Ernest Ranglin, Legendary Ska/Reggae Guitarist and Avila Street Records Announce Bless Up; New Album Showcases 11 New Ranglin Compositions That Blend Ska, Swing, Jazz, Rock and World Music to Explore the Entire Range of his Musical Expertise

When Ernest Ranglin played the High Sierra Music Festival in July of 2011, producer Tony Mindel put together a backing trio of players able to shift between genres as easily as the master. The band included drummer Inx Herman (Vusi Mahlasla, Hugh Masekela, Paul Simon, Sting, Hamsa Lila), bassist Yossi Fine (Gil Evans, John Scofield, Rubén Blades, Stanley Jordan, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Ex-Centric Sound System) and keyboard ace Jonathan Korty (Vinyl, Electric Apricot). After the Festival, Ranglin and the band went into the studio. In three days of feverish creativity, they emerged with Avila, a record that won international kudos for its creative fusion of styles. During the sessions, the band forged a deep musical and personal bond. When Ranglin mentioned to Mindel that he had enough new songs for another album, Mindel made some calls and reassembled the band.*

This time around, Ranglin and the band had time to experiment with different rhythms, textures and flavors; they brewed up one of the finest albums Ranglin’s ever made. “This is an international band,” Mindel says. “Ernest is from Jamaica, Inx from South Africa, Yossi from Israel and Jonathan is a Californian. As they worked together, the interplay became instinctive. He had meticulously written charts for all the songs he brought in, but he was open to the band’s interpretations of the tunes. He’s a generous soul, musically and otherwise, with an amazing sense of humor and a work ethic and stamina that blew away the other musicians. He is a gentleman and one of the world’s greatest living guitar players.”*

Ranglin met the band at In the Pocket, a studio in the woods of Sonoma County. Most of the basic tracks were cut live, in one room, in glorious analogue sound, with Eric Levy (Garaj Mahal, Night Ranger) adding his keyboard expertise on several tunes, most notably the free flowing arrangement of Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Blues for a Hip King.” As the session unfolded, Ranglin and the band members urged each other on to new levels of creative discovery.*

The international mash up of “Bond Street Express” opens with Levy’s sustained keyboard notes suggesting the droning of an Indian tanpura, before Fine and Herman come in with a slow one drop reggae rhythm to support a Ranglin solo full of shimmering, Arabic flavored single notes and Wes Montgomery-like chord clusters. Herman’s subtle percussion accents and a bluesy horn section add a comforting density to the track. Levy’s measured bass notes on piano also play off of Ranglin’s sustained mid-range tones for a meditative take on Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro.” Ibrahim’s music has always inspired the musicians in this band and, with their help, Ranglin channels the essence of Ibrahim with his own unique interpretation. As was evident from their take on Ibrahim’s “Manenberg” featured on Avila, the first album Ranglin cut with this group, Ibrahim’s music brings out something deeply spiritual in this band.*

If Duke Ellington ever heard reggae, he might have written a song like “Bless Up.” Korty tickles the ivories and plays Hammond B3 organ, while Ranglin flutters through the mix, weaving in and out of the counter melodies played by a swinging horn section. “Follow On” and “You Too” are sultry, laid back reggae tunes, while Korty’s “El Mescalero” blends Latin rhythms that suggest tango, son, calypso and Tex-Mex, giving Ranglin an opportunity for a breathtaking display of jazzy flamenco influenced fretwork. “Ska Renzo” conjures the spirit of Jamaica in the 60s, with a few dub effects in the arrangement to highlight another brilliant, brittle solo by Ranglin. Every tune on the album moves in different directions, making for a timeless international excursion held together by Ranglin’s inventive guitar. “I love playing with these musicians,” Ranglin says. “Like me, they’re interested in music from all over the world. They make it easy for me to express the emotions I feel. I think working together on this album allowed us to do something special.”*

After the sessions, Mindel and Ex-Centric Sound System’s Yossi Fine, who has produced and mixed efforts by Vieux Farka Touré, Hassan Hakmoun, Hadag Hahash, Dancehall singer Anthony B and other notable reggae and world music artists, mixed the album. “It was inspiring to be working with Ernest Ranglin and mixing this music,” Fine says. “A chance of a lifetime. The album takes the listener through every era of Ernest’s music. He was constantly adding new flavors, while staying rooted in each particular style, be it reggae, jazz or Latin grooves.”*

“This band sounds like they’ve been playing together for years,” Mindel says. “I want people to hear this album so they’ll know Ernest is still going strong at 82, composing and playing great music that touches on all the eras of his career. I know he still has a lot of new ideas he wants to express and we want to continue making music with him, and for him, for as long as we can.”*

In the late 50s, Ernest Ranglin started adding rhythm accents to the tunes Coxsone Dodd was cutting at Jamaica’s Studio One by playing muted upstrokes on his guitar. That simple lick became the characteristic sound of a new groove called ska. His playing also laid the foundation for reggae’s relaxed rhythm, ensuring Ranglin’s place in the pantheon of innovative guitarists.*

After years of studio work in Jamaica, including the first session of a singer named Robert Marley, Ranglin moved to London to play with the Island Records studio band. His jazz influenced approach was featured on countless records, including Millie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop,” the first international ska hit and The Melodians’ classic “Rivers of Babylon.”*

Ranglin played with pianists Monty Alexander and Randy Weston in the ‘70s. His fluid bend of jazz, world music and reggae fit perfectly with their ideas about music without boundaries and brought him to the attention of a new international audience. His deceptively simple rhythms and sinuous leads created another genre, reggae jazz, showcased on groundbreaking solo albums like Below the Bassline, Memories of Barber Mac and In Search of the Lost Riddim, recorded in Senegal with Baaba Maal and his band. His reggae jazz style fully flowered on 2001’s Gotcha!, the album that prefigured his ongoing creative surge. Never one to stand still, Ranglin recently played the Blue Note in New York with Monty Alexander and rising reggae star Chronixx on a show billed as A History of Reggae + Jamaican Music. The audience included Ranglin’s mentor Chris Blackwell. In a backstage interview Chronixx, praised Ranglin’s ability to blend the past, present and future in his playing. Gigs like this showcase Ranglin’s ability to bring out the best in the musicians he works with, young and old. His playing continues to be marked by his serene approach and a playful sensibility that often conceals his jaw-dropping virtuosity. He was inducted into the Jamaican Music Hall of fame in 2008.

