GENE RAINS - FAR AWAY LANDS: THE EXOTIC MUSIC OF GENE RAINS

Among devotees of exotica music and tiki culture, vibraphonist Gene Rains is one of the Big Three of exotica – Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman being the other two. (Though Les Baxter had some notable releases in the genre, exotica was not his primary focus, so he isn’t generally considered in the same league as the Big Three). Yet, while Denny and Lyman have seen their entire album catalogs come out on CD, and many collections compiled of their work, to date Gene Rains has remained a true cult figure, with NONE of his albums released on compact disc. Part of the reason for that is because the man himself is a bit of a mystery. Little is known of Rains beyond the fact that popular Hawaiian crooner Alfred Apaka discovered him and recruited the vibraphonist and his group to play at the Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki. Nevertheless, in the early ’60s, Rains recorded three albums for Decca—Lotus Land, Far Across the Sea and Rains in the Tropics (a fourth, The Call of the Tropics, released on the Vocalion label, was a compilation of tracks from the three Decca albums)—that are considered models of the exotica genre and cost a pretty penny if you can find them. Now, with its release of Far Away Lands—The Exotic Music of Gene Rains on CD, Real Gone Music is restoring Rains to his rightful place in the exotica pantheon. The compilation—sporting a picture of MeduSirena the Fire-Eating Mermaid on the front cover—features key tracks (plus the original cover art) from all three of Rains’ Decca albums, with liner notes by the CD’s compiler, Randy Poe, and with art and sound assistance from exotica expert Mark Riddle (a/k/a DigiTiki), the man behind the popular podcast, “The Quiet Village.” A lot of folks have been waiting a long time for this music to come out on CD, so light a tiki torch, don a Hawaiian shirt, and prepare to be transported by the sound of Rains.

1. Hana Maui/Harbor Lights/Ringo Oiwake/Lotus Land/Africa

2 . Jungle Drums

3. Far Across the Sea

4. Love Theme from the World of Suzie Wong

5. Strange Cargo

6. Sayonara

7. Caravan

8. Bangkok Cockfight

9. Tiki

10. Song of Delilah

11. Mapuana

12. Soshu Night Serenade

13. Lonely Winter

14. Flamingo

15. Jasmine and Jade

Tracks 1-2 from Lotus Land

Tracks 3-7 from Far Across the Sea

Tracks 8-15 from Rains in the Tropics

THE STORY OF LENIS GUESS - NEW 25-TRACK COMPILATION

One of the most celebrated musicians who contributed to "The Norfolk Sound" was multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and label owner Lenis Guess. Born on February 27th, 1940, Lenis was entertaining his family at an early age. By the time he was seventeen he joined a vocal group called the Blue Beards and started entering talent shows. Inspired by his talent show success, he decided to pursue a recording career.

In 1966 he signed a contract to record his first release with Frank Guida. The single, "Working For My Baby" b/w "Just Ask Me" (SPQR 1002) would become the record that really launched the long career of Lenis. He would oversee Guida's operation for the following three years and continued releasing 45s on Guida's many labels. In 1969 he founded D.P.G. Records along with Kenneth Deal, a recording artist and George Perkins, a club owner. Tragically, Kenneth Deal was killed in a car accident shortly after releasing "What Have You Heard" b/w "Clown Suit" (D.P.G. 1006) under his stage name Terry Sinclair. Guess and Perkins continued releasing 45s of local talent though, most notably Sir Guy & his Rocking Cavaliers.

In 1970, after Perkins and Guess parted over artistic differences, Lenis and gifted engineer Dorsey "Brock" Brockington opened up their own recording studio, Brockington & Guess, in Norfolk, Virginia. They had an in-house band called Raw Soul which consisted of Barry Saunders (guitar), Maurice Glass (bass) and Grover "Groove" Everett (drums). All three were still teenagers at the time the group was assembled. The three matured into a tight unit and started backing some of Virginia's finest vocalists including Barbara Stant, Lee Fields, Debbie Taylor, Shirley Johnson, and many more.

The partnership of Brock and Guess ended in 1978. Lenis ran the studio on his own through its final years and eventually signed for a few releases with two major record companies, Polydor Records and Brunswick Records. Feeling he had done about all he could do in Virginia, Lenis then moved to New York to continue his professional career there. Having learned from Frank Guida and Dorsey Brockington, Lenis was ready to start his own studio in New York City, which he still operates today.

Includes: 

- 8-page CD-booklet and deluxe double-gatefold LP with detailed liner notes, label scans and unseen photographs

- many of these songs appear on CD for the very first time.

LAS VEGAS JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

The Las Vegas Jazz Festival lineup includes Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Cameo, Keith Sweat, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Eric Benét, Anthony Hamilton, Ledisi, Will Downing, Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove and more will put the soul into the September 19-21, 2014 music festival.

Since the roots of jazz are in rhythm and blues, it should be no surprise that a stellar cast of Grammy-winning and chart-topping R&B and funk artists have been booked to perform at the Las Vegas Jazz Festival slated for September 19-21, 2014 outdoors on the spacious grounds of the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa. Tickets start at $65 for a single-day ticket and range up to $975 for a 3-day seat in the pit and are available now online at http://www.lvjazzfestival.com or by calling the event’s promoter and producer BTWconcerts.com at 602.244.8444.

Attracting festivalgoers from all over the country for a weekend of live music and lush living at the premier resort, the Las Vegas Jazz Festival opens with a classic R&B pairing of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and Cameo on Funky Friday establishing the tone for a weekend of old school revelry. Sax showman Eric Darius will be the first artist to storm the stage at this year’s event.

R&B crooners Keith Sweat, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Eric Benét top the Seductive Saturday marquee with each culling material from his own extensive hit-filled songbook. Soul-jazz saxophonist Euge Groove always delivers a power-packed performance swirling R&B, jazz and gospel. The music begins with the first ladies of urban-jazz Jazz in Pink featuring Gail Jhonson and Karen Briggs with special guest Jeanette Harris.

