NEW RELEASES: IAN HERMAN / SEAN HARKNESS - DUET; JOYCE ELAINE YUILLE - WELCOME TO MY WORLD; RANDY ROBERTS & THE CAPITAL STROKES - CS

IAN HERMAN / SEAN HARKNESS - DUET

"Duet" is the dazzling joint venture from two of New York City's most ubiquitous musicians: pianist Ian Herman and guitarist Sean Harkness. Both are A-List arrangers, music directors, and accompanists for name brand artists and productions. This album is Ian and Sean sharing with you the music they compose on their own for the pure pleasure of creating. The all-original instrumental pieces include Jazz, Blues, Latin, Pop, and a little classical thrown in the mix. Ian and Sean met in the environment of accompanying great singers and theatre productions. Their musical and personal chemistry inspired them to explore their respective original compositions as duets. The results are extraordinary. If nothing else, it's a complete blast! Recorded live in the studio at Chung King Studios, New York by Ron Allaire.

JOYCE ELAINE YUILLE - WELCOME TO MY WORLD

Joyce Elaine Yuille co‐wrote most of the songs on the album, original compositions and her lyrics that reveal her profound nature through music – “I wrote a number of songs that kind of reflect my life situation, situations in my friends lives, world events, situations I see daily, maybe just walking down the streets.” Songs like “Late I Rise”, a tune that speaks about perseverance and staying positive, or “Come With Me (The Ride Is Free)”, where she urges us to forsake our biases, to refuse to partake in prejudices and judgement and just enjoy our time on earth, respecting others and ourselves. “A Time For Love Again”, composed by Marco Bianchi with Joyce’s lyrical skills, is another example of how this album goes beyond music and expresses a powerful and strong message: with this song Joyce speaks about disillusionment in love, telling us how thereʼs no sense in closing ourselves in a shell and giving into the fear of feeling and the ability to love again. We can all love again, reach out to others and feel amorous again. The album also includes some stand out covers, classics such as Marvin Gayeʼs “Itʼs Madness” and Donny Hathawayʼs “Trying Times”. The album features the renowned and astounding Finnish sax player Timo Lassy and his band – musicians who are amongst some of the best Jazz players on the international jazz scene. Timo and his guys bring that extra something, a subtlety with a powerful impact and a groove that was needed to fulfill the dream and the vision of Joyce Elaine Yuille. Joyce has excitedly stated, “these guys are wickedly fantastic, I keep telling everyone, donʼt close your eyes on Finnish Jazz scene, because these guys are really kicking major ”! She smiles…

RANDY ROBERTS & THE CAPITAL STROKES - CS

Randy Roberts & The Capital Strokes are a 12 element Italian funk outfit bringing the sound of mid 70s grooves directly into the now with a combination of tight musicianship and explosive energy. Led by frontman Randy Roberts, this group has become a stable presence at Porretta Soul Festival from 2012 onwards, and has taken their particular blend of funk, soul, jazz and R&B to clubs far and wide in Italy and beyond, such as Switzerland (including Estival in Lugano), Montenegro, Serbia and Romania. It’s no surprise that music runs in Randy‘s family, as his father, American singer Rocky Roberts, was a pioneer representative of soul and R&B in Italy who rose to fame in the 60s. Following in his father’s footsteps, for the past few years Randy“the Reverend” has been preaching a stone cold groove alongside Roman band The Capital Strokes. Opener "They Wanna Funk Me Up" immediately sets the pace of the album, with a riff that clearly draws from Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" and provides a bridge between past and present. While "I Can't Do Without Love" channels Prince's classic song "Kiss" in an 80s-influenced blend of funk and rock. From first single "Oh Yeah" that fully displays the group's trademark sound, made of blasting horns and contagious rhythms, to anthem "Do It Like The Strokes" with its uptempo groove, or standout track "The Sound of Love" with its smooth vibes, "CS" delivers a powerful punch of sounds that is sure to place Randy Roberts & The Capital Strokes at the forefront of Italy's contemporary funk scene!

Guitar Virtuoso Scott Henderson To Release Instrumental Album For Guitar Trio “Vibe Station”

Guitar virtuoso Scott Henderson has finished his new album “Vibe Station”, the most ambitious project of his career! The highly anticipated instrumental album for guitar trio will be released on May 1, 2015.

Says Scott, “I'm really excited about this record because our trio has been touring a lot and that energy came through on all the performances. The music is still blues-based, but also has a lot of harmonic content. The big change is no vocals, which challenged me as a guitarist to write material which can be played in a vocal way on the guitar, while incorporating my own chord-melody style. I think fans will enjoy the scope of this record because it has elements of blues, rock, jazz and funk. There's something for everyone here.”

Scott also said that the majority of the songs are layered with multi guitar tracks, utilizing many different guitars, pedals, amps and speaker combinations, making it the most textural and versatile sounding album he's ever done. Travis Carlton on bass and Alan Hertz on drums make this project and live show very much groove-based.

Says Scott, “I need to see people moving in their seats. I'm not interested on putting on an intellectual show for musicians only. I don't believe I need to dumb down the music to appeal to people who aren't musicians, because when Travis and Alan play together, the groove is going to attack you whether you're a musician or not”.

Scott Henderson's impressive work over the years as co-leader of the group TRIBAL TECH, leader of his own ground breaking trio, and sideman to some of the best jazz artists of their generation, including the great Joe Zawinul, has elevated him to the front ranks of both Jazz and Blues. Besides being a world class player and premier composer, Scott's trademark is his beautiful tone and striking ability to blend Blues, Rock, Funk, and Jazz, creating a soulful and unique voice on the guitar.

