Henry Stone's Miami Sound - The Record Man's Finest 45s

When Terry Kane - a sound engineer who was barely twenty years old at the time - built an 8-track recording studio above Henry Stone's office space in the Hialeah area of Miami, he probably never envisaged that he was laying the bedrock for a creative hub that would spawn over 25 gold records and over 100 million record sales worldwide. In the process, it would help to make Henry Stone a legend of American music.

At one end of the spectrum, warehouse boy turned global superstar Harry Wayne Casey - better known as leader of K.C. & The Sunshine Band - was pumping out disco classics on a massive scale with ubiquitous airplay and sell-out shows. At the other, Rodney Matthew and his group Formula 1, were relying on the might of the T.K. distribution machine to propel them into the spotlight. As remarkable as their 1977 masterpiece on Du-Vern records was, it inevitably failed to have the seismic impact of The Sunshine Band's commercial dance pop.

For every success story like T-Connection, with their firebrand funk-disco fusion and major label achievements, there were equally talented acts such as Stevens And Foster who also called on Stone's services to showcase their vision: judging by the scarcity of original copies of their self-written and produced modern soul jewel on Jerri Records, they also failed to reach beyond the Sunshine state, save for the rarified ears of collectors and connoisseurs.

The sheer amount of records that came out of those modest premises at 495 SE 10th Court - about 8km from Downtown Miami (as the pink flamingo flies) - is mind boggling. With a huge roster of in-house labels as well as production and distribution deals, label boss Henry Stone was a passionate, busy, and exceptionally well connected man.

Stone would nurture the early careers of the likes of million seller Betty Wright, as well as provide a platform for Milton Wright and Leno Phillips (her older brothers) to express their creativity. Clarence Reid (AKA Blowfly) and Willie Clark penned a raft of amazing tracks for acts such as Jimmy 'Bo' Horne and Little Beaver (AKA Willie Hale, who would also write a wealth of material for others), while T.K. in-house band Miami's own Robert Moore also released records on yet another T.K. imprint; Blue Candle.

The music scene in Miami and indeed, Florida, at the time was fertile and moved quickly with the times; there were hit-makers and risk-takers, shining stars and those who never went far.

As a living document of Henry Stone's remarkable legacy, the diverse styles and ideas coming out of Miami-Dade County and beyond, as well as a glimpse at the successes and near-misses achieved by a dazzling array of artists at the time, this collection serves as an invaluable insight. This collection includes tracks by Little Beaver, Milton Wright, Lynn Williams, Raphael Munnings, Wildflower, Jimmy 'Bo' Horne, Leno Phillips, Phillip Wright, Willie Johnson, Johnny K, Funky Nassau, Formula 1, Stevens & Foster, Oceanliners, Brand New, T-Connection, Beginning of the End, Robert Moore, and Friday Saturday & Sunday.

JOE LOCKE Celebrates LOVE IS A PENDULUM With Appearances on WKCR, WBGO, THE BURLINGTON DISCOVER JAZZ FEST, THE JAZZ STANDARD & THE XEROX ROCHESTER INT'L JAZZ FEST

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

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

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

From L to R is Ricardo Rodriguez, Terreon Gully, Joe Locke, Robert Rodriguez 

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

  

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

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

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

Joe Locke - Love Is A Pendulum / All compositions by Joe Locke

1. Variation On Wisdom 

2. Love Is The Tide 

3. Love Is A Planchette 

4. Love Is A Pendulum 

5. Love Is Letting Go 

6. Love Is Perpetual Motion 

7. For Jesse Mountain 

8. Last Ditch Wisdom 9. Embrace 

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

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

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

June 8 - Burlington, VT, Discover Jazz Festival

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

June 9 & 10 - NYC, The Jazz Standard

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

(Joe Locke with Eddie Palmieri Group)

CD RELEASE CELEBRATION:

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

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

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

(Joe Locke performing with Bill Charlap)

NEW RELEASES: WES MONTGOMERY - THE CLASSIC RECORDINGS 1960-1962; CARMELL JONES QUARTET WITH FORREST WESTBROOK - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LOS ANGELES SESSION; OTIS TAYLOR - HEY JOE OPUS RED MEAT

WES MONTGOMERY - THE CLASSIC RECORDINGS 1960-1962

In 1959 Montgomery was signed to the Riverside Records label, and remained there until late 1963, just before the company went bankrupt. The recordings made during this period are widely considered by fans and jazz historians to be Montgomery's best and most influential. Two sessions in January 1960 yielded the record, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, which was recorded as a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Tootie Heath. The album featured two of Montgomery's best known compositions, Four on Six and West Coast Blues. This album is included on the first volume of this two x four CD series, The Complete Recordings 1958 - 1960. Was Montgomery received many awards and accolades throughout his career; he was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Bumpin' in 1965 and received a Grammy for Goin' Out of My Head as Best Instrumental Jazz Performance by Large Group or Soloist with Large Group, in 1966. He was nominated again for his version of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby and the LP Down Here on the Ground in 1968, and posthumously for Willow, Weep for Me in '69. His second album, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, earned him Down Beat magazine's 'New Star' award in 1960. In addition, he won the Down Beat Critic's Poll award for best Jazz guitarist in 1960, '61, '62,'63, '66, and '67. Jazz purists relish Montgomery's recordings up through 1965, and sometimes complain that he abandoned hard-bop for pop jazz toward the end of his career, although it is arguable that he gained a wider audience for his earlier work with his soft jazz from 1965-1968. During this late period he would occasionally turn out original material alongside jazzy orchestral arrangements of pop songs. In sum, this late period earned him considerable wealth and created a platform for a new audience to hear his earlier recordings. ~ Amazon

