Tuesday, May 05, 2015

"IN for the OUT" from Mark McGrain and PLUNGE highlights drum and bass driven grooves

The heart of these 15 new compositions beats deep within New Orleans' tradition of polyphony and improvisation.  As has always been the aim with PLUNGE, according to McGrain, "each song must contain enough familiarity for the greater audience to find memorable while also providing enough musical challenge to propel the players into daring and expansive improvisations."

Alongside McGrain, PLUNGE features organist Robert Walter (Grey Boy All-stars), electronic percussionist and drummer Simon Lott (Charlie Hunter, Wil Blades), Kirk Joseph on sousaphone (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Tom Fitzpatrick (Walter "Wolfman" Washington) on flute and tenor sax, the late Tim Green (Peter Gabriel, Cyril Neville) on baritone sax and saxello, and James Singleton (Astral Project, John Scofield) on double bass.

New Orleans based composer and trombonist Mark McGrain will release his fourth album, IN for the OUT, with his band PLUNGE. Released as a digital album and CD on Immersion Records & Media on April 20, 2015, the album marks not only a return to the drum and bass driven "grooves as wide as a house" (DownBeat Magazine) concept of PLUNGE's first album Falling With Grace (1996, Accurate/Rounder) but also includes the intimate trio and improvisational elements of Dancing on Thin Ice (2009, Immersion Records & Media-IRM) and Tin Fish Tango (2011, IRM).

Instrumentation for IN for the OUT ranges from McGrain's solo trombone and alphorn tracks to the full throttle septet of McGrain, organist Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars), electronic percussionist and drummer Simon Lott (Charlie Hunter, Wil Blades), Kirk Joseph (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), on sousaphone, Tom Fitzpatrick (Walter "Wolfman" Washington) on flute and tenor sax, the late Tim Green (Peter Gabriel, Cyril Neville) on baritone sax and saxello, and James Singleton (Astral Project, John Scofield) on double bass.
In McGrain's words, "IN for the OUT is a 15 track song cycle based on various stages of human entropy--the steps we take and experience as we journey toward this life's conclusion . . . and beyond."

The heart of these 15 new compositions beats deep within New Orleans' tradition of polyphony and improvisation.  As has always been the aim with PLUNGE, according to McGrain, "Each song must contain enough familiarity for the greater audience to find memorable while also providing enough musical challenge to propel the players into daring and expansive improvisations."

From the funky, startlingly odd-measured opener "The Jilt" to the reflective surrender of "With Love Alone," and the second-line, set-the-spirit-free buoyancy of "Birmingham Songo," the listener is transported along a path littered with joy and jubilation, introspection and loss, and, in the end, celebration.  As the inscription by McGrain on the back of the album jacket reads: "Beauty dusts these tracks we share, carrying us onward, in for the out."


Plunge is the brainchild of trombonist and composer Mark McGrain.  Over a span of 20 years, from the 1995 production of Falling with Grace to the 2015 release of IN for the OUT, McGrain has produced four critically acclaimed albums of his compositions performed in unique ensemble settings.  Some of jazz and creative music's most lauded practitioners have contributed to these sessions.  Over the years, PLUNGE recording personnel has included drummer Rakalam Bob Moses, bassist Avishai Cohen, tubist Marcus Rojas, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph, bassist James Singleton, saxophonists Tim Green and Tom Fitzpatrick, drummer Simon Lott, and organist Robert Walker.


Trumpeter Terell Stafford Pays Homage to Philadelphia Legend Lee Morgan on BrotherLee Love

A love letter from one of Philadelphia's favorite trumpet-playing sons to another, BrotherLee Love features Terell Stafford celebrating the soulful musical legacy of jazz legend Lee Morgan. The follow-up to Stafford's acclaimed homage to composer Billy Strayhorn, BrotherLee Love (Available June 16 on Capri Records) again features the trumpeter's regular band of brothers, his incredible quintet with saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Dana Hall.

While Stafford may not be a Philadelphia native--he was born in Miami and raised in a suburb of Chicago--he's become a vocal champion of the city's storied jazz heritage. Stafford came of musical age on Philadelphia stages, mentored by local legends like Shirley Scott, Arthur Harper, Mickey Roker, and Bootsie Barnes. For the past two decades he's helped to pass that torch to the next generation through his work as Director of Jazz and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance, and he recently established the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, an outstanding big band dedicated to spotlighting the city's most gifted instrumentalists and composers, past and present, which has hosted special guests including Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Odean Pope, and Kenny Barron.

