TONY MORENO'S SHORT STORIES - Hurricane 'Sandy' Victim Reclaims His Artistic Life with Group Collaboration Recording. A Story of Loss and Recovery

Born in Manhattan, Tony Moreno, was raised by his mother, Nina Dunkel Moreno, who was considered one of the great American harpists of her day, as well as an accomplished pianist, musicologist and teacher. His early upbringing proved a perfect backdrop to pursue a career in music. By the age of three, Moreno began playing the piano. By the age of ten, he received his first drum set from Elvin Jones.

Jones became Moreno's early mentor and teacher. In later years, other teachers included Art Blakey, Al "Tootie" Heath, James Priess, Freddie Waits and Bob Moses.

When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast shore in 2012, Moreno lost his entire musical life - his instruments, possessions, the library of his compositions and treasured, archival possessions bequeathed from his mother.

"After Hurricane Sandy destroyed my studio, I was offered a monthly residency at The 55 Bar for the Quintet," says Moreno. "This record is a way of expressing my gratitude for the outstanding support and love I received within the music community - from colleagues, organizations and fans alike."

"The band is made up of artistic companions who have performed together over four years," the drummer explains. "Since I lost my drum set, I purchased a small keyboard and began composing again. It was, of course, cathartic. It was time to document the group. We had enough music for two CDs. I had to clean the slate and move on."

This record, featuring Marc Mommaas, Ron Horton, Jean-Michel Pilc and Ugonna Okegwo, represents the rebuilding process of Tony Moreno's shattered life. Re-assembling the pieces seemed impossible but soon it began taking shape.

On October 8th the Quintet will celebrate the record release of Short Stories at the 55 Bar in New York City with two sets at 9.30 pm and 11.30 pm. With admission, every guest will receive a double-disc album for free.

Moreno teaches at New York University's Jazz Performance Program and Columbia University's Louis Armstrong Jazz Studies Program as well as at City College of New York. He has performed and toured extensively. The drummer lived and worked in Europe for six years, and appeared on over 100 recordings, as well as television, DVDs and radio broadcasts.

Moreno has recorded with the likes of Jaki Byard, Dave Liebman, Ravi Coltrane, Art Lande, Richie Beirach, Chris Potter, and has performed with Eddie Gomez, Arthur Blythe, Sonny Fortune, Eddie Henderson, Mal Waldron, Barry Harris, Richard Bona, Paul Bley and Elvin Jones, to name just a few.

Tony Moreno endorses Paiste Cymbals and plays Sonor Hi Lites, Pro Lites and Q2 drums.

TRACKS

Disc 1

1.    Foxy Trot / Kenny Wheeler

2.    Little One / Marc Mommaas

3.    The West's Best / Tony Moreno

4.    Erroll Garner / Tony Moreno

5.    55 Scotch / Tony Moreno / arranged by Ron Horton (For Cueva Lutz)

6.    Susan's Dream / Tony Moreno / arranged by Marc Mommaas (For My Wife Susan)

7.    No Blues To You / Tony Moreno

8.    C Jam Blues / Duke Ellington / arranged by Arte Lande and his students at C.U. Boulder

Disc 2

1.    Three For D'reen / Kenny Wheeler

2.    Oh Henry / Tony Moreno / arranged by Marc Mommaas

3.    Grovelling / Ron Horton

4.    El Rey / Tony Moreno / arranged by Marc Mommaas (For Elvin Raymond Jones and Keiko Jones)

5.    M.O. / Tony Moreno (For Miles Okazaki)

6.    Pueblo De Lagrimas / Tony Moreno (For Ketil Bjørnstad)

7.    El Rey Take #2 / Tony Moreno (Duos/Trios)

The New Recording From Frank Carlberg's Word Circus - No Money In Art Featuring Frank Carlberg with Christine Correa, John O'Gallagher, Pascal Niggenkemper & Michael Sarin

Brooklyn-based Red Piano Records has announces the release of No Money In Art by Frank Carlberg's Word Circus. This album features a stellar quintet of jazz and improvised music heavy-hitters such as Christine Correa, voice; John O'Gallagher, alto sax; Pascal Niggenkemper, bass; Michael Sarin, drums and Carlberg on piano. Word Circus is a collection of musical settings of poems by contemporary American writers such as Ron Padgett, Jim Gustafson, Ken Mikolowski and Anselm Hollo. Carlberg gives some insight in to the background of Word Circus: "This project, my 11th CD devoted to settings of poetry, is a follow-up release to the 2015 Word Circus recording. Poems on No Money In Art are thought provoking and range from light and humorous to existential musings, and to meditative ruminations on the state of our world. No Money In Art is the culmination in my work with American poets, which has continued uninterrupted for the past twenty-plus years, beginning with the release of The Crazy Woman on Accurate Records in 1995." 

The songs on No Money In Art were written for this Quintet, which has, with a few modifications, been around since Carlberg's earliest works with poetry in the mid-1990s. About the vocalist Christine Correa Carlberg explains: "Christine is the main reason for the existence of this group and this repertoire; my muse as it were. I have by now written over 150 songs with poems by writers such as Robert Creeley, Anselm Hollo, Anna Akhmatova, Rabindranath Tagore, Kenneth Rexroth, Allen Ginsberg, Alejandra Pizarnik, etc, as well as various other texts such as excerpts from Bill Clinton's Grand Jury testimony, fragments from medical journals, pieces from legal documents, cut-up versions of the Bill Of Rights, etc. All this work would never have happened had I not had a voice to compose for. Christine provided me with that voice. She was able to execute whatever lines I would dream up and she was able to infuse the words with such powerful expression and emotion. The rest of the group has remained remarkably stable as well with drummer Michael Sarin working with us since the In The Land Of Art project (on Fresh Sound New Talent) in the late 90's. John O'Gallagher has worked with us since the Uncivilized Rumination CD about 6 years ago. Pascal Niggenkemper is a relative newcomer who stepped in to this project after longtime collaborator John Hébert was unable to participate because of scheduling conflicts. This group is really a dream come true for me as these musicians are all completely committed to the music, while bringing such strong personalities and remarkable musicianship to the plate. A real composer's paradise."

