Bassist LORIN COHEN To Release His Debut Recording as a Leader, HOME

Bassist and composer Lorin Cohen has been called "superb" by the Chicago Sun-Times, "ultra-versatile" and "poetic" by the esteemed Howard Reich of The Chicago Tribune, who described his playing as being fueled by "relentless invention". A bassist and composer of profound imagination, soulfulness and fire, Cohen's joyful musical spirit and swinging beat have delighted audiences around the globe. After many years of high profile sideman work, including long stints with the likes of Monty Alexander, Joe Locke and Ryan Cohan (including world tours and multiple recordings), and sharing the stage with numerous jazz luminaries, Cohen proudly releases his debut CD as a leader, Home, available on Origin Records on May 19, 2015. Cohen will celebrate the recording with a one-night CD release fete on May 21 at Birdland in NYC, and two nights at The Green Mill in Chicago, June 5 & 6. Home features a stellar international group of players, and the completely unique front-line of vibes, steel pan and harmonica: legendary NYC vibraphonist Joe Locke, Virgin Islands steel pan virtuoso Victor Provost, the French harmonica player Yvonnick Prene, Chicago pianist Ryan Cohan, veteran NYC drummer Donald Edwards and Colombian percussionist Samuel Torres.

The musical map and musical DNA of Home encompasses three locales which are all equally near and dear to the bassist/composer's heart; Cohen's hometown of Chicago, his current home of New York City, and the vast Caribbean, which has had a profound influence on his music for many years. Cohen elaborated, "I'm rooted in Chicago, it's where I grew up and came of age as a musician. The Chicago esthetic is about making soulful music that feels good. Making sure this 'deep-dish' style was front and center in the music on Home was the first order of business. I currently reside in New York City and the edge, attitude and drive of Gotham inform 'Crossings,' 'Anthem,' 'The Hero's Journey,' and 'Finding Center'. As a kid on family vacations to South Florida, I was mesmerized by our hotel's poolside reggae band. Coming from the cold and gray landscape of my home in the Midwest, they transmitted a languid sun-drenched vibration that could last many lifetimes. When I look back on myself reveling in that groove, I see it as a foreshadowing of musical experiences to come. I soon became captivated by the rich musical palette of the Caribbean; from Cuba to Jamaica, Trinidad, and all points in between. Then, from 2007-2011 I toured widely with pianist Monty Alexander, whose music shines with the light of the Greater Antilles. You can hear these Caribbean instincts on 'Saudade,' 'Always in My Heart' and 'A Brighter Day.'" One of the most profoundly beautiful and revealing compositions on Home is "The Sweetest Soul", "dedicated to the memory of my wonderful father. I think it speaks for itself," said Cohen. 

Cohen chose mallet instruments as the main voices for his compositions because of his deep love of rhythm. For Cohen, it's the most important thing in music and why he started playing the bass in the first place - he simply wanted to make people dance! This album serves as Cohen's heartfelt tribute to the home he grew up in and the family and friends that gave that home it's glow. It also showcases Cohen's global ear as well as his love of rhythm-the heartbeat of the world and the foundation and "Home" of all music. Ultimately, this music has also been his way back home after a series of family tragedies, and it is the artist's hope that, on some level, it connects with the listener emotionally, inspiring reflection, offering solace, and ultimately creating joy.

A thrill to watch and sublime to hear, Cohen is best known for his work with Monty Alexander, Joe Locke, Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Cohan, and the acclaimed hip-hop-meets-jazz ensemble, Vertikal. While he possesses a vast array of expressive devices, the focus of his playing is always on generating a broad and propulsive beat. This groove consciousness has taken him around the world, allowing him to share his talents with audiences throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. 

Lorin was raised outside of Chicago in Lincolnwood, Illinois in an artistically rich home. His mother Muriel, a music teacher, played guitar, piano, and violin. Beginning on alto saxophone in fourth grade, Lorin picked up the bass guitar at 14 so that he could jam with his guitar-playing older brother Elliott and his cousin, the pianist Ryan Cohan. Influenced by his brother's love of Chicago blues and classic rock, Lorin eventually discovered Jaco Pastorious, Chick Corea, and ultimately, straight ahead jazz. Taking up the acoustic bass at the age of 25, Lorin studied with noted Chicago bassist Larry Gray and Joe Guastefeste (principal bassist with the Chicago Symphony). In 1998, Lorin received the Blue Note Records Scholarship at the Skidmore Jazz Workshop. 

In 2005, Cohen began touring the world with jazz icon Monty Alexander. He plays on the pianist's two recordings for the Chesky label, The Good Life: Monty Alexander Plays the Songs of Tony Bennett and Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole. Lorin's longtime collaboration with 2008 Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Cohan has included tours of the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia and Africa. He also appears on four recordings with the composer/pianist: Here and Now (Sirrocco/2000), One Sky (Motema/2007), Another Look (Motema/2010) and The River (Motema/2013). 

Lorin has toured throughout North America and Japan with Joe Locke, widely recognized as the premier vibraphonist of his generation. He has shared his talents with the vibraphonist on the New York stages of Jazz at the Kitano and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola. They have recorded three albums together: When You Wish Upon a Star (Motema/2013), under Locke's name, Ryan Cohan's Another Look, and Cohen's current, debut album, Home (Origin/May 19, 2015). Cohen has spanned the globe to foster cultural exchange through music. As a "Jazz Ambassador" for the U.S. Department of State and the Kennedy Center, Cohen toured Southeast Asia in 2004. On that tour, he performed and taught in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh. The Yamaha Musical Instrument Corporation chose the bassist to "road test" their "Silent Bass" for the tour. 

He spent February of 2008 with the Ryan Cohan Quartet on a five-country tour of Africa and the Middle East. This was part of "The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad" program, a partnership with the U.S. State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Cohen and his band mates were selected by a panel headed by Wynton Marsalis to perform and conduct workshops throughout Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Jordan. Based on the success of that tour, the same group was selected for a second time to visit Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine in February of 2009. 

Cohen moved to NYC from Chicago in 2012. Since his arrival in New York, Cohen has shared the stage with numerous jazz luminaries, including: Joe Locke, Geoffrey Keezer, Victor Lewis, Stefon Harris, Michael Weiss, Houston Person, Bucky Pizzarelli, Cyrille Aimee, Jon Davis, Jeremy Pelt, Jim Ridl, Paul Bollenback, Roni Ben-Hur, and Clarence Penn. Cohen's musical experiences span far beyond the world of jazz. He has worked as a substitute bassist for the Chicago run of Jersey Boys (2008-2010) and the Broadway production of Motown: The Musical. His work as a bass guitarist, producer and songwriter is featured on the eponymous album by the R&B/Hip-hop/Jazz group Vertikal. Cohen is currently pursuing his Masters in Music at The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.

Lorin Cohen - Home

(All compositions/arrangements by Lorin Cohen)

1Crossings 2 Always in My Heart 3 Finding Center 4 Anthem 5 The Sweetest Soul (For My Father) 6 Saudade 7 The Hero's Journey 8 A Brighter Day

Guitarist MICHAEL VALEANU's Hard To Cook Recalls Timeless Organ Trios with Compelling Blend of Love Songs, Groove Anthems and Short Acoustic Poems

From Paul Bocuse to Julia Child, France has been known to spawn many of the world's culinary greats over the years. However, Parisian guitarist Michael Valeanu gives new meaning to the word gourmet with Hard To Cook, his sophomore effort as composer and bandleader. A wordplay on French expression Dur á Cuire, meaning tough cookie, Hard To Cook is meant to please the most demanding musical tastemakers. The ingredients of the feast come from everywhere: a pinch of folk, a sprinkle of impressionism, a generous spoonful of groove, and a minute knowledge of jazz guitar tradition. 