Soulful Sunday showcases sophisticated solo sets from vocalists Anthony Hamilton, Ledisi, Will Downing and Leela James. Contemporary jazz dynamo Brian Culbertson will serve up masterfully performed contemporary jazz instrumentals and funk grooves. Rising saxophone stars Elan Trotman and Jessy J shall share the stage with singer Selina Albright for a run through of their radio singles and fan favorites.

Located 15 minutes from the Vegas Strip, the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa mixes elegance and excitement along with luxurious amenities that include a rejuvenating spa, a pool with waterfalls and whirlpools, flourishing floral gardens, eleven restaurants  and a casino all set amidst a prestigious collection of golf courses. A large portion of the festival patrons come for the entire weekend in order to immerse themselves fully in the music and lifestyle. A limited number of resort and ticket packages are available by emailing packages@lvjazzfestival.com or by calling the box office at 602.244.8444.

 

THE WAH WAH VERSION LABEL COMPILATION

Wah Wah 45s celebrate the joy of the cover version! The label has always had a keen ear for a re-working of a classic piece of music, whether it be an unexpected brass take of a soft rock or hip hop cut from Hackney Colliery Band, or a sultry rendition of a soul nugget from Stac, with the only conditions being that the cover takes the original piece of music somewhere new, fresh and exciting.

The label's 15thanniversary seemed like a good time to not only re-visit a number of very canny covers from over the years, but also to throw in a couple of new and exclusive ones for good measure too and as a way of saying thank you for all your support over the last decade and a half. So, as well as well loved renditions of Bill Withers' The Same Love That Made Me Laugh from Ashley Thomas and Part-Time Heroes' gorgeous re-imagining of The Boss' Dancing In The Dark, you get a spine-tingling, pitch shifting, electronica flavoured take of Rose Royce's ballad Wishing On A Star from Stac x Blue Daisy and The Gene Dudley Group's fierce dance floor funk version of Richard "Groove" Holmes No Trouble On The Mountain (itself a Wah Wah 45s release back in the day!) featuring the rasping vocals of Anne Frankenstein.

Add to that Lea Lea's recent cover of Talking Heads' Psycho Killer, Scrimshire's updating of Tammi Terrell's version of All I Do, with Stac on vocal duties, as well as club classics from Henri-Pierre Noel, Bev Lee Harling, Alister Johnson, Richie Phoe and a couple of big hitters from Hackney Colliery Band and you've got one heavyweight haul of version excursions on your hands.

TUMI MOGOROSI PRESENTS CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUAL JAZZ FROM SOUTH AFRICA ON "PROJECT ELO"

When Tumi Mogorosi composed this suite for jazz musicians and opera vocalists he had never heard the previous successful attempts by Donald Byrd, Max Roach or Mary Lou Williams to combine these seemingly 'unfriendly'aesthetics. Tumi, born in 1987 and already an accomplished drummer on the Jo'Burg scene, was at the time studying music at the Tshwane University of Pretoria where he became close friends with opera singers working on the same campus. So unlike some of his US peers Tumi's beliefs are not 'religious'.

Surprisingly, Tumi's suite wasn't influenced by these great elders' masterpieces, but anyone who listens to this album will agree that the suite encaptures the soaring spirituality that made these experiments of the '60s the beloved classics that they are today. Tumi does not belong to any religious group. This album is neither a jazz mass like Mary Lou William's Black Christ of the Andes, nor a compilation of devotional pieces like Donald Byrd's Christo Redentor. Project Elo stands for Project Elohim, the angelic entities of the spiritual scriptures which are in the drummer's philosophy, a symbol for accomplished human beings. The spirituality the album conveys is attuned to a 21st century syncretic, non dogmatic vision infused with esotericism. Recorded live with no overdubs in two days by a group of friends, this album captures a moment of Eternity and will defy any idea you may have of what South African jazz is. Tumi's music transcends labels and styles. When composing or playing he is only concerned with being true to the primodial source of life, which cannot be confined to any genre.

CHARLES LLOYD - MANHATTAN STORIES

In the words of a classic TV show, there are eight million stories in the Naked City. Resonance Records uncovers a pair of long-untold tales from New York City's fabled jazz past on Manhattan Stories, due for release on September 9. These two performances capture the always-extraordinary saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd in 1965, leading a remarkable and previously unrecorded quartet featuring three jazz giants: guitarist Gábor Szabó, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Pete La Roca. 

The story told by these two concerts is one of an already-distinctive voice at the outset of a now-legendary career. In 1965, when these sets were recorded at the now-defunct venues Judson Hall and Slugs', Lloyd was fresh from his stint with drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton, where he'd first crossed paths with Szabó. Lloyd already had two albums to his name; both Carter and Szabó are heard on his second for Columbia, Of Course, Of Course, from which two titles on these new dates are culled. Within a year he would form his groundbreaking quartet with Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee, and Jack DeJohnette. 

Szabó himself was on the verge of cementing his name in the jazz canon, starting his acclaimed run of Impulse! releases the next year. Carter was midway through his stint with the second great Miles Davis quintet, while La Roca had already worked with a host of names from the music's pantheon, including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, and Joe Henderson.

"It was a specific time and place," Lloyd told Manhattan Stories annotator Don Heckman. "We all felt like the boundaries were being dissolved and we could do or try anything. This is a music of freedom and wonder -- we were young and on the move."

Together, the band embarks on a series of adventurous excursions through pieces like Lloyd's classic "Sweet Georgia Bright" and "Dream Weaver" as well as Szabó's "Lady Gabor," originally recorded by the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Nothing on either disc clocks in at under ten minutes, allowing every member to stretch out and fully explore this mesmerizing material. Manhattan Stories showcases, with more than 80 minutes of music, a truly expressive group interaction that remains otherwise undocumented.

"The first time I heard these recordings, I was blown away and knew immediately how special they were," says co-producer Zev Feldman. "This just might be the holy grail for longtime Charles Lloyd fans like myself who think they've heard it all. No way. Not yet! There have been archival recordings released over the years with the classic quartet featuring Jarrett and DeJohnette, but there's never been a release with this group before -- and not just a group, but a group with four legendary masters. The music and spirit are very exciting.

