Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum and Rick Braun rejoin forces once again as BWB for new Memphis soul album

You can almost smell the tangy barbecue sauce dripping from the forthcoming third album “BWB” by chart-topping trio BWB, who throw down like a sweaty garage band at a Memphis backyard house party on their debut for the Artistry Music label arriving April 22. It’s the first time the band made up of GRAMMY® winners Norman Brown (guitar, vocals) and Kirk Whalum (saxophone, flute, vocals) and Rick Braun (trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone, vocals) cooked up a festive, sticky-fingered feast of ten new contemporary jazz, R&B, soul and funk joints. 

Braun produced the session in his suburban Los Angeles-area home studio where the band moved in with their families and lived together for an entire week. The result is a collaborative disc celebrating brotherhood and live music. The tantalizing title track is the first radio cut, which enters Billboard’s Top 10 on next week’s singles chart and appears to be ticketed for the top spot.  

Anytime the three solo stars get together to record, it’s an instant candidate for event album of the year in the contemporary jazz world. BWB has been itching to record original material ever since they first recorded as a high-wattage trio in 2002 when they released a collection of covers entitled “Groovin’.” Over a decade later, they reunited as a combo in 2013 with “Human Nature,” paying tribute to Michael Jackson’s songbook and scoring their first No 1 hit with “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground).” This time around, they decided to compose the material entirely on their own, creating party jams specifically with their spirited live shows in mind.

As Braun tells it, “A long time ago in a faraway galaxy, three brothers dreamed of recording a CD of all original material as a band. Although the evil forces of time and geography stood in their way for many years, a dream is a powerful idea and ultimately the collective, creative force will prevail. And in that spirit, Norman and Kirk moved into my house for a short week with their loved ones. We played our horns, sang, drank wine, wrote, laughed and lived together. Thus it began!” 

Primarily instrumental with a batch of tunes amped up by fun-filled vocal refrains and catchy, sing-a-long choruses, BWB’s members wove DNA from their hometowns into the music mix. With Whalum’s Memphis soul serving as the nucleus, Braun’s Philly funk atoms and Brown’s Kansas City jazz genes add flavor, flair and some old-school stank to the homegrown offering that struts and seduces with swagger and sophistication along with a devilish dash of mischief. An equally important nonmusical component is incorporating the enduring love and joy of treasured friendships that exists between the musicians.     

“As I grow wiser, grayer and more awesomer (!), I realize just how important relationships are to me –– much more important even than music. But how awesome it is to make great music with great friends! This is a glorious bonus and a wonderful journey. I am grateful for “the Chord of three strands” that is BWB,” Whalum testified.

Brown concurred enthusiastically. “I believe in the Master Mind! Two or more minds joined in harmony with a common goal will surely connect to higher source energy. BWB is a brilliant vibration channeling a spirit of joyful elevation. I love my brothers!”

BWB are touring throughout the year in support of the new album playing festival dates including Boscov’s Berks Jazz Festival (April 8), Las Vegas City of Lights Jazz and R&B Festival (April 16), St. Lucia Jazz Festival (May 7), Steel City Jazz Festival (June 4), Tri-C Jazz Festival (June 25), QC Summerfest (July 31), Wolf Creek Jazz Festival (September 4) and the Capital Jazz SuperCruise (October 23) as well as a pair of Texas dates in Austin at the One World Theatre (May 27) and Houston at Dosey Doe (May 28). 

The songs contained on “BWB” are:

“Triple Dare”

“Bust A Move”

“BWB”

“Bolly Bop”

“I Want You Girl”

“Lemonade”

“Memphis Steppin’”

“Hey Baby”

“North Star”

“Turn Up”

The Life of Legendary Saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk Topic of New Documentary, The Case of the Three Sided Dream

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977) was a one of a kind musician, personality and satirist who despite being blind and becoming paralyzed - did not relent. He was more than a blind musician who could play three horns at once. Beyond the ability to play multiple melodies at the same time, he was a warrior against racial injustice, fought for people with disabilities and was a tireless campaigner for a wider appreciation of jazz in America (what he termed Black Classical Music). Packed with electrifying archival footage of Kirk and his music, intimate interviews, and inspired animated sequences; Adam Kahan's The Case of the Three Sided Dream, is an absorbing look at the man who wouldn't even let partial paralysis keep him from pursuing what he called "The Religion of Dreams."

 The Case of the Three Sided Dream premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival and also was screened at Full Frame, Blue Note Jazz Festival, IFC Center, IDFA, Sound Unseen, Big Sky, Noise Pop, PAFF LA and Atlanta, MIFF, Raindance and many other festivals, towns, countries and venues over the past year.

The film was awarded Best Documentary at the 2015 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, as well as Best Documentary at the 2015 Soundtrack Cologne festival in Cologne, Germany. It was also named one of the top ten music documentaries of 2014 by Nonfics.com.

The film will be released world wide and will be a joint release by Monoduo Films, Vimeo on Demand, Syndicado and Arthaus. It will be available to stream and download on Vimeo On Demand May 1, available on iTunes May 31 and on DVD this Fall. Further screenings are also planned for later this year in New York, LA, Toronto and Europe.

Additionally Adam Kahan and the estate of Rahsaan Roland Kirk are laying the groundwork for a biopic on Kirk and seeking an executive producer.

Adam Kahan is a filmmaker living in Brooklyn, New York. He started making films in 1989 in San Francisco, when he bought his first Super 8 camera. His first short film "Eyeball" played the San Francisco Film Arts Foundation festival in 1992, and multiple other festivals in the states and abroad. Adam works across multiple genres from documentary to narrative to experimental, and has worn multiple hats including Director, Producer, Writer and Editor. He has also made several short documentaries on contemporary artists (such as Andres Serrano, Fred Tomaselli and Urs Fischer) that have played on national television and in festivals internationally. The Case of the Three Sided Dream is his first feature.

Watch the trailer and pre-order through Vimeo On Demand:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/kirk

 

Verve to Release Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set Showcasing Classic Songs Recorded From 1949 - 1954

As part of Verve's 60th Anniversary, the storied imprint is set to release the complete U.S. Jazz at the Philharmonic performances of celebrated vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. This classic material, which has previously been released on various albums, will be released for the first time in one dynamic live set featuring the original 12-track vinyl LP album cover from 1983. The re-mastered 22-track CD and digital audio collection, with an essay by author Will Friedwald, features a wide spectrum of A-list musicians including Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and more.

Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set was recorded through various performances between 1949 and 1954, with all original recordings being supervised by the historic label's founder and Fitzgerald's longtime manager, Norman Granz. Highlights include jaw-dropping interpretations of "Old Mother Hubbard," "Oh, Lady Be Good!," "Lullaby of Birdland," and the all-star jam session, "Flying Home."

In 1944, Granz launched the historic Jazz at the Philharmonic series in Los Angeles, which would last 40 years. In the formative years of JATP, Granz invited the vocal icon to join some of the greatest musicians in the world, following in the JATP tradition of Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Helen Humes. It wasn't until 1953, when JATP was on tour in Japan that Granz talked to Fitzgerald about managing her career when the singer's contract with Moe Gale at Associated Booking Corporation ran up at the end of the year. She was hesitant at first, but after telling her that it was a matter of pride, the two joined for a historic partnership that lasted more than four decades. With a soon-to-be-ending contract with Decca, Granz launched Verve and announced Fitzgerald as their inaugural signing while they continued work on the JATP series.

The crown jewel of Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set was the September 1949 performance at the famed Carnegie Hall-the engagement provides more than 45-minutes of music for this historic release. Granz opens that performance and this release with a special introduction of "the greatest thing in jazz today," Ella Fitzgerald. Two other introductions of the illustrious vocalist appear on the box as well-another from Granz, and one from Dizzy Gillespie.

Throughout three heavy-hitting tracks, Fitzgerald receives support from an all-star JATP horn section featuring trumpeter Roy Eldridge, trombonist Tommy Turk, and saxophonists Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, and Lester Young. "Flying Home" showcases remarkable scatting from Fitzgerald and features a Phillips solo. "How High the Moon" shows a new take on the classic chorus while switching back and forth between horn players, and "Perdido" hands the reins to the brass players for the melody, with each player taking a solo while Fitzgerald replaces the published lyrics with fervent scatting.

Some of the vocalist's classic tunes appear in this performance as well. She infuses the 1800's nursery rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard" with modern jazz chord progressions and a number of outside melodies, and also performs her trademark tune, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Fitzgerald visits two soulful ballads as well, including "A New Shade of Blues" and "Black Coffee," a signature tune for Peggy Lee later on.

Having produced an entire album in homage to Gershwin, it's fitting that the singer includes two of the venerable pianist's tunes. "Oh, Lady Be Good!" has a breakneck tempo that also appears on Ella Sings Gershwin, while "Somebody Loves Me" has a snappy up-tempo that did not appear on her previous Gershwin record. Fitzgerald also explores recordings from Sir Charles Thompson ("Robbins Nest"), Duke Ellington ("I'm Just a Lucky So-And-So"), and Spencer Williams ("Basin Street Blues").

The rest of the release comes from two performances, a year apart, at Bushnell Memorial Hall in Hartford, Connecticut with support from pianist Raymond Tunia, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer J.C. Heard. In 1953, Granz captures two rare songs from Fitzgerald: a moving performance of Jerome Kern's "Bill," and a blues-heavy version of Peggy Lee's tour-de-force "Why Don't You Do Right."

The final five tracks were recorded just a year later. The 1954 performances start off with Gershwin's songbook-standard "A Foggy Day," and move on to showcase compelling contemporary hits. By the time she performed "Lullaby of Birdland" in Hartford, it had already become a success from a recording made just a few months earlier. A beautiful rendition of "The Man That Got Away" is a calm and deliberate recording, while "Hernando's Hideaway" contrasts as a comedy and dance number from The Pajama Game with lyrics exclusive to performance (a 1962 recording of this track did not include this one-time chorus). The set closes with "Later," which elegantly displays Fitzgerald's seamless blend of R&B, pop, bebop, and swing.

The remarkable relationship between an American jazz impresario and the First Lady of Song stands alone as a historically important release and is equally as crucial to celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Verve. Granz produced many consequential performances, however the dynamic live recordings heard on Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set are in a league of their own.

Trumpet Player Theo Croker Set to Release Genre-Bending Sophomore Album Escape Velocity

Trumpet player Theo Croker's new album, Escape Velocity, arrives unchecked and un-filtered. It doesn't attempt to fit a single specific musical category, but draws upon the first principle of jazz: to merge and interpret history, styles and ideas and create a unique sound. Escape Velocity (DDB Records/OKeh), due May 6th, and featuring his band DVRK FUNK, is Croker's second album since returning from China where he lived and worked for nearly a decade.

DVRK FUNK includes Anthony Ware on tenor saxophone and flute, pianist Michael King, guitarist Ben Eunson, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Kassa Overall. Of the group's name Croker explains: "Darkness has been labeled as a negative thing but the outer reaches of space are dark. Where life starts is dark. Dark is an endless possibility, infinite and unknown. That's what we're about."

It is clear from the opening notes of songs like "Raise Your Vibrations" that this is Croker's world. The glistening glow of keyboards and cymbals float around him as he establishes the band's intentions from mission control. "It's a summons for the listeners to open up their minds and to let them vibrate for the rest of the album."

Songs on the album range from spiritual to upbeat, and are sometimes invested with a commitment to with current events. For example: "We Can't Breathe," Croker observes, "That's about Eric Garner. That's about Trayvon. That's about reflecting everything that is going on in the world, but 'It's Gonna Be Alright' is the response to that. No matter what we deal with, remember it's going to be alright." An anthem of succinct horn lines and joyous vocals, Croker's message carries notes of both optimism and melancholy.

"A Call to the Ancestors" and "Meditations" are the results of communing with the spirits. "A lot of people assume that meditation is very calm, a quiet very clear thing," says Croker. "But it can also have a lot of turbulence. When I get to a good point in meditation, I feel like I am traversing through dimensions." Michael King takes advantage of his opportunity to stride across the piano, digging up a rapid sprint over the pounding percussion.

"Love From The Sun" is an homage to and a collaboration with Dee Dee Bridgewater. The renowned jazz diva, who has served as a mentor to Croker for nearly a decade, revisits a song which she first recorded in 1974. Here Croker overlays a live recording he performed with Bridgewater with a new studio performance from the inimitable vocalist.

The organ-driven pop of "Changes" is loaded with rhythmic energy and cosmic textures, a swelling culmination for a telekinetic band. Marching off in style, DVRK FUNK settles down with "RaHspect (Amen)," a tempered farewell that pairs Croker with King's responsive piano.

