Saxophonist Kenny Garrett Celebrates Global Perspectives of Individuality on Do Your Dance!

More than any other artist in traditional jazz today, saxophonist, composer, and arranger Kenny Garrett and his band are known to entice audiences to want to get up and groove. Be it in Spain where a man from Cameroon leaped up and broke out some African moves then was joined by a young break-dancer, or in Germany where a clearly classically trained ballet dancer was brought to his feet; in Poland where a fan literally jumped from the balcony onto the stage to dance, or at a festival in Barbados where music lovers got on up and grooved in the rain to "Happy People," the spectacle is always the same: the spirit takes over and the movements come naturally. It is this spirit that Garrett has instigated and witnessed from stages around the world that fills Do Your Dance!--the saxophonist's fourth for Mack Avenue Records.

"I look out and see people waiting for the songs that they can party to and express themselves," confirms Garrett, the nine-time winner of DownBeat's Reader's Poll for Alto Saxophonist of the Year. "Do Your Dance! was inspired by audiences moved to rise from their seats and 'lift a foot!' Some are reluctant to participate because they think that others are better than they are. I tell them, 'Do your dance.' That means even if you have to 'stay pocket,' do the Funky Four Corners or the Nae-Nae, don't worry about what the other person is doing. Let it all hang out and 'do your dance!' On the title track we combine the spirit of a `70s-style beach get down with just a touch of hip-hop-ever in search of the link between the two. I had it playing while I was talking to my daughter on FaceTime. When it got to the end with that new vibe, she smiled and I thought, 'Uh huh--gotcha!'"

Do Your Dance! is a travelogue of rhythm from the melodic lilt of "Calypso Chant" and the soothing, Brazil-inspired "Bossa" to the summer barbecue spirit of "Backyard Groove" and "Philly." Garrett elaborates, "'Philly' was inspired by people at an outdoor festival we played down the street from Temple University. That older generation was going in--dancing to hard bop, funkafied fire and calypso...anything we threw at them! That's how people used to dance to jazz."

It was inspiration in liquefied form that resulted in the novel "Wheatgrass Shot (Straight to the Head)," one of two tracks featuring rapper Mista Enz (Donald Brown, Jr.) of Knoxville, Tennessee. Recalling the tune's circuitous origin, Garrett explains, "A nurse friend told me about the health benefits of wheatgrass. You can cut it with honey or fruit juice but I took it straight to the head, and the bitterness sent my body into contortions (another form of dance). Later, I was at the piano messing with this minor 2nd interval. I recognized it as a musical metaphor for that wheatgrass going upside my head! As the music took shape, I felt it needed a rap." Garrett reached out to several sources, then co-producer Donald Brown gently intervened, offering, "My son raps." Enter Mista Enz.

"The first track Kenny emailed me sounded like they turned on a tape recorder mid-session," Enz confesses. "I thought it was gonna be impossible to write to, but it was an honor for Kenny to consider me, so I had to make it work. I didn't have time to try the wheatgrass, so I typed it in on the Internet. Kenny told me the effect it had on him was like a 'shot to the brain.' I equated that to euphoria...the way a woman makes you feel. I did part of it freestyle and part of it written to stay on subject. Kenny called back and said it was exactly what he was looking for."

Rounding out Do Your Dance! are "Persian Steps" (built from the ground up with just Ronald Bruner, Jr. on drums and Garrett on piano, later adding flute, a chant and shruti box-an Indian accordion he discovered in Germany) and "Chasing the Wind" (Garrett composing a piece at top speed in the tradition of bop standards that jazz musicians challenge themselves with by playing at triple time). Garrett dedicated "Waltz (3 Sisters)" to his fairer siblings. "My sisters have always been my support system in every way. Wherever I show up, they're the first ones there. Sometimes you take it for granted because that's family...but it doesn't have to be that way. So I wrote one for them."

Aside from Bruner--who, since gigging with Garrett, has played with artists from Stevie Wonder to Kamasi Washington--the saxophonist is joined by another drummer, McClenty Hunter, who was first documented with Garrett on his last album, Pushing the World Away. Also returning from the previous album is bassist Corcoran Holt whom Garrett first encountered four years ago at Blues Alley in DC.

Percussionist Rudy Bird goes back with Garrett to a 1983 tour of Sophisticated Ladies, and has since played with Michael Jackson and Lauryn Hill. Then there's notoriously obtuse pianist Vernell Brown, Jr. who has played with the saxophonist since 2002's Happy People and its follow-up Standard of Language. Finally, there is Garrett's longtime co-producer Donald Brown, an old friend from days when, as a pianist, he shared the bandstand in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and his right-hand man on sessions off and on since Garrett's highest Billboard Jazz chart-topper to date, African Exchange Student, in 1990.

Detroit-born Kenny Garrett is a five-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee and 2010 GRAMMY® Award-winner (as a member of Chick Corea's and John McLaughlin's co-led Five Peace Band), and the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2011. His distinguished credits extend from starting with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (under son Mercer Ellington) to Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd and Miles Davis (with whom he ascended to international stardom); to contemporary stars Marcus Miller, Sting, Meshell Ndegeocello, Q-Tip and funkateers Cameo.

"It's been a whirlwind," Garrett concludes. "Records and concerts are about me taking people on the ride I want to take them on. It can be pretty ballads, some intensity, and then we can party! When they leave, I hope they feel like we took them on a journey. And when they come back to see us or put that CD in the player years later, I hope people have a deeper perspective on the music than the first time."

  

Kenny Garrett · Do Your Dance! / Mack Avenue Records /· Release Date: July 8, 2016

www.KennyGarrett.com

Parliament/Funkadelic Co-Founder Bernie Worrell, among others, named recipients of NEC 2016 Honorary Degree

New England Conservatory will bestow honorary Doctor of Music (hon. D.M.) degrees on five distinguished musicians at its 145th annual Commencement Exercises, Sunday, May 22, 2016 at 3 p.m. in NEC’s Jordan Hall. The recipients are Parliament/Funkadelic co-founder Bernie Worrell, conductor Leonard Slatkin, composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, soprano Martina Arroyo, and composer Malcolm Peyton.

