NEW RELEASES: KRISTEN LEE SERGEANT – INSIDE/OUT; FELIX CAVAIERE – CASTLES IN THE AIR; LAURIN TALESE – GORGEOUS CHAOS

KRISTEN LEE SERGEANT – INSIDE/OUT

With Inside/Out, Kristen Lee Sergeant emerges onto the crowded scene of jazz vocalists with a fresh, distinctive voice full of soul, authenticity and the gift of great storytelling.  The title reflects the uality of each song’s lyrics and placement, creating a cycle of emotions ranging from rapture to introspection to reality, bringing what is inside, out. Fun and fearlessness pervade this debut release as Kristen also turns 80s pop classics into adventurous jazz romps with the promise of even more exciting things to come.  The restless, creative spirit that inspires her is evident on this recording and deeply impacts the music and her listeners. Radio host, Jay Edwards of WCLK-FM’s “Jazz Tones,” calls her “an effervescent spirit whose superb vocals and phrasing inject the lyrics with new life.”  Illustrating how influences from early on-stage work palpably serve this recording.  Inspired by Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn and Rosemary Clooney, Sergeant finds the swing and intimacy of each tine in every context.  This release is a portrait of an artist coalescing all her influences, and those of her musicians, to a nuanced reinvention of standards and pop classics under the jazz canopy of swing and contemporary music.

FELIX CAVALIERE – CASTLES IN THE AIR

Felix Cavaliere may be best known to some for his work in the Rascals – but years later, he stepped out as a solo act on his own – with a sound that nicely drew from all of his early work on Atlantic Records! The sound here is kind of a late 70s update of the blue-eyed mode that Felix had with his earlier group – given a bit more of an AOR spin in the production, through use of a top-shelf array of jazz fusion players in the backings. Despite the pianos on the cover, Cavaliere mostly plays Fender Rhodes and organ next to his vocals – on titles that include "Only A Lonely Heart Sees", "All Or Nothing", "People Got To Be Free", "Outside Your Window", "Love Is The First Day Of Spring", "You Turned Me Around", and "Good To Have Love Back". (Part of the great AOR City series from Japan!) ~ Dusty Groove

LAURIN TALESE – GORGEOUS CHAOS

A jazz vocalist with a great blend of classic roots and contemporary soul – working here in a mix of her own original tunes and some well-chosen standards! Laurin's sense of lyric is very personal – spun out with a richness that's immediately apparent, and underscored by some warm acoustic jazz currents – but with energy that's very electric in the way the instrumentation comes together! Some tunes have a gentle glow, others have a more contemporary crackle – but the instrumentation throughout is very classic – and includes some especially nice tones and colors from the horns. Robert Glasper guests on one track, singer Vivian Green is on another, and Christan McBride plays bass on a few more tracks. Titles include "This Love", "My Husband", "Trenchcoat", "Love Poems", "Same Mistakes", "Forgive & Forget", "Kissing A Fool", and "Tick Tock". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: CHUCK LOEB - UNSPOKEN; THE FRIGHTNRS – NOTHING MORE TO SAY; TIM RAY TRIO – WINDOWS

CHUCK LOEB - UNSPOKEN

Loeb's new CD "Unspoken" is coming out September 30th and the 1st single "Cotton Club" is out and climbing the charts quickly. The CD of 10 new original compositions features some of the finest musicians in the world, and I am blessed to call them some of my dearest friends & family: Nathan East, Will Lee, Brian Culbertson, Everette Harp, Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Andy Snitzer, Till Brönner, Carmen Cuesta, Lizzy Cuesta & Christina Loeb, Mitchel Forman, Michael Thompson, Ron 'Buttercup' Jenkins, Tom Kennedy, Pat Bianchi, Brian Dunne, Gary Novak, Joel Rosenblatt, David Mann, Mike Davis, Tony Kadleck and mixed by the amazing Phil Magnotti. The CD will be premiered on www.smoothjazz.com a week or so before the release date.

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THE FRIGHTNRS – NOTHING MORE TO SAY

The Frightnrs have plenty more to say here – and they say it in a really sharp-edged approximation of older rocksteady modes! The group are contemporary, but like the best acts on Daptone, they've got an instantly classic feel – thanks to instrumentation and production that take us right back to late 60s Kingston, but with some of the sharper funky currents we've come to expect from the label! And while The Frightnrs may pitch themselves as an old school reggae act, they're also one that have a heavy dose of soul – almost a late night New Jersey current to their music at times – as if the All Platinum/Stang label put out their own version of Jamaican soul. The approach is great, and very unique – and titles include "Hey Brother", "Gotta Find A Way", "What Have I Done", "Nothing More To Say", "All My Tears", "Purple", "Dispute", and "Till Then". ~ Dusty Groove

