NEW RELEASES: IAN LEVINE'S SOLID STAX SENSATIONS; BETTY WRIGHT - THIS TIME FOR REAL; BUDDY GUY - BORN TO PLAY GUITAR

IAN LEVINE'S SOLID STAX SENSATIONS (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

DJ and record producer Ian Levine was one of the prime movers in establishing Northern Soul as a youth cult in the UK in the early to mid-70s. His sets at Blackpool Mecca's Highland Rooms were innovative and he was at the forefront of the scene's musical development through the 70s. His Solid Soul Sensations for Pye Records in 1975 set a benchmark for Northern Soul LPs and was a major seller. Ian has applied that knowledge and taste to Stax's highly esteemed catalogue of recordings and chosen 25 superb soul songs aimed primarily for the dancers. Big spins from the 70s such as Barbara Lewis The Stars and Margie Joseph's One More Chance have been combined with floor-fillers from today including Charlene & The Soul Serenaders Can You Win and (Let Hurt Put You In The) Loser's Seat by Joni Wilson (under the guidance of George Clinton). Although he concentrated on producing in the 80s and 90s, Ian already knew many of the big Stax sounds, such as Paul Thompson's Special Kind Of Woman and Ilana's Where Would You Be Today through his own impressive Stax collection. Inevitably Ian has come up with some leftfield numbers from Proud As Punch, the Cheques and Bobby Whitlock and there is a super vault discovery from Sylvia & The Blue Jays. The major players are covered with tracks from David Porter, Rance Allen, the Dramatics, William Bell and Northern Soul's first superstar, Major Lance. ~ Amazon

BETTY WRIGHT - THIS TIME FOR REAL

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

BUDDY GUY – BORN TO PLAY GUITAR

New release coming July 31 from the great Buddy Guy.  Track listing includes: Born To Play Guitar, Wear You Out feat. Billy Gibbons, Back Up Mama, Too Late featuring Kim Wilson, Whiskey, Beer & Wine, Kiss Me Quick featuring Kim Wilson, Crying Out of One Eye, (Baby) You Got What It Takes featuring Joss Stone, Turn Me Wild, Crazy World, Smarter Than I Was, Thick Like Mississippi Mud, Flesh & Bone with Van Morrison, and Come Back Muddy.

Take 6, the most awarded a cappella vocal group in history with 10 Grammy Awards has signed with Sono Recording Group (SRG) to deliver a new record in 2016

Take 6, the most awarded a cappella vocal group in history with 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award, and 7 Downbeat Awards has signed with SoNo Recording Group to deliver a new album in 2016. Producing the album will be Ross Vannelli, Vice President of A&R for the label. SRG will distribute the album internationally through its affiliated partners ILS Group and Universal Music Group.

The new album will be released in the spring of 2016 with the first single issued by the end of the year. Fans of the group can look forward to a contemporary record of exciting new material with every hallmark of the classic Take 6 sound. Songs for the record are being contributed by a diverse group of songwriters.

Claude Villiani, SoNo Recording Group, President and Founder: "We are proud to welcome Take 6 to the SRG family. We have a magnificent team starting with the members of Take 6 themselves, their management team Ed Keane Associates, our distributors ILS Group headed by Dominique Zgarka, and Universal Music Group. Of course we have Ross Vannelli and his unparalleled writing team. We look forward to delivering an outstanding record."

Take 6 (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley), has been heralded by none other than Quincy Jones as the"baddest vocal cats on the planet!” Their uniquely cutting-edge style is comprised of six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves. All of this bubbles into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. Take 6 are quintessential a cappella.

The group, considered torchbearers for an entire reemergence of a cappella as a musical movement, has been performing together since their days at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama in 1980. Their debut album scored two 1988 Grammy Awards and landed in the Top Ten Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts.

27 years later, the most talked-about vocal group of all time, Take 6 is in greater demand than ever, selling out shows all over the world. They have performed on Saturday Night Live, the Oscars, the Grammys, had the honor of performing for four sitting U.S. Presidents, and appeared at the Democratic National Convention. The group, which has inspired and been a founding influence to a generation of recording artists including Boys to Men and 'N Sync, has collaborated with a who’s who of artists – including Stevie Wonder, Gordon Goodwin, Don Henley, Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, kd lang, Queen Latifah, Brian McKnight, Luis Miguel, Marcus Millier, Joe Sample, Ben Tankard and Cece Winans.

Funk Quartet Rock Candy Funk Party to Unleash "Groove Is King" on July 31

On July 31, funk and jazz band Rock Candy Funk Party (RCFP) will release their sophomore studio album Groove Is King, an aural kaleidoscope that mashes up funk, rock, dance, electronica, jazz and R&B into 14 original tracks and 2 covers full of space, texture, and virtuoso musicianship. Included is a bonus DVD with over 50 minutes of in-studio footage.

Powered by a lineup of world-renowned players, the group came together for the sheer fun of making music—and a mutual love of genre-blurring grooves, they are:  album producer Tal Bergman (drums), Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Ron DeJesus (guitar), and Mike Merritt (bass). 

  

Groove Is King —due out on Bonamassa's independent label, J&R Adventures— was recorded at Tal Bergman Studios in Los Angeles, California. Unlike RCFP's debut album We Want Groove (2013), which tipped its hat to Miles Davis' classic 1982 live instrumental LP We Want Miles, Groove Is King pulls away from the jazz-funk sounds of the first album into a modern sound, with focused compositions and arrangements and a slick production. "This time around, the concept was less jazz and more modern dance with layered grooves. The rhythm section laid the foundation and then we'd add in strings, synths and an incredible horn section, all while keeping it funky," says DeJesus.

