Frank Sinatra’s Timeless Music Celebrated Worldwide with New, Career-Spanning ‘Ultimate Sinatra’ Centennial Collections from Capitol/UMe ‘Ultimate Sinatra’ CD, Digital, 2LP and 4CD/Digital Deluxe Editions Present Key Recordings Spanning Sinatra’s Years with Columbia, Capitol and Reprise, Together for the First Time

“I adore making records. I’d rather do that than almost anything else.” – Frank Sinatra

In celebration of Frank Sinatra’s centennial year, new, career-spanning collections of the entertainment icon’s timeless music have been compiled for worldwide CD and digital release on April 21 by Capitol/UMe. Available in 25-track CD, 26-track digital, 24-track 180-gram 2LP, and deluxe, 101-track 4CD and digital editions, Ultimate Sinatra presents key recordings spanning the Chairman of the Board’s recordings for Columbia, Capitol and Reprise, together for the first time. Both CD and digital editions also feature previously unreleased Sinatra recordings. Beginning today, Ultimate Sinatra’s CD, deluxe 4CD, 2LP vinyl and standard digital editions are available for preorder from Amazon, iTunes and Google Play.

“In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning”

The defining voice of the 20th century, Frank Sinatra enjoyed a legendary recording career that spanned six decades, beginning with his earliest session in 1939 and culminating with his last in 1993, for his world-renowned, multi-platinum Duets and Duets II albums. All of Ultimate Sinatra’s configurations open with “All Or Nothing At All,” recorded with Harry James and his Orchestra on August 31, 1939 during Sinatra’s first studio session. With that star-making session, Sinatra embarked on a three-year run of nearly 100 big band recordings with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras, followed by more than 50 years of sessions for Columbia (1943-1952), Capitol (1953-1962; 1993-1994), and his own Reprise label (1960-1988).

Ultimate Sinatra’s single-disc CD brims with 25 stellar recordings representing a cross-section of Sinatra’s unparalleled recording career. Led by “All Or Nothing At All” and closed with a previously unreleased alternate version of “Just In Time,” the collection is stacked with standouts, including “I’ll Never Smile Again” (1940), “I’ve Got The World On A String” (1953), “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” (1955), “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1956), “Come Fly With Me” (1957), “The Way You Look Tonight” (1964), “Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)” (1964), “Strangers In The Night” (1966), “My Way” (1968), and “Theme From New York, New York” (1979), among many more. The standard digital edition adds a 26th track, the boisterous “Chicago.”

Ultimate Sinatra’s 4CD and digital deluxe edition boasts 100 tracks celebrating 100 years (plus a never before released bonus track), including many more luminous recordings that reinforce Sinatra’s well-deserved moniker, The Voice. The chronological collection dives deeper into Sinatra’s musical world of iconic recordings, before closing with a previously unreleased rehearsal version of “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” recorded in 1979. The deluxe edition also features an 80-page booklet with a new essay by Sinatra historian and author Charles Pignone, as well as rare photos and quotes from Frank Sinatra and his children, Nancy, Tina and Frank Jr., as well as Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Quincy Jones, and others.

Asked late in his career to name a favorite song or album, Sinatra said, “I’ve sung and recorded so many wonderful songs over the years, it would be impossible to name one in particular as my favorite. Many of them are special to me for one reason or another. It’s difficult to pick a favorite album. The ones that stick in my mind are Only The Lonely, Wee Small Hours, and Come Fly With Me because I think the orchestrator’s work and my work came together so well.”

Throughout 2015, the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth (December 12, 1915) will be commemorated around the world with a new stage show, prestigious exhibitions, music, video and book releases, special partnerships, major television and film events along with a host of independent tributes and concerts.

The definitive FRANK SINATRA 100 App will provide fans with continuous updates on official Frank Sinatra centennial activities. The free to download app, available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and Android tablets, will continue to evolve with exclusive Sinatra 100 content and other updates.

An icon who forever epitomizes the American dream, Frank Sinatra continues to have an immeasurable influence on popular culture: music, film, art, theatre, fashion and beyond. Sinatra was a true one-of-a-kind personality whose incredible achievements continue to inspire greatness in others.

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

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

  

Frank Sinatra: Ultimate Sinatra [CD, digital]

1. All Or Nothing At All

2. I’ll Never Smile Again

3. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)

4. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)

5. I’ve Got The World On A String

6. Young At Heart

7. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

8. Learnin’ The Blues

9. Love And Marriage

10. I’ve Got You Under My Skin

11. Witchcraft

12. All The Way

13. Come Fly With Me

14. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

15. The Way You Look Tonight

16. My Kind Of Town

17. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

18. It Was A Very Good Year

19. Strangers In The Night

20. Summer Wind

21. That’s Life

22. My Way

23. Theme From New York, New York

24. Put Your Dreams Away

25. Just In Time (Alternate Version) – previously unreleased

Digital-only bonus track:

26. Chicago

Frank Sinatra: Ultimate Sinatra [2LP vinyl]

Side A

1. All Or Nothing At All

2. I’ll Never Smile Again

3. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)

4. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)

5. I’ve Got The World On A String

6. Young At Heart

7. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

Side B

1. Learnin’ The Blues

2. Love And Marriage

3. I’ve Got You Under My Skin

4. Witchcraft

5. All The Way

Side C

1. Come Fly With Me

2. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

3. The Way You Look Tonight

4. My Kind Of Town

5. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

6. It Was A Very Good Year

Side D

1. Strangers In The Night

2. Summer Wind

3. That’s Life

4. My Way

5. Theme From New York, New York

6. Put Your Dreams Away

Frank Sinatra: Ultimate Sinatra [4CD, digital Deluxe Edition]

Disc 1

1. All Or Nothing At All

2. I’ll Never Smile Again

3. Street of Dreams

4. You’ll Never Know

5. If You Are But A Dream

6. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)

7. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)

8. Oh! What It Seemed To Be

9. Five Minutes More

10. Time After Time

11. Night And Day

12. The Song Is You

13. I’m A Fool To Want You

14. The Birth Of The Blues

15. Why Try To Change Me Now

16. I’ve Got The World On A String

17. Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me

18. My Funny Valentine

19. They Can’t Take That Away From Me

20. I Get A Kick Out Of You

21. Young At Heart

22. Last Night When We Were Young

23. Three Coins In The Fountain

24. Just One Of Those Things

25. All Of Me

26. Someone To Watch Over Me

27. I Get Along Without You Very Well

Disc 2

1. This Love Of Mine

2. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

3. Learnin’ The Blues

4. Love And Marriage

5. (Love Is) The Tender Trap

6. Love Is Here To Stay

7. You Make Me Feel So Young

8. Memories Of You

9. I’ve Got You Under My Skin

10. Too Marvelous For Words

11. (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know

12. I Couldn’t Sleep A Wink Last Night

13. I Wish I Were In Love Again

14. The Lady Is A Tramp

15. From This Moment On

16. Laura

17. Where Are You?

18. Witchcraft

19. Bewitched

20. All The Way

21. Moonlight In Vermont

22. Come Fly With Me

23. Put Your Dreams Away

24. Angel Eyes

25. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry

Disc 3

1. Only The Lonely

2. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

3. Something’s Gotta Give

4. Come Dance With Me

5. Here’s That Rainy Day

6. A Cottage For Sale

7. High Hopes

8. The Nearness Of You

9. I’ve Got A Crush On You

10. Nice ‘N’ Easy

11. When The World Was Young

12. In The Still Of The Night

13. The Second Time Around

14. Without A Song

15. Loved Walked In

16. Stardust

17. Come Rain Or Come Shine

18. The Girl Next Door

19. At Long Last Love

20. The Very Thought Of You

21. Pennies From Heaven

22. Ol’ Man River

23. I Have Dreamed

24. Luck Be A Lady

Disc 4

1. The Way You Look Tonight

2. My Kind Of Town

3. The Best Is Yet To Come

4. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

5. Softly, As I Leave You

6. It Was A Very Good Year

7. September Of My Years

8. Moonlight Serenade

9. Strangers In The Night

10. Summer Wind

11. That’s Life

12. I Concentrate On You

13. The Girl From Ipanema

14. Drinking Again

15. Somethin’ Stupid (with Nancy Sinatra)

16. The World We Knew (Over And Over)

17. Cycles

18. My Way

19. Wave

20. All My Tomorrows

21. Forget To Remember

22. It Had To Be You

23. All Of You

24. Theme From New York, New York

25. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Rehearsal) – previously unreleased

