Roots & A Revolution: Preservation Hall Jazz Band Turns A Page "So It Is" Album Of All Original Songs

Preservation Hall Jazz Band have announced the release of their new album, So It Is, the septet's second release featuring all-new original music, coming April 21 via Legacy Recordings. So It Is finds the classic PHJB sound invigorated by a number of fresh influences, not least among them the band's 2015 life-changing trip to Cuba.

"In Cuba, all of a sudden we were face to face with our musical counterparts," says bandleader/composer/bassist Ben Jaffe. "There's been a connection between Cuba and New Orleans since day one - we're family. A gigantic light bulb went off and we realized that New Orleans music is not just a thing by itself; it's part of something much bigger. It was almost like having a religious epiphany."

Producer David Sitek, a founder of art rock innovators TV on the Radio who has helmed projects by Kelis, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Santigold among others, offered both a keen modern perspective and a profound respect for the band's storied history. Upon arriving in New Orleans to meet with the band, Sitek recalls he and Jaffe accidentally stumbling into one of the city's famed second-line parades. "I was struck by the visceral energy of the live music all around, this spontaneous joy, everything so immediate," he says. "I knew I had to make sure that feeling came out of the studio. It needed to be alive. It needed to sound dangerous."

The music on So It Is, penned largely by Jaffe and 84 year-old saxophonist Charlie Gabriel in collaboration with the entire PHJB, stirs together that variety of influences like classic New Orleans cuisine. Longtime members Jaffe, Gabriel, Clint Maedgen and Ronell Johnson have been joined over the past 18 months by Walter Harris, Branden Lewis and Kyle Roussel, and the new blood has hastened the journey into new musical territory. Inspired by that journey and reinvigorated by the post-Katrina rebuilding of their beloved home city, PHJB are redefining what New Orleans music means in 2017 by tapping into a sonic continuum that stretches back to the city's Afro-Cuban roots, through its common ancestry with the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and the Fire Music of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane, and forward to cutting-edge artists with whom the PHJB have shared festival stages from Coachella to Newport, including legends like Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and the Grateful Dead and modern giants like My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire and the Black Keys.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band:

BEN JAFFE – Bass (upright), Tuba, Percussion

CHARLIE GABRIEL – Saxophone (tenor), Clarinet

CLINT MAEDGEN – Saxophone (tenor), Percussion

RONELL JOHNSON – Trombone

WALTER HARRIS – Drums, Percussion

KYLE ROUSSEL – Piano, Wurlitzer, Organ

BRANDEN LEWIS – Trumpet

So It Is Tracklist:

1. So It Is

2. Santiago

3. Innocence

4. La Malanga

5. Convergence

6. One Hundred Fires

7. Mad

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Tour Dates:

4/13 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern

4/14 – Indio, CA – Coachella Music Festival

4/17 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

4/18 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater

4/21 – Indio, CA – Coachella Music Festival

4/23 - Asbury Park, NJ - Paramount Theatre

4/25 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom

5/7 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

6/9 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo

6/30-7/2 - Rothbury, MI - Electric Forest

8/5 - Kaslo, BC - Kaslo Jazz Festival

Pre-order So It Is here: https://phjb.lnk.to/SoItIs

Listen to the track "Santiago" here:

https://scache.vevo.com/assets/html/embed.html?video=USSM21700250&partnerId=346c2586-d3f8-4b75-ba0d-398fdb6e4c08&enableShare=0

THE JAZZ EPISTLES: ABDULLAH IBRAHIM & EKAYA AND HUGH MASEKELA IN CONCERT LIVE IN NYC AND REUNITED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 50 YEARS

Town Hall and (Le) Poisson Rouge are proud to present the Jazz Epistles, featuring Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela live in New York City for the first time on South African Freedom Day, April 27th. Half a century after recording South Africa's landmark jazz album, Jazz Epistle, Verse 1, these original bebop legends reunite for a rare performance at Town Hall at 123 W 43rd Street. 

The Jazz Epistles album is the “Holy Grail” recording in South African jazz history, yet the world was not aware of its pivotal importance, until now. 