"We're always pushing our music as far as we can push it," Croker says of the album. "We're not changing the game, we are creating a new version of the game that hopefully is all our own."

For anyone looking to learn the rules, put your headphones on.

Theo Croker is a trumpeter, vocalist, composer, and bandleader whose powerful and eclectic take on modern jazz pays respect to the tradition of the music while moving the genre forward.

A native of Leesburg, Florida, Croker is the grandson of the late great jazz trumpeter Doc Cheatham. Croker began playing trumpet at age 11 after hearing Cheatham play in New York City, and by his teens was studying music formally at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville followed by the Music Conservatory at Oberlin College.

Croker's musical training has taken him all over the world including Shanghai, China where he took up residency at the House of Blues and refined his style. Shanghai is also where Croker met his mentor, Dee Dee Bridgewater, whom he performs with often.

Escape Velocity is Croker's second album with OKeh Records. His debut, AfroPhysicist, was released in 2014.

Bay Area Trumpeter Ian Carey's 5th CD, "Interview Music: A Suite for Quintet+1"

Bay Area trumpeter and composer Ian Carey's big, bold new jazz suite, Interview Music, is the centerpiece of his like-titled new album, due for release by his Kabocha Records on April 8.

The piece, which was premiered in 2013 at the California Jazz Conservatory (formerly the Jazzschool) in Berkeley, is a 45-minute, four-movement adventure and Carey's longest composition to date. It is a vehicle for both his intricate writing and the improvisational chops of his group, the Ian Carey Quintet+1, last heard on 2013's acclaimed album Roads & Codes (Kabocha Records), which received praise from DownBeat and NPR, and appeared on many critics' best of 2013 lists.

Carey's rhythm section -- pianist Adam Shulman, bassist Fred Randolph, and drummer Jon Arkin -- goes back more than a decade with him. They are joined by alto saxophonist Kasey Knudsen, whose woody, clarinet-like sound makes for fascinating interplay with the band's extraordinary recent addition, the expansive bass clarinetist Sheldon Brown.

The title of Interview Music is "not about trying to get more interviews," quips Carey, though he's not averse to the idea. It refers to a recent discussion in the jazz world over the increasing percentage of new music being funded through nonprofit commissions and grants, and whether that system favors what the late pianist Mulgrew Miller called "interview music" -- high-concept, programmatic works, often with subject matter like visual artists, literary figures, or social movements.

Carey turned the tables on the argument by writing a new extended piece for his ensemble which specifically rejects that approach. Somewhat ironically, Interview Music was funded by just such a grant (from the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music's Musical Grant Program), but Carey noted when applying that he specifically did not want to go into the project with a pre-existing concept. "I write first and figure out what it's about after I hear it," he says. "If it's about anything!" Happily, the grant committee agreed, and funded the piece's composition and premiere performance.

The result is a challenging work which runs the gamut from intricate through-composed sections to raucous group improvisation. His goals as a composer -- providing individually tailored solo contexts for each improviser, utilizing the dense counterpoint favored by his favorite composers, and moving beyond the melody-solos-melody roadmap of more traditional jazz writing -- show up in surprising ways, including a passacaglia (a classical form built around a cycling melodic figure) and a movement in which the horns and rhythm section each spend most of the time in completely separate tempos (borrowing a trick from Carey's idol Charles Ives), but the improvisational talents of the ensemble are never far from the forefront. "As complicated as the writing got, I never wanted to lose sight of the fact that it's a jazz piece," Carey said. "Improvisation and swing should still be the stars of the show."

The new CD closes with Carey's "Big Friday," which the composer calls "a suite in miniature." It was recorded at the end of the Interview Music session and "felt appropriately like a 'victory lap.'"

Originally from upstate New York, Ian Carey, 41, lived in Folsom, California and Reno before moving to New York City in 1994, where he attended the New School (studying composition with Bill Kirchner, Henry Martin, and Maria Schneider, and improvisation with Reggie Workman, Billy Harper, and Andrew Cyrille). During a productive seven years in New York, he was able to perform with musicians as varied as Ravi Coltrane, Ted Curson, Ali Jackson, Marion Brown, and Eddie Bert, but when an opportunity arose to spend a summer in San Francisco, he realized he was ready for a break from the Gotham grind.

He soon met the musicians who would become the core of his quintet, which transformed over the following twelve years and three albums (2005's Sink/Swim, 2010's Contextualizin', and Roads & Codes) into a tightly-knit unit dedicated to tackling Carey's original compositions. In 2012, looking to augment the group's sonic palette, he expanded the group to the current six members. (He also recorded a well-received duo date, 2014's Duocracy, with pianist Ben Stolorow.)

"For me, there is something for everyone in the music," says Carey of Interview Music. "It works as jazz, with enough red meat for the straight-ahead crowd. And it's heavily influenced by chamber music, so it can appeal to people who are into that. Still, I didn't know how it would go over. When we performed it as part of a chamber series and people responded positively to it -- regular jazz music fans and chamber music listeners, but also people who just decided to give it a listen -- I was so gratified."

The Ian Carey Quintet+1 will be performing Interview Music and more at the Sound Room, 2147 Broadway, Oakland, on Saturday 4/9, 8:00pm.

Vocalist Jane Monheit Releases "The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald"

Vocalist Jane Monheit had long thought about recording an Ella tribute. Fitzgerald's beloved songbook albums held "Biblical" importance for her when she was growing up and have never lost their hold on her.

Those dreams have come to fruition with Monheit's new album, The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald. It was the perfect maiden project for her new label, Emerald City Records, which will release the disc April 8, on the cusp of the Ella Fitzgerald centennial. On this new offering, Monheit pays joyous tribute to her idol while sharing a definitive portrait of herself, guided by her producer, arranger, and trumpet great, Nicholas Payton.

"This record is really different," Monheit says. "It's the first time I've made a recording without a label and so I was able to make all the decisions myself. Honestly, when I listened back to the takes, I heard a different singer than I've heard before -- a more mature one. It was a little scary because there's a certain raw quality to some of the vocals but we gave no thought to fixing them. These were the vocals of a 38-year-old woman with a lot of life experience. These tracks really express who I am."

"My first priority was to make Jane comfortable, so all she had to worry about was showing up and singing," says Payton, who first met her in Brazil about five years ago and stayed in touch casually. "But on the other hand, I wanted to make her a little uncomfortable by pushing her into places she might not push herself. She is so multifaceted. I wanted to showcase a lot of different things she loves to do on any given night with her band that haven't necessarily been brought forth on her recordings."