Also new to this album are horn arrangements by Grammy-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker, and contributions from Daniel Sadownick (percussion), James Campagnola (saxophone), Ada Rovatti (saxophone), and Fred Kron (keys). Renato Neto, who played on RCFP's debut album, joins the lineup again on keys while ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons lends his trademark growl to the album as the master of ceremonies aka "Mr. Funkadamus." Together, these players weave into the mix heavier dance beats, rock, and pure unadulterated funk, citing influences such as Daft Punk, the Brecker Brothers, Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars, Massive Attack, Sade, Prince, and Led Zeppelin.

These influences can be heard in many of the tracks, including the more rock-driven "Don't Funk With Me" and "Uber Station," a couple of tight, funky tunes punctuated with horns that recapture some of that classic Brecker Brothers sound, while "Low Tide" and "Groove Is King" feature a more stripped down, guitar-driven funk. "There was a definite intention of making tracks that are danceable," said Merritt about "Don't Be Stingy With The SMPTE," "C You On The Flip Side," and the EDM mash-up "The Fabulous Tales Of Two Bands," which has traces of Prodigy's 1997 hit "Firestarter." "East Village" and "The 6 Train To The Bronx" both feature a cool, relaxed jazz feel while "Cube's Brick" has a world music groove reminiscent of Weather Report; a funky yet ethereal treatment can be found on a re-imagining of Peter Gabriel's "Digging In The Dirt."

RCFP grew out of Bergman and DeJesus' 2007 instrumental album Grooove Vol. 1, and subsequent live dates at L.A.'s storied jazz spot The Baked Potato. They encouraged other musicians to jam with them, including Merritt and Neto, who joined the line-up early on. Bonamassa made his RCFP debut in early 2012 during one of his rare breaks from the road when Bergman—who has toured with the guitarist—invited him to sit in on a pair of gigs. 

To celebrate the release, RCFP will play two exclusive shows each night on July 24 and July 25 at 9:30pm and 11:30pm at The Baked Potato (3787 Cahuenga Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604). Buy advance tickets here: http://www.thebakedpotato.com.

Groove Is King Tracklisting:

1.Introducing the Master of Ceremonies Mr. Funkadamus

2.Groove Is King

3.Low Tide

4.Uber Station

5.East Village

6.If Six Was Eight

7.Cube's Brick

8.And now a word from our find sponsors with Mr. Funkadamus

9.Don't Be Stingy With The SMPTE

10.C You On The Flip Side

11.Digging In The Dirt

12.Don't Funk With Me

13.The 6 Train To The Bronx

14.Rock Candy

15.Mr. Funkadamus thanks all the senors but especially the senoritas

16.The Fabulous Tales of Two Bands

Get a free download of the song "Uber Station" here: http://rockcandyfunkparty.com/features/groove-is-king/?id=press

Watch the music video for "Don't Be Stingy With The SMPTE" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzX5--WkSIY

Alto Saxophonist RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA named DownBeat Magazine's 63rd Critics Poll Triple Crown Winner

2015 saw not one, but two, Triple Crown winners as alto saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa joins American Pharoah in this illustrious group.

Mahanthappa, whose ACT Music +Vision release Bird Calls has garnered global acclaim, placed first for Jazz Album of the Year, Alto Saxophone (for the 4tth time in the past five years), and for Rising Star-Composer.

Though it pays homage to one of jazz’s Founding Fathers and arrived at the outset of Charlie Parker’s 95th birthday year, Bird Calls is not a tribute album in the traditional sense. There isn’t a single Parker composition to be found on the album, which consists entirely of new music penned by Mahanthappa for the occasion. But Bird’s DNA is strongly present in every one of these pieces, each of which takes a particular Parker melody or solo as its source of inspiration. Each is then wholly reimagined and re-contextualized by Mahanthappa and his quintet which features trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist François Moutin, and drummer Rudy Royston.

Select Bird Call Tour Dates

(complete Rudresh tour dates can be found at rudreshm.com)

July 3 - Iowa City, IA / Iowa City Jazz Festival

July 11 - Krefeld, Germany / Kulturfabrik

July 12 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands/ North Sea Jazz Festival

Aug 23 – New York, NY / Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

Sept 5  - Detroit, MI / Detroit International Jazz Festival

Sept 20  - Monterey, CA / Monterey Jazz Festival

Oct 24-25 – Washington DC / Blues Alley

Oct/Nov – Tour of Europe

Dec 12  - New York, NY / Miller Theatre

Jan 14, 2016  – Santiago, Chile / Jazz Festival

Feb 26, 2016 – Chicago, IL / Orchestra Hall

Feb 27, 2016- Columbus, OK / Wexner Center for the Arts

March 19, 2016 – Buffalo, NY / UB Center for the Arts

UNTOLD STORIES From SHAI MAESTRO TRIO FEATURING: SHAI MAESTRO - PIANO, JORGE ROEDER - BASS & ZIV RAVITZ - DRUMS

Shai Maestro is a creator of moods, a shaper of atmospheres and a sculptor of sound. The pianist doesn't merely play music; he creates a world that is distinctly and intimately his. On his new recording, Shai Maestro Trio - Untold Stories, available on Motema Music on August 28, 2015, Maestro, and his trio featuring Jorge Roeder (bass) and Ziv Ravitz (drums), explores a touching and poetic universe of music. Untold Stories contains all that is great in modern jazz today, and truly displays the camaraderie and brotherhood in music that this trio possesses. 

As a pianist and composer Maestro has been chasing down beauty his entire life, looking to capture meaningful phrases that are refined, and clearly communicated. With Untold Stories, the third album from his trio, Maestro has turned the page and entered a new phase, taking time, fearing less, daring more, accepting the occasional stumble, and allowing the music to change and be a representation of who the members of the trio are as people, for good or bad. Maestro elaborates, "What happened to us on the road in the last few years is basically a shift in our state of mind. What I want to do today (and also to hear from other musicians as well) is to express who I am, and who we are as human beings. Being human is a complex thing to say the least, and there are many sides to our personalities. Not all are beautiful. So music can and should contain everything; beauty, ugliness, love, violence, etc. So Untold Stories is a point in time of us, an entry into a different journey, one that is much more raw and honest then what I have done so far." The music on Untold Stories was recorded live and in studios in Brooklyn and Paris, offering the listener a complete picture of the Trio today ("Maya's Song"-studio-Paris, "Treelogy", "Painting", "Elusive" & "Looking Back (Quiet Reflection)"-live-Paris, "When You Stop Seeing", "Endless Winter" & "Shades"-studio-Brooklyn).