In 1959, South Africa’s top musicians­­­ —Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Abdullah Ibrahim on piano, Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Kippie Moeketsi on alto saxophone, Johnny Gertze on bass, and Makaya Ntshoko on drums — created “the first all-black modern South African jazz recording.” (Gwen Ansell, author of Soweto Blues). It was revolutionary for the time period, yet its modern sounds and controversial nature made it a commercial flop — only 500 LPs were originally printed. The apartheid government, which viewed jazz as an inherent threat to authority, forced its brilliant musicians into exile. Thus, the Jazz Epistles disbanded and the music was buried and almost lost. For decades, due to the hostile circumstances of the time period, very little of this rich cultural history has been documented. 

Remarkably, Ibrahim and Masekela achieved massive success on their own terms overseas in exile. Ibrahim settled in Europe and Masekela in the States. They became symbols of the Pan-African movement, each writing popular anti-apartheid freedom songs and creating formidable discographies. 

Now, half a century later, these two giants reunite for the first time in concert. They not only revisit a critical chapter from their youth, but also pay tribute to one of the most important jazz sessions to occur on South African soil.

This unique performance will be captured by WBGO for Jazz Night in America, carried on NPR stations nationwide, and The Checkout hosted by Simon Rentner. 

This concert is produced by The Town Hall and (Le) Poisson Rouge, in partnership with WBGO, South African Tourism, and South African Airways. 

Tickets for this event are from $37 to $127 (VIP, includes reception with the artists) and are available for sale via The Town Hall or (Le) Poisson Rouge box offices.

Lineup:

Abdullah Ibrahim – piano

Hugh Masekela – flugelhorn, trumpet, vocals

Noah Jackson – bass, cello

Will Terrill – drums

Cleave Guyton Jr. – alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo

Lance Bryant– tenor saxophone

Andrae Murchison – trombone, trumpet

Marshall McDonald – baritone saxophone

Formidable Lineup for O.R.k.'s RareNoiseRecords Debut SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS

Following on the heels of 2015's captivating Inflamed Rides, the members of the powerful collective O.R.k. - lead singer Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin, Marta Sui Tubi guitarist Carmelo Pipitone and King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto - were primed to deliver an even more potent statement for their sophomore offering. Coming off of a triumphant tour of Europe and South America, they were charged to take things up a notch. And so it was with Soul of an Octopus, their second recording and RareNoise debut. This one finds the four kindred spirits dealing in even deeper waters. "After Inflamed Rideswe did around 30 shows in Europe, Argentina, Chile and Mexico this year," says Fornasari. "That definitely helped us to reign in our sound and get to a more focused mutual vision. So all the pieces from the new album represent an honest and effective picture of who we are as O.R.k. right now. That said, people who have listened to the new stuff - included our booking agents - think this is at least four times more powerful and intense than Inflamed Rides."

Because of the presence of drummer Mastelotto, it would be easy to draw comparisons to King Crimson for this project. (The opener "Too Numb" in particular has a kind of Discipline vibe in its interlocking ostinatos that create a hypnotic latticework pattern against Fornasari's menacing vocals).

One can also hear traces of such artistically inclined groups as Pink Floyd in ambitious tunes like "Scarlet Water," "Just Another Bad Day" and the extraordinary "Capture or Reveal."But O.R.k. draws on a myriad of other influences throughout Soul of an Octopus thatencompass prog-rock, jazz-rock and and are influenced by opera, as can be heard in Fornasari's dramatic and wide-ranging vocals on tunes like the intense closer "Till the Sunrise Comes" and the epic "Dirty Rain." Says the native of Bologna, Italy, "I got a degree as opera singer, but when it comes to my music I try to forget what I've been taught. When I find myself working on new material I prefer to improvise and sing without thinking what to do or where to head to, at least that's what I do in first place."

On the extreme opposite end of the dynamic scale from the operative sweep that he delivers throughout Soul of an Octopus, Fornasari takes a more intimate, close-mic approach at the outset of the poetic "Heaven Proof House," recalling the enigmatic whisper vocals of the late Leonard Cohen. "Since I think at myself as a composer and producer first and then as vocalist, I get my brain to rethink the whole structure and listen to my vocals as a producer would do," he explains. "I tend to give my vocals the same importance I'd give to any of the other instruments composing the whole structure."

