." 

Drawn by some musical opportunities he moved to Chicago in 1979. While he quickly gained attention among his fellow musicians, he spent many years working a day job to support his family. It was only in the mid-90s that he started focusing on music full time, and since then he's released a steady flow of stellar albums, often in collaboration with other artists. Uninterested in courting the spotlight, he's been a behind the scenes force, producing concerts by some of Brazil's most celebrated artists and sharing his knowledge as an educator.

Garcia and tenor saxophonist Greg Fishman have released half a dozen acclaimed albums and toured internationally as Two For Brazil, their homage to the legacy of João Gilberto and Stan Getz. He's worked and recorded extensively with the inventive Polish jazz singer Gra_yna Augu_cik, another transplant to Chicago who has forged a singular sound. Garcia also tours and records with flute master Julie Koidin in the duo Dois No Choro, an intimate ensemble that has forged a chamber music approach to an array of Brazilian styles (samba, frevo and bossa nova) with a particular focus on choro. Garcia has released several solo albums, but with Beautiful Love, this quietly brilliant artist is poised to become a late-blooming jazz star.

 

http://paulinhogarcia.com/

STING TO HEADLINE THE DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF ARTS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE SERIES

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is pleased to announce that Sting will headline the seventh annual Performance Series of Legends benefit concert on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 8:00 pm at the Music Center at Strathmore, joined by special guest Paul Simon plus an additional surprise performer.

This concert is the latest installment of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts' Performance Series of Legends that has previously featured Dave Chappelle, Denyce Graves, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, Smokey Robinson and Patti Labelle. Led by Founder Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Head of School, Rory Pullens, The Duke Ellington School of the Arts has taken an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to fundraising in order to support its dual arts and academic curriculum.

"We are absolutely thrilled that Sting has offered his resources and talents to our school. His contribution through this performance series not only gives our students inspiration and valuable exposure, but provides a source of revenue that enables us to continue the important mission of providing arts education excellence to deserving students who wouldn't otherwise have this opportunity," states Rory Pullens, Head of School and CEO of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Individual ticket prices are between $250 and $750. VIP tickets are $1,000 each and will include access to a private reception prior to the concert. Sponsorship levels range from $5,000-$100,000 and are available through The Ellington Fund at 202-333-2555 or info@ellingtonarts.org. Please visit www.ellingtonschool.org for further details or to learn more about the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Since its inception in 1974, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts has upheld its mission of providing an exemplary arts and academic education to talented youth who may not otherwise have that opportunity. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts Project is an independently operated public school in partnership with the D.C. Public Schools, George Washington University, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Ellington Fund. At Ellington, a college preparatory, arts focused high school; students specialize in dance, literary media and communications, museum studies, instrumental and vocal music, theatre, technical design and production, and visual arts. We enter this 40th anniversary year with a graduation rate of 99% and a college acceptance rate of 95%. Ellington is proof of what it means to successfully educate young people for the 21st century -- in and through the arts.

Composer, singer, author, actor, and activist, Sting is one of music's most renowned and distinctive artists. Throughout his enduring career, he has earned 16 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, three Oscar nominations, and is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His latest album, entitled The Last Ship, is inspired by the story of his forthcoming play of the same name and draws upon his memories of the shipbuilding community of Wallsend in the North East of England where he was born and raised. The play, with music and lyrics by Sting and book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey, will premiere in Chicago in June 2014, followed by a Broadway debut in the fall. Directed by Joe Mantello and produced by Jeffrey Seller and Kathryn Schenker, "The Last Ship" is set against the demise of the local Wallsend shipbuilding industry and tells the story of a group of unemployed shipyard workers who are inspired to take back their shipyard and build one last ship -- not for their former employer, not for the government, but for their own pride and humanity. Next month, Sting and Paul Simon will embark on a North American tour, playing On Stage Together, in addition to solo performances with their respective bands. For more information, please visit www.sting.com.

