POKEY LAFARGE to release SOMETHING IN THE WATER; Incorporating elements of early jazz, ragtime, country blues, Western swing, and beyond

On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, Pokey LaFarge will release Something in the Water, his Rounder debut.

The dozen-song set, produced by Jimmy Sutton (best known for his work with JD McPherson), marks a new landmark in a career that's already filled with musical highlights.  The St. Louis-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist draws from a deep well of American musical traditions to create distinctively personal music that's timeless rather than retro, transcending the confines of genre in a manner that reflects the artist's openhearted attitude.

  

Incorporating elements of early jazz, ragtime, country blues, Western swing, and beyond, LaFarge has created a vibrant, deeply expressive body of work that embodies an expansive musical vision and vivid storytelling sensibility that are wholly his own.  He's also earned a reputation as a tireless, uniquely charismatic live performer, winning a loyal international fan base that regularly packs his rousing, celebratory live shows. 

Something in the Water features a diverse cast of talented players, including his own longstanding touring combo as well as members of such notable outfits as NRBQ, the Fat Babies, the Modern Sounds, and the Western Elstons.

Something in the Water finds LaFarge doubling down on his established creative strengths, expanding and deepening his musical reach on such new originals as the wry, rollicking title track, the swaggering ragtime workout "Wanna Be Your Man," the infectiously jazzy "Underground," the evocative crooner "Cairo, Illinois," the exotic ballad "Barcelona" and the swinging album-closer "Knocking the Dust off the Rust Belt Tonight," whose witty lyrics underline the album's proudly Midwestern sensibility.  Also featured are fresh, buoyant takes on popular blues standards "When Did You Leave Heaven" and "All Night Long." 

"The Midwest is at the heart of this record," LaFarge asserts. "The people playing on these songs are from Wisconsin and Illinois and Chicago and St. Louis, and there's a certain attitude that comes across in the songs and the way that they're performed.  I'm born and raised in the Midwest, and my family's been here for generations.  This is where I'm from and how I think, and that's reflected in the music I make.

"Americans love to reinvent themselves, but you can never really get away from the place that you come from," he continues.  "And in a globalized world, I think that there are some parts of our regional identity that we should hang onto and cherish.  I do buy into that old idea of the Midwestern work ethic, and it's definitely something that's been passed down through my family and something that I feel connected to, and it influences the way I approach making music." 

Pokey LaFarge 2015 World Tour

March 26, Auckland, New Zealand, Tuning Fork

March 27, Havelock North, New Zealand, Black Barn Winery

March 28, Masterton, New Zealand, King Street Live

March 29, Wellington, New Zealand, Bodega

March 31, Nelson, New Zealand, The Mussel Inn

April 1, Christchurch, New Zealand, Dux Live

April 3, Tallarook, Australia, Boogie Fest

April 4, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia, Byron Bay Bluefest

April 6, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia, Byron Bay Bluefest

April 8, Oakleigh, VIC, Australia, Caravan Music Club

April 9, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Corner Hotel

April 10, Castlemaine, VIC, Australia, Theatre Royal

April 11, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Manning Bar

April 12, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, Cambridge Hotel

April 17, Dallas, TX, The Loft

April 18, Driftwood, TX,  Old Settler’s Music Festival

April 19, Driftwood, TX, Old Settler’s Music Festival

April 22, Nashville, TN, Mercy Lounge

April 24, St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway

April 25, St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway

April 26, St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway |


April 30, Pittsburgh, PA, Rex Theater


May 1, Philadelphia, PA, World Café Live


May 2, Washington, DC, Black Cat


May 3, Charleston, WV, Mountain Stage


May 6, New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom


May 7, Cambridge, MA, Sinclair

May 8, Burlington, VT, Showcase Lounge

May 10, Toronto, ON, Horseshoe Tavern

May 12, Cleveland, OH, Beachland Ballroom

May 13, Detroit, MI, Magic Stick Lounge

May 14, Grand Rapids, MI, Pyramid Scheme


May 15, Chicago, IL, Lincoln Hall


May 16, Indianapolis, IN, The Vogue

May 27, Leeds, United Kingdom, Brudenell Social Club

May 28, Oxford, United Kingdom, O2 Academy

May 29, London, United Kingdom, Islington Assembly Hall

May 30, Rouen, France, Festival Zone Rouge

May 31, Brussels, Belgium, Retrorama Festival

June 3, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Maassilo

June 4, Groningen, Netherlands, De Oosterpoort

June 5, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paradiso Amsterdam

June 6, Eindhoven, Netherlands, Naked Song Festival

June 7, Nijmegen, Netherlands, Doornroosje

June 12, Eau Claire, WI, Blue Ox Music Festival

June 14, Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo

JOE LOCKE'S Most Personal & Emotive Work To Date LOVE IS A PENDULEM // Set For Release On Motema Music May 5, 2015

Joe Locke is a musician's musician, an artist for the ages, a man who has been gracing stages and studios with his immense talent, and uplifting spirit, since he was fifteen. Locke is a man who has gathered no moss as he evolved into a communicator, a conceptualist, a composer, and a modern virtuoso who defies categorization, creating music with small groups to symphony orchestras, and with artists as diverse as Cecil Taylor and The Beastie Boys. Derk Richardson said of Locke in The San Francisco Bay Guardian that, "not only has he mastered an instrument that has catapulted only a handful of players to the forefront of modern jazz - but he has done so in a way that transcends mere technique and establishes him as a unique and adventurous musical voice." With more than thirty acclaimed recordings to his credit, it is no wonder The Times (London, U.K.) proclaimed that, "there seems little doubt that Locke, with his ability to play cool and funky, heady and relaxed, is set to become the pre-eminent vibraphonist in jazz." Joe Locke's new recording, Love Is A Pendulum (available on the Motema Music imprint on May 26, 2015), is just over an hour in length, but has taken a lifetime to make, as it encompasses all of Locke's joys and sorrows, and utilizes all of his slings and arrows.

Love Is A Pendulum is an arresting collection of all original music, the centerpiece of which is a five movement suite, based on a poem by the writer and musician Barbara Sfraga (from her Subway Series work), a multi-dimensional artist who Locke has long admired. Locke explains further, "each verse begins with a metaphor describing love - its properties and tendencies - and how (possibly) to navigate them. As is so often the case in my composing process, the genesis of a musical idea comes from words, whether it be a novel, a poem, or even a simple phrase uttered in a certain way. I feel that Love Is A Pendulum is my best work thus far and I am eternally grateful to Barbara for the inspiration her poem has provided."

This recording is the most personal, most compositional and most emotive work of Locke's career, and it features a hand-picked cast of outstanding musicians that bring Locke's vision to life in spectacular fashion: special guests Rosario Giuliani, Donny McCaslin (saxes), Paul Bollenback (guitar), Victor Provost (steel pan) and Theo Bleckmann (voice), with Locke's core working quartet, featuring Robert Rodriguez (piano), Terreon Gully (drums and co-producer) & Ricardo Rodriguez (basses). Locke commented in the liner notes about the musicians featured on Love Is A Pendulum, "as tightly composed as much of this music is, it would not have risen off the page without the creative contributions of the musicians here. Robert, Terreon and Ricky, the core of this group, have been hugely important to the realization of this project. Working together with a great natural chemistry, they sculpted the shape of each piece into something beyond what I had imagined. Their ability to deal with the written material while at the same time injecting it with soul and spontaneity was (and continues to be) remarkable. I'm also grateful that all of my first choices were available (with a bit of juggling!) to be guests on Love Is A Pendulum." 