Innovative Italian guitarist Pipitone is prominently featured on "Collapsing Hopes," which opens with some gutbucket acoustic blues guitar and gradually builds to a slamming wah-wah fueled six-string onslaught. Says Fornasari of his O.R.k. bandmate, "Carmelo has received multiple awards from music Italian critics because of the way he plays acoustic guitar. He makes his strings bark and scream like the most ferocious electric piece of guitar and a second later he makes you cry with the most intense clean arpeggio. The very first time I've seen him playing with his other band Marta Sui Tubi - they're quite famous in Italy - I thought, 'Hey! I want to make some noise with this crazy horse!' And here we are."

Fornasari further describes the process that he and his O.R.k. bandmates took on this RareNoise release: "We usually start the process from guitar or bass riffs, I assemble a rough structure and send it over to the other guys. This collaborative back-and-forth process across the miles is very effective in our case. Nonetheless, it usually takes weeks or even months before a piece gets to its final shape. We don't follow any pre-defined plan though. One of the most intriguing elements in music is the most unpredictable too - once you release new stuff you never know how people will react and interpret your sound and words."

While Fornasari has also been involved in other projects for RareNoise Records (he was on Owls' 2011 release, The Night Stays, Berserk's self-titled 2013 debut and Obake's 2015 release Mutations), he considers O.R.k. to be the focus of his artistic endeavors right now. "I love Berserk! and Owls but I see them as collaborative side projects while O.R.k. is actually my main band. It's the one which best represents my vision in music and the one I'm dedicating most of my of time and energy to."

Fornasari clearly poured his heart and soul and all of his energy in this band. If you can't catch O.R.k. in action live, check out their imposing sophomore release, Soul of an Octopus, which stands as one of the more intensely compelling recordings on the RareNoise roster. www.orkband.com

TRACKS

1. Too Numb

2. Collapsing Hopes

3. Searching For The Code

4. Dirty Rain

5. Scarlet Water

6. Heaven Proof House

7. Just Another Bad Day

8. Capture Or Reveal

9. Till The Sunrise Comes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/O.R.k.band

Jazz-Soul Ensemble E-Life 7 Feat Michael Pennick and Many Special Guests to Release Debut Album Miked Up

Three 2 Go Music introduces E-Life 7 Featuring Michael Pennick (EL7) and their debut album Miked Up. EL7 unites some of Western NY’s finest musicians on this release, including Michael Pennick on bass, Rodney Spears & Charlie Crymes Jr. on keyboards, guitarist Ron Walker, and drummer and percussionist Tim Webb. Special appearances by Ken Whitman (tenor sax), Walter Kemp III, Van Taylor (keyboards), Joey Diggs and Dee Osbourne (vocals) round out this stellar new 12-track album that spans Jazz, Soul, and R&B, all with a sound that remains unique to EL7. Miked Up will be released worldwide both physically and digitally by Three 2 Go Music on March 24, 2017.

EL7 is the brainchild of Ron Walker and Mike Pennick, both long time members of Buffalo Music Hall of Fame R&B recording artists The Exoutics. While contemplating their musical future longtime friends Ron and Mike decided it was time to explore their Jazz alter egos and discover what lies beneath the tender ballads and funky R&B grooves they had been writing for years. EL7 acknowledges the musical and spiritual influence of past and present members of The Exoutics, and after a brief discussion, it was agreed that their next project would highlight the talent of bassist Mike Pennick. Eventually, this led to the formation of EL7.

With extraordinary creativity and collaboration, the group conceived of and recorded Miked Up. Rodney’s unique keyboard accents are a perfect complement to the keyboard foundations played by Charlie. Tim’s intricate drum touch reinforces the rhythmic, melodic bass lines and spicy guitar licks. When blended together, what a unique sound! The project took several interesting twists and turns along the way, and each member shared creative ideas and opinions to help shape this outstanding release.

The resulting album captures the flavor and passion of each musician, and audiences will enjoy and appreciate this special blend of Jazz and R&B. Miked Up covers the gamut of emotions, from the rhythm shifting jazz funk of “Chaos,” to the fun-filled, upbeat, and playful “Sunday Night.” The remake of Stevie Wonder’s “That Girl” and the intimate revelations of “Inner Beauty” and “Before the Storm” make this CD a pleasure to listen to, sure to appeal to the most demanding pallet. Enjoy Life, 7 days a week.

