Sting: The Studio Collection - Solo Career-Spanning Vinyl Box Set On 180-Gram Heavyweight Vinyl To Be Released September 30th

On September 30, A&M / Interscope Records are proud to release The Studio Collection, a career-spanning vinyl LP box set featuring all of Sting's seminal solo studio albums brought together for the first time.

The Studio Collection includes eight essential A&M Records albums across eleven LPs – The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (1985), ...Nothing Like The Sun (1987) (double LP), The Soul Cages (1991), Ten Summoner's Tales (1993), Mercury Falling (1996), Brand New Day (1999) (double LP), Sacred Love (2003) (double LP) and The Last Ship (2013) – with both Brand New Day and Sacred Love available on vinyl for the first time ever.

  

All of the included LPs appear in exact replicas of the original artwork presented in an exceptional slipcase package, with brand new vinyl masters cut at the legendary Abbey Road studios to ensure exceptional audio quality.

Contained within The Studio Collection are some of the most iconic albums and songs of all time, including numerous GRAMMY® Award-winning tracks as well as a plethora of multi-platinum, platinum and gold worldwide awards. Beginning with Sting's first solo album, the revelatory The Dream Of The Blue Turtles from 1985 – featuring the cream of America's young jazz musicians in a politically-charged set – through 2013's The Last Ship, exploring the central themes of homecoming and self-discovery in the North East of England, The Studio Collection showcases Sting's meticulous song writing, evocative storytelling, and continual innovation in a ground breaking mix of musical genres and styles that have continually evolved throughout his remarkable career to date.

From perennial favourites 'Englishman In New York', 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You', 'Fields Of Gold', 'Seven Days' and 'Shape of My Heart', to the political 'We Work The Black Seam' and 'Russians', the gospel-tinged 'Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot' and 'Fill Her Up', the bossa nova 'La Belle Dame Sans Regrets' and 'Big Lie Small World', through to the French hip hop of 'Perfect Love...Gone Wrong' and the arabesque 'Desert Rose', The Studio Collection combines the full breadth and power of Sting, the composer, singer, activist and timeless songwriter, on high-quality heavyweight vinyl.

The Studio Collection is out on September 30th and available to pre-order now. Click here to see the first look teaser.

To complete The Studio Collection, Sting's new album 57th & 9th will be released November 11th.

TRACKLISTING:

THE DREAM OF THE BLUE TURTLES (Original Release: 1985)

Side A:

1.     If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

2.     Love Is The Seventh Wave

3.     Russians

4.     Children's Crusade             

5.     Shadows In The Rain             

Side B:

6.     We Work The Black Seam

7.     Consider Me Gone

8.     The Dream Of The Blue Turtles

9.     Moon Over Bourbon Street

10.   Fortress Around Your Heart

…NOTHING LIKE THE SUN (Original Release: 1987)

Side A:

1.     The Lazarus Heart

2.     Be Still My Beating Heart

3.     Englishman In New York

Side B:

4.     History Will Teach Us Nothing

5.     They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)

6.     Fragile

Side C:

7.     We'll Be Together

8.     Straight To My Heart

9.     Rock Steady

Side D:

10.   Sister Moon

11.   Little Wing

12.   The Secret Marriage

THE SOUL CAGES (Original Release: 1991)

Side A: 

1.     Island Of Souls

2.     All This Time

3.     Mad About You

4.     Jeremiah Blues (Part 1)

5.     Why Should I Cry For You?

Side B: 

6.     Saint Agnes And The Burning Train             

7.     The Wild Wild Sea

8.     The Soul Cages             

9.     When The Angels Fall

TEN SUMMONER'S TALES (Original Release: 1993)

Side A:

1.     If I Ever Lose My Faith In You

2.     Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven)

3.     Fields Of Gold

4.     Heavy Cloud No Rain

5.     She's Too Good For Me

6.     Seven Days

Side B:

7.     Saint Augustine In Hell

8.     It's Probably Me

9.     Shape Of My Heart

10.   Something The Boy Said

11.   Epilogue (Nothing 'Bout Me)

MERCURY FALLING (Original Release: 1996)

Side A:

1.     The Hounds Of Winter

2.     I Hung My Head

3.     Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot             

4.     I Was Brought To My Senses

5.     You Still Touch Me

Side B:

6.     I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying

7.     All Four Seasons

8.     Twenty Five To Midnight

9.     La Belle Dame Sans Regrets

10.   Valparaiso

11.   Lithium Sunset

BRAND NEW DAY (Original Release: 1999) **available on vinyl for the first time

Side A: 

1.     A Thousand Years

2.     Desert Rose (feat. Cheb Mami)

3.     Big Lie Small World

Side B:

4.     After The Rain Has Fallen

5.     Perfect Love...Gone Wrong

Side C:

6.     Tomorrow We'll See

7.     Prelude To The End Of The Game

8.     Fill Her Up

Side D:

9.     Ghost Story

10.   Brand New Day

SACRED LOVE (Original Release: 2003) **available on vinyl for the first time

Side A:

1.    Inside           

2.    Send Your Love (feat. Vicente Amigo)

3.    Whenever I Say Your Name (feat. Mary J. Blige)

Side B:

4.    Dead Man's Rope

5.    Never Coming Home

6.    Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)

Side C:

7.    Forget About The Future

8.    This War

9.    The Book Of My Life (feat. Anoushka Shankar)

Side D:

10.  Sacred Love

11.  Send Your Love (Dave Audé Remix) 

THE LAST SHIP (Original Release: 2013)

Side A:

1.    The Last Ship

2.    Dead Man's Boots

3.    And Yet

4.    August Winds

5.    Language Of Birds

6.    Practical Arrangement

Side B:

7.    The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance

8.    Ballad Of The Great Eastern

9.    What Have We Got? (feat. Jimmy Nail)

10.  I Love Her But She Loves Someone Else

11.  So To Speak (feat. Becky Unthank)

12.  The Last Ship (Reprise)

The Largest Jazz Festival On The East Coast Is Back Again With World Renowned Talent

The Richmond Jazz Festival, the premier musical event on the east coast, has returned for its seventh year, August 11 – 14th. Thousands of music lovers from across the country will converge on Richmond for a one-of-a-kind musical experience. This year boasts one of the most impressive lineups to date, featuring names such as Herbie Hancock, The Roots, Al Jarreau, Michael Franks and Esperanza Spalding. Other notable artists include Vanessa Williams, Ramsey Lewis, Diane Schuur, Grace Kelly, Arrested Development, Morris Day and The Time, plus many more noteworthy acts.

The Richmond Jazz Festival now has an app! (Available for both iOS and Android devices.) Users can connect with other attendees, share and view photos, purchase tickets, view the line-up, get weather updates and more!

In addition to the presenting sponsor Altria, the festival has partnered with Virginia is for Lovers and Dominion as stage sponsors.  Other corporate sponsors include WestRock, Richmond Region Tourism, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Wells Fargo, Pepsi and Virginia Lottery. Media sponsors include NBC 12, Summit Media and WCVE Public Radio.

Download the Richmond Jazz Festival app or visit jazzatmaymont.com to get ticket information, view the performance schedule and get additional updates!

Official 2016 Richmond Jazz Festival Schedule:

Thursday, August 11th

VMFA | 200 N. Boulevard, Richmond, VA  23220

Jazz Café

Free admission

Thursday, August 11th

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | 2408-2410 Ownby Lane, Richmond, VA  23220

Hardywood Food Truck Rally

Free admission

Friday, August 12th

Hippodrome Theater | 528 N 2nd Street, Richmond, VA  23219

"Homegrown at the Hipp"

$30 admission

Saturday, August 13th

Maymont | 1700 Hampton Street, Richmond, VA  23220

Doors open at 11am | Performances begin at Noon

$85 single day admission /$160 weekend admission

Herbie Hancock

Wyclef Jean

Esperanza Spalding

Vanessa Williams

Ramsey Lewis

Loston Harris

Diane Schuur

Stephanie Mills

Buckwheat Zydeco

Arrested Development

Lucky Chops

Tome Browne & Jean Carne

Sunday, August 14th

Maymont | 1700 Hampton Street, Richmond, VA  23220

Doors open at 11am | Performances begin at Noon

$85 single day admission /$160 weekend admission

The Roots

Al Jarreau

Michael Franks

Morris Day and The Time

Freddy Cole

Sonny Fortune

Jonathan Butler & Gerald Albright

Tamia

Plunky & Oneness

Sasha Masakowski

Grace Kelly

Ramsey Lewis

RICH MAN IS ACCLAIMED SINGER-SONGWRITER-GUITARIST DOYLE BRAMHALL II’S FIRST RELEASE SINCE 2001

Concord Records will release singer-songwriter-guitarist Doyle Bramhall II’s latest album Rich Man on September 30, 2016. The album, long awaited by fans who have followed Bramhall’s collaborations with artists as far-ranging as Tedeschi Trucks Band to Roger Waters, is his first in over a decade.  The album reflects both his extensive experience in the interim with such artists as Eric Clapton, whom he’s worked closely with for more than a decade (and who hails him as one of the most gifted guitarists he’s ever heard) and Sheryl Crow, for whom he composed songs for and produced the 2011 album 100 Miles from Memphis, as well as an intensive spiritual and musical journey that took him to India and Africa in search of new sounds and an inner peace sought following the death of his legendary father Doyle Bramhall.

“I’d been writing pretty consistently for other artists and projects since Welcome and had stored a lot of songs, sort of documenting my life story,” says Bramhall, whose long list of collaboration credits further includes the likes of Roger Waters, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, B.B. King, T-Bone Burnett, Elton John, Gary Clark, Jr., Gregg Allman, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston, Erykah Badu, Questlove and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Most recently Bramhall has teamed with ace guitarist Derek Trucks—both proclaimed as “The New Guitar Gods” by Guitar World when they served in Clapton’s band in the late 2000s—in the Tedeschi Trucks Band, also starring Trucks’ wife Susan Tedeschi.  Bramhall’s collaborations with Tedeschi Trucks have included standout tracks on each of their three acclaimed albums.

“I’d been so busy touring and producing for other artists. But producing actually gave me chops I didn’t have—and a focus on what I wanted to sound like. So all the stars finally aligned to allow me to be completely myself as an artist for the first time—singer, guitar player, producer—and take things that were happening in my life and put them into song.”

But Bramhall correctly notes that his desired sound is “not one thing stylistically, but a lot of sounds that come out of my life experiences and travels—and what I’m affected and inspired by.”  To be sure, there’s blues on Rich Man, but there’s also influences of R&B, Indian music and Arabic music, as well as Bramhall’s distinctive guitar work.

“There’s a lot to each song, and at the end, when I was sequencing them, I realized they tell a story,” continues Bramhall. “It’s hard to summarize 70 minutes of music in a couple sentences, because all the songs have dual meanings and themes that apply to a collective experience that parallels my personal experience. But basically, all the songs are steps on a personal journey back to my truth, and that comes around full circle from beginning to end. So it’s a really interesting record for me.”

Rich Man opens with the pointed “Mama Can’t Help You,” a “call for a reckoning,” says Bramhall, about “entitlement, accountability and taking responsibility for yourself, your circumstances, actions and resulting consequences.” It begins with the voicing of R&B drumming great James Gadson (Bill Withers), and Bramhall, in fact, wrote the tune expressly “for his groove—because no one has that groove!”