Untold Stories opens with the compelling triumph, "Maya's Song", co-written by Maestro, Roeder and Ravitz while preparing music for a tour. "When You Stop Seeing"was inspired by a poem Maestro received from a dear friend. The poem speaks about a transparent bubble floating in space. Maestro elaborated, "this idea of transparency fascinated me and I tried to look for a transparent harmonic quality which is how I got to the texture of the song, which is a chord that is made out of 5ths. It's neither major nor minor." This composition was written during the last armed conflict between Israel and Palestine. "As an Israeli, I was born into this realty of conflict and that's the only thing I knew until I started traveling and eventually moved to New York. During the horrible violence of this last 'round' between Israel and Palestine, I was exposed to the voices coming from within Israel and Palestine via social media etc. One of the things that really bothered me is how people referred to people on the other side as, 'The Palestinians', or 'The Israelis'. We know this reality very well here in the U.S. with racism, sexism etc., and I feel that people forget that we are human beings before belonging to a place, race etc. So the extended title of this song, which didn't make it to the album, is 'When you stop seeing other human beings as human beings', explained Maestro. "Treelogy" was written while the trio was on tour in France. After the initial melody is presented it's a study of new harmonic devices that Maestro found, trying to create the contrast between a consonant, slow bass motion combined with a fast dissonant harmony on top of it. Ravitz and Roeder found a way of creating a long, intense build up, allowing the trio to explore the higher register of their instruments, which is something new to Maestro's music. This also displayed a new level of patience that the trio had found. "Painting" is a song Maestro wrote for the group's first album several years ago in his Brooklyn apartment. Maestro explains, "it was composed at 3 AM, while I was staring at a painting I had received as a gift from a friend in Bulgaria. It is a painting that resembles the work of Marc Chagall. The composition is an attempt to write music to what I feel the painting expressed instead of trying to express myself." It is included on Untold Stories mainly because of Ravitz's enthralling drum solo. "Ziv and I were talking a lot about how the drum solo got stuck in a concept in jazz music, usually stuck in the shape dictated by trading or soloing over the form unaccompanied. We spoke at length about how not many people are questioning this concept any more, and that drum solos can be treated as any other instrument, playing and reacting to harmony, melody and space. I felt it's a statement I wanted to make", said Maestro. 

Other highlights on Untold Stories include "Elusive", a study in contrasts in registers and harmonic tension; "Endless Winter", inspired by NYC's painful winter, and, "an attempt to deal with harmony in a special manner, finding the harmonic twist only in the middle voices, while the melody and bass movements are completely consonant", explained Maestro; the completely improvised "Shades", which finds Maestro bravely opening the door to presenting an abstract piece that is not "beautiful" and part of his usual aesthetic; and the album's closer "Looking Back (Quiet Reflection)", which is all about time, space and simplicity. Maestro explained, "Together with this 'abstract world' that I'm discovering, I'm simultaneously being pulled more towards simplicity, which has to come with trust. Trust in the band members, and in the music. This is one of the compositions I'm most proud of on this album, as it opens new possibilities for me in how to approach music and composition in particular. It's a new direction that I'm very curious about." 

While he was only 19 years old, Shai Maestro began a five-year stint recording and touring with bass player Avishai Cohen, and is featured on the albums Gently Disturbed (2008), Aurora (2009) and Seven Seas (2011). Maestro moved to New York City in 2010 and created his acclaimed trio with Peruvian bassist Jorge Roeder (Gary Burton, Miguel Zenon), and Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz (Lee Konitz, Esperanza Spalding). The Trio's debut album for the French label Laborie Jazz, simply titled Shai Maestro Trio, was very well received and set the trio in motion, touring the world, playing major festivals, concert halls and jazz clubs (Jazz In Marciac, Nice Jazz festival, Montreal Jazz festival, Cotton Club-Japan, Duc des Lombards, New Morning, Jazz Cafe-London, A Trane, Smalls, ShapeShifter Lab, The Jazz Gallery, etc), and receiving incredibly positive responses from audiences, peers and the press. In 2012 at the Jazz In Marciac Festival they shared the stage with Chick Corea's group, Tigran Hamasyan's quintet, Esperanza Spalding's group and Diana Krall's band, indicating the echelon they had reached in the jazz world. The Shai Maestro Trio's third album Untold Stories will be released on August 28 on Motema music. 

Maestro is based in Brooklyn, and when not leading his Trio, the pianist can be found performing and recording with international artists such as Theo Bleckmann, Donny McCaslin, John Patitucci, Mark Guiliana, Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Anat Cohen, Jorge Rossy, Ari Hoenig, Myron Walden, Gilad Hekselman, Jonathan Blake, Clarence Penn and many others.

RELEASE OF THE NINA SIMONE 1968 DOUBLE LP FROM THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

Recorded live on 16 June 1968 at the Montreux Casino during the second edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, this unusually intense concert by Nina Simone is one of the most famous live performances by the American artist and activist. This recording had never been released officially, and it is finally receiving the attention worth of its exceptional quality..

“With an athletic silhouette, an immaculate African dress, a stern face and authoritative gestures, Nina Simone first graced the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival one evening in June, 1968. A nervous Claude Nobs looked on from the wings as the “High Priestess of Soul” took her place behind the keyboard, facing a fascinated audience. He had to pinch himself. His event was barely into its second edition and yet it was hosting this mesmerizing voice, this major pianist, the author of an unprecedented synthesis of jazz, pop, classical, and Broadway. It was Claude Nobs’ considered opinion that her very first appearance in Montreux counted among the foundations on which the Festival’s history was built.”