2 LIVE SETS FROM FRANK MCCOMB; NEW CONTEMPORARY SMOOTH JAZZ FROM LEVEL 10

FRANK MCCOMB - LIVE AT THE BITTER END: REMEMBERING DONNY HATHAWAY

There's nobody better we can think of to pay tribute to Donny Hathaway than Frank McComb – given that both Frank's wonderful vocals and keyboard work draw a lot from Donny's originals of the 70s, but have always taken his inspiration in really rich new directions on McComb's recent albums! Yet here, Frank really gets back to basics – and plays live at The Bitter End, in a warmly intimate style that's reminiscent of the classic Donnie Hathaway Live album of the 70s – although even more personal, given that the set only features Frank solo, on both acoustic and electric piano – but with a fullness that's amazing, and which really makes us keep imagining a bigger band behind him. McComb performs great versions of "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Love Love Love", "Flying Easy", "A Song For All", and "You Were Meant For Me" – plus his own "We'll Carry Your Name On", a tribute to Donny. The CD also closes with a version of "Little Ghetto Boy" played with backing from a bigger group, too. ~ Dusty Groove.

FRANK MCCOMB - LIVE IN JOHANNESBURG 

Wonderful work from one of the greatest living soul singers we can think of – the vastly under-recognized Frank McComb – an artist we'd rank right up there with our favorite talents from the 70s! Frank's amazing in this live setting – working with heavy Fender Rhodes alongside his vocals, in a warm and jazzy blend that's somewhere between Donny Hathaway and Webster Lewis – really stretched out on these long tracks that are even more expressive and evocative than Frank's work in the studio! No surprise, McComb serves up a remake of Hathaway's "The Ghetto" with a new Soweto twist – and other tracks include "Another Day", "Left Alone", "Contact", and "Do You Remember Love". CD also fetures two bonus tracks – "The Way I Feel" and "I Can Feel The Spirit". ~ Dusty Groove.

LEVEL 10 - VECTOR

Suddenly, Latin Jazz seems reawakened with an uplifting positive message, Level 10 bridges the past elements of Jazz with new sounds that are bubbling up to the surface of the entertainment scene. Smooth Jazz has started to take a turn with the introduction of new musical flavors that embrace purely positive uplifting sound. Often criticized as palatable groove-based music smooth jazz is evolving into a new category yet to be defined. Levy DeAndrade, composer and founder of Level 10, stated, “We have a new generation of fans looking for a sound that we have been creating for years that is much more than an electronic gimmickry.” Level 10’s “Vector” arrives as one of the jazz albums of the year displaying stellar technique and refreshing original compositions that brush aside any notion of jazz being in a rut. Brazilian and Cuban beats married with a funky attitude and an intense lyrical sense of purpose that hearken back to some of the early Spyro Gyra records.What makes Level 10’s work different aside from the obvious prolific instrumental talent of this global jazz collective is that no one is attacking this niche in the market with the same type of confidence that Level 10 brings to the table. “While some artists attempt to refer to their own Latin vibe while simply adding nothing more than a cowbell to their more than predictable arsenal, Level 10 lays down layers of flavor and musical colors one can hear.” said Jazz critic Brent Black. ~ http://level10band.com/

NEW RELEASES - TIMO LASSY - LIVE WITH TIMO; ALGEBRA BLESSETT - RECOVERY; GEORGE CALBLES - ICONS & INFLUENCES

TIMO LASSY - LIVE  WITH TIMO

Maybe the most classic sounds so far from tenorist Timo Lassy – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given the 60s style of most of his other records! The date's a live one, and features Lassy really stretching out with a raw, earthy groove – a completely different side of his talents, but one that follows strongly from the soulful hardbop of his massive recordings for the Ricky Tick label! Instrumentation in the combo includes a great Wurlitzer piano, played with lots of organ-like notes – plus bass, drums, and some sweet Latin percussion to give the whole thing the extra kick you'd find on some Blue Note or Prestige session with Ray Barretto as a guest! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Just One Of Those Things", "Shootin Dice", "Touch Red", "It Could Be Better", "Where's The Man", and "Uncle Harry Came To Town/Sweet Spot". (Limited to 500 copies – and pressed up in a super-great, super-heavy cover! Includes bonus CD of the whole album!)  ~ Dusty Groove 
                        