In addition, approximately 275 graduating students in the class of 2016 will be awarded degrees and diplomas including the Bachelor of Music, Graduate Diploma, Master of Music, Doctor of Musical Arts, and Artist Diploma. Leonard Slatkin will give the commencement address; additional speakers will include NEC leaders and a student speaker. The public is welcomed to this event, based on available seats.

At 7:30pm on May 21, 2016, the evening before NEC’s 145th Commencement Exercises, a grand concert in Jordan Hall will take place. This event will put the Conservatory’s graduating students on display before they go off to take their place on the world's stages. The performance includes student composers, jazz and Contemporary Improvisation, vocal and instrumental soloists, chamber music, and large-scale works.

NEC conducting student Earl Lee will lead an orchestra made up almost entirely of graduating students in Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, "Fingal’s Cave." They will also play “Larger than Life,” written by graduating composition major Jeremiah Klarman '10 Prep, '16 B.M. and other works.

Honoree Biographies

Bernie Worrell

Keyboardist, composer, and producer Bernie Worrell is one of the most prolific funk and R&B artists to date. As a founding member of the ‘70s & ‘80s funk band Parliament/Funkadelic, Worrell’s work with the synthesizer was what gave the band its futuristic sound, and made the band a highly influential player in the world of R&B. In the 1980s, Worrell frequently played with the rock band Talking Heads, both on the road and in the studio. After leaving Talking Heads, he was a studio musician for countless celebrated artists and groups, such as Keith Richards, the Pretenders, Jack Bruce, and Bootsy’s New Rubber Band. Worrell has also released numerous critically acclaimed solo albums, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He is currently a member of both the Bernie Worrell Orchestra and Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains. Worrell is a classically trained pianist, having taken private lessons at Juilliard and pursued college studies at NEC through 1967.

Leonard Slatkin

Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is the Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Lyon. He has conducted most of the world’s leading orchestras, as well as numerous opera companies, such as the Metropolitan Opera. His more than 100 recordings have earned him a collection of seven Grammy Awards and sixty-four nominations. Slatkin is also a music educator, as he is the founder and director of the St. Louis Youth Symphony Orchestra and the National Conducting Institute of Washington D.C. In addition, he has taught and conducted at some of the world’s leading music schools. His tireless efforts in arts advocacy worldwide have won him the National Medal of Arts, France’s Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and Austria’s Declaration of Honor. Slatkin hails from a musical family, as his parents are the founding members of the Hollywood String Quartet. He first began his musical studies on the violin and studied conducting with his father, Felix Slatkin, Walter Susskind at Aspen, and Jean Morel at Juilliard.

Anthony Braxton

American composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton is a seminal figure in the music of the late twentieth century. He is known for his experimental methods of composition that combine jazz with serialism, multi-media usage, and graphic notation methods. He has released over 100 albums since the 1960s and has written hundreds of compositions. In 2010, he founded the Tri-Centric Foundation – a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of creative artists. In 2014, Braxton was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. Previous awards and honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1981, a MacArthur Fellowship in 1994, and a New Music USA Letter of Distinction in 2013. Before becoming a music professor and an emeritus music faculty member at Wesleyan College, he taught at Mills College in California. Braxton studied music at the Chicago School of Music, and philosophy and composition at Roosevelt University.

Martina Arroyo

American soprano Martina Arroyo has been a renowned member of the Metropolitan Opera since 1958. She had her major-role debut in Carnegie Hall in 1965 when, at the last minute, she was asked to fill in for Birgit Nilsson as Aïda. Landing herself major roles in operas by Mozart, Puccini, Wagner, Barber, and Stockhausen among others, she has proven herself to have an impressively broad repertoire. She has collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated conductors on the stages of the world’s most renowned concert halls. Arroyo was appointed by President Ford as a member of the NEA’s National Council of the Arts, and won the NEA Opera Honors Award in 2010. In 2013, she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. She is also a lifetime Honorary Trustee of Carnegie Hall. In 2003, Arroyo established the Martina Arroyo Foundation, which provides aspiring young opera singers with the tools they need to succeed in a career in opera.

Malcom Peyton

Malcolm Peyton joined the New England Conservatory faculty in 1965 and was the chair of NEC’s Composition Department for 36 years. He is an active and distinguished figure in the world of new music. He has directed, conducted, and concertized many new music concerts in Boston and New York, and his music has been played throughout the U.S. and in Europe. The same year he joined NEC’s faculty, he began conducting Evenings of New Music with Lyle Davidson. More recently, he’s directed The NEC Composers Series. Some of his celebrated and well-known works are Songs from Walt Whitman, Fantasies Concertantes for orchestra, and The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe. His compositions have been premiered with artists such as Bethany Beardslee, Borromeo String Quartet, and Gunther Schuller.  He has received a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship and awards from the NEA, Norlin Foundation, and American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Trumpeter, composer, musical visionary Wadada Leo Smith receives 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) today announced that the boldly original composer, trumpeter and Pulitzer Finalist Wadada Leo Smith has been named a 2016 Doris Duke Artist. Smith is one of twenty-one awardees appointed in recognition of their creative vitality and ongoing contributions to the fields of dance, jazz and theater.  The awardees will each receive $275,000 in flexible, multi-year funding as well as financial and legal counseling, professional development activities and peer-to-peer learning opportunities provided by Creative Capital, DDCF’s primary partner in the awards. With the 2016 class, DDCF will have awarded approximately $27.7 million to 101 noteworthy artists through the Doris Duke Artist Awards.

“To receive the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award is the highest honor," said Smith. "It celebrates my achievements as a creative composer and performer in an art form that transcends boundaries. With the support of the Doris Duke Foundation, I now have the unique opportunity to develop a fresh connection to my art and to my community.”

Smith, who turns 75 in December 2016, maintains an active touring and recording schedule.  Most recently, he’s been touring widely with pianist/composer Vijay Iyer to support their March 2016 duo recording a cosmic rhythm with each stroke on ECM. 

