PETER GORDON AND HIS LOVE OF LIFE ORCHESTRA (LOLO) PRESENT SYMPHONY NO. 5

Peter Gordon's Symphony No. 5 traces the growth of the New York-based composer's musical ideas from 2007 to 2012. The number "5" of the title refers to the five-year gestation period as well as the five-movement form of the work, and the idea of a "fifth symphony" as a significant point in a composer's trajectory. The composition is a striking and elaborate statement, with the communication and energy of an ensemble performance, and the punch and careful attention to detail of a studio recording.

Peter Gordon has been a driving force of New York's thriving "downtown scene." Performng on saxophones and keyboards, he draws inspiration from musical genres as diverse as jazz, rock, opera and world music. His complex and diverse body of work includes recordings, as well as scores for operas, theater, films and dance.

  

Gordon performed his first symphony, Symphony in Four Movements, in New York in 1976, with a band that included Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Arthur Russell and Rhys Chatham. Combining disco, electronic, pop and jazz elements with experimental music, he formalized his ensemble - the Love of Life Orchestra (LOLO) - and has kept it active ever since.

  

LOLO, with its performers grounded in diverse musical backgrounds, has ranged in size from a trio to 12+ musicians. Its core personnel has remained stable since inception, with recent additions from New York's Latin jazz scene. LOLO is represented by several influential recordings - including 1978's Extended Niceties EP (Lust/Unlust Records) and 2010's retrospective album Love of Life (DFA Records). 

"The Love of Life Orchestra was founded on the coexistence of multiple musical orientations," Gordon explains. "Counterpoint is central to my music, and prevalent in all five movements of Symphony No. 5. Each voice maintains its integrity and forward motion, but intersecting voices illuminate harmonic and rhythmic dimensions that are shared and larger than any single voice. This is both a musical and social concept: counterpoint developed in Europe during the Enlightenment, when multiple voices needed to coexist, and be heard, for society to function." 

Homeland Security was created after Gordon returned to New York City, when the country was at war, with a new culture of surveillance. Juvenalia was inspired by Mannie Freshʼs Project Chick with the Cash Money Millionaires of New Orleans, as well as by the Roman poet Juvenal. Both the Roman and New Orleanian works are built from simple, catchy, and symmetrical phrases. 

Gordon imagined Chamber Disco as a danse macabre that begins in a stark, empty, closed-down club. At first stone cold, then festive, it leads up to a spinning frenzy, then drops to a sudden sobriety. After composing Homeland Security, Juvenalia, and Chamber Disco, Gordon completed the symphonic structure with Exposition and Transgression, the first two movements. 

Recorded live by producer Jeff Jones "The Jedi Master," who received Grammy Awards for his work with Dr. John and Wynton Marsalis, Symphony No. 5 exhibits Peter Gordon's complex, yet funky, compositional process. 

Mr. Gordon keeps a busy schedule. Recently, Robert Ashley's Vidas Perfectas saw Gordon reprise his role as music producer of the seminal video opera Perfect Lives. Future projects see him directing a new version of Arthur Russell's Instrumentals in Europe, as well as a new recording with Tim Burgess (Charlatans), scheduled for release on Record Store Day.

  

TRACKS

1. Exposition

2. Transgression

3. Juvenalia

4. Homeland Security

5. Chamber Disco

MUSICIANS 

Peter Gordon - organ & synthesizer

Katie Porter - clarinet & bass clarinet

Paul Shapiro - tenor & soprano saxophones

Max Gordon - trumpet

Peter Zummo - trombone

Bill Ruyle - vibraphone

Ned Sublette - electric guitar

Randy Gun - electric guitar

Yunior Terry - bass guitar

Elio Villafranca - piano

Robby Ameen - drums

Produced by Jeff Jones "The Jedi Master" with Peter Gordon

Excecutive Producer - Benjamin Freeney

Recorded live on June 5, 2013 at Roulette, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Steve Tyrell Releases That Lovin' Feeling - Features Classics By Carole King, Leiber and Stoller, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Burt Bacharach and Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich – And Guest Appearances By Dave Koz, Neil Sedaka, B.J. Thomas, Bill Medley, Chuck Leavell and Judith Hill

Ever since his glorious surprise version of “The Way You Look Tonight” in the 1991 film “Father of The Bride” paved the way for his extraordinary second career as a GRAMMY Award winning vocalist/producer, Steve Tyrell has been setting A New Standard (the title of his 1999 debut album) for interpreting the Great American Songbook – most notably on Songs of Sinatra (which reached #5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart) and his most recent Concord Records release, It’s Magic: The Songs of Sammy Cahn (#2). On his 11th album, That Lovin’ Feeling, he celebrates what he calls “the Great American Songbook 2; the next generation of the Songbook,” recording seminal rock era classics penned by legendary songwriters (many renowned for hits penned at New York’s famed Brill Building) who are also cherished longtime friends. The album is set for release  on February 10, 2015

While sharing the enduring magic of timeless songs by the songwriting teams of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich as well as Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager, That Lovin’ Feeling sets itself apart from most tribute recordings with spirited guest vocal appearances by Mann, B.J. Thomas, Neil Sedaka and Bill Medley in addition to renowned backup singer Judith Hill (featured in the Oscar winning documentary “20 Feet From Stardom”) and Tyrell’s daughter Lauryn Tyrell. The set also includes key instrumental contributions by Stoller, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, saxophonist Dave Koz and even playful hand claps by Jeff Barry.

Though the singer has ventured beyond the classic Sinatra era at times to bring his charismatic gravelly charm to projects celebrating the music of Disney and Burt Bacharach, That Lovin’ Feeling is a unique, highly personal project. The generous 15-track set is an intimate, decidedly jazzy, window into Tyrell’s storied roots in the music business, dating back to the 60’s when the Houston native, still in his late teens, moved to New York and began working in multiple capacities (A&R, promotions man, artist producer) at Florence Greenberg’s Scepter Records.

During that era, Tyrell worked with and/or became close friends with the already established hit-making team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, as well as upstarts cramped in tight Brill Building spaces whose songs came to define a generation: Carole King/Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and Neil Sedaka. Putting his own natural, charismatic flair on some of their best loved works, Tyrell – who produced the collection with Jon Allen, with stunning arrangements by co-producer Bob Mann - pays homage to all of them in fresh ways, including, on certain tracks, asking them to participate in the recording itself.

The initial concept of That Lovin’ Feeling emerged from Mike Stoller’s 80th birthday concert in New York last year. The singer was asked to provide the band and sing, and he was joined by many of the original artists in performing Leiber and Stoller classics to pay tribute to the songwriter. The amazing night of musical celebration was capped by the whole company of the show coming out to join Ben E. King’s performance of “Stand By Me.” Stoller and his wife, musician and vocalist Corky Hale, were invited to join in. “It was a real thrill to sing that song with my childhood idol that night,” says Tyrell.

