DARLENE LOVE RELEASES HER FIRST NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM IN 27 YEARS - INTRODUCING DARLENE LOVE

Capping a week of rave reviews from Rolling Stone, the L.A. Times, Entertainment Weekly, NPR's First Listen, the N.Y. Daily News (cheering the new album and crowning Darlene Love "part of the pop DNA") and others, one of the most anticipated albums of this or any year – Introducing Darlene Love is now available.

The Columbia Records/Wicked Cool release marks the first new full-length album of original pop songs in 27 years from the renowned vocalist, who has achieved legendary status for her enduring work with Phil Spector and as one of the most prolific backup singers of all time.  Now, with the spirited Love deservedly back in center spotlight, the album is being welcomed to worldwide acclaim: "Girl group royal takes back her throne," heralded Rolling Stone, "Love comes at it like a wrecking ball, husky alto thrillingly intact..."; "A stunning collection of vibrant, dramatic rock anthems and R&B workouts...' wrote Entertainment Weekly; "Love singing at maximum intensity..." noted the L.A. Times, with the above-mentioned NY Daily News praising the album as a "'soaring work" and revealing that "Love has lost none of her talents and has never sounded more unsinkable." Electric Review proclaims, "if you're too young to have experienced first-hand the excitement that came with hearing a new Darlene Love song ache through the jukebox or car radio, Introducing Darlene Love will cast you back to a place of innocence and faith, shepherding you back to a time when people gathered in the misty fields, steadfastly holding to the belief that music was about to change the world." Produced and arranged by artist/producer/E Street Band great Stevie Van Zandt, it's more than apparent that his heartfelt mission of re-introducing the irrepressible Love to the world in all her vocal splendor has been affirmed as a rousing success. 

Hailed as "a splashy victory lap" by NPR's First Listen, the album is comprised of all new recordings and features never-before-heard and classic songs from a superstar cast of songwriters eager to join Van Zandt in honoring one of the seminal voices in music history.  The Elvis Costello-penned first single "Forbidden Nights" has also been embraced at radio and drawn raves, with Costello and Bruce Springsteen contributing two tracks each to the 14-song album (released on Van Zandt's Wicked Cool label in partnership with Columbia Records - see full tracklist below) with Stevie Van Zandt penning three songs.  Other writers include Jim Webb, Linda Perry, Desmond Child, Joan Jett, longtime songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and Michael Des Barres, and more. Various before mentioned songs have been championed across several channels at SiriusXM Radio with feature interviews running throughout release week. NPR's First Listen also praised the Van Zandt/Love chemistry on the album, citing the "dignity in Love's vocals amplified by Van Zandt's grand but well-modulated arrangements."

The irresistible video for the first single "Forbidden Nights" also premiered to an overwhelming response.  The jubilant clip catches the charismatic Love and pals cruising the beach sites of Asbury Park, N.J., and features inventive cameos including Costello himself, as well as Joan Jett, Paul Schaffer, Bill Murray, David Letterman, and hilarious glimpses of Van Zandt and buddy Bruce Springsteen.  Love and Van Zandt and a stage-full of musicians also rocked Asbury Park's Paramount Theatre live on September 12, reveling in a vibrant set of album selections kicking off Introducing Darlene Love's release as well as delivering torrid renditions of some of her back-classics.  Two more buzzed-about shows celebrating the album's release are on deck in L.A.'s famed Whisky A Go Go with the first show kicking off tonight.  Headliner Love and Little Steven & Friends will be rocking the bill September 18 and 20. 

The captivating Love is sure to bring her iconic vocal rendering to the Whisky just as she does on the acclaimed new album. Songs on Introducing Darlene Love include "Night Closing In" (Bruce Springsteen,) "Still To Soon To Know" (Elvis Costello),"Love Kept Us Foolin' Around" (Linda Perry), "Who Under Heaven" (Jimmy Webb), "River Deep, Mountain High" (Phil Spector/Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich), and "Sweet Freedom" (Barry Man/Cynthia Weil), among others. 

Inducted in to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011, Love's five-decade career spans some of the greatest signature moments in music.  The Los Angeles native (Love currently resides in New Jersey) nurtured her talent early as a member of the Blossoms, a local trio who began their career providing backup vocals 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 singers in music history, recording with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Dionne Warwick, The Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones, and dozens of other vocal giants throughout her career.  Her early work with pioneering producer Phil Spector on songs such as the trailblazing "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 and Grammy winning documentary '20 Feet From Stardom,' chronicling the behind-the-scenes lives of background singers.   Darlene's annual holiday performance of her classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Late Night With David Letterman became a holiday viewing staple.    

Tracklist:

1.Among The Believers (Stevie Van Zandt)

2.Forbidden Nights (Elvis Costello)

3.Love Kept Us Foolin' Around (Linda Perry)

4.Little Liar (Desmond Child/Joan Jett)

5.Still Too Soon To Know (Elvis Costello)

6.Who Under Heaven (Jimmy Webb)

7.Night Closing In (Bruce Springsteen)

8.Painkiller (Michael Des Barres/Paul Ill)

9.Just Another Lonely Mile (Bruce Springsteen)

10.Last Time (Stevie Van Zandt)

11.River Deep, Mountain High (Phil Spector/Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich)

12.Sweet Freedom (Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil)

13.Marvelous (Walter Hawkins)

14.Jesus Is The Rock (That Keeps Me Rollin) (Stevie Van Zandt)

"Cheerin' Up the Universe," New CD by Trumpeter Bob Merrill

Bob Merrill Cheerin' Up the Universe Trumpeter/vocalist Bob Merrill has had an amazingly varied career in and around music -- mentored by his late father-in-law Joe Bushkin, Jaki Byard, and Red Rodney; starting and operating Hip Pocket Recording Studios in New York City; and recording as a leader himself. Cheerin' Up the Universe, his new CD and fourth to date, is being released September 4 by Accurate Records, which has also reissued two of Merrill's earlier albums (Catch As Catch Can, Got a Bran' New Suit).

 

In the great tradition of trumpeter-singers, going back to Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, and Louis Prima, Merrill is both a carefree entertainer who wants to lift up his audience and a serious artist who pays the deepest respect to jazz tradition with his mastery of forms.

On previous albums, the New York-based artist mined the jazz mainstream, sometimes with a stylish Rat Pack-era sound, sometimes with a deeper blend of late swing and hard bop -- and always, says Accurate Records honcho Russ Gershon, who has known Merrill since they were classmates at Harvard, with real jazz and real blues feeling. "He has a passionate attachment to the real thing," said Gershon, leader of Either/Orchestra, who lends his saxophone skills to the album.