CARMELL JONES QUARTET WITH FORREST WESTBROOK - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LOS ANGELES SESSION

In August 1960, 24-year old trumpet player Carmell Jones left his Kansas City home-town and hopped a bus to Los Angeles, intent on hitting the West Coast jazz scene. There, his impact was immediate and would prove to be memorable. He was quickly part of a quartet with pianist Forrest Westbrook, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Bill Schwemmer. They rehearsed at Westbrook s apartment at 2021 Sta. Monica Blvd, Hollywood, where this unreleased material was recorded at the end of that month. It was an amazing session, in which Carmell, oozing confi- dence and assertiveness, demonstrated a fresh, virile and imaginative style, with a warm ballad tone and an authoritatively implacable swing at up tempo. The highly responsive rhythm section locked right on him all the way, and also revealed Forrest Westbrook as a highly talented and sensi- tive pianist, with an advanced concept of improvisation, and a built-in propensity for swinging hard. Along with the pungently powerful Peacock and the driving Schwemmer, they provided an ideally vigor- ous support for Carmell Jones, who, unbelievably soon, would come to be regarded as among the finest trumpeters on the West Coast. These never-before- released recordings, his first on the Coast, show why. ~ Amazon

OTIS TAYLOR - HEY JOE OPUS RED MEAT

With Otis Taylor, it's best to expect the unexpected. While his music, an amalgamation of roots styles in their rawest form, discusses heavyweight issues like murder, homelessness, tyranny, and injustice, his personal style is lighthearted. "I'm good at dark, but I'm not a particularly unhappy person," he says. "I'd just like to make enough money to buy a Porsche." -- -- Part of Taylor's appeal is his contrasting character traits. But it is precisely this element of surprise that makes him one of the most compelling artists to emerge in recent years. Whether it's his unique instrumentation (he fancies banjo and cello), or it's the sudden sound of a female vocal, or a seemingly upbeat opti remains consistent is poignant storytelling based in truth and history. -- -- Otis Mark Taylor was born in Chicago in "My dad worked for the railroad and knew a lot of jazz people. He was a socialist and real bebopper." His mother, Sarah, a tough as nails woman with liberal leanings, had a penchant for Etta James and Pat Boone. Young Otis spent time at the Denver Folklore Center where he bought his first instrument, a banjo. He used to play it while riding his unicycle to high school. The Folklore Center was also the place where he first heard Mississippi John Hurt and country blues. He learned to play guitar and harmonica and by his mid-teens, he formed his first groups' the Butterscotch Fire Department Blues Band and later the Otis Taylor Blues Band. -- (Source: artist website) -- UPC 725543191526 -- The Amazon ASIN for the mp3 version of this CD is B00X5BRSZG -- Another listing by Zip ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: NAJEE – YOU, ME & FOREVER; ALTON ELLIS – SOUL TRAIN IS COMING; JASON PALMER – WONDALAND: JASON PALMER PLAYS JANELLE MONAE

NAJEE – YOU, ME & FOREVER

Multi-Platinum seller, recipient of multi-Grammy nominations, the NAACP Image Award and the Soul Train Award, Smooth Jazz icon Najee has shared the stage with such greats as Prince, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Lionel Richie, and his beloved mentor, George Duke. You, Me & Forever is the highly anticipated follow up to Najee s much loved The Morning After which was #1 both on the Billboard chart and at Smooth Jazz Radio. As the title implies, the album represents Najee s exploration into the world of sensuality and romance, interspersed with some fantastic spirited grooves that have made Najee a favorite the world over. Featuring keyboard great Alex Bugnon and Kenny G s longtime collaborator and music director Robert Damper, Najee explores such classics as Antonio Carlos Jobim s Wave , Ambrosia s The Biggest Part of Me plus some great Najee originals. ~ Amazon

ALTON ELLIS – SOUL TRAIN IS COMING

One of the more obscure sides of work from the legendary Alton Ellis – but one of the best as well! The set features some cuts issued by Alton on his own Ellis label – and many of the numbers here feature the singer acting as a producer too – a surprisingly strong side of his talents, as he's able to craft just the right sort of laidback rocksteady grooves for his wonderfully soulful voice! Alton never broke as big on an international scale as artists like Peter Tosh or Jimmy Cliff – but hearing these tracks, you'll definitely feel the way in which the paths Ellis took were clearly roads that allowed much bigger reggae grown in years to come! Titles include "My Time Is The Right Time", "I Love You Girl", "Again". "Dedication", "Baby Talk", "Past Time", "Soul Train Is Coming", "Bam Bye", "If I Had The Right", and "Big News".  ~ Dusty Groove

JASON PALMER – WONDALAND: JASON PALMER PLAYS JANELLE MONAE

The music of Janelle Monae gets some really wonderful treatment here – served up in an instrumental mode by trumpeter Jason Palmer – with a similar spirit to his previous project based around the music of Minnie Riperton! The approach is definitely jazz, but it's wonderful to hear Palmer and the group work some new magic with these familiar vocal tunes – with a mode that relies heavily on Fender Rhodes from Luke Marantz, whose spacey lines really help capture some of Monae's energy, but redirected towards a jazz basis that's quickly picked up by Palmer on trumpet, Godwin Louis on alto, Greg Duncan on guitar, Dan Carpel on bass, and Lee Fish on drums. The whole thing's completely charming – not gimmicky at all – and titles include "57821", "Sir Greendown", "Neon Valley Street", "Wondaland", "Say You'll Go", and "Oh Maker".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: THE GREG FOAT GROUP - THE DANCERS AT THE EDGE OF TIME; SPEEDOMETER FEATURING JAMES JUNIOR – NO TURNING BACK; LAURA TATE - I MUST BE DREAMING