Tyrell was also inspired to explore this era of his musical life and record this album by the immediate Broadway success of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” He taps into King’s heart-spun magic via the vibrant opening track “Jazzman” (featuring Grammy nominated saxman Dave Koz), and an easy-swinging romp through “Up on the Roof.” Reflecting the depth of Leiber and Stoller’s enduring catalog, the singer creates infectious twists on The Drifters’ “There Goes My Baby,” “Hound Dog” (featuring keyboardist Chuck Leavell and some of the original lyrics from the pre-Elvis Big Mama Thornton version) and an intimate reading of “Stand By Me” featuring Stoller himself on Hammond B-3 and a cool new piano chord figure the songwriter introduced on the 2011 Grammy Nominations Concert, when he played the song with Usher.

“Steve’s a good friend and my favorite singer of popular songs, and that goes from rock and roll and R&B to Cole Porter and Gershwin,” says Stoller. “It was a thrill to be asked to play on ‘Stand By Me’ and it was just great fun to listen to him talk about this project and listen to him recording in the studio. This whole project has that sense of fun sprinkled all over it.”

Tyrell’s rich history with Barry Mann includes being the singer/songwriter’s artist manager, producing a solo recording for Scepter and later forming a company that included publishing and music supervising services. Tyrell’s joyful immersion into the Mann & Weil catalog includes the lush Dusty Springfield originated ballad “Just A Little Lovin’” featuring Judith Hill; “Rock & Roll Lullaby,” a poignant story song about a child growing up with a teenage mother, performed as a duet with its original artist, B.J. Thomas; “On Broadway” (co-written by Mann & Weil and Leiber and Stoller), performed as a conversational, strutting pop-blues duet with Barry Mann; and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” ranked by BMI as the most played song of the 20th Century, in soul stirring tandem with Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers.

“Cynthia and I have known Steve for 50 years and he’s like a brother to me,” says Mann. “With this album, I feel like he’s saying, these are the contemporary standards, the Songbook of a different generation. I particularly love his take on ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, doing it half pop, half jazz.”

Jeff Barry comments that he loves the way Tyrell turns “Be My Baby” and “Chapel of Love,” the girl group classics he wrote with his wife Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, into pieces that make sense from the perspective of a mature male. “Steve gives them a whole new slant,” he says, “which makes me feel good as a writer. He definitely made them his own.” These infectious gems are also lovely showcases for the vocal talents of his daughter Lauryn Tyrell, who does backgrounds on both. Tyrell rounds out the set with the Burt Bacharach-Bob Hilliard tune “Any Day Now” (whose original version was recorded by Scepter artist Chuck Jackson) and a simmering, horn-fired version of Neil Sedaka’s “Laughter in the Rain” that Sedaka, who duets on the track, emphatically calls “a new jazz standard.”

Tyrell has enjoyed a multi-faceted five decade career that has included producing everyone from B.J. Thomas, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross and Bonnie Raitt to Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, James Ingram, Dolly Parton, Chris Botti, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles; working as a music supervisor for films by Steven Spielberg, Steven Soderbergh, Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer; penning the #1 pop hit “How Do You Talk To An Angel”; and performing with symphony orchestras all across America. Most of his previous solo albums have gone Top Five on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. But as he says in his colorful liner notes to That Lovin’ Feeling, “This is the most fun album I have recorded to date…and it’s the closest to the real me.”

“It’s a thrill to work on the arrangement of a song I’ve always loved and suddenly the headphones are on and I’m in the moment, actually singing it,” Tyrell says. “Yes, it’s fun, but it’s also a privilege. I view my career like that of a visual artist who gets to make paintings. Recording my own albums is always been something I’ve wanted to do, and I would probably keep doing it even if people didn’t think I was any good! When I make an album, it represents a moment in my life and all the things I was thinking about. It was wonderful to work intimately with the songwriters, who I knew could bring fresh insight to me as I recorded their songs. These sessions took me back to a lot of special moments in my life. ‘Rock and Roll Lullaby’ was the last record I made for Florence Greenberg at Scepter. B.J. and I are brothers, friends, we’ve fought wars together…and when I heard his voice come in, it broke me up and I started to cry. I’ve been around a long time, and that never happened before.” 

 

BROOKLYN JAZZ UNDERGROUND RECORDS ARTIST OWEN HOWARD GARNERS SECOND JUNO AWARD NOMINATION FOR HIS LATEST RECORDING DRUM LORE VOL. 2 MORE LORE

Drummer/composer Owen Howard, originally from Edmonton, Canada, has just garnered his second JUNO Award Nomination for "Jazz Record of The Year (Solo)" for his seventh album as a leader, Drum Lore Vol. 2 More Lore (on BJURecords). The JUNO Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.   

Upon receiving the news of the nomination Howard, said,  "I'm obviously very excited about my 2nd Juno nomination for 'Jazz Album of The Year' for my new CD Drum Lore Vol. 2 More Lore.  I consider it a real honor to be recognized for a project I feel very passionate about.  The idea of the Drum Lore project, which highlights the drummer as composer, seems to reach out to people in a way that was unexpected but certainly most welcomed!"  

Owen Howard has performed and recorded with the likes of Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, Tom Harrell, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, Dave Liebman, George Garzone, Dave Holland, Eddie Henderson, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton and many others. He has appeared on over forty recordings to date, including five under his own name, and has toured extensively throughout Europe, the United States and Canada. With more than twenty years of successfully leading his own bands, Howard is clearly an artist successfully following in the footsteps of legendary drummers/bandleaders such as Tony Williams, Peter Erskine, Billy Hart, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Al Foster, Shelly Manne and others. 

Now with the release Drum Lore Vol. 2 - More Lore, the follow up to the critically-acclaimed, 2011 Juno Award Nominated, Drum Lore (also on BJURecords), Howard continues to celebrate and interpret music composed by drummers, and also feature more of his own compelling compositions. Where Vol. 1 was conceived as a studio recording of sorts, with each piece featuring a different configuration and concept, the second installment of the Drum Lore project gives the listener a taste of what the group sounds like in its working quintet format, featuring Adam Kolker (soprano & tenor saxophones, bass clarinet), John O'Gallagher (alto saxophone), Frank Carlberg (piano), Johannes Weidenmueller (bass) and the leader Owen Howard (drums). 

Drum Lore Vol. 2 offers up seldom heard originals by Philly Joe Jones and Joe Chambers, as well as popular works by Victor Lewis, Paul Motian and Tony Williams. The remainder of the recording is comprised of recent original compositions by the leader. Highlights include, "Hey, It's Me You're Talkin' To", one of Victor Lewis' most well known compositions; Joe Chambers' "Ungano" (from the Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note album, Medina); "Haiku", a composition that Howard composed at the piano in about ten minutes. "After stating the 5-7-5-syllable form, the soloists are free to interpret at will. It's quite different each time we perform it", said Howard; "Like Buttah","my take on rhythm changes, which incidentally pays homage to Sonny Rollins' 'Oleo' (which was a butter substitute back in the day)"; and "Got To Take Another Chance", "a fun little piece by Philly Joe Jones that is based on the chord changes of 'Take The 'A' Train'. I extracted the horn riff and ending bit from the Max Roach/Clifford Brown version of 'A Train' (from the record, A Study in Brown). I love Max's train ending on that cut. Straight up fun!," said Howard; "Mumbo Jumbo" by the late great Paul Motian, and "Pee Wee" by the legendary Tony Williams. 

