EIGHT CLASSIC ALBUMS FROM WAR REISSUED...

WAR - GALAXY

A massive jammer from War – and a record that brought the group to a whole new generation of listeners – as well as a good number of later fans who discovered some of these jams in the club! The groove here isn't disco, but this tightening up of War's sweet jamming vibe – almost given a sort of Mizell Brothers twist here, with a focus on sharper rhythms, but still plenty of space for instrumental flourishes over the top. Tracks are long and open, but in different ways than the early years – and there's some rhythmic elements on the record that really have the group trying out something new – and definitely finding a sweet spot in the process! The whole thing's great – and titles include the great extended instrumental "The Seven Tin Soldiers", plus "Hey Senorita", "Baby Face", "Galaxy", and "Sweet Fighting Lady".  ~  Dusty Groove

WAR – OUTLAW

A sweet snapping groove from War – a set that has the group picking up a bit more boogie in their bounce than before, but at a level that helps keep their funk fresh for a whole new generation! The album's a heck of a lot warmer and more live than most of their contemporaries – and while there's a bit less of the freer moments of their youth, there's still plenty of jazzy touches over the top – and that wonderful trademark blend of Latin elements, jazzy riffing, and captivating chorus vocals! Basslines take on a bit more role than before – but in a good way – and titles include "You Got The Power", "The Jungle", "Just Because", "Outlaw", "I'm About Somebody", and "Cinco De Mayo".  ~ Dusty Groove

ERIC BURDON AND WAR – THE BLACK - MAN’S BURDON

A surprisingly great pairing of talents – the post-Animals Eric Burdon on vocals, and early grooves from Cali funk legends War – coming together here in a blend that still holds up beautifully after all these years! Burdon was already getting pretty soulful on the last few Animals albums on MGM – and he really advances that style here when working with War's great grooves – some of the grittiest, nastiest, most stretched out work of their career – especially on some of the album's nicely long tracks. There's some nice Latin currents to the music at times, and the group vocalize alongside Burdon at times – and titles include a long version of "Paint It Black", plus "Bare Back Ride", "Sun/Moon", "Pretty Colors", "Gun", "Nuts Seeds & Life", "They Can't Take Away Our Music", and "Spirit".  ~ Dusty Groove

WAR – LIVE

War live, a perfect step forward – especially given that the group had already been so jamming on all their previous work in the studio! This classic double-length set may well be one of the best soul live albums of the 70s – right up there with similar 2LP packages from Curtis Mayfield and Bill Withers – and like both of those, maybe an even greater flowering of the core essence than any short studio record! The album features a killer two part reading of "Slippin Into Darkness", a side-long take on "Get Down", and long versions of "Cisco Kid", "Sun Oh Son", "All Day Music", "Lonely Feelin", and "Ballero". ~ Dusty Groove

WAR – ALL DAY MUSIC

A sweet sweet set from the mighty War – and maybe the record that really has the group coming into their own! The record's got a stronger vocal presence than earlier War efforts, which is a really great thing – kind of a blend of sweet soul, heavy funk, and Chicano modes – all served up with this ultra-hip East LA sort of vibe that's way more interested in finding the best sweet spot in the music, than it is trying to figure out any labels for its groove! This approach rings out famously in the classic "Slipping Into Darkness" – which gets a 7 minute workout here – but the whole thing is great, and other titles include the seminal "Baby Brother", plus "Nappy Head", "Get Down", and "There Must Be A Reason". ~ Dusty Groove

WAR – WAR

A wonderful first solo album from War – a set that has them breaking away from their early partnership with singer Eric Burdon – and finding an even better groove in the process! The vibe here is hipper, and even more righteous than before – some of those great jazz currents on flute, keyboards, and even harmonica – that sweet Lee Oskar mode that always made the group so great – set to very cool rhythms that blend together funk, Latin, and soul elements – all openly grooving here at a level that's free from some of the more hitbound modes of their biggest records. The whole thing's great, and still stunningly fresh after all these years – and titles include "Sun Oh Son", "Lonely Feelin", "Back Home", "War Drums", and "Vibeka".  ~ Dusty Groove

ERIC BURDON & WAR - ERIC BURDON DECLARES WAR

War became so popular on their own in later years that it's easy to forget how they first sprung onto the soul charts – here, in an album of many styles that was put together by the wayward Eric Burdon after the dissolution of The Animals! We have to admit that Burdon was a genius to hook onto the rich talents of this LA combo – even though he really didn't know what to do with them on this record. Part of the album's an homage to Roland Kirk, part is an extended reworking of "Tobacco Road", and part is an overly-long bluesy passage called "Blues For Memphis Slim". Fortunately, the record also includes the monster groover "Spill The Wine", one of the first big crossover tracks to popularize the Chicano funk sound of LA – and a great little groover that still hooks us in today.  ~ Dusty Groove

WAR – THE WORLD IS A GHETTO

A monster from start to finish – not only the greatest album from War, but maybe one of the greatest mainstream funk albums of all time! The set's got a really unique groove – one that so many others tried to copy, but which was forged here first – in a wicked LA blend of Chicano funk, heavy organ lines, and soulful singing that sews the whole thing together perfectly. Just about every cut is upbeat and funky – rolling along at that low-rider pace that was War's lasting contribution to funk music – and the album features the huge hits "World Is A Ghetto" and "Cisco Kid", two of the brightest spots on radio funk from the 70s – plus classics like "Four Cornered Room", "City Country City", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles In The Bog". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: GAL COSTA - ESTRATOSFERICA; DUSKO GOYOVICH – LATIN HAZE; GIUSEPPI BASSI / DOMENICO SANNA – JUST YOU, JUST ME