The compositions for Word Circus/No Money In Art were commissioned by Chamber Music America through their New Jazz Works program. 

The songs on No Money In Art cover a broad range of moods and emotions. The opening title track features Gustafson's hilarious yet insightful ruminations that in this time of Spotify and YouTube seems more relevant than ever. Art is now just to be consumed freely with no societal concern how artists are to make a living. The poem by Ken Mikolowski is from a series of poems that he wrote titled "Ecology." After a brief introduction Correa and Carlberg deliver the beginning of the setting of the poem in rubato. Soon the rest of the band joins in with a few tempo switches including fast swing and a hint at a 12/8 groove. The text finally reaches the title of the text with Correa in full voice. O'Gallagher takes over with an intense and soulful solo statement ably supported by the rhythm section before Correa re-enters for a final recap. For The Nail the pace slows down to an almost country-western cowboy feel (reminiscent of some grooves that Shelly Manne and his groups used to incorporate in their music), with a wistful, yet playful, poem by Ron Padgett. A delicate piece delivered to perfection by Correa, it features Carlberg's piano before the voice and sax return in perfect unison to provide support to Carlberg's solo. After the return of the melody O'Gallagher has a few more fleeting thoughts before the piece evaporates in to the ether. On Banner Spangled Star, with a poem by Ken Mikolowski, we are treated to a reconstruction of the text to the "Star Spangled Banner." The setting has a loping cyclical feel with neither a beginning nor an end. O'Gallagher takes the improvisational spotlight with his characteristic energy and invention. Headline Haiku starts with a rhythmic unison figure before piano and Rhodes depart on whimsical excursions. Correa and Carlberg eventually settle in to the aphoristic text by Anselm Hollo, which is sung in a new tempo, creating a moment of Ivesian flavor with multiple strata. After joyful solo statements by Niggenkemper and Carlberg the whole band convenes on a lively almost circus-like jaunt that leads us back to the final melody statement. The mood slows down on Clarification, a duo piece with Correa and Carlberg. The acerbic wit of Hollo's text; "Not buying you/just buying you a drink," is performed with great restraint, creating a sense of melancholy. Carlberg solos on Rhodes with a fitting delicacy. Verbal Scenario is a funky romp that centers on a repeated D in the melody. The obliquely coherent text (by Mikolowski) is briefly interrupted by Correa's howling vocalizations. The solos over a cantankerous off-kilter form build throughout the piano solo in to the climax of the sax solo. A short repeat phrase in unison closes the piece. The last song, Nothing with its haunting text, "Nothing/can replace/poetry/in my life/and one day/surely/it will," places Correa remarkable vocals front and center. After an alap-like improvisational voice introduction the chant-like melody is stated with stately grace. Carlberg provides solo piano commentary before the final melody statement delivered with a hint of resignation and sadness, but no melodramatic emoting, just a powerful end to the program.

With No Money In Art, his 11th recording of settings of poetry and text, Carlberg continues his explorations of the connecting points between poetry and music. Not since the remarkable oeuvre of the late great Steve Lacy has there been such a sustained and satisfying effort in creating connections between these two spectacular art forms. May No Money In Art receive wide attention, as the music is accessible yet intelligently constructed and brilliantly performed by a long-standing ensemble that is intimately familiar with the music as well as each other.

www.frankcarlberg.com

NEW RELEASES: JOSE MAURO - OBNOXIOUS; JACK TEMPCHIN – ONE MORE SONG; NINA SIMONE – WHAT HAPPENED, MS. SIMONE? (DVD+CD)

JOSE MAURO - OBNOXIOUS

Today, very little is known about Jose Mauro and as a result those searching for some kind of insight on the man behind the music must attempt to glean what they can from the music itself. One rumour claims he died in a car accident shortly before the album’s release, a fact that could have lent his brief musical career a touch of mythology were it not for how scant the details concerning any other aspects of his life are. The political turmoil from which the album emerged is significant also; recorded during an era of oppressive state censorship, the album, like all the Quartin catalogue, is the result of steadfast defiance in the face of a crushing military dictatorship. While many musicians of the era fled the country, preferring their prospects in the affluent, liberated USA, rebellious, young musicians like Mauro chose to stay and reflect their anger at the authorities through thinly veiled protest songs such as the stirring ‘Apocalipse’. Herein lies the basis for a more dramatic theory; that Mauro was in fact abducted by the military! Whatever the truth, the mystery remains unsolved, and all that remains is his bewitching music. 

Today, Obnoxious retains its strange, otherworldly appeal – A firm favourite amongst a small circle of deep diggers including Madlib, Gilles Peterson and Floating Points. Jose Mauro’s mournful and melancholic vocals create a dark, brooding atmosphere that stands in contrast to the usual joyfulness and high-spirited rhythm of the more prominent Brazilian music of the era. Despite this air of foreboding, Mauro’s confident baritones, chord patterns and sumptuous arrangements have the ability to induce in the listener an almost trance-like state of ecstasy. Mauro’s long hidden masterpiece, a complex and uniquely stunning work is being offered the chance to be heard by the wider audience it has always deserved. A second Jose Mauro release, A Viagem Des Horas, compiling more incredible tracks unreleased in Mauro’s lifetime, will follow, alongside other unreleased jewels from the Quartin catalogue, from the likes of Piri and Victor Assis Brasil.