The Judson Hall recording comes from the archives of Resonance founder George Klabin, whose trove has previously yielded treasures from Bill Evans and Jimmy Giuffre. In fact, the first disc included here was recorded on a festival date shared with Giuffre that was released this year on the Elemental Music label. The occasion was Charlotte Moorman's Avant Garde Festival of New York, produced by saxophonist and jazz critic Don Heckman, who contributes an essay to Manhattan Stories.

Klabin, then a 19-year-old student at Columbia University, had recently been appointed head of the jazz department at university radio station WKCR-FM and sought to present original recordings as part of his show. He recorded the Judson Hall show with up-close microphone placement techniques and state-of-the-art engineering -- well ahead of 1965 standards. The Slugs' performances were recorded by Bjorn von Schlebrugge, who accompanied Lloyd to his Manhattan gigs.

Charles Lloyd at Slugs In 2009, Feldman brought Klabin's tapes to Lloyd's California home to play for the saxophonist, who raised the ante with his own recordings of the quartet. Those tapes, which comprise Disc 2, were made the same year at Slugs', which Feldman calls "one of the most important jazz shrines there ever was. I wanted to celebrate the memory of that club as well." The release thus received not only Lloyd's blessings, but his wife, Dorothy Darr, signed on as co-producer.

For Record Store Day last month, Resonance offered a limited-edition pressing on orange, marble-colored 10-inch, 140-gram vinyl of Live at Slugs', designed to be a collector's piece for fans and as a pre-release teaser of the full release to come. The 10-inch featured two cuts from Manhattan Stories.

Charles Lloyd Live at Slugs Manhattan Stories features the pristine sound quality, extensive liner notes, and meticulously designed artwork that have become Resonance Records' trademarks. In addition to Heckman's reminiscences, the set includes liner notes by Feldman, Willard Jenkins, Stanley Crouch, and renowned producer Michael Cuscuna (who shares executive producer credit with Klabin on this project). The music, which was mixed at Resonance's Los Angeles studios, will also be available as a 2-LP set pressed by audiophile-respected R.T.I. (Record Technology Inc.). It was mastered for CD and vinyl by Bernie Grundman.

"I was determined to build perhaps the most exciting package for Charles ever assembled for one of his releases," Feldman says. "I think we've accomplished that in a way that truly celebrates this master." Manhattan Stories showcases stellar music in an ideal setting -- much as those two NYC venues did on a pair of unjustly forgotten evenings nearly fifty years ago. 

NINA MIRANDA - FUTEBOL

‘Futebol’ tells the story of how the British brought football to Brazil, explaining how the Brazilians ran away with both the terminology and the ball. But while the lyrics clearly demonstrate Nina’s love for the sport, they also hint towards the somewhat malign aspects of football’s assimilation into Brazilian culture and the way it has obscured the world’s view towards the country’s pressing social issues. ‘Is it a beautiful game?.’… The song reflects both the excitement and desolation resulting from hosting a World cup in a nation that so desperately needs to divide its wealth more equally, and ultimately listen to the needs of its citizens.

Born in Brasilia to Brazilian visual artist Luiz Aquila and Nina’s English mother, Nina moved to London at the age of 8, which explains the fusion of both Brazilian and Western /Cosmopolitan influences on her music. Cultural roots and rhythms of Brazil are punctuated by a psychedelic, experimental edge; intrinsic to the London New Wave/ Post Punk era Nina grew up in.

With an extensive and prolific career that includes heavy involvement in trip-hop before there was a name for it, - to her bands Smoke City, Shrift and Zeep, Nina Miranda has worked extensively writing, recording and performing with a variety of artists including, Da Lata, Nitin Sawhney, Bebel Gilberto, Daniel Jobim, Antonio Chainho, Shrift, Spiller, Faze Action, Jah Wobble, Nação Zumbi, Arkestra 1, Hajime Yoshizawa Baaa Maal, and more recently Jazztronik, Seu Jorge, Gilles Peterson, P Bernstein and Basement Jaxx.

On this infectious 7” single, the A side ‘Futebol’ is catchy to say the least. The upbeat samba rhythms of the drums and traditional percussion, along with the perfectly fuzzy bass (all of which were recorded live in Brazil in a single take) create the funky Brazilian backdrop for Nina’s cheeky, beckoning vocal tone and the huge sounding brass section which blasts the song into a fully rocking carnival-esque party. But what sets this apart from other Brazilian or carnival inspired music is the record’s rawness. Akin to the levels of artistic freedom and experimentation of Brazil’s Tropicalia movement, there is a real experimental edge to Nina’s solo work which is heavily accentuated on the B side: ‘Beautiful Dub’. But her imagination and eccentricity are somehow able to fit perfectly into a very danceable, celebratory framework, which suggests comparisons with bands like the Talking Heads: it’s the kind of music that makes you freak out a little while dancing to it!

 

CYRILLE AIMÉE INFUSES NOVEL BLEND OF MUSICAL STYLES ON IT'S A GOOD DAY

It's A Good Day is the major label debut by the widely acclaimed young jazz singer Cyrille Aimée-yet another step forward for the rapidly rising vocalist. Winner of both the Montreux Jazz Festival's Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, Aimée explores a range of musical styles, eras, continents and moods on It's A Good Day (Mack Avenue) with a singular voice on inventive arrangements, produced by Fabrice DuPont (Shakira, Jennifer Lopez). 

Aimée's musical outlook is reflected in an emphasis on the guitar, an instrument with an indigenous form in nearly every culture of the world-and it was the sound of the gypsy guitar that inspired Aimée to become a musician. While growing up in Samois-sur-Seine, Aimée snuck out of her home to the nearby gypsy encampments and was mesmerized by the music of those who followed the spirit of Django Reinhardt, revered as one of the world's most influential guitarists. Aimée-who as a child also lived in Paris, Cameroon, Singapore and the Dominican Republic-later became fascinated with Brazilian guitar, and her music reveals a thorough understanding of bossa nova and samba idioms. She has now settled in Brooklyn, where she continues to absorb the inner workings of American jazz and the culture of the music's homeland. 

