PIANIST SATOKO FUJII AND TRUMPETER NATSUKI TAMURA BREAK NEW GROUND WITH OLD FRIENDS

New CDs from Fujii's Orchestra New York and Tamura's Gato Libre offer fresh, compelling music from longtime working bands, to be released May 27, 2014 on Libra Records.

Pianist-composer Satoko Fujii and trumpeter-composer Natsuki Tamura, the most boundlessly creative husband-wife team in new jazz, are each renowned for the depth and variety of their music. Between them, they have recorded with more than 25 different ensembles to encompass the full range of their creativity. But for their latest releases, they both return to longstanding groups. Fujii's Shiki is the ninth release with her New York Orchestra to appear over the last 18 years. Tamura convenes a slightly reconfigured Gato Libre, his working quartet since 2005, for DuDu, their fifth release. The surroundings may be familiar but the music launches fearlessly into the unknown.

Shiki is dominated by the 40-minute title piece, a vast, eventful composition on which Fujii reaches for "something beyond," she says. "I wanted to paint a picture that extends beyond its canvas. I composed for life, which has many stages and changes and dramas." The title, which means "four seasons," suggests the changeability of the composition, one of the most monumental musical architectures Fujii has ever constructed. Written and improvised parts occur in a wide range of combinations-from unaccompanied solos to collective improvisations, from completely written passages to integration of one or more soloist and composition. 

Soloists include some of the foremost new jazz innovators in New York, including saxophonists Tony Malaby and Ellery Eskelin, trumpeters Herb Robertson and Steven Bernstein, and trombonist Curtis Hasselbring and Joe Fielder. Two other pieces, Fujii's prayerful "Gen Himmel," a tribute to the late bassist Norikatsu Koreyasu, and Tamura's comically antic, "Bi Ga Do Da," round out one of the most varied and adventurous CDs in the orchestra's storied career.

"This New York orchestra is like a miracle for me," Satoko says. "These great musicians give me such inspiration to compose and they contribute their own creativity as well. When I compose, I think about the band's sound and it brings out so much of my own creativity. I grow as an artist each time I work with them."

Tamura was unsure of the fate of Gato Libre after the unexpected death of its bassist Koreyasu, a founding member of the quartet and an important voice in the group's sound. After deciding to keep the band going, Tamura auditioned several new musicians in concert, looking for the right person to help the band continue. "When Yasuko Kaneko performed with the band it felt right," he says, "Her trombone timbre matched the band well and she has a sweet and wonderful personality." Gato Libre was reborn.

DuDu (Libra), the new configuration's first recording, shows not only how well Kaneko has fit into the group, but also how much her presence has allowed Tamura to take the band in new directions. Tamura's compositions and the quartet's performance display the same careful attention to group sound and balance as before, but there are different sounds and new rhythmic possibilities opened up by the trombonist's mellow, subtly textured approach. 

Tamura's arrangements of the title track, "Scramble," and "Rainy Day" keep the group wheeling through different instrumental combinations for slow, kaleidoscopic shifts in timbre. "Gato" showcases many sides of Kaneko's playing, from the melodically inventive unaccompanied solo that opens the track to the nuanced sounds that complement Tamura in a duet section. 

Tamura's solo on "Nanook" keeps firmly within the spirit of the composition while looking for new ways to express that spirit, blending calm lyricism with stormy sound abstractions. On "Cirencester," guitarist Kazuhiko Tsumura etches his taut lines on silence, backed by discrete ensemble chords and in duet with Fujii's accordion. Fujii is often a self-effacing presence in the ensemble, yet she perfectly captures the essence of each piece, from her introspective, dissonant musings on "Rainy Day," to her whimsical and frenetic playing on "Mouse." Once again, Tamura's compositions effortlessly incorporate references to folk traditions including Eastern Europe and flamenco, as well as jazz for a rich, slightly surreal, and unpredictable music. 

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer Satoko Fujii as one of the most original voices in jazz today. She's "a virtuoso piano improviser, an original composer and a band-leader who gets the best collaborators to deliver," says John Fordham in The Guardian.  In concert and on nearly 60 albums as a leader or co-leader, the Japanese native (now based in Berlin) synthesizes jazz, contemporary classical, avant-rock and Japanese folk music into an innovative music instantly recognizable as hers alone. Her most recent group, the Satoko Fujii New Trio with bassist Todd Nicholson and drummer Takashi Itani, released their debut recording, Spring Storm in 2013. "It is tempting to say the very focused, often gorgeous and always thought-provoking Spring Storm Š is her best work to date," wrote Dan McClenaghan in All About Jazz. 

Over the years, Fujii has led some of the most consistently creative ensembles in modern improvised music, including the ma-do quartet, the Min-Yoh Ensemble, and an electrifying avant-rock quartet featuring drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins. She has also established herself as one of the world's leading composers for large jazz ensembles. Since 1996, she has released a steady stream of acclaimed releases for large ensemble and in 2006 she simultaneously released four big band albums: one from her New York ensemble, and one each by three different Japanese bands. Her ultimate goal: "I would love to make music that no one has heard before."

Natsuki Tamura is internationally recognized for a unique vocabulary that blends extended techniques with jazz lyricism. "As unconventional as he may be, Natsuki Tamura is unquestionably one of the most adventurous trumpet players on the scene today," notes Marc Chenard in Coda magazine. Throughout his career, this unpredictable virtuoso has led bands with radically different approaches. Most recently, he has led First Meeting, a quartet featuring pianist Fujii that explores extremes of sound abstraction and formal fragmentation. Since 2005, Tamura has focused on the intersection of European folk music and jazz with Gato Libre. The quartet's poetic, quietly surreal performances have been praised for their "surprisingly soft and lyrical beauty that at times borders on flat-out impressionism," says Rick Anderson in CD Hotlist.

In contrast, the Natsuki Tamura Quartet, an earlier band led by the constantly exploring trumpeter, was a high-energy noise rock-jazz fusion group of overwhelming power. Since 1997, his ongoing duet with Fujii has recorded five CDs and won accolades from critics and audiences alike. In addition to the intimate duo performances, Tamura collaborates on many of Fujii's projects. He and Fujii are also members of Kaze, a collaborative quartet with French musicians trumpeter Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins.