More on Drum Lore: The birth of Drum Lore took place at a summer jazz workshop where Howard was one of the several "artists-in-residence". The drummer explains further, "As we were getting ready for a discourse on the finer points of our various approaches to composition, one of the participants said to me. 'Owen, why are you here? You're a drummer, and this is a composition class? Well, how does one answer a comment like that? Rather than being offended, I took it upon myself to dispel this myth that drummers can't, or don't, compose." The brilliant result was Drum Lore (released in 2010 on BJURecords), a recording of great stylistic diversity, dedicated to exploring compositions exclusively by many of the revered drummers of our time. As Joe Lovano has stated, "some of the hippest bandleaders and composers in jazz, have come from the drum chair"; so many that Howard now offers Drum Lore Vol. 2, and has at least several more CDs worth of music composed by drummers that he'd like to record, so be on the lookout for the possibility of "Drum Lore, Vol. 3" in the future.

See all of the nominees here: www.junoawards.ca/nominees

www.OwenHoward.net 

Drummer ERNESTO CERVINI Releases His New CD TURBOPROP

Anzic Records releases the much-anticipated fourth recording from drummer/composer, and recent JUNO-AWARD Nominee (for his band Myriad 3), Ernesto Cervini, titled Turboprop. On the heels of his third album, There, which featured his quartet recorded live at the Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver, BC, Cervini added two incredible musicians to the fold to create an exciting new sextet he calls Turboprop. The band is comprised of his working quartet with Joel Frahm (tenor saxophone), Adrean Farrugia (piano), Dan Loomis (bass) & Ernesto Cervini (drums), plus Tara Davidson (alto & soprano saxophone) and William Carn (trombone). The sound of Turboprop, produced by Oded Lev-Ari, is sophisticated and soaring, reminiscent of the hard swinging Jazz Messenger bands of Art Blakey, and able to offer an extraordinarily wide range of repertoire; from Charlie Parker to Claude Debussy, plus originals from all the band members. Turboprop has already toured Canada to rave reviews, and will be celebrating the release with concerts across Canada and the U.S. (see below for dates). 

Cervini, who Hank Shteamer of Time Out New York called, "a tastefully buoyant drummer as well as a sharp composer and bandleader", conceived of Turboprop as blades of a propeller that work together in synergy, moving an aircraft powerfully through the sky. Cervini elaborates, "by combining the experience and artistry of these musicians, the music takes flight with a force and energy that only a sextet can bring. This band has been a wonderful conduit for my compositions and arrangements and all of the members have taken a very personal approach to the pieces, embracing the emotion and sentiment that this group brings to every note we play." Producer Lev-Ari added that, "I was really excited to produce this album, as I love a 3-piece front line, and it's a sound that is rarely heard anymore. I knew it would be a strong vehicle for Ernesto's writing and arranging. Since the band had just gotten back from a tour days before getting into the studio, the music was well-rehearsed and had this unmistakable 'live' feeling. We captured great performances, and could easily fill two albums with strong music. Ernesto is simply an incredible musician and bandleader and this recording really captures his essence as a multifaceted creative force." 

Highlights on Turboprop include, "Cheer Up Charlie", a lovely ballad from the film Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, that Cervini and his wife sing to their baby boy; "Three Angels", another very special piece for Cervini, composed for his three nieces who passed away unexpectedly; and the third ballad on the album called "Marion Theresa", which was written for Cervini's grandmother. 

Turboprop however is anything but an all ballads album, and, "Cervini exemplifies 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee' . . . turning drums into a rainforest symphony"- Ken Micallef, DownBeat Magazine. Sprinkled around these emotional compositions are upbeat, anthemic tunes including, "Unnecessary Mountain", which was named after a mountain in the Rockies; "Bindi Bop", inspired by Cervini's trip to Australia; "Fear of Flying", which Cervini wrote for all those with Pteromerhanophobia; and "De Molen", a great burner by saxophonist Joel Frahm.

In addition to the compelling originals, Turboprop also sunk their teeth into some "standard" tunes that they love to play, including "Red Cross" by Charlie Parker, and "The Windup" by Keith Jarrett, and Cervini's arrangement of the gorgeous Claude Debussy piano etude, "The Engulfed Cathedral".

There's an old saying in aviation; "Accidents happen when you run out of experience." In the case of Turboprop, the music is clearly in good hands.

More on Ernesto Cervini: Innovative and electrifying, Toronto jazz drummer Ernesto Cervini, who has shared the stage with many legendary musicians such as Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Cleo Laine, Pat LaBarbera, Dick Oatts, Buddy DeFranco, Eddie Daniels, Scott Robinson, Dave Binney, Jim McNeely, and many others, has energy to burn, whether radiating it from behind his drums or working on any number of musical and educational projects. Cervini's diversity as a musician (he is also an excellent pianist and clarinetist) has allowed him to travel throughout the world, performing in some of the world's greatest jazz venues such as Smalls, Birdland, The Jazz Standard, The 55 Bar, The Montreal Bistro, The Top Of the Senator, The Rex Jazz and Blues Club, and also many of the world's most prestigious concert halls, such as Massey Hall, The Glen Gould Theatre, The St. Lawrence Center for the Arts and the Sugita Theatre in Yokohama, Japan. His second album, Little Black Bird, recorded with his quartet was celebrated loudly by DownBeat Magazine with a four-star review. His joyous and engaging third recording, There, released in 2011, is now followed up on with the artist's most irresistible work to date, Turboprop (Anzic Records, February 3, 2015).

