VOCALIST/COMPOSER KAVITA SHAH COLLABORATES WITH GUITARIST LIONEL LOUKE ON DEBUT ALBUM - VISIONS

A vivid self-portrait in mosaic form, Kavita Shah's Visions (available May 27 on Greg Osby's Inner Circle Music) heralds the arrival of a strikingly original, globally minded new voice. The gifted vocalist/composer brings together a rich variety of musical, cultural, and personal influences into a formidable debut album that combines a jazz quintet with Indian tablas and the West African kora.

Visions interweaves Shah's multicultural background (she's a native New Yorker of Indian descent fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French) with her wide-ranging musical tastes (reared on 90s hip-hop, Afro-Cuban music, and bossa nova, she studied jazz voice and classical piano) and her fascination with ethnomusicology (which she studied at Harvard). The album was co-produced by the renowned Benin-born guitarist Lionel Loueke, a kindred spirit who shares the singer's cohesive view of a multi-hued musical experience.

"My experience of diaspora has not exactly been linear, but more like a kaleidoscope. So musically, I wanted to bring together different elements that I love, and combine them in a way that may be surprising to others but makes sense to me," Shah says. "We have one sound," adds Loueke. "You listen to the album from the beginning to the end, and even if the textures are different, it has a unity."

Shah's own cultural heritage pointed to some unexpected directions. Her paternal grandfather moved from Mumbai to New York in the 1940s, a full generation before immigration from South Asia became common. After witnessing the birth of the United Nations, he returned to India as the first publisher to bring American books to the country, and Shah's father later retraced his path to New York to attend college. Shah's mother was one of 13 children, born to a father who insisted on educating his daughters rather than simply marrying them off; music, seen as a distraction, was forbidden.

"I didn't grow up in a traditional household," Shah recalls. "My parents wanted to expose me to music, an opportunity they didn't have growing up, but not just to Hindi film songs or Indian classical music. They immigrated to New York in the 1970s, so there was a lot of pop in the house: The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra." Both sides of that early musical diversity are represented on Visions: Shah sings Joni Mitchell's "Little Green" and Stevie Wonder's "Visions," while one of her first collaborators on the project was tabla player Stephen Cellucci. The two met while working on tabla virtuoso Samir Chatterjee's project "Rabi Thakur."

Fourteen musicians from around the world ultimately contributed to breathing life into Shah's Visions, including keyboardist Stephen Newcomb, guitarist Michael Valeanu, bassist Linda Oh, drummer Guilhem Flouzat, percussionist Rogério Boccato, and a string quartet conducted by Miho Hazama. The album follows an engaging narrative sweep, tracing the cycle of a day or, from a more melancholy angle, stages of grief (Shah's father died when she was 18). But through Shah's restless searching, it possesses a geographic as well as emotional sweep, made cohesive by her singular, prodigiously confident vision.

"I haven't been so excited about a project like this in a long time," states Loueke. "Kavita is a real, true musician. She's a great singer, but the way she writes music, she's not really thinking just about the voice. It sounds like she could be a horn player, a saxophone player."

Shah spent her childhood with the radio dial parked on HOT 97, New York's leading hip-hop station, which is echoed in her tabla-driven cover of British rapper M.I.A's hit "Paper Planes." Perhaps her most formative musical experience came at the age of 10 when she joined the Young People's Chorus of New York City, an award-winning youth chorus with whom she regularly performed in more than 15 languages in venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

It was in the YPC where Shah was first exposed to jazz, and it stuck. "We sang everything from standards to opera to pop to folk music to contemporary pieces by major composers like Meredith Monk," Shah recalls. "For me, that all these types of music could co-exist was quite normal, and in a way, I've been trying to replicate that experience ever since."

Shah majored in Latin American Studies at Harvard, living abroad in Peru and then Brazil, where she conducted research on Afro-Brazilian music in a Bahian favela. That period is reflected in her rhythmically intoxicating duo with Lionel Loueke on Edil Pacheco/P. C. Pinheiro's "Oju Oba" as well as in her own composition "Moray" (winner of ASCAP's Young Jazz Composers Award), named for an Incan archeological site and inspired by Pablo Neruda's epic poem "Las Alturas de Macchu Picchu."

After college, Shah found herself working day jobs at nonprofits like Human Rights Watch until she received advice from an unexpected, brassy guardian angel: legendary vocalist Sheila Jordan. "I was on my way to work when the subway doors opened," Shah recalls, "and there was Sheila Jordan in front of me. At that time, I didn't have a mentor in jazz and I was a little lost. In 15 minutes on the train, Sheila basically gave me all of her mantras for life - she took me in and really encouraged me."

With Jordan's support, Shah went on to receive her Masters in Jazz Voice from Manhattan School of Music while studying privately with Theo Bleckmann, Peter Eldridge, Steve Wilson, and Jim McNeely. Wilson's supple reed playing is featured on three tracks on Visions, while McNeely proved instrumental in nurturing Shah's innovative arrangements. While at MSM, Shah was named by DownBeat as Best Graduate Jazz Vocalist, and she has since become an active member of New York's thriving jazz community, performing regularly at such venues as Cornelia Street Café, Bar Next Door, 55 Bar, Shapeshifter Lab, Kitano, and Minton's Playhouse.

The final piece of the Visions puzzle fell into place from passion rather than experience. Shah's love for the music of master Malian musicians like Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté inspired her to call kora player Yacouba Sissoko, who eagerly responded to the challenge of her musical mélange.

"It is so against who I am to pick just one style of music," Shah says. "Being a global citizen in the 21st century means having a somewhat disjointed life - scattered memories, connections, and experiences that can be enriching but also isolating. Visions is my small universe of all the parts that make me whole."

Shah had never met Lionel Loueke when she called on him to co-produce the album, but she recognized a fellow traveler in his own globetrotting sonic collage."Lionel went above and beyond as a co-producer. He and I share the same vision for how we approach music, so I think there was an automatic trust, respect, and appreciation there. He has a really beautiful spirit and we formed a special relationship; he's been incredibly generous and supportive of my music." 

"I see myself as a cultural interlocutor. A singer can play an almost mystical role, connecting these different elements on stage with an audience through the human voice, through words. With the Visions project, it's amazing to see the Joni Mitchell fan who has never before seen a kora standing next to the hardcore jazz fan who would not expect to hear tablas on a Wayne Shorter tune. I hope that people find something familiar in the music that draws them in, but then discover something new that might change, even for a second, how they see the world."