 

NEW RELEASES: UB40 - PRESENT ARMS DELUXE EDITION; ZULEMA - JUST CAN'T SAY GOODBYE: THE BEST OF THE RCA YEARS; BETTY WRIGHT - THIS TIME FOR REAL

UB40 - PRESENT ARMS DELUXE EDITION

This new 3-CD Deluxe Edition brings together, for the first time, UB40’s 1981 album Present Arms and its companion release from later that same year, Present Arms In Dub. The album comes complete with new liner notes by respected reggae writer, David Katz. Released in May 1981, the platinum-selling Present Arms spent 38 weeks in the UK album chart where it reached the No. 2 position. Present Arms In Dub was released in October 1981 and spent seven weeks in the chart. In addition this new deluxe edition includes a 12” version of the Top 20 single, Don’t Slow Down plus BBC Radio 1 session tracks and a BBC Radio 1 concert, Live from the Paris Theatre, both recorded in 1981. Present Arms is the second album to be recorded by UB40 and it spawned two Top 20 UK hits, One In Ten and Don’t Let It Pass You By/Don’t Slow Down. Like their debut album release, it concerned itself with many socially and politically charged themes, resonating with the politically uncertain times of the early 1980s when unemployment was rife and race riots afflicted many of the country’s inner cities. One In Ten was an undisguised attack on the Thatcher government of the period. ~ Amazon

ZULEMA - JUST CAN'T SAY GOODBYE: THE BEST OF THE RCA YEARS

Originally a member of the trio, Faith Hope & Charity for almost three years (1968-1971), the Tampa, Florida-born trained pianists solo career began at Sussex Records. A much-lauded appearance at the push expo in Chicago in 1972 brought Zulema critical acclaim and in 1974, she signed with RCA. Just Cant Say Goodbye-The Best Of The RCA Years includes mostly self-composed tracks from each of Zulemas three albums " four from her self-titled 1975 label debut (including her version of Michael Jacksons 1st solo hit, Wanna Be Where You Are, a top 60 R&B charted single); nine of the ten tracks on her sophomore set, R.S.V.P. (including the Leroy Hutson/Donny Hathaway song, You Had To Know and Van McCoys It Will Never Be The Same Again); and four from her final RCA LP, Suddenly There Was You. After several personally challenging years, Zulema returned to Tampa and was the resident musician at her local church and passed away on September 30, 2013. This reissue includes original notes from the 1996 compilation and a personal tribute to Zulema by Soulmusic.com founder David Nathan. ~ Amazon

BETTY WRIGHT - THIS TIME FOR REAL

Betty Wright has been of the most well known and respected female Soul singers in a career that spans over 45 years. Her breakthrough million selling hit from 1971 Clean Up Woman is an iconic Soul sister track. Betty recorded eight albums for the Miami based Alston label part of Henry Stones TK empire between.1968 and 1979. Soul Brother Records have previously reissued two, Danger High Voltage from 1974 and Explosion from 1976. Betty's 1977 album This Time For Real is one of her most consistent if possibly overlooked albums and opens with the highly regarded modern soul dance record That Man of Mine (credited on the 45 as Man Of Mine both on the original US release and limited edition UK release on Soul Brother for Record Store Day 2015). Also here is the popular rare groove track If You Abuse My Love (You'll Lose My Love), the lush ballad A Sometime Kind of Thing and more quality outings like Brick Grits on an album produced in an original style. Betty Wright is still very popular today and her comeback album with The Roots Betty Wright The Movie has raised her profile further. She has appeared with Jools Holland on TV and regularly performs in the UK. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: SAMY THIEBAULT QUARTET - A FEAST OF FRIENDS; JEFF BECK WITH THE HAN HAMMER GROUP - LIVE; SHEILA FORD - HERE YOU ARE

SAMY THIEBAULT QUARTET - A FEAST OF FRIENDS

This Ivory Coast born French saxophonist has been described as 'A Coltrane specialist in the best sense of the term at the same time as creative and original composer' (Le Nouvel Observateur). This is the second album on his own label and continues the development of a startling new voice on the jazz scene. Already known as sideman for Eric Legnini, Christian Escoudé, Gregory Porter, Lionel & Stéphane Belmondo, Manhu Roche and others, now Thiebault with his group has released a modern jazz album based around powerful jazz covers of the Doors that should propel him to the forefront of the European jazz scene. ~ Amazon

JEFF BECK WITH THE HAN HAMMER GROUP - LIVE

The tour for live recordings of The Jeff Beck With The Jan Hammer Group - Live began in June 1976 and ended in February 1977, with 117 shows performed. Not all precise dates and locations are given for the live recordings. Jeff Beck toured to promote 'Wired', backed by a jazz fusion group led by synthesizer player Jan Hammer. This live album combines songs from 'Blow by Blow' and 'Wired' (both available on 180 gm vinyl). Songs as 'Freeway Jam', 'She's a Woman', and 'Scatterbrain' are on the album. A&R man Tom Werman suggests that the date at the Astor Theater in Reading yielded the best performances. Beck mixed this along with other recordings at Allen Toussaint's studio in New Orleans. The songs are, later on, also mixed by Dennis Weinreich at Scorpio Sound Studios in London, England. The album was #11 in the Jazz Albums in 1977. During the same year, it was placed 23 in the Billboard 200. Also available on 180 gm vinyl: BLOW BY BLOW / WIRED ~ Amazon

SHEILA FORD - HERE YOU ARE

Sheila Ford has finally released her 'Here You Are' LP with much awaited anticipation from many. Sheila Ford has been singing Jazz, Blues and Dance for most of career. Listening to her smooth tones and lucid intonation denote that she is a trained vocalist, and has worked with many legendary coaches and producers when she was very young. You can hear it in her crisp confidence and broad range. Already a treasure of the US and a favorite of the world, Sheila Ford and her soulful tones, vocal quality and perfect cadence is no stranger to the music world, jazz, blues, and dance. This LP is an array of melodic productions that only touch the skillful surface of a star. She has been working with DJ Spen and a team of other producers and composers over the years, and this release gives you a historic momentary glance into who she is. Unparalleled in her vocal talents, Sheila has the unique ability to mimic instrumental sounds with vocal improvisations of scatting, which have become her signature technique in addition to her soulful jazz styling. On this LP, she is paired with writers, producers, and composers from around the world. Having various producers and remixers gives Sheila an opportunity to show that she has it all, and can do it all. The songs range from classic smooth jazz, to energetic dance, to percolating Latin rhythms, and soulful songs that demonstrate her extensive talent. Featured producers on this LP are Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Atjazz, DJ Spen, Michele Chiavarini, Dimitri From Paris, John Morales, Joey Negro, and Gary Hudgins. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: RETURN TO FOREVER – ELECTRIC LADY STUDIO, NYC, JUNE 1975; TORE BRUNBORG - SLOW SNOW; CEDELL DAVIS - LAST MAN STANDING

RETURN TO FOREVER – ELECTRIC LADY STUDIO, NYC, JUNE 1975

Return To Forever are firmly established as one of the most important fusion bands in history. Featuring the classic line-up of Chick Corea (keyboards and synthesizer), Al DiMeola (guitar), Stanley Clarke (bass) and Lenny White (drums), this remarkable set was taped in the summer of 1975 for FM radio broadcast to promote their classic No Mystery album, and is presented here with background notes and rare images. Includes: Band Intros, Dayride, Beyond The 7th Ga1axy, The Shadow Of Lo, No Mystery, Vulcan Worlds, and Celebration Suite. ~ Amazon

