Jazz Guitarist and Composer Hristo Vitchev Announces Future Project with Errol Rackipov Group

Hristo Vitchev is a jazz guitarist and composer who just recently completed a tour of Korea with his quartet this past October, and is now planning for an upcoming 10 day/cities tour of Japan. Aside from touring, Vitchev has a number of musical endeavors in the works including a new fusion project with the Errol Rackipov Group.

The Errol Rackipov Group is led by virtuoso vibraphonist and master composer Errol Rackipov (Errol is one of the first students that Gary Burton took under his wing back in the days). This is a truly international group that showcases some of the most exciting improvisers on the scene today.

On piano, they have none other than Martin Bejerano (the pianist for Roy Haynes, Russell Malone, Dave Holland, and many other legends of jazz). On sax, the great reedman from Vienna, Austria - Lubomir Gospodinov. On drums, the masterful Costa Rican drummer and phenomenal composer Rodolfo Zuniga. On bass is one of the most in demand and up and coming bassists in Miami, FL, Mr. Josh Allen, and on  guitar, Hristo Vitchev.

Their debut album "Pictures from a Train Window" is literally being pressed now and will be ready for an official release in the coming weeks.

This record is an unique fusion of the lyricism of impressionistic chamber music with the romanticism of Argentinian tango and the edge, excitement, and exploratory spirit of modern jazz with the diverse sonic tapestry of the Eastern European folklore traditions.

NEW RELEASES: TRUTH & SOUL PRESENTS FALLIN' OFF THE REEL IV; GALLOW STREET - GALLOW STREET EP; ONE-DERFUL! - THE ONE-DERFUL! COLLECTION

TRUTH & SOUL PRESENTS FALLIN' OFF THE REEL IV

Truth & Soul is proud to present the fourth volume of their Fallin’ Off­ The Reel compilation. In keeping with Truth & Soul tradition when they get enough singles out they get them together onto a comp for the people who collect CDs and digital ‑les. 22 songs on the CD including tracks from Lee Fields & Expressions, Lady, Liam Bailey, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, The Olympians, Beau Williams, The Ghetto Brothers, The Fabulous 3, Zafari, Shirley Nanette, El Michaels Affair, and more. Now that they are well into 70 plus singles released on the label, this comp is great introduction to Truth & Soul Records as well as a great listen for those who already have some of the music we have released. Press play and enjoy the sounds that have made us respected the world over! 

GALLOW STREET - GALLOW STREET EP

A sweet mix of brass band styles, with a very contemporary touch – all played live in the studio, with an approach that's a bit like the Hypnotic Brass Band! Like those guys, Gallow Street reach for an older tradition, but bring it strongly into the 21st Century with inventive rhythms, unusual inflections on the horns, and an overall delivery that's as urgent as it is exotic – a really unusual flavor that graces the four instrumental tunes on the EP – "Rhino", "Mountain Smoke", "Blue Monday", and "Hudmo Medley". ~ Dusty Groove

ONE-DERFUL! - THE ONE-DERFUL! COLLECTION

An unassuming cover, but a set that's got a really colorful batch of rare Chicago soul – including a number of never-issued tracks from the legendary One-Der-Ful Records! The label was one of the true indie greats in Chicago back in the 60s – almost as much a force for local soul as bigger imprints like Chess, Okeh, and Brunswick – and home to an equally great array of artists – including a few who'd later hit big on different labels! The work here is all the handiwork of the Leaner brothers, who not only recorded most of the cuts here – but also helped distribute One-Der-Ful and a host of other midwestern indies – which really gave them a great ear for the best sounds coming from the underground, and the new trends that were breaking big way before the rest of the country picked them up. And although there have been other collections of One-Der-Ful material before, this one may well be the most thoughtful – from the detailed notes on the label and each artist, to the research that uncovered never-issued tracks that include "Happy Times" by Beverly Shaffer, "Enjoy Yourself" by The Five Du-Tones, "I'm Guilty" by Liz Lands, "Thank You Love" by Otis Clay, "Now That You're Gone" by McKinley Mitchell, "Meet Me Halfway" by Beverly Shaffer, "Take Me To Your Leader" by The Sharpees, "When You Get That Feeling" by The Five Du-Tones, "Got To Find A Way (alt)" by Otis Clay, "Seventh Hour" by Liz Lands, and "Here Comes My Baby" by Mary Silvers. The set features lots more great cuts too – including "Who Is She" by Lucky Laws, "The Prettiest Girl" by Joe & Mack, "The Sock" by The Sharpees, "All For You" by the Admirations, and "The Man Of The Town" by Jay Jordan. ~ Dusty Groove

Defected Presents House Masters: Joey Negro

Presenting the latest edition of the acclaimed series that inducts a select few elite producers in the house music Hall of Fame. House Masters Joey Negro is an incredible, eclectic collection from the one of the world’s leading proponents of disco-inspired house music. 

Joey Negro is the most well-known pseudonym of master British producer, remixer, DJ and label owner Dave Lee. With his production career beginning in 1988, Dave is intrinsically linked to the birth of house music in the UK. Famously recording under a variety different aliases including Akabu, Doug Willis, The Sunburst Band, Jakatta, Raven Maize, Sessomatto and Z Factor he has created a truly exceptional back-catalogue accounting for many of house music’s highlights over a career spanning three decades.  