Backed by such one-of-a-kind guest players as trombone great Roswell Rudd and keyboardist John Medeski, Merrill indulges himself-and anyone who has grown up loving the likes of James Taylor ("The Secret o' Life"), Steely Dan ("IGY [What a Beautiful World]"), Burt Bacharach ("I Say a Little Prayer"), and Stevie Wonder ("Overjoyed") -- by applying his personal touch to a selection of pop hits that in spirit and title promote happiness. For a little icing on the cake, he covers Pharrell's inescapable "Happy," with the lyrical bassist Nicki Parrott harmonizing and a touch of Lee Morgan's infectious "Sidewinder" informing the bridge. The title track, a fetching Merrill original, aims to cheer up the universe "one star at a time."

  

Merrill has deep history with the musicians on the date: guitarist Drew Zingg was a grade school classmate; his friendship with drummer George Schuller dates back to boarding school; keyboardist/arranger John Van Eps first connected with Merrill at the New England Conservatory.

John Medeski, who contributes to four tracks on piano and two on organ, met Merrill in 1989, when the keyboardist was hired, at Gershon's suggestion, for a gig in Cambridge. "Russ also suggested some bass players who were all booked," Merrill explains. "But my last call was to Chris Wood, who was free. It was on that gig that Medeski met Wood, and they later added Martin -- the rest is history."

 Bob MerrillBob Merrill has had similar encounters with kismet throughout his life, which began in 1958 in Manhattan. He grew up in the Upper East Side building where Benny Goodman lived, and once he'd heard Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing," young Bob was hooked on jazz. After his head was turned by Doc Severinsen's trumpet playing during a Tonight Show taping his father took him to, Bob devoted himself to the horn. He took lessons and played gigs with local trumpet guru Felix Sangenito and also studied with William Vacchiano, first trumpet chair at the New York Philharmonic.

While attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, he jammed with saxophonist Thomas Chapin. Accepted at Harvard, Merrill deferred for a year to study jazz at the New England Conservatory of Music, where his teachers included George Russell and Jaki Byard. He formed a group with drummer George Schuller, son of the late Gunther Schuller, then president of NEC.

Merrill began singing, he says, when he played wedding gigs and discovered that attractive women on the dance floor turned to hear what someone on stage was singing more than they ever turned to hear what someone was playing. His relaxed vocals add an important dimension to his art. He modestly says that his understated style is a concession to his vocal limitations. But with his Mel Tormé-influenced smoothness and Kurt Elling-like articulation, he is an appealing and distinctive interpreter of the Great American Songbook.

After marrying Christina Bushkin in 1991, Merrill coaxed her father, the fabled swing pianist Joe Bushkin, out of retirement. One of their first gigs was a memorable run at Tavern on the Green in Central Park with a group featuring bass immortal Milt Hinton, who credited Bushkin for bringing him to New York in the early '50s for an extended run at the Embers with Jo Jones. Merrill produced CD reissues of Joe Bushkin's classic LPs, and they played the jazz festival circuit until the pianist's death in 2004.

The release of Cheerin' Up the Universe opens a new chapter in Merrill's musical life. "We now embark on the process of cheering up the universe in various venues, until we reach Pluto," says Bob. He'll be appearing in support of the new album at the following: 9/17 Caffe Vivaldi, NYC; 9/24 Oak Room Tavern, Sea Cliff, NY; 10/22 Treme, Islip, NY. Additional dates are in the works.

FEATURED ON THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE: PIANIST ED BENTLEY - MAGIC NIGHT

Ed Bentley is a fine pianist, organist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist known principally for his work on Jazz Piano and Hammond Organ despite his early start with the double bass and electric bass at the age of 14 and acoustic and electric guitars at the age of 18.  Ed arrived in the UK in 1971. Working musicians rated him as soon as he arrived, since then he has been winning friends all over England, Europe, the USA and most parts of the world with his music.

With four CDs and four Vinyl albums behind him, with record companies such as SB Records, Pleasure records, M Records and Prestige Records.  Ed’s Big Band, Quintet, Quartet and Trio has also played places like Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express Dean Street, The 100 Club Oxford Street, The Jazz Café Camden Town, The Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Halls to mention just a few of his regular venues in London.  Jazz Festivals and Tours in the UK and Europe include top venues like The Fabrik, Uncle Po and Dennis Swing Club in Hamburg.  The Quarter Latin, Eierschalle, Joe’s Beer Salon and the Talk Of The Town in Berlin were among his gig list.  Top venues in Italy, France and Holland have been regular in his diary.

Ed has also worked with top artists including a World Tour with  Deniece Williams, Irene Reed (Count Basie Band), Percy Sledge, Guitar Legend Al Casey, Bobby Watson, Michael Hashim and the late George Williams (Tymes) with whom he had a commercial hit which Ed wrote “Never Again” which stayed in the National  Charts Top Twenty for ten weeks, to mention a few artists in the USA .  Ed has also worked with top artists in the UK, Europe, Australia, the Far Eastand Africa, including playing Piano for Huge Masekela at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival recently.                                   

From his first in 1979 to his latest 2010 “Magic Night”Ed has released some fine albums.  His “Bolla, Keyboard Blues” Album was reviewed by the late Billy Higgins and his “Metropolis” Album was reviewed by Cedar Walton both on Prestige Records.  Ed’s admirers have included the late Jimmy Smith who inspired Ed to take up the Hammond Organ, Sir Paul McCartney, Joe Sample and Tony Bennet to mention just a few.   

Upcoming event September 21, 2015: In LONDON THE 13TH AFRICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015 – THE VORTEX JAZZ CLUB THE ED BENTLEY QUINTET with special guest KOFI AYIVOR: Percussion and DAVE LEWIS: Tenor, ROD YOUNGS: Drums, MARK RIDOUT: Guitar.

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Pianist Myriam Alter Evokes Nostalgia With Culturally Eclectic Mix on New Release Crossways

Crossways is composer/pianist Myriam Alter's third production for Enja Records (licensed to Justin Time Records in North America).  Her mother grew up in Saloniki, which has given Greece some of its greatest musicians, artists, poets and thinkers, thus providing a rich background for Alter to draw upon. Her father was born in Istanbul and lived there until he was seventeen when he moved to Belgium. Being brought up around these different cultural influences left an imprint on Alter and has influenced her music and compositions throughout her life.