TIM RAY TRIO – WINDOWS

McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Duke Ellington and Horace Silver are but a handful of the geniuses that pianist Tim Ray (Lyle Lovett, Gary Burton) pays loving tribute to on Windows, a marvelous collection of trio music featuring John Lockwood (bass) and Mark Walker (drums).  And the list goes on: Monk, Jarrett, Hancock…Ray is clearly beholden to his heroes, but also brave enough to step outside he homage to make his own way, as evidenced by a couple of originals he includes here, written with Lockwood.  Ray handles all the arrangements, and all are beautifully improvised and artfully interplayed, as you would expect from such a talented bunch.  Ray, Lockwood, and Walker have logged some miles together, not to mention ample studio sessions.  Most recently, the trio can be heard on Greg Abate’s Motif and Kindred Spirits, by Abate and featuring the late Phil Woods.  A tip of the fedora to these inimitable artists.  Windows is a fitting tribute to transcendent, piano-forged material.  Ray knows the way well enough to drive around a bit, test the roads, and open it up on a straightaway.  All we can do then is enjoy the ride.

'World On A String' Captures Frank Sinatra In Full Splendor On International Stages Throughout His Legendary Career

Frank Sinatra never had a problem with language barriers, he spoke to the heart. His songs served as the soundtrack to people's lives around the world. Set for worldwide release on October 21 by UMe and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, World On A String is a portrait of the iconic American entertainer in his prime on international stages. As a time capsule of Sinatra's enduring appeal across the globe, the 4CD/DVD box set (also available in digital audio) is a treasure trove of live recordings from 1953 to 1982, totaling more than four hours of previously unissued audio and video footage.

Many of the performances were benefits for local children in each country, highlighting a lesser-known fact that throughout his life Sinatra raised more than one billion dollars for charity.

  

Set for worldwide release on October 21 by UMe and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, 'World On A String' is a portrait of the iconic American entertainer in his prime on international stages. As a time capsule of Sinatra's enduring appeal across the globe, the 4CD/DVD box set (also available in digital audio) is a treasure trove of live recordings from 1953 to 1982, totaling more than four hours of previously unissued audio and video footage.

Set for worldwide release on October 21 by UMe and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, 'World On A String' is a portrait of the iconic American entertainer in his prime on international stages. As a time capsule of Sinatra's enduring appeal across the globe, the 4CD/DVD box set (also available in digital audio) is a treasure trove of live recordings from 1953 to 1982, totaling more than four hours of previously unissued audio and video footage.   

More than 90 live performances are collected on the collection's four CDs, most of them officially available for the first time, including classics such as "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Strangers In The Night," "Moonlight In Vermont," and "I've Got The World On A String." A DVD of entirely unreleased footage features Sinatra on a whirlwind 1962 good-will tour meant to raise money for underprivileged children.

"I really don't know what jet lag is — I don't understand it!" Sinatra once said. "Luckily, it never bothered me."

The globe-trotting performances showcase Sinatra in eight different countries (Monaco, Australia, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Japan, Israel, Greece, and Italy), from cozy supper clubs to cavernous stadiums to one of the seven wonders of the world. But a familiar refrain threads through these recordings: The innate warmth and ease with which Sinatra imbued his concerts. As always, his backing musicians were impeccable, and the arrangements – by Nelson Riddle, Don Costa, Quincy Jones, Gordon Jenkins, and Billy May, among others – simply sumptuous.

Listening to the nearly 30-year span of performances, it's remarkable to realize how the passage of time never diminished Sinatra's way with a song; if anything, it deepened his understanding of his material. Comparing renditions of "Bewitched" from 1958 and 1979 reveals a more pronounced resonance in Sinatra's delivery.

"It was always obvious that Frank enjoyed touring abroad," longtime production manager Hank Cattaneo notes in the accompanying booklet, which also includes reflections from Frank Sinatra, Jr., beloved sidemen Al Viola and Bill Miller, and more. "You could see it in his gait, hear it in his voice, and see the smile upon his face."

Frank Sinatra: World On A String [4CD/DVD; digital audio]

CD 1

SPORTING CLUB, MONTE CARLO - JUNE 14, 1958

1. Introduction by Noel Coward

2. Clarke Street (Play On)

3. Come Fly With Me

4. I Get A Kick Out Of You

5. I've Got You Under My Skin

6. Where Or When

7. Moonlight In Vermont

8. On The Road To Mandalay

9. When Your Lover Has Gone

10. April In Paris

11. All The Way

12. Monique

13. Bewitched

14. The Lady Is A Tramp

15. (Love Is) The Tender Trap (Play Off)

16. You Make Me Feel So Young

17. (Love Is) The Tender Trap (Bows)

Bonus Tracks (RAI Radio Club, May 20, 1953)