  

Upcoming Kavita Shah Performances:

* April 8 / Jazz Museum of Harlem / New York, NY

April 18 / Philadelphia Museum of Art / Philadelphia, PA

** May 27 / Joe's Pub / New York, NY

June 13 / Sunside / Paris, France

July 6 / JazzSchool / Berkeley, CA

July 26 / Children's Museum of Manhattan / New York, NY

* International Jazz Conversation Series

** with special guest Lionel Loueke

Kavita Shah · Visions ·  Release Date: May 27, 2014 

KavitaShahMusic.com

JEFF DENSON RELEASES A PAIR OF NEW ALBUMS: I'LL FLY AWAY & TWO

Best known for his work in the celebrated cooperative trio Minsarah (which he founded with Florian Weber and Ziv Ravitz) and his seven-year tenure in the Lee Konitz New Quartet, bassist and composer Jeff Denson has also led a highly regarded quartet featuring Weber, Ralph Alessi, and Dan Weiss. Now Denson is preparing to showcase other aspects of his virtuosity and exquisite musicality with the April 15 release, by the San Diego-based pfMENTUM label, of two very different duo albums, I'll Fly Away and Two. The discs provide a fascinating window into Denson's vast range as an improviser.

  

A singular collaboration with the powerhouse San Diego pianist Joshua White, I'll Fly Away is an emotionally charged project devoted to hymns and spirituals. Two is a melodically rich free improv session with the remarkable Swiss clarinet virtuoso Claudio Puntin. In many ways the projects couldn't be more dissimilar, but they're united by Denson's insistence that the bass can play any musical role. "I don't want to be tied down to being a function player," he says. "I don't want to have to only play the role of the bass as a supportive root function instrument. I love doing that, but I don't want to always have to do that. Even in more straight-ahead situations I find ways to play melodies. I want to be able to play textures. In a duo setting, there's a great deal of freedom."

It's a context perfectly suited to his interactive sensibility. "When you play in duo you have 50 percent of the responsibility and you need to be 100 percent committed to what you're doing if the music is going to travel and work and move places," Denson says. "You're either connecting directly with them or not. Everything they play, you must notice. But there are so many options. Deciding not to go with them can be really exciting too."

The sacred music project with White grew out of several hymns that Denson performed at funerals for his father and his maternal grandmother who helped raise him, including the title track, performed in three divergent renditions, and the breathtaking solo arco version of "Amazing Grace." The session was recorded in one day and all but one track is a first take, "a really good demonstration of how we share and communicate and share musical aesthetics. We are both really adventurous and take a lot of risks. I just wanted to do what we do."

The collaboration with Puntin had a very different genesis. It began, Denson writes in his succinct notes for Two, "in Cologne, Germany in 2008, and ended two years later on a rainy day in Berlin: two musicians, from two continents, two years apart, on two different days, in two different cities, met and recorded this music without discussion or plan . . . . " Investigating a wide array of moods and textures, the music can be playful or threatening, innocent or carnal. "We didn't talk about anything beforehand," says Denson. "We turned the mics on and just played. The music is completely improvised; the chord changes that appear are all spontaneous."

Jeff Denson, 37, was born and raised in the Washington, DC area. He attended Berklee (where Minsarah was formed), earned his Master's in jazz studies at Florida State University, and relocated to Southern California to pursue his doctorate (at UC San Diego) in contemporary music performance with an emphasis in composition. Based since 2011 in the East Bay, he is a full professor at the California Jazz Conservatory (formerly the Jazzschool Institute) and has forged ties with some of the Bay Area's top players, including bassoonist Paul Hanson and guitarist Mimi Fox.

A prolific composer and arranger, Denson has written music for an array of jazz settings, from big band to trio, as well as for string ensembles, solo bass, and a chamber opera (which he plans to premiere in 2015). While New York City offered a bustling life as a freelancer, Denson has found musical fulfillment on the West Coast. "I can make my living playing everybody else's music being a supportive player, but I wasn't so interested in that," Denson says. "I'm most interested in doing something unique musically by pushing my own work. And I love teaching. So I can inspire people, and focus on what I want to do."

Joshua White and Jeff Denson Denson will be working with his trio featuring Joshua White (far left) and drummer Jon Arkin at the following West Coast CD release shows: 5/31 Red Poppy Art House, San Francisco; 6/2 SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, Santa Barbara; 6/3 Jazz at the CAP, Los Angeles; 6/4 The Loft at University of California San Diego, La Jolla; 6/7 Café Stritch, San Jose; 6/8 Duende, Oakland; and 7/25-26 Moody's Bistro, Bar & Beats, Truckee. He'll also be performing with the Joshua White Quintet 6/5 at the Del Mar (CA) Foundation.

Jeff Denson's Secret World European Tour 2014, featuring trumpeter Cuong Vu, pianist Alex Conde, and drummer Jon Arkin, is now being finalized for late October. The quartet will be appearing in Heilbronn, Cologne, Osnabrük, and Dortmund, Germany, among other cities. A European CD Release Tour for Denson's trio is being scheduled for January 2015.

www.jeffdenson.com

WAYNE BROWN AND THE VIRTUAL JAZZ BAND - CLOUD 9

Featured this week on The Jazz Network Worldwide: Pianist, Wayne Brown with his new CD entitled “Cloud 9” with The Virtual Jazz Band.

Wayne Brown’s new release “Cloud 9” has an inspirational story attached to the making of this album which involves long-time friend, flautist, Nigel Scott. 

  

Wayne formed the Virtual Jazz Band with a clear goal in mind. He wanted to bring together musicians and singers from diverse musical backgrounds that had a common love for Jazz.  There is an underlying message of hope, healing and friendship that is attached to this project. Wayne had decided to re-record the tune “Goodbye Stranger” (which was a hit back in the 80‘s) as an instrumental that features Nigel Scott on flute who had been injured in a tragic motorcycle accident back in 1999. They had reconnected after 13 years, finding that the music they shared together many years prior was used as a source in Nigel’s miraculous healing.

"We had a dream and through adversity, the power of music and friendship allows us to share this dream with the world. What better place to share this than The Jazz network Worldwide. Many thanks to Jaijai Jackson".

Wayne has collaborated with a wide and diverse array of artists as both a writer and producer including Billy Ocean, Ruby Turner, Earth Wind and Fire, Junior Giscombe, Stevie Winwood, Jonathan Butler, George Michael, Janet Kay, Lulu, Yazz and many more, and played with jazz greats such as Coleman Hawkins and Tal Farlow.

Wayne studied Jazz at the prestigious Leeds College of Music. After his time at the College he delved into the mainstream music world and went on to sell several million records as a writer and producer with his international top 5 hits “Heartache” and “Goodbye Stranger”.

The first album "The Jazz Club Volume 1" received international critical acclaim with great support from radio opening doors to performances throughout Europe and the USA.

Back in 2010 Wayne was appointed Artistic Director and Chairman of the jury for the Bucharest International Jazz competition which enabled him to meet a wealth of talented young musicians from around the globe.

“Wayne Brown brings a wonderful essence of cohesive grooves that make you rock in your chair coupled with a funky rhythmic interplay with a solid foundation that keeps you hooked.  “Goodbye Stranger” is a true testament that strong friendships can lift you higher than you can imagine, especially when music is shared and messages are embroidered throughout” says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide. 

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP REISSUES VINCE GUARALDI’S CLASSIC SOUNDTRACK TO A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN

Most of us recall A Charlie Brown Christmas — the classic animated special that originally aired on network television during the holiday season of 1965 — as the moment when pianist Vince Guaraldi first breathed life into the entire Peanuts gang with a series of compositions that have since become as iconic as the characters themselves.

