Italian Guitarist Peppino D'Agostino To Release Highly Anticipated New CD 'Penumbra'

Much to the excitement of guitar players worldwide, acoustic guitar virtuoso Peppino D'Agostino will be releasing his eagerly awaited new album 'Penumbra' on Mesa/Bluemoon on August 5, 2014. Along with original material, the new CD features work by Roland Dyens, Maurizio Colonna, and two compositions written especially for D'Agostino by Latin Grammy award-winning Brazilian guitarist Sergio Assad.

Peppino D'Agostino doesn’t just play the guitar. He composes, arranges, collaborates, improvises and has even been known to sing a song here and there in both English and Italian. But what he does create on the guitar makes the difference between simply playing and truly making music apparent in the most wonderful ways. D'Agostino has been hailed as “a guitarist's guitarist” by Acoustic Guitar magazine as well as “a giant of the acoustic guitar” (San Diego Reader), and holds many top guitar awards, but the San Francisco Chronicle encapsulated the essential difference that distinguishes D'Agostino’s music when it dubbed him “a poet.”

“Peppino's music is deep and beautiful.” - Tommy Emmanuel

A native of Italy, D'Agostino has made his considerable international mark as a musical artist on the guitar since he arrived in America a little over 25 years ago. The readers of Guitar Player voted him 'Best Acoustic Guitarist in 2007', and the following year in Acoustic Guitar's People's Choice Awards he won a Bronze medal for 'Best Acoustic Album of All Time' for his 2002 release 'Every Step Of The Way' (tying with Leo Kottke, one of his prime inspirations) and another Bronze award as 'Fingerstyle Guitarist of the Year'. Even his Peppino D'Agostino Seagull Signature Guitar model was ranked in June 2014 as one of the 10 best signature guitars by Guitar Player Magazine. But as said above, it's not just his talent that makes D'Agostino so notable, but also what he does with it.

Collaborations have been key to D'Agostino’s career.  In 2010, D’Agostino co-founded with David Tanenbaum, The Pacific Guitar Ensemble – an eclectic group of six guitarists who play everything from nylon and steel-string guitars to electric basses and 17th century theorbos.  At other times, he's on stage with musicians such as Stef Burns, electric guitarist for Huey Lewis and the News and Italian rock star Vasco Rossi, drummer Jeff Campitelli, one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time; legendary Paraguayan harpist and violinist Carlos Reyes; or Frank Martin, keyboardist extraordinaire who has played with everyone from Lady Gaga to Bruce Springsteen.

D'Agostino's simultaneous immersion in the classical guitar and rock worlds, has culminated in his new solo recording, 'Penumbra'. “There has been an evolution in my playing due to all the incredible musicians that I have met, and this new CD reflects that,” he says. “How can I not be influenced by such great players? I don't even recognize how much, because it goes into your brain, and you can't quantify that, but working with all these artists, and knowing what inspires them, has made a noticeable difference in my approach. I definitely feel that this record expresses all those various influences.” According to D'Agostino, 'Penumbra' is a mix of sophisticated yet melodic compositions that are technically complex.

“Peppino brings warm humanity to the acoustic.” - Adrian Legg

'Penumbra' includes two compositions written for D'Agostino by Latin Grammy Award winner and classical guitar legend Sergio Assad. Of this fateful collaboration D'Agostino says, “We became good friends when he started teaching at the Conservatory in San Francisco. I really admire what he does as a composer, so one night when we were having dinner in North Beach, I asked him, 'What’s your approach?' And he said, 'Well there's different things that I do. One of them is, I use numbers, like the dodecaphonic approach. For instance, if you give me your name, each letter, p-e-p-p-i-n-o, is a note.' And then, three weeks later, he came up with a tune based on my name which is very melodic and lyrical. On another night, David Tanenbaum, Sergio, and I went out and had some fun and three days later, Sergio said, 'Hey I wrote another one for you.' This one is more like a samba and it's pretty fast. Later David was telling me, 'Do you know how many classical guitarists constantly ask Sergio to write for them – and he just gave you two compositions - you're really lucky.' ”

“The latest CD release by Peppino D'Agostino brings us a repertoire typically associated with nylon guitar players. The beautiful sound of Peppino's steel strings makes us hear this repertoire with renewed interest. 'Penumbra' is a must for all kind of guitar lovers.” - Sergio Assad

The new CD also features compositions from two other contemporary classical guitarists, Roland Dyens and Maurizio Colonna. “I really admire Roland Dyens,” says D'Agostino. “He's one of my favorite guitarists, because he mixes classical and jazz. He has this mind that can go both places. And every concert he starts with an improvisation. I always loved his piece 'Valse des Anges' ('Angel's Waltz'). It's more of a jazz waltz - very melodic, but also jazzy.”

Like Assad, Italian guitarist Colonna contributed two pieces. D'Agostino explains, “I met Maurizio years ago, and he's interesting because he uses a classical technique, yet he has also recorded very complex arrangements of rock songs by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but the two pieces I recorded are his original compositions. One is very melodic, with a lot of the classical tremolo technique. The challenge is to do it on steel-string, which is not easy. The other piece, 'Synchronized Movements', is an almost minimalist piece, where phrases are rhythmic yet change only slightly.”

While all these guitarists have clearly contributed to Peppino's continuing evolution, he returns the favor with compositions dedicated to Tanenbaum and Sergio Assad. Says D'Agostino, “I dedicated 'Penumbra', the title track of the CD, to David Tanenbaum. 'Penumbra' means between dark and light. Through David I learned about Baroque music and minimalism. So I was really trying to bring some of the Baroque and minimalist elements into the composition. I wrote it for him and he actually started performing it. So there's an even stronger connection with the classical world.”

“Peppino D'Agostino's new CD 'Penumbra' actually has very few shadows, but rather his usual bright, Italian, sunny charm. I was particularly happy to hear him play the wonderful piece he wrote for me, 'Penumbra', with its blend of Baroque music and minimalism.” - David Tannenbaum

The track “Penumbra” is also a perfect illustration of how D'Agostino is balancing his interest in classical guitar and his older steel-string style. Opening with a Baroque-sounding theme, played with great sensitivity and feeling, the piece, which is in one of D'Agostino's trademark open tunings, segues into a rhythmic section in 9/8 that references his rock and ethnic-influenced style.

“[a] phenom in the same league with John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Doc Watson and John Renbourn.” - Jazziz

Peppino D'Agostino will be performing with a variety of ensembles in support of 'Penumbra'. He'll continue playing with the Pacific Guitar Ensemble, longtime colleagues Tanenbaum and Burns as well as the duos with drummer Jeff Campitelli and harpist and violinist Carlos Reyes. Furthermore, he is also part of a 2014 - 2015 tour called “The Great Guitars”, with Martin Taylor, Frank Vignola, and Vinny Raniolo. All these projects although different in nature and scope have one thing in common - D'Agostino's ongoing desire to expand the repertoire of the steel string guitar and to reaffirm the important role that music plays in our lives.