ALGEBRA BLESSETT - RECOVERY

On Recovery, her BBE Records debut (due for release in February) and second full-length album, the soulful songstress known as Algebra Blessett delivers a consistently sublime set that showcases the remarkable vocal and songwriting gifts that have already established the versatile, charismatic artist as one of R&B's hottest rising performers of the genre. Previous collaborations with the likes of Bilal, India.Arie, Espernanza Spalding, plus she sang on three of fellow Atlanta artist Anthony David's albums, with the two singers joining forces on the hit duet (and popular wedding song) "4Evermore," which reached No. 1 on Billboard's R&B Adult Contemporary chart in 2011. Her debut album Purpose, (which she recorded with producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Kwamé Holland, Eric Roberson and Carvin & Ivan) spent 14 weeks on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop album chart, establishing Algebra as a vital musical force. ~ bbe

GEORGE CABLES - ICONS & INFLUENCES

One of the best albums we've heard in years from the mighty George Cables – a set that's based around jazz icons and inspirations for Cables' music – but one that's also still quite strongly in his own voice all the way through! The trio is very well-balanced – with excellent bass from Dezron Douglas, and drums from Victor Lewis – but it's definitely George who sets the tone for each tune – ringing out with notes that are richly colorful one moment, or subtle and rhythmic the next. In addition to some Cables-penned gems that echo the title – like "Cedar Walton" and "Farewell Mulgrew" – the set also features some beautiful reworkings of standards from others' songbooks – like Bobby Hutcherson's excellent "Little B's Poem", Dave Brubeck's "The Duke", Joe Henderson's "Isotope", and Bill Evans' "Very Early". The version of "Little B's Poem" is especially nice – done in a very fresh take with almost a Latin style of rhythm! ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - UDI LEVY - A SUDDEN TRANSITION; KIDD JORDAN / ALVIN FIELDER / PETER KOWALD - TRIO AND DUO IN NEW ORLEANS'; JEREMY PELT - FACE FOWARD JEREMY

UDI LEVY - A SUDDEN TRANSITION

Smooth jazz guitarist Udi Levy has announced he will be releasing a new instrumental album at the beginning of the year. Titled "A Sudden Transition," this album features top session musicians from Los Angeles and New York City in what is Levy's first venture into the rock music genre. The album will be available in all premier electronic music stores and on his official website. "I'm confident my fans will be thrilled with the result," says Levy. "In crossing the musical divide between jazz and rock we bring alive the shared heritage of both—a labor of love for any jazz impressionist." The collection of uniquely original compositions shows mastery of both the instrument and the rock medium. Udi Levy plays regularly at The Bitter End, The Groove NY, Cutting Room and other noted jazz and rock venues around New York City and beyond. With a decade of experience as an artist and performer in the smooth jazz circuit, he has more than thirty original jazz compositions to his credit including three hit radio singles. After the successes of his second jazz album "Ahava" and a hit single, "Moment We Touch," which placed in the top ten on smooth jazz charts—Levy toured nationwide. "Smooth Jazz Tales," his prior album, likewise received critical acclaim and has been featured on television's Music Choice Cable Channel. His first smooth jazz single, "As Simple as That," is still getting worldwide attention.

KIDD JORDAN / ALVIN FIELDER / PETER KOWALD - TRIO AND DUO IN NEW ORLEANS

A wonderful showcase for the soulful tenor talents of Kidd Jordan – a player with a style that takes us back to some of the richest, most expressive musicians of the loft jazz scene of the 70s! Jordan's got a way of spinning out a long, personal statement on his horn – one that's powerful and bold, and never resorts to cliche or any easy tricks – often just built strongly out of these very individualistic choices that almost have a poetic quality – although certainly of the proud and righteous mode! The set features a live performance with some wonderful bass work from Peter Kowald – a player whose low tones resonate in this very unusual way, and bring further depth to the record. Alvin Fielder plays both drums and percussion – titles include six trio passages and both a solo drum and bass number. (Limited edition of 300 copies.) ~ Dusty Groove

JEREMY PELT- FACE FORWARD JEREMY

Tremendous work from Jeremy Pelt – a set that continues the bold move forward that he's made with his music in recent years – a great time that seems to have Pelt finding a whole new voice of his own, while also embracing some key inspiration from 70s electric giants like Miles Davis or Freddie Hubbard! The album's got some heavy use of Fender Rhodes – an instrument that banks and curves wonderfully along with Pelt's gliding lines on trumpet – these soulful, soaring solos that really work beautifully next to the keys. The record also features vocals on three out of the set's nine tracks – sung by the great Milton Suggs on "Verse", and by Fabiana Masili on the excellent "Rastros" and "Princess Charlie". These vocals are never overdone, and the set is still very strongly a jazz record at the core – but the additional elements help show us the deepening scope of Jeremy's musical vision. Other titles include "In My Grandfather's Words", "Stars Are Free", "Glimpse", and "The Calm Before The Storm". ~ Dusty Groove

PLEASE HELP JAZZ MUSICIAN DAVE VALENTIN!

