SANTANA 2015 CONCERT TOUR - NEW HOUSE OF BLUES LAS VEGAS AND EUROPEAN DATES ANNOUNCED

Santana is gearing up for a very busy year with new tour dates announced.  See below and check back here often for updates.

Santana Tour Dates for 2015:

• March 10 - Charleston, SC @ N. Charleston Performing Arts
• March 11 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
•  March 13 - Biloxi, MS @ Beau Rivage Theatre
• March 14 - Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre
• March 15 - Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Concert Hall
• March 17 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Civic Center Music Hall
• March 18 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
• March 19 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Selena Auditorium 
• March 21 – Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey
• March 23 – Vera Cruz, MX @ Cumbre Tajin Festival
• March 26 – Guadalajara, MX @ Arena VFG
• March 27 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
• May 20 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 23 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 23 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 24 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 29 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 30 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• May 31 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues 
• June 30 - Amsterdam,  NL @ Ziggo   
• July 1 - Brussels, BE @ Palais 12 - Brussels Expo
• July 2 - Hamburg, DE @ Stadtpark     
• July 4 - Slupsk, PL @ Dolina Charlotty Resort Spa
• July 5 - Berlin, DE @ O2 World         
• July 7 -  Luxembourg, LU @ Rockhal
• July 8 - Oberhausen, DE @ Konig Pilsener Arena
• July 10 - Juan Les Pins, FR @ Juan Les Pins Festival 
• July 11 - Monte-Carlo, MC @ Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival
• July 12 - Locarno, Switzerland @ Moon and Stars Festival
• July 16 - Nimes, FR @ Nimes Festival
• July 17 - Argeles-sur-Mer, FR @ Parc De Valmy, Les Deferlantes
• July 19 - Klam, AT @ Castle Clam     
• July 20 - Verona, IT @ Arena di Verona
• July 21 - Pistoia, IT @ Piazza del duomo
• July 23 - Vienne, FR @ Theatre Antique De Vienne
• July 25 - London, UK @ The O2       
• August 14 - Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
• August 15 - Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC        
• August 16 - Scranton, PA @ Peach Festival
• August 18 - Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
• August 19 - Uncaseville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
• August 21 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata        
• August 22 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata        
• August 23 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arena
• August 25 - Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap
• August 26 - Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Concert Pavilion        
• August 28 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre      
• August 29 - Chicago, IL @ Ravinia TBA
• August 30 - Chicago, IL @ Ravinia TBA
• September 16 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 18 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 19 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 20 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 23 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 25 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 26 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• September 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 4 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 6 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 7 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 8 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 13 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 14 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• November 15 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

NEW RELEASES: GREGORY PORTER, MELODY GARDOT & OTHERS – ROUND NINA: A TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE; BLUE MODE – SPACE RACE; FRAMEWORK - TIDES

GREGORY PORTER, MELODY GARDOT & OTHERS – ROUND NINA: A TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE

A compelling tribute to the great Nina Simone – featuring a host of contemporary singers performing their own versions of classics from Nina's recordings of the 60s and 70s! The project was put together in France, with orchestrations by Clement Ducol – but it features a fair bit of singers from a wider scene, including the great Gregory Porter, who makes a key appearance here! Instrumentation is often a mix of contemporary and classic modes – almost a remix of the original ideals of Simone's recordings, although the vocal delivery is very straight, and never played with – which is a good thing. Performances include "Black Is The Color" by Gregory Porter, "Baltimore" by Lianne Le Havas, "Sinnerman" by Keziah Jones, "Just Say I Love Him" by Hindi Zara, "Lilac Wine" by Camille, "Four Women" by Melody Gardot, "Feeling Good" by Ben L'Oncle Soul, "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Oliva Ruiz, and "Plain Gold Ring" by Youn Sun Nah.  ~ Dusty Groove

