Trombone Shorty Foundation on a Mission to #SaveDatSound For New Orleans Youth and Music Lovers Everywhere

The Trombone Shorty Foundation launched its first social donation campaign, #SaveDatSound, to support young musicians in New Orleans and uphold the city’s world-renowned musical sound. With mobile and online donations, sponsor matching and giveaways, #SaveDatSound serves as a crescendo in anticipation of Shorty Fest, the Foundation’s fourth annual benefit concert at the House of Blues New Orleans on Thursday, April 28, 2016 presented by Presqu’ile Winery.

Music and culture lovers everywhere are encouraged to tag #SaveDatSound on Instagram. For every use of the hashtag, Shorty Fest presenting sponsor Presqu’ile Winery will donate $1 to the Trombone Shorty Foundation during the week of April 17, 2016.

Fans and supporters can make a donation online or by texting “TROMBONE” to 41- 444.

Donations over $25 will be entered to win Shorty Fest prizes, including customized “Trombone Shorty Social Aid & Pleasure Club” t-shirts from local apparel designer tasc Performance and designed by local artist Frenchy, and signed copies of the Caldecott and Coretta Scott King book award honored “Trombone Shorty” children’s book.

“I am so proud to have been raised on NOLA’s sound and am humbled by the amount of support toward this city’s culture and for kids just like me,” said Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. “This campaign invites everyone to join me in keeping New Orleans' music alive and well. Support is just one click or text away.”

Founded by renowned New Orleans musician Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews in 2013, the foundation is Andrews’ vision of sharing his passion to inspire the next generation by developing their musical talent and connecting them to the city’s unique musical heritage.

This campaign is on the eve of Shorty Fest, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Trombone Shorty Foundation. This Jazz Fest tradition gathers stellar regional artists including the students the Foundation serves. All funds raised go towards music education, instruction, mentorship and musical performance programming for talented local youth. VIP Tickets are still available for purchase by stopping by House of Blues New Orleans box office or by visiting: http://www.hob.com/neworleans

To make a donation, please visit:

http://bit.ly/SaveDatSound or text “Trombone” to 41-444.

For more information on Trombone Shorty Foundation, please visit: http://www.tromboneshortyfoundation.org.

About the Trombone Shorty Foundation

Frontman of the band Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Andrews credits the support of his own positive role models in the rich New Orleans music community for helping him make his way into the world of music, where he has grown into an internationally recognized, Grammy Award-nominated artist.

The Foundation partners with Tulane University’s New Orleans Center for the Gulf South to deliver two music education programs offering underserved high school students the opportunity to pursue music as a career: the Trombone Shorty Academy music performance program and the Fredman Music Business Institute. The programs provide mentorship in music performance and education about the business side of the music industry. The foundation also presents “Trad Fridays” presented by Acura with New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, a free workshop program dedicated to the traditional New Orleans’ sound. For more information about the Trombone Shorty Foundation visit: http://www.tromboneshortyfoundation.org.

About Presqu’ile Winery

Located in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Maria Valley, Presqu’ile (pronounced press-KEEL) is a small, family-run winery dedicated to making exceptional cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Designed and planted to create a diverse tapestry of vineyard blocks, the sustainably certified, 73-acre Presqu’ile Vineyard features an array of clones, exposures and elevations. Made using this estate fruit, and grapes from a handful of the finest vineyards in the valley, Presqu’ile’s wines capture the essence of their vineyards and vintage, and have earned acclaim for their elegance and balance. Situated high atop a hill, with ocean and vineyard views, the stunning Presqu’ile Winery offers one of the most memorable wine tasting experiences on California’s Central Coast. To learn more, please visit http://www.presquilewine.com.

Tenor Saxophonist Noah Preminger Explores the Delta Blues on New CD, Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground

Pain, sorrow, struggle, resilience, fortitude, truth - deeply profound emotions and experiences form the core of the Delta blues. The raw, unvarnished songs of that region struck a powerful nerve with saxophonist Noah Preminger, who connects with their captivating directness and soul-rattling expressiveness on his fifth album, Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground. On the second release with his highly attuned, boldly adventurous quartet, Preminger explores nine haunting blues classics from the pre-war Mississippi Delta in stark but vigorous new arrangements.

Due out May 6, 2016, Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground was recorded at the Sidedoor Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and engineered by Jimmy Katz. Preminger hails the renowned photographer/recording engineer for his dedication to capturing a "pure" sound, and the evidence is there in the vital, unadorned live feel of the record - which was captured live with absolutely no overdubs. Katz allowed the quartet a tremendous freedom but also brought his vast depth of knowledge to the project whenever needed.

The album follows last year's similarly self-released Pivot: Live at the 55 Bar, which offered a wholly different take on the source material. On that album, Preminger and the same stellar band - with Jason Palmer (trumpet), Kim Cass (double-bass) and Ian Froman (drums) - offered far-ranging expansions of two Bukka White songs, stretching both past the 30-minute mark.

Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground presents a more concise but no less keen-edged approach, expanding the repertoire to include songs by such immortal bluesmen as Skip James, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson and, once again, Bukka White. The quartet seizes on the stirring melodies and fervent emotions of the originals while taking them into the intense, venturesome realm of fearless jazz pathfinders like John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.

Preminger says that the Delta blues is "the most real, most heartfelt music that I've ever heard. It has all the characteristics that I want in my playing: sincerity, storytelling, and an urgency to get my message across. I love that music, and I love their voices."

The saxophonist's fascination with the music of these Delta bluesmen stems not from any particular revelation or event - there was no soul-searching trek down the Mississippi or life-altering tragedy that  suddenly allied Preminger with these singers. "These are guys who spent most of their lives in jail or on a  farm and were drunks or led really messed-up lives, so the things they talk about I can't necessarily relate to," he admits. "But it's very real, and you don't hear that very often in contemporary music. It's not a poor man's music anymore. They had everything going against them; they weren't drinking tea and doing yoga."

If anything, it's this disillusionment with more modern music and its more cerebral, less rooted nature that made the Delta blues resonate so strongly with Preminger. The saxophonist insists that he rarely listens to recorded music at all these days, and only to vintage blues recordings on the rare occasions that he does. "I think that a lot of artists today have a hard time separating themselves from trends," he explains. "So something that recently came to me is I need to be making the music that I really want to make and throw everything else out the window. The most important part is that it be heartfelt and sincere and intense. I want people to feel something. You feel real emotion every time that you listen to the greatest masters in the history of this art: John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Andrew Hill, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman. That's missing now."

