GRAMMY-WINNING GUITARIST LEE RITENOUR SET TO RELEASE A TWIST OF RIT ON AUGUST 21, 2015

Featuring John Beasley, Dave Grusin, Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts, Melvin Lee Davis, Michael Thompson, Wah Wah Watson, David T. Walker, Makoto Ozone, Tom Kennedy, Dave Weckl, Paulinho Da Costa, Ronald Bruner Jr., Chris Coleman, Bob Sheppard and Rashawn Ross

“The concept for A Twist of Rit combines new material and tunes selected from earlier albums. We twisted, flipped and reconstructed those songs with a twelve-piece band. Several of the songs are from my very first album, First Course, recorded in 1975 and the Rit album in 1980.” - Lee Ritenour

GRAMMY-winning, guitarist Lee Ritenour, AKA Captain Fingers, has a wide-ranging array of material to revive, as evidenced by A Twist of Rit. 2015 commemorates 40 years since his debut recording, First Course, on Epic Records.  A Twist of Rit, set for release on August 21, 2015 via Concord Records, is a magnificent follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2012 album Rhythm Sessions.

A Twist of Rit spotlights Ritenour with several long-time musical cohorts, including keyboardists John Beasley, Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen; saxophonist Ernie Watts; bassists Melvin Lee Davis, Tom Kennedy and Dave Weckl; and percussionist Paulinho Da Costa. That core group is augmented by drummers Ronald Bruner Jr. and Chris Coleman, along with Bob Sheppard on saxophone and Rashawn Ross playing flugelhorn. Joining Ritenour for the first time are guitarists Michael Thompson, Wah Wah Watson and David T. Walker, plus Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone.

A Twist of Rit features Ritenour’s soaring guitar lines with 12 of his compositions ranging from the funky fusion and sophisticated jazz that he has become so well known for. All of the material was captured by his longtime GRAMMY Award-winning engineer Don Murray and the tracks were recorded with everyone performing together, old-school, but with modern, state-of-the-art recording techniques. Another album highlight will be the debut of Hungarian guitarist Tony Pusztai, Grand Prize Winner of Ritenour’s biennial, 2014 Six String Theory Competition. Pusztai was selected from over 500 entries and 72 participating countries.

“People like Ernie, Patrice, Dave and John Beasley, who worked closely on [my album] Wes Bound – along with Melvin Davis and percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, go back with me to the very beginning,” Ritenour says. “Ernie had been on so many of my projects. And, of course, I couldn’t do this without Dave Grusin, who is my best buddy, and who has been involved in almost all of my recordings. All of these people are very close friends of mine. We’ve had this musical mafia for twenty, thirty, forty years.”

With his formidable fellow travelers, Ritenour revisits several selections from his iconic albums including First Course (1976), Friendship (1978) – an LP consisting of the Ritenour-led super-group that included Ernie Watts, Don Grusin, drummer Alex Acuna, percussionist Steve Forman, and bassist Abraham Laboriel – Rit, Vol.1 (1981), Earth Run (1986), Stolen Moments (1990) and This Is Love (1998).

Save for “Pearl,” a heartfelt, Latin-tinged tribute to Ritenour’s mother, as well as the mid-tempo, bouncy title track and the surging, organ-filled “W.O.R.K.n’ It” (Weckl, Ozone, Ritenour, Kennedy) – another version, “More W.O.R.K,” will be released on an upcoming 5-LP retrospective box set – the  rest of the album features the new-and-improved vintage Ritenour tracks. “When I first proposed this record to Concord, I didn’t want it to be perceived as a ‘best of’ rehash of my old tunes,” Ritenour says. “I love to write new material. So there is new material on the record. But I wanted to take a look at my earlier tunes – not necessarily the major radio hits – but in general, I wanted to take material that could have a fresh look today, that we could ‘twist,’ or flip. This is the first record where all of the tunes are mine. It was really fun to look back at my catalog, which stretches back forty years, and pick certain tunes to take a fresh start.”

From the LP First Course, “Wild Rice” and “Fatback” swing with some grooving, mid- and up-tempo Muscle Shoals-meets-Malibu horn lines, originally arranged by Tom Scott and re-arranged by Ritenour and Beasley that ring with the spirit of the late B.B. King and Steely Dan. Two more selections from First Course include the Crusaders-coded, Michael Omartian-arranged “A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That” and the funky, 9/4-time, Head Hunters-inspired “Sweet Syncopation.” The spry, festive “Bullet Train” from Friendship bounces with the air of a Brazilian love affair, and “Soaring,” from Earth Run, is rhythmically laced with a Latin lilt.

“Ooh Yeah,” from This Is Love, is reincarnated as a laid back, Quiet Storm selection, topped by Ritenour’s luscious, Wes Montgomery-esque chords. “Waltz for Carmen” from Stolen Moments, written for Ritenour’s wife, is an intricate duo featuring Tony Pusztai. “Tony, who is an insane classical guitarist from Hungary, has got some incredible jazz chops, too,” Ritenour proudly says. The zenith of the release is Ritenour’s re-imagination of “Countdown” from Rit, Vol 1., a surging, anthemic contemporary jazz classic of the highest order. “I did some sampling of my original recordings,” he says. “I was able to hunt down the original tracks and have them transferred to digital. We used a sample of the original “Countdown” vocoder [track]. As we were playing live, we were triggering the sample and playing along with it.”

Ritenour is able to draw upon a diverse body of work that reflects his polyglot musical upbringing. Born on January 11, 1952 in Los Angeles, Ritenour grew up listening to a wide variety of music. His father was an amateur pianist who exposed him to Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, Erroll Garner and Stan Kenton while he took his first guitar lessons at eight. Ritenour experienced his first jazz “eureka!” moment three years later when his father took him to the record store.

“We bought three records by Howard Roberts, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass. I was influenced heavily by all three guys,” Ritenour says. “A lot of people don’t know Howard, but he was an incredible studio player. And, of course, everybody knows Joe. My dad called Joe on the phone, and said, ‘I’ve got this fourteen year-old. Will you give him a lesson?’ So I went to Joe’s house a couple of times and we became friends. And I was also influenced by Wes’ rhythmic and melodic approach and his tone.”