Upcoming recordings scheduled for fall 2016, include Wadada Leo Smith: Nagwa (TUM) featuring Smith with guitarists Michael Gregory Jackson, Henry Kaiser, Brandon Ross and Lamar Smith, plus Bill Laswell on electric bass, Pheeroan akLaff on drums and Adam Rudolph on percussion. Also on TUM will be a solo recording of Monk’s music.  Cuneiform will release Wadada Leo Smith: The National Parks featuring Smith’s Golden Quintet plus cellist Ashley Walters.

Smith’s 2016 schedule includes performances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Molde Jazz Festival, Pittsburgh International LiveJazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Vision Festival, Festival Suoni Per il Pipolo, Summer Stage, NYC and the premiere of his opera/cantata Rosa Parks at the FONT Festival, among others (see full schedule at end of this release.)  He will also be honored as Faculty Emeritus and receive an honorary doctorate from CalArts.

This will be the final group of Doris Duke Artists to receive these awards under the umbrella of the foundation’s Doris Duke Performing Artists Initiative, a larger $50 million allocation by DDCF above its existing funding to the performing arts. However, having witnessed the tremendous value of the program over the past five years, DDCF is pleased to announce plans to extend the life of the Doris Duke Artist Awards by incorporating the program into its annual grant-making budget at a more sustainable scale for the long term. In the future, the foundation will continue to yearly give Doris Duke Artist Awards to three artists. These awards will be managed internally by DDCF staff. DDCF expresses deep gratitude to Creative Capital for their successful administration of the first five classes of Doris Duke Artists and for their part in making the awards program a success.

“The Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards has been a truly visionary program, setting a standard for comprehensive artist support,” said Ruby Lerner, founding president and executive director at Creative Capital. “We at Creative Capital have been so proud to be a part of the powerful partnership that has supported the 101 artists who have received awards to date.”

Each recipient of a Doris Duke Artist Award receives $275,000—including an unrestricted, multi-year cash grant of $225,000, plus as much as $25,000 more in targeted support for audience development and as much as $25,000 more for personal reserves or creative exploration during what are usually retirement years for most Americans. Artists will be able to access their awards over a period of three years under a schedule set by each recipient. Creative Capital, DDCF’s primary partner in the Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards, will also offer the awardees the opportunity to participate in professional development activities, regional gatherings, and financial and legal counseling—all designed to help them personalize and maximize the use of their grants.

To qualify for consideration by the review panels, all the Doris Duke Artists must have won grants, prizes or awards on a national level for at least three different projects over the past 10 years, with at least one project having received support from a DDCF-funded program. The panel chose the artists based on demonstrated evidence of exceptional creativity, ongoing self-challenge and the continuing potential to make significant contributions to the fields of contemporary dance, jazz and theater in the future.

Wadada Leo Smith, whose roots are in the Delta blues, is one of the most boldly original figures in American jazz and creative contemporary music and one of the great trumpet players of our time.  As a composer, improviser, performer, music theorist/writer and educator, Smith has devoted a lifetime to navigating the emotional heart, spiritual soul, social significance and physical structure of jazz to create new music of infinite possibility and nuance.

A 2016 Doris Duke Artist and 2013 Pulitzer finalist, Smith was DownBeat Magazine’s 2013 “Composer of the Year” and the Jazz Journalist Association’s 2013 Musician of the Year and Trumpeter of the Year. In 2014 DownBeat magazine named him “One of the 80 Coolest Things in Jazz Today,” citing his “magisterial instrumental voice, his inspirational leadership, and his command of classical, jazz and blues forms to remind us of what’s gone down and what’s still happening.” The Jazz Journalists Association named Smith Composer of the Year in 2015. Early in his career, Smith developed Ankhrasmation, a radically original musical language that uses visual directions and remains the philosophical foundation of his oeuvre. In October 2015, The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago presented the first comprehensive exhibition of his Ankhrasmation scores.

Smith has released more than 50 albums as a leader. His landmark 2012 civil rights opus Ten Freedom Summers was called “A staggering achievement… It merits comparison to Coltrane’s A Love Supreme in sobriety and reach,” (Francis Davis, Rhapsody Jazz Critics Poll). Recent recordings include The Great Lakes Suites, which earned second place in NPR Music’s 2014 Jazz Critics Poll and Celestial Weather, which garnered extensive praise as “a perfectly suited twosome…4.5 stars” (DownBeat).  In March 2016 ECM released a cosmic rhythm with each stroke featuring pianist Vijay Iyer and Smith, whom Iyer calls his “hero, friend and mentor.” The recording has earned wide critical acclaim and the duo is touring internationally in 2016 and 2017.

Born December 18, 1941 in Leland, Mississippi, Smith began performing at age thirteen with his stepfather, bluesman Alex Wallace and went on to play in his high school bands. He received his formal musical education from the U.S. Military band program (1963), the Sherwood School of Music (1967-69), and Wesleyan University (1975-76). Part of the first generation of musicians to come out of Chicago’s AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Music), Smith collaborated with a dazzling cast of fellow visionaries. He has received commissions to write music for numerous groups including the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, and was invited to perform and speak on human rights at the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens. 

Smith has been awarded grants and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University, Chamber Music America with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program, the MAP Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts, among many others.

www.wadadaleosmith.com

www.ddpaa.org

Wadada Leo Smith Upcoming Events

• May 10 – Smith honored as Faculty Emeritus by CalArts

• May 13 – Smith receives honorary doctorate from CalArts   

• June 2 – Smith’s Golden Quartet – Festival Suoni Per il Pipolo – Montreal QC

• June 11 – Smith and viola quartet – Vision Festival, NYC

• June 23 – Smith, John Lindberg and Jesse Gilbert – Hammer Museum, LA 

• June 25 – Smith and Iyer – Pittsburgh International LiveJazz Festival 

• July 7 – Smith and Vijay Iyer – Montreal International Jazz Festival 

• July 18 – Smith and John Lindberg – Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC

• July 21 – Smith’s Golden Quartet – Molde Jazz Festival, Norway

• August 10 – Smith with Nublu Orchestra/ DarkMatterHalo – Summer Stage, NYC

• September 24 – Premiere of Smith’s opera/cantata Rosa Parks – FONT Festival, NYC