Dave's Story

The jazz flutist and Grammy winner Dave Valentin (Music & Art, 1970) has toured the world as a headliner, playing with everyone from Tito Puente to McCoy Tyner. He started playing Latin percussion at the age of 5 and began performing professionally at 11. Dave has studied with Hubert Laws, Harold Bennett and Harold Jones.

After a career that would be envied by many, Dave is now mostly alone in his modest home of 59 years.  A stroke in 2012 left him paralyzed on his right side and though he is now walking and has recovered about 85 percent of his dexterity, he cannot yet practice or play. He requires an attendant, gets food from Meals on Wheels, and is finding it difficult to make ends meet. Like many other artists of his generation, most of his income came from playing onstage and royalties hardly cover his living expenses.  Without any financial assistance he will leave the only neighborhood he has known and find new housing.

For more about him, please read this New York Times article. A feature was also recently written up in the Times updating Dave's condition. You can find it here.

What We Need 

Dave has become a well-known and loved figure in his neighborhood in the Bronx, where he's lived his whole life. We want to help him stay in his home where he has a strong support network in his community. He will need $25,000 to cover rent, utilities and medical expenses.

Throughout his career, Dave has given back to kids in the South Bronx, his community and elsewhere teaching Latin jazz to inner city kids and gang members. His work and dedication influenced many children to continue their education and he feels very proud to be a part of what they have accomplished. Dave has been an extraordinary role model, and always felt that it is up to people in his position to make a change. Now it’s our turn to give back to Dave.

Other Ways You Can Help

Please share this page with your friends, fellow high school alumni and neighbors - anyone who you think could help Dave get through this difficult time. Thank you so much!

HELP DAVE VALENTIN HERE

~ indiegogo.com

NEW RELEASES: BROOKLYN SOUL BISCUITS, SHIRLEY NANETTE, THE PLANET D NONET FEATURING MICHAEL RAY

BROOKLYN SOUL BISCUITS - SOUL BISCUITS

A sweet little set from the legendary Randy Muller – best known for his famous funky work in Brass Construction and Skyy, but an artist who's still going strong all these many years later! Brooklyn Soul Biscuits have a great mix of old school funk and contemporary beats – fused together with the tightness we've always loved from Muller, who has a key ear for making everything come down right into the groove. Vocals are by Randy himself, whose raspy style fits right in alongside the basslines – and the set also features leads on a few tracks from female singer Lydia Caesar. Some of the best numbers echo the horn leads of Muller's older work – and titles include "Off The Ground", "Come As U Are", "The Worm", "Cornbread", "We Got Soul", "Funky Like That", "Beautiful Day", and "Bring Me Down". ~ Dusty Groove

SHIRLEY NANETTE - NEVER COMING BACK

A gem of a female soul album from the 70s recorded in Texas by singer Shirley Nanette, but issued on a tiny label and never circulated at the time! The music here is all handled by guitarist Hanc Swarn – who'd worked with Earl Grant, and helped create that cool syncopated groove that made Grant a favorite with the steppers – a style that's expanded here into some funkier 70s modes, which really let's Nanette's vocals soar! Shirley's hardly the rootsy singer you'd expect from the Texas scene – as she's sometimes got this poise and class that almost rivals Nancy Wilson or Marlena Shaw, but can also hit these badass modes when the tunes get funkier too. The set's great – way more than just another rarity, and the kind of overlooked 70s gem we'd rank right up there with lost indie soul treasures by Mike James Kirkland or Penny Goodwin. Titles include "Give & Take", "Limelight", "Tropic Of Love", "I'm So Glad", "Heaven On Earth", "People Are Thinking", and "Yours Truly Love". ~ Dusty Groove