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. "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

Saxophonist/Composer Rudresh Mahanthappa Previews Upcoming CD Bird Calls - Saturday, January 10 at Winter Jazzfest

Saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa previews his new Charlie Parker-inspired CD Bird Calls on January 10 as part of the Winter Jazzfest Saturday Marathon. He performs at 10:00 p.m. at Minetta Lane Theatre, 18-22 Minetta Lane, NYC with pianist Matt Mitchell, drummer Rudy Royston and 20-year-old trumpet prodigy Adam O’Farrill, each of whom appears on Bird Calls, and bassist Chris Tordini.

Through a series of critically acclaimed releases over the past decade, Rudresh Mahanthappa has explored the music of his South Indian heritage and translated it through the vocabulary of his own distinctive approach to modern jazz. On his latest release Bird Calls, available February 10, 2015 on ACT, Mahanthappa trains his anthropological imagination on an equally important cultural influence: the music of Charlie Parker. With a stellar quintet of forward-thinking musicians, which includes some long-time collaborators as well as trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, Mahanthappa offers an inspired examination of Bird’s foundational influence and how it manifests itself in a decidedly 21st-century context.

“It’s easy to say that Bird influenced modern music without dissecting that notion,” Mahanthappa says. “If I had any agenda for this album, it was to really demonstrate that. This music says, ‘Yes, Bird’s influence is absolutely indelible, and here’s why.’ This is music that is all directly inspired by Charlie Parker, but it sounds as modern as anything today.” The album is also a passion project for Mahanthappa, who counts Parker as one of his earliest and most enduring inspirations, saying, “Bird has always been a huge influence on me.”

Though it pays homage to one of jazz’s Founding Fathers and arrives at the outset of Charlie Parker’s 95th birthday year, Bird Calls is not a tribute album in the traditional sense. There isn’t a single Parker composition to be found on the album, which consists entirely of new music penned by Mahanthappa for the occasion. But Bird’s DNA is strongly present in every one of these pieces, each of which takes a particular Parker melody or solo as its source of inspiration. Each is then wholly reimagined and recontextualized by Mahanthappa and his quintet which, in addition to O’Farrill (son of pianist and Afro Latin Jazz Alliance founder Arturo O’Farrill), features pianist Matt Mitchell (Dave Douglas, Tim Berne), bassist François Moutin (Jean-Michel Pilc, Martial Solal), and drummer Rudy Royston (Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas).

Take the most obvious example, “Talin is Thinking,” whose title is both a play on “Parker’s Mood” and a loving dedication to Mahanthappa’s two-year-old son. The familiar melody of “Parker’s Mood” is essentially intact, but it is transformed into a more somber, serpentine piece by the removal of Bird’s syncopated rhythmic approach. Less immediately recognizable but similar in approach is “Chillin’,” which asks the instrumentalists to navigate melodies derived from Parker’s “Relaxin’ at Camarillo” both in the written material and in their solos.

“Bird’s solos and heads were very advanced harmonically and rhythmically,” Mahanthappa says. “They’re as cutting edge as anything today, and I always feel like we take that for granted as jazz musicians. We know the melody to ‘Donna Lee’ and we know these classic solos like we know ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb,’ but what if we were to dig deeper? If you take an excerpt of one of his solos in isolation, it’s like 21st-century classical music, with a really modern way of thinking about rhythm and melody and harmony.”

“On the DL,” for example, dissects the melody of Parker’s classic “Donna Lee” and builds an entirely new melody on that foundation. The piece is marked by Mahanthappa’s intricate melodicism and vigorous, shape-shifting rhythmic approach; he and O’Farrill weave their lines together in a spirit that wouldn’t feel unfamiliar to Dizzy and Bird, even if the material itself would certainly sound startling to 1940s ears. Mahanthappa describes the even more breakneck “Both Hands” as “Bird’s melody from ‘Dexterity,’ but with all the rests removed,” and it’s every bit as electrifying as that description implies.

Like countless other pieces before it, “Sure Why Not?” sets an original melody against the harmony of Parker’s “Confirmation,” then disguises its source further by slowing the usually brisk tempo to a tart ballad. “Maybe Later” focuses on Parker’s rhythmic originality, changing the notes to the saxophonist’s famed solo from “Now’s the Time” while keeping the rhythm intact. “Gopuram,” with its Indian raga feel, takes its name from the tower at the entrance of Hindu temples as a play on “Steeplechase” (after prayer, Hindus often circle the temple several times, akin to the circular route of the titular race). The album closes with “Man, Thanks for Coming,” loosely based on “Anthropology.” The CD is punctuated by a series of miniatures called “Bird Calls,” solo, duo and group introductions that allow for more open explorations of the compositions’ thematic material.

Charlie Parker was a key influence for Mahanthappa from the time a junior high music teacher handed him the Parker album Archetypes along with a copy of Jamey Aebersold’s well-known collection of transcriptions, the Charlie Parker Omnibook. “I was blown away,” he recalls. “I couldn’t believe the way he was playing, gorgeous with so much charisma and flying all over the horn. I think hearing Charlie Parker was what planted the first seeds of wanting to do this for the rest of my life. It was very powerful.”

Poring over the transcription book, which listed catalogue numbers for the compositions but not album titles, the young altoist noticed that nearly half of them were accompanied by the label Savoy 2201. Not long after, while searching the bins at a local chain record store, he spotted a copy of the collection Bird: Master Takes – and there, on the spine, was the magic number: Savoy 2201. He describes the moment as “like finding the Holy Grail.”

Despite the stunning array of influences that have impacted his playing since that time, Parker has always remained an overweening inspiration. “If I ever feel uninspired or down I can always go back to Charlie Parker,” he says. “That always makes me feel invigorated and joyful about playing jazz and playing the saxophone. I always say that what I play still sounds like Bird, just a little bit displaced. It’s coming from the same language and the same foundations. I feel like I’ve always been playing Bird.”

