Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star Grammy® Salute" coming to CBS

The Recording Academy®, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and CBS will present "Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY® Salute," a primetime entertainment special that will celebrate the iconic songbook and remarkable legacy of the 25-time GRAMMY winner. The two-hour show will tape at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, two days after the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, from 9 – 11 p.m. ET/PT. For updates and breaking news, please visit GRAMMY.com, and The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Performers and presenters will be announced shortly.

“Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY Salute”

In the 56-year history of the GRAMMY Awards, Wonder is the only artist to have received Album Of The Year honors in three out of four consecutive years with Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and the seminal Songs In The Key Of Life. With a catalog that is one of the richest treasure troves in American music, his songs are still revered and influential today and his longevity as one of America's — and the world's — most respected and beloved artists is well earned. "Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY Salute" will feature some of today's top artists covering songs by the legendary GRAMMY winner, as well as other archival material. In addition, various presenters will help highlight the historical impact of Wonder's songs on music and our culture.

"Stevie Wonder is a beloved icon whose golden songbook remains one of America's and music's greatest treasures," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "A 25-time GRAMMY winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, it's only fitting that Music's Biggest Night® celebrates this legendary musical genius and pays tribute to his enduring music and legacy."

"Some of my most memorable television experiences have been with my friend Stevie, both on the GRAMMYs and off, and to be able to celebrate him in a way that only the GRAMMY stage allows is a treat that I've looked forward to for a long time," said executive producer Ken Ehrlich of AEG Ehrlich Ventures. "He is truly deserving of the term that is often used about him — an American treasure — and the night of Feb. 10 when we tape this show is going to be an amazing time."

"Stevie Wonder epitomizes the very spirit of the GRAMMYs," said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment. "His music is as poignant as it is appealing and his songs have the ability to illustrate our world in every note. We are thrilled to pay tribute to this legendary man and musician. His influence is present in so much of today's greatest music. This salute will give everyone he's inspired a chance to show our esteem."

"Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY Salute" continues the tradition begun this past year with "The Beatles: The Night That Changed America — A GRAMMY Salute," a two-and-a-half-hour special that celebrated the remarkable legacy of the seven-time GRAMMY-winning group. Hailed by media and fans alike as a unique and memorable event in music television, the Beatles special ultimately garnered 20 million viewers and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction (for Music Director Don Was).

Tickets to the taping of this very special evening will go on sale Thursday, Dec. 18, on AXS.com. Call 877.234.8425 or email tickets@aegworldwide.com for more information on ticket availability including VIP ticket packages and group sales.

"Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY Salute" is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC. Ken Ehrlich is the executive producer.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join the GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.

Trombonist Steve Turre Makes an Inspired Return To His Roots on Upcoming Release, Spiritman

Trombonist/composer Steve Turre has forged a distinctive place for himself with a long series of conceptual albums, often focused upon his innovative use of conch shells; but on Spiritman, his new album for Smoke Sessions Records, Turre has decided to go back to basics, centered upon his brilliant trombone playing. "I like to swing and I like to play the blues. I'm not ashamed to swing and I'm not afraid to swing. I think it's the foundation of the music and I'm proud of it." And swing he does -- vibrantly, joyously and vividly on the beat -- in the like-minded company of four truly outstanding musicians: alto/soprano saxophonist Bruce Williams, with Xavier Davis, Gerald Cannon and Willie Jones III on piano, bass and drums. Special guest Chembo Corniel brings his congas mastery to one track as well. The repertoire is a delightful selection of standards, jazz classics and five highly compelling new originals by Turre.

With all but one track featuring his marvelous trombone artistry, Turre clearly demonstrates why he is considered one of the ultimate masters of the instrument on today's scene. His powerful, fluid and expressive sound is rooted in the classic traditions of Lawrence Brown and Vic Dickenson, shaped by the modern giants like J.J. Johnson and Curtis Fuller, to emerge as a singular force who is now influencing a new generation of players. Williams is establishing himself as one of today's most inventive saxophonists and the rhythm section not only performs with consummate artistry and sensitivity, but also achieves that elusive quality of unified purpose, providing the engine to powerfully drive the music home. The ensemble work is splendid throughout and the solos are stunning, always crafted to perfectly convey the intent of the compositions.

Three items from the Great American Songbook provide a breakneck tempo, take-no-prisoners foray on "With a Song in My Heart;" a jauntily swinging "'S Wonderful;" and a lushly beautiful, but adventurous take on "It's Too Late Now." Horace Silver's "Peace" is treated to a Dameron-esque arrangement that adds another level of radiance to the exquisite ballad; while "Lover Man,"usually painted as a ballad, is instead explored in buoyant swing. The Turre originals provide the blood that runs through the body of this remarkable recording, including the deeply powerful "Trayvon's Blues" channeling sorrow and rage into a gospel-ish lament a la Mingus - a sobering and profound piece, centered by Turre's soulful holler. Soulful is the mode for "Funky Thing," composed for the Saturday Night Live band in a crisp JBs attitude on a fractured ostinato vamp. "Bu," an homage to Turre's mentor Buhaina -- Art Blakey -- is an appropriately driving, modal cooker; and the angular, sinuous "Nangadef" grooves mightily, stoked by Corniel's congas.

The final Turre original, the title piece that closes this extraordinary album, is a crystal clear window to the soul of Steve Turre. Wrapped around a captivating version of Miles Davis' "All Blues" in medley form, this is Steve's only venture here into the use of conch shells that has created another unique space for him in music in the jazz tradition. Employing his personally developed technique of blowing the shell over the strings of the piano with the sustain pedal held down, a haunting, viscerally evocative sound vibrates and resonates, conveying an aura that is truly Spiritman - and a stunning introduction to the spirited version of the Miles classic, featuring a luminous shell solo.

The pursuit of the transcendent has always been at the core of Turre's music. Whether creating arrangements for giants like Ray Charles, Max Roach and Dexter Gordon; performing from his early years with Blakey's Jazz Messengers through his work with with such stellar names as McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Woody Shaw, Lester Bowie, many legends of Latin music and so many others; or in every enthralling musical adventure under his own leadership, Steve Turre has always set his sights intently upon the highest ideals. "Music is about giving and about searching and so that is the spirit....because without spirit, music is just notes."