The second track “November,” being “a love song to my late father,” has the essence of their favorite R&B records the two listened two as Bramhall grew up.  The contemporary groove easily recalls the horn arrangements they loved—but with a decidedly personal statement.

“His words and who he was resonates with me now, and through his passing I was inspired to take a journey to find my voice and my truth and begin fully living.”

Doyle Bramhall, who composed for and played drums with Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, died in November 2011.

“I loved him dearly, but there were things in our relationship that we hadn’t voiced or reconciled,” says Bramhall. “But before he passed, I experienced an awakening where all that stuff got lifted from me and I went through a spiritual metamorphosis. I just didn’t get the chance to tell him, because he died unexpectedly.”

“The Veil” comes out of “the breakthrough” of discovering “a person’s dark, ugly, true nature, hidden by a veil of contrived charm,” Bramhall continues. “It’s a warning to look beyond the veil—a call to do better and try to live my life as a spiritual being.”

“My People” is distinguished by instrumentation including baritone 12-string guitars, harmonium, and sarangi—the North Indian classical bowed string instrument performed here by one of its top players, Ustad Surjeet Singh.

“It’s a statement about human connectivity between cultures and the hope of continuing to evolve with mutual respect and understanding,” says Bramhall. “Mystics say that the sarangi is the greatest of all instruments because it comes closest to the human voice. I practice meditation daily, and meditate to it. The music portrays the meaning of the lyric and merges elements of traditional blues with Indian classic music, drawn from my travels and experiences in India and Northern Africa over the last four years.

He adds, “People focus on our differences, but we’re really all the same.” “New Faith” likewise expresses his hope that “we can start looking at things differently. We fixate on what divides us as human beings and it isn’t working. We need new inspiration and different thinking to find a peaceful way forward.”

“New Faith” features Norah Jones: “We were cutting the song in Brooklyn, and I’d been playing live with her on a concert series we do every six months or so. I felt like the song needed somebody to duet, and she was perfect for it—and she came over and we cut it live in two hours.”

“Hands Up,” is titled with the phrase associated with last year’s racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo, and elsewhere: “It has a connection with ‘New Faith’ and ‘My People’ and is a reaction to Ferguson and at the same time a personal resignation: We need a more empathetic way to overcome adversity—a spiritual awakening.”

“Rich Man,” the album’s title track, says Bramhall, “is about living for the day, recognizing it’s all we have and finding strength and personal spirituality—and about gratitude for it.” It also plays on the word “lowly”: “It has a dual meaning in that it expresses the difficulty in achieving spiritual peace and gratitude, and getting close to the earth and who you are as a human being—and recognizing in that state that you have everything you need.”

“Harmony,” like the preceding “Rich Man” and other album tracks, is marked by a string arrangement from multi-instrumentalist Adam Minkoff, a Bramhall band member.

“He came up with an interlude intro that set the tone for the song and completely blew me away. Lyrically, it’s a love song about the things I can’t talk about, directed at someone whom I couldn’t really tell how I felt because of circumstances.”

“Cries of Ages” is “inspired by great leaders in our history and the hope that the goodness fostered by their teaching will help us overcome this moment of crisis,” says Bramhall, again citing Ferguson “and the racism in this country.” “Saharan Crossing” then jumps the Atlantic to North Africa, employing the melon-shaped Arabic oud (lute) played by his own oud teacher Yuval Ron, the renowned Israeli composer/player/arranger.

“I’ve been traveling to India and spending a lot of time in Morocco and have been influenced by a lot of different styles of music that comes from there—traditional Berber music, Andalusian, Moroccan flute music and Sufi trance music of Jajouka introduced to the West by the Rolling Stones. I first became acquainted with Gnawa music and went there to spend time with musicians and masters who heavily influenced me.  I then connected all the dots from the Delta and Texas blues that I grew up playing to the Sufi chants and African rhythms from Mali and Morocco and saw that all music everywhere was connected.”

The melody for “Saharan Crossing,” adds Bramhall, “has elements of an Arabic melody, and felt like the Sahara—which is in the middle of all these regions and music styles. I remembered it the last day or two of mixing, and wanted to do one last ‘interlude’ connecting me to those countries. In 2008, I went to Mali for a month and Morocco for three weeks and it changed my life and was the beginning of my spiritual breakthrough as a man.”

“Saharan Crossing” naturally segues into “The Samanas,” which addresses Bramhall’s “journey into the world to find who I was.”

“It comes out of Hermann Hesse’s main character in Siddhartha, who becomes a Samana, or seeker. But it’s a musical odyssey of three movements representing a personal journey through different musical influences and a spiritual journey back to the truth. Through that, it’s about finding peace.”

Rich Man concludes with an evocative reading of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hear My Train a Comin’.”

“When I played the album in sequence I realized that it ties everything together and brings the journey full circle: I start and end with American blues influences—which are the fundamentals to the foundation of my music—and have all the other rhythms and melodies I’m attracted to, that I’ve sought out and listened to. I don’t feel like I made a world music or fusion album, but it has blues and the influences of Eastern music and Arabic music and other types of music that make sense to me, like it did with the Beatles, for example.”

Rich Man, then, manifests Bramhall’s “life journey to find my voice and grow as a creative person and as a man to get to this place, which is now the beginning for me.”

“I read a quote from Charles Mingus,” he concludes. “He felt like he was not playing his music as much as creating the sound of his life and experiences through the medium of his music. I looked at his life and related to that, and tried to capture the same thing on this album.”