Saxophonist Vincent Herring Brings Intensity of Live Performance to Studio on Night and Day

Musicians always strive to capture the spirit and energy of a live performance in the recording studio - a formidable challenge without the mirror of the live audience. With Night and Day - his second album for Smoke Sessions Records - the brilliant alto saxophonist Vincent Herring achieves this elusive goal unequivocally. On all 10 tracks of this remarkable album, all of the immediacy, excitement and visceral energy of a packed house on a Saturday night are so palpable, that the listener is always expecting an explosion of applause at the end of every solo and each track. Hard blowing, no-nonsense jazz is at the heart of this entire matter, played in its timeless essence of urgent intensity by an ensemble of superb musicians.

"This recording is special to me. I enjoyed every minute of it and I'm grateful that I was able to make it," says Herring. "I'm still growing as a musician and person and I think it's my best record yet."

Renowned for his soulful and powerfully expressive playing, the explosive altoist is joined on the front line for six pieces by the equally combustible trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. The rhythm section of Mike LeDonne on piano, Brandi Disterheft on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums are ideally suited to the fierce energy and take-no-prisoners context, performing with exuberant fire and impeccable taste throughout. LeDonne's spirited comping and impressive solos, and Disterheft's impeccable time and vibrant sound combine with Farnsworth's inventive drive and sparkling punctuation to create that synergy and unity that is essential to music of this substance. Pelt's virtuosity and rich lyricism, even at breakneck tempos, is the perfect complement to Herring's dynamic creativity and absolute command in executing his endless stream of ideas.

The repertoire is outstanding. There are two Herring originals, "The Adventures of Hyun Joo Lee," a scorcher based on Coltrane's "Countdown;" and a nicely grooved up-tempo blues, "Smoking Paul's Stash" that closes the album. The four quartet pieces include a rip-roaring version of Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and a piece played by many alto greats, "The Gypsy," a beautifully heartfelt ballad expressed mostly in double time. Cannonball Adderley's "Wabash" (from the Cannonball & Coltrane album) features Herring in appropriately bluesy form; and Tex Allen's infectious "There Is Something about You (I Don't Know)" has a ballad-ish samba feel, built on LeDonne's shimmering electric piano and with evocatively plaintive alto. Donald Byrd's iconic hard-bop classic "Fly, Little Bird, Fly" is a splendid flight and Cedar Walton's lovely Latin-tinged "Theme for Jobim" is played with deep warmth and expression. Cedar is further remembered with LeDonne's "Walton," a rich, complex and poignant tribute performed with the deep love that is felt for the legendary pianist and leader. His saxophonist for more than 20 years, Herring says: "All of us are Cedar's musical children. I wish we could have played this one for him."

This leads to another vital element of the jazz legacy that is fully at play on Night and Day - the evolution of an extraordinary artist looking at his past to forge his future. Long regarded by musicians and audiences alike as one of the foremost alto saxophonists of the modern era, Herring has developed into a leader through the longstanding tradition of apprenticeship. He's performed with a veritable who's who of modern jazz, including Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Jack DeJohnette and so many more. This album builds upon all of that experience, particularly in regard to his nine years with Nat Adderley (and continuing to uphold the Cannonball tradition in The Cannonball Legacy Band alongside Pelt), and especially through his decades long relationship with Cedar Walton, whose passing has been almost as powerfully affecting as his life influence on so many fine artists.

"Cedar Walton is not with us anymore, but his musical contributions live on. I love Cedar's music and learned from him to carry it forward," explains Herring. "This music is in our hands now."

And without a doubt, with a master like Vincent Herring, those are good hands indeed.

"Night and Day" was recorded live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio A

on a Rupert Neve 8038 custom console at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape

using a Studer mastering deck. Available in audiophile HD format.

  

Vincent Herring · Night and Day // Smoke Sessions Records // Release Date: May 12, 2015

  

www.VincentHerring.com

Baritone Saxophone Master CHARLES EVANS' Seventh Album ON BEAUTY To Be Released May 12TH

Charles Evans' On Beauty - to be released May 12th on More is More Records - presents the seasoned baritone saxophone artist as a unique voice in the creative music community.  On this audacious new project, written specifically for soprano saxophone great David Liebman, Evans has devised methods of combining chromatic harmony with improvisation, employing the rare combination of the baritone and soprano saxophones.

Evans and Liebman celebrate the CD in a special concert on Friday, June 19 at Greenwich House Music's Sound it Out Series in NYC. Joining them are Ron Stabinsky on piano and Tony Marino on bass. Evans also celebrates with two dates in Brooklyn: May 14 with Stabinsky, Marino and Dan Blake on soprano at Shapeshifter Lab and May 23 in a solo gig at The Firehouse Space.    

Liebman put down the tenor saxophone for fifteen years to fully actualize his desire for a personal soprano voice. Evans, the apprentice, has followed Liebman's lead in many ways.  Specifically, the exclusive devotion to the soprano's distant lower relative, the baritone, for nearly twenty years has rendered him ready for profound creation with the premiere living soprano master.

Each subsequent recording shows that Evans is continuing to go deeper into the development of a very personal approach both to playing his instrument and composing music perfectly suited to his playing style. As his work progresses, even the very open term "jazz" is beginning to seem too confining a term to describe his music. He has arrived at the point of simply sounding like Charles Evans. His work is highly expressive and often complex, but not in a way that aims to overwhelm. He achieves all through the subtlety and control that comes from years of single-minded pursuit of ideals without compromise.

The baritonist has worked diligently to broaden the expressive range of his instrument, with specific care towards the difficult altissimo register (featured very lyrically and eloquently here) as well as the application of chromatic improvisation/composition on the big horn.  The music is strengthened by the use of freely associated triads, intervals, and chromatic lines in polyphonic improvisation with the other members of the group.  The quartet members truly leave their egos at the door, beautifully expressing and understanding the composer's musical vision.

Accompanying the saxophonists are two musicians that are masters in their own right. Bassist Tony Marino, through his longtime tenure in various Liebman groups, brings a level of artistry on the upright that is rarely matched. His experience, and ability to adapt to the challenges of both the improvisational and written material, was indispensable in this undertaking.  Pianist Ron Stabinsky can be heard in a variety of creative musical settings, from his new role in Mostly Other People Do the Killing to his recent work with trumpet virtuoso Peter Evans.  Stabinsky proves to be the glue to the ensemble, bringing an incredible precision to the notation, along with a creative versatility to each movement of the piece.