Following in the footsteps of Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, John Scofield and Larry Goldings, and fed by the eclecticism of the New York scene, Valeanu chose the Hammond organ, guitar and drums trio to present the music on this record. Purists will admire the matchless mastery of this trio featuring Jake Sherman on organ and Jake Goldbas on drums, while curious music lovers will savor a compelling blend of love songs, groove anthems and short acoustic poems. 

Hard To Cook is a dream come true for Valeanu who learned jazz listening to Wes Montgomery records. "I fell in love with the Hammond, it has the sonic breath of a whole orchestra, and complements the guitar most beautifully." To realize his idea, Valeanu led a triumphant Kickstarter campaign that allowed him to have complete artistic independence.

Much like Valeanu himself, both members of his trio are also jacks-of-all-trades, masters of many, with groove as the common denominator. On the organ, Sherman's playing can resemble Ellington's sax section on the gripping "Blood Count,"  or the fiercest of bass players on "Norwegian Omelette." Goldbas is another force to be heard: with hard driving swing on "Firm Roots," irresistible groove on "Hard to Cook," and subtle percussion work on "Floating Island." 

The icing on the proverbial the cake is none other than France's freshest diva, vocalist Cyrille Aimée, for whom Valeanu plays guitar and collaborates. She is a featured vocalist and lyricist on the savory "20 Years," which manages to appear as a simple bucolic folk song despite its rhythmic complexity, and continues to dazzle with a virtuosic scat lesson on the odd metered "How Deep Is the Ocean." We also owe Aimée the blossoming of Valeanu as a producer, which gives Hard To Cook its unique flavor in contemporary jazz. 

The originals that Valeanu brings to the table are true to his eclecticism: a thoughtful introduction calling classical composer Leo Brouwer to mind, an exuberant groove of the title track, and the country scene conjured by Aimée's lyrics on the purely melodic "20 Years." Like the best of chefs, Valeanu aims to please, and with Hard To Cook, leaves listeners craving for more.  

Born in Paris, France in 1985, Valeanu began playing guitar when he was 14-years-old. While in Paris, he studied at the Nadia & Lili Boulanger Conservatory as well as at the Edim/National School of Music of Bourg-La-Reine.  During this time, Valeanu was affirming his spot in the local Parisian music scene as both a sideman and a studio musician. 

He moved to New York City in 2008 to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in order to branch out into the jazz scene even further. Since moving to New York, Valeanu has played a myriad of clubs such as Smalls, Birdland, Jazz Standard, and Smoke, as well as various festivals throughout the United States. Since becoming a mainstay in the New York jazz scene, he released his debut album Tea Time in 2012.

Vocalist Halie Loren Explores Transformation and Self-Realization on Soulful Release, Butterfly Blue

The butterfly has long been a powerful symbol of rebirth. The lowly caterpillar's emergence from its cocoon into a thing of beauty in flight is a vivid embodiment of transformation and self-realization. The title of Butterfly Blue, the stunning and soulful new album by vocalist Halie Loren, evokes those poetic images, but tinged with a sense of bittersweet melancholy. 

Loren has found quite a bit of metamorphosis over the past few years, growing from a West-Coast singer-songwriter to an international jazz celebrity in Japan and Asia, where the singer has now performed dozens of sold-out concerts and found her music climbing to the pinnacle of many a sales chart, including three consecutive Billboard Jazz #1 albums in Japan. Her career and musical growth continues into 2015, the year which finds Loren spreading her proverbial wings wider than ever before with the release of Butterfly Blue, drawing inspiration from blues and soul music influences in a deeper way than she has in the past, while firmly and unapologetically planting one foot in the jazz realm and the other in pop. She does this without losing any of the warmth, charm and sensuality that has always characterized her unique vocal approach. But the thread that connects the album's mix of jazz and Songbook standards, reimagined pop songs, and original pieces is captured in that seemingly contradictory title."

"A lot of these songs were chosen because they explored different aspects of imprisonment and freedom," Loren explains. "Many of them have to do with ideas of being beholden to thoughts, feelings, and experiences from which you alone can also free yourself." 

The album's title marries two original pieces that exemplify that theme. "Butterfly" was written by Loren, who imagined the insect's transformation from the caterpillar's point of view, facing the prospect of having to pass through a literal death in order to experience rebirth, relating the experience to that of human suffering being the catalyst for spiritual growth. "Blue," one of two songs penned by guitarist and songwriter Daniel Gallo, expresses empathy and promises of a brighter future to a lover in the deep throes of melancholy. Joining the two, Loren says, "really felt like an apropos combination. It's about finding the way through the pain of experience to a new, wiser, more beautiful version of yourself. But you have to go through the journey; that's where the real pain happens."

The two songs also boldly spotlight the album's musical influences: the stabbing horns and soulful pleas of "Butterfly" conjure soul touchstones like Otis Redding or Etta James, while "Blue" lives up to its name through Gallo's gut-punch guitar and Loren's powerfully communicated longing. While she's quick to say that Butterfly Blue is by no means a blues or soul album, those storied genres color the whole album. "It has touches of the things that have heavily moved me musically over the years," she says. "I've been a fan of a lot of different kinds of music my whole life, so I was interested in stretching out beyond the territory I've explored over the last few albums and digging deeper into more of my bluesy roots." 

To realize those ambitions, Loren added horns and strings to the arrangements in a more extensive way than she has in the past, though with a light and always effective touch. These additional musicians, William Seiji Marsh and Gallo on guitars, David Larsen on saxophone, Joe Freuen on trombone, Dana Heitman on trumpet, Rob Birdwell on flugelhorn and trumpet, and Katherine Dudney on cello, join Loren's longtime core band, (pianist and co-producer Matt Treder, bassist Mark Schneider and drummer Brian West) featured on the majority of the singer's releases to-date. Together the ensemble subtly nods toward classic soul blues sounds within a modern jazz context.

Butterfly Blue begins on a more winsome note, however, with the wordless vocal melody of Loren's "Yellow Bird." Despite the playfulness of the song's Tin Pan Alley feel, however, the lyrics fit the album's darker theme. "The idea of freedom being an internal feeling rather than an external reality came to me in the image of a bird in a cage," Loren says. "I thought, 'What might they dream about?' On the surface, it's kind of a cute song with a cute melody, but the meaning of the lyric goes deeper into more esoteric notions of how subjective our perceptions of 'reality' are, and to what degree we are masters of our own experiences in this life." 

The notion of using animals to express deep-felt emotion comes easily to Loren, who has always felt a strong connection to the natural world. Born and raised in Alaska, she's lived for the last 17 years in Oregon, where she maintains a strong connection to the outdoors. 

Loren's rendition of Charles Trenet's "I Wish You Love" is a unique hybrid of the original French lyrics, with a brief detour into the better-known but less expressive English lyrics. "Stormy Weather" is stretched into a sultry, teasingly languorous blues, while "Our Love Is Here To Stay" offers a sense of familial nostalgia.