• September 28 – Smith and Iyer – Amherst, MA

• October 23 – Smith & John Lindberg duo Celestial Weather – Grand Rapids, MI

• October 26 – Smith & John Lindberg duo Celestial Weather – Ann Arbor, MI

• October 28 and 29 – Smith & John Lindberg duo Celestial Weather – Constellation, Chicago, IL

• October 30 – Smith & John Lindberg duo Celestial Weather – Milwaukee, WI

• November 3 – Smith’s Great Lakes Quartet performing The Great Lakes Suites – Berlin Jazz Festival

• November 6    Wadada with pianist Alexander Hopkins duet – Berlin Jazz Festival

Van Morrison's ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW...VOLUMES II, III, IV & DVD, A Monumental Collection of Previously Unavailable Live Performances from Historic 1973 Concert Tour with the 11-Piece Caledonia Soul Orchestra

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, in association with Exile Productions, Ltd., have announced the release of Van Morrison's ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW...VOLUMES II, III, IV & DVD on Friday, June 10.

A 3CD/1DVD collection of previously unreleased live concert recordings from Morrison's mythic 1973 tour with the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW...VOLUMES II, III, IV & DVD collates peak performances originally recorded at three venues: The Troubadour in Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Civic Center, and The Rainbow Theatre in London. The set's DVD features professionally-lensed live footage from the Rainbow Theatre, which originally aired on the BBC in the UK and is now available for the first time as a commercial home video release.

Often cited as one of the best live albums ever made, Van Morrison's original ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW... has been remastered in 24-bit high resolution sound and will be available in both 2CD and 2LP configurations, creating the first vinyl pressing of the album in more than 25 years plus availability of the album to hi-res partners (Mastered for iTunes, HD Tracks, Pono).

Morrison's highly acclaimed 1973 concert album was compiled from eight sets of live performances--recorded at The Troubadour, the Santa Monica Civic Center and The Rainbow Theatre--and was notably free of any post-performance overdubs or studios "fixes". ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW...VOLUMES II, III, IV & DVD returns to those original performances, first captured on two-inch 16-track analog tapes, and, through the mastery of noted engineer Guy Massey, puts the contemporary listener in the enviable position of being sonically present at each venue. All of the recordings on the new collection have been previously unavailable and none of them overlap with the performances on "Volume I" of ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW....

"I am getting more into performing," said Van Morrison in 1973, during his tour with his newly-formed Caledonia Soul Orchestra. "It's incredible…. All of a sudden I felt like 'you're back into performing' and it just happened like that…. A lot of times in the past I've done gigs and it was rough to get through them. But now the combination seems to be right and it's been clicking a lot."

Morrison's 1973 tour found the Irish soul singer at the peak of his powers, returning to the stage to deliver scorching definitive renditions of the signature material comprising his catalog at the time, from the R&B/rock roots of THEM to the haunting folk soul of Astral Weeks and Moondance in songs like "Gloria," "Into The Mystic," "Warm Love," "Domino" and more. Accompanied by the 11-piece Caledonia Soul Orchestra, featuring two horn players and a four-piece string section, Van Morrison set a new standard for live performance while ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW... raised the bar on what was possible on a concert recording.

Each disc on ..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW...VOLUMES II, III, IV & DVD features previously unreleased performances, newly remixed from the original multitrack recordings by Guy Massey (the acclaimed engineer behind the remasters of The Beatles and Paul McCartney). Massey's new mixes recreate the sonic atmosphere of each venue, from the standing-room-only intimacy of The Troubadour to the expansive excitement filling the 3,000-seat Rainbow Theatre.

Van Morrison

..IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW...VOLUMES II, III, IV & DVD

VOLUME II (Recorded live at The Troubadour, Los Angeles, May 23, 1973)

1.Come Running (Van Morrison)

2.These Dreams Of You (Van Morrison)

3.The Way Young Lovers Do (Van Morrison)

4.Snow In San Anselmo (Van Morrison)

5.I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon)

6.Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)

7.Purple Heather (Van Morrison)

8.Hey, Good Lookin' (Hank Williams)

9.Bein' Green (Joseph G. Raposo)

10.Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)

11.Listen To The Lion (Van Morrison)

12.Hard Nose The Highway (Van Morrison)

13.Moondance (Van Morrison)

14.Cyprus Avenue (Van Morrison)

15.Caravan (Van Morrison)

VOLUME III (Recorded live at the Santa Monica Civic, California, June 29. 1973)

1.I've Been Working (Van Morrison)

2.There There Child (Van Morrison, John Platania)

3.No Way (Jeff Labes)

4.Since I Fell For You (Woodrow Buddy Johnson)

5.Wild Night (Van Morrison)

6.I Paid The Price (Van Morrison, John Platania)

7.Domino (Van Morrison)

8.Gloria (Van Morrison)

9.Buona Sera (Carl Sigman, Peter De Rose)

10.Moonshine Whiskey (Van Morrison)

11.Ain't Nothing You Can Do (Don D. Robey, Joseph Wade Scott)

12.Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket (Sonny Boy Williamson)

13.Sweet Thing (Van Morrison)

14.Into The Mystic (Van Morrison)

15.I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles)

VOLUME IV (Recorded live at The Rainbow, London, July 23 & 24, 1973)

1.Listen To The Lion (Van Morrison)

2.I Paid The Price (Van Morrison, John Platania)

3.Bein' Green (Joseph G. Raposo)

4.Since I Fell For You(Woodrow Buddy Johnson)

5.Into The Mystic (Van Morrison)

6.Everyone (Van Morrison)

7.I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles)

8.Sweet Thing (Van Morrison)

9.I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon)

10.Wild Children (Van Morrison)

11.Here Comes The Night (Bert Berns)

12.Buona Sera (Carl Sigman, Peter De Rose)

13.Domino (Van Morrison)

14.Caravan (Van Morrison)

15.Cyprus Avenue (Van Morrison)