THE GREG FOAT GROUP - THE DANCERS AT THE EDGE OF TIME

This major new release from the Greg Foat Group sees celebrated jazz quintet making the most of the acoustics of an ancient church, accompanied by a full ensemble of supporting musicians. The fourth album from the celebrated jazz combo will further delight Foat fans who have been consistently enthralled by the taste and finesse with which they execute their beguiling arrangements and instrumentation. Last year, during the long, hot summer of 2014, a couple of tons of vintage studio gear were bundled into an ancient church on the charming and picturesque village of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. There the centuries-old church organ was the centerpiece and the Group was accompanied a string quartet and woodwinds to create a musical style like no other. The resulting hauntingly sublime sounds need not only fill vaulted chapel ceilings, but our hearts and ears as well. Recorded across three of the hottest days in summer, direct onto 1" tape and with all the rich, live analogue sound and the hallowed magnificence that church acoustics can bring, The Dancers at the End of Time features the classic Foat group with guesting local musicians and friends, and celebrates the summertime and beach ambience of living on the island.

SPEEDOMETER FEATURING JAMES JUNIOR – NO TURNING BACK

Having been one of the bands that has spearheaded the resurgence in deep, gritty funk and soul for over 10 years, and having collaborated with luminaries like Eddie Bo, Marva Whitney, Sharon Jones, Billy Wooten, Sir Joe Quarterman and most recently ex James Brown vocalist Martha High, Speedometer enjoy a worldwide reputation as a class act. And now in 2015, the group bring a welcome spotlight to a fresh vocal talent - James Junior, who has already been likened to a young Donny Hathaway or Stevie Wonder, James has all the perquisite tone, phrasing and soul and is garaunteed to make a big impact in 2015. This brand new single kicks off with No Turning Back (taken from the forthcoming album of the same name) which is a storming latin soul and boss nova uptempo groover- but with lyrics directly addressing the 21st century issue of immigration. In distinctly good time mode - Orisha's Party is a disco-funk workout with Afrobeat touches - no message or agenda on this track, other than let your hair down and have a ball! The Reflex (aka London-based French native Nicolas Laugier) is an in demand producer/remixer who has revisioned music by the likes of Chic, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash and Cody Chestnut and has won plaudits from DJ's Gilles Peterson, Rob Da Bank, Craig Charles and Greg Wilson. Using his 'less is more' approach he has taken his revision of No Turning Back in a club jazz direction, a four to the floor beat sits underneath guitar, vocals and percussion - and leaves the groove plenty of room to breath. For the digital download version of this release we have included the full length club version as well as the radio edit for your maximum listening pleasure!

LAURA TATE - I MUST BE DREAMING

Singer & Actress Laura Tate pays tribute to songwriter Mel Harker in this fantastic collection of Jazz, Country and Rock-n-Roll songs. There is simply no one else like her. With a heart the size of Texas, a mesmerizing voice and a zest for living that is irresistible, Laura Tate inspires; through her music, her words and her deeds.  There is a spark behind those violet blue eyes that seems to say, “I’m living my life on my own terms… with love and laughter and passion.  Want to come along?”  And, yes, we do… and with the new CD release, “I Must Be Dreaming,” we most certainly do. Whether she is singing Broadway hits or ballads, pop favorites or original compositions, Laura brings heart and soul to her performance and recordings. The versatile singer, actor, producer, and community advocate continues to mesmerize audiences in both intimate cafes and huge concert halls, reaching each listener with her smooth sultry torch singer voice and warm stage presence.

Pianist KAIT DUNTON Debuts New Band, trioKAIT, with Eponymous Electro-Acoustic Album

Eagerly defying genre boundaries with a fresh, inventive electro-acoustic sound, trioKAIT is a piano trio for a random-access generation. On their self-titled debut, (available on July 31), the funky and eclectic Los Angeles-based trio - pianist Kait Dunton, electric bassist Cooper Appelt, and drummer Jake Reed - shuffles wide-ranging influences and Dunton's unconventional compositions into a refreshingly modern take on instrumental music that is as uncategorizable as it is infectious. 

On their first recording together, trioKAIT shows off a cohesive group sound and an electrifying camaraderie that takes most bands years to develop. A former member of the extended clan of Brooklyn-based fusionistas Snarky Puppy, Dunton refers to trioKAIT as a "family band," a spirit that shines through in their playful and spontaneous interactions. Knowing her bandmates as well as she does - Appelt was a classmate of the pianist in the renowned jazz program at the University of North Texas; Reed was a classmate at USC - Dunton composes music that takes full advantage of their individual strengths and collective identity to forge an utterly singular sound. 

Though Dunton's fingers never stray from the keyboard of her acoustic piano, there are echoes of electronic music throughout her writing for trioKAIT. EDM, classic R&B, various transmutations of electronica, and modern rock music all intermingle with jazz and classical influences on the album, reflective of Dunton's out-of-the-box tastes and interests. Her compositional focus is on storytelling rather than soloing, the emotional rather than the cerebral. 

"I remember when there were real record stores, I would go hang out at the listening stations and pick up CDs, even though I didn't know who anybody was," Dunton recalls. Over the years those excursions nurtured a collection stocked with artists as varied and influential as Vince Guaraldi and J Dilla, Cannonball Adderley and Erykah Badu, Roy Hargrove and Deadmau5. At the same time she was spending hours per day at the piano, poring over sheet music by classical and jazz composers. 

All of that input bleeds together on trioKAIT. Opener "Prelude" marries fusion chops with an urgent, angular electric groove that recalls the arena-jazz sound of Sweden's lamented Esbjörn Svensson Trio. It's immediately followed by the brief, elegant, etude-like "Channels," which segues into the album's most buoyant, pop-inspired tune, "Chrysocolla," almost a radio-friendly pop song without words.