 "After The Fall", the second song penned by Gallo, tells a story of a woman in the winter of life, reminiscing about a long lost love through music that formed the soundtrack for those precious memories of youth. "I had the rare opportunity to hear this song as it was coming into being through hands other than my own: an original song I didn't write but that was entirely new to the world, crafted with such a richly emotional story and vivid imagery - it was love at first listen."

"I've Got You Under My Skin" continues the album's theme of emotional or spiritual imprisonment, here captured in the song's tale of uncontrollable obsession, heightened by the spare, snake-charmer tone of the arrangement. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is given a darker-than-usual perspective that illustrates the thoroughfare's hopeless denizens. 

Loren's "Danger in Loving You" is reprised from her 2010 live recording Stages, and is included as both a long-overdue studio version of the song as well as a tribute to the vocalist's longtime songwriting partner, Larry Wayne Clark, who passed away in 2013. "Carry Us Through," lifts the spirits by adding New Orleans accents to singer-songwriter Sarah Masen's song of survival, and the set ends on a hopeful note with the late Horace Silver's classic, "Peace." 

Loren explains, "The idea of the song is that if you can find peace inside, everything will be all right with the world outside. I love that it embodies a zen-like quality in both message and music while so beautifully reiterating the concept of freedom being a choice, an internal experience. I thought it would really round out the feeling of the album nicely and bring it back to this place of simplicity." 

Upcoming Halie Loren Performances:

May 8 / Hart Community Performing Arts Series / Hart, MI 

May 22-23 / Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts / Port Angeles, WA

Halie Loren · Butterfly Blue

Justin Time Records · Release Date: June 9, 2015

MISFITS II: POP by Pianist/Composer ENOCH SMITH JR, Features Bassist Noah Jackson, Drummer Sangmin Lee, & Vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles

Pianist/composer Enoch Smith Jr. has embraced the "Misfit" mantle ever since his days at Berklee College of Music, when the self-taught musician realized he didn't quite fit into the mold of his classmates and their daunting formal training. But Smith's eclectic, refreshingly different music does fit quite nicely into the ever-evolving jazz tradition. On his third album, Misfits II: Pop, he continues to refine his approach to the jazz mainstream and other influences, including hip-hop and his ongoing work as a church pianist. Smith's newly launched label, MisfitMe Music, will release the disc on May 19. 

The Smith original "Everything's Alright" showcases his gifts as both melodist and lyricist. Expanding on an idea from the song "It's Alright to Swing" by gospel-influenced jazz pianist Eric Reed, the backbeat-driven new composition serves for Smith as something of a declaration of independence from the opinions of some jazz purists. 

"Whatever you choose to do, however you do it, it's alright," the pianist explains. "Don't hate me for what I'm doing, and I certainly won't hate you for what you're doing."

Whereas Smith's 2011 Misfits CD emphasized his own writing, Misfits II delves into some of the pop and R&B songs he grew up with, shining new light on hits associated with Joan Osborne, Amerie, the Roots, and -- a special favorite -- the Beatles. (The disc opens with a haunting version of "Yesterday.") 

Misfits II also contains two arrangements of "Sweepin through the City," a staple of gospel superstar Shirley Caesar's repertoire for more than 50 years. "I grew up hearing that song at least three or four times every week," Smith says. "It became an anthem for the church I grew up in. There's a huge emotional connection to that song and the concept of moving on to something better." 

Smith's tight-knit working group of vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles, bassist and former Detroiter Noah Jackson, and drummer Sangmin Lee, a Seoul, South Korea-born Berklee colleague, are at the core of the music on Misfits II: Pop, as they were on its predecessor, which DownBeat called "soulful and melodious" and "an original album full of ideas."

Enoch Smith Jr., 36, was raised in Rochester, New York in the Church of God by Faith, a Pentecostal denomination, where he began singing at age 3 in the children's choir. He later played drums for services, then got a chance to sub for the regular pianist, making his way through trial and error. "Growing up and playing mostly in church, you get a whole different side of what music is all about," he says. "For me, it was always more of a spiritual connection than a connection of the head." 

Although he had originally intended on becoming a lawyer and had done several internships at Rochester law firms while still in high school, Smith decided to interview for admission at Berklee at the suggestion of his high school choir director. He was accepted on the spot. "It was amazing and intimidating and exciting all at the same time," he says of his classes at Berklee. "How much of it I'd gotten didn't sink in until five or six years later. It was a really great experience -- probably the best experience of my life." 

Smith continues playing piano in church. For the past two and a half years, he's worked full time as Director of Music and Worship at Allentown Presbyterian Church in Allentown, New Jersey, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. In 2014 he started a monthly January-though-June jazz vespers program at the church that has combined worship services with performances by his own quartet, as well as by such musicians as bassist Mimi Jones, saxophonist Stantawn Kendrick, drummer Reggie Quinerly, and saxophonist Camille Thurman (all of whom he's recorded with as a sideman). 

Smith has composed music for independent filmmaker Nefertite Nguvu's short I Want You in 2007 (he included his version of the title song on Misfits) and her 2014 feature In the Morning. The latter film won the audience award when it debuted last month at the Urbanworld Film Festival in Manhattan.

Also on the film front, Smith has tried his hand at acting, portraying Thelonious Monk in Nica, a 20-minute thesis film by an NYU student about the friendship between Monk and the Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter. "It was awesome," says Smith. "I was able to use 'A Misfits Theme' in the film. It was great to play the role of a true 'Misfit' and legendary icon."

The theme for Enoch's next project is suggested by "One of Us" (a hit for Joan Osborne in 1995) on Misfits II. "As technology improves, our humanity just kinda declines and our value for each other is depreciating," he notes. "This record embodies that concept: What if you look at everyone like that person is a reflection of God, then how would we treat each other?" A question Enoch Smith Jr. intends to ponder. 

Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Vocalist, Amanda Cohen Premiere’s her new CD “A New Standard”

Amanda Cohen’s impressive array of jazz standards are going to be a resounding hit on jazz airwaves worldwide as her new CD “A New Standard” is released worldwide through The Jazz Network Worldwide platform.

Amanda Cohen is not a newcomer to the bright lights of worldwide concert stages. Her new CD “A New Standard” is a cross-over project that she has dreamt about for years and its unveiling is an exciting musical adventure. Cohen brings forth the magic by crooning and belting timeless classic standards with a contemporary groove with traces of jazz, rhythm and blues embroidered with flavors of country all with a powerhouse big band weaving a colorful tapestry around Cohen’s vocals with rich textures and rhythms. The way Amanda approaches her vocal style on this project is all her own, bringing her signature sound to a new standard in the belief that this platform will springboard her to reaching a new generation of listeners.

“I hope I have created a warm spot in the music that reaches inside and takes you to your own very special place.” states Amanda.

Cohen pays homage to the Great Legends in music history. The project features signature songs by: Frank Sinatra, (Birth of the Blues & That’s Life) Tony Bennett, (I Left My Heart in San Francisco) Sophie Tucker, (Some Of These Days / After You’ve Gone) Judy Garland & Al Jolson, (Rock A Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody) Patti Page (Tennessee Waltz) Jane Froman, (With A Song In My Heart and I Believe) Al Jolson & Jimmy Roselli, (Let Me Sing and I’m Happy).