Watch Peppino D'Agostino's recent video for Guitar Player magazine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScSaTWRGtuc

Peppino D'Agostino 2014 Tour Dates:

Aug 15, 2014 - Coalesce Bookstore - Morro Bay, CA, USA

Aug 16, 2014 - Castoro Cellars - Templeton, CA, USA (Show Time: 7:30 pm)

Sept 27, 2014 - House Concert - Windsor, CA, USA

Oct 16, 2014 - The Ballroom at the Outer Space - Hamden, CT, USA

Oct 17, 2014 - Medallion Opera House - Gorham, NH, USA (Show Time: 7:30 pm)

Oct 18, 2014 - Harvard Public Library - Harvard, MA, USA (Show Time: 7:30pm)

Oct 23, 2014 - House Concert -Wheeling, WV, USA

Oct 26 & 27, 2014 - Via Vecchia Winery - Columbus, OH, USA (Show Time: 2:00pm)

Oct 30, 2014 - Foundry Hall    - South Haven, MI, USA

Nov 1, 2014 - Taffy's  - Eaton, OH, USA

Nov 8, 2014 - Blackstone River Theatre - Cumberland, RI, USA

Nov 15, 2014 - 21. Dresdner Gitarrenfest - Dresden, GERMANY

Nov 21, 2014 - Gaste Garage  - Hasbergen, GERMANY

Nov 22, 2014 - Schalloch - Hamburg, GERMANY

Nov 27, 2014 - Bar D’Amato  - Wolfratshausen, GERMANY

http://www.peppinodagostino.com

Drummer, vibraphonist, percussionist Mitch Shiner Releases his Debut Album Fly! with the BloomingTones Big Band on August 19 via Patois Records

Shiner - a protégé of trombonist Wayne Wallace, who co-produced the album - mixes originals with covers of "When You Wish Upon A Star" "Wrecking Ball" "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and "Brother To Brother"

From J.J. Johnson and Freddie Hubbard to David Baker and Wes Montgomery, the Indiana jazz scene has given us some of our major voices and innovators in the music. Drummer/percussionist, composer and arranger Mitch Shiner is a son of that tradition and does it proudly. For Shiner, music has always been about connecting with an audience. Whether on stage or on a recording, his vibrant, high-energy style of playing permeates every performance.

Wayne Wallace, whose Patois Records is releasing Fly!, says: "Mitch is everything that is right about this generation of young musicians. He embraces tradition and learns from it, but keeps in touch with the music of today. He is accomplished on all of his instruments and retains has the desire to improve and learn new things from all styles of music. Collaborating with him on this project was a joy!! The BloomingTones is a talented 18-piece group that swings hard. I first heard the group in August 2013 and was impressed with their musicality and professionalism. The band is loaded with talented soloists and instrumentalists." With a mix of compelling originals and fresh takes on standards Fly! is an eclectic debut album for Shiner and the BloomingTones Big Band.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Shiner began playing drums at age eight, and has been studying percussion since age nine. He received his bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music where he studied under percussion professors Steve Houghton and Michael Spiro. He has performed in many ensembles at Indiana University including big bands, combos, the Latin Jazz Ensemble, The Singing Hoosiers, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the Brazilian Percussion Ensemble, Steel Pan Band, and the University Orchestra.

An active bandleader, Shiner directs the BloomingTones Big Band, and performs his compositions and arrangements with his own sextet and quartet. As an in-demand sideman in the Bloomington and Indianapolis areas he is a member of the Postmodern Jazz Quartet, Jazz Fables Quintet, and Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Octet. In Indianapolis, Mitch regularly performs with the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Midcoast Swing Orchestra, and the Leisure Kings.

An avid composer, Shiner received a Summer 2013 Creative Activity Grant through the IU Hutton Honors College to compose five big band charts influenced by people and places in his hometown of Milwaukee. In addition, he received the 2013 Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Scholarship. In the summer of 2012, he was one of 15 jazz musicians to be invited to participate in the Ravinia Festival's Steans Music Institute where he studied with Curtis Fuller, Rufus Reid, Nathan Davis, and David Baker.

Mitch was selected from national auditions to perform in the 2011 Disneyland All-American College Band. In the AACB, Mitch was the lead drummer in the show band and drum set player for the big band, performing each day in the Disneyland Park. Directed by Dr. Ron McCurdy of the University of Southern California, the band performed weekly with guest artists including Rick Baptist, Sal Lozano, Jiggs Whigham, and Arturo Sandoval.

Recorded at Primary Sound Recording in Bloomington Indiana, Fly! showcases Mitch's composition and arranging talents to the fullest. Original compositions Fly, Dragon Express, 6:20 Shuffle, Watchful Eyes and Malibu Jump blend interweaving ensemble passages with energetic solos. Contemporary standards Brother To Brother, When You Wish Upon A Star and Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head are re-imagined with contrasting sections employing meter changes and intricate layered writing.

One of the album's highlights is Wrecking Ball - Ogun, an original mix of modern jazz and Afro-Cuban folklore. The recording also features an arrangement of An Evening Thought as a cha-cha by Mitch's teacher and mentor Dr. David Baker.

http://www.patoisrecords.com/

http://www.shineymusic.com/

DRUMMER & COMPOSER PHIL HAYNES TEAMS WITH DAVID LIEBMAN AND DREW GRESS WITH DOUBLE CD "NO FAST FOOD"

With his No Fast Food trio, the drummer, composer and new jazz mainstay Phil Haynes - along with the iconic tenor and soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman and the perennially in-demand bassist Drew Gress - has shaped a fluid unit that can confidently take its place alongside the celebrated combos which provided the very inspiration for the band, including the legendary Elvin Jones trio with Joe Farrell and Jimmy Garrison.

On In Concert, recorded at New York State and Pennsylvania performances in 2012, No Fast Food - an outfit comprised of veteran musicians who unite experience with imperishable vitality - announces itself as one of the premier new jazz bands of the day.

As its name implies, No Fast Food is not in the business of providing only instant gratification, but rather the musical riches that come from a considered listening to the band, repaying any effort in full.  Stressing intimate communication and the opportunity to creatively fill space or to keep it tantalizingly open, No Fast Food react with jaguar-like agility, each member responding to the other with live-wire resourcefulness.

Although Haynes is the leader and chief composer of the trio, No Fast Food is a band of equals, as befits the resolutely interactive nature of the group itself.  Throughout In Concert, Haynes, Liebman and Gress display the art of collective listening in its highest form.

Spare though the trio's instrumentation may be, No Fast Food isn't afraid of allowing space to reveal musical delight.  Haynes, Liebman and Gress weave in and out of their musical web, thus ensuring variety and the pleasures of sonic spaciousness that arise when superior players are confident enough not to play.