Hailed by the New York Times as possessing “a roving intellect and a bladelike articulation,” Rudresh Mahanthappa has been awarded a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, and commissions from the Rockefeller Foundation MAP Fund, Chamber Music America and the American Composers Forum. He’s also been named alto saxophonist of the year multiple times in DownBeat’s International Critics Poll and by the Jazz Journalists Association. His projects include the multi-cultural hybrids Gamak and Samdhi; the cross-generational alto summit Apex featuring Bunky Green; trios MSG and Mauger; the quintet Dual Identity co-led with fellow altoist Steve Lehman; and Raw Materials, his long-running duo project with pianist Vijay Iyer. Mahanthappa also continues to partner with Pakistani-American guitarist Rez Abbasi and innovative percussionist Dan Weiss in the Indo-Pak Coalition, while giants in both jazz and South Indian music have recognized his success: he was enlisted by Jack DeJohnette for the legendary drummer’s most recent working group, while a collaboration with the renowned Carnatic saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath resulted in Mahanthappa’s critically-acclaimed 2008 CD Kinsmen (Pi).

www.rudreshm.com

NEW RELEASES: GREG MURPHY – BLUES FOR MILES; MARC CAREY TRIO & FRIENDS – COSMIC INDIGENOUS; ELECTRIC WIRE HUSTLE – LOVE WILL PREVAIL

GREG MURPHY – BLUES FOR MILES

A really different album from pianist Greg Murphy – an artist we know mostly for his work with Rashied Ali during his later years! This set's not what you might expect from the Blues For Miles title – hardly a recap of Davis' music, or his ideas at all – and instead comes across as a warmly lyrical session that shows a whole new side of Murphy's talents! The pianist is working here with a lineup that also includes Josh Evans on trumpet and Ben Solomon on tenor, plus some occasional percussion from Raphael Cruz next to the piano, bass, and drums – elements that brings these nice rhythmic changes to the music that are almost more Cedar Walton-like than Miles – especially given Murphy's bright, soulful lines on piano – which have an especially great way of cascading along on the album's original compositions. These are the real standouts, as Greg's a hell of a writer – and titles include "Blues For Miles", "Half Fulton", "Nancy's Fantasy", "Hat Trick", "Free Han Solo", and "Split Second".  ~  Dusty Groove

MARC CAREY TRIO & FRIENDS – COSMIC INDIGENOUS

"Cosmic Indigenous", a collection of previously recorded but never released tracks from Marc Cary Focus Trio + Friends spanning over a decade is now available exclusively on Bandcamp. The album features a multitude of collaborators including Motema's own Awa Sangho, with songs rooted in the concept of North Indian classical raga music and exploring the sounds and concepts of electro-acoustic keyboard wizard Marc Cary's  former project, Indigenous People.  ~ Motema Music

ELECTRIC WIRE HUSTLE – LOVE WILL PREVAIL

A solid second album from New Zealand electro soul combo Electric Wire Hustle – and a subtle, but still pretty progressive step away from the more sample-flavored, beat-driven debut! Love Can Prevail has just a bit more of an abstract, electronics-accented approach to the production – but the soulful approach to the vocals and overall feel of the songs cuts as deep as ever here. Strong work from a unique group! Includes "If These Are The Last Days", "Loveless", "By & Bye", "Bottom Line", "The Spirit", "Look In The Sky", "Light Goes A Long Way", "To See You Again", "Blackwater" and "Numbers And Steel". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: BRANDON WILLIAMS - XII; SUFIANO - MIAMI HEAT; KRUGLOV, NADZHAROV, SHUSHKOV, TALALAY - 1607

BRANDON WILLIAMS - XII

A hell of a record from keyboardist and producer Brandon Williams – an artist who may well be the Larry Mizell of the 21st Century! Like Mizell, Brandon's a hell of a musician at the core – really strong and soulful on his work here – but also like Larry, Williams really has a great way of reaching out and working with others – a quality that's already gotten his music exposure on records by some other big artists, and which also opens the door here to include guest contributions from Jesse Boykins III, Robert Glasper, Frank McComb, Don Blackman, Bernard Wright, Pharoahe Monch, Nicholas Payton, Choklate, Deborah Bond, and others! That lineup should really give you an idea of the depth of this record – as Brandon finds a way to make all these great talents come together, while still letting all the individuals shine during their time in the spotlight – no egos ever taking things over, not even Brandon's own – as the album rolls along with a majestic blend of jazz and soul. Titles include "Intimidation", "Pinball Number Count", "Godsend", "Everything", "Now I Know", "Feel Free", "Yasmin", "Velas Icadas", and "Make Believe".  ~ Dusty Groove

   

SUFIANO - MIAMI HEAT

Here is a new release from artist Sufiano: "Miami Heat" , who writes music with a very strong emphasis on melody and harmony. Miami Heat is a number that reminds one of some of the Stevie Wonder songs of the 70´s with a strong brasilian flavor. Sufiano is a new star on the music scene, when it comes to songwriting. He is originally from Mozambique but since his teen years he has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark. This number is produced in old style with ALL LIVE musicians and the line-up is as follows:

produced and arranged by Michael Millfield in Denmark; Michael Milfield: trumpet, flugelhorn, tenortrombone, keyboard & programmering; Erik Haüsler: baritone saxophone; Lars DK Nielsen: Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ & backing vocal, Sebastian Lilja: guitar; Kaspar Vadsholt: bass; Dean James: drums; Eliel Lazo: percussion; Helder Sufiano: lead vocal; Jean Paul Espinosa: lead vocal, Susanne Ørum: lead vocal & backing vocal.

KRUGLOV, NADZHAROV, SHUSHKOV, TALALAY - 1607

In the summer of 2014 in the Moscow park “Museon” on the stage of the summer cinema a series of evenings under the title «Silent movie – live music» took place. Sergey Krasin offered our quartet to take part in scoring of the film “Zvenigora” by Alexander Dovzhenko. The idea seemed so appealing to us, that we started working on it right away. It was decided to choose the path of electro-acoustic, noise, improvised and authorial directions using “straight” rhythms, where certain metro-rhythmic elements would serve only as a starting point for further transformation. The idea was for these elements to be influenced by the melodic basis and structure without being an idea-forming kernel. As a result, July 16, 2014, we gathered at the Vladimir Osinsky Studio and started to work.