THE PLANET D NONET FEATURING MICHAEL RAY - RAYS OF THE SUN

We first learned to dig the Planet D Nonet from their Sun Ra tribute album of a few years back – and this time around they've got Arkestra legend Michael Ray on trumpet with the group, on a whole lineup of famous tunes from the Sun Ra songbook! The approach here echoes the older modes of Ra's Arkestra, but also refines things too – going for a soaring, soulful approach that really gets the most out of these compositions, which could sometimes be obscured on looser, more freewheeling Arkestra takes. The group features Joshua James on soprano sax, bass clarinet, and baritone; Justin Jozwiak on alto and flute, Daniel Bennette on tenor and clarinet, James O'Donnell on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Michael Malis on keyboards – and although the main focus is instrumental, the group also vocalizes at times, in true Arkestra fashion. Titles include "Where Pathways Meet", "Island In The Sun", "Rocket Number Nine", "That's How I Feel", "They'll Come Back", and "Angels & Demons At Play". ~ Dusty Groove

CAROLE KING HONORED AS LEGACY RECORDINGS' ARTIST OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY 2014

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, celebrates the life and music of four-time Grammy Award®, Lifetime Achievement Award and Grammy® Trustees recipient Carole King as the label’s Artist of the Month for January 2014.

The Artist of the Month campaign coincides with the [official] opening of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on January 12, 2014, at Broadway’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre.  (The show has been in previews since November 2013.)

The campaign also coincides with Carole King’s honor as 2014 MusiCares® Person of the Year, as announced by the MusiCares Foundation® and the Recording Academy®.  The 24th annual MusiCares® benefit gala dinner and concert will take place in Los Angeles on January 24, 2014, during Grammy® Week, two nights prior to the 56th Annual Grammy Awards®, to be broadcast live on Sunday, January 26th, on the CBS Television Network.

Carole King, inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990, is one of the most honored and celebrated singers and songwriters in contemporary music, and rightly so.  No musician from the rock and roll era has left a more durable imprint than she has, nor probably ever will.  Her litany of original hits (especially those written with partner Gerry Goffin) is enough to ensure that fact.  One person’s list might top out with “Some Kind Of Wonderful” and “Up On the Roof” (the Drifters), “The Loco-Motion” (Little Eva), “Oh No Not My Baby” (Maxine Brown), and “A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)” (Aretha Franklin), and King’s own “It Might As Well Rain Until September.”

Another person’s list could just as well include “Take Good Care Of My Baby”* (by Bobby Vee), “Halfway To Paradise” (Tony Orlando), “Every Breath I Take” (Gene Pitney), “Hey, Girl” (Freddie Scott), “Go Away Little Girl” (Steve Lawrence), “Crying In the Rain” (the Everly Brothers), “I Can’t Stay Mad At You” (Skeeter Davis), “Her Royal Majesty” (James Darren), “Just Once In My Life” (the Righteous Brothers), and of course, James Taylor’s Grammy Award®-winning “You’ve Got A Friend.”

As well, the enduring phenomenon of the girl groups is forever associated with Goffin & King’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (by the Shirelles), “Chains” and “Don’t Say Nothin’ (Bad About My Baby)” (the Cookies), “One Fine Day” (the Chiffons), and “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” (the Crystals).

From the start of the British Invasion, Goffin & King charted with “I’m Into Somethin’ Good” (Herman’s Hermits), and “Don’t Bring Me Down” (the Animals).  American bands scored with “Goin’ Back” and “Wasn’t Born To Follow” (the Byrds), “So Much Love” and “Hi-De-Ho” (Blood, Sweat & Tears), “Take a Giant Step,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)” (the Monkees), and many more

Legacy will continue its role as the steward of Carole King’s classic album catalog on Ode Records (1970 to 1976), with special attention to two best-selling titles: Tapestry (1971), RIAA diamond (10 million) certified in the U.S. with 25 million world­wide sales, one of the best-selling albums of all time, 15 weeks at #1 in Billboard, 302 weeks overall, featuring the hit single sides “It’s Too Late” b/w “I Feel the Earth Move,” “So Far Away” b/w “Smackwater Jack,” and definitive standards “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” and “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”; and The Essential Carole King (2010), the uniquely conceived 2-CD 33-song set, with Disc One (Singer) devoted to her own recordings, and Disc Two (Songwriter) comprising many of the aforementioned ’60s artists’ hits.