Along with his love of R&B, rock and fusion, Ritenour started his career early. He played in a band that featured Patrice Rushen and Dave Grusin at the L.A. club The Baked Potato, while making a name for himself working with The Mamas & the Papas and Tony Bennett. Ritenour’s work with Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Dizzy Gillespie, Simon & Garfunkel, Herbie Hancock and Frank Sinatra, to name a select few, made him the most ubiquitous guitarist of his generation. In 1986, he received a GRAMMY Award for his collaboration with Dave Grusin on his recording Harlequin, and has been a perennial chart-topper in numerous critics polls. In the 1990s, he was a founding member of the contemporary jazz supergroup Fourplay, with Bob James, Harvey Mason and Nathan East.

A Twist of Rit aurally illustrates Ritenour’s delicate balance of maintaining his individuality while working with an array of diverse artists. “Even though I was a studio player, I was trying to establish my own identity,” he says. “The live thing is just as important as the studio thing. And when I did my first album, where a lot of the songs [on this album] are from, in 1975, I didn’t think I had a ‘Lee Ritenour sound.’ But then, a few years later, I listened to the record, and I realized that wow, I did have my own sound then.”

Along with A Twist of Rit, Concord Records will release a five LP vinyl box set of some of Ritenour’s classic records, including Wes Bound, Festival, Color Rit, Portrait and Earth Run. Ritenour will be touring and promoting these projects throughout 2015/16.

LIZZ WRIGHT MAKES HER CONCORD RECORDS DEBUT WITH THE POWERFUL FREEDOM & SURRENDER

Five years after the release of her critically acclaimed, gospel-laden disc, Fellowship (Verve), Lizz Wright makes her Concord Records debut with the powerful Freedom & Surrender, set for release on September 4, 2015. The 35-year-old singer-songwriter – renowned for her earthy alto voice and emotive yet straight-forward vocal serenading – teams with four-time GRAMMY-winning bassist and producer Larry Klein, who’s best known for his work with such leading lights as Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux and Tracy Chapman.

Wright enlisted Klein based upon the recommendation of trusted colleagues. Already a fan, she was well aware of his production brilliance, particularly through his work with strong-minded women artists. “We talked over the phone; then we met and did as much talking as we did laughing,” she recalls. “I don’t laugh to just mess around and make people feel good; I laugh because I actually get you. Just the fact that I felt that way with him – I just said, ‘OK, we’re cool.’”

For the sessions, Klein and Wright gather a cadre of great musicians that includes drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Dan Lutz, percussionist Pete Korpela, guitarists Dean Parks and Jesse Harris; and keyboardists Kenny Banks, Pete Kuzma, and Billy Childs. In addition, Klein also recruited his longtime songwriting partner David Batteau to collaborate with Wright in the songwriting process. “I loved writing with them,” Wright enthuses.

Freedom & Surrender was initially supposed to be a disc of mostly cover-songs, centered on themes of “the circuitous dance of love.” Instead, it became the very opposite – an album of mostly originals – while keeping the initial theme intact. Wright explains, “There’s a time for everything. There’s a time to do cover-song records, which can be like sharing good homework after doing really beautiful research. It can be amazing and very creative in that way. But I just knew it wasn’t time for me to be doing that. I had to prove it and buckle down and make it happen.”

Without a doubt, Wright certainly made it happen with Freedom & Surrender, her sexiest, most sensual album yet. She wrote ten of the disc’s 15 songs, six with Klein and Batteau. The three penned “The New Game” – the disc’s original working title – a rollicking, country-blues ditty with poetic lyrics and verses. The album as a whole touches upon fresher emotional terrain, especially the ethereal, acoustic guitar and Hammond organ-powered “Somewhere Down the Mystic,” the beautiful lament “Here and Now,” (which was inspired in part by the passing of Maya Angelou), the salty and spiteful “You” and the tender R&B ballad “Blessed the Brave.”

Written by Wright, Klein and celebrated songwriter J.D. Souther, “Right Where You Are” is a mesmerizing love slow jam featuring Wright in an amorous duet with Gregory Porter, while “Real Life Painting,” written by Wright and Maia Sharp, is a bucolic evocation about dwelling in the momentary carnal bliss of a love affair.

Souther invited Wright to his small farm in Nashville for a writing session where she recalls playing a lot of piano in his barn. “I gave him a few chords and turned them around into something that we liked. I didn’t think he was going to do anything with them but then he sent me part of the song all the way through to the B section,” Wright recalls. “I respect his clarity and speed.”

Wright was also delighted to have the song feature Porter, whom she toured with in 2013. “The song is very tender and slow. To trust him with that was easy; to hear him move through a suspended, vulnerable space, you can get into the machinery of his voice,” she offers.

Wright is equally enthusiastic about her writing sessions with Sharp, which yielded “Real Life Painting,” containing reflections with cinematic-like qualities. “She is a real fast writer and a wonderful guitarist,” Wright notes.

On “Freedom” and “Surrender” – two songs which bookend the disc – Wright reconnected with Toshi Reagon, who played tremendous roles on her three previous discs – Dreaming Wide Awake (2005), The Orchard (2008) and Fellowship (2010). The gentle yet lusty waltz “Surrender” showcases Wright in a seductive splendor, while Reagon’s declarative, funk-driven “Freedom,” displays Wright in a feisty independent mode. ‘Freedom’ is so unapologetic; it has weight to it that differs from the other songs,” Wright explains. “Larry totally got it; he thought the song was just killing. There’s something about Toshi in which she always calls my spirit to be true in whatever I do.”

Jesse Harris, another longtime collaborator of Wright, co-wrote the lulling, erotically charged ballad “The Game” and the slinky “Lean In,” which moves to a midnight groove that Marvin Gaye might have concocted with Leon Ware.

When it came to covers, Wright chose wisely. She slows the Bee Gees’ 1967 ballad “To Love Somebody,” to a smoldering crawl that maximizes both her gorgeous voice and the song’s pleading lyrics. On bonus track Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger’s classic “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – a song made famous in 1972 by Roberta Flack – Wright delivers a haunting, almost noir-ish interpretation. And on Nick Drake’s immortal folk classic, “River Man,” Wright uncoils newfound emotional clarity through her mesmerizing delivery and the spectral arrangement, which also features noted German trumpeter Till Brönner blowing a blustery solo.

Wright has reached new heights of singing and songwriting, and has delivered an album destined to become a classic.