All of which makes BrotherLee Love a show of respect and celebration from one favorite son to another. "This project is about how I was embraced by this city and about a trumpet player who has always been a huge inspiration to me," Stafford says. The eight tunes contained on the album are a joyous celebration of the music and spirit of Morgan, the Philadelphia native and trumpet legend who made a profound impact on the history of jazz during his brief 33 years with his fiery virtuosity and soulful style. "Lee Morgan was a total genius," Stafford enthuses. "The trumpet was merely a vehicle to express who he was. There was rasp, there was grit, there was personality, there was sass, exactly who he was as a person was inside of his sound and that's what I loved about it."

The project stems from a single concert, a Morgan tribute at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center suggested by pianist Danilo Pérez, the venue's then Artistic Advisor for Jazz. The response to that performance, and later inclusions of some of Morgan's compositions in regular quintet sets, left no question that these takes had to be recorded. "It's impossible to play a Lee Morgan tune that people don't love," Stafford says. "There was so much joy wrapped around playing this music, and I just hope some of that comes through to the listener."
Of course, being a trumpet player paying homage to one of the instrument's most iconic masters comes with an inherent intimidation factor, but Stafford has never been one to back down from a challenge. 

As a young classical trumpet student, he struggled against inadequate educational opportunities until coming under the tutelage of Rutgers professor William Fielder, Stafford then made a belated entry into the jazz world, training himself as an improviser on jam session stages under the often hostile gaze of uncharitable audiences.

So while he admits that reimagining the songs of such an influential trumpeter was daunting, Stafford nonetheless embraced the opportunity. "It was very intimidating, because when you hear these songs you hear one way to play them," he says. "But when you start playing these songs where a bar has been set so high, you better just be yourself."

Throughout the album, that individuality shines through - not just from Stafford, but from his longstanding quintet, for whom the "Brotherly Love" nickname could have been coined. Warfield has been at Stafford's side since the beginning of his plunge into jazz, standing alongside him during those early trials by fire. Barth has become a close collaborator on the bandstand and in the halls of academia, while Washington and Hall form an intensely swinging rhythm section, maintaining the vigor and muscularity of Morgan's tunes with their own unique feel.

These songs bring out truly spirited playing from the entire band: check out Stafford's tricky articulations on the sprightly opener, "Hocus Pocus," or his bluesy, muted moaning on the band's last-call read of "Candy;" lean into Warfield's sinuous lines on "Mr. Kenyatta" or be knocked back by Barth's keyboard-busting fire on the lesser-known "Yes I Can, No You Can't;" witness Hall's avalanching climax on "Stop Start" or Washington's dexterous, singing solo on "Speedball." Bask in the quintet's lush, tender side on the gorgeous ballad "Carolyn."
Finally, there's Stafford's own contribution, "Favor," which didn't start out as an homage to Morgan; it was originally commissioned by Philadelphia chamber ensemble Network for New Music as part of a tribute concert to contemporary classical composer John Harbison. But the piece earns its place alongside these memorable Morgan compositions by virtue of its easy swing, its loose but spirited vibe, and its lithe, blues-steeped soul. It's also thematically relevant as Stafford meant the piece as a way of giving thanks, he explains, "to have the gift to be able to do this record and be able to touch people with music. That's what that song represents, and that's what I put into this whole project."

Although he didn't come to jazz until his early 20s, Stafford was a quick study and was enlisted during his college years to play with saxophonist Bobby Watson's Horizon. From there he joined McCoy Tyner's Latin All-Star Band alongside such greats as trombonist Steve Turre, flutist Dave Valentin, and percussionist Jerry Gonzalez. In addition to his work as a leader he's continued to be an in-demand sideman, including considerable stints with the Clayton Brothers, Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

The son of a teacher, education has always played a role in Stafford's life. He's served as Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University for the past twenty years, late integrating oversight of the school's classical department as Chair of Instrumental Studies. In addition, he's spent time as a clinician at the Vail Foundation in Colorado and Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington program.

Upcoming Terell Stafford Performances:
June 2-7 / Village Vanguard / New York, NY
October 11 / Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz / Harrisburg, PA

Terell Stafford · BrotherLee Love
Capri Records · Release Date: June 16, 2015



Austin-based keyboardist and singer and songwriter PAULA MAYA releases ILUMINAR, Brazilian-influenced album

Austin-based keyboardist and singer and songwriter Paula Maya is back with her sixth studio album, Iluminar, now released worldwide.  The new album is heavily influenced by her Brazilian roots, just as much as her home base of Austin, TX.  Iluminar is Paula’s first album sung predominately in Portuguese (90%) and focused on Brazilian music, jazz, and world inspired rhythms such as African soukous and Latin beats versus her previous releases, which featured a mix of pop, rock, classical and electronica.  