In another form, "Ria" does have words - Dunton originally penned the song as a soul ballad with lyrics under the title "Risk It All," but it's here distilled into a slinky, expressive slow-burn instrumental piece. The composer's love of Brazilian music emerges subtly in Reed's surging rhythms on "Summer Solstice," and "Noraa" shines a brief spotlight on both Reed's and Appelt's improvisational abilities. "Time Travel" then harkens back to the heyday of Dave Brubeck with its ability to merge shifting, complex time signatures with joyous, deceptively accessible songcraft. 

The seductive groove of "Yes," driven by Appelt's robust, elastic bass, has a neo-soul vibe in the vein of Robert Glasper's stylistic cross-overs, while the frantic "50 Freeways" pays homage to the infamous traffic snarls of L.A., which nonetheless feel like home to a native Angeleno like Dunton. The title of "Outlook Good" perfectly captures the tune's breezy, optimistic feel, with Dunton conjuring the laid-back melodicism of a singer like James Taylor on the keys. "Love Lost" is equally lyrical while coming from a more melancholy place, while the jaunty "Wil's Theme" tips its hat to the album's engineer, Wil Anspach. The hip hop-inflected "Custom" closes the album with its finest example of the trio's ability to evoke electronic production through live acoustic performance.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Dunton was obsessed with the piano, she says, "from the time I was old enough to reach the keys." But with no models for a career in music, she thought of her passion as a hobby until she was encouraged to pursue it further by teachers at the University of Virginia, where she was majoring in Spanish. They helped her to put together a last-minute tape to apply to the University of North Texas.

Immediately upon arriving in the Lone Star state, Dunton made two life-changing encounters. Among the first musicians she played with were Ross Pederson, now an in-demand drummer with a stunning variety of artists, and Michael League, founder of Snarky Puppy. "I'd never played with people like that," Dunton says. "It completely blew my mind. I learned a lot really fast." 

In 2009, Dunton released her debut album, Real & Imagined, which featured Pederson on drums and Daniel Foose on bass. She returned home to earn her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where she studied under pianist Alan Pasqua and composer Vince Mendoza. While there, she recorded her second release, Mountain Suite, with heavy-hitters from the USC faculty, including Peter Erskine on drums, Bob Mintzer on tenor sax, John Daversa on trumpet and Darek Oles on bass.

In Appelt and Reed, Dunton has found collaborators who are as open-eared and adventurous as she is. Both instrumentalists are active in a variety of scenes in L.A., playing big band jazz, rock, R&B, and funk music. As trioKAIT, they've made three tours of Germany and presented a preview of the new album at the USC Women's Conference last March. The trio's growing success is proving writer Don Heckman's assessment of Dunton as "an extraordinary talent on the rise" as well as her recognition by Jazz.com as one of "10 Future Female Jazz Stars."

NEW RELEASES: SIMPLY RED - BIG LOVE; CHARENEE WADE - OFFERING; TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON - THE ACT YEARS

SIMPLY RED - BIG LOVE

Simply Red release their first new studio album in eight years with Big Love out June 1st on East West Records. When the band announced a massive world tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary last autumn, main man Mick Hucknall started thinking about recording again. “Once I began wondering how Simply Red were going to sound, I started writing songs,” says Mick. And once he started, he couldn’t stop. Big Love is the first Simply Red album to feature only original compositions since 1995’s ‘Life’. All twelve tracks are written by Mick Hucknall and produced by Andy Wright. Highlights include the celebratory first single ‘Shine On’ driven by their trademark blue-eyed soul sound and ‘The Ghost Of Love’, a big soul song punctuated by wah-wah guitar and the kind of bold orchestral strokes that once powered Barry White and his Love Unlimited. The break has done Mick Hucknall a power of good, newly refreshed he now has a much clearer appreciation of Simply Red’s considerable legacy. He admits that the band’s last studio album in 2007, ‘Stay’, was an attempt to pull away from their sound. “With ‘Stay’ I was running away from Simply Red,” Mick admits. “But now I’m comfortable with the notion of us as a blue-eyed soul group. I had to stop myself fighting that idea. Our sound is original too. I honestly don’t know of another band that has pulled so many musical strands together.” Quite simply, Big Love is Simply Red at their best, 12 tracks to cherish. With a 16 date UK tour this winter, including 3 shows at London’s 02 Arena, Simply Red are once again a band in their prime. Simply Red are: Mick Hucknall (vocals), Ian Kirkham (sax), Steve Lewinson (bass), Kenji Suuki (guitar), Kevin Robinson (trumpet and flute), Dave Clayton (keyboards) and new drummer Ronnie Roth. ~ Amazon

CHARENEE WADE - OFFERING

“Gil makes you think about what you can do as an artist,” comments Motéma recording artist Charenee Wade. “Most artists today don’t use their platform to shift consciousness like Gil and artists of his day used to do. He inspires me to do my own thing, to not be afraid to say what I want to say.” In tribute to the late artist, Wade dropped her version of GSH’s classic “Ain’t No Such Thing As Superman” from her upcoming Offering: The Music of Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson LP. Wade’s forthcoming Motéma release will be dropping on June 23rd and will feature a host of luminaries including Christian McBride, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Lakecia Benjamin, Stefon Harris, Marcus Miller, and many more. Scroll down to listen to “Ain’t No Such Thing as Superman.” Stay tuned for more on Charenee Wade and Offering. -DanMichael, Revive-Music.com

TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON - THE ACT YEARS

Terri Lyne Carrington is one of the world s most-sought after drummers and one of jazz s leading female media figures. Her recording and touring with Herbie Hancock and Dianne Reeves have elicited rave reviews internationally. In addition to her recording and international performing, she is renowned for her role as a producer and jazz educator. She has won Grammy Awards both for Best Jazz Vocal Album (2011) and Best Jazz Instrumental Album (2013). This compilation includes tracks from Carrington's two ACT albums as a leader, and from Nguyen Le's Jimi Hendrix tribute album Purple, on which she played in Le's quartet. Musicians featuring on the repertoire include Wallace Roney, Greg Osby, Meshell Ndegeocello, Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock, Gary Thomas, Kevin Eubanks and many more. ~ Amazon