GUITARIST AND SINGER JOHN PIZZARELLI PERFORMS REPERTOIRE FROM PAUL McCARTNEY’S RICH MUSICAL CATALOG ON "MIDNIGHT MCCARTNEY"

Paul McCartney had a great idea for an album. He just needed the world-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli to make it.

“I got an idea got in my head,” McCartney wrote to Pizzarelli in late May 2014.  “It might be interesting for you to do a few of my songs that are lesser known than some of the others. I realize this may be a little immodest, if not pushy.” “I imagine the songs would include post-Beatles melodies of mine like ‘Love in the Open Air’ (from the soundtrack to 1967 film The Family Way), ‘Junk,’ ‘Warm and Beautiful’ and, possibly, ‘My Valentine.’”

“My Valentine” was the one McCartney composition on his album of songs from the '30s and '40s, Kisses on the Bottom (MPL/Hear Music/Concord). Pizzarelli played guitar on the album and backed Sir Paul on a handful of prestigious live performances, including the GRAMMY Awards, MusiCares Person of the Year gala and the initial iTunes/Apple TV live broadcast. Hailed as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli has expanded his repertoire by performing the music of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Lennon-McCartney.

McCartney concluded in his letter, “The attraction for me is lesser-known tunes done in a mellow jazz style and, if it gets some traction, maybe the album could be titled Midnight McCartney. As I said, this may tickle your fancy or you may decide these are the ramblings of a deranged composer with too much time on his hands.”

To say Pizzarelli was tickled is putting it mildly.

Pizzarelli, his wife Jessica Molaskey – co-producer of Midnight McCartney - and pianist Larry Goldings immediately went into research mode, digging through McCartney's albums of the last 45-plus years to find songs that could be re-harmonized and adapted for Pizzarelli's trademark style.

“I immediately found 'Warm and Beautiful' and 'Junk'; Larry Goldings brought in 'Waterfalls'; my wife found 'Heart of the Country',” Pizzarelli says. “We started to realize how brilliant these songs are. He's obviously a rock 'n' roller, but they were really easy to break down.

“When I did the Beatles record in 1996 (Meets the Beatles), I found you can really re-harmonize that stuff, find nice harmonies and not get too crazy. That's the challenge and the fun of the whole thing.”

Concord Records will release Midnight McCartney, Pizzarelli's 11th album for the label, on September 11, 2015.

The idea of Midnight McCartney was an easy one to warm to: A half-dozen of Pizzarelli's albums have been devoted to a single artist or style: Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, bossa nova. The title, too, captures the treatment of the songs.

“It's like the Sinatra thing – Songs for Swingin' Lovers or Moonlight Sinatra – it gives people an idea to hang their hat on,” Pizzarelli says.

The project started with Pizzarelli and Goldings making demo recordings of ballads – “My Love,” “Some People Never Know,” “Heart of the Country” and “Waterfalls” – and while Pizzarelli was touring, he would work on other songs, among them the up-tempo numbers. The intensity of the sessions, Pizzarelli says, was higher than for most recordings – every musician knew that Paul McCartney would be listening to their work.

“It's amazing what the power of McCartney means to so many people,” Pizzarelli notes. “Everyone elevates their game. Not that they wouldn't play their best normally, but there was this special thing. You tell a Paul McCartney story to the string section before a take and they're saying, 'Let's make sure we get this right.' Michael McDonald, my guys, the Brazilians – the second they hear 'Paul McCartney' they get really, really excited.”

The Beatles broke up when Pizzarelli was nine years old, and his fascination with their albums lingered, particularly Abbey Road and Rubber Soul through his teen years, and their early work when he was in his 20s, which included playing the songs the Beatles covered in his own rock band in New York.

Long a McCartney fan, Pizzarelli has kept up with his work over the decades, noting a strong affinity for his albums Tug of War and Pipes of Peace.

“I always loved finding his new records and hearing what he was up to,” Pizzarelli says. “When this record came along I had a lot of fun revisiting things like Venus & Mars.”

Rather than record in New York City, they moved the operation to the Jacob Burns Film Center and Media Arts Lab in Pleasantville, N.Y.

“The beauty of the project was having a lot of time to sit and listen to these things and make sure it was right,” Pizzarelli says. “There were a lot of things we had never done before – a lot of background vocals, additional horns and handclaps. That really made it into something.”

And like most Pizzarelli records, it's a family affair: wife Jessica Molaskey co-produced the album and provides background vocals; John's father Bucky adds rhythm guitar on several tracks and a stunning solo on “Junk”; brother Martin is on bass throughout; and teenage daughter Madeline got into the act, transcribing “Warm and Beautiful” for her father to sing in a different key.

“We're McCartney fans and this is our way of letting people know these are good songs,” he says. “It's a take on the songs within a style we're comfortable with. If one became a hit, we'd be fine with playing it for the next 20 years.” 

Pizzarelli offered background on his approach to the music of McCartney:

  

“ Silly Love Songs”

“Larry Goldings was on the road and he did a fast version of 'Silly Love Songs' with a drum machine, singing in faux-Portuguese. He sent that in as a joke and I played it for my wife and we said, 'Oh, that works.' When we put the two Brazilians on it, we freaked at how well it worked.”

“ My Love”

“My father Bucky plays rhythm guitar on a couple of things. He plays beautiful rhythm on 'My Love' and a great Freddie Green thing on 'Coming Up,' so you get that freight-train thing going in the rhythm section.”

“ Heart of the Country”

“When we started the project everyone went into song-finding mode. My wife found 'Heart of the Country,' a song I wasn't familiar with. It sets itself up to be a great little rhythmic tune.”

“Coming Up”

“Our piano player Konrad Paszkudzki came up with a Gene Harris, swinging shuffly thing for 'Coming Up.' We messed around with it on the road as kind of a soul song. I sent it to Michael McDonald and he sang the whole thing, sent it back to us and it was just a matter of plugging myself in.”

“ No More Lonely Nights”

“It's amazing how wide-ranging vocally this stuff is. My wife asked to take it down; the high stuff is too high – you have to be aware of that. On 'No More Lonely Nights' you have to start really low or else you'll end up being Barry Gibb.”

“ Warm and Beautiful”

“It set itself up to be harmonized so that it sounds like a typical wonderful ballad from the Great American Songbook. If you played it at a club, you could say 'that came out in 1952' and it would be believable.”