GAL COSTA - ESTRATOSFERICA

Gal Costa looks surpisingly youthful on the cover – and she's also sounding more youthful in her music than we've heard in many years – thanks to a key collaboration with Kassin and Moreno Veloso! Both of the younger musicians really find a fresh space for Gal to work with – a nice shift away from some of the more staid, mature modes of her other recent records – and a style that brings out all the creativity that made us fall in love with Costa so many years ago! This shift isn't a return to Tropicalia, but instead a move towards that playful, genre-stepping territory that you'll find in both Veloso and Kassin's music, especially the latter. One of Costa's best in years – and with titles that include "Amor Se Aclame", "Anuviar", "Espelho D'Agua", "Ecstasy", "Jabitaca", and "Sem Medo Nem Esperanca".  ~ Dusty Groove

DUSKO GOYOVICH – LATIN HAZE

The mighty Dusko Goykovich lives again – in a record that may well be one of the best we've heard in many years from the legendary trumpeter! Make no mistake, we love Dusko in all of his many settings – but there's a special sort of magic here that takes us back to the style and charm we loved in Goykovich's first great recordings of the 60s – especially some of his performances with the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band! As with those sides, this one features a larger ensemble – with Big Band RTS – with Goykovich providing most of the solos, and also the full set of songs and arrangements for the record too – which means that the larger ensemble plays in a manner that's very much in keeping with Dusko's legacy. There's a number of Latin currents in the rhythms – which again echo some of Dusko's MPS material – and titles include "Latin Haze", "Sambalero", "In The Sign Of Libra", "Inga", "Quo Vadis Samba", and "Danca Comigo".  ~  Dusty Groove

GIUSEPPI BASSI / DOMENICO SANNA – JUST YOU, JUST ME

Stunning duets between Giuseppi Bassi on bass and Domenico Sanna on piano – played at a level that really seems to put equal focus on both instruments throughout – as the musicians effortlessly shift between melody and rhythm, and create some amazing sounds in the process! Bassi's instrument is wonderfully upfront in the mix – giving the album this rich, bottom-heavy sound, even in the more subtle moments – which seems to create a flow that unlocks notes on Sanna's piano in this wonderful way – sometimes tippling lightly, sometimes with more complicated phrasing – always full of color and imagination throughout. Titles include "Giro Chi", "Humbolt Street #63", "Isfahan", "NYC Subway Love", and "Reginella".  ~ Dusty Groove

ROY AYERS: SEARCHING FOR SUNSHINE 1973-1980, A TRIO OF CLASSICS ALL ON ONE RELEASE

A trio of Roy Ayers classics in one sweet set – along with some excellent bonus cuts too! First up is the album You Send Me – a set with a sound like no other – with a slow mellow jazzy style that shows Roy working at the height of his powers! There's some wonderful spacey production on the record – bringing out elements like the vibes, electric piano, and soulful vocals – and turning them into a seductive blend that trails out over the course of the record, hitting a smooth mellow mode that we love every bit as much as Roy's harder and funkier work. 

The title cut is an amazing extended remake of "You Send Me", which sounds nothing like the original – and other good cuts include the stepping "And Don't You Say No", and the great cuts "Rhythm" and "Everytime I See You", which have these excellent offbeat rhythm patterns. 

Fever is a great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, which means lots of fresh material – and which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time! The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album. Other cuts include "I Wanna Feel It", "Leo", "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", and "Simple & Sweet" – all nice too! 

No Stranger To Love is a sly, and often funky set that deserves to be mentioned with his more famous dancefloor ready work of the late 70s – and if it gets an extra point two for the incredibly cool cover photo, the slow burning grooves more than deliver on the promise! The album does a really nice job of rolling out both the sultry jazzy soul and the funkier Ayers modes, with sweet strings in spots, Roy's incomparable vibes, bass and keyboard grooving, and vocals that set the mood for both the slow jams and the funky stuff! Includes the extended mellow number "Don't Let Our Love Slip Away", one of Roy's better downtempo moments, plus great stuff like "Don't Stop The Feeling", plus "What You Won't Do For Love", "No Stranger To Love/Want You", "Shack Up, Pack Up, It's Up (When I'm Gone)", "Don't Hide Your Love". CD also features 8 more bonus cuts – including "Love From The Sun", "Running Away", "Keep On Walking", "Vibrations", "Searching", "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", "Love Fantasy", and "No Deposit No Return".  ~ Dusty Groove

Bassist Robert Sabin Releases "Humanity Part II"

For his bewitching new album Humanity Part II, bassist, composer, and film music aficionado Robert Sabin assembled a brass-heavy tentet in service of a dark, glacial, cinematic sound. The CD, Sabin's third in ten years, will be released on his Ranula Music label July 14.

"I love the way film music invokes states of mind that you carry from the film, things beyond the music itself," says Sabin, whose 2007 album, Romero, grew out of his obsession with the zombie thrillers of George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead), and whose debut, Killdozer (2005), was about a deranged man and a heavily armored instrument of destruction. "I enjoy taking a theme from a horror movie and getting more juice out of it, really going deeper inside it." 

Sabin's exceptional tentet for Humanity Part II includes some of the finest players and fellow composers on the New York scene, including guitarist Jesse Lewis, saxophonists Aaron Irwin and Jason Rigby, trumpeters Dan Urness and Matt Holman, hornist Chris Komer, trombonist John Yao, tubaist Ben Stapp, and drummer Jeremy Noller. "Being a great composer means having great people play your music," says Sabin. "These were the players I had in mind when I wrote the album, and there isn't anyone else I would even consider playing on the recording." 