The Brian Landrus Trio's first album - to be released June 16 - features probing originals alongside "Giant Steps," "Sentimental Lady" and "I'm a Fool to Want You"

Low woodwind ace Brian Landrus - "someone to watch, an exciting voice" (JazzTimes) - presents The Deep Below, his sixth album as a leader and the debut recording of his trio with bassist Lonnie Plaxico and drummer Billy Hart. To be released on June 16 by BlueLand/Palmetto, The Deep Below finds Landrus playing baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, bass flute and bass sax with lithe virtuosity; he breathes life into his own characteristically probing originals, two co-writes with Plaxico and fresh interpretations of classics by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, as well as an intimately affecting treatment of the Sinatra ballad "I'm a Fool to Want You." The rapport between the leader and the two rhythm veterans is ideal, with Plaxico and Hart having already paired on Landrus' highly praised 2011 quartet album, Traverse, where they made sure the tunes "swing with passion" (All About Jazz). In its four-star review of that album, DownBeat encapsulated the leader's talents on his various instruments: "Landrus plays with gentle authority, his pliable, distinctive tone built on expressive devices like vibrato, multiphonics and pitch blends. He has a way of connecting notes with subtle slides and graceful glisses, embellishing melodies with turns and trills that build momentum and scream good taste." Landrus has been voted a Rising Star multiple years running in the DownBeat Critics Poll, and along with his work as a bandleader and composer, he has toured the world as part of star bassist-vocalist Esperanza Spalding's band and contributes to such ensembles as the Grammy-winning Gil Evans Project.

For Landrus - who is working on a PhD in classical composition at Rutgers University and finishing a concerto for baritone sax and another for bass clarinet - the trio album with Plaxico and Hart was a chance to explore "something more intimate for awhile, music that's sparer and freer," he says. "I wrote the tunes right on my various instruments, just trying to create melodies that felt good on the bari sax or bass clarinet or bass flute or bass sax. I even wrote lyrics to most of my pieces and tried to sing them through my horn with the goal of making each note really significant." The big horns came natural to Landrus, as he points out: "I'm 6'7" - so physically the instruments fit me. But I was also drawn to these instruments because there are fewer preconceptions on them. Everyone knows what the good tenor saxophone sounds like - the great examples are endless. Although there have been some wonderful players of the low instruments over the decades, there's still more room to express yourself, the options feel open to me."

There's an extraordinary range of sonic character across The Deep Below. The weight of sound in Landrus' baritone sax - whether in tune-rich opener "Fly" or even the quickstep solo version of "Giant Steps" - is something you can feel as well as hear, reflecting the album's title. The same goes for his dusky tone on bass clarinet in "Fields of Zava" or the solo excursion "A Fading Memory." His quiet lyricism on bass flute aptly evokes the title of "Ancient," while he evinces a brawny beauty on the rarely heard bass sax in "The Beginning." For Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady,"

Landrus was influenced by Harry Carney's "gorgeous" baritone interpretation - "one of my favorite songs by one of - over -

my favorite players." The interpretation of "I'm a Fool to Want You" was inspired less by the Sinatra original than by late-period Billie Holiday. Landrus says: "You can hear the pain in her Lady in Satin recording - it's raw feeling. I was aiming for emotional intimacy, really thinking about the lyrics. We learned it right there in the studio and got it in the first take. Lonnie and Billy love the song, and it shows."

About his august rhythm partners for The Deep Below, Landrus says: "With Lonnie and Billy, it's never just a job - they're too honest and organic as musicians. They've played together for decades, but my album Traverse was their first recording together, surprisingly. Billy is an amazing interpreter - he has power but also romance. He likes to keep it loose, but he's more about playing the music than soloing. He keeps it classy. Lonnie has this precise articulation that I've always loved, and he grooves so deeply. He's in my Kaleidoscope band, too, and he is a wise, collaborative help in the studio. I always like working with players who are way above me - it raises me up."

Born in 1978 and raised in Nevada, Landrus began playing saxophone at 12 and was performing professionally by 15. He earned his bachelor's degree in saxophone performance at the University of Nevada-Reno and two master's degrees at New England Conservatory, one in jazz composition and the other in jazz saxophone. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in classical composition at Rutgers. Based in Brooklyn, Landrus founded his own label, BlueLand Records, in 2011. His first releases of all original music via BlueLand were Traverse (a quartet date with Plaxico, Hart and pianist Michael Cain) and Capsule (by the Brian Landrus Kaleidoscope, with Cain, guitarist Nir Felder, bassist Matthew Paris, drummer Rudy Royston). In 2013, Landrus released a second Kaleidoscope album, Mirage, featuring himself on baritone sax, bass sax, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet and bass flute alongside Felder, Royston, Plaxico on acoustic and electric bass, Frank Carlberg on Rhodes/piano and a string quartet led by violinist Mark Feldman, with Ryan Truesdell conducting/co-producing. The New York Times praised Landrus and Mirage at length, pointing out that "the tenderness in his playing feels as warm and accessible as his writing."

Along with touring the world in superstar Esperanza Spalding's band (on baritone/tenor saxophones and bass clarinet) and playing in Truesdell's prize-winning Gil Evans Project, Landrus has played with some of the world's great musicians: Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi, Rufus Reid, Danilo Perez, Frank Kimbrough, Gary Smulyan, Ronnie Cuber, Maria Schneider, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Coasters, The Drifters, George Garzone, Jason Palmer, Rakalam Bob Moses, Louis Nash, Peter Epstein, Nicholas Urie, Darryl Harper, David Ake, Allan Chase, Francis Vanek, John Lockwood, Ayn Inserto, Alan Ferber, Omar Thomas, Scott Robinson and Ralph Alessi, among others. Landrus teaches at the 92Y School of Music in New York City and The Lagond Music School in Westchester, New York.