But a year earlier, Guaraldi had scored a Peanuts TV special of an entirely different kind. After the success of A Man Named Mays, a documentary of San Francisco Giants center fielder Willie Mays, TV producer/director Lee Mendelson set out to tell the story of another ball player who had soared to similar fame during that same era: the hapless but resilient sandlot underdog, Charlie Brown. The result was A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a 60-minute documentary about Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.

A limited edition, collectible vinyl reissue of the original 1964 Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown soundtrack is set for release by Fantasy Records via the Concord Music Group on May 13, 2014. As adoring fans of both Guaraldi’s and Schulz’s work, Concord has proudly put significant effort into faithfully restoring all components of the LP with a special bonus: orange vinyl. The reissue comes complete with Schulz’s classic, quirky design, historic liner notes in a gatefold jacket, and reproductions of 8 x 10 lithographs of Peanuts characters.

A reissue of A Boy Named Charlie Brown will also be made available on CD. Enhanced with 24-bit remastering by engineer Joe Tarantino and brand new liner notes by Peanuts historian Derrick Bang, the release marks the 50th anniversary of the original Fantasy soundtrack to the television documentary with one of the most interesting backstories in entertainment history.

Due to the whims of network programmers at the time, A Boy Named Charlie Brown never aired. Even an alternate version edited down to 30 minutes wouldn’t sell. Nevertheless, Fantasy forged ahead with the 1964 release of the documentary soundtrack — originally titled Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown, but later shortened in subsequent pressings — without the cross-promotional support of its television counterpart. Regardless of the project’s hamstrung origins, Guaraldi’s compositions, augmented by bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey, paint an evocative backdrop to Schulz’s cast of engaging and enduring characters.

“Consider the historical irony,” says Bang. “This must be one of the few times (the only time?) that a record label has released a soundtrack album for a film never granted public exposure.”

Among the nine tracks from the original Fantasy recording is the now-iconic “Linus and Lucy,” which eventually made its way to prime-time television a year later in the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas, which aired on the CBS network in December 1965.

“It just blew me away,” says Mendelson of the first time he heard the song. “It was so right — so perfect — for Charlie Brown and the other characters … I have no idea why, but I knew that song would affect my entire life. There was no doubt in my mind that if we hadn’t had that Guaraldi score, we wouldn’t have had the franchise we later enjoyed.”

But “Linus and Lucy” is just a part of the larger palette that is A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Bang notes that “music historians familiar with early 20th century honky-tonk rags no doubt smiled the first time they heard ‘Oh, Good Grief,’ a familiar melody that had been used in other pop contexts prior to being ‘borrowed’ by Guaraldi …”

Elsewhere, the waltz-time “Baseball Theme” originally served as a backdrop to a sequence in the documentary devoted to Charlie Brown’s ill-fated efforts on the pitcher’s mound. “Jazz fans will appreciate this remastered edition’s special treat: an alternate take of ‘Baseball Theme,’ whose gentler tempo more closely approximates the version heard in the documentary,” says Bang. “Guaraldi’s keyboard chops are prominent in both versions, of course, but note how remastering engineer Joe Tarantino has brought up Budwig’s equally deft bass work.”

Unfortunately, we can only speculate how the album’s remaining tracks were employed in the film’s longer edit, which included numerous celebrity appearances. Bang suggests that “‘Pebble Beach,’ a joyful bossa nova piece with a piano bridge, no doubt augmented golf legend Arnold Palmer’s unused segment. The delightfully bouncy ‘Freda (with the Naturally Curly Hair)’ obviously would have accompanied one of that narcissistic little girl’s animated appearances.”

Is there a point on the creative landscape where disparate art forms like comic strips, animated cartoons and jazz can intersect? Ralph Gleason suggested in his liner notes to the original 1964 recording that Guaraldi had found such a place: “He took his inspiration from the creations of Charles Schulz and made music that reflects that inspiration, is empathetic with the image and is still solidly and unmistakably Vince Guaraldi.”

Gleason added: “Jazz is a music of individualism. As such, it is truly a music of people, not styles. Each person develops his own sound, his own voice, his own musical personality, which in some is expressed only in their own playing. With Vince, the personal sound, the personal voice and the individual musical personality is expressed not only in his playing but in his composing as well.”

“All the characters in Peanuts are artists confronted with the illogical, blind and mechanistic world. It was natural that Vince Guaraldi’s music should fit so well.”

NEW RELEASES: DAVID HAZELTINE - FOR ALL WE KNOW; CLAUDINE FRANCOIS / HUBERT DUPONT / HAMID DRAKE - FLYING EAGLE; HYUNGJIN CHOI - TALES OF A DREAMER

DAVID HAZELTINE - FOR ALL WE KNOW FEATURING SEAMUS BKAKE / DAVID WILLIAMS / JOE FARNSWORTH

David Hazeltine is known for his harmonic sophistication and elegant pianism, traits that were also hallmarks of Cedar Walton's playing. When Hazeltine initially set out make what would become his Smoke Sessions release, For All We Know, making a tribute record was the furthest thing from his mind and it should be pointed out that For All We Know is definitely not a tribute record. Yet, it's hard to ignore the importance of Cedar Walton's legacy to it. Hazeltine is one of the important heirs to Walton's piano tradition, so it is only natural that his gratitude and affection would be dominant themes on this recording. It is also a special record because it documents what is essentially the first collaboration between Hazeltine and tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake. It was a partnership that both enjoyed immensely and that worked particularly well with the rest of the quartet, bassist David "Happy" Williams and drummer Joe Farnsworth. The album opens with one of Hazeltine's inventive originals, "Et Cedra" which is also one that was overtly written with Walton in mind. In it's melodic twists and turns and it's subtle yet unexpected harmonies, it is quickly apparent why Hazeltine has such a strong following. Other highlights include Kurt Weill's "My Ship" and Hazeltine's obstreperous "Eddie Harris" which gives Blake an opportunity to pay some respects of his own, this time to the funky saxophone master. When For All We Know concludes with "A.D. Bossa," the realization sets in that although jazz has lost some of its greatest talents, there is another generation that is dedicated to keeping the art form vital and alive.