It's impossible to listen to blues artists like Skip James or Bukka White and not feel something, and while Preminger transforms their music he retains its ability to touch the listener. Over an intense pulse, he and Palmer echo James' call-and-response vocal on "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues;" a fragment of the melody of Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain" becomes the source of the quartet's achingly mournful rendition. On the title track, Blind Willie Johnson's moaning original is slowed even further, becoming a dirge-like lament interspersed with sections of group improvisation.

The familiar melody of "Trouble in Mind" is expressed as a yearning hymn, introduced in an intimate duo setting by Preminger and Cass. Willie Brown's "Future Blues" is given a spare, soulful treatment which grows increasingly turbulent during the solo sections thanks to Froman's roiling rhythm. Preminger and Palmer channel the tandem of Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry for "Spoonful Blues," while "Black Snake Moan" is imbued with a playful, New Orleans funkiness. White's "I Am the Heavenly Way" is taken with a fierce urgency, and "I Shall Not Be Moved" closes the album in sanctified, almost elegiac fashion.

In this still-new quartet, Preminger has found an ideal unit for investigating the possibilities of such communicative, mutable music. "These guys are special, and you just don't find that all the time," he says. "It seems like everyone's very spiritual and very kind, and just like these Delta musicians, everyone in this band plays like it's their last day on earth. It makes coming together a pretty special time. I think this band could do anything."

A native of Canton, Connecticut, Preminger released his debut album, Dry Bridge Road, shortly after graduating from the New England Conservatory. It immediately met with great acclaim, including Debut of the Year honors in the Village Voice Critics Poll and Top 10 Albums of the Year rankings in JazzTimes, Stereophile and The Nation. It was followed by Before the Rain (2011), featuring pianist Frank Kimbrough, bassist John Hébert, and drummer Matt Wilson; and Haymaker (2013), with guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Matt Pavolka, and drummer Colin Stranahan. Both garnered more praise, with the New Yorker calling Preminger "a lyrical young tenor saxophonist whose alert work on three albums has drawn considerable critical attention."

Preminger has also been featured in bands led by Fred Hersch and Cecil McBee, and recorded four albums for Brooklyn Jazz Underground as a member of the Rob Garcia 4. He's shared the stage with the likes of Dave Holland, Dave Douglas, Victor Lewis, John and Bucky Pizzarelli, Billy Drummond, George Cables, Roscoe Mitchell, and Dr. Eddie Henderson. In addition to Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground, 2016 will also see the release of a quartet album featuring Monder, bassist John Patitucci, and legendary drummer Billy Hart on the French vinyl-only label Newvelle.

www.noahpreminger.com

American Tunes, a new studio album by legendary New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint is set for release on June 10, 2016

Allen Toussaint had just completed the album when he passed away in November of last year during a European tour. Recording took place at two sets of sessions with producer Joe Henry: solo piano at Toussaint's New Orleans home studio in 2013, and with the rhythm section of Jay Bellerose and David Piltch—joined by guests Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd, Greg Leisz, Rhiannon Giddens, and Van Dyke Parks—in Los Angeles in October 2015. The album comprises solo performances of Professor Longhair tunes and band arrangements of songs by Toussaint, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Paul Simon, and others. American Tunes is available to pre-order now at iTunes and in the Nonesuch Store, where the album track "Big Chief" may be downloaded instantly; Nonesuch Store pre-orders come with an exclusive limited-edition print. A two-LP vinyl version, also available June 10, includes three bonus tracks.

Allen Toussaint's work as composer, producer, arranger, and performer, especially in the 1960s and '70s, helped shape the sound of R&B, soul, and funk as we know it today. He collaborated memorably with artists ranging from Lee Dorsey and Ernie K. Doe to the Pointer Sisters and Labelle, from the Meters and Dr. John to the Band and Paul McCartney. The New York Times recently said, "In Mr. Toussaint's long career as songwriter, arranger and producer he has honed a piano style that's supportive and allusive; a little trill or tremolo sums up all the splashy joys of New Orleans patriarchs like Professor Longhair and James Booker, and a syncopated chord under right-hand octaves summons gospel. Mr. Toussaint has the two-fisted, rippling vocabulary of the city's piano legacy, but he uses it in dapper ways."

Toussaint's children, Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux and Clarence Reginald Toussaint, who have long served as their father's managers, said of the American Tunes album, "Our father approached this project with great care and understanding of the songs selected and paid true homage to Professor Longhair, his musical hero. He wanted to bring as much of the Toussaint touch as he could to these wonderful classics."

Nonesuch previously released The Bright Mississippi in 2009. Also produced by Henry, the record includes songs by jazz greats such as Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Django Reinhardt, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn. The album received tremendous critical praise, with the Boston Globe saying it "couldn't sound more like New Orleans. (Toussaint) revisits jazz classics … and takes them for a stroll through Preservation Hall, imbuing his own funky brand of pop-song charisma. The results are coolly sophisticated, an unfussy, mostly instrumental set of slink-and-slide joints shot through with a harmonic imagination that turns even a traditional hymn into an after-hours swing … Toussaint's musical soul guides all, making the classics sound like his own."

That project indirectly grew from Toussaint's contributions to Our New Orleans, the benefit album that Nonesuch released in fall 2005 to aid hurricane victims in the wake of the Katrina disaster. That collection opens with a version of "Yes We Can Can," the Toussaint song the Pointer Sisters made famous, newly recorded with producer Joe Henry, and it included a solo piano piece, "Tipitina and Me," co-written by Toussaint in tribute to Professor Longhair.

Joe Henry had first worked with Toussaint when he invited the pianist to join the sessions for I Believe to My Soul, a studio convocation of mature R&B stars. Henry subsequently acted as producer on Toussaint's post-Katrina collaboration with Elvis Costello, The River in Reverse. He describes the most recent sessions: "I have been working with Allen Toussaint—under his spell and subject to his influence—for a full decade now. He was a quiet radical, musically-speaking, and a prince of great humility."