  

Steve Turre · Spiritman - Smoke Sessions Records

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Bassist Mark Wade Debuts with "Event Horizon," Featuring His Trio Pianist Tim Harrison, Drummer Scott Neumann

Mark Wade Event Horizon Bassist Mark Wade takes the art of the trio to brilliant new heights with his debut recording Event Horizon, to be released February 17, 2015 by his Mark Wade Music imprint. Working with trio-mates Tim Harrison, piano, and Scott Neumann, drums, Wade shines as an instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. 

"I always loved listening to great piano trios," the Queens, New York-based bassist says. "With no horn players or other musicians, there is so much space for expression, but with that comes the responsibility to have something to say. You can't hide behind a lot of other musicians. Everybody has to really stand out. I wanted to challenge myself and put myself in a situation where I had to be an excellent soloist." 

Writing for the piano trio was a challenge Wade embraced. "How can you orchestrate and arrange three instruments to sound big and full?" he asks. "If you've got 12 or 20 people, you have a lot more colors at your disposal as a writer. With three people, it forces you to think about what is really essential to get across a musical idea." 

Wade's compositions range from the opening waltz, "Jump for Joy," and the peaceful ballad "Cold Spring" to the aggressive, edgy "Twist in the Wind" and the Afro-Cuban-flavored "Tossed." The ballad "Apogee" has no time, while "Singsong" has no melody ("It's a motif that keeps coming back, holding the song together"). The only non-original on the disc, Harold Arlen's "If I Only Had a Brain," is notable for its use of swinging 5/4 and its re-harmonization and modulations. 

The title Event Horizon, says the self-described "science enthusiast," refers to "where you go from not being in a black hole to falling in. In a broader concept, it's the edge at which something happens. This album for me is kind of the edge of something happening because I'm launching my solo career. I see it as an adventure, a stepping-off point."  

Wade first worked in a trio setting with Tim Harrison and Scott Neumann while the bassist was an artist-in-residence at the historic Flushing (NY) Town Hall in 2013 and '14. The three connected so well that Wade began composing for the new trio. "Their musicality," he says, "influenced the writing choices I made." 

"Tim really excels," says Wade of the Nottingham, England-born Harrison, "not just as a soloist but also as an ensemble player and an accompanist. He's very sensitive, he listens, and he's really conscious about getting the music right and sounding good." 

"Scott is a unique voice on the drum set," Wade says of Neumann, who was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and whose extensive credits include work with Woody Herman, David Liebman, and Kenny Barron. "There's a never-ending supply of ideas for everybody to play off of." 

Mark WadeMark Wade was born in Livonia, Michigan (Dec. 29, 1974) and raised there and in Long Valley and Morristown, New Jersey, where he taught himself to play electric bass at age 14. At New York University, he studied with Mike Richmond, who encouraged him to also take up acoustic bass for jazz gigs. Wade considers Richmond a major influence, along with Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, and Scott LaFaro. 

Since graduating NYU, Wade has busied himself in a variety of musical contexts, from jazz to classical. His jazz credits include playing in the string section for the Jimmy Heath Big Band's performances of Ernie Wilkins's Four Black Immortals, appearing with vocalist Stacey Kent on The Today Show, playing with Bill Warfield's New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra, and recording with vocalist Elli Fordyce. And Wade has played with numerous classical ensembles, including the Key West Symphony with which he backed guitarist Sharon Isbin and violinist Robert McDuffie, both of them Grammy winners. 

Wade also directs New Music Horizons, an organization he founded in 2014 to perform and promote the works of emerging jazz and classical composers. "There are a lot of challenges composers face in getting their music accepted," he says. "Top venues often don't want to program artists who don't already have a large following. Reaching new audiences is difficult when you aren't playing at top venues. It's a tough cycle to break. I started New Music Horizons to give composers a chance to showcase their work at established arts venues to attract new audiences to their music. I think this kind of support is critical to the long-term success of new music." 

The Mark Wade Trio will be performing at two CD release shows in support of Event Horizon: 3/5 Somethin' Jazz Club, 212 E. 52nd Street, NYC, 7:00-8:45pm; and 4/15 St. Peter's Church Midday Jazz Series, 619 Lexington Ave. at 54th Street, NYC, 1:00-2:00pm.

NEW RELEASES: WADADA LEO SMITH & ECO D’ALBERI - JUNE 6TH, 2013; THEO PARRISH – AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE; JOHN GIBBS AND THE UNLIMITED SOUNDS OF STEEL ORCHESTRA - STEEL FUNK

WADADA LEO SMITH & ECO D’ALBERI - JUNE 6TH, 2013

One of the boldest albums we've heard from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith in years – a set that takes us right back to his key contributions of the 70s! The recent performance has Smith's trumpet in the company of an Italian quartet – with tenor and sopranino sax from Edoardo Marraffa, piano from Alberto Braida, bass from Antonio Borghini, and drums from Fabrizio Spera – all players who are never entirely free, and instead have the cohesion of some of the best New York groups from the loft jazz years – right drown to the overall conception of each track, and even the way the material was recorded. Smith sounds brilliant in the setting – still attuned to the textural experiments that have made other recent records great, but playing with a power that's definitely old school, and wonderfully soulful too. Titles include "Red Earth", "The Zebra Goes Wild", "Decision Says The Source", "Full Moon", and "Above The Tree Line". (Hand numbered, limited edition of 500!)  ~ Dusty Groove

THEO PARRISH – AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE

The first proper album from Detroit club genius Theo Parrish in years – a set that has Theo working way at the top of his game – doing conscious club music, but imbued with a compelling mood and artful quality, all while never undercutting the floor-shaking rhythmic sensibility of the music! There's relatively spare quality to much of the set that makes it all the more interesting – not a single misplaced beat, note, or bit of vocal to be found – and even the longest jams are perfectly lean, but really have a way of keeping things changing up in this really great way. As longtime fans of Theo Parrish, we find it pretty damn rewarding that he continues his creative reign a good couple of decades into his career. 3LP vinyl version features 9 classic level numbers, with no more than 2 jams on per side: "Footwork", "Cypher Delight", "Ah" feat Marcellus Pittman, Ideeyah & Duminie Deporres, "Make No War", "Creepcake", "Drive", "Fallen Funk", "Be In Yo Self" feat Ideeyah & Duminie Deporres and "Helmut Lampshade". (Comes in a great tri-fold sleeve, too!)  ~ Dusty Groove

