Drummer Kevin Bowers’ Third Solo Album, Nova, Poised To Be The Soundtrack To The Best Movie Never Made

Imagine a movie starring Fred Astaire and Lena Horne, and directed by Federico Fellini. In your mind’s ear, listen to the soundtrack, a mélange of Brazilian samba, psychedelic rock, romantic compositions, and impressionistic lyrics. The music perfectly captures the elegance, earthiness, and otherworldliness of the film.

Now, for a reality check: the film was never made but if there was a movie, this would be the soundtrack. When St. Louis-based drummer/composer, Kevin Bowers, went on a deep and deepening trip through Spain, he also went on an epiphanic creative journey. He’s returned with Nova (to be released August 9th) a tropical, trippy and rocking album with a surprise smattering of Bosa Nova influenced by the great Jorge Ben and Gilberto Gil.

“Brazilian music is something I’ve always had a passion for,” Bowers confesses. “I studied Brazilian drumming at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. I even had the privilege of traveling to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil with some close friends to soak up its culture. After a trip to Spain, I began writing the album. I was heavily inspired, even hypnotized, by the music, people, art, and food of Spain.”

Bowers is one of St. Louis’ most respected drummers. He’s been featured in the iconic publication Modern Drummer. Recently, his soul-punk band, The Feed, issued a critically acclaimed album. To date, he’s released three vibrant solo albums. His latest, Nova, gathers some of the finest rock, blues and jazz musicians (and friends) in St. Louis. Together, they manage to croon like Tony Bennett, pop like Sergio Mendes and vibrate like the Beatles at their most lysergic.

Nova’s overarching concept is the adventures/misadventures of two globetrotting characters. Though Bowers is a drummer by trade, he composed the music and vocal melodies on the electric guitar. In addition to this loose-knit narrative, Bowers was also inspired by other artists and movies. He cites a cross-section of influences such as Gal Costa’s 1969 album, Tony Bennett’s The Beat of My Heart, The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, short stories by Anton Chekhov, and Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita.

Drumming fans will feast on Bowers’ jaw-dropping exotic and virtuosic performances as a solo performer and as an ensemble player. On Nova he makes use of several Brazilian instruments, including surdo, repinique, tamborim, chocalhos (Brazilian shakers), timbales, bongos, and congas, among percussion tools. “It was a challenge performing all the percussion parts and making the songs sound like there are 10 people playing together,” he confides.

Standout songs on Nova include the sun-kissed bossa nova track “Two Vagabond Lovers,” the invigoratingly percussive “Ground Motion,” and the imaginatively arranged “Lady Day Fortune.” The album is bookended by an English and then a French version of “Two Vagabond Lovers.” This track sets up the beginning of the story which is sung by the first pair of male and female narrators. “Ground Motion” is a euphoric chant song that highlights Bowers gifts for simple anthemic melodies and ground-shaking percussion arrangements. Nova’s psychedelic side is exemplified by “Lady Day Fortune” which opens with a majestic piano solo, then slips into a moody pop track, before floating away with freak-out guitar figures.

Bowers plans to tour Nova with a white-gloved presentation like a supper club experience with some playful surprises. For live performances, the band will vary in size between a lush orchestral lineup and an intimate quartet. These shows will feature the Nova album played in its entirety, along with some favorites from Bowers’ back catalog. The record release party will be at Off Broadway in Kevin’s hometown of St. Louis on August 11th.

Track listing:

Two Vagabond Lovers

Sofía (Walking With Her Shadow)

Ground Motion

Imagination Voodoo

Without A Sound

Forward Rhythm Agenda

Wrong Side Of The Tracks

Lady Day Fortune

Breaking For Conversation

The Last Night In June

Intuition (Someday, Someday)

Two Vagabond Lovers (French Version)

http://www.kevinbowersmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kevinbowersmusic

https://kevinbowers.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/kevinbowersmusic

NEW MUSIC: MATS GUSTAFSSON AND FRIENDS: PEACE & FIRE: MG50; PETER BROTZMANN / HEATHER LEIGH – EYES FILLED WITH WONDER; RIVHERSIDE – ELECTRAW BLUES ALBUM

MATS GUSTAFSSON AND FRIENDS: PEACE & FIRE: MG50

The mighty Mats Gustafsson turns 50 – and to celebrate, he throws himself a 3 day festival of music, along with some of his best contemporaries in the global underground! Given Mats' fire and non-stop energy, the festival must have been amazing – and a good deal of it is documented here in a special 4CD set – one that includes performances from every night of the event, and two great booklets full of notes and photos, too. If anything, Gustafsson seems to get younger and more open-minded with each passing year – able to share his amazing talents with so many others, in so many different ways – in a spirit that really comes through in this great package. Gustafsson performs in a variety of settings – a duet with drummer Didi Kern, with the Swedish Azz quintet, in Fake The Facts with Payl Lytton on drums, in his Fire group in an expanded lineup, in Klangform Wien, with The Thing, and in Tr!o +1 – and the package also features a duet between Ken Vandermark on reeds and Christof Kurzmann on ppoll, solo bagpipes from Erwan Keravec, solo vibes and percussion from Kjell Nordeson, solo alto from Anna Hogberg, and solo percussion and voice from Sven Ake Johansson. 4CDs in all – and lots more music within! ~ Dusty Groove

PETER BROTZMANN / HEATHER LEIGH – EYES FILLED WITH WONDER

Saxophonist Peter Brotzmann has had a long career, filled with incredible duets – but this record with pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh may well be one of his most unusual, and proof that he continues to be open to so many new musical ideas, even in his later years! Leigh's got an approach that's quite different than any use of the instrument you might know from country or folk – and instead creates these amazing sounds that are sometimes tones, sometimes more tuneful – and really balanced nicely next to the raspy edges of Brotzmann's tenor, bass clarinet, and tarogato! Each player gets some individual moments, but when they come together is when the magic of the sound really seems to happen. ~ Dusty Groove