The musical accompaniment on It's A Good Day is as novel as Aimée herself: three guitars (Jazz, Gypsy and Brazilian) with bass and drums. This captivating multi-guitar sound is provided by her close collaborator, Michael Valeanu, a player of French and Italian extraction on a contemporary jazz-style electric guitar; her countryman Adrien Moignard on the steel-string guitar gypsies favor due to its piercing, staccato sound; and the Brazilian guitarist Guilherme Mont eiro, who relies on a nylon-stringed instrument which provides the bossa nova its soft and undulating sensuous sound.

Thoughtful arrangements of the thirteen songs-both standards and originals-ensure a sumptuous musical blend. "We worked hard to create a road map for each guitar to make the sound beautiful and exciting-without creating a musical traffic jam," explains Aimée. The flexible and fluid rhythm section of bassist Sam Anning and drummer Rajiv Jayaweera holds it all together.

Opening the album are two standards, an engaging version of Rodgers and Hart's "Where Or When," and the upbeat title track, "It's A Good Day," made famous by Peggy Lee. "Bamboo Shoots," an alluring original by Anning, somehow manages to sound gypsy, Hawaiian and pop-all at the same time. In the same vein, her arrangement of "Love Me Or Leave Me" has an original multi-cultural spin. "I was inspired to do a version of 'Love Me Or Leave Me' after hearing Nina Simone's recording," recalls Aimée, "and then I found the Billie Holiday version, and was further inspired."

Seamlessly added to the mix are covers of Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall" and Duke Ellington's "Caravan." "Caravan was one of the first songs I ever learned," says Aimée, "and it was time to inject some fiery gypsy soul into it." That frame of mind found it to "Pourtant," a French pop song that was a hit for Vanessa Paradis, as well as "All Love," which began as an instrumental composition by the late guitarist Babik Reinhardt, the son of the legendary Django. "I heard this beautiful melody so many times, but when they played it at Babik's funeral, I asked for permission to put a lyric to it."

It's A Good Day also features catchy original compositions by Aimée. Featured are "One Way Ticket"-the result of a trip to India, "Twenty-Eight" and "Nuit Blanche" ("White Night"), a French expression that refers to an inability to sleep while brooding over lost love. Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism" is the zesty closer-almost an encore. How better to feature bassist Anning than in a jazz classic by one of the founding fathers of the modern jazz bass?

Cyrille Aimée is an artist of many facets. Infused by a novel blend of multicultural influences, a vision for a unique sound and with a voice that is sublime, It's A Good Day makes for a great day for a wide array of lovers of music.

Vocalist Cyrille Aimée was primarily raised in France by a French father and Dominican mother. As a child she snuck out of her bedroom window on summer nights wandering into nearby gypsy encampments filled with those attending the annual Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois-sur-Seine. She quickly fell in love with their music and way of life, and was captivated to the point of traveling throughout Europe where she and her musician friends would play and sing on street corners across the continent. This tour eventually led her to the Montreux Jazz Festival, where she won first prize in their vocal competition-which included the financing of her first self-produced album. Aimée auditioned for the French version of American Idol, for which she was selected to be a finalist. Informed she would have to sing only what she was told, her gypsy and jazz spirit rebelled-she left the competition. She now happily tours the world with her band as well as in a duo setting with Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo. Aimée's talents recently caught the attention of Stephen Sondheim who cast her in an Encores! Special Event at New York City's City Center in November 2013. It's A Good Day, Aimée's major label debut, will be released in August 2014 on Mack Avenue Records.

Upcoming Cyrille Aimée Performances:

June 22 / Maison-Laffittee Jazz Festival / Maison-Laffittee, France

June 23 - 25 / Le Duc des Lombards / Paris, France

June 26 / Festival Django Reinhardt / Samois-sur-Seine, France

June 28 / Max of Eastman Place / Rochester, NY

June 29 / Montreal Jazz Festival / Montreal, Canada

August 14 / Shalin Liu Performance Center / Rockport, MA

August 20 - 24 / Helsinki Jazz Festival / Helsinki, Finland

August 29 / Mackinac Island / Mackinac Island, MI

August 31 / Waterfront Stage @ Detroit Jazz Festival / Detroit, MI

September 6 / O'Reilly Theater / Pittsburgh, PA

September 13 / Lake George Jazz Festival / Glen Falls, NY

September 20 / Al Sears Jazz Festival / Macomb, IL

October 8 - 11 / Mondavi Center for the Arts / Davis, CA

October 14 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA

October 17 / The Loft at UCSD / San Diego, CA

October 18 / Rose Wagner Performing Arts / Salt Lake City, UT

October 21 - 22 / Dazzle / Denver, CO

October 24 / Symphony Center / Chicago, IL

October 25 / College of St. Benedict / St. Joseph, MN

October 28 / Iron Horse / Northampton, MA

October 29 / Scullers / Boston, MA

November 1 - 2 / Quebec City Jazz Festival / Quebec City, Canada

November 4 / Widder Bar / Zürich, Switzerland

November 25 - 29 / Birdland / New York, NY

December 5 / Drama Theatre / Buffalo, NY

December 13 - January 4, 2015 / Café Society Swing / New York, NY

January 16, 2015 / Mancini - Pink Panther Program / Orlando, FL

January 23 / Largo Cultural Center / Largo, FL

January 25 - February 1, 2015 / Jazz Cruise / Ft. Lauderdale, FL

February 5, 2015 / Norton Center for the Arts / Danville, KY

February 6, 2015 / Germantown Performing Arts Center / Germantown, TN

February 7, 2015 / Pamlico Musical Society / Oriental, NC

February 8, 2015 / The Music Center at Strathmore / North Bethesda, MD

February 12, 2015 / Penn State / State College, PA

February 14, 2015 / UVM Lane Series / Burlington, VT

February 20 - 21, 2015 / Fredrick P. Rose Hall @ Jazz at Lincoln Center / New York, NY