NEW RELEASES: FLORENCE JOELLE – LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL IF YOU LET IT; LUCIA CADOTSCH – SPEAK LOW; KYLIE AULDIST – FAMILY TREE

FLORENCE JOELLE – LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL IF YOU LET IT

A great sort of old-school vocal jazz session – one that takes its classic vibe so seriously, it was recorded in glorious mono! Yet even the lack of stereo separation can't dim the brilliance of vocalist Florence Joelle – who can sing equally well in French and English, which she does here throughout on a set of beautiful original tunes – numbers that were mostly penned by the singer herself, with a cool sort of postwar, left bank jazz-based sound – and set to backings by a cool combo that includes chromatic guitar lines from Thierry Courault, plus flute and light percussion – and a bit of added trombone and organ on a few cuts. Titles include "Wake Up Swinging", "Two & Two Don't Make Five", "One Step Forward Two Steps Back", "Chez Moi", "Sleepy Eyes", "Live Is Beautiful", and "Angel's Child". ~ Dusty Groove

LUCIA CADOTSCH – SPEAK LOW

Such a cool little record – one that's quite different than the usual sort of jazz vocal session, thanks to some very "mouthy" tenor work from Otis Sandsjo, who almost acts as a second sort of singer on the set! Lucia Cadotsch is in the lead, with just the bass of Petter Eldh as the third element in the set – and her own vocals are often mirrored by inflections from Otis on the tenor – with a really compelling sound that articulates a beautiful space between the lyrics and the basslines, and completely transforms the tunes! Cadotsch is a slightly moody singer, but the use of tenor and bass really transport her elsewhere – on titles that include "Slow Hot Wind", "Strange Fruit", "Ain't Got No I Got No Life", "Don't Explain", "Deep Song", "Some Other Spring", and "Gloomy Sunday". ~ Dusty Groove

KYLIE AULDIST – FAMILY TREE

A sweet change in sound from Kylie Auldist – an artist we know mostly for deep funk work with The Bamboos on backup – but who steps out here in a style that's got much more of an 80s soul vibe overall! The arrangements are full, funky, and beautifully suited to Kylie's voice – pushing her even more out front than before, with this soaring sort of energy that reminds us a lot of the first few solo albums that Chaka Kahn cut with Arif Mardin – stepping out on her own away from Rufus! The vibe here with Auldist is similar – proud, positive, and very much her own woman – answering to no one as she blows us away even more than before. Titles include "Sensational", "Too Easy", "Saturday Night", "No Change", "Warming Up The Sun", "Look Away", "Rewards", and "Good Time Girl".  ~ Dusty Groove

Guitarist Gustavo Assis-Brasil Releases New Album “Chromatic Dialogues”

Much to the anticipation of guitarists worldwide, guitar virtuoso Gustavo Assis-Brasil has released a new album “Chromatic Dialogues”! The tracks were conceived and recorded in Boston, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh during the Fall of 2015, and brought to Grammy winner engineer Dave Darlington for mixing and mastering at Bass Hit Studios, New York City, in January 2016.

Says Gustavo, “The main idea of recording this album was to combine compositions with improvised musical dialogues (duets). The result was an original blending of spontaneous instrumental conversations with intricate and introspective musical statements.

“My compositions are abstract. I want the listeners to interpret the dialogues and compositions the way they want. It becomes easier to understand the dialogues after listening to them a few times. I'd love to keep attracting a diverse and open-minded audience.”

Gustavo has performed/recorded with John Stowell, Esperanza Spaulding, Frank Potenza, Bob Mintzer, Richard Smith, Hiromi, Tony Grey, Prasanna, Julio Herrlein, Richard Bona, Greg Hopkins, Vardan Ovsepian, Brett Wilmott, Mauricio Zottarelli, Tim Ries, Nelson Faria, Prasanna, Mozik, among others.

Based in Boston, USA, Gustavo began playing the guitar at the age of 13. He attended the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, to get his bachelor in classical guitar at the age of 21.

In 1995 he was featured in Guitar Player Magazine – USA (Spotlight session). In 1999 he got a full scholarship to get his Master Degree In Jazz at Berklee College of Music. His main teachers were Mick Goodrick, Wayne Krantz, and Hal Crook. While studying at Berklee, he had the opportunity to attend master-classes with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Pat Metheny, Frank Gambale, Mike Stern, Dave Liebman and John Scofield. Gustavo also studied improvisation and composition with Charlie Banacos.

From 2001 until 2006, Gustavo played/toured with the renowned group the Dig Trio. Gustavo is the director of the Jazz and Contemporary Music Ensembles and is a faculty member of at the Cambridge School of Weston. His other teaching experience includes: Berklee College of Music (Boston), Musicians Institute (Hollywood), University of Southern California (Los Angeles), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Federal University of Santa Maria, and University of Passo Fundo (Brazil).

In 2005, Gustavo released the book “Hybrid Picking for Guitar”, a method entirely dedicated to the art of combining pick and fingers. In 2008, he released the follow up book “Hybrid Picking Exercises: Single Note Permutations”, with more than 1,400 different exercises based entirely on math permutations. Also in 2008, Gustavo released a live DVD/CD combo called “In Concert”. On that same year, he was invited by ESC Records (Germany) to write and record an arrangement of Steely Dan's “Aja”, for which was to be included in a tribute CD called “Maestros of Cool”.

In 2009, Gustavo was invited to participate in the project “Mahavishnu Re-Defined – a Tribute to John Mclaughlin & the Mahavishnu Orchestra”. In 2010 he released the soundtrack for the Brazilian movie “Manhã Transfigurada”. In 2011, Gustavo released his third book, “Hybrid Picking Lines and Licks”. Guthrie Govan wrote the foreword for it.