RIVHERSIDE – ELECTRAW BLUES ALBUM

After playing for many years in different blues bands, Renaud Villet, a singer, guitarist, and producer based in Clermont-Ferrand (France) launched his solo career in 2012 under the name Rivherside. His first album, “Something on My Mind,” was strongly blues / roots orientated.  It received great reviews and as a result Rivherside did more than 80 concerts as a one-man-band. In 2014 he decided to broaden his horizons and began to mix Blues with Electro and Hip-Hop sounds, releasing the self-produced, 4-track “Electraw Blues EP.” Rivherside also began performing live in this electro configuration, playing samples and using Ableton Live software. In 2015 he collaborated with rapper TDB and together they released the “Inner Voices” EP in early 2016 . And now, the french electro blues pioneer is back with a new 12-track album.

MAYSA & BLUEY CELEBRATE 25 YRS OF COLLABORATIONS WITH INCOGNITO'S "IN SEARCH OF BETTER DAYS"

While Bluey and Incognito continue to raise us to our feet with their downright funky and insatiable grooves, they also elevate our consciousness with their poignant visions and dreams on In Search Of Better Days. "We are living in troubled times and I see the plight of the young in my neighborhood, the refugee crisis in London and all over Europe. Corruption. Child abuse. There is political, religious and financial misguided ideology all around the globe," expresses Bluey, the mastermind behind Incognito. "My trade is music and social awareness, and as such, I am fully aware of those In Search Of Better Days, including myself!" Incognito's anticipated 17th studio album is steeped in deep, rich history, bridging the classic sounds of the past and the tonal and sonic languages of the present and future. The songs on In Search Of Better Days are songs of love and awareness,  that question and challenge and that deliver optimism, joy, and hope.  Incognito plans to tour the US in the Fall but until then you have the soundtrack to put you on the road to better days.

As a producer, songwriter and musician, Bluey has collaborated with a who's who list in music including James Brown, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Chaka Khan, R. Kelly, Leon Ware, George Duke, Phillip Bailey, Steve Gadd, Maxi Priest and countless others. You would think that a 37-year-old band would rest on its laurels...right? No, not Incognito! The band is as creative and full of fire as it was at its conception in 1979. A rare feat in these days and times. The sound of Bluey's London for over three and a half decades weaves its way throughout In Search Of Better Days and gives it flesh, with splashes of Drum & Bass and Broken Beats, Rare Groove, Deep Soulful House, and even influences from the Rock and Blues that were at the heart of the UK scene in the late '60s and early '70s.

As the stunning and talented vocalist Maysa readies to turn 50 in August she also celebrates a Silver Anniversary with Incognito. "Working with Bluey & Incognito for the last 25 years has been incredible," says Maysa. "Bluey has taken me around the world several times and has allowed me to sing very special songs. Our magic is from Heaven and feels like it was destined." Maysa is featured on four tracks on In Search Of Better Days: "All I Ever Wanted"  and Everyday Grind" which Bluey cites as among one of his favorites on the album. "'Everyday Grind' is the freshest thing I've done in years," confesses Bluey. "Sonically it's the sound of the London I know in combination with my favorite voice on the planet - Maysa. It's about a break up in a relationship that both Maysa and I could identify with and thus tell the tale convincingly because we both lived it!" Other personnel on In Search Of Better Days includes Stuart Zender and some of the UK's finest and most soulful voices Imaani, Vanessa Haynes, Tony Momrelle, Katie Leone, Vula Malinga. Also highlighted on the CD is the dynamic singer/pianist and label-mate Avery*Sunshine, drummer Richard Spaven, cosmic percussionist Jody Linscott, and Japanese guitar legend Tomoyasu Hotei of Kill Bill fame. Grounding the entire album are the usual suspects: Matt Cooper and Ski Oakenfull (keyboards); Francis Hylton (bass); Francesco Mendolia (drums); João Caetano (percussion); Francisco Sales (lead guitar); Sid Gauld (trumpet); Trevor Mires and Alistair White (trombone); Paul Booth, Jim Hunt, and Andy Ross (sax and flute); and Richard Bull (everything).

As Bluey continues blazing his own trail with his ever-expanding community of  all-star artists, fueled by a passion for storytelling and creating unity through the groove, Incognito's In Search Of Better Days surely takes us there. This album is . . .  Truth! The musical wizard concludes, "When you are lucky enough to be doing what you love for a living, that alone should be enough to make you want to carry on, add to that the friendships, the wonderful journeys around the world, the possibility to communicate and stimulate change for the better... The thrill just keeps getting stronger!"

    

Osibisa Legend Gregg Kofi Brown Releases Autobiography & New CD Anthology “Rock 'n' Roll And UFOs”

Gregg Kofi-Brown is best known for his work with seminal African funk rock pioneers Osibisa, who were one of the first, if not THE first African band to achieve popular success in the West. With conscience laden lyrics and funky afro-rhythms, Gregg has a created a multi-national musical platform with his guest artists that speaks to many people across the world. Gregg Kofi Brown was executive producer of the 2003 Evening Standard cover-mount CD give away in memory of Damilola Taylor which featured the likes of Robbie Williams, Craig David, Gorillaz, Blue and Ms.Dynamite.