BLUE MODE – SPACE RACE

A really great groover, and a set that's way more than just another retro funk outing – given that these guys have plenty of tight jazz skills too! The group works here with a few key differences than other organ combos of late – the first of which is the strong use of flute by lead reedman Chip Wickham, who also plays a mean tenor – but uses the flute to create these wonderfully cool, snakey solos that take us right back to 60s giants like Jerome Richardson or Frank Wess! Another standout is the keyboard work of Gabriel Casanova, which also includes Wurlitzer Piano and clavinet in addition to Hammond – a blend of keys that make for a richer sense of spectrum throughout the album, even though all three instruments are handled with the deep soul of a classic organ jazz player from years back. The group also features drums, guitar, and a bit of congas – and titles include a surprisingly groovy remake of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", plus great originals that include "Tortilla Chip", "Rice Beans & Bugaloo", "Dr Shrip", "Space Race", "When The Rope Failed", and "Colt's Run".  ~ Dusty Groove

FRAMEWORK – TIDES

'Tides' is the debut album from Manchester-based producer Matt Brewer aka Frameworks. Since the release of his first EP 'Vanish' back in 2012, Frameworks has been building a loyal following for his atmospheric and haunting compositions. 'Tides' sees him joining the dots between instrumental hip hop heroes Aim and RJD2, the epic soundscapes of Cinematic Orchestra and the deft songwriting of Bonobo. Previous collaborators Rioghnach  Connolly and JP Cooperreturn for the album with two tracks apiece. Rioghnach gives a captivating vocal performance on lead single 'Calm The Still Night' and the brooding 'Dawn', whilst JP (recently signed to Island Records) brings raw soul to 'Old Friend' and 'No Place To Hide Away'. The bedrock of the album is instrumental with Frameworks' trademark string-laden productions taking in cinematic jazz ('Patience'), folk ('End') and more uptempo fare in the shape of 'Breathing Light' and 'A New Sun'. Tides' shows just how accomplished Frameworks is as a producer and composer, showing a lightness of touch and genuine song-writing talent that few can emulate. 

Pianist / Trombonist KEVIN CLINE'S new album MAKE UP YOUR MIND features an Chicago all-star lineup‏

Pianist/trombonist Kevin Cline usually keeps a low profile, so much so that even his neighbors on Chicago’s northwest side probably don’t realize the depth of his talent. He’s been a strong, if understated, presence in a myriad of bands for more than 30 years, but is just now releasing his debut. This disc, Make Up Your Mind, promises that Cline won’t be a secret for much longer.

Being such a humble guy has its advantages. Rather than spending time hyping himself, Cline focuses on his writing, and the results are his 14 original compositions on this disc. While the buoyant tone throughout Make Up Your Mind is anything but workmanlike, Cline’s patience and determination are what made this disc happen.

Cline’s life in music reflects that perseverance. He started playing organ as a child, picked up the trombone a few years later added piano to the mix. Playing in high school ensembles made him focus on trombone, primarily when Cline joined Rich Daniel’s Big Band Machine. Along with Daniels, Cline attended DePaul University in the early ’80s and graduated with a degree in music theory. More work followed— ranging from the Glenn Miller Orchestra to the backing band for popular Chicago radio d.j. Jonathan Brandmeier, Johnny and the Leisure Suits. But he wanted to express his own self, which meant the piano playing a more vital role.

As Cline started to dig deeper, he studied with Chicago jazz pianist Peter Polzak during the late ’90s. Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett records became a bigger part of his musical diet. He built up his sense of harmony and theory and turned those ideas into his compositions, including this disc’s title piece. The end results pack Make Up Your Mind.

“I tend to hear bass lines and/or chord changes first and melody comes after that,” Cline said. “I then play the changes over and over as I sing melodies in my head until I find the melody that works best. I’m meticulous about chord changes in my writing. Often when the melody repeats, I like to throw in an alternate chord change or two, just to keep it interesting.”

This strategy is heard in “Make Up Your Mind,” with its shifts from minor to major keys. Cline’s technique is also a part of the opener, “After The Rain,” where Cline doubles on piano and Fender Rhodes.

“None of my tunes are named until I’ve written them,” Cline said. “I named it ‘After The Rain’ because as the ending approaches, the tonality changes quickly. It’s basically in the key of C major at that point and takes a turn to end in B-major. That sound reminded me of the sun or a rainbow appearing after a storm.”