The title track fuses together two Ennio Morricone themes composed for John Carpenter's 1982 remake of The Thing, formerly arranged for synthesizers. "Through a Glass Darkly," inspired by legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman's early-'60s trilogy, is a three-part study in existentialism -- in loneliness and silence. 

"Tenebre," an understandably unsettled work, is named after the 1982 film by Italian horror master Dario Argento, whom Sabin admires (among his more delicate touches) for "his beautiful use of color and style, natural and unnatural." 

Humanity Part II's most haunting piece, "Scarecrow," is based not on a film theme but elements of Ravel's masterpiece Gaspard de la nuit. Signifying a hanged man dangling against the horizon, a repeating note chimes ostinato-style in the far background. 

"Chromatic brooding permeated with silence" -- that's how Sabin describes his basic approach. For all that, the music is fully alive and unexpectedly affecting in taking you places you haven't been before. 

Born on October 27, 1972 in Portland, Oregon, Robert Sabin studied saxophone in elementary school and played in the fifth-grade band. He took up electric bass in high school and was soon exploring basic elements of jazz and contemporary music, inspired by his growing affinity for the instrument and its role in an ensemble. 

His first serious exposure to improvisation came when he attended New York University as an undergraduate. After belatedly transferring into the music department, and then gaining admission to the jazz program, he worked hard with his esteemed instructor Mike Richmond and, after graduation, with another distinguished bassist, Michael Moore. Later studies would include work with Mark Helias, Michael Formanek, and Jay Anderson, eventually playing with a long list of notable veterans including Oliver Lake, Jean-Michel Pilc, Peter Bernstein, Dick Oatts, Kenny Werner, Brian Lynch, and Dave Liebman. 

Sabin acquired his graduate degree at the Manhattan School of Music before heading back to NYU for his doctorate. He did his dissertation on bassist Gary Peacock, an underrated artist in Sabin's estimation: "He is such an intuitive artist. He's not about technique or chops. When he taught me, it was more about what things you can do to avoid getting in your own way." 

Dr. Sabin serves on the faculty of Hunter College High School and has worked with the Manhattan School of Music Precollege as well as directed the Jazz Program at the New York Summer Music Festival and Institute. He was awarded second place in both the 2001 and 2003 International Society of Bassists' Jazz Competitions. 

Sabin and his tentet will present the powerful music of Humanity Part II at Greenwich House, 46 Barrow Street, New York City, on Tuesday 8/18 at 7:00 pm (212-242-4770); $10 cover.

NEW RELEASES: CHUCK RAINEY – THE CHUCK RAINEY COALITION; SEU JORGE – MUSICAS PARA CHURRASCO II; RUSSELL TAYLOR – WAR OF HEARTS

CHUCK RAINEY – THE CHUCK RAINEY COALITION

Funky instrumentals from bassist Chuck Rainey – a player who was well known for his work on countless sessions as a sideman, but who rarely got a chance to cut a record like this! The album's got a style that's smooth and soulful, yet also a bit down n dirty – almost like some of the similar work from the time on Atlantic. And no surprise, Rainey's working with a number of Atlantic-styled studio players – an elite funky group that includes Richard Tee, Billy Butler, Bernard Purdie, Montego Joe, and Cornell Dupree. The album's got a mellow funky kind of approach that's almost a precursor to the 70s grooves of the Kudu label – but with perhaps certain touches of 60s jazz still in the mix as well – and titles include "Eloise", "Lone Stranger", "Theme From Peter Gunn", "Got It Together", and "The Rain Song".  ~ Dusty Groove

SEU JORGE – MUSICAS PARA CHURRASCO II

A real killer from Seu Jorge – one of his best records in years, and maybe even better than the first volume in this series! The set's got a strongly funky vibe right from the start – a groove that's almost got the totally perfect feel of Incognito or Brand New Heavies – but which is even better, given the amazingly rich, deep style of singing that Jorge brings to the record! Jorge has a voice that grabs us even when the instrumentation is spare, or he's singing a ballad – but he's also really at his best on upbeat, soulful material like this – almost a throwback to the years of 70s samba soul, but with a slightly more contemporary vibe too. Wonderful all the way through – the kind of record that should be making Seu Jorge a huge international star – with titles that include "Papo Reto", "Ela E Bipolar", "Na Verdade Nao Ta", "Faixa De Contorno", and "Babydoll".  ~ Dusty Groove

RUSSELL TAYLOR – WAR OF HEARTS

A creative leap forward for indie soul veteran Russell Taylor – with a lot synth and other electronic production touches, but stll firmly centered around his soulful voice and solid songs. It's always a rewarding thing when artists we've been following for years continue to evolve without losing what we love about them early on, RT is a prime example. The songs here are as great as on any of his albums to date, and he's still got one of the most expressive voices in the independent soul scene. Nice! Includes "Electric", "Let Me Love You", "What She Wants", "War Of Hearts", "Foolish Hearts", "Can't Cry", "Ghetto Streets", "Can't Cry", "Proud" and "Hope".  ~ Dusty Groove

'Flow' the highly anticipated new album marks the re-formation of the original Alexi Tuomarila Quartet

FLOW is the new album from the Belgium based quartet DRIFTER, co-led by Finnish pianist Alexi Tuomarila and Belgium saxophonist Nicolas Kummert, who won huge praise and acclaim across Europe and Australia as the Alexi Tuomarila Quartet in the early 2000’s.

Tuomarila shared the stage with some of the biggest names in jazz and his international profile was rocketing when, without warning label Warner Jazz ditched all jazz and classical acts leaving the band without any clear management or career direction.

In the following decade during which the pianist and saxophonist expanded their musical horizons with constant touring, the band’s special relationship was not forgotten and, finally, the time was right for both Tuomarila and Kummert to reform the original quartet with a new sense of purpose and energy under the new collective name of DRIFTER.