Gonzo Multimedia UK has just released Gregg Kofi Brown's “Rock 'n' Roll And UFOs” anthology and will be releasing his autobiography of the same title next month! Gregg Kofi Brown has transcended many genres of music...from his ongoing collaborations with jazz drummer supreme Billy Cobham, to performing as guest guitarist with World music guitar legend Bombino, from Niger. Gregg Kofi’s recent performance on Italy's Rai 1 TV for the Epifania concert saw him singing with a 35 piece orchestra. His appearance along with an array of world music and Italian artists was the highlight of this holiday TV special.

This album, “Rock 'n' Roll And UFOs”, is an anthology of music from Gregg Kofi Browns career and contains previous unreleased songs, remixes and demos with many guest musicians and artists such as Sting guitarist Dominic Miller, Bomb da Bass, Osibisa, The cast of the Who's Tommy, The Chimes Pauline Henry, the Who's former keyboard guru John Rabbit Bundrick and Seal guitarist Gus Isidore.

Says Gregg, “My anthology album draws on the musical talents that have helped to drive my career from the beginning to the present. Great creative musicians who just happen to be my friends have contributed to this historical album such as: Dominic Miller (Sting), John Rabbit Bundrick (The Who, Free, Bob Marley), Gus Isidore (Seal), Osibisa, Kari Bannerman (Ronnie Laws, Ibibio Sound Machine), Novecento (Billy Cobham, Chaka Khan) and Pauline Henry (The Chimes) to name but a few.”

This is Gregg Kofi Brown's first career-spanning anthology and is a real treat to his many fans across the world

Tracks:

Chasing Rainbows

How Can I?

All The Way For You (unplugged)

Nkosi B

Open Up My Arms (unplugged)

Shadow

Tender Eyes (unplugged)

This Guy

Wake Up In The Morning

Whisper In The Wind

Listening To You

Freedom's Ring (unplugged)

Summer Rain (unplugged)

Freedom's Ring (the groove mix)

Take Your Time

Tricky Situation

Perfect Rainbow (unplugged)

The album is a companion to Gregg Kofi Brown's autobiography of the same name which covers his early career in Los Angeles and London. From his first pro tour with Joe Cocker and Eric Burdon to close encounters of a third kind in a California desert and his adventures touring the world with African rock pioneers Osibisa. His journey includes starring in hit west end productions in London, recording and touring with infamous rock bands like Hanoi Rocks and The Members.

Says Gregg, “Follow my fly on the wall look at the music scene in London and Los Angeles during the 70's, 80's and 90's. Sex, politics, murder, miracles and lots of awesome music are all part of the mix during this amazing journey! True tales of the music scene in 70's LA and 80's/90's London, with cameos from the likes of Sean Connery, Kim Wilde, Isaac Hayes, Joe Cocker, Eric Burdon, Elton John, Peter Green, Billy Cobham, Osibisa, Salif Keita, Pete Townshend, Youssou N'Dour, Fela Kuti, Lauryn Hill, Sting, Damon Albarn & Des'ree. A murder in LA, a close encounter in the desert, a miracle in Africa, an epiphany in London and a number one hit in the USA. A cultural journey. A great holiday read.”

At the beginning of this account of his fascinating life he writes: “My life in the music and entertainment industry has always had its entry point on several cascading levels. That is to say the various opportunities that have availed themselves to me have forced me to wear many hats on a daily basis. Whether it's supporting Jimmy Cliff at a festival in Vienna or teaching a music theory class in London, I am blessed to be working in a business I enjoy.

Follow him on the journey of a lifetime...

"Z Octet," New CD by Pianist Peggy Stern

Peggy Stern Z Octet Finding inspiration in the physical surroundings of her current hometown of Austin, Texas, and drawing upon what jazz critic Harvey Pekar called her "fertile imagination" as a pianist, composer, and arranger, Peggy Stern has recorded the deepest and most personal album of her distinguished career, Z Octet. Comprised of several of her most poignant compositions, the recording shapes them into a cohesive work of great beauty, color, and tender emotion. Stern's Estrella Productions will release the CD on July 8.

At once bold and subdued, shimmering and shadowy, Z Octet is neither jazz nor classical, bridging those genres in a way that recalls Maria Schneider's efforts with her larger ensemble. "I like that it doesn't really fit into any genre," says Stern, who has never let generic expectations color her approach to the music or the way she plays the piano.

On the new CD, recorded at Greenhaven Studio in Austin, pianist Stern is joined by an unusual blend of players, including clarinetist Su Terry, featured with Stern on The Art of the Duo (2010); flutist Alex Coke, a seasoned avant-gardist; trombonist Alex Heitlinger, a gifted and widely experienced young player and composer; and Ilia Delarosa, a cello virtuoso from the Dominican Republic. The CD also features bassist Richard Mikel and drummer Wayne Salzmann, as well as vocal harmonies on two tracks by the leader and Austin favorite Suzi Stern (no relation).

Ranging from "The Elephants' Tango," a gently swaggering tango named after the Elephant Room, an Austin club, to "Phille," a rich, choral-style piece written after the death of Stern's mother, Z Octet covers a wide range of emotions and styles. While Z Octet is a suite, with a trajectory and atmosphere all its own, each piece within it radiates its own particular qualities.

Native Philadelphian Peggy Stern began playing classical piano at an early age, acquiring her Bachelor's Degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York in 1968, and then her Master's in 1970 from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

Stern moved in the early 1970s to San Francisco, where she learned to improvise and expanded her musical horizons. One of her first jobs in town was with the popular Latin dance band SuperCombo, the hardcore Cuban rhythm section of which toughened her approach to salsa montunos, six nights a week for two years. She also played in the Latin-rock big band Azteca, the R&B band Cat's Cradle (which she co-founded with Linda Tillery), and jazz trumpeter Eddie Henderson's group.

After moving to New York, she added to her Latin resume by playing in legendary percussionist Machito's legacy band and performed jazz in varied settings.