Whether in new bands or in well established ones, Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura always push themselves and their music to new heights. Their two latest CDs are no exceptions.

http://satokofujii.com/

http://natsukitamura.com/

GUITARIST TOM CHANG RELEASES "TONGUE & GROOVE" AN EXPLOSIVE MIX OF JAZZ, SOUTH INDIAN CARNATIC AND CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL

It's said that new ideas enter the collective zeitgeist, be they musical, visual or even political, only when people are ready to accept the concept of change. Artistically speaking, another axiom states that good artists borrow, but great artists steal. Something of both of these modes of thought is captured in guitarist/composer Tom Chang's debut release, Tongue & Groove.

Chang has taken what he willingly calls "the longer way" in bringing his novel ideas to New York City's music scene. Chang's Tongue & Groove, to be released June 3, 2014 on Raw Toast Records, brings fresh fuel to jazz improvisation, stretching its familiar framework with oft-referenced contemporary classical and rarer Southern Indian classical influences; his compositions free his musicians yet challenge them to dig deeper. Chang's unusual melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic sensibilities result in engrossing music on Tongue & Groove.

"I am trying to present music that I like hearing and that I think people will like too," Chang says. "I want a really strong melody, and really interesting rhythmic ideas: the same things I want to hear as a listener. It's basically tone, timbre, and all the other things that follow. I don't expect the listener to realize we're going from 4/4 to 7/4 and modulating on the dotted quarter note. I just want them to realize something different is happening."

Tongue & Groove is the result of years of conventional performance and study, as well as tutelage from master South Indian Carnatic percussionist and vocalist T.H. Subash Chandran (who guests on the CD). In his formative years, Chang studied jazz harmony at Berklee School of Music, then contemporary classical composers when he arrived in New York, opening yet another door to his musical evolution. Tongue & Groove exists in that otherworldly zone where divergent musical styles meet the fission of improvisation.

Tongue & Groove's title track begins with a vocal percussion solo, the konnakol, performed by T.H. Subash Chandran, followed by Greg Ward's alto and Chang's guitar swirling over Cleaver's quasi tango snare drum figures, leading to heady improvisations abetted by Askshay Anantapadmanabhan's pulsing kanjira, the South Indian frame drum (Askshay also plays mridangam on the record). Cleaver's steady clave pulse locks he groove.

"The konnakol is based on what the South Indian musicians call a korvai, a rhythmic etude/cell," Chang explains. "When you put a melody to a korvai it's like an instant composition. It doesn't contain any pitches or chords but as soon as you assign notes to a korvai and follow the structure of the rhythmic cell, you have an instant composition. I juxtaposed that with some Latin rhythms I've been studying. It's all rhythm. I love the richness of these rhythmic grooves that come from these different cultures."

Opening track "Spinal Tap/Goes to 11" explores metric-modulation between saxophone and guitar, Rigby's soft, luminous tenor tone making Chang's wirey guitar sound all the more elastic and interstellar. "Bar Codes" skitters and shakes over Cleaver's humid pulse and Lightcap's leisurely walking bass line, supporting the dual howl of Rigby and Chang as they shoot a blues cry through the night. Chang's sunspot-streaked solo is a highlight. Is this Ornette inspired or something else?

"That is a really screwy blues, with a few metric modulations," Chang laughs. "The juxtaposition of those rhythms together with the layering of one meter on top of another."

Chang references Webern's "Variation Opus 27" in the spiraling "Webern/Sleepwalker," which tilts between an exotic dual melody line and winding rhythms that bend like houses against a nuclear blast. The nearly Noirish ballad, "The Logos," is charming yet eerie. Lightcap's stately bass solo signals the coda, and the song's all too brief existence. "Entangoed Heart" follows a melodically more quizzical and upbeat vein, Chang's darting guitar figures leading to Rigby's generous, urgent solo over an airy Cleaver groove. Tongue & Groove closes with "Spinal Tap #2," recapping the rock guitar strafing of the opening track and its crisscrossing horn lines, resonant drums and spiraling hiccup of a melody. Gleeful, practically hungry solos abound on Tongue & Groove, as does the quickening pace of cross-rhythms and contrasting melodies flowing together nearly as one.

A native of Toronto, Canada, Tom Chang was inspired to play guitar after hearing Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. The initial flush of rock guitar wonder was followed by equally heavy doses of the blues, before jazz hit him squarely between the eyes. In the mid 80s, Chang enrolled at Los Angeles' Guitar Institute of Technology where he majored in jazz performance. He studied privately with Scott Henderson, Joe Diorio, and the late Ted Greene. Chang's quick advancement led to regular professional gigs with everyone from comedian (then cabaret performer) Sandra Bernhard and crooner Luther Vandross to Sade.

While still at GIT, Chang hopped a red eye to New York to catch guitarists Bill Frisell and Jim Hall with bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Joey Baron at the Village Vanguard. Inspired by their performance, Chang decided to move to Manhattan, first moving to Boston where he studied jazz composition at Berklee College of Music and took private lessons with Mick Goodrick.

Chang made the jump to New York City in 1989, and began playing almost immediately. Dave Binney, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Ben Monder, Rez Abbasi, Ron McClure, Tom Rainey, Joey Calderazzo and Brad Shepik all christened the newcomer into New York City's musical deep end.

"I wasn't ready, but the scene was amazing," Chang recalls. "Right away you could jump in and start playing. That exposed me to a lot of great players."

Regarding the album's Southern Indian Carnatic influence, Chang was initially, like many musicians, fascinated only by the music's rhythmic complexity.

"When I actually started taking the rhythms apart is when I began to love the music," Chang says. "The way the music is crafted is amazing. It's very complex yet when played properly it can sound very simple and beautiful. The more I studied Southern Carnatic music the more I became interested in the actual melodies moreso than purely its rhythms. So many people are caught up in the intellectual aspects of Indian music but it has such richness of melody and texture."

Tongue & Groove's unusual compositional colors and intense solos force the question: Is Tom Chang a composer whose tool happens to be the guitar or a guitarist intent on expressing something new?

"The composing and guitar playing feed each other equally," Chang offers. "A lot of the newer harmonic material I am working on will crystallize in the form of a composition. Or I'll be working on a certain concept and it will give me ideas that work well on guitar. Lately I've been studying counterpoint which is basically compositional in nature. All of it opens up different ways of approaching how I play the guitar."

www.myspace.com/tomchangmusic

SPENCER DAY - DAYBREAK

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Spencer Day returns to his musical roots with his fifth full-length album Daybreak, and his first independent album in seven years. His past two albums were released on the legendary Concord/Jazz label. With Daybreak, Spencer has created an album of signature interpretations of well-loved songs from the 1960’s along with five brand-new compositions written in homage of these classic American tunes.