March 7, 2015 / Machester Craftsmen's Guild / Pittsburgh, PA

March 20 - 21, 2015 / Oxford Hotel / Bend, OR

March 27, 2015 / Lakewood Cultural Center / Lakewood, CO

April 4, 2015 / West Hartford Town Hall / Hartford, CT

April 10, 2015 / Stamford Center for the Arts / Stamford, CT

April 24, 2015 / Gerald Lynch Theatre / New York, NY

October 24, 2015 / Tempe Center for the Arts / Tempe, AZ

  

Cyrille Aimée · It's A Good Day / Mack Avenue Records  ·  Release Date: August 19, 2014 

www.cyrillemusic.com

MICHAEL BELLAR & THE AS-IS ENSEMBLE SHOWCASE ECSTATIC GROOVE DRIVEN IMPROVISATION ON OH NO OH WOW

At its core, the music Michael Bellar & the AS-IS Ensemble creates is ecstatic. It's wide-open improvisation with earthy, percussion-fueled grooves. It's funky and weird. It's expansive and arresting. It will always be in the moment and without apology.

From the opening moment of their latest recording Oh No Oh Wow, you hear the band in mid-laughter, which turns out to be a sure sign that the album got it's title for a reason. It's the very best of everything this band has to offer with grinding vintage keyboards, funky drums, exotic percussion and thumping bass. The musical environs that Bellar takes the band through on the new record are many but never are they disparate. "I'm interested in creating the largest palette I can with a small group so I'm bringing as many sonic colors and different grooves to the table as possible," states Bellar.

The AS-IS Ensemble is the musical home of keyboardist/composer/producer Michael Bellar. As a sideman, Bellar has recorded and toured the world with some of the greatest voices in music today - Amos Lee, Art Garfunkel, Oliver Wood (of the Wood Brothers), Jay Clifford's Rosebud, Jump Little Children, Ryan Montbleau, Wheatus, Howie Day and Euro pop star Giorgia. Oh No Oh Wow features the talents of Bellar's longtime group, which features drummer Brad Wentworth (Melissa Ferrick, Aretha Franklin, Howie Day), bassist Rob Jost (Bjork, Imogen Heap, Tony Scherr), and percussionist Brook Martinez (Brooklyn Qawwali Party, Slavic Soul Party).

Hailed as "GENERATION NEXT" by Billboard Magazine following their first ever New York City show, Michael Bellar & AS-IS Ensemble are known for their joyous, never-the-same-way-twice live musical experiences. Even if they did use a set list, which they don't, the music and flow of their shows would never be the same. "I love bringing a room full of people along for the ride with us and the greatest shows are always the ones when the band and the crowd become a complete circuit. The most common comment I get from people after shows is, 'It's so obvious you really love what you do!' And I say at this point if I didn't love what I do, I would truly be insane.'"

"My life would be a whole lot easier if I could rattle off some cool buzz words that describe this music but on the other hand I'm really glad that I can't. It doesn't fit into any clear genre but I guess that's just a product of who I am as a person and musician - a rock kid who fell in love with improvisation," admits the keyboardist. It's just Bellar - he does things a little different.

For a group that you've never heard of before, Michael Bellar & the AS-IS Ensemble have performed at a wide range of diverse festivals and venues across the country including the NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Brooklyn Bowl, Telluride Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, SXSW, A Bear's Picnic, Blue Note Jazz Festival NYC, Avery Fischer Hall (for Habitat for Humanity), San Jose Jazz Festival, Evolve Fest, JVC Jazz Festival, Rockwood Music Hall and spent a summer as the house band at the world famous Blue Note jazz club in New York City. The group has also opened for artists diverse as Robert Randolph & the Family Band, John Scofield, Oliver Wood (of the Wood Brothers), the Everyone Orchestra, Medeski Martin & Wood, Tea Leaf Green, Howie Day, Grant Green Jr. and the Ryan Montbleau Band.

  

Upcoming Michael Bellar & the AS-IS Ensemble Performances:

June 25 / BB King - Lucille's, Blue Note Jazz Festival / New York, NY

July 6 / BRYAC / Bridgeport, CT

July 12 / The Jazz Estate / Milwaukee, WI

July 13 / The Cabooze / Minneapolis, MN

July 14 / Rockwood Music Hall Stage II / New York, NY

July 20 / Sixth and I (solo) opening for Carsie Blanton and Milton / Washington, DC

July 28 / Rockwood Music Hall Stage II / New York, NY

August 1 / Telluride Jazz Festival / Telluride, CO

August 2 / Vine Street Brewery / Denver, CO

August 3 / Mountain Sun / Boulder, CO

August 5 / TBD / San Diego, CA

August 7 / Duende / Oakland, CA

August 9 / Blackbird Cafe, San Jose Jazz Festival / San Jose, CA

August 11 / Rockwood Music Hall Stage I  (w/ special guest Shaun Pelton) / New York, NY

August 25 / Rockwood Music Hall Stage I (w/ special guest Melissa Reaves) / New York, NY

www.MichaelBellar.com

JAZZ, LATIN & FUNK FROM HENRI PIERRE NOEL - ONE MORE STEP

On moving to Canada from his original home of Haiti, pianist and singer/songwriter Henri-Pierre Noel brought with him much of the tropical island's influences. The "Kompa Funk" sounds of his homeland, along side contemporary North American jazz and disco, ran throughout Henri's 1979 album Piano, re-released by Wah Wah 45s in 2012, and now it's time for a second helping with the re-issue of 1980's dance floor friendly One More Step, both albums having been originally released on very limited private presses and since become holy grails of the back music scene.

Henri-Pierre Noel is an incredibly versatile musican who uses the piano in a very percussive and syncopated way, almost like a drum. This particular technique naturally brings disco and afro-funk elements into hisunique brand of dance floor fusion.

The man himself is still playing in his adopted home of Montreal today, and having been introduced to Wah Wah 45s label boss Dom Serviniby Canadian DJsKobal, Moonstarr and Andy Williams, who were allkeen fans of his early works, it became clear that Noel's finest moments needed to be re-released and re-discovered by a new generation.