As L.A.-based music journalist/historian Harvey Kubernik wrote in his album notes for The Essential Carole King, “There was Sam Cooke, Dylan, Brian Wilson, Lennon & McCartney, Neil Diamond, John Phillips, Smokey Robinson, and others, but no other female artist, up to that point, had so forged the writer, folkie, rock, R&B, singer, songwriter, performer, hitmaker, life style maker as Carole did on Tapestry.”

The MusiCares® honor recognizes King for her career achievements as well as her tireless philan­thropic efforts, which have focused on environmental causes for decades, including forest ecosystem protection.  Proceeds from the benefit gala provide essential support for MusiCares®, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.  Among the roster of multi-Grammy® Award-winning artists who will perform in King’s honor at the MusiCares® benefit gala will be the Dixie Chicks, Lady Gaga, Bette Midler, Jason Mraz, James Taylor, and Steven Tyler.

The MusiCares® honor is reminiscent of last May 2013, when President Obama presented Carole King with the fourth annual Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (following previous recipients Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon).  After an all-star concert in her honor at Coolidge Auditorium, King was feted at an intimate White House concert attended by the President, his family and friends.

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE 2014 FESTIVAL LINEUP INCLUDES SANTANA, BOZ SCAGGS, BOBBY WOMACK, ERIC CLAPTON, ROBERT PLANT, CHAKA KHAN

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has announced the music lineup for the 45th anniversary Festival scheduled for April 25 - 27 and May 1 - 4, 2014. This year the lineup includes Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Christina Aguilera, Phish, Arcade Fire, Santana, Robin Thicke, The String Cheese Incident, Trey Songz, Vampire Weekend, Foster the People, Public Enemy, The Avett Brothers, Charlie Wilson, Alabama Shakes, John Fogerty, Chaka Khan, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Rubén Blades, Lyle Lovett, Boz Scaggs, The Head and the Heart, Johnny Winter, Bobby Womack, Al Jarreau, Keb' Mo', Mary Mary, Delbert McClinton, North Mississippi Allstars, Chick Corea & the Vigil, Jason Isbell, John Hiatt, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Rachelle Ferrell, Pharoah Sanders, Laura Mvula, Solange, Branford Marsalis Quartet, The Rance Allen Group, The Mavericks, Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires, Bobby Jones & Nashville Super Choir, Robert Earl Keen, Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys, Bombino, Afoxé Omô Nilê Ogunjá of Pernambuco-Brazil, Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio, Johnnyswim, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Joe Louis Walker, Bernard Allison Group, Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings, Lisa Knowles & the Brown Singers, Gregory Porter, René Marie – With Love to Eartha Kitt, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, Chris Smither, Spencer Taylor & the Highway QC's and more are all among the national and international artists scheduled to appear at the 45th edition of Jazz Fest.

Also appearing are hundreds  of Louisiana legends and Festival favorites are scheduled to appear, such as: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, Aaron Neville, the Radiators, Rebirth Brass Band, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk w/ special guest Art Neville, Better Than Ezra, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Galactic, Big Freedia, Chocolate Milk, Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Anders Osborne, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tab Benoit, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, The Terence Blanchard Group, Cowboy Mouth, Sonny Landreth, Buckwheat Zydeco, Nicholas Payton XXX, Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9, Ellis Marsalis, Jeremy Davenport, Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters, Imagination Movers, Wayne Toups & ZyDeCajun, Marc Broussard, Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, PJ Morton, Davell Crawford, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Jon Cleary, John Boutté, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Lost Bayou Ramblers, The Revivalists, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Alexis & the Samurai, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Lillian Boutté & New Orleans Gumbozaire, Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band, Treme Brass Band, Los Hombres Calientes and so much more.

www.nojazzfest.com

JACQUES SCHWARZ-BART - JAZZ RACINE HAITI

Motéma Music Will Release Omnivorous Saxophonist, Composer, Producer and Arranger’s Jazz Racine Haiti on February 11

Jacques Schwarz-Bart’s trajectory as a saxophonist might, at a glance, come across as a game of musical hopscotch. On recordings and in concerts, he has been a collaborator of such diverse artists as Roy Hargrove, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, David Gilmore, Chucho Valdes, Danilo Perez, Ari Hoenig and Meshell N’Degeocello. In his efforts as a bandleader, however, he has followed a clear path, deeper and deeper into the music of his French Caribbean antecedents, which he has continued to blend with modern jazz. His newest project, Jazz Racine Haiti, is a culmination: With an international cast of musicians including two voodoo priests, Schwarz-Bart has created new arrangements of traditional Haitian voodoo ritual music and composed new music inspired by his rigorous engagement with the genre. Motéma Music releases the album February 11.