There was a time, a sound, a feel, and a sensibility that defined the California mid-century experience. Spencer calls Daybreak his “top-down Chevy convertible on the Pacific Coast Highway” album, evoking the breezy feel of a sunny Southern California afternoon. Classics including Groovin, A World Without Love, and Never My Love have been re-imagined and interpreted in Spencer’s trademark honey baritone voice.

Spencer Day is widely regarded for his original songs that blend compelling melodies, smart lyrics and lush arrangements. For Daybreak, Spencer has crafted five new works that blend seamlessly with the cover tunes to create a moving tribute to that special time and place that gave rise to so many musical gems. Audiences around the world have enthusiastically supported Spencer for over ten years at venues as diverse as Birdland in New York, the Hollywood Bowl, Jazz Alley in Seattle, the Pacific Rim Jazz Festival in Manila, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Feinstein’s in San Francisco, Tanglewood, the Craig Ferguson Show and at music venues and festivals across the U.S. and worldwide. Spencer has a widely diverse and enthusiastic fan base in the U.S., Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Missing Tonight is the first single from Daybreak to be released to radio, and it reflects Spencer’s roots in the Great American Songbook, with a contemporary, upbeat twist that has become Spencer’s signature sound. Written with legendary composers Bill DeMain and Larry Goldings, Missing, with its jazzy feel and persuasive lyrics, evokes the excitement of a new relationship and the universal allure of limitless possibilities.

Spencer will tour extensively with his band on his Daybreak CD Release tour beginning May 10th in Georgia and continuing in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Orange County, Europe, Mexico (2015) and other venues and festivals in the U.S. and abroad.

The album’s first single Missing Tonight debuted tied for # 3 most added on Billboard Magazine’s Smooth Jazz chart the week of its release. Daybreak will be released “Direct to Fans” via Spencer’s website on Friday May 16th, 2014 and Digitally and Physically, worldwide on June 10th, 2014.

www.spencerday.com

 

NEW RELEASES: STRANGE BREAKS & MR THING III; LADY DAISEY - WHAT IT IS; LISA KELLY / JB SCOTT - RENDITIONS: THE SUMMER SESSIONS

STRANGE BREAKS & MR THING III: MORE ROCK, FUNK, SOUL, JAZZ & SOUNDTRACK BREAKS FOR MODERN LIVING

Five years on from the last, BBE is proud to present the next instalment of Strange Breaks & Mr Thing. In this digital age the beating heart of modern R&B and hip-hop remains as vintage soul, funk and jazz. Like the previous volumes, Strange Breaks & Mr Thing III contains a collection of killer cutz; some you've probably never heard of, some which may make you go: "I recognize this sample!"… because it was once used as the backdrop for a classic Hip Hop track. If you liked the legendary "Strange Games" compilation series on BBE compiled by the likes of Kenny Dope & DJ Spinna, you'll love "Strange Breaks & Mr. Thing". UK Hip-Hop producer and acclaimed DJ; Mr. Thing has been busier than ever circling the globe, filling dance floors as well as adding rare 45s to his ever growing collection now he’s shaing those nuggets with us.Known worldwide as a DJ & turntablist Mr Thing is a name synonymous with Hip-Hop that always brings a smile to the faces of fans and promoters alike as they remember genius performances of impeccable skill. First touching the tables in 1987 he has been non-stop perfecting his art since and is now one of the worlds best. Touring the world with an understanding of records and music that is second to none, he always creates flawless and exciting sets mixing some of the rarest records with some of the best loved records ever heard with an apparently effortless ease honed after years of practice.

If Mr Thing is playing at a party... make sure you GO! You will never be disappointed! Rocking parties is not the limit of his skills, not even close! ~ bbemusic

LADY DAISEY - WHAT IT IS

Lady Daisey (Daisey Traynham - Brooklyn, NY) is a soul/funk singer who spent her childhood touring the U.S. with her parent’s band. Raised on the road, home-schooled and surrounded by music, it was natural for her to blossom into the artist that she is. Since then, she’s been following her musical path and developed her own playful style, ranging from sultry love songs to powerhouse feel-good old-school soul. Lady Daisey has played venues and festivals around the globe, spreading her message of love and positivity, soulfully presented over head noddin' Batsauce beats. A small woman with a huge voice, Lady Daisey is sure to grab the attention and steal the hearts of everyone within ear's reach. Since the 2010 release of In My Pocket, Lady Daisey’s powerhouse, yet sultry, vocals continue to mesmerize listeners and capture hearts, while Batsauce’s beats and production have become a trademark sound in underground soul / hiphop scenes around the globe. The dynamic duo has continued their musical journey, like a pendulum, swinging between Europe and the United States: touring, traveling, meandering through life planting seeds of positivity and funky vibes. ~ bbemusic

LISA KELLY / JB SCOTT - RENDITIONS: THE SUMMER SESSIONS

Each profiled in the international book, “The New Face of Jazz,” multi-award winning vocalist Lisa Kelly & highly regarded trumpeter JB Scott co-release this long awaited 2-CD set, featuring music performed with fellow renowned jazz artists regularly heard on their small group bandstand. Showcasing versatility of presentation & repertoire, CD #1 “The Pedal Sessions” presents the group with Jeff Phillips capably covering keyboard piano, strings, guitar & pedal bass, with former “Navy Commodores” Clyde Connor on drums. CD #2 “The UNF Sessions” (the 1st professional release from the newly created UNF Recording Studio) presents pianists Jeff Phillips & Joshua Bowlus on acoustic piano, Arturo Sandoval bassist Dennis Marks, drummer Clyde Connor, & 2 tunes with guest virtuoso guitarist Barry Greene. Lisa, JB, and former leader of the “Airmen of Note,” trombonist Dave Steinmeyer, are featured throughout the 2-CD project. Seasoned, internationally traveled artists performing “live” a most enjoyable collection of 21 tunes: well-loved standards to modern favorites & 4 original compositions. ‘In-the-pocket’ Swing, sensitive ballads, Latin Jazz, shuffles, bop & pop - a little something for everyone! ~ jazznetworkworldwide

CHROMEO - WHITE WOMEN

Ten years ago, Chromeo first appeared and was lovingly taken in by many as a mere guilty pleasure -- an '80s pastiche band with an undeniably catchy worldwide hit, "Needy Girl". In 2007, Chromeo released Fancy Footwork and was widely championed by new tastemaker music blogs and a rising electronic music scene. Business Casual came in 2010, firmly establishing Dave 1 and P-Thugg as a marquee band with massive touring, TV appearances and prime festival slots. These Montreal boys did, in fact, mean business.