NEW MUSIC: BILL EVANS – SOME OTHER TIME: THE LOST SESSION FROM THE BLACK FOREST; MONDAY MICHIRU - PORTRAITS IN TIME 2002-2013; MILES DAVIS - CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL '90

BILL EVANS – SOME OTHER TIME: THE LOST SESSION FROM THE BLACK FOREST

Some Other Time: The Lost Session From the Black Forest is a newly unearthed studio session from the iconic pianist Bill Evans featuring bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Recorded on June 20, 1968, nearly 10 years after the legendary Kind of Blue sessions with Miles Davis and a mere five days after the trio's incredible Grammy award-winning performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, this is truly a landmark discovery for jazz listeners worldwide. Available in deluxe 2-CD and limited edition 2-LP sets, and containing over 90 minutes of music, this is the only studio album in existence of the Bill Evans trio with Gomez and DeJohnette.

MONDAY MICHIRU - PORTRAITS IN TIME 2002-2013

A wonderful portrait of Monday Michiru – one of our favorite singers of the past 20 years – equally well-versed in jazz, soul, and Brazilian modes – all of which come together on this collection of very well-chosen and overlooked tracks! The special 2CD package brings together music from some of Monday's smaller label and under-distributed titles – including a number of import-only selections, a few collaborations with other artists, and a really wonderful array of tunes that show just how much Michiriu has grown since she first started out! Monday hit some great fame in the mid 90s in Japan – but during recent years, she's been living in the US mostly, and really working on her craft away from the limelight – opening up with expressive jazz inflections that rival some of her best inspirations of previous decades, while still holding onto the richly soulful power that brought her some strong early attention. If you've missed hearing Monday at all, this set is a great introduction – and even if you've followed her as closely as we have, we'll bet that there's some tracks here you might not have in your collection. 23 tracks in all – including "Dreams Of Tomorrow", "Mi Vida", "Sometimes", "One (Alter Ego version)", "Generations", "Epiphany", "Aldeia De Ogum", "Nexus Interlude", "Hung Up", "Genetic Imprints", "Just Be Good To Me", "No Matter What", "Belle O Byron Bay (Bluey mix)", "No Answer", "The Cosmic Laws", and "Cut To The Chase". ~ Dusty Groove

MILES DAVIS - CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL '90

A tight live set from the late years of Miles Davis – a Chicago performance played around the time of his Doo Bop album, but featuring a range of selections from most of Miles' 80s electric period! There's a fair bit of funk in the rhythms – underscored by the bass work of Richard Patterson, electric percussion of Erin Davis, and the keyboards of Kei Akagai – and while Miles himself also plays a bit of keys, his main focus is on those tight, muted solos from the time – played alongside alto and flute from Kenny Garrett. Titles include instrumental Davis-ized versions of "Perfect Way", "Human Nature", and "Time After Time" – plus "Star People", "Hannibal", "The Senate/Me & You", and "Wrinkle". ~ Dusty Groove

Red Cat Jazz Festival to feature Marion Meadows, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Ronnie Laws, Alex Bugnon, Joey Sommerville, and others

Ronnie Laws

In honor of over 100 years of American Jazz, this Mother's Day weekend, the 6th Annual Red Cat Jazz Festival presented by MVP Vodka, will be a non-stop party at the luxurious Moody Gardens Resort on beautiful Galveston Island May 5-8, 2016. Featuring the all-star lineup of award winning contemporary Jazz performers ~ Marion Meadows, Jonathan Butler & Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Special EFX with Chieli Minucci, Alex Bugnon, Joey Sommerville, Mike Phillips, Theresa Grayson, Eric Darius, Warren Hill, Michael Ward, Kyle Turner, Chris Mitchell, Jazz legend Ronnie Laws featuring Andre James, and introducing up-and-coming SmoothJazz.com spotlight artist Jazmin Ghent and more names being added. 

  

Red Cat Jazz Festival is produced by The Red Cat Jazz Preservation Society, a non-profit serving to preserve the rich heritage of Jazz music, celebrating its past, pioneering its present and nurturing its future. "The festival does so much to raise awareness for the Jazz community while concurrently providing the best all-around fun for the festival's attendees," says Jan Pink, Executive Director of Red Cat Jazz Preservation Society. Pink goes on to say, "With over 10,000 attendees last year, our festival is growing larger every year and we love that we can celebrate with so many moms and families!"

Singer-Songwriter TONI REDD releases new album HER REDDNESS

Having recently released her new album “Her Reddness”, entertainer Toni Redd continues to make moves to the forefront with the release of a superb cover version of the Chaka Khan original, “Stronger Than Before”. It’s a tribute to the legendary R&B singer who Toni holds in high esteem. The fluidity of the vocals unifies with the music divinely, and both flow like hot caramel.

Audiences will hear and see another beautiful expression of her personal repertoire, which is wonderfully translated in visual form in a lively feel-good music video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcU88bZl4Bg

She is an internationally known Award winning entertainer; A powerhouse performer, and recording artist. Toni is the recipient of Black Women in Jazz Award for Best Jazz Artist and Music Video for “Close to Me” from “Catching the Redd Eye” 2014, Black Women in Jazz Award for Woman of Jazz & Soul 2015, and a 2015 Georgia Music Award Nominee; the only female in the jazz category! A Lifetime Achievement Songwriting Award from the Writers Ball is the latest addition to her accolades. Though regarded as a smooth R & B singer, Redd is an intense vocalist whose style is infused with R & B, contemporary smooth jazz, and classic soul.

“Her Reddness” is her fourth album on REAL REDD Music, and it pleasantly showcases the singers’ versatility and flair. It features several collaborations, including an opening track highlighted by Grammy winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, a brilliant virtuoso who will be the headliner of Toni’s upcoming June 3rd show at the Rialto Center for The Arts in Atlanta, GA. That evening’s event is a part of Barrister Productions “Jazzittude Series”, to be hosted by Derek Harper, of Majic 107.5 - WAMJ Radio.

The smooth and soulful vocalist is routinely featured at various jazz festivals including the Maui Music Festival, and the Atlanta Jazz Festival, to name a few. Music fans are in for a treat when she appears at the Wolfe Creek Jazz Festival in College Park, GA., on September 4, 2016.

Her concert billings have been with highly recognized musicians such as: Najee, Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, The Rippingtons, Marion Meadows, Pieces of a Dream, Alex Bugnon, Angela Bofill, Rick Braun, The Ohio Players, Morris Day and the Time, Everette Harp, The Yellowjackets, Gerald Alston, Stanley Jordan, Brian Bromberg, Steve Cole, Fattburger, Chico Debarge, Pamela Williams, The Temptations, Warren Hill, Oleta Adams, The Stylistics, Walter Beasley, Bob Baldwin, Tom Browne, and Kim Waters.