Evans' music is genre nonspecific and avoids employing the traditional jazz vocabulary.  The combination of jazz instruments, 20th-century classical techniques and harmonies, and free improvisation demonstrate Evans' refusal to be limited or allow his music to be pigeonholed.  A preference for the subtle and delicate is often demonstrated, vs. traditional jazz virtuosity.  Compositionally, the music grew from the successes of the quartet's first CD Subliminal Leaps.  The baritonist's intent is to deepen the most beautiful attributes from the first record, thereby reaching further avenues of artistic expression.

"On Beauty," a composition written for Liebman's specific instrumental voice, utilizes devices with him in mind, many of which were cultivated and refined in past years by the innovative saxophonist. Evans contemplates beauty by taking a very close look at the finest musical qualities in the quartet's repertoire.  Several polychord progressions are featured in the piece.  Thematic melodies (at times appearing in variation such as retrograde) are derived from the harmonic material, and vice versa.  These melodies are thoroughly exhausted throughout the work and reimagined, from the subtle eloquence of Movement I to the lively polytonal march of Movement II.  Writing for two independent simultaneous duos takes precedence in Movement III and IV, where the quartet reaches a healthy balance of improvised vs. written material.  Surprise is a virtue throughout, as the composition is varied by interruptions that lead the music to unexpected places.  The use of the baritonist's virtuosic altissimo register is fully explored in tasteful ways, stating melodies both in duo with the soprano and also in support of Liebman's masterful polychordal improvisations.  Ending Beauty brings back the themes, this time reharmonized, leading to a surprising up-tempo trading section and ending with the saxophone pair in duo at their introspective finest.  This compositional cohesion is a fine example of the actualization of Evans' writing within Liebman's personal unique language, with all parties demonstrating profound and heartfelt improvisations.

Charles Evans was raised in a small town named Factoryville, Pennsylvania.  He began intensive baritone saxophone study with the late Bill Zaccagni at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  During this time he also studied with David Liebman, who instilled an artistic mindset in the young baritonist and inspired him to pursue music to his fullest potential.  Following Liebman's cue, Evans moved to New York, where he received a master's degree in jazz performance while studying with Antonio Hart. Shortly thereafter, he completed the Music Education program at Queens College for state certification.

Among Evans' seven releases is his March 2009 multi-layered solo baritone saxophone release, The King of All Instruments, which earned wide praise including 5 stars in DownBeat Magazine and helped enable Evans to consistently place in the DownBeat Annual Critics Poll on baritone saxophone. As Hank Shteamer said in his Time Out New York review:  "Evans is dead serious about getting the most out of his regal horn. Hypnotic and, in spots, powerfully creepy, it's a singular statement from a composer expressing profound art."  He continued to develop his non-tonal writing and playing with Live at St. Stephens (2009) receiving "Best New Release, 2010-Honorable Mention" in All About Jazz magazine. In 2013 Evans placed 4th in the "Rising Star Baritone Saxophone" category of DownBeat.  As Michael Jackson noted in his 5 Star DownBeat review, "My highest marks are for originality and audacity, but there is a more profound inner communion here."

Perhaps it could be said that the baritone saxophone has a new leader, one who sees possibilities previously unexplored.  Uniquely, Evans places composition on an equal level of importance to his playing, a quality that has proven instrumental in reaching sincere, personal, depth and expression.  As Alain Drouot of DownBeat Magazine said about Subliminal Leaps, "The exchange on the opener shows that the saxophonists did not need much time to get acquainted.  The unusual marriage (of baritone and soprano saxes) bears some impressive fruit on this outstanding new album."  Subtle, dissonant, and emotional, Charles Evans has used the very same lineup and musical language to create a unique and expressive work of art once again, with the release of On Beauty (MIM 152).

www.charlesevansmusic.com

Trumpeter, Composer, Musical Visionary Wadada Leo Smith Presents 44 Years: Retrospective Featuring Twelve Ensembles + Video

The boldly original composer, trumpeter and Pulitzer Finalist Wadada Leo Smith presents 44 Years: Retrospective featuring twelve ensembles + video, Tuesday, April 21 – Sunday, April 26, 2015 at The Stone, Corner of Avenue C and 2nd Street, New York City.  All shows $20. http://www.thestonenyc.com

Smith performs a wide range of music from all phases of his career.  The series begins with Structure A, on Tuesday, April 21st and Wednesday, April 22nd. On Tuesday, April 21st at 8 p.m. Smith performs solo in Creative Music 1 and in Sonic River featuring Smith, alto saxophonist John Zorn and trombonist George Lewis.  At 10 p.m. Smith performs Divine Love with vibraharpist Bobby Naughton and reedman Dwight Andrews. On Wednesday, April 22nd, Smith talks about his music philosophy and language at 7 p.m.  The Nile featuring Smith and sound designer Hardedge takes place at 8 p.m. Tastalun follows at 10 p.m. featuring Smith with cornetist Graham Haynes and trumpeter Ted Daniel.

Structure B encompasses the music on Thursday and Friday.  Thursday, April 23rd showcases Taif: Prayer In The Garden of The Hijaz, String Quartet No. 6 featuring The Secret Quartet with violinists Jennifer Choi and Neil Dufallo, cellist Yves Dharamraj and violist Lev Zhurbin + Smith on trumpet and Aruán Ortiz on piano. The Black Hole / Silence follows at 10 p.m. featuring Smith with electric bassist Bill Laswell, pianist Yuko Fujiyama, electric guitarist Henry Kaiser and sound designer Hardedge.  Friday, April 24th begins with Mbira: Dark Lady of the Sonnets featuring Smith with Min Xiao Fen on pipa and Pheeroan akLaff on drums at 8 p.m. followed at 10 p.m. by Celebratory: Ornette - Coltrane – Shannon with Smith, electric guitarists Brandon Ross and Lamar Smith, electric bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Pheeroan akLaff.

Structure C encompasses the final two nights of performances. Saturday, April 25 features The Blue Mountain's Sun Drummer with Smith and percussionist Mauro Refosco at 8 p.m. followed at 10 by Ten Freedom Summers with The Golden Quartet (Smith, pianist Anthony Davis, bassist John Lindberg and drummer Pheeroan akLaff) + video artist Jesse Gilbert.  Sunday, April 26 features a 7 p.m. talk by Smith about his music philosophy and language.  The Bell follows at 8 p.m. with Smith, pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist William Parker and percussionist Adam Rudolph.  The evening concludes at 10 p.m. with America’s Third Century Spiritual Awakening / The Year of The Elephant The Golden Quintet (15 years: Retrospective) featuring Smith with pianist Anthony Davis, bassist John Lindberg, drummer Pheeroan akLaff and percussionist Adam Rudolph + video artist Jesse Gilbert.

Composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, whose roots are in the Delta blues, is one of the most boldly original figures in American jazz and creative contemporary music and one of the great trumpet players of our time.  As a composer, improviser, performer, music theorist/writer and educator, Smith has devoted a lifetime to navigating the emotional heart, spiritual soul, social significance and physical structure of jazz to create new music of infinite possibility and nuance.

Born December 18, 1941 in Leland, Mississippi, Smith's early musical life began at age thirteen when he became involved with the Delta blues and jazz traditions performing with his stepfather bluesman Alex Wallace. He also performed in his high school concert and marching bands, and received his formal musical education from the U.S. Military band program (1963), the Sherwood School of Music (1967-69), and Wesleyan University (1975-76).