 

The Journey Charts The Remarkable Musical Voyage Of Saxophone Legend Charles McPherson

One of the last authentic practitioners of bebop saxophone, Charles McPherson remains at the top of his game. On his new album The Journey, McPherson demonstrates all the vigor, inventiveness, technical dexterity and expressive warmth that drew attention to this brilliant alto stylist during his formative associations with Charles Mingus, Barry Harris, Pat Martino and Art Farmer. The vitality, wit and sheer power of his playing on The Journey belie the fact that McPherson has been in the public eye since the early 1960s. His lyrical and virile improvising throughout the recording asserts that the career upswing that began for McPherson when he added passionate alto statements to the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood's 1998 Charlie Parker bio-pic, Bird, followed by the excellent all-star albums that came in the film's wake, remains in motion. Working with a Denver-based contingent of estimable musicians including saxophonist Keith Oxman, pianist Chip Stephens, bassist Ken Walker and drummer Todd Reid, McPherson demonstrates his laudable command of the bebop idiom, transforming original tunes, songbook standards and bop classics into fresh, invigorating fare.

The origins of The Journey can be traced to a fortuitous meeting that occurred at a musical clinic, featuring McPherson among others, at the Denver, Colorado jazz club Dazzle. There he met the saxophonist and high school instructor, Keith Oxman. Musical encounters with Oxman and local musicians Stephens, Walker and Reid, were so successful that the veteran saxophonist encouraged a recording to document the obvious connection that the five musicians had so quickly established. The April and May 2014 sessions produced a strikingly comfortable blend of standards ("Spring Is Here," "I Should Care"), McPherson originals ("Manhattan Nocturne," "The Journey," "Bud Like"), work from both Oxman and Stephens, and a shout out to McPherson's deepest influence, Charlie Parker ("Au Privave").

Thoroughly comfortable with the intricacies of bebop, Oxman and each of the rhythm team display élan as confident soloists, as an indivisible unit, and as a rock-solid foundation for McPherson.  The star altoist - as fluent as ever on brisk bop performances and lyrically pointed on ballads (hear his lovely duet with Stephens on "I Should Care," a standard favored by Parker) - sounds as robust and bursting with ideas as his devotees, drawn to the authenticity and communicative power of McPherson's characteristic playing, have come to expect.

The presence of another saxophonist adds harmonic and tonal color to the ensemble and further stimulates McPherson's creative juices. Oxman's own "Tami's Tune" is a feature for the tenor saxophonist on which McPherson graciously absents himself, better to train the spotlight on this fine improviser. As McPherson states, "Keith is extremely creative and in possession of a really good technique. But most importantly he has spirituality in his playing, and a depth of feeling that is rare. He should definitely be heard more!" As should McPherson, who, as The Journey clearly exhibits, remains in peak form as he continues his lifelong musical voyage.

http://caprirecords.com/

http://www.charlesmcpherson.com/

Pianist Adam Birnbaum's Three of A Mind with Al Foster and Doug Weiss

New York City pianist Adam Birnbaum hasn't been keeping a low profile in recent years. While touring internationally with drum legend Al Foster's quartet and subbing regularly in Darcy James Argue's Secret Society and with recently minted vocal star Cécile McLorin Salvant he's also released several well-received CDs under his own name. Still, his new album Three of A Mind marks a major leap for the pianist, capturing a working ensemble with enviable chemistry. Slated for release on February 10, 2015, the trio session is the work of an artist with unimpeachable taste, exquisite touch, and a commanding vision.

Though Birnbaum is joined by two celebrated rhythm section partners, the album is no ad hoc all-star session. He and bassist Doug Weiss have spent the past six years together working with Foster, and the trio's road-tested cohesion shines on every track. In many ways Birnbaum designed the album to showcase Foster, a drummer who "embodies true musicianship," Birnbaum says. "He has huge ears. He doesn't just keep time. He actively engages you, creating a constant dialogue. If you can learn to ride the wave of rhythms he is throwing at you it makes your own ideas sound even hipper."

A supremely accomplished accompanist, "Weiss is one of the premiere bassists around," Birnbaum says. "His sense of taste, rock-solid time, and superb melodicism make him in many ways the perfect bassist. He doesn't go for flash, but for true music making, and his ears are always open to going wherever the music takes him."

The album opens with Birnbaum's rock-inflected "Binary," an irresistibly upbeat tune that he wrote to slyly draw Foster back to Miles territory. In much the same way, he composed "Dream Waltz" with the trio in mind. An alluring melody with an uncomplicated song form, the piece facilitates some beautifully balanced group interplay. The pianist is at his most rhapsodic on the enchanted ballad "Rockport Moon," and at his most ambitious on the blues-like "Dream Song # 1: Huffy Henry," one of a dozen pieces he composed for a suite inspired by John Berryman's wildly creative poems.

Though Foster isn't widely known as a composer, he's written many memorable tunes, including two that Birnbaum chose to include on Three of A Mind. Written for Foster's son, "Brandyn" is a tricky piece that opens in 12/8 before eventually settling into some sizzling swing. It's a recognizable but significantly reimagined version of the piece that Foster introduced back in 1996 as the title track of his first album as a leader (with Larry Grenadier, Dave Kikoski and Chris Potter). And Foster's pleasingly aggressive "Ooh What You Do To Me" closes the album with a satisfying whomp. No fuss, no muss, this is a trio that takes care of business.

Birnbaum is an award-winning player who has more than lived up to his considerable promise since graduating from Juilliard as part of the first class of the illustrious conservatory's jazz program. Born and raised in Boston, Birnbaum spent his early years studying the European classical tradition. At 13 he got exposed to jazz and turned onto improvisation, and he spent the rest of his teenage years dividing his attention between the worlds of jazz and classical music.

While studying at Boston College, Birnbaum connected with New England Conservatory's Danilo Perez, and the great Panamanian pianist became an important mentor. He graduated from Boston College with a degree in computer science but spent the bulk of his time practicing piano. The shedding prepared him for plunging into the New York scene in 2001 via Juilliard, where he was one of only two pianists selected for inaugural class in the conservatory's new jazz program. He worked closely with piano legend Kenny Barron, and later studied with Fred Hersch "who really opened another world for me," Birnbaum says.