Additionally, Ms. Redd is also an actress whose voice can be heard on National Commercial Jingles, and acting credits include the independent film “Losing Grace, The Tyler Perry film, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and touring with the stage play “A Good Man is Still Hard to Find”.

With a continuing promotion – marketing campaign in full swing, Artist Manager Ms. Daryl M. Donald, Esq, is orchestrating the various facets; Soliciting Bookings, exploring cross-marketing interests, sponsorships, distribution, and licensing opportunities. Looking beyond the present gains here in the U.S, other efforts are directed to build on Toni’s already developing International exposure.

Radio and music Industry website Urbaninsite.com spearheaded the early advertising campaign to bring awareness and visibility to the album, “Her Reddness”, that was featured on SoulTracks.com Listening Room in November and December 2015.

As the growing radio airplay evolves to include a push at Smooth Jazz radio stations, expect to hear more of the Atlanta based songstress near and far. TONI is breaking ground with new fans and getting reacquainted with others.

http://artistecard.com/ToniRedd 

http://www.toniredd.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Toni-Redd/152597528125246

https://www.instagram.com/realtoniredd

https://twitter.com/realtoniredd

Brazilian Vocalist CEU Returns With TROPIX

One of the persistent challenges facing artists is keeping things fresh. Brazilian singer Céu seems to have no problem with this, however. In her quest for a more upbeat, rhythm-driven album, she employed the production help of French native Hervé Salters, aka General Elektriks, who cut his teeth playing keyboards for Femi Kuti and playing with Blackalicious and Lyrics Born, and Pupillo, drummer of one of a longstanding Brazilian feature, Naçao Zumbi, as well as his country's most in-demand producer.

Working with them was a dream come true, says Céu. They were able to translate her

vision into reality with Tropix, which she says is a combination of 'tropical' and 'pixel'. 'Somehow the pixel became an inspiration,' she says. 'A pixel is a small part of a big thing defragmentation as a concept. That s also why the album has a lot of arpeggiator keyboard, to capture that sound.'

Utilizing Salters keyboard mastery, Céu has redefined her sound once again. She's never been purely an electronic artist; her global temperament, combined with a deep love for Brazil's indigenous sounds, shines through on every record. Tropix is no different. Any programming only adds to the organic nature of her unique style.

And that style is the result of being brought up in a musical family. Her musicologist and composer father introduced her to an array of musical forms: Root Samba, Afrobeat,

Reggae, Jazz. Céu was later taken with artists like Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu, and Ella Fitzgerald. In her own music she pulls from whatever she can use to create a distinct sonic repertoire.

The São Paulo native has received four Grammy nominations and has stormed into Billboard charts on a number of occasions, proving both her lasting power as well as her immensely attractive songwriting skills.

The arpeggiator has the honor of kicking off the record with a subtle line supporting Céu's melody on 'Perfume do Invisível'. The song tells the tale of one women telling another what she would do if she were invisible, inspired by Italian comic book cartoonist Milo Manara. Manara has made a career of fusing the popular with the imaginative: he's worked with famed movie producer Federico Fellini and penned covers for Marvel Comics, though he's best known for his unforgettable erotic drawings.

The beat-driven 'Arrastarte-Ei' begins with a roving bass line thanks to Lucas Martins before expanding into a Questlove-esque rhythm. Again her poetry flies into the fantastic. 'It's a love song', she says, saying that I can transform myself into the sea when my beloved is coming back from a journey.' The emphasis on keyboards and lack of guitar a staple instrument in her catalog allows Tropix to play with the listener's imagination in new ways.

The poppy 'Varanda Suspensa' recalls a veranda on a São Paulo beach that she spent many hours sitting on in her youth, 'beside my grandpa, watching the landscape change the colors, looking like a tropical expressionism painting'.

Not that there aren't any guitars. One kicks off a beautiful tribute of a cover from postpunk band Fellini, also from São Paulo. The 1989 original Chico Buarque Song honoring the legendary singer, writer, and cultural critic is frenetic and driving with a strong touch of Joy Division. Céu sits back on the groove, keeping the eighties vibe intact with a well-placed synthesizer, crooning in English over the exploding harmony.

Born with such a passionate love for the music and cultures of the planet, Céu has taken it all in and returned it with one of the twenty-first century's most distinctive voices. Tropix is a stunning effort created by a woman who truly knows no boundaries. ~ Amazon

NEW MUSIC: DEE BROWN – BROWN SUGAR, HONEY COATED LOVE; R.L. WALKER – FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE; HENRY WOLKING SALT LAKE CUTY JAZZ ORCHESTRA - IN SEA

DEE BROWN – BROWN SUGAR, HONEY COATED LOVE

dee Brown’s latest CD, “Brown Sugar, Honey Coated Love” on Innervision Records is the reason I enjoy my job in music programming. Following up on the heels of his debut CD, “No Time To Waste” (2006) and “A Little Elbow Room” (2009), dee is back sounding sweeter than ever with his tasty melodies, smooth grooves that vibe perfectly with his unforgettable title, “Brown Sugar, Honey Coated Love.” F Foundationally inspired by Proverbs 27:7 which says, “A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”  dee’s stated purpose of this new release is to promote unity, appreciation, togetherness and sharing. Possessing a solid musical background, dee has performed with artists such as: Paul Taylor,  Darren Rahn, Tim Bowman, Randy Scott, Gail Jhonson, Nate Harasim, Aretha Franklin, Michael and BeBe Winans, just to name a few. All songs with the exception of one track are composed by dee Brown and his fellow talented musicians, Valdez Brantley, Chip Dixon and Shaunia Edwards. Set includes a classic remake of the song, "I'll Always Love My Mama;” originally recorded by the Intruders. The track includes some special guest appearances by Winzell Kelly on vocals and Kern Brantley on Bass and Valdez Brantley on keys and produced.