Variation On Wisdom is a through-composed chamber piece and a re-working of the material from "Last Ditch Wisdom" (track #7). On Love Is The Tide, "I wanted to convey the surging power described in this particular verse of the poem. There are a lot of shifting rhythms occurring, but its essence is the Blues," said Locke. Love Is A Planchette (featuring Theo Bleckmann) depicts the movement of a planchette as it moves across a ouija board. This melody is beautiful and gentle rather than spooky, as it, "describes the light touch we must keep on love in order for it to move us from one place to another," explained Locke. Love Is A Pendulum was the first movement Locke composed for the suite. As with the movement of a pendulum, the band goes back and forth between the sections of this composition. Played as a rubato ballad, Love Is Letting Go is a meditation on love's eternal nature. "For the beginning of Love Is Perpetual Motion I wanted a wide open canvas for the two saxophones to have a conversation, interspersed with written material. The main melody of the piece does not occur until after the 4:20 mark, where it emerges from 3/4 time into a 9/4 clave, followed by vibes/pan trading and a piano solo before a restatement of the melody," explained Locke. For Jesse Mountain is dedicated to Locke's nephew Jesse. "Big man, big heart," said Locke. Last Ditch Wisdom speaks for itself - "NYC hardball, start to finish." The album concludes with the lovely ballad, Embrace, a composition based on George Gershwin's "Embraceable You", and conceived by Locke as a vehicle for Victor Provost. Pianist Robert Rodriguez's lyrical ride, on top of Gully's creative groove, concludes the recording on a consonant note.

Joe Locke is widely considered to be one of the major voices of his instrument. Long known to be a soloist capable of stunning physical power and broad emotional range, it was not until the last decade that he emerged as the composer, bandleader and conceptualist that he is considered today. 

This is in no small part due to his recent solo projects, notably the three distinct albums he has released since joining Motema Music in 2011, which display his immense stylistic versatility and ability to create artistic depth in a variety of contexts: Signing (2012, the long awaited follow-up studio album of Live In Seattle), Wish Upon A Star (2012, Locke's first ever symphonic project, featuring Locke's Quartet with the Symphony Orchestra of Lincoln, Nebraska), and Lay Down My Heart (2013, jazz radio chart's #1 Blues & Ballads album). Locke's latest Motéma release, Love Is A Pendulum is already being hailed the most important work of his career. Other notable recordings in Locke's extensive discography (more than thirty albums as a leader) include, Four Walls of Freedom (Sirocco), a six movement suite featuring the late tenor saxophonist Bob Berg; Live in Seattle (Origin) by The Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group, which won the 2006 Ear Shot award for Concert of the Year, and his eloquent and vibrant quartet, Force Of Four (Origin). 

Locke has won numerous awards and polls, including the 2006, 2008 and 2009 "Mallet Player of the Year" award from the Jazz Journalists Association, and the 2013 Hot House NYC Jazz Awards for best Vibes Player. He is active as a clinician and educator in the United States and Europe and has been the International Vibraphone Consultant at the Royal Academy of Music, London, on a visiting basis since 2008, holding the title of Honorary Associate of The Royal Academy of Music since 2013. Locke endorses Malletech instruments, and Love Is A Pendulum is the first recording to feature the innovative OmegaVibe (also endorsed by Stefon Harris, Tony Miceli and Warren Wolf). 

Joe Locke - Love Is A Pendulum

All compositions by Joe Locke

1. Variation On Wisdom 2. Love Is The Tide 3. Love Is A Planchette 4. Love Is A Pendulum 5. Love Is Letting Go 6. Love Is Perpetual Motion 7. For Jesse Mountain 8. Last Ditch Wisdom 9. Embrace 

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

April 11 - Fayetteville, AR, Walton Arts Center

April 12 - Columbia, MO, Murry's

April 18 - Kansas City, MO, The Gem Theater

April 24 - Germantown, NY, Jazz Workshop at Germantown High School

April 25 - Germantown, NY, Central House Historic Hotel

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

May 29-30 - Cape May, NJ, Exit 0 International Jazz Festival

June 3 - Ocean Grove, NJ, Leigh Howard Stevens 36th Summer Marimba Sem.

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

June 8 - Burlington, VT, Discover Jazz Festival

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

June 9 & 10 - NYC, The Jazz Standard

June 13 & 14 - Hollywood, CA, The Hollywood Bowl  

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

June 22 - Rochester, NY,  Xerox Rochester Int'l Jazz Festival

July 10-12 - NYC, Smoke Jazz Club - special guest with the Jim Rotondi Group

July 30 - NYC, 92nd Street Y - Swing Into Summer Series

(Joe Locke performing with Bill Charlap)

www.JoeLocke.com

Smokey Robinson, The O'Jays, The Whispers, Stephanie Mills, Billy Ocean, Howard Hewett, Atlantic Starr, Sheila E., Deniece Williams, Tavares, The Dramatics featuring LJ Reynolds And More Confirmed To Appear On 2016 Soul Train Cruise

On the heels of this year's sold-out Soul Train Cruise, StarVista  LIVE announces the star-studded lineup for a new voyage, Soul Train Cruise 2016, featuring concerts by R&B legends Smokey Robinson, The O'Jays, The Whispers, Stephanie Mills, Billy Ocean, Howard Hewett, Atlantic Starr, Sheila E., Deniece Williams, Tavares, The Dramatics featuring LJ Reynolds, Enchantment featuring Jobie Thomas and more.  The cruise will be hosted by award-winning and longtime Soul Train television show producer Tony Cornelius and joined by comedian Bill Bellamy, original Soul Train dancers and MC Extraordinaire Doug E. Fresh.  The "hippest trip at sea" will depart from Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Saturday, January 30th and sail through Saturday, February 6th with stops in Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios (Jamaica), CocoCay (Bahamas) and Key West aboard the Celebrity Constellation, renowned for its refined elegance and lavish service.

"Soul Train keeps getting better, 45 years after the great Don Cornelius introduced it to the world," says Eddie Levert of The O'Jays, who will be performing onboard the 2016 cruise.  "For everyone who loves R&B, loves a first-class vacation, and loves to have a lot of fun, this is the trip for them – and me!" "We are so excited about returning to the Soul Train Cruise," adds O'Jays co-founder Walter Williams.  "We get to see old friends, many of them legends of R&B, and meet our fans up close and personal during our time on the ship. It's like nothing we've ever experienced before."