“A New Standard” was recorded at the Tracking Room recording studio in Nashville where artists such as: Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson, U2, Kenny Chesney, Amy Grant, Gretchen Wilson, Faith Hill, Taylor Swift and hundreds of others have also recorded. The world-class masterful ensemble of musicians that backed her quest are noted as some of the best first-call musicians in Nashville, TN. creating a wonderful synergy that combined Amanda’s lifetime work as a recording artist and entertainer.

Producer Buddy Hyatt, offered his original song “When Does The Hurtin’ Stop” which was an inevitable collaboration that resulted in an emotionally charged recording that is sure to touch the hearts of many.

“You are the real deal and I know people will love this album as much as I do.” says Producer Buddy Hyatt

“With A Song In My Heart” a personal favorite for Amanda, was a request of her late mother who had asked her to record one day. Amanda delivers the poignant and touching lyrics with a heartfelt dedication honoring the love she has for her mother.

The talented team who shared their artistry with “A New Standard” are: Executive Producer ~ Paul Cohen, Producer / Music Director/Orchestra Arranger/Piano and Organ ~ Buddy Hyatt, toured withTOTO, as well as produced or played with such artists as: George Jones, Lee Greenwood and many others. Horn Arranger ~ Jim Hoke, Horn Arranger for such artists as: Burt Bacharach, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Chesney, Harry Connick, Jr., Sheryl Crow, John Legend and Stevie Nicks. Electric Guitar ~ James Mitchell, Acoustic & Nylon String Guitar ~ Bobby Terry, Bass Guitar ~ Jim Hyatt, Percussion & Drums ~ Garth Justice, Backup Vocals for “I Believe” ~ Renee Martin & Micah Roberts, toured with Faith Hill, Engineers ~ Buddy Hyatt, Kelly Schoenfeld, Owen Lindaman, Jared Clement, & Zach Allen, Mastering ~ Duncan Stanbury, Groove Mastering, New York.

“Amanda Cohen is a wonderful singer, this album is terrific, you’ve got to hear this.” ~ Dick Robinson, American Standards by the Sea, Legends Radio, 100.3 FM, Palm Beach, Florida

“Your CD is a fine piece of work. You really have a great way with these songs and a lot of style. Good luck with getting the record out there where it deserves to be.” ~ Jim Hoke, Horn Arranger

Prior to the recording of “A New Standard”, Amanda learned her craft with a lifetime of recording and performing in many genres of music. She has come full circle back to the standards that was chosen for her to sing by her music mentor and vocal couch in the beginning of her career

. “Amanda is a well seasoned vocalist who has a rich texture that echoes the essence of the American Songbook with a fresh interpretation of some of the greatest songs of all time” says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

Amanda Cohen’s Standards Show is currently booking the 2015 - 2016 calendar for festivals, charitable events, big stage, intimate stages, and galas with accompaniment from a trio to a full orchestra.

Be sure to capture Amanda’s feature on The Jazz Network Worldwide at www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com.

NEW RELEASES: GLENN UNDERGROUND – BLACK RESURRECTION; BLUNDETTO – WORLD OF; J.B. SMITH – NO MORE GOOD TIME IN THE WORLD FOR ME

GLENN UNDERGROUND – BLACK RESURRECTION

A double CD set of timeless, soulful house from Chicago legend Glenn Underground – who is as deft as ever at laying down diverse sounds that blend cosmic keys and earthy production, jazzy rhythms and soulful beats, and occasional dreamy vocals. It's a mix of recent grooves and remixed versions of older cuts, which is makes it all the more of a strong testament to his continuing top tier status – it's fresh and vital here and now alll the way through! Includes "Deep Within", "Star Gate", "Mental Black Resurrection", "Soul Heights", "Look Inside", "My Little Ebony", "Play Play Play", "Sessions Of the Soul", "Spiritually Speaking", "Out Of Mind".  ~ Dusty Groove

BLUNDETTO – WORLD OF

The world of Blundetto is a mighty groovy one – filled with dubby rhythms, funky touches, and some of the sharpest underground production around! This album's a real standout in a world of kicked-back rhythms – never too sleepy, never too sloppy – and always thoughtfully done with this undercurrent of careful composition that comes across in this very subtle way. So while the beats snake out slowly, and the basslines echo a Kingston vibe, there's also these richer currents in the songs that come through beautifully – and resonate a lot stronger than usual for this kind of set. The core Blundetto sound is augmented by an array of guests – including Shawn Lee, Akale Horns, John Milk, Pupajim, Biga Ranx, Marina, and others – and titles include "Work", "Hands For Silver", "Last Broken Bones", "Move Me", "Matanza", "Only One Stand", and "Seed Balls". ~ Dusty Groove

J.B. SMITH – NO MORE GOOD TIME IN THE WORLD FOR ME

Really unique material from JB Smith – recorded at a time when the singer was serving a life sentence at the Ramsey State Farm in Texas – and mostly unissued over the years, save for a few tracks that previously appeared on a Takoma Records collection in the 60s! Smith sings here in a variant of blues that's clearly steeped in the tradition of the work song – no surprise, given the hard labor he was doing at the time – but which also takes off in a much richer mode, too – one that almost presents the evolution of the earlier form into blues throughout the course of the CD, with spoken passages that illustrate Smith's feelings and intent. The material was all recorded by Bruce Jackson, who also took some accompanying photos – and is brought back beautifully here from tapes in the Library Of Congress. Titles include "Poor Boy Number Two", "They Can't Do That", "I Heard The Reports Of A Pistol", "Ever Since I Been A Man Full Grown", "Tried By Fire", "The Major Special", and "No Payday Here".  ~ Dusty Groove

MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 4 COMING JULY 17 FROM COLUMBIA RECORDS

Miles Davis' 20-year association as an artist at impresario George Wein's renowned Newport Jazz Festival is a thriving tradition that will be celebrated with the release of MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 4.  The four-CD box set, comprised of live performances by Miles' stellar band lineups in 1955, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1975, in Newport, Rhode Island, New York City, Berlin, and Switzerland, will be the lynchpin for a 60th anniversary commemorative weekend of events at this summer's annual Newport Jazz Festival (July 31, August 1 & 2).  Ahead of the festival, MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975 will be available everywhere on Friday, July 17 -- 60 years to the date since Davis' breakthrough performance at Newport in 1955 -- through Columbia/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

The newest entry in Columbia/Legacy Recordings' critically-acclaimed Miles Davis Bootleg Series, NEWPORT 1955-1975 clocks in at 296 minutes, nearly four hours of which is previously unreleased.  From Miles' debut performance at NJF in 1955 (a hastily arranged jam session featuring Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan, that immediately led to the trumpeter's Columbia signing), to his final public perform­ance of the '70s in 1975 (at Lincoln Center during NJF-NY, the singular "Mtume" named for Miles' favored percussion­ist of that decade), the box set traces the ascendance of Miles' music as the ne plus ultra of jazz.  The full-length concert performances alone of Miles' famed "Kind Of Blue" Sextet (with Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb), and 'second great quintet in '66 and '67 (with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams) represent templates that reverberate in jazz and popular music to this day. 

In that spirit, George Wein, who at age 89 still guides the Newport Jazz Festival, will preside over this summer's Miles-centric gathering, July 31, August 1 & 2.  The lineup includes a cadre of bands led by trumpet stars Ambrose Akinmusire, Chris Botti, Peter Evans, Jon Faddis, Tom Harrell, Arturo Sandoval, and Bria Skonberg.  In a rare, historic tribute, Botti, Evans, Faddis, Harrell, Sandoval and Skonberg will perform one Miles Davis number during their sets. 