JACK TEMPCHIN – ONE MORE SONG

Jack Tempchin is known for penning some of the most durable tunes in American music, including hits with such artists as the Eagles (“Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Almost Gone”), George Jones, Glenn Frey, Glen Campbell, and many others. “The threads that weave through Tempchin’s earlier work and his newer material are the quality office narrative storytelling and the crystalline musical sound of every one of the songs.” - No Depression – Includes: Slow Dancing; Singing In The Streets; Old River; Around Midnight; Circle Ties That Bind; So Long My Friend; Still Looking For A Way To Say Goodbye; Streets Of Midnight; I Got Her Right Where She Wants Me; Song For You; and Tumbleweed.

NINA SIMONE – WHAT HAPPENED, MS. SIMONE? (DVD+CD)

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary at the 2016 Oscars, Best Music Film at the 2016 Grammy Awards, and winning Best Documentary at the American Film Institute Awards in 2016, documentary film What Happened, Miss Simone? connected with critics and fans alike with its deep examination of the legendary Nina Simone. Available as a DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, and on Digital Formats, with additional bonus interviews not included in the main film. CD includes: I Loves You Porgy; Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood; I Put A Spell On You; Strange Fruit; Sinnerman; Mississippi Goddam; Little Girl Blue; Don't Smoke In Bed; My Baby Just Cares For Me; Lilac Wine; Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair; Night Song; Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out; Feeling Good; and Ne Me Quitte Pas.     

      

Vocalist Sara Serpa and Guitarist André Matos Release All the Dreams, an Album Rich in Melody and Luminous Atmosphere

The reception for Primavera - the first album by the duo of vocalist Sara Serpa and guitarist André Matos - was rapturous, with reviews for the 2014 release using such apt descriptors as "enchanting" (The New Yorker), "breathtaking" (JazzTimes) and "spellbinding" (All About Jazz). The New York Times praised Primavera at length, calling the album "calmly stunning" while adding that the pair's music "capitalizes on their many affinities: as limber improvisers, as thoughtful composers, as selfless ensemble players, and as internationalists hailing originally from Portugal (by way of Boston and New York)Š Primavera is gemlike in its beauty and precision." Now, Serpa & Matos present their second duo album, the gorgeous All the Dreams, to be released September 16, 2016, via Sunnyside Records.

As with Primavera - which All About Jazz lauded for being "sonically lustrous," with an "intricate melodic sense" - the new All the Dreams glimmers with luminous melodicism and magical atmosphere, the music again casting a spell. The sound of All the Dreams mixes the organic and the electronic seamlessly, with Serpa and Matos playing multiple acoustic and electric instruments along with using the studio as an instrument; several tracks also feature Billy Mintz on drums and Pete Rende on ambient, Eno/Budd-like synthesizers. Along with Serpa's signature wordless vocalese and the duo's own lyrics, there are songs that draw on words of great poets, both Portuguese and English. Atmosphere and image, poetry and melody - this is the stuff of which All the Dreams is made.

The title of the album comes from its lovely song "Nada," which features universalist lines by the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (via his heteronym Álvaro de Campos): "I am nothing, I shall never be anything / I cannot even wish to be anything. / Despite all that, I have within me all the dreams of the world." The title phrase also appears in the poetry of Walt Whitman, a key influence on Pessoa: "I dream in my dream all the dreams of the other dreamers / And I become the other dreamers." These words mirror the feelings of creative reverie Serpa and Matos had while composing the music for the album. The singer says: "We felt that this music was making us dream and disconnect somehow from the reality of the outside world - and that seemed to be a positive feeling. For us, to be able to work in this dreamlike state of mind is fundamental to staying creative and happy." 

About the leap from Primavera to the even more accomplished All the Dreams, Matos says: "Primavera planted a seed for us. Our duo identity developed throughout the making of that first album, and with the new one, we knew more about how to use the studio to our advantage. We wanted to pay even more attention to detail - sound, texture, words. We didn't hesitate to depart from a 'duo sound' and do whatever it took to get the right feel for each song, whether through sonically multiplying ourselves or developing the sounds we produced. The mixing and post-production process was more intensive this time, and we did things like reverse the vocals on 'amlaC.' Pete Rende played such an important role in this, not only adding synthesizers to a few tracks but mixing the album, too. It's hard to imagine the album without his contribution."

As for the contribution of veteran drummer Billy Mintz, Matos adds: "We met Billy a few years ago, and he has become an important musician for me. He was super-meticulous in the studio, and the results are amazing, like pure gold. His dedication to music is inspiring, and his playing gives the record a nice contour. With Billy, there's a search for a primal beat, playing almost like a child in the sense of being free. But at the same, he has all this knowledge and experience to apply. He is a master."

Serpa and Matos make for a kindred-spirit duo, even beyond being husband and wife. Her fresh, subtly virtuosic singing blends beautifully with his gleaming, flowing guitar playing. "We do complement each other as performers easily, with most of the songs being reducible to just voice and guitar," Matos says. "In the studio, we're able to guide each other to the best performances possible, with sometimes even the best arrangements coming after the first take. Our tunes tend to have slightly different vibes, with Sara's a bit more intricate and mine less dense, simpler. It creates a nice balance, we hope."

In addition to those of Pessoa/Campos, the songs of All the Dreams include words by his fellow Portuguese writer Luis Amaro, Brazilian poet Clarice Lispector and the great Englishman William Blake, as well as lyrics by Serpa and Matos. There are songs about night, dreams and the imagination, about accepting sadness and offering forgiveness, about identity and empathy, about love and memory. Even the songs without words impart a sense of mystery and romance, with Serpa singing vocalese on such gems as the opening "Calma." One of the album's other, lyrical highlights is "Lisboa," Serpa's tune-rich paean to the ancient capital of Portugal. "The words stem from something a taxi driver once told me about Lisbon having 14,000 streets, alleys and staircases - and all those reflecting so many memories, for me, for everyone who has lived there," Serpa says. "Because I live in America now, the city is distant from me, but somehow it remains so close to my heart. Every time I return to Lisbon, the memories come flooding back, the sense of place and time so strong. And music can evoke feelings of time and place - of memory - like little else in art."