“Hi, Hi, Hi”

“I had that song on my iPod and I knew I couldn't sing the words so we made it work as a B.B. King-ish instrumental or even Wes Montgomery meets the blues. Then Don Sebesky put the horns on there and made it happen.”

“Junk”

“We did it at our first session but it was too fast. We cut it slower, then put Harry Allen and my father on it. It's a brilliant song.”

"My Valentine”

“'My Valentine' really started this. Every time there was a break at rehearsals (for the GRAMMY week events) guitarist Anthony Wilson and I would play it as a bossa nova.  At the GRAMMY rehearsal, Paul said, 'I want to hear the samba version.' When we were thinking about the project I knew I already had a vibe on that.”

“ Let 'Em In”

“That's based on a bass figure Ray Brown who used to play in a song called “Squatty Roo. ” [Bassist] Martin is the constant through the whole thing – he always knows where to put in a Ron Carter moment or where to sit on quarter notes. People gravitate toward what he's doing.”

“ Some People Never Know”

“I ran into a buddy of mine, Gary Haase, on the subway.  He said, jokingly, 'Have you heard from Sir Paul lately?' As a matter of fact I had and he responded, '“Some People You Never Know” is a song you have to do.' I thank him on the record.”

“Maybe I’m Amazed”

“I think of it like a rolling prayer. I play a Sondheimian figure – the chords are the same, but we add a little more life to it with that figure. There really wasn't a lot to do harmony-wise.”

GRAMMY-WINNING DRUMMER TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON RELEASES LOVE AND SOUL

August 7, 2015 release spotlights vocalists Oleta Adams, Natalie Cole, Paula Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Ledisi, Chanté Moore, Valerie Simpson, Nancy Wilson, Jaguar Wright and Lizz Wright

After receiving worldwide praise and a GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her 2011 disc, The Mosaic Project, drummer extraordinaire Terri Lyne Carrington releases its hotly anticipated follow-up, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL, on August 7, 2015 via Concord Records. (International release dates may vary)

Like its predecessor, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL presents Carrington leading a rotating cast of superb female instrumentalists and vocalists that includes Oleta Adams, Natalie Cole, Paula Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Chanté Moore, Valerie Simpson, Nancy Wilson, Jaguar Wright and Lizz Wright, as well as saxophonist Tia Fuller, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen; bassists Meshell Ndegoecello and Linda Oh; and keyboardists Geri Allen, Patrice Rushen and Rachel Z.

On The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL, Carrington juxtaposes her salute to female artists by paying homage to various male artists who have either influenced her professionally and/or informed her musicality, such as Nick Ashford, George Duke, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Bill Withers. “Whenever I do something that celebrates women, I never want it to feel like it’s something that excludes men,” she explains. “On this record, I consciously wanted to celebrate the various relationships women have with men either through original songs of mine or cover songs by male composers and song writers.” The male presence and perspective on The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL is even more realized by Billy Dee Williams, who contributes insightful spoken-word interludes through the disc.

Carrington’s musicianship has already catapulted her into the upper echelon of jazz artists of her generation. But on The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL, her gifts as a producer, songwriter, and arranger emerge more to the fore with a collection of tunes that places a greater emphasis on her love for R&B.  “When I grew up I wanted to be Diana Ross,” she says as she explains her wide musical influences that range from classic music and straight-ahead jazz to R&B and hip-hop. “I loved all forms of Black music and eventually started listening from a production standpoint, finding Missy Elliot, Q-Tip and Questlove to be some of my favorites.”

While she never sacrifices the intricacies of jazz, Carrington’s knack for crafting R&B recalls that of the late keyboardist and composer George Duke because the results are at once adventurous and accessible.  Carrington also expands her talents as an instrumentalist by playing guitar, bass and keyboards on several tunes.

“Duke Ellington said ‘jazz means freedom of expression’ and he also said ‘there’s nothing demeaning about playing music for dancing,’” Carrington explains. “I’m in agreement and this album is my spin on jazz meets soul, with danceable grooves as well as a jazz aesthetic that comes not only from the arrangements, but also from the singer’s sophistication and ability to go between genres.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, her strategies for recruiting singers reminisce those employed by Ellington, who wrote arrangements and charts specifically for each individual in his orchestra. “When I choose which singers to ask, it’s always because I hear their voice in my head while writing an arrangement,” she explains. “I then demo the song, singing all the vocals myself in the style of the person I’m hearing. I feel this has been the key to my success in garnering such amazing talent.”

The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL started out as a collection of love songs. But over the course of its development, Carrington noticed influences of music from the black American church seeping inside the song’s harmonic and melodic movement – hence the disc’s subtitle. “I felt that I didn’t really do all the things I wanted to on the first Mosaic Project and that I needed to dig deeper. Right now is a soft period in my life where I’m allowing myself to express vulnerability - a contemplative period where I recognize more the importance of soul work and spiritual connection. For me, that’s all wrapped up in this project of love songs,” she says.

After an ethereal intro, featuring Williams reciting insightful kernels of wisdom that were passed on to Carrington from legendary saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL launches into the soul-electronica makeover of Ellington’s 1943 classic, “Come Sunday,” which features Natalie Cole rendering the hopeful lyrics over Carrington’s skittering drum patterns. “Come Sunday” makes for an ingenious introduction to The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL because Carrington’s previous disc was the GRAMMY award-winning, Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue (Concord), on which she puts a 21st century modern sheen on Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach’s classic 1963 LP, Money Jungle.

Soon after, The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL presents another timeless jazz standard – Sinatra’s 1951 ballad, “I’m a Fool to Want You” – this time underscored with a mid-tempo groove and a modern soul-jazz landscape on which Chaka Khan powers her distinctive and soulful phrasing.

The disc then delves into modern R&B repertoire with the splendid cover of Vandross’ 1988 ballad, “For You to Love,” featuring Oleta Adams, and Carrington’s original, “So Good (Amazing),” a gospel-inflected neo-soul tune, on which R&B songstress Jaguar Wright’s demonstrates her distinctive soprano vocal prowess.

Carrington invites Valerie Simpson, of the legendary husband-and-wife duo Ashford & Simpson, to sing on a remake of their 1976 song, “Somebody Told a Lie.” Carrington’s arrangement underscores the spirituality brimming through the sensual themes, while also being suspenseful, particularly when it moves into the unexpected Afro-Latin breakdown, featuring pianist Geri Allen, percussionist Nêgah Santos and flutist Elena Pinderhughes.