 Jane Monheit From the first song, "All Too Soon," a highlight of Fitzgerald's Duke Ellington Songbook, it's evident that this album is not going to be your usual Ella salute -- the kind that plays up the incomparable singer's swinging, scatting, girlish side. Monheit is all woman here, pouring herself into the lyric with sultry savoir faire.

"It is a salute in name only," writes Christopher Loudon in his JazzTimes review. "Fitzgerald and Monheit are very different singers, their approaches to the material similarly valid but utterly distinct. Monheit's style is plusher and denser -- crushed velvet to Fitzgerald's silk. . . . "

As the arranger of eight of the songs, Payton updated the harmonies and overall feel of several of the tunes. "I wanted to make them romantic and sexy," he says. "We look at love and sex a lot differently today than we did 60 years ago." Longtime band mates, pianist Michael Kanan and bassist Neal Miner, who each arranged two songs, also made contributions to the fresh arrangements on the album.

Kanan, Miner, and drummer Rick Montalbano -- Jane's working trio -- appear on the new CD, along with percussionist Daniel Sadownick; harpist Brandee Younger (on two tracks); and Payton, on trumpet, piano, and organ. "Nick wasn't planning on playing on the album," says Monheit, "but after we discovered what strong chemistry we had, it was inevitable that we had to play together. It was a real honor and a thrill for me."

Jane Monheit has been on the world stage for nearly half her life, since placing as first runner-up (behind Teri Thornton) at the 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute's vocal competition. The Long Island native studied voice at the Manhattan School of Music, where she met her husband, Rick Montalbano, and graduated with honors in 1999. Her debut album Never Never Land -- featuring Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and Lewis Nash -- was released the following year.

Monheit recorded prolifically for a number of different labels before realizing in the last couple of years that she needed to take more control of her artistic and career decisions; hence, the birth of Emerald City Records. "You have no idea how exhausting it was, bouncing from label to label," she says. "Everyone wanted to mold me into something else. It became harder and harder to put trust in people and to be myself."

In Payton, the vocalist has found a true creative partner. "I felt an instant trust in him that I had never felt before with any other producer," she says. The two envision The Songbook Sessions as the first in an ongoing series of collaborations.

Monheit and her trio will be featuring the music of The Songbook Sessions at the following dates: 3/22-26 The Royal Room at the Colony Hotel, West Palm Beach, FL; 3/30 Weill Concert Hall, NYC (w/ Michael Kanan); 4/7 Pines Theatre, Lufkin, TX; 4/9 Lancaster Middle School, Kilmarnock, VA; 4/10 Capitol Ale House, Richmond, VA; 4/14-17 Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Seattle (JM Quintet); 4/18 Kuumbwa, Santa Cruz, CA (JM Quintet); 4/21-22 Yoshi's, Oakland (JM Quintet); 6/2-5 Blues Alley, Washington, DC; 6/25 Disney Hall, Los Angeles; 6/26 Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay, CA; 8/6 Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT; 8/13 Louis Armstrong Home & Museum, Corona, Queens, NY; 9/3 Grand Hotel, Mackinaw Island, MI (JM Duo).

Monheit will appear as a special guest with the Nicholas Payton Trio at the following: 7/5-10 Bird's Basement, Melbourne, Australia (to be confirmed); 7/13 Istanbul Jazz Festival (Turkey); 7/16 The Old Tobacco Factory, Rovinjin, Croatia; 7/21 Jazz à Grans (France); and additional European dates to be confirmed.

Jazz in the Gardens Has Its Biggest Year Ever

More than 73,000 attended the recent Jazz in the Gardens (JITG) music festival as the City of Miami Gardens celebrated the festival's 11th anniversary on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, at Sun Life Stadium (347 Don Shula Dr, Miami Gardens, FL 33056). Once a festival of roughly 1,800 patrons in a corner of Sun Life Stadium's parking lot, JITG is now the fastest growing jazz and R&B music festival in the nation. 

Saturday's lineup showcased locals CriStyle Renae, Ronnie Vop, and April Raquel Kouture Funk, as well as the Jazz in the Gardens All Stars featuring Najee, Alex Bugnon, and Regina Belle; Average White Band; Michael McDonald; Kool & the Gang; and Charlie Wilson.  On Sunday, Fred Hammond,  Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Janelle Monae, Brian Culbertson, and Usher took to the stage. The host for the festival was comedian and nationally-syndicated radio personality Rickey Smiley.  

Charlie Wilson

I'm a stickler for sound, and I can honestly say that JITG boasts some of the best outdoor sound systems I have ever heard. Just like Michael McDonald said, "It's the first time I ever had a mayor ask me to crank up the bass," and that they did for sure.  The music was superb throughout and all of the performers performed solid sets, from locals CriStyle Renae, Ronnie Vop, and April Raquel, who each had the stage to themselves to shine.  

They each showed that they have what it takes to take their careers to the next level. The Jazz in the Gardens All Stars featuring Najee, Alex Bugnon, and Regina Belle performed both as a group and individually, and all of the other headliners had the audience up on their feet dancing and singing along to countless hits. This audience knows the music and they definitely show their love for the artists.

Kool & The Gang

The 11th-annual Jazz in the Gardens was two days of delicious food, fun for all, and incredible live music. More the half of the audience in attendance at the Saturday show were from out of state, which pretty much says that JITG has gone national.  Who knows, maybe next year it will be a three-day event.

The City of Miami Gardens was born in 2003 and the then City Council sought to create a signature event for the largest predominantly African-American municipality in Florida, which is also the third largest in the United States. In 2006, the City of Miami Gardens presented the inaugural Jazz in the Gardens, an intimate jazz-only festival featuring food and music, setting the foundation for the decade-long, signature experience that followed, adding R&B to the lineup.

Average White Band

"This year's attendance was unprecedented, and our lineup of musical talent was second to none, a fitting tribute to our 10th year of producing an incredible festival experience," said City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert. "This is our signature event and we are so proud that people from all over the world look forward to attending every year. "This is my fourth Jazz in the Gardens as mayor, but I’ve been to every Jazz in the Gardens," Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III tells us. "So many people put so much effort into this event... It started in a small parking lot in Sun Life Stadium for a few hundred local residents, and now people come from around the world."

Multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist, BILL LAURENCE, a founding member of Snarky Puppy, releases AFTERSUN

That journey has led Laurance, an English native currently living in London, across the globe and through a myriad of award-winning musical projects. A world-renowned multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist dubbed a "jazz maestro" by The Guardian, Laurance is probably best known as a founding member of Snarky Puppy, the Grammy-winning collective based out of Brooklyn.

On his own, Laurance--a professional musician since the age of 14--has performed with an array of musical talents, including Morcheeba, David Crosby, Salif Keita, Bobby McFerrin, Susana Baca, Laura Mvula, Musiq Soul Child, the Metropole Orchestra and Trinidadian priestess Ella Andel. He's also worked with several world-famous dance companies, including Alvin Ailey, Ballet Rambert, Matthew Bourne's Adventures in Motion Pictures, Phoenix Dance, Northern Ballet Theatre and the English National Ballet. And, in his limited free time (he also runs a music production company called Twenty Thousand and is a specialist lecturer at the Institute of Contemporary Music in London), Laurance has released two critically-acclaimed solo albums, 2014's Flint (a #1 album on the iTunes jazz charts) and 2015's Swift. If Flint was an exercise in breaking down genre barriers and Swift was a larger piece that connected deep grooves with a classical sensibility, Laurance's new album Aftersun is a project that places African percussion at its heart, mixed in with elements of jazz and dance.

For the recording, Laurance joined Snarky Puppy's Michael League, Robert "Sput" Searight (Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu) and legendary percussionist Weedie Braimha at the beautiful Parlor Studios in New Orleans. Here, Laurance stripped back the sound of his previous records, "getting to the heart of my instinct as an instrumentalist" and focused on the drums. It's a record built off the presence of Braimah, a dynamic drummer born in Ghana and who's lived and played in New Orleans. "He's the real deal," says Laurance. He adds: "A lot of what we recorded was improvised live. I was interested in capturing spontaneity in the recording, to have fewer prescribed ideas. I specifically left particular groove sections open so we could realise them organically in the studio."

Besides that percussive groove, Aftersun also plays like a pictorial soundtrack. "The majority of my writing is visual or visually inspired," says Laurance, crediting his work with dance companies and in film. "I begin with a visual stimulus, often whilst on the road. Aftersun was conceived as a soundtrack to the summer. I wanted to instill that with my experience of working with dance companies, allowing the drums and percussion to lead the way.". He laughs, "to be honest, I also happened to be watching Carl Sagan's Cosmos while I was writing the album. I was preoccupied and inspired by the countless unanswered questions of the universe. The title track Aftersun, directly speaks to that."

Coming up for Laurance: a live album DVD, recorded at London's Union Chapel, a solo piano record, more work with Snarky Puppy, and--of course--a tour for Aftersun. "It'll be pretty open on stage," Laurance suggests, noting his penchant for improv. Plus, the musician is also working on a vocal album utilizing different guest singers. "As a kid I was a Michael Jackson fan before I was a John Coltrane fan. I want to revisit the pop genre and incorporate that into my sound. For me it's all about the continued exploration."

ROB GARCIA PRESENTS: FINDING LOVE IN AN OLIGARCHY ON A DYING PLANET

The Rob Garcia 4 is a working group that has been, "among the vanguard of modern jazz" (The NYC Jazz Record) since 2009. Garcia has led them through performances at major venues and festivals around the world, such as Smalls Jazz Club, The Kitano, The Cornelia Street Cafe, Firehouse 12, Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open, The Rex (Toronto), Jamboree (Barcelona), The Toronto Jazz Festival, The Kingston Jazz Festival (Canada) and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. The group has released three critically acclaimed albums on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, Perennial (2009), The Drop and the Ocean (2011), and The Passion Of Color (2014), and is now poised to release their compelling fourth album, Finding Love In An Oligarchy On A Dying Planet, available on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records on April 29, 2016, featuring Noah Preminger (tenor saxophone), Gary Versace (piano) and Masa Kamaguchi (bass), and special guests, jazz legend Joe Lovano, vocalist Kate McGarry, and actor, musician and activist Brendan Burke.

"The title of the album is not necessarily meant to be a protest nor a solution, but essentially an expression and blunt statement of what I (and many others) encounter and perceive on a daily basis. 'Finding Love' refers to the personal endeavors which I am extremely fortunate to regularly engage in, such as playing, practicing and writing music, having a family, raising children, spending time with friends, etc. I also read the news and it affects me . . . human suffering throughout the world caused by greed for money and power, racism, the disregard for human life, war, shootings, terrorism and people's reactions to it, how the planet is becoming less fit for human life (as well as many other species). I donate money to good causes, occasionally go to a rally, sign and promote petitions, but I feel pretty powerless against all the injustices going on. At the very least, this title suggests an acknowledgement, in no uncertain terms, of the society and world we currently live in", said Garcia.

Finding Love In An Oligarchy On A Dying Planet is also an album born from musicians with exceptional convictions. Rob Garcia's drumming and composing are once again fully realized and assured, both in the execution of his distinctive concept, and in his lovely, singular sound, clearly evident on the two solo drum pieces, "Act Local #1" and "Act Local #2", and present throughout the entire album. Noah Preminger is not so quietly becoming a major contributor to the art and legacy of the tenor saxophone. Two highlights for him are the tracks, "Terror, Fear and Media", and "Greenland is Turning Green" (playing on this tune alongside special guest Joe Lovano). Pianist Gary Versace is a first-call musician in many circles, and his playing on Finding Love . . . is nothing short of superlative, with every track a highlight. Bassist Masa Kamaguchi is the bedrock, delivering uber-creative support and interaction, allowing the others to soar. The traditional American folk song "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier" features his unique approach to the double bass.

More on Finding Love In An Oligarchy On A Dying Planet:

The album opens with Stephen Foster's American classic, "Beautiful Dreamer" as an ode to the importance of "dreaming of a better world". "People Are Everything" features vocalist Kate McGarry beautifully delivering Garcia's lyrics and melody. The song addresses inequality, hypocrisy and the suggestion of our oneness. "Terror, Fear and Media" is a high-energy barnburner featuring stop time solos by Preminger and Garcia as well as a tremendous piano solo by Versace. Tenor sax legend Joe Lovano enters the album with his heart-felt interpretation of Garcia's ballad "Precious Lives". "Mac N Cheese" offers a departure from the rest of the album by featuring actor, musician and activist Brendan Burke and his original spoken words. "The Journey Is The Destination" features both special guests Lovano and McGarry. Garcia wrote this song 10 years prior, but a recording of it was never previously released. "Greenland Is Turning Green" features both tenor saxophonists Lovano and Preminger with a contrapuntal melody and compelling solos. The traditional American folk song "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier" features bassist Masa Kamaguchi. The album takes the listener on a musical journey commenting on the time and world we live in. 