Blending memorable composition with both harmonic and open form improvisation, each performance -- be it driving ("Together," "West Virginian Blues," "Workin' It," "Out of the Bowels," "The Code"), mid-tempo ("Blues For Israel," "Dawn On the Gladys Marie") or ballad ("Last Dance," "Incantation," "Chant," "Ballad du Jour,")  - offers a chance to hear sympathetic players mesh in indivisible unity while also nudging each other into unexplored terrain, guided only by a superbly intuitive sense of collective purpose.

No Fast Food is a logical outgrowth of Haynes's extensive experience in trio contexts, including his celebrated work with the maverick trumpeter Paul Smoker.

"The meaningful conversations that occur as three streams of information come together - that's the magic of trios," Haynes says. "There's both this amazing individual clarity that can be achieved, as well as an equality of ensemble counterpoint. I wrote the music for this project for these particular players, yet when things work best, as they do on this recording, the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. If I do my job as a leader, No Fast Food will always sound like a collective."

"You honor the masters by taking the music forward. With No Fast Food we're looking for freshness. It's not about fitting into a specific genre. We swing, we play open; we love composition and we love taking it apart and moving it all to a different space."

In his thirty-plus year career, Phil Haynes has recorded alongside such illustrious jazz figures as Anthony Braxton, Dave Douglas, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Feldman and Michele Rosewoman, among many, and has performed with diverse instrumentalists including Don Byron, Billy Childs, Charles Gayle, Louis Sclavis, Gary Thomas and Kenny Werner. He has also been an integral member of ensembles featuring Paul Smoker, Ellery Eskelin, Clarence 'Herb' Robertson and Gebhard Ullmann, as well as led the bands Free Country, 4 Horns & What?, Continuum and Hammond Insurgency.  Haynes' music has been called ". . . the perfect middle between tradition and avant-garde, between power and sophistication, between accessibility and adventure," (Stef, FreeJazzBlog.org). 

An NEA Jazz Master, David Liebman has been a major force on the tenor and soprano saxophones since attracting attention in the early-1970s bands of Elvin Jones and Miles Davis.  In subsequent work, with Lookout Farm, Quest and numerous other ensembles, Liebman has since gone on to become an internationally regarded bandleader and prolific recording artist.

Drew Gress, one of the first call bassists on the contemporary jazz scene, has done significant work with Fred Hersch, John Abercrombie, Ravi Coltrane, Tim Berne, Uri Caine, Don Byron, John Surman and many others. In addition to being featured on nearly two dozen CDs partnered with Phil Haynes, Gress is also a gifted band leader, composer and recording artist.

http://www.philhaynes.com/

PATRICK BRADLEY RELEASES "CAN YOU HEAR ME" FEATURES DAVE KOZ, RICK BRAUN & ERIC MARIENTHAL ON JAZZ FUSION SET PRODUCED BY JEFF LORBER

To bolster his effort to be heard above the incessant din cluttering our world, keyboardist Patrick Bradley called upon a few high-profile friends on his third album, “Can You Hear Me,” produced by jazz fusion icon Jeff Lorber, which is slated for release September 23 on the Patrick’s Music Factory label. Boil it down further and the desire to be heard by our parents is inherent in all of us, which is the genesis of the title track and first radio single, a plaintive piano lullaby graced with the serene soprano sax presence of Dave Koz on the song inspired by Bradley’s late mother.    

  

Collaborating on their second album together, Bradley and Lorber composed and arranged all ten songs on “Can You Hear Me.” Bradley nimbly emotes graceful harmonies on piano, adds depth and texture via gurgling Moog synthesizer embellishments and uncorks feverish organ blasts with reckless abandon when the mood to pontificate strikes. A variety of jazz visages – fusion, contemporary and smooth - emerge from tracks rooted in R&B that reflect prisms of funk, soul and blues with the deep-pocketed grooves stitched by bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Gary Novak. David Mann’s fiery horns and crisp horn arrangements fatten the sound on “Blue Skies,” “Daylight,” “For Her” and “Voyage” with hitman Rick Braun captured blowing away on trumpet on a pair of cuts (“Blue Skies” and “Voyage”) and Eric Marienthal chiming in some swinging sax on a few numbers (“Blue Skies,” “Shoreline” and “Catalan”). Lorber’s keyboard and Dwight Sills’ guitar riff rhythmically throughout the session with Sills and guitarist Michael Thompson dousing kerosene before slash and burn solos. Both Bradley and Lorber solo on the blistering progressive rock thrill ride “North Of Evermore.”           

  

“I’ve been playing my whole life and I’m trying to be heard in this noisy world as a musician. My mom passed before hearing my last album (“Under The Sun”) including the song I wrote for my (late) father (“Tears From The Sky”). I wonder if she can hear me and my music. I wrote ‘Can You Hear Me’ with her in mind, but it is also a question I ask God as well,” said Bradley, a man of faith who hails from Southern California. “The original album title was ‘All In’ (the first song on the record) because I wanted to dig deeper than ever before. The whole purpose of the album was to make sure that I got all of my musical chops into it and I think we did it.” 

Bradley’s professional music career began as a member of a rock band (Joshua) signed to Polydor Records. He released his solo debut, “Come Rain or Shine,” in 2006, the title cut hitting the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Singles chart. “Under The Sun” arrived in 2011 and a few tracks from the offering garnered radio play while the album peaked at No. 6 on the Smooth Indie Chart. Over the years, Bradley and Koz have cultivated a friendship with the multimedia sax personality inviting Bradley to perform aboard the Dave Koz Cruise to Alaska next month as well as to open for Koz, Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot’s “Summer Horns” concert September 19 in Newport Beach, Calif. Balancing dual careers, Bradley “sunlights” as president of the Southern Pacific region for Whole Foods Market. 

www.PatrickBradleyMusic.com

The songs contained on “Can You Hear Me” are:

“All In”

“Blue Skies”

“North Of Evermore”

“Can You Hear Me”

“Daylight”

“Shoreline”

“Catalan”

“For Her”

“Sierra”

“Voyage”

 

Trombonist Jason Jackson To Release the Orchestral Recording "Inspiration," His First CD Since 2001, October 14

Jason Jackson Inspiration With the release of Inspiration, the second CD to appear under his name and first new one in 13 years, Jason Jackson emerges as a jazz master whose gifts as a composer and arranger match his virtuosity as a trombonist. His inspired combination of horns, strings, and rhythm is quite unlike anything else being recorded these days. The new disc will be released October 14 by Jack & Hill Music (the label venture he operates with his vocalist wife Rosena Hill Jackson) in association with Planet Arts. 

Ten years in the making, Inspiration finds Jackson at the helm of full orchestras made up of rhythm, horn, and string sections. As one of the most respected and in-demand trombone players in New York City since settling there 21 years ago, Jackson was able to call on the services of friends and colleagues such as trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Terell Stafford, trombonist Slide Hampton, clarinetist Evan Christopher, saxophonists Pete Christlieb, Dick Oatts, Rich Perry, and Steve Wilson, pianists Roger Jones II and Michael Melvoin, bassist Rufus Reid, drummers John Guerin and Dennis Mackrel, and percussionist Roger Squitero. Of the ten selections on the CD, six of the arrangements were written by Jackson, one by his friend and former teacher Slide Hampton, one by Christopher, and two by the prolific motion picture composer Eddie Karam. 