Ernesto Cervini - Turboprop - CD Release Celebrations:

February 19th - 21st - The Jazz Bistro, Toronto, ON

February 28th - The Jazz Room, Kitchener, ON

March 13 - The Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB

March 14 - The Bassment, Saskatoon, SK

March 17 - The Arts Station, Fernie, BC

March 19 - The Avalanche Bar & Grill - Georgia Straight Jazz Society, Courtenay, BC March 20 - Hermann's - Victoria Jazz Society, Victoria, BC

March 21 - Pat's Pub, Vancouver, BC 

NEW RELEASES: TIM WARFIELD - SPHERICAL: DEDICATED TO THELONIOUS SPHERE MONK; FRED FRITH / BARRY GUY - BACKSCATTER BRIGHT BLUE; ANTOINE FAFARD – AD PERPETUUM

TIM WARFIELD - SPHERICAL: DEDICATED TO THELONIOUS SPHERE MONK

Tim Warfield's eighth Criss Cross leader recording Spherical, which references the middle name of its primary subject, immortal jazz pianist-composer Thelonious Sphere Monk, is the tenor/soprano saxophonist's most idiosyncratic and personal document to date. To be specific, Warfield and an efflorescent quintet of virtuoso teamplayers (Eddie Henderson, trumpet; Orrin Evans, piano;Ben Wolfe, bass; Clarence Penn, drums) personalize six Monk compositions (Off Minor, Ugly Beauty, Oska T, Gallop's Gallop, Coming on the Hudson, and Round Midnight) and That Old Man (which Monk recorded as 'Children's Song'in 1964), as well as an original Warfield blues dedicated to Monk's first employer, Coleman Hawkins. All members improvise with a creative force that shows the depth of their engagement with the essence of these masterworks; the will to swing defines the proceedings throughout. ~ Amazon

FRED FRITH / BARRY GUY - BACKSCATTER BRIGHT BLUE

Two giants of the British improvisation scene work together here in a relatively recent recording – but one that shows that the creative imaginations of both players is alive and well! In fact, the performance, recorded in 2007, almost might stand equally nice to some of the 70s recordings by either musician – especially some of Frith's most interesting sessions – and the interplay between his electric guitar and the bass of Barry Guy is really wonderful – with lots of sonorous moments from either musician, and some complicated flutters of sounds and notes that resonate wonderfully. Titles run from 20 minutes to 44 seconds in length – and tracks include "Big Flowers", "Where The Cities Gleam In Darkness", "Moments Full Of Many Lives", "Walking On Wire", "Climbing The Ladder", and "The Circus Is A Song Of Praise".  © 1996-2015, Dusty Groove, Inc.

ANTOINE FAFARD – AD PERPETUUM

Ad Perpetuum is bass player Antoine Fafard s third album of new work, and features Vinnie Colaiuta and Jerry De Villiers Jr throughout the collection. Colaiuta s extraordinary performances show why he is a true drum legend, while De Villiers Jr s beautiful tone and inspired guitar work will prove irresistible to all fans of jazz fusion.  Additional guests include keyboardist Gerry Etkins on three songs and saxophonist Jean-Pierre Zanella on another three tracks. Another significant contribution comes from Gary Husband, who features on the intense drum duet D-Day.  Vinnie Colaiuta and Jerry De Villiers Jr were involved in the Ad Perpetuum project from its inception. A two-day session booked with Vinnie for January 2014 provided the deadline for writing the material, giving Antoine a three-month window to compose all the pieces for the album. This was the first time that Antoine had been challenged to meet a specific deadline for a personal project.  The music on Ad Perpetuum encompasses a broad spectrum of grooves and atmospheres. A conscious effort was made to offer a multitude of tempos, time signatures, structures and harmonic variations in order to showcase the virtuosity of the players. De Villiers Jr s incredible guitar playing and tone brings a deep vitality to the music, while Colaiuta s playing is simply flawless. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: ALPHONSE MOUZON – SEARCH OF A DREAM; PEDRO ITURRALDE / PACE DE LUCIA – FLAMENCO JAZZ; GABOR SZABO - NIGHT FLIGHT

ALPHONSE MOUZON – SEARCH OF A DREAM

No one had a better understanding of the melding of jazz polyrhythms with rocks pulsating beat than drummer Alphonse Mouzon is one of the originators of jazz-rock. With his furious propulsive style, he was welcome in both camps. Weather Report founders Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, and Miroslav Vitous brought him into the premier edition of the band. And as he had shown with Weather Report, he demonstrates on his 1977 album In Search of a Dream how well he could integrate acoustic bass into a jazz-rock concept. In duo with Mouzon, Vitous bows the deep tones on his composition The Light; he grabs the electric bass on the other compositions. Vitous as well as saxophonist Bob Malik and keyboard player Stan Goldberg were all part of the 1977 version of Mouzons touring band. Pianist/keyboarder Joachim Kühn and guitarist Philip Catherine joined the troupe for the recording of In Search of a Dream. Thus, the session was a sort of summit meeting of the jazz-rock elite of that time. ~ Amazon

PEDRO ITURRALDE  / PACE DE LUCIA – FLAMENCO JAZZ

Spanish saxophonist Pedro Iturralde, under the influence of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans album Sketches of Spain, added a couple of flamenco melodies to his repertoire as he toured Europe. Thats why Joachim-Ernst Berendt sought him out to play at the 1967 Berlin Jazz Festival. With the festivals motto Jazz Meets the World, Berendt was looking for a jazz-flamenco combination to fit the bill. Since Berendt absolutely wanted a guitarist in the band, Iturralde came to Berlin with a 19 year old flamenco musician named Paco de Lucía, later an international star and one of the greatest flamenco musicians of our time who continued to be involved with jazz until his passing in February 2014. Paco de Lucías participation as a regular band member is what makes this MPS recording so appealing. Iturralde also brought Italian trombonist Dino Piana into the band for this recording as well as the Berlin Festival appearance. ~ Amazon

GABOR SZABO - NIGHT FLIGHT

Gabor Szabo was an influential jazz guitarist famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock and his native Hungarian music. Szabo escaped Soviet-dominated Hungary in 1956 and moved to the United States where he attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston. After a stint with Chico Hamilton in the early 60s, Szabo he recorded a well-received span of albums under his own name on the Impulse! label. His playing strongly influenced Carlos Santana. Indeed, Santana's 2012 instrumental album Shape Shifter includes a song called ''Mr. Szabo,'' played in tribute in the style of Gabor Szabo. Nightflight was originally released in 1976 on the Mercury label. The album produced the biggest hit of his career, a remake of producer Bunny Sigler's song ''Keep Smilin'.'' ~ Amazon

THE VERY BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL - 48 ORIGINAL JAZZ CLASSICS

There are as many flavours of jazz as there are pebbles on a beach, but the majority combine rhythmic invention with instrumental virtuosity to create a sound that can transport the listener to a different plane. Whether your ear is caught by the saxophone of Earl Bostic or Eddie Harris, the flute of Herbie Mann, Ray Charles effervescent keyboards (he played sax too) or the music of Cuban-born King of the Mambo Perez Prado, whose 1958 US chart-topper Patricia is familiar from countless movies and television ads, one thing is certain the jazz instrumental still reigns supreme. 