Longtime Soul Train television show producer Tony Cornelius, remarks "I'm especially excited that Smokey Robinson, The O'Jays and The Whispers are going to be a part of the 2016 Soul Train Cruise.  These gentlemen were extremely close to my father and we're going to celebrate a lot of love, peace and soul together on the cruise."  Michael Mitchell, Soul Train Cruise Executive Producer and StarVista LIVE / Time Life Vice President, explains, "The Soul Train Cruise has become a vacation like no other, it combines the biggest entertainers in classic R&B in a relaxed luxurious setting.   We are constantly looking for new ways to deliver the very best to our guests, and this year we've got an incredible lineup and will be sailing on the Celebrity Constellation for the first time, a gorgeous, top-of-the-line ship with a modern elegance." 

Guests on the Soul Train Cruise attend concerts by R&B superstars every day and night while on the cruise, held in intimate theatres that bring them closer to the performers than most concert halls on land.  These superstars entertain off the stage as well, giving cruisers a chance to rub elbows with them as they participate in interactive, artist-hosted events such as cocktail parties, meet & greets with fans, panel discussions, interviews in front of live audiences and embarking on many of the excursions in the stunning islands the ship docks in during the journey.  

LARA DOWNES - A BILLIE HOLIDAY SONGBOOK

When classical pianist Lara Downes was 8 years old, she wrote in her diary that her favorite song was Billie Holiday's I Cover the Waterfront. Ever since, says Downes, who has been praised by the New York Times for "loving attention to mood and color", she has been enthralled with "the distinctive qualities of mood and phrasing, line and color" heard in Holiday's singing.

Now, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Billie Holiday's birth, Lara Downes offers A Billie Holiday Songbook, a deeply personal tribute to an icon of American music (Steinway & Sons Records). With radiant sensitivity and timeless intimacy, Downes performs the songs forever associated with Lady Day's legendary interpretations.

Downes grew up listening to Holiday's recordings with her father, who was born and raised in Harlem only blocks from the iconic jazz clubs where Lady Day was a star presence in the 1930s and ‘40s. Trained in the conservatories of San Francisco, Paris, Vienna and New York, Downes acknowledges that Holiday's singing has been a lifelong influence. "As a musician, I learned from Billie Holiday to make something completely personal when you make music," she says. "something that is completely your own - maybe something unexpected, something indefinable, perhaps complicated, but beautiful. To take a chance. As the song says: "But beautiful to take a chance, and if you fall, you fall. And I'm thinking I wouldn't mind at all."

Billie Holiday was a true artist of her day and rose as a social phenomenon in the 1950s. Her soulful, unique singing voice and her ability to boldly turn any material that she confronted into her own music made her a superstar of her time. Today, we remember Holiday for her masterpieces and her creativity and vivacity. Holiday's poignant voice is still considered one of the greatest jazz voices of all time. Steinway & Sons celebrates the centenary of this iconic jazz singer's birth with an album of 22 songs she made famous. The result is a musical portrait of the singer's life.

The pianistic re-imaginings of songs forever associated with Holiday, such as "God Bless the Child," "Strange Fruit," and "But Beautiful," not only evoke the eternal artistry of Lady Day, but also place her unparalleled talent in a much larger context. "My take on this music, as a classical pianist paying tribute to a jazz icon," Lara Downes explains, "is also a tribute to the unique diversity of our American musical tradition - a tradition which includes European concert music, the blues, jazz, folk, rock, and on and on - evolving, absorbing the sounds of each successive generation to reflect the multifaceted complexity of American music. We come from so many different places and people, and our music is a synthesis of our complicated heritage and blended cultures."

Composer Jed Distler took Downes' intentions to heart in his arrangements, honoring both the original melodies and Holiday's singular phrasing while harvesting elements from the patchwork styles of American piano music: ragtime, parlor music, stride, pop, gospel, classical and film music. He also brings the personalities of Holiday's predecessors, contemporaries and descendants: Monk, MacDowell, Weill, Ellington, as well as Don Shirley, Billy Joel and Bernard Hermann.

The result is an unforgettable experience that places Holiday's spirit in soulful communion with the past, present and future of American music. A Billy Holiday Songbook will be available on the Steinway & Sons label on March 10, 2015. 

Lara Downes is recognized as one of the most dynamic and communicative artists of today's generation, praised by NPR as "a delightful artist with a unique blend of musicianship and showmanship" and by the Washington Post for her stunning performances "rendered with drama and nuance". She has appeared on the world's greatest concert stages, from Queen Elizabeth Hall London and the Vienna Konzerthaus to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. Her recordings have met with tremendous critical and popular acclaim: Exiles' Café (2013) topped the Amazon bestseller charts and was called "ravishing" by Fanfare Magazine; Some Other Time (2014) debuted in the Billboard Top 10 and was called "luscious, moody and dreamy" by the New York Times. Lara is the producer and host of The Green Room, a radio program about the real lives of classical musicians, in national syndication through the WFMT Network. She serves as Artist in Residence at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis. Lara Downes is a Steinway Concert and Recording Artist.

TWIN DANGER will release their self-titled debut album April 21, 2015 on top of performances at SXSW, and in NYC and LA

Twin Danger, the "dark, sexy" (VH1) new brainchild of Stuart Matthewman, GRAMMY-winning co-founder and multi-instrumentalist of Sade, and vocalist Vanessa Bley of Brooklyn-based alt-rock outfit Beast Patrol, will release their self-titled debut album April 21, 2015 on top of performances at SXSW, and in NYC and LA.

Bound by a mutual love for juxtaposed musical influences, spanning Black Sabbath to Chet Baker to iconic film scores, Twin Dangermelds noir jazz with midnight blues and cinematicgrooves. On the album, Vanessa's smoldering vocals and Stuart's smooth saxophone infuse a classic sound with contemporary style on 11 captivating originals. The album sessions also yielded one surprising cover, a distinctively different interpretation of the hard-rock single "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age.

On their approach to the album, Vanessa notes, "We're making music to get lost in. It's warm and beautiful but there are dark undercurrents revealing fundamental issues of the self. That's what makes it Twin Danger. We like to fit into that category of what you want to play when the lights go down."

In addition to the album, Twin Danger will perform at SXSW this March following a flurry of performances in NYC and LA, which includes a set at KCRW's MojaMoja GRAMMY Brunch benefit alongside neo-soul band The Internet.

"We encourage people to dress up and get lost with us," says Vanessa about Twin Danger's live experience. "You'll be swinging, dancing, maybe a little teary eyed. Probably spill some wine on yourself, get a few bruises. You know, the usual jazz show." Stuart adds that "our journey so far has delivered us to sweltering, unexpected, and often messy places, with live performances climaxing with laughing tears and trodden on toes. Certain songs seem capable of striking St. Vitus dance into the hearts of hipsters, or touching the tear ducts of the wallflower in the corner."

Hailing from England, Stuart co-wrote many of Sade's best-loved songs on the band's multi-platinum records including "No Ordinary Love," "By Your Side" and "Your Love Is King,"in addition to collaborating with Maxwell on three of the superstar's critically-acclaimed albums. Vanessa, the daughter of renowned free jazz pianist Paul Bley, attended the Fashion Institute of Technology but soon found herself in the midst of NYC's downtown music scene, co-writing songs with collaborators like self-professed "bubble goth"singer Kerli (who introduced her to Stuart) and heading up Beast Patrol. According to Vanessa, the name Twin Danger "refers to the alter ego, the part of you that can be wild or irrational or even destructive-but it's still a part of you and not accepting that is what makes it dangerous."