CLAUDINE FRANCOIS / HUBERT DUPONT / HAMID DRAKE - FLYING EAGLE

Claudine Francois is a beautiful pianist, and we love her work on other records – but she sounds especially great here in the company of bassist Hubert Dupont and drummer Hamid Drake – both players who bring a heck of a lot of texture to the session! Dupont's bass is wonderful – often more melodic than rhythm, at a level that's also echoed by Drake's always-creative work on the drum kit – providing these shifting shapes, like different platforms in sound – from which Francois' piano lines take off boldly. Titles include "Flying Eagle", "African Flower", "Nkosi Sikelel Africa", "Scot", "Tapiwa's Vision", and a nice take on Jim Pepper's classic "Witchi Tai To". ~ Dusty Groove

HYUNGJIN CHOI - TALES OF A DREAMER

Hyungjin Choi, a New York based jazz pianist and vocalist, has been making her mark in the city of dreams since 2008.  After training as a classical pianist from her early age, Choi graduated from the prestigious Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2006 and moved to New York to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where she earned a BFA degree in performing arts in 2010 with a jazz scholarship and the Noah Osnos scholarship. There, Choi received the finest jazz education from such jazz masters as Sam Yahel, Reggie & Workman, Charles Tolliver, Jimmy Owens, Charlie Persip and Kevin Hays, and also became involved in many projects including that of the great Billy Harper. She has recorded and performed actively in many venues across the United States both as a sideman and a band leader.  She has built her skills as both an artist and a performer and now she has released her debut album Tales Of A Dreamer. The album was recorded  at Acoustic Recording in Brooklyn on October 2, 2013.  Hyungjin’s band is comprised of ascendant trumpeter and composer Takuya Kuroda, alto player Uri Gurvich, award-winning saxophonist Yacine Boulares, drummer and percussionist Alex Wyatt, and bassist Pablo Menares.

IVO PERLMAN RELEASES TRIO OF ALBUMS: THE OTHER EDGE, TWO MEN WALKING, AND BOOK OF SOUND

In his latest, triple-pronged attack on artistic complacency, the hyper-expressive saxophonist Ivo Perelman employs the tactic of accretion: in duo, trio, and quartet formats, he displays not only his wide artistic range but also his exceptional capacity for subtle variety. Each of these albums can stand completely on its own; taken together, they offer a snapshot of this particular juncture in Perelman's artistic evolution. (All three were recorded between October 2013 and January 2014.) These albums also extend the rarely paralleled burst of creative activity that has seen Perelman - a productive musician and graphic artist, even in his "slow" periods - release nearly 20 albums in the last four years.

"I had an intense creative frenzy maybe 15 years ago," Perelman has recalled, referencing a two-year span in the mid-90s during which he released a dozen albums. "And now it's happening again, after spending a lot of time practicing some new ideas involving my mouthpiece, tonguing, sound production - the saxophone in general."

THE OTHER EDGE

In contrast to that earlier period, Perelman now works almost exclusively with a small pool of collaborators - a testament to the challenge of finding simpatico collaborators for his daring approach to improvisation. To achieve variety for the listener, as well as novelty and inspiration for himself, the Brazilian-born saxophonist mixes and matches from within this pool of artists so that his recordings almost never feature the exact same personnel and instrumentation. Each album shuffles the deck: one features this bassist with that drummer; or both those artists with piano; or piano, bass, and a different drummer; or sax and drums only, or maybe with two bassists added. The faces remain familiar, but the group portrait changes with each new project.

That philosophy makes this latest set of releases especially intriguing, in that they show Perelman's willingness to "regroup," in a sense - to re-investigate some of the musical relationships that have proved particularly satisfying.  One album reunites him with the Matthew Shipp Trio, with whom he previously recorded in 2012; another re-creates the trio that last met on the album Cama Da Terra, in 1996. The third release allows him to solidify his partnership with violist Mat Maneri, a new star within the saxophonist's tiny galaxy. "Each of my projects holds a set of parameters that will never be repeated," Perelman says, explaining his relentless quest to elude creative stasis. But in certain cases - when there is "so much potential," in his words - he's more than willing to challenge his own rule.

That was certainly the case for Two Men Walking, the new album of Perelman-Maneri duets, which follows close on the heels of their first meeting in May 2013; that recording (which also featured pianist Shipp) produced an album of music used on the soundtrack of the Brazilian film A Violent Dose Of Anything. After that session, says Perelman, "I felt like, Wow! I've got to play with this guy again! I felt a kinship in our thinking. He's like an alter ego, almost telepathic. It's like each of us is playing both instruments." Perelman has a special fondness for the string family, having himself played cello (the viola's big brother) as a youth, before taking up the saxophone: "I find I can mutate, like a chameleon, in the presence of string instruments. . . . And I find tenor and viola in particular is a match made in heaven."

TWO MEN WALKING

Neil Tesser in the liner notes writes, "Perelman and Maneri adore the highest (altissimo) register of their instruments, which further tightens their specific partnership - that, and the fact that each has studiously developed the ability to produce these difficult, dangerous, and easily maligned octaves." Indeed, one of the distinguishing features of this partnership is the ability of the tenor and viola to complement each other in this extreme range of their instruments - as if they in fact inhabited that sonic aerie by right, and descended into the "normal" registers of their instruments for variety, instead of the other way around. (Maneri learned to explore the outer reaches of timbre, as well as melody and structure, from his father and mentor, the iconoclastic saxophonist Joe Maneri; their 1996 album Three Men Walking inspired the title of the current project.)

In contrast to his recent alliance with Maneri, Perelman has had plenty of experience with the artists joining him on The Other Edge - most recently on its namesake, the 2013 album The Edge (also on Leo Records). The quartet heard on both discs comprises the members of Matthew Shipp's trio. Perelman has recorded more than a dozen albums with pianist Shipp, and has often performed with him in varying contexts; Shipp's bassist (Michael Bisio) and drummer (Whit Dickey) have each recorded separately with the saxophonist as well. The second production by this foursome results in a spectacularly eclectic collection, with wholly improvised works as likely to reference classic swing as Balinese gamelan, delicate rubato harmonics, or American Indian stomps.

BOOK OF SOUND

Shipp again joins Perelman on Book Of Sound, their reunion in a trio setting with bassist William Parker, the acclaimed bassist and new-jazz activist with whom Perelman and Shipp each played early in their professional careers. "In creating the finished product," liner-notes writer Neil Tesser explains, "Perelman allowed himself only one of the plenary options available to a modern recording artist: he altered the order in which the tracks were recorded. . . . Book Of Sound presents what amounts to one large composition: a multi-movement, album-length piece, tectonically balanced between exuberance and introspection, light and dark." The titles of the various "movements," all of which reference ancient Latin aphorisms, further binds these disparate performances into a single work.

Born in 1961 in São Paulo, Brazil, Perelman was a classical guitar prodigy who orbited a series of other instruments before finally gravitating to the tenor saxophone. His initial influences, cool jazz saxophonists Stan Getz and Paul Desmond,  could hardly have presaged the galvanic, iconoclastic improvisations that have become Perelman's stock-in-trade. But those early influences helped shape the romantic warrior at the heart of his most heated musical adventures.

In 1981, Perelman entered Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he focused on the mainstream masters of the tenor sax, to the exclusion of such pioneering avant-gardists as Albert Ayler, Peter Brötzmann, and John Coltrane - all of whom would later be cited as precedents for Perelman's own work. He left Berklee in 1983 and moved as far from Boston as possible - to Los Angeles, where he studied with mainstream vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, at whose monthly jam sessions Perelman discovered his penchant for post-structure improvisation. "I would go berserk, just playing my own thing," he explains now. Emboldened by this approach, Perelman began to research the free-jazz saxists who had come before him. So Perelman undertook a survey of post-60s avant-gardists. In 1989 he recorded the first of more than 50 albums now under his own name, featuring a number of mainstream and Brazilian jazz musicians, and a program comprising traditional Brazilian folk melodies. But even then, he recalls "moments of real free playing, and I decided I liked it. I finally moved to New York and hung out with like-minded players, and I knew I had found my crowd."