This next phase in the quartet’s history sees the band fuse the youthful energy and vibrancy of ten years ago with the experience of a decade on tour playing with some of the biggest names on the Euro- pean jazz scene.

As Tuomarila explains: “The music means so much more now. Ten years ago, we were just playing tunes that we loved to play. Now the music comes from within us and somehow encapsulates the feelings of the last ten years: having our recording contract taken away, the development of our friendship as a band and the greater sense of purpose we all have in our lives. It’s so exciting for us’.Edition Records’ recording connection with Alexi go back to the release of his acclaimed trio album

Seven Hills (2013), but as a label we’ve been fans of the quartet since they first emerged onto the European scene and have watched their separate careers with great interest in the intervening decade. So it is with great pleasure that we are able to work with the group and help restore them to their rightful place at the top of the European, and world, jazz tree. This young band, in their 20s when they recorded O2, have been hugely influential on a generation of young jazz artists.

NEW RELEASES: JILL SCOTT - GOLDEN MOMENTS; KU-UMBA FRANK LACY & MINGUS BIG BAND - MINGUS SINGS; GEORGE CABLES – IN GOOD COMPANY

JILL SCOTT - GOLDEN MOMENTS

A pretty wonderful retrospective of Jill Scott's years at Hidden Beach – timeless, richly emotional neo classic soul from one of the leading lights of her generation! We've been fans of Jill's from the first album onward, and if you're a younger fan, this excellent collection is a great place to come on board. Her early work stood out tremendously back in the day, bringing a natural realness to the contemporary scene, and it's held up perfectly over the years. Includes the unreleased track "I Adore You" – plus a sweet set of classics that includes "Golden", "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat", "Slowly Surely", "Whatever", "The Way", "Cross My Mind", "Comes To Light (Everything)", "Crown Royal", "Hate On Me", "My Love", "It's Love", "Getting' In Thye Way", "Slowly Surely" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

KU-UMBA FRANK LACY & MINGUS BIG BAND - MINGUS SINGS

Charles Mingus was a composer whose music spoke volumes without words. It was a rare thing to hear lyrics along with his highly wrought and incredibly emotive compositions, though Mingus had the heart of a poet, as can be seen in his song titles alone. However, there were projects where Mingus added lyrics to his compositional voice, using either his poetry or that of others. On Ku-umba Frank Lacy and Mingus Big Band s Mingus Sings, the tremendous repertory ensemble directed by Mingus s widow, Sue Mingus, has recorded an album of pieces that put vocals front and center, led in part by the triumphant voice of Ku-umba Frank Lacy. Of course, Mingus was best known as a composer, not a lyricist. He did write a number of pieces utilizing his own fine lyrics; four of them are presented here: 'Weird Nightmare,' 'Eclipse,' 'Duke Ellington s Sound of Love,' and 'Portrait.' The lyrics to the remainder of his pieces come from a handful of extraordinary talents. Four pieces come from Mingus s collaboration with the great singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, while two have lyrics written by rock and roll legend Elvis Costello. The poetry of Langston Hughes accompanies 'Consider Me' from the 1958 recording, The Weary Blues , that Hughes made with Mingus. Two Mingus compositions are recorded here for the first time - 'Dizzy Profile' and 'Noonlight. ~ Amazon 

GEORGE CABLES – IN GOOD COMPANY

When the classical composer Paul Dukas wrote, 'In every beautiful work, it is the man the work expresses that counts first and foremost,' he could not have known he was describing the art of George Cables. One of the world’s greatest jazz pianists - one who helped define the sound of the instrument as we know it today Cables has been making unostentatious music at the keyboard for decades. In Good Company, though focusing on people Cables knew in the past is not a tribute album, but rather a series of personal reminiscences from the keyboard. It looks back in time for its inspiration, but not in its musical vocabulary for George Cables playing remains as fresh and as surprising as the front page of tomorrow s newspaper. On display in every track are those wonderful turns of phrases, interesting voicings and that gorgeous tone which characterizes Cables playing. With musical compadres Essiet Essiet and Victor Lewis, Cables explores the music of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, John Hicks and offers a couple of his own intensely interesting compositions. ~ Amazon

ROBERT GLASPER COVERED (THE ROBERT GLASPER TRIO RECORDED LIVE AT CAPITOL STUDIOS) ALBUM OUT NOW

“a calmer, gentler approach, but also loaded with simmering passion” - Okayplayer

“A star for his R&B and hip-hop work, Robert Glasper here applies his elegant jazz skills with an all-acoustic trio to an inviting tracklist that was mostly written to be sung... eloquent improv from the pianist and his long-time jazz trio of bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid… a warm, musical and humane Glasper venture.” - The Guardian

Ten years after making his Blue Note debut—and following two GRAMMY-winning volumes of his critically and commercially successful R&B-oriented Black Radio albums — Robert Glasper has returned to his acclaimed acoustic jazz trio on Covered. Glasper, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid — who form the original trio featured on Glasper’s first two Blue Note albums: Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007) — reconvened at the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California in December to record the album in front of an intimate live audience.

The set list features songs by hip-hop and R&B stars like Kendrick Lamar, Jhené Aiko, John Legend, Musiq Soulchild, and Bilal alongside the jazz standard “Stella By Starlight.” Displaying his trademark eclecticism, Glasper also includes tunes by Radiohead and Joni Mitchell, along with a stirring collaboration with legendary singer/activist Harry Belafonte. The Glasper originals on the album include a re-working of “I Don’t Even Care,” a bonus track from Black Radio 2 that featured Macy Gray and Jean Grae.