18. Radio Club Introduction

19. Welcome and Greetings

20. September Song - Frank Sinatra

21. Presentation and Announcements

22. Laura - Frank Sinatra

23. Baseball segment

24. Ninna Nanna - Domenico Modugno

25. Night And Day - Frank Sinatra

26. Closing Remarks 

CD 2

SYDNEY STADIUM, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 2, 1961

1. Introduction By Tommy Hanlon Jr.

2. I've Got The World On A String

3. I Concentrate On You

4. Night And Day

5. Moonlight In Vermont

6. In The Still Of The Night

7. I'll Be Seeing You

8. Day In, Day Out

9. The Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young)

10. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You

11. Monologue

12. Come Fly With Me

13. April In Paris

14. A Foggy Day

15. Without A Song

16. Imagination

17. The Second Time Around

18. Young At Heart

19. Witchcraft

20. Embraceable You

21. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)

22. My Funny Valentine

23. My Blue Heaven

24. Angel Eyes

25. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

26. The Lady Is A Tramp

CD 3

THE PYRAMIDS, EGYPT - SEPTEMBER 27, 1979

1. Mrs. Sadat's Comments

2. The Song Is You

3. Where Or When

4. The Lady Is A Tramp

5. Someone To Watch Over Me

6. Something

7. My Kind Of Town

8. All The Way

9. Bewitched

10. I've Got You Under My Skin

11. The Gal That Got Away /It Never Entered My Mind (Medley)

12. Monologue

13. Try A Little Tenderness

14. Strangers In The Night

15. Street of Dreams

16. April In Paris

17. Theme From New York, New York

18. My Way

19. Bows (My Way)

20. Closing Comments by Frank Sinatra

CD 4

ALTOS DE CHEVON, LA ROMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - AUGUST 20, 1982

1. I've Got The World On A String

2. I Get A Kick Out Of You

3. Come Rain Or Come Shine

4. When Your Lover Has Gone

5. The Lady Is A Tramp (with Reprise)

6. The House I Live In

7. Searching

8. My Kind Of Town

9. Something

10. The Best Is Yet To Come

11. Strangers In The Night

12. All Or Nothing At All

13. Introduction of Musicians

14. The Gal That Got Away/It Never Entered My Mind (Medley)

15. I've Got You Under My Skin

16. Send In The Clowns

17. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)

18. I Won't Dance

19. Buddy Rich Band Introduction

20. Theme From New York, New York

21. Bows (Theme From New York, New York)

  

DVD

HIBYA PARK, JAPAN – APRIL 21, 1962

1. Introduction

2. Too Marvelous For Words

3. Imagination

4. Moonlight In Vermont

5. Day In, Day Out

6. Without A Song

7. The Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young)

8. I've Got You Under My Skin

9. I Get A Kick Out Of You

10. At Long Last Love

11. My Funny Valentine

12. In The Still Of The Night

13. Embraceable You

14. Night And Day

15. April In Paris

16. The Lady Is A Tramp

17. Bows

18. Monologue and Band Introductions

19. All The Way

20. Chicago

21. I Could Have Danced All Night

22. Bows (Closing)

FRANK SINATRA WITH ALL GOD'S CHILDREN, 1962

SINATRA IN ISRAEL, 1962

PERUGINA COMMERCIALS, 1962

1. Night And Day

2. My Funny Valentine

3. I've Got You Under My Skin

4. Moonlight In Vermont

5. I Love Paris

6. Come Fly With Me

7. My Blue Heaven

8. Chicago

9. Imagination

10. Witchcraft

11. A Foggy Day

12. The Lady Is A Tramp

Throughout his six-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum, and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today's music superstars. The Oscar® winner also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

www.sinatra.com 

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100.sinatra.com

Opaluna Spans Cultures, Styles and Sounds on Vibrant Self-Titled Debut

Bridging continents, cultures, languages, and musics, Opaluna weaves together a rich variety of influences and impressions to craft a vivid and decidedly modern spectrum of sound. On their self-titled debut, due out August 26 via Ridgeway Records' Rising Star series, versatile vocalist Susana Pineda and inventive guitarist Lu Salcedo freely explore Latin rhythms, electronic textures, rock grooves, folk expressiveness and genre-spanning jazz freedom in a distinctive and entrancing duo setting.

"Opaluna" combines the name of a multicolored gemstone with the Spanish word for "moon," capturing the duo's hybrid identity in a single word: two languages combining to form one meaning, a combination of vibrant colors and bold luminescence. Like their name, Opaluna's sound is also a portmanteau, bringing together two singular voices into one harmonious sound. Pineda melds the sounds and traditions of her native Colombia with a passion for modern jazz, while Bay Area native Salcedo brings his rock background and penchant for experimentalism together on the frontiers of Latin-inflected jazz.

"Our music is a blend of two cultures, two stories, two backgrounds and two languages creating one," says Pineda. Salcedo continues, "We didn't want to do something that had been done before. Working together, we got very excited about how much we could do."

The pair met while both were students at Berkeley's California Jazz Conservatory. Pineda began studying jazz in her hometown of Medellín but decided to move to the States in 2013 at the encouragement of her mentor, singer Claudia Gómez. She chose CJC due to the program's emphasis on a range of Latin traditions supplementing its core jazz focus. Salcedo came to the school with a more straight-ahead jazz interest, but his partial Mexican heritage led him to begin exploring Latin music. He and Pineda came together in a class on Afro-Venezuelan music and soon recognized their shared passions.