TORE BRUNBORG - SLOW SNOW

On a per-capita basis, no other country in the world spawns more top-class jazz musicians than Norway. Although highly respected in the Norwegian jazz scene, Brunborg has until now been known internationally as a sideman for Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen, Jon Balke, Nils Petter Molvær, Geir Lysne's Listening Ensemble and Tord Gustavsen, and then ultimately with international stars such as Billy Cobham, Pat Metheny and Manu Katché who has said 'Listen to Tore. I can't explain it, he just does it'. However this year, the 54 year-old brings out his own international release, his ACT debut 'Slow Snow'. Brunborg shows something on "Slow Snow" that many of his colleagues knew but audiences were not yet aware of, right from the start on 'Shelter', that he is an outstanding melodic composer and a pianist of masterful touch. ~Amazon

CEDELL DAVIS - LAST MAN STANDING

CeDell Davis is an 88 year old blues legend whose ancient, dusty voice sounds as rich as the Mississippi Delta he grew next to. In the 1950s he played slide guitar with the great Robert Nighthawk before becoming a solo artist himself. This new studio album represents songs from his long and storied career, with an all-star backing band that includes guitarist Jimbo Mathus, drummer Barrett Martin, bassist Stu Cole, and guitarists Greg and Zakk Binns. This album is must have for anyone who loves the dirty delta blues, and CeDell Davis is one of the greats. Also included in this 2 CD package is CeDell's previous album, "When Lightnin' Struck The Pine", featuring Peter Buck of REM on guitar. This collection is a must have for anyone who loves the dirty delta blues, and CeDell Davis is one of the greats." ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: JOE FARRELL - ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS: JOE FARRELL QUARTET / OUTBACK / PENNY ARCADE / UPON THIS ROCK / CANNED FUNK; JOSE FELICIANO - THAT THE SPIRIT NEEDS / MEMPHIS MENU / COMPARTMENTS; HAMILTON DE HOLANDA - WORLD OF PIXINGUINHA

JOE FARRELL - ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS: JOE FARRELL QUARTET / OUTBACK / PENNY ARCADE / UPON THIS ROCK / CANNED FUNK

A CTI powerhouse – five full albums from reedman Joe Farrell, each packaged in a tiny LP-styled sleeve! First up is Joe Farrell Quartet – a stellar session that's easily one of the early high points for the legendary CTI label! Farrell bursts forth as one heck of a soulful cat – working on these great modal grooves that slide out wonderfully and really have a sense of flow – a style that's different than Joe's later material, but equally powerful! Part of the strength of the record comes from the lineup – a key quintet of like-mined up-and-comers that includes Chick Corea on keyboards, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – players who definitely know the farther reaches of jazz, yet hang just on the inside here with Joe – providing some amazing accompaniment for his lines on soprano, tenor, and flute. Titles include "Molten Glass", "Song Of The Wind", "Motion", "Follow Your Heart", and "Circle In The Square". Next is Outback – a drawn-out quintet side, with Chick Corea on electric piano, Buster Williams on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Airto on percussion. Farrell was playing with Jones at the time, and the album's got some of their strong choppy reed/percussion interplay – but with a sharpness and focus that you don't always hear on Elvin's records! Tracks are all long – and titles include "Outback", "Sound Down", and "Bleeding Orchid". Penny Arcade has grooves so sharp you could cut your trousers on them! Farrell's angular reed style is in perfect form here – grooving with a small group that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – a combo that's got a harder, tighter feel than most CTI groups – a key reason why Joe's records of this time are so legendary! The album features a fantastic version of Stevie Wonder's "Too High" – one that breaks all over the beginning with these riffs by Farrell, then grooves into a CTI electric funk mode for about 13 minutes. All tracks are long – and other tracks include "Hurricane Jane", "Geo Blue", "Penny Arcade", and "Cloud Cream". Upon This Rock is wonderful – and there's a lean, edgey groove to the set that's totally great – a lot more bite than usual for CTI, thanks to these wonderfully angular lines from Joe on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – backed up with some wicked guitar work from Joe Beck, who really matches Farrell's energy – in a core quartet with Herb Bushler on bass and Jim Madison on drums. One cut features a guest group – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – and the album includes the massively break-heavy title cut "Upon This Rock", plus "Seven Seas", "I Won't Be Back", and "Weathervane". Last up is Canned Funk – a record that's as fresh and freaky as the classic image on the cover! The riffing rhythms get going right from the start – some amazing lines from a rhythm combo that includes Joe Beck on guitar, Herb Bushler on bass, Jim Madison on drums, and the mighty Ray Mantilla on percussion – adding in these extra changes and fills that really get the tunes moving wonderfully – providing a perfect platform for Joe Farrell's wonderful work on tenor, soprano, baritone, and flute! The sax lines are as angular as the rhythms – tight, choppy, and completely funky – no wonder the record's a CTI classic that folks have dug for years! Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Canned Funk", "Animal", and "Spoken Silence".  ~ Dusty Groove

JOSE FELICIANO - THAT THE SPIRIT NEEDS / MEMPHIS MENU / COMPARTMENTS

A trio of wonderful albums from Jose Feliciano – all brought together here in a single set! First up is That The Spirit Needs – a sublime one from Jose! The record pushes past the easy Latin pop style of the late 60s, and features Jose working through hip rock tunes – both of his own creation, and by writers like Elton John and Cat Stevens. The real highlight of the album is an incredible reading of "Wild World" – done with a mix of fast guitar, strings, and even a bit of Brazilian-tinged scatting that breaks down in the middle and always makes us stop cold! The rest of the record's almost as good, and titles include "Daytime Dreams", "Mellow Feeling", "Come Down Jesus", "Pay Day", and "Only Once". Memphis Menue is an excellent album from Jose Feliciano – recorded with a lot of Memphis soul influences, as the title indicates, but still with that beautifullly jazzy style that he was using in his earlier LA recordings. Steve Cropper helped produced and arrange with Jose, and the Memphis Horns back up the group on a number of tracks. The real charm, though, is Jose – whose breezy vocals and sweet guitar work is right up there with his best work of the time, a sublime mix of soul, strings, jazz, and Chicano grooves. Titles include "River Song", "Magnolia", "One More Mile", "Never Leave You", "It Doesn't Matter", "Where Is My Woman", and "Movin". Compartments is sparklingly soulful work from Jose Feliciano – a key early 70s effort, and one that shows the growing sensitivity in his music – the move way past simple covers of other people's songs, even though those were pretty great too! Jose's voice has gotten even more compelling in the process, and he's also developing a bit as a songwriter too – most notably on the album's title track, which was co-written with Bill Withers. Steve Cropper helped produce, but the album's way more in Jose's bag than Cropper's – and titles include a great version of "Yes We Can Can", plus "Simple Song", "Compartments", "Sea Cruise", "I'm Leavin", "Things Are Changin", "Peace Of Mind", "Hey Look At The Sun", and "Don't Fail". ~ Dusty Groove