Disco has always played its part in Lee’s music: he was one of the first British artists to incorporate disco samples into the various house music styles with which he is so recognisably identified. Indeed, as a genuine aficionado of disco he has few equals anywhere in the world.  He’s as productive as ever either in the studio or behind the decks today and most recently under his Joey Negro alias, Lee was integral to the success of Defected’s brand new Glitterbox residency in Ibiza this summer.

  

In terms of production, Dave’s imagination and creativity has proved limitless. He’s enjoyed both huge commercial success on records such as Jakatta’s ‘American Dream’ – a UK No.3 and ‘Make A Move On Me’ alongside an avid underground following through monikers such as Akabu and via labels such as Transmat, Junior Boys Own, NRK and his own thriving label, Z Records.

From the live disco and boogie of The Sunburst Band to the unique funk-fuelled grooves of Joey Negro, House Masters Joey Negro is Dave’s personal curation of the greatest records from a catalogue that spans every corner of house music.

As well as genre-defining original productions under the guises of EXTORTION, Doug Willis, Raven Maize and of course Joey Negro, also included are a handful of seminal remixes, from Erro and Masters At Work to Patrice Rushen and Blaze, all unmixed and DJ friendly. 

12 additional tracks feature on the digital product including an exclusive Joey Negro re-edit of Erro’s ‘Don’t Change’ as well as further remixes of Dave Lee originals from Henrik Schwarz, Ame and Dennis Ferrer. 

“It was a case of balancing the various sides of what I've done over the years” says Lee of the selection process. “You want to include the personal favourites and some tracks that were popular purely on the underground, alongside others that were more successful on a commercial level.

“As a producer one of the skills you must have is remaining objective, even when you've heard the piece of music you're working on several 1000 times. The same goes for the selection here. The House Masters series is literally a who's who of house music, so obviously it’s great to be part of it.”

Defected presents House Masters Joey Negro is out 11 January (2CD and digital) on Defected Records.

Tracklisting:

Disc One

01. Masters At Work feat. India 'Backfired' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

02. Joey Negro feat. Taka Boom 'Can’t Get High Without U' (Joey Negro Philly World Mix)

03. Erro 'Don’t Change' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

04. Simphonia 'Can't Get Over Your Love' (Dave Lee's Full Length Mix)

05. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band 'Garden of Love' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

06. Candido 'Dancin' & Prancin' (Joey Negro Disco Blend)

07. Extortion 'How Do You See Me Now' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

08. Doug Willis 'Get Your Own' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

09. Doug Willis 'Begun 2 Luv U' (Joey Negro Original mix)

10. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band 'Everyday' (Full length album mix)

Disc Two

01. Patrice Rushen 'Haven’t You Heard' (Joey Negro Extended Disco Mix)

02. Blaze 'Wishing You Were Here' (Joey Negro Extended Mix)

03. Yolanda Wyns 'I Know You, I Live You' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

04. Joey Negro 'Do What You Feel' (Expanded mix)

05. Reese Project 'Direct Me' (Joey Negro Disco Blend Mix)

06. Akabu feat. Linda Clifford 'Ride The Storm' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

07. Joey Negro pres. Jakatta 'American Dream' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

08. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band feat. Donna Gardier & Diane Charlemagne 'The Secret Life Of Us' (Joey Negro Extended Mix)

09. Raven Maize ‘Forever Together' (Forever United Mix)

10. Joey Negro 'Must Be The Music' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

Bonus tracks for Digital

01. Erro 'Dont Change' (Joey Negro Playout Edit) (Exclusive)

02. Akabu 'Phuture Bound' (Ame Remix)

03. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band 'Journey To The Sun' (Dennis Ferrer Remix)

04. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band 'Man of War' (Henrik Schwarz Remix)

05. Akabu 'Your Wildest Dreams' (Joey Negro Medusa Mix)

06. Joey Negro 'Ride The Rhythm' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

07. Martin Solveig 'Rocking Music' (Joey Negro Club Edit)

08. Joey Negro 'Make A Move On Me' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

09. Sessomatto feat. Thelma Houston 'I Need Somebody Tonight' (Joey Negro Original Serious Mix)

10. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band 'He Is' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

11. Sessomatto 'Moody' (Joey Negro Club Mix)

12. Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band 'Far Beyond' (Full Album Mix)  

~ Defected.com 

Nathan East Earns GRAMMY Nomination for Self-Titled Solo Debut

Nathan East celebrates a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his self-titled solo debut Nathan East, on Yamaha Entertainment Group. Released in March, the album hit #1 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Albums chart and held #1 for a record-breaking 36 weeks on SmoothJazz.com.

'Nathan East' is the culmination of Nathan's 40+ year career as the world's most in-demand studio and touring bassist and the album calls on many of Nathan's past collaborators including Eric Clapton ("Can't Find My Way Home"), Stevie Wonder ("Overjoyed"), Michael McDonald ("Moondance"), Sara Bareilles ("I Can Let Go Now"), Ray Parker Jr. ("Daft Funk"), Bob James, Chuck Loeb, David Paich and more. Nathan East was produced by Yamaha Entertainment Group Founder Chris Gero and engineered by Bryan Lenox. For The Record, a new documentary on Nathan, had it debut on Hulu in December 2014 offering a behind-the-scenes look at the recording process.