Soon the duo embarked on a journey of sonic experimentation, at first playing music for one another, then arranging jazz standards together to determine a common ground, and finally improvising together in an effort to discover a unified voice. "We would start from scratch, just improvising out of nowhere and seeing what happens," Pineda recalls. "We knew that we didn't want to do the traditional swing thing or play bolero normally. We wanted to blend everything we are, and we wanted to do it in a modern way."

A professor at CJC, Ridgeway Arts founder Jeff Denson heard the burgeoning duo during a lesson and immediately sensed a special chemistry in the nascent pairing. He invited them to record for the San Francisco-based non-profit's Ridgeway Records label, mentoring them through the process from a crowd-funding campaign through recording and post-production, producing the album at the legendary Fantasy Studios and also contributing his remarkable bass sound to three tracks. Fellow CJC faculty member and Bay Area percussion legend John Santos also guests on two cuts.

"I was drawn to Opaluna's music and wanted to produce them because of their creativity and passion," Denson says. "They inhabit a colorful world of sound, beauty and social consciousness that crosses cultural and musical boundaries and really draws you in. Working with Susana and Lu at the California Jazz Conservatory, I found them to be sincere, motivated young artists that care deeply about their craft. I wanted to mentor them further with the creation of their debut recording because I believe in their vision and see their great potential. Now more than ever, the world desperately needs art and music that inspires creative thought, generosity and compassion and Ridgeway Arts seeks to promote artists and projects with this same goal in any way that we can!"

Both members of Opaluna give Denson ample credit for helping to hone their sound and teach them invaluable lessons. "Jeff is an amazing musician, and having the opportunity to engage in a back and forth with him about musical aesthetics was extremely helpful," says Salcedo. To which Pineda adds,  "He always wanted to keep Opaluna and not change who we are. He just wanted to take our music and our sound to another level."

Opening track "Bridges" sums up Opaluna's approach while paying homage to the multi-cultural diversity of their Bay Area home. "It's pretty startling to be able to walk down one street and travel the world at the same time," Salcedo says. "The song is a metaphorical journey form one side of a bridge to the other, and during that trip across the bridge it changes feels and tempos from one cultural subject to another, which is something that really resonates with us because we're trying to bridge all these different stories and backgrounds."

The album is itself a journey, beginning with the chirping samba-funk of the co-written "Bridges" and continuing through the intoxicating sway of "Instinto Ornitológico," with Denson on bass and backing vocals. The Cuban classic "Dos Gardenias" is rendered with a swirling romantic atmosphere, cut through by Salcedo's incisive solo, while Wayne Shorter's "Mahjong" starts as a folk tune with a supple wordless vocal and percussive acoustic guitar before being subsumed in a psychedelic haze.

Salcedo wrote the intense "Does It Rain on the Moon?" with lyrics taken in part from the immortal children's tale "The Little Prince." A fluid Afro-Caribbean groove fuels "Champeterapia," while both the wistful "Young Bonds" and the ethereal "Once We're Gone" were built around Pineda's evocative poetry. Pineda's "Pétalos" is an intimate take on modern jazz, while "Baile de Opuestos" reimagines the childlike standard "Inchworm" as a Colombian joropo.

After spending three weeks touring Colombia this summer, Pineda and Salcedo's collaboration has truly bridged the duo's respective cultures. Their musical partnership has been an ongoing voyage of discovery, resulting in an uncategorizable sound that finds them meeting somewhere in the middle - or, perhaps, some other, completely unexplored new territory. "After all this time playing together," Salcedo says, "everything morphs into what we both need it to be."

NEW RELEASES: DERRICK HODGE - THE SECOND; DERRICK HARRIOTT – REGGAE, FUNK & SOUL 1969-1975; JIM SNIDERO – MD66

DERRICK HODGE – THE SECOND

Derrick Hodge blows our mind yet again – and reminds us with this set that he's way more than just a bassist who's known for his earlier work with Robert Glasper! Instead, Hodge takes on a whole host of different instruments – and often provides most of the music on most of the tracks, thanks to the magic of overdub – including some sweet piano and keyboard passages that have a very Glasper-like sense of soul, but which also reflect the more open range of some of Derrick's musical ideas! Some tunes have a very open, spacious quality – others are more rhythmically focused – and the set features some instrumentation from Marck Colenburg on drums, Keyon Harrold on trumpet, and Marcus Strickland on tenor. Titles include "Clock Strike Zero", "For Generations", "Transitions", "Song 3", "The Second", "Heart Of A Dreamer", "Going", "Don Blue", and "Underground Rhapsody". ~ Dusty Groove