HAMILTON DE HOLANDA - WORLD OF PIXINGUINHA

A gorgeous tribute to the genius of the great Pixinguinha – headed by bandolim player Hamilton De Holanda, and featuring a top-shelf array of guests that includes Richard Galliano, Chucho Valdes, Omar Sosa, Stefano Bollani, and Wynton Marsalis! Given Pixinguinha's more familiar expressions on reeds – the approach here is a really nice change, and quite different than other tributes to his music over the years – very personal and poetic in the way that Hamilton approaches the tunes, and given extra special inflections by the guests. Most numbers are just duo tracks, without any larger instrumentation – which takes the choro form to its roots, on titles that include "Naquele Tempo", "Ingenuo", "Rosa", "Seu Lourenco No Vinho", "Capricho De Pixinguinha", "Cancao Da Odalisca", and "Um A Zero".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: OOH I LOVE IT - THE SOULFUL SOUNDS OF SALSOUL; YOU ARE THE STAR – THE SOULFUL SOUNDS OF WEST END; ALEX PUDDU – SOULTIGER

OOH I LOVE IT - THE SOULFUL SOUNDS OF SALSOUL (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A great focus on the most soulful sounds of the Salsoul Records label – the great work by vocalists who often made the company's work even more powerful than its grooves – even though Salsoul was a real powerhouse during the disco generation! Yet, like Philly International and a few other key east coast companies, they really knew how to bring forward older styles of soul singing to the new generation – and although their rhythms and instrumentation were always impeccable, Salsoul's music also drew a lot from their singers as well. The 2CD set is overflowing with gems – and titles include "My Way" by Loleatta Holloway, "Tired Of Being Your Fool" by Love Committee, "Time Will Tell" by Eddie Holman, "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadaro 12" mix)" by Skip Mahoney, "I Can't Turn You Loose (Walter Gibbons 12" mix)" by Anthony White, "I Just Can't Give You Up" by Floyd Smith, "Chained To Your Love" by Moment Of Truth, "Into The Milky Way (Bobby DJ Guttadaro 12" mix)" by Jimmy Briscoe & The Beavers, "As Long As You Love Me (Walter Gibbons 12" mix)" by True Example, and "When Your X Wants You Back" by Surface. ~ Dusty Groove

YOU ARE THE STAR – THE SOULFUL SOUNDS OF WEST END (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A double-length collection of gems from the legendary West End label – and a package, as you might guess from the title, that focuses on some of the more soulful sounds of the New York disco imprint! West End was home to some key artists in the underground at the time – the kinds of singers and musicians who were never going to go for the direction of mainstream disco, and instead stayed in the hippest territory of the clubs and the streets – effortlessly mixing in bits of funk, club, electro, and deeper soul styles of the time. This 21 track package has almost all those great bits firmly in place – and includes a number of West End cuts we haven't seen on other reissues – titles that include "Don't I Ever Cross Your Mind Sometime" by Barbara Mason, "Make It Feel Like" by LJ Waters, "Kind Of Life" by North End, "Rescue Me" by Sybil, "Hard Times" by Al McCall, "You Are The Star" by Jakki, "Mary Hartman Mary Hartman" by Sounds Of Inner City, "Can't You Feel It" by Michele, "People Come Dance (Tom Savarese 12" mix)" by Ednah Holt & Starluv, "Spirit Of Sunshine" by Chuck Davis Orchestra, "I Was Born This Way (Tom Moulton mix)" by Carl Bean, "Doin The Best That I Can (Water Gibbons 12" special new mix)" by Bettye Lavette, "We Can Work It Out" by Taana Gardner, "Give Your Body Up To The Music (Larry Levan 12" mix)" by Billy Nichols, "I Get Lifted (this mix)" by Sweet Life, and "Hey Everybody" by People's Choice. ~ Dusty Groove

ALEX PUDDU - SOULTIGER

The best work yet from Alex Puddu – the musician who explored the world of 70s porno on previous records for Schema, and who steps out here with an even more classic groove! The great Joe Bataan is in the group on vocals – adding in this old school New York element that really makes the album strong – that heartbreaking, soulful quality that we've always loved in Joe's singing – which takes things to a richer territory than we've ever heard from Puddu! Many cuts are still instrumental – but even these have this great funky feel – one that warms up the best 70s elements on Fender Rhodes, vibes, wah wah guitar, and reeds – with slight Latin or Brazilian inflections in the rhythms at times. The whole thing feels like some lost underground soul set from Spanish Harlem – and titles include "High Times In NYC", "Soultiger", "The Mover", "50,000 Women Can't Be Wrong", "Drum is My Drug", "Hot Pepper", and "I Want You". ~ Dusty Groove

                                                              

NEW RELEASES: MARIO PAVONE - BLUES DIALECT; ALEX PUDDU / JOE BATAAN - THE MOVER; RICH HAILEY - CREATING STRUCTURE

MARIO PAVONE – BLUES DIALECT

Nothing too blue here, although Mario Pavone's group certainly manages to hit some of the more indigo sides of the spectrum – but they also have this brighter sort of angularity, too – one that really comes from the piano work of Matt Mitchell! Mitchell's lines are angular – definitely inherited from a Monkish tradition, but very much his own too – much freer, and more finding this way of moving from note to note in very individual patterns – connecting musical dots in a way that's always surprising, but which always makes a great deal of sense as the performance rolls on! Drummer Tyshawn Sorey is the third member of the trio – always filled with boundless energy at the bottom, but never overwhelming the piano or bass either. Titles include "Zines", "Two One", "Xapo", "Reflections", and "Trio Dialect". ~ Dusty Groove

ALEX PUDDU / JOE BATAAN – THE MOVER

The legendary Joe Bataan makes a great return here – lending his Harlem-bred vocals to "The Mover" – a sweet funky number from Alex Puddu! Joe's got a super-dope quality that might well make the tune one of his best since the 70s – and Puddu's groove is this laidback funky mode that opens into a Fender Rhodes solo too! "Soul Tiger" is the group's title cut – a warm bit of 70s funk with Latin percussion, tight trumpet and tenor, and another great keyboard solo too! ~ Dusty Groove

RICH HAILEY - CREATING STRUCTURE

Creating Structure is the first recording by the Rich Halley 4 devoted entirely to free group improvisation.  This disc showcases the group's original approach to improvising which combines freedom, feeling and traditional elements into a seamless whole.  Creating Structure presents sixteen musical statements that express both genuine emotion and an inner structural unity. Rich Halley has released seventeen critically acclaimed recordings.  Creating Structure follows the Rich Halley 4's earlier The Wisdom of Rocks, Crossing the Passes, Back from Beyond and Requiem for a Pit Viper, all of which received wide critical acclaimTo celebrate the CD, the band tours to four cities and towns: May 18: Quinn's, Beacon, NY; May 19: Konceptions Series at Korzo, Brooklyn, NY; May 20: AS220, Providence, RI; and May 22: Outpost 186, Cambridge, MA.