The nomination caps off one of the most exciting years in Nathan's career, which kicked off with a performance with Daft Punk at the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards; included appearances on Tonight Show, Arsenio and Tavis Smiley; and next month will see Nathan inducted into the Hall of Fame on January 24 at the NAMM TEC Awards.

Subversive jazz-rock trio Hypercolor combines avant-jazz, punk, new music, no wave, African and Israeli traditions on self-titled debut

On their self-titled debut, the manic jazz-rock trio Hypercolor don't stop at simply combining their wide-ranging influences into an adrenalized fusion. Instead, guitarist Eyal Maoz, bassist James Ilgenfritz and drummer Lukas Ligeti collide their multifarious interests into one another like a post-modern demolition derby, pulling from the wreckage a sound that is as intricate as it is aggressive. The trio crafts complex structures while simultaneously undermining them, challenging listeners to find their footing while it's constantly being pulled out from under them.

Though Hypercolor, due out January 20, will be released as part of Tzadik's Spotlight series, meant to highlight new, adventurous projects, the trio began nearly eight years ago and has gradually developed its esoterically anarchic identity. Their music brings together the acute-angle skronk of no wave and the cerebral architecture of new music, Israeli melodies and African rhythms, jazz improvisation and punk subversion. The band's name was inspired by a line of clothing from the 1990s that changed color in response to heat, a reflection of the trio's ability to mutate suddenly based on each member's in-the-moment provocations.

"We developed this idea of learning complex arrangements and playing them back completely wrong," explains Ligeti. "We weren't interested in playing these complex arrangements in the super-exact way that most prog or fusion bands play. We quickly found that we really enjoyed replacing that auto-pilot exactness with the communication of free improvisers."

"We're applying a very Dadaist, no wave aesthetic to this music," adds Ilgenfritz. "We wanted to combine reckless abandon with interesting, complex structures to create something that was at once punk and rigorous academic music."

Some sense of Hypercolor's mindset can be gleaned from the album's cover art, which uses a pair of paintings by notorious filmmaker Nick Zedd, who coined the term "Cinema of Transgression" in the 1980s. The trio aims for a similarly transgressive approach, one in which emotion, intelligence, and attitude seem to explode from their sonic interactions. The band holds its opposing urges in an electrifying tension, finding a sweet spot that is both melodic and deconstructive.

Maoz' crunching guitar riff on opener "Squeaks" is buoyed by Ilgenfritz' insistent bass groove and Ligeti's intricate polyrhythms inspired by the little-known court music of the Ugandan kingdom of Buganda. Both "Chen" and "Transist" spotlight the trio's elastic, without-a-net relationship to time, while Ligeti's "Ernesto, Do You Have a Cotton Box?," tempts chaos by moving between free and composed sections. "Forget" is an airy ballad grounded by a disruptive drumbeat, "Far Connection" a wiry start-stop labyrinth. "Glowering" finds Ilgenfritz' bass wandering stealthily through a ferocious rock eruption, while "Palace" feature's Maoz' scything six-string freakout over a raging punk avalanche. "Little Brother," by contrast, shows the trio's subtler side, slowly building in intensity through morphing, aurora-like colors; "Quixotic" closes the album with an experiment in dynamics, marked by space and surprise.

The seemingly incompatible aspects of the trio's influences are rooted in the ambitious work of each of its three members. Guitarist/composer Eyal Maoz brings both mind-scrambling fretwork and his Israeli heritage to the mix. An in-demand composer and guitarist on the New York scene, he leads the bands Edom (combining Jewish music with new wave, electronic music and disco), acoustic Middle-Eastern band Dimyon, The Crazy Slavic Band, 9 Volt (which has recorded with saxophonist/composer Tim Berne), and the Maoz-Sirkis Duet (with drummer Asaf Sirkis). He also performs the music of John Zorn with Cobra and Abraxas.

A native of Michigan, bassist/composer James Ilgenfritz paints himself as a noise-rock enthusiast trained in jazz and contemporary classical music. His ensembles include the reimagined jazz quartets MiND GAMeS and Colonic Youth, the quintet Urbana, and the larger Anagram Ensemble, a vehicle for Ilgenfritz' compositional endeavors. The ensemble recently performed "The Ticket That Exploded," an opera based on the William S. Burroughs novel that will be released on CD in 2015. As a solo bassist he has commissioned works by Elliott Sharp, Annie Gosfield, and JG Thirlwell; and as an improviser he has worked with Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, Steve Swell, Nate Wooley, Jeremiah Cymerman, and others.

The son of renowned composer György Ligeti, drummer/composer Lukas Ligeti boasts a background in both European new music traditions and free improvisation as well as a long-standing interest in various African rhythmic traditions. Born in Vienna, he settled in New York in 1998 and has since composed music for Bang on a Can, the Vienna Festwochen, Ensemble Modern, Kronos Quartet, Colin Currie and Håkan Hardenberger, the American Composers Forum, New York University, and more; he also regularly collaborates with choreographer Karole Armitage. As a drummer, he has performed or recorded with the likes of John Zorn, Henry Kaiser, Raoul Björkenheim, Gary Lucas, Marilyn Crispell, Jim O'Rourke, Eugene Chadbourne, and many others. He has been traveling regularly to Africa for twenty years, drawing inspiration from musical traditions in Zimbabwe, the Ivory Coast, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.

www.hypercolorband.com

The Jazz Connect Conference Kicks Off January 8 - 9 in NYC

Presented by JazzTimes and the Jazz Forward Coalition, the Jazz Connect Conference will take place on January 8-9, 2015 at Saint Peter's Church in New York City.  The conference brings together hundreds of members of the jazz community from all over the globe in a series of panels, workshops and events.  With a theme of "Strength Through Community," Jazz Connect leads into both the APAP|NYC conference, which begins on that Friday, and Winter Jazzfest, which takes place on Friday and Saturday nights.