Alter gathered a standout ensemble, with diverse cultural backgrounds like her own, to come from all over the world to produce the tight overall sound on Crossways. At the center of the music is Italian accordion virtuoso Luciano Biondini. He is joined by American (now Netherlands based) clarinetist John Ruocco, who fulfills an important soloist role in a similar fashion to his role on Alter's previous albums. Belgian bassist Nic Thys always impresses with his strong acoustic bass foundation, and the liquid tuba of Belgian Michel Massot will be a discovery for many. The creative young Dutch percussionist Landers Gyselinck provides steady rhythmic  support and is making a name for himself in both the jazz and the avant-garde rock scene, and Italian Michel Bisceglia provides subtle, crisp piano solos with his arrangements that truly balance and support the compositions.

"I chose Crossways because of my own upbringing. I came from a Judeo-Spanish family and lived in Belgium," says Alter. "Once you add that to the background of these musicians, all those cultures meet in the music." Crossways not only refers to the diversity and eclecticism in the musicians' backgrounds but also to the instrumentation for the album. The unique combination of accordion, clarinet, and tuba along with the traditional instrumentation adds a distinctive element to Alter's music that is undeniable and also adds succinctly to the warm melodies throughout the recording. 

Although most of the performances were improvised, the melodies were arranged to evoke a certain feeling of peacefulness and tranquility. For Alter, it's the feelings of nostalgia in the arrangements that provoke these feelings that she hopes draw the listener back. "I want these melodies to create a warm and loving feeling so the melody really sticks with the listener," explains the composer.

The album concludes with a beautiful and spontaneous solo piano piece performed by Alter, dedicated to Mal Waldron. The two met in Brussels and had become good friends with Alter inviting him to workshops, taking lessons with him and watching him perform on a weekly basis. The moving performance serves as a fantastic end to this exciting production. Crossways is sure to be a landmark recording for this composer/pianist.

The legendary B.B. King is being remembered with vinyl/digital reissues of Live At The Regal, Live In Cook County Jail and Deuces Wild, featuring famous collaborators

The world of music lost one of its all-time legends when the great blues guitarist B. B. King passed away on May 14, at the age of 89. Accolades and tributes came not only from fans but fellow musicians who were influenced by the Mississippi-born son of sharecroppers, who virtually popularized the genre that spawned rock 'n' roll. King's fluid, string-bending "talking" style and patented vibrato on the guitar he dubbed "Lucille" ignited the careers of acolytes from Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page to John Mayer and Jack White. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, just a year after it started, King, a 15-time GRAMMY® winner and Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, was named by Rolling Stone in 2011 as No. 6 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." During the course of his remarkable six-decade-plus career, King's hits ranged from his first R&B chart-topper, "3 O'Clock Blues," to now-standards including his signature hit, "The Thrill Is Gone," "Sweet Sixteen," "How Blue Can You Get?" "Every Day I Have the Blues," and his 1988 collaboration with U2, "When Love Comes to Town," which exposed him to a whole new generation of fans.

Geffen Records/Universal Music Enterprises, to mark what would have been King's 90th birthday on September 16, is inaugurating a reissue of the venerable musician's catalog on vinyl and digitally re-mastered for online retailers, starting with the remaining nine titles of his 11 celebrated early albums released on Crown Records, a subsidiary of Modern Records. On September 11, joining the two other Crown Records titles already available (the 1956 LP release Singin' the Blues and 1958's The Blues), these nine releases on King's first label feature material that has been unavailable for decades.

Also available, a pair of classic live albums, Live at the Regal, and Live in Cook County Jail, will be re-released on September 18, both on disc and digital form. A double-LP set, Deuces Wild, which features King performing duets with a series of noted partners, including Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones and D'Angelo, will be issued on vinyl for the first time, in a special vinyl gatefold edition, October 9. 

Crown Albums Catalog: These nine late '50s-early '60s recordings on the Crown Records label make their digital debut. These nine titles include B.B. King Wails (1959), B.B. King Sings Spirituals (1960), The Great B.B. King (1960), King of the Blues (1960), My Kind of Blues (1961), More B.B. King (1961), Easy Listening Blues (1962), Blues in My Heart (1962) and B.B. King [a.k.a. The Soul of B.B. King] (1963). Featured tracks include "Sweet Sixteen," "Sneakin' Around," "Ten Long Years," "Be Careful with a Fool," "You're Gonna Miss Me" and more.

Live At The Regal: Recorded November 21, 1964, at the Regal Theater in Chicago and released the following year, the album is considered one of the greatest blues recordings ever, with Rolling Stone naming it No. 141 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and included in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. With an ensemble that included bassist Leo Lauchie, pianist Duke Jethro, drummer Sonny Freeman and tenor saxophone players Bobby Forte and Johnny Board, King ran through a set list that included some of his greatest hits, including "Every Day I Have the Blues," "How Blue Can You Get?," "Sweet Little Angel" and "Woke Up This Morning (My Baby's Gone)." King admitted "that particular day in Chicago, everything came together," and that the disc was "considered by some the best recording I've ever had." UMe will now reissue the classic album in both 180-gram vinyl and newly mastered digital editions.

Live In Cook County Jail: Recorded in Chicago's Cook County Jail on a hot fall day in 1970 and released the following year, the recording of this historic event was named #499 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, hitting #1 on the Billboard R&B charts, #3 on the Jazz charts and #25 on the Top 200. One of several live albums King released, it features a selection of his best-known songs, including "Sweet Sixteen," "The Thrill is Gone" and a medley of "3 O' Clock Blues" and "Darlin' You Know I Love You." King's band included bassist Wilbert Freeman, drummer Sonny Freeman, trumpet player John Browning, Louis Hubert on tenor sax, Booker Walker on alto sax and Ron Levy on piano. At the peak of his career renaissance, King won over a hostile crowd, turning the initial jeers (not for him, but the sheriff and chief judge in attendance) with his exuberant playing. King credits the prison's warden, Winston Moore, one of the country's first African-Americans in that post, with having the idea to bring him in to play. AllMusic called the version of "The Thrill Is Gone" on the album "possibly the best... of all its many incarnations." The September 16th release will include 180-gram vinyl and a version digitally re-mastered for online retailers and streaming services.

Deuces Wild: This double-album, originally released on November 4, 1997, will be issued for the first time on 180-gram vinyl with a special gatefold cover on October 2. The 35th studio album in his career, King hooked up with a series of celebrated duet partners for a set that showed off his remarkable range, including collaborations with Van Morrison ("If You Love Me"), Tracy Chapman ("The Thrill Is Gone"), Eric Clapton ("Rock Me Baby"), Bonnie Raitt("Baby I Love You"), D'Angelo ("Ain't Nobody Home"), The Rolling Stones ("Paying the Cost to Be the Boss"), Joe Cocker ("Dangerous Mood"), Dr. John ("There Must Be a Better World Somewhere"), Heavy D ("Keep It Coming"), Pink Floyd's David Gilmour & Squeeze's Paul Carrack ("Cryin' Won't Help You Babe") and Willie Nelson ("Night Life"). The disc was nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.