Heading to Seattle in the early '80s, Stern thrived in a music community that was more amenable to outsiders and non-conforming styles than New York. "I have consistently found that the West Coast is more open to new musical ideas," she says.

In Seattle, where she lived for eight years, Stern played with such local heroes as Julian Priester, Gary Peacock, and Jay Clayton and was an assistant professor for six years at the Cornish College of the Arts. Her first album, City Hawk (1985), a collection of originals save for Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way," featured her on piano and synthesizer.

In 1988, she recorded the solo album Aliyah, a collection of Jewish tunes (one that neatly paired up with her earlier release, Christmas Collection). Two years later, she was back in New York, where, when not teaching upstate at SUNY-Purchase, she immersed herself in the downtown scene. She played with a formidable number of first-rate artists, including Lee Konitz, with whom she recorded such albums as Lunasea (1992), much of which she composed.

 Peggy Stern She co-led a quartet with a very different saxophonist, singular avant-gardist Thomas Chapin, a collaboration documented on The Fuchsia (1997). "Free jazz is my favorite thing to play," says Stern, who was good friends with Chapin when his life was tragically cut short by leukemia in 1998.

Her other '90s recordings include the trio effort, Pleiades, which teamed her with rising bassist Ben Allison and drummer Jeff Williams; The Jobim Collection, a duo album with Konitz; another trio work, Room Enough, consisting largely of jazz standards and featuring Harvie S and Jeff Williams; and her first large ensemble recording, Actual Size, a kind of precursor to Z Octet featuring such stalwarts as trumpeter Ron Horton and trombonist Art Baron. In 2006 her Estrella Trio released a self-titled CD.

Stern, who has also extensively performed, recorded, and taught in Europe, relocated to Austin in 2013 in order to be close to her married daughter Sarka and her two grandchildren. Moving to Texas, Stern quips, was "a little like moving to the moon," but Peggy has adapted by playing everything from modern jazz to salsa to western swing. She also added a popular jazz venue to the scene -- her living room aka Salon Peggy -- and a gorgeous new CD to her discography.

New York’s Longest Running Summer Contemporary Jazz Series Returns: Smooth Jazz New York Presents the 2016 Smooth Cruise Season

Smooth Jazz New York in association with Marquee Concerts is presenting another star-studded contemporary jazz line up for New York City’s original Smooth Cruise series, now in its 19th year. The 2016 summer season takes place aboard the Hornblower Infinity, a 210-foot luxury yacht.

The cruises set sail Wednesday evenings, July 13 through August 31. The summer’s roster includes seven nights featuring more than a dozen of the world’s most popular contemporary jazz and R&B acts in an intimate setting. With shows at 6:30pm and 9:30pm, the Smooth Cruises depart promptly from Pier 40, located at Houston Street at the West Side Highway and cruise down the Hudson River, offering world-class artists as well as exceptional views of the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower, and the New York City skyline.

“It’s great to be back on board the Hornblower Infinity with for our 2016 season,” notes Bill Zafiros, co-founder of Smooth Jazz New York. “We’ve curated an exciting array of jazz and R&B artists to perform this season with the added perk of the breathtaking harbor views that have come to make the Smooth Cruises so popular for almost two decades.”

THE 2016 SMOOTH CRUISE SUMMER SCHEDULE:

Wed., July 13: Jonathan Butler & Gerald Albright

Wed., July 27: BWB with Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum & Rick Braun

Wed., August 3: The return of Down to the Bone

Wed., August 10: Rachelle Ferrell & Rahsaan Patterson

Wed., August 17: Najee & Alex Bugnon

Wed., August 24: Roy Ayers & Nick Colionne

Wed., August 31: Freddie Jackson & Eric Darius

The spacious Hornblower Infinity features an open bow, covered sky deck and over-sized windows that provide endless opportunities to enjoy sights of New York Harbor as guests enjoy the music of world-renowned artists. The yacht features spacious exterior sun decks and also includes climate controlled interior decks with multiple dance floors, enabling the cruises to sail rain or shine.

NEW MUSIC: ELLIOT GALVIN TRIO - PUNCH; ELI PAPERBOY REED – MY WAY HOME; GUNWALE (DAVE REMPIS / ALBERT WILDERMAN / RYAN PACKARD) - POLYNYA

ELLIOT GALVIN TRIO - PUNCH

Elliot Galvin is one of the rising stars of UK jazz. A superbly gifted composer and pianist, whose maverick imagination and magpie like ability to blend a disparate world of influences into his own unique musical vision has seen him compared to Django Bates, although in truth he sounds like no one except himself. From deconstructing standards to creating his own microtonal melodica, Galvin’s music is both playful and deadly serious, drawing on a wide range of influences from Keith Jarrett to Stravinsky, Ligetti, Deerhoof and the Beatles as well as the films of David Lynch, the Dada movement and the literature of James Joyce. A regular collaborator with Laura Jurd, he also plays in a free improv duo with Mark Sanders. But his main artistic vehicle is the Elliot Galvin Trio, which in 2014 was announced winner of the European Young Jazz Artist of the Year Award in Germany. That same year they released their debut album ‘Dreamland’ to rave reviews, with the Guardian calling it “audaciously accomplished” ****, Jez Nelson (BBC Radio 3, Jazz on 3) saying it was “Perhaps one of the strongest debuts that I've heard from a UK artist in a long while... extremely bold and progressive" and The German magazine 'JazzThing' naming it as an album of the year.