Paula is originally from Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of bossa nova and songs such as Girl from Ipanema. Rio is also where choro, a Brazilian be-bop-like music, was born a century before bossa nova. Both music styles, as well as Brazilian dance music like samba and baião, are heard in Paula's songs. Another strong influence is the eclectic community of musicians from different parts of the world that Paula is a part of, in Austin TX and in Seattle, where she used to live. Different genres such as jazz, country, reggae and soukous inspire fresh music blends.

Although the album took the entire 2014-year to record, mix, and master, it’s really been Paula’s lifelong journey that took her to this point.  Paula relocated from Brazil to the US in 1993 where she lived briefly in Houston before making Seattle her home for the next 17 years.  In 2011 after living in Enfield, CT to record an album during one of the coldest Northeast winters, she came to Austin for SXSW and fell in love, both with the city and her partner.  She went back to Rio de Janeiro to visit her old friends and family, but cut her stay short to return to Austin.  During that short visit, Paula re-connected with her Brazilian roots at a deeper level than ever before and she brought that inspiration back to Austin to perform and record.  Her new rooted sound was quickly well received (Paula was voted in the top 10 World Music Bands of 2014-2015 by the Austin Chronicle Music Poll) and was a refreshing change from her previous albums of avant garde instrumentals, classical music, pop and rock, that she recorded living in Houston and Seattle.

lluminar, which means ‘To Shine’ in Portuguese, features eight songs; seven originals and one traditional bossa nova.  The album title is taken from the first song 'Iluminar Você' which is a soukous (African rhythm) inspired song written in Portuguese about flying to Rio de Janeiro, to see her old friends and family.  'Baião de Cabo Frio' is a baião (Brazilian rhythm from the North East of Brazil). Inspired by this magical place called Cabo Frio, which is a cape in the state of RJ stretching east into the ocean. Havind deep seeded roots in this area, Paula wrote this song to honor the wonderful experiences from her childhood.  'Tarde em Itapoã' is a traditional bossa nova written by Toquinho and Vinícius de Moraes.  'The Rain' is another soukous inspired song, written in English. It's a love song for Austin, Paula’s new home and love.  'Queria te Encontrar,’ which means 'I'd love to find you,’ is a bolero / samba canção song. A love song about longing to find someone you’ve loved and lost.  'Julia' is an instrumental tune Paula wrote for her niece. It features two rhythms: Latin jazz and samba, happening back and forth through out the piece.  ‘So In Tune' is a bi-lingual pop song with a hint of reggae. It’s about a broken heart. A girl telling the guy she is in love with that he is clueless about matters of the heart.  The album concludes with 'Menina Bonita,' which is another baião. It's about a couple from a fishing village in Brazil who are in love. 

Iluminar is deeply inspired by Brazil, but is also the first album completely recorded, mixed, mastered and duplicated in Austin.  It was recorded at her record label studio – Yellow House Records based in South Austin with Lefty and Robert Wyatt, mastered by Nick Landis at Terra Nova, and manufactured by Matt Eskey’s Any and All Media.  Paula enthusiastically states, “I am so proud my new CD Iluminar is completely done in Austin.

Her new album will be showcased during her hometown record release party on May 7, 2014 at the One-2-One Bar in Austin, TX.  Then Paula embarks on a Brazilian tour in late May before returning back to the US to tour stateside. 


Monday, May 04, 2015

NEW RELEASES: AMBIENT JAZZ ENSEMBLE - SUITE SHOP REWORKS; OLIVER NELSON - THE BLUES AND THE BLUES ABSTRACT; URBIE GREEN - EAST COAST JAZZ