In late 2013, Chromeo started hinting at a fourth studio album, White Women, with their cinematic trailer for "Over Your Shoulder", a soulful paean to feminine insecurities -- funny, heartfelt and beautiful all at once. Then came the six minute space funk jam, "Sexy Socialite": a return to early 2000s NYC punk funk featuring LCD Soundsystem's Pat Mahoney on drums, rife with more snarky one-liners ("you're a sexy socialite I wish you were a socialist instead of worrying about your name on the list"). Chromeo performed it on Fallon and surprised the world with a resurrected Death From Above 1979 as their backing band.

In early 2014, Chromeo went into high gear, launching the poppy "Come Alive" featuring Toro y Moi, followed by their current hit single, "Jealous (I Ain't With It)", the duo's biggest song to date and their first to get radio play at both Pop and Alternative. "Jealous" takes all the classic Chromeo tropes -- funky synths, irresistibly groovy beats and funny lyrics about a castrated, powerless male -- and turbocharges them. Huffington Post went on to crown "Jealous" the summer song of 2014 and Billboard called Chromeo's live show one of the top 10 performances at Coachella.

Equally high brow and low brow in everything they do, the Chromeo boys lace White Women with deeper funk, lush arrangements and incredible musicality. There are moments of Love Boat disco in "Play The Fool", neo-electro in "Frequent Flyer", '80s blue collar nostalgia in "Old 45s", cinematic orchestration in "Fall Back 2U" and smooth R&B in "Lost on the Way Home", an album highlight where Dave 1 and Solange playfully duet. Part Guy Bourdin, part ZZ Top; a dash of Chic with a tongue firmly placed in cheek: such is the mix of sacred and profane that truly defines Chromeo.

There's dance floor abandon and highly skilled musicianship; there are arched eyebrows and perhaps a tear or two being shed. White Women crystalizes all of this into Chromeo's best work yet! White Women is out today via Big Beat / Atlantic.

NEW RELEASES: GRANT GREEN - IDLE MOMENTS; MID CENTUR MINX; LITTLE DRAGON - NAHUMA RUBBERBAND

GRANT GREEN - IDLE MOMENTS

A warmly melodic session from Blue Note's greatest guitarist! The sound of the set's as evocative as the title – an idle moment of space between the notes, explored by Green's tight single-note work on guitar – and wonderfully supported by a lineup that includes Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, and Duke Pearson. Hutcherson and Pearson are always a treat together – bringing out the best exotic side of each other, and crafting a set of spiritually soulful grooves that are really great! The album's got 4 long tracks – exploratory and open, in the best manner of Green's mid 60s work – and titles include "Nomad", "Idle Moments", and "Jean De Fleur". (Amazing limited edition reissue pressing – with heavy vinyl and gatefold cover!) ~ Dusty Groove

MID CENTUR MINX: FEMALE VOCAL SEDUCTION FROM THE FIFTIES & SIXTIES

One of the coolest sets of female vocal jazz we've ever heard – a package that goes way past the overdone torch song cliches or the bluer-toned weepies – and reminds us that at the heart of the matter, all the best singers from the time still had an undeniably sexy appeal! The collection features a few bigger names, but most are relatively lesser-known – the kind of singers who were more than happy to stick to the underground and just get the odd recording date here and there – because it meant that they never had to go pop or try to sacrifice their craft in the hopes of a hit record. Titles include "Off Shore" by Ethel Ennis, "For Heaven's Sake" by Anne Phillips, "Beyond The Next Hill" by Beverly Kenny, "Blue City" by Shirley Horn, "A Stranger In Town" by Lurlean Hunter, "Shangri-La" by Dolores Gray, "Baltimore Oriole" by Barbara Lea, "Can't We Be Friends" by Toni Harper, "Along With Me" by Jane Fielding, and "Travlin Light" by Marcy Lutes. ~ Dusty Groove

LITTLE DRAGON - NAHUMA RUBBERBAND

Dreamy, soul-steeped avant pop sounds from Sweden's Little Dragon! The group has been delivering with atmospheric production, high quality songs, and timeless, genuine soul for long enough that we could consider them veterans by this point – and we're glad they continue to do their thing with fresh, distinctive style. Singer Yukimi Nagano is a big part of the appeal, and she really flourishes on this one – infusing the synth pop styled tracks and the more subtle mood pieces with an indispensable soulful integrity. Includes "Klapp Klapp", "Mirror", "Pretty Girls", "Underbart", "Car Rider", "Paris", "Lurad", "Nabuma Rubberband", "Only One", "Killing Me", "Pink Cloud" and "Let Go". ~ Dusty Groove

 

NEW RELEASES - SAM SMITH - IN THE LONELY HOUR; QUANTIC - MAGNETICA; ZIGGY MARLEY - FLY RASTA

SAM SMITH - IN THE LONELY HOUR

Between smashing it on guest vocal performances, Sam was crafting his own unique songs. 'I said to myself, I don't want to have a genre. I wanted to take a risk.' In the course of putting it together, Sam has worked with so many blue chip collaborative names: Fraser T Smith, Two Inch Punch, Eg White. But he has retained his sense of self. After his sublime debut EP entitled Nirvana , his first full release will be the albums big pop moment, 'Do It For The Love', a song that sounds like an instant, out of the box smash. But there is melancholia within. Centering on the subject on an unrequited love, it is duty bound to make the listener a little teary as it uplifts. I think so. I've been talking about album titles and people are saying oh but it s too sad but that s what it s about. I was sad and I wrote about being sad. Hopefully I ll be happier soon and I'll write about that. His musical purity is starting to ring the right bells. Adele has tweeted her support. After one single show in New York he has become something of a cause celebre for global soulman, Maxwell. 'He's a great friend to have. He ties to Jessie Ware, Naughty Boy and that whole scene of London underground talent that is taking their new soul to the mainstream.' Sam Smith might yet be at the vanguard of a wave of British talent schooled through the verbal brilliance of Jill Scott, India Arie and Angie Stone in the States a decade ago. Why does he believe stardom beckons? 'When it came to writing and delivering I'd worked out that it was all about truth. When you listen to my album, the songs I love and my label love, it s all the personal things. That are relatable to other people.' ~ Amazon.com