DERRICK HARRIOTT – REGGAE, FUNK & SOUL 1969-1975

The title certainly gets it right – as Derrick Harriott serves up a wonderful mix of sounds that owes plenty to American funk and soul of the early 70s – some cool Kingston covers of famous US tunes, and some other originals that are equally groovy overall! The set's one of the best that we've ever heard from the Dub Store label – and almost has a Soul Jazz level of track selection – really wonderful work that either features Derrick in the lead, or working with some hip contemporaries, in a groove that's totally great – neither straight reggae, but also quite far from more familiar funk and soul too. Titles include "Black Moses" by The Preacher, "Tougher Than Tough" by I Roy, "Brown Baby" by Derrick Harriott, "Hell Below" by Crystal Generation, "Going Back Home" by The Chosen Few, "Psychedelic Train" by Derrick Harriott, "Slippery" by Karl Bryan & The Crystalites, "Home Sweet Home" by Bongo Herman & Les, "Rescue The Children" by Junior Murvin, "Phoenix" by Noel Brown, "People Make The World Go Round" by The Chosen Few, and "Message From A Black Man" by Derrick Harriott. ~ Dusty Groove

JIM SNIDERO – MD66

Fantastic work from reedman Jim Snidero – wrapped up tight here in the frontline with trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, a pair who come off with a hell of a lot of focus and power right from the very first note! Sipiagin's horn provides this farther reach for Snidero's ideas – really pushing his alto strongly as the pair weave wonderful lines at the start of the tune, then break off into their solos – driven by excellent work from bandmates Andy Laverne on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. The album's got a fresh, bold sense of power that reminds us that jazz, once again, is all about bringing the right folks together in the right way! Titles include "MD66", "Recursion", "Free Beauty", "Who We've Known", "Blue In Green", "Unified", and "Purge". ~ Dusty Groove

PERCY FAITH - THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that Percy Faith invented easy listening music; along with Mantovani, he pioneered the use of string sections to soften and sweeten the brass-dominated sound that dominated popular music during the ‘40s. Faith was also one of Mitch Miller’s main men at Columbia Records, where he provided arrangements for everybody from Doris Day to Tony Bennett to Johnny Mathis, and he composed some of the most memorable soundtrack themes of all time. Now, Real Gone pays tribute to one of the great arrangers and composers in pop music history with a 32-track set spanning 22 years of recordings, including hit singles, tracks drawn from a total of 20 different albums, and a number of his most revered compositions for the screen. Among the highlights: the #1 hits “Delicado,” “Where Is Your Heart (from ‘Moulin Rouge’),” and “The Theme from ‘A Summer Place;’” his soundtrack themes to the films Tammy Tell Me True, The Oscar, and The Love Goddesses, and the TV series The Virginian; and some of his signature adaptations of Latin music like “How Insensitive (Insensataez)” and “Brazil (Aquarela Do Brasil).” Joe Marchese provides the notes, and the package includes photos from the Columbia vaults as well as some of the great cover art that adorned Faith’s album releases. Remastered by Maria Triana at Battery Studios in New York…like the title says, the definitive—and largest ever—Percy Faith collection!

Disc : 1

1. Jungle Fantasy

2. All My Love (Bolero)

3. The Syncopated Clock

4. Delicado

5. Swedish Rhapsody (Midsummer Vigil)

6. Where Is Your Heart (From "Moulin Rouge")

7. Return to Paradise

8. Music Until Midnight (Lullaby for Adults Only)

9. The Bandit (Theme from "O Cangaceiro")

10. Swing Low Sweet Chariot

11. With a Little Bit of Luck (from the Broadway Musical "My Fair Lady")

12. Embassy Waltz (from the Broadway Musical "My Fair Lady"

13. Till

14. Ebb Tide

15. Theme for Young Lovers

16. Theme from "A Summer Place" (From the Warner Bros. Film "A Summer Place")

Disc : 2

1. Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)

2. Under Paris Skies (Sous le ciel de Paris)

3. Camelot (From the Broadway Musical "Camelot")

4. Tammy Tell Me True (From the Universal Film "Tammy Tell Me True")

5. Stella by Starlight

6. Moonlight in Vermont

7. The Virginian (From the NBC-TV Series "The Virginian")

8. The Love Goddess (From the Paramount Film "The Love Goddesses")

9. How Insensitive (Insensataez)

10. The "In" Crowd

11. Song from "The Oscar (Maybe September) (From the Embassy Film "The Oscar")

12. The Glass Mountain (From the Embassy Film "The Oscar")

13. Bim Bam Boom

14. Samba de Orfeu (From the Film "Black Orpheus")

15. Love Theme from "Romeo and Juliet" (From the Paramount Film "Romeo & Juliet")

16. Theme from "Chinatown" (From the Paramount Film "Chinatown")

SHIRLEY HORN LIVE AT THE 4 QUEENS I Deluxe CD Package & Digital Edition Available September 16, 2016

Resonance Records has announced the release of SHIRLEY HORN - LIVE AT THE 4 QUEENS, a previously unissued live recording by legendary singer/pianist Shirley Horn accompanied by her rhythm section of over 20 years, the late bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams, recorded by Las Vegas NPR affiliate KNPR on May 2, 1988 at what noted author James Gavin describes as "Las Vegas's hip little oasis for jazz lovers, the jazz club inside the 4 Queens Hotel." Resonance will release this album in a deluxe CD package and a digital edition on Friday, September 16, 2016.