JOHN GIBBS AND THE UNLIMITED SOUNDS OF STEEL ORCHESTRA - STEEL FUNK

One of the coolest, funkiest steel drum albums ever recorded – a really legendary set that played big on the New York club scene of the late 70s – and which has been the delight of collectors for years to come! Other steel pan bands in the Caribbean played funky styles in the 70s, but few ever got the music just as right as John Gibbs – a man with a great ear for fresh sounds borrowed from the disco underground of the time, then mixed with island elements that had a bit more background – with resulting grooves that still stand strong all these many years later! The whole album's a gem – no snoozy versions of "Yellow Bird" to get in the way – and titles include "Steel Funk", "Theme From Shaft", and "Trinidad & Tobago". Other titles include an instrumental take on "Steel Funk", "Brazil", "Street Cries", and "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" – plus an LP bonus track of "J'Ouvert" from a 12" single! ~ Dusty Groove

The Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra - Al Kent Edit

The Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra, Far Out’s 20th anniversary disco project, released its double LP earlier this year. It features the arrangements of Azymuth’s late Maestro José Roberto Bertrami and the legendary Arthur Verocai alongside a host of other Brazilian musical icons. FOMDO09 is the latest in a series of vinyl only; 12" remixes and edits on Far Out. Previous producers providing their re-works to the series include Theo Parrish, Marcellus Pittman, Mark Pritchard, 4hero, Isoul8, LTJ Xperience and many more.

Al Kent is Glasgow’s answer to Walter Gibbons. With the recent re-popularisation of disco music and the relative saturation of edit culture, Al Kent once again demonstrates what re-editing is all about. His use of analogue equipment mirrors the original intentions of the FOMDO project which was recorded in Rio using all analogue equipment, including 2” Ampex tape, Neve compressors and an SSL desk.

On this 12” Al Kent strips the original disco masterpieces down to their bare bones, letting the splendour of Betrami and Verocai’s arrangements really shine through. Al Kent’s edit of ‘Disco Supreme’ is a fantastically drawn out 13-minute builder - de-constructing the original and piecing it back together within the framework of his signature (very) punchy drum sound. Betrami’s beautiful Rhodes float amongst Verocai’s soaring strings and at one point, these are the only sounds to be heard (it’s possibly the most beautiful thing ever!), before the song kicks back in in all its Brazilian disco glory. The b-side ‘Keep Believing’ is a slightly slower and heavier (yet just as club focused) groove. Its foundation is Alex Malheiros of Azymuth’s funk bassline woven tightly with Al Kent’s phased drums. Triumphant disco in the style of Tom Moulton and Walter Gibbons, ‘Keep Believing', like the a-side, features a full orchestra and revisits the authenticity and glamorous hedonism of the late 70s scene.

~ Far Out 

Lorraina Marro offers a sneak peek of her new single “Not The End Of Me” from her upcoming CD “Mixed Emotions”

Featured this week on The Jazz Network Worldwide: Vocalist, Lorraina Marro with a sneak peek of her new single “Not The End Of Me” from her upcoming CD “Mixed Emotions”. 

Lorraina Marro is one who knows how to set the tone of her musical offerings. Not only was her first CD “You Must Believe In Spring” released in 2004 a welcome expression of her vocal stylings, she continues to share her original lyrics in her upcoming CD “Mixed Emotions” Produced by Christian Davis and Warren McRae. To whet the whistle of her fan base, she is giving The Jazz Network Worldwide the first opportunity to get a taste of what’s to come in February 2015 with her new CD project “Mixed Emotions”. 

"I am so thrilled to have my single "Not The End of Me" featured on the Jazz Network Worldwide. I have been writing lyrics for years about some of my own personal experiences and so excited to accomplish a life-long goal to put some of those lyrics to music. I couldn't be happier to release my all original CD at the Catalina Jazz Club on February 1, 2015, the same fabulous venue where I released my first CD “You Must Believe In Spring” back in 2004.” 

Marro takes to heart the influences that guided her to her own musical expression. In May of this year she celebrated her reverence to songstress Nancy Wilson with a tribute performance at Catalina’s Bar and Grill in Los Angeles. Clifford Bell, Marro’s musical director who has shared stages with many luminaries worldwide stated “Catalina - (Yes, Virginia- There is a Catalina) had stayed the whole night...something she literally almost never does and she LOVED the show....I have known Catalina for ten years and she is the last gal standing from the great Jazz Scene of the past, present and future...She has seen and heard everyone....”. This performance was only the precursor of what was to show up for Lorraina in 2014. Not only did she complete her second recording, she has kept the momentum of her musical offerings in front of her fans. 

Marro also credits other extraordinary singers such as Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Aretha Franklin, Della Reese, Dinah Washington, Dionne Warwick, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra for inspiring her to develop and share her gift with the world. 

“She takes her fans on a personal journey, for all to capture the essence of the silver lining of her soul, from love, to the triangles of relationships and starting over, much ado that we all can relate to in our lives. Her original lyrics exude honest and pure expression that is ever present to her audience when she is on stage” says Jaijai Jackson, Owner of The Jazz Network Worldwide. 

The musicianship on the recording are: Ely Rise: piano and organ; John Meenk: guitar; Graham Ward: drums, Greg Sartiano: bass; in addition to: Warren McRae: bass, drums, percussion, additional keyboards, synthesizer and guitar; Steve McGuire: electric guitar, horns, additional percussion; and Chloe Love Smith: background vocals and writers Christian Davis, Warren McRae, Steve McGuire, Etienne “ATN” Stadwijk and Lorraina Marro. 