Bassist/Composer Nilson Matta releases "EastSideRioDrive" // New recording features Cyro Baptista, Romero Lubambo, Edsel Gomez, Craig Handy, Anne Drummond, & Vince Cherico

Brazilian jazz?  Yeah, me too.  I liked it the first 5,000 times I heard it.  But, like a lot of other things, it got to be a cliché after a while, every album sounded like the one before, the same tropical groove, the same rhythmic patterns, the same lightweight feeling.  That is, until I heard this latest project by the Sao Paulo-born, New York City-based bassist Nilson Matta, and my interest in the genre has been rekindled.

Unlike nearly every South American-styled CD that's crossed my doormat in recent years, this uniquely creative offering has got some real force and punch to it.  The blend of South (Romero Lubambo, Cyro Baptista) and North (Anne Drummond, Craig Handy) American musicians– as well as pianist Edsel Gomez from Puerto Rico - is a wonderfully balanced mixture of jazzy sounds from the two hemispheres.  It's soothing and relaxing in places, but gutsy and bold in others – it utilizes the conventions of the genre creatively and, at the same time, refuses to be limited by them.

At the center of it all is Nilson Matta, who is both an outstanding bassist and an exceptional maestro, to employ another overused term.  As a bandleader, he has an innate sense of orchestration, of flow, of sequence, of musical space and together with New York based producer/arranger Humberto (Howard) Léder  (no stranger to mixing musical cultures, e,g. B.B.King with legendary Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos), they masterfully conceived an idea to make one piece, with specifically-sized ensembles and a unique groove, and to proceed emotionally and logically, how to make a well-known melody seem fresh and exciting, and then, how to contrast it with something not quite so familiar.

I may be showing bias for the home team when I state that much of my enthusiasm is for the two locally grown reed players, Mr. Handy and Ms. Drummond.  They are all over this record, often as not, complementing each other and intertwining their flute and saxophone lines in a delightful souffle of sound.

Mr. Matta opens the album with a highly danceable original, "Sertao" (which means, in English, "Sertao," as Paquito D'Rivera would say), co-arranged with Mr. Léder, within which his own melody and Jesse Lynn's beautiful vocals are combined with the inimitable Cyro Baptista's very instrumental like vocals and exotic instruments that he uses to offer sounds that at times are like double flutes and berimbao playing at once, and with gutsy guitar rhythms and solos by the great Romero Lubambo presenting a very hard edge within the tropical context……and then a full blown jazz statement by Craig Handy's tenor, that happens to be made in the middle of a Brazilian band thus becoming not strictly Brazilian….!

If Mr. Matta's bassistry is at the center of this project, then he makes his allegiances and influences clear with two pieces offered up in honor of the greatest bassist-bandleader of them all, Charles Mingus.  Mingus is feted both on one of his most celebrated compositions, "Boogie Stop Shuffle," and on Mr. Matta's original "Proemio Do Mingus."

The first is a melody that was treated to a Brazilian interpretation famously as "Boogie Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones and his Orchestra – yet I think it's much more effective here that Mr. Matta restores that unforgettable melody back to the instrument that it was written for, as a tune for bass fiddle, but within the Brazilian context.

Opening with appropriate bass intro, then tenor & bass, flute harmonizing tightly on the theme, sounding more like a bigger horn section playing an elaborate line together, tenor then going off on its own, then flute, then the pianist with a kind of a postmodern splash, with notes spilling out to the left and then the right of the keyboard, then Nilson's solo, given an especially big sound, and closing with a great shout chorus at the end, like big band chart.

"Proemio do Mingus" is a feature for Mr. Matta's ringing strings, which, commendably says all that it needs to say within less than a minute in honor of the greatest of all bassist / bandleader / iconoclasts, this is a highly declamatory solo - an exciting and brief statement that hardly wears out its welcome.

"Verde" and "Blue In Green" are a pair of other pieces that are also two of a kind.  As the titles indicate, both are especially verdant: lush, ripe, overgrowing with rich melody.  The first is a trio piece that's mostly built around the compelling piano work of the wonderfully gifted and not enough heard, Edsel Gomez.  A sensual, romantic piece driven by the piano, almost suggesting a bolero. I love his touch here – the notes sound quite like raindrops falling on a jungle leaf, within a very lovely, positively verdant tropical style piano trio, I'm always amazed that they can get such a distinctive South American feel with standard North American instrumentation including regular trap drums, as opposed to latin percussion.   

The second is the Kind of Blue masterpiece given a wholly different complexion, with emphasis on Mr. Lubambo's guitar – I've never heard this iconic melody expressed in quite this kind of way, opening with bass and then Mr. Handy's bass clarinet, which, in this context, gives Miles Davis' melody a uniquely other-worldly sound.  In this version, the melody is much more green than blue, and like "Verde," it's positively verdant, and in fact, extends the verdant feeling - pastel and relaxed, but with the more intense purposeful kind of meandering that we associate with Miles…. a lovely and imposing gallery of sound and textures clustered around a familiar tune, well not only a tune. … Miles Davis wrote a mood as much as a tune,.. And both are firmly established by Romero's guitar and Handy's mournful bass clarinet.

Over the years, we've been inundated with so much Jobim – mostly the same three songs over and over – that I had long since abandoned the idea of ever actually hearing anything new with Jobim's name attached to it.  Imagine my delight to find two compositions performed so inventively new to me. "Ângela" was performed and recorded by the composer himself (on Urubu, which, spelled backwards is Uburu) and "Mojave" was likewise recorded and performed by the composer on his iconic 1967 release "Wave". They're both such remarkably performed and recorded here, that I fear it will make it even harder for me to sit through "Ipanema" and "One Note Samba" the next time somebody in a jazz club chooses to inflict them on me.  (This is not anti-Jobim bias, I feel exactly the same way about "Over The Rainbow," "Summertime," and "Skylark," beautiful songs that have all been overdone the same way to death.)

"Angela", a lovely medium ballad is highlighted and begins with an intertwining of Drummond's flute and Nilson's bass before the rest of the rhythm section and Mr. Handy join in, the latter playing his big toned instrument in a manner of such boudoir tenors as a Gene Ammons and Houston Person or Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins.

"Mohave" is a particularly insistent melody and an eloquent duet for flute and bass, with Nilson doing the work of an entire trio all by himself.  I could swear there are moments when the mind drifts slightly and one swears that one hears piano and drums in there (brushes at the very least) in addition to bass, but no, listening more closely behind Ms. Drummond, it's all Nilson, fully filling the role.

"E Menina"is Joao Donato'and Gutemberg Guarabiras classically covered Brazilian samba/pop melody, arranged here with piano - some mirrored chords, a Cuban feeling, not strictly Brazilian…. and drummer Vince Cherico (c. Candido, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Carlos "Patato" Valdez, Ray Barretto, Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra", etc) also a lot more aggressive, more like an American player with Brazilian accents, Ayja's vocals harmonizing with horns, sounding like a choral group, and then very appropriately, it ends on a fade, which to me suggests a street parade marching off into the distance.