NEW RELEASES: JOSH BERMAN TRIO – A DANCE AND A HOP; HENRY FRANKLIN & 3 MORE SOUNDS – HAPPINESS OF PURSUIT; MASSIVE SUITS QUARTET – FULL MOON WIZARD

JOSH BERMAN TRIO – A DANCE AND A HOP

Tremendous work from the great Josh Berman – one of the most important musicians on the Chicago underground scene of the past decade or so – not just for his work on cornet, but also for his warmly collaborative and supportive spirit! That quality really comes through here – on a trio date that has Josh's horn with Jason Roebke on bass and Frank Rosaly on drums – all working together in this very special, very individual style – one that seems to embrace so many different decades of jazz at once – from the early trad phraseologists admired by Berman, to the postwar modern that's resurfaced in the recent Chicago scene, to the 21st Century experiments that all three members have engaged in! All the music is composed, but the performance has a looseness that almost feels improvised – save for the sense of cohesion in the tunes, and that no player ever steps too far outside – even though all of them are pretty darn freewheeling. We're not sure we've ever even heard a cornet trio before – but even if we had, there's never been anything like this – as you'll hear on titles that include "Cold Snap", "Today's Date", "Mint", "Your Uncle", "Time/Trouble", "Wooden", "Bridges", and "Luggage". ~ Dusty Groove

HENRY FRANKLIN & 3 MORE SOUNDS – HAPPINESS OF PURSUIT

Henry Franklin pays tribute to the great Gene Harris – in particular, the tremendous albums that Harris made for Blue Note in the 60s with his Three Sounds combo – hence the name of the group! Franklin's bass is wonderfully full, rich, and soulful – just like that of Andy Simpkins back in the original trio – and piano here is from Bill Heid, who opens up the more gutbuckety side of his spectrum – with these lines that step along beautifully with the bass, yet still hit loads of lyrical passages too. The balance is wonderful, and complemented perfectly by the drums of Carl Burnett – who, like Franklin, was also in the Three Sounds for a point in the 60s. Titles include "Blue Daniel", "Searchin", "Boomph", "It Don't Mean A Thing", "Little Miss Laurie", and "Autumn Serenade".  ~ Dusty Groove

MASSIVE SUITS QUARTET - FULL MOON WIZARD

A contemporary set, but one that's trying for a sound library vibe – in particular, the kind of moody, more electronic work that was coming from the French and UK scenes in the 70s! There's some funky elements here, but they're all moving nice and slow – brooding bass stepping slowly underneath spacey keyboards – all composed and arranged by Gregoire Marty, with a retro vibe that's somewhere in a late 70s/early 80s style. Titles include "March From The Moon", "Full Moon Wizard", "The Lake", "Dancing With Her", "Nymphs", "Spaceship Jazz", and "Grand Empty". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: GEORGE DUKE – THE ERA WILL PREVAIL: THE MPS STUDIO YEARS 1973-1976; MARVIN GAYE – VOLUME 1: 1961-1965 ; NICOLE WILLIS & THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS – HAPPINESS IN EVERY STYLE

GEORGE DUKE – THE ERA WILL PREVAIL: THE MPS STUDIO YEARS 1973-1976

An amazing package of work from George Duke – 6 of his legendary fusion albums for MPS Records, including the never-reissued double-length set Solus/The Inner Source! That incredible album is worth the price of the package alone – as it begins with some sublime trio work from Duke, rooted in jazz but already stretching out in amazing ways – then moves into some even hipper Latin-styled grooves, with Jerome Richardson on reeds and Luis Gasca on a bit of trumpet! Other albums in the set are equally great – and trace Duke's evolution from straighter jazz into funky freer fusion and soul – an incredible musical shift that's presented on the albums Faces In Reflection, Feel, I Love The Blues She Heard My Cry, The Aura Will Prevail, and Liberated Fantasies – each of them classics in their own right, presented together wonderfully here in this complete MPS package! The set is amazing – all records are on 180 gram vinyl, with cover styles that replicate the original MPS style – and the tapes have been re-optimized, and remastered to very specific 70s standards for wonderful sound! Comes with a special boot. ~ Dusty Groove

MARVIN GAYE – VOLUME 1: 1961-1965 (7-CD SET)

Includes: Soulful Moods, Stubborn Kind, When I'm Alone, Hello Broadway,Together, How Sweet It Is, and Nat King. The birth of a legend – the first seven albums from Motown giant Marvin Gaye, served up here in one nicely-priced package! The set's similar to the Original Album Classics series – in that it features each individual album in a tiny record sleeve – all stacked together in a nice box that brings all the music together – including a number of records that haven't been on CD in quite awhile! Even at this early point, Marvin's way ahead of the game – able to lay down hard, heavy soul tracks when he wants – but also slide into a ballad like nobody else, and even hit a few jazzier moments too. The range of modes here is really wonderful – showing that Motown was already trying to let Gaye move into the many directions he'd follow later on – and albums include the tearjerking When I'm Alone I Cry, the seminal Stubborn Kind Of Fellow, the duet with Mary Wells on Together, the soaring How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You, the jazzy Tribute To Nat King Cole, the classy Hello Broadway, and the moody Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye. ~ Dusty Groove

NICOLE WILLIS & THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS – HAPPINESS IN EVERY STYLE

This Autumn, Nicole Willis rolls out with her third album made together with The Soul Investigators: Happiness In Every Style. It is bound to send shivers down backs all around the world. As the name suggests, the new album will offer variety and tilt towards a more positive note after the murky Tortured Soul from two years back. This means Nicole and the boys have made things a bit more soothing for the listener, offering upbeat modern soul and even embracing more sophisticated melodies alongside their highly evolved raw funk sound. To get a taste of this, one only has to put on 'Let's Communicate' or 'One In a Million' to get their hands clapping and toes tapping in no time, or respectively, witness the dance floor explode. From minor key ballads such as 'Thief In The Night' to the unapologetically poppy 'Angel', the new album is bound to bring to the hearts of humans in every shade and style. Whether you know Nicole Willis from before or not does not hold any weight here. After hearing her with The Soul Investigators on this new album, you will know they are for real, and out to offer you everything you need to fill up your soul supply. With Nicole's insightful lyrics and the band's hard-hitting music you are in good care.

FEELING NICE VOL. 3: A COLLECTION OF SUPER RARE AND SUPERHEAVY FUNK 45s FROM THE LATE 60s & EARLY 70s

Friends and fans of Tramp Records in general, and of the Feeling Nice series specifically, will be feeling even nicer this time around with the release of this deep and soulful new collection: Feeling Nice Volume 3.