DVD (Recorded live at The Rainbow, London, July 24, 1973)

1.Here Comes The Night (Bert Berns)

2.I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon)

3.Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)

4.Moonshine Whiskey (Van Morrison)

5.Moondance (Van Morrison)

6.Help Me (Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson)

7.Domino (Van Morrison)

8.Caravan (Van Morrison)

9.Cyprus Avenue (Van Morrison)

  

THE CALEDONIA SOUL ORCHESTRA:

Jeff Labes – piano & organ

Dave Shaw – drums

John Platania – guitar

David Hayes – bass guitar

Jack Schroer – alto, tenor, baritone saxophones

Bill Atwood – trumpet

Nathan Rubin, Tim Kovatch & Tom Halpin – violin

Nancy Ellis – viola

Terry Adams – cello

www.vanmorrison.com

NEW MUSIC: THE EMOTIONS – BLESSED: THE EMOTIONS ANTHOLOGY 1969-1985; ROSE ROYCE – STRONGER THAN EVER ; MAINSTREAM MODERN SOUL 1969-1976

THE EMOTIONS – BLESSED: THE EMOTIONS ANTHOLOGY 1969-1985

One of the greatest female soul groups of all time – served up here in a career-spanning anthology that finally gets at the full range of their talents! The tracks here start in the trio's early years on Stax Records, move through their sublime 70s hitmaking years at Columbia, with lots of help from Maurice White and Earth Wind & Fire – and also move onto include some rare Motown and Red Label recordings too! The vocals are sublime throughout – that rich style of coming together that the girls first forged in their gospel work, then unleashed to the soul world in work that was far more sophisticated and meaningful than the usual girl trio mode – which could sometimes be a throwaway approach to hide the weakness in each others vocals. 2CD set features a big 24 page booklet of notes – and includes 40 tracks in all – including "I Should Be Dancing", "Smile", "Turn It Out", "Blessed", "Are You Through With My Heart", "Now That I Know", "Changes", "You're The One", "Miss Your Love", "All Night Alright", "The Best Part Of A Love Affair", "Blind Alley", "So I Can Love You", "Flowers", "Baby I'm Through", "From Toys To Boys", "You're The Best", "Don't Ask My Neighbors", "Love Vibes", "We Go Through Changes", "Key To My Heart", "Stealing Love", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", "Walking The Line", "Special Part", and "Boogie Wonderland". ~ Dusty Groove

ROSE ROYCE - STRONGER THAN EVER (BONUS TRACKS)

Rose Royce are certainly plenty strong at this point in their career – working with a tight modern soul groove on Epic Records – away from their previous placement on the Whitfield label, even though Norman Whitfield's still very actively handling production here! The album does a great job of bringing out some of the group's warmer elements, and also refits their rhythms a bit for the 80s generation – using some jazzier flourishes on the keyboards, which class things up nicely, and push their sound a bit towards some of the best Columbia/Epic soul acts of the time. Keyboards dominate a bit more than before, but in a good way – and titles include "Best Love", "Sometimesy Lady", "Still In Love", "You Blew It", "Talk To Me", "Fire In The Funk" and "Somehow We Made It Through The Rain". This remastered edition from Big Break UK includes 4 bonus versions: "Best Love (12" Version)", "Still In Love (Single Version)"< "Fire In The Funk (Single Version)" and "Dance With Me (12" Version)". ~ Dusty Groove

MAINSTREAM MODERN SOUL 1969-1976 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A huge array of soul tracks from the Mainstream label – an imprint that was probably best known for its jazz work of the early 70s, and as the launching pad for a few key rock groups – but one who also cut some killer soul tracks in the best New York and Philly styles of the period! Mainstream only ever issued most of its soul material as singles – 45s issued on their own label, and under the IX Chains, Brown Dog, and New Moon imprints too – spread out in an array of under-circulated, poorly-distributed releases that never fully got their due at the time – partly because much of the music was years ahead of its time! There's a groove here that reminds us of the hippest sounds from bigger labels – including Philly International or All-Platinum – with a similar blend of sweetness, honest vocal performances, and some top-shelf studio work that gives the lyrics a hell of an instrumental push, but all without ever sounding slick or commercial. The package is a much-needed look at this scattered legacy – and brings together 24 rare cuts that include "These Memories" by Almeta Lattimore, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by JG Lewis, "Come Back (part 1)" by The Fantastic Puzzles, "I Can't Give You Up" by Linda Perry, "It Ain't Like It Used To Be" by Randolph Brown & Company, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "You're A Friend Of Mine" by Words Of Wisdom, "Satisfy My Woman" by Calvin Arnold, "Plain Out Of Luck" by Nia Johnson, "We're Not Too Young To Fall In Love" by Jackey Beavers Show, "Let The People Talk" by The Steptones, "To Whom It May Concern" by Ellerine Harding, "It's So Real" by McArthur, "Stop & Think A Minute" by Charles Beverly, and "That's The Way She Is" by Bobby Earl Williams.  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW MUSIC: DJ CAM QUARTET - THE SOULSHINE SESSIONS; THE PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP - HABANA DREAMS; THE TIBBS - TAKIN' OVER

DJ CAM QUARTET - THE SOULSHINE SESSIONS A wonderfully jazzy session from DJ Cam – not the Soulshine album of many years back, but an all-instrumental record that may be one of Cam's warmest in years! There's a great small combo vibe to the record – which features a sextet with lots of great keyboards from Eric Legnini, plus Alex Tassel on trumpet and Giullaume Naturel on tenor and flute – working alongside more keyboards and percussion from Cam – with a laidback vibe that's partly 70s jazz funk, partly a more contemporary mode that reminds us of some of our favorite work from the west coast underground of the 90s – particularly early Ubiquity albums by Greyboy or Slide Five. Titles include "Friends & Enemies", "Juliet", "Angel Heart", "Espionage", "Dieu Reconnaitra Les Siens", and "Un Ete A Paris". ~ Dusty Groove