Highlights of the conference include: 

• Keynote address by Christian McBride, the bassist, bandleader and host of NPR's "Jazz Night in America"
• Short "Stories of Inspiration" presentations by Somi, Francisco Mela and Michael Lazaroff of The Jazz Cruise
• Presentation of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award to SFJAZZ's Randall Kline
• In Memoriam tribute led by Ike Sturm, director of music for Saint Peter's jazz ministry
• Ask The Experts networking session done in speed-dating style* Panels on important and useful topics such as social media, DIY labels, radio airplay and promotion, building community relationships and others
• A track of sessions hosted by JazzWeek, geared to radio programming and promotion
• Informal mixer/reception hosted by NPR Music, celebrating the launch of Jazz Night in America.
• Sessions on new trends in the music business hosted by the Future of Music Coalition and Music Business Association
• Open forum on the role of jazz in social and political activism
• Hands-on workshops hosted by the Jazz Journalists Association, JazzWeek and Chamber Music America
• Moderators and panelists include a wide range of artists such as Ben Allison, Jason Moran, Kellylee Evans, Arturo O'Farrill, Willie Jones III, Greg Osby, Bob Belden, Rene Marie, Mimi Jones, Nir Felder and Marc Ribot
• Among the organizations with speakers on the program are the NEA, Chamber Music America, Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Journalists Association, JazzWeek,Berks Jazz Fest, Pittsburgh Jazzlive, Jazz St. Louis, DC Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ, London Jazz Festival, Tri-C Jazz, OKeh/Sony, International Music Network, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and many more
• Table-top displays from various jazz organizations
• For the latest schedule of events, go to www.jazz-connect.com. Register on-site for only $150. Additional discounts are available for members of various organizations, such as APAP, Chamber Music America, Jazz Journalists Association, JazzWeek, SESAC, Local 802, Jazzahead!, NARAS and several others.

Bassist OMER AVITAL Delves Into The Culture of His Homeland Through Jazz On His New Recording, NEW SONG

Bassist and composer Omer Avital, one of the most celebrated and revered musicians on the global jazz scene, offers his current creative tour-de-force, New Song (on Motema Music). New Song, the follow up recording to Suite of The East, signifies a giant leap in Avital's quest to "mine the deep interconnections between jazz and the music of the Middle East and North Africa." (Jeff Potter, DownBeat Magazine, July 2013).  Avital now celebrates the release at The Jazz Standard this January 13 & 15, 2015 with Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, Yonathan Avishai on piano and Daniel Freedman on drums.

Upon Avital's arrival in New York City in 1992, the rapid growth of Israeli jazz was set in motion in a profound way. Avital quickly forged an indelible mark on the scene, mainly through his legendary performances at Smalls, where he lead one of the most celebrated groups of the time, a sextet with a front line onslaught of four saxophones (an early gem from this time in Avital's early days is the tune "Kentucky Girl", featured on the compilation, Jazz Underground: Live at Smalls,on Impulse!)."Years from now, when folks are remembering the early days of the West Village jazz haunt Smalls, bassist Omer Avital's name will be as synonymous with the club as Bill Evan's is with the Village Vanguard, and Thelonious Monk's is with the original Five Spot Café." - Time Out New York. 

Avital went on to cast a wide net of influence in NYC and beyond with a consistently creative and prolific output (releasing nine albums of original music since 2001, and at least eight others as a co-leader), and a steady stream of influential live performances at the finest jazz venues and festivals around the world. Avital also recorded and toured with Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, Brian Blade, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Roy Haynes and many others. Avital has since been hailed by The Los Angeles Times as, "a pioneer in combining jazz with myriad world music elements," with The New York Times adding that, "Mr. Avital and his group are producing some of the most original music being heard in New York," and that, "outside Charles Mingus and the free-jazz bassist William Parker, such dramatic violence on the instrument is hard to come by." 

In 2002, around the ten year anniversary of moving to New York, Avital returned to his native Israel, where he was the co-founder and musical director of the highly unique and successful group, Yemen Blues, as well as the New Jerusalem Orchestra, and involved in Israel's "piyut" scene (often collaborating with some of the legends of this genre, including Haim Louke, Aharom Amram, and others), to study classical European composition and Middle Eastern and North African Music. The bassist spent three years studying folk songs, dance rhythms and rituals, and these invigorated his imagination in the same way that jazz had sparked his passion before. He now looks to the East as well as to New York, toward the West as much as toward the Arab world, toward the solitude of the desert as much as the urban mêlée. The latest result of this extensive study is Avital's ambitious new recording, New Song, an electrifying, highly creative next step after the release of his previous recording, Suite of The East (released in April 2012 on Anzic Records). 