Robert Glasper North American Tour Dates:

June 17 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA

June 19-20 – SFJAZZ – San Francisco, CA

June 23 – Jane Mallett Theatre – Toronto, ONT

June 24-27 – Blue Note Jazz Club – New York, NY

June 28 – Montreal Jazz Festival – Montreal, QB

July 5 – Essence Festival – New Orleans, LA

August 15 – Chastain Park Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA

NEW RELEASES: THE VISCOUNTS: HARLEM NOCTURNE; TERELL STAFFORD - BROTHERLEE LOVE: CELEBRATING LEE MORGAN; PETER SPARACINO - THE STRANGER'S PLAYLIST

THE VISCOUNTS: HARLEM NOCTURNE 

A lot of folks covered Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers’ classic composition “Harlem Nocturne”—there are over 500 recorded versions by some estimates—but the definitive take was laid down by a little-known R&B combo out of New Jersey named the Viscounts, who had a hit with the song for two different labels, for Madison in 1959 and for Amy in 1965. The latter release, which cracked the Top 40, spawned an entire album to go with it, and if you are looking for the perfect soundtrack to set a bleary, late-night mood straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel (or a film by David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino—you can bet both of those guys have listened to this record), look no further—guitar dripping with reverb and tremolo, minor-key Hammond organ fills and sleazy saxophone create a mutant musical love-child of the Ventures, Link Wray and Earl Bostic. The original Amy album makes its worldwide CD debut on this Real Gone Music release, and we’re putting it out exactly as it was originally issued, in a limited-edition mini LP sleeve that re-creates the original album art to the T. 

TERELL STAFFORD - BROTHERLEE LOVE: CELEBRATING LEE MORGAN

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 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. '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. Includes: Hocus Pocus, Mr Kenyatta, Petty Larceny, Candy, Yes I Can, No You Can't, Favor, Stop Start, Carolyn, and Speedball. ~ Amazon

PETER SPARACINO - THE STRANGER'S PLAYLIST

Peter Sparacino, a NYC-based saxophonist, doubler, composer and bandleader, has established himself as a versatile and much in-demand artist, playing in jazz groups and big bands at renowned jazz venues like Smalls, Smoke and the Blue Note; performing and touring with horn-heavy beat outfits like Ikebe Shakedown and Breakdown Brass; performing and composing for the Sax Cartel, an innovative saxophone quintet; and backing up Florida swamp rockers Swamp Cabbage, blue-eyed soul revivalist Nick Waterhouse, and hip-hop legend Big Daddy Kane, among his involvement in many other ensembles.  The music on The Straphanger’s Playlist draws on these many influences and was further shaped by the inspiration of the friends, peers and world-class musicians that make up the band: Jay Jennings-trumpet (Snarky Puppy, Polyphonic Spree), Isamu McGregor-keyboards (Virgil Donati, Tortured Soul), Panagiotis Andreou-bass (Now vs Now, New York Gypsy All Stars), Aki Ishiguro-guitar (San Fermin, Rhetoric), and Mauricio Zottarelli-drums (Eldar Djangirov, Richard Galliano). The Straphanger’s Playlist explores timbres and instrumentation beyond a traditional sextet format and sound by featuring a saxophone quintet with all parts performed by Peter via overdubbing (Ouroboros- Track #6), an expanded ensemble with strings (Nocturne- Track #4), and additional instruments augmenting the ensemble on other tracks. In between members’ extensive touring schedules and commitments, debut shows are currently being booked in NYC and beyond for this dynamic ensemble.

Lesley Gore's Blue-Eyed Soul Gem: Someplace Else Now

It's hard to overestimate the role Lesley Gore played in charting the course of popular music. Not only was she probably the biggest female teen idol of her era—with four Top Five hits before she was of legal age—but she broke out of the “girl singer” mold with “You Don’t Own Me,” the proto-feminist #2 hit that inspired generations of female singers to come, and served notice that she was much more than just a pretty face with a pretty voice (indeed; Gore ultimately became a pioneering LGBT performer).

However, despite Lesley’s lofty place in the pop music pantheon, there remain some pretty major gaps in the reissue of her repertoire on CD, notably the lone album she cut for Berry Gordy’s Motown subsidiary MoWest, Someplace Else Now. Produced by Joe Porter, this 1972 release marked Lesley’s move into a singer-songwriter mode. Gore wrote or co-wrote (with Ellen Weston or her brother Michael, with whom Lesley would later gain renewed acclaim for collaborating on the score to the hit film Fame) every song on the album. Though it failed to make a significant commercial impact at the time, Someplace Else Now has come to be regarded as a lost, blue-eyed soul gem, and it makes its worldwide CD debut on this Real Gone reissue, complete with liner notes by Joe Marchese and remastering  by Mike Milchner at SonicVision. With Lesley’s recent passing, a most timely release and one long requested by her legion of fans.

Songs:

1.   For Me

2.   The Road I Walk

3.   Out of Love

4.   She Said That

5.   Don’t Wanna Be the One

6.   Be My Life

7.   Where Do You Go (When You Get Home)

8.   What Did I Do Wrong

9.   Someplace Else Now

10. Mine

11. No Sad Songs

12. For You

Dusty Springfield: Come for a Dream--The U.K. Sessions 1970-1971 Finally Officially Released

During her 1968-1971 period with Atlantic Records in the United States, Dusty Springfield also continued to record material in England, where her Atlantic repertoire was released on Philips Records. In turn, Atlantic received rights to issue Dusty's British recordings from the era, but chose to focus entirely on her American sessions. In fact, it wasn’t until the ‘90s that some of these masters (many of which originally came out on the Philips See All Her Faces album overseas) were available Stateside, but they were scattered across several compilations and were never comprehensively assembled.