In 2004 he won the American Jazz Piano Competition and became the American Pianists Association's Cole Porter fellow in jazz. In 2006, he received the first-ever "special mention" prize at the Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition in Paris. More important than any contest was the call he received from alto sax master Greg Osby, one of jazz's keenest talent scouts. On the recommendation of bassist Matt Brewer, Osby hired Birnbaum for a series of gigs starting at Birdland. His phone started to ring regularly after that.

Over the past decade Birnbaum has performed with veteran masters such as Wallace Roney, Eddie Henderson, Eddie Gomez, and Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, as well as with well-established contemporaries such as Pedro Giraudo, Marshall Gilkes and Dominick Farinacci. As a leader, Birnbaum has released two albums in Japan under the Pony Canyon label in 2006: Ballade Pour Adeline with Quincy Davis and Matt Brewer (which received a Gold Disk award from Swing Journal as one of the top albums of the year), and A Comme Amour with Ben Wolfe and Rodney Green. Smalls Records released his 2009 US debut, Travels, a critically hailed album with Joe Sanders and Rodney Green.

By far the most significant relationship of his career has been with Al Foster. Miles Davis famously described his first encounter with Foster saying that the drummer "knocked me out because he had such a groove and he would just lay it right in there." Foster went on to spent more time accompanying the trumpet legend than any other drummer, recording more than a dozen albums with Davis, from 1972's hugely controversial On The Corner through his 1981 comeback The Man With the Horn, and all three career-capping sessions produced by Marcus Miller. Sought out by fellow masters, he's also recorded extensively with Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and McCoy Tyner.

Birnbaum set his sights on Foster's quartet when he got word that Kevin Hays was leaving the group in 2009. Not the easiest musician to approach, Foster presented a forbidding front. But after showing up at various gigs around New York, Birnbaum eventually got the chance to sit in at Smoke (with a little help from Weiss). He's been with Foster ever since, while the horn chair has showcased some of the era's most potent tenor saxophonists, such as Dayna Stephens and Eric Alexander. For Birnbaum, the experience has been the ultimate jazz education, "a real connection to another era," he says. "These aren't the kind of lessons you can learn verbally or in a classroom. There's an intensity that Al brings whenever he gets behind the drums. He expects something special to happen every time he plays, and if it's not happening he'll be upset with himself and the band. This is not just a way to make money for him. Music is his life. It means everything to him." It's an ethic that Birnbaum has clearly absorbed, and that manifests itself throughout Three Of A Mind.

www.adambirnbaum.com

Glenn Wilson's live post bop milestone, Timely reunites the baritone saxophone giant with trumpet great John D'earth

Dubbed "an unsung hero in modern jazz" by the All Music Guide, the baritone saxophonist Glenn Wilson has been cherished by discerning listeners who recognize a visionary improviser and inspired bandleader when they hear one. On his new live album Timely, to be released February 24, 2015 on Cadence Jazz Records, Wilson is joined by a treasured compatriot, the trumpeter John D'Earth. Along with the pianist John Toomey, the bassist Jimmy Masters and the drummer Tony Martucci, the horn men, tethered together by way of shared experience, interpret compositions by such masters as Wayne Shorter, Bob Belden, Larry Willis, Bob Dorough and baritone saxophone legend, Pepper Adams.

Having worked together in various configurations for over thirty years, the members of the quintet bring an artistic maturity to these performances evident in the spontaneous interplay and raw emotion displayed. Recorded over two nights at the Havana Nights Jazz Club in Virginia Beach, the music sparkles with an inspired mixture of unrestrained fervor aligned with the apparent ease that bonds seasoned players. "Recording live," says Wilson "is not something to be entered into lightly. The best jazz is LIVE jazz and you're hearing it just the way we played it for the audience at the club that night."

On standout performances, "Sightseeing", "Timely," and Diabolique II, Wilson and D'earth also create what the leader describes as "improvised compositions."   "John and I have such a great rapport and hear the music so similarly that, when we improvise together, compositions are created that have never existed before and will never be heard again. That journey to unknown destinations is what makes the music so fresh and unrepeatable. It's what real jazz is all about: in-the-moment musical communication." The nature of the band's unusual repertoire also reflects this go-for-broke spirit. Instead of the familiar standards heard so often, Wilson and company revel in little heard gems including Shorter's "Sightseeing," Willis's "To Wisdom the Prize," Belden's "Fat Beat," Dorough's "Nothing Like You Has Even Been Seen Before" and Adams's "Dylan's Delight"" and "Diabolique II."

In a career that spans five decades, Glenn Wilson has been featured with such iconic jazz and Latin music leaders as Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Machito, Tito Puente and Bob Belden; he has also appeared with rock hit-maker, Bruce Hornsby. Wilson has seven solo albums and has appeared on dozens of jazz recordings as a sideman. Currently based in central Illinois, Wilson performs with his two groups, The Jazzmaniacs and TromBari, featuring trombonist Jim Pugh, and teaches at both University of Illinois and Illinois State University.

http://www.jazzmaniac.com/

GEBHARD ULLMANN CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF BASEMENT RESEARCH WITH NEW CD HAT & SHOES

Ullmann's 50th CD Available February 10, 2015 on Between the Lines

Featuring Multi-instrumentalist/composer Ullmann with Steve Swell, Julian Argüelles, Pascal Niggenkemper, Gerald Cleaver

Gebhard Ullmann celebrates twenty years of his band Basement Research with a striking new CD Hat and Shoes to be released February 10, 2015 on Between the Lines.  Featuring the renowned multi-instrumentalist Ullmann, trombonist Steve Swell, saxophonist Julian Argüelles, bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, and drummer Gerald Cleaver, the band's 7th CD showcases improvisors at the top of their game and Ullmann's rich, dynamic compositions.  This is Ullmann's 50th CD as a leader/co-leader.

Basement Research's first album - featuring Ullmann with Ellery Eskelin, Drew Gress and Phil Haynes - was released in 1995 on the Italian label Soul Note. Many albums later and following careful changes in the line-up, the consistency of the research project is still clearly detectable: discovering the basis of improvised music, the mechanism of musical dialog, the search for previously unheard sounds and the secret of nonverbal, intuitive communication between individuals. This only works live and in real time. It is not a matter of chance that all previous six albums by Basement Research were released in connection with or as the result of a tour.