David Brun-Lambert

The landmark item in our boutique this year, this double LP co-produced by the RTS is the second work from our vinyl record collection THE ESSENTIALS, which aligns the greatest live performances to have set the Montreux Jazz Festival stages alight since 1967. The timing is perfect, with the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? coming out on Netflix last week, featuring two other live performances by Nina at Montreux from 1976. Not to mention the release on 10 July of the tribute album Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone with incredible covers by artists like Lauryn Hill, Gregory Porter and Mary J.Blige.

Nina Simone 1968 (recorded live at Montreux Jazz Festival)

Nina Simone: piano & vocals

Buck Clarke: drums

Henry Young: guitar

Gene Taylor: double bass

Tracks:

SIDE A

1 Go To Hell

2 Just in Time

3 When I was a Young Girl

4 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

SIDE B

5 Ne Me Quitte Pas

6 To Love Somebody

7 Backlash Blues

8 The House of The Rising Sun

SIDE C

9 Sea Lion Woman

10 Please Read Me

11  Ain't Got No/I Got Life

SIDE D

12 Gin House Blues

13 I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free

Recorded live on 16 June 1968

Double LP, 78 minutes

180 grams, remastered sound

Limited edition of 1'000

Mini poster inside

Co-Produced by Montreux Jazz Festival and Radio Télévision Suisse 

NEW RELEASES: GROOVE WITH FEELING; DORE L.A. SOUL SIDES VOL 2; WALT WEISKOPF - OPEN ROAD

GROOVE WITH  FEELING: SOUNDS OF MEMPHIS, SOUL AND FUNK 1975-1985

The later years of the Sound Of Memphis studio – cuts from a time when the legendary deep soul powerhouse was trying on some of the newer modes from the end of the 70s! The work here is a real lost slice of Memphis soul – music from a time when the heyday of Stax and Hi Records had long passed, but smaller indies like SOM were going strong – and able to capture the shifting sound in the great soul city – as singers worked in the sorts of funky club and boogie modes you'd more regularly associate with New York or Chicago! The quality level is surprisingly great – especially since there's a nicely indie vibe to these cuts – not polished disco rehash, but the sort of underground club material that we've always loved from reissues on labels like Numero or Soul Cal – coming here from the surprising source of Memphis. Even more importantly, almost all this material never saw the light of day at the time – since the SOM connections to bigger labels had faded – so the whole thing's like a time capsule, taking you back to some real under-exposed days on the Memphis scene! Titles include "Dream Girl" and "Groove With A Feeling" by Freedom Express, "You Can Bet I Can Get You Yet" and "What You Do For Love" by Lee Moore, "Ridin" and "Attraction" by Erma Shaw, "Cold Blooded Sally" by Fran Farley, "New Lang Syne" by Kannon, "I'll Be Around" by The Jacksonians, "Gone" by Vision, "We Need Love" by Donald O'Connor, "Tighter Tighter" by Demetrius & Takelia, and "Don't Fight It" by Louis Williams. ~ Dusty Groove

DORE L.A. SOUL SIDES VOL 2: 20 YEARS WORTH OF ELUSIVE WEST COAST DANCERS SWEET SOUL BALLADS & ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN

Loads and loads of great group soul sounds from the LA scene of the late 60s and early 70s – a mix of upbeat groovers and laidback harmony tunes that show that the west coast city was every bit as great at handling soul groups as the scenes in Detroit or Philly! Apart from The Whispers – who were the big Dore label stars at the time – many of these other acts didn't break big east of the Rockies – which makes this whole collection a real treasure trove of great discovery – stunning vocals supported by superb arrangements and production, and a selection of tracks chosen with the usual Kent Records care! There's a few solo artists on the set, too – but the main focus is on groups, and titles include "Nothing Lasts Forever" by The Natural Resources, "Getting Back Into Circulation" by The Entertainers IV, "I'm Givin You Notice Baby" by The Fidels, "I Wanna Chance" by The Vows, "I Only Cry Once A Day Now" by The Puffs, "The Girl That I Loved" by Bobby & Eddie Unlimited, "Saigon To San Francisco" by Toussaint McCall, "Just A Little Ugly" by Gail Anderson, "Wind In My Sails" by The Superbs, "I Want YoU" by Dee Torres, and "My Pillow" by The Darlings. ~ Dusty Groove

WALT WEISKOPF - OPEN ROAD

Walt Weiskopf is a hell of a tenorist, and one who's getting more and more of our attention with each new release – able to open up and really blow at a fast-riffing level of creativity, yet always with a sense of focus, soul, and strongly rhythmic approach! We might dub Walt as the heir to a legacy that runs back to Tubby Hayes, and includes the work of Eric Alexander – and there's a creative crackle to this album that reminds us of Alexander's early material – a quality that's further emphasized by the wide range of original material penned by Walt, which really keeps things interesting. The group's a quartet – with Peter Zak on piano, Mike Karn on bass, and Steve Fidyk on drums – but Walt's dexterity often makes it feel like there's a lot more going on, too. Titles include "Premonition", "Chronology", "Tricycle", "Leaves Of Grass", "Electroshock", and "Open Road". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: ADAM ROGERS / DAVID BINNEY - R&B; RON CARTER AND THE WDR BIG BAND - MY PERSONAL SONGBOOK; JACQUI NAYLOR - SUNSHINE AND RAIN