The band on New Song is exemplary, and one that Avital has led for many years, featuring trumpeter Avishai Cohen ("I've been playing constantly with Avishai since 1999. We co-lead some groups together for a decade, and he has played in most of my bands and on most of my albums. Our musical chemistry was there from the first notes we ever played"); saxophonist Joel Frahm ("I've known Joel from my first days in NYC in the early '90s. We nicknamed him 'Soul Frahm' because he has such a warm, soulful sound. I absolutely love what he brings to my music"); pianist Yonathan Avishai ("there's no doubt that Yonathan is not only one of my favorite musicians, but someone who has been a great influence to me in recent years. He understands my compositions and his input elevates everything we play"); and drummer Daniel Freedman ("I've known Daniel for over twenty years. We became rhythm section mates and friends during the important early days of Smalls in the '90s, and shared the bandstand playing with the Jason Lindner Big Band and many others. His understanding of Middle Eastern and North African rhythms make it easier for me to bring my musical vision to life.") The esteemed journalist Peter Margasak said of the band (of their performance on Suite of The East) in The Chicago Reader, that, "They bring a plangent eloquence and easy rapport to the seven pieces, which alternate between delicate, soulful ballads and soaring, high-energy anthems and whose thick ensemble arrangements ratchet up the intensity with every chorus."

For Omer Avital, jazz is a music, and a medium, which has allowed him to honor his roots and delve into the culture of his homeland without limitations. With New Song, Avital, a true citizen of the jazz diaspora, makes his homeland resonate through his voice - a voice that no one could mistake for any other. His songs speak to us about his true self, and about the world of music in which he lives, and that is but one of their many glorious virtues.

  

Omer Avital - New Song

All compositions by Omer Avital (published by Abutbul Music, ASCAP)

1. Hafla, 2. New Song, 3. Tsafdin, 4. Avishkes, 5. Sabah El-Kheir (Good Morning), 6. New Middle East, 7. Maroc, 8. Ballad For a Friend, 9. Bedouin Roots, 10. Yemen Suite, 11. Small Time Shit

Omer Avital - bass/compositions, Avishai Cohen - trumpet, Joel Frahm - tenor saxophone, Yonathan Avishai - piano, Daniel Freedman - drums

www.OmerAvital.com 

 

Iconic Band SPAIN, Featuring JOSH HADEN, Announce 6-Week East Coast / European Tour; New Album SARGENT PLACE Dubbed “Dark Swagger” by Los Angeles Times

Iconic band Spain, featuring singer/bassist Josh Haden, have announced a 6-week tour from January 28 - March 10. Kicking off in Boston, MA, the band then plays Lincoln Center in NYC, before club shows in Philly, D.C. and Brooklyn. The brief Northeast swing will see the band perform as a trio (bass, guitar, drums) and will mark the band’s first East coast shows in 15 years.

The multi-continent tour, which includes thirty shows in Europe, will support Spain’s latest release, 2014’s Sargent Place, which achieved glowing 4-star reviews from Rolling Stone, All Music, and Blurt Magazine while also notching accolades from LA Times, LA Weekly, Brooklyn Vegan, Q, Uncut and NPR tastemaker station WXPN. From the opener, “Love At First Sight,” detailing the initial spark of a romance to the the stately and elegiac “The Fighter,” which features sister Petra on violin, to the contemplative closer, “Waking Song,” the album falls solidly in line with the highly regarded 20-year discography of the band.

A clear inspiration on Sargent Place is the music and life of Haden’s father, jazz legend Charlie Haden. “To Be A Man” and “You And I” were songs written with the elder Haden in mind, with “You And I” featuring the final studio recording from the lauded and beloved musician, who passed away in July.

Renowned NPR show Jazz Night In America, featuring host Christian McBride, recently invited Josh, along with his triplet sisters Petra, Rachel, and Tanya, to take part in a loving tribute to celebrate Charlie's extraordinary career as one of the most innovative and influential bassists in jazz history. An archived podcast of the December 18, 2014 show can be streamed at http://www.npr.org/event/music/371558827/in-memory-of-2014-jazz-night-looks-back

In further celebration of Mr. Haden’s distinguished 50-year career that saw him anchor the Ornette Coleman Quartet, and accompany the likes of Keith Jarrett, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, and Abbey Lincoln, among countless others, the Haden siblings will join esteemed musical guests Geri Allen, Kenny Barron, Carla Bley, Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Bill Frisell, Ruth Cameron-Haden, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Josh Redman, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at Town Hall in NYC on Tuesday January 13 at 6:00 PM. The Memorial celebration is a free all ages event with tax deductible donations being accepted to benefit the Charlie Haden CalArts Scholarship Fund to assist jazz students in need. For more info, please visit: http://thetownhall.org/event/624-celebrating-charlie-haden-19372014

SPAIN

Tour Dates

01.28.15 - US-Boston, MA, Great Scott

01.29.15 - US-New York, NY, Lincoln Center (David Rubenstein Atrium)