ELI PAPERBOY REED – MY WAY HOME

Eli Reed's sitting in his corner of the ring on the cover – ready to step into the fray with a fiercely soulful sound, right from the start! Reed has gotten plenty of press for his old school soul approach in the past – but he maybe sounds better here than ever, and is recorded in this mic-blowing style that really gives his vocals a real over-the-top kind of feel – as if he's got all the needles in the studio peaking well into the red, while never feeling like he's losing his cool at all! Production is great on the instrumentation, too – enough to make the organ lines and guitar echo with just the right sort of melancholy that so few other singers like this ever seem to achieve. Titles include "Hold Out", "Your Sins Will Find You Out", "Cut Ya Down", Tomorrow's Not Promised", "Eyes On You", "The Strangest Thing", and "What Have We Done". ~ Dusty Groove

GUNWALE (DAVE REMPIS / ALBERT WILDERMAN / RYAN PACKARD) - POLYNYA

Ryan Packard adds some mighty nice electronics to the trio here – subtle elements that are offset by his more dynamic work on drums, but which seem to have an equally strong impact on the sound of the record! Reedman Dave Rempis is really on fire on his longer solos here – blowing alto, tenor, and baritone with nonstop creative energy – especially at moments when Packard's percussion really moves at full clip! Bassist Albert Wildeman comes on full and strong, too – and the CD features two live tracks, and one studio number – with titles that include "Wire", "Bevel", and "Liner". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW MUSIC: WILLIAM PARKER QUARTET – AO VIVO NA FABRICA; DAVE REMPIS / JOSH ABRAMS / AVREEAYL RA / JIM BAKER - PERIHELION; FUNK COMO LE GUSTA – A NAVE-MAE SEGUE VIAGEM

WILLIAM PARKER QUARTET – AO VIVO NA FABRICA

An excellent live set led by bassist William Parker – done in the same high quality modes as the other Fabrica dates from Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell! This set's got Parker working with a quartet – one that features some really tremendous alto from Rob Brown, who blows with both a boundless sense of freedom, and an inherent sense of swing – this subtle current that links his wonderfully with Parker's great work on bass. Trumpeter Lewis Barnes is also in the group, rounding his notes with this current of soul that is a wonderful pairing with some of Brown's freer impulses – and the always-great Hamid Drake is on drums, able to add so much to the sound of the performance through his deft, sympathetic contributions. At some point, someone's blowing a great wood flute – and tracks are all originals, penned by Parker, with titles that include "Deep Flower", "Sand Shadow", "Parallel Paragraph", "Peoples James", and "Corn Meal Dance".  ~ Dusty Groove

DAVE REMPIS / JOSH ABRAMS / AVREEAYL RA / JIM BAKER - PERIHELION

Two different sets from this sharp Chicago trio – both in a wide-open style that allows for plenty of organic sound shaping and improvisation! CD1 features "Enceladus" – a 43 minute live set by the trio, which begins with sublime bass notes from Josh Abrams, whose embrace of his instrument – both spiritually and literally – can be felt in the way that he presents the music, with these soulful, human elements that seem to bring out one of the most personal performances we've ever heard from Dave Rempis on alto and tenor! Ra's drums are great, too – and he also plays a bit of wooden flute. CD2 features the addition of Jim Baker's keyboards and electronics – which create a bit more sonic intensity, and a bolder performance overall from the group – on the titles "Cassini Division" and "Pan & Daphnis".  ~ Dusty Groove

FUNK COMO LE GUSTA – A NAVE-MAE SEGUE VIAGEM

Funk Como Le Gusta were one of the first contemporary funk groups we ever heard from Brazil – a combo who initially blew our minds over a dozen years, and who return here with a record that's maybe even tighter than before! There's a brilliant mix of funk elements going on here – not just American styles of the 70s, but also some of the best Brazilian currents too – echoes of the way that older acts like Banda Black Rio or Uniao Black took American inspiration, yet created rich new grooves of their own – especially in the way the basslines are shaped, and certain acoustic elements filter effortlessly into the mix next to the sweet electric sounds! All tracks are instrumental – and titles include "Som De Preco", "Yeah Yeah Yeah", "Tudo No Lugar", "Funk Nu A Murit", "Pappa Girl", and "Voce Vera". ~ Dusty Groove

The Branford Marsalis Quartet Teams Up With Kurt Elling On "Upward Spiral"

It is no secret that the Branford Marsalis Quartet can be as freewheeling off the bandstand as in performance.  Saxophonist Branford 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 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.’

Barbra Streisand Releases "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway" Album

On the heels of her first appearance at The Tonys since 1970, Columbia Records has announced Barbra Streisand's "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway" album will debut on August 26th, 2016, featuring 10 new Streisand duets of Broadway classics with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.   The inspired new musical pairings on "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway" include Alec Baldwin, Antonio Banderas, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Seth MacFarlane, Melissa McCarthy, Chris Pine, Daisy Ridley, Patrick Wilson, and a spectacular virtual duet with Anthony Newley. 

  

The release of "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway" follows the recording artist's nine-city August North American concert tour: THE MUSIC…THE MEM'RIES…THE MAGIC! during which she will perform hits from her ground-breaking career.

The greatest star to ever come out of Broadway, Streisand returns to her roots with "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway." The legendary performer rose to unprecedented fame while starring on Broadway beginning with her stage debut in "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" in 1962 and then as comedienne Fanny Brice in the Broadway production of "Funny Girl" in 1964, earning Tony nominations for both turns. Streisand's very first record album, 1963's "The Barbra Streisand album," which earned Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performances, featured several Broadway standards. In 1985 Streisand released "The Broadway Album" and in 1993 "Back to Broadway;" both albums went multi-platinum.

With the longest span of number one albums in history - six decades - Streisand has recorded 52 gold, 31 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums in her career.  She is the only woman to make the All-Time Top 10 Best Selling Artists list. With the release of her last album, "Partners," Streisand has had 33 albums make the Top 10 on the US charts.  She is the only female artist to have achieved this milestone, tying her with Frank Sinatra. With ten, Streisand is the female artist with the most number one albums in Billboard's history. 