ADAM ROGERS / DAVID BINNEY - R&B

From his many Criss Cross dates as a leader to his extraordinary sideman work with Chris Potter, the late Michael Brecker and many more, Adam Rogers continues to blaze a path as one of jazz's most compelling guitarists. His longtime associate David Binney, alto saxophone great and an influential composer and producer, has also distinguished himself with numerous innovative sessions for Criss Cross and others. On 'R&B', Rogers and Binney unite to co-lead a lean and hard-swinging quartet with bassist Reuben Rogers (no relation) and drummer Gerald Cleaver. In a departure from their usual focus on original material, Rogers and Binney aim straight for bebop, ballads and classics by Thelonious Monk, Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter, among others. The feel is rock-solid, the improvisations bracing. It's a fresh, unexpected take on the jazz tradition, viewed through a modern prism. Personnel: Adam Rogers (guitar), David Binney (alto saxophone), Reuben Rogers (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums). ~ Amazon

RON CARTER AND THE WDR BIG BAND - MY PERSONAL SONGBOOK

Ron Carter's elegant, eloquent and delicate tone, as well as his extraordinary sense of timing, has informed generations of bassists, and has had a tremendous impact on Jazz as a whole. 'My Personal Songbook' is the first recording of the grand master's original compositions, performed by a large ensemble, to be released. Given that the outcome is so successful one may wonder why he's so rarely worked in this setting - it was only in 2011, after all, that he formed a big band of his own. Includes: Eight, Receipt, Please, Ah Rio, Doom Mood, Blues For D.P., Wait For The Beep, Little Waltz, For Toddlers Only, Sheila's Song, and Cut and Paste. ~ Amazon

JACQUI NAYLOR - SUNSHINE AND RAIN

Jacqui Naylor is not an easy artist to categorize. There are times when she performs straight-ahead vocal jazz, but at other times she favors more of a folk-rock/adult alternative approach. Depending on the mood she is in at a given moment, the northern Californian can bring to mind anyone from Cassandra Wilson or British jazz vocalist Claire Martin to Sarah McLachlan or Shawn Colvin -- she is as comfortable among jazz improvisers as she is in the singer/songwriter world. During one of her live performances, Naylor has no problem singing smoky jazz one minute and folk-rock or adult alternative the next -- and there are times when she blurs the line between the two. Naylor, who is very jazz-friendly but far from a rigid jazz purist, brings a long list of influences to her introspective work -- influences ranging from Billie Holiday, June Christy, and Nina Simone to Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, Carole King, and Sheryl Crow. That is an unlikely combination of influences, certainly, but it is one that works well for Naylor (who has used all of them to fashion a personal, recognizable style of her own). Naylor has a highly diverse repertoire; on-stage, she is likely to perform a Tin Pan Alley standard right after something by the Rolling Stones or Talking Heads (in addition to performing songs of her own). Naylor is not an overly aggressive or forceful type of singer; she favors subtlety, restraint, and understatement, which are things that Holiday and Christy (one of the goddesses of jazz's cool school) were both masters of. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: RICKIE LEE JONES – THE OTHER SIDE OF DESIRE; PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE LARGE UNIT - ERTA ALE; OLIVIA HIME - E AMIGOS

RICKIE LEE JONES – THE OTHER SIDE OF DESIRE

Her latest, The Other Side Of Desire was written, recorded and rooted in the city of New Orleans, where Jones lives on the opposite side of the street made famous by Tennessee Williams. Produced by John Porter (of Roxy Music) and Mark Howard, this is the first new music Jones has written in over a decade. “This work is inspired by many years of sitting with all the events of my life until I had something to paint with,” says Rickie. “I came to New Orleans to write and to live a different way than what I have known on the west coast.”  Tracks include: Jimmy Choos, Valtz De Mon Pere (Lovers’ Waltz), J’ai Connais Pas, Blinded By The Hunt, Infinity, I Wasn’t Here, Christmas In New Orleans, Haunted, Feet On The Ground,. Juliette, and Finale: (A Spider In The Circus Of The Falling Star).

PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE LARGE UNIT - ERTA ALE

Drummer Paal Nilssen-Love is a musician we're used to hearing in smaller groups, and duo and solo sessions – but this time around, he provides a stunning debut of his Large Unit – an 11 piece ensemble that really brings out a whole new sound in Paal's music! Much of the record is improvised, but there's also a larger sense of structure too – that balance between ensemble direction and individual freedom that's run through groups from the London Jazz Composers Orchestra to the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet! The range of expression is wonderful – much more full of color and tonal elements than usual projects we've heard from Paal – definitely a new step forward – and musicians include Thomas Johansson on cornet and flugelhorn, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Kasper Vaernes on alto and soprano, Klaus Ellerhusen Holm on alto and baritone, Borre Molstad on tuba, Ketil Gutvik on guitar, Lasse Marhaug on electronics and turntable, Jon Rune Strom and Christian Meass Svendsen on basses, and Andreas Wildhagen and Nilssen-Love on drums and percussion.  ~ Dusty Groove

OLIVIA HIME - E AMIGOS

Olivia Hime sings here with some key "amigos" – on a record that continues that wonderfully collaborative spirit we love in Brazilian music! American artists hardly ever give themselves so openly – save, perhaps, for hip hoppers looking to climb up the ladder with an appearance on another record – but Brazilian singers and musicians are always ready to help each other out – to check their egos at the door, and come together beautifully on records like these – which often stand out as some of the most special moments in their careers! Hime's great on her own – and we love her other Biscoito Fino records – but there's really something special going on here, as she works alongside Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque, Dory Caymmi, Djavan, and Lenine – all artists whose presence only seems to make Olivia more at home in her own space. Titles include "Ultimo Retrato", "Cara Bonita", "Fortaleza", "Morena Do Mar", "Pra Voce Que Chora", "Barbara", and "Corpo Marinheiro".  ~ Dusty Groove

 

New Darlene Love Album In Decades, 'Introducing Darlene Love' Due Out This Fall / New Album Features Songs Written By Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Jim Webb, Linda Perry, Desmond Child, Joan Jett, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, And Others

Guitar great, artist, producer, and E Street Band icon Stevie Van Zandt has signed seminal pop legend Darlene Love to his Wicked Cool label, partnering with Columbia Records to release a new album by Love coming this fall, titled Introducing Darlene Love.  Van Zandt arranged and produced the album, enlisting a star-studded cast to contribute songs to Love's return to Marquee-pop music making, including, among others, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt, Jim Webb, Linda Perry, Desmond Child, Joan Jett, and legendary songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who for more than five decades have reigned as one of the most influential songwriting duos in history.