In the last few years, Perelman has immersed himself in music from the 16th and 17th centuries, specifically music written for the natural trumpet - the instrument used before the invention of valves - which required players to create all the notes simply by varying the air pressure applied to the horn. Perelman now applies the techniques of natural-trumpet playing to the saxophone, in order to gain even more command of the squeaky-high altissimo range - this despite his already unsurpassed mastery of this register. He has gone so far as to commission the construction of saxophones without any keys at all, training himself to play full scales using air pressure alone, which is unprecedented in the history of reed-instrument praxis.

~ IvoPerelman.com

TED ROSENTHAL TRIO - RHAPSODY IN GERSWHIN

No living pianist is better equipped to address the music of the iconic composer George Gershwin than Ted Rosenthal, as is amply displayed on Rhapsody in Gershwin, his 15th release as a leader. Fulfilling The New Yorker's description as "a musician's musician who balances technique and taste," Rosenthal launches the proceedings with a kaleidoscopic trio arrangement of Gershwin's enduring concerto Rhapsody In Blue, and continues with personalized interpretations of seven enduring hits from Gershwin's canon.

The treatments by Rosenthal and his impeccable trio (bassist Martin Wind, drummer Tim Horner) further burnish his long-standing reputation as one of the leading jazz pianists and improvisational conceptualists of his generation, as a jury panel comprising Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Sir Roland Hanna and Roger Kellaway affirmed in November 1988, when they named him winner of the second annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.

"The 'Rhapsody' trio arrangement was born of practical considerations," Rosenthal writes in the liner notes, explaining that he received an offer to perform Rhapsody In Blue that did not include a sufficient budget for a full orchestra. Intimate with the piece through frequent performances as a solo pianist, with various symphony orchestras, and, most recently, with a Paul Whiteman style jazz orchestra in a February 2014 concert at New York's Town Hall celebrating Rhapsody's 90th anniversary, Rosenthal decided to take on the challenge. Throughout the epic journey that is Rhapsody in Blue, he hews to the original score, never losing sight of the melodies and motifs, "while adding my own jazz improvisations in the cadenza sections" and postulating an array of colors, moods and textures for the trio to navigate.

"What was tricky, challenging and fun was to strike a balance between the notes that Gershwin

wrote and the new directions that we take it," Rosenthal says. "If you take the jazz and the solos too far, you might start to lose the focus; if you just play the piece, someone may say, 'Where's the jazz?' I've played Rhapsody in a more historical context, with all the notes and nothing extra. But I'm a jazz musician, and I prefer to do it with improvisation, which I think is natural. In a way, I'm bringing a few worlds together with this recording."

  

On Rhapsody In Gershwin, much as he did on the acclaimed 2010 Playscape album Impromptu, on which he addressed a cohort of 19th century classical themes, and last year's Wonderland, a far-flung recital of songs associated with the winter holidays, Rosenthal references a broad range of jazz history and expression in presenting the Gershwin tunes.

"One thing I enjoy is taking a standard and finding my own way to present and play it in the jazz trio context," Rosenthal says. An example is "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," on which he sets up a sly, witty, smoky ambiance that mirrors the lyric and melody, creating simple cohesive phrases, deploying a force-of-nature left hand, swinging deeply at a slow-medium, adults-only tempo.

Tinges of Monk infuse the introduction to "Fascinatin' Rhythm," before the trio launches a brisk, multi-sectional treatment with various rhythmic twists and turns. Rosenthal cites "a Bill Evans influence" on reharmonized versions of "I Loves You Porgy" and "Someone To Watch Over Me," and observes that "Strike Up The Band" and "Love Walked In" are examples of his "derangements," on which he uses "various rhythmic and harmonic approaches to personalize the song."

"Some of my most important influences were pianists who had an historical and wide-ranging approach," says Rosenthal, particularly emphasizing that lessons during high school years with stride-to-avant maestro Jaki Byard influenced his inclusive penchant for embracing the language and aesthetic principles of jazz piano tradition while restating it in his own manner. "With Jaki it was almost an absence of dogma. I was drawn to the idea of being able to play many pianistic techniques. Whether playing stride or free, I don't feel constrained in any way."

"Gershwin is almost taken for granted, because he's such a staple of American culture," says Rosenthal, 54, who himself stands only a degree or two of separation from Roberts by dint of close proximity to hardcore stride practitioners like Byard and Dick Hyman. "But he wrote both songs and extended pieces, and he was a wizard-like pianist who could play his pieces all night at a party to dazzle the party-goers, especially the ladies. When I think about my musical identity, I'm also a pianist, composer and arranger."

After graduating from Manhattan School of Music and receiving Bachelors and Masters degrees in piano performance, Rosenthal spent the next decade gigging around New York on freelance jobs with the likes of Phil Woods, Ron Carter, Mel Lewis, Clark Terry, Grady Tate, and Lionel Hampton, among others. In 1992, the pianist also joined Gerry Mulligan's Tentette and recorded three albums and performed in major jazz festivals throughout the world with the band until Mulligan's death in 1996. Rosenthal went on to perform as a sideman with artists including Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Randy Sandke, Ken Peplowski, Ann Hampton Callaway, and more.

Despite his extensive experience as a sideman, Rosenthal has released more than a dozen albums as a leader. Most recently, the pianist released Wonderland (2013), and Impromptu (2010), on which Rosenthal reimagined classical themes for a jazz trio. Both albums, similar to Rhapsody in Gershwin, have strong influences and homages but still exhibit Rosenthal's own attitude and approach: expressive, creative, and sparkling.

Ted Rosenthal's Rhapsody in Gershwin Album Release Performance:

May 14 / Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola / New York, NY

Ted Rosenthal · Rhapsody in Gershwin / Playscape Recordings · Release Date: May 13, 2014

~ TedRosenthal.com

 

MESTRE CUPIJO E SEU RITMO - SIRIA

Cametá, a historical little Amazonian town on the shores of the river Tocantins, is the birthplace of the scorching music known as “Siriá”; a cross pollination between the music of the inhabitants of the quilombos, a Brazilian hinterland settlement founded by escaped slaves of African origins, and the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest. It is a breathing, pulsing, emphatic beat, and the modernised version of this local music, created by Mestre Cupijó, has been igniting street parties and traditional festivals across the state of Pará in Northern Brazil for decades. And at last in 2014, the combustible sound of Siriá will be celebrated internationally as the feverish, tropical sound of the summer!

Foretelling his talent to flow between cultures, Cupijó was named after a local river when he was born in 1936, into a family of musicians. His father, Mestre (Master) Vicente Castro, was also known as Mestre Sicudera, the musical director of Centennial Euterpe, one of Brazil’s oldest bands, founded in 1874. At 12, Cupijó started to play the clarinet. He also became proficient at the piano, mandolin and guitar, although the instrument that came to personify his sound was the alto saxophone. Waltz, bolero, cha cha cha and an assortment of dance hall music became part of Cupijó’s repertoire, but it was Carimbó and Siriá, the music played by the black communities of Pará, that had the strongest impact on the young musician.