Legendary song stylist Nancy Wilson enlivens the amorous “Imagine This,” an ambitious original bursting with sophisticated harmonies and poetic lyrics addressing the art of realizing an idealistic romance. Carrington is especially proud of this composition because she feels she stretched herself as a lyricist to contribute one of her best efforts yet.

A recording of a humorous voice message from the late George Duke – one of Carrington’s close friends and musical collaborators – introduces the soulful mid-tempo original “Best of the Best,” on which Chanté Moore – who also worked with Duke – sings touching lyrics reflecting on his vivacious personality and influential musical legacy.

Carrington revamps “This Too Will Pass,” an original she wrote 15 yeas ago with long-time friend Lalah Hathaway in mind; Hathaway’s caressing alto amplifies the song’s bittersweet yet self-empowering lyrics. Carrington sings lead on the capricious original “Can’t Resist,” whose serrated, Latin-tinged groove and catchy melody vocals demand repeated high-rotation airplay on jazz, urban and Latin radio formats.

Paula Cole’s vocals enthrall on “You Can’t Smile It Away,” a poignant reading of Bill Withers’ 1985 ballad; Carrington’s interpretation gains even more emotional weight thanks to Regina Carter’s melodic violin solo, which soars alongside Cole’s majestic wails.  The romantic allure continues with longing original, “Get To Know You,” which features soul-jazz vocalist Ledisi singing amidst some of the disc’s most opulent horn arrangements.

The U.S. edition of The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL concludes with Carrington’s breathtaking rendition of Patrice Rushen’s 1978 ballad, “When I Found You” with which she dedicates to her son. The new version, re-arranged in 5/4 with added new hooks, features Rushen sharing keyboard duties with Rachel Z, while Lizz Wright brings darker, more maternal hues to the melody by way of her earthy alto. Sophisticated horn arrangements animate the makeover as well as trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Grace Kelly’s inventive solos. As the song coalesces and crests, Carrington delivers a feisty yet lucid improvisation toward the end.

When asked to reflect upon her artistic trajectory thus far, Carrington says, “If we’re lucky, we can live our lives like a puzzle and just try to keep putting all the pieces together,” which explains both her catholic taste in music and her interests as a music producer and educator. In addition to being a leader in her own right and a much-in-demand drummer and record producer, she’s also the artistic director for Boston’s annual Beantown Jazz Festival and a professor at the Berklee College of Music. “Most of us have many interests but not always able find an outlet to address them,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to fulfill many of mine under the wide umbrella of the music industry. My interests can be scattered, but I approach it all with a seeking spirit and determination to pursue my goals in a way that I can possibly fulfill most of them.”

The Mosaic Project: LOVE and SOUL is undeniably another triumphant artistic fulfillment.

NEW RELEASES: RAMSEY LEWIS – TAKING ANOTHER LOOK (DELUXE EDITION); BILLY VERA – BIG BAND JAZZ; DJ CAM - MIAMI VICE: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

RAMSEY LEWIS – TAKING ANOTHER LOOK (DELUXE EDITION)

On Ramsey Lewis’ 80th CD, he rekindles his 1974 career defining album Sun Goddess through a collection of re-recorded tracks from the original disc perfectly balanced with five new tunes. “Jungle Strut” has all the attitude of its 1974 original and Lewis makes magic on the Fender Rhodes in “Tambura.” For the title track, Lewis has beautifully re-edited the original studio recording featuring Earth, Wind and Fire. Lewis and his Electric Band breathe new life into classic covers, such as the new high octane rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Living For The City” and a tender interpretation of the timeless “Betcha By Golly Wow.” Tracks: Intimacy; Tambura; Love Song; Living For The City; Betcha By Golly Wow; To Know Her; The Way She Smiles; Jungle Strut; Sharing Her Journey; Sun Goddess; Jungle Strut (featuring Dr. John); Tambura (featuring Kung Fu); and Sharing Her Journey (featuring TAUK).

BILLY VERA – BIG BAND JAZZ

Big Band Jazz is an album that singer, songwriter, music historian Billy Vera has wanted to record for a long time. The album is a big band salute to the great black songwriters of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. The album features “Since I Fell For You,” “Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin',” and the Lowell Fulson/Billy Vera classic “Room With A View” (originally written for Lou Rawls). Also includes: Cherry; When It’s Sleepytime Down South; I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You); My Little Brown Book; Blue And Sentimental; and I’ll Never Be Free.

DJ CAM - MIAMI VICE: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

DJ Cam pays tribute to the great moment of Miami Vice in the 80s – but with a sound that's definitely 21st Century all the way through! The music here is mostly composed by Cam – supposedly in Miami – and the whole thing does feel like some revised soundtrack for the famous show, but set in a whole new milieu – from the leadoff track, which samples and snips bits from the original program – to instrumentals which cascade nicely with a sun-drenched, languorous version of hip hop instrumentals. There's a few vocal tracks – two with MC Eiht, one with Earl Davis – and titles include "Welcome To Little Haiti", "Tubbs Theme", "Crockett's Theme", "Move That Dope", "Music To Drive By", "Weather Underground", and "In The Air Tonight". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: AMY WINEHOUSE - INSIDE AND OUT; JOHN BASILE - PENNY LANE; LARRY NEWCOMB QUARTET - LIVE INTENTIONALLY!;

AMY WINEHOUSE - INSIDE AND OUT (DVD+CD BOX SET] 

The life and music of Amy Winehouse uncovered across a 2-disc set. In the four years since the tragic, premature death of Amy Winehouse - the finest British vocalist since Dusty Springfield - this remarkable woman has become an international icon of rare proportions. Having already charmed most parts of the world with her sublime, emotional songs and the astonishing way she delivered them, she has gone on to become more than a sum of her parts and is today as relevant as ever she was. This boxed set celebrates the life and music of Amy Winehouse and features a DVD telling the full story of her life and career, and a second disc featuring rare interviews with Amy given across her short life and during which she discusses all manner of topics that were close to her heart. Completed in deluxe packaging, this attractive and tasteful collection will delight this maverick performer s legions of fans still holding a flame for the finest musical performer of a generation. ~ Amazon