The highly anticipated album will be released in early autumn, with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Love imbuing new and classic songs with her signature dynamic vocal delivery that the New York Times has hailed as "a thunderbolt voice embedded in the history of rock n' roll…" and Rolling Stone has called "a rare instrument sturdy enough to vault over Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound.'" 

The epic E Street Band guitarist commented on the forthcoming release: "Darlene's legendary status is well deserved but I felt the time was long overdue to show a younger generation WHY she has earned that reputation.  Partnering with Columbia Records is a dream come true because now I know the world will hear her."

Love's five-decade career spans some of the greatest signature moments in music, with the Los Angeles native nurturing her talent early as a member of the Blossoms, a local trio who began providing backup vocals at recording sessions for artists such as Sam Cooke and Bobbie Day. The Blossoms also were featured as part of the house band for the popular '60s music show Shindig, backing up many of the performers who appeared on the series. 

Love would go on to become one of the most sought-after background singers in music history, recording with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, The Righteous Brothers, and dozens of other vocal giants throughout her career. Her early work with iconic producer Phil Spector on songs such as the pioneering "He's A Rebel," "He's Sure The Boy I Love," and "Why Do Lover's Break Each Other's Hearts," would garner her legend status. She is featured in the 2013 Academy Award winning documentary '20 Feet From Stardom,' chronicling the behind-the-scenes lives of background singers. The accompanying album won a 2014 Grammy in the Best Music Film category.     

The prolific Van Zandt creates a compelling production aesthetic on Introducing Darlene Love, echoing the classic recording style of many early '60s pop standards on the forthcoming Columbia Records/Wicked Cool release, available everywhere this fall.

~Columbia Records

Newport Jazz Festival Celebrates 60 Years of Miles Davis on New "Storyville" Stage, August 1-2

When a teenage George Wein regularly left his parents' home in Newton, MA, to sneak down to the Big Apple to catch concerts on legendary 52nd Street, he had no idea that his love for jazz would lead to a life-long music career, including owning Storyville, a world-class jazz club in Boston that was home to every major jazz star, and creating the iconic Newport Jazz Festival. 

Wein also built enduring friendships with some of the world's leading musicians. Among his friends was trumpet player Miles Davis, whom he first met in 1952 when they were both beginning to make names for themselves.  Miles brought down the house at Storyville, whenever he performed there; and he received the same rave reaction on the stage at the second annual Newport Jazz Festival in scenic Newport, RI. 

On August 1-2 during the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, Wein re-imagines Storyville on a new Festival stage located in the former Yachting Museum at Fort Adams State Park. Grammy Award®-winning author and music historian Ashley Kahn will curate two seminars each day on the renowned trumpet player, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Davis' first performance at Newport on July 17, 1955. 

Highlights of the Miles Davis tribute include an interview with Wein conducted by New York Times critic Nate Chinen; a celebration of Miles and the St. Louis trumpet tradition; and a discussion of Miles' romance with electric guitars. There will also be a playback of music from the new Columbia/Legacy Recordings box set Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol.4, with co-producer of the collection - Grammy Award®-winning producer Steve Berkowitz and consultant Nell Mulderry - Miles' nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr., and Miles' son Erin Davis.

Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975 will be available everywhere on Friday, July 17 - 60 years to the date since Davis' breakthrough performance at Newport in 1955 - through Columbia/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

The full schedule features:

Saturday, August 1 - 1:00-2:00 pm

MILES & GEORGE: Wein talks about his long relationship with Miles to Nate Chinen, co-writer of Wein's autobiography, Myself Among Others: A Life In Music,and also New York Times critic.

  

Saturday, August 1 -  3:15-4:15 pm

MILES & NEWPORT: Every time Miles Davis performed under the banner of the Newport Jazz Festival - between 1955 to 1975 - his groups delivered historic performances, all of which were recorded. MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 4 is the title of a new four-CD set featuring a musical overview of Miles' relationship with Newport Jazz. Tasty excerpts from the collection will be played in addition to discussions with co-producer Steve Berkowitz, packager Nell Mulderry, Miles' nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr., Miles' son Erin Davis, and moderator Ashley Kahn.

Sunday, August 2 - 1:00-2:00 pm

MILES & THE ELECTRIC GUITAR: Miles' long romance with the sound of the electric guitar began in the mid-1960s when he asked George Benson to sit in on a recording session, and was shoved into high gear when the rock revolution of the late '60s hit. He began playing his trumpet through a wah-wah guitar pedal, and his lineups featured stars of jazz guitar as John McLaughlin, Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas, as well as John Scofield, Robben Ford and Mike Stern. Guitarist and festival performer Mike Stern, Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke, and author and critic Bill Milkowski join moderator Ashley Kahn to discuss and play examples of Miles' guitar infatuation.

  

Sunday, August 2 - 3:15-4:15 pm

MILES, CLARK TERRY & ST. LOUIS TRUMPETERS: Miles' first and most enduring hero was trumpeter Clark Terry; both were residents of St. Louis and were products of that city's long-standing trumpet tradition. Terry passed away in the past year just as the documentary Keep On Keepin' On was released. Trumpeters and festival performers Jon Faddis and Randy Sandke join moderator Ashley Kahn in celebrating Terry, Miles and other St. Louis trumpet stars with music and video excerpts.

  

In addition to the celebration of Miles Davis, Storyville will feature piano performances by Helen Sung, Christian Sands and the 11-year old prodigy, Joey Alexander, on Saturday, August 1, andAaron Diehl, Frank Kimbrough and Giorgi Mikadze on Sunday, August 2.