Established in 1996, Three 2 Go Music is dedicated to developing promising music talent in Western NY. As a partner of Three 2 Go Music Alliance and with over 100 years of combined music business experience, Buffalo Music Hall of Fame members Van Taylor, Michael Pennick, and Ron Walker are quietly positioning Three 2 Go Music for success. “We believe Western NY has great talent, and we want that talent to shine.”

Visionary Pianist Gerald Clayton Merges Streams of Life into a Greater Body of Work with Tributary Tales

On his new record Tributary Tales, set to release April 21 on Motéma Music, pianist and composer Gerald Clayton traces paths of myriad streams -- personal, experiential, intangible -- that flow into one another, creating a musical narrative greater than the sum of his individual compositions.

"I feel like the various encounters in my life are in their own way tributaries -- like every trip is somehow an opportunity to discover a new type of bend in the river," Clayton says. "The various places, people, foods and cultures I've been able to experience in my travels, all the musicians I gathered for this project and all the songs I've written -- there's a feeling of connectedness between them, even though they're all their own separate entities."

Clayton imbues Tributary Tales with a range of influences, including dialects and vocabulary handed down from his father, bassist and composer John Clayton and uncle, saxophonist Jeff Clayton, to contemporary expressions he heard growing up as a child of the '80s and early '90s. In Clayton's unique vision, those diverse inspirations are impossible to unravel, melding together into a sound that resonates with modern styles as boldly as it evokes classic and timeless sounds.

"The process is really natural," Clayton says. "When I'm in the experience of creating something, I try to open my ears and to be as selfless and open as possible. I grew up listening to and loving hip-hop, R&B, soul and rock. To me, they all flow from a single source. The cultural relevance of jazz and hip-hop is all the same; we're talking about black music -- about black expression -- so it doesn't feel right to build any dams across those streams.

An alternate definition of tributary, he adds, is that of "a person or state that pays tribute to another" -- another apt metaphor in the tradition-oriented world of jazz. "Much of what we do has to do with what's gone before us," he says. "We're constantly paying tribute to the elders, the masters, and being cognizant of all of the musicians who've lived and died in service of the music."

To record Tributary Tales, Clayton assembled a group of artists both new and familiar, each of whom brings additional, unique influences and experiences to the music. Saxophonists Logan Richardson, Ben Wendel and Dayna Stephens, bassist Joe Sanders, drummer Justin Brown and percussionists Henry Cole and Gabriel Lugo join guest vocalist Sachal Vasandani and poets Carl Hancock Rux and Aja Monet to bring life to Clayton's range of alluring compositions.

"I've really enjoyed exploring the natural connection between instrumental music and spoken word. I find there to be great potential for one to give unexpected meaning to the other."

  

Gathering this cast of individual artists together to create a unified musical voice is another way Clayton sees the reflection of the tributary concept in his creative life. Pulling back to take an even broader view, he sees a beautiful parallel for communion and togetherness at a time that's been marred by divisiveness and strife.

"Even though we're all separate streams, we all come from the same ocean," he says. "If we all just take a step back we can see that all human experience is essentially the same -- the suffering, the will to transcend that suffering, our joys, our sorrows -- they're all connected. I'd love for the music on this record to remind people of our interconnectedness."

The hectic, angular edge of "Unforeseen," then, might suggest the frantic pace of Clayton's adopted home of New York -- especially as experienced by a west coast kid more acclimated to riding waves than subway cars. "Soul Stomp," as its names suggests, is a celebratory, raucous bounce, a glimpse of ecstatic happiness with the funky punch of R&B and the sanctified tinge of gospel. "A Light" burns with modern hip-hop sensibility and simmering groove, while "Patience Patients" draws in the listener with its slowly uncoiling melodic line.

The acclaimed Vasandani weaves his wordless vocals around the melodic lines of Richardson and Wendel on "Squinted," while Monet and Hancock Rux both reflect on the elusive idea of love on "Lovers Reverie" and explore the path from the deeply personal to the transcendent on "Dimensions: Interwoven." The album is punctuated by a series of brief, improvised interludes, the open-ended titles of which ("Search For," "Reach For," etc.) turn the track list itself into a poetic rumination.