Ever since Eric Dolphy, most famously allied with Mingus, the bass clarinet has primarily been used in what we, for lack of a better word, call avant-garde or free jazz, but the way Mr. Handy wields the unwieldly instrument shows that it can also be used beautifully on more traditionally melodic forms of jazz such as with Mr. Léder's homage to Jobim, "Luas de Nadine", which spotlights the unique combination of bass clarinet, flute, Mr. Lubambo's guitar and Nilson's beautiful arco solo.

"Mambo Inn" is an appropriate piece to sum up.  This is the Latin jazz classic by Mario Bauza (most famously performed by George Shearing and Armando Peraza) and it illustrates that at least three of the Americas (North America, South America, and the Cuba-Puerto Rico continuum) can work together in concert, as they say, to create outstanding jazz, and especially well when sparked by the tradition of the en clave piano of Senor Gomez.

SASHA'S BLOC New Album HEART ON FIRE, Featuring Grammy-nominated Vocalist JANE MONHEIT

With the release of their second album, Heart On Fire, jazz collective Sasha’s Bloc aims to solidify their growing presence on the U.S. music scene with an original album that hearkens back to the Big Jazz Band sound of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s, and to a performance style that evokes such seminal acts as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Count Basie, Scott Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald and more.

Conceived by bassist and songwriter Alex Gershman, and featuring Grammy-nominated vocalist Jane Monheit performing on multiple tracks, Sasha’s Bloc is an international ensemble — an amalgam of varied artists, nationalities and experiences, aiming to deliver a sound that is consistently big, boisterous, full of spirit and rich in everything that makes jazz linger as an American phenomenon. With a performance style that evokes such seminal acts as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Count Basie, Scott Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald and more, the group looks forward to four concerts in their hometown of Los Angeles to celebrate the release of the new album. All concerts will feature Monheit as well as Alvin Chea.

Upcoming Concerts:

March 18 and 19 at Vibrato Jazz Grill

March 20 and 21 at Catalina Bar and Grill

Following its exclusive premiere last week on AXS.com, the official music video for the Sasha's Bloc single "Breakfast," featuring Jane Monheit and off of their album Heart On Fire, is now available on the official Sasha's Bloc YouTube channel.

With a big-band sound that recalls the vibe of New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band infused with the Blues, a hint of Gypsy Jazz, contemporary jazz and swing, Sasha’s Bloc have been playing to sold out shows across Southern California for the past two+ years and have developed a loyal following across the country.

Formed in 2012 by bassist Alexander Gershman, who hails from Moscow, Sasha’s Bloc is an eclectic mix of musicians focused on the revival of the jazz culture of the 1920’s and 30’s, combined with the adaptation of modern jazz original compositions.

NEW RELEASES: CANDIDO - THE AFRO CUBAN SOUND OF CANDIDO; JOE STILGOE - WE LOOK TO THE STARS; CHASTITY BROWN – LONG WAY

CANDIDO - THE AFRO CUBAN SOUND OF CANDIDO (THREE ORIGINAL ALBUMS ON CD)

Cándido de Guerra Camero, generally known as Candido, is credited with being the first percussionist to introduce conga drums into jazz. Indeed, without Candido there would probably not have been the craze for bongos which sprang up in the late Fifties and early Sixties. Although crossover music genres don't always work, this marriage of Cuban Latin rhythms and modern jazz is one that was made in heaven, as our set of CDs amply demonstrates. Tracks include: Mambo Inn, I'll Be Back For More, Stompin' At The Savoy, Poinciana, Jada, Broadway, Perdido, Indian Summer, Candido's Camera, Cheek To Cheek, Swingin' The Blues, Exactly Like You, King Porter Stomp, It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing,  Ain't She Sweet, When The Saints Go Marching In, Honeysuckle Rose, Sweet Sue, Royal Garden Blues, Conga Soul, The Lady Is A Tramp, Toccata, Candi Bar, The Champ, Love For Sale, Big Noise From Winnetka, New Secrets, Lady Eve, Dark Eyes, and Long, Long Summer. ~ Amazon

JOE STILGOE - WE LOOK TO THE STARS

Upon release Joe Stilgoe's second studio album went straight to the top of the jazz charts while pulling in rave reviews from the national press and attracting new fans from Tim Minchin to Chris Evans and Richard Madeley (BBC Radio 2) to Sir Michael Parkinson.The album showcases Stilgoe's expressive and charming voice in an album of (mostly) originals with his trademark catchy hooks and instant familiarity. We Look To The Stars sees Stilgoe accompanied by a swinging band of strings, brass, saxophone and trio which add a traditional jazz sound to his contemporary songs.From album opener, the swinging Let's Begin, to the exuberant We Should Kiss via Now Wasn't That Fun? which shows off his scatting credentials, Stilgoe has crafted an engaging album which is fresh, yet familiar. Stilgoe completes the album with a cover of the Kinks Waterloo Sunset, a simple yet effective piano-vocal rendition which allows Stilgoe's voice and phenomenal piano playing to shine.Joe Stilgoe worked with three times GRAMMY-nominated, BRIT Award-winning producer, trumpeter and mixer James McMillan to create the perfect sound for We Look To The Stars. ~ Amazon 

CHASTITY BROWN – LONG WAY

Long Way follows Chastity Brown on her two-year journey to re-connect with her Southern roots. Each song brings listeners along for the ride, filling their ears with Chastity's unique blend of raw emotion and powerful lyrics that cannot be limited to a single genre. On Long Way, Chastity delivers her beautiful and complex mix of gospel, roots, soul, jazz, blues and country that made her previous album, Back-Road Highways, a success with fans and critics alike. Chastity has again teamed up with Fred Cannon and Paul Buono and a band of some of Nashville's finest pickers to deliver a stunning record with a poignant punch that you can listen to over and over again. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: GILLES PETERSON PRESENTS MELANIE DE BIASIO NO DEAL REMIXED; SOUL TOGETHERNESS PRESENTS SOUL LIFE; MARC STAGGERS – DREAM CATCHER