CD!: 1. So What - Miles Davis; 2. Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet; 3. In The Mood - Glenn Miller; 4. Harlem Nocturne - King Curtis; 5. Baby Elephant Walk - Lawrence Welk; 6. Midnight Special - Jimmy Smith; 7. Guaglione - Pérez Prado; 8. Exodus (Main Theme) - Eddie Harris; 9. Tuxedo Junction - Quincy Jones; 10. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It - Ramsey Lewis Trio; 11. Unchained Melody - Earl Bostic; 12. Basie Twist - Count Basie; 13. Midnight In Moscow - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen; 14. Lullaby Of Birdland - The George Shearing Quintet; 15. Love For Sale - Dexter Gordon 

CD2 1. Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock; 2. Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk; 3. Moanin` - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers; 4. A Swingin' Safari - Billy Vaughn; 5. Work Song - Cannonball Adderley & Ray Brown; 6. Petite Fleur - Chris Barber's Jazz Band; 7. Salt Peanuts - Dizzy Gillespie; 8. Sweet Georgia Brown - Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli; 9. Desafinado - Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd; 10. One Mint Julep - Ray Charles; 11. Afrikaan Beat - Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra; 12. Night Train - Oscar Peterson Trio; 13. Blues Walk - Herbie Mann; 14. You Can't Sit Down (Part 1 &2) - Phil Upchurch Combo; 15. Unsquare Dance - The Dave Brubeck Quartet 

CD3 1. Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones &His Orchestra; 2. Take The "A" Train - Duke Ellington; 3. Moon River - Eddie Harris; 4. Walk On The Wild Side - Jimmy Smith; 5. Calcutta - Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra; 6. Lester Leaps In - Count Basie; 7. Something Frantic - King Curtis; 8. Patricia - Pérez Prado; 9. I've Got A Woman (Part 1) - Jimmy McGriff; 10. March Of The Siamese Children - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen; 11. Blue Rondo A La Turk - The Dave Brubeck Quartet; 12. The Stripper - David Rose And His Orchestra; 13. African Waltz - Johnny Dankworth; 14. Straight, No Chaser - Miles Davis; 15. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller

NEW RELEASES: BOB DYLAN – SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT; OLA KVERNBERG - THE MECHANICAL FAIR; KENNY WHEELER – SONGS FOR QUINTET

BOB DYLAN – SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT

Dylan cherry-picks the Sinatra songbook – with much better results than you might expect – stripping the 50s and 60s gloss that made perfect sense when interpreted by Ol' Blue Eyes, and bringing to light the more intimate charms that the songs carry at their core. Bob's voice is actually in pretty strong form here – laying off on the raspy growl of his more ornery later material, and portraying the material here with simple, honest clarity. As is always the case on later Dylan records, his seasoned road band also serve as his studio players – and it's an especially strong showcase for pedal steel player Donny Herron – with Dylan veterans Tony Garnier, Charlie Sexton and others in fine form, too. A few tracks have horns and larger-than-usual arrangements for Dylan, but it's a pretty laidback charmer overall. Includes "I'm A Fool To Want You", "The Night We Called It A Day", "Full Moon And Empty Arms", "Theat Lucky Old Sun", "Where Are You?", "Some Enchanted Evening" and more.  ~ Dusty Groove

OLA KVERNBERG - THE MECHANICAL FAIR

Nothing mechanical here, as the sound is rich and warm – the most so we've ever heard from Ola Kvernberg, who plays a host of compelling instruments here – including viola, prepared piano, cello, atuoharp, and theremin! The record has a fair bit of additional strings – used sparely, almost in the manner of a string quartet – alongside the core sounds from Kvernberg's group, whoch also features lots of acoustic lines on a variety of guitars, set to some light rhythms, both acoustic and programmed. Yet the core vibe of the record really comes from the strings – both violin and guitar – which often set out the rhythms as well – with these shades of tone and color that are really beautiful – deeply introspective without ever being too sentimental. Titles include "Mechanical Fair", "Alarums & Excursions", "Jaja", "Harlot's House", and "Metamechanics". ~ Dusty Groove

KENNY WHEELER – SONGS FOR QUINTET

An album that sits strongly in the long legacy of great recordings Kenny Wheeler has done for ECM – a set of quintet recordings that feature the leader's sublime flugelhorn lines in the company of a very well-matched group! The tunes are airy and open, but never too loose or meandering – and Wheeler's subtle sound has this great way of directing the energy – and getting equally great performances from Stan Sulzman on tenor, John Parricelli on guitar, Chris Laurence on bass, and Martin France on drums. The guitar has an especially great quality – these chromatic elements that serve to really unite the other individual sounds – and all songs are originals by Wheeler, with titles that include "Jigsaw", "Seventy Six", "The Long Waiting", "Canter No 1", "Sly Eyes", and "Nonetheless".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: JOSE JAMES – YESTERDAY I HAD THE BLUES – THE MUSIC OF BILLIE HOLIDAY; AKIRA JIMBO JIMBO DE CTI; THE REBIRTH – BEING THRU THE EYES OF A CHILD

JOSE JAMES – YESTERDAY I HAD THE BLUES – THE MUSIC OF BILLIE HOLIDAY

A sublime take on the music of Billie Holiday – served up in the tremendous vocals of Jose James! In the notes, James recalls that the music of Holiday is one of his first memories of childhood – and goes onto explain how much her music has meant to him over the years – a relationship we can clearly hear in the love and care he brings to the music! The setting is one of the most straight jazz that James has ever worked with – and backing is by a hip trio that features Jason Moran on piano and Fender Rhodes, John Patitucci on bass, and Eric Harland on drums – all of whom usually lay back with this slow-stepping vibe that's wonderful – and very different than the kind of accompaniment you'd hear on Holiday's original recordings. Yet Jose's raspy vocals really get at the same sort of heartbreaking feel in the lyrics, but from a different masculine perspective – an approach that's simple, subtle, and extremely effective. Titles include "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Body & Soul", "Good Morning Heartache", "Lover Man", "Tenderly", and "Fine & Mellow". (SHM-CD pressing!)  ~ Dusty Groove

AKIRA JIMBO JIMBO DE CTI

A sweet little tribute to the legendary CTI Records – done here by drummer Akira Jimbo, with a trio style that's even leaner than the label's classic albums from the 70s! The tracks are all older gems you'll know from the rich legacy of CTI jazz, funk, and soul – and Jimbo works with bassist Abraham Laboriel and keyboardist Otmaro Ruiz to craft cool new takes on the tunes – often just reduced to their core rhythms and sweet keyboard parts, with some occasional other elements thrown into the mix. The whole thing's great – very much in the best spirit for such a project, and packaged just the right way too – and titles include "Red Clay", "Stone Flower", "Spirit Of Summer", "Carly & Carole", "Tomba In 7/4", "Skycrapers", "Super Strut", and "2001".  ~ Dusty Groove

THE REBIRTH – BEING THRU THE EYES OF A CHILD

Rebirth really stunned us with their massive debut – This Journey In – and nearly a decade later, they win us all over again with this long-awaited follow-up album! The set's got the group even sharper and more soulful than before – really steeped in that classic brew of righteous soul and jazzy funk – served up in a mode that puts them right in a legacy that includes the coolest cats from way back – like Roy Ayers, George Duke, or Norman Collors – with a similar blend of all the best elements at once, shaped at a level that few other artists could get this right! The set's not just a welcome breath of fresh air in the contemporary soul underground, but a record that easily matches your favorites from decades back – one of those rare instant classic records we hear these days – and a set that's got us really excited. Titles include "This Is Coming To", "Wasteland", "Religion To Me", "Show Em", "Come On Over", "Halfway", "Surrender The Pretender", and "Caterpiller".  ~ Dusty Groove

FREE NELSON MANDOOMJAZZ Presents New Full-Length Album Awakening Of A Capital

Hot on the heels of their debut Double EP The Shape Of DoomJazz To Come / Saxophone Giganticus Scottish doom-jazz trio Free Nelson MandoomJazz are back with their first full-length album, Awakening Of A Capital. 