Rob Garcia's musical relationships are important to him, and the longevity and camaraderie that he shares with these musicians contribute mightily to the refinement one can hear on Finding Love In An Oligarchy On A Dying Planet. Garcia first met Joe Lovano while attending NYU. In 2007, Garcia formed Connection Works, and Lovano agreed to be part of the advisory board. Lovano recently performed with WORKS (the resident ensemble of Connection Works) at the Lake George Jazz Festival. This musical relationship has been growing over the past several years and naturally led to recording together. Noah Preminger and Garcia have been playing together in the Rob Garcia 4 as well as other projects since 2009 when they first played together in John McNeil's group. Garcia and Masa Kamaguchi have played on and off since the late 1990s. Preminger, Kamaguchi and Garcia also perform as a collective trio. They have toured Europe a number of times, and released an album on entitled Background Music. Garcia has always been a big fan of Gary Versace's playing since working together in various projects over the years, and was very happy to reconnect for this recording. Garcia met Kate McGarry a few years ago when she performed with John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble at a concert produced by Connection Works. He loves her singing and ability to authentically communicate lyrics. Garcia has been good friends with actor, musician and activist Brendan Burke since high school in Pelham, NY. "I'm so thrilled to have Brendan, one of my oldest and best friends, take part in this project. He nailed it!", said Garcia.

Tracks:

1-Beautiful Dreamer

2-People Are Everything

3-Terror, Fear and Media

4-Precious Life

5-Mac n Cheese (Bank Fees, Dead Bees, Killing Trees, Shooting Sprees, War Thieves, Mac n Cheese)

6-Act Local #1

7-Finding Love In An Oligarchy On A Dying Planet

8-The Journey Is The Destination

9-Guns Make Killing Easy

10-Greenland Is Turning Green

11-Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier

12-Whatever Gets You By

13-Act Local #2  

www.RobGarciaMusic.com

SNARKY PUPPY RELEASE FAMILY DINNER-VOLUME TWO, FOLLOW-UP TO THE GRAMMY-WINNING FAMILY DINNER-VOLUME ONE

After establishing themselves as a do-it-yourself entity on their own terms, Snarky Puppy, the band that "stands out with a furious commitment to defying musical categories" (LA Times)is now embarking on a significant new chapter of their musical journey, entering into a partnership with their first-ever major label home, Universal Music Classics.  Snarky Puppy is led by award-winning bassist/guitarist/composer/ arranger Michael League, whose creative grassroots approach with the band has been admired as a model for independent artists.

The joint partnership sees UMC as the exclusive distributor of all releases under GroundUP Records, the label owned and operated by League.

Michael League comments, "We're creating a very unique relationship here. GroundUP is remaining fully independent and handling all artistic processes for each album we release. UMC is using their strength as a major music industry player to advertise and distribute those albums. Each entity is sovereign, but in combining our respective strengths and working together to cover both 'indie' and 'major' bases, I believe we will see a kind of synergy happening. It's a best-of-both-worlds scenario."

The first release under the GroundUP/Universal Music Classics umbrella will be the band's ninthalbum, Family Dinner - Volume Two, out February 12, 2016. The record is a follow-up to the Grammy-winning Family Dinner - Volume One (2014), and the band's latest offering following their acclaimed UMC release, Sylva; a collaboration with the Metropole Orkest that garnered a #1-chart debut on both Billboard's Jazz and Heatseekers Charts simultaneously.

In February, UMC will release the new GroundUP record from The Bill Laurance Quartet, After Sun, followed by the debut album from Canadian singer-songwriter Michelle Willis in March, and two albums from Snarky Puppy's electric keyboardist Cory Henry in 2016.

Family Dinner - Volume Two includes both the audio album and a companion DVD that features footage of the recording process, artist interviews and behind-the-scenes b-roll.  Recorded in New Orleans, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Family Dinner - Volume Twowill be donated to the charity organization Roots of Music.  As their website states, Roots of Music "empowers the youth of New Orleans through music education, academic support, and mentorship while preserving and promoting the unique musical and cultural heritage of our city."

Voted "Best Jazz Group" in Downbeat's 2015 Reader's Poll, as well as "Best New Artist" and "Best Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist in Jazz Times 2014 Reader's Poll, Snarky Puppy display a rare and delicate mixture of sophisticated composition, harmony and improvisation.  With Family Dinner - Volume Two, the band puts their distinctive stamp on new arrangements of eight re-imagined tracks, and act as the "house band," with vocals by an array of eclectic artists representing a variety of genres. The line-up of guest artists includes Becca Stevens, Väsen, Susana Baca, Charlie Hunter, Chris Turner, Salif Keita, Carlos Malta, Bernardo Aguiar, Laura Mvula, Michelle Willis, Jacob Collier, Big Ed Lee, Knower, Jeff Coffin and David Crosby.

Snarky Puppy has always used live performance as its chief form of evangelism, and maintains a constant intense tour schedule.  The band have played hundreds of performances over the last two years, along with workshops on four continents, including The Newport Jazz Festival, The Playboy Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz, Monterey Jazz Festival, Paris Jazz Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, EFG London Jazz Festival and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival to name a few.

Cory Henry, A Member Of GRAMMY-winning Snarky Puppy, Releases "The Revival", The First Of Two 2016 Solo Albums

Cory Henry has been playing the Hammond B-3 organ since he was two years old. It was his first love, and on new album/DVD The Revival, he has crafted a tribute that shows where the instrument has been and where it can be taken in his monumentally talented hands. Filmed and recorded in Henry's native Brooklyn at the Greater Temple of Praise, The Revival (out March 18th), finds Henry taking the organ across multiple genres - gospel, R&B, jazz, soul - in a performance that needs to be seen as much as heard.  Snarky Puppy band mate Michael League calls The Revival "a master class for the organ."

Although the setlist on The Revival draws from a well-known canon (from old gospels to Stevie Wonder), Henry stretches and pulls, driving the songs into unfamiliar territory and coming up with altogether new takes. There's an almost frenzy to "That's Why I'm Happy" and "I Want to Be Ready," while other songs move the crowd to, well, happier places. Henry is joined on the recording by drummer James Williams and his godfather, Bishop Jeffrey White, who delivers a stunning vocal take on "Old Rugged Cross."