Widely recognized as an icon in multiple entertainment fields, Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, concert performer, producer, director, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor. Streisand received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama this past November. Her many other honors include the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Endowment for the Arts Medal, three Peabody Awards and the French Légion d'Honneur. She is also the first female film director to receive the Kennedy Center Honors.  Streisand is a devoted philanthropist who works tirelessly to fight for what she believes in. A woman of action, Streisand founded The Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai and co-founded the Women's Heart Alliance, helping to raise awareness and push for more research into women's heart disease, the leading cause of death among women.

All artists featured on "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway" have achieved international success. Below are a few highlights from their esteemed careers, along with information on their respective songs on the album:

"At The Ballet."  With Anne Hathaway and Daisy Ridley.  From "A Chorus Line," Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and Pulitzer Prize.  In referring to "At The Ballet," composer Marvin Hamlisch said that "the song set the tone for all the music in the show; once the song was written, the creators understood the shape and color of the piece as a whole."

Anne Hathaway: Actress, singer, Academy Award winner for her role in Les Misérables, winner of Golden Globe Award, Emmy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA Award.

Daisy Ridley: Starred as Rey in STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - the highest-grossing film of 2015.  She will continue her role as Rey in STAR WAS: EPISODE VIII, scheduled for release in December 2017.

"Loving You."  With Patrick Wilson.  From Stephen Sondheim's "Passion."  "Passion" opened on Broadway in 1994 and was the winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Patrick Wilson: Actor and singer who began his career starring in Broadway musicals.  Two-time Tony Award nominee, Golden Globe Award nominee and Emmy Award nominee.  Starred in the major motion picture adaption of Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera and the television series "Fargo."

"Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)?"  With Anthony Newley. From "The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd" - a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

Anthony Newley: Legendary actor, singer, and songwriter.  As a recording artist he enjoyed a dozen Top 40 songs on the UK Singles Chart between 1959 and 1962, starred on Broadway in "Stop The World – I Want To Get Off" and "The Roar Of The Greasepaint – The Smell Of The Crowd."  Best Film Score Academy Award nominee for film score for WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.  Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989.  Grammy Award winner for Song of the Year for "What Kind Of Fool Am I."

"The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened."  With Alec Baldwin.  From "Road Show."  "Road Show is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman.

Alec Baldwin: Actor, producer, comedian, Broadway star, winner of two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards.  Columnist for Huffington Post, podcast host.

"Any Moment Now."  With Hugh Jackman.  From an unproduced version of "Smile."  Music by Marvin Hamlisch; book and lyrics by Dorothy Fields.

Hugh Jackman: Stage and screen star, known for roles ranging from WOLVERINE, Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES , Tony Award winning portrayal of Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz," and host of the Tony Awards and Academy Awards.

"Anything You Can Do." With Melissa McCarthy. From "Annie Get Your Gun." Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a book by Dorothy Fields and her brother Herbert Fields.  The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley, a sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West.  The 1946 Broadway production was a hit and the musical had long runs in both New York and London and spawned revivals, a 1950 film version and television versions.

Actress, comedian, writer, fashion designer and producer.  Known for roles on television shows "Gilmore Girls" and "Mike & Molly," host on "Saturday Night Live," and films BRIDESMAIDS – which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, IDENTITY THIEF, THE HEAT, TAMMY, ST. VINCENT, and the action comedy SPY - for which she received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.  She is set to star in the 2016 re-boot of GHOSTBUSTERS.

"Pure Imagination."  With Seth MacFarlane.  Written for the motion picture WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - a musical version of the beloved Roald Dahl book.  Written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Featured in hit West End Stage Musical "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" set to open on Broadway in 2017.

Seth MacFarlane: Actor, filmmaker, singer, and creator of "Family Guy," co-creator of "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show," writer-director of TED and TED 2.  Emmy Award winner, Webby Award Winner for Film & Video Person of the Year.  As a singer he has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.  Host of Academy Awards and executive producer of "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey."

"Take Me To The World."  With Antonio Banderas.  From "Evening Primrose."  "Evening Primrose" is a musical with book by James Goldman and lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim.  It was originally written for television and is based on a John Collier short story published in 1951.

Antonio Banderas: Actor, director, producer.  He began his acting career in a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and starred in films as diverse as PHILADELPHIA, EVITA, THE MASK OF ZORRO, SPY KIDS and SHREK.  Banderas appeared on Broadway to great acclaim in "Nine" – winning the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards and nominated for a Tony Award.

"I'll Be Seeing You"/ "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face."  With Chris Pine.  From "Right This Way"/ "My Fair Lady."  "Right This Way" opened in 1938.  "I'll Be Seeing You" became the unofficial anthem of WWII, later recorded by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee and dozens more.   "My Fair Lady" is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.  The musical's 1956 Broadway production was a momentous hit, setting a record for the longest run of any major musical theater production in history.

Chris Pine: Known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the most recent STAR TREK reboot series.  Starred in THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2, UNSTOPPABLE, HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 and he played Cinderella's Prince in the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical INTO THE WOODS.

"Climb Ev'ry Mountain."  With Jamie Foxx.  From "The Sound of Music."  "The Sound of Music" is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.  The original Broadway production, starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel, opened in 1957 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  It was adapted as a 1965 film musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Jamie Foxx: Actor, singer, comedian, Academy Award winner as Best Actor for his role in RAY.  Also winner of BAFTA Award and Golden Globe.  Foxx is also a Grammy winner.  He and Kanye West scored a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Gold Digger."