Re-mastered from the original multi-track tapes by Kevin Moonstarr in Canada, and featuring seriously foot friendly cuts like "Afro-Funk" Groove, Funky Spider Dance and Latin Feeling,as well as firing female vocals and a plethora of percussion,Henri-Pierre Noel's sophomore LP is finally available to all on heavyweight vinyl, CD and digital formats, including full sleeve notesfrom Reveal Records boss, Peter Riden.

Tracklist: “Afro-Funk" Groove, Latin Feeling, Back Home... Sweet Home, Will Come a Day, Roller Skate Rhapsody, Funky Spider Dance. Joy to Me, A.M. - P.M., Step (Fan), Dialogue, Proud to Be, and Bluesy Mood.

JERSEY BOYS: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE AND BROADWAY MUSICAL

To accompany director Clint Eastwood’s big-screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, Rhino will release the soundtrack to this highly anticipated film, which premieres on June 20 in theaters nationwide.

Jersey Boys tells the story of Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi, and Frankie Valli, four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons. The story of their trials and triumphs are accompanied by the songs that influenced a generation, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Dawn,” “Rag Doll,” “Bye Bye Baby,” “Who Loves You,” and many more.

Relive those unforgettable songs with JERSEY BOYS: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE AND BROADWAY MUSICAL, available June 24 for a suggested list price of $18.98 from Rhino. The album will be available digitally on the same day. Rhino also released the platinum-selling Original Broadway Cast Recording, which won the 2007 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album.

While assembling the album’s 25 tracks, producer Gaudio carefully selected some of the best songs recorded by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and intertwined them with recordings by cast members from both the film and the stage musical. The soundtrack is full of surprises and makes a perfect audio companion for both new fans discovering the quartet though the film as well as long-time followers of The Four Seasons.

The soundtrack and movie will launch a busy summer for The Four Seasons. On July 1, Rhino will release three additional projects related to the group:

-           Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – The Classic Albums Box is an 18-disc set that includes the vast majority of the group’s albums in mini jackets with original artwork, $99.98.

-           Frankie Valli – Selected Solo Works is an eight-disc set that features many of Valli’s classic solo albums in mini jackets with original artwork, $49.98.

-           Audio With A G: Sounds Of A Jersey Boy, The Music Of Bob Gaudio is a two-disc collection of legendary songs written by hitmaker Gaudio, performed by The Four Seasons and other artists.

JERSEY BOYS: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE AND BROADWAY MUSICAL

Track Listing

1.         Prelude

2.         “December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

3.         “My Mother’s Eyes” – Frankie Valli

4.         “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” – John Lloyd Young

5.         “A Sunday Kind Of Love” – John Lloyd Young, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

6.         “Moody’s Mood For Love” – John Lloyd Young

7.         “Cry For Me” – Erich Bergen

8.         “Sherry” – John Lloyd Young

9.         “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – John Lloyd Young

10.       “Walk Like A Man” – John Lloyd Young

11.       “My Boyfriend’s Back” – Kyli Rae

12.       “My Eyes Adored You” – John Lloyd Young

13.       “Dawn (Go Away)” – John Lloyd Young

14.       “Big Man In Town” – John Lloyd Young

15.       “Beggin” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, John Lloyd Young, Ryan Malloy

16.       Medley – John Lloyd Young

            a.         “Stay”

            b.         “Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got)”

            c.         “Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me)”

            d.         “Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye)”

17.       “C’mon Marianne” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, John Lloyd Young

18.       “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – John Lloyd Young

19.       “Working My Way Back To You” – John Lloyd Young

20.       “Fallen Angel” – Frankie Valli

21.       “Who Loves You” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, John Lloyd Young

22.       Closing Credits: “Sherry”/”December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” – John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza

23.       “Sherry” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

24.       “Dawn (Go Away)” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

25.       “Rag Doll” – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

From director Clint Eastwood comes the big-screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical “Jersey Boys.” Starring in the film, John Lloyd Young reprises his Tony Award-winning portrayal of the legendary lead singer of The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli. Erich Bergen stars as Bob Gaudio, who wrote or co-wrote all of the group’s biggest hits. Michael Lomenda and Vincent Piazza star respectively as Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito, the other two original members of The Four Seasons. Christopher Walken plays local mobster Gyp DeCarlo.

Eastwood directed “Jersey Boys” from a screenplay and musical book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, song music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe. The film is produced by Eastwood, Graham King and Robert Lorenz, with Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tim Moore, Tim Headington, James Packer and Brett Ratner serving as executive producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a GK Films Production, a Malpaso Production, a film by Clint Eastwood, “Jersey Boys.” Opening nationwide on June 20, 2014, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

This film has been rated R for language throughout.

http://www.jerseyboysmovie.com

http://www.facebook.com/JerseyBoysMovie

http://youtu.be/DbURfiUWVtg(trailer)

JONATHAN BUTLER PRESENTS LIVING MY DREAM - NEW 11-TRACK COLLECTION FT. GEORGE DUKE, MARCUS MILLER, ELAN TROTMAN & OTHERS

As Jonathan Butler sings on his forthcoming “Living My Dream,” all eleven songs are “All About Love.” Whether they are R&B vocal tunes or contemporary jazz instrumentals, the original compositions that comprise the set that the two-time Grammy nominee produced are meditations on love of family, country and spirit. Butler deftly weaves words and melodies into compelling real life stories inspired by his own pained journey. Last year’s struggles serve as the theme of the material the singer-songwriter-guitarist serves up on next Tuesday’s (June 24) album release.      

Finally arriving at a place in his life where he felt comfortable saying it, Butler, who grew up living under Apartheid while becoming a recording artist who was the first black artist played on white radio stations in South Africa, embraced his blessings as the fulfillment of his dreams. He entered the House of Blues studios in Los Angeles to record as he used to - live with the band - while receiving a much needed push to write from his daughter and background vocalist Jodie Butler and guitarist-programmer Dennis Dodd Jr. He wrote the spiritually entitled “Be Still” with George Duke and “Let There Be Light” with Marcus Miller, the latter featuring the delicate touch of saxophonist Elan Trotman.