"I did 'If You're Happy and You Know It' because it's fun," says Henry, who gets his fans into a full singalong. "And it's interesting how it works, because it comes right before the devotional tune 'That's Why I'm Happy.'"

Henry won a Best R&B performance Grammy last year as part of Snarky Puppy, and is nominated again this year for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his work with Snarky Puppy on Sylva.

Henry will also release a second album later this year, this one with The Funk Apostles. Whereas The Revival is a tribute to his first love, the Hammond organ, and a showcase for his exceptional talents on the instrument, the coming album with The Funk Apostles will feature a full band sound - forged by nearly 100 shows over the last year. It is a synthesis of Henry's many influences - Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Herbie Hancock, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, James Brown. Henry will be taking a classic sound into the here and now. As Henry says, "my way, my take."

Composer Christopher Zuar showcases melodic lyricism and harmonic richness on his debut recording Musings

For his new recording Musings, composer/arranger Christopher Zuar incorporates a variety of emotional and musical sources to create a program of highly original, self-reflective and expressive compositions performed by an extraordinary ensemble.  The recording will be released April 1, 2016 - Zuar's 29th birthday.

Hailing from Long Island, New York, Zuar found his interest in music early. He began playing the trumpet in elementary school; he remembers being equally engrossed by classical and jazz. He recalls receiving recordings of Maurice Andre and Louis Armstrong simultaneously and being enthralled by both. Zuar's interest in composition led him to his mentor, pianist/composer/arranger Mike Holober, from whom he learned the essentials of music writing.

This led to Zuar's study at the New England Conservatory, where he quickly switched from a jazz trumpet major to composition, ensuring that he could write for the various ensembles and study with Frank Carlberg, who appears on Musings.  Upon moving back to NY, Zuar was accepted into the prestigious BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, and eventually received a master's in composition from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Jim McNeely.

Naturally, Zuar was inspired and informed by many of his forebears, including Bob Brookmeyer (Zuar went to NEC in order to study with Brookmeyer), Gil Evans and Thad Jones as well as a multitude of composers from the classical realm. Having always been interested in the intricacies of structure in the world of both classical and jazz music, Zuar's attention was drawn to composition, scoring for orchestral sound with a focus on melodic lyricism and harmonic richness.

To aid in the preparation and execution of the recording, Zuar enlisted Mike Holober as producer. The experienced ensemble that Holober helped assemble is truly incredible, featuring woodwind players Dave Pietro, Ben Kono, Jason Rigby, Lucas Pino and Brian Landrus, trumpeters Tony Kadleck, Jon Owens, Mat Jodrell and Matt Holman, trombonists Tim Albright, Matt McDonald, Alan Ferber and Max Seigel, guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Frank Carlberg, bassist John Hébert and drummer Mark Ferber. The exceptional vocalist Jo Lawry is also featured on four of the pieces as well as percussionist Rogerio Boccato.

The musical results prove the ensemble's astounding flexibility and prowess. Most of the members come from an earlier generation than Zuar, musicians he had grown up admiring but who are now brilliantly performing his music as peers.

The recording begins with "Remembrance," an older piece that ironically is based on the writer's recollections of his childhood and familiar places as he considers where he has come from and where he is going. Inspired by one of Zuar's major influences, J.S. Bach, "Chaconne" shows Zuar's adaptations of the lessons from the master's contrapuntal style and places them in a moving modern framework. Written during a time of existential crisis, the intense "Vulnerable States" mirrors Zuar's emotional state by using a variety of musical techniques to convey a sense of instability, while the swaggeringly upbeat "Ha! (Joke's on You)" references the knowingly cynical look from his eccentric, worldly grandmother.

The anguished "So Close, Yet So Far Away" captures the feelings of discontent and yearning in the shadow of success and features a remarkable solo statement from Jason Rigby, which fits the sentiment perfectly. The powerful "Anthem" was written as a proclamation of strength and perseverance, while "Lonely Road" is an exercise in simplicity and a reflection on the transformation of New York's Greenwich Village, in particular the views of Bleecker Street that Zuar sees from his piano while composing. An arrangement of the great Egberto Gismonti's "7 Anéis" concludes the program with an uplifting performance, where Lawry's vocals really stand apart.

Christopher Zuar has learned a great deal about himself through his composing. It is only natural that the pieces he has put to paper should reflect his attitudes and emotions, and it is only proper that the recording Musings is a fascinating collection of compositions from this promising new talent.

 

Drummer Daniel Freedman Leads an All-Star Quintet on Imagine That, with Rhythmically Infectious Originals, a Radiohead Cover and Guest Vocal on "Baby Aya" by World Music Star Angélique Kidjo

One of the most in-demand drummers in New York - tapped by the likes of Angélique Kidjo, Sting and Anat Cohen - Daniel Freedman presents his third album as a leader, the rhythmically infectious Imagine That. To be released in the U.S. by Anzic Records on April 15, 2016, Imagine That draws on a world of music: tune-rich originals that channel African, Middle Eastern, Latin and Indian grooves, as well as an astoundingly fresh version of a rarely covered Radiohead song ("Codex"). Freedman, born and bred in New York City, leads an international quintet that features guitarist-vocalist Lionel Loueke (from Benin), keyboardist Jason Lindner (Brooklyn), bassist Omer Avital (Israel) and percussionist Gilmar Gomes (Brazil). Benin-born vocal star Angélique Kidjo, with whom Freedman has toured the world as drummer in her band, sings "Baby Aya," a dancing lullaby he wrote for his infant daughter. Imagine That is the follow-up to Freedman's 2012 Anzic album, Bamako by Bus, which garnered his band a showcase live on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/event/music/156164333/daniel-freedman-lessons-from-bamako-buses

Freedman, 41, has close connections to each member of the band for Imagine That. He went to LaGuardia High School for Music and Arts (the "Fame" school) alongside Jason Lindner, playing in various groups with him ever since. Lindner played on Bamako by Bus, and both the keyboardist and drummer have long been members of clarinet superstar Anat Cohen's bands. Freedman and Lindner met Omer Avital when they were all part of the fertile 1990s scene at the jazz club Smalls in New York's West Village; the three played together in Lindner's original hit big band), and Lindner and Avital featured on Freedman's debut album, 2001's Trio (Fresh Sound New Talent). For the past decade, Freedman and Avital have also played alongside each other in hit multicultural band Third World Love (with Avishai Cohen and Yonathan Avishai). Lionel Loueke played with the rhythm pair on Avishai Cohen's album After The Big Rain, as well as on Bamako by Bus. Freedman has played with Gilmar Gomes in studio sessions and tours with Kidjo, Anat Cohen and New York/Brazilian band Forro in the Dark.