But Cline turned to a different early inspiration for “Umbrella, Sunglasses & Gloves”: the horn bands of jazz-inspired 1970s rock, primarily Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago. The sunny tone and Paul Zimmerman’s vocals here (and on “You Tend To”) echo the time when, as a teenager, Cline played his trombone along with Chicago records.

Other key sources include the musicians who Cline brings on to the recording, such as guitarist Dale Prasco who joins in on the Latin-tinged “Beware The Snake” and in a duo with Gailloreto on “April In June.”

Trumpeter Victor Garcia also mixes it up with Gailloreto (on tenor) on “A Shot Of J&V” and the quasi-bossa nova, “Shirley Not Forgotten.” Cline also built “Neighborhood Trolley” from its origins as a piano ostinato while he observed how the horns interacted. Another guest trumpeter, Bobby Shew, shines on the brass- heavy-but-breezy “Happy-Go-Lucky” and while he’s name checked on the title of “Song For Bobby,” that song also echoes another of Cline’s heroes, Bill Evans.

“That song combines Bill Evans-like chord changes played in a George Shearing style,” Cline said. “It’s in the key of E-flat, going to minor ii-V to relative minor C. Bill Evans did that often and was very unique in his use of minor ii-V chord progressions."

Most of the disc conveys an optimistic vibe, with “Santorini By Motorbike” a reflection of Cline’s visit to Greece and “Mistletoe, Me & You” a romantic Christmas-time song that he wrote for his girlfriend. But even within this upbeat sentiment, Make Up Your Mind offers an array of textures. The disc’s sole cover—an interpretation of “My Funny Valentine” that serves as a showcase for vocalist Isha Marie Lewis—Cline layers on the horns for a funk vibe with extra harmony. The disc closes with “Till Next Time,” a not-too-somber sparse ballad with just Gailloreto and Cline giving each other just the right amount of space.

No question that Make Up Your Mind is an opening statement, not a point of departure. Cline is already planning his next project, a pop/R&B disc that will show that will show an entirely different side of his musical personality. This man is in it for the long haul.

~ Aaron Cohen (Senior contributor to DownBeat)

Saxophonist Russ Nolan to Release "Call It What You Want," His 5th Rhinoceruss Music Album in 10 Years

Russ Nolan Call It What You Want A dexterous improviser with an abiding passion for Latin American rhythms, Russ Nolan delivers a deeply satisfying program of original tunes on his new CD Call It What You Want. The prolific tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger will release the disc, his 5th as a leader in 10 years, on his Rhinoceruss Music label March 31. 

Reflecting his fluency in the post-bop vocabulary and Latin rhythmic idioms, it's an approach quite distinct from what used to be called Latin jazz, like a good deal of the most stimulating jazz coming out of New York in recent years. Not surprisingly, Nolan has collaborated with some of the Latin musicians in the vanguard of this movement, like the brilliant Cuban pianist Manuel Valera (who played on Nolan's previous release, 2013's critically hailed Relentless). 

"I hope I'm part of this larger conversation," Nolan says. "I didn't grow up in Cuba or with this music, but I've really connected with these rhythms through a lot of study. You can't throw out all the rules, but you take the tradition and honor it by being rebels in your own time. You take what you've absorbed and make it your own." 

Nolan's striking arrangement of "My Ship," for instance, is set to an Afro-Peruvian Lando rhythm and finished in a Coltrane-style modal vamp. His varied originals include "Mi Remedio," a cha-cha written for his wife Luz; "Canción Sabrosa," a mambo in rhumba clave; and "Las Teclas Negras," an E-flat minor blues played as a medium-tempo mambo in 7/4. "This recording is another chapter in my study of Latin rhythms and their application to the modern jazz harmony I enjoy writing," says the leader. 

 Russ Nolan One reason that Nolan has continued to evolve is that he takes pains to surround himself with superior players. Pianist Mike Eckroth attracted widespread attention while touring with John Scofield (2010- 2012), though he's also obviously delved deeply into Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Brazilian waters. 