And now, Gustavo has released his highly anticipated new solo album “Chromatic Dialogues”!

The album features:

Gustavo Assis-Brasil (guitars / compositions)

Tony Grey (electric bass) - performed and collaborated with John McLaughlin, Hiromi, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter

Vardan Ovsepian (piano and synthesizer) - performed with V.O.C.E., Peter Erskine, Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, and more…

José Pienasola (acoustic bass) - performed/recorded with Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, Leny Andrade, Emilio Santiago, and more…

Mauricio Zottarelli (drums) - performed/recorded with Lee Ritenour, Eliane Elias, Hiromi, Dig Trio, Chuck Loeb, and more…

Upcoming show dates:

9/14 - Ryles Jazz Club, Cambridge, MA, USA (CD release concert)

9/18 - Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY, USA (CD release concert)

10/6 - Uppsalla Guitar Festival, Uppsalla, SWEDEN (workshop and solo performance)

10/8 - Uppsalla Guitar Festival, Uppsala, SWEDEN (workshop and solo performance)

Fall 2016 – will record instructional videos for MyMusicMasterclass.com

Promo video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-gq5ULh9wE

Gustavo's website:

http://www.gustavoassisbrasil.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Gustavo-Assis-Brasil-Music-251450864889051/

Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/jamacy77

Darren Barrett’s Trumpet Vibes pays tribute to “The Music of Amy Winehouse”

Trumpeter Darren Barrett, winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, was flipping through cable television channels while taking a break from a recording session when he stumbled upon a live concert by Amy Winehouse. He had heard the buzz about the unconventional British artist, but hadn’t heard any of her music until that moment. The musician of Jamaican descent with a proclivity for incorporating reggae into his neo-bop jazz recordings was instantly struck by the way the rhythm & soul singer-songwriter infused reggae into her throwback tracks. 

“I was surprised to discover that the majority of her concert consisted of performing music mirroring the spirit-liberating sound of reggae music. Damn! Amy was laying the music down like one of the ‘old heads.’ She immediately gained much respect from me and I soon became a fan and a loyal follower of her fast-moving musical career,” Barrett recalled about his 2008 discovery and the inspiration for his eighth album, “The Music of Amy Winehouse,” which will be released August 26 on the dB Music label. 

Barrett and his Trumpet Vibes band, a jazz and reggae group, selected nine songs from the late artist’s songbook and spent over a year working on the arrangements and rehearsing before entering the studio. To recreate Winehouse’s high voltage, multi-tiered sound, Barrett augmented his band by adding guitars, keyboards, saxophone and percussion to the Trumpet Vibes lineup that consists of the trumpeter-producer, bassist Alexander Toth, drummer Anthony Toth and vibraphonist Simon Moullier (noted vibraphonist Warren Wolf is featured on “Our Day Will Come”). Naturally, the toughest part was casting a female vocalist capable of capturing Winehouse’s uniquely soulful and charismatic spirit on hallmark hits such as “Tears Dry On Their Own,” “Rehab,” “Back To Black” and “Just Friends.” Enter Joanna Teters.  

“I met Joanna many years ago when she was a student at Berklee College of Music, but never had the opportunity to work with her,” said Barrett, who is an associate professor in the ensemble department at the distinguished school in addition to his work as an artist. “I continued to listen to many of her projects after she graduated, having a strong sense that someday we would eventually work together. Well it happened just as I predicted. Joanna joined us on the Amy Winehouse project and really captured the essence of Amy's musicality without neglecting to incorporate the uniqueness of her own personality into each song. The commitment and musical steadfastness that each musician brought to the project has resulted in a recording that Amy’s well-deserving fans will not only enjoy, but also appreciate as they reconnect to Amy’s simple joy of creating music.”

  

A Toronto, Ontario native who has been based in Boston ever since he attended Berklee, Barrett was a soloist on Esperanza Spaulding’s two-time Grammy-winning “Radio Music Society.” Mentored by trumpet great Donald Byrd, he has recorded or played internationally with jazz giants Elvin Jones, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Antonio Hart, Wayne Shorter and Roy Hargrove. Barrett has also performed with Common, will.i.am, Talib Kweli and D’Angelo. Maintaining a prolific album release pace since 2014, “The Music of Amy Winehouse” follows last fall’s critically-hailed jazz and reggae mashup “Trumpet Vibes” and predates a straight-ahead jazz outing from the dB Quintet that is expected in the first quarter of 2017. For more information, please visit www.DarrenBarrett.com.

“The Music of Amy Winehouse” contains the following songs:

“Tears Dry On Their Own”

“Rehab”

“Our Day Will Come”

“Back To Black”

“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”

“Cupid”

“Just Friends”

“To Know Him Is To Love Him”

“Monkey Man”

“Tears Dry On Their Own” (clean version)

NEW RELEASES: BILLY STRAYHORN – LIVE!!!; STEVE FIDYK – ALLIED FORCES; FLORIAN WEBER / DONNY MCCASLIN / DAN WEISS – CRISS CROSS: EXPLORING THE MUSIC OF MONK & BILL EVANS

BILLY STRAYHORN – LIVE!!!