Lorraina has performed her own shows at multiple venues in Los Angeles, including Preston’s, The House of Blues, Catalina Jazz Club, Nola’s LA, The M Bar, The Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill, The Holly St. Bar & Grill, The Cinegrill, The Gardenia, The Bel Age Hotel, the Marriott Hotels, and Wyndham Hotels. In Las Vegas for The Special Operations Warriors Foundation at the Four Seasons, The Aladdin, and The Las Vegas Hilton Hotels as well as Danny’s Skylight Room in New York. Most recently, on December 7th, 2014 Lorraina assembled some great musicians for “Let’s Toast To The Holidays” event at the local jazz hotspot ‘Upstairs At Vitello’s’ in Los Angeles ‘to a packed house. Award winning, critically acclaimed jazz vocalist/lyricist, Mark Winkler attended and stated “Wonderful show. Great choice of tunes, great musicians and you were the best I've ever seen you. Congrats!” 

No doubt that the stage has been set by way of Marro’s new attitude and story-telling in her musical repetoire. Her new single “Not The End Of Me” released during the holiday season is surely a gift for her fans. A worldwide radio campaign is set in motion to take the airwaves by storm for her new CD “Mixed Emotions” as well as a concert tour in the works for 2015. Click here to view the debut music video of “Not The End Of Me”. 

~ www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com

Sweet Honey In The Rock Release First Ever A Capella Holiday Single of "Silent Night"

Grammy Award-nominated and globally revered a cappella ensemble, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK have released an inspired version of the classic Christmas carol, "SILENT NIGHT". Sweet Honey will be debuting the song live on their current run of seasonal performances this month entitled, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK: CELEBRATING THE HOLYDAYS. Their holiday run will also cap the year-long celebration of their 40th Anniversary which finishes at the end of this year.

The group rushed in to the studio to record last week after hearing a new arrangement of the popular Christmas carol that was written by Carol Maillard, one of its founding members. "It's a favorite of our Holydays program," explained Maillard, "We feel it evokes a lush and peaceful sentiment, encouraging us all to remember the reason for the season. During these trying times, when we are challenged on every front, we hope this song will bring a sense of calm and hope to all who listen," she added.

"Silent Night" is performed by the ensemble's core members, Louise Robinson, Carol Maillard, Nitanju Bolade Casel and Aisha Kahlil. Nitanju Bolade Casel produced the song, which was recorded, mixed and mastered at Airshow Studios, Takoma Park, MD by Chief Engineer Charlie Pilzer. 

The lyrics for original version of "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") were written by a young Austrian priest, Father Joseph Mohr in 1816. The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, and it was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, a village on the Salzachriver in Austria. In 1859, the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, then serving at Trinity Church in New York city , published the English translation that is most frequently sung today. The carol has been translated into about 140 languages.

TOUR DATES

December 12   Colonial Theatre, Keene, NH

December 13   Brooklyn Center For The Performing Arts, Brooklyn, NY

December 14   Birchmere, Alexandria, VA

December 18   Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC

December 20   New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ

57th GRAMMY NOMINATIONS RECOGNIZE NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY MUSICIANS

New England Conservatory students, alumni, and faculty are included in nominations for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, announced on Friday. Winners will be announced at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 8, 2015.

Three of the five contenders in the "Best Jazz Instrumental Album" category come from the NEC faculty.

Pianist Fred Hersch '77, an alumnus who has been a presence on NEC's faculty since the 1980s, is recognized for Floating, recorded with his trio. The Floating track "You & the Night & the Music" is also nominated for "Best Improvised Jazz Solo." Hersch has had six previous Grammy nominations. He received NEC's Outstanding Alumni Award in 1990.

Drummer Billy Hart joins Bobby Hutcherson, David Sanborn, and Joey DeFrancesco on the Blue Note album Enjoy the View, which consists of originals by the core trio.

Also on Blue Note is pianist Jason Moran's All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller. Like the "In My Mind" project, which Moran brought to NEC in 2012, All Rise is an idiosyncratic reinterpretation of iconic work from the African-American cultural tradition.

NEC is also represented in three of the five groups nominated for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album."

Bijon Watson '86 Prep has been lead trumpet for The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra since 1999, when the group began a stretch as in-residence ensemble for the Hollywood Bowl Jazz series. Clayton-Hamilton is nominated for The L.A. Treasures Project.

Rufus Reid's band for Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project includes current D.M.A. student Michael Dease on trombone and John Clark '08 on horn.

OverTime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer memorializes the influential valve trombonist and large-form composer who created the NEC Jazz Composers' Workshop Orchestra during his time on the NEC faculty. Bob Brookmeyer taught at NEC from 1997 to 2007. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, heard on this recording, includes trombonists John Mosca and Luis Bonilla; Mosca is a former member of the NEC faculty, and Bonilla teaches here currently.

Within the Classical categories, NEC is represented in "Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance" by a nomination for Dreams & Prayers, from the chamber orchestra A Far Cry with clarinetist David Krakauer. Many of A Far Cry's founding members were educated and met each other here, and NEC's unconducted Chamber Orchestra was one of the sources of inspiration that helped the group to take shape. Click here for more on NEC's partnership with A Far Cry.

NEC’s Jazz Studies Department was the first fully accredited jazz studies program at a music conservatory. The brainchild of Gunther Schuller, who moved quickly to incorporate jazz into the curriculum when he became President of the Conservatory in 1967, the Jazz Studies faculty has included six MacArthur "genius" grant recipients (three currently teaching) and four NEA Jazz Masters, and alumni that reads like a who’s who of jazz. Now in its 44th year, the program has spawned numerous Grammy winning composers and performers. As Mike West writes in JazzTimes: “NEC’s jazz studies department is among the most acclaimed and successful in the world; so says the roster of visionary artists that have comprised both its faculty and alumni.”  The program currently has 98 students; 54 undergraduate and 44 graduate students from 14 countries.