JazzTimes has called Serpa "a rising star," while All About Jazz has said: "Her unique style of vocalese allows her to utilize the full range of her exquisite and clear voice with the agility of an instrumentalist, standing out of the crowd as a sublime interpreter and a bold improviser." The New York Times has described Matos as a guitarist who "advances a pointedly contemporary air." Both born and bred in Portugal but based in New York City for nearly a decade, Serpa and Matos met through music in Boston, where they both studied at the Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. 

Serpa and Matos each have long associations with some of the most important musicians in jazz. Serpa studied with iconic pianist Ran Blake, with whom she has recorded two albums, Camera Obscura (2010) and Kitano Noir (2015). Serpa joined saxophonist Greg Osby's band right out of school in 2008, performing with the group at such hallowed venues as the Village Vanguard and contributing to his album 9 Levels. Osby's Inner Circle Music label also released Serpa's debut album as a leader, Praia (2008), and her quintet album Mobile (2011), along with Camera Obscura. Inner Circle released Matos's third album, Quare (2010), and Osby also contributed sax to their duo debut, Primavera. Individually and together, Serpa and Matos have performed with such prominent musicians as John Zorn, Danilo Perez, Guillermo Klein, Tyshawn Sorey, Dan Weiss, Leo Genovese and Thomas Morgan, among others. Beyond their duo together, Serpa leads such projects as her vocal group City Fragments, while Matos leads a trio featuring saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Billy Mintz.

Sara Serpa & André Matos: All the Dreams

1. "Calma" (Matos)

2. "A La Montagne" (Serpa)

3. "Estado De Graça" (Matos)

4. "Story Of A Horse" (Matos)

5. "Programa" (Serpa/Amaro)

6. "Água" (Matos)

7. "Nada" (Matos/Campos)

8. "Night" (Matos/Blake)

9. "Hino" (Matos)

10. "Lisboa" (Serpa)

11. "Espelho" (Matos)

12. "Os Outros" (Serpa/Lispector)

13. "Postlude" (Matos)

14. "amlaC" (Matos/Rende)

Sara Serpa: voice, piano (5, 9, 10), Fender Rhodes (4, 7)

André Matos: guitar, electric bass (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11), percussion (11)

Pete Rende: synthesizer (1, 4, 14)

Billy Mintz: drums and percussion (1, 3, 6, 10)

Produced by Sara Serpa & André Matos

Recorded at The Bunker Studio (Todd and Andy), Estúdios Valentim de Carvalho (by Nélson Carvalho) and Eastside Sound (Marc Urselli); mixed by Pete Rende; mastered by Nate Wood

www.serpamatos.com

MILI BERMEJO AND DAN GREENSPAN CONFIRM THEIR MASTERY IN ARTE DEL DUO

Since first joining forces over a quarter-century ago, vocalist Mili Bermejo and bassist Dan Greenspan have created a recorded library of timeless music with a number of cherished partners.  For those fortunate enough to experience them in live performance, however, the lingering memory of this brilliantly skilled and totally compatible couple is likely to be the moments when they stand alone.  "We have always wanted to make pure music," Greenspan explains, "and have always included duo tunes in our sets."  On October 7, 2016 the pair releases their first all-duo program in two decades, Arte de Duo, on Ediciones Pentagrama.

Bermejo, born in Buenos Aires, raised in Mexico City and a professor at Berklee College of Music since 1984, and Greenspan, a New Haven native and classically trained cellist who became one of the Boston area's leading freelance bassists, have created a unique body of music that applies jazz improvisation to original songs and music from throughout the Americas.  Themes of political liberation, environmental responsibility and interpersonal commitment have defined both their music and their career and led them to a major life decison.  "The business changed so much post-9/11 that we had to decide whether we should reinvent ourselves," Bermejo notes.  This led to what Greenspan describes as "an entire creative undertaking of another kind" - a move to New Hampshire, where the couple built their own house.

"We decided to live the right way," Bermejo says of their relocation to a nature reserve.  "It has brought us closer and closer to `do it yourself,' including growing as much of our own food and making as many of our own clothes as possible.  It has purified us, and removed many of our frustrations."  But, Greenspan adds, "For a while, the move replaced music.  Finding opportunities to rehearse in Boston when everyone we worked with had so many other gigs became hell."  The bassist also turned his attention to baking and has built a growing reputation with his Dan's Brick Oven Bread, while a construction accident also left him unable to play for several months.  The future of their performing partnership became unclear.

"But Mili insisted that we couldn't let the music go," Greenspan stresses, and the result is a new focus on the intimate artistry that had previously only been showcased on their 1997 album Duo which was released on Gunther Schuller's GM Records.  "It got us back to the essence of art," he says, "and provides the best opportunity to use all of the classical information that we have."  Yet the new music, developed over a series of monthly gigs at the Lilypad in Cambridge, Massachusetts, takes the pair beyond their previous achievements.  "We didn't want to repeat ourselves," Bermejo adds.  "Now we reduce.  I think of the music like my garden, as being all about beauty after years of work.  And nobody told me how to do it."

The influence of life in New Hampshire is clear in the Bermejo originals "La Casa del Arbol" ("The Tree House"), about "a secret refugeŠamong trees and stars" and "Cosecha" ("Harvest"); but she also contributes two new titles in her string of beautiful love songs, "Los que se Aman" ("Those Who Love") and "No Dejo de Quererte" ("I Don't Stop Loving You").  The duo also links Bermejo's "Décima Muerte I" from their first duo disc and "Décima Muerte II" by the Mexican poet and playwright Xavier Villarrutiga in a medley linked by a powerful Greenspan solo.