MELANIE DE BIASIO - GILLES PETERSON PRESENTS MELANIE DE BIASIO NO DEAL REMIXED

Internationally renowned DJ and radio personality Gilles Peterson has called upon some of the most exciting names across the jazz, electronic and indie worlds to rework Melanie De Biasio's acclaimed album No Deal, including EELS, The Cinematic Orchestra, Hex, and Seven Davis Junior. EELS haunting, orchestral reworking of opening track I Feel You is the first ever remix by Mark Oliver Everett (AKA E), who fell in love with De Biasio's music when she supported EELS at the Royal Albert Hall in June. The Cinemantic Orchestra give I'm Gonna Leave You an intense reworking, while beat maker C. Crisci, a.k.a Clap! Clap! gives the same track an afro-beat slant. Seven Davis Jr gives title-track No Deal an old school house flavour, while LA's Jonwayne coats With All My Love a lush balm of hip-hop. Japan's Toshio Matsuura (AKA Hex) adds an impressive urgency to The Flow, whilst France's modern classical composer Chassol provides a downtempo and discordant take on Sweet Darling Pain. 2014 has been a breakthrough year for Brussels-based De Biasio, who was recently announced the winner for Belgium of the 2015 European Border Breakers Awards (EBBA), which celebrate the best new pop, rock and dance acts in Europe which have achieved cross-border chart success. Other winners include Hosier (Ireland), MO (Denmark), Milky Chance (Germany), and Todd Terje (Norway). No Deal received 4 star reviews from The Guardian, Mojo, and Record Collector, with Hi-Fi Plus awarding it 10 out of 10, saying "I think we have the album of the year on our hands." Her most recent single I'm Gonna Leave You was playlisted at BBC 6 Music, and last month De Biasio performed on Later…With Jools Holland, BBC2's flagship music show, becoming the first Belgian artist to be invited on the show since 1995. ~ Amazon

SOUL TOGETHERNESS PRESENTS SOUL LIFE: 16 CONTEMPORARY SOUL DANCE AND LUXURY BAR GROOVES

Contemporary cuts, all hand-picked by the Soul Togetherness crew – who you might know from their other excellent collections of vintage funk and soul! The music here is from the global Neo Soul underground – and reflects both the sort of cutting-edge acts showcased by Soul Togetherness, and the long legacy of new music released by the Expansion label – still one of the strongest imprints for contemporary soul after all these years! A few cuts here mark the CD debut of tracks that have only been vinyl or digital before – and titles include "Brighter Tomorrow" by Diplomats Of Soul with Incognito & Imaani, "So Good" by Sparkles with Ethel, "Saving All My Kisses" by Soperfreesia, "Best Work" by Tasha Page Lockhart, "Bring Me Back" by Marc Staggers, "Your Love Is On Fire" by Sheree Brown, "Control Yourself (Opolopo rmx)" by Robin McKelle & The Flytones, "Soul Life (T-Groove Philly soul mix)" by Tom Glide with Shylah Vaughn, and "Dontcha Wanna Dance" by Cool Million with Marc Evans.  ~ Dusty Groove

MARC STAGGERS – DREAM CATCHER

Great contemporary soul from Marc Staggers – a singer who really takes us back to some of our favorite mellow soul singers of the 70s! Like some of our favorites, Staggers sounds especially great when hitting a midtempo groove – kind of a smooth stepping style that has the rhythms tripping along nicely while his rich vocals really take off over the top! Nothing's ever overdone or forced – and like a small range of true talents in this area, Marc's got a way of keeping things understated at all the right moments – while still making us really feel his vibe. Titles include "Partner For Life", "Bring Me Back", "Be My Girl", "So Amazing", "I Wanna Spend My Life With You", and "I Like The Way".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: KEVIN EUBANKS / STANLEY JORDAN - DUETS; PAT MARTINO – NEXUS; FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO - DANCA DOS TEMPOS

KEVIN EUBANKS / STANLEY JORDAN - DUETS

The impeccably balanced Duets includes four spontaneous arrangements of well-known classics: "Nature Boy," "Blue in Green," "Summertime" and "A Child Is Born"; plus interpretations of modern pop songs (Adele's "Someone Like You" and Ellie Goulding's "Lights"). This was the all-natural uncalculated result of long philosophical heart to hearts as well as a nine-city tour - over 30 years after Eubanks' and Jordan's first meeting in the early '80s at New York's famed jazz-fusion club, The 55 Bar. The supplemental genesis of the pairing resides in their decision to do a short tour, initially playing separate sets with each musician occasionally popping in on the other's time. Word got back that audiences liked it best in those moments when they played together. Everything changed during a sound check in Texas in April 2013. "We were in an all-wooden church where the acoustics were fantastic", Eubanks recalls. "We started playing, looked at each other, and felt how easy and nice everything flowed. That exchange created a lot of energy. The show flipped to us starting the show together, playing a couple songs alone, then us back together to close." Summing up Kevin Eubanks' and Stanley Jordan's inaugural Duets recording, Jordan thoughtfully concludes, "This album fills a nice niche because it's relaxing yet engaging. When you hear Kevin and me play together, it's all about the music - we're not competing. I just love the feel of it - it has a real sweetness. People who have a heart and listen from their right hemisphere are really going to love this record as an antidote to the norm." ~ Amazon

PAT MARTINO – NEXUS

Rare archival work from guitarist Pat Martino – never-issued sides that feature the musician in a small club setting from 20 years back – with only additional keyboards for accompaniment! The groove is very lean, and allows us plenty of space to hear Martino's tremendous skills on the strings – that strong, soulful approach to jazz guitar he first forged working with organ combos at a very young age – given great modern expression here in a Philly nightclub! Pat's got a nicely chromatic touch on his guitar at times – that maturation in sound he picked up during the 70s – and it's well-matched by keyboardist Jim Ridl, who often knows how to just shade in the spaces in the background, leaving Pat to structure and direct most of the tunes. Titles include "Recollection", "Sun On My Hands", "Oleo", "Interchange", "Naima", and "Tenetree".  ~ Dusty Groove

FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO - DANCA DOS TEMPOS

A contemporary record, but one that's got an amazingly timeless feel – like the best early 70s material from Brazilian artists like Airto, Hermeto Pascoal, or Egberto Gismonti! The music of Fabiano Do Nascimento has a similar genre-breaking quality to these giants – not straight jazz, but very jazzy in parts – not traditional Brazilian roots, either – but very schooled in the strongest elements from decades of creativity on that scene – all wrapped up in this fresh, new blend that's completely mesmerizing right from the start! Most instrumentation is acoustic, and relatively simple – guitar, percussion, drums, and vocals – but the arrangements are wonderful, and fold these familiar elements together in ways that are completely unique. The legendary Airto guests on the record – but the vision here is clearly that of Fabiano Do Nascimento – as he mixes together works by Hermeto Pascoal, Baden Powell, and other Brazilian composers with some bold new ideas of his own. Titles include "Forro Brasil", "Minha Ciranda", "Etude", "Primeira Estrella", "Tupi", "Se Ela Preguntar", "Tocatta Em Ritmo De Samba", and "Nana".  ~ Dusty Groove

Guitarist Blake Aaron to Release "Soul Stories" Featuring Jazz, R&B, Latin & Funk Settings

Guitarist Blake Aaron utilized an unconventional approach when constructing his fifth album, “Soul Stories,” which will be released May 5 by Innervision Records. To maintain his presence on radio and in the marketplace while juggling a busy schedule as a first-call session player, featured sideman and in-demand producer, he issued a variety of singles with three cuts – the retro funk-disco energizer “Groove-O-Matic,” the urbane romantic duet with jazz crooner Spencer Day entitled “You’re the One for Me” and the salsa-singed “Encantadora” featuring Najee on flute - entering the Billboard Top 10. The ten-track “Soul Stories,” Aaron’s first collection that is entirely self-produced, contains eight original tunes authored by the artist.   