  

Butler’s multihued music has always crossed genres and topped charts in multiple radio formats thus a pair of singles from “Living My Dream” are being highlighted for airplay. On the instrumental side, Butler’s celebratory South African walkabout “African Breeze” is already blowing up the charts while the apologetic paean “Heart and Soul” makes a plea for spins to urban adult contemporary programmers. To support the disc, Butler is touring nationally sharing the stage with Grammy winner Norman Brown and Alex Bugnon. 

~ jonathanbutler.com

NEW FROM RICK BRAUN - CAN YOU FEEL IT - COMING JULY 8

Summertime means gathering your friends and throwing on some feel-good music for some carefree fun. That pretty much sums up the sound and spirit of “Can You Feel It,” the first contemporary jazz album in five years from trumpet-flugelhorn star Rick Braun (www.RickBraun.com) that will be released July 8.

  

Turning to his 20-year-old breakthrough hit-filled album, “Beat Street,” for inspiration, Braun packed the new record full of horn section parts and rounded up the boys including Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove, Jeff Lorber, Philippe Saisse and Elliott Yamin along with some of the finest backing musicians on the contemporary jazz scene. Braun produced his sixteenth album fostering a true live sound by removing all the sequencing except on one track. The result is an organic, buoyant and melodic romp led by Braun’s expressive trumpet and regal flugelhorn harmonies. He even dispenses salvos of valve trombone, which adds distinctive shades of soul. The taut rhythms and grooves on the ten original songs – nine of which were written or co-written by the horn man - are sculpted from blocks of funk, R&B and contemporary jazz while the collection’s lone vocal is a rollicking rendition of the soul classic “Take Me To The River.”

  

“Can You Feel It” is brimful of excitement and energy capturing the trademark Braun sound that his adoring fans across the world know and love. He opens the disc with the title cut that is crammed full of horn section parts with the lyrical trumpet lead riding the crest of a funky R&B groove. Culbertson guests on “Back To Back” featuring the keyboard sensation’s signature sound merged with the trumpet on the brisk energizer. A longtime Al Green fan, Braun invited soul singer Yamin and saxophonist Groove to jam on the jukebox joint “Take Me To The River.” Lingering memories of a romantic vacation with his wife inspired Braun to pen “Mallorca,” a sultry and exotic contemporary jazz tryst. The first radio single, “Get Up and Dance” is a lively frolic with Koz during which the trumpet and sax engage in a playful discourse that bodes to become the 2014 summer anthem. Saisse wrote the stunning “Another Kind Of Blue,” a gorgeous yet somber reflection with a sweeping silver lining chorus. Braun’s evocative flugelhorn conveys layers of emotional depth on the R&B ballad. Braun and keyboard pioneer Lorber join forces on “Delta,” a punchy R&B-funk-jazz hybrid. Tension builds on the gentle “Silk,” one of Braun’s earliest ideas when he started composing material for the set. Speeding from the start, “Radar” is another Braun and Lorber co-write with trumpet blazing the way. The rhythm section carves a nice pocket for Braun’s trumpet lead on “The Dream” that he accentuates with flugelhorn flourishes. The boisterous album closer, “Dr. Funkenstein,” attacks instantly with a monster funk prescription powered by fiery horns, rousing Hammond B3 organ blasts and old school R&B guitar licks. A charismatic entertainer popular on the concert stage, Braun will support the new album with U.S. tour dates through the end of the year.

NEW RELEASES: THE GREAT BRAZILIAN ESCAPE FEATURING NINA MIRANDA; THE JOEY HEATHERTON ALBUM; ORGAN EXPLOSION

THE GREAT BRAZILIAN ESCAPE FEATURING NINA MIRANDA

Under the authorization of Peter Bernstein, son of Elmer Bernstein (Academy Award-winning composer of more than 200 film scores) Far Out Recordings is pleased to present a Brazilian version of The Great Escape. Since the 1963 release of the Steve McQueen film 'The Great Escape', the theme has become a standard for England's football supporters. In the same way Brazil took the English game of football & made it beautiful & sexy this track takes the English fans' ’The Great Escape’ track out of the terraces and turns it into a cool, beautiful & sexy modern anthem. It is the antithesis of old football song clichés like Vindaloo etc & contrived sexualised related tracks from Shakira & J-Lo. It uses some of the most talented musicians in Rio & London with Brazilian Nina Miranda to create a cool beautiful & sexy track that not only captures the heart of the Brazil favelas but the modern game of football too. Out on iTunes Monday, 23rd of June.

JOEY HEATHERTON - THE JOEY HEATHERTON ALBUM

Was there a sexier 70s celebrity than Joey Heatherton? It's hard to think so – and the cover of this one is more than enough proof that she was America's greatest answer to Brigitte Bardot! And while we certainly remember her from countless variety show appearances at the time, it's actually a bit hard to remember her as a singer (something that's due, no doubt, to the fact that we were so busy looking – not listening!) The album's done in a sexy sort of 70s pop mode – slight country touches on a few tunes, but mostly glistening adult-styled backings from the team of Tony Scotti and Tommy Oliver. Tunes include "God Only Knows", "It's Not Easy", "Right Or Wrong", "I'm Sorry", "Gone", "Say Hello", and "Someone To Watch Over Me". ~ Dusty Groove

ORGAN EXPLOSION - ORGAN EXPLOSION

They're not lying with the title of this one – as the group's got a nicely explosive sound on Hammond – a groove that's rooted in old school soul jazz, but which takes on all these funky twists and turns as well! Yet Organ Explosion are definitely more jazz than funk – and really have a fresh feel that's different than the usual retro combo – a groove that's not content to just hang back in classic modes, but which instead draws all their best influences and creates this new fusion of organ, bass, and drums! There's an appeal here that reminds us of the first time we ever heard Medeski Martin & Wood – but without any of the clunkiness that quickly came later – and although a few tracks have guest instrumentation, most of the core grooves come from the trio. Titles include "Dark Heaven", "Kung Fu Funk", "Momi Likes Her Boy", "Organ Explosion Supershow", "Kase", and "Gear Down". ~ Dusty Groove

CUONG VU AND RICHARD KARPEN JOIN FORCES ON ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC PROJECT - INDIGO MIST

Trumpeter-composer Cuong Vu has established himself as a distinctive voice on the new music/improvising scene for his adventurous work over the past 20 years with the likes of guitarist Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny and Laurie Anderson as well as his four recordings as leader.