An overlooked gem from the Duke Ellington catalog – an unusual live session led by his longtime arranger Billy Strayhorn – with a vibe that's right up there with all the hippest of Duke's own albums from the time! The set's presented in true Roulette Records fashion – without much in the way of notes, or listings of the players – although from the sound of the set, we're guessing that bill had most of Duke's sidemen on hand, as he did on his album for Verve with Johnny Hodges from the same time – and as on that set, there's plenty of room for solo passages here, especially on some of the more extended tracks. The recording quality is great – maybe a bit more of an edge than some of Ellington's Columbia dates – and titles include "All Of Me", "Mr Gentle & Mr Cool", "Jeep's Blues", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Passion Flower". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

STEVE FIDYK – ALLIED FORCES

Drummer Steve Fidyk's the leader here, and his talents really give the album a sharp sort of crackle – but we especially love the record's interplay between the mighty Hammond talents of Brian Charette, the tenor of Doug Webb, and alto of Joseph Henson! The trio come together without any bassist at the bottom – just Charette's work on the organ to groove things up – but they also get some great help from guitarist Shawn Purcell, who laces things together nicely over Fidyk's crackling drums – leaving the two horns and keys to create these magical criss-crossing lines of sound! Titles include the Fidyk originals "Gaffe", "Good Turns", "Food Court Drifter", "Portrait Of Tamela", "High Five", and "One For TJ" – plus a sweet take on the Beach Boys' "In My Room". ~ Dusty Groove

FLORIAN WEBER / DONNY MCCASLIN / DAN WEISS – CRISS CROSS: EXPLORING THE MUSIC OF MONK & BILL EVANS

A record that's way more than you'd guess from the Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans references in the title – as pianist Florian Weber plays both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes, often overdubbed at the same time for a really wonderful sound! Some of the music is maybe a bit like some of Evans' most creative electric piano work of the early 70s – but there's also a very personal, unique vibe to the whole set – partly due to Weber's handling of the keys, and the tremendous tenor work of Donny McCaslin, who really gets to step out in the trio setting – driven onward by the drums of Dan Weiss! At times, the match of piano and tenor has the angular qualities of Monk with Charlie Rouse – but to say that would also really under-describe the special energy going on between Florian and Donny here. Titles include "Judas", "Ruby My Dear", "TTTT", "Since We Met", "Spring Is Here", "Evidence", and "Four In One". ~ Dusty Groove

 

NEW RELEASES: HERB GELLER – STAX OF SAX; TRIO ELF – MUSIC BOX MUSIC; ORGAN EXPLOSION – LEVEL 2

HERB GELLER – STAX OF SAX

An incredible album from saxophonist Herb Geller – one that's quite different than his better-known sides for Mercury, and which features Geller blowing in an amazingly evocative tone! The first three tracks on the album are haunting originals by Herb – tunes that have a more open style than some of his more tightly arranged work, and which show the kind of fascination with sound structures that would show up much more heavily in later years. The group features Victor Feldman on vibes, Walter Norris on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Anthony Vazley on drums – and the mix of vibes with Geller's horn is an especially nice element, one that adds to the haunting feel of the whole set. Titles include "Nightmare Alley", "A Cool Day", "The Princess", "Change Partners", and "It Might As Well Be Spring". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

TRIO ELF – MUSIC BOX MUSIC

Bold sounds and bright moments too – a very unique groove from Trio Elf, who manage to take the familiar combination of piano, bass, and drums into great territory of their own! Part of the group's strength is the drum work of Gerwin Eisenhauer – who's tight, and mighty quick, but never overwhelming – just able to create this fast snap that really inflects the tunes with a very contemporary energy – almost a jazz take on broken beat, which is followed by the bass work of Peter Cudek – then topped by these glowing piano notes from Walter Lang! The combination is instantly infectious, but never in a gimmicky way – and titles include "Krumm", "Emptiness", "Suq", "Stadium", "Lullaby For A Weakling Child", and "Usain". ~ Dusty Groove

ORGAN EXPLOSION – LEVEL 2

The organ exploding here isn't just the familiar Hammond B-3 you'll hear on other records – and instead is a range of variations on the instrument – as the keyboards run from many different variations from Hammond, Wurlitzer, Korg, Roland, Hohner, and even Fender Rhodes – driven on by electric bass and a bit of drums – in a flurry of sounds that are definitely explosive throughout! There's a slight 80s vibe to the music – echoed by the image on the front – even though these guys are a trio, working with an approach that's more in the organ combos of the 60s – although few 80s groups were ever using a setting that's this lean. Maybe think of the record as a 80s keyboard take on older organ modes, and you'll get part of the picture – on titles that include "Benz", "Fuzz Free", "Lugg Song", "Jump N Run", "Italian Mafia", and "Positive Vibrations". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: MARTY PAICH BIG BAND – I GET A BOOT OUT OF YOU; JAZZTRONICK – ALOHA EXOTICA; MATO – HOLLYWOOD DUB

MARTY PAICH BIG BAND – I GET A BOOT OUT OF YOU

Sparkling work from arranger Marty Paich – one of our favorite large group talents of the 50s! The album definitely gets a boot out of us – not just for its sexy, shower-situated cover on the front – but also for its great approach to the music, penned here by Paich in ways that really let some of the key players step out and do their thing! The group is large, but always swinging – and players include Art Pepper and Bill Perkins on saxes, Conte Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpets, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, and Victor Feldman on vibes – and tracks include "No More", "Moanin", "Warm Valley", "What Am I Here For", "Violets For Your Furs", and "It Don't Mean A Thing". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

JAZZTRONICK – ALOHA EXOTICA

Jazztronik step out here in a whole new direction – offering up their version of the classic exotica sound of the late 50s – along with help from a few of their contemporaries too! Some of the songs are numbers you'll recognize from the postwar years, and the versions here are nicely extrapolated with a contemporary spirit – a bit like the way that Jazztronik can do with older jazz and Brazilian modes, and push them into a 21st Century setting. The approach is less slavishly retro than on other projects of this sort – which makes the whole thing come across very nicely – and titles include "Adventures In Paradise", "Akaka Falls", and "Sway It Hula Girl" by Jazztronik; "Jungle Flower", "I'll Remember You", and "Poinciana" by Gene Tamura; and "Quiet Village", "Beyond The Reef", and "Blue Hawaii" by Toshiyuki Yasuda. ~ Dusty Groove

.