Part of the first generation of musicians to come out of Chicago’s AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Music), Smith formed the Creative Construction Company together with saxophonist Anthony Braxton and violinist Leroy Jenkins. Smith is featured on Braxton’s groundbreaking 1969 album 3 Compositions of New Jazz and also collaborated with a dazzling cast of fellow visionaries including Muhal Richard Abrams, Richard Davis and Steve McCall.  Early in his career, Smith developed Ankhrasmation, a radically original musical language that remains the philosophical foundation of his oeuvre. Smith cemented his reputation as a profound musical thinker with the 1973 treatise “Notes (8 pieces) source a new world music: creative music.”  Since the early 1970s, he has performed and recorded mainly with his own groups. He currently leads five principal ensembles: Mbira, a trio with pipa player Min Xiao-Fen and drummer Pheeroan akLaff; the Golden Quartet, his highly celebrated group that now includes Anthony Davis, John Lindberg and akLaff; and three larger ensembles: Organic, which utilizes instrumentation consisting primarily of electric string instruments including four guitarists; the Silver Orchestra; and TUMO, a new improvising orchestra featuring Smith with some of the leading performers from the Nordic region. He has released more than 50 albums as a leader on labels including ECM, Moers, Black Saint, Tzadik, Pi Recordings, TUM, Leo and Cuneiform.  When Tzadik released a boxed set of his self-released early work in 2004, The Kabell Years 1971-79, All About Jazz noted that “having all this material in one spot establishes Wadada Leo Smith as a major musical force and verifies his important and lasting influence on succeeding generations.”

A 2013 Pulitzer finalist, Smith was also DownBeat Magazine’s 2013 “Composer of the Year” and the Jazz Journalist Association’s 2013 Musician of the Year and Trumpeter of the Year. In 2014 DownBeat magazine named him “One of the 80 Coolest Things in Jazz Today,” citing his “magisterial instrumental voice, his inspirational leadership, and his command of classical, jazz and blues forms to remind us of what’s gone down and what’s still happening.”  Most recently, he was commissioned by the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra to write a new piece titled "Solidarity for orchestra and quartet" which premiered to great acclaim on November 14, 2014 in Wroclaw Poland.  His 2014 CD The Great Lakes Suites earned broad critical acclaim and won second place in NPR Music’s 2014 Jazz Critics Poll.

Smith has been awarded grants and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University, Chamber Music America with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program, the FONT (Festival of New Trumpet Music) Award of Recognition, Southwest Chamber Music funded by the James Irvine Foundation and the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, the MAP Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts, among others.

http://wadadaleosmith.com

THE SPANISH DONKEY - Microtonal Blues Project RAOUL To Be Released

The sound of Joe Morris' electric guitar, with distortion pedal set on stun and wah-wah pedal fully engaged, colliding with Jamie Saft's droning, microtonal organ and Mike Pride's thunderous free drumming approach to the kit creates a mind-numbing maelstrom on The Spanish Donkey's RAOUL, the improvising trio's debut on RareNoiseRecords. 

A follow-up to XYX, their 2011 album, which was released on Northern Spy Records. The album consists of three throbbing tracks -- the brutal 32-minute title track "Raoul" the 22-minute "Behavioral Sink" and 16-minute Echoplex piano feature "Dragon Fly Jones" -- that showcase The Spanish Donkey's remarkable group-think as well as the individual player's uncanny intuition on their respective instruments. More intensely cathartic, startlingly original and compelling than anything you've ever heard -- imagine a mash-up of John Coltrane's Interstellar Space and Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music -- RAOUL stands as a hellacious manifesto by one of the most formidable improvising trios around today.  

"We're not trying to sound like anything that anyone expects," says Morris. "We're trying to come up with something that surprises us and fulfills the musical expectation that we have for ourselves. So in that whole realm of big loud screaming guitar, what we do sounds unique." 

"To me, The Spanish Donkey is deeply rooted in the blues," says Saft. "In terms of my concept for going into the studio for this record, it really was this idea of creating a monolithic, microtonal blues vibe and having Joe react to that. Joe is one of the few musicians that can really work within a deep microtonal environment. He is on such a high level with his intuitive approach to microtones and improvising within that space, creating in that 'glacial time feel,' as he puts it. And so this record essentially is us applying that microtonal blues thing to our free improvising path, and trusting that path completely." 

Drummer Pride, who has collaborated with saxophonist-composer Anthony Braxton, Millions of Dead Cops and the Boredoms, is the perfect complement to Morris' caustic intensity and Saft's microtonal explorations on RAOUL. "For me, Mike also has a freedom and a level of trust in the path that is unique," says Saft. "He is able to shape these larger form compositions while still staying deeply involved in the micro levels of rhythmic division and harmonic color. In the smaller trio format with these particular improvisers it's much easier to create something that's loud and brutal while keeping the intensity going throughout an entire 32-minute tune. There are not many musicians in this world that can keep that intensity of focus for that long. Mike is certainly one of them and Joe is a master at that. It's something that you only find in a really rarefied group of musicians. So I feel incredibly fortunate to play with musicians like that."

Morris describes his modus operandi on RAOUL: "In The Spanish Donkey, I blend a lot of different effects together and actually improvise with effects. I don't usually set effects like a rock guitar player; I improvise with a whole sonic palette. So I am constantly switching effects on and off, whether it's delay, fuzz, ring modulator or whatever. There are a lot of different things going on but it's a very narrow range that we're working in, in terms of time and harmony. It's trying to do a lot with very little. It's about making a very intense thing happen with a slow time feel and a very tight tonal range."

As a guitarist, Morris, who turns 60 this year, is a legend within free jazz or new music circles, having released over 40 records as a leader since 1983 and appearing as a sideman on another 50 or so albums. He has previous collaborated with keyboardist Saft on the RareNoise Records Plymouth, Red Hill and Slobber Pup's Black Aces. Morris describes his approach to playing the guitar over the past three decades of recordings. "I try to be as legitimate and sincere and as through and outrageous as I can with every one of them. And sometimes being outrageous means that you don't do things that are flashy or what anybody else expects. I'd say that's all I've ever tried to do on guitar. I never wanted to be a fusion guitar player or a jazz guitar player or country guitar player or heavy metal guitar player. Every time I pick up the thing, I'm trying to be myself, no matter what the situation is. And that means I have to follow very closely to what my knowledge is of everything and to try to always be completely sincere in the way that I deal with everything." 

Says Saft, "Joe is able to deal with the fluidity of time, pitch, harmony, tonality, tone color in a way that very few guitarists I've ever heard can do. It's something really special. And so, for me, to put that in a blues context with this sort of strong tone center that we focus on for each tune and build around, and then apply all those same ideas of the micro levels of pitch, tone, rhythm to putting together our tracks, this is something unique and seldom heard. That's really the approach to the composition, in my mind. And there's nothing that really needs to be spoken between us, because when you play with people like Joe Morris, you're playing with a master. I don't need to say anything to him. He can react immediately to all these little shadings in a way that few other musicians can."

From track to track, Morris, Saft and Pride defy all expectations with their balance between complete abandon and refined control on RAOUL. "I'm trying to make what I think is unique music, and that's not easy," says Morris. "You have to work really hard and sometimes you have to make decisions that draw people in in a new way rather than play to what they expect. Some people might listen to this record and say, 'You're just playing to the energy and it's out of control.' But it's a really delicate process, almost like sculpting marble, to get that kind of intensity there. And I think that's one of the things that Spanish Donkey does really well is that we can hold to this very, very tight precision and keep it there. And to go there and keep it there requires a tremendous precision and, above all, listening."