R.L. WALER – FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE

With a title like From Sunset To Sunrise, saxophonist R.L. Walker sets the tone for some sensual and romantic late night magic on his latest album. Creating easy, laid back grooves behind his passionate dreamy lead horn melodies, he creates the perfect Smooth Jazz chill album, opening doors into a dreamy, atmosphere rich realm full of lush, powerful moods and a relaxing flow. While many artists simply gather a bunch of their best tunes, Walker’s idea was to invite listeners into a deep, memorable experience. Over ten tantalizing tracks filled with sweet soul and passionate emotion, he allows listeners to experience a “Sexy-Saxy” musical escape... From Sunset To Sunrise, you’ll have this one on repeat! ~ Jonathan Widran

HENRY WOLKING SALT LAKE CUTY JAZZ ORCHESTRA - IN SEA

Its evident from hearing the jazz big band works of composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist Henry Wolking’s debut album on Big Round Records, In Sea, that he effectively mixes complexity with simplicity in his jazz harmonies and colorful orchestrations that make for an exciting and memorable listening experience. The inspired solo work of band members and guest artists add to the sincere and fresh cosmopolitan character of the recording Performed by the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra (SLCJO) and conducted by Wolking, the works on this album represent Wolking’s clear direction of fusing together a number of different styles, from classical and rock to Latin and swing. Pieces such as the title track In Sea, and Sumo Mix, honor and pay tribute to iconic jazz composers and musicians of the past, including Bob Brookmeyer and Thad Jones, influential to Wolking’s compositional style. Claude Debussy’s impressionistic approach becomes a foundational element in some of these works, which Wolking interprets deftly with jazz harmonies and syncopated rhythms in pieces such as Jimbo’s Lullaby, A Piece of Cake, and Claire De Lune.  

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

Third Barbados Jazz Excursion to feature Jeffrey Osborne, Peter White, Brian Simpson Althea Rene and host Elan Trotman

Soul-jazz saxophonist Elan Trotman has always taken great pride in his Barbadian roots. A few years ago, the Boston-based artist leapt at the opportunity to showcase the cozy Eastern Caribbean locale by creating and hosting a Columbus Day Weekend jazz festival on the island, inviting a handful of contemporary jazz chart-toppers to share the marquee. This October 7-10, the native son returns home for his third annual Barbados Jazz Excursion at the plush Crane Resort with perhaps the strongest talent lineup yet, a fresh itinerary of unique excursions and a golf tournament to benefit Trotman’s newly formed Never Lose Your Drive Foundation, which raises funds for a local music program that provides students with regular music instruction from local tutors and quarterly faculty visits from  the prestigious Berklee College of Music and other college professors. After all, it was the government of Barbados that awarded Trotman a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music where he launched his own music career.

Joining Trotman at this year’s Barbados Jazz Excursion is four-time GRAMMY®-nominated R&B/pop vocalist Jeffrey Osborne, guitar-slinging hitman Peter White, award-winning keyboardist Brian Simpson and urban-jazz flutist Althea Rene. Local musicians will be featured during a Bajan All-Star Night performance and devout guests can celebrate Sunday at a gospel brunch.

“The Barbados Jazz Excursion is designed to be an island festival unlike any other with world-class talent, a wide range of land and sea excursions for our guests’ enjoyment and non-stop fun at the Crane Resort. Our excursions are purposely intended for people to discover Barbados through a local’s eyes. I’m especially excited about launching my new foundation, Never Lose Your Drive. The NLYD Celebrity Golf Tournament brings together music and sports celebrities on the links to raise funds in support of our local music program at the Never Lose Your Drive Community Center,” said Trotman, a popular performer on the contemporary jazz circuit known for incorporating Caribbean culture into his distinctive blend of R&B, jazz and gospel recordings that have earned him a consistent presence on the Billboard Top 10 singles chart. 

While live music occupies the primetime slot during the festival evenings, the daytime and post-concert timeframes are for discovering Barbados through exclusive excursions. Guests can dive deeply to glimpse the colorful life aquatic on the Atlantis Submarine Tour; take an Island Safari adventure; go underground to explore Harrison’s Cave where caverns and massive crystal formations will leave you marveling; rest, rejuvenate or recreate during a Beach Day at the Boatyard; sail away on a sunset catamaran cruise; hit The Gap to partake in the vibrant nightlife that includes fine dining, street vendors and multicultural exchanges; and play golf with Trotman, Osborne and other celebrities while basking in glorious sunshine under brilliant blue skies amidst breathtaking vistas and lush tropical landscapes. 

On October 10, former New York Knick John Starks, singer Javier Colon, actress/singer Suzzanne Douglas and other celebrities and sports figures are expected to attend the Golf With A Cause Celebrity Tournament at the Royal Westmoreland and the Never Lose Your Drive Foundation Reception & Silent Auction. The next day, a NLYD seminar and panel discussion will be held for student musicians and athletes.   

The Crane Resort, located less than three miles from Grantley Adams International Airport, is set on Crane Beach, which has been called one of the 10 best beaches in the world on “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous,” named by the Travel Channel as one of the Top 25 sexiest beaches in the world and voted last year by USA Today readers as the “best Caribbean beach” for its stunning beauty and serenity.   

One For All Looks to Extend Legacy with Compositions From All Six Members on The Third Decade

At a time when jazz bandleaders from across the musical and generational spectrums regularly lament the difficulty of keeping a band together, it's all the more remarkable that a supergroup like One For All has stuck it out for twenty years. But the impeccably swinging sextet, made up of some of the most in-demand players in modern jazz, is not just celebrating past achievements but charging forward into the future. The title of their latest album, The Third Decade, sounds a confident note marking the dawn of the band's next chapter.

"We're very optimistic," says pianist David Hazeltine. "We're all serious musicians who are dedicated to preserving that swinging feeling, so this band will always be together."

One For All's 16th release is its first in five years and the first in its history to feature original compositions by all six members. The Third Decade, due out June 3 via Smoke Sessions Records, brings together once again tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Jim Rotondi, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. As always, the fiery and soulful musicianship is only matched by the warmth and spirit that results from a lifetime of musical friendships.

That camaraderie is captured by the band's name, which was taken from the final studio album by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers; which itself featured a title track penned by Davis. The band was thus founded with a sense of continuity with the past along with the focus on torch-passing renewal that Blakey always expounded.

As Alexander puts it, "It was always our goal to write and arrange music in such a way that we didn't sound like a cover band for Art Blakey or Horace Silver or any of the other classic sextets that have made such indelible marks on modern jazz music. I think we've done a good job of achieving that objective. One For All has brought out aspects of each of our musical personalities that we didn't know we had, or at least that we hadn't explored in a very in-depth way prior to the band's founding."

The release of The Third Decade on the Smoke Sessions label is also a significant homecoming for the sextet, which initially came together on the stage of Smoke's predecessor, Augie's. Smoke has remained an important hub for the band since, as well as being the site for the recording of its 2001 release Live at Smoke.