QUANTIC - MAGNETICA

‘Magnetica’ sees Quantic revisiting his electronic roots, blending cutting-edge and distinctive production with elements of folk, reggae, soul, highlife, cumbia and more. Other featured guests on the album include Alice Russell, Shinehead, Nidia Gongora, Dereb The Ambassador, Thalma De Freitas and Anibal Velásquez; illuminating the sounds, styles and languages of Ethiopia, Jamaica, Brazil, the UK and beyond. ‘Magnetica’ is the first studio album from Quantic under his main solo moniker since ‘An Announcement To Answer’ in 2006 so the anticipation is running high. He has, of course, been far from quiet in that time, with releases from many significant side-projects including The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, Flowering Inferno, Quantic & Alice Russell, and Ondatrópica, and a host of thrilling live bands to match.  The ‘Magnetica’ album is a truly exciting listen, taking in all the influences that trailblazing troubadour Will “Quantic” Holland has soaked up from his travels – including the last seven years spent living in Colombia – and collaborations with musicians from Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and beyond; blended with the innate talent for trend-setting electronic club music that has always made him one to watch. The array of guests to appear on the ‘Magnetica’ album also includes Alice Russell, Shinehead, Nidia Góngora, Dereb The Ambassador, Thalma De Freitas and Anibal Velásquez. ~ www.tru-thoughts.co.uk / grooveattack.com.

ZIGGY MARLEY - FLY RASTA 

The 5th solo studio album from 5 time Grammy winning artist Ziggy Marley, Life on Mars explores crisis on a deteriorating earth and the ultimate migration of the human race. This conceptual album is a cry for humans to come together and make our planet a better place before there is no point of return. Many goodwill partnerships will be created out of this project, all in an effort for people to connect with one another in a positive way and give back to their fellow humans. Marley serves as the album s producer, Dave Cooley (J Dilla, Silversun Pickups) was tapped for the additional production on song structure and the album s audio profile. The record features a collection of talented musicians, including Sly and Robbie, James Gadson (Bill Withers, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney), Lyle Workman (Sting, Beck), Brian MacLeod (Sheryl Crow), Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty) and Zac Rae (Lana Del Ray, Brett Dennenwith guest vocal appearances from the Melody Makers (Cedella and Sharon Marley, Erica Newall). The album is mixed by Andrew Schepes (Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake) and mastered by Dave Cooley (M83, Neon Trees). Life on Mars marks some of Marley s most forward thinking and accessible songs in the past decade. ~ Amazon.com

NEW RELEASES: ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE - BLACK IS BACK; YUSEF LATEEF - VOICE PRINTS; RED GARLAND TRIO - MOODSVILLE 6

ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE - BLACK IS BACK: 40TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT

The 40th Anniversary of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble – but celebrated by a wonderfully fresh version of the group! The lineup here features the solid, soulful percussion of Kahil El Zabar – who also wrote and arranged all the music too – plus the great Ernest Dawkins on reeds and the bold Corey Wilkes on trumpet! The mixture of trumpet and saxophone is sublime – stretching out over Kahil's spacious percussion at a level that unlocks a spiritual sound that the AACM never even expressed this strongly back in the 70s – a nicely open vibe that stretches out, but still hangs inside at most moments too – a bit like some of El Zabar's famous collaborations with David Murray, but with the addition of trumpet in the mix. Titles include "The Awakening Of 2012", "Creole Peppa Stew", "Walk The Talk", "Can You Find A Place", "Black Is Back", and "Be Bop". ~ Dusty Groove

YUSEF LATEEF / ROSCOE MITCHELL / DOUGLAS EWART / ADAM RUDOLPH / VOICE PRINTS

Some of the most spiritual work we've heard from Yusef Lateef in years – a set cut with AACM legends Roscoe Mitchell and Douglas Ewart, and done with a sound that takes us back to the legendary sounds of both players in the 70s! Adam Rudolph also joins the quartet, bringing in some great percussion – and the album's a really collaborative affair, with all the musicians shifting through a wide range of instrumentation in their own spheres of expertise – at a level that recalls the work of the Art Ensemble of Chicago at their best. Lateef plays tenor, flutes, oboe, and even vocalizes a bit – as does Ewart, who along with Roscoe Mitchell plays a range of reeds and percussion instruments. Titles include "Voice Prints", "Sound Search", "Harpers Ferry", and "Morning Moves".~ Dusty Groove

RED GARLAND TRIO - MOODSVILLE 6

Red Garland's sound was already often mellow and laidback in the late 50s, but it takes on a whole new sense of that style here in a rare session for Prestige's Moodsville label! As with others on the imprint, the focus here is on the gentler sounds of the late nite scene – more ballads and easygoing numbers, but still played with a strong degree of jazz – and not the kind of cocktail modes that other labels would use when putting "moods" on the front of a record! Red's trio here is the familiar one from other Prestige albums – Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the only change, really, is that the tracks are all mellower ones, but still done with plenty of bluesy inflections on the keys from Red! Titles include "I Love You Yes I Do", "And The Angels Sing", "Blues For Ann", "I'll Never Stop Loving You", and "Bass-ment Blues". ~ Dusty Groove 

NEW RELEASES: GAROTAS SUECAS - FERAS MITICAS; DAVE SPECTER - MESSAGE IN BLUE; BARRY GUY NEW ORCHESTRA - AMPHI: RADIO RONDO

GAROTAS SUECAS - FERAS MITICAS

A contemporary group from Brazil, but one who've got a quirky ear for song styles that takes us back to some of our favorite artists of the 70s! Garotas Suecas work in a style that's a bit post-Tropicalia – almost like some of Tom Ze's music of those years, but maybe not as all-out wild – fused perhaps with a sense of the songwriting strengths of Caetano Veloso in his later years. Yet the work also has a contemporary vibe that's definitely the group's own, too – a sense of spirit that really marks these guys as a group to watch, already even more exciting on this second album than their first. Titles include "New Country", "Bucolismo", "Manchetes Da Solidao", "A Nuvem", "Bicho", and "Charles Chacal". ~ Dusty Groove

DAVE SPECTER - MESSAGE IN BLUE

Dave Specter is a blues guitarist with a long legacy on the Chicago scene – but on this album he also gets some help from windy city soul legend Otis Clay! Otis only sings on three of the album's thirteen tracks – but the setting with Specter really helps Clay find one of his strongest showcases in years – a tight, punched-up groove that brings us back to some of his overlooked work from the 80s – great sounds in a mix of deep soul and blues. Other tracks feature a mostly instrumental mode – save for a few vocals from Brother John Kattke, who also plays organ and Fender Rhodes on the record – and titles include "I Found A Love", "Chicago Style", "New West Side Stroll", "Got To Find A Way", "This Time I'm Gone For Good", "Opus De Swamp", and "The Spectifyin Samba".  © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc.