02.01.15 - US-Philadelphia, PA, Tin Angel

02.02.15 - US-Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java

02.03.15 - US-Brooklyn, NY, Rough Trade

02.07.15 - GR-Athens, Gazarte

02.08.15 - DE-Köln, Studio 672

02.09.15 - NL-Nijmegen, Doornrosje

02.10.15 - BE-Bruxelles, Le Botanique

02.11.15 - NL-Maastricht, Muziekgieterij

02.12.15 - FR-Paris, Petit Bain

02.13.15 - CH-Thun, Cafe Bar Mokka

02.14.15 - FR-Marseille, A Poste à Galène

02.15.15 - IT-Florence, Sala Vanni

02.16.15 - IT-Cantù, All’1 e 35 circa

02.17.15 - IT-Ravenna, Madonna dell'Albero

02.18.15 - IT-Turin, Folk Club

02.19.15 - CH-Zürich, Bogen F

02.20.15 - DE-Nürnberg, K4

02.21.15 - DE-Schorndorf, Manufaktur

02.22.15 - AT-Wien, Chelsea

02.23.15 - RS-Belgrad, Dom Omladir

02.25.15 - HU-Budapest, A38

02.27.15 - AT-Ebensee, Kino Ebensee

02.28.15 - AT-Wörgl, Astner Saal

03.01.15 - DE-Dresden, JazzClub Tonne

03.02.15 - DE-Berlin, Privatclub

03.03.15 - DK-Aarhus, VoxHall

03.04.15 - NO-Oslo, Buckleys

03.06.15 - DK-Kopenhagen, Beta

03.07.14 - DE-Wredenhagen, Scheune

03.08.15 - DE-Hamburg, Nachtasyl

03.09.15 - BE-Liège, Reflektor

03.10.15 - DE-Bielefeld, Forum

03.11.15 - NL-Amsterdam, Paradiso

REGGIE WATTS Returns to Blue Note Jazz Club on Friday, January 9 - 12:30AM

Reggie Watts will return to Blue Note Jazz Club for a special late night club show on Friday, January 9 at 12:30am (Friday night/Saturday morning). This marks Watts' first official NYC show since being named bandleader of the new CBS "Late Late Show with James Corden" last month. The internationally renowned vocalist/ beatboxer/ musician/ comedian/ improvisor made his Blue Note Jazz Club debut in November 2014, with a sold-out late night performance. He also headlined the 2014 Blue Note Jazz Festival last June with a show at The Town Hall.

Reggie Watts, internationally renowned vocalist/ beatboxer/ musician/ comedian/ improvisor, amazes audiences with his unpredictable performances, which are created on-the-spot using only his formidable voice and looping pedals. Blending and blurring the lines between comedy and music with his unique lyrical style, LA Weekly calls Reggie "the most wildly inventive new talent of the past five years." 

As a solo performer, Reggie was handpicked by Conan O'Brien to open nightly on Conan's sold out North American "Prohibited From Being Funny on Television" tour. Reggie was crowned "Hot Comedian" by Rolling Stone, named SPIN Magazine's "Best New Comedian" and "Best of CMJ" 2010, and a featured profile in GQ's Man Of The Year issue 2010. Reggie released his debut comedy cd/dvd 'Why $#!+ So Crazy?' on Comedy Central Records in May 2010. He also released 'Reggie Watts Live at Third Man Records' in limited edition vinyl on Jack White's Third Man Records label. Reggie's most recent release 'A Live at Central Park' is currently available on CD/DVD through Comedy Central Records and on iTunes.

As a musician, Reggie was invited to join LCD Soundsystem as guest onstage at the final NY shows Spring 2011. He also sang on Regina Spektor's "Dance Anthem of the 80s" and contributed two tracks to DFA Records' Spaghetti Circus. As the frontman for Seattle rock outfit Maktub, Reggie and his band released five albums. Reggie recorded original music featured on FX's Louie and performed the theme song for Kristin Schaal's Penelope Princess of Pets. In the Spring of 2011 he recorded an original session for the hugely popular Daytrotter series. 

On screen, Reggie has appeared on Conan, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, HBO's The Yes Men Save The World, Comedy Central's Michael and Michael Have Issues, Iceland TV, UK's Funny Or Die, PBS' Electric Company, and currently stars as house band leader on the IFC original series Comedy Bang Bang with Scott Aukerman. 

In December 2014, Watts was named the bandleader of CBS' new "Late Late Show with James Corden."

  

Friday, January 9 - 12:30am (Friday night/Saturday morning) / Doors open at 12:00am

Blue Note Jazz Club

131 W. 3rd Street (between 6th Ave and MacDougal St.)

New York City

 

NEW RELEASES: THE CHICO BUARQUE EXPERIENCE – VERSIONS BY O.J. CASTRO; BARRY GUY – FIVE FIZZLES FOR SAMUEL BECKETT; GAZZARA - PLAY ME MY SONG: GAZZARA PLAYS GENESIS

THE CHICO BUARQUE EXPERIENCE – VERSIONS BY O.J. CASTRO

A really great tribute to the legendary Brazilian singer/songwriter Chico Buarque – a set that presents some of his best songs ever, with English lyrics exclusive to the recording – at a level that only makes us love Chico's music even more than before! The project was put together by OJ Castro, and the choice of instrumentation and singers is very sensitive, and very true to Buarque's original intention – with just the right traces of samba and jazz at times, and interpretation of the English lyrics by Brazilian singers who are still quite familiar with Chico's original words. Singers include Ze Renato, Cris Delanno, Clarisse Grova, Claudia Vieira, Vanessa Pinheiro, Ithamara Koorax, Altay Veloso, and Cely Curado – and titles include English versions of "O Que Sera", "Olhos Nos Olhos", "As Vitrines", "Soneto", "Sem Fantasia", "De Tosas As Maneiras", "Ate Pensei", and "Folhetim".  ~ Dusty Groove