While different songs may spark certain memories or recall images to his mind, Clayton says it's not as simple as a single experience inspiring a single piece of music. Just like our personalities are subtly shaped by the gradual accumulations of circumstance and events, so is his compositional voice invisibly molded by the places he's been, the people he's met -- even the meals he's eaten.

"I can point to those moments in life when the experience feels otherworldly, almost like a taste of transcendence. A bowl of pasta in Italy, falling in love, making a connection with a new friend from another part of the world, surfing -- the feeling of tapping into the energy of the ocean and dancing with it -- those are all really special moments and, in their own way, artistic beauty. As is making music, connecting with the musicians I play with. All those experiences connect to one another and feel similarly spiritual."

The tributaries of Clayton's fascination with language and his multi-faceted gifts as a musician merge gracefully in his poetic liner notes for Tributary Tales.

  

Gerald Clayton · Tributary Tales

Motéma Music · Release Date: April 21, 2017

www.GeraldClayton.com

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Announces Release Of New Album "Louie, Louie, Louie" Available June 16 On Savoy Jazz

Grammy nominated, multi-platinum selling Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the incomparable kings of swing, are readying the release of an all new album, "Louie, Louie, Louie"—an electrifying celebration of jazz legends Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Louis Prima.  On their eleventh album and third for iconic label Savoy Jazz, the band is sharper than ever as they pay homage to their jazz heroes. Produced by founder and lead singer Scotty Morris and pianist and arranger Joshua Levy, the album reveals the evolution of swing, jazz and popular music through the songs and personalities of these three giants of American culture.  Popmatters premiered their version of Louis Armstrong's "Dinah" recently:

http://www.popmatters.com/post/big-bad-voodoo-daddy-dinah-audio-premiere/

"Louie, Louie, Louie" will be available digitally, on CD and vinyl LP on June 16th.  A U.S. tour will kick off in June, 2017.

Says Morris: "We really want people to know about these great men that have so deeply influenced us as, and perhaps help spark a new creative interest in them and their music."

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy consists of their original line-up which includes Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (double bass and vocals), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone and vocals), Glen "The Kid" Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano and arranger).

Track Listing:

1)    Dinah

2)    Oh, Marie

3)    Is You, Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby

4)    Jack, You're Dead

5)    Whistle Stop

6)    Choo Choo Ch'Boogie

7)    Basin Street Blues

8)    Jump, Jive an' Wail

9)    Knock Me A Kiss

10)  Stuttin' With Some Barbecue

11)  Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days

12)  Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens

13)  When The Saints Go Marching In

Critically Acclaimed Vocalist Somi to Release Petite Afrique, Inspired by the Fate of African Immigrants in Harlem

Pulsing with Harlem's rhythms and sonic ambiance, Somi's Petite Afrique is an homage to her New York City upper Manhattan neighborhood, and one of the Meccas of the African diaspora.  In the village of Harlem, along west 116th Street from Malcolm X Boulevard to Frederick Douglass Boulevard, African immigrants build American lives. Populated predominantly by a Francophone, West African and Muslim community, this is a strip of Harlem that locals call "Little Africa" or "Petite Afrique:" a thriving corridor of hair shops and shea butters, bistros and self-taught tailors.  Many of these working class residents -- immigrants-cum-citizens -- are now taxi drivers zipping other New Yorkers through the city they've called home since the 1980s.

Petite Afrique, Somi's sophomore effort for OKeh/Sony Music Masterworks, is a daring, relevant, refashioning of what "jazz" and "African music" mean. The album is a timely song cycle about the dignity of immigrants in the United States. Equally anthropologist and writer, Somi's songs both celebrate Harlem's black experience and lament gentrification's slow erasure of the vibrant African immigrant population from the historic neighborhood.

On her new album, Somi and her core bandmates -- guitarist Liberty Ellman, drummer Nate Smith, pianist Toru Dodo, and bassist Michael Olatuja -- perform with new emotional openness, sharp political insight, and infectious groove throughout. A powerful horn ensemble featuring tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, alto man Jaleel Shaw, and acclaimed trumpeter Etienne Charles also appear on several tracks.