The remarkably varied program on Inspiration opens with the lively samba- and montuno-driven original "Brazilian Bop," which came out of Jackson's travels to Brazil with Ray Charles and the two years he spent in Dominican salsa singer Raulin Rosendo's band. The standards "Spring Is Here" and "Tenderly" showcase Jackson as a supremely lyrical interpreter of ballads in the tradition of such trombone predecessors as Tommy Dorsey and Urbie Green, both of whom he credits as influences, although he cites J. J. Johnson, his onetime instructor at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, as his all-time favorite.

Other standouts are the swinging Jackson composition "Wake Up Election 2000" for full orchestra, with solos by Wilson (on alto), Stafford, and the leader; Vernon Duke's "April in Paris," for which Jackson's arrangement combines polyrhythmic swing with an Afro-Cuban feel; and "The Spot," the trombonist's swinging salute to jam sessions. "It's where musicians have sort of a social gathering; otherwise we're working all the time," he says. "It's where we go to play and hone our skills and be inspired by each other's ideas."

Jason Jackson was born on September 11, 1971, in San Bernardino, California, to an Italian-American mother and an African-American father, both of whom were jazz fans. While growing up in nearby Yucaipa, he picked up a trombone that belonged to his uncle and blew into it. "They were so amazed that I got a sound out of it, they gave it to me," he says of his family. He went on to play the instrument in the jazz band at Yucaipa Intermediate School. "I knew within my first year that this was what I wanted to do," he remembers.

In 1989, after graduating from Idyllwild preparatory school, he enrolled at Oberlin in Ohio, where for one semester his instructor was modern jazz trombone pioneer J.J. Johnson. "I couldn't believe I was sitting next to my idol," Jackson recalls. "He was such a force in my life and trombone playing for so many years."

Jackson received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Oberlin in 1993 before relocating to New York to study privately with Slide Hampton on an NEA grant and to work on a Master's Degree in Jazz and Commercial Music at the Manhattan School of Music, where his trombone instructors included Steve Turre and Jack Gale.

In addition to the two years he spent touring the world with Ray Charles not long after his arrival, he has been the lead trombonist in the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band for the past decade and also currently plays that part in orchestras led by Roy Hargrove and Charles Tolliver. And on Mondays, his off-nights from playing in the pit bands of such Tony Award-winning Broadway productions as The Color Purple, Wonderful Town, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and presently Motown the Musical, he has been a member for the past 10 years of the Grammy Award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard. He also teaches part-time at City College of New York, performs about once per month in a group he co-leads with his wife, and even finds time to occasionally sit in at jam sessions.

Jackson will be appearing 8/26-31 at the Jazz Standard, NYC, as lead trombonist and featured soloist with the Ron Carter Big Band, and is touring Japan 10/27-11/2 with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. His own Jason Jackson Orchestra, featuring music from Inspiration, will perform a CD release show at 11/29 at Smalls, NYC. "I needed to go ahead and go for it," Jackson says of his exciting new role as leader.

  

Web Site: jasonjacksonmusic.com

Urban-Jazz Saxophonist Kim Waters to Release "Silver Soul" on September 2, 2014

Lasting romance should be celebrated, especially when it comes to monumental moments such as anniversaries. For 25 years, urban-jazz saxophonist Kim Waters has ardently set the mood with musical overtures, vows and come-ons that have been embraced to the tune of four No. 1 albums, 14 No. 1 singles and 16 Top 10 singles. The September 2 release of his 20th album, “Silver Soul,” commemorates a quarter century of romance on a disc of new R&B, contemporary jazz and pop gems that he produced, wrote (ten of the twelve songs) and performed (saxes, background vocals and all the instrumentation except for guitar).

  

Like many writers, Waters wants his listeners to interpret his compositions rather than spell out the specific meaning behind the songs. Perhaps a hint of mystery heightens the romance although it is no mystery that the sweeping, cinematically sweet soprano sax valentine “A Song For Dana” is about his wife and collaborator, vocalist Dana Pope, who occupies the spotlight on the amorous pledge “Anything You Need.” The first single and session starter, “Dreaming Of You,” on which Waters gets an assist on piano from his daughter Kayla Waters, is an exuberant paean redolent of falling in love. Waters has long displayed a proclivity for crafting infectious hooks. “On A Mission” serves as a prime example on which the gifted technician who orates though a variety of saxophones fervently explores the full potential of the groove with his tenor horn. A pleading sax is reinforced with a beautiful piano melody and vocal chorus sung by Waters on the seductive “Stay Together.”

Originally from the Baltimore, Maryland area, Waters was mentored by and shared friendship with nearby Washington, DC go-go pioneer Chuck Brown, who receives a tribute on the bouncy energizer “Go-Go Smooth.”  Waters currently resides near Austin, Texas in the enclave of Round Rock spawning the radio-friendly excursion “Cruising Round Rock.”

Delving back into his romantic muse, Waters gives the John Legend smash “All Of Me” a stirring soprano sax treatment as arresting as the original. Perhaps the most stunning cut is “Fireflies” on which the Disney star and Hollywood Records vocalist Zendaya revisits her own illuminating recording for a breathtaking duet with Waters that soars sensually aboard a cascading track that ebbs and flows. The passion continues on the steamy “Let’s Make Love” making its intentions known on the vocal chorus. Changing the mood, “High Stride” lifts the tempo with a lilting strut led by tenor sax. Waters and R&B crooner Eric Roberson co-wrote “Laying Beside Me,” which closes the record with what bodes to become an urban AC hit. In fact, the entire album sounds like a collection of multi-formatted radio singles, something Waters deliberately set out to do when writing the music.

www.KimWaters.net

NATALIE COLE 3 ALBUMS DIGITALLY REMASTERED: THANKFUL, I LOVE YOU SO, DON'T LOOK BACK

Classic early work from Natalie Cole – packaged here in a sweet 2-CD set! First up is the album Thankful – the third record in a tremendous early creative and commerical winning streak for Natalie! Thankful has her sweet, soulful voice out from of prodcution by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of the Independents, and they give her a nice jazzy sound that made the record one of her best of the 70s. Richard Evans and Gene Barge arranged, which probably had something to do with that, too – but Natalie truly deserves most of the credit of the strength of this set. It includes the standout groovers "La Costa" and"Annie Mae", but the whole record is really sweet – with "Lovers", "Our Love", "Be Thankful", "Just Can't Stay Away" and "Keeping A Light". 