AMBIENT JAZZ ENSEMBLE - SUITE SHOP REWORKS

Ambient Jazz Ensemble composer and producer Colin Baldry has released the companion release to Ambient Jazz Ensemble's debut album in the shape of 'Suite Shop Reworks : Electronica, Deep House & Disco' a 15 track collection of upbeat, dancefloor and electronic versions of the chilled orchestral originals. For the original 'Suite Shop' album Baldry was joined by Neil Cowley (Adele, Brand New Heavies) on keys, Finn Peters (Chick Corea) on sax, Dominic Glover (Paloma Faith) trumpet, Nichol Thomson (Jamie Cullum) trombone, Tom Kane horns, Ben Reynolds drums and a string quartet. Much of the reworks album was mixed by George Shilling, whose credits include Blur, Mike Oldfield, Steve Winwood, Ocean Colour Scene and Texas. Jon Hopkins, Jamie T and FKA Twigs’ mastering engineer Guy Davie repeats his fantastic work on Suite Shop Reworks as he did on the original using his gorgeous early 70s EMI Lagos desk which no doubt many Fela Kuti recording went through. For 'Suite Shop Reworks' Baldry has drafted in an A team of remixers to lovingly rework his original in their own masterful and celebrated styles.

OLIVER NELSON - THE BLUES AND THE BLUES ABSTRACT

Recorded during the course of a single day in February 1961 and released six months later, The Blues And The Abstract Truth is regarded as jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelsons most acclaimed album. It helped that he was assisted by a stellar list of musicians, including Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow and Roy Haynes. Musically the album was something of a departure from the norm for Oliver; better known primarily for his work with big bands, this album found him fronting a much smaller combo and exploring the mood and structure of the blues. To accomplish this, Oliver wrote six tracks, with only some of the tracks being structured in the conventional 12-bar blues form. However, many of the solos are performed in such a style, resulting in a compelling album that has withstood the passage of time extremely well. ~ Amazon

URBIE GREEN - EAST COAST JAZZ

Jazz trombonist Urbie Green has forged a veritable career as a studio musician, appearing on more than 250 recordings during a professional career that commenced in 1941. He has also toured extensively, working with the likes of Woody Herman, Gene Krupa and Frankie Carle. You could be forgiven, therefore, for imagining that Urbie Green would be a household name. And so he is, among other musicians, but his preference for remaining in the background resulted in a somewhat limited recording career under his own name. On the evidence of East Coast Jazz this is something of a loss. His early recordings showed plenty of promise, and the mix of some strong compositions and an equally strong line-up of accompanying musicians, including Danny bank, Doug Mettome, Jimmy Lyon, Oscar Pettiford, Osie Johnson and Al Cohn make this a well balanced album. ~ Amazon


Audio Fidelity To Release Guitar Innovator Michael Hedges “Aerial Boundaries” on Limited Edition 180gm Vinyl

Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing guitar innovator Michael Hedges critically acclaimed album Aerial Boundaries on limited edition 180gm vinyl! Aerial Boundaries is unquestionably one of the most groundbreaking albums in acoustic guitar history. This is the record that presented Michael Hedges to the world as the ultimate acoustic guitar visionary, stretching the limits of the instrument to accommodate his uncanny musical ideas. There are moments on the record where it seems impossible that so much music is coming from one man and his guitar. Rich in classical harmony and master of fast finger techniques, Hedges' tracks feature layer upon layer of musical complexity and every performance expands the dynamic range of the instrument.

The songs on Aerial Boundaries are all beautiful and haunting and it is this emphasis on composition over technique that makes this such an important recording. Stirring, complex compositions like “Rickover's Dream,” “Spare Change,” and an ingenious instrumental take of Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush” are on full display. He could be seductively quiet and suddenly explosive...slow or fast, timid or thunderous.

The liner notes on the 180g vinyl gatefold jacket assures the listener that the guitar is the origin for every sound heard...attacking his instrument, snapping strings, banging on the fingerboard with his right hand...Hedges has electronically manipulated some of the guitar sounds to an almost unrecognizable point, yet he still managed to create music of untarnished beauty.

“There was simply no one like him,” Bonnie Raitt said of Michael Hedges following his untimely death in 1997, “a very gifted performer, arranger and composer whose music sounded like nothing that had come before it." Boundaries remains the late composer-guitarist's seminal work, and its innovations in technique, tuning, tone, and intensity remain key texts in modern acoustic circles.

Tracks:
1. Aerial Boundaries
2. Bensusan
3. Rickover's Dream
4. The Ragamuffin
5. After the Gold Rush
6. Hot Type
7. Spare Change
8. Threesome
9. The Magic Farmer

Produced by Will Ackerman, Michael Hedges, Steven Miller
Engineered by Steven Miller, Oliver Di Cicco, Bill Mueller, Michael Hedges
Mastered for this release by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio


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




Thursday, April 30, 2015

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


LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...