BARRY GUY NEW ORCHESTRA - AMPHI: RADIO RONDO

ATwo great large group works from bassist Barry Guy – both with the sort of individual qualities we love in his music with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra! The players here are from a wider range of European sources, and all work together as a whole, but get plenty of space for personal expression – tones and voices that are initially most strong from the bass of Guy and violin of Maya Homburger – but which evolve to include Evan Parker and Mats Gustafsson on saxes, Hans Koch on bass clarinet, Johannes Bauer on trombone, and Paul Lytton and Raymond Strid on percussion. "Amphi" is a long work that begins with a more careful sense of presence – but "Radio Rondo" rolls in with much greater group force, and continues boldly for nearly 30 minutes. ~ Dusty Groove

JOHN CHIN - UNDERCOVER

Pianist/composer John Chin's sophomore album, Undercover, boasts a unique approach to music that his working band, with Orlando le Fleming (bass) and Dan Rieser (drums), has cultivated over many years of gigs. Recorded live in one room in Brooklyn, with no preconceived arrangements and no edits, Undercover features original compositions from Chin, plus rhythmic, elastic, and ultimately singular takes on music from Ellington ("Caravan"), Shorter ("Edda" & "Fall"), Chaplin ("Smile") and Coltrane ("Countdown"). Chin explains, "All of the tunes began with some kernel that one of us came up with and we would just run with it. It really is a snapshot of the continuing evolution of the arrangements of songs that we had been playing over several years, and it struck me as being important to document what the trio had been working on. Undercover is all about instinct, the moment, just like our live performances. Every tune, even the original compositions are treated as frameworks for improvisation.

Pianistically, Chin has been working on polyphonic improvisation of late, broadening his technique in order to improvise several lines at the same time. Chin explains, "when I was a teenager, I got to hang out with the late, great Dorothy Donegan and she would show me what she was doing in spectacular fashion. I've also read about Keith Jarrett talking about this approach, and have heard Brad Mehldau execute it as well. You hear it all over the place in jazz and classical music actually. Art Tatum and Erroll Garner would pull it off all the time with a counter line in the middle of all this other activity and it would always floor me! In Bach, it's built in. And, some of my favorite moments in music have been found in the works of Rachmaninoff and Ravel. I'd been checking out all this stuff trying to soak it in and wanted to integrate it into my own playing. My approach to it is something relatively new and is something that I explore on Undercover."

John Chin, born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Los Angeles, was introduced to the piano at age four. He began studying jazz at California State University, which he attended at the age of fourteen as part of the Early Entrance Program for Gifted Students. Upon receiving his B.A. in Music at nineteen, Chin continued his musical studies at the University of North Texas, before pursuing a Masters of Music degree from Rutgers University (under the tutelage of master pianist and composer Kenny Barron), and an Artist Diploma from the world-renowned Juilliard School. His extensive experience in the classroom would lay the foundation for his own pedagogy; his experience and reputation have led to teaching opportunities the world over, while helping to sustain a New York studio of his own, located in Brooklyn's history-rich Prospect Park. John has performed internationally as a leader and sideman, at many major festivals, as well as some of America's most important and storied jazz rooms. He has shared the stage with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jaimeo Brown, Alan Ferber, Mark Turner, Marcus & E.J. Strickland, Dayna Stephens, Irvin Mayfield, Terrell Stafford, Donny McCaslin, Joel Frahm, John Ellis, Chris Cheek, Gregory Hutchinson, and Rudy Royston, among many others. Chin is a prolific composer, drawing inspiration from the jazz, pop, and western classical traditions, with two releases as a leader to-date: 2008's Blackout Conception, and his most recent project, 2014's Undercover.

www.Johnchin.com

NEW RELEASES: ART BLAKELY AND THE MESSENGERS - BUHAINA; LEON WARE - LEON WARE (1982); GIANNI GAGLIARDI - NOMADIC NATURE

ART BLAKELY AND THE MESSENGERS - BUHAINA 

An amazing album that has Art Blakey completely reinventing himself for the 70s! Blakey shifts from straight hardbop to kind of a modal soul jazz groove, touched with some of the electric playing of the younger jazz generation, but not enough to qualify as fusion or funk. Instead, he's working with some great younger players – like Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, and Michael Howell – hitting a groove that reminds us of some of the best underground soul jazz on labels like Muse or Strata East. Includes the amazing long groovers "Mission Eternal" and "Chant For Bu", a famous Tribe Called Quest sample – plus new electric piano versions of "Moanin" and "Along Came Betty", both of which feature vocals by Jon Hendricks. ~ Dusty Groove

LEON WARE - LEON WARE (1982)

Seminal modern soul from the great Leon Ware – an artist who had a great influence on the sound of mellow Motown in the 70s, but who's sounding even better here in an early 80s California groove! Leon's smooth, sophisticated, and very much his own man on the set – unabashedly upfront with his feeling and emotions, but never in the schmaltzy style of some of his chart-topping contemporaries. Many titles have a nice little bounce and a really compelling groove – and midtempo jazzy arrangements abound, touched by lots of Fender Rhodes from co-producer Marty Paich! Titles include the classic "Why I Came To California", plus "Can I Touch You There", "Where Are They Now", "Deeper Than Love", "Shelter", "Slippin Away", and "Lost In Love With You". ~ Dusty Groove

GIANNI GAGLIARDI - NOMADIC NATURE

Nomadic Nature, the debut CD from tenor saxophonist/composer Gianni Gagliardi, is comprised of original music charged with autobiographical stories of places and people that have impacted Gagliardi greatly. It is through his compositions that he reflects on the experience of being an artist with no fixed residence; a sojourner who roams the world with his horn in search of the next experience or encounter that will inform his art. Nomadic Nature features Gilad Hekselman (guitar), Luke Marantz (piano), Alexis Cuadrado (bass) and Mark Ferber (drums). Gagliardi was born in Barcelona in 1987, and is now based in Brooklyn, NY. He began to study violin and baroque/renaissance flute, switching to saxophone at 14. Gagliardi is the Director of the Barcelona Jazz Collective, a platform for rising musicians to produce and release albums, and has been invited to perform at prestigious international jazz festivals around the globe, such as The North Sea Jazz Festival, the Luxembourg Jazz Festival, Guatemala and Nicaragua Jazz Festivals and Eurojazz Festival (Mexico), as well as leading jazz venues, such as Bimhuis, Porgy & Bess Vienna, Jamboree. Gagliardi has also played in Europe, South America and USA with musicians such as John Clayton, Eric Alexander, Dick Oatts, Phillip Harper, Terell Stafford, Jorge Rossy and many others. Now, Gagliardi is determinedly making his mark on the Brooklyn/NYC scene with the release of his debut CD, Nomadic Nature. ~ www.Giannigagliardi.com