Charles also serves as associate producer on Petite Afrique, arranging the horn and string sections. Producer Keith Witty calibrates and binds all these musicians together into a finely textured, genre-bending sonic collage. Having also co-produced her last studio album, Witty and Somi continue to establish the standard for artfully interweaving modern jazz and African pop sensibilities. Somi's commitment to storytelling is clear as she intersperses poetry and "backseat field audio" drawn mostly from several interviews she conducted with African taxi drivers who have lived in the neighborhood for over four decades.

The album opens with "Alien," Somi's provocative improvisation on Sting's "Englishman in New York." Here, she flips Sting's playful critique of Britishness in America into a brooding blues about Africans alienated from American life. "This album is, in many ways, a love letter to my parents and the generous community of immigrants that raised me," Somi explains. "Once Harlem started to change, I realized just how much the African community there made the anonymity of New York City feel more like home."

Somi's room-making blend of politics and voice is apparent on stunning, anthemic tracks like "Black Enough" and "The Gentry." On both recordings, Charles' assertive horn arrangements are emphatic exclamation marks to Somi's fiery lyrics. "Black Enough" is a layered exploration of blackness and the identity politics that has, at times, pulled black people in the United States apart. Somi was inspired to write the song while reading Yaa Gyasi's novel Homegoing. "It was the first time I'd seen an African literary voice explicitly acknowledge the sameness of African and African-American histories," says Somi. "It felt like a much needed 'owning' of trauma and oppression. The Black Lives Matter movement was already in the public consciousness, but I wanted to write something that reminded us that we fail ourselves individually when we fail to acknowledge our shared struggles."

A real-life legal battle between new Harlem residents and a 60-year-old drum circle tradition in Marcus Garvey Park inspired "The Gentry," which features Aloe Blacc's earthy guest vocal. Here, Somi uses deft lyrical play to talk explicitly about how gentrification is erasing black culture from the Harlem scene. With the horn section underwriting Somi's searing call and response -- "I want it black / I want it back" -- one might recall Abbey Lincoln's ardent performance in Max Roach's "Freedom Now Suite." It's also not hard to hear the references to the musical groups that Fela Kuti and James Brown once fronted, masters of Nigerian and American political dance music, respectively.

The musicianship on Petite Afrique continues to be overwhelming in its beauty and feel. Listen to Ellman's ability to make his guitar sound like a kora on "Like Dakar." As Somi compares Harlem to Dakar and Abidjan with lithe vocal phrasing, Ellman's lines blend with the horn section's dulcet phrases to propel the track.

Even on Somi's songs about love like "They're Like Ghosts," the down-tempo groove instigates movement and commits to the narrative at hand. "It's a song about the longing for and romanticization of people or things we once loved. The lover, in this case, is really a metaphor for the lands that still haunt us as immigrants and the forgetfulness of why we left that comes with time," Somi shares.

"Holy Room," an R&B-vibed praise song for love's spiritual force, layers a lover's desire with the muezzin's call to prayer as Somi sings "Allahu Akbar," letting her dynamic vocals ride the sensual groove. "It is meant to be an explicit response to the rampant and deeply disturbing Islamophobia that pervades Western society currently. The choice to sing the phrase "Allahu Akbar" is my attempt to remedy perceptions of terror that are unfairly associated with the millions of peaceful, God-fearing Muslims in the world. After all, when the phrase is translated from Arabic to English it simply means, 'God is great.' What better way to counter and defuse hateful messages than with a love song?" Ultimately this song reveals the artist's deep sense of humanity and the power of

Petite Afrique; Somi is at the height of her vocal powers and writing prowess.

The political messages of this album are timelier than she could have ever imagined when she began writing it early last year. This music is singular, gorgeous, urgent and profound. 

Born in Illinois, the daughter of immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda, Somi's American experience has always been infused with the African diaspora's richest political and artistic traditions. And now Petite Afrique combines the two facets of her life magically. A longtime Harlem resident, Somi is also a true Africanist: she spent part of her youth in Africa with her parents and now, with her band, tours the continent extensively. Famously, Somi's dazzling 2014 album, The Lagos Music Salon, which debuted at the top of US Jazz charts, was born from an 18-month "sabbatical" in Lagos, Nigeria.