George Wein's Storyville opened in 1950 in Boston's Copley Square Hotel.  A nearly 200-seat room  frequently filled with dynamic artists and dedicated jazz fans, the club launched with Bob Wilber and went on to present some of the world's most renowned jazz artists, including Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. For a decade, the club was the place to be in Boston. As George wrote in his book about the original club, the new stage, Storyville, at the Newport Jazz Festival won't have a "bad seat in the house;" and when you leave to go to another stage, the producer hopes you will share his feeling when Satchmo first played Storyville: "Life was very, very beautiful right there and then."

The 2015 edition of America's first annual jazz festival, which takes place July 31-August 2 at Fort Adams State Park and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino, will feature Chris Botti, Cassandra Wilson, Jamie Cullum, Snarky Puppy, Maria Schneider, Arturo Sandoval, Dr. John, Jack DeJohnette: Made in Chicago, Kenny Garrett, Billy Childs, Arturo O'Farrill, Fred Hersch, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Kneebody, Hiromi, Michel Camilo, Jon Faddis, James Carter, Christian McBride, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern/Bill Evans Band, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tom Harrell, Pat Martino, Matana Roberts, John Hollenbeck,  Ms. Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton and many others.

For more information on the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, go to www.newportjazzfest.

Panist Yelena Eckemoff Reaches New Heights Working with Norwegian Dream Team of Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen, and Tore Brunborg on Everblue

When pianist Yelena Eckemoff released Cold Sun (L & H Production, 2010) - a trio date with drumming legend Peter Erskine and Danish bass whiz Mads Vinding - the jazz world was introduced to a startlingly fresh voice destined for great things.  Over the course of the six albums that followed, Eckemoff lived up to that promise, delivering organically crafted music reflective of her classical background, fascination with the natural world, poetic soul, communicative spirit, and overall open-mindedness.  Now, Eckemoff is poised to make even more waves with the spellbinding Everblue, her third in-studio encounter with Norwegian bass icon Arild Andersen and her first musical meeting with two other Norwegians of note - drummer Jon Christensen and saxophonist Tore Brunborg. 

Those familiar with the background of Eckemoff's musical partners will likely be aware of their shared history, as Andersen and Christensen were both key players in Jan Garbarek's groundbreaking musical odysseys in the early '70s and all three men were involved in the band called Masqualero.  But none of that has to do with Eckemoff's motives for joining forces with this Norwegian dream team.  Instead, she simply notes that she chose to work with these musicians because they "would be the best match to interpret the ideas for the Everblue project."

The musical affinity that exists between Eckemoff and Andersen is already abundantly clear, having been demonstrated on two beautifully rendered trio outings-Glass Song (L & H Production, 2013), with Peter Erskine on drums, and Lions (L & H Production, 2015), with Billy Hart on drums. On Everblue, their rapport is deepened and broadened, as both players seem to resonate sympathetically throughout.  While Eckemoff has worked with a number of fine bassists in the past, including Vinding and George Mraz, her relationship with Andersen helps to take her work to another level; it's a relationship that, she notes, plays out like "an interactive conversation." 

In summing up her reasoning for choosing to bring Christensen and Brunborg into her musical orbit on Everblue, Eckemoff cites both players' elemental qualities:  she likens Christensen to "an ocean" and she views Brunborg as "the voice of nature: animals, birds, winds, and ghosts."  When merged with her own "wondering and contemplative spirit" and Andersen's deeply resonating bass work-"a bridge between all of us," according to the architect herself-the results are mesmerizing.

With Everblue, Eckemoff doesn't simply present a set of tunes: she presents an overarching musical concept that guides this voyage.  "Part of our human consciousness constantly searches and yearns for the divine, unspeakably beautiful, eternal," she notes.  "In my world, I call this place Everblue."  It's a concept and a world that's plainly laid out in her poetry and music, as everything is drawn around beaches and oceans.   And it's a concept within that concept-the search for beauty-that informs this journey of faith and discovery.

From the first reflective notes of the title track, it's clear that the value of this music is in the travel.  As that number unfolds, there's prayerful saxophone work to observe, glistening sounds to admire, and rustling percussion to behold.  Thoughts of "cool sapphire light," "azure skies," and a "cobalt ocean"-all mentioned in the "Everblue" poem-come through clearly in the music.  With "All Things, Seen And Unseen," Eckemoff establishes a firm presence, providing counterpoint and communing with the musical spirits and her band mates.  Here, Christensen manages to position his cymbal work against the beat and Andersen manages to achieve an intriguing duality that carries across the album: he comes off as a commanding force while also managing to exist as a wholly malleable musical entity. 

Eckemoff brings a touch of minimalism into the picture with her rolling triplets on "Waves  & Shells," a number that can be said to be "moving" in more ways than one.  Some call-and-response interaction bookends the piece, yet it's not central to the story.  More important are Christensen's mid-track percussive serenade and Andersen's thoughts of the moment.  From there, it's off to "Skyline," a number that ebbs and flows in organic fashion as musical voices gently lap against one another and starry-eyed piano charms and disarms, and "Sea-Breeze," a world built with broken eighth-note lines, cymbal gestures delivered in the nooks between beats, bright thoughts, and strong solo work from Eckemoff and Andersen. 

"Prism" and "Man," arriving next in the running order, both come from the musically fertile mind of Arild Andersen.  By including these pieces, Eckemoff makes a slight departure from her previous releases: she exhibits a high level of trust, as this marks the first time that she's included somebody else's work on one of her jazz albums.  That trust pays off handsomely in this case.  Both pieces, while originally written for other settings, manage to sonically embody the philosophy behind this album.  "Prism" was originally recorded on The Triangle (ECM, 2004)-a trio outing that found Andersen working with pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos and drummer John Marshall.  Here, with Christensen and Brunborg, Andersen notes, "it felt natural to do the song looser and more free in tempo."  This change in direction gives the piece a wholly different character, as Eckemoff and company deliver a dose of abstract realism, with lightly rippled gestures, peaceful moments of clarity, and highly pronounced colors coming to the surface.  "Man," Andersen states, "was written for a short film some years back and I had never recorded it before." The bassist admits that it never struck him as being a jazz vehicle, but this band manages to shape it as such. Pockets of energy seem to magically emerge and then recede into the distance on this fascinating number. 