A single annunciatory snare blast from Farnsworth heralds the opening of The Third Decade with Davis' brisk "Easy," written during a one busy Hartford, Connecticut rush hour. The trombonist muses that the tune just might be "an instinctual therapy to counter life's hectic pace." In any case, it's hard to stress about much with Davis, Rotondi, Alexander and Hazeltine taking such buoyant, worry-relieving solos.

Davis also contributed his piece "Daylight," which had previously been recorded by his own quintet as well as trombonist Steve Turre's Bones of Art sextet. Its bright rhythms feel right at home with this band, though, with the horns and Hazeltine all finding joyous inspiration in Farnsworth's dancing cymbals.

Alexander's yearning "Ghost Ride" was originally written as the title theme for an independent short film. The piece's nocturnal melancholy is bolstered by the addition of French horn played by Alexander's neighbor, Dave Wakefield, whose beautiful sound drifts into the saxophonist's home (and ears) on a daily basis. On the other end of the spectrum is Alexander's tense, urgent "Frenzy," which bristles with a nervous energy that makes its title self-explanatory.

The muscular horn lines of Hazeltine's "Buddy's" celebrate both the friendships in the band as well as the composer's longtime mentor, pianist Buddy Montgomery. "Buddy was one of my heroes growing up and one of the best jazz piano players of all time," Hazeltine says. "I got a chance to know him personally from the time I was 14 until he passed away, so I tried to write something like Buddy would write." It was through his friendship with Montgomery that Hazeltine met drummer "Killer" Ray Appleton, who passed away last October and is the subject of the pianist's second piece, "K-Ray."

Rotondi offers two compositions on the album: "For Curtis," a simmering groove in honor of trombone great Curtis Fuller, and "Ruth," which he previously recorded on a quartet session with One For All's rhythm section, here in a warm, rich new arrangement. Webber's infectiously funky "Babataya" calls to mind the hearty soul-jazz of Lee Morgan, while Farnsworth's "Hey Stevie D" calls out his bandmate with a boisterously grooving, finger-snappin' stroll.

The sole standard on this outing is Hazeltine's arrangement of the Rodgers and Hart classic "It's Easy to Remember," an apt sentiment for the occasion. "Looking back over all the things we've done," Alexander sums up, "it's clear we've been together for a long time, made a lot of music, and have had a tremendous amount of experiences -- musical and otherwise -- together."

One For All · The Third Decade / Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: June 3, 2016

Jamie Saft's New Zion Returns With Spellbinding Release Sunshine Seas Featuring Brazilian Percussionist Cyro Baptista

In recent years, Jamie Saft's signature musician-polymath touch has graced numerous recordings released by RareNoise, spanning a high dimensional manifold of genres, from the microtonal metal of Slobber Pup's Black Aces, Pole Axe and The Spanish Donkey's Raoul to the pure analog acoustic piano trio sounds of Saft/Swallow/Previte's The New Standard to the lysergic free rock of Plymouth, to recent collaborations with masters Roswell Rudd and Wadada Leo Smith.

With Sunshine Seas, the New Zion Trio's latest project (and RareNoise debut), Saft further builds on the success of New Zion's first two releases "Fight Against Babylon" and "CHALIWA" (Veal Records). Saft not only supplies all the piano and an assortment of vintage keyboards and synths, he also plays all the electric bass and guitar parts on this heavy Dub influenced recording. Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, a longtimeolleague of Saft's, adds his signature percussive flavors and ebullient presence on such mesmerizing dub groove tracks as the opening "BrazilJah" and the beguiling "Chalice Pipe", which has Baptista on vocals and cuica and Saft comping in a gentle bossa nova vein on acoustic guitar. The darkly insinuating "Onda" features Baptista's massive ceramic drum work and has him singing in Portuguese about waves on the beach in a flow metaphor which deftly captures the feeling of this evocative track. The heavy dub track "Ranking" is a prime showcase for Cyro's mastery of the jaw harp (or Jew's harp).

"I've been extremely fortunate to know and work with Cyro Baptista for well over 20 years," says Saft. "We've played on countless John Zorn sessions and performed together all over the world. We are both core members of Zorn's bands Electric Masada and The Dreamers. I was fortunate to produce two of Cyro's fantastic albums, Beat The Donkey and Love the Donkey. He and I have toured together for decades and I consider him a close friend. I'm honored to work with and learn from a master like Cyro. As a musician, he brings a breadth of knowledge of not just Brazilian music but musics of the world. Cyro is also a brilliant improviser at the highest level. He brings a beautiful feeling of true positivity and light, qualities which are crucial to New Zion. He not only broadens our musical palate, he lifts us up to higher heights with his shining brilliance. A perfect addition to the New Zion sound."

Saft's wife Vanessa adds alluring vocals on the lovely title track Sunshine Seas. "Vanessa really captured the breezy, sunny tone and feeling of this tune with her lyrics and sound," says Saft. "I am thrilled to have her join us for this. In the past she has also contributed vocals to albums by John Zorn and Cyro Baptista, including a feature on 'Ama' from Beat the Donkey. Additionally, she has contributed consistently deep and insightful lyrics to many of my albums, including Breadcrumb Sins and Black Shabbis (both on Zorn's Tzadik label)."

Brad Jones anchors three tracks -- "Chalice Pipe," "Sunshine Seas" and "Lamb's Bread" -- with deep upright bass grooves. And drummer Craig Santiago supplies the all-important one-drop, Rockers, and Steppers grooves to fuel this potent session. Saft credits co-producer Christian Castagno with realizing the deep Dub mixes throughout Sunshine Seas. 

"Chris and I produced and made records together in the 1990s under the name Ohm Boy & Key Command (Chris being Ohm Boy and I being Key Command). Chris moved to the jungle in Colombia a number of years ago and this album sees our triumphant return to co-production. Chris was instrumental in teaching me dub and electronic music engineering techniques in the recording studio over so many marathon all-night sessions in the 90s in Brooklyn. Together we workshopped all manner of forward-thinking progressive styles of Reggae, Dub, hip-hop, electronic music, microtonal dance music and beyond. 

We developed a unique style of feeding off one and other's musical energies that propelled us to completing scores of records on the highest level. For this recording I prepared the tracks with all necessary musical elements and Chris deftly knocked the dubs right out the box."