This tradition is being continued with Hat And Shoes. With the current line-up, you can also hear how five musicians nimbly and apparently effortlessly tread their twisting paths through a soundscape created in free improvisation. Chance does not reign here, but instead each individual participant is equipped with a precisely aligned compass that masters all orientation laws, but also recognizes in split seconds where the right tone has to be using big ears. Suddenly, a delicately arranged, groovy and driving theme shines through again: but was that at all written? These questions do not count with Basement Research, because all pieces are actually both: focused and according to plan, but open for surprising twists and turns at the same time that none of the protagonists may have anticipated. Gebhard Ullmann has scored a great success with the choice of the current band members; Basement Research is just as lively and fresh as two decades ago.

Gebhard Ullmann, born in 1957, is one of Germany's leading musical personalities and one of the most prolific and creatively fertile composer-improvisers working on either side of the Atlantic. He has released 50 CDs as a leader and co-leader and several have been chosen as among the best CDs of the year in DownBeat Magazine. He heads numerous bands (among others, Tá Lam, Conference Call and the Clarinet Trio) and is a sideman for Scott DuBois and Guenter Lenz, among others. The always-busy musician has played with innumerable co-musicians from William Parker to Keith Tippett, from Willem Breuker to Michael Riessler and from Bobby Previte to Alexander von Schlippenbach.  Ullmann has also received numerous prizes and awards. Blessed with this rich treasure of experience in almost all jazz styles, he is the engine of and source of ideas for Basement Research.

Steve Swell (born in 1954) has played alongside Lionel Hampton and Anthony Braxton, among others. His virtuosity is remarkable as well as is his range of structuring options for sound, tones and lines of music. He is a leading figure of the New York Downtown scene and is considered one of the leading trombone players in today's jazz.

The Englishman Julian Argüelles (born in 1966) became known to a larger audience thanks to his participation in "Loose Tubes" and the "Carla Bley Big Band" in the '90s. Subsequently, he has played alongside numerous, known musicians from John Scofield to Dave Holland. He is also in demand as a composer; he has been contracted to compose for numerous international ensembles, many of which received awards.

Pascal Niggenkemper, born in 1978, is one of the most renowned German and European bassists performing today. He released two CDS with his New Yorker Trio (with Robin Verheyen and Tyshawn Sorey), upon which critics lavished high praise. His playing in the bands from Joachim Badenhorst to Gerald Cleaver also attests to his skills.

Gerald Cleaver (born in Detroit in 1963), 2013 "Rising Star" in the drum category of the DownBeat Critics Poll, is considered one of the most important drummers in contemporary music, a fact that he has clearly proven through his collaboration with musicians such as Craig Taborn, Charles Gayle, Roscoe Mitchell and Wadada Leo Smith.

http://www.gebhard-ullmann.com/

Guitarist Jeff Golub Dies at 59, suffered from rare brain disorder that led to blindness and loss of functions

Jeff Golub, a guitarist who crossed seamlessly between jazz, blues and rock, died today, Jan. 1, following a lengthy illness. He was 59. The precise cause and place of death have not yet been reported but Golub had experienced a series of physical setbacks in recent years that ultimately caused him to no longer be able to perform. First, Golub gradually lost his eyesight in June 2011 due to the collapse of an optic nerve. The following year, he fell onto the subway tracks in New York and was dragged by a train, but was rescued by onlookers and escaped unscathed. He was later diagnosed with more serious, at first unidentified, issues later determined to be a rare and incurable brain disorder called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Fans contributed tens of thousands of dollars toward his medical expenses via crowd-funding websites and an auction.

Jeff Golub, who was born in Copley, Ohio, April 15, 1955, played his first gig in 1967 at age 12 and turned professional during the following decade. He studied at the Berklee College of Music and worked in singer James Montgomery’s band while in Boston. In 1980, after moving to New York, Golub joined the band of rock singer Billy Squier, with whom he toured and recorded extensively. Golub released his first solo recording, Unspoken Words, for Gaia Records in 1988.

Golub released more than a dozen albums in all as a leader and three with the Avenue Blue Band, and spent several years (1988-95) in the band of singer Rod Stewart. He also collaborated with dozens of artists as a sideman, including Ashford and Simpson, Alphonse Mouzon, Kirk Whalum, Mindi Abair, Everette Harp, Peter Wolf, John Waite, Vanessa Williams, Gato Barbieri, Bill Evans, Rick Braun, Tina Turner, Dar Williams, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Marc Cohn, Richard Elliot, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Jeff Lorber and Peter White. Golub was also a member of Dave Koz and the Kozmos, the house band of The Emeril Lagasse Show.

Golub’s final album, made with keyboardist Brian Auger, was Train Kept A Rolling, its title inspired by Golub’s subway incident.

~ By Jeff Tamarkin

 

Frank Sinatra’s Life and Music Celebrated on the Eve of His Centennial Year

Throughout 2015, one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons of all time, Frank Sinatra, will be celebrated around the world with commemorative centennial events, exhibitions, and new music and film releases. Ahead of next year’s celebration, the definitive new FRANK SINATRA 100 App, exploring Sinatra’s incredible life and career, has been released worldwide on the App Store and Google Play. The free to download app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and Android tablets.

“It’s Frank’s world, we’re just livin’ in it.”

Designed and developed by playDEF on behalf of Frank Sinatra Enterprises and Universal Music Group, FRANK SINATRA 100 is a comprehensive and evolving “appumentary,” inviting fans to step into Frank’s world (on a string), with lush, vibrant imagery showcased in several rare and previously unseen photos, a unique, full-screen Sinatra Slideshow feature, as well as exclusive audio recordings and videos, including a 1962 filmed performance excerpted from the new Sinatra: LONDON box set. The app also delves into Frank’s life and career with an interactive timeline, in-depth features, interviews and personal stories about Frank from many who knew him best, including family members and friends.

Over time, the dynamic app will continue to evolve and expand to reveal the complete story of one of the 20th century’s most important pop culture figures – the renowned live performer, prolific recording artist, television personality and Oscar®-winning film star, honored humanitarian and adored family man. To accompany FRANK SINATRA 100’s bounty of visual features, in-app music purchase options are available via major digital service providers, including the new Mastered for iTunes releases on the iTunes Store. Sinatra’s music can also be streamed via in-app connectivity to Spotify, Rdio or Deezer.