NEW RELEASES: ROB GARCIA - THE PASSION OF COLOR; KENTO MASUDA – LOVED ONE; JASON AJEMIAN - FOLKLORDS

ROB GARCIA - THE PASSION OF COLOR

Garcia has released four critically acclaimed albums as a bandleader, including Perennial (BJUR 012), voted one of the "10 Best Jazz Albums of 2009" by The New York Observer, and the critically acclaimed The Drop And The Ocean (BJUR 028). His group has performed at venues such as The Ottawa Jazz Festival, Iridium, Kitano, Smalls, The Rex, Cornelia Street Cafe and Firehouse 12. Garcia has also been the recipient of grants from Meet The Composer, DCA and NYSCA to support his performances. Now, on his brilliant fifth album, The Passion of Color, Garcia offers listeners yet another gem from his working group, The Rob Garcia 4 (formed in 2009), featuring Noah Preminger (tenor saxophone), Dan Tepfer (piano) and Joe Martin (bass). The Passion Of Color features music inspired by impressionist paintings & music (such as Van Gogh and Debussy), and the passion that is evoked from the vast variety of colors and flavors of life found in works such as Lines In Impressions, Purple Brush and the title track. The Garden's Poet was born out of a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago where, "I saw and fell in love with the Van Gogh painting 'The Poet's Garden', explained Garcia. The Painter is a drum solo piece dedicated to Max Roach. Garcia elaborates, "Max has always been a strong influence and a huge inspiration, and I once heard Dizzy Gillespie refer to Max as 'The Painter'". Also on the album is Roach's composition, It's Time. The album concludes with the band's take on the Jimi Hendrix's classic, Little Wing. The music on The Passion of Color is characterized by rhythms that create the illusion of a fluctuating tempo or no tempo, while tightly orchestrated musical events happen in tandem. Strong melodies supported by pastoral harmonies and flowing rhythm lead the listener through the music. ~ www.Robgarcia.com  

KENTO MASUDA – LOVED ONE

The long-awaited seventh CD of internationally acclaimed artist Kento Masuda, “Loved One”, was released on April 16, 2014. Produced by Kento Masuda and Gary Vandy, “Loved One” traces Kento’s musical journey while introducing a compelling spectrum of genres. Through the compositions featured in his new CD, Kento continues to define his individual and unique genre of music. These songs illuminate Kento’s versatility and his transition from solo piano compositions (featured on his last CD “All in the Silence”), towards a diverse sound which includes mixed musical styles and unique orchestrations. “Loved One” was recorded at Gary Vandy’s Studio Center in Miami, which has produced recordings that have won 8 Grammy awards along with multiple platinum albums. Gary Vandy’s expertise has been reflected in his successful career of working with top label artists and producers. After working on the production of Kento’s “Loved One,” Gary Vandy stated, “Kento Masuda is one of this world’s artistic treasures. His music is at once sonically spiritual and visually expressive. You can literally see his music. The blend of smooth melodies and rhythmic grooves transports the listener to an environment that allows them to participate in his sculpture of sound.” Stellar musicians Paul Messina (Flashpoint) and Kevin Marcus Sylvester (Black Violin) add their own brilliant renderings on selected songs. ~ kentomasuda.com 

JASON AJEMIAN - FOLKLORDS

One of the trippiest albums we've heard from Delmark in recent years – a really creative session from bassist Jason Ajemian, and one that links the label's avant jazz work to some of the deeper sides of Chicago's indie scene! Ajemian is free to work without any sense of genre or convention – in a mode that still hits plenty of jazz, with key use of work by Monk, Mingus, and Sun Ra – but which really abstracts things and takes them to a whole new level – opening up cosmic territory that lives up to the album's stated request to "Please Feel Yourselves". Ajemian plays bass and some electronics, in a quartet that also features Owen Stewart Robertson on guitar and electronics, Kid Bliss on alto sax and vibrolux, and Jason Nazary on drums – the last of which are played in a very slow, spacious style. All tracks are long – and titles include "Ask Mr Blunt Now" – which features extrapolations of "Satellites Are Spinning" and "Ask Me Now" – and "Orange Is The Color Of The Sun Then Blue Sky" – which is built upon some key Charles Mingus tunes. Other titles are originals, and include "Punk The Blues", "Material Girls", and "Freedom Is A Trail Of Tears". ~ Dusty Groove

FREDDIE HUBBARD - KEEP YOUR SOUL TOGETHER / POLAR AC / SKAGLY

A trio of 70s Freddie Hubbard – all packaged together in one sweet set! First up is Keep Your Soul Together – Freddie Hubbard at the peak of his 70s powers – and one of his finest albums of the decade! The record follows strongly in the tone that Freddie set at CTI on his mighty Red Clay set – long, drawn out tracks – done with lots of electricity in the rhythms, and a very cosmic approach to the solos! The groove is funky, yet easy – featuring playing that's very open and very soulful, by a group that includes Freddie, Ron Carter, George Benson, and Hubert Laws. Titles include "Keep Your Soul Together", "Spirits Of Trane", "Destiny's Children", and "Brigitte".

Polar AC is warm and wonderful work from Freddie Hubbard – a killer of a record recorded for CTI, and one of his most soulful efforts for the label! The album's got a bit more of a human heart than some of the more cosmic sessions Freddie cut at the time – a bit more contemplative and introspective, but no less open-minded and electrically charged. The assortment of players is all top-shelf – with Billy Cobham, Airto, Lennie White, George Cables, Hubert Laws, and George Benson all backing Freddie up on the set – and titles include a great take on "People Make the World Go Round", plus "Naturally", and "Son of Sky Dive", which grooves just like its papa!

Skagly has a title that reads like a typo, but the album's a great set of smooth fusion from Freddie Hubbard – self-produced, and almost a summation of all the styles he'd mastered in the 70s! The session's never too over the top or too ambitious – just features Freddie working with a hip group in a laidback setting – blowing lean and mellow lines that almost take him back to his best CTI funk. The group features Billy Childs on keyboards, Hadley Caliman on tenor and flute, and some guest work by George Duke and Paulinho Da Costa – on titles that include "Skagly", "Rustic Celebration", "Happiness Is Now", and "Cascais". ~ Dusty Groove

2014 BLUE NOTE JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL PERFORMERS, FINALIZES LINEUP

Blue Note Entertainment Group is proud to announce lineup additions for the 2014 Blue Note Jazz Festival, scheduled to take place Sunday, June 1 through Monday, June 30, with over 150 performances at more than 15 venues throughout New York City. Lineup additions include an outdoor Ornette Coleman Celebration with various special guests, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Buika, Marques Toliver, Chrisette Michele, Lou Donaldson with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Fabrizio Sotti & Friends, Salt-N-Pepa, Maxi Priest, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Willie Nile, and George Porter Jr., among others. 