Live At The 4 Queens was recorded only one year after her 1987 "comeback album" on Verve Records, I Thought About You, which reignited her international touring career after a nearly 20-year hiatus during which she had restricted her musical activities to her home town of Washington, D.C. so she could devote herself to raising her daughter.

 

The album includes a comprehensive 56-page book dedicated to documenting the life and career of Shirley Horn featuring essays and interviews with Resonance Records producer Zev Feldman, journalist and author James Gavin, jazz record veterans and Shirley Horn producers Jean-Philippe Allard and Richard Seidel, long-time Shirley Horn drummer Steve Williams (in conversation with Library of Congress jazz specialist, journalist and radio host Larry Appelbaum), Horn's friend and colleague, singer Sheila Jordan (in conversation with noted jazz journalist Ted Panken), Washington, D.C. jazz radio veteran Rusty Hassan, KNPR engineer Brian Sanders, manager Sheila Mathis and finally, Rainy Smith, Horn's daughter.

Featuring nine tracks and over 50 minutes of music, Live At The 4 Queens features Shirley Horn's interpretations of popular songs including "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" by Cole Porter, "The Boy from Ipanema" (the female version of "The Girl from Ipanema") by Antônio Carlos Jobim, "Isn't It Romantic?" by Rodgers and Hart, "Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) by Jimmy Davis, Roger ("Ram") Ramirez, and James Sherman and many others.

Long a favorite of Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, who both championed her early in her career, Shirley Horn was a unique jazz presence. As a performer, Shirley Horn was immediately recognizable for the mood she created, her swinging, harmonically sophisticated piano playing and her evocative, velvety voice. As a pianist, she was so gifted that Miles Davis once said "If she don't play, I ain't gonna play..." in reference to a gig at the Village Vanguard, and would have her perform as a sub for Wynton Kelly at various club performances. As a singer, she never failed to cast a spell on a room. She inevitably transported her listeners with her moodiness and her uncanny ability to maintain a compelling sense of musical motion even at the slowest possible tempos, which became a hallmark of her style.

When producer Richard Seidel signed Shirley Horn to Verve in the mid-1980s, her career was relaunched, and this time she became celebrated internationally as well as in the United States. A series of enormously successful albums followed. Most featured just her regular trio with bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams, while others had rhythm section colleagues like Ron Carter and Billy Hart, along with special guests such as Miles Davis, Toots Thielemans, Wynton Marsalis and Branford Marsalis. And as a stylistic departure, Horn recorded the memorable album, Here's to Life (recorded in 1991 and released in 1992), in which Horn is showcased with a large ensemble arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel (who received a Grammy® award for his work on the album).

Shirley Horn's return to prominence had her performing in all the major festivals around the world, plus iconic American venues like Carnegie Hall, prestigious concert halls throughout Europe and Asia, and even in the White House. Horn continued touring and recording at a torrid pace for nearly a decade until health problems forced her to pare back her performing and recording activities in the early 2000s. Nominated nine times for Grammys®, Horn finally won one for Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 1999 for her album, I Remember Miles, produced by Richard Seidel.

This album, Shirley Horn - Live At The 4 Queens, captures her at her creative peak. As Seidel observes, "This record is very much in the vein of Shirley's first album on Verve [I Thought About You] and is an excellent example of her work in an intimate club atmosphere."

When producer Zev Feldman became aware of the recordings that make up this album, he was thrilled. Shirley Horn was a very special artist for him. Feldman, like Horn, is a Washington, D.C. native. Now 43, Feldman came of age while Horn was still only playing in and around Washington at jazz clubs like the Pigfoot and the One Step Down. Right at the time Feldman started working in the record business for PolyGram, which became Universal Music Group, from the mid-1990's to the mid-2000's, Shirley was one of the biggest stars of the label and Feldman was a Verve representative promoting her steady stream of new albums being released during that period. Feldman saw Horn often in those days, even driving to her house on more than one occasion to have her sign CD booklets, and attended many concerts as a part of his job arranging venue sales for record retail. "Being the local Verve representative, I got to see her play everywhere from The Kennedy Center and Bohemian Caverns in DC, to the Village Vanguard in New York and Zanzibar Blue in Philadelphia." But beyond his role as a label rep, he developed a friendship with Horn and on numerous occasions was invited after gigs to join in her inner circle with manager Sheila Mathis and drummer Steve Williams. So when the opportunity arose for Resonance to pursue the release of the material, Feldman jumped at the chance.

Since Feldman knew what an important artist Shirley Horn was (and because inexplicably no books have been written about her), he was determined to make this album package the most authoritative and comprehensive compendium of materials possible with an extensive 56 page book of analytical, scholarly essays; first-person accounts by musicians and producers who worked with Horn; remembrances by her friends, colleagues and her daughter; plus a number of previously unpublished photographs from the Shirley Horn archives at the Library of Congress. Feldman says, "We want this CD and album book to remind us why she was great, why she mattered." 