French-Japanese Quartet KAZE unleashes storm of inventive sound on UMINARI

Uminari is a Japanese word that refers to a sound rising from the sea, a low-frequency roar that portends a coming storm or tsunami. The poetic word serves as an ideal title for the third CD, available in the US and Canada on May 5, 2015 on Circum-Libra, from the unconventional international quartet Kaze. The two-horn quartet is equally adept at the calm and the storm, with expressive subtleties giving way to overwhelming torrents of sound.

Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura reunite with French trumpeter Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins for the band's most evocative and inventive outing to date. The music for Uminari was developed over the course of a 12-day tour of Japan during which skeletal compositions by each of the quartet's members were elaborated and experimented on by the group as a whole.

"Every day we decided to play with different ideas," Fujii recalls. "Today we'll play the piece one way, the next day a completely different way. We wrote very simple music beforehand and developed it together."

Uminari opens at gale force with "Tioky Atsimo," the first piece to date contributed to the ensemble by Pruvost. The heady whorl of sound ultimately subsides to a stutter-stop rhythm by Fujii and Orins, accompanied by breathy rasps and brassy bleats by the trumpeters, who ultimately fall in line with the insistent beat. A second eruption ensues, as the piece becomes an exercise in forming order out of chaos.

Orins' "Vents Contraires" follows from the opposite extreme, starting from a place of shimmering stillness with the drummer's scraped cymbals and a low murmur from the horns. The piece builds gradually in intensity over half of its 14 minutes before dissolving into pointillistic shards. "Running Around," the first of two Fujii compositions on the album, begins with a circuitous melody articulated by the trumpeters, ceding to a fragmented groove from the rhythm section. At the midpoint it becomes a play of dynamics and silences among the four musicians.

Tamura's "Inspiration" - at 20 minutes, the album's longest piece - showcases the trumpeter's trademark humor with a textured array of percussion, extended techniques, prepared piano and toy instruments. The set closes with Fujii's dark, impressionistic title track combining heartfelt, dirge-like melodicism with tempestuous improvisation.

Fujii and Tamura originally met Orins in 2002 when the pianist's quartet shared a bill with the drummer's collective Impression in his hometown of Lille, France. Nearly a decade later they crossed paths again and Orins suggested a collaboration with Pruvost, inaugurating Kaze's unusual instrumentation.

"We immediately became friends," Fujii says. "We felt like we shared the same kind of musical values. And we had so much fun doing this group we just kept playing together."

Uminari is one of three new releases scheduled for 2015 from the always- prolific Fujii, whose prodigious output is only rivaled by her remarkable drive to constantly explore new terrain. Also on tap are albums by two new ensembles: Tobira, which expands the pianist's New Trio to a quartet with the addition of Tamura; and the Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin, the fifth city-specific large ensemble she's founded, and the first group launched in her newly adopted home.

Kaze is a departure from much of Fujii's output, being a collective rather than a group led by and dedicated to performing the music of the powerful composer. "I don't have much opportunity to be a side musician," she says. "Almost all the time I'm the leader; I write and direct the music and arrange the gigs. Finally, this gives me a chance to play with great musicians who all write music and all sound different. I have so much fun playing their pieces."

One of the most original and wide-ranging voices in modern jazz, Satoko Fujii has documented her abilities on more than 70 CDs in less than 20 years. The Tokyo native relocated to the U.S. to study at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, where she was mentored by the likes of Paul Bley, Herb Pomeroy, George Russell and Cecil McBee. Through her touring and collaborations she's truly become a citizen of the world, most recently settling in Berlin. She's founded jazz orchestras there as well as in New York and Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kobe in Japan. Fujii has also led the quartets Ma-Do and Tobira and an avant-rock group featuring Ruins drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. In recent years she's formed fruitful collaborations with such inventive artists as pianist Myra Melford, drummer John Hollenbeck, violinist Carla Kihlstedt, and guitarist Elliott Sharp.

Trumpeter Natsuki Tamura is internationally recognized for his ability to blend a unique vocabulary of extended techniques with touching jazz lyricism. Since 2005, Tamura has focused on the intersection of European folk music and sound abstraction with Gato Libre, a quartet featuring Fujii on accordion, Tsumura Kazuhiko on guitar, and the late Koreyasu Norikatsu on bass. In 2006 he co-founded the collaborative trio Junk Box with Fujii and drummer John Hollenbeck, while his most recent quartet, First Meeting, features Fujii, drummer Tatsuhisa Yamamoto and electric guitarist Kelly Churko. Born in Otsu, Shiga, Japan, Tamura studied at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory and has taught at the Yamaha Popular Music School and at private trumpet studios in Tokyo and Saitama.

A generous, insatiable and prolific musician, trumpeter Christian Pruvost has forged meaningful collaborations in jazz, improvised music and live performing arts settings. With Didier Aschour, Pruvost is a co-director of Round the World of Sound, which gathers 14 musicians from the Muzzix collective and Dedalus ensemble to perform the madrigals of eccentric poet/composer Moondog. In a new project called PCM Blat, he explores repertoire from medieval to contemporary and improvised music with Maxime Morel (tuba) and Samuel Carpentier (trombone). He is also a member of Circum Grand Orchestra and La Pieuvre, the improvisational orchestra conducted by Olivier Benoit.