Now, with the release of Come For A Dream—The U.K. Sessions 1970-1971, all of Dusty’s “orphaned” British recordings from her 1970-1971 Atlantic period have been gathered together for the first time. These 16 sides document what was intended to be a complete album plus some extra single sides and outtakes. Dusty was singing at her absolute best during this time, covering pop, rock and soul with equal power and sensitivity; thus, Come For A Dream represents a major addition and clarification to the legendary singer’s discography. Notes by Joe Marchese shed further light on this tumultuous period in Dusty Springfield’s career, with rare photos to boot. A perfect companion piece to Real Gone Music’s recent Faithful release, which presented Dusty’s missing third album for Atlantic from the same era in proper fashion for the first time.

Songs:

1. A Song For You

2. Mixed Up Girl

3. Wasn’t Born To Follow

4. Sweet Inspiration

5. Yesterday When I Was Young

6. Let Me Down Easy

7. Come For A Dream

8. Girls It Ain't Easy

9. See All Her Faces

10. Crumbs Off The Table

11. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?

12. How Can I Be Sure

13. Goodbye

14. Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do

15. I Start Counting

16. Go My Love

17. O-o-h Child

VINCE GUARALDI’S PEANUTS GREATEST HITS - NEW 12-SONG COMPILATION INCLUDES RARE VOCAL BY GUARALDI

While the Peanuts comic strip appeared daily in newspapers across the world, Vince Guaraldi’s music helped bring the gang to wider audiences through his jazzy Peanuts television and film soundtrack recordings. Charles M. Schulz created the world of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Snoopy from his outpost in the Midwestern city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Meanwhile, westward in California, pianist Vince Guaraldi was helping put San Francisco on the jazz map through a series of early recordings with the likes of Cal Tjader, Woody Herman and Conte Candoli.


In early 1964, when Lee Mendelson began work on a television documentary about the world of Peanuts, he heard Guaraldi’s GRAMMY® Award-winning instrumental hit “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” on the radio, while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Mendelson knew he’d found precisely the right musical foil for Peanuts. Over the next decade, Guaraldi composed and performed scores for numerous Peanuts TV specials — including the evergreen A Charlie Brown Christmas — along with a feature film, A Boy Named Charlie Brown.


On July 31, 2015, Fantasy Records will release Peanuts Greatest Hits, a 12-song survey of some of the most popular music from the Guaraldi Peanuts soundtracks. It is also planned for a vinyl LP release on September 25, 2015.


The compilation features “Linus and Lucy,” the song that most frequently comes to mind when one thinks of Peanuts soundtracks, as well as “Oh, Good Grief” and several seasonal pieces (“Great Pumpkin Waltz,” “Thanksgiving Theme,” “Christmas Is Coming” and more).

Most selections feature Guaraldi backed by one of his longtime trios: Monty Budwig, bass; and Colin Bailey, drums; or, in later years, Fred Marshall, bass; and Jerry Granelli, drums. You’ll also hear some notable additions to the core trio format: “Little Birdie” features Guaraldi's own vocals, with the addition of horns as well. Two versions of “Christmas Time Is Here” appear: one by the trio, the other adding the young members of the St. Paul's Church Choir from nearby San Rafael, California.


Television producer Mendelson, who orchestrated the conversion of Peanuts from comic strip to successful TV and movie franchise, thereby spawning a 37-year
collaboration with Schulz, said of Guaraldi: “Vince’s music was so right, and so perfect, for Charlie Brown and the other characters. Something deep inside of me said, ‘This is gonna make the whole thing work.’ Vince's music was the missing ingredient that would make everything happen.”


Guaraldi died unexpectedly at the young age of 47 in 1976, ending his 26-year musical career. He had just finished recording the soundtrack for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. His life is chronicled in Vince Guaraldi at the Piano, authored by Derrick Bang, who wrote the liner notes for this and other Fantasy reissues.


Track Listing:
1. Linus and Lucy
2. Charlie Brown Theme
3. Baseball Theme
4. Oh, Good Grief
5. Happiness Theme
6. Little Birdie
7. Great Pumpkin Waltz
8. Thanksgiving Theme
9. Christmas Is Coming
10. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
11. Skating
12. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)

Erroll Garner's greatest concert album and one of the best selling jazz albums of all time, The Complete Concert By The Sea, set for re-release

The complete live concert recording – newly uncovered by the Erroll Garner Jazz Project and digitally remastered in its entirety after six decades – is produced by Guggenheim® Award-winning jazz pianist and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh Geri Allen and 4-time GRAMMY®Award-winning producer Steve Rosenthal. The Complete Concert By The Sea will introduce a new generation to Erroll Garner and his innovative piano playing. The 3-CD box set contains the complete live Concert By The Sea including 11 previously unreleased tracks, the original edited Columbia release from 1956 (digitally restored and remastered at The Magic Shop, NYC using the Plangent Process) and bonus material including announcer Jimmy Lyons and interviews with the Erroll Garner trio: Denzil DaCosta Best, Eddie Calhoun, and Garner himself, recorded directly after the concert.

Concert By The Sea originally produced in Carmel, California as part of local promoter Jimmy Lyons' "Sunset Series" laid the groundwork for the beginnings of the renowned Monterey Jazz Festival. Appropriately, on September 18, 2015 the 58th Monterey Jazz Festival will highlight this highly anticipated release in a rare historic tribute performance featuring Geri Allen, Jason Moran, Christian Sands, Jimmie Cobb, Russell Malone and Darick Oles. The Festival will also feature a special Concert By The Sea panel on September 19, 2015 including Geri Allen, Steve Rosenthal, and Monterey Jazz Festival Board Member (who attended the original Concert By The Sea) Jim Costello, moderated by Erroll Garner Jazz Project Director and Ethnomusicologist Jocelyn Arem.