To grasp the soul of this music, Cupijó went to its source and lived with the quilombolas (maroon) community of the Amazon. Upon his return, enriched by this life-changing experience, he founded the band “Jazz Orquestra os Azes do Ritmo” with the goal of reinventing Siriá and modernising Samba de Cacete, Banguê and other folkloric music of the state of Pará. Airwaves from the Caribbean and Latin America had also brought the cumbia sound of the mighty Colombian orchestras, Merengue from the Dominican republic and Cuban music to the Amazon, all of which had an impact on the music of Northern Brazil, Mambo especially! Mestre Cupijó took these influences and mixed them in with the ingredients he had studied in the Quilombos. That fusion – as we are witnessing on this record – had explosive effects.

His fresh new sound became the soundtrack to Cametá’s legendary Carnival and soon his troupe were invited to other festivals along the river. Transportation to these concerts was via small boats, where three or four musicians would share a vessel with their instruments tucked between their legs. In those days there were no posters or radio adverts to promote the shows in any way, yet Cupijó’s shows became notorious. In an interview one of his band members explains: “Whenever there was a party – on a Saturday for example – and it was known that Mestre Cupijó would play, the news would spread incredibly fast, just by word of mouth. We didn’t understand how that was possible, but it certainly was amazing.”

After the initial wave of enthusiasm, the first two LPs were recorded with rudimentary equipment in a dance club in Cametá. However, it was the third attempt, recorded in a studio in Belém, which would trigger a phenomenal success. “Caboclinha Do Igapo” and “Mambo do Martela”, included on this record, became instant hits. A year later, “Mingau de Açai”, one of Cupijo´s most popular tunes, took the region by storm. In total six LPs were recorded by Mestre Cupijó.

He then created “Concurso de Musicas Carnavalesco de Compositores Cametaenses”, a contest for carnival music composers. The songs composed expressly for these contests in the 70s are still performed today during carnival season. In addition to evolving the Pará music culture in this way, he also owned a makeshift soundsystem, “Musicolor”, to spin the discs of local artists before his own shows to the frenzied crowds. Mestre Cupijó proved himself a philanthropist as well as a conductor for the people’s music, and acted as a provisional lawyer for the city of Cametá, specialising in help for the poor. He also had a short spell in politics and was elected by a vast majority to the station of Municipal Councillor of Cametá.

Master Cupjó, the pillar of Pará’s festive culture, and a humble pop icon who was ushered prominently into the country’s history books, passed away on 25 September 2012, at the age of 76.

We at Analog Africa are ferociously proud and honoured to have the chance to present these carefully selected tracks from Mestre Cupijó’s six studio albums. We hope that his music captivates you with the magic and bewilderment that is has us. We recognise his compositions as true anthems of life and vitality, vibrantly encouraging all to drink and dance until sunrise! Let go of your inhibitions and immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Mestre Cupijó … Segura!!!

analogafrica.blogspot.com

Tracklisting: 

01. Mingau de Açai

02. Mambo Do Martelo

03. Caboclinha Do Igapo

04. Tubarao Branco

05. Morena Do Rio Mutuacá

06. Papa Chibe

07. Farol Do Marajó

08. Cadé O Anel

09. Ventinho Do Norte

10. Siriá Quente

11. Eu Quero O Meu Anel

12. Perereca

13. Pra Dança Meu Siriá

14. Passarinho Siriri

The album Mestre Cupijo e Seu Ritmo “Siria” (Analog Africa) is going to be released April 25, 2014.

~ www.grooveattack.com

NEW RELEASES: MICHAEL WOLLNY TRIO - WELTENTRAUM; NILES LANDFREN - ETERNAL BEAUTY; SNARKY PUPPY - WE LIKE IT HERE

MICHAEL WOLLNY TRIO - WELTENTRAUM 

Wollny's new trio recording Weltentraum is a stunning example of contemporary interpretation in the hands of a unique, fluidly virtuosic artist. Wollny, with both elegance and wit, explores the connection between songs that are worlds apart in terms of both centuries and cultures on the upcoming release. But in the pianist's hands, the combination of interpretations of "God is a DJ" by the pop star Pink and the piece 'Lasse!' by Guiliaume de Machaut (the French Medieval composer and poet) gets to feel entirely natural. With the resourcefulness of a world-class contemporary jazz improviser, Wollny finds common value in the songs starkly haunting melodies in spite of arriving from hugely diverse sources.

NILES LANDFREN  - ETERNAL BEAUTY 

Landgren has once again reverted to the select band of brothers Wollny, Lars Danielsson, and Rasmus Kihlberg with the further addition of guitarist Johan Norberg who Landgren has performed with on and off for decades. "It is my dream team, and one that I hope will play together for a long time," says Landgren of this group. It is also ideal for the approach that Landgren pursued on Eternal Beauty: "I wanted to make a really homogenous record - just us playing the simple and beautiful melodies simply and beautifully." The album title indicates the direction that the songs chosen by Landgren, Wollny, Norberg and producer Siggi Loch took: "The music and lyrics had to fit us, and they had to be songs that are eternal for me, personally." Most of the songs on Eternal Beauty should resonate with many listeners, with tracks ranging from George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity" to Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" on through to "We Don't Need Another Hero", made popular by Tina Turner. He also includes jazz ballads like "One More Angel" from the jazz bassist John Patitucci, and "Another Kind Of Blue" by the New York-based German guitarist Torsten de Winkel. Michael Wollny wrote the title track together with Eva Svensson, Esbjörn Svensson's widow. Much is left up to this talented team that Landgren trusts without reservation. Landgren explains, "We did have an idea of how we could play each of the songs, but we didn't prescribe much and we arranged them very sparingly, because with these guys the musical concept arises when we meet. When we start to play, the magic begins."

SNARKY PUPPY - WE LIKE IT HERE

A brilliant set of live Snarky Puppy, in all its tightly grooving, though boundlessly creative jazzy soul glory – and it's as great as anything we've heard or seen from them to date! The "Here" of We Like It Here is Utrecht, Netherlands – where they recorded it live (with no overdubs. . .which is incredible, given the deft musicianship) – over 4 days at Kytopia Studios, complete with a studio audience. It's amazing stuff, bringing in even more diverse influences than before, including some kinda proggy funk, which suits the group and the live setting very well. The package includes the set on both CD and DVD, and the titles include "Shofukukan", "What About Me" "Sleeper" "Jambone", "Kite", "Outlier", "Tio Macaco" and "Lingus". ~ Dusty Groove

SHARON MARIE CLINE - THIS IS WHERE I WANNA BE

Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Vocalist, Sharon Marie Cline Introducing Her Latest CD Project “This Is Where I Wanna Be” and upcoming first west coast CD Release Concert.