The polyrhythmic rapport between Freedman and Gomes is a key element of

Imagine That. It's never about flash, but about soul.. "When I play with Gilmar, we become this living, breathing percussion animal," Freedman says. "In the Brooklyn studio for the new album, we set up next to each other without any separation - he's in my microphones, and I'm in his. We're one." About the way the entire quintet plays together, Freedman adds: "All of these guys really listen to each other - no one ever overplays. And there's a lot of spontaneity and surprises in the music. Like with the Radiohead tune, 'Codex,' which I love for its atmosphere and beautiful melody. We got it together in the studio for the first time, and it had a great vibe right away. Lionel had never heard the song before, but when we tripped out the ending in our own way, he just reacted and ripped into it - it was unexpected and exciting."

Reflecting on the way drummer-composers have made for some great leaders of bands down through the decades - from Max Roach and Art Blakey to Tony Williams and Brian Blade - Freedman says: "Drummer-leaders have a good overall POV of the music, I think. A drummer can lay down a vibe but also push the players rhythmically, pacing and shaping the music. In jazz - or whatever you want to call this music - leading a band has a lot to do with the musicians you choose. It's about the personality and sound of the players. For instance, I don't have a guitar in the band - I have Lionel Loueke. It's not a keyboard - it's Jason Lindner. All these guys - and how we react to each other, complement each other - make the music what it is. The sessions were relaxed and fun, with a fresh, positive energy, and I hope you can hear that on the album."

Imagine That- track by track with Daniel Freedman:

1. "Determined Soul" (Jason Lindner) - "Jason wrote this especially for my band," Freedman says. "It's a mix of Afrobeat and almost a boogaloo, with a South Indian feel toward the end."

          

2. "Baby Aya" (Daniel Freedman) - "I sang this tune to my baby daughter in the middle of the night when I thought she'd never go back to sleep. It's almost a joke - a melody that sounds like a lullaby, but with a rhythm that feels like a party toward the end. Lionel translated my simple words into the West African language of Fon, singing them to both my children. To hear Angélique add her voice was a thrill - and totally fitting for this lullaby that has zero chance of putting anyone back to sleep. Gilmar's super-original batucada at the end is one of my favorite moments on the record."

3. "Big in Yemen" (Daniel Freedman) - "I wrote this melody on the oud while on tour - it always felt like a mantra for a long journey, something you sing over and over as your body moves forward. I love the way Omer's oud segues into Lionel's effected guitar.Jason added some synths to the end that update this ancient-sounding melody. The song's rhythm is based on a Yemenite groove, but Gilmar and I put a twist on it for a kind of Yemeni/Bahia hybrid."

4. "Codex" (Radiohead) - "Not one of Radiohead's most famous songs, but I fell in love with it on The King of Limbs. Jason and I arranged it for the quintet, though this was one of those things that you aren't quite sure will work. But as soon as we started playing, it felt right. I love that long, explosive Lionel solo at the end, as well as the color and depth that Jason's subtle electronics add."

5. "Mindaho" (Lionel Loueke) - "I always love playing other people's tunes within my own band as a way to have different compositional styles in a set. It's also a great way to have players shine on their own material. On this one by Lionel, his solo is so emotional. And Jason's opening chords kill me every time... I also love the way Gilmar and I created one sound. It doesn't feel like a drummer and a percussionist, but rather one energized percussion section."

6. "Love Takes Time" (Jason Lindner) - "Another tune of Jason's that is simple, soulful and a joy to play. The main influence is Motown. Omer's solo is really perfect."

7. "Eastern Elegy" (Daniel Freedman) - "This is a ballad that I wrote right when the war in Syria was escalating. I saw pictures of the destruction in Aleppo and had also talked to a friend whose family was from there. He was talking about the town's food being among the best in the world. The ballad is a kind of wordless elegy for all that was, that can't be brought back. Again, Omer's solo here is a perfectly constructed statement. I'm proud to have that moment on my record."

8. "The Sisters Dance" (Daniel Freedman) - "This was written as a sequel in a way to my tune 'All Brothers' on Bamako by Bus. There's a way of playing on the hi-hat cymbal that I really enjoy; it's kind of a homemade interpretation of Gnawa Karkaba.The bass line is also derived from gnawa music. There is definitely an influence here from Avishai Cohen and all the years we listened to Oumou Sangare constantly and performed our tunes in Third World Love.Gilmar plays a solo here with insane fire. When I put this song on recently at home, it seemed successful because both of my daughters were dancing around the house like crazy and got angry when I turned it off!"

Drummer, percussionist and composer Daniel Freedman grew up in a musical New York City family. In high school, he studied with master drummers Max Roach, Billy Higgins and Vernel Fournier and later traveled to study drumming in West Africa, Cuba and the Middle East. Coming up as part of the Smalls scene in the 1990s, Freedman was a member of Jason Lindner's acclaimed big band, as well as Omer Avital's sextet. The drummer has been a member of the collective Third World Love for the past decade, along with touring and recording with Anat Cohen. He also toured the world as a member of Grammy-winning singer Angélique Kidjo's band from 2009 to 2015.

Freedman has played and recorded with such artists as Sting, Youssou N'Dour, Dianne Reeves, Omara Portuondo, Tom Harrell, Wynton Marsalis and Meshell Ndegeocello. In 2012, Anzic released his sophomore album as a leader, Bamako by Bus, which featured a core band of Avishai Cohen, Lionel Loueke, Jason Lindner and Meshell N'degeocello, along with Mark Turner, Pedro Martinez, Abraham Rodriguez, Omer Avital, Joshua Levitt and Davi Viera. Freedman's debut album, Trio, received a nine-star review in Modern Drummer magazine, and he was featured as one of the publication's "Young Lions." The New York Times selected him as one of five young drummers on the New York scene who helped change jazz drumming for the piece "Propelled by Different Drummers." As founder of New York-based music house HiHAt.tv, Freedman has written and produced dozens of spots for television and the Web.

Encapsulating Freedman's talents, this praise recently came for Imagine That via TSF Jazz (French radio): "With one foot firmly planted in jazz and the other in world music, drummer Daniel Freedman synthesizes two vast universes."

www.DanielFreedman.net