"The world doesn't need more free-wanking records," adds Saft. "And I think this record is actually the furthest thing from that in that it's a very carefully crafted monolith, large form improvisation based in the microtonal blues world. You have to be open to finding something new, and you hear that search in this record. Joe is redefining what the blues guitar could even conceive of being on this record. It's not just something that you see and you grab and you put on the tape, it's something that you're constantly looking for. To borrow Joe Morris' term, it's the 'perpetual frontier'."

The Spanish Donkey explores that sonic frontier with an uncanny balance between abandon and precision on RAOUL, their RareNoise debut.

TRACKS

Raoul

Behavioral Sink

Dragon Fly Jones

 

MERZBOW / PANDI / GUSTAFSSON Join Forces With Guitarist THURSTON MOORE For Mind-Blowing Second CUTS Project

How did renowned Japanese noisemaker Merzbow (aka Masami Akita), Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and Hungarian drummer Balazs Pandi follow up their majorly intense statement made on their tumultuous debut album, Cuts, which was released in 2013? By adding another ingredient to the volatile mix, in the person of skronking guitar hero and Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore they've taken things up a notch or two on the Richter scale on their RareNoise Records follow-up recording. With Gustaffson's roaring baritone sax blending with Moore's shriekback guitar, Pandi's intensely throbbing beats and Merzbow's subversive white noise barrages, it all adds up to a sonic pummeling of epic proportions on the remarkable two CD-set, Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper. 

In a post-Cage-ian world where there are no wrong notes - in fact, no notes at all, just silence and the absence of silence - the enigmatic Merzbow is a Magellan of sound, fearlessly traveling uncharted waters on each new project he undertakes (he has made over 350 recordings since 1979). Born on December 19, 1956 in Tokyo, he was originally attracted to rock guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed and Robert Fripp, and later was influenced by free jazz icons Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor and Frank Wright as well as electronic music pioneers like Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis. "Then I found the forum for mixing these influences into pure electronic noise," he said in a 1999 interview with EsoTerra Magazine: The Journal of Extreme Culture. "I was trying to create an extreme form of music." 

Merzbow has found true kindred spirits in Pandi, who has collaborated with him since 2009, and Gustafsson, a stalwart on the Scandinavian free jazz scene. Pandi's explosive drumming has propelled such other experimental bands as Blood of Heroes, Red Hill featuring Wadada Leo Smith (on RareNoiseRecords), Zu and two other groups also from the RareNoise roster - Obake (featuring guitarist and vocalist Lorenzo Fornasari) and Metallic Taste of Blood (featuring guitarist Eraldo Bernocchi, Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin and keyboardist Jamie Saft). Gustafsson is a member of theFire! Orchestra, the Barry Guy New Orchestra and The Thing with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love and bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten. He has also worked with many free jazz musicians including German drummer Paul Lovens, Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg, Chicago-based saxophonist Ken Vandermark, New York-based trumpeter/saxophonist Joe McPhee, New York-based drummer Hamid Drake and the Italian experimental band Zu. He claims Little Richard, The Cramps and Entombed as early inspirations in his musical development. "I started off playing electric piano in a local punk band in my home town Umeå when I was 13," he says. "I was lucky to grow up in northern Sweden in a small university town that actually had a jazz club and a very active music scene. I heard Steve Lacy, Sonny Rollins, Derek Bailey and Per Henrik Wallin really early as my main jazz kicks. But as Evan Parker used to say, 'My roots are in my record player.' 

Thurston Moore, a ferocious axe-mangler from the Sonny Sharrock "shards of splintered glass" school, formed the alternative rock group Sonic Youth with bassist-vocalist Kim Gordon in 1981. They were later married in 1984. Alongside fellow guitarist Lee Ranaldo, Moore made extensive use of unusual tunings and feedback, straddling the inside-outside divide on 16 studio albums, including influential recordings like 1990's Goo, 1992's Dirty, 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star and 2004's Sonic Nurse. 

Since disbanding Sonic Youth in 2011, Moore has recorded solo projects, including 2011's Demolished Thoughts and 2014's The Best Day. In 2014, he performed a searing duet with fellow experimental guitarist Nels Cline as part of an Ornette Coleman 84th birthday celebration in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. 

"The original trio was initiated by Balazs," says Gustafsson. "He and Masami have played some together before. I played together with Masami and Sonic Youth and also made various recordings with him and Jim O'Rourke in Japan. I had never played with Balazs before, so I was delighted to work with him on the first Cuts project." The three free spirits forged an indelible chemistry on a tour together prior to recording Cuts. "This group really hit something amazing during that tour and we took that energy into the studio." 

For Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper, the four kindred spirits went into the studio and came up with four extended tracks. CD 1 is comprised of the 20-minute "replaced by shame, only two left" and the 18-minute "divided by steel, falling gracefully." CD 2 contains the dynamic 21-minute jam "too late, too sharp -- it is over" and the extreme anthem "all his teeth in hand, asking her once more."

Drummer Pandi calls it 'mystery in sound.' As saxophonist Gustafsson said of their purely improvised session, "We had no game plan. That usually does not work so well. It all depends on the day, the energy and of course the room. And oh boy, that room was freakin' spectacular! It actually had a skateboard ramp! It was a truly spectacular recording. It went super-fast -- just a wall of noise-poetry with layers and perspectives changing all the time. And to have Thurston Moore in the mix just added colours, layers, energies and sound. It was a very inspired sharing with the others." 

Pandi provides a bit of history on the evolution of this Cuts quartet. "There is a legendary Roskilde live recording of Sonic Youth with Mats and Masami called 'Andre Sider of Sonic Youth' and as a combination of that record and my longstanding duo with Masami, the idea came to try and play a quartet. Those were the days of the last couple Sonic Youth shows in South America, around 2012. Following that, Masami, Mats and I continued to work as a trio. Meanwhile, in 2013 I got invited to join Porn for a string of gigs. Porn masterminded by Tim Moss and Bill Gould from Faith No More and for the London shows Thurston joined us on stage - it was great fun to play together.

When we hung out backstage, we were talking about trying to hook up a quartet session sometime with Mats and Masami again. We already had a gig planned with the trio in London, where Thurston currently lives, so we figured the only day he is spending around that time in London is the one we had for recording the follow up album to Cuts. So he was on board immediately."

As for how this new Cuts project with Moore may differ from their first Cuts outing, Pandi remains philosophical. "From my side, I can't really talk about differences. I don't approach anything differently. There are no tactics, concepts, nothing. Only deep listening and playing accordingly. I learned that from Masami early on. The night of our very first show, I approached him backstage, introducing myself. As it was the first time we met, I thought we would sit down and discuss any concept he may have wanted to talk through. But when I asked him about it, he only said one word -- 'improvisation.' That's how it always is with Masami. And that's how we approached this new recording in the studio.

TRACKS

Disc 1

1. Replaced by shame - only two left

2. Divided by steel. Falling gracefully.

Disc 2

3. Too late, too sharp - it is over

4. All his teeth in hand, asking her once more 

New John Patitucci Album BROOKLYN Marks Patitucci's First Release in Six Years and 14th Overall Album As Leader

Acclaimed bassist, composer, educator, and bandleader John Patitucci unearths old memories and finds fresh inspiration by returning home on Brooklyn, his diverse and electrifying new album. Due out in May 2015 (Digital - May 12, Physical - May 19) on Patitucci's own Three Face Records (distributed by The Orchard), Brooklyn pays homage to the vibrant, eclectic borough where the bass great was born and raised, looking back at the influences and experiences that have shaped his life and career while taking his music into thrilling new directions. 