Greenspan's bass also launches "Las Orillas del Mar" ("At the Edge of the Sea"), a 13th Century feminist poem with music by Hafez Modirzadeh, the composer-saxophonist who featured Bermejo extensively on his acclaimed 2011 album In Convergence Liberation (Pi Recordings).  "Working with Hafez is the most challenging thing I've done," she notes, "and it has opened both of our minds.  Now I'm improvising more, though not `taking a chorus' in the traditional sense."  This new improvisational freedom is joyously displayed on "Tres Veces Heroica" ("Three Times Heroic"), written by Mexican composer Charlie Dríguez and previously heard on the 2006 live recording De Tierra (Of Earth) (Ediciones Pentagrama), and "End of the Beginning," written for the duo by the Armenian-born pianist and composer Vardan Ovsepian.  "Windmills of Your Mind," by French composer Michel Legrand with Spanish lyrics by Manuel Gurria, was also arranged by Ovsepian.  "Vardan's arrangement got Dan back in shape after his injury," Bermejo notes, adding with a laugh, "it also made me get back in shape."

Two works from Argentina are included, "Equipaje" ("Luggage") by Juan Quintero and "Cambalache" ("Pawn Shop") by E. Santos Discépolo.  The latter, a classic tango, gives Greenspan the opportunity to display his skill with the bow. "Candombe para Gardel" ("Candombe for Gardel"), a tribute to Argentinian tango master Carlos Gardel from the Afro-Uruguayan perspective of Rubén Rada, completes the program.

Arte del Duo is Bermejo's fifth release on Mexico's Ediciones Pentagrama label, which recently received the Independence Award from the Fundación Mediterránea Mar y Tierra in Tarragona, Spain.  "We've stayed faithful to the vision of [label founder] Modesto López: Independence and 35 years of support to Latin American artists dedicated to progressive social change," she notes.

The album will be released at the Lilypad on Sunday afternoon, October 23, where a new audio system created especially for the duo by sound engineer Art Steele will enhance the performance.  "I asked Art for a minimal system, with just two small speakers, Greenspan explains.  "Now my hands are free, just like my mother's were when she sang," Bermejo adds.

Creativity, and the magic that ensues, remain at the heart of Mili Bermejo's and Dan Greenspan's music; and Arte del Duo is their most creative and magical statement to date.

New album from RESOLUTION 88 - AFTERGLOW

You can hear it right from the first notes of the opening track. It’s instantly clear that Resolution 88 have really made these last two years count, since making waves with their début album. There’s the same energy, freshness and warm, analog soundscape of the first album but now there’s even more power and maturity to their music.

Afterglow will have existing Resolution 88 fans grinning from ear to ear, whilst it will appeal to many new music lovers too. There’s the same gritty jazz funk sound, elements of broken beat and hip hop and the whole record is drenched in the unmistakable sound of Tom O’Grady’s suitcase Rhodes. Comparisons have been made with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, Weather Report, Jeff Lorber Fusion and many other bands. It’s easy to hear why, and there’s more - Resolution 88’s music has a fresh quality that hails their new perspective as well as paying their dues. There’s definitely a crossover with groundbreaking modern bands such as Haitus Kaiyote.

Each band member gets their moments to shine in this album, which features the band leader and composer Tom O’Grady on keys, Tiago Coimbra on bass, Alex Hitchcock on reeds (saxophones and bass clarinet) and Ric Elsworth on drums and percussion. That’s not all; the music was captured, mixed and mastered by exactly the same team as usual. Chris Taylor and Andy Ramsay engineered the recording sessions, Dan ‘JD73’ Goldman (ex-Morcheeba) mixed the music and Bob Power (The Roots, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu etc) mastered the music. Their inimitable skills and characteristic sounds imprints a cinematic quality on the whole record - this album is a beautiful experience to savor, from start to finish.

“An album that is beautifully crafted and captivating listening throughout!” - Bluey (Incognito).

Guitar Legend And Singer Robert Randolph Signs To Sony Music Masterworks

Sony Music Masterworks signs Robert Randolph & The Family Band, led by pedal steel guitar legend, Robert Randolph. One of the biggest funk, rock and soul bands of the past decade will return with a powerful new record in early 2017. The album will feature guest artists Darius Rucker, Anthony Hamilton and Cory Henry. This is their first album in three years and will be supported by a national tour.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band first gained national attention with the release of their debut album, Live at the Wetlands in 2002. The band followed with three studio recordings over the next eight years; Unclassified, Colorblind, and We Walk This Road; which, together with tireless touring and unforgettable performances at such festivals as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, won them a very passionate fan base. Randolph's unprecedented prowess on his instrument garnered him a spot on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list, and also gained the attention of artists like Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, The Roots, and Jack White, who have since collaborated with Randolph on stage and in the studio.

Monterey Jazz Festival 2016 Brings the Late Thomas Chapin Full Circle Through Documentary Film from 'Olena Media, Chapin Finally "Plays" 20 Years after Canceling Due to Illness

The significance of performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival can not be understated. The longest-running jazz festival in the world features the best of jazz through performance and education. It hosts unparalleled world talent and legends and stands as a legacy to this musical genre, and  impacts future generations of jazz musicians and afficionados alike.

Thomas Chapin Film at the Monterey Jazz Festival

It would have been a momentous milestone for the career of saxophonist-flutist and composer Thomas Chapin and an unforgettable, exhilarating ride for the audience if he had been able to play with his Trio back in 1997. At the peak of his form, he was booked to play for the festival's 40th anniversary.

After standout appearances on other big world jazz stages in New York, Newport, Europe, Japan, and Canada, the Thomas Chapin Trio was ready to play Monterey in the fall of 1997. Regrettably Chapin was forced to cancel after he was diagnosed with leukemia. Thomas Chapin died months later on February 13, 1998 after he cancelled the booking. He was about to turn 41. His star was gaining altitude, rising to the pinnacle of the Monterey Jazz Festival, which would have skyrocketed him into a household name in jazz. Now, 20 years later and through the award-winning film, THOMAS CHAPIN, NIGHT BIRD SONG, this unknown jazz virtuoso will finally come full circle and "play" Monterey.