          

Founded in 1972 by musical visionaries Gunther Schuller and Ran Blake, New England Conservatory's Contemporary Improvisation program is “one of the most versatile in all of music education” (JazzEd).  Now in its 42nd year, the program trains composer/performer/ improvisers to broaden their musical palettes and develop unique voices.  It is unparalleled in its structured approach to ear training and its emphasis on singing, memorization, harmonic sophistication, aesthetic integrity, and stylistic openness.  Under Blake's inspired guidance for its first twenty-six years, the program grew considerably and has expanded its offerings under current chair Hankus Netsky and assistant chair Eden MacAdam-Somer. Alumni include Don Byron, John Medeski, Jacqueline Schwab, Aoife O'Donovan and Sarah Jarosz; faculty include Carla Kihlstedt, Blake, Dominique Eade, and Anthony Coleman. “A thriving hub of musical exploration,” (Jeremy Goodwin, Boston Globe), the program currently has 53 undergrad and graduate students from 16 countries.

www.necmusic.edu

NEW RELEASES: GRANT GREEN - I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND; SHUNZO OHNO - QUARTER MOON; RONNIE FOSTER - THE RACER

GRANT GREEN - I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND

A great one from Grant Green – a subtly modern album hiding under a title stolen from a Beatles' song – and one of the mid 60s gems he cut with organist Larry Young! The group features the trio of Young, Green, and Elvin Jones – a dancing combination that pushes the organ/guitar groove to unheard of heights – plus the addition of tenorist Hank Mobley, who's opening up his own bag considerably by this point. The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

SHUNZO OHNO - QUARTER MOON

Sweet and smooth fusion – arranged and composed by Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, and performed with a largeish group that includes Carter Jefferson, Kenny Kirkland, Marcus Miller, Sue Evans, and Onaje Allan Gumbs. The style's very much in the mainstream Japanese fusion mode of the time – but a bit more soulful, as you might guess from the lineup. Ohno also plays a bit of mini moog on the session, and the set grooves along with a warm and spacey feel on the best cuts. Titles include "The Dawn", "Quarter Moon", "In The Sky", "Jeff", and "Fatback". ~ Dusty Groove

RONNIE FOSTER - THE RACER

An obscure Japanese-only session from keyboard maestro Ronnie Foster – recorded after his more famous work in the US for Columbia, in a stripped-down style that's pretty nice! The set features Ronnie on keys and a bit of vocals – working in varying trio lineups with players that include Harvey Mason, Phil Upchurch, Ndugu Chancler, and Paulinho Da Costa. All tracks are electric numbers arranged by Ronnie – and titles include "Ipanema Walk", "Festival Do Brasil", "Squirt", "Night Life", "Europe", and "The Racer". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: KONRAD ELFERS - FUNERAL IN BERLIN (ORIGINAL FILM SOUNDTRACK); ELLA FITZGERALD - SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE; DUKE PEARSON - THE PHANTOM

KONRAD ELFERS - FUNERAL IN BERLIN (ORIGINAL FILM SOUNDTRACK)

One of the grooviest Michael Caine spy films of the 60s – given an equally groovy soundtrack by Konrad Elfers! We don't know Elfers from other work of the time, but this album's a real standout – not the usual spy sort of work, although still with some great jazzy touches at times – including some wonderful reed passages – which are then mixed with some of the more tense, thriller-style elements that are served up with larger orchestrations – but always given this odd, offbeat style that reflects the unusual feel of Caine's films as Harry Palmer in the 60s. Titles include "The Funeral", "Fate Of Two Pawns", "Skating Rendezvous At Europa Centre", "Palmer Meets Samantha", and "Checkpoint Charlie". New version features better mastering than the previous CD, new notes, and four bonus tracks too!  ~ Dusty Groove

ELLA FITZGERALD - SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE

Very cool, very groovy, and one of Ella Fitzgerald's hippest albums of the 60s! The set was recorded in San Francisco in the late 60s, but was issued by MPS in Germany as proof that the label always had an ear for bringing something different out of a mainstream artist. And although live, the album's got a romping, hard grooving style that's filled with plenty of soul – arranged surprisingly by Tommy Flanagan, with a bouncing, bottom-end groove that even gets a bit funky at times! The centerpiece of the album is Ella's funky cover of the title cut – Cream's big hit "Sunshine Of Your Love" – proof that even an old gal can get funky with the right material! Other tracks include "This Girl's In Love With You", "Watch What Happens", "House Is Not A Home", and "Hey Jude". ~ Dusty Groove

DUKE PEARSON - THE PHANTOM

Incredible work from pianist Duke Pearson – a darkly-tinged album of grooves that surpasses all his other gems for Blue Note! The record showcases some great work from Bobby Hutcherson – slid into the mix in a really sly way, so that his jazzy vibes color all the tunes with an edgey feeling that's missing from most of Duke's other albums. The group's slightly largeish – with Jerry Dodgion on flute and alto, Sam Brown and Al Gafa on guitar, plus added Latin percussion on a number of tracks – but although the larger group format often made for softer edges on other Pearson sessions from the time, the mix here is quite different – at a level that works in complicated rhythms, rich colors and tones, and warm harmonics that have a slightly unsettling undercurrent. The album's worth it alone for the mighty title cut "The Phantom" – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "Bunda Amerela", "Say You're Mine" and "Blues for Alvina". CD features a bonus track – Komeda's great "Theme From Rosemary's Baby"! (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - BILLY COBHAM; HADLEY CALIMAN; BLUE MITCHELL

BILLY COBHAM - INNER CONFLICTS

Billy's got no "inner conflicts" here – as the album's a full-on set of heavy jamming, one that features some nice electronics alongside Billy's drums! The album's actually one of our favorite Cobham sessions of the 70s – a record that we'd rank right up there with Spectrum for sheer intensity, and for its ability to appeal to our funk-tuned ears. The variety of rhythms on the record is really really great – earthy and tribal one minute, and electric and spacey the next – all coming off well without trying too hard, and with a feel that's much more jazzy and soulful than some of Billy's more rock-focused work. Players include George Duke as Dawilli Gonga on keyboards, John Scofield on guitar, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, and Pete & Sheila Escovedo on percussion. Titles include "Inner Conflicts", "Arroyo", "El Barrio", "Nickels & Dimes", and "The Muffin Talks Back". ~ Dusty Groove

HADLEY CALIMAN - HADLEY CALIMAN

One of the coolest, hippest albums ever from reedman Hadley Caliman – cut at a time when Caliman was playing on a lot of other west coast sessions – both jazz and soul – and a record that definitely pushes his new ideas to the forefront! Hadley is always great, no matter what the setting – but this record really offers him the chance to stretch out and express himself – both on tenor and flute, in a way that's more Strata East or Black Jazz spiritual than some of the other albums on the Mainstream label at the time. The group's nicely laidback – with Larry Vuckovich on piano, John White Jr on guitar, Clarence Becton on drums, and Bill Douglass on bass – but Caliman is the clear star of the set, and shines brightly throughout. Tracks include "Cigar Eddie", "Longing", "Comencio", and "Kicking On The Inside". ~ Dusty Groove