THE PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP - HABANA DREAMS

The Pedrito Martinez Group follow up their GRAMMY-nominated debut with the release of Habana Dreams, pushing forward the group's cutting-edge sound with some of the biggest names in Latin music - Rubén Blades, Descemer Bueno, and Issac Delgado. Recorded in both Cuba and New York, the album marks the homecoming of Cuban-born conguero and rumbero Pedrito Martinez, and a return to his Afro-Cuban roots. With magnetic personality and dynamic musicianship, Habana Dreams showcases the group's impressive range, from contemplative ballads to electrifying rumbas, while remaining irresistibly danceable throughout. Features special guests Wynton Marsalis, Angélique Kidjo, Román Díaz and Telmary Díaz. ~ Amazon

THE TIBBS - TAKIN' OVER

Preceded by the smashing single ‘Next Time’, The Tibbs’ debut album ‘Takin’ Over’ will hit the streets on May 20th 2016. Produced by Paul Willemsen (Zuco 103 / Lefties Soul Connection), recorded  at the Electric Monkey Studio in Amsterdam using only vintage gear and mastered in Nashville by soul veteran Bob Ohlsson (the guy who took care of mastering for many Motown hits), ‘Takin’ Over’ is indeed a breath of fresh air! From the smashing Motownish opener ‘Dog Days’ and floor-shaking tracks ‘Get Back Tuesday’ and ‘Next Time’, to the deep soul of ‘Wild Way’ and funk stormer ‘Suffocated’, singer Elsa Bekman - supported by a super tight big band - will impress everybody with her unique raw, gritty vocals that do not fear comparison with big names such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. Based in Amsterdam, The Tibbs are a super tight soul revue fronted by miss. Elsa Bekman, one of the roughest and hottest young vocalists from the Netherlands. Believe us, you'll be immediately conquered by her irresistible and unique raw, gritty vocals.

NEW MUSIC: LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO: MORE LATE 70s WEST COAST YACHT POP YOU CAN ALMOST DANCE TO; THE BO-KEYS - HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER; SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS– BLACK TRACK

LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO: MORE LATE 70s WEST COAST YACHT POP YOU CAN ALMOST DANCE TO

A great set of tracks that's billed as music "you can almost dance to" – and which hits this sweet midtempo groove throughout – filled with female vocals, and served up in a wicked soulful style of AOR! The collection's an excellent all-girl companion to the previous Too Slow To Disco sets – and may well be the best so far, as there's a current of soul that maybe didn't show up that strongly before – as the singers unabashedly go for deeper modes in some of their vocals, while the instrumental side of the tracks glow nicely with sweet keyboards, riffing guitars, and just the right touch of slightly funky rhythms! There's plenty of gems here we might have overlooked otherwise – definitely the best side of the "yacht rock" revival of the past few years – and tracks include "You Can Do It" by Evie Sands, "Be Here In The Morning" by Renee Geyer, "Gotta Lotta" by Lauren Wood, "It's The Falling In Love" by Carol Baker Sayer, "Crazy" by Valerie Carter, "Isn't It Something" by Franne Golde, "Opening Up To You" by Laura Allen, "Temptation" by Leah Kunkel, "Disco Tech" by Carole King, "Dance The Night Away" by Doris Abrahams, and "Take Me With You" by Lyn Christopher. (Includes download.) ~ Dusty Groove

THE BO-KEYS - HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER

The Bo-Keys have been a rock-solid force on the Memphis scene for a number of years – and here, they take an even deeper step into the city's rich soul history – by making space on the record for performances by classic Memphis soul singers Percy Wiggins, Don Bryant, and The Masqueraders! Wiggins gets the most space here – and opens up in a way that shows hardly any change in his abilities since his early singles for the Goldwax label – maybe more of a sense of experience in the way he puts over the lyrics, given some nice deep soul backings from the Bo-Keys, who burn nicely in a blend of organ and horns. Bryant and The Masqueraders each on one song – Wiggins on the others – and titles include "Learned My Lesson In Love", "Set Me Free", "The Longer You Wait", "Wasted Days & Wasted Nights", "Last Date", and "I Threw It All Away".  ~ Dusty Groove

SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS– BLACK TRACK

Soil & Pimp Sessions have been making music far longer than anyone else might do with such a clunky name – and over the years, they've just gotten better and better, and found rich new ways to express themselves! This album may well be the group's best so far – and represents a continuing change from the breakneck rhythms and intense solos of the past, to territory that's even more fully-formed – and which has the group embracing some spiritual and soulful currents we never would have heard a few years back! Some tracks have a righteous vibe, and almost an early 70s spiritual jazz approach – while a few others feature guest vocalists in the lead, and have a soulful sparkle that works equally well. The result is a sound that's got the sort of majesty you might expect from the cover image – and titles include "By Your Side", "Connected", "Black Milk", "Papaya Pai Pai", "88 9th Avenue", "Soilogic", "Simoom", "Mellow Black", and a nice version of "Cantaloupe island".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW MUSIC: LOMA – A SOUL MUSIC LOVE AFFAIR VOLUME 2: GET IN THE GROOVE 1965-1968; THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS – THE NASHVILLE SESSIONS; CARLOS NINOS & FRIENDS – FLUTES, ECHOES, IT’S ALL HAPPENING

LOMA – A SOUL MUSIC LOVE AFFAIR VOLUME 2: GET IN THE GROOVE 1965-1968

60s soul treasures – served up here in glorious mono – all as part of this wonderful tribute to the legendary Loma Records label! Loma was a small imprint that was part of Warner Brothers in the late 60s – and acted more like an LA-based indie label, with a quality level that rivals the best from New York, Detroit, and Chicago at the time – even Memphis, given that Loma had a surprisingly great ear for deep soul – in a way that few west coast imprints had during the 60s. The mix of modes here is wonderful – from upbeat groovers, to female soul killers, to some especially hard-burning male vocal numbers – in a set list that includes "The Dam Busted" by Carl Hall, "You Can't Outsmart A Woman" by Kell Osborne, "Too Late" by JJ Jackson, "Good Time" by The Mighty Hannibal, "Help Yourself" by Larry Lester, "Callin" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Your Search is Over" by Walter Foster, "Rainin In My Heart" by The Olympics, "There's Something On Your Mind (part 1)" by Baby Lloyd, and "Try" by Lorraine Ellison.  ~ Dusty Groove

THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS – THE NASHVILLE SESSIONS

The New Mastersounds, working live in the studio in a Nashville setting – hardly country at all, and sounding every bit as funky as before! In fact, the quartet may have hit a new level of sharpness here – as the album came at the end of a tight six week tour of the US, when the musicians had been working together night after night – and come across here with a mindblowing quality that has us marveling all over again at the way they can be super-tight, yet never slick – always sharp, yet never arrogant – as they soar to the skies on an effortless flurry of guitar, organ, bass, and drums! There's no other accompaniment at all – no vocals, no overdubs either – and every number is a stone funky instrumental – with titles that include "Drop It Down", "The Minx", "Coming Up Roses", "Carrot Juice", "The Vandenburg Suite", "Made For Pleasure", and a great take on the funky classic "In The Middle". (Limited to 1000 copies – with bonus download!)  ~ Dusty Groove

CARLOS NINOS & FRIENDS – FLUTES, ECHOES, IT’S ALL HAPPENING

The title here certainly gets at the spirit of the record – as it's definitely all happening in the world of Carlos Nino these days – a musician who just keeps on pushing his own boundaries in recent years – and that's saying a lot, as Carlos was pretty out there from the start! This set has Nino exploring some of his more deeply spiritual sides – with more of a mix of electronic elements than before, yet still some of the jazz currents from his early days too – in this cosmic blend of styles that shifts from track to track, yet never sounds incoherent at all. Instead, the whole thing's more like a unified journey in sound – with stops along the way for key guest performers, a lineup that includes contributions from Kamasai Washington, Iasos, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Nate Morgan, Yaakov Levy, and Dexter Story! With folks like that on hand, the journey's a great one – and titles include "Alice's Chord Live", "Calimayan", "Jupiter Sings", "Metamaravilla", "Joyous Gratitude Live", "Delightfulllll/Waterfall", "4 Directions Collage", and "Aetheriaztlan". (Includes download with bonus track!)  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW MUSIC: SETENTA – PARIS TO NUEVA YORK; ROBERTA CAMPOS – TODO CAMINHO E SORTE; THE RELATIVES – GOODBYE WORLD

SETENTA – PARIS TO NUEVA YORK

A French combo, but one who really love the best styles of 70s Latin from the New York scene – particularly the funky current that was only handled by a few great acts at the time! These guys effortlessly mix electric bass, keyboards, and guitar with rootsier elements on percussion – and forge a groove that's warmly soulful, and has all the sweet glow of the image on the cover – a combination of the group's own European origins and their inspirations from Manhattan – in a sound that gets especially strong on the one number that features guest vocals from Joe Bataan! Yet even without Joe, the sound is pretty wonderful – with vocals that are more often handled by the group as a whole, in a laidback way – which leaves plenty of room for them to stretch out instrumentally, especially on keyboards. Titles include "My Rainbow", "Madam Shingaling", "Genius", "Da Manha", "Dansa Chango", "Tcha Bell", and "Power Of Your Smile".  ~ Dusty Groove

ROBERTA CAMPOS – TODO CAMINHO E SORTE

Lovely work from Roberta Campos – a contemporary Brazilian singer/songwriter, and one who works in a nicely universal style! Most tracks have light acoustic guitar underscoring Roberta's lyrics – which are well-penned and personal, without ever being cloying – almost in a tradition that reminds us of some of the more impressive English language talents of this nature from the 80s and early 90s. Marcelo Camelo guests on the hit single "Amiude" – and other titles include "Porta Retrata", "Pro Dia Que Chega", "Cirandar", "Libelula", "Minha Felicidade", and "Ensaio Sobre O Amor". ~ Dusty Groove

THE RELATIVES – GOODBYE WORLD

A bold return to form for The Relatives – a legendary gospel funk group from the 70s Texas scene – finally brought back to their former strengths on this contemporary set! The approach is very old school – a strong focus on the excellent vocal interplay of the group, and the strong leads of Rev Gean West, who passed away during the course of the recording – with backing by a tight funky combo who's main job is just the emphasize the inherent soulful sounds in the vocals, and never get too much in the way! Basslines are nice and deep, which makes even the mellower tracks sound mighty heavy – and the sense of spirit here is less churchy, and more righteous from a social perspective – as you'll hear on the cuts "Rational Culture/Testimony", "This World Is Moving Too Fast", "He Never Sleeps", "No Man Is An Island" ~ Dusty Groove

 

Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Jazz Trumpeter, Hasani Arthur With A Sneak Peek of His CD ‘Jazz Revamp’

Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide:  Jazz Trumpeter, Hasani Arthur With A Sneak Peek of His CD ‘Jazz Revamp’ with his new single ‘Midnight Bed-stuy AKA King Arthur” Featuring Dame-o Hodges.

The jazz world gets a special treat this week as Hasani Arthur releases his single “Midnight Bed-stuy AKA King Arthur featuring Dame-o Hodges.  Hasani’s quest with his latest album Jazz Revamp ”King Arthur," is to expose jazz to his younger fans and being Promoted On Top Sites. 

Hasani Arthur he is a writer, producer and composer who is classically trained by the most prestigious music institutions which include: The Julliard School (MAP), New York City All Jazz High School Band, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and the Brooklyn Music & Arts Program.

Hasani’a signature sound was derived from his influences such as Wynton Marsalis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, George Benson, Grover Washington Jr., Bill Withers and many others. ”I love the swinging big-band sounds of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington but also love infusion music, when you listen to my music, you will hear a blend of Jazz, Soul and Hip Hop” says Arthur.

Always taking his artistry to another level through his competitive spirit, he appeared along with Innovative Soundz on Amateur Night at the Apollo and was one of the winner’s on Seeking Satch Trumpet Contest. In 2011 and was asked to be apart of KENDRICK LAMAR "RIGAMORTIS video. 