In the time that has passed since the release of their first double EP on RareNoiseRecords, Free Nelson MandoomJazz have gone from strength to strength, touring across central Europe during the summer and capping it off by performing at the Match & Fuse London Festival and they also received a personal invitation from Dr. Bert Noglik, the artistic director of Jazz Fest Berlin to play at the festival.

The album title is homage to Luigi Russolo's 1913 seminal recording "Veglio Di Una Città" (from "Die Kunst Der Geräusche") and further develops the musical crossroads of Free Jazz and Doom / Sludge Rock which is so uniquely characterized in their debut recording. 

Awakening Of A Capital was recorded in Glasgow, mixed in Italy by sound sculptor Eraldo Bernocchi, and mastered in the US by Mike Fossenkemper. It finds  saxophonist  Rebecca Sneddon, bassist Colin Stewart  and drummer Paul Archibald pursuing a progressive alliance - the saxophone sounds of Peter Brötzmann and "Interstellar" skronk with massive rhythmic distortions, all referenced against '80's stoner-doom, rock-metal and drone noise. The opening track, "Sun Ra," is a tongue-in-cheekacknowledgement of this marriage." 

TRACKS

1. Sunn Ra)))

2. The Stars Unseen

3. The Land Of Heat And Greed

4. Poking The Bear

5. The Pillars Of Dragon

6. Erich Zann

7. Slay The Light

8. Beneath The Sea

Infolding - SPIN MARVEL'S Third Provocative, Genre-Busting Project

Spin Marvel is the brainchild of British drummer Martin France, here joined by an all-star crew of celebrated Norwegian trumpeter and electronic music pioneer Nils Petter Molvaer, bassist Tim Harries (formerly of Bill Bruford's Earthworks), Norwegian electronic sculptor Terje Evensen and remix maestro Emre Ramazanoglu. Together they create spacious and dramatic soundscapes of profound intensity on the startlingly original Infolding, blending aspects of free jazz, ambient music and electronica in provocative ways. 

From the serene to the unsettling, this latest Spin Marvel project morphs into a myriad of moods and melodies over the course of six dynamic tracks. "Canonical" opens with an airy ambient touch before exploding into free jazz tumult paced by Harries' throbbing fuzz bass and France's powerful traversing of the kit, with Molvaer's highly processed cathartic wail layered over the top. "Tuesday's Blues" opens with spacious trumpet before gradually evolving into an in-the-moment adventure anchored by Harries' hellacious fuzz bass and France's interactive, Elvin Jones-inspired swing beat. "Two Hill Town" has Molvaer creating half-time trumpet melodies that float dreamily over France's simmering pulse before the proceedings heat up to a turbulent boil. "Leap Second" makes dramatic use of silence and echo, with Molvaer's haunting trumpet tones resounding over France's subtle brushwork before the piece builds to an intense crescendo. The 16-minute "Same Hand Swiss Double Pug" opens as a kind of ambient bolero before France bursts into a Buddy Rich styled flurry on the snare drum midway thru, triggering a change in mood that culminates in a freewheeling collective improv. And the collection closes on a haunting and kinetic note with the echo-laden "Minus Two," Emre's lone drumming showcase.

  

France, a veteran drummer on the U.K. jazz scene who played in the cooperative group First House and the big band Loose Tubes during the '80s and later worked with Iain Bellamy and Django Bates in the '90s, has performed and recorded with some of the world's great musicians including Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Lee Konitz, Dave Holland, Arild Andersen, Ralph Towner and Marc Johnson. Currently a Professor of Jazz (Drums/Percussion) at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he applies his considerable skills and musical touch to the kit in the more open-ended environment of his Spin Marvel projects. "The use of openness and space is a very important part of what we do," he says. "And creating something from this place allows the musician to feel free and uninhibited and move it in a direction they want to express. I have known Nils for many years and was always hoping that an opportunity would arise to somehow get him involved with Spin Marvel". Nils commented, "To play with such wonderful gifted and open minded musicians was a true pleasure".         

Emre, a ubiquitous London session drummer and in-demand producer-programmer-engineer-remix artist, brings a visionary vibe to this latest project. "Infolding was my first time working with Spin Marvel," he says. "I was a huge fan of the earlier records and was hugely excited to get involved. It's a very honest record despite the heavy processing. It's all live takes with no edits or overdubs.      

Infolding began as a single day of live recording with France, Molvaer, Harries and Evensen before Emre came onboard. "It was recorded live in a four hour session for the BBC," explains France. "Sometime after the recording I sat and listened to the takes and selected the performances to form a programme to fit the BBC R3 running time. We were all very happy with the session and how the music was sounding so I forwarded the master files to producer Emre Ramazanoglu, who then worked with the music and produced it for us. 

"Martin asked if I would be interested in trying to take the sound on from where it had got to at the end of this session," says Emre. "We didn't really plan this next stage at all but it was understood that we both wanted to keep the unedited live takes and bring out the intensity of the performance as much as possible. I spent a few hours with Martin and Tim on the first mix to check that they were into the approach I was taking and then I mixed the rest myself, trying to establish a coherent atmosphere for the record whilst letting the music and performances lead the way."               

Emre explains his modus operandi on Infolding: "I tend to mold my mixing style to the project at hand and on this one I just was led to that kind of dramatic, spacey sound by immersing myself in the mix and creating as much of a performance there as I could. I mixed these tracks really quite intensely and stuck with my first reaction and the decisions that I made from it. I intensively used convolution processing to get different instruments modulating each other and a lot of interactive compression and effect processing to shape the individual voices into larger, dense blocks of sound in which the boundaries between the instruments are blurred perhaps.               

A dynamic and inventive collaboration between potent musical forces, Infolding breaks all the rules while leading the way for new possibilities in music-making.