The remaining tracks, as with the aforementioned material, all highlight the simpatico sensibilities of these players and their individual talents.  "Abyss" brings the Eckemoff-Andersen relationship into sharp focus; "Ghost of The Dunes" penetrates, with Eckemoff's two-handed angular work and a strong sense of connectivity between Brunborg and Andersen on display; and "Blue Lamp" is a patient and elegant sendoff, complete with firm yet pliant gestures.  In most of those cases, and on nearly every track on the album, Eckemoff manages to present melodically lucid thoughts bathed in ethereal waters.

Yelena Eckemoff Quartet - Everblue EPK

Yelena Eckemoff · Everblue

L&H Production  ·  Release Date: August 21, 2015

yelenamusic.com

Kamasi Washington Announces Tour in Support of Critically Acclaimed Album, The Epic

"...this saxophonist-composer is unusually well poised to secure the attention of listeners who have previously been uninterested in jazz." - Pitchfork

"The most ambitious jazz album to arrive in ages..." - iTunes

"In a millennium largely absent of anything new or captivating in the jazz idiom,

Washington has just unleashed a musical hydra grounded in respect and intimate knowledge of the past and striking far out into a hopeful future." - Variety

  

"Jazz fusion that rockets everywhere from electric Miles groove to Sun Ra sputter, from velvety smooth to hardcore squawk - and still sounds as future-minded as any hip-hop or experimental electronic LP out." - Rolling Stone

Kamasi Washington U.S. Performances:

July 30 / Neumos / Seattle, WA

July 31 / Pickathon Festival / Happy Valley, OR

August 6 / Chop Shop / Charlotte, NC

August 7 / Motorco / Durham, NC

August 8 / Richmond Jazz Festival / Richmond, VA

August 9 / San Jose Jazz Summer Fest / San Jose, CA

August 20 / The Sinclair / Boston, MA

August 22 / Blue / Portland, ME

August 24 -­ 25 / Blue Note Jazz Club / New York, NY

August 26 / Howard Theatre / Washington, DC

August 27 / World Café Live / Philadelphia, PA

August 29 / Soundstage / Baltimore, MD

September 15 / The Smith Center / Las Vegas, NV

September 18 / Harlow's / Sacramento, CA

September 19 / Warfield Theatre / San Francisco, CA

Kamasi Washington International Performances:

November 4 / Bird / Rotterdam, Holland

November 5 / Bitterzoet / Amsterdam, Holland

November 6 / Greunspan / Hamburg, Germany

November 7 / So What's Next Festival / Eindhoven, Holland

November 8 / Enjoy Jazz Festival / Mannheim, Germany

November 9 / Locomotiv / Bologna, Italy

November 10 / Monk Club / Rome, Italy

November 11 / Tunnel / Milan, Italy

November 13 / Lantern / Bristol, UK

November 14 / EFG London Jazz Festival / London, UK

November 15 / Trabendo / Paris, France

November 16 / AB Club / Brussels, Belgium

November 17 / Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld / Cologne, Germany

November 18 / Unterfahrt / Munich, Germany

November 21 / Le Guess Who Festival / Utrecht, Netherlands

November 22 / Neue Heimat / Berlin, Germany

November 23 / DR Concert House 2 / Copenhagen, Denmark

November 24 / Victoria / Oslo, Norway

November 25 / Fasching / Stockholm, Sweden

November 26 / Nefertiti / Gothenburg, Sweden

November 27 / Folken / Stavanger, Norway

November 28 / Verftet / Bergen, Norway

Ben Liebrand's Iconic Groove, capturing those bass lines, riffs and rhythms that move the dance floor, features James "D-Train" Williams, Barbara Tucker, Cerrone & more...

25 years after 'Styles', Ben Liebrand releases his new artist album entitled - Iconic Groove. This is an album capturing those bass lines, riffs and rhythms that move the dance floor. Think of it as an album covering every aspect of ones weekend, from getting ready to go out, the trip to the venue in the limo, trying to get there on time, the people you meet, the artists you see, the moves you make all the way till you see the sunrise after closing time.

The tracks are inspired by all that Liebrand loves, along with collaborations alonf the way with Tony Scott, James D'Train Williams, Cerrone and many more. 

Using the latest technology 'Iconic Groove' was nevertheless recorded the oldskool way starting with real bass guitars & rhythm guitars sessions, adding horns and live rhythm elements. Overlaying with Iconic synthesizer sounds from Moog, Korg, Roland, and many more capturing the early years of electronic music with captivating sequence patterns and sweeping modulating pad sounds.

Ben's inspiration is clearly audible with collaborations of icons like Cerrone and James D-Train Williams, Tonys Scott and more. With a broad selection of dance ranging from super Funky through Disco to throbbing sequencers!

Ben Liebrand - Iconic Groove 

2CD release • 124 min run-time • 17 brand new productions

WEEKEND feat. James “D-Train” Williams

WE ARE THE NIGHT feat. James “D-Train” Williams

GET ON UP feat. Caroline Dest

DON’T STOP

BOOGIE Feat. Barbara Tucker

VIP PASS (LIMO INCLUDED) feat. Joel “Spanky” Gray

SUNRISE

TO THE VENUE

INTO THE LIGHT

DANCER

MISTER DJ feat. James “D-Train” Williams

DISCOTHEQUE feat. Tony Scott

ALL THE WAY feat. Tony Scott

LOVE Feat. Caroline Dest

ON AND ON

CAN YOU HEAR ME feat. Erica Young

CLOSING TIME