On December 9, Universal Music Enterprises and Frank Sinatra Enterprises released Sinatra: LONDON, a new 3-CD/DVD and digital audio collection presenting the remastered Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain studio album with a treasure trove of other London highlights from Sinatra’s career. The sleek, book-style set includes more than 50 previously unreleased recordings and its DVD features a previously unreleased filmed 1962 concert from Royal Festival Hall, plus a 1970 concert appearance from the same venue with a never before released performance of the classic song “A Foggy Day.”

Throughout his six-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

More information about 2015’s global Sinatra 100 celebration will soon be shared. Stay tuned to the FRANK SINATRA 100 App for dynamic enhancements and special features to be added through next year's centennial salute.

www.Sinatra.com

KEYBOARDIST DAN SIEGEL RELEASES HIS 20TH ALBUM "INDIGO"

Perhaps the hook of interest to the just released 20th album from keyboardist-composer-producer Dan Siegel is that his cerebral compositions masterfully crafted on “Indigo” with co-producer Brian Bromberg do not need sensationalism in order to thrive. The veteran artisan has been making sophisticated piano-driven contemporary jazz records for 35 years thus earning his fine reputation without gimmicks or pandering to the fickle nature of the audience’s passing fancy. Instead he sets the bar high and focuses his muse on making thinking man’s music. The collection’s ten fully orchestrated and deftly arranged live acoustic jazz constructs offer nimble piano and keyboard emotives and evocative melodies amplified by lush horns that certainly live up to that description.

Emerging only when he has something meaningful to share, “Indigo” is Siegel’s first outing in five years. The new set is being swiftly welcomed at contemporary jazz radio hungry for high-quality music. It opens with the sweeping “To Be Continued” on which Siegel receives as adept assist from the impassioned sax play of Bob Sheppard. Mike Miller joins the fray on “By Chance” to add tasty jazz guitar licks to Siegel’s playful piano frolic. The title cut, a bit of a Wild West showdown, is punctuated by a gun slinging brass section and Allen Hinds’ unharnessed guitar shots placed adjacent to Siegel’s structured piano that seems to maintain some semblance of decorum. Contemplative by nature, “Beyond” explores an ambient expanse. Piano and sax swirl and swoon on the breezy “Far And Away.” Sheppard’s sax shadows Siegel’s poignant probings on “If Ever” before climaxing in an emotionally-wrought solo. Bromberg’s upright bass and drummer Will Kennedy (Yellowjackets) make the bluesy rhythm swing on “Spur Of The Moment” boosted by the horn section and another inspired Miller electric guitar improv. Gentle piano and sax radiate hope and promise amidst the pitter-patter brushed beats on “First Light.” The uplifting “Consider This” benefits from Siegel’s rousing and gregarious piano at the fore while “Endless” registers a resonant closing statement that lingers long after the final notes fade with dexterous bass and drum embellishments abound.      

Siegel, a Eugene, Oregon native, is planning a series of spring concert dates in the Pacific Northwest after having showcased the album at a performance last month before an enraptured Southern California audience. 

www.DanSiegelMusic.com

Vocalist THANA ALEXA Immortalizes Personal and Musical Influences on Path to Self-Discovery with Debut Album, Ode To Heroes

By the time an artist discovers their own voice, they've inevitably been shaped by countless influences. On her debut album, Ode To Heroes, vocalist Thana Alexa pays tribute to the personalities both personal and musical who have impacted her on the path to forging her own distinctively individual voice. It's a telling list that encompasses her own family; jazz giants like Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus, and Paul Desmond; and the stellar musicians who collaborate with her on the album, including drummer and co-producer Antonio Sanchez, saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Lenart Krecic, bassists Jorge Roeder and Scott Colley, pianist Sergio Salvatore and vibraphonist Christos Rafalides. 

The release of Ode To Heroes, due out March 10 via Harmonia Mundi/Jazz Village, marks the arrival of a rising star on the modern vocal jazz scene. The album mainly features her engaging original compositions, along with vibrant takes on jazz standards like Shorter's "Footprints," Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," and Desmond and Dave Brubeck's "Take 5." Most importantly, it spotlights Alexa's ability to engage in rewarding and illuminating conversation with some of the music's most renowned and forward-thinking players. 

Ode To Heroes' title track opens the album with sudden staccato stabs, and it may take listeners a few moments to realize that there's a voice alongside the sax and drums. It's a fitting introduction for a singer who sees herself as a part of the band, more interested in mixing it up and improvising with her sidemen than standing alone at the front of the stage. Alexa honed that approach while a student at the New School, where she embraced the challenge of breaking down jazz's entrenched borders. 

"This divide between vocalists and instrumentalists was very much a problem for me," Alexa says. "Whether it was through the curriculum or just through the psychology of the musicians, vocalists were oftentimes separated and classed as something different. And I was not cool with that. I ended up putting myself in really uncomfortable situations, becoming the very first vocalist in a lot of ensembles. I really wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone and learn through trial and error."

Though she was born in New York City, Alexa was raised in Croatia, so her path was never going to be the expected one. She first encountered jazz at an outdoor café in Dubrovnik. The owner was a bassist who encouraged her to join his band onstage when he spotted her mouthing the lyrics in the audience. "He yelled to me from the stage in broken English and my mom pushed me up there," she recalls. "I must have looked like a tree just standing there; it was my first time ever singing in front of people."

The experience ignited a passion for jazz and soon Alexa was taking voice lessons at the Rock Academy of Zagreb. A few years later vibraphonist and club owner Bosko Petrovic took the young singer under his wing, producing a demo and urging her to discover her own voice. She returned to the States at the age of 18 to attend Northeastern University, majoring in psychology because she still saw jazz as a hobby. "I had the darkest year of my life," she says. "It was only during a jazz course I had once a week that something would light up inside of me when I had my five minutes to sing. The message was clear that a life change had to be made, so I moved to New York City and enrolled at the New School where I received a B.F.A in jazz performance and also finished my B.A. in psychology." 