From a classical music background, Peter Orins branched out to study the drums at the Conservatoire National de Région of Lille, where he studied with Guy Gilbert, Jean-François Canape, and Gérard Marais. At the same time, he studied improvisation with Fred Van Hove and composition with Jean-Marc Chouvel and Ricardo Mandolini.  Beginning in the mid-'90s, Orins played in the bands that would come to form the Circum collective: Impression, Quartet Base, and the Stefan Orins Trio. He coordinated the Circum collective until its fusion with fellow collective CRIME in 2010, and created the 10-piece Circum Grand Orchestra. He also plays in La Pieuvre, a French-Vietnamese project called Hué/Circum, and the Wei3 trio with German pianist Jarry Singla and Polish bass player Maciej Garbowski. Since the creation of Muzzix in 2010, Orins has coordinated the artistic direction of that collective.

http://www.satokofujii.com/projects.Kaze.html

Modern Jazz Composer Joshua Kwassman's New Sophomore Release, HEARTWORK

The release of Joshua Kwassman's acclaimed debut album, Songs of the Brother Spirit, heralded the arrival of an exciting and innovative new composer on the modern jazz scene. Now, with his highly anticipated follow-up Heartwork (Available May 26 via SquarEast Records), Kwassman takes a monumental leap forward with a sweeping, deeply personal new work that incorporates influences from jazz, classical, and rock music into a breathtaking eight-part composition. 

Heartwork also marks the evolution of his unusual ensemble, originally assembled to realize the multi-hued Songs of the Brother Spirit, into a full-fledged band named after that debut. Brother Spirit has become a versatile septet uniquely adept at realizing Kwassman's ambitious musical imaginings. A native of Newington, Connecticut who studied at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and New York University, Kwassman has folded a wealth of influences and studies into his stunningly cinematic compositions. 

Where its predecessor looked back on the trials of growing up via a harrowing incident from the composer's childhood, Heartwork draws its inspiration from an equally personal but more mature source. As Kwassman describes, "Heartwork tells a story of human weakness and the internal struggles that we all face. It speaks of the weaknesses that befall us on individual and societal levels; the conflicts we face in our daily lives between our desires and human greed, and the force inside us and around us which reminds us of our impact on our surroundings." 

The album's wide-ranging palette thus looks inward as well as outward, from the introspective to the global, to explore the disappointments and struggles of life in modern society. Its concerns range from the day-to-day regrets of falling short of one's own expectations to the calamitous impact of failing to act on the major issues facing the planet itself. 

"It works on both a micro and macro level," Kwassman explains. "It deals with things that were going on in my life, when I had to grapple with my own weaknesses, but also relates to the things I see going on around me. The overarching idea has to do with my own desire to be better for myself and for the things that are happening in the world to be better as well." 

These may be epic-scale themes for a young composer to tackle, but the scope of Kwassman's music is more than up to the challenge. His richly orchestrated arrangements incorporate his own woodwind playing, which includes alto and soprano saxophone, clarinet, and contra-alto clarinet among other instruments, along with voice, guitars, cello, and rhythm section. 

The use of wordless vocals, here performed by alternative R&B singer-songwriter Aria Jay, is one of the most immediately striking features of Kwassman's music, and one that exemplifies the evolution of his work since the first album. There, the human voice was evocative but at times threatened to overwhelm the rest of the ensemble; on HEARTWORK it's a fully integrated element, employed as judiciously as every other instrument to weave the album's vivid sonic tapestry.

"The use of vocals was really experimental on the first record," Kwassman admits. "Going into this record I knew what my palette could be and the vocals are more in balance with the rest of the group. I was careful to place the vocal in arrangements in a melodic sense that was less dominant. This is an egalitarian band where everyone is on the same level of significance, so I really restrained my use of the voice." 

Sarah Markle's cello is an important change since the first album, as is the incorporation of Craig Akin's electric bass. Kwassman himself adds the deep-throated contra-alto clarinet to his arsenal, while the use of a 19th-century field snare, in addition to the remainder of Rodrigo Recabarren's percussion array, adds to the feeling of internal war that runs throughout the compositions. 

Another development is the use of two guitarists, which is the fortuitous result of unfortunate beginnings. Kwassman's longtime guitarist Jeff Miles suffered an injury prior to the recording of Songs of the Brother Spirit, requiring the great Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman to step in. Realizing the incredibly chemistry that Hekselman shared with the band, Kwassman called on both guitarists for HEARTWORK. The pair are given the spotlight on "Let Me Dream a Different World For Us," with Miles on baritone and Hekselman on acoustic guitar, their intricate, tactile interplay breathing life into Kwassman's fantasy of a world free from weakness and injustice. 

Angelo Di Loreto's urgent, pulsating piano, soon to be accompanied by Recabarren's electronica-influenced rhythms, opens the ever-shifting title track, which serves as an overture for the album, incorporating most of the themes to come, if often in heavily disguised form. "This piece has intensity, fear, doubt, excitement, tenderness, regret and sorrow, things that I've felt and want to convey across the whole record," Kwassman says. It conveys the tension between heart and mind, which I think are two oppressive agents within us in both positive and negative ways." 

The centerpiece of the album is the 25-minute "Kyoto," split into two pieces but consisting of a single narrative arc. The most globally-oriented piece of the composition, "Kyoto" is a direct reaction to the United States' failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the catastrophic progress of climate change. "That moment was a huge opportunity lost," Kwassman says. "I feel like we're gambling with the only world that we have. This piece mourns and eulogizes the world that I see being taken for granted and conveys the feeling of hopelessness that I alone can't do much to help." 

Jay and Di Loreto join together for the elusive, mesmerizing melody of "Broken Covenant," which Kwassman says represents "a broken promise with oneself, an internal war between two senses of self: one that feels the weight of greed and one that is characterized by a sense of humanity and human goodness." The song serves as a bookend in tandem with the penultimate track, "All's Well That Ends," which begins with the same motif that ends "Broken Covenant." The second piece rejects the compromises conveyed in the first, offering a sense of hope and renewal.

  

The delicate "Penance" deals with the immediate aftermath of the compromises in "Broken Covenant," a reflective, crystalline piece with Kwassman sitting at the piano accompanied only by Jeff Miles on various guitars. Its direct opposite is the final piece, the soaring, hopeful "May Our Children Do Us Better," which Kwassman sees as the end credit theme for his cinematic masterwork. 

Upcoming Joshua Kwassman Performances:

May 20 / Dazzle Jazz Club  / Denver, CO

June  6 / Discover Jazz Festival / Burlington, VT

June 16 / SubCulture / New York, NY

Joshua Kwassman · HEARTWORK

SquarEast Records · Release Date: May 26, 2015

www.JoshuaKwassman.com

Ryan Truesdell Returns to the Jazz Standard For Fourth Annual Residency With Gil Evans Project

Composer, producer, and conductor Ryan Truesdell returns to the Jazz Standard with his award-winning Gil Evans Project for its fourth annual residency Thursday, May 14 – Sunday, May 17, 2015. The performances celebrate their triumphant sophomore album Lines of Color: Live at Jazz Standard on the newly-formed Blue Note/ArtistShare label (www.GilEvansProject.com). The band will be debuting selections from the new CD, as well as other rarely performed works from Gil Evans’ catalog – including music from the albums New Bottle Old Wine, Great Jazz Standards, Individualism of Gil Evans, and more. 