Sharon Marie Cline is celebrating her third release with a CD Release Concert on March 28th, 2014 at the House of Music and Entertainment H.O.M.E. in Beverly Hills.

Sharon Marie Cline has much to be excited about. The new year has a steady heartbeat as she not only launches her new CD release “This Is Where I Wanna Be” but a new artist mobile app that keeps her fans up-to-date with all her musical musings. On March 28th at 7:30 pm, she will be celebrating the launch of her new CD at H.O.M.E in Beverly Hills with her Bad Boyz of Jazz as well as some surprize guests.

“This Is Where I Wanna Be” has some of the best musicians in LA lending their expertise to the recording such as: Rich Eames on Piano/Keyboard, sharing the bass chair on various tracks are Adam Cohen, Luther Hughes, Trevor Ware, Ryan Cross and John Belzeguy, Jon Stuart, Peter Buck on Drums, Jon Stuart and Victor Orlando on percussion, Lee Thornberg on Trumpet, Rich Eames on organ, Ryan Cross on cello, Reinhold Schwarzwald and Bram Glik on Saxophone, Jacques Lesure and Derek Bombeck on guitar, Rob Hardt on flute. Sound Mixing & mastering by Les Brockmann and recorded at Palm Mountain studio. All arrangements by Rich Eames, Sharon Marie Cline and Jon Stuart. Sharon took the leap of penning two original songs on this project one being “Sugar On My Lips” with co-writer Mark Winkler and Rich Eames as well as “This Is Where I Wanna Be” co-written by Rich Eames. “If Dreams Come True” was arranged by internationally acclaimed Pianist and Arranger Tamir Hendelman.

“This is an exciting time for me. I've worked so hard, and am still working so hard to bring these creative dreams to fruition.... and I've kind of manifested a creative storm around myself. One creation begets another.... and I am constantly surprised and pleased about what gets birthed from this energy.  My goal is always  to stand in the midst of that creative storm and just be still.... allowing what MUST to flow through me. I feel as if I am growing.... My artistry is growing.... my band is becoming more cohesive.... and we are not only making music, we are making ART, and I am expressing my soul....  all of us are on this album.... and there is more to come!” says Sharon.

“The Jazz Network Worldwide has supported ‘all things Sharon’ in the past few years, its rewarding to see how she keeps the heartbeat of her music consistently moving forward. Sharon is a real go-getter when it comes to keeping her relationship to her fans fresh and inviting, she is one innovative marketer and creative vocalist, her latest offering is a cohesive groove all the way through”, says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

“Sharon’s a great example of a singer who knows how to bring an audience into her universe. She wins her way into your heart the first time you hear her.” ~ LA Jazz Scene

Sharon plans on touring the country this year performing selections from her new CD pleasing crowds through jazz festivals, music venues and radio airplay.

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

KALBATA - MIXMONSTER: CONGO BEAT THE DRUM

Kalbata (Ariel Tagar) is a techno & 2-step producer who previously released on labels such as Soul Jazz, Brownswood and Greenmoney. Kalbata did a string of high profile remixes for artists such as Fat Freddy's Drop, Spank Rock, The Count & Sinden and Roll Deep, collaborated with Warrior Queen and is also the man behind reissue labels Fortuna and Spring Hill Records. Mixmonster (Uri Wertheim) is the man behind funk band 'The Apples' as well as a member of cut-n-paste duo Radiotrip.

Ariel and Uri went into their home studio ago in Tel Aviv, Israel with the purpose of recording a 100% analogue dub album in the spirit of the late King Tubby and the early dancehall era of the late 70's and early 80's. A 16-track tape machine and an old analogue mixing desk were their main instruments, with musicians playing live all throughout the album.

A year after recording the instrumental backing tracks, they travelled to Kingston, Jamaica and started tracking down their favourite singers and deejays from days gone by.

The resulting long playeris on the one hand truly loyal to the origins of Jamaican music and on the other, a well produced forward thinking album, sounding totally fresh in today's music aesthetics. It will also rattle your speakers in ways not heard since the heyday of reggae & dub!

The highlights of this quite amazing long player are many, but from the beautiful & mellow 'Prisoner In Love' ft Little John, though the utterly original, drum driven title track Congo Beat The Drum on which Major Mackerel displays his amazing vocal talents as the earth shattering rhythm shakes the floor.

There is yet another amazing musical moment when JA legends Trinity & Jah Thomas join forces over a dub style rhythm on Trouble In The Dance, as reverberating rimshots and analogue synths bubble and squeal on this dark dance floor destroyer.

Echo Minott worked with luminary King Jammy at the tender age of just 17, and his dreader than dread vocal performance on Out A Road, and the fully analogue production of this album really rings true on this track.

Sadly, Voice make A Joyful Noise may be the last recording made by the late Prince Jazzbo before his untimely passing in September 2013. Another genuine Jamaican legend who collaborated with Coxsone Dodd and Lee Scratch Perry, as well as running the highly respected Ujama Records for many years. Voice make A Joyful Noise is a wonderful epitaph to a great career in original Jamaican music.

The final cut features multi talented genius Kutiman on the CRB organ - adding his keyboard skills to an instrumental version of Prisoner In Love - finishing off what may just be the greatest new reggae album for years past and even years to come!

ANDREW HADRO - FOR US, THE LIVING

In the world of jazz, innovation is tradition. Baritone saxophonist and flutist Andrew Hadro embodies this idea on For Us, The Living, his debut CD as a leader. Hadro uses a classic quartet format, paired with fresh material by current composers, to show listeners his own particular vision of the music's future. The album features tunes by Maria Schneider, Julian Shore, Ryan Anselmi, James Davis, and Hadro himself, all current composers who are very much part of the 21st century jazz scene.

"This is my dedication to the musical giants on whose shoulders I stand," said Hadro. "Rather than reinterpret their works, I want to extend the timeline of jazz with new compositions and performances by the best living composers and musicians today."

Hadro's band is a powerhouse, starting with veteran drummer and bandleader Matt Wilson, whose unerring time and creative use of sound give the rest of the band a strong foundation for exploration. Pianist Carmen Staaf, recently accepted to the exclusive Monk Institute, shows again why she's one of the current jazz scene's most sensitive and inventive players. Bassist Daniel Foose works well with Wilson rhythmically and with Staaf harmonically. Together the quartet creates a rich sonic world for each of these compositions.

The album's title comes from President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Lincoln's speech, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2013, urged Americans to appreciate, honor and respect the unsung and fallen heroes, and to further their unfinished work and thus usher in a new era. Hadro felt it a fitting title for an album featuring current American composers who are carrying on the tradition of those who came before.