Alexa looks back at that time on "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" (listed as "The Wanderer" on the track list), which was one of the songs she studied in class that inspired her to pursue music. Her lyrics for the Mingus classic as well as Shorter's "Footprints" both explore her journey of self-discovery as a musician. The results are evident on Ode To Heroes, where the personal and the aesthetic merge throughout. "When Evening Comes" begins with an intense wordless vocal solo, building to the tune's hypnotic groove. "In a Mode" was inspired by Herbie Hancock, while the title track was written with Antonio Sanchez and Donny McCaslin's virtuosic musicality in mind.

On the aching and delicate "Ghost Hawk," Alexa pens a love letter to her brother, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2010. "The song is supposed to be hopeful," she says. "It's supposed to send the message that you should live life to the fullest and not be scared of who you love, how you love, or that you love. That's the way that my brother lived, and he was my main inspiration for this record. He was a larger than life kind of guy - his energy permeated through my whole writing process. It became my way to keep him living, even though he was no longer around physically." 

Closing tunes "M's Lullaby" and "You Are Not Alone" are dedicated to Alexa's mother, who was ailing at the time that she wrote them. "I live very far away from my parents, who are in Croatia. So I wanted to express to my mother through music that no matter where I am, I'm always there for her, and allow her to find her own strength in knowing that I love her."

Alexa met Antonio Sanchez when she saw him unexpectedly playing at Carnegie Hall with Oliver Dragojevic, one of Croatia's biggest pop stars. She references their relationship on two pieces from Ode To Heroes: "Siena," named for the destination where the couple took their first trip together (and where the song was written) and "Groove Tune," which talks about their first encounter over coffee and which provides the band an opportunity to loosen up and stretch out.

Since dedicating herself to music, Alexa has performed and recorded with Antonio Sanchez on his album New Life and his upcoming album The Meridian Suite - performances have included Red Sea Jazz Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival - with legendary drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and two albums with guitarist Gene Ess. She won the 2011 Jazzon Alpe-Andria International Competition for "Ode To Heroes," while "Siena" was nominated for a Best Jazz Composition award by PORIN, the Croatian Music Academy, an honor equivalent to the Grammy Awards in America. For the last two years she's been in residency at Greenwich Village's 55 Bar.

Upcoming Thana Alexa Performances

March 14 / The Side Door / Old Lyme, CT

** March 23 / SubCulture / New York, NY

** w/ special guests Antonio Sanchez and Donny McCaslin

Thana Alexa · Ode To Heroes

Jazz Village  ·  Release Date: March 10, 2015

www.ThanaAlexa.com

Festival Impresario George Wein Honored with The Recording Academy® Trustees Award

George Wein, world-renowned founder and producer of the Newport Jazz Festival®, Newport Folk Festival®, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival® and numerous other music events, will receive The Recording Academy® Trustees Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions in areas other than performance. The award will be presented at a special invitation-only ceremony on Saturday, February 7, 2015 and acknowledged during the 57th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, which will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 8, at 8:00 pm ET on the CBS Television Network. 

Wein joins iconic pop music producer Richard Perry (Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr) and the stellar song-writing duo of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "On Broadway," "Just Once") as 2015 Trustees Award recipients. 

"I am thrilled to receive this recognition for my life's work, and I am grateful that The Recording Academy selected me to join this year's remarkable recipients," said Wein. "It is also an honor to celebrate the same award that has been presented to outstanding music leaders, and friends, including Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Allen Toussaint, Marian McPartland, Norman Granz, John Hammond  and countless others." 

Over the years, this Special Merit Award has been bestowed upon Stephen Sondheim, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Frank Sinatra, Clive Davis, Cole Porter, Dick Clark, Johnny Mercer, George and Ira Gershwin, Don Cornelius, Steve Jobs, Holland/Dozier/Holland, The Beatles, Rudy Van Gelder, Bruce Lundvall, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Thomas A. Dorsey and other individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of recording. 

"This year we pay tribute to exceptional creators who have made prolific contributions to our culture and history," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "It is an honor and a privilege to recognize such a diverse group of talented trailblazers, whose incomparable bodies of work and timeless legacies will continue to be celebrated for generations to come." 

George Wein, chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., is considered to be as much a legend as his festivals.  He has spearheaded hundreds of music events since 1954 when he produced the first Newport Jazz Festival® - an event which started the festival era. Five years later, Wein and folk icon Pete Seeger founded the Newport Folk Festival®. In 1970, Wein founded the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.  On December 11, Wein celebrated the opening of the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, which is the education and community arm of the  New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation.

He pioneered the idea of sponsor association with music events, beginning with The Schlitz Salute to Jazz and the Kool Jazz Festival. His company went on to produce events for JVC, Mellon Bank, Verizon, Essence, Ben & Jerry's, CareFusion, Natixis Global Asset Management and others. 

As he approaches his 90th birthday, Wein has as much creative fuel as he did when he started the Newport festivals and advanced the concept of live music. He created the Newport Festivals Foundation in 2010 to continue the legacies of the famed Jazz and Folk festivals, and continues to lead a team of seasoned professionals to produce both events every summer.

A result of his diverse contributions to jazz and world culture, Wein has been honored by heads of state, educational institutions and leading publications.  He is an NEA Jazz Master (Jazz Advocate), and in 2013 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and New Englander of the Year from the New England Council. In 2012 Wein was given the APAP Award of Merit for Achievement in Performing Arts. In addition, honors and awards have been bestowed upon him by Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, AARP, the Studio Museum in Harlem and the French Legion d'Honneur. Wein is a lifetime Honorary Trustee of Carnegie Hall and a member of the Board of Trustees at Jazz @ Lincoln Center.

In addition to his work as a producer, George Wein is an accomplished jazz pianist, whose group, Newport All-Stars has toured around the world and has featured some of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz.

Wein's autobiography, Myself Among Others: A Life in Music (Da Capo Press), which chronicles his life in jazz, was recognized by the Jazz Journalists Association as 2004's best book about jazz. In addition to his life in jazz, Mr. Wein has a long history of involvement with philanthropy and the arts, including the establishment of the Joyce and George Wein Chair of African American Studies at Boston University, the Alexander Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at Simmons College and an annual artist prize given through the Studio Museum in Harlem in honor of his late wife, Joyce Alexander Wein.