Arthur’s 2016 campaign started off with a bang with a calculated number of views to date on Reverbnation showing an impressive start at 177,650 views from his dedicated fans. In addition to this positive force moving straight ahead to his dreams, he added another facet of his artistry by composing the music for Tropicana Soca song “Come On Over.”

As a producer, Hasani not only mentors artists, he creates beats and composes songs through his NYC studio related to all media. 

“You can truly hear his jazz influences in his work flavored with ‘today’s contemporary genre integrations, an innovative blend of all his influences that evokes a sense of his musical 

heart from today’s universe of musicality honoring the masters of jazz in his melodic steps” says Jaijai Jackson, owner of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

Hasani will be performing Saturday, April 30th at 1pm in the Apple Room at JALC for Eli Yamin’s 10th anniversary concert and the last as a director for Jazz At Lincoln Center's  MSJA  Program.

http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/

Saxophonist Dan Pratt Releases "Hymn for the Happy Man" Featuring Christian McBride, Gregory Hutchinson and Mike Eckroth

Following two critically acclaimed organ group outings, New York saxophonist-composer Dan Pratt heads in a different direction on Hymn for the Happy Man, his fourth recording overall and debut for his own Same Island Music imprint. "After eight years, the organ group had a great run, and I found myself looking for something new to do," explains the California native and longtime Brooklyn resident. "So for this record I decided to go with the piano-bass-drums-sax quartet instrumentation, which is so foundational to jazz. It was one of those things that was staring me straight in the face and I couldn't see it, but on reflection it was such clear choice. I'd never recorded a quartet record, and to go in the direction I wanted to go, I felt I needed to explore an instrumentation that is such an essential strand to jazz's DNA."

Pratt assembled his "dream team" of bassist Christian McBride, drummer Gregory Hutchinson and pianist Mike Eckroth to help him realize seven well-crafted originals and breathe new life into one well-chosen standard. The saxophonist-composer, a member of McBride's big band, heaps high praise on his stellar sidemen for this simpatico session. "McBride and Hutch are incredibly open-minded and agile musicians. Christian is one of a kind. He has a pulse that is really unimpeachable and super singular. There's nobody who plays the bass like him. Add to that his warmth and positivity, and you have a paragon of musicianship as well as humanity. With Greg, I didn't tell him anything except for two or three words about the concept of a piece, and he just gave me something different with every take. Often, it was hard to decide on a take because everything he did was so incredibly compelling. The kind of surprises that I got from Christian and Greg were so delightful; they were things that I could never imagine explaining or asking for.

"And I'm super happy with what Mike played," Pratt continues. "What he was playing behind me felt like he really understood where I was going, what I was playing, and the ideas behind the harmonies of my tunes. And the more adventurous I was, the more into it he was. It's nice to know that I've got that strong ear behind me so when I want to go in a freer direction he always hears it, and he hears it in a melodic context, too."

The foursome kicks off the program with the off-kilter, Monkish "Gross Blues," which has Hutchinson flowing freely over the bar line while McBride keeps steady time with his inimitable groove. "I didn't tell Greg anything but 'Keep it loose and trashy,' and that's what he came up with," recalls Pratt. Eckroth feeds the saxophonist dissonant voicings, nudging him harmonically into some passionate, upper register wailing. McBride also delivers a typically chops-laden solo on this urgent opener.         

 

Pratt affects a singing quality through the rich harmonic terrain of "New Day," and for good reason. "I wrote it after I met the woman who is now my wife, and I just felt this incredible elation," he explains. "It's different than when you meet someone you're smitten with. It's a feeling when you meet somebody and you realize that there is this life-partner potential; a person who brings out the best in you, who inspires you to be the best that you can be, and that inspiration happens by her being who she is." Hutchinson's playing on this breezy, uplifting number is lively and highly interactive. "He totally elevates the piece throughout the whole thing," says Pratt. "What he's playing has this wonderful arc that really fits the spirit of the tune."          

Hutchinson's sparse mallet work helps set the darkly delicate tone of "River," which is cast in the vein of such ruminative classics as Wayne Shorter's "Fall" or Miles Davis' "Flamenco Sketches." As the composer explains, "Most of my tunes can be sort of active, and I wanted to write something that was more patient; a tune whose activity lived within its patience. So I was thinking of the reflective nature of watching a river, not really being in the flow of the river but rather reflecting on the river's flow itself, that staid kind of strength but also fluidity."        

  

The effervescent "Warsaw" has Pratt switching to alto sax and burning a blue streak over Hutchinson's highly-charged pulse as McBride's contrapuntal lines add layers of intrigue. "Alto is very new for me," says Pratt, who started on baritone saxophone in eighth grade before switching to tenor later in high school. "I just got the alto not even a year before this recording session and I was so enamored with the sound that I decided to record a couple tunes with it. I just thought for range and timbre it provided something a little different on this tune."          

Pratt returns to tenor for the loose second line vibe of "Junket" and the moody, alluring "Riddle Me Rhumba" before pulling out the alto again on the buoyant "Hymn for the Happy Man," a title which fits his own personal philosophy. "It was written in tribute to the humanity that chooses to strive toward deeper happiness; not circumstantial happiness but happiness from within," he explains. "It's to celebrate espousing happiness and a forward-thinking kind of mentality and spirit."          

The collection closes with Pratt's unique interpretation of the Kurt Weill-penned jazz standard "Speak Low," which incorporates some clever rhythmic devices to break things up in intriguing ways. "I realized that I'm increasingly interested in playing with space and form, and I want to carry that same sense of joy and play in the music that I write through my arrangements as well," he explains. "So this arrangement is an example of that kind of playfulness. It starts out like any other standard arrangement of 'Speak Low' in a count-it-off-at-a-jam-session kind of way, but there's a lot of very specific and subtle treatments done to the form and chord progression that just basically open up places where you wouldn't necessarily normally have them opened up. I'm really just looking for opportunities for the unexpected to occur."          

Those kinds of surprises are prevalent throughout Hymn for the Happy Man, which stands as Pratt's most ambitious and fully-realized recording to date.

Dan Pratt's Upcoming Performances:

June 2 / Smalls Jazz Club / New York, NY.