Live At The 4 Queens was captured the day after Horn's 54th birthday, and you can hear what a good time she's having celebrating the occasion in Las Vegas on this recording. The CD kicks off with a spirited instrumental version of the 1950's classic "Hi-Fly" by Randy Weston, and also includes Rainy Smith's (Horn's daughter) favorite song that her mother would play, "Meditation (Meditação)," which she humorously says she never knew the name of all these years until now. The hallmarks of any Shirley Horn album are of course the ballads, and this album delivers two powerful ones - "Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)" and "Just For A Thrill," which James Gavin writes "builds slowly; then her bristling chords build up so much tension that the energy explodes in a big crescendo. Horn lets it subside like a cloud of smoke." "The Boy from Ipanema" is a playful take on the bossa nova classic, which Horn actually got to perform once at Antônio Carlos Jobim's birthday party in Rio de Janeiro. And one of Horn's rollicking blues staples, "Blues for Big Scotia," closes the set in rousing form.

As Jon Pareles wrote in The New York Times on November 10, 1988, "Songs are lucky when Shirley Horn chooses them. She honors melodies just by singing them unadorned, in a voice of honey and smoke; she enunciates every word, shaping small and large peaks with just a slight pause or a lingering vowel . . . And when the time comes to improvise, the song's emotion guides her; she drapes lyrics in bluesy curves and finds epiphanies in tender phrases."

Shirley Horn left an indelible mark on the jazz scene with her catalog of recordings. And one can't deny her influence on other musicians - her contemporaries, as the great Sheila Jordan suggests in her interview from the liner notes, and as those who came after her, such as the gifted singer/pianist Diana Krall. This package is a tribute to Shirley Horn's memory and Resonance Records is thrilled to celebrate and contribute to her legacy with this release. The recordings illuminate her genius and represent her creative peak. Live At The 4 Queens reminds us of what an extraordinary artist she is.

Resonance Records is delighted to release Shirley Horn - Live At The 4 Queens with the participation of KNPR Las Vegas. Produced for release by Zev Feldman along with executive producer George Klabin. Sound restoration is by George Klabin and Fran Gala. The beautifully designed package is the creation of long-time Resonance designer, Burton Yount.

  

TRACKS 

1. Hi-Fly (6:20)

2. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To (3:59)

3. Meditation (Meditação) (9:05)

4. The Boy from Ipanema (5:19)

5. Isn't It Romantic (10:08)

6. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) (5:25)

7. Something Happens to Me (3:12)

8. Just for a Thrill (5:08)

9. Blues for Big Scotia (3:16)

NEW RELEASES: STEVE TURRE – COLORS FOR THE MASTERS; SOUL SURVIVORS: A DANCE, DISCO, BOOGIE JAZZ & FUSION SELECTION; CHARLES MCPHERSON – LIVE IN TOKYO

STEVE TURRE – COLORS FOR THE MASTERS

A great little small group session from trombonist Steve Turre – one that has the leader working with a quartet on the core numbers, then getting some great guest help from tenorist Javon Jackson on some other titles too! The quartet numbers alone are wonderful – laidback, soulful, and filled with easily-blown solos from Turre – who's working with a great rhythm trio of Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – all of whom deliver more than their legend might imply in the setting! Jackson's horn gives his tracks a nicely special crackle – which seems to draw a bit more edge on Steve's trombone – and the final number also features some guest percussion from Cyro Baptista. Titles include "Mellow D For RC", "Taylor Made", "Quietude", "Joco Blue", "Coffee Pot", "Reflections", and "United". ~ Dusty Groove

SOUL SURVIVORS: A DANCE, DISCO, BOOGIE JAZZ & FUSION SELECTION (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A really wonderful title for this excellent little collection – as the package is overflowing with tremendous work from artists who've really held onto their soulful strengths over the years! Some of the artists are older ones, others are part of the Neo Soul underground of the past decade or two – and together, the tracks are united in a wonderfully positive, wonderfully upbeat groove – of the sort that reminds us why we love soul music in the first place! Titles include "When You Feel What Love Has" by Lenny Fontana with D-Train, "Get Your Head Out The Phone (funky dance mix)" by Bill Curtis & Friends with The Fatback Band, "Whatever It Takes" by Angela Johnson, "Open Sesame" by Beggar & Co, "Don't Hide Your Wings" by Eric Roberson, "Ordinary Day (Scratch Professor retwist" by Omar, "In The Open Space" by Vladimir Cetkar, "Beta Waves" by Nu-Era, "Round & Round (old school mix)" by The Pasadenas, "Don't Go (Shane D's solar club mix)" by DJ Skip with Shalamar, "Heaven (Frankie Valentine rmx)" by MODE with Leroy Burgess, and "Show Me Love (Yam Who rework)" by Incognito with Carleen Anderson. ~ Dusty Groove