Saluting one of his hallmark influences, Aaron embodies seminal jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery on the aptly-titled “Wes Side Story,” an evocative selection that will be serviced to radio stations for playlist adds beginning April 6.

Weaving engaging narratives told through a triad of guitar voices, Aaron’s “Soul Stories” unfolds amidst a varied backdrop of contemporary jazz, R&B, Latin and funk settings. He approaches his compositions as a storyteller and elects to feature a different guitar – cool jazz electric, gentle acoustic or emotional nylon string – as the protagonist of each musical vignette. Often Aaron provides a counterpoint by waging an expressive discourse using interpretive play between multiple guitars on the same song. Whether emoting on brisk radio-friendly jaunts or taking his time to elaborate on expansive improvised jams, Aaron’s inspired fret work is crisp, clear, lyrical and skillfully performed with passion and precision.     

“As with my live performances, I like to make all of my records as if they are movies with all the emotional ups and downs, as if I am taking the listener through a story or a musical landscape. On ‘Soul Stories,’ I wanted to try to tell compelling musical stories - some with words, but most without. Many artists like to focus on one trademark sound, but I prefer using different modes of expression because that’s really who I am. It keeps the albums fresh and allows for more spontaneity onstage,” said Aaron who recently previewed the album at a sold-out gig at Spaghettini south of Los Angeles. “It’s the most expressive album I’ve ever made as an artist representing the many different facets of the music I love and who I am creatively. There’s literally every part of me on this CD – my heart, blood and sweat. It’s all on this record.” 

The musicians who helped Aaron illustrate “Soul Stories” were vocalist Derek Bordeaux, keyboardists Tom Zink, Rob Mullins and Lew Laing; bassists Hussain Jiffry and Melvin Davis; strings arranger and keyboardist Mike Whittaker; strings arranger and label mate Craig Sharmat; percussionist Ronnie Gutierrez, and drummers Ricky Lawson and Winston Butts.

Another creative outlet occupying Aaron’s time is his weekly “Blake Aaron Live with Tina Anderson,” a nationally-syndicated radio show airing in markets including California, New York, Florida, Arizona and on Urban Soul Radio. Over the years, Aaron has hosted, interviewed and played with a galaxy of the brightest stars in contemporary jazz, adult contemporary and pop on the radio program. The Southern California-based recording artist debuted with 2002’s “With Every Touch” that offers collaborations with David Benoit and Eric Marienthal. Subsequent releases – “Bringin’ It Back,” “Desire” and “A Romantic Christmas” – garnered airplay and chart action while frequent appearances on the concert circuit enhanced his national profile. In other media, Aaron held a 14-year-stint as the guitarist and theme song co-composer for “MAD TV” along with more than a dozen films and television series the likes of which include “The Ben Stiller Show,” “Super Dave Osborne” and “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.”

“Soul Stories” is comprised of the following songs:

“Groove-O-Matic”

“Wes Side Story”

“Sol Amor”

“Europa”

“You’re the One for Me”

“Story of the Blues”

“Sara Smile”

“Story of My Life”

“You’re My Miracle”

“Encantadora”

www.BlakeAaron.com  

   

Guitarist Thom Douvan Returns With His Most Eclectic Release Yet, 'All Over Again'

As a followup to last year's critically acclaimed release 'Brother Brother', guitarist Thom Douvan stretches into some different territory on his new album 'All Over Again'. Accompanied by such stellar musicians as keyboardist Mitchel Forman, bassist Jimmy Earl, percussionist Luis Conte and drummer Michael Barsimanto, Douvan pushes the envelope on nine original compositions and one well-chosen cover tune. “I see it as a continuum of the jazz, blues and soul music I featured on the last album, with a little bit more rock thrown in this time,” says the former Detroit session man who is currently an in-demand player on the Los Angeles studio scene.

'All Over Again' is the third CD released by composer-bandleader-guitarist Thom Douvan. Like his earlier soul-jazz tribute to the Motown Funk Brothers 'Brother Brother', which one critic called a “throw-back release with plenty of modern day flair”, Douvan's new recording 'All Over Again' recalls an era in music when the labels on music did not matter. Painting with a broad musical palette, the music on this new CD runs the gamut from soul to smooth jazz, adult contemporary to jazz fusion, World music to New Orleans funk, and straight ahead jazz.

This record features all original instrumental and vocal compositions by Thom, plus a lovely vocal ballad written by fellow Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell sung by the great Lynne Fiddmont, who is currently on tour with Natalie Cole and has previously sung with Stevie Wonder, George Duke, and the Crusaders. The basic rhythm tracks on 'All Over Again' were recorded at Stagg Street Studio in Van Nuys, California in two day-long sessions featuring the killer rhythm section of Mitchel Forman on piano, Michael Barsimanto on drums, Jimmy Earl on Fender bass, and Trey Henry on acoustic bass. Overdubs and mixing were performed at several studios in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. Final mixing was performed by Co-Producer Michael Parlett at Talented Studio in Los Angeles.

“This is a snapshot of some of my favorite influences and music,” says Douvan, who cites Billy Cobham’s 'Spectrum', Robben Ford’s 'Inside Story' and David Spinozza’s self-titled debut from 1978 as big inspirations for this recording. “I just kind of stood out of the way and let the music happen. And with the caliber of players on this record, I didn’t have anything to worry about.”

Along the way you can also hear the influence of such respected rhythm guitarists and soulful soloists as David T. Walker, Phil Upchurch and Cornell Dupree in his playing, as well as touches of such jazz icons as Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Larry Carlton and Detroit’s own Kenny Burrell.

From fusion (“Sephardia”) to smooth jazz (“Deja Vu All Over Again”), swinging jazz (“Wes Coasting”), classical and bluegrass (“Rhonda”) and funk (“Believe in You”), Douvan cuts a wide stylistic swath on his third outing as a leader. And he comes by his eclecticism honestly. Thom recalls, “Growing up in Ann Arbor in the early '70s, I came of age musically seeing all the great performers like Count Basie, Miles Davis, Magic Sam, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and others at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival. It really was an era where there were not so many barriers between different kinds of music. People could go between styles easily. I really miss that freedom, so I wanted to explore that on my own self-produced CDs.”

Though Thom currently splits his time between the Bay Area and Los Angeles, his heart is still deeply imbedded in the Motor City, where he gained invaluable bandstand experience during the '80s with a group of former Motown session men collectively known as The Funk Brothers. Those funk and soul-jazz roots run deep with the Ann Arbor native, proving you can take the man out of Detroit, but you can’t take Detroit out of the man! While attending law school in Ann Arbor, Douvan began playing with The Funk Brothers around 1985, long before those Detroit musicians appeared in the successful 2002 documentary 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown', which effectively launched their second career. He worked with The Funk Brothers until 1992, when he relocated to California.