This highly anticipated release follows Truesdell's debut CD Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans, which won a posthumous Grammy Award for Gil Evans and the New York Times called "an extraordinary album.”  Lines of Color – the next step in Truesdell's endeavor to reveal hidden layers of Gil Evans' musical legacy – features some of New York's finest musicians including Lewis Nash, Donny McCaslin, Steve Wilson, Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes, and Scott Robinson. The CD was recorded by Grammy award-winning engineer James Farber with the live engineering team of Tyler McDiarmid and Geoff Countryman.

Lines of Color was recorded during the Gil Evans Project’s annual week-long engagement at Jazz Standard in New York City from May 13-18, 2014. It consists of six newly discovered, never before recorded works (including “Avalon Town,” “Can't We Talk It Over,” and “Just One Of Those Things”), two arrangements with previously unheard sections (“Davenport Blues” and “Sunday Drivin'”), and three of Evans’ well-known charts from his classic albums (“Time of the Barracudas,” “Concorde,” and “Greensleeves”). Throughout the engagement, the Gil Evans Project presented nearly fifty of Evans’ works, most of which were performed live for the first time. Truesdell decided to record live for the Gil Evans Project’s second album to honor the essence of Evans’ music that craves live performance. “It allows Gil’s colors and the overtones of the music to sound and blend in the room in a way that you can’t get from a close-mic studio recording,” says Truesdell.

"Live recording captures this intangible energy that’s created when music is performed for an audience. It gives listeners a sense of the magic that happens when the notes are lifted off the page by these amazing musicians.”

The eleven selections that make up Lines of Color represent everything you hope for in a live recording: a beautiful sound, a lively, involved audience, and precise and inspired performances of remarkable music. Of this collection, six of the charts were originally written during Evans’ tenure with the Claude Thornhill orchestra, including never-before-heard arrangements of “How High the Moon,” “Avalon Town,” and a rare Evans original composition, “Gypsy Jump,” written in 1942. A fun tune with an unusual 36-bar form, “Gypsy Jump” seems to show a slight influence from the “Arabian Dance” from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, also arranged by Evans for Thornhill during this time. “Can’t We Talk It Over,” a gorgeous ballad from the Thornhill Orchestra’s late 1940s repertoire, illustrates Evans’ strong bebop influences as evidenced by a direct musical quote from a Charlie

Parker solo. It is a wonderful feature for the Gil Evans Project’s resident vocalist, Wendy Gilles. Bruce Lundvall, Chairman Emeritus of Blue Note Records said, “Wendy has an amazing voice which is a perfect fit for this music.”

Two charts on the record represent the middle of Evans’ career; one of which he and his band never recorded, and only performed once. In the spring of 1959, Evans and his orchestra played the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, sharing the billing with Dinah Washington and Thelonious Monk. For this concert, Evans chose to revisit a few charts from his past, including Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things,” which was based on the arrangement Evans did for his first album as a leader in 1957, Gil Evans + 10. Ever the reviser, Evans took the opportunity to do a bit of rearranging as well as re-orchestrating the chart to fit the instrumentation for the concert. The Gil Evans Project’s first-time recording of this great Evans arrangement features incredible solos from Steve Wilson on soprano, trombonist Ryan Keberle, and pianist Frank Kimbrough. The other tune from this era is Evans’ great adaptation of Bix Beiderbecke’s “Davenport Blues,” originally recorded on the 1959 album, Great Jazz Standards. “I was ecstatic when I discovered Gil’s score to “Davenport,” says Truesdell. “There were four pages in the middle of the score that were omitted from the original version. I’m thrilled we were able to record the entire chart as Gil first conceived it.” Rather than imitating trumpet soloist Johnny Coles’ definitive performance on Evans’ Great Jazz Standards album, Truesdell decided to take a slightly different approach. The slower tempo and Lewis Nash’s heavy, slightly dirty swing feel emphasizes the bluesy elements and perfectly articulates Gil’s hard-swinging rhythms. “I was blown away by Mat Jodrell’s performance; he poured every bit of his soul and personality into the solo and really made it his own,” says Truesdell.

Rounding out Lines of Colors a collection of tunes from Evans’ output in the mid-1960s, including the Gil Evans Project’s dynamic renderings of “Time of the Barracudas,” and “Concorde,” which both first appeared on the Individualism of Gil Evans recording. “Greensleeves,” originally arranged for guitarist Kenny Burrell, receives a fresh take from trombonist Marshall Gilkes, whose unparalleled tone and inventive melodicism uplift this familiar tune and Gil’s singular writing.

With Lines of Color Truesdell, has solidified his reputation as one of the foremost Gil Evans scholars, while leading a band of industry giants in an historic and invaluable undertaking. Picking up where the Gil Evans Project’s 2013 Grammy award-nominated album Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans left off, Lines of Color is an exciting glimpse into how Truesdell and his critically acclaimed band are fulfilling the most crucial aspect of his vision: to bring Evans’ music to new ears, and to extend his legacy into the 21st century.

www.GilEvansProject.com

www.RyanTruesdell.com

NEW RELEASES: GIOVANNI GUIDI TRIO - THIS IS THE DAY; JEFF BRADSHAW & FRIENDS - HOME; JULIAN LANGE - WORLD'S FAIR

GIOVANNI GUIDI TRIO - THIS IS THE DAY

The Giovanni Guidi Trio plays jazz of uncommon originality and reflective depth. On their second ECM album, Italian pianist Guidi, US bassist Morgan, and Portuguese drummer Lobo continue the work begun on the 2011 recording City of Broken Dreams, with pensive, abstract ballads which shimmer with inner tension. Each of the players has a strong sense for the dialectics of sound and silence. The repertoire is mostly from Guidis pen, but also includes the standard, I m Through with Love, Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés, Quizás, quizás, quizás (familiar to jazz listeners through, above all, Nat King Coles version), and Baiiia by João Lobo. The tio conists of:Giovanni Guidi (piano); Thomas Morgan (double bass); and João Lobo (drums). Recorded April 19-21, 2014 / RSI Lugano. Recording Engineer: Stefano Amerio; and produced by Manfred Eicher. ~ Amazon