JOHN BASILE - PENNY LANE

The pop standard has been the jumping off point for jazz artists since jazz s birth. The formula is simple, but not easy. You stay true to the melody and you go where it takes you. But the Beatles? Yes, especially the Beatles. In John Basile s Penny Lane, the guitarist is honest to both of his project s masters. The iconic melodies of Lennon and McCartney and Harrison are given homage, not just simply run through as a starting point for some string gymnastics. They are there and they are honest. Yet, at the same time it is Basile s jazz guitar that let the classics breathe new air and come to life in this form. You hear it; actually you experience it, in the subtle and smooth Eleanor Rigby with its rich tones and lines that recall the original but with a fresh feel. In Norwegian Wood, Basile casts aside any doubt that he is first and foremost a jazz man, as he strays from the melody s path to where he lives. Where he goes, we can follow and the trip is rich and filled with the surprises that his art form promises. This is Basile s show from beginning to end. His guitar does what a jazz guitar has always done, but it also does all the things that today s technology allows for the instrument to do. Sure, the guitar playing is artful but so is the use of the instrument as a MIDI interface to create every sound on this project. Listen and try to remember that every note on this project has come through the guitar. You ll be lost in the music before you can ponder the wonders of digital potential and that s exactly how it should be. More interpretation than tribute, Penny Lane gives us a jazz project that does what the original American art form is supposed to do: it takes where we ve been and brings us someplace new all at the same time. ~ Amazon

LARRY NEWCOMB QUARTET - LIVE INTENTIONALLY!

Guitarist Larry Newcomb performs classic and original jazz and blues both as a soloist and in duo, trio and quartet ensembles. Larry has contributed a wealth of electric and acoustic guitar stylings in performances and on recordings with Bucky Pizzarelli, Jack Wilkins, Seleno Clarke, Billy Kaye, Jon Weiss, Mike Camoia, Larry Newcomb Trio, his duo Jonaitis & Newcomb, the band Wolfgang's Revenge and with Babs Winn & the Kickin' Boogie Band. Newcomb has studied with guitar masters Bucky Pizzarelli, Mark Elf, Pat Martino, Howard Roberts and Randy Johnston. His affable performing style is informed by a PhD in Music History and a seasoned master's understanding of the jazz idiom. "The path to jazz mastery is long, challenging, rewarding and never-ending. I started out transcribing then quoting great blues guitarists including B. B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Eric Clapton and Duane Allman. In my early 20s, I heard Jim Hall, George Benson, Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis and Kenny Burrell. My direction was established. I slowly developed a repertoire of standard tunes; and, by transposing the work of the masters, I learned to address each harmonic element of a tune in its own rite--especially the creation and resolution of tension from each dominant chord to the temporary or permanent tonic. Throughout my musical journey, I've strived to play what I hear, and to make each note ring with colorful, clear and heartfelt beauty." - Larry Newcomb

Pianist Catherine Marie Charlton Combines Styles of Contemporary Jazz on Maiden's Voyage

Maiden's Voyage, the tenth album release in Catherine Marie Charlton's twenty-plus year recording career, arcs gracefully through orchestrations and styles ranging from contemporary jazz to the artist's trademark spacious meditations.  The common motif is the pianist/composer's identifiable sound-passion, strength, and power, flowing interchangeably with tender expressiveness. 

Mastered by Grammy® winning engineer/producer Phil Nicolo (Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Bob Dylan, Lauryn Hill), Maiden's Voyage represents a decade-long collaboration between producer Charlton and recording/mixing engineer Eric Troyer (ELO Part II/The Orchestra), who brings his sensibilities and significant musicianship to the project. The lineup of guest musicians on the album include: Elliott Levin (Cecil Taylor, Marshall Allen) featured on "Birds Flower," and "The Lonely Cobbler" playing flute and tenor saxophone, Jeff Oster on three tracks including the piano/flugelhorn duet "Sepia Moon," Steve Meashey on bass, and drummer/percussionist, J. Jody Janetta. The Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist for 28 years, Barry Green, also contributes on "Which You Which World." 

On her partnership with Janetta, Charlton recalls - "15 years ago I was a solo classical pianist beginning to explore improvisation. Jody heard something in my playing akin to the classically-influenced improvised music which had been a big inspiration to him, and he asked me to perform. From the start, our musical connection was magic. Jody introduced me to his jazz record collection and we went on to perform as a piano-percussion duo for many years.  We parted ways for a bit during the time of my solo introspective releases - Red Leaf Grey Sky and River Flow, and have now reunited for Maiden's Voyage. The one-take improvisation on "Beneath the Dream" was the first track captured on the first day of recording, after four years apart."

In addition to seven originals, Maiden's Voyage features Charlton's lyrical improvisation with Sun Ra-inspired chromatic complexity on Eden Ahbez's "Nature Boy," "Adios Nonino" by Astor Piazzolla, Erik Satie's ethereal "Gnossienne No. 4" and two deeply emotional versions of the standard - "Autumn Leaves."  The album's only non-improvisatory piece is Alberto Ginastera's "Dance of the Graceful Maiden (Danza de la moza donosa)," which marks the start of the pianist's "voyage" from classical score interpretation to the seven spontaneous compositions as well as the free improvisations spread throughout the album. A highlight of these originals is the subdued solo piano piece "All That I Feel."

Charlton credits much of her approach to the teachings of long-time mentor and inspiration - the cellist David Darling, and his organization Music for People. Darling was hugely influential to a young Charlton in her earlier years, when he told her that her passion and commitment to the moment was impressive. Humbled by his words the pianist/composer has tried to live up them ever since. 

Catherine Marie Charlton's 2011 recording Red Leaf, Grey Sky won the Independent Music Awards for Instrumental EP and was also awarded "Best Instrumental Album-Piano" in the 8th Annual ZMR Awards, as voted on by broadcasters worldwide.  Most recently, she performed on several tracks of Jeff Oster's Next (Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Nile Rodgers, etc).  A recipient of grants and residencies from the Delaware Division of the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, she is currently composing a body of works inspired by the Wyeth family of artists in collaboration with the Brandywine River Museum of Art. Charlton is a Steinway Artist. 