  

BrianLandrus.com

        

Dan Karlsberg’s ‘The ‘Nati 6’ Inspired by Cincinnati’s Jazz Heritage

When music lovers think of Jazz, places like New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Kansas City most likely come to mind. But pianist and composer Dan Karlsberg points out that many artists who made those cities famous came from elsewhere, including Cincinnati, Ohio. To that end, he pays tribute to his hometown’s Jazz heritage with his new album, “The ‘Nati 6.”

"Sometimes, it feels like Cincinnati is the musical underdog, but you won't find another city this size with the Jazz scene we currently have, and the rich history and traditions," Karlsberg said.

“The ‘Nati 6” is not just the title of the album; it is the name of the group of extraordinary musicians Karlsberg recruited for the project, all veteran performers who have recorded and toured with some of the world’s best-known contemporary Jazz artists, while still calling Cincinnati home. They include:

• Bassist Jim Anderson, who has worked with the notable Art Blakely, Ernestine Anderson, Hank Crawford and Nat Adderly.
• Drummer Art Gore, who has performed with George Benson, Teru Nakamura and Herbie Hancock.
• Pianist and trumpeter Kim Pensyl, who has twice been named one of  Billboard’s Top -20 Contemporary Jazz Artists of the Year, and has had four Top-10 albums on  Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart.
• Saxophonist Brent Gallaher, who has toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
• Trombonist Marc Fields, who toured with the Ray Charles Orchestra, six times.

And then, there is Karlsberg himself, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), who now teaches there as well as at the acclaimed Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. A lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Karlsberg has spent years performing with the area’s top Jazz musicians, leading him to select five of his favorites to join him on “The ‘Nati 6.”

Comprised of 10 tracks, “The ‘Nati 6” defies easy classification. Though unequivocally Jazz, the album has hints of classical, folk and pop music scattered throughout. It is a style Karlsberg loosely describes as “Vince Guaraldi and Cecil Taylor meet Mozart.”

"It definitely has some avant garde aspects, but the album's focus is mainly on beautiful melodies," he said. “Some of the tracks are really complex. Each one is different, but most were inspired by something personal.”

Three of the tunes are dedicated to people Karlsberg knew who passed away—his grandparents (“Ballade No. 2”), a young woman who worked at the Riddle Rd. Market, a corner store in his neighborhood (“Ballade No. 1”), and a boyhood friend (“Mr. Shands Jr.”)

“Roger Shands and I were in Jazz band and symphonic band together in high school, and we played basketball together,” Karlsberg said. “He was a great friend. The song ‘Mr. Shands Jr.’ is my tribute to him.”

Five tracks on “The ‘Nati 6” were inspired by other composers. “Tchaikovsky 1” and “Tchaikovsky 2” are Karlsberg’s arrangements of the opening theme to the Russian composer’s first string quartet. “Freddie Freeloader,” meanwhile, is Karlsberg’s arrangement of the more contemporary classic by Miles Davis.

“Most jazz musician are very familiar with ‘Freddie Freeloader,’ especially jazz pianists,” Karlsberg said. “I wanted to take the tune and show it in a new light. My arrangement was very influenced by the music of Eddie Harris, Andrew Hill, the ‘Blues’ ala Cincinnati style, along with the original recording of the tune on ‘Kind of Blue.’”

Track 5, “Oh! Susanna,” is based on the Stephen Foster classic, which also happens to be one of Karlsberg’s favorite songs, melodically. Though another song with the same title is on Karlsberg’s debut album, released in 2007, the new version is substantially different. Another classically inspired tune is “Pavane of Sleeping Beauty,” which is Karlsberg’s interpretation of a piano piece by Maurice Ravel.

“The ‘Nati 6” is Karlsberg’s third album, and while it is stylistically similar to his first two, astute listeners will notice less emphasis on piano and more emphasis on the ensemble as a whole.

“It’s not about me; I wanted it to be about the group, equally,” Karlsberg said. “My presence is felt through the whole album, whether I am in the background or in the forefront, but this project is more about my composing than my playing. I am excited about the music, and it was such an honor to work with such amazing artists.”

Dan Karlsberg and The ‘Nati 6 will perform an album release concert in the Listening Lounge at Urban Artifact Brewing, 1662 Blue Rock Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223, on Saturday, June 27, 8:00 p.m.-midnight. No cover charge. For information, call Urban Artifact Brewing at 513-620-4729 or visit www.ArtifactBeer.com.

“The ‘Nati 6” track list

1. Ballade No. 2

2. Freddie Freeloader

3. Ballade No. 1

4. Prelude

5. Oh! Susanna

6. Tchaikovsky 1

7. Pavanne of Sleeping Beauty

8. Mr. Shands Jr.

9. Tchaikovsky 2

10. Modest Minor Melody

Internationally Renowned Saxophonist Miguel Zenón and his Quartet Perform Music From Recent CD Identities Are Changeable

Internationally acclaimed saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón performs thirteen dates in eleven European cities from July 3 – July 17, 2015. Joined by his quartet featuring drummer Henry Cole, pianist Luis Perdomo and bassist Hans Glawischnig, Zenón performs music from his groundbreaking recording Identities are Changeable, a project focusing on the cultural identity of the Puerto Rican community in NYC. They appear:

Friday, July 3: Funchal Jazz Festival, Madeira, Portugal

Saturday, July 4 – Sunday, July 5: Hot Club, Lisbon, Portugal

Monday, July 6: Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark

Wednesday, July 8: Unterfahrt, Munich, Germany

Thursday, July 9: Sunside, Paris, France

Friday, July 10: Ezcaray Jazz Festival, Ezcaray, Spain

Saturday, July 11 – Sunday, July 12:  Bogui Jazz, Madrid, Spain

Tuesday, July 14: Umbria Jazz Festival, Umbria, Italy

Wednesday, July 15: Jimmy Glass, Valencia, Spain

Thursday, July 16: Festival des Hauts de Garonnes, Bordeaux, France

Friday, July 17: Pori Jazz Festival, Pori, Finland

Multiple Grammy® nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Zenón is one of a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a composer and as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American folkloric music and jazz. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has recorded and toured with a wide variety of musicians including Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Bobby Hutcherson and Steve Coleman and is a founding member of the SFJAZZ Collective. 