Additional Streisand tracks available on the Target deluxe edition:

"I Didn't Know What Time It Was."  From "Too Many Girls" which opened on Broadway in 1939 starring Desi Arnaz.  The film version starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and they credited the production for bringing them together as a couple.

"Not A Day Goes By."  From Tony nominated "Merrily We Roll Along."  Book by George Furth and lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim

"Fifty Percent."  From "Ballroom."  "Ballroom" is a Tony nominated musical with book by Jerome Kass and music by Billy Goldenberg and lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Based on the 1975 Emmy Award-winning television drama "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom."

"Losing My Mind."   From "Follies."  "Follies" is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman.  The Broadway production opened on April 4, 1971, directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, and with choreography by Bennett. The musical was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won seven.

New York Wine Events launches “Wine & Jazz On The River” an entertainment cruise series featuring award-winning jazz, wine and food, July and August 2016, aboard New York Cruise Lines

Elan Trotman performs July 21

New York Wine Events announces a star-filled line up for Wine & Jazz On The River, a new entertainment cruise series -- just in time for summer 2016. The series, part of the new Circle Live Summer Concert series at Pier 81’s North River Landing, will take place on the luxurious World Yacht Duchess and includes 4 nights on the Hudson featuring 4 contemporary jazz artists in a splendid setting. Shows are Thursday evenings: July 7, July 21, August 25 and September 22 with Boarding at 6:00 PM and Cruise Departure at 7:00 PM. The Duchess sails from North River Landing, Pier 81 41st St. & West Side Highway.

The events will carry guests down the Hudson River as they enjoy world-class jazz artists performing live, while savoring exhilarating views of the NYC skyline, Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. Each cruise lasts 2 hours, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.

“I am thrilled to bring a new entertainment cruise series to New York harbor,” said Sam Kimball founder of New York Wine Events. “The excitement of New York in the summer plus award-winning jazz artists on a beautiful ship is a wonderful experience that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy. This summer, we are blessed to have a roster of great jazz artists bringing their best live shows to Wine & Jazz On The River as part of Circle Live Summer Concert series. Who wouldn’t want to be sipping fine wine, enjoying a live performance by a Grammy-nominated musician while cruising past the Statue of Liberty 100 yards away?”

“We are excited to partner with Sam and his team to integrate a jazz cruise series into Circle Live,” notes Daniel Boockvar, CEO New York Cruise Lines, parent company of Circle Line

and World Yacht. “This new series fits perfectly with the unique experiences and destination we are creating at North River Landing with both North River Lobster Company and Fish Bar. Adding national jazz acts to the mix is a natural combination.”

SCHEDULE: Wine & Jazz On The River

July 7: Brian Simpson

July 21: Elan Trotman

August 25: Jeff Kashiwa

September 22: Matt Marshak & J.J. Sansaverino

The first annual Los Angeles Soul Music Festival will kick off July 22-24, to feature award-winnning international soul singers

Soul music lovers are marking their calendars for July 22-24, 2016 and Los Angeles’ first annual LA Soul Music Festival. Debuting live at the Autry Museum of American West nestled in the scenic Griffith Park (located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027), Mark Douglas, along with business experts Ezell Kendrick, Jeffrey Weber and Airborne Tickets stand at the helm of this summer music festival circuit. Fri., Sat., and Sun., from 5:30 PM to 11 PM daily, this three-day festival experience will attract fans and tastemakers from all over Southern California.

Grammy, Soul Train, BET, NAACP Image, Billboard, ASCAP award-winners and nominees, international and newly discovered talent, are confirmed to entertain. Highlighted talents include Eric Benet, Angie Stone, Marsha Ambrosius, Lalah Hathaway Lyfe Jennings, Jazmine Sullivan, Joe (Joe Thomas), Melanie Fiona, Eric Roberson, Rahsaan Patterson, Goapele, Vivian Green, Loose Ends featuring Jane Eugene, Avery Sunshine and Conya Doss. Representing a gathering of music enthusiasts who appreciate the many facets of live music, this event celebrates all things “Soul.”

"Whether it’s vocals, instrumental soloists or a band, it doesn’t matter as long as each artist has the ability and talent to inspire and connect with an audience," stated Los Angeles Soul Festival Head, Mark Douglas. By way of determination and a unique vision, Mark and his team's goal was to bring a music festival to Los Angeles to present to the public in one of the city's most distinctive locations. Mission accomplished for the festival underway, as The Autry is the ultimate, outdoor venue for live entertainment on sun-kissed days and twinkling, summer nights. Nestled on 2.5 acres of outdoor space, festival goers can soak up the breathtaking view while escaping into the sultry sounds of live music. There is also free parking available across the street at the LA Zoo.

Wine and beer enthusiasts can look forward not only to LA Soul Music Festival's many talented musicians on stage but also the opportunity to have their favorite libations of choice throughout the weekend. Budweiser, Budlight, Stella Artois, Shock Top and Golden Road Brewing are a sampling of the domestic and craft breweries onboard. Foodies too can rally in the fun of deciding which gourmet food truck will punch their palates with some local favorites such as Not Your Mamas Kitchen and The Kobbler King.

Attendees will appreciate shorter waiting periods in line for food and beverages by the festival using cutting edge, RFID technology that lets fans leave their tickets and wallets at home. By loading funds onto wristbands, guests can effortlessly pay vendors on site. These RFID wristbands will also connect Los Angeles Soul Music Festival goers to the artists on the bill, other like-minded fans through social media, contribute to shorter entrance lines and function as their ticket into the event, too.

Premium or General Admission level ticketless wristbands are now available for purchase for 1, 2 or 3 days at LASoulMusic.com. The full performance schedule, L.A. Hotel Downtown accommodations for out-of-town guests and other festival details can be found online as well. Interview requests for LA Soul Festival performers or players behind the scene should be directed to Jade Umbrella PR.