For his two decades of performing, Chapin was a force, a player with "massive chops," whose sound was sui generis. He had an uncanny gift of melding all forms of jazz into a single body of music. His pathway of moving sound was so multi-directional, yet singular, so original, yet steeped in tradition, that the jazz community struggled to categorize him.   

Peter Watrous of the New York Times captured his extraordinary power and versatility when he described Chapin's performance in 1995: "Chapin … is a virtuoso … also one of the more schooled musicians in jazz, both technically and historically, and for his set he dug into the styles of everyone from Benny Carter to the 60's avant-gardists, screeching and howling and huffing as if this were 1964 and he was breaking the rules of jazz into pieces." 

Aidan Levy, who knew of Chapin and reviewed the film this year for JazzTimes Magazine, wrote that Chapin was "considered by some to have fundamentally expanded the boundaries of the jazz discourse."

Dan Melnick, a concert producer in the 90's with George Wein's Festival Productions and its Newport Jazz Festival spinoffs that the Thomas Chapin Trio performed for, said, "For me and many others, Thomas stood at the center of numerous disparate worlds of jazz at that time. He was a master of all forms of jazz and maybe proved that these 'schools' or 'styles' weren't so different at all."

MONTEREY FILM SCREENING

THOMAS CAPIN, NIGHT BIRD SONG, a 150-minute epic tale of this brilliant and extraordinary jazz master, will be screened at the Monterey Jazz Festival on September 18, 2016, at 4:30 pm in the Jazz Theater.

Emmy-winning filmmaker Stephanie J. Castillo's documentary tells Chapin's story using the intimate details and captivating storytelling of 45 featured musicians, promoters, music critics, friends and family. The film, which has received high acclaim from reviewers and viewers, reveals Chapin's music formation, including his six-year stint as Lionel Hampton's music director and lead alto sax. It goes on to detail Chapin's emergence as a musical force in the late 1980s in the New York downtown jazz scene. Using archival performance film and video footage, the film shows how Chapin's distinct and inimitable style helped move the music forward in the 1990s. 

The film also clearly establishes Chapin as one of the few artists of his generation to exist in both the New York City's downtown experimentalist scene and in the uptown world of traditional jazz. Fearless in his pursuit of creating an edgy, engaging, cutting-edge sound that pushed jazz forward, he was also tireless and passionate in showing his classical and mainstream influences.

Thomas Chapin was an artist who "was his own man," a "free musician," but whose music resonated loudly with the work of reed giants from an earlier age. He met his life's end way too soon, while his dreams still burned bright and his audiences yearned for more. Today, new listeners and young players seeking inspiration are discovering and playing his music. Thanks to the film, Chapin will no longer be a footnote in jazz. His indelible mark will be known for all time. 

In May 2016 in Nice, France, NIGHT BIRD SONG received the Nice International Filmmakers Festival award for Best Story. It was also nominated for Best Director of a Feature Documentary and Best Documentary at the New York City International Film Festival.

To view the film's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvWHsVSoPME 

Guitarist & Composer Marcus Corbett To Release New Album “Every Little Spirit” October 2016

Much to the anticipation of music aficionados worldwide, music artist Marcus Corbett will be releasing his new album “Every Little Spirit” in October 2016! Marcus is an acoustic guitarist, singer and composer based between Marlborough, UK and Pune, Maharashtra, India. Gradually, during repeated expeditions in India over the last decade or more, having immersed himself in the fundaments of North Indian classical music Marcus has begun to reap the rewards of his involvement in the musical life of Pune, Maharashtra and Gadag in North Karnataka.

The result is a generous spirited cultural collaboration that allows his music to come to life while paying homage to the tradition he loves. Here there is ambition as two violins are at work, and as he says, “One violin may be a line drawing but two become cinema – and with the risk associated with such potential drama no one performance is the same as the last. The beautiful challenge in this search is to keep the individual cultural charm, to make the bell ring true. And to maintain the power and integrity of the music.”

“With his deep affinity with Indian classical music and his expertise in soulfully conveying its essence on the humble acoustic guitar. …where other guitar maestros have dipped their toes…. he's taken the integration a stage further and his collaboration with tabla virtuosos Nitin Gaikwad and Sharanappa Guttaragi on this disc is both fiery and rewarding.” - Fatea

On the subject of his musical influences, aside from his times in India, Marcus states, “I've been affected by John Martyn, Nick Drake, Roy Harper - anybody that makes the guitar sing or speak. John McLaughlin with the early Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti was a revelation as has been Jerry Garcia's soulful musicality. Recently Frank Yamma has got under my skin”.

Acclaimed producer and composer Sam Williams (Supergrass/The Go Team!) has co-produced the first track on the album, “Strung Deep” – a remix of Castanets from Marcus' previous EP release of the same name. Marcus explains how this unlikely-seeming collaboration came about:

“While mixing 'Castanets' for the last record (Strung Deep) I discovered a heartbeat in the rhythmic cycle that expressed something quintessential and more about the track. It has a breezy optimism that continues from where the album 'Strung Deep' left off. I needed a different approach, someone outside of the Indian classical world who could the sense the potential and produce it. A chance meeting with Sam Williams during which I heard some of his recent work was the catalyst to our working together. Sam has created a great rhythm led track to fit the varying time signatures and give the looping swirl a kick. He also found some words to go with the emerging vibe while keeping some essential ingredients of the original. It is a remix which contemporizes the song in a way which keeps the flavour of the original and casts new light on what I do”.

Recorded with Abhijit Saraf at Musical Stars Studio in Pune, Maharashtra; and in Gadag, Karnataka and in Oxford (UK), Corbett is accompanied for “Every Little Spirit” by tabla players Nitin Gaikwad and Sharanappa Guttaragi. The seductive vocal of renowned classical singer Saylee Talwalkar takes us into his world. The storyline unfolds amidst the masterful weave of bansuri flute player Milind Date, and is carried further by the cinematic violins of Anjali Singde-Rao, Sanjay Upadhye and Sachin Ingale with a cameo appearance by celebrated Oxford-based virtuoso Bruno Guastalla on cello.