Wilson's majestic drumming opens Hadro's "Allegrecia," the first track. The tune then takes an introspective turn, led by Staaf's deep harmonies. Julian Shore's "Give" shows off the intense listening and interplay between all four members, particularly Staaf and Hadro, whose plaintive baritone sounds like a distantly heard voice in the night. Staaf is a standout on this record. Her fluid,

surprising solos are consistently engaging, and her harmonic choices are always just right. The band can cook, too, as shown on Hadro's "Bright Eyes," which Wilson propels like a rocket. Hadro's sweet baritone glides perfectly atop Wilson's drums on Ryan Anselmi's "Paola." Hadro has a gift for choosing songs that fit his own personality and those of his bandmates, perhaps none better than James Davis's "Cotton," which feels like a gospel take on Paul McCartney's "Blackbird." This is an album of real songs. Melodies, intention, concise statements, endings.

Andrew Hadro was born in Mexico City. He and his family moved to Brazil while he was still young, then to the East Coast of the U.S., and finally to the Chicago area. He began his studies on flute and soon found his way to the baritone saxophone, which became his primary instrument. Hadro attended the prestigious New Trier High School and performed with several of the school's DownBeat-award-winning ensembles. He then attended New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where he was named salutatorian in 2007. He left soon after to tour and record with several of the school's founding jazz faculty.

Hadro has performed around the world with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, James Moody, the Bjorkestra, Tony Malaby, Chico Hamilton, and Junior Mance, among others. He is active in the New York music scene and involved in several projects, including performances with the Andrew Hadro Quartet, and tours with Junior Mance's quintet. He is on the faculty of the Litchfield Jazz Camp and maintains an active private lesson studio through the Lucy Moses School. He's the curator of JazzBariSax.com, a website dedicated to the baritone saxophone.

For Us, The Living was recorded May 28th & 29th, 2013 at Stadium Red by Tyler McDiarmid | Mixed and Mastered by Michael Perez-Cisneros | Co-Produced by Julian Shore | Artwork Images by Daniel Mottet 

andrewhadro.com

NEW RELEASES: WILL DOWNING - EUPHORIA; SANTANA – CORAZÓN; THE TABU RECORDS BOX SET

WILL DOWNING - EUPHORIA

Will Downing, the Prince of Sophisticated Soul, is still finding new ways to thrill his fans. With the Spring 2014 release of his 17th studio album, Euphoria, the uplifting title may offer clues to the secret formula, (as Euphoria is defined as: an overwhelming state of happiness, confidence or well-being) and may also perfectly describe the grateful mind-set of Will Downing. The winning formula of Euphoria is not about what gets added, but more a matter of addition by subtraction. A slick less is more production approach by the team of Will Downing, keyboardists Chris Big Dog Davis and Mike Logan, push his rich baritone vocals to the forefront and creates a more intimate soul-lounge feel, complete with upright bass licks and brushed drum strokes. Within this format, Downing deftly swings from R&B to Blues to Blue-Eyed Soul to Jazz to a Brazilian classic sung in Portuguese. The album's first single, is a very fresh take on the Teddy Pendergrass classic, Turn Off The Lights, punctuated by sizzling sax breaks by Gerald Albright. Similarly fresh turns on Stevie Wonder's Too High and Lou Rawls' If I Were A Musician . Downing's well documented skills as a song interpreter, may soon take a back seat to his underrated growth as a songwriter, as exemplified by a beautiful original composition, Heaven In Your Eyes . You go from a Cotton Club styled version of the Jazz standard Lush Life (feat. Najee), to a Blues fueled version of You Can Bring Me Flowers (feat. Chops Horns and Noel Goring), to a cover of the early 70's Pop hit She's Gone (feat. Wycliffe Gordon.The term Grown Folk's Music is over-used for sure, but there's almost no other way to describe the incredible variety offered on this release or the maturity required to truly appreciate it.~ Amazon

SANTANA – CORAZÓN

This album project brings Carlos back to his birthplace and celebrates Carlos’ love of his musical heritage, as well as showcases Carlos’ own personal influence on Latin music and on today’s generation of Latin superstars. It features collaborations with Pitbull, Juanes, Gloria Estefan, Ziggy Marley, ChocQuibTown, Lila Downs, Miguel, Nina Pastori, Soledad, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Samuel Rosa of Skank and more! Tracklisting: Saideira (Spanish Version) feat. Samuel Rosa; La Flaca feat. Juanes; Mal Bicho feat. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs; Oye 2014 feat. Pitbull; Iron, Lion, Zion feat Ziggy Marley & ChocQuibTown; Una Noche en Napoles feat. Lila Downs, Niña Pastori & Soledad; Margarita feat. Romeo Santos; Besos de Lejos feat. Gloria Estefan; Indy feat. Miguel; Feel It Coming Back feat. Diego Torres; Yo Soy La Luz feat. Wayne Shorter & Cindy Blackman Santana; and I See Your Face.

THE TABU RECORDS BOX SET (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

The classic funk and soul sounds of the Tabu label – in a fantastic box set, compiled by Ralph Tee – with an incredible assortment of Tabu treasures by Brainstorm, SOS Band, Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle, Demetrius Perry, Rhonda Clark, Kathy Mathis, Mary Davis, Anacostia, Lalo Shifrin and more! The 6CDs of standout cuts are very smartly compiled, beginning with the earliest Tabu material, and continuing with early peak dancefloor soul, the mellower tunes and slow jams, the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis sessions, and gems from the label's oft-overlooked later releases. It's got more than 90 tracks on the 6CDs, includes a bonus DVD with videos and interviews with Clarence Avant, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and more, plus a 60 page booklet by Ralph Tee. Last, but not least, it also comes with a bonus 7" single featuring Sharon Ridley's "Changin" and Manfredo Fest's jazz funk classic "Jungle Kitten". (Set includes 6 CDs, a DVD, and a 7inch single. DVD is NTSC format, Region 0.) ~ Dusty Groove

JAVON JACKSON - EXPRESSION FEAT. ORRIN EVANS / CORCORAN HOLT / MCCLENTY HUNTER

In 25 years as a recording artist, tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson had never made a live record as a leader...until now. With his new Smoke Sessions title Expression, the wait is finally over. To an instinctive perfectionist like Jackson, live recording presents a different set of challenges from a studio session, but he did learn first-hand from none other than Art Blakey, after all, to prepare, prepare, prepare and then leave it all on the stage. In fact, Jackson opens the record with Wayne Shorter's "One by One" which famously appeared 50 years ago on one of Blakey's many live recordings, Ugetsu. The results have a natural energy and relaxed quality that are difficult to capture in the studio. This record documents some of Jackson's personal favorites and he credits the live atmosphere for delivering what he feels are his definitive versions.

He includes modern classics like Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing," Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack's hit "Where is the Love," and the timeless "When I Fall in Love," that are trademark Javon-accessible but enlightening.

The quartet, called the Javon Jackson Band, features bassist Corcoran Holt, drummer McClenty Hunter and, for the first time, Orrin Evans. One of the busiest pianists in Philadelphia or in New York, Evans fit in with the group instantly and Jackson valued the fresh approach and playing that he brought to the music. A striking example of their rapport is the groove they strike on George Cable's '70s classic "Think on Me." It's a certifiable hit but there is simply a lot of great music on Expression. With a record this good, it's a safe bet that Jackson won't wait another 25 years to make the sequel.

JavonJackson.com