Composer Richard Karpen has earned accolades for his work in the classical field as well as for being a cutting edge sonic experimenter of the highest order. Joined by innovative bassist Luke Bergman (their faculty colleague at the University of Washington) and Vu's longstanding bandmate, drummer Ted Poor, these two kindred spirits push the envelope in a myriad of provocative ways on That The Days Go By And Never Come Again. An extended suite that pays tribute to the indelible composing team of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn in a most uncompromising fashion, their extraordinary RareNoiseRecords debut under the collective name of Indigo Mist is unlike any Ellingtonia you've ever heard."

Says Vu, "The whole record, to me, is a tone poem that is deeply affected by their music, even to the point where as we were at the apex of experimenting, Duke and Billy were always in the room with us and we had to come to terms with their presence. I feel that we've respectfully paid homage to them by taking our own connection to them and sprinkled that all over the record like a mist."

The unlikely duo of New York-based improviser-bandleader Vu and Seattle academician Karpen crystallized when they met at the University of Washington. As Vu explains, "One of the things that I did when I became a new faculty here was to research my colleagues, mainly just to get to know about the various interests of the School of Music faculty and get a feel for how I would move about within that musical community. Once I started reading about Richard, I was immediately interested because his work was on the forefront of electro-acoustic music as well as being a composer from the Western Classical Art Music tradition.  Much of classical music had such an impact on how I interfaced with music while I was doing my bachelors of music that I've always been interested in working with a serious composer at some point. Then when I heard his music I was completely blown away and knew that I had to work with him, if not to just make music together somehow, then to at least learn from him."

Adds Karpen, "It is very unusual for a 'classically' trained composer like me, with my particular background and continued interest in experimental music and several decades of very deep involvement in the development of computer music both as a composer and as a programmer, to be head of such a School of Music. And it seems to me to be just as unusual for someone coming from a jazz background like Cuong, who is deeply involved in breaking through artificial boundaries through many kinds of experimentation, would be on the a faculty of such a school. The chance that both of us would be at the same place at the same time, and with one of us heading this school, seems to be one chance in millions!                                                                                                                  

The provocative tone poem kicks off with a torrent of drums from Ted Poor entitled "L'Heure bleue." While traversing the kit with power and precision, Poor's drumming is sonically enhanced to give it the effect of rolling thunder, gently falling rain or a phalanx of drummers. 

Poor then switches to mallets for the evocative title track as Karpen and Vu make their entrance into the mysterious soundscape, beginning with Karpen's sparsely plucked notes from inside the piano and continuing with Vu's electronically treated trumpet and Luke Bergman's sparse bass lines. The piece builds to a thunderous crescendo with Karpen's throbbing bass notes and Cecil Tayloresque cascading in the high register of the piano. Poor's potent free drumming fuels the track while Vu's intuitive keening trumpet wails over the top of the fray. This urgent piece gradually morphs into a haunting treatment of Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" that has Vu remaining close to the melody as Karpen pushes the harmonic envelope with his probing piano work. It then flows organically into a thoughtful but uncompromising meditation on Strayhorn entitled "Billy."

An element of swing enters the picture on "Duke," which opens with Poor's hip, syncopated playing on the kit in intimate conversation with Vu's unaffected trumpet worked, Bergman and Karpen enter the conversation near the midway mark and extrapolation ensues until they build up to extreme layers of density and dissonance with Vu reaching into his bag of extended techniques on the trumpet to match the pitch of the turbulent proceedings. At their tumultuous peak, Vu and Bergman lay out and Karpen gradually settles into zen-like repose on the piano, setting up for a sublime reading of Ellington's gorgeous "In a Sentimental Mood," which is played beautifully by Vu and underscored with tastefully restraint by Karpen, Bergman and Poor. This gentle but brief bit of Ellingtonia then morphs into the more mysterioso excursion "Charles" (for Mingus), which in turn leads into a highly impressionistic take on Strayhorn's "Lush Life."

Karpen's furious, rolling bass notes and aggressive stabs at the keyboard next come into play on "The Electric Mist," a frenzied improvisation which has the pianist going toe-to-toe in full-out Cecil Taylor mode with drummer Poor augmenting his urgent attack with some powerhouse playing of his own. The piece ends with an electronic barrage that is purely of the 21st century. The album concludes with a spacious, abstract rendition of Ellington's "Mood Indigo" that begins with the sounds of a gong (or singing bowl) and plucked piano strings penetrating the silence before Bergman and Vu enter with a walking-on-eggshells approach. The familiar theme of this final nod to Ellington is hinted at throughout the course of the piece but not truly revealed until near the end of its eight-minutes in the beautifully warm tones of Vu's trumpet. It's definitely the most challenging music I've been engaged in our musical interests and curiosities, I'm at a place in my life right now where it's crucially important for me to make music that is completely honest and without any external pressures.

"We're trying to do something new and different while flipping the whole idea of playing 'jazz' upside down," says Vu of this Indigo Mist project. "And by choosing this music as our primary subject matter or subject of inspiration, we are addressing jazz in a way that I feel is in reverence and trying to add our own perspective of the greatness what jazz really means to me along with the greatness of these two masters."

Musicians:  Cuong Vu (trumpet),  Richard Karpen (piano), Luke Berman (bass), Ted Poor ( 

drums)

Tracks: L'Heure Bleue / Indigo Mist / A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing / Billy / Duke / In A Sentimental Mood / Charles / Lush Life / The Electric Mist / Mood Indigo.