NEW RELEASES: GROOVALLEGIENCE - 10 SUPER RARE ORIGINAL FUNKY TRACKS FROM THE LATE 60s TO THE EARLY 70s; THE SURE FIRE SOUL ENSEMBLE; BARTON RAGE / BILL LASWELL - REALM

GROOVALLEGIENCE - 10 SUPER RARE ORIGINAL FUNKY TRACKS FROM THE LATE 60s TO THE EARLY 70s

The title's a reference to a Funkadelic song, but the set's a much deeper batch of grooves – really rare tracks from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – pulled together in one massively groovy piece of wax! There's a lot of hip twists and turns in the music – not just the usual funky offshoots of James Brown and Stax, but some plenty creative instrumentation that brings in some jazzy flourishes, unusual time changes, and raw production styles to really make the music sparkle! Titles include "I Don't Know Nothing Else To Tell You But I Love You" by Monica, "Trolly" by New Directions, "Introduction" by the Concepts, "And I Love You" by Darling Dears, "JB's Latin" by Spitting Image, "Blues For The Bs" by TJ & The Group, "Foxy" by Sam Jacobs, and "Nighttime On The Beach Island" by Cool Creations Of St Maarten. ~ Dusty Groove.

THE SURE FIRE SOUL ENSEMBLE

A mighty full length debut from the Sure Fire Soul Ensemble – a group we've really been digging on funky 45s, and who seem to serve up even more great work in the space of an album! The sound here is deeper than the usual funky combo – with some of the more complicated lines and colors that have shown up in only a few of the best second generation deep funk combos – like El Michels or Menahen Street Band – and these guys really change things up nicely by bringing in some slight global funk elements, while still keeping their core groove in a style that's firmly rooted in the good ol' US of A! The Fender Rhodes and organ lines are especially nice – and titles include "Layin Low", "The Hunt", "City Heights", "Sweltering Heights", "Passing Clouds", and "Sander's Lament".  ~ Dusty Groove.

BARTON RAGE / BILL LASWELL - REALM

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 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.

Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet Celebrates 10th Anniversary With 5th CD "10"

Gabriel Alegria 10 A decade of musical innovation by Gabriel Alegría's Afro-Peruvian Sextet is something to celebrate, and the ensemble marks this anniversary in glorious style with the release of 10, due for release August 7 by ZOHO Music. The program on the band's 5th CD is richly infused with Alegría's trademark synthesis of folkloric Afro-Peruvian rhythms, jazz, and other musical strains. 

"It's a concept album," Alegría says. "For our 10th anniversary, we wanted to give special care to American and Peruvian standards. It all comes together in the arrangements in the Afro-Peruvian style. We've incorporated many guest artists, people who have helped us along the way. Most importantly, we've brought together jazz musicians with eminent Peruvian musicians, and we're the glue that holds it together."

The band's unique blend of deep scholarship and playfulness is evident throughout, with each piece serving as a statement about the delicate balance required to keep one foot in New York and one in Lima: "My Favorite Things," Juan Tizol's "Caravan," and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" set to a sensuous festejo rhythm; Joe Zawinul's "Birdland" performed as a tribute to the great Peruvian percussionist Alex Acuña, formerly of Weather Report; ingenious renditions of the American and Peruvian national anthems. 

Guests including bass legend Ron Carter, Grammy Award-winning pianist Arturo O'Farrill, Yellowjackets keyboardist Russell Ferrante, and tabla expert and Miles Davis alumnus Badal Roy augment the sextet, half of whose players are based in Alegría's native Lima and half in New York City, where he is a Professor of Jazz Studies at New York University.

Freddy "Huevito" Lobatón, a founding member of the sextet, is a master of Afro-Peruvian percussion who grounds the band in the folkloric textures of the box-like cajón, the cajita, and the quijada (made from the jaw bone of an ass). Drummer Hugo Alcázar, also a founding member, incorporates the cajón into his drum kit's polyrhythmic feel, while American-born drummer Shirazette Tinnin gracefully navigates the predominantly 12/8 beats. Alegría shares the front line with tenor saxophonist Laura Andrea Leguía, a tremendously expressive player who helped found the band. Peruvian criollo guitarist Yuri Juárez provides expertly calibrated rhythmic support and telegraphic solos. In New York, bass duties are shared by two veteran masters, Puerto Rican-born John Benitez and Nigerian-American Essiet Essiet. 

Gabriel Alegria Born (1970) and raised in Lima, Perú, Gabriel Alegría has divided his time between Perú and the United States throughout his life. He attended high school in Gambier, Ohio, where his famous playwright father, Alonso Alegría, was a visiting professor at Kenyon College at the time. Playing an arrangement of "'Round Midnight" in his high school band led him to purchase a Miles Davis recording of the tune. The difference between the chart he was playing and the way Davis played it was a revelation to the 16-year-old trumpeter. The realization that "You can do your own thing with something and create your own ideas and identity" would help him years later in merging the Afro-Peruvian sounds of his homeland with American jazz music. 

After receiving his bachelor's degree at Kenyon, Alegría enrolled at City College of New York and earned an M.A. under the tutelage of Ron Carter. He then returned to Perú for seven years, five of them spent in the trumpet section of the Lima Philharmonic while moonlighting as a jazz and rock musician around the capital city. He relocated to Los Angeles and spent four and a half years at the University of Southern California, where the Afro-Peruvian Sextet first came together in 2005. While at USC (he earned his doctorate in 2007), Alegría studied, worked, toured, and recorded with his mentor Bobby Shew, vocalist Tierney Sutton, trombonist Bill Watrous, and keyboardist/composer Russell Ferrante -- all of whom contributed to the sextet's debut CD, Nuevo Mundo (Saponegro Records, 2008). 

The band released three more albums on Saponegro -- Pucusana (2010), El Secreto del Jazz Afroperuano (2012), and Ciudad de Los Reyes (2013) -- in its crusade "to spread Afro-Peruvian jazz music to the world," says the trumpeter. 

"New York is a place that's almost an orgy of people mixing things," Alegría says. "You have to be careful to present things on their own terms. We work very hard to make sure each of the traditions is employed correctly, really knowing the background before we use it. That helped set the band apart and get attention."

  

As part of their anniversary festivities, Gabriel Alegría and his Afro-Peruvian Sextet will be in residence at New York's Zinc Bar this fall, performing on two Thursday nights each month beginning in August, through December (8/17, 8/20; 9/10, 9/17; 10/8, 10/15; 11/12, 11/19; 12/10, 12/17). Additional appearances -- in New York, Lima, and beyond -- will be announced soon.