These recordings have been painstakingly sought-out and unearthed from as far away as Hawaii, Canada, and Jamaica (in addition to the usual Texas, Ohio, and Georgia). This music has been carefully transferred (in some cases form the sole known copy) and remastered to the highest standards of audio quality. Finally, through a determined and diligent research effort leading to interviews with the owners of the rights to the original masters, Feeling Nice Volume 3's detailed liner notes offer you an enlightening window into the lives of the musicians, producers, and independent record labels responsible for some of the deepest music on the planet. All of this in addition to full color label scans and never before seen publicity photos.

Of course, to friends and fans of Tramp Records, none of this is a surprise as you have come to expect consequential projects promoting cultural and historical significance delivered with the love of a fellow record digger and the science of a musicologist. Tramp Records remains one of the champions of rare deep funk soul and jazz on vinyl, uniting thorough research, respect of the original artists and art form, and thoughtful curation of great singles, albums and compilations.

Some of the highlights of Feeling Nice Volume 3 are one of the rarest 45s on the Alston label and in our opinion also one of the best, Clarence Reid's "I Get My Kicks". A James Brown influenced wah wah funk monster, 'Stand-Up Baby' by Canada's Saint John. 'The Jack Mod Kick' by Jake, Ricky and Jack Townshend AKA Jack & The Mods, ranging in age from 6 to 18 and discovered almost accidentally while rehearsing in a rundown shack in rural Virgina! We've got Rickey Andrews taking us on a late 60s dance-move tour of the U.S. with 'Chances Are Your Dance is Mine'. A rare sister funk masterpiece called 'Leave Me Alone' by Nadine Brown from 1977. Leroy & The Drivers' critical track, 'The Sad Chicken', produced in under 30 minutes with their last remaining studio time in 1970 and still ringing loud across the land. One of the nastiest versions of The Iselys' 'It's Your Thing' coming out of Jamaica and so much more!

- 400 of the 1000 pressed vinyl LPs come with a bonus 7" by William Cummings ('Make My Love A Hurting Thing')

- 16-page CD-booklet and deluxe double-gatefold LP with detailed liner notes, label scans and unseen photographs

- properly mastered for the best sound-quality possible

RANDY BRECKER'S RANDYPOP! A LIVE RECORDING RE-IMAGINING RANDY BRECKER'S SEMINAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD OF POP

Randy Brecker turns 70 years old in November, a good reason to celebrate the soundtrack of his (and our) life. RandyPOP! brings into fine focus Brecker's lasting service to pop music's most noteworthy recordings,

Beginning in the '60s, Brecker distinguished himself as a first-call studio "cat" who could play any music a producer or artist needed. His reputation was well-earned, considering the timeless recordings featuring his trumpet.

RandyPOP! highlights these recordings, but with a twist. Long-time associate Kenny Werner has "de-ranged" the songs of James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Donald Fagen, et al, with an ear towards creating a new musicial canvas for Randy and his bandmates to paint on.

Captured live at the Blue Note jazz club in New York, Randy is joined by David Sanchez, Adam Rogers, John Patitucci, Nate Smith and Werner himself - with a special guest appearance by shining vocalist and daughter Amanda Brecker.

The album was produced by Kenny Werner, Randy Brecker and Jeff Levenson. Featurea musicians: Randy Brecker (trumpet w/effects, voice); Kenny Werner (piano, keys, arrangements); David Sanchez (tenor saxophone); Amanda Brecker (vocals); Adam Rogers (guitar); John Patitucci (bass); and Nate Smith (drums).

TRACKS

• New Frontier, 11:49 (by Donald Fagen from Nightfly)
• Let Me Just Follow Behind, 13:09 (by 'Moogy' Klingman from Bette Midler's Songs For the New Depression)
• I Can't Quit Her, 12:22 (by Al Kooper from Blood Sweat and Tears' Child is Father to the Man)
• Hello, It's Me, 9:41 (by Todd Rundgren from Something/Anything)
• Ghost Writer, 7:53 (by Garland Jeffreys from Ghost Writer)
• Think, 2:23 (by James Brown from Make it Funky/ The Big Payback)
• I've Got A Bag Of My Own, 5:29 (by James Brown from Make it Funky / The Big Payback)
• Meeting Across The River, 5:34 (by Bruce Springsteen from Born to Run)
• Late In The Evening, 9:34 (by Paul Simon from One Trick Pony)

PETE MCCANN EXPLORES THE BREADTH OF HIS FORMIDABLE ARTISTRY AS A GUITARIST ON HIS FIFTH RECORDING, RANGE

Range, available September 18, 2015 on Whirlwind Recordings, marks jazz guitarist Pete McCann's fifth release as a leader. Range, which finds McCann exploring the breadth and depth of his formidable artistry as a guitarist, composer and bandleader, features an incomparable cast of some of New York City's finest musicians; John O'Gallagher-alto sax, Henry Hey-piano, Rhodes and organ, Matt Clohesy-acoustic & electric bass and Mark Ferber-drums.

The music on Range encompasses a wide variety of musical styles and genres, showcasing McCann's and the ensemble's "range" as they expertly and delightfully delve into straight-ahead, post-bop, avant garde, Latin, and jazz-rock fusion. Range is the follow up to McCann's previous critically-acclaimed releases, Extra Mile (Nineteen-Eight), Most Folks (Omnitone), Parable and You Remind Me of Someone (both on Palmetto). Range opens with the driving, melodious, Kenny, an homage to the late, great, Kenny Wheeler, with whom McCann had the good fortune to study with in 1988 at the Banff Summer Jazz Workshop. He later performed and recorded with Wheeler in a large ensemble led by the Belgian saxophonist, Erwin Vann in 1997. Wheeler's unique sound on the trumpet and flugelhorn, and his beautiful compositional style, resonates with McCann on a very personal level, as reflected in this composition. Seventh Jar was inspired by the Indian spiritual tale in which a man finds six and a half jars filled with gold. He becomes obsessed with filling the seventh jar never realizing that he should stop and have gratitude for what he already has. McCann and the ensemble perfectly capture the mystery of this ancient story with a contemplative, searching melody. Realm "was written with the great pianist Richie Beirach in mind.  I am a longtime fan of Richie's playing and his dark harmonic sensibility," explained McCann. Like most musicians of McCann's caliber, he is an avid listener, and To the Mountains was inspired by a melodic fragment he heard on God Bless America. It is the guitarist's tribute to the true sonic genius of guitarist Bill Frisell, and will stand as a testament to McCann's talent in taking a small melodic fragment and crafting a beautiful, contemplative ballad from it. Mustard is a lively tune with an interesting set of odd meters at the end of the A section: 7/8, 6/8 and 7/8. The bass riff centers around the major 3rd axis split, Ab/C/E.