Patitucci's 14th album as a leader and first in six years, Brooklyn boasts a guitar-centric electric sound featuring six-string wizards Adam Rogers and Steve Cardenas. Patitucci joins the fray with a new semi-hollow electric bass designed specifically for him by Yamaha, which allows him the fluidity of an electric guitar with the deep, rotund bottom end of an acoustic bass. The quartet is anchored by virtuoso drummer Brian Blade, Patitucci's longtime friend and bandmate in the revered Wayne Shorter Quartet and in the new trio Children of the Light (with pianist Danilo Pérez, other Shorter Quartet bandmate).

  

"I have a great love for the guitar and I've played with some great guitar players in various genres," Patitucci says, listing a fretboard who's-who including John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, George Benson, and B.B. King. "I wanted to have a different instrumentation because I've played with so many high-powered piano players in my life, so I wanted to change the orchestration up a little bit on my own record." 

Brooklyn, which marks the first time Patitucci has released an album on his own label, is the long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed Remembrance, which garnered a 2010 GRAMMY® Award nomination for "Best Jazz Instrumental Album." The recording, which took place at Brooklyn studio The Bunker, was filmed for an upcoming documentary on Patitucci's life and career to be titled Back in Brooklyn (due out in late 2015). 

Patitucci has always been proud of his roots, even during his two-decade stint in L.A. beginning in the 1970s when he made his name as a studio musician and an in-demand bassist for jazz greats including Shorter, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock. "People would say I was from California and I'd say, 'No - I'm from Brooklyn,'" Patitucci insists. "And I was, in my heart and in my soul. It wasn't just a place to me." 

As Patitucci discusses his boyhood in the borough, one can picture 1960s Brooklyn as something out of a Martin Scorsese film (minus the gunplay). "I come from a very strong Italian-American family, and growing up in Brooklyn in that kind of situation was a very rich heritage," he says. "We played sports in the street- stickball, stoop ball, slap ball, roller hockey, football. I have a lot of great memories of being part of a neighborhood and a community where everybody knew each other and where a huge chunk of our family lived within walking distance." 

Patitucci's family shared a house in East Flatbush with his uncle's family, while both sets of grandparents lived on nearby blocks. It was his maternal grandfather, a colorful character who was John's namesake but always went by the nickname Sonny, who introduced the future bassist to jazz. "His father had a speakeasy during prohibition where he became familiar with the stride piano style - also through albums by players like Eubie Blake and Earl 'Fatha' Hines," Patitucci says. "He played a little piano by ear and was a renaissance man - he was the best chef in the family, made dresses for my mother, and fought in World War II with Patton. He was an amazing guy." 

One day, Patitucci's grandfather, who was working manual labor on the city streets, came home with a treasure trove of jazz records that some unfortunate resident had left in the trash. (A later bandmate suggested to Patitucci the most likely explanation: a spurned spouse or lover must have dumped the collection on the curb since, the musician asserted, "nobody would just give these records away.") The record stash included Jimmy Smith's Hoochie Coochie Man, the debut album by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Ray Charles' Genius + Soul = Jazz, and Art Blakey's Mosaic - Patitucci's introduction to Wayne Shorter - among countless other titles. 

Perhaps the most coveted titles in that batch were those by Wes Montgomery, which Patitucci and his guitarist brother Tom found enthralling. "The Wes Montgomery albums drew us in because they were bluesy and the tempos were a little easier to deal with," Patitucci explains. "But the Art Blakey record was intriguing, powerful and jarring. We didn't know what to make of it, but we loved it." 

Those early influences are reflected on Brooklyn through the inclusion of two compositions by Thelonious Monk - another name well-represented in his grandfather's haul - and a duo rendition of Montgomery's "The Thumb" by Patitucci and Blade. The piece originally appeared on Montgomery's 1966 album Tequila, which featured bassist Ron Carter, who remains one of Patitucci's biggest influences. 

Not every track on Brooklyn is meant to look back; some, like opener "The Search," document how far Patitucci has come from those early roots. The piece, somehow simultaneously taut and airy, showcases Patitucci's contrapuntal writing for the guitars with melodies that weave and coil around one another. It also bears a trace of influence from the West African music that Patitucci loves and studies, which comes to the fore on "Dugu Kamalemba," a song originally recorded by Malian singer Oumou Sangaré. 

"Band of Brothers," a title which Patitucci says aptly captures the spirit of the quartet, is a funky, laid-back blues/rock jam somewhere between Wilson Pickett and the Allman Brothers. "JLR" shows off the guitarist's blues chops, while the mysterious acronym may be explained by lyrics that Patitucci is holding in reserve until the day he can give them to Buddy Guy to sing. "Do You," based on the familiar "I've Got Rhythm" chord changes, shows off the Yamaha's robust sound as a walking bass, while "Bells of Coutance" is an impressionistic interlude that evokes the sound of church bells in a small French town.

Patitucci muses on his spiritual faith with his New Orleans-tinged take on the classic spiritual "Go Down, Moses," while the album draws to the close with the tender, heartfelt solo piece "Tesori," a love letter to his wife and daughters that translates as "Treasures." 

Brooklyn is the latest landmark in a career that has seen Patitucci become one of the most versatile and inventive bassists in jazz and beyond. He's played with giants in nearly every conceivable genre, from Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter to B.B. King and Natalie Cole, Sting and Bon Jovi, Astrud Gilberto and Ali Farka Touré. At the same time he's been exceedingly active in music education, serving as Professor of Music at the City College of New York for almost a decade. In 2012, he joined bandmate and friend Danilo Pérez's Berklee Global Jazz Institute at the Berklee College of Music in Boston as well as serving as a full-time faculty member at the school. Additionally, he launched an interactive online bass school through ArtistWorks.com and released a kindle book, Melodic Arpeggios and Triad Combining for Bass. 

Upcoming JOHN PATITUCCI Performances:

All dates to feature the John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet Featuring Brian Blade, Adam Rogers & Steve Cardenas

May 13-16 / Iridium / New York, NY

May 18 / Jazz Kitchen / Indianapolis, IN

May 19 / SPACE / Evanston, IL

May 21-22 / Dazzle Jazz / Denver, CO

May 23-24 / Blue Whale / Los Angeles, CA

May 27-30 / Cotton Club / Tokyo, Japan

John Patitucci · Brooklyn

Release Dates: May 12, 2015 (Digital), May 19, 2015 (Physical)

www.johnpatitucci.com

NEW RELEASES: R&B CLASSIC SOUL VOL. 2; SUPAFUNKANOVA VOL. 2: BADASS CLASSICS FROM THE DISCO BOOGIE ERA COMPILED BY DJs JOEY NEGRO & SEAN P; LUXURY SOUL 2015

R&B CLASSIC SOUL VOL. 2 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Great gritty grooves from this wonderful series – a sublime set of R&B tracks, but all chosen from the perspective of later soul music too! The tracks are a nice change from the older style R&B compilations – as they all have a great little groove, and plenty of elements that really point the way towards 60s soul – both in the instrumentation and the really great vocals over the top! We totally trust the Outta Sight label for their choices in Northern Soul – and with sets like this, we find we can equally trust their choices in older music too – thanks to a sweet set list that includes "I Really Love You" by Jeanie Allen, "Homework" by Otis Rush, "I'm Shakin" by Little Willie John, "What Have I Done" by Jimmy Rogers, "Just Like You Like It" by Clennt Gant, "What A Mess" by Bobby Adams, "Gonna Catch Me A Rat" by Milt Trenier, "I'll Have To Let You Go" by Sally Stanley, "Crap Shottin Sinner" by Cile Turner, "Keep A Callin" by Paul Perryman, "I Want You Here Beside Me" by Johnnie & Joe, "Oriental Garden" by Ramona King, and "Lost In Sin" by Spirit Of Memphis.  ~ Dusty Groove