Verve/UMe to Reissue Ella Fitzgerald's 'Mack the Knife: Ella In Berlin' and Jimmy Smith's 'Root Down: Jimmy Smith Live!' on 180-gram Vinyl LPs‏

Verve/UMe is proud to announce, as part of Verve's 60(th) anniversary celebration, new vinyl reissues on June 24 for two long unavailable live performance classics by a pair of jazz legends - the peerless Ella Fitzgerald's Mack The Knife: Ella In Berlin and funk-master Jimmy Smith's Root Down: Jimmy Smith Live!. Originally released in 1960 and 1972 respectively, the albums display a high level of creativity from a pair of jazz masters. Though serving different audiences, the recordings are linked by exuberance, spontaneity and profound substance, hallmarks of jazz expression. 

Recorded in front of an enthusiastic Saturday night audience in Berlin's Deutschlandhalle, Mack The Knife vividly demonstrates Ella Fitzgerald's unparalleled improvisational vocal artistry. With her regular quartet at the time - pianist Paul Smith, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Alfred Middlebrooks and drummer Gus Johnson - the albums swings furiously. While emphasizing as usual the Great American Songbook - "Gone With The Wind," "The Lady Is A Tramp," "The Man I Love," "Summertime," "Too Darn Hot," "Misty" and "Lorelei" - Mack The Knife culminates in brilliant, extended excursions on Kurt Weill's title piece and a breathtaking, scat-singing romp on "How High the Moon."

Unplanned as a recording, this performance was serendipitously immortalized when Fitzgerald's manager/producer and visionary Verve label founder Norman Granz allowed WDR, West German Radio, to record and broadcast the performance. The LP was a major hit, peaking at No. 11 on Billboard magazine's 200 albums chart and becoming a landmark in the legacy of live jazz vocal artistry - the album that, out of many Ella classics, has maintained her undisputed position as the First Lady of Song for more than 80 years since she exploded onto the scene with Chick Webb in 1935.

Jimmy Smith, after almost singlehandedly redefining the Hammond B3 organ as a vital hard-bop instrument in the 1950s, then ushering in the Soul Jazz era a few years later, signed with Verve in 1962. At Granz's label Smith embarked on several journeys, including a deeper R&B context, remarkable orchestral collaborations with Oliver Nelson and two extraordinary pairings with the legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery. But it was his live performances that captured the unmistakable late-night, down-home aura of the organ joint.

On Root Down: Jimmy Smith Live!, recorded at L.A.'s Bombay Bicycle Club, Smith is surrounded by a stellar ensemble of musicians who ably straddled the worlds of classic jazz and blues and contemporary funk and rock. All heavily in-demand, first-call players for both recording and touring, they played with a veritable who's who of top R&B/Soul/Jazz artists including Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, the Jackson 5, Isley Brothers, Herbie Hancock and Les McCann. With guitarist Arthur Adams, electric bassist Wilton Felder (at the time also the saxophonist in the Crusaders), drummer Paul Humphrey, percussionist Buck Clarke and Steve Williams on harmonica, the band and Smith dive into a smoking deep-funk groove.

Root Down revitalized Smith's reputation as a prime master of jazz funk and became a touchstone for a new generation. Avery Parrish's iconic 1940 blues "After Hours" and "Let's Stay Together," a No. 1 hit for Al Green at the time, both get ultra-funky re-imaginations alongside balladeer Peter Chase's "Everyone Under the Sun" (written for this album), a couple of Smith compositions based on his sign of Sagittarius - "Sagg Shootin' His Arrow" and "Slow Down Sagg" - and most notably "Root Down," which reemerged as a prominent sample on the Beastie Boys' track of the same name on their 1994 album Ill Communication. Root Down is simultaneously being made available in high-resolution digital audio (192kHz/24-bit and 96kHz/24-bit). (Mack The Knife: Ella In Berlin is currently available in the same high-resolution formats.)

Whether one is a devoted fan of Ella Fitzgerald or Jimmy Smith, exceptional live jazz recordings or just wonderful music, these two albums are a must.

Pianist Mike Jones' Roaring, a swinging recasting of 1920s standards featuring bassist Katie Thiroux and drummer Matt Witek

Roaring, pianist Mike Jones' second release for Capri Records, brings sparkling new life to standards from the 1920's. Teaming up with the marvelously sympathetic rhythm team of Katie Thiroux on bass and Matt Witek on drums, Jones takes on such "Roaring Twenties" favorites as "I Found a New Baby," "Mean To Me" and "Me and My Shadow," fully displaying the dexterous technique, style and taste that have brought him acclaim from both jazz cognoscenti and critics alike.

Roaring features an original cover illustration by David Silverman of Simpsons fame (rendered in the iconic style of "Jazz Age" artist John Held Jr.) and liner notes by the renowned writer Neil Gaiman. Recorded in a single four-hour session, the album demonstrates how superior instrumentalists can come together, without rehearsal and without having played together as a group, and effortlessly meld into an indivisible unit. All but one of the tunes were done in one take. Together, Jones and company brush off the dust from Great American Songbook classics originally introduced in the 1920s, imbuing each with vitality and renewed spirit. The CD will be released July 15, 2016.

Celebrated as one of the most adept keyboard practitioners of mainstream jazz, Jones has also gained international attention for his work with Penn and Teller. Over the past fifteen years, millions of Las Vegas visitors have heard the versatile pianist play with the eminent magic team at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino. Jones is not only the opening act for the show, he is also the music director and composer for the production. Roaring was made while Jones was appearing in the sold out "Penn & Teller On Broadway" show.