Other highlights on Range include Dyad Changes, written with Anton Webern in mind. A few years ago John O'Gallagher invited McCann to perform and record with the Anton Webern Project. "Studying O'Gallagher's take on Webern gave me the idea to write in that style over rhythm changes", said McCann; Numinous is based on a 12 tone row. Each of the 12 tones provides the roots for the underlying harmony of the A section, then the tone row comes back on its own in the B section as a backdrop for improvisation; Bridge Scandal, inspired by "Bridgegate" an unfortunate event that many suspect Chris Christie (governor of New Jersey), to have orchestrated. The underlying harmony of the A section is very similar to the middle section or 'bridge' of Bill Evans' Time Remembered; Rumble is an homage to the remarkable saxophonist, Lee Konitz. "I was very fortunate to work with Lee in the Lee Konitz Nonet, led by saxophonist Ohad Talmor, and also recently with saxophonist Grace Kelly," said McCann; Mine Is Yours is a composition that simply, but captivatingly, delves into McCann's fascination with harmony.

A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, McCann has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene for more than twenty-five years, during which time he has been a first-call sideman, and an indispensable part of over eighty CDs. He has performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe from the most prestigious clubs and jazz festivals, to musicals, award shows, and even an opera. McCann regularly works with Grace Kelly, Chris Tarry, Melissa Stylianou, Dan Willis, Ben Kono, Asuka Kakitani and Alison Wedding, and has performed with some of the greatest in jazz, including Kenny Wheeler, Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, Patti Austin, Bobby Previte, Brian Blade, and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. He received his Bachelors of Music degree from the University of North Texas, has studied at the Banff School of the Arts, and currently teaches at City College of New York and the New School in New York City.

www.Petemccann.com

DUKES of Dixieland Announce New Album: Live at 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

One of New Orleans' flagship groups is captured live at the city's flagship event on The DUKES of Dixieland's rollicking new release, Live at 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Due out September 18, the album spotlights the versatility and range of the iconic band with a set of classic Crescent City R&B and Latin-tinged jazz, all performed with crack timing and boisterous spirit.

The repertoire may come as a surprise to those who haven't caught one of the band's renowned nightly performances on the Steamboat Natchez, their home base on the Mississippi River for more than twenty years. Best known for the traditional jazz sound implied by their name, the DUKES of Dixieland casts a wide net to present the stunning diversity and celebratory soul of New Orleans music.

On Live at 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, that "know it when you hear it" style is represented by hometown heroes like Louis Prima, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, and Huey "Piano" Smith; as well as spiritual compatriots including Tom Waits and Jerry Lee Lewis. There are also several Duke Ellington pieces - which might seem to be an unlikely fit until you hear the ensemble's down-home, Latin Jazz reinventions of the legendary composer's work.

The band's R&B-focused set was recorded in front of a riotous crowd of thousands in the Jazz & Heritage Festival's Economy Hall Tent, named for the former home of an early twentieth century mutual aid and benefit society. Performing for the always-enthusiastic Jazz Fest crowd brings something special to the band's well-honed sound, according to trumpet player and bandleader Kevin Clark. "Playing for that crowd, you know that when they're applauding and into it, you're doing it right. We always get a good response out there, and when that many people scream and yell, it's inspiring and amps the band up even more. It captures that over-the-top New Orleans vibe."

Before they ever reached those Jazz Fest ears, however, these songs were audience-tested in front of local and international audiences. The DUKES play the dinner cruise on the Steamboat Natchez seven nights a week, 45 weeks a year - and on their "time off" play 30 dates a year with orchestras and at festivals and performing arts centers in the U.S. and abroad. "All the tunes that we do on the new album are songs that the guests that we play for every day enjoy listening to," Clark says. "You can see them light up when we play those particular songs; they're fan favorites. Maybe that's because they don't expect us to make a departure from traditional jazz, though everything we do keeps one foot planted in New Orleans music."

That term is surprisingly hard to define, even for a longtime resident like Clark. "I think all of New Orleans music has a certain feel, a grittiness, to it," he says. "It's 'dirt under your fingernails' music."

Made up of well-studied musicians with hundreds of songs in their repertoire and countless performances under their belt, the DUKES make it a point to balance their virtuosity with that grit, never losing sight of the elements that make the Big Easy special. "Every night I hear, 'This is what we came to New Orleans for,'" Clark says.

"There's something about every song that we do that makes it different than any other band. It's the difference between grabbing a po'boy and eating a fine meal at Commander's Palace."

The modern DUKES of Dixieland trace their history back 41 years, when trumpeter and cornetist Connie Jones left Pete Fountain's band to reform the band. They opened their own nightclub later that year in the French Quarter and have been a New Orleans institution ever since, taking up residency on the Steamboat Natchez in 1992. Clark, who had previously served a thirteen-year tenure in the band before leaving in 2002, returned to take the helm in 2010. He brought integral experience from playing at Disney World and booking shows for Toronto venues with him.

"The band has always had great players," Clark says, "but what I bring to the table is the conviction that people want to be entertained; they don't want a history lesson. We're like a show band that plays New Orleans music: everything's tight and there's no down time to explain what we're doing."

That attitude is well-represented on Live at 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which flows organically from opener "Mama Inez," through a trio of Duke Ellington compositions, to a mash-up of Louis Prima's iconic "Sing, Sing Sing," with his song from Disney's The Jungle Book, "I Wanna Be Like You." The set continues with Alan Broome's gravelly vocal on Tom Waits' "I Wish I Was in New Orleans," evoking both the songwriter and the city's musical godfather, Louis Armstrong.

Pianist/singer Joe Kennedy takes a killer turn on a medley of Jerry Lee Lewis tunes and returns to the spotlight for a run-through of New Orleans R&B favorites, including Dr. John's "Such a Night;" "Down Home Girl," originally recorded by New Orleans singer Alvin Robinson; Huey "Piano" Smith's oft-recorded "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu;" and Bobby Goldsboro's "Voodoo Woman." Allen Toussaint's familiar "Java" offers a taste of a more classic New Orleans sound.