TRACKS:

1. Canonical

2. Tuesday's Blues

3. Two Hill Town

4. Leap Second

5. Same Hand Swiss Double Pug

6. Minus Two

NEW RELEASES: BRANDOM WILLIAMS – XII; LUXURY SOUL 2015; BRAZILIAN BOOGIE COLLECTION

BRANDOM 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

LUXURY SOUL 2015 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Live like a prince, but on the budget of a commoner – thanks to this sweet Luxury Soul collection, which offers up 3CDs' worth of killer contemporary soul – but all for the price of a single disc! This volume continues the wonderful vibe of the series – and provides a great overview of some of the best underground soul of recent years – pulled from the Expansion family of labels, and some other indies as well – and put together with a really great track selection overall! Titles include "Think About Why" by Jarrod Lawson, "Feel" by Victor Haynes, "It's All About You" by Marc Staggers, "Pill" by Eric Roberson, "I Promise (MONEY)" by Angela Johnson with Raul Midon, "Struggling" by Imaani, "Luther" by Real, "Philly Line (Colin Watson Philly rmx)" by Soulution, "Your Smile" by Neo feat Drizabone, "With Me" by Kloud 9, "Perfect Love Affair" by Shaun Escoffery, "Someone Else" by C Robert Walker, "It's Just Like Love" by Sheree Brown, "What Took You So Long" by Tyrone Lee, "Just Can't Give You Up" by Diplomats Of Soul with Noel McKoy, and "Dondi" by Ed Motta. 3CDs and 35 tracks in all!  ~ Dusty Groove.

THE BRAZILIAN BOOGIE COLLECTION: FROM RIO TO SAO PAULO (1976-1983) (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Think Brazil only gave the world bossa nova and samba? Think again – because this set is a great example of the nation's rich legacy of soul music – especially the kind of upbeat, hard-grooving styles that still stay strong on today's global dancefloors! The groundbreaking collection is a wonderful batch of rare club, disco, and boogie tracks from the Brazilian scene of the late 70s and early 80s – music that's not just a copycat of American dancefloor styles, but often a unique hybrid of funk and regional Brazilian styles – blended together with top-shelf studio perfection, and served up with loads of jazzy touches in the instrumentation. The grooves here are razor-sharp throughout – and many tracks may well blow away better-known US cuts from the time – and the set does a good job of mixing a few longtime standards with some fresher tunes that really keep things interesting! Titles include "Relax" by Painel De Controle, "Funk Funk La" by Robson Robson, "Nao Va" by Tim Maia, "A Paraibo Nao E Chicago" by Marcos Valle, "Saiba Ser Feliz" by Tarantulas, "Rio Babilonia" by Jorge Ben, "O Amigo De Nova York" by Emilio Santiago, "Expresso Madureira" by Banda Black Rio, "Olhos Coloridos" by Sandra Sa, "Aleluia" by Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, and "Central Do Brasil" by Cassiano.  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: JAMIE CULLUM – INTERLUDE; RON BLAKE – COCKTAILS AT DUSK: A NOIR TRIBUTE TO CHRIS CONNOR; HENRY KAISER / RAY RUSSELL - THE CELESTIAL SQUID

JAMIE CULLUM – INTERLUDE

The hippest, coolest work we've ever heard from Jamie Cullum – a wonderful collaboration with Nostalgia 77, who bring a lot of deeper jazz tones back to Cullum's music! The members of the group shift from track to track, but really give the whole thing a soulful vibe that's been missing from some of Jamie's work in the past – a move back to his roots in jazz, with a sensibility that almost even steps farther back – and links him to hip 60s British talents like Georgie Fame or Zoot Money. Cullum's voice is wonderful, as always – but it's especially great to hear it in a setting like this, which is quite far from some of the more poppy directions he'd been heading on previous records. Titles include "The Seer's Tower", "Walkin", "Don't You Know", "Interlude", "Lovesick Blues", "Come & Get Me", "Out Of This World", "Make Someone Happy", "Good Morning Heartache", "Sack O Woe", and a version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" done with Gregory Porter. ~ Dusty Groove

RON BLAKE – COCKTAILS AT DUSK: A NOIR TRIBUTE TO CHRIS CONNOR

A really unique little album from pianist Ran Blake – and that's saying a lot, given that all of his music is pretty darn unique! The album features Blake at his warmest – serving up a tribute to the vocalist Chris Connor, but at a level that's mostly instrumental – as a good number of the tracks just feature Ran on solo piano – creating dark, moody shapes from the bare bones of songs that were a big part of Connor's famous 50s recordings for Bethlehem Records – really blue, melancholy numbers that sound completely different in Blake's hands, but which have the same sort of haunting feel as Chris' vocal versions. Laika Fatien sings on 3 of the album's 13 tracks – with a very mellow, almost icy style that we've never heard from her before – and 2 more tracks feature Ricky Ford on tenor, playing with an approach that's surprisingly well-suited to Ran's piano. Titles include "All About Ronnie", "Why Can't I", "Where Are You", "Moon Ride", "Driftwood", "Speak Low", and "Go Way From My Window". ~ Dusty Groove

HENRY KAISER / RAY RUSSELL - THE CELESTIAL SQUID

Two avant guitar giants – coming together here in an album that's got a decidedly progressive feel overall! The record's quite forward-moving and focused – with almost a rockish energy at the bottom – no surprise, given that both Henry Kaiser and Ray Russell have plenty of ties to that side of the spectrum – and almost revive a sort of 70s prog mode here as they jam together with a larger group that includes reeds from Steve Adams, Aram Shelton, and Joshua Allen – plus acoustic and electric bass, and work from two drummers – Weasel Walter and William Winant! The album's way more of a jam than you might expect – but also certainly has enough out moments to appeal to longtime fans of that side of the music of Kaiser and Russell. Titles include "Disinterested Bystander", "That Darn Squid", "In Another Life", "Gukten Limpo", and "The Enumeration".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: MATANA ROBERTS - COIN COIN CHAPTER THREE RIVER RUN THEE; BILLY BANG / WILLIAM PARKER - MEDICINE BUDDHA; JON DAVIS – MOVING RIGHT ALONG

MATANA ROBERTS - COIN COIN CHAPTER THREE RIVER RUN THEE

Maybe the most dense, most complex work we've heard from Matana Roberts to date – a unusual effort that blends together her own instrumental passages with sound samples recorded during a wintertime ramble through the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana! Roberts moves away from her previous group efforts, to hit even more experimental sounds here – which include her own alto saxophone lines, plus work on a Korg Monotron, an early 1900s upright piano, and even a bit of vocalizations too – all taken at a level that's way beyond jazz, and which has elements of found sound mixing with processed instrumental passages, and even some odd snippets of classic American songs. The effort comes off sounding as if an avant jazz album were recorded with an older 4AD aesthetic – with all the dense sonic structures that might imply – and the whole thing's definitely one more reason to keep your eyes focused on Roberts' genius in years to come!  ~ Dusty Groove

BILLY BANG / WILLIAM PARKER - MEDICINE BUDDHA

Wonderful work from two players who've just gotten better and better over the decades – both musicians who've made a huge impression from the late 70s onward, but who also continue to grow and refine their ideas as the years go on! This set features beautiful duets recorded at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, in 2009 – with Bang on violin and thumb piano, and William Parker on bass, plus a bit of shakuhashi and dousn gouni as well. Both players handle strings at a level that's far different than most of their contemporaries or influences – and have this sublimely spiritual style that's often a bit exotic too – but never in the sort of easier ways of Bang's Vietnam-related projects. Instead there's a very freely creative spirit as both players come together – finding a unique voice that's extremely moving, and never too heavy-handed – a huge reminder of why we love them both so much. Titles include "Bronx Aborigines", "Eternal Planet", "Buddha's Joy", "Medicine Buddha", and "Sky Song".  ~ Dusty Groove