I Love You So is a Capitol killer from Natalie Cole – a really great record from the time when she really seemed to be starting out her career with a bang! As with other gems on Capitol, the record features some great production work from Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson, getting a bit of help here from Gene Barge too – all wrapped up with a strong, sophisticated sound that shows plenty of Chi-soul touches in the music – a great approach for Natalie's maturing vocals. The sound is wonderfully balanced, and really stays away from easy hit modes – leaving the lady in a space that's all her own, on tracks that include "The Winner", "I Love You So", "Oh Daddy", "Sorry", "Stand By", and "Who Will Carry On". 

Don't Look Back is an overlooked gem from Natalie Cole – a set that still has her working strongly with songwriter Marvin Yancy, who really helped her find her sound and style during the early years of her career! Natalie actually helped with writing a fair bit on the record herself – sometimes with Yancy, sometimes alone – and the result is a surprisingly personal batch of tunes that really show a deepening of spirit in the singer, especially in the mellower moments. Gene Barge handles the arrangements – still bringing a bit of Chicago soul roots to the record – that mix of deep and sophisticated modes that always brought out the best in Natalie. Titles include "Don't Look Back", "I'm Getting In To You", "Paradise", "Hold ON", "Danger UP A head", and "Someone That I Used To Love". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - KENNY WERNER - COALITION; CONRAD HERWIG - THE LATIN SIDE OF JOE HENDERSON FEATURING JOE LOVANO; JORDANA TALSKY - STANDARD DEVIATION

KENNY WERNER - COALITION

Coalition will mark Kenny Werner's eighth release for Half Note, a catalog that includes his masterwork No Beginning No End, which was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010. A consummate "musician's musician," Werner may be best known for his hugely influential instructional guide on improvisation, Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within, original published in 1996. While countless student musicians have benefited from the book's teachings, Levenson recounts an encounter where he overheard musical geniuses Quincy Jones and Herb Alpert excitedly discussing its merits. Coalition is the title of the studio album and Werner's new quintet. It was formed out of the pianist's desire to work with Benin-born guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke and Puerto Rican alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón, two leaders of the younger generation of multi-cultural jazz artists. He also enlisted Danish saxophonist Benjamin Koppel and Hungarian bassist Ferenc Nemeth to create some of the most forward-thinking music of his career, a set of music alive with diverse rhythms and wide-ranging approaches featuring collaborative contributions from the group. "Coalition is indicative of Werner's approach," Levenson says. "In each of his projects he attempts to place himself in a setting that will expand his reach, provide a challenge and create a context that will help him develop as an artist." Kenny Werner's Coalition is set for release on September 16, 2014. 

www.kennywerner.com

CONRAD HERWIG FEATURING JOE LOVANO - THE LATIN SIDE OF JOE HENDERSON

Since the release of his tribute to John Coltrane in 1996, Conrad Herwig's The Latin Side of... recordings have become one of the most revered collections in jazz, focused on reimagining the compositions of seminal jazz musicians', showcasing them within the framework of an Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean perspective. Born in Oklahoma and reared in Hawaii, Herwig started his career under the tutelage of Clark Terry, Cab Calloway and Buddy Rich, and honed his passion for Latin Jazz with his long and ongoing association alongside legendary pianist Eddie Palmieri. Those influences can be heard throughout his Latin Side... albums. The Latin Side of Joe Henderson is the sixth entry in the series and the fifth to be released on Half Note, following tributes to Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and two albums dedicated to Miles Davis. On this latest album, special guest Joe Lovano joins Herwig's stellar ensemble paying homage to one of the greatest of all tenor men. Release date is September 16, 2014. www.conradherwig.com

JORDANA TALSKY - STANDARD DEVIATION

Jordana Talsky’s debut album, Standard Deviation, marks the arrival of a serious young talent in Canadian jazz. The vocalist/songwriter has been turning heads (and ears) on the Toronto scene for the last three years, and her musical career now takes a giant leap forward with this superb solo record, to be released to coincide with a performance at the prestigious Toronto venue, Jazz Bistro. Standard Deviation features a seamless mix of pop and jazz material. Jordana succinctly describes the style of the record as “jazzy takes on pop songs and poppier takes on jazz songs. I am always attracted to new combinations, rather than strictly sticking to a genre.”  Musicians on the album are Scott Metcalfe on keyboards, Brownman Ali on trumpet, Paul Metcalfe on saxophone and flute, Ross MacIntyre on bass and Eric St. Laurent on guitar. Talsky brings a welcomed and fresh new voice to the music.Talsky’s passion for and proficiency at singing was displayed at an early age. As a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, she performed with several ensembles, among them the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony and National Ballet of Canada, gaining experience in radio, TV, and theatre en route.Tracks include: Black Velvet, Murder By Numbers, Old Devil Moon, Whogonnahold, Love Me (Lovefool), Devil May Care, Panta Niwas, and When The Sun Comes Out.        

PUERTO RICAN BASS PLAYER JOAN TORRES & HIS ENSEMBLE ALL IS FUSED RELEASE "THE BEGINNING"

Even at a young age, Joan Torres was drawn to music. As a little boy he had a small guitar and then a small keyboard with which he spent a lot of time making "interesting" sounds. It wasn't until he was 10 years old that he seriously considered starting playing an instrument with a group. He chose the bass and when he turned 11 he finally got one and his life was changed forever.

He began studying the instrument with a private instructor then individually when the instructor moved away. He formed a Rock band with a couple of friends from school when he was in 8th grade (2001) and they basically covered songs to perform in talent shows and class parties.

In the year 2003, he joined his school's new choir directed by Orlando Collado, a Berklee alumnus who quickly became a mentor and a friend, as a bass singer. He also decided to start working on original material and enrolled in the after-school Stevan Micheo Music Academy. There he met drummer Fernando Garcia, who has joined him in many endeavors throughout the years. Furthermore, during his time there, he acquired the core for most of his musical knowledge today. He studied the electric bass, reading and performing in Jazz under bassist Joel Marrero. In addition, he learned the basics of Jazz harmony and theory under one of his mentors, guitarist Antonio Caraballo. At this time he began to explore composition.

In 2004 he auditioned for the Berklee in Puerto Rico workshops and was chosen to attend that year in May. During this time he met another one of his mentors, Oscar Stagnaro. He once again attended the Berklee in Puerto Rico program the following year, this time meeting the people who got him playing his first jazz gigs at local restaurants. Later that summer he attended the Berklee Summer Performance Program in Boston. There he studied with many world-renowned musicians including private instructor Matthew Garrison. He was also asked by Victor Mendoza to join his "Salsa Ensemble". In this ensemble he met Gabriel Lugo and Marcos Lopez both talented puertorican percussionists. At the end of the Berklee program he was awarded with a scholarship to attend Berklee as a full-time student.

He was also invited to join many other different projects. He joined plena orchestra "Plena Juventud" with fellow musician Gabriel Lugo. He also joined jazz group "Indaka Jazz Quartet" where he met guitarist Gabriel Vicens with whom he's been friends ever since. Later he joined a new reggae group who was looking for a bassist that eventually became the local indie group "Raices Rusticas".