Liner note writers include Geri Allen, Award-winning author and UCLA American Studies Professor Robin D.G. Kelley, PHd, and GRAMMY®Award-winning jazz writer Dan Morgenstern who writes: "I don't think I need to tell you how significant a figure Erroll Garner is in the history of American music. His artistry transcended categories over four decades. Without ever saying a word or indulging in showbiz trimmings, he could just play the piano and hold thousands enraptured."

Sony Legacy President Adam Block remarks, "Concert By The Sea is a marvelous, mystical album that has been allowed to dangle on the periphery of broader recognition for far too long. Now for the first time, the complete recording and the remarkable story of this masterpiece can be heard and understood in all its glory. This really is a significant release – critically important to the preservation of one of the truly epic moments in live recorded performances."

Producer Geri Allen remarks, "Erroll Garner personifies the joy of fearless virtuosity and exploration. One of the defining precursors to bebop, piano giant Erroll Garner embodied the very spirit of swing and free improvisation from every vantage point. His playing celebrated the greatest swinging big bands through an innovative and impossible pianism. Singular yet all embracing, Garner blurred the line between great art and popular art, and he was a staunch journeyman of the blues and his Pittsburgh legacy."

TRACK LISTING FOR COMPLETE CONCERT

DISC ONE

1) Announcer: Jimmy Lyons (Previously unreleased)

2) Night And Day (Previously unreleased)

3) Spring Is Here (Previously unreleased)

4) I'll Remember April

5) The Nearness Of You (Previously unreleased)

6) Where Or When

7) Sweet And Lovely (Previously unreleased)

8) Lullaby Of Birdland (Previously unreleased)

9) Mambo Carmel

10) Teach Me Tonight

11) Will You Still Be Mine(Previously unreleased)

12) I Cover The Waterfront (Previously unreleased)

13) Bernie's Tune (Previously unreleased)

14) How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me?

15) It's All Right

DISC TWO

16) Announcer: Jimmy Lyons (Previously unreleased)

17) They Can't Take That Away From Me

18) Autumn Leaves

19) S'Wonderful (Previously unreleased)

20) Laura (Previously unreleased)

21) Red Top

22) April In Paris

23) Caravan (Previously unreleased)

24) Erroll's Theme / Announcer: Jimmy Lyons (Previously unreleased)

TRACK LISTING FOR ORIGINAL EDITED CONCERT

DISC THREE

1) I'll Remember April

2) Teach Me Tonight

3) Mambo Carmel

4) Autumn Leaves

5) It's All Right With Me

6) Red Top

7) April in Paris

8) They Can't Take That Away From Me?

9) How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me

10) Where or When

11) Erroll's Theme

12) Post Concert Interview: Will Thornbury with Erroll Garner, Eddie Calhoun, Denzil DaCosta Best: September 19, 1955 (Previously unreleased)

NEW RELEASES: PRAXIS: BUCKETHEAD I BILL LASWELL I JOHN ZORN I MICK HARRIS I YAMATSUKA EYE - SOUND VIRUS; REGGAE DISCOMIXES (VARIOUS ARTISTS); STARK REALITY - ROLLER COASTER EYE

PRAXIS: BUCKETHEAD I BILL LASWELL I JOHN ZORN I MICK HARRIS I YAMATSUKA EYE - SOUND VIRUS

Post modern super group with an ever changing line-up. Mutant Metal, Noise, Dub and beyond... The core group of virtuoso guitar shredder Buckethead, futurist bassist / producer Bill Laswell and drummer Brain (Guns N' Roses, Primus, Godflesh, Tom Waits) is joined here by legendary composer / saxophonist John Zorn, Mick Harris, (Napalm Death, Scorn, Painkiller) and Yamatsuka Eye (Boredoms). Restored, enhanced, edited and remastered from original recordings. Intense, dark, humorous and virtuosic. An uncompromising ride. Play it loud! Tracklisting: Suspension; Warcraft Triad; Skull Crack Cathedral; Inferno; Low Time Machine; Stronghold; Turbine; and Nine.

REGGAE DISCOMIXES (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

This collection highlights the very best extended mixes released by Island Records during the height of the 12" single era of the late 70s and early 80s. This 2CD set brings together the most sought-after reggae discomixes of the late 70s and early 80s and includes numerous recordings new to CD, with key tracks including extended mixes of Idle Dog - Hosbah Lawrence, Trinity; In The Midnight Hour / Ya Ya - George Faith; Cool Meditation - Third World; Ku Klux Klan - Steel Pulse; Want Fi Goh Rave - Linton Kwesi Johnson; Children Of Sanchez – Rico; Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - Black Uhuru; Old Broom - Wailing Souls; You Mean The World To Me - The Paragons; Proverbs Extraction - Pablo Moses; Pass The Kouchie - The Mighty Diamonds; Dreadlocks In The Moonlight - Lee Perry; Carry Go Bring Come - Justin Hinds & The Dominoes; Memories - Junior Murvin; Prophecy – Fabian; Civilized Reggae - Burning Spear; We ""A"" Rockers - Inner Circle; Chatty Chatty - Toots & The Maytals; Fight To The Top - Michael Prophet; Warrior Charge – Aswad; Lovers Rocking & Skanking - Tony Tuff; and Cool Down The Pace - Gregory Isaacs.