Saxophonist KENYON CARTER releases GAME ON

A pivotal album inspired by a pivotal, life-changing experience, “Game On” is the apropos title of Kenyon Carter’s forthcoming album, a ten-song set of originals that the saxophonist wrote and produced in this “Go for it!” moment in his career. Due August 14, his third disc knocks it out of the park with an MVP assist from guitar great Chuck Loeb (Fourplay), a contemporary jazz heavyweight who trades ferocious licks with Carter’s spirited tenor horn. There’s a sense of urgency to the cut that can be directly attributed to an incident in Carter’s not too distant past that informs everything the Atlanta-based artist does in life and career. 

Carter’s arm was mangled in a car crash resulting in severe radial nerve damage. Doctors didn’t know if the appendage would ever function normally again thus putting the musician’s career choice in peril. Undeterred, Carter utilized a specially-designed therapy glove, spending countless hours daily for eight months trying to relearn how to play sax. Since he couldn’t perform at the time, he taught others to play and in time, with hard work, full use of the arm returned. Realizing how close he was to losing his dream, Carter recommitted himself towards achieving his career goals in music.   

Earlier albums introduced Carter to the masses, charted and collected national airplay. The third album seemed like a milestone thus Carter focused on elevating his game feeling like the time to breakthrough in a big way is now. Hitting full stride artistically, he ably demonstrates his proficiency as a player on tenor, soprano and baritone sax while constructing layers of rhythmic grooves that buttress sweet melodies and lush harmonies. Whether serenely serenading, dexterously exploring the outer limits on a meandering run or uncorking fiery wails as if his life depended upon it, Carter’s saxplay serves in the best interest of the ensnaring melodies and gripping rhythms without overstepping or over dramatizing.  

While the record was being recorded, Carter issued a single to radio to stir up an appetite for the full session. The head-bopping funkster “Jammin’ On Jupiter” was one of the most added singles on the Billboard chart in its debut week. The title track opens the proceedings and is the second single heading to radio ahead of the album’s street date. Starting coyly, a knowing glance breaks into the charming “Just A Smile.” The heart-tugging “Going Home” is warmly moving and beautiful amidst a stripped down acoustic setting. “Sea Of Abaco” floats upon a soothing soprano sax wave of tranquility. The album was recorded using Carter’s well-rehearsed live band, who challenge with complex time changes and a brisk vacillating pace on “Moving Forward,” a number that the soprano-yielding Carter describes as navigating “a bridge between straight-ahead and contemporary jazz.” Cool jazz illuminates “Wine On Eight,” a seductive happy hour social invitation while the mellow vibes continue on “Lights Down Low.” Intimacy pervades the poignant “In This Moment” before Carter & Company close the album with the rousing “Here We Go,” concluding with some of the saxman’s most feverish play on the recording.                         

  

Carter has a pair of Atlanta-area album launch concert dates booked for mid-August (Aug. 15 at Marietta Jazz & Jokes at Historic Marietta Square and Aug. 22 in Alpharetta at The Velvet Note) to help parlay the hometown momentum into national prominence.

DONALD VEGA Celebrates Monty Alexander on WITH RESPECT TO MONTY

In celebration of the Jamaican jazz icon, Monty Alexander, pianist Donald Vega puts together a hard-swinging compilation of Monty's great, early compositions. With Respect To Monty features an all-star lineup of Anthony Wilson (guitar), Hassan Shakur (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums).

Since his debut on Resonance Records, Spiritual Nature (2012), Vega is entirely his own man, completely in command of his material. As the late, great Mulgrew Miller's replacement in the Ron Carter Trio, Vega has big shoes to fill and does so admirably. His wide appreciation of piano maestros is spotlighted with this new release that includes seven original Monty Alexander masterpieces.

Much like Monty, Donald approaches the piano with technical prowess, yet with a sense of playfulness and light spirit. Both men share a warm touch to the instrument - melodic and free. The trio of Vega, Shakur and Nash has an intimate working relationship. Shakur's bass is a solid anchor, while Nash's colorful, rhythmic drumming is chameleon-like, adapting effortlessly to each piece. Add to that the imagination, depth and precision playing of guitar virtuoso Anthony Wilson - and you have a winning combination. From thoughtful, slow ballads to bouncy uptempo originals, they cover the bases. Vega smiles, "My heart is in the swing, no matter what style I play. The goal is always to make it feel good."

Vega continues, "The way that Monty plays and writes seems to come from a place of what feels good to him too. At least in the tunes we selected, he likes the lighter, happier keys. There's room to breathe on solos. He's got an incredible imagination; great ears, great chops; and a killer left hand."

Resonance Records' President George Klabin explains, "The whole challenge was to find a pianist who was willing to do this project and who would fit the style of Monty's music. Monty, I just want to say you've touched my life. You've given me a great deal of happiness. I hope that this music will give back what you've given to the world."

"I am greatly delighted that the fantastic, inventive pianist Donald Vega has applied his wonderful creativity to compositions of mine. I enjoyed his unique interpretations." - Monty Alexander

Donald Vega's personal heroes include Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Monty Alexander, Ahmad Jamal, Hank Jones, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, and Mulgrew Miller, and he draws upon those influences, while developing his own sound. In the process, he establishes his pride of place in any informed conversation about the upper echelons of pianistic jazz expression.

Vega's fluent discourse in their various dialects masks his origins in Sandinista-era Nicaragua, where he spent the first fourteen years of his journey. His mother brought him to Los Angeles at age 14, where he would eventually meet drum icon Billy Higgins. 

Higgins nurtured Vega's will to swing, to play jazz without a "Latin accent." "I played with him, but also he gave me tapes of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker without telling me who they were," Vega says. "I didn't know Higgins was a star who had recorded with everyone, only that this nice man was taking me under his wing. So I made a conscious decision to go deeper."

In 2005, he received a scholarship to Manhattan School of Music. During his two years at MSM, where he received a Masters and for a subsequent two years at Juilliard, he studied with Kenny Barron. 

With his two releases on Resonance Records - Spiritual Nature (2012) and the brand new With Respect To Monty (2015) - Vega continues the forward momentum of his snowballing success. Vega proves once again that he is one of the finest pianists on the planet.    

TRACKS

1. Eleuthera (5:30)

2. 3000 Miles Ago (7:07)

3. Compassion (6:23)

4. Slippery (6:08)

5. Consider (6:11)

6. Mango Rengue (5:55)

7. Renewal (7:07)

8. You Can See (6:25)

9. Sweet Lady (5:00)

10. The Gathering (6:55)