BLUE MITCHELL - BLUE MITCHELL

A key 70s album from Blue Mitchell – and a set that's perfectly balanced between the lyricism of his mid 60s sides for Blue Note, and the electric funk of later years! The tracks are long, and have a really great vibe – plenty of room for Mitchell's sweet trumpet in the lead, with longer solos than on his last funk albums for Blue Note – and given a nice sense of bounce, a groove that's almost modal at times, by a group that features Walter Bishop on piano, Larry gales on bass, and Doug Sides on drums. Bishop's clearly playing some Fender Rhodes at times – ala his Black Jazz albums – and the group also features some of the most righteous tenor work we've ever heard from Jimmy Forrest, an artist we really know best for sides from a decade before. Titles include a killer reading of "Soul Village" – later recorded famously by Bishop – plus "Blues For Thelma", "Queen Bey", "Mi Hermano", and "Are You Real". ~ Dusty Groove

BOB DYLAN TO RELEASE SINATRA TRIBUTE ALBUM, SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT

Columbia Records announced that Bob Dylan's new studio album, Shadows In The Night, will be released on February 3, 2015. Featuring ten tracks, the Jack Frost-produced album is the 36th studio set from Bob Dylan and marks the first new music from the artist since 2012's worldwide hit Tempest.

Upon Columbia's announcement of the album's forthcoming release, Bob Dylan commented, "It was a real privilege to make this album. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time but was never brave enough to approach 30-piece complicated arrangements and refine them down for a 5-piece band. That's the key to all these performances. We knew these songs extremely well. It was all done live. Maybe one or two takes. No overdubbing. No vocal booths. No headphones. No separate tracking, and, for the most part, mixed as it was recorded. I don't see myself as covering these songs in any way. They've been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day."

As Columbia Records Chairman Rob Stringer explains, "There are no strings, obvious horns, background vocals or other such devices often found on albums that feature standard ballads.  Instead, Bob has managed to find a way to infuse these songs with new life and contemporary relevance. It is a brilliant record and we are extremely excited to be presenting it to the world very soon."

Bob Dylan's five previous studio albums have been universally hailed as among the best of his storied career, achieving new levels of commercial success and critical acclaim for the artist. The Platinum-selling Time Out Of Mind from 1997 earned multiple Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year, while "Love and Theft" continued Dylan's Platinum streak and earned several Grammy nominations and a statue for Best Contemporary Folk album.

Modern Times, released in 2006, became one of the artist's most popular albums, selling more than 2.5 million copies worldwide and earning Dylan two more Grammys. Together Through Life became the artist's first album to debut at #1 in both the U.S. and the UK, as well as in five other countries, on its way to surpassing sales of one million copies. Tempest received unanimous worldwide critical acclaim upon release and reached the Top 5 in 14 countries, while the artist's globe-spanning concert tours of the past few years have heavily emphasized that album's singular repertoire.

These five releases fell within a 15-year creative span that also included the recording of an Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning composition, "Things Have Changed," from the film Wonder Boys, in 2001; a worldwide best-selling memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1, which spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List, in 2004, and a Martin Scorsese-directed documentary, No Direction Home, in 2005. Bob Dylan also released his first collection of holiday standards, Christmas In The Heart, in 2009, with all of the artist's royalties from that album being donated to hunger charities around the world.

In recent years, Bob Dylan was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor. He was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." He was also the recipient of the Officier de la Legion d'honneur in 2013, Sweden's Polar Music Award in 2000, Doctorates from the University of St. Andrews and Princeton University, as well as numerous other honors. 

Bob Dylan has sold more than 125 million records around the world.

SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT TRACK LISTING:

1.  I'm A Fool To Want You  

2.  The Night We Called It A Day  

3.  Stay With Me  

4.  Autumn Leaves  

5.  Why Try to Change Me Now  

6.  Some Enchanted Evening  

7.  Full Moon And Empty Arms  

8.  Where Are You?   

9.  What'll I Do  

10.  That Lucky Old Sun  

NEW RELEASES: LEE – 16 REASONS TO BUY THIS ALBUM; BILL "THE BUDDHA" DICKENS - THA TRUTH; BUTCHER BROWN - ALL PURPOSE MUSIC

LEE – 16 REASONS TO BUY THIS ALBUM

Some of the most socially-conscious work we've heard from Lee so far – and that includes all his earlier projects as The Square Egg too! The cover will give you an idea of what Lee's going for this time around, but that only shows part of the picture too – as Lee's got this warmth and wit that really shine through once he gets going – a style that's quite different than just about any contemporary soul artist we can think of, and which is much more in the mode of some of the true originals of the 70s indie scene. Most tracks feature sung lyrics, but Lee also rhymes a bit – and backings are a mix of jazz and funky styles, with some occasional heavier guitar – on titles that include "Top", "The Fool", "Everyone Dies", "Fallen To The Dearth", "Reason To Rise", "American Tail", "Crazy Love", and "Raise Your Hands".  ~ Dusty Groove

BILL "THE BUDDHA" DICKENS - THA TRUTH

The first ever solo album from funky 7-string bass veteran Bill "The Buddha" Dickens – who has played with a who's who of legend over the years, including Chaka Kahn, Victor Wooten, Stevie Wonder, Pat Metheny, Ramsey Lewis and many more – finally stepping out on his own! He covers a lot of stylistically territory, from muscular, riveting jazz funk, to more melodic material – putting a nice, creative twist on covers and originals. Includes "Tha Truth", "Footprints", "I Don't Want To", "People Make The World Go Round", "Pression", "That's It", "What's Going On", "The Chicken", "Time After Time", "God's Amazing Grace", "Steppin' To A Groove" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