The festival weekend will feature a number of exciting panel discussions focusing on Miles Davis, created in conjunction with the Miles Davis Estate and curated by Grammy Award®-winning music historian Ashley Kahn. Highlights include an interview with George Wein conducted by New York Times critic Nate Chinen (co-author of Wein's autobiographyMyself Among Others: A Life In Music); a celebration of Miles and the St. Louis trumpet tradition with excerpts from the Clark Terry documentary Keep On Keepin' On (produced by Quincy Jones); and a discussion of Miles's romance with electric guitars. There will also be a playback of music from the new Columbia/Legacy Recordings box set MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 4, with co-producer of the collection-Grammy Award®-winning producer Steve Berkowitz and consultant Nell Mulderry-and Miles's nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr. Kahn penned the liner notes to this set, noting how Miles's historic performances at the Newport Jazz Festival never failed to "show the trumpeter repeatedly rising to the occasion, delivering groundbreaking music every time he hit the Newport stage." 

In this symbiosis, George Wein employed Miles to make Newport great, and Miles obliged by bringing some of the post-modern jazz era's paramount musicians to the festival stage in his bands.  The Newport Jazz Festival (and starting in 1959, Wein's Newport Folk Festival) enabled audiences of 10,000 to dig the music in a surprisingly intimate setting, where you really could hear a pin drop. "When Miles played his solo on 'Round Midnight'," Wein remembers of that breakout 1955 jam, "he put his horn right up to the microphone, which trumpet players didn't do.  Normally they like to get some air and play a little bit away from the mic but he put the bell of his horn right up against it, and it came through clear as a bell."  In that moment, with that simple move, Wein states, "That's when he became the star of the festival and later [Columbia Records A&R man] George Avakian went up and signed him."

With his "ecumenical" music mix in these five- and six-hour programs - from traditional to bop, hard bop, and re-bop, from cool, modern and post-modern to jazz-rock, rock-jazz, blues and R&B - the contemporary music festival was sired by George Wein.  As Kahn affirms, Wein "swayed generations of festival producers and impresarios - from groundbreaking one-offs like the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969, all the way up to today's genre-blending annuals like Coachella and Bonnaroo, [and in Europe] Glastonbury and Montreux." 

Intrinsically and inextricably linked at the hip were Miles Davis and George Wein, from the first conversation Wein recalls with the trumpeter in 1952, at a little club in New Haven, "when [Miles] was playing with a band that Symphony Sid had put together with Percy Heath and Milt Jackson," Wein clearly recalls.  Twenty years or so later, he memorably amped up the 1969 NJF program with Led Zeppelin, the Mothers of Invention, Jeff Beck, Sly and the Family Stone, and others.  Miles was just six weeks away from recording the principal sessions for his all-time game-changing Bitches Brew, and his live band had replaced Hancock, Carter and Williams with Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette. 

With more electronic instrumentation, and broader drum patterns, Miles was quickly moving beyond the very jazz styles he had helped to create and popularize.  Into the '70s, rock and R&B-rooted musicians like guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas, electric bassist Michael Henderson, Mtume on percussion, plus jazz drummer Al Foster and a rotating cast of saxophonists came aboard.  As Miles' scope expanded, Wein's festival became a week-long affair in Manhattan, then across Europe. 

But to eyewitnesses, Newport Jazz Festival 1969 was ground zero, the big bang that informed Bitches Brew.  "I remember that Miles always came to Newport and left as fast as he could," Wein told Kahn.  "In '66, he came up in a boat and got to the stage in time to play, and was back on the boat and got the hell out of there.  In '69, he stayed from the first day to the last, standing right by my shoulder... He watched every group and watched the response of the audience, who got the most applause, what music they were playing.  He was studying.  And that affected all the last years of his career." 

MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 4 was produced for release by the multiple Grammy Award®-winning trio of Richard Seidel and Michael Cuscuna; with co-producer Steve Berkowitz.  Executive producers for the Miles Davis Estate were Cheryl Davis, Erin Davis and Vince Wilburn, Jr.  The music was mastered by Mark Wilder and Maria Triana at Battery Studios in New York City.  All original concerts were produced by George Wein. 

Gary Bartz, Larry Willis, Buster Williams, and Al Foster Join Forces as HEADS OF STATE to Release SEARCH FOR PEACE

Gary Bartz, Larry Willis, Buster Williams and Al Foster--four of today's most important and influential jazz artists--have joined forces as a collaborative group for the first time in their storied careers and the result is a quartet for the ages.

Somewhat surprisingly after a half-century of working together in various combinations, these four masters had never performed together as a quartet until last fall at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club in New York City. They electrified the packed house during that run and knew immediately that they had something special. As Williams remembers, "Larry called me the next week, and said, 'What do you think about us keeping this band together?' I said, 'I like the idea; let me talk to Al and Gary.'" They agreed and the rest was history in the making.

They were billed for those first performances as the Larry Willis All-Stars, and their purpose was to pay tribute to NEA Jazz Master McCoy Tyner. For artists of this stature to come together with a unified focus upon another master, that individual needs to be one of enormous significance; McCoy Tyner is certainly that. Bartz, Williams and Foster have all played and recorded with the legendary pianist going back to the '60s and '70s and there's no one more fitting than Willis to capture both the explosive drive and filigreed subtlety of the master.

After another sold-out run in January 2015, the band headed into the studio. What had originally been intended to be a one-time thing has blossomed into Heads of State, a stunning new ensemble powerfully manifested by their debut album on Smoke Sessions Records, Search for Peace.

The Tyner concept provides the core for this brilliant recording, not only titled for his majestic hymnal ballad, but also containing four other pieces associated with his prolific legacy--two pieces he performed with the unparalleled Classic John Coltrane Quartet, and two Bartz originals from Tyner albums on which Bartz participated as a sideman.

Although Bartz still plays in Tyner's groups on occasion--a relationship dating back into the late '60s--he has been a renowned leader for nearly as long. All four of these gentlemen are highly respected in their own right and have shared the stage with nearly every jazz legend and heavyweight musician of the entire modern era. Combining that wealth of history and their individual virtuosity into a synergy and spirit that provides a visceral group identity makes Heads of State as formidable an ensemble as any on today's scene. Bartz's fluently articulate and always inventive alto and soprano saxes are perfectly framed by the rhythm section, with Willis comping mightily or embellishing subtly as demanded by the music; Williams' vibrant wood and potent pulse; and Foster's inspired and sensitively dynamic drumming.

From the opening strains of Coltrane's classic "Impressions," it's eminently clear that the vitality and urgent creativity of the era that spawned these four giants will be on full display; not only in the fire and energy of this piece and Bartz's "Soulstice," but also in the relaxed swing and beautiful balladry that comprises the rest of the album. Of the former, "Search for Peace" is a lengthy exploration of the classic paean that is simply exquisite, and Sigman & Russell's "Crazy She Calls Me" is deeply emotive and poignantly lovely.

There are unexpected surprises as well. Billy Strayhorn's heartbreakingly beautiful "Lotus Blossom" is re-imagined in medium swing on an infectious bass ostinato without losing any of its haunting eloquence. Warren & Gordon's "I Wish I Knew"--which Tyner buoyed so appealingly on Trane's Ballads album--is in an easy groove over a distinctly Tyner-ish vamp.