MATO – HOLLYWOOD DUB

Maybe the coolest record we've ever heard from Mato – one that really moves past some of the dubby hip hop styles of his previous albums, by taking on a whole host of classic film scores from the 70s! The music builds beautifully from songs you'd know from action films, blacksploitation thrillers, and westerns – music originally penned by folks like Lalo Schifrin, Nino Rota, Roy Ayers, Marvin Gaye, Dave Grusin, and others – reworked as instrumentals with a Jamaican dub vibe, but a crisp contemporary twist overall! Titles include "Shaft Dub", "Coffy Is The Color Dub", "T Stands For Trouble Dub", "Enter The Dragon Dub", "Imperial March Dub", "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind Dub", "Psycho Dub", and "Condor Dub". ~ Dusty Groove

BROOKLYN JAZZ UNDERGROUND Presents The 10th Annual Brooklyn Jazz Underground Festival @ Smalls & Shapeshifter - August 17 & 18

The Brooklyn Jazz Underground is an association of independent artists with a shared commitment to creativity and community. Through cooperative efforts, the BJU aims to build a greater awareness of original music emerging from Brooklyn, NY. www.brooklynjazz.org 

January, 2007 saw the birth of The Brooklyn Jazz Underground, a collective conceived in the spirit of an entrepreneurial, do-it-yourself movement in the current music industry, and the emergence of myriad independent artists and record labels, spawning a creative boom which counts Brooklyn as one of its bastions of innovation and artistry. 

The Brooklyn Jazz Underground, Tammy Scheffer (voice), Adam Kolker (saxophone, woodwinds), Dave Smith (trumpet), Anne Mette Iversen (bass), Rob Garcia, Owen Howard (drums) & Dave Cook (piano), an uber-creative group contributing mightily to the vibrancy of the jazz and improvised music scene in Brooklyn and beyond, proudly announces The 10th Annual Brooklyn Jazz Underground Festival, to take place at Smalls in Greenwich Village on August 17, and Shapeshifter Lab in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn on August 18.  The Festival will feature BJU members leading their ensembles in performances of original music, much of it comprised of new works.  

The 10th Annual Brooklyn Jazz Underground Festival

Schedule of Events:

Smalls - August 17:

$20 for the entire evening. Smalls is located at 183 W. 10th Street, NYC

www.smallslive.com

Owen Howard

7:30 PM 

Owen Howard Trio

Owen Howard-drums, Jason Rigby-saxophone, Matt Clohesy-bass

 

8:45 PM 

Kolker/Cardenas/Mintz + Woodwind Trio

Adam Kolker-saxophone, woodwinds, Steve Cardenas-guitar, Billy Mintz-drums, Lawrence Feldman-flute, David Gould-clarinet, Jackie Henderson-bassoon 

David Smith

10:00 PM

David Smith Quartet

David Smith-trumpet, David Cook-piano, Gary Wang-bass, Anthony Pinciotti-drums 

11:15 PM 

The Brooklyn Jazz Underground

Performing music from their album "A Portrait Of Brooklyn, and more

Tammy Scheffer-voice, David Smith-trumpet, Adam Kolker-saxophone, David Cook-piano, Carlo De Rosa-bass, Owen Howard-drums, Rob Garcia-drums

Shapeshifter Lab - August 18:

$15 for the entire evening. Shapeshifter Lab is located at 18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, NY, www.shapeshifterlab.com 

 

7:00 PM

David Cook Quintet

David Cook-piano, John Ellis-saxophone, David Smith-trumpet, Matt Clohesy-bass, Mark Ferber-drums

  

Rob Garcia

8:15 PM

Rob Garcia Trio

Rob Garcia-drums, Steve Cardenas-guitar, Matt Pavolka-bass

  

9:30 PM

Tammy Scheffer Sextet + Voices

Tammy Scheffer-voice, Uri Gurvich-alto saxophone, Dan Pratt-tenor & soprano, Billy Test-piano, Daniel Foose-bass, Jared Schonig-drums, Aubrey Johnson, Katie Seiler, Tomas Cruz-voice

Featured On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Spoken Word/Jazz Ensemble COPUS Blends Jazz and Classical Music with Spoken Word on Their Latest CD Release “Aspects”

Royal and I formed COPUS years ago with the idea of bridges - between words & music, between the university & the street, between ages & races, between classical & jazz. The word COPUS is an acronym for Creation Of Peace Under Stars ~ Wendy Loomis

COPUS is a spoken word/jazz ensemble that presents conscious lyrics intertwined with beautiful melodies for the sophisticated listener. “Aspects” is an extension of the continued effort of renowned poet Royal Kent and ASCAP award-winning composer Wendy Loomis. The track “Haves & Have Nots” was nominated for best jazz song by the Hollywood Music and Media Awards. In addition, COPUS collaborated with Steadfaster Media to produce a music video of track “COPUS to the World” which was viewed over 1,200 times in the first day of release.

"Royal and I formed COPUS years ago with the idea of bridges - between words & music, between the university & the street, between ages & races, between classical & jazz. The word COPUS is an acronym for Creation Of Peace Under Stars - even more appropriate today than when we conceived it." ~Wendy Loomis, composer/pianist/co-producer

COPUS includes flutist Monica Williams, bassist Patrick Mahon, drummer Greg McRay and an array of guest artists. The group has performed at clubs, theaters, festivals, and private events in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, Boston and Western Massachusetts. The band is looking to expand their horizons and is currently looking to garner exposure through worldwide jazz festival bookings.