CHARLES MCPHERSON – LIVE IN TOKYO

Fantastic work from reedman Charles McPherson – a player who was really coming back to basics in the mid 70s, but also finding a way to stretch out with a sound that was different than his initial albums of a decade before! Charles has moved way past the straight bop that first got him notice – yet he's also got this deft way of making changes that hardly denies that legacy at all, and instead turns to a newly fluid sense of expression that might well make McPherson one of the most soulful altoists of his generation – especially in the long legacy of great records that flowed from this period. The group features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums – and tracks are nice and long, with titles that include "Tokyo Blue", "East Of The Sun", "Desafinado", "Orient Express", and "Bouncing With Bud". CD features two bonus tracks – "Groovin High" and "Blue N Boogie". ~ Dusty Groove

Resilient jazz singer Anna Danes finds her wings

It was against all odds that Anna Danes found herself standing in Capitol Records Studio A, in front of the same microphone used by her role models, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, recording an a cappella song that she wrote for her sophomore album. In the dimly lit studio in the heart of Hollywood, the woman who escaped communist Poland as a child and overcame the pain and loneliness of a loveless marriage by discovering her voice just three years ago poured her broken heart into the intimate album closer, “I Love You,” as producer Dave Darling sat spellbound at the recording console. In the famed studio during sessions financed by selling a car, Danes shared her deeply personal tales of love and loss through the six acoustic jazz songs that she wrote for “Find Your Wings,” the DLG Records disc scheduled for release on October 14 that is completed by five standards and a stunning interpretation of blues singer Janiva Magness’ “When You Were My King.” 

Late last month, as Danes plotted with her marketing and promotions team to gear up for the upcoming album release, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. True to the theme of “Find Your Wings,” the positive-minded vocalist faced her worst fears, saw the silver lining and penned a motivational blog, “Cancer Part 1: Vanity Saved My Life,” to help educate and encourage others facing their own health and personal challenges (http://www.annadanes.com/2016/07/31/cancer-part-1-vanity-saved-life/). 

When Danes began the recording project that is slated to street during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she had the desire to emulate the sound of a pair of jazz vocal albums from the esteemed duo of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans. Darling kept Danes’ captivating and expressive voice front and center in the mix using only sparse accompaniment from pianist Rich Ruttenberg, drummer John Ferraro and bassist Trey Henry. Blessed with a classic voice possessing charm, warmth, elegance and grace, Danes’ patient delivery and vocal phrasing uncoils with poise and complete control despite the vulnerability and intensity of her emotion-charged subject matter. Love is her ever-present muse on “Find Your Wings.” On originals, she sings a haunting melody on “The Voice,” pines hopefully on “See You In L.A.” and longs to see forever in the eyes of her lover on “Long Distance.” Among those she interprets from the Great American Songbook are Michel Legrand’s “I Will Wait For You,” Sammy Cahn’s “It’s Crazy” and Johnny Mercer’s “I Want To Be Around” while on the romantic duet “That’s All,” she takes enduring vows with Richard Shelton’s debonair tenor.    

“I’m a very late bloomer in life. For the majority of my life, I’ve either had little confidence or have drafted off other people’s confidence and floated under their wings,” said Danes, who wrote the title track with Cindy Alexander. “Cindy asked me what I wanted to write about. I told her about my story post-separation and how I found my voice and confidence through music. Bam! That’s all that was needed to start the creative process. What was supposed to be a song about finding hope, turned into an anthem about finding yourself, your true purpose, your voice, your identity and so much more.” 

Finding her voice has been life transforming for the former lawyer and stay-at-home mom who has called San Diego home for the past 16 years. Danes hopes to empower people to pursue their passions and dreams with the songs on “Find Your Wings,” which will also be the subject of her first book, personal growth products and motivational speeches on the corporate circuit. Via music, writing and speaking, Danes’ encouraging message is that by facing your fears - in health and any personal challenge – you can break out of your cage, find your wings and transform your life. 

Although she sang as a child in church after arriving in Sweden and settling in Canada after escaping Poland with her parents in 1979, Danes didn’t sing again until 2013 when her young daughter cried boredom and refused to participate at a vocal lesson. Since the lesson was already paid for, Danes stepped in. She released her debut album that same year, “Longing,” which was an extravagantly produced and elaborately-orchestrated collection of standards and modern pop tunes. Her love of jazz spawned the mission to bring more live jazz to the San Diego area through her own event production and promotion company, which produces the Jazz on Cedros series. For more information, please visit www.AnnaDanes.com.        

 “Find Your Wings” contains the following songs:

 “When You Were My King”

 "I Will Wait For You”

 “It’s Crazy”

 “I Want To Be Around”/”Cry Me A River”

 “Find Your Wings”

 “That’s All”

 “Long Distance”

 “In The Wee Small Hours”

 “See You In L.A.”

 “Mr. OMG”

 “The Voice”

 “I Love You”