"There's a lot of different music under the umbrella of New Orleans music," Clark sums up. "What we're trying to do is be that band. You want to hear Jelly Roll Morton? We'll play Jelly Roll Morton like you want it to be done. Want to hear Fats Domino? Louis Prima? The Meters? The Neville Brothers? I think the essence is versatility, presenting lots of different options for people with depth while remaining accessible and fun."

www.DUKESofDixieland.com

Bass Legend Ron Carter Debuts Original Compositions with Extended Orchestra, The WDR Big Band, on My Personal Songbook

Ron Carter's elegant, sophisticated and delicate tone, as well as his extraordinary sense of timing, have informed generations of bassists and have had a tremendous impact on the musical genre as a whole.

My Personal Songbook is the first recording of the grand master's original compositions performed by an extended orchestra to be released. This exceptional recording took place in January 2013, when Carter appeared with The WDR Big Band in Cologne. Three acclaimed concerts with The WDR Big Band in Geneva, Zürich, and Essen followed and strengthened the master bassist's wish to extend the collaboration.

Naturally, The WDR Big Band acceded to his wish, because apart from the fact that Carter is one of the leading bassists in the history of jazz, the musical vibes between the WDR Big Band and the famed guest soloist were highly compatible from the start. One may wonder why such a diligent musician as Carter did not work with the large format before; it was only in 2011 that he formed a big band of his own. With the WDR Big Band and the album My Personal Songbook, he goes further in presenting himself as a brilliant double bass player and innovative soloist.

Being cast with truly exquisite soloists, the WDR Big Band is a perfect match for Carter, who is full of praises: "It honors a radio station to insist on this music and to make such a large band format happen. Being professional, flexible and having the brilliant musicality of these musicians also add to this project." Carter chose ten pieces for the project, which were, and still are, of tremendous influence in his life. Richard DeRosa, principal conductor of The WDR Big Band, contributed the arrangements for his orchestra. The result is a sound which pays attention to the lush big band tone as well as to the sophisticated solo parts and allows both to fully bloom. An extra highlight is the additional DVD with tracks as well as film footage.

  

Carter was born on May 4th, 1937, and at the age of ten, very shortly after he started to play the cello, he switched to the double bass. After his collaboration on the Gil Evans's masterpiece, "Out Of The Cool," he became recognized by wider audiences in 1960. In '63, he achieved international recognition, playing with jazz legend Miles Davis' second quintet, of which he was a member until 1968.

Carter can be heard on more than 2,500 recordings. He not only contributed to the jazz genre, but to the history of the music of the 20th and 21st centuries in general. Musicians such as Cannonball Adderley, Freddie Hubbard, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner have appreciated his exquisite tone and professional craftsmanship during his illustrious career. His extraordinary bass lines have also contributed to hip hop music, in particular A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory, ushering Carter in as a front line supporter/recognizer of the jazz/hip-hop convergence.

Milestones of his truly exceptional, vital and multifaceted career are on the set list. It is Carter's virtuosic technique, his sensitivity for sounds and his brilliantly performed timing that make his bass voice so outstanding and classic. Carter guarantees consistency and premium quality. Since the early 1960s, when he was part of the Miles Davis Quintet, he tirelessly goes for the utmost perfect double bass sound. That is why colleagues, experts and audiences alike have appreciated Carter for decades.

www.RonCarter.net

Featured This Week on The Jazz Network: Vocalist, Lainie Cooke ~ "The Music Is The Magic"‏

Lainie Cooke made her first record—when she was 3. Her next recording—a 12-tune jazz CD titled Here’s to Life!—was recorded when she was 60! And now, at age 73, Cooke is releasing her third CD, The Music Is the Magic, a masterpiece of jazz vocal art produced by drummer and trumpeter Ralph Peterson and issued on his Onyx Productions label.

Cooke never stopped singing during that 57-year gap, however. She made her radio debut at 6 in her native Minneapolis, first appeared on television at 11, and sang with local dance bands during her high school days. After studying theater for two years at the University of Minnesota, she moved to New York City when she was 20 and soon began a hugely successful career as voice-over artist for commercials, documentaries and motion pictures that kept her busy for four decades.

Cooke has been a resident of New York City since she was 20, save for relatively brief periods in Jamaica and California. “I went to New York to find out what I could actually do with all of the stuff that was inside me,” she reflects. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be—a musical theater performer or a nightclub singer.”  After working an office job for a period, she got fingerprinted for a cabaret card and played a few New York clubs, but upon doing her first out-of-town gig in Hartford, Connecticut, she developed an instant distaste for being on the road. Voice-over work, which allowed her to stay home in New York City, became her calling and kept her steadily employed for most of the next 40 years.

“I had a day job where I used my voice every day,” says Cooke, who wound up serving on the board of directors of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), eventually as the union’s National Recording Secretary. In 1973, Cooke began a three-and-a-half year adventure she calls “the very best and very worst times of my life” by joining her then-husband in running a 38-acre chicken farm in Jamaica that sold poultry and vegetables to hotels in nearby Montego Bay. She got to sing jazz once a month at a hotel there, but political turmoil on the island eventually caused the tourist industry to dry up, thus ending the couple’s business.

After getting a divorce, Cooke moved to Los Angeles in 1979 and began singing in clubs with such top jazz men as pianist Dick Shreve and bassist Bob Maize but moved back to New York in 1983 and resumed doing voice-overs. She returned briefly to L.A. to record half of her first CD, 2002’s Here’s to Life! on the Harlemwood label, with Shreve, Maize, and others. New York musicians, including Firth, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Matt Wilson, completed the album. Her second CD, 2008’s It’s Always You, also on Harlemwood, also featured Firth, Brown, and Wilson, as well as saxophonist Joel Frahm.

Lainie Cooke may have gotten off to a late start as a recording artist, but she has more than made up for lost time. With The Music Is the Magic, she again surrounds herself with some of the jazz world’s finest instrumentalists and further affirms her standing in the front ranks of jazz singers performing today. She’s got it all down—taste, technique, tone, and timing, a truly magical combination.

  

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"An Evening of Indigos," 2-CD Set by Saxophonist/Composer/Arranger Bill Kirchner, Recorded Live at the New School in October 2014

Bill Kirchner An Evening of Indigos Renowned as a renaissance man of jazz -- as an influential bandleader, sideman (on all of the saxophones, clarinets, and flutes), composer, arranger, record and radio producer, educator, writer, and editor -- Bill Kirchner is also one of jazz's most deeply soulful soprano saxophone stylists. He plays soprano exclusively on his forthcoming album An Evening of Indigos, a 2-CD package featuring Kirchner in the intimate company of pianist Carlton Holmes, a veteran of the leader's now-inactive nonet; Nashville-based bassist and vocalist Jim Ferguson; and longtime colleague Holli Ross on vocals. Jazzheads Records will release the set, Kirchner's fourth for the New York label, on October 16.