Brian Fishler, who's played on Nolan's last three albums, is "one of the most versatile drummers in town," says the saxophonist. Bassist Daniel Foose, a more recent member of the fold, is a highly assured player who lives across the street from Nolan in Sunnyside, Queens, and shares his University of North Texas affiliation. Far more than a master percussionist, Victor Rendon is also an essential mentor for Nolan who has helped inculcate his deep knowledge of Cuban rhythms. "He and Yasuyo [Kimura] are an amazing team," Nolan says. "I met them on a salsa gig, and she played on three tracks on Relentless." 

Nolan's concern with rhythm began coming into clear focus in the late 1990s, when he was living in Chicago. Saxophonist Chris Potter came through town with Dave Holland's band and gave Nolan the first of what would become many lessons. "He could have talked to me about scales and harmony and all this other stuff," Nolan recalls, "but he really impressed upon me that the horn player has to have the same mastery of time as the rhythm section and can't rely on them to carry him along." 

Nolan had moved to Chicago after graduating from North Texas State and studied with local saxophonist Rich Corpolongo as well as with visiting New Yorkers Dave Liebman and Kenny Werner. In 2000, pianist Werner convinced Nolan to move to New York City -- and would play on the saxophonist's 2008 CD With You in Mind (Nolan's debut recording was 2004's Two Colors). 

Introduced to clave by his interest in dance (he's an accomplished salsa dancer), Nolan has connected with the burgeoning pan-American scene in New York. For the past two years he's led a salsa band that performs for dancers. 

"There are all the different nationalities in New York -- Peruvian, Panamanian, Cuban -- and the deeper I got the more I liked it," Nolan says. "There's so much information here. For the past year I've been studying percussion with Victor Rendon, so I can take these Cuban rhythms and apply them to jazz harmonies I studied with Kenny Werner. It's just another chapter in my rhythmic exploration."

CD release shows for Call It What You Want: 

4/2 Jazz Estate, Milwaukee

4/3-4 Green Mill, Chicago

4/16 Terraza 7, Elmhurst, Queens, NY

4/17 Jazz at the Kitano, NYC

4/29-30 Rex Hotel, Toronto

5/1 Musideum, Toronto

5/8 Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT

www.russnolan.com

Featured this week on The Jazz Network Worldwide: Vocalist, Victor Fields with a sneak peek of his current single “Let Me Be Good To You” from his upcoming CD “The Lou Rawls Project”

Featured this week on The Jazz Network Worldwide: Vocalist, Victor Fields with a sneak peek of his current single “Let Me Be Good To You” from his upcoming CD “The Lou Rawls Project”.

Victor Fields is a silky soul jazz singer with a rich gauzy tenor known for seamlessly integrating the blues, jazz, R&B and Pop and his new single is no exception.

The Jazz Network Worldwide has been an avid supporter of Fields' projects throughout the years and is excited about sharing with its community and beyond his new single “Let Me Be Good To You”.  Giving homage to a music legend has shown to be a very successful quest for Victor, for it is one that is close to his heart.

"My intent is to capture the essence of Lou Rawls not copy him. There’s only one Lou Rawls.  I wanted it to feel like each song was being recorded for the very first time for today’s audience".  One night in Oakland, CA he called Victor “the man with the golden voice". As Fields recounts, "Our encounter was brief, but his presence that night and those words he uttered inspired me to change my life, to fulfill a dream”.

On February 14, 2015 Fields gave a concert at the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport, CT to preview and celebrate the expected release in late March of his fifth studio CD “The Lou Rawls Project".  Joining him on stage was his Special Guest and Musical Director Gail Jhonson backed by Connecticut’s own Steve Clarke (bass), Asher Delerme (percussion), Dave Davis (sax), Pat Williams (guitar). Victor has also shared the stage with Isaac Hayes, Cameo, Dee Dee Bridgewater, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Regina Belle, Atlantic Starr, Maysa and Marion Meadows.