BUTCHER BROWN - ALL PURPOSE MUSIC

Nice, timeless jazz funk from the Butcher Brown band – with a vibe that's informed by some of theirs and our own favorite records by The Crusaders, 70s era Herbie Hancock, earlier Earth, Wind & Fire and others on the grittier edge of funky fusion – with their own inventive, contemporary touches! Warm, head nodding, easy-to-love sounds from a group that's just getting started – with Devonne Harris on keys, guitar and percussion, Corey Fonville on drums, Andrew Randazzo on bass and Keith Askey on guitar – plus guests that include Nicholas Payton, Marcus Tenney, Reggie Pace and John Bibbs. Includes "Forest Green", "Country Boys", "Philly Roll", "Sticky July", "Highway One", "Powhatan", "Goin' Home", "Nice", "Faith" feat Jon Bibbs, "Cairo", "Country Boys" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: TERI TOBIN – TRUTHS; THEO HILL – LIVE AT SMALLS; LARS BARTKUHN - PASSION DANCE ORCHESTRA

TERI TOBIN – TRUTHS

A breath of fresh air from Teri Tobin – her best yet! Teri must be the the most straight up soulful voices to come out of Arizona scene in years and years – and she's honestly one of our favorite indie soul singers of the post-millenium teens, period – truthfully sounding better than ever on Truth Is. There's a confident, mature vibe on the vocals and songwriting tip here that really carries it over in a big way – she completely owns the material. It's a testament to how strong Teri's voice is that there's such a wholly consistent vibe, even with a different producer credit for nearly every track – as it's all in her timelessly soulful comfort zone. Includes "Wonderfully Made", "Always Be You", "Love Happens", "Free Ya Mind", "Pool Of Love", "I Can't Help Want You", "Done", "Someone Else Will", "Make Beautiful", "#Shine", "I Am", "Where Would I Be" and more. 2 bonus tracks on the CD version not on the download release – "I Am Love" and "Where Would I Be?".  ~ Dusty Groove

THEO HILL – LIVE AT SMALLS

We're not sure we've ever heard other albums with pianist Theo Hill as a leader – but after this sweet little set, we'll definitely be on the lookout! Hill has a really great vision here – not just another live date for his piano and combo, but a wonderful showcase for his new ideas in music – which are deeply personal, and really have a way of transforming older material in the process, then really taking fire on his original songs! Hill lets things build slowly, almost with an organic sort of space flowing from his piano – as the talents of other group members flower strongly in the environment – including tenor from Dayna Stephens, alto from Myron Waldon, bass from Joe Sanders, and drums from Rodney Green – all great players already, but really sounding special here in Hill's company. Tracks are longish, but more constructed than some of the usual Smalls Live material – and titles include "Naima's Lullaby", "Teeth", "Ellipse", "Four By Five", "Mantra", and "Promise Of The Sun".  ~ Dusty Groove

LARS BARTKUHN - PASSION DANCE ORCHESTRA

A beautiful batch of distinctively genre-straddling grooves from German guitarist Lars Bartkuhn and his Passion Dance Orchestra – wonderful stuff that brings together jazz and folk, acoustic and electronics, in a warmly cohesive way! Bartkuhn is on guitars, voice and electronics, leading a group that works just as strongly intimately-arranged, or fairly sweeping arrangements, depending on the mood at hand – with keys, flutes, oboe, and strings and wind. The way he balances bigger sounding and more intimate moments is pretty great! Very strong work from a player we've admired from the get-go, and seems to getting better and better! Includes "Folksong", "The Oracle", "All Goes Onward", "Through Hills And Valleys", "Mind And Time", "Quasar", "Alegria (Children's Dance)", "Long Life", "Zenrock", "When We Arive" and "The World Is Everything". ~ Dusty Groove

Vocalist Allegra Levy Creates Lyrical New Standards on Debut Lonely City

Most jazz vocalists sing standards. Allegra Levy writes her own. From the plaintive title track of her brazenly autobiographical debut album, Lonely City, to the haunting strains of its intricate closing ballad, "The Duet," the 24-year-old New York-based vocalist and composer has penned a lyrical collection of 11 harmonically adventurous-yet-familiar originals steeped in the tradition of the Great American Songbook.

"This is a mature first recording by a singer you're sure to hear more from," says renowned trumpeter John McNeil, who produced the album, which will be released by SteepleChase Lookout on November 10th. "The tunes are catchy and well-constructed, and you'll probably find yourself singing them in a short time. I sing them still."

The album features Levy with an all-star band: drummer Richie Barshay, bassist Jorge Roeder, tenor saxophonist Adam Kolker, guitarist Steve Cardenas, trumpeter John Bailey, pianist Carmen Staaf, and violinist Mark Feldman.

"Richie is one of the most imaginative drummers of our time," Levy says of the percussionist, a fellow native of West Hartford, CT, who has played with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Esperanza Spalding. "He had a really clear understanding of all my tunes and took them to other places."

 Staaf, a rising piano star recently chosen as the pianist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music, contributed several arrangements. "Carmen is a very emotional, passionate musician and would know what I wanted even before I knew," Levy says. "I've never connected more musically with a person on so many levels."

She also found a musical soul mate in McNeil, with whom she studied at New England Conservatory. "John and I are very like-minded people. We have a dash of cynicism in all of our work," she said of the trumpeter-composer, who has played with Horace Silver, Thad Jones, and currently leads the quartet Hush Point. "He's been a real mentor to me. He performs the high-wire balancing act of embracing tradition while championing the progressive. "

Levy is currently completing a seven-month residency at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. She made her international debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, and has since cut her teeth in New York and New England clubs including Tomi Jazz, Somethin' Jazz, The Flatiron Room, and Black-Eyed Sally's.

Levy takes her inspiration from legendary vocalists Carmen McRae and Betty Carter-altos comfortable exploring the lower register-but also classic composers Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne, and Henry Mancini. "Their melodies have lasted for so long and are still so beautiful," she says. "My goal was to retain that timeless sound with modern lyrics. Bring standards into now."

Yet there is nary an old standard to be found. As a prolific composer, she ultimately chose the daring route of restricting her debut to originals. "That was definitely a risk," she says, "but I figured I'm going to be myself, this is what I have to say, and I'm just going to say it now the way I want to say it." Levy began composing the material for Lonely City when she was a freshman at NEC, encouraged by vocalist Dominique Eade, whom she describes as "a jazz goddess."

Lonely City focuses on the most universal of themes. "The album chronicles the emotional ups and downs of being with somebody else and not being with somebody else," Levy explains. The Joni Mitchell-inspired ballad "Everything Green" waxes nostalgic about those ephemeral, often painful moments. "Joni Mitchell tells stories. Her lyrics are very strong and very intimate," she says. "It's meaningful when somebody just lays her life out there like that."