Sparkling swing in mid-tempo variations are the order for Jackie McLean's nicely grooving "Capuchin Swing," airily jaunty on Benny Carter's Summer "Serenade," and playfully whimsical on Bartz's delectably Monk-ish "Uncle Bubba."

This configuration of elder statesmen serves as a salient reminder of what makes jazz such a powerful and poignant art form. Search for Peace is a compelling beginning for this group, leaving all in anticipation of what is to come from this newly conceived partnership. As pianist Ethan Iverson wrote on his blog, Do the Math, "Larry Willis, Gary Bartz, Buster Williams, Al Foster at Smoke. Jazz like this still exists? Apparently they are playing McCoy Tyner tunes. Fine. Whatever gets them on the bandstand together." Yes, jazz like this is alive and well with Heads of State at the helm.

"Search for Peace" was recorded live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C

on a Sear-Avalon custom console at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape

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

Heads of State · Search for Peace

Smoke Sessions Records  ·  Release Date: July 17, 2015

Release Performances: July 24 - 26 @ Smoke Jazz Club

NEW RELEASES: ALESSANDRO SCALA GROOVOLOGY TRIO - GROOVE ISLAND; MELBOURNE'S WOMEN OF SOUL; GUIDO MANUSARDI TRIO - METAMORPHOSIS

ALESSANDRO SCALA GROOVOLOGY TRIO FEAT. FLAVIO BOLTRE - GROOVE ISLAND

An island of groove from reedman Alessandro Scala – a player who mostly leads a core trio on the set, but also gets help on half the record from trumpeter Flavio Boltro! We're well-known for our love of Boltro – so we'll just take that as a given – and instead focus on the tight work of the group, which includes loads of great lines on Hammond, plus a bit of Fender Rhodes, from keyboardist Leo Corradi – and just the right kind of short, sharp, focused work on drums from Stefano Paolini – who can give things a soul jazz punch when needed, but also open up in a modal groove too. Scala plays tenor, soprano, and baritone sax – and titles include "Hello & Goodbye", "Viaggio Stellare", "Game Over", "Sottospra", "Minghe", and "The Belin".  ~ Dusty Groove

MELBOURNE'S WOMEN OF SOUL (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Melbourne, Australia may not instantly come to mind as a center of soul music – but in recent years the city's seen a huge growth in its deep funk scene – which has also produced lots of great soul singers as well! This great package is a strong overview of the female soul going down in the city right now – vocalists who are very much in the vein of other contemporary funk singers – like Alice Russell or Sharon Jones – only one of whom, Kylie Auldist, we've ever heard before! There's a core band to the project – and all cuts are exclusive to this set, with the singers swapping out from track to track while the funky combo grooves on. Titles include "Beautifully Broken Heart" by Candice Monique, "More Than A Mouthful" by Kylie Auldist, "Who Told You" by Chelsea Wilson, "Love Connection" by May Johnston, "I Need A Man" by Rita Satch, "Accelerate" by Lisa Faithful, "What We Had Back Then" by Candice Monique & Chelsea Wilson, and the long "Women Got Soul" track, with all the singers in the collection, and more!  ~ Dusty Groove

GUIDO MANUSARDI TRIO - METAMORPHOSIS

A wonderfully sensitive record from Italian piano legend Guido Manusardi – a record that still has a swing at all the right moments, but which also has these darker currents we especially love! The trio here really seems to follow Guido's lead – and sometimes the pianist is working around the moody corners of a song, the bursts out more strongly – other times almost seems to elliptically shade in the tune with these flowing colors that are especially marvelous! The group features Marco Vaggi on bass and Luigi Bonafede on drums – and titles include "Gea", "Autumn Promenade", "Chrysalis", "This Was Tomorrow", "Missing Her", and "Phrases".  ~ Dusty Groove

Jazz Pianist and Leader Ahmad Jamal to receive NEC 2015 Honorary Degree

Celebrated pianist-composer Ahmad Jamal continues his performance schedule at home in the U.S. and around the world, as he has for the last seven decades. Noted for his outstanding technical command and identifiable sound as a piano stylist, Jamal was born on July 2, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of three, he began formal studies at age seven. While in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African-American concert singer and teacher Mary Cardwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians’ union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation from Westinghouse High School at the age of 17, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1951 he formed his first trio, The Three Strings. Record Producer John Hammond “discovered” The Three Strings performing at New York’s The Embers Club, and signed them to Okeh Records when this imprint was revived as a base for jazz and R&B releases under the Columbia (now Sony) umbrella.

Working as the “house trio” at Chicago’s Pershing Hotel in 1958, Jamal, with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernell Fournier, made an on-location recording for Argo (Chess) Records entitled But Not For Me. The resulting hit single and album, which also included Poinciana—now Jamal’s trademark—remained on the Top 10 Best-Selling charts for an unprecedented 108 weeks. The resulting financial success enabled Jamal to realize a dream, and he opened a restaurant/club, The Alhambra, in Chicago. Here the trio was able to perform while limiting their touring schedule.

Although Jamal performs in many configurations and with many other jazz artists, the solo and trio formats form the core of his work. Following his Crosby/Fournier configuration, his trio with bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Frank Gant dominated his large recorded output, as well as concert dates, from the mid-1960s to the mid-'70s. His current quartet is with bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley, and percussionist Manolo Badrena.

Considering his trio “an orchestra,” Jamal not only achieves a unified sound, but subtly inserts independent roles for the bass and drums. The hallmarks of Jamal’s style are rhythmic innovations, colorful harmonic perceptions, especially left hand harmonic and melodic figures, plus parallel and contrary motion lines in and out of chordal substitutions and alterations and pedal point ostinato interludes in tasteful dynamics. He also incorporates a unique sense of space in his music, and his musical concepts are exciting without being loud in volume. Augmented by a selection of unusual standards and his own compositions, Jamal would notably impress and influence, among others, trumpeter Miles Davis.

In 1970, Jamal performed "M.A.S.H. Theme (Suicide Is Painless)," the title composition by Johnny Mandel for the soundtrack of the film M*A*S*H and in 1995, two tracks from his smash album But Not For Me—Music, Music, Music, and Poinciana were featured in the Clint Eastwood film The Bridges of Madison County.

In 1994, Jamal received the American Jazz Masters fellowship award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The same year he was named a Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University, where he performed commissioned works with the Assai String Quartet.

In June of 2007 the French Government inducted Jamal into the prestigious l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Former recipients being William Faulkner, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jackson Pollock, Ella Fitzgerald, Alan Ginsberg and Toni Morrison.

Ahmad Jamal's music remains youthful, fresh, imaginative and always influential. His most recent recording, from 2014, is a two-CD-plus-DVD live set with flutist Yusef Lateef from the Olympia theatre in Paris. His 2008 recording It’s Magic hit the charts at No. 13 immediately after its release in the U.S., being touted as one of his finest works yet to date. Hailed by critics as a career highlight, the album graced the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart, the iTunes Jazz Top 10, and peaked at No. 2 on the Jazz Week Radio Chart In France. Jamal was awarded Best International Album (Album International de Production Francaise) by Les Victoires du Jazz, the French equivalent of the Grammys. The album also garnered Record of the Year from Jazz Man magazine.

New England Conservatory (NEC) will bestow honorary Doctor of Music (hon. D.M.) degree to Ahmad Jamal at its 144th annual Commencement Exercises, Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. in NEC’s Jordan Hall. 