Recorded on October 7, 2014 at a concert in the 200-capacity performance space at New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where Kirchner has taught for the past 25 years, An Evening of Indigos presents the quartet in a set of seven Kirchner compositions and six standards. "The mood at this remarkable concert was indeed indigo but far from monochromatic," remarks Dan Morgenstern in the package notes. Kirchner also includes his own comments made at the New School that night in the program notes:

"Most concerts are, in a sense, variety shows. The standard idea in programming them is to come up with a multiplicity of tempos and moods, usually building to a climax. In this case, we're aiming to explore one mood, though in different facets. And to sustain that mood, we'll refrain from talking to the audience between songs. . . . Just let the music and emotions envelop you."

 Bill Kirchner From the album opener "Theme for Gregory," Kirchner's "simple jazz waltz with some nice chord changes," through the closing Rodgers & Hart standard "He Was Too Good to Me," the musicians explore many hues of indigo. Several of Kirchner's collaborations with lyricist Loonis McGlohon are included, among them "Gentle Voice in the Night" and "I Almost Said Goodbye," featuring Ross, and "Foolish Little Girl," with Ferguson on vocals. The vocalists take turns on a medley of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Someone to Light Up My Life" and "This Happy Madness," both with English lyrics by Kirchner's late friend Gene Lees. Another vocal medley pairs Bacharach-David's "Close to You" (previously recorded as an instrumental on Kirchner's 1999 nonet album Trance Dance) and Buddy Johnson's blues ballad "Save Your Love for Me."

Also performed are Kirchner's (both words and music) "The Inaudible Language of the Heart," sung by Ross; his solo piano feature for Holmes, "Since You Asked"; and his musical setting of a poem by William Butler Yeats, "When You Are Old," sung by Ferguson. The bassist/vocalist and Kirchner duet on Bob Hilliard and David Mann's "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning."

Kirchner's concentration on the soprano, his favorite instrument, is not entirely by choice. In 1993 he suffered a major setback when he was diagnosed with a non-malignant but life-threatening tumor in his spinal cord. The tumor was removed after two major surgeries, but he was left with no feeling and only two working fingers in his right hand, a pronounced limp, and chronic pain. Forced to put aside his other reed and woodwind instruments, he gradually taught himself to play a soprano saxophone that had been redesigned and rebuilt to accommodate his disability.

"There's an economy to it that's by sheer necessity," he says of his current soprano style. "It's said that we're all stylistically a product of our limitations. I'm as good an example of that as anybody I know.

"It was kind of serendipitous that the only instrument that I can still play is the one I liked playing the most. I had to relearn ways of playing it, but not as much as you might think. I guess I just learned to play with fewer notes. I don't think that my conception of playing changed all that much. It's just sparer now, that's all."

 Bill Kirchner Born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1953, Bill Kirchner started playing clarinet at age 7 and took up saxophone in junior high and flute in high school. While majoring in English at Manhattan College in New York in the early '70s, he studied music privately with saxophonist Lee Konitz and pianist Harold Danko. After college, Kirchner spent five years in Washington, DC, where he played and studied with arranger Mike Crotty and edited transcripts for the Smithsonian Institution's NEA jazz oral-history project.

Kirchner returned to New York City in 1980 and has remained there ever since. His nonet was active from 1980 to 2001 and recorded five albums for the Sea Breeze, A-Records, and Jazzheads labels. His sideman credits include work with the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Anita O'Day, Mario Bauzá, and Tito Puente. His arrangements have been recorded by Konitz, Dizzy Gillespie, Patti Austin, and the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble. He has annotated over 50 projects for Blue Note, Columbia/Legacy, Mosaic, and other labels and was awarded a Grammy for "Best Album Notes" for Miles Davis and Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings in 1996. He edited the books A Miles Davis Reader in 1997 and The Oxford Companion to Jazz in 2000. He produced and wrote four NPR Jazz Profiles and hosted 131 Jazz from the Archives radio shows for WBGO-FM. And he presently teaches jazz courses at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and New Jersey City University.

"This night is one of the highlights of my career," says Kirchner of the New School concert. "To have one's music so sensitively and beautifully performed by Holli, Carlton, and Jim is a composer-arranger's dream. And the audience was with us all the way." 

Pianist and Vocalist Ariel Pocock Releases Uniquely Versatile Debut, Touchstone

At 22-years-old, Ariel Pocock has received international acclaim as a captivating jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. Recognized by notable institutions such as Downbeat, the Kobe-Seattle International Jazz Vocal Competition and the Essentially Ellington Competition at Lincoln Center, where she won both the outstanding pianist award as well as the Ella Fitzgerald Outstanding Vocalist Award. Pocock is steadily gaining momentum as a uniquely gifted and versatile musician with both her "true facility for...sinewy jazz piano [and] breezy, achingly plain-spoken vocal chops..." (Seattle Times).

Touchstone, Pocock's debut album features fresh takes on classic jazz standards, original compositions, and her own arrangements of singer-songwriter material. She worked with producer Matt Pierson to compile this interesting mix of songs.  The inclusion of some of her favorite jazz standards like "Devil May Care," "Exactly Like You," and "Ugly Beauty" as well as some of the singer-songwriter material are a glimpse into the music Pocock loves as a musician.

Although the music is diverse by category, it is tied together with the distinctive playing and vocal style that Pocock exudes.

Pocock is not the only musician that shines on Touchstone. The featured musicians include saxophonist Seamus Blake, guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland.  This all-star band also helped shape the reflective and meditative feel to the album as well. Although this particular group of musicians had never played together, the communication and musical dialogue on this album is apparent from its onset. With some of the arrangements being improvised in-studio with all the musicians contributing ideas and crafting parts, it is easy to tell that all the musicians believed in communicating Pocock's love for the songs.

On teaming with such a great lineup of musicians Pocock states, "Working with Larry, Eric, Julian, and Seamus was incredible. They are truly some of my favorite musicians alive today. I've looked up to them all for years and it was quite surreal getting the opportunity to actually record with them. I arrived at the studio on the first day with some fairly serious nerves, but after meeting the band and showing them my ideas for the recording, I was totally at ease and so excited to get started."  

A captivating performer, Pocock has headlined many notable venues and music festivals, including Ronnie Scott's London Club, Iowa City Jazz Festival, Elkhart Jazz Festival, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Stanford Jazz Festival, Bellevue Jazz Festival, and in July 2015 had the opportunity to perform at the prestigious Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

A recent graduate of the University of Miami's Frost School of Music where she studied under the Stamps Family scholarship - Ariel Pocock is based in North Carolina where she continues to compose and maintain an active performing schedule.