Comprised of eight tracks spread across 59 minutes, “Every Little Spirit” is lyrically themed and is a reflection upon how our roots entwine with all life; how our joy and sorrow is shared; that while life is a gift, for which acknowledgment and thanks are due, no one said the living of it was easy and how we instinctively seek release, to “get set free” from the emotional and physical turmoil of existence. “This could be you, this could be me….”.

“Perfect Sunday morning music... I really enjoyed listening through it - it is a very well paced and interesting listen” - Nigel House at Rough Trade

Having toured successfully in Germany and Holland, played around the UK, and gained press attention from all over the world for his previous releases, Marcus' reputation for his skillful combining of the worlds of Indian Classical and British folk music, while being ambitious and yet aware of the limitations, will inevitably continue to grow and grow, and his status as one of the great explorers of these musical borderlands will continue to be celebrated.

www.marcuscorbett.com

www.facebook.com/marcus.corbett.music

@marcuscorbettji

SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX RECORDS PARTNERS WITH CONCORD RECORDS TO PRESENT THE BEST OF ITS WILDLY POPULAR VINTAGE-POP MASH-UPS

Imagine wandering into a nightclub somewhere on the outskirts of time. A classic jukebox in the corner plays timeless music with oddly familiar modern lyrics, incongruously marrying the 21st-century party vibe of Miley Cyrus or the minimalist angst of Radiohead with the crackly warmth of a vintage 78 or the plunger-muted barrelhouse howl of a forgotten Kansas City jazzman. The dance floor is full of revelers twerking in poodle skirts, while at the bar, well-heeled hipsters balance a martini in one hand with a smartphone in the other.

If such a place actually exists, no doubt the soundtrack is Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Founded by pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee in 2009, the ensemble reimagines contemporary pop, rock and R&B hits in the style of various yesteryears, from swing to doo-wop, ragtime to Motown – or, as Bradlee himself puts it, “pop music in a time machine.” The band parlayed a series of YouTube videos shot in Bradlee’s Queens living room into massive success, accruing more than 450 million YouTube views and over 2 million subscribers, an appearance on Good Morning America, and performances at packed houses across the globe.

The Essentials, set for release on September 30 via Concord Records and Postmodern Jukebox Records, collects 18 favorites from Postmodern Jukebox’s weekly postings. Both the songs and the styles span decades – it just happens that the decades in question are separated by about half a century. Bradlee’s choice of material ranges from the ’80s hard rock of Guns N’ Roses to hits as recent as last year’s Justin Bieber plea “Sorry.” They’re rendered by a rotating cast of musicians and singers in fashions that date back to a time when Axl, Slash and Bieber’s parents had yet to be born – a time of street corner harmonies and torch singers, blues belters and golden-voiced crooners.

In his liner notes Bradlee writes, “It’s my hope that this collection will lead you to discover a world of nostalgia for the music of the past ─ regardless of when you were born ─ and welcome you warmly into our community of amazing live performers, creative artists, and music lovers that are dedicated to keeping #RealMusic alive.”

If that hashtag denotes a modern-day mission statement, that’s no accident. Bradlee conceived Postmodern Jukebox as a tonic for the auto-tuned vocals and programmed beats that populate today’s radio soundscape. Postmodern Jukebox combines a genuine appreciation for the melodies and songcraft of these recent hits with a passion for talented musicians playing real instruments.

“I just wanted to make music in the classic styles of ragtime, blues, swing, doo wop, and Motown that I loved as a kid,” Bradlee writes. The album, he continues, includes “breathtaking vocal performances, raucous horn solos, infectious dance rhythms, and nostalgic melodies – all captured the way music was recorded in the Golden Age of the record industry: with everyone together, in the same room.”

In the early days, that room was in the rather cramped confines of Bradlee’s small apartment in Queens, NY, at a time when he was one of countless struggling musicians in the city. The backdrop has grown along with the ensemble’s success, but the spirit remains the same – a collective of musicians dedicated to the timelessness of music, performing songs vibrantly and without a trace of irony. And the media has taken notice: Entertainment Weekly wrote, “Scott Bradlee’s group is known for retro-fying modern hit songs into viral success,” while Yahoo! Music added, “if you’ve been on YouTube in the last couple of years, then you’re familiar with the everything-new-is-old-again brilliance of the viral phenomenon known as Postmodern Jukebox.”

In its seven years of existence, Postmodern Jukebox has recorded literally hundreds of songs, but this release compiles the best of them, the tunes that Bradlee himself calls “most essential to the PMJ universe.” That includes the song that put the band on the map, a vaudevillian distressing of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” fronted by Robyn Adele Anderson that garnered more than a million views within a week of being posted. The pin-up styled singer returned for the album’s opener, their ’50s doo-wop version of Miley Cyrus’ celebration of an inhibition-shedding spree “We Can’t Stop,” which garnered more than 19.5 million views and was named one of the “9 Best Viral Cover Videos of 2015” by People magazine.

Maroon 5’s “Maps” flashes forward a couple of decades for a horn-laden ’70s soul sound featuring the powerhouse voice of Morgan James, while American Idol alum Haley Reinhart wrings the emotion from Radiohead’s breakthrough hit “Creep” as a torch singer worthy of Julie London. And while Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” referred to the singer’s curves, Kate Davis takes it to another level with a smoking upright bass performance to augment a coy vocal redolent of Billie Holiday.

Heavy metal and New Orleans jazz may seem to have little in common, but Bradlee finds the thread connecting the two, rendering both “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses and the Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” as gutbucket Bourbon Street blues numbers featuring the stirring voices of Maiya Sykes and Miche Braden. Mykal Kilgore, meanwhile, rescues “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic schmaltz to Jackie Wilson-style R&B.