Vintage Reggae Revivalists THE EXPANDERS To Release New Album HUSTING CULTURE

Los Angeles-based vintage reggae revivalists The Expanders have been crafting their signature sound around classic 70's and early 80’s style reggae with three-part harmonies for the better half of the past decade.  Press accolades have stated, “This exciting young band has mastered the sound of classic roots” (KPFK) and “Never has a sound so old felt so fresh” (Rudeboy Reggae).  Currently the four-piece band is preparing to release their third full-length album on indie reggae powerhouse label Easy Star Records.  The new record, Hustling Culture, will be released June 16, 2015.  Pre-order begins April 28 on iTunes and via the band’s website. Pre-orders will get an instant download of the track “World Of Happiness” to get a taste of the new release.

Comprised of John Asher (Drums, Vocals), John Butcher (Guitar, Vocals), Chiquis Lozoya (Bass, Vocals), and Devin Morrison (Guitar, Vocals), The Expanders’ music emphasizes lush three-part vocal harmonies with strong and conscious songwriting rooted in the era of 70's to early 80’s style reggae, but with modern sensibilities. Their sound has made the group a favorite as a backing band for legendary Jamaican singers traveling through California such as Alton Ellis, The Maytones, and The Wailing Souls.  The band is part of a burgeoning Los Angeles reggae scene that sprang in large part from The Blue Beat Lounge (the longest running weekly ska night that happened at the Knitting Factory) and LA’s longtime premier weekly reggae night Dub Club held at the Echoplex.

Hustling Culture is the band’s third studio album, but for the band members feels like their first proper album as a cohesive unit.  Asher explains, “Our first album was a collection of music from good friends making a record together.  Our second album was a great covers album, but Hustling Culture is the band coming into its own with our songwriting and musicianship.”

For The Expanders, having their album released with a leading label like Easy Star Records further legitimizes their music to the reggae world as a whole. With influences like Ethiopians, Gladiators, Mighty Diamonds, Culture, Sound Dimension, Aggrovators, and Roots Radics much of the group’s early reggae digging came from listening to Easy Star compilations like Sugar Minott's Hidden Treasures and Can't Stop Us Now: Linval Thompson Productions. Signing with the label has brought their love for reggae full circle. As Morrison enthusiastically states, “We are honored to sign with Easy Star Records.  No other label in reggae has the reputation for putting out such high quality releases with the deep understanding of the entire genre.  Easy Star has become the first label you think of when it comes to diverse and timeless reggae.”

For Easy Star Records, having The Expanders on the roster showcases how the label’s roots continue to influence a new generation of musicians and reggae enthusiasts.  “The Expanders are carving out their own lane in the current reggae scene rooted in a vintage Jamaican sound,” says Easy Star CEO Eric Smith.  “While we are honored that our label's past releases have inspired The Expanders, the truly wonderful thing is that their music, in turn, has inspired us as well.  And we have no doubt that this release will be an inspiration for generations of musicians to come.”

In addition to being influenced by early Easy Star compilations, The Expanders grew up listening to famed reggae archivist Roger Steffens’ deep reggae collection. Morrison and Butcher grew up spending time with Steffens’ son and credit much of their knowledge to the accessibility and education of those experiences.

In support of the new album, The Expanders will be on tour leading up to the release and following it throughout the summer. A pre-order of the record is set to go live April 28.

The Expanders U.S Tour Dates

April 30 @ SOL Venue - Carson, CA

May 01 @ Elements Venue - Bakersfield, CA

May 16 @ Discovery Ventura - Ventura, CA *

May 17 @ Fat Cat Music House and Lounge - Modesto, CA *

May 18 @ Mcnear’s Mystic Theatre - Petaluma, CA *

May 19 @ Catalyst Atrium - Santa Cruz, CA

May 20 @ Blue Lamp - Sacramento, CA

May 21 @ Miners Foundry - Nevada City, CA *

May 22 @ Mateel Community Center - Redway, CA *

July 11 @ Chalice Festival - San Bernardino, CA

July 25 @ Reggae on the Mountain - Topanga, CA

Additional Dates TBA

* With Collie Buddz

http://TheExpanders.net

South Florida JAZZ Presents Cécile McLorin Salvant in Concert May 9th

South Florida JAZZ, the area’s premier modern jazz organization, is thrilled to present Cécile McLorin Salvant on Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 8:00 PM. This concert will take place at the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on the Nova Southeastern University campus, 3100 Ray Ferrero, Jr Blvd, Davie 33314. 

Cécile McLorin Salvant is making an eagerly awaited South Florida JAZZ debut. When she competed in the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, she was the youngest finalist ever. After taking first-place in the jazz world’s most prestigious contest, the buzz began and steadily intensified in the months leading up to the launch of her Mack Avenue Records debut, WomanChild, in 2013. DownBeat Magazine named it Best Jazz Album of the Year in its 2014 critics poll along with Best Female Vocalist and Rising Star Female Vocalist; and placed her photo on the cover of that issue. The jazz world eagerly awaits what this sophisticated and ebullient young artist will do next.

Cécile McLorin Salvant was born and raised in Miami, Florida of a French mother and a Haitian father. She started classical piano studies at five, and began singing in the Miami Choral Society at eight. Early on, she developed an interest in classical voice, began studying with private instructors, and later with Edward Walker, vocal teacher at the University of Miami.

In 2007, Cécile moved to Aix-en-Provence, France, to study law as well as classical and baroque voice at the Darius Milhaud Conservatory. It was in Aix-en-Provence, with reedist and teacher Jean-François Bonnel that she delved into instrumental and vocal repertoire ranging from Bessie Smith and the improvisation beyond of Betty Carter, Carmen McRae and Abbey Lincoln. She also began to sing with a band. In 2009, after a series of concerts in Paris, she recorded her first album, Cécile, with Jean-François Bonnel's Paris Quintet. Just a year later, a star was born as Cécile emerged and captured first-place in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition.

Cécile enjoys performing unique interpretations of little known and scarcely recorded jazz and blues compositions. She also focuses on a theatrical portrayal of the jazz standard and composes music and lyrics, which she also sings in French, her native language, as well as in Spanish. She is enjoying accelerating popularity in Europe and in the United States, performing in clubs, concert halls, and festivals, accompanied by renowned European and American musicians. After signing with Mack Avenue Records, Cécile recorded WomanChild, which was nominated for a Grammy® for Best Jazz Album in 2014. Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll named it Best Jazz Album of the year while also voting her Best Female Vocalist and Rising Star Female Vocalist. Her photo graced that August 2014 edition of Downbeat.

In addition to touring with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Cécile has a busy concert and festival schedule with her band that takes her throughout Europe, North and South America and beyond. Cécile's WomanChild recording, her first on Mack Avenue Records, was named Best Jazz Album by Downbeat Critics Poll and nominated for the 2014 Grammy.

ARTISTIC PERSONNEL

Cécile McLorin Salvant – vocals

Aaron Diehl – piano

Paul Sikizie - double bass

Lawrence Leathers – drums

Bobby McFerrin to Headline the Duke Ellington School of the Arts 8th Annual Performance Series of Legends Benefit Concert

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is excited to announce that 10-time Grammy award winner Bobby McFerrin will headline Duke Ellington School of the Arts' 8th annual Performance Series of Legends benefit concert on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7:30pm at the Warner Theatre.