SUPAFUNKANOVA VOL. 2: BADASS CLASSICS FROM THE DISCO BOOGIE ERA COMPILED BY DJs JOEY NEGRO & SEAN P (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A fantastic explosion of funk, soul, and club – put together at a level that may well even top the first Supafunkanova collection! As before, the cuts here are all super-rare and obscure – but all kick heavy ass when it comes to tight rhythms and catchy clubby grooves – never straight disco or mainstream boogie – but borrowing plenty from the mainstream to turn out cuts with a really raw, underground vibe! There's a slight touch of hip hop in the mix – more that old school skating mode – and the whole thing definitely shows Joey's decades in cutting great cuts for the dancefloor – and his big love of the best groups from the hinterlands. Titles include "Drive Me Insane" by Airplay, "Betcha Got A Dude On The Side" by Star Quality & Class, "Cool Out" by Magnum Force, "Spunk In The Funk" by Blue Denim Band, "Walk" by Sam Culley Band, "Sound Reason (Joey Negro edit)" by Splash, "Making Love Will Keep You Fit" by Brenda Harris, "I'm Burning Up" by Nick Allen, "Buckets O Duckets" by JS Theracon, "Throw Down" by Larry Harris, "Big Fun" by Contact, "Let's Get High" by Nice & Tight Band, "Easton Assassin" by Sunburst Band, and "Super Stimulus" by Stimulus.  ~ 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

NEW RELEASES: ORGASMO SONORE – REVISITING OBSCURE LIBRARY MUSIC; WAYNE ESCOFFERY – LIVE AT SMALLS; THEE SATISFACTION – EARTEE

ORGASMO SONORE – REVISITING OBSCURE LIBRARY MUSIC

One of the first groups to bring back the sound of the classic Italian scene of the 70s – and still one of the best! Orgasmo Sonore spent their previous two records working through classic tracks from Italian soundtracks of the 70s – and this time around, they turn their ear towards the even funkier styles of the sound library scene – but with results that are equally great, given that many of the composers are the same! The group run through rare library tracks penned by Bruno Nicolai, Allesandro Alessandroni, Lesiman, Piero Umiliani, and others – all with this tight small combo feel that's heavy on sweet keyboards and great guitars, and which gets just the right sort of production approach to keep things right. The album may well be the group's best so far – and we've loved everything they've done already – and titles include "Tempo Sospeso", "Confronto", "Moonlight Drive", "L'Erba Di Prima", "Praries", "Viadotti", and "Space Team".  ~  Dusty Groove

WAYNE ESCOFFERY – LIVE AT SMALLS

Wayne Escoffery really takes off here in the vibrant setting of the Smalls Live series – blowing with a fire and intensity we don't always hear – really stretching out on a lot of very long tracks! The group's a quartet – with tremendous piano from Dave Kikoski, who really seems to bring a lot of energy to the record – and the great Ralph Peterson is on drums, alongside Ugonna Okegwo on bass – but it's clear from the start that Escoffery's tenor is the star of the show – as he burns brightly on the original "Concentric Drift", and steps out on other titles that include "Snibor", "Sweet & Lovely", "So Tender", and "A Cottage For Sale".  ~ Dusty Groove

THEE SATISFACTION – EARTEE

These guys have a wonderfully trippy look on the cover – very cosmic, very sci-fi, but also somewhat ancient as well – a style that really does justice to the music that lies within! Earthee's an even stronger set than the debut from Thee Satisfaction – more complex from an instrumental perspective, and more focused too – with this bristling blend of slow beats, basslines, and keyboard washes that take us back to some of the headier London styles we loved in years back – but also with one very strong ear to the American underground too, in ways that whisper "future soul" from the very first note. Meshell Ndegeocello guests on a few tracks – and the set's a good comparison to some of her headiest work, and maybe the music of Gloria Anne Muldrow too. Titles include "Planet For Sale", "Blandland", "Nature's Candy", "Post Black Anyway", "Universal Perspective", "I Read You", and "Sir Come Navigate". (Includes download!) ~ Dusty Groove

Ginger Johnson and His African Messengers - I Jool Omo

Ginger Johnson's life is one of the greatest untold stories of African music in Europe. A Nigerian immigrant to London in the late 1940's, who quickly became the rhythmic backbone to the big band of The Edmundo Ros Orchestra and the jazz group of Ronnie Scott. By the mid 1960's Ginger was considered the only Afro-Latin percussionist to book, which is why he played with everyone from Georgie Fame, Quincy Jones through to The Rolling Stones.

Ginger Johnson was also mentor, guide, guru and father figure to a young Fela Kuti. Gingers house in London was a vibrant hub of African music activity for Fela and an entire host of African & Caribbean musicians who would gather there to catch up, eat and jam for hours on end. To Fela, and all the younger musicians who gravitated around Ginger, he was simply known and addressed as 'Father'.

Ginger was also instrumental in the beginnings of The Notting Hill Carnival. His own venue, Club Iroko in North London, was a creative hub for groups like Osibisa, Cymande, and also a welcome hang out for visiting legends like Art Blakey, Roland Kirk, and Elvin Jones.

I Jool Omo is an infectious, happy rhythmic extravaganza, where layers of pulsating drums are perfectly meshed with jazzy flute, saxophone and a hypnotic guitar riff whilst the collective vocal lifts the entire track into a high energy, mesmerizing groove. As the chief exponent of the African talking drum, the thunderous beat that opens Talking Drum leaves you in no doubt as to the power and impact of Gingers skilled drumming.

Ginger Johnson's music is built upon a bedrock of African drums, hi life, and jazz, and is the forerunner of Afrobeat - and Gingers direct and vital influence upon the genre's undisputed champion Fela Kuti is just one part of a fascinating and underappreciated story that only now is being recognised for its significance.

NEW RELEASES: BOZ SCAGGS [ORIGINAL 1969 VERSION + 1977 REMIXED VERSION]; DENNIS CHAMBERS - GROOVE AND MORE; COURTNEY PINE - SONG (THE BALLAD BOOK)

BOZ SCAGGS [ORIGINAL 1969 VERSION + 1977 REMIXED VERSION]

After making major contributions to the first two albums by the Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs left for a solo career. He signed to Atlantic Records and recorded this album at Muscle Shoals in 1969, with Duane Allman on stunning form on guitar, slide and dobro, plus the Muscle Shoals rhythm section and the Memphis Horns. Originally mixed by Stax Records' engineer Terry Manning, Boz Scaggs was well reviewed but sold slowly. The record was given a second chance in 1977, when it was remixed by Tom Perry and reissued in the wake of Scaggs' breakthrough success. This Edsel release brings together both mixes together for the first time in one package. The record remains a timeless snapshot of man finally in control of his destiny, and a wonderful testament to Scaggs' unique vocal style and R&B heritage.For this 2015 unique pairing, notewriter Paul Myers managed to secure an exclusive interview with the album’s producer (and founder of Rolling Stone magazine) Jann Wenner. The booklet also features the lyrics. ~ Amazon