On the heels of a successful CD launch on the east coast, it was only apropos for Fields to seek to tour the eastern seaboard targeting such cities as New Haven and Hartford, CT, Springfield and Worcester, MA, as well as Fayetteville, NC, Columbia and Charleston, SC and New York.

Mr. Fields’ has recorded and released four studio CDs on his label, Regina Records, that feature smooth jazz luminaries Chris Botti, Gerald Albright, Kashif, Chris Camozzi, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Nelson Braxton, and Jeff Lorber. His CD "52nd Street" reached #12 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and he continues to receive international radio airplay within the following three formats: Urban Adult Contemporary, Smooth Jazz and Straight Ahead Jazz. In addition, Victor is the owner and founder of Regina Records Radio which has been on the airwaves for four years now.

"Victor's melodic vocal interpretations of Lou's songs are original, unique and soul stirring. He is a special artist with a voice so pure and real.  His depth is an undiscovered greatness, you owe it to yourself to listen to what I consider one of the great smooth soul singers of all time. ~ Chris Camozzi, Producer and Featured Artist, "The Lou Rawls Project".

International and domestic stages and concerts are the goal with this new project and worldwide radio airplay has already begun with stations contacting Regina Records for the new single “Let Me Be Good To You”.  The beat goes on with interviews from stations like Magic 107.3, Charleston, SC, WPKN, WHUH, and WYBC, in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven, CT respectively.

"His charismatic musical spirit offers such a smooth, soulful delivery in his interpretation of Lou Rawl’s tune “Let Me Be Good To You”. He shows how one can be influenced by a musical icon yet embellishes its thread with his own signature, offering a masterful fresh contemporary arrangement.  Victor expresses his gift with invested love and conviction in every note sharing the enduring magic of a timeless song with soulful precision and care” says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY OF LEGENDARY TONY BENNETT/BILL EVANS SESSIONS WITH FOUR-LP BOX SET: THE COMPLETE TONY BENNETT/BILL EVANS RECORDINGS

Forty years ago, renowned entertainer Tony Bennett joined together with legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans for their first of two duet albums. The result was 1975’s The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album, followed by Together Again the following year. To celebrate this incredible coupling of talents, Fantasy Records, a unit of Concord Music Group, will release a deluxe, 180-gram vinyl box set. Venerated as a special moment in the history of jazz, the two albums, plus two discs’ worth of alternate takes and bonus tracks, are combined in this four-LP, 180-gram vinyl collection, The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings. Included is a collectible 12x12 photograph of the two musicians, as well as a deluxe 12-page booklet featuring rare images and extensive liner notes by Will Friedwald (co-author of Tony Bennett’s autobiography, The Good Life).

This unique pairing began with 1975’s The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, recorded during an intimate session at Fantasy Studios (producer Helen Keane and an engineer were the only other people present). At work in equal partnership, Bennett and Evans selected the tunes, worked out the arrangements semi-spontaneously, and, later, picked the final takes to be used. Bennett recalls that the pair didn't even discuss song choices before the session: “I would name a tune, and Bill would say, ‘That's good, let’s do that.’ We'd find a key and then the two of us would work it out.”

The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album features a selection of classics from the Great American Songbook (“The Days of Wine and Roses,” “Young and Foolish,” “The Touch of Your Lips”), as well as a moving rendition of the Evans’ classic tune "Waltz for Debby" (with lyrics written by Gene Lees). A consistently enthusiastic and balanced musical team, Bennett and Evans shine both individually and in tandem.

Following the recording, the pair performed live on a number of occasions and made several television appearances, including a stop on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.

In 1976, Bennett and Evans returned to the studio for Together Again. Another low-lights, high-improv date of standards that opens with an Evans solo rendition of “The Bad and the Beautiful” and continues with such moving renditions of “Lucky to Be Me,” “You’re Nearer,” and “You Don't Know What Love Is.” Another Evans original, “The Two Lonely People” (with lyrics by Carol Hall), also graces the playlist.

Both sessions — in which Bennett and Evans recorded together in the same room, not in isolation booths (a recording preference that Bennett has practiced throughout his recording career)— yielded several fine alternate takes that are included, as well as bonus tracks from the second date.