“COPUS is a very innovative musical expression that is gaining a loyal fan base. In today’s musical landscape, integration of genres is a new way of cultivating a new audience in jazz” says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

"The jazz styles are very complex and the music that is created is absolutely masterful. These compositions are amazing with just the music, but then you get the added pleasure of the smooth spoken word vocal styles of Royal Kent. His poetic onslaught of powerful lyrics are mind boggling,to say the least. His silky smooth voice holds a tight grip on the listener's ear and keeps them in a state of mind numbing ecstasy... COPUS could become legendary if given the opportunity to thrive!" ~ Michael

Allison, MusicDish.com

COPUS created an ingenious presentation entitled “Poets & Composers Salon” which is a monthly house concert that presents the best indie talent of the Bay Area in an intimate, home setting. Each Salon features spoken word/jazz ensemble COPUS, ambient duo Phoenix Rising, and guest artists including storytellers, poets, singers, videographers, dancers, and instrumentalists. The intimate setting of a home provides the perfect backdrop for creativity, networking, stimulating conversation, and putting away the distractions of technology for a few hours.

Their upcoming show is on Saturday, July 30th, 2016 in San Francisco featuring COPUS along with ambient duo Phoenix Rising, and singer/songwriters Karen Soo Hoo and Nathan Love.

COPUS & fellow jazz artists event - Shelton Theater, SF - Sat., Aug. 13th, 2016.

Sat. Sept. 24th, 2016, featuring COPUS along with ambient duo Phoenix Rising, guitarist with laser show artist Mariah Larkin and rock guitarist Marcus Machado.

Wine Tasting - Sat., Oct. 29th, 2016, featuring COPUS, ambient duo Phoenix Rising, and wine tasting with nonprofit Wines for Humanity (portion of the proceeds goes to Hamilton Family Center, SF).

COPUS will perform a showcase for music industry business people at the Cutting Edge Conference & Festival - Aug. 25-28 in New Orleans, LA at the Intercontinental Hotel. (http://www.cuttingedgeNOLA.com) as well as performing sets at various French Quarter jazz clubs from among this list: House of Blues, Howlin' Wolf, Balcony Music Club, Checkpoint Charlie's, Bamboula's, Little Gem Saloon, Julius Kimbrough's Prime Example Jazz Club, and Louisiana Music Factory Records Store.

Broadening the extension of performance presentations COPUS leans toward benefit concerts for several nonprofits including COA (a microloan program for businesswomen in Africa) and Art Angels. COPUS is currently setting up a program with Wines for Humanity - a Chicago-based organization that puts on wine tastings where a portion of the proceeds goes to local groups fighting homelessness. (http://www.winesforhumanity.com)

Be sure to catch their feature on The Jazz Network Worldwide at http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com. For further information visit http://www.copusmusic.com to learn more and to purchase “Aspects” go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/copus23 

Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/copusmultimedia

The Jazz Community Mourns the Loss of Reade Street Records Musician and BMI Jazz Pioneer: Tenor and Baritone Saxophonist Charles Davis

Legendary Jazz musician tenor and baritone saxophonist Charles Davis has died on July 15, 2016. He was 83. Davis was a jazz musician, composer, performer and educator.

Born in Goodman, Mississippi, Charles Davis was raised in Chicago and graduated from DuSable High School before studying at the Chicago School of Music. Davis also studied privately with John Hauser. He played with Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Sun Ra, Lionel Hampton, Dinah Washington, Philly Joe Jones, Shirley Scott, Illinois Jacquet, Elvin Jones and Ahmad Jamal to name a few. He also performed and recorded with Kenny Dorham, with whom he associated musically for many years.

He recorded and toured the world accompanying the Clifford Jordan Big Band, Barry Harris Jazz Ensemble, Aaron Bell and the Duke Ellington Tribute Orchestra, Roni Ben-Hur and the El Mollenium Band, the Charles Davis All Stars, Apollo Hall of Fame Band and was the musical librarian for Spike Lee's Mo Better Blues. In 1964 he won Downbeat's International Jazz Critics Poll for the baritone saxophone and in 1984 he was named a BMI Jazz Pioneer.

Davis was a saxophone instructor of private students from The New School; a teacher at the Lucy Moses School and for over 25 years was an instructor at Jazzmobile and also trained students internationally. He leaves behind his legacy in his recordings and his family: daughters Linda Harris and Talya Wilkinson, sons Louis Davis and Lewis Holmes, grandchildren Chantell Harris, Danielle Walker, Fyielle Howard, Rachelle Jennings and Shakeem Jennings, seven great-grandchildren, a host of relatives, friends, fellow musicians and students.

He has released multiple albums and is featured on over 100 recordings. Recent releases include "For the Love of Lori," a tribute to his late wife Lori Samet Davis with Steve Davis on trombone, Rick Germanson on piano, David Williams on bass, Joe Magnarelli on trumpet and Neil Smith on drums released in 2014 on Reade Street Records; “Blue Gardenia,” with Cedar Walton on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums, released on Reade Street Records; “Land of Dreams,” with Tardo Hammer, Lee Hudson and Jimmy Wormworth, released in 2007 on Smalls Records; and “Our Man in Copenhagen,” released in October 2008, on Fresh Sound Records, with Sam Yahel, Ben Street and Kresten Osgood on which they play the music of Bent Jaedig.

A memorial will be held at Saint Peter’s Church in New York City on September 24, 2016. 

For further information on Charles Davis please visit 

http://www.readestreetrecords.com/charles_davis/ 

For information on the memorial please contact Chantell Harris. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to support the mission of Jazzmobile: to Present, Preserve, Promote and Propagate JAZZ. https://www.nycharities.org/give/donate.aspx?cc=2674