Saft explains that his affinity for Jamaican music took hold decades ago. "Reggae and dub music have been an essential part of my musical direction since I was a youth. Growing up in the New York City area, we listened to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Stevie Wonder and Bunny Wailer. I later became obsessed with King Tubby's sound and his disciple Scientist. These were producers who used the recording studio and mixing console as a musical instrument.

The greatest dub producers and artists shape the sound of their work by using the audio gear as musical devices to shape the tone. Delays, reverbs, modulation devices, compression and saturation devices: these are all tools in the toolbox of the greatest dub artists. Additionally, I feel extremely fortunate to have worked with many true masters of Reggae music, including the living legends Bad Brains. Having the opportunity to learn with true masters like Darryl Jenifer and Dr. Know of Bad Brains has deeply informed how I think about and shape music every single day."

He adds that his interest in Jamaican music has informed his spiritual path. "Rastafari and the mystical paths of Reggae music are deeply connected with Kabbalah and the trance-like states of Jewish Mysticism. I also deeply believe that the greatest improvised music traverses those same mystical realms. I have always sought the spiritual through music. Reggae and dub look to the very same transcendent meditative states. I've put together New Zion as a vehicle through which we can all access these higher states of consciousness through the power of music. Reggae music and Dub are crucial to this path for me."

Recorded at Saft's Catskills studio Potterville International Sound, Sunshine Seas stands as a crowning achievement in the career of this multi-faceted musician-composer-producer.

TRACKS: 1. BrazilJah; 2. Chalice Pipe; 3. Mystics; 4. Sunshine Seas; 5. Growing Grow; 6. Onda; 7. Ranking; 8. Lamb's Bread; 9. Samba Jahmekya.

WorldService Project Delivers Punk-Jazz Manifesto On New CD For King & Country

Following in the tradition of such renegade composers as Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, Igor Stravinsky and Harrison Bertwhistle, Dave Morecroft seeks a spot in the musical firmament that is decidedly left of center. And as keyboardist and principal composer for the edgy London-based avant-funk-jazz quintet WorldService Project, he is striking a blow upside the head of musical complacency. 

On For King & Country, the group's RareNoise debut and third release overall, the powerhouse aggregation cuts across stylistic boundaries with impunity and a decided 'punk-jazz' attitude. As Morecroft explains, "Punk-jazz for me is more a reflection of rebellion. Maybe it's jazz but it's played with an 'f-you' to the establishment/systems that dictate what jazz is supposed to mean or be." The album will be released on April 29th and will be available on CD, vinyl and digital download. He further describes the do-or-die presence that the band adopts onstage. "WorldService Project is a very intense, high-energy live show. We throw ourselves into it and hope to come out alive at the other end. And if you're not bleeding by the end of it, you haven't tried hard enough."

That killer instinct is conveyed from track to track on For King & Country (the title itself is a kind of ironic nod to the band's British ancestry). From the prog-rockish tumult of the opener "Flick the Beanstalk" to the moody closer "Requiem for a Worm," WorldService Project carries a pronounced crunch while injecting daring improvisations and myriad punk-jazz expressions into the mix. Joining Morecroft on this follow-up to 2012's Fire In A Pet Shop are tenor sax burner Tim Ower, trombonist Raphael Clarkson, bassist Arthur O'Hara and drummer Harry Pope. Says Morecroft of this audacious WSP outing, "I wanted For King & Country to be an epic listen, that from moment to moment it could rage intensely, pull at heartstrings, flip in double somersaults around the room or sardonically sneer at the establishment. It is an incredibly personal record for me (much more than any other) with true heartbreak, anger, loss, disillusionment, ecstasy and piss-taking a-plenty! But at its heart (I hope), purity of gesture, intensity and sincerity."

The slamming odd-metered piece "Fuming Duck," for instance, is indeed an epic listen. Underscored by O'Hara's fuzz bass lines melding with Clarkson's electric trombone for an uncommonly heavy bottom end, it hits as hard as King Crimson's "Red" while suggesting something far jazzier. Pope's monstrous drum solo over the band ostinato at the end of this raging piece is an adrenalized highlight. Likewise, "Murano Faro" slowly builds from something dreamy and distant to a throbbing crescendo with Clarkson's trombone wailing over the top in half-time. "Son of Haugesund" is a blast of intensity to match anything on Led Zeppelin III while the frantic, tempo-shifting "Go Down Ho'Ses" carries the zany energy of a ska band conducted by Frank Zappa. Ower's passionate sax solos on this unhinged number and on the dramatic "Chamonix" are both exceptional. And on "Mr. Giggles," at once humorous and scary, Morecroft unveils the cartoonish vocals of the title character (a sinister clown alter ego that he introduced on Fire In A Pet Shop) against a clamorous undercurrent. The closer, "Requiem For A Worm," opens on a restful, introspective note with Ower blowing breathy tones against a gentle backdrop. Midway through, the mood shifts as the piece gradually builds to a slamming, fuzz-laden crescendo of epic proportions.

TRACKS: 1. Flick The Beanstalk; 2. Fuming Duck; 3. Murano Faro; 4. Son Of Haugesund; 5. Go Down Ho'Ses; 6. Chamonix; 7. Mr Giggles; 8. Requiem For A Worm.

 

The Branford Marsalis Quartet With Special Guest Kurt Elling Team Up for "Upward Spiral"

It is no secret that the Branford Marsalis Quartet can be as freewheeling off the bandstand as in performance. Saxophonist Marsalis, and his Quartet made up of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner are each bold personalities with strong opinions, equally intense in both musical and verbal exchanges. "The band talks about all kinds of things, many of which are unprintable," Marsalis admits. "But we have serious musical debates as well."  One of these exchanges led to Upward Spiral, the new album from the Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling. The album will be released via Marsalis Music via OKeh Records on June 10, 2016.

"One topic we got into was picking the best singer to work with our band," Marsalis recalls. "My candidate was Kurt Elling, because he has the most flexible voice around, is always in tune and is a true jazz musician. When I met Kurt two years ago at a Thelonious Monk Institute competition, we had a conversation at the bar about doing a record together."

"I had bumped into Branford on the road a handful of times, and we always had significant conversations," Elling adds. "So when he mentioned making a record, I said 'any time!'"

What has emerged, after an intense week of performance and recording in New Orleans, is a collection that blends Songbook staples, jazz standards, and standards-to-be from a diverse array of composers.