He has earned wide critical acclaim for Identities are Changeable.  For this project the alto saxophonist and composer asked his friends the question he had been asking himself:

What does it mean to be Puerto Rican in 21st-century New York City?

That was the point of departure for Identities Are Changeable, the startlingly original album by Zenón, who grew up in the island’s main city of San Juan and came to New York in 1998 to pursue a career in music.

Zenón’s experience of moving via the air bridge from the small Antillean island to the landing strip 1600 miles north is something he shares with hundreds of thousands of other “Puerto Rican-New Yorkers.” Puerto Ricans are not immigrants in the United States: for nearly a century – since 1917 – Puerto Ricans have, unlike other natives of Latin America, been US citizens, able to come and go as they please between the island of Puerto Rico and the mainland. When they come north, overwhelmingly they go to New York City. After different waves of migration over the decades – most numerously in the 1950s – about 1.2 million “Puerto Rican-Americans” were living in the greater New York area as of 2012.

Zenón did his own fieldwork for the project, interviewing New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent, focusing on their experience as second-generation Puerto Ricans. The conversations centered on a single question: what makes a Puerto Rican a Puerto Rican. As Zenón notes: “There is, of course, no correct answer, but the many answers and impressions that came from these conversations eventually served as the main source of inspiration for the music on this piece. Video images and audio clips from these interviews interact with the music and make a case for the fact that national identity can be multiple and changeable—that in many cases our nationality can be within us, no matter where we’re from or the language we speak.”

Zenón has expanded his musical and theatrical boundaries with this ambitious big band project built around his longtime quartet and accompanying video. Identities Are Changeable is a thrilling counterpoint of music, language, and images. Cross-cutting between Puerto Rico and New York, it’s all about living contrapuntally, exploring the split focus of Puerto Rican cultural identity, by unpacking foundational forces such as family, language, ritual, neighborhood, and memory. Zenón investigates this dichotomy in composition and arrangements, coupled with his sensuous and soulful mastery of the saxophone. In Identities Are Changeable, he scales new heights as cultural guide.

The resultant work is a song cycle for large ensemble, with his longtime quartet (Luis Perdomo, piano; Hans Glawischnig, bass; Henry Cole, drums) at the center, incorporating recorded voices from a series of interviews conducted by Zenón. Commissioned as a multi-media work by Montclair State University’s Peak Performances series, it has a multi-media element with audio and video footage from the interviews, complemented by a video installation created by artist David Dempewolf. It’s been performed at such prestigious venues as the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, The SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco, and Zankel Hall in the Carnegie Hall complex in New York City.

Zenón explains: “all of the compositions explore the idea of multiple rhythmic structures coexisting with each other (e.g., 5 against 7, 3 against 2, 5 against 3).” Drummer Henry Cole has his hands (and feet) full holding down the simultaneous time streams, as does Zenón when he conducts the group live. The players are a selected elite team – hear John Ellis’s tenor solo on “Same Fight,” or Tim Albright’s trombone feature on “First Language.” There’s no way to convey in words the impact of the orchestral effects, but reviewing the Zankel Hall performance for The New York Times, Ben Ratliff writes:

“[The] sound and language didn’t directly suggest traditional Puerto Rican music or traditional jazz. Its rhythm was phrased almost completely in stacked or odd meter, with parts of the band shifting into double or half time, and Mr. Zenón’s saxophone darting around the chord changes or resting on top, in long tones.

There was drama and momentum in the music’s developing harmonic movement; at times a shift to a new chord felt like an event. All the music was deeply hybridized and original, complex but clear.”

It’s all at the service of Zenón’s relentless curiosity, as he writes in the album’s liner notes:

When I first came into contact with Puerto Rican communities in this country, I was shocked to meet second and third generation Puerto Ricans who were as connected to the traditions of their parents/grandparents and as proud to be Puerto Rican as the people I knew back home. Where was this sense of pride coming from? What did they consider their first language? Their home? What did it mean to them to be Puerto Rican? What are the elements that help us shape our national identity?

If the music doesn’t directly answer these questions, it provides a way into thinking about them. Like Zenón’s other music, it’s about an entire society, but it’s deeply personal.

Identities are Changeable was released November 4, 2014 on Zenon’s Miel Music.

http://miguelzenon.com

Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Contemporary Jazz and R&B band E-Life7 debut CD “Miked Up” featuring Michael Pennick

E-Life 7 has united some of the finest musicians for their debut CD project entitled “Miked Up”, released on Three 2 Go Music Records.

E-Life7 is the brainchild of Ron Walker and Mike Pennick, who are long standing members of Buffalo Music Hall of Fame’s recording artists ‘The Exoutics’. Both decided it was time to explore their ‘jazz alter egos’ and discover what was hidden underneath the style of music they were so familiar composing throughout the years. 