BARRY GUY – FIVE FIZZLES FOR SAMUEL BECKETT

Sublime solo bass from Barry Guy – one of the first musicians to really set the instrument free in improvised music, and still one of the best! The album presents a live performance done in a church in Vilnius in 2009 – and has Guy's incredible sounds echoing out wonderfully throughout – a range of sounds that are very well-captured by the recording quality – from close, careful moments on the surface of the strings – to boldly resonant passages that have a real sense of majesty! (Wonderful limited edition 10" LP pressing too!)  ~ Dusty Groove

GAZZARA - PLAY ME MY SONG: GAZZARA PLAYS GENESIS

An album we never thought we'd see from Francesco Gazzara – but one that still pleases us a heck of a lot! Gazzara's a name we've trusted for funk and other groovy styles from the Italian scene for almost 20 years now – but here, he moves away from his previous jazzy modes into a completely different instrumental realm – as his ensemble takes on the classic sounds of Genesis from the Peter Gabriel era and beyond! Turns out, Gazzara's a hell of a pianist – and often plays a Bosendorfer grand here, along with his more familiar Fender Rhodes and Hammond – in a group that features two violins, cello, and sax and flute from Dario Cecchini – instrumentation that's often used sparingly, so that Gazzara's keyboards are up front and almost solo throughout. We're huge fans of Genesis from this time – and Gazzara really reminds us of the musicianship that went into their famous recordings – as he takes on titles that include "Watcher Of The Skies", "The Cinema Show", "For Absent Friends", "The Lamia", "Firth Of Fifth", "Duke's Travels", "Blood On The Rooftops", "Seven Stones", "The Knife", and "Mad Man Moon".  ~ Dusty Groove

Trombonist MARSHALL GILKES To Release KÖLN FEATURING THE WDR BIG BAND

On February 10, 2015, trombonist/composer MARSHALL GILKES proudly releases his fourth album as a leader, simply titled for the home base of The WDR Big Band, KÖLN. This set of stunning compositions marks Gilkes first recording fronting a big band, but he is no stranger to this setting, being a regular member of Maria Schneider's Grammy Award-winning orchestra, (Schneider describes him as, "one of those musicians who continually just drops my jaw and leaves me shaking my head in disbelief"), and also due to his four years (2010 - 2013) as a full-time member of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble featured on Köln, The WDR Big Band.

Köln (to be released on Gilkes' label, Alternate Side Records, marking the label's eighth release) features seven original compositions from Gilkes that exhibits the artist's astounding ability to blend his many influences and experiences into a singular, distinctive voice. The compositions, and Gilkes arrangement of the standard, "My Shining Hour", combines the spontaneous invention of jazz with the elegant architecture of classical composition; straight-ahead swing with adventurous modernism; and virtuosic technique with passionate emotion. It's a rare combination that has made Gilkes an in-demand performer, composer, sideman, and clinician since his arrival in New York City in the late 1990s.

The origins of this album started with Gilkes joining The WDR Big Band (he has since resigned to engage in leading his own bands and high profile sideman work). After a long audition process that included several weeks of performances, Gilkes received an invitation to be a full-time member - a rare opportunity that he accepted immediately. In addition to first-class musicianship, Gilkes explains, "the WDR Big Band rehearses in a fully operational recording studio with full-time engineers and copyists - a truly unique operation. When the band plays in the Kölner Philharmonie, it is generally sold out, all 2,000 seats, with enthusiastic fans." As a WDR band member, he performed his final concert in December 2013, but, at the request of the band's producer, he returned the following month for a farewell concert of the material heard on Köln. Calling the experience "one of the highlights of my career," Gilkes eventually titled the album after the city where he lived during his four-year tenure with the WDR. "It is a vibrant city," he notes, "with an incredible music scene for such a small town. The jazz scene is booming, and young jazz musicians can be heard playing music at a very high level almost every night of the week."

"My Shining Hour" is a tune that Gilkes would often practice, up-tempo, in all 12 keys as well. "I decided to write a big band arrangement of it that sort of ended up being a bit of a 'theme and variations on My Shining Hour'", said Gilkes. Solo: Marshall Gilkes (trombone). 

"Vesper" was written during a period of Gilkes having to make difficult decisions. He elaborates, "I would come home and write in the evening during this period and find it to be good therapy. I decided to call it 'Vesper' which is an evening prayer", said the artist. Solos: Frank Chastenier (piano), John Marshall (flugelhorn).

Gilkes composed "4711 Special" specifically with the WDR Big Band in mind. The piece was originally titled "Gill-kiz". Gilkes explains, "German is a language that is written like it sounds and sounds like it is written. I used to tell German people my name Gilkes (correct pronunciation is "jilx") and they would correct me on the pronunciation. It happened so often that people started calling me Gill-kiz as a joke. However, I thought the tune deserved a better title and finally changed it to "4711 Special", which is a number one sees all over Cologne, representing the number of the famous perfume that comes from Cologne. Solos: Ludwig Nuss (trombone), Johan Hörlen (alto saxophone). 

"Edenderry" is the title track from Gilkes debut release as a leader, which he decided to expand and turn it into a brass chorale, creating quite a breathtaking variation on the original. "I was inspired by the pandiatonic harmonies of Aaron Copland. The intro begins with flugelhorns and trombones. The woodwinds enter later, and the chorale enters again before the closing vamp. Solo: Marshall Gilkes (trombone). 