Similarly revelatory transformations mark every song on the album, which also includes favorites by Beyoncé, the White Stripes, OutKast and Lorde, who praised PMJ’s cover of her hit “Royals” as a favorite. That’s not even the most notable thing about the song, which is sung in the gorgeous baritone of Puddles, the “Sad Clown with the Golden Voice,” a performer in full face paint and ruffles that Bradlee describes as a cross between Andy Kaufman and Tom Jones.

Postmodern Jukebox is certainly a rebuke to the contention that “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” The Essentials is an engaging and vivacious album that bridges generations with a unique spin of its own. To echo Bradlee’s own invitation, “Dust off the turntable, fix yourself a stiff drink, and get comfy. Welcome to the world of Postmodern Jukebox.”

TRACK LIST:

1.         We Can’t Stop starring Robyn Adele Anderson & The Tee Tones (3:59)

2.         Maps starring Morgan James (3:43)

3.         Creep starring Haley Reinhart (4:43)

4.         All About That Bass starring Kate Davis (3:38)

5.         No Diggity starring Ariana Savalas (3:16)

6.         I Believe in a Thing Called Love starring Maiya Sykes (3:36)

7.         My Heart Will Go On starring Mykal Kilgore (3:22)

8.         Royals starring Puddles Pity Party (3:37)

9.         Stacy’s Mom starring Casey Abrams (2:59)

10.       Rude starring Von Smith (4:06)

11.       Sweet Child O’Mine starring Miche Braden (4:10)

12.       Thrift Shop starring Robyn Adele Anderson (3:00)

13.       Burn starring Cristina Gatti, Robyn Adele Anderson and Ashley Stroud (3:53)

14.       Seven Nation Army starring Haley Reinhart (4:06)

15.       Sorry starring Shoshana Bean (3:56)

16.       Halo starring LaVance Colley (4:08)

17.       Hey Ya! starring Sara Niemietz (3:23)

18.       Such Great Heights starring Kiah Victoria (4:03)

POSTMODERN JUKEBOX TOUR DATES

2016 AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND DATES

Aug 29 - Christchurch, New Zealand; Isaac Theatre Royal

Aug 30 - Dunedin, New Zealand; Dunedin Town Hall

Sep 1 - Invercargill, New Zealand; Civic Theatre

Sep 2 - Wellington, New Zealand; Shed 6

Sep 3 - Palmerston North, New Zealand; Palmerston North

Sep 4 - Napier, New Zealand; Civic Theatre

Sep 5 - Auckland, New Zealand; ASB Theatre

Sep 8 - Sydney, Australia; Enmore Theatre

Sep 9 - Wollongong, Australia; Anitas

Sep 10 - Canberra, Australia; Llewlyn Centre

Sep 11 - Melbourne, Australia; Palais Theatre

Sep 12 - Bendigo, Australia; Capital Theatre

Sep 15 - Hobart, Australia; Wrest Point

Sep 16 - Brisbane, Australia; Plaza Ballroom

Sep 17 - Adelaide, Australia; The Barton

Sep 20 - Perth, Australia; Concert Hall

2016 NORTH AMERICAN DATES

Sep 29 - Providence, RI; The VETS

Sep 30 - Albany, NY; Palace Theatre

Oct 01 - Hartford, CT; The Bushnell

Oct 03 - Glenside, PA; Keswick Theatre

Oct 04 - Baltimore, MD; The Lyric

Oct 05 - Redbank, NJ; Count Basie Theatre

Oct 06 - Boston, MA; Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre

Oct 07 - New York, NY; Radio City Music Hall

Oct 08 - Montreal, QC; Place Des Arts

Oct 11 - Toronto, ON; Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

Oct 12 - Buffalo, NY; UB Center For The Arts

Oct 13 - Washington, DC; DAR Constitution Hall

Oct 14 - Raleigh, NC; Duke Energy Center

Oct 15 - Atlanta, GA; Fox Theatre

Oct 16 - Jacksonville, FL: Florida Theatre

Oct 18 - Orlando, FL; Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Oct 21 - Clearwater, FL; Ruth Eckerd Hall

Oct 22 - Birmingham, AL; Alabama Theatre

Oct 23 - New Orleans, LA; Orpheum Theater

Oct 25 - Nashville, TN; Andrew Jackson Hall

Oct 26 - Louisville, KY; Louisville Palace Theatre

Oct 27 - Detroit, MI: Masonic Temple Theatre

Oct 28 - Indianapolis, IN; Clowes Memorial Hall

Oct 29 - Rosemont, IL; Rosemont Theatre

Oct 30 - Milwaukee, WI; Riverside Theater

Nov 01 - Minneapolis, MN; Northrop Auditorium

Nov 02 - Kansas City, MO; Arvest Bank Theatre - at The Midland

Nov 03 - St. Louis, MO; Peabody Opera House

Nov 05 - Grand Prairie, TX; Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie

Nov 06 - Austin, TX; Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater

Nov 07 - Austin, TX; Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater

Nov 08 - San Antonio, TX; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

Nov 09 - Houston, TX; Sarofim Hall

Nov 12 - Broomfield, CO; 1STBANK Center

Nov 15 - Boise, ID; Morrison Center for the Performing Arts

Nov 16 - Spokane, WA; Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

Nov 17 - Portland, OR; Theatre of The Clouds

Nov 18 - Seattle, WA; Paramount Theatre

Nov 19 - Redding, CA; Redding Civic Auditorium

Nov 20 - Sacramento, CA; Community Center Theater

Nov 22 - Santa Rosa, CA; Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

Nov 23 - San Jose, CA; Event Center at San Jose State University

Nov 25 - Los Angeles, CA; Microsoft Theater

Nov 26 - Las Vegas, NV; The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Nov 27 - Mesa, AZ; Mesa Arts Center