With Jazz Racine Haiti, Schwarz-Bart comes full circle. He is the son of two novelists, French-Jewish author André Schwarz-Bart and Guadeloupean writer Simone Schwarz-Bart. Jacques’ first musical education took place when, as a child in his parents’ house, his mother played recordings of classic voodoo music daily. While exploring jazz and classical music at the Berklee College of Music and beyond, he grew to appreciate what he called the “originality and greatness of voodoo music.” He further immersed himself in the voodoo music of his childhood on several trips he made to Haiti as an adult while playing with the beloved Caribbean band Tabou Combo. He explains, “Its melodies have a lyricism similar to that of opera and use complex modes that can also be found in jazz music (mixolydian, phrygian, lydian). But what sets it apart is its relationship with silence. The melodies have very punctuated structures, with breaths of various lengths, giving each emotion adequate space to synch in and reach your core. That dialogue with silence creates a doorway to the unknown.”

For Jazz Racine Haiti, Schwarz-Bart assembled two voodoo priests, singer Erol Josué and percussionist Gaston Jean-Baptiste (aka Bonga), and five jazz musicians. They headlined the opening night of the prestigious Banlieues Bleues Festival in Paris in 2011. Schwarz-Bart has since toured the project Morocco, Guadeloupe, France, Martinique, St. Lucia, La Rochelle, Haiti, Rouen and New York.

Schwarz-Bart produced the album, recording in November 2012 at Studio de Meudon in France and MSR Studios in New York. The recording features lead vocals by Erol Josué, Rozna Zila and Stephanie McKay; tenor sax by Jacques Schwarz-Bart; trumpet by Etienne Charles; flugelhorn by Alex Tassel; piano by Milan Milanović and Gregory Privat; upright bass by Ben Williams; electric bass by Reggie Washington; drums by Obed Calvaire, Arnaud Dolmen; and percussion by Gaston Jean-Baptiste (aka Bonga) and Claude Saturne.

Schwarz-Bart hopes that Jazz Racine Haiti will help to dispel common misconceptions about voodoo. Many mistakenly characterize it as an expression of evil, and have it confused with black magic. In reality, voodoo is an ancient African religion that came into the New World with the slaves to become Santería in Cuba and Candomblé in Brazil and to survive, with its original name, in Haiti. Its ultimate goal is to help its practitioners face the human condition and energize the spirit by connecting it to nature. Voodoo has inspired masterpieces of music, painting, sculpture and poetry and has provided strength and fortitude to many in times of unfathomable tragedy.

The resulting recording is at once an achievement of ethnomusicology and artistic innovation. And in spite of its faithful commitment to a centuries-old—and, to some, esoteric—musical and spiritual tradition, Jazz Racine Haiti is a fresh and remarkably accessible work. To be sure, French Caribbean melodies and rhythms are at the heart of so much African-American music; they were essential to the earliest jazz in New Orleans and are still resonant in so many strands of popular music. As such, Jazz Racine Haiti could be considered the album that reveals the thread connecting Schwarz-Bart’s otherwise puzzlingly various musical endeavors.

About Motéma Music

The Harlem-based label Motéma Music, led by Jana Herzen, specializes in jazz and other creative music that spans genres and generations. The company’s varied international roster received GRAMMY nominations in jazz, reggae and R&B, and features established music icons such as NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston and Jamaican jazz legend Monty Alexander; innovative mid-career artists including NAACP Image Award nominee Geri Allen, electro/acoustic pianist Marc Cary,vocalist Rene Marie; and remarkable rising stars such as Gregory Porter, whom the label launched in 2010, and the immensely acclaimed Pedrito Martinez Group, which debuted on Motéma in 2013. For more information: www.motema.com.

More Information on Jacques Schwarz-Bart and Jazz Racine Haiti

www.brotherjacques.com/

http://jazzracine.com/