Multi-faceted and multi-talented Bobby McFerrin has blurred the distinction between pop music and fine art, exploring uncharted vocal territory, inspiring a whole new generation of a cappella singers and the beatbox movement and dazzling audiences all over the world. He singlehandedly redefined the role of the human voice with his a cappella hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Bobby McFerrin promotes an extraordinary experience through spontaneous performance, engaging audiences with creative energy.

Its signature fundraising benefit concert, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts' Performance Series of Legends has previously featured Dave Chappelle; Denyce Graves; Stevie Wonder; Earth Wind & Fire; Smokey Robinson; Patti Labelle; Sting and Paul Simon. Featured artists help to raise money for the school and also contribute to the artistic enrichment of students that work with them in performance or master classes. Last year, Sting noted "I've agreed to work with schools before and you always think 'oh well they're kids', but this was of a higher order -- the singing and the playing and just the commitment. And it was absolutely inspiring for us. I'm blown away!" The Duke Ellington School of the Arts has taken an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to fundraising in order to support its dual arts and academic curriculum, and continue the vision of its co-founders Peggy Cooper Cafritz and the late Mike Malone.

Tickets ($50 - $150 each) are currently on sale at www.ellingtonschool.org. VIP Tickets ($250 each) and Sponsorship Opportunities ($1,000 - $75,000) are available through The Ellington Fund at 202-299-5663 or info@ellingtonarts.org. Sponsorships include invitation to a pre-performance master class and open sound check with Bobby McFerrin.

Since its inception in 1974, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts has upheld its mission of providing an exemplary arts and academic education to talented youth who may not otherwise have that opportunity. An independently operated public school in partnership with the Ellington Fund, George Washington University, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and DC Public Schools, it serves over 500 students from all wards of the District, Maryland and Virginia. At Ellington, students specialize in dance, literary media and communications, museum studies, instrumental and vocal music, theatre, technical design and production, and visual arts. With a graduation and college acceptance rate averaging 95%, Ellington is proof of what it means to successfully educate young people for the 21st century -- in and through the arts.

NEAL SCHON To Release VORTEX, New CD Embraces Elements of Jazz, Classical, World & Rock

Guitarist Neal Schon has announced the release of Vortex on June 23.  The 2-CD all-instrumental album utilizes rock as its foundation, while also embracing elements of jazz, classical and world music in an 18-track stunning, sonically explosive collection of original compositions.  The release is dedicated to Schon's best friend and wife, who serves as his true inspiration every day (Both "Lady M" and "Triumph of Love" were written for her, the latter of which he performed at their wedding on December 15, 2013).  Schon shares, "This is an evolutionary album for me.  I've always aspired to be a better player and push musical boundaries. And sure, I've sold 80-million records with Journey, and I'm proud of that, but this album is really me — all based on my guitar, which is my 'voice.' It's bold. There's love, and there's definitely fire and an element of danger. And the energy level is off the hook."

That's evident from the first, mysterious-sounding measures of "Miles Beyond," the scalding tribute to jazz genius Miles Davis' pioneering fusion recordings that opens the album. The tune blends Schon's soaring leads, tectonic plates of grinding rhythm and brilliantly layered melodies within an arrangement that embraces Middle Eastern flourishes plus flashes of African drumming by Steve Smith. "Schon & Hammer Now" is a furious jam between the guitarist and his longtime friend and creative foil, Grammy-winning keyboardist Jan Hammer, whose many accomplishments include charter membership in the groundbreaking Mahavishnu Orchestra.  And the two match their brilliant technique and relentless invention throughout, sparring with the grace and speed of a young Mohammad Ali.  Schon reveals, "Jan is all over this album. I wrote the material to give Jan room to stretch.  There are not many three-minute ditties. It's all huge, epic, bombastic…futuristic."  After hearing the completed album for the first time, Hammer made a succinct observation, "This is f****** amazing."

"Airliner NS910" is further proof. It's all speed and swagger, with Schon skywriting the song's sweetly singing theme in the indelible vapor trail of the instantly recognizable operatic tones of his signature model Paul Reed Smith guitars. He reflects, "Since Vortex is a two-record set, it's both my ninth and tenth solo albums.  That's where the 'NS910' comes from."

The music of Vortex originated in the hard drives that Schon is constantly filling with ideas for riffs, melodies and chord progressions at home. But they came to life at Berkeley's Fantasy Studios, his preferred spot for recording since Journey cut the 10-times-platinum number-one album Escape there in 1981. Schon states, "It's my home away from home.  I spend so much time there that they've given me my own locker."

Schon produced and played bass on Vortex, too, and was joined in the studio by Smith and keyboardist Igor Len. Hammer and Len also appeared on Schon's seventh solo album, The Calling, which was followed by the blues-inspired hard rock album So U.  He offers, "Igor and Jan complement each other, and me, beautifully."  And Vortex's "Eternal Love" is a testament to Len's creativity. The song, a richly emotional ballad, features Len alone on piano. The guitarist observes, "He sat down and played the tune spontaneously, and it was so gorgeous and deep that I had to have it on my album." Schon offers his own reflective solo performance on Vortex with the sparsely arranged acoustic guitar meditation "Mom," dedicated to his mother, Barbara Schon. He reveals, "Like most of the performances on this album, it wasn't premeditated.  I'd just pick up a guitar and tell my engineer Jesse Nichols to hit ProTools."

The intensely creative guitar giant has always had a seemingly innate ability to make glorious music. He began playing at age five and was inspired by soul vocalists like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blues and jazz guitarists ranging from B.B. King, Albert King and Eric Clapton to Wes Montgomery. When Schon was just 15 years old, Carlos Santana invited him to join his band. Schon's recording debut was on the classic 1971 album Santana III. He played the solo on the LP's hit single "Everybody's Everything." Recently Schon has been working with Carlos Santana on a new album, co-writing songs and playing key performances including homecoming Santana concerts in Guadalajara and Mexico City that included Journey as the opening band.

Schon formed Journey in 1973 and has led the band through its astonishing 42-year history. Along the way Journey has sold well over 80 million albums, amongst which the band's Greatest Hits release was certified Diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million copies.  To date sales now exceed 15 million copies.  Eight other Journey album releases have been certified multi-platinum.  Neal Schon co-wrote the timeless hit "Don't Stop Believin,'" which now holds the title as the most digitally downloaded song in history.  Seventeen additional Journey singles were Top 40 hits.  Schon has received multiple Grammy award nominations for both his work with Journey and his solo recordings, and Journey has been nominated for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Besides solo albums and tours and his historic work with Journey, Schon has an extensive history of blue-ribbon collaborations. These include co-founding the supergroup Bad English and forming bands with vocalists Paul Rodgers and Sammy Hagar. He released two collaboration albums with Jan Hammer, Untold Passion and Here To Stay, while also performing on releases from Michael Bolton, Return to Forever's Lenny White and many others. 

One thing he's never done is considered resting on his laurels. Schon reflects, "I feel more aware and alive now than I've ever been.  Part of that is the sobriety I've had for the last seven years. I've also evolved as a person and a player though understanding the value of being in the moment – letting things happen and not thinking too much. There's an old blues saying: 'If you're thinkin', you're stinkin'.  When you stop thinking and just play from the heart, you discover your own voice. That's the real thing, and that's what Vortex is about for me."