Through many steady gigs, and jam sessions he played with many people including Mario Castro, Jeremy de Jesus and Enrique Trinidad. He once again attended the Berklee in Puerto Rico workshops and his ensemble was chosen to play at the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest on June 4th, 2006. That summer he began to study the upright bass with local legend Tony Batista who became a friend and a big influence on developing his skills. Later, Raices Rusticas opened for Black Guayaba at the Arena Pier Ten September 9, 2006, their first big show performing original music.

After he graduated high school and moved to the town of Mayaguez to study engineering, he joined the University's Choir "Coral Universitaria". After one semester there, the director asked him to move to the university's more exclusive choir "Corium Canticus" in which he stayed for the next 4 years. During his time there, the choir was chosen to take part in a choir competition in Argentina in 2008 where they were awarded a gold medal for the score of their performance.

In May 2007 he attended the Berklee in Puerto Rico workshops for the last time where he was awarded another scholarship to attend the college and was again part of the ensemble chosen to play at the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest on June 3rd.

In Summer 2009 Raices Rusticas decided to focus their efforts on their original material. That year they recorded new original songs, got the chance to film a music video for their single "Free Taste" and were chosen as one of the 13 reggae bands to represent Puerto Rico's reggae movement in the first of Sembrando Semillas compilation albums. Their single in that album "Suerte" got them new fans and greater exposition. Afterwards in 2010, they had the chance to play throughout the island of Puerto Rico in the Reggae Road Trip, Sembrando Semillas's Summer tour. Their song was also featured in the Rip Curl Pro Search 2010 radio promo. The event was held in Isabela, Puerto Rico where they also performed on October 30th.

After the success of the Sembrando Semillas movement, he was able to launch the website www.CulturaJazz.com, dedicated to promoting the Jazz scene in Puerto Rico. The project grew enough so that in 2011 they were recognized as press in local events including the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest. However, the community began to dwindle and on April 26, 2014 Culturajazz closed down after 4 years of service.

In Summer 2011, long-time friend, guitarist Gabriel Vicens and Joan Torres himself started their own project, a Modern Jazz Quintet playing original compositions. Eventually, the project became two separate projects, one of them being the Gabriel Vicens Quintet, in which Joan Torres took part for its earliest incarnation.

Joan Torres decided after his experience with the Gabriel Vicens Quintet to revisit some of the compositions he had made over the years along with some new ideas. He began working on those ideas, got a repertoire of original music together and recruited a new group to perform these Modern Jazz Fusion tunes. It can be said that these tunes synthesize a lot of his musical experiences and influences over the years. Joan was able to perform his music with the group, All is Fused, for the first time at the local Nuyorican Cafe on December 21st, 2011. They recorded their first album on January 10 and 11 at Playbach Studio; it features Sergio Gonzalez, David Ojeda, Fernando Garcia, Jonathan Suazo and Gabriel Vicens. It was released May 21, 2012.

During the first half of 2013 Joan Torres performed with many well-known local artists like singer-songwriters Fana and Rique Colon. He along with drummer Fernando Garcia offered drum and bass clinics at Stevan Micheo Music. In February, his group performed some of the music from the album "Before" in a Jazz forum for the community of the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory. In March 2013 Joan Torres's All is Fused was nominated in two categories for the 12th Annual Independent Music Awards for their critically-acclaimed debut album "Before". During November 2013, they went on tour through New Orleans, Louisiana. Once they returned home they started working on their second album.

Joan Torres started working on a new concept for the second All is Fused album. The music is very different from the first one having a darker mood and more intense tone. However, the music was written by the same person, with the same influences, so it is a new chapter on this musical adventure. The new album, The Beginning, was recorded on February 24 and 25, 2014 at Playbach Studio. It mainly features the same ensemble: Sergio Gonzalez and Gabriel Vicens on Guitars, Fernando Garcia on Drums, Jonathan Suazo on Alto Sax, with new additions of Emanuel Rivera on Piano and Gerson Orjuela on Drums. On April 27, 2014 they performed a set featuring music from the new album for Heineken's Ventana al JazzFest in Condado, Puerto Rico. The ensemble launched an indiegogo campaign to help fund this album which was successfully funded on May 2, 2014. The Beginning is set to release August 2014.

http://joantorresmusic.com/

KWESI FONTINELLE DELIVERS UNIQUE BRAND OF CARIBBEAN GOSPEL ON NEW RELEASE - RECONCILIATION

Gospel reggae artist Kwesi Fontinelle delivers his unique brand of Caribbean Gospel music on his highly anticipated new EP, Reconciliation, now available worldwide from all major digital retailers (released on August 5, 2014), from JahLight Records, distributed by FOX FUSE. Boasting seven tracks, this marks the third studio release from the inspirational singing sensation. Born in Trinidad and Tobago and staking his claim on the music scene since 2008, Fontinelle is a seasoned singer/songwriter and a prolific performer, who has been casting righteous seeds and earning fans far and wide, ever since.

“My mission is to spread the message of the Gospel to different parts of the world and let people know that there is still hope and this hope is found in Jesus Christ,” discloses Fontinelle. “This album’s purpose is to encourage and motivate the people of this world to move forward in life with Christ. We can be anything God wants us to be. To my fans, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, so trust in Him.” Fontinelle’s mission is already bearing fruit as Reconciliation receives a coveted feature on the iTunes U.S. Reggae New & Noteworthy chart, during its week of release.

Fontinelle is assisted by not one but five Gospel artists, who are featured on five of the seven tracks, making this compilation a collaborative effort among the Gospel reggae community. Featured are Levi Subero on the lead single “I Will Survive,” Koen Duncan on “Last Days,” Jah Kiley on “You Are,” JSquare on “Stand Your Ground,” and Virtuous on “Be Still.” Producers Koen Duncan, Monty G and Cloud 9 Productions lend their talents on the production of Reconcilation, alongside the album’s producer Akeunde Pemberton, who is at the helm of JahLight Records, making this compilation a true meeting of the minds.

This EP is a taste of what is to come on Fontinelle’s debut album My Hope, scheduled for release next year from JahLight Records. “Kwesi Fontinelle is one of the most humble singers I know,” states Pemberton. “He is hard working, talented, full of conviction and committed to getting out the Gospel through music to the people. So it is a blessing to work with him on any given project.” Reconciliation was executive produced by Pemberton and Jason Joefield, manager of Heaven Touching Earth (HTE) Music, the label to which Fontinelle is signed.