While Douvan has accumulated an abundance of chops since his stint at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and his subsequent 40 years as a working professional, he downplays his technical prowess. Says Thom, “I'm into the soul groove. I like to lay into the pocket. I'm a roots player. I love Americana...anything from the roots. But I gravitate towards soul music, that's my thing.”

www.thomdouvan.com

NEW RELEASES: STEVE TURRE - SPIRITMAN; HENRY FRANKLIN - TWO VIEWS; THE CHEEBACARA - RETOUCHED

STEVE TURRE - SPIRITMAN

A great straight set from this top-shelf trombonist – done at the same relaxed, stretched-out level of some of the other excellent albums on the Smoke Sessions label – no tricks, no gimmicks, just a great demonstration of Steve Turre's strengths as a leader, and his always-sharp ability to solo! The group features Bruce Williams on soprano and alto sax, and Xavier Davis on piano – and rhythm is from Gerald Cannon on bass and the great Willie Jones III on drums – the latter of whom keeps things moving with just the right crackle on the groovers, but lets Cannon gently shape the mellower cuts with his bass. Turre's horn sounds wonderfully mellifluous – and Williams often steps back a bit to let the leader shine first, before swooping in for his own strong solos. Titles include "Trayvon's Blues", "Nangadef", "Spiritman/All Blues", "Bu", "Peace", and "Funky Thing".  ~ Dusty Groove

HENRY FRANKLIN - TWO VIEWS

Bassist Henry Franklin is still very much at the top of his game here – grabbing our attention right away, as he has with his other excellent recent releases on his own label – playing with this strong, soulful quality that really steps off from his better-known work of the 70s! The album features reedman Benn Clatworthy throughout – on either tenor or flute – and the "two views" in the title comes from the use of either pianist Cecila Coleman or Kirk Lightsey, who each provide a slightly different flavor on the tracks on which they appear! Drummer Carl Burnett's in the group – but the tracks with Coleman don't have any drums at all – which makes for this special sort of interplay between her piano and Franklin's bass – and the album also features a bit of guitar from Calvin Keys, plus some percussion as well. Titles include some interesting originals by Clatworthy – "Kandahar" and "Blues For Drayce" – and other titles include versions of Joe Henderson's "Punjab", Lightsey's "Heaven's Dance", Frank Strozier's "Frank's Tune", and Clare Fischer's "Pensativa" – which is always one of our favorites.  ~ Dusty Groove

THE CHEEBACARA - RETOUCHED

Cheebacabra return to the funky fold – with a set that offers up both unreleased material for the sessions from their previous three records, plus remixes of tracks from those albums as well! The remixes take a variety of approaches – some really cutting into the tunes, some layering more elements on top – including some nice instrumental twists – and the studio outtakes are used in between each remix track, almost like cool little "skit" instrumentals, as you'd find in a classic hip hop set! We especially love these outtakes – as they're lean, and mighty funky – often with great drums and keyboards – and remix tracks include "Osgood Schlatter (DJ Dinya rmx)", "Adventures Beyond (Cheeba rmx)", "Pass The Information (Art Hodge rmx)", "The Delivery (9dw rmx)", "Hidden Valley (Funkscribe rmx)", and "The Players Rendezvous (Naoki Yoda rmx)" ~ Dusty Groove

MARCUS MILLER'S Blue Note Debut AFRODEEZIA, Inspired by Miller's Role As UNESCO Artist For Peace & Spokesperson For Slave Route Project

Marcus Miller will be appearing tonight on the  Late Show With David Letterman sitting in with Paul Shaffer & The CBS Orchestra. Tune in to CBS tonight at 11:35/10:35c to hear Miller preview songs from his Blue Note debut  Afrodeezia, which is available today in Europe and tomorrow March 17 in the U.S. Miller is currently on tour with shows this week in Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles, and has announced additional U.S. tour dates in June and September. See below for a full list of dates or visit  www.marcusmiller.com.

 

Afrodeezia—which was inspired by Miller’s role as a UNESCO Artist For Peace and spokesperson for the organization’s Slave Route Project—was recorded in locations around the world including Morocco, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and features a wide range of guests including rapper Chuck D., vocalist Lalah Hathaway, keyboardist Robert Glasper, trumpeters Etienne Charles and Ambrose Akinmusire, guitarists Keb’ Mo’ and Wah Wah Watson, bassist/producer Mocean Worker, organist Cory Henry (Snarky Puppy), and cellist Ben Hong, as well as musicians from Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Miller’s core band includes saxophonist Alex Han, trumpeter Lee Hogans, pianist Brett Williams, guitarist Adam Agati, and drummer Louis Cato.

 

"It was after visiting the House of Slaves on Gorée Island that I composed “Gorée,” explains Miller, referring to the powerful track featured on his previous albumRenaissance. “Onstage I felt the need to say what I had been feeling in Senegal. I wanted people to understand that this tune spoke not only of the slave tragedy but, through the music especially, that these people who suddenly found themselves at the bottom of a ship's hold had discovered a way to survive, and were able in time to transform their distress into joy. Shortly after my trip to Gorée, UNESCO named me an Artist for Peace, and made me the spokesperson for the Slave Route Project. That was when I started thinking about  Afrodeezia."

 

"The power of music has no limits,” states Miller. “Through spirituals, jazz and soul we were able to preserve our history, because all the rest had been erased. What I wanted most was to go back to the source of the rhythms that make our musical heritage so rich, to follow them like footprints from their beginnings in Africa all the way to the United States. That journey took us from Mali to Paris, from New Orleans to Sao Paulo and across the Caribbean.”

 

“For this project, I collaborated with musicians from West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the southern U.S. and the large northern cities of the U.S. This is my way of paying tribute to the long journey of my African ancestors who became African-Americans. The melodies and rhythms they carried with them from Africa have EXPLODED into a ‘dizzying’ array of musical styles and genres that have changed the world.”

 

MARCUS MILLER – 2015 U.S. TOUR DATES:

March 17 – The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA

March 18 – B.B. King Blues Club – New York, NY

March 20-21 – Spaghettini’s – Los Angeles, CA

June 4-7 – Yoshi's – San Francisco, CA

June 9 – Musical Instrument Museum – Phoenix, AZ

June 12 – One World Theatre – Austin, TX

June 13 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX

June 14 – House of Blues – Houston, TX

June 16-18 – Jazz Bistro – St. Louis, MO

Sept. 3 – Low Country Jazz Festival – North Charleston, SC

Sept. 4 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, CA

Sept. 5 – John Coltrane Jazz Festival – High Point, NC 

Marcus Miller – a two-time GRAMMY Award winner and UNESCO Artist for Peace – is not only an exceptional musician – a multi-instrumentalist and world-renowned bassist – but also a highly-gifted composer and producer. The legendary  Tutu album he wrote and produced for Miles Davis sealed his international fame when Miller was only twenty-five. Since then he has continued collaborating with artists as varied and talented as Eric Clapton, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Jay-Z, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Brian Ferry and Herbie Hancock (to name only a few). At the same time, he has produced his own albums, among them  The Sun Don’t Lie,  M2,  Silver Rain, Free,  A Night in Monte Carlo (with the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra), andRenaissance, giving him occasion to tour internationally with young musicians whose talents he's recognized (as Miles did for him, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and others). You can hear Miller's radio show  Miller Time every Sunday night on SiriusXM's RealJazz.