JON DAVIS – MOVING RIGHT ALONG

A great little album from pianist Jon Davis – a player who's got this way of cascading out notes with effortless ease – almost at a level that's thinking a few steps forward of the bass and drums in the trio, but never with a style that loses its groove at all! We love the way that new ideas continue to leap forward from Davis' piano – especially on the album's original tracks, which have this way of blocking sound and color together that's extremely tuneful, but in a very personal, unique sort of style. Bass is by Yasushi Nakamura and drums are by Shinnosuke Takahashi – but it's clear that Davis really directs the sound, with leaps and steps that are sometimes subtle, sometimes bold – and always pretty darn fresh! Titles include "Dania", "Just In Case", "Pensive Puff", "Moving Right Along", "Moment's Notice", and "Under The Stairway".  ~ Dusty Groove

Acclaimed vocalist Chris McNulty celebrates the life of her son on breathtaking new Palmetto Records CD - ETERNAL

Recorded in the wake of Hurricane Sandy's destruction and dedicated to McNulty's late son Sam, Eternal is a gorgeous set that comes from the pain of loss, but equally from a place of hope and faith.

The Australian McNulty is joined by her trio of pianist John Di Martino, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Gregory Hutchinson along with a chamber orchestra under the direction of arranger Steve Newcomb featuring some of New York's finest talent. In addition, Australian trumpeter-flugelist Matthew Jodrill, bassoonist Ben Wendel, and guitarist Paul Bollenback added glistening solos.he best,

Vocalist Chris McNulty contends that she never sings a song unless she can connect with it personally and make it truly her own. The selection of repertoire for her seventh CD, Eternal, carried an even more deeply personal requirement, however: celebrating the life of McNulty's cherished son Sam, who passed away in 2011. The gorgeously heartfelt and emotionally moving album, to be released March 24, 2015 on Palmetto Records, is a sublime love letter expressing the ineradicable bond between mother and child, with an exquisite blend of jazz quintet and chamber ensemble.

To craft the lush and poignant sound of Eternal, McNulty worked closely with two gifted collaborators: orchestrator Steve Newcomb, who created the album's stunning arrangements for chamber ensemble; and pianist John Di Martino, who last worked with McNulty on her 2005 release Dance Delicioso. The stellar trio with Di Martino on piano, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Gregory Hutchinson provides sensitive support for the singer's eloquent vocals. Jazz combo and chamber orchestra meld beautifully and seamlessly throughout, focused wholly on enhancing the profound feeling of McNulty's vocals. And present throughout is the spirit of Sam McNulty (aka hip-hop artist-composer Chap One), whose life, and the impact that it made on that of his mother, is vividly illustrated.

"There are lots of ways that I can honor Sam," McNulty says. "I looked through thousands of tunes to find things that spoke to me about life in general and life after Sam, about how I was unraveling inside, and that I thought could speak to him or about him without it becoming a morose, sad story. I think the music has lots of brightness and joy in it, too. I'm a musician first, so the songs have to speak to me musically, melodically, emotionally and lyrically as they always would. I just chose the songs that made the most sense for telling Sam's story."

Adding to the emotionally arduous process of assembling material for Eternal was the fact that McNulty was poring over songbooks in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when she was left without electricity, heat, or running water for eight days. So she sat in front of the fireplace with dozens of songbooks strewn about the floor around her, searching for lyrics and melodies that spoke to her by the glow of candlelight.

The first song that she found was the one that ended up opening the album, Steve Kuhn's "The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers." At first simply curious about the eccentric title, she was immediately struck by how perfectly Sherrill Craig's opening lines seemed to capture her own emotional state:

Late this night she waits alone / She tries to accept the truth

The pain is intense / Her heart is so sore and bruised

Wishing that the sadness had not come for its claim so soon

One life is so short, so many things left to say and do

Crying softly for the one who cannot be here

Through the rain she sees a face laughing in happy play

The face of a child, the child on a sunny day

"It was extraordinary, because I was completely unaware of that song," McNulty recalls. "The further I got into it the more profoundly blown away I was, but I wasn't expecting to go to the piano and hear such a beautiful melody."

She immediately determined to record the song, though she almost lost it as mysteriously as she'd found it. Returning to her songbooks the next morning, she couldn't find it again no matter how many indexes she searched. "I was beginning to think I must have dreamt it," she says. As it turned out, the song was real but accidentally not included in the book's index, but after a week of searching through page after page McNulty managed to stumble across it a second time.

Another powerful moment comes via "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" In McNulty's interpretation the oft-recorded love song becomes a lament and a eulogy, carrying a promise to never let go of her son's spirit. Sam himself is drawn through a composite portrait: compared to a precious flower via Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," depicted as a "strange, enchanted boy" in Eden Ahbez's perennial "Nature Boy." McNulty grapples with life following loss with the poignant "Where is Love" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

Along with these resonant standards, McNulty contributes her own tribute to Sam with the album's sole original, "You Are There." Accompanied by the spare, understated colors contributed by Newcomb and Di Martino, McNulty sings the impassioned lyric directly to her son, ending with the key message, "You will always be there." As she explains, "I'm speaking to Sam and I'm also reflecting on different memories: being on subways with him as a little boy, seeing him with his friends as a young man growing up, how many girls loved him. It's all in there."

Newcomb's elegant arrangements are born of a friendship that began in 2008, when he met McNulty while both were performing at a festival in their native Australia. They've discussed working together on a project ever since, and Eternal offered the ideal circumstances. "Steve is a brilliantly creative musician and a very hard worker," McNulty says.

 McNulty was reunited with Di Martino on one of her first evenings out in New York City following Sam's passing. Unaware that the pianist was performing that night, she was reminded of his virtuosity on the bandstand - and of his humanity when he approached her after the set. "He walked over and put his arms around me and didn't say a word," she recalls. "That had a profound impact. A lot of people don't know what to say or do, and sometimes it's better not to say anything. It struck me that he handled it so gracefully, and it showed what a sensitive human being he is."

Since her emergence on the international jazz scene in 1991, Chris McNulty has been hailed by musicians, peers and critics alike as a jazz vocalist-composer with a unique vision, boundless creative energy and a distinctive style. Her recordings and performances have garnered 4 and 5 star reviews in publications including DownBeat, The Irish Times, Jazz Wise, Jazz Journal and JazzTimes, among many others. In May 2013, McNulty won the prestigious Australian Bell Award (the equivalent of a US Grammy) for Best Vocal Jazz Album for The Song That Sings You Here. She has collaborated, recorded and performed with some of the finest musicians on the jazz scene today and performed at major international festivals around the world.

www.chrismcnulty.com