STARK REALITY - ROLLER COASTER RIDE

Some of the maddest, most tripped-out work ever from this legendary group – sounds that are even more freewheeling and psychedelic than their famous Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop LP – lots more guitar and rumbling funk, and a tripped-out, stoned-up sort of approach to the music, lyrics, and even production – all of which makes for some really compelling work. Mad vibes meet fuzzy guitars – in the kind of record that would have been barely appreciated at the time, but is finally getting its due today! All tracks are very long – and include "Sunday's Song", "Roller Coaster Ride", "Too Much Tenderness", "Pretty Music", "Nanai", "Red Yellow Moonbeams", and "Sunday's Song". (Includes download card with full album – plus 56 download pages of notes, photos, and interviews!) ~ Dusty Groove

BARTON RAGE / BILL LASWELL - REALMS 1

The "Realm" project is a concept series of albums aimed at connecting ideas that revolutionized popular music from the 80s and 90s onward - involving genres such as Hip Hop, Ambient and Drum & Bass, coupled with contemporary extensions expressed in styles such as Future Jazz, Electronica, Dub Step, etc.

The primary philosophy driving this series is to create singular identities within each album. Each work is crafted with the unique sound and style of artists who have created shape-shifting music, as well as partnerships with modern contributors. The first album, "Realm I," was made in collaboration with renowned producer and musician Bill Laswell, whose groundbreaking work can be heard across music's conventional stylistic boundaries.

Barton Rage (born on Dec. 8, 1982) is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger & producer. His music draws upon many different genres, mainly avant-garde and future jazz, but also funk, fusion, metal, world, classical, reggae, drum 'n' bass, dub, and ambient music. He incorporates diverse styles to explore open minded ways of expression in harmonic, melodic and rhythmic development. His composing methods focus on intuitive approach to sound and dynamics in music as a whole, aiming at creating a self existing esthetic sound flow experience in each work. Rage's music can be characterized as morphing sounds and melodic noises of not clearly distinguishable electronic and acoustic instruments. Gradual transformation of textures into clear melodies, "alien" sounding improvisation or rich spheric background sounds, play a big role in an emotional development of each song. Also rhythmic grooves in melodic instruments as well as drum and percussive instruments undergo a metric mutation between chaotic and steady beats - chaos within order, and order within chaos.

TRACKS

1. Mater 8:12

2. Waters of Mirage 9:29

3. Triad Seer 8:27

4. Seraphim 8:00

5. Beyond the Abyss 7:42

6. Nama 7:47

Lesiman – Here & Now Vol.1 & 2 (2CD) (Schema Easy Series)

Funky and abstract atmospheres, dark and dramatic moments, exotic solutions and soul drifts – everything contributes to create a unique music soundscape – 70s library music by the Italian soundtrack composer Paolo Renosto, who released his library music compositions under the alias “Lesiman”.

“Music especially created for films, television, radio, publicity and industrial use”. The disclaimer coming with these two records – Here And Now 1 & 2 – puts a smile on our lips and brings us back to more culturally innocent and naive times. A quick listen is enough to realize that this is top quality material (even if often hidden behind weird and mysterious titles), which can’t be compared to anything released in recent times.

Paolo Renosto, the person behind the moniker Lesiman and the author of these two albums, was a composer, an experimenter, a music teacher and a piano player – an artist with the amazing skill of mixing together pop(ular) atmospheres and learned quotes. Born in Florence in 1935 (he died in Reggio Calabria in 1988), Renosto studied with Luigi Dallapiccola and Bruno Maderna; he also was a member of the Associazione Nuova Consonanza of Roma. He obviously joined, for some time, the renowned Gruppo d’Improvvisazione, with Franco Evangelisti and Domenico Guaccero.

When he started collaborating with RAI, he began working in the field of sound dubbing – which he contributed to radically change, mixing different influences such as jazz and orchestral music to create music for tv shows. His long artistic career developed around many partnerships, following different paths, always in complete freedom: Renosto worked for theatre, but also wrote – with his friend and colleague Ennio Morricone – wonderful movie soundtracks. Like the one used for the cult horror movie Un angelo per Satana (directed by Camillo Mastrocinque in 1966) or that of Irene, Irene (directed by Peter Del Monte); but he also worked – almost anonymously – on many western and “poliziotteschi” movies.

Then, and we’re talking about the two amazing albums you’re holding in your hands right now, Renosto/Lesiman created many high profile sound dubbings which are now very rare collector items. Besides the Here And Now series, devoted to funk and criminal-jazz, Lesiman recorded other gems deserving to be rediscovered, like High Tension (another series) for the iconic Vedette label.

It’s hard to choose one of these two reissued volumes: they create some kind of unique body of work and they’re best enjoyed as a whole. In volume one you can find one of the most famous tracks of his career in sound dubbing – the hypnotic and contemporary sounding Moto centripeto – but also other brilliant compositions such as Bagliori, Via nell’autunno, Le regole del gioco and Segni cromatici.

Volume two, on the other hand, features the famous Playcar – which was sampled by rapper Fabri Fibra – with its swing and lounge mood; but also Permanenza, Controcorrente, Ciclo interrotto and Cristalli.

Originally releasesd on Vedettre Records Vol.1 in 1973 end Vol.2 in 1974.

Tracklisting:

CD1 (Here & Now Vol.1)

01. Bagliori

02. Impulsi

03. Cerchio Doppio

04. Moto Centripeto

05. Via Nell’Autunno

06. Direzioni

07. Segni Cromatici

08. Colloquio

09. Terminale

10. Le Regole Del Gioco

11. Rollin’

12. Melos Blue

13. Passaggio

14. Relazioni

CD2 (Here & Now Vol.2)

01. Permanenza

02. Controcorrente

03. Radura

04. Confronto

05. Messaggio

06. Telescrivente

07. Stabilità

08. Schegge

09. Diversioni

10. Derivazione

11. Plycar

12. Cristalli

13. Ciclo Interrotto

14. Ripresa

~ grooveattack.com