E-Life7 (short for “Enjoy Life 7 days a week) is a sophisticated combination of musicians spanning many musical genres. “Miked Up” is a unique compilation of collaborations of funk-pop-bass driven grooves embellished with rhythm and blues stitched with soulful dance grooves that is ideal for getting their audiences on their feet. Mike Pennick (for whom the project is named) exudes his artistry with grace as he walks up and down his bass guitar with his natural flow of spirited-musicianship. 

Also shining brilliantly on “Miked Up” are local legends Rodney Spears, Charlie Crymes, Jr., Walter Kemp III and Van Taylor (keys), Ron Walker (guitar), Tim Webb (drums and percussion), Ken Whitman (tenor sax), Joey Diggs, and Dee Osbourne (vocals). Each player’s performance is a thing of great beauty, art and skill, magnificently laudable, perfect in pitch, timing, and taste. In short, E-Life7 makes fusing genres with contemporary jazz flavors seem effortless. 

“Music lovers around the globe will appreciate the sheer musical expertise of E-Life7. Not only do they tap into the genres of music that we all know and love but its the way that they execute its fusion of the arrangements, it truly is ‘feel good’ music” says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide social network. 

Mike Pennick and Ron Walker not only have a great band that is looking to be booked for festivals and special events worldwide for 2015/2016 calendar, they have been on the lookout for aspiring musical talent seeking to conquer the music business and its live stages. As partners with Three 2 Go Music label, they have embarked upon two rising stars who they will be showcasing at the upcoming Midem conference this coming June. 

"Three 2 Go Music Alliance has a mission of “delivering musical excellenence with independence”. As a partner I’m very much anticipating the global introduction of Omeri’s debut CD 'Day Dream’n' in July. With the Midem conference happening in June this year the timing could not be better. Melissa Kate and Omeri are enthusiastically looking forward to performing live, entertaining fans and making new friends while having a great Midem conference. ~ Ron Walker, E-Life7 & Three 2 Go Music Alliance, RW Music Video Production 

Three 2 Go Music Alliance will present Buffalo, NY recording artists Omeri Monroe (pop/indie artist) and Melissa Kate(international jazz and blues singer), performance in Cannes France. We are pleased that our 2015 featured artists will attend the MIDEM music conference. Monroe and Kate will each deliver 30 minute performances at Plaga La Mandala on Saturday June 6th.

  

In addition to delivering outstanding musical performances, E-Life7 lends its philanthropic arm and charitable support to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Sickle Cell Disease Association and Western NY Food Bank.

Be sure to come by and check out their feature on The Jazz Network Worldwide at www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com. To purchase and learn more, go to http://www.elife7.com.

NEW RELEASES: ROB MAZUREK EXPLODING STAR ORCHESTRA - GALACTIC PARABLES VOL. 1; KENNY BARRON / MARK SHERMAN - INTERPLAY; PAQUITO D’RIVERA & QUINTETO CIMARRON – AIRES TROPICALES

ROB MAZUREK EXPLODING STAR ORCHESTRA - GALACTIC PARABLES VOL. 1

The most cosmically expansive and exciting work yet from composer/coronet player Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra – dedicated to Amiri Baraka, and infused with the righteous, poetic spirit of Baraka's work with Sun Ra! The Exploding Star players include some Chicago underground heroes and heroines of longstanding brilliance, including flautist Nicole Mitchell, guitarist Jeff Parker, drummers John Herndon and Chad Taylor, bassist Matthew Lux, and Damon Locks on electronics and with some subtly righteous spoken word – along with Mazurek's Sao Paolo Underground cohorts Mauricio Takara and Guilherme Grandando, and last but not least, pianist Angelica Sanchez – all of whom have ample space to shine. Galactic Parables Vol 1 is a 2 disc set, one featuring the compositions as performed in Sardinia, and a second CD of their performances at the Chicago Cultural Center, which is a smart approach, given the improvisational nature of the material. There's plenty of space for the players to explore, and the differing performances are no doubt colored and shaded in different ways by different environments. Amazing stuff! Titles include "Free Agents Of Sound", "Make Way To The City", "The Arc Of Slavery #72", "Helmets Of Our Poisonous Thoughts #16", "Collections Of Time" and "Awaken The World #41". ~ Dusty Groove

KENNY BARRON / MARK SHERMAN - INTERPLAY

A great meeting between jazz piano legend Kenny Barron and the younger, brillant vibes player Mark Sherman – Barron being a veteran of top notch duo settings, and Sherman newer to it – but Sherman succeeds here mightily! Interplay couldn't be a more fitting title, as the pair are perfectly simpatico – working together on a range of material and a lone Barron original, it's wonderful from track-to-track – feeling like one of the coziest, strongest latenight jazz club sessions you'd ever be lucky enough to see. Includes nice takes on the tried-and-true "Afternoon In Paris", "Dear Old Stockholm" and "Indian Summer", the Barron composed waltz "Venture Within", Dexter Gordon's "Cheese Cake", the Charles Mingus gem "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk", "Polka Dots And Moonbeams", "Without A Song" and more.  ~ Dusty Groove

PAQUITO D’RIVERA & QUINTETO CIMARRON – AIRES TROPICALES

One of the most creatively adventurous efforts in years from Paquito D'Rivera – which is saying something, as he's never lacking in ambition – and it finds the style-straddling clarinetist joined by the Cimarron string quintet! Quinteto Cimarron is a Cuban combo that leans more towards contemporary small combo classical, with a pair of violins, viola, cello and contrabass – and Paquito's clarinet and occasional saxophone feels right at home in the mix. There's no additional accompaniment, nor is it needed, it works brilliantly as is, with arrangements by Eduardo Cana Flores, and titles that include "Alborada Y Son", "Wapango", "Habanera", "Afro", "Contradanza", "Martica", "Longina", "Notas De La Habana", "La Rity", "Dna Vainilla", "Zumolanida", "Isora Club", "La Rity" and more. 17 in all!  ~ Dusty Groove