TRACK LIST

1. I Will Survive Featuring Levi Subero

2. You Are Featuring Jah Kiley

3. Stand Your Ground Featuring JSquare

4. Use Me

5. Calm The Storm

6. Be Still Featuring Virtuous

7. Last Days Featuring Koen Duncan

Audio Fidelity To Release Jazz Legend George Benson's 'Breezin' On Multichannel 5.1-Surround Sound Hybrid SACD

Jazz fans worldwide are buzzing with excitement over the release of 'Breezin' by legendary jazz singer and guitarist George Benson on Multichannel 5.1-Surround Sound Hybrid SACD from Marshall Blonstien's Audio Fidelity. George Benson's 'Breezin' is the best-selling jazz album of all time. It is a true virtuoso performance: a four-time Grammy nominee and two-time winner, the first album by a jazz artist to earn platinum certification.

Originally released in 1976, 'Breezin', spearheaded by the hit single “This Masquerade”, was the album that first alerted the public at large to Benson's talents. Long before that, however, he was known to jazz fans as “very probably the most gifted guitarist since Wes Montgomery.”

Produced by Tommy Lipuma, Breezin' features Benson with keyboardists Ronnie Foster and Jorge Dalto, rhythm guitarist Phil Upchurch, drummer Harvey Mason, bass player Stanley Banks and percussionist Ralph MacDonald.

Leon Russell's “This Masquerade” (the first song in music history to occupy the #1 spot in jazz, pop and R&B charts), featuring Benson's soulful vocal and his trademark guitar-voice scatting technique, is the album's only non-instrumental. The other numbers include Bobby Womack's title song, the winner of Grammies for Record of the Year and Best Pop Instrumental.

“...among the half dozen best jazz albums ever made by a contemporary jazz musician.”

Tracks:

1. Breezin'

2. This Masquerade

3. Six to Four

4. Affirmation

5. So This is Love?

6. Lady

Produced by Tommy Lipuma

Multichannel SACD 5.1 mix: Al Schmitt at Capitol Records

Multichannel SACD 5.1 mastering: Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab

Stereo CD and SACD mastering: Steve Hoffman at Stephen Marsh Mastering

http://www.audiofidelity.net/content/george-benson-breezin

NEW RELEASES - BARBRA STREISAND - PARTNERS; JOYCE MORENO - RAIZ; THE STYLISTICS - FREE SOUL

BARBA STREISAND - PARTNERS

"Partners" is Barbra Streisand's new album, featuring 12 inimitable new Streisand duets with the world's greatest male vocalists. This is the legendary artist's first duets album in more than a decade, and debuts new studio recordings of Streisand classics and others songs. "Partners" is comprised of 12 songs, many of which are regarded as Streisand classics. Among the songs included are "New York State Of Mind," with Billy Joel, "Come Rain Or Come Shine," with John Mayer, "Love Me Tender," with Elvis Presley, "The Way We Were," with Lionel Richie, "What Kind Of Fool," with John Legend, "People," with Stevie Wonder, "I Can Still See Your Face," with Andrea Bocelli, “Evergreen," with Babyface, and Ms. Streisand's first studio-recorded duet with her son Jason Gould, on "How Deep Is The Ocean." Also included are “ It Had To Be You” with Michael Bublé, “”I'd Want It To Be You” with Blake Shelton, and “ Somewhere”  with Josh Groban.

JOYCE MORENO - RAIZ

The album's a recent one, but the legendary Joyce also returns to her roots a bit – hence the title – working here with a bit of help from the great Roberto Menescal, who brought the singer into the studio for her first bossa session 50 years ago! The format is laidback, warm, and wonderfully jazzy – with lots of strong piano lines from Helio Alves alongside Joyce's tight acoustic guitar – a combination that gives the record a great deal of musical warmth, which really helps match the beauty of the vocals! Tutty Moreno plays drums, and Menescal plays guitar on two tracks he arranged – and titles include "Meu Piao", "Tamba", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Ceu E Mar", "Nos E O Mar", "Tristeza De Nos Dois", and "Canto De Yansan". ~ Dusty Groove

THE STYLISTICS - FREE SOUL

A really fresh look at The Stylistics – a set that includes some of their key harmony soul classics, but also mixes in some of their lesser-known gems from the 70s – all in the best spirit of the landmark Free Soul series! Some of the tracks here are mellower than you'll usually get with Free Soul – which can focus more on upbeat cuts – but with The Stylistics, even the laidback numbers have a sweet gentle groove – which is what makes them different than so many other harmony groups of the time. And mixing in the lesser-known tracks is a real strength – as it recasts the familiar numbers in a great new light – on a 21 track set list that's a delight all the way through! Titles include "Human Nature", "Easy Loving You", "This Christmas", "Love Comes Easy", "Ebony Eyes", "Let Them Work It Out", "If I Love You", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", "Hurry Up This Way Again", "People Make The World Go Round", "Found A Love You Couldn't Handle", "Country Living", "Shame & Scandal In The Family", and "You're As Right As Rain". ~ Dusty Groove

HUBERT LAWS CLASSICS REMASTERED ON ONE CD: CRYING SONG, AFRO-CLASSIC & THE RITE OF SPRING

Hubert Laws on CTI Records – a mighty great thing, as you'll hear on these three vintage albums for the label! First up is Crying Song, a landmark record – the first album that flutist Hubert Laws cut for CTI, and the beginning of a very important partnership with the label! The record is a sublime exploration of sound and space – very different than Laws' 60s Latin sides for Atlantic, and handled in a baroque mode that has his flute drifting over a mixture of organ, piano, and rhythms augmented with strings – easy and jazzy in the same moment, with a hip sophistication that points the way towards a new flute sound in the 70s! Titles include "Crying Song", "Listen To The Band", "Cymbaline", "Feelin Alright", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "La Jean", "Love Is Blue/Sing A Rainbow", and "How Long Will It Be". 

Afro Classic is an amazing album – and the cornerstone of the CTI sound! The record's an incredibly baroque set of tracks from funky flautist Hubert Laws – featuring arrangements from Don Sebesky that mix complicated lines on flute with electric piano from Bob James, into a swirling mass of sound that's warm, soulful, and fuzzy. The record's incredibly hip – and even on material like "Theme From Love Story", "Fire & Rain", and "Passacaglia In C Minor", Laws and the group soar away into another plane of being! Jazz flute and CTI were never the same after this album! 