Gilkes composed "Plant Bassed" for the great WDR bassist John Goldsby, who happens to be a vegan. Gilkes explains, "my mom is also a vegan and is always talking about plant based diets. I tried to take some ideas that John uses in his improvisations and use them as a basis for the melody." Solos: John Goldsby (bass), and special guest Michael Rodriguez (trumpet). 

"Mary Louise" was written for Gilkes' mom. "When I was a kid my mom was a piano and voice teacher and there was one particular exercise that she would work on with her students that has stuck with me all these years. I recall playing video games and hearing her practice this exercise with the syllables 'Zee-ee', singingbetween root and third, root and fourth, and root and fifth. I decided to try harmonizing that exercise and that serves as the intro to the composition, and reoccurs throughout the piece", said Gilkes. Solos: Special guest Michael Rodriguez (flugelhorn), Frank Chastenier (piano). 

"End in Sight" is a tune from Gilkes second album Lost Words. The first half is very much an expansion of the original, however, the second half (tenor solo) floats over the same groove, but with brand new harmonies. Solos: Karolina Strassmayer (alto saxophone), Paul Heller (tenor saxophone). 

"Downtime" is a composition from Gilkes' third album Sound Stories. This arrangement was written in 2012 for the WDR Big Band project featuring members of the band called "Very Personal". It is an expansion on the original that has an alternate introduction, and a new interlude as well. Solo: Marshall Gilkes (trombone). 

Personnel on Köln: Marshall Gilkes: composer, arranger, conductor, trombone, special guest Michael Rodriguez: trumpet/flugelhorn, Johan Hörlen & Karolina Strassmayer-alto saxophone/flute/clarinet, Olivier Peters-tenor saxophone/clarinet, Paul Heller-tenor saxophone/clarinet/bass clarinet, Jens Neufang-baritone saxophone/bass clarinet, Ludwig Nuss, Shannon Barnett & Andy Hunter-trombones, Mattis Cederberg-bass trombone, Wim Both, Rob Bruynen, Andy Haderer & John Marshall-trumpet/flugelhorn, Frank Chastenier-piano, Paul Shigihara-guitar, John Goldsby-bass, Hans Dekker-drums.

Drummer Dylan Howe To Release Subterranean - New Designs On Bowie’s Berlin

London, UK - Drummer Dylan Howe, son of YES guitar legend Steve Howe, has recorded a radical new take on the instrumental cuts from David Bowie's 1977 albums 'Low' and 'Heroes'. 'Subterranean' is Dylan Howe’s first studio album in ten years. It is made up of his arrangements of Bowie’s influential music from his ‘Berlin Trilogy’ and has been seven years in the making. Some of the music featured on this album was previewed live at the London Jazz festival in October 2007. This is the completed album and is universally accepted as Howe’s strongest to date. It features some of the best musicians in the UK with special guest Steve Howe playing koto (‘Moss Garden’).

The response to 'Subterranean' has been simply phenomenal; it has garnered universal critical and popular acclaim from all corners of the globe with sales to match. The CD is already in its third pressing with the double vinyl well into its second.

David Bowie recently sent a message to Dylan saying; 'That's a top-notch album you've got there. Really.’ He requested a vinyl copy the following day.

Dylan Howe: “This is the first of my albums on which I’ve really utilized the potential of the recording studio, with multiple sessions and overdubs, really thinking about production, I was making a record this time, not just recording an album. In the past I would be in the studio for a day or two at the most, or just bring a mobile studio to a gig; this time however, the process and result has been a little like the music, kind of cinematic, a feeling of scale and intensity; think the John Coltrane Quartet produced by Neu! mixed by Brian Eno in an air-raid shelter.”

The Guardian: ‘A superb player, inspiring and invigorating.’

London Metro: ‘The thrilling, incisive drumming of Dylan Howe.’

Ronnie Scott’s: ‘Rightly acclaimed as one of the best drummers of his generation.’

Shaun Keaveny, BBC6 Music: ‘Dylan Howe on drums - just superb.’

Ian Dury: ‘A funky little bastard.’

Jimmy Page: ‘You’re playing beautifully.’

Dylan Howe is a British drummer (born in 1969) best known for leading his quintet and other jazz groups since 2002 and his tenures with Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Steve Howe and Wilko Johnson, coupled with extensive session work since 1990, playing with Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, Ray Davies, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Beth Gibbons, Gabrielle, Hugh Cornwell and Andy Sheppard amongst others.

Recently Dylan played on the no.1 album 'Going Back Home' by Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey, with sell-out shows at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire and Royal Albert Hall.

This new album (his sixth) is the natural progression from his acclaimed 2010 Stravinsky adaptation 'The Rite Of Spring' for piano and drums and Blue Note styled hard bop quintet albums Translation - Volumes 1 and 2.

Album track list:

Subterraneans / Weeping Wall / All Saints / Some Are / Neuköln / Art Decade / Warszawa / Moss Garden

Album personnel:

Dylan Howe – drums / synths

Ross Stanley – piano / synths

Mark Hodgson – double bass

Brandon Allen – tenor saxophone

Julian Siegel – tenor saxophone

Nick Pini – bass

Adrian Utley - guitar

Steve Howe – koto

http://dylanhowe.com/

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