DENNIS CHAMBERS - GROOVE AND MORE

Groove and More is an energetic & well-finished record, which features many prominent guests, including Scott Henderson & Jeff Berlin. Henderson s guitar gives the record vigorous solos & a unique sound, particularly leaving a mark on Virtual Life & Time to Time, whereas bassist Jeff Berlin s phrasing & blending with Patti Austin s vocals on Practice What You Preaching is also outstanding. Also noteworthy is the eclectic guitarist Stanley Jordan s solo on Past & Future & Dora Nicolosi s interpretation of We Don t Know. The Afro touch of Osibisa s Gregg Kofi Brown on Fall Out & the 70s energy of Brian Auger s Hammond organ on Aircraft & Running on Line are also notable. ~ Amazon

COURTNEY PINE - SONG (THE BALLAD BOOK)

'Song (The Ballad Book)' is Courtney Pine's sixteenth studio album to date and it sees him strip everything right back for the most intimate album of his long and celebrated career. He performs an album of ballads on bass clarinet, accompanied only by fellow Mercury nominee and MOBO Award winning pianist, Zoe Rahman. In the 1980's Courtney Pine was one of the first black British jazz artists to make a serious mark on the resurgent jazz scene, when his first album charted and some twenty plus years on (now with an OBE and CBE for services to music) he continues to break new ground with a string of highly acclaimed recordings and numerous, prestigious, Industry awards. In April 2014 he joined Herbie Hancock and a dazzling line- up of Jazz all-stars for UNESCO's globally televised concert in Osaka to celebrate International Jazz Day, and his name regularly appears on the list of Most Influential Black Britons.  Described in The Observer as "a remarkable pianist by any standard", Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. A vibrant and highly individual pianist/composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, her British/Bengali heritage and her very broad musical taste. Courtney explained the motivation behind the album, "I have always wanted to record a collection of my favourite ballads and there is nothing like performing in a duet for bringing out the intimacy of great songs". These songs includes a mixture of originals by Pine and compositions by Donny Hathaway and Edward Howard, Duke Ellington, Sam Rivers, Thad Jones and the Brian McKnight hit "One Last Cry". ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: TUXEDO (MAYER HAWTHORNE & JAKE ONE) – TUXEDO; QUINTONAL; REAL SIDE RECORDS PRESENTS SOUL ON THE REAL SIDE #3

TUXEDO (MAYER HAWTHORNE & JAKE ONE) – TUXEDO

A sweet modern take on post-disco funky soul from Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, working together as Tuxedo! It's a pretty remarkable creative step for both parties, and classy enough to make the Tuxedo moniker fit. We've known for years to expect the unexpected from Mayer Hawthorne – we never would've predicted his step from Stones Throw upstart to credible retro soul singer – but Jake One's boogie soul-styled production here is a bit of a surprise, and a sweet one at that. Lots of soulful synths back the solid vocals here, along with some strings and other cool touches. Without solid songs, it'd be a mere stylistic exercise, and the songs are slickly soulful and a total delight! Includes "Lost Lover", "RU Ready", "Watch The Dance", "So Good", "Two Wrongs", "Tuxedo Groove", "I Got U", "The Right Time", "Roll Along", "Get U Home", "Do It", "Number One" and more.  ~ Dusty Groove

QUINTONAL – QUINTONAL

A sweet funky combo from the Montreal scene of the 70s – working here in a killer set of never-issued material! Quintonal have an approach that's tight and right on the money – electric, but never in a too-fusiony style – and instead kind of a step forward for 60s soul jazz or European modal grooves – served up by a quintet lineup that includes tenor, trumpet, and some mighty nice keyboards! The combo got their initial inspiration from Canadian jazz legend Nick Ayoub – who was their teacher – and you can definitely hear some of Ayoub's modern inspirations in the music at times, mixed with warmer, more soulful elements that also tie them to the hippest funky jazz in the US – particularly small groups working far from the major label scene. Most tracks are originals, and the material here was pulled from vault tapes for an album recorded by the band in the mid 70s, but never issued at the time – although one track was issued on a rare tour EP that came out in 1976. Titles include "Poster", "Sept Quatre", "Running Shoes", "Soul Love", "Time Compulsion", "Switch", "Antoine", "Ballade Pour Liane", and "Push Up".  ~ Dusty Groove

REAL SIDE RECORDS PRESENTS SOUL ON THE REAL SIDE #3

A set that's heavy on classic cuts from the 70s, but throws in a few contemporary numbers too – all in this wonderful blend of music that's got a wicked mellow groove all the way through! The style is a bit modern soul, but more in that smooth 70s mellow style we love so much – lots of midtempo rhythms, less disco inflections, and plenty of room for amazing lead vocals that really send the tunes home with a hell of a lot of warmth and soul! Familiar cuts mix with lesser-known gems we'd totally missed – and titles include "Getaway" by Walter Thomas, "All I Want Is You" by Convertion, "I Need You More Than Ever" by The Montclairs, "Keep On Pushing Love" by Al Green, "Work To Do" by The Main Ingredient, "Don't Walk Away" by General Johnson, "You Got It" by Roy G Hemmings, "The Walk" by Jesse Gomez & TCB, "If Loving You Is All I Have To Do" by Anna Brooks, "Corazon" by LTG Exchange, "Mercy Mercy Me/Inner City Blues/What's Going On" by The Shirelles, "Love Knocked You Down" by The Nights, and "Just To Be With You" by The O'Jays.  ~ Dusty Groove

BEN WILLIAMS NEW ALBUM "COMING OF AGE" INCLUDES VERSIONS OF NIRVANA’S “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” AND LIANNE LA HAVAS’ “LOST & FOUND”

Acclaimed bassist Ben Williams delivers his sophomore album titled Coming of Age, April 21, 2015, on CD and vinyl via Concord Jazz. Continuing to implore the common elements of jazz, hip-hop, rock and soul, the young bandleader embarks on a bolder journey in this album with more music by his own hand and a reflection of his new outlook as a seasoned musician. Coming of Age for the 30-year-old Williams means playing a lively role among his peers and a vital part in the music world at large. Winner of the 2009 Monk Institute Competition, Williams cites this as a turning point in his musical odyssey, “My career as a bandleader and composer started from the moment I won,” he says. “I had this opportunity to say something—and an obligation, too.” 

Revered by The Washington Post as “Successfully translating the musical pulse of his era into jazz,” Williams has secured a masterful selection of special guests featured on this project. They include renowned jazz trumpeter Christian Scott on the cover of Lianne La Havas’ melancholy “Lost & Found” that is draped by a string quartet, vibraphonist Stefon Harris on an original piece titled “The Color of My Dreams,” and emcee/poet W. Ellington Felton who leads the listener through “Toy Soldiers (reprise).” Williams also reconnects with American soul singer Goapele for a second collaboration with the pivotal anthem “Voice of Freedom (for Mandela).” Completing the vision is Williams band, Sound Effect, comprised of Marcus Strickland (tenor and soprano saxophone), Matthew Stevens (guitar), Christian Sands (piano and Fender Rhodes), Masayuki “Big Yuki” Hirano (synths and Fender Rhodes), John Davis (drums) and Etienne Charles (percussion).

The CD offers eleven tracks with nine original compositions by Williams and the rare vinyl addition offers eight pieces from the CD’s repertoire, including a free download of all eleven tracks. Showcasing his impeccable talent for acoustic and electric bass, this album creates an experience that demands to be heard by a wide breadth of generations. Tour dates to be announced.