The goal from the outset was to create a true partnership. "I usually reject the word `collaboration,'" Marsalis explains, "because it implies a third thing from that which each collaborator does well. I don't need a collaborator to do what I normally do, and Kurt doesn't, either.  But this time, none of us were going to do what we normally do. The goal here, even though he sings lyrics, was to highlight Kurt's voice as an instrument."

Elling was more than prepared for the challenge. "I love singing with a hard-hitting band," he confirms. "I didn't want Branford's band to feel that it had to hold back because a singer was there. To be welcomed into the Quartet's circle, which is all about new challenges and hard blowing, was very important to me. When I asked Branford what to bring about a week before the date, he said `Don't worry, you've got the thing.' So I brought `the thing.'" 

Choosing songs became a process in which all five musicians had input. "Everyone in the band is always listening to all kinds of music," Marsalis emphasizes, "so it's not as if we had to go out and do research on vocal records.

"For example, I had been listening to the Oscar Brown song `Long as You're Living' for two years before the date. The first time I heard Sting's `Practical Arrangement,' I called him and asked for a lead sheet, because I wanted to play that song with the quartet even before the idea of recording with Kurt came up. I also chose `Só Tinha de Ser Com Você,' a Jobim song that has not been done to death. I told everyone to study Elis Regina's version, because I wanted us to sound authentic rather than generic. Doing `Blue Gardenia' was my idea, while Eric originally suggested Chris Whitley's `From One Island' when we were talking about more recent songs.

Elling also brought ideas and songs to the partnership. He suggested "Doxy," the Sonny Rollins classic with lyrics that Mark Murphy introduced; "West Virginia Rose," with music and lyrics by pianist Fred Hersch; and "Momma Said," with the quartet responding spontaneously in the studio to the Calvin Forbes poem.

Two classic ballad performances complete the collection. "Kurt had wanted to do `Blue Velvet,' using Bobby Vinton's hit version as a starting point," Marsalis recalls. "I said that I'd write it out, but Kurt said, `No, I want us to sound like ghosts, with just enough technique to get the message across.'  He also wanted to do a voice/tenor duet, which I was originally against, but we tried `I'm a Fool to Want You' and he was right.  When you have a singer who can inhabit the emotional space, it works."

Every track on Upward Spiral confirms the beyond-category strengths of both the Quartet and Elling. "No one in the band had to make adjustments, because good musicians can play many styles of music," Marsalis notes. "We're fully engaged with one another when we're playing, so it was easy to engage with Kurt. The only adjustment was not to play long solos, but if making the music sound good means playing less, you play less."

Elling adds that "My thing is always about tailoring what I do to the vision and personality of the band, and Branford's quartet is a real working band, which is both an incredible luxury and incredibly important for the music. They provided everything on a silver platter."

For Marsalis, Upward Spiral is consistent with all of his previous music. "My philosophy of jazz is that it should be about strong melodies and a great beat, and every song here has a melody that you can hold in your mind, that you can sing. This is not jazz as a personal think tank, where people are only concerned with impressing everyone already inside of the tank with deconstruction and reharmonization. This is the kind of music that should expand our base to include people who would like jazz if it were friendlier. From the minute Kurt started performing with us, it was all good."

Branford Marsalis Quartet with Special Guest Kurt Elling · Upward Spiral / Marsalis Music via OKeh Records  ·  Release Date: June 10, 2016

São Paulo based 10-piece Nomade Orquestra's debut album recalls the mystical jazz musings of Herbie Hancock & Pharoah Sanders

São Paulo based 10-piece Nomade Orquestra's debut album drops 22nd April. Recalling the mystical jazz musings of Herbie Hancock and Pharoah Sanders while sounding like the Brazilian take on Taoism, Nomade Orquestra lead the way. Effortlessly weaving through the disparate sounds of Brazil’s diverse musical diaspora, the group describe themselves and their shared project as ‘the point where different musical expressions and strands meet and interact in a unique way.’ From funk and soul to Afrobeat, Ethio-grooves, dub and hip hop, their sound remains firmly anchored in the world of jazz while taking off to the cosmic stratosphere and incorporating electronic elements, alongside traditional Brazilian styles along the way. 

Nomade Orquestra came together in Sao Paolo in the year 2012, though they could just as easily have emerged fully formed into our world from a mystical land where spaced out jazz soundtracks daily life and the passing of time is rhythm and groove… such is their elusive, ethereal yet highly accomplished and deeply funky otherness. Nomade Orquestra’s self-titled debut album will be released on heavyweight vinyl LP alongside an extended thirteen track digital release on the 22nd April 2016.

The time is ripe for ten of the most talented and daring musicians working in Brazil today to deliver their fully formed debut. Effortlessly weaving through the disparate sounds of Brazil’s diverse musical diaspora, the group describe themselves and their shared project as ‘the point where different musical expressions and strands meet and interact in a unique way.’ From funk and soul to Afrobeat, Ethio-grooves, dub and hip hop, their sound remains firmly anchored in the world of jazz while taking off to the cosmic stratosphere and incorporating electronic elements, alongside traditional Brazilian styles along the way.

In line with the bands’ musical and spiritual influences, adopted from age old lineages of the global east, the album’s opening track ‘Samurai’ kicks off the psychedelic party with the strike of a gong. Dreamlike synths, Marcos Mauricio’s arresting piano and André Calixto’s beautifully expressive Tenor saxophone shed the first light on this enchanting incarnation of global roots music. ‘Sonhos de Tokyo’s hypnotic grooving bassline is complimented with psychedelic guitar riffs and ominous synth washes, building a sound both tranquil and unsettling. Bobby Mcferrin makes an appearance in spirit on ‘Bedum’, possibly the album’s most directly expressive track. ‘Morning Birds’, features the talents of Otis Trio’s Beto Montag, who brings his deft Marimba playing to the party for an Afrobeat-tinged beauty that further highlights the varied and deep roots of Nomade’s musical influences.

Album closer ‘Garuda’ finds Nomade Orchestra in a more contemplative, mood. Bringing together soaring Chinese flutes, Hawaiian style fuzz guitar, snake charming saxophone and some world class Oud playing from guest musician Luciano Sallun, the track is a spiritual wonder. It is a fitting conclusion to a highly sensory journey that recalls the mystical jazz musings of Herbie Hancock and Pharoah Sanders while sounding like the Brazilian take on Taoism. Making music like none other in Brazil, or indeed the world, Nomade Orquestra lead the way.