With such palpable energy and nearly telepathic interplay, these recordings have garnered critical awe over the years since their release. London’s The Guardian noted in 2009, “The outcome of this intimate duet highlighted the sublime creative accompanist in Evans, and the deep jazz sensitivities of the vocal legend … the two sound as if they’re having the time of their lives.” The BBC mused, “It seems impossible that these two giants of understated musical sophistication went into the studio with no idea of what they would record … They plucked one definitive performance after another out of thin air to produce a nine-track album — called, with straightforward simplicity, The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album — that was bettered only by its solitary follow-up, the following year’s Together Again.” AllMusic simply called the collaboration an “excellent jazz-pop hybrid in which both musicians were shown off to advantage.”

The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings joins several recent and forthcoming releases, celebrating the career of Bill Evans. Aside from a handful of reissued albums on vinyl, fans can also look forward to CD box set reissues The Complete Riverside Recordings and The Complete Fantasy Recordings this spring and fall, respectively. Also available is the highly acclaimed deluxe LP box set The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, which hit store shelves in the fall of 2014.

The album is scheduled for release on April 28, 2015.

NEW RELEASES: GEORGE BENSON - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION; IAN SIEGAL – ONE NIGHT IN AMSTERDAM; ANN PEEBLES - THE ESSENTIAL ANN PEEBLES

GEORGE BENSON - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

Song listing: Disc: 1 Give Me The Night (12" Long Version) – The orginal full mix as released on 12” single before the LP ermix replaced it; Lady Love Me (One More Time); Never Give Up On A Good Thing; Love X Love (Album Version); Love Ballad (Album Version); Nature Boy (International Single Version); This Masquerade (Single Version); On Broadway (Single Version); White Rabbit; Breezin'; Welcome Into My World; What's On Your Mind; Mimosa; Off Broadway; Gonna Love You More (Single Version); Unchained Melody (Single Version); The Greatest Love Of All (Single Version). Disc: 2: Turn Your Love Around; In Your Eyes; Shiver (Single Version); Inside Love (So Personal) (Single Mix) previously unavailable on CD; 20/20; Love All The Hurt Away - With Aretha Franklin; Feel Like Makin’ Love; Let's Do It Again (Single Version); The One For Me (Single Version); Kisses In The Moonlight (Single Version); Love Will Come Again (12" Long Version) - 6.32 version as released on cassette edition of In Your Eyes album and UK 12” single previously unavailable on CD; Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You; Being With You; Moody's Mood - With Patti Austin; God Bless The Child - With Al Jarreau and Jill Scott;  I Only Have Eyes For You - with Count Basie Orchestra; Beyond The Sea (La Mer); When I Fall In Love - With Idina Menzel; When Love Comes Calling.

IAN SIEGAL – ONE NIGHT IN AMSTERDAM

This is multiple award-winner Ian Siegal s first full-band live album, so chalk up another first for the man that Mojo called: 'One of the most innovative, gifted and engaging blues performers on the planet today'. One Night in Amsterdam is the sound of chemistry, as Siegal steers his group of talented young musicians around a set of his finest originals and challenges them with four songs that they had never previously performed. The adrenaline is palpable and the recording perfectly captures the super-charged atmosphere. 2LP Gatefold. ~ Amazon

ANN PEEBLES - THE ESSENTIAL ANN PEEBLES

A delicate, slinky figure with a powerhouse voice, Ann Peebles occupied a special place among the many great talents that roamed the halls of Memphis' iconic R&B label Hi Records in the 1960s and 1970s. While producer Willie Mitchell was the company's heart, musicians the Hodges Brothers its soul, and Al Green its top star, it was Peebles who gave the label its first national success, and a lasting female identity. Over the course of seven albums and dozens of singles for Hi, Peebles expressed a complex range of moods and emotions in her music. Her songs were alternately pleading ("I Needed Somebody") and defiant ("I Pity the Fool"), seductive ("Being Here With You") and destructive ("I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down") - but, always, utterly soulful. ~ Amazon

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