JEFF BRADSHAW & FRIENDS - HOME: ONE SPECIAL NIGHT AT THE KIMMEL CENTER

Jeff Bradshaw is an award winning trombone player, recording artist and bandleader who has performed and recorded with Jill Scott, Jay Z, Michael Jackson, The Roots, Marsha Ambrosius and many more. Jeff has been at the center of the Neo soul movement that emerged out of Philadelphia, becoming an important influencer of that eclectic scene. Like recent best sellers by Robert Glasper, his two acclaimed solo albums have delivered a unique fusion of R&B, Jazz and Gospel. For Home, which is co produced by Robert Glasper, Bradshaw brought together a stellar lineup of great vocalists and musicians backed by a killer 20 piece band at Philadelphia s premiere arts venue, The Kimmel Center, for a once in a lifetime performance recorded in front of a rapturous sold out audience. Highlights include Kim Burrell s stunning 9 minute performance of Love, Marsha Ambrosius emotional rendition of a previously unrecorded original song, and Bilal s intense version of the Enchantment s classic Where Do We Go From Here. The album includes a bonus cut studio version of All Time Love featuring Tweet, Robert Glasper and Eric Roberson. ~Amazon

JULIAN LANGE - WORLD'S FAIR

2015 release, the first solo guitar album from Julian Lage. World's Fair is so spontaneous and intimate in feel it's as if this prodigious guitarist had just arrived in your living room, picked up his vintage Martin, and simply started to play. It's very much a project created in the moment, a dozen acoustic guitar tracks recorded over the course of a mere two days, at Sear Sound in New York City. In concept, however, World's Fair was more than a year in the making, as Lage gradually came to embrace the rich musical and emotive possibilities within the austere format of one musician and one acoustic guitar. The album title is a clue to Lage's intentions, the phrase conjuring up a bygone hopeful vision of the future, a "tragic optimism," in Lage's words, since the future never quite turned out as the presenters at those grand expositions had predicted. The understated beauty of these tracks is laced with a certain melancholy. World's Fair seems suspended in time, using the past as a reference yet seeming somehow daring and contemporary in its unadorned arrangements and unabashed melodicism. The mood is often contemplative but, at times, on tracks like "Peru" and "Red Prairie Dawn" he kicks the tempo up a notch, with his fingers scampering quickly across the strings. ~Amazon

JOEY CALDERAZZO - GOING HOME

Finding opportunities for growth and development are important aspects in the process of evolving as a creative musician. Discovering and tackling new challenges helps to keep music making a fresh and worthwhile occupation for many, including pianist Joey Calderazzo, who found his next test in the form of the piano trio.

Since the beginning of his illustrious career, Calderazzo has mainly played in quartets highlighting remarkable saxophonists, namely greats Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis. As a musician and composer, the pianist had become comfortable in this format, developing an intensity in his playing and predilections in his composing that the ensemble s size demanded.

Calderazzo saw the establishment of his trio as a means to strengthen his craft by working on material and musical concepts that he would not ordinarily work on. The exclusion of a horn has made a focus on dynamics more important. Calderazzo also began to explore standards again, as he hadn t focused on them since the duo gigs he made as a teenager and there were no opportunities to play them with Brecker or Marsalis.

In light of the progress he has made with his trio, Calderazzo views his new recording Going Home as a snapshot of a work in progress, an experiment that continues to progress and wield an abundance of intriguing results. The recording provided an opportunity for Calderazzo to step away from his natural inclinations and approach the music in a new exciting way.

While a number of musicians have been featured in his trio, Calderazzo employed two musicians whose contrasting strengths pushed the ensemble into fascinating new areas. Bassist Orlando le Fleming instantly became the instigator, continually challenging the group with his harmonic drive. Drummer Adam Cruz was a perfect foil as his controlled intensity and beautiful tone helped to refine the group s musicality.

The music generated by the ensemble showed the musicians desire to balance freedom and responsibility. To stimulate this, Calderazzo intentionally wrote pieces and arranged two standards without too much structure, which created a focus on improvisation and group interplay, features that do not ordinarily stand out in studio recordings such as this. The originals were generally sketches, moods or vibes, which provided a starting point for the ensemble s explorations. ~ Amazon

JOE BONAMASSA: MUDDY WOLF AT RED ROCKS - HITS THE TOP OF THE CHARTS

Blues-rock guitar hero Joe Bonamassa proves once again that blues music is alive and well with his chart-topping tribute to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Joe Bonamassa – Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks (J&R Adventures) debuted with #1 slots on Billboard's Blues Chart and Music Video Chart, beating out Miley Cyrus' Bangerz Tour. It also earned the #21 slot on Billboard's Top Current Albums Chart and #2 on Billboard's Independent Chart. It currently remains at the #1 Blues Chart slot for the second week.

This is Bonamassa's 14th #1 Blues Album. He holds the record for most No. 1s on the Blues Chart, trailed by B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan who both share second place with nine No. 1s. Since 2010, Bonamassa has earned five No. 1 Billboard Blues Albums during this same week in March: Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks (2015), Live in Amsterdam (2014), An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House (2013), Dust Bowl (2011) and Black Rock (2010).

Bonamassa's manager and partner at J&R Adventures Roy Weisman said, "J&R's success is the product of a 25 year relationship between Joe and myself where we actively reinvest in ourselves and the company by taking advantage of breakthrough technologies and marketing techniques that other labels simply glance over."

Unlike any Bonamassa show before, Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks marks the start of a tribute concert series that will display a different band and catalog of material that will vary from Bonamassa's music as a solo artist. For Muddy Wolf, songs were carefully selected from the catalogs of Howlin' Wolf, one of Chicago's most influential bluesmen, known for his deep, scratchy voice, and Muddy Waters, considered the "father of modern Chicago blues." Waters was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion of the 1960s, a genre that has heavily influenced Bonamassa's original music throughout his career. The concert featured a selection of songs from each artist, followed by a 30-minute set of songs from Bonamassa's own extensive catalog. The Blu-ray and DVD contain over 1.5 hours of bonus features including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, a photo gallery, historic footage of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and a featurette of Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shirley's trip to The Crossroads.

This summer, Bonamassa will continue his celebration of blues heritage with the Three Kings of Blues Tour during which he'll travel to amphitheaters across the country with a musical tribute to Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King.

This tour (as well as the Muddy Wolf concert) is presented by Keeping the Blues Alive (KTBA), which Bonamassa founded to promote the heritage of the blues to the next generation, fund music scholarships, and supplement the loss of music education programs in public schools.

http://jbonamassa.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/JoeBonamassa 

http://keepingthebluesalive.org/  

Twitter:@JBONAMASSA 

Instagram:@JOEBONAMASSA