Levy finds this emotional rawness with an understated vocal style that emphasizes phrasing over pipes. "You go to concerts and hear these incredible powerhouse voices, and it's very moving, but I really like to explore the little corners of subtlety in the harmonics and lyrics."

On the wistful "A Better Day, " Levy draws from the legacy of the great scatters to convey the ineffable, breaking down the barrier between vocalist and instrumentalist. "Improvisation is just another way in which I like to express myself," she says. "Every once in awhile I just want to let loose and explore the harmonics more-say something else." Despite a propensity to improvise, she still believes that powerful lyrics can "bridge the gap between the audience and the music."

The lilting title track, "Lonely City," is "about finding your lost love," she says and has a harmonic simplicity that belies the bewilderment that goes into the search. "There are a lot of ship references, and the idea is that by the end of the song you get to that lighthouse or safe harbor."

Most of her other compositions diverge from the typical lament that "my man has up and gone," tackling instead the deeper angst of struggling to cope in a world that cries out for levity and conformity.

"There's a different kind of blues for a woman," she contends. "There's a different tale of woe. And it's a little more complex than 'I lost my love.' Now it's 'I want to find my place in the world.'"

Typical of this realist's outlook is "I'm Not OK," a self-deprecating yet defiant anthem that is the only true blues track on the album, and the samba "I Don't Want to Be in Love," the record's most up-tempo entry. "You hear Latin music and can't help but dance to it, and love is the same to me-only this is kind of an unwanted dance," she says. A decidedly different dance number is the propulsive "Clear-Eyed Tango," featuring virtuoso Mark Feldman on violin. "Mark brings the edge and explosive emotion that the song needed. There are few violinists in the world who could provide that."

Writing Lonely City was a cathartic experience, and Levy hopes that hearing it will be cathartic for the listener as well.

"These are real experiences that I've had, and I want somebody else to know that they're not alone," she says. "That's what the blues is all about. It's about togetherness. It's not just, 'I've got the blues.' It's not just, 'I'm not OK.' It's 'Let's bear this all together.'"

www.allegralevy.com

DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF STAX RECORDS' SINGLES TO BE REISSUED

Concord Music Group and Stax Records are proud to announce the digital release and physical reissue of two comprehensive box set titles:  The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971 and The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975. Originally released in 1993 and 1994, respectively, these two compilations will be re-released back into the physical market in compact and sleek new packaging. Each set includes full-color booklets with in-depth essays by Stax historian and compilations co-producer Rob Bowman. The volumes feature stalwart Stax R&B artists including Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and William Bell, as well as bluesmen Little Milton, Albert King and Little Sonny, and “second generation” Stax hitmakers like Jean Knight, the Soul Children, Kim Weston, the Temprees, and Mel & Tim. Many of the tracks included in these collections will be made available digitally for the very first time.

The story of the great Memphis soul label Stax/Volt can be divided into two distinct eras: the period from 1959 through the beginning of 1968, when the company was distributed by Atlantic and was developing its influential sound and image (chronicled in acclaimed 9-CD box set The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959-1968, released by Atlantic in 1991); and the post-Atlantic years, from May 1968 through the end of 1975, when Stax/Volt began its transition from a small, down-home enterprise to a corporate soul powerhouse.

In Stax’s early years as an independent label, founders Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton struggled with the loss of its back catalog to Atlantic/Warner Brothers Records and the loss of the label’s most lucrative artist, Otis Redding, who tragically died in a plane crash months before. In need of funding and new stars, Axton and Stewart sold the label to Gulf + Western, bringing on promotion head Al Bell (who would soon become an equal partner and major figurehead of the label). In his Vol. 2 essay, Rob Bowman recalls, “As the sun arose in Memphis on May 6, 1968 [the day Stax officially became independent of Atlantic], Stax had been essentially gutted. For all intents and purposes it was a new record company poised to issue its first few records.”

Comprised of nine CDs, Vol. 2 focuses on this period, 1968 through 1971, when Stax/Volt was forging ahead as its own entity. The 216-song collection includes all of the singles issued by the label during this time period, and features some of the biggest and best-loved hits of the day, including Isaac Hayes’ “Theme From Shaft,” The Staple Singers’ “Respect Yourself” and Johnnie Taylor’s “Who’s Making Love,” as well as a number of little-known gems by both major and less-familiar artists.

By the end of 1971, Bowman notes, “Al Bell’s dream of [Stax/Volt] becoming a diversified full-line record company was several steps further along the line to being reality. The label now recorded a wealth of different styles and flavors of black popular music, ranging from the jazz and easy-listening proclivities of Isaac Hayes to the blues of Little Milton to the ’70s disco-infused vocal style of the Dramatics to the gutsy soul of the Staple Singers.” Indeed, the early 1970s found Stax/Volt a much bigger entity than ever thought possible during its initial split from Atlantic, with Isaac Hayes as its breakout star. Spurred by the success of Hayes’ GRAMMY Award-Winning Shaft soundtrack in early 1972, the label was casting its net across a wide cross section of the entertainment industry, entering into new territory with soundtracks, comedy records, and even investing in a Broadway play. The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975, coming Spring 2015, covers this era of success and excess, when Stax’s stars were shining bright, but the label was on the verge of its dramatic denouement. The 10-disc box set contains all 213 soul singles issued by Stax/Volt during this time, including such hits as Shirley Brown’s “Woman to Woman” and the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There.”

In 1976, faced with involuntary bankruptcy and an unsuccessful distribution deal with CBS Records, Stax was forced to close its doors. In his liner notes for Vol. 3, compilation co-producer Bill Belmont writes, “Stax’s difficult and inglorious end in no way diminishes its vital contributions to rhythm and blues and soul. Today, the music of Stax maintains a strong and steady presence, heard continually in cover versions by major artists, in movies and on television. Simply put, the Memphis Sound lives.” And indeed it does.

With a revival of the label in recent years, through Fantasy Records, the 2003 opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, Tenn., as well as several developing theatrical performances around the label, the music of Stax will continue to influence generations of musicians and fans alike.