Reinforcing the festival's underlying theme of distinctive collaborations (with pairings such as Bobby McFerrin & Questlove, André Previn & Christian McBride, and Ramsey Lewis with Philip Bailey, among others), Blue Note Jazz Festival will present "Celebrate Ornette: The Music of Ornette Coleman Featuring Denardo Coleman Vibe" in partnership with Celebrate Brooklyn! on June 12 - a free outdoor concert at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Ornette Coleman's son Denardo Coleman, an outstanding drummer who debuted on record with his father at the age of 10, convenes a deep and surprising lineup of special guests for a long-overdue exploration and celebration of Ornette's music and spirit, with his own band (Al Macdowell, bass; Tony Falanga, bass; Charles Ellerbe, guitar; Antoine Roney, sax) at the core. Special guests include Afrika Bambaataa, Bill Laswell, Bruce Hornsby, Flea, Geri Allen, Henry Threadgill, James Blood Ulmer, Joe Lovano, and Patti Smith. Additional guests will be announced in the weeks leading up to the performance.

Adding to this year's outdoor component, Blue Note Jazz Festival will continue its longstanding relationship with City Parks Foundation's SummerStage program, presenting two double bills in Central Park. These free performances will spotlight four of the most exciting and progressive crossover talents on the scene today: Spanish vocalist Buika and acclaimed vocalist/violinist Marques Toliver on June 22, as well as pianist Jon Batiste and Stay Human and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble on June 29. This marks Buika's second consecutive year headlining Blue Note Jazz Festival (following her sold out performances at The Town Hall in June 2013 and April 2014 respectively, presented by Blue Note Entertainment Group).

Several prominent festival shows have been added to various Blue Note Entertainment Group venues. Recently confirmed collaborations include: jazz icons Lou Donaldson with Dr. Lonnie Smith (Blue Note Jazz Club, June 10-11); "Sly Reimagined" - a special project with Global Noize interpreting the music of Sly & The Family Stone, featuring Jason Miles, Nona Hendryx, Maya Azucena, Falu, and Cyro Baptista (Highline Ballroom, June 8); and guitarist Fabrizio Sotti & Friends, with Tony Grey, Mino Cinelu, Algebra Blessett, M1 of Dead Prez, and Claudia Acuña, among others (Highline Ballroom, June 4). Rounding out several R&B centric shows at the festival, such as Lalah Hathaway, Ruben Studdard and Oleta Adams, vocalist Chrisette Michel will perform at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on June 27 (produced by Jill Newman Productions). Reggae icon Maxi Priest has been added to B.B. King Blues Club on June 11 (complementing other festival reggae artists such as Sly & Robbie, Monty Alexander, and Tarrus Riley). Additional shows include: Salt-N-Pepa (Highline Ballroom, June 6), Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band (B.B. King Blues Club, June 21), and Willie Nile (Highline Ballroom, June 18).

Other new partner events include two additional film screenings at IFC Center, featuring a director's cut of Nelson George's Finding the Funk  documentary on June 12 and The Pleasures of Being Out of Step, a documentary profile of legendary jazz writer and civil libertarian Nat Hentoff, June 25 through July 1; four performances at DROM, featuring AbrazOs OrchestrA (June 5), Florencia Gonzalez (June 11), Quantic (June 13), and Pacheco + Annie Chen (June 15); Rockwood Music Hall performances featuring Mark Guiliana's Beat Music on June 5 and a residency by Glen David Andrews spanning June 11, 18, and 25; George Porter, Jr. & The Runnin' Pardners at Brooklyn Bowl on June 20; and a performance by Sadao Watanabe at Asia Society on June 25.

Please visit www.BlueNoteJazzFestival.com for the most current public lineup and schedule (including various late night and brunch shows that have been added to Blue Note Jazz Club, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill and Lucille's Bar & Grill at B.B. King Blues Club schedules).

GEORGE BENSON: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY COMING SOON; US AND EUROPEAN SUMMER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

This summer will see the release of Benson: The Autobiography. Benson: The Autobiography follows Lil' Georgie Benson from his remarkable rise from the ghettos of Pittsburgh to the stages of Dubai, and everywhere in between. George’s tales of scuffling on the road with jazz legend Brother Jack McDuff, navigating his way through the recording studio with Miles Davis, and emerging as the first true (and truly successful) jazz/soul crossover artist will enthrall devotees of both music history and pop culture. This long-awaited book allows readers to meet one of the most beloved, prolific, and bestselling musicians of any era.

George Benson has announced a series of dates for his summer tour as follows:

5/9 Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center

5/10 Sewell, NJ - TD Bank Center for the Arts

6/14 Temecula, CA - Thornton Winery

6/15 Hollywood, CA - Playboy Jazz Festival

6/18 London, UK - Ronnie Scott's SOLD OUT

6/19 Glasgow, UK - Glasgow Royal Hall

6/20 Manchester, UK - Manchester Bridgewater Hall

6/22 Birmingham, UK - Birmingham Symphony Hall

6/23 London, UK - Hampton Court Palace Festival

6/25 London, UK - Royal Albert Hall SOLD OUT

6/26 Bournemouth, UK - Bournemouth Int'l Centre

6/28 Paris, FR - L' Olympia

6/29 Paris, FR - Theatre du Casino Barriere

7/3 Mantauban, FR - Jardin des Plantes

7/4 Barcelona, ES - Palau Real Pedrables

7/11 Milan, IT - Villa Arconati Festival

7/12 Juan Les Pins, FR - Jazz a Juan

7/19 Winter Park, CO - Winter Park Jazz Festival

7/26 Lincoln, CA - Thunder Valley Casino Resort

8/30 High Point, NC - John Coltrane Int'l Jazz & Blues Festival

8/31 Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap Filene Center

9/18 Pomona, CA - Los Angeles County Fair

10/23 New York, NY - B.B. Kings Blues Club & Grill *2 shows!

10/24 New Brusnwick, NJ - State Theatre

10/26 Portsmouth, NH - Music Hall

11/9 Carmel, IN - The Palldium * Inspiration, A Tribute To Nat King Cole