Rite Of Spring is a groundbreaking record from flautist Hubert Laws – a mixture of classical themes and jazz, handled with an airy CTI approach – and set to arrangements by Don Sebesky that are simply mindblowing! The album's a wonderful example of the way that CTI really pushed the boundaries of instrumental expression in the 70s – taking Laws wonderfully breathy work on flute, and mixing it with some well-crafted backings that also feature electric piano by Bob James, bass by Ron Carter, and percussion by Airto and Jack DeJohnette. The larger group is handled by Sebesky, who really brings some magic to the record – a sense of sound, space, and timing that's still a heck of a lot more mature and sophisticated than most instrumental recordings coming out today! Titles include "Syrinx", "Rite Of Spring", "Brandenburg Concerto No 3", and "Pavane". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - ERIC ROBERSON - THE BOX; TOM HARRELL - TRIP; ETTA JAMES - IT TAKES LOVE TO KEEP A WOMAN (THE ALLEN TOUSSAINT SESSIONS)

ERIC ROBERSON - THE BOX

Stunning soul from Eric Roberson – an artist we've already loved for many years, but who just keeps on getting better and better with each new record! The album's got a near-perfect feel that lives up to the poise and confidence displayed by Roberson on the cover – songwriting that's deeply soulful and very personal, and able to embrace a much greater range of ideas than so many of his contemporaries – a richness that goes back to Eric's earlier roots in house and hip hop, but served up with a power to match the classic soul singers of the 70s! The bottom is nice and deep – with the kind of boom you'd expect from the box of the cover – but there's also loads of warm jazzy inflections too – both in Roberson's vocals, and in the instrumentation. Titles include "Haunted", "Pill", "The Box", "Lust For Love", "I'm Not Trying To Keep Score No More", "Punch Drunk Love", "The Cycle", and "Do The Same For Me".  ~ Dusty Groove

TOM HARRELL - TRIP

Some of the densest, most powerful music we've heard from trumpeter Tom Harrell in years – and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved all his other recent records! Tom's working here in a very spare setting – no piano, just a quartet format with Mark Turner on tenor, alongside bass and drums – a mode that really has Harrell's horn out front, often intertwining with Turner – as each then break out into these stunningly conceived solos. Both rhythm players break out tremendously – balancing out the sound of the record equally with the horns – and Ugonna Okegwo plays bass and Adam Cruz handles the drums. The set has a long suite in the center – "The Adventures Of A Quixotic Character" – and is bracketed by equally great numbers that include "Sunday", "Cycle", "Coastline", "After The Game Is Over", and "There". ~ Dusty Groove

ETTA JAMES - IT TAKES LOVE TO KEEP A WOMAN (THE ALLEN TOUSSAINT SESSIONS)

An overlooked gem from Etta James – a late 70s collaboration with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint – and a set that's got some of the same funky power as her early 70s material for Chess Records! Toussaint's vibe is a bit different, but also has a lot more bite than some of his bigger-name productions of the period – a real return to the kind of sharp snaps and rugged rhythms he brought to his initial classics – as well as some deeper soul modes that really help keep James at her best, by fleshing out the record with a good degree of emotion. Titles include "Who's Getting Your Love", "Night People", "With You In Mind", "Mean Mother", "Don't Stop", "Night By Night", and "Wheel Of Fire". ~ Dusty Groove

JAZZ SAXOPHONIST SEAN KHAN FEATURING VOCALS FROM OMAR AND REMIXES FROM 4HERO AND NICOLA CONTE

Here’s a 12" Remix EP of new material from the brilliant jazz saxophonist Sean Khan, featuring the father of British neo-soul Omar on vocals and remixes from 4hero and Nicola Conte. The tracks on this EP are remixes of material from Sean Khan's upcoming second studio album 'Muriel' coming soon on Far Out Recordings.

Not so long ago, here in West London, there was a movement which drew upon jazz, latin, jungle, hip hop, house music and sound system culture. The West London broken beat scene provided Sean Khan with a refreshing approach to jazz. His involvement in the movement as band leader of the cult soul/ jazz outfit SK Radicals, and in collaboration with the likes of the legendary Bugz in the Attic collective, have seen his unique breed of jazz remixed and put to full effect in London's clubs, at nights like the legendary bruk focused 'CoOp'.

This 12" single sees Sean's jazz compositions reworked once more, and who better to do it than stalwarts of West London Broken Beat, Jazz and all round UK dance music legends 4hero. Featuring father of British Neo Soul Omar on vocals, the 4hero remix of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down" is uplifting downtempo dancefloor jazz. A perfect mood setter, with just the kind of fluidity and groove you'd expect from a 4hero jazz remix.

The B side hosts Nicola Conte's remix of 'Things to Say'. Renowned for his input and influence in the lineage of acid jazz and fusion, as a producer, Dj and musician, Nicola Conte provides a deeper, darker take on Sean Khan's unique blend of jazz. A bouncy 4/4 house beat, whirring rhodes, the ghostly soulful vocals of Diana Martinez and samples of Sean Khan's expressive sax playing take the track to more introspective yet still clearly club focused territory. ~ Far Out Recordings

NEW RELEASES: ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND - 1971 FILLMORE EAST RECORDINGS; HERBIE HANCOCK / WAYNE SHORTER / RON CARTER / TONY WILLIAMS - TEMPEST IN THE COLOSSEUM; KING FLOYD - THINK ABOUT IT

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND - THE 1971 FILLMORE EAST RECORDINGS

One of the best live albums of all time is about to get considerably better. The Allman Brothers Band's cornerstone LP, At Fillmore East, compiled from the four sets recorded on the weekend of March 12-13, 1971, has been expanded, stretching over six CDs with fifteen unreleased tracks. Additionally, The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings contains the complete June 27 performance during the iconic venue-s final weekend, after the band was handpicked by impresario Bill Graham to headline closing night. The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings captures the most inspired improvisational rock unit ever at the peak of their prodigious powers, blazing their way through extended instrumental elaborations, so taut and virtuosic, that the crowds that packed the Fillmore East on those memorable nights were utterly transfixed. When it came to live performance, no other band could touch the Allmans. The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings' includes 37 tracks, 15 previously unreleased and a 36 page booklet with extended liner notes and never-before-seen images of the Fillmore concerts. ~ Amazon.com

VSOP: HERBIE HANCOCK / WAYNE SHORTER / RON CARTER / TONY WILLIAMS - TEMPEST IN THE COLOSSEUM

A defnite tempest from the start to the finish – and a brilliant live demonstration of the mighty powers of the VSOP group! The ensemble features soaring acoustic sounds from the quintet lineup of Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all musicians who were experimenting with a lot of different styles at the time, especially electric ones – but come together here in an all-acoustic mode that's filled with wonderful solos throughout. You can definitely hear some of the inspiration the players each took from their own projects – but it's also focused back into a more solid, soulful style here – really opening up on long tracks that include "Eye of The Hurricane", "Maiden Voyage", "Lawra", and "Red Clay". ~ Dusty Groove

KING CURTIS - THINK ABOUT IT

An excellent album from King Floyd – possibly his best, and proof that the harder side of southern soul sound was still alive and well in the 70s! The record was one of the first few big ones to come out of the Malaco studios in Jackson – which would soon become one of the biggest hubs of southern soul production after the slowdown at Memphis and Muscle Shoals – and Floyd's kicking it hard in a way that would make Otis Redding or Arthur Conley proud. The backings are mighty tight, but in a way that's much fresher than some of the bigger southern studios of the time – and titles include a great cover of Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", which begins with a great breakbeat – plus "Here it Is", "Woman Don't Go Astray", "Do Your Feeling", "You've Got Me", and "Think About It". ~ Dusty Groove