Founder of New Africa Live, a nonprofit championing her fellow African artists, Somi realized some years ago that she was explicitly segmenting her work for the communities she came from and the work that she did as an artist. "I realized," Somi details, "that I could still curate a sense of community in the same, and possibly larger, ways through my music." Now a TED Senior Fellow, her career a refined merger of singing and activism, Somi has entered a fascinating new phase herself: "New Africa Live was about making room for our voices that might otherwise go unheard. Hopefully, Petite Afrique starts larger conversations about immigration and xenophobia and Blackness."

Upcoming Somi Performances:

March 4 / The Painted Bride / Philadelphia, PA

March 11 / Murphy Auditorium / New Harmony, IN

March 12 / The Promontory / Chicago, IL

March 17 / The Howard Theater / Washington, DC

March 18 / Scullers Jazz Club / Boston, MA

March 29 / The Highline Ballroom / New York, NY

April 8 / Transition Jazz Fest / Utrecht, Holland

April 10 / Duc Des Lombards / Paris, France

April 11 / Pizza Express / London, England

April 13 / Sala Radio / Bucharest, Romania

April 14 / Porgy & Bess / Vienna, Austria

April 17 / Moods / Zurich, Switzerland

April 19 / Unterfahrt / Munich, Germany

April 20 / A-Trane / Berlin, Germany

April 22 / Elbphilharmonie / Hamburg, Germany

Somi ·  Petite Afrique

OKeh Records  ·  Release Date: March 31, 2017

Saxophone Maestra FOSTINA DIXON Blends Contemporary Jazz, Gospel, Funk and R&B on HERE WE GO AGAIN

As a highly-regarded, in-demand composer, vocalist and jazz soloist who plays soprano, alto and baritone saxes, flute, and clarinet, Fostina Dixon has been honing her craft for decades as a guest soloist with Abbey Lincoln, Barry Harris, Earl May and the Big Apple Jazzwomen. Known for her elegant mesmerizing phrasing, she has also played with Prince, Gil Evans, Roy Ayers, Tom Browne, Charlie Persip, Melba Liston, Cab Calloway, Slide Hampton, Frank Foster, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Vinton, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Marvin Gaye, with whom she toured with for four years. She was also a member of the Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Cleveland and Leslie Drayton big bands, and, most recently, joined trumpeter Arnold Hutt for a special celebration concert for former Vice President Joe Biden upon his return home to Delaware after leaving office.

Much like Mr. Biden, Ms. Dixon proudly represents the great state of Delaware. As a young woodwind instrumentalist she excelled with the Delaware All-State Band before going on to study with Frank Foster, Buddy Collect, Vic Morosco, Joe Viola, Andy McGhee, William Bowie, and the late Robert "Boysie" Lowery. Expanding on her studies as a protégé, she received a Fine Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts and a Masters in Education from Wilmington University, which led to teaching tenures at various schools in Wilmington. She currently teaches Music Appreciation and Chorus at a local middle school and is Adviser Emeritus of the Wilmington Youth Jazz Band (WYJB).

As a professional musician, Fostina has performed extensively at clubs, colleges, libraries, churches, community art centers and theaters throughout the U.S. With her band "Winds of Change,” she has appeared at New York's Annual Afrikan Street Carnival, the Annual New York Women's Jazz Festival, the Annual Black Women's History Conference, the Kool Jazz Festival, Greenwich Village Jazz Festival, and the Annual Jackie Robinson Festival. She has also played New York's Jazzmobile concert series and has toured abroad, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

During her storied career, she has worked on and/or appeared on popular TV shows such as "NY Undercover Cop" series, WNYC's "Perspective in Jazz,” NBC's "Today in New York" (with Dr. Billy Taylor) and the special presentation, "Salute to Bobby Vinton.” She has also performed in the Musical Theatre Works production, "All Girl Band" and Playwrights Horizon production of "Jazz is a Lady.” Additionally, she has showcased at the Women's International Film Festival in New York City and "Sisterfire," a festival in celebration of women artists sponsored by the Flamboyant Ladies Theatre Company.

Last year, Dixon released Here We Go Again, an uplifting collection that elegantly blends contemporary jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B. It’s a thoroughly engaging journey that seamlessly transports the listener with spiritual-like soundscapes. On the title track, she adds a lead vocal set against exquisitely layered harmonies, while on “Prayer of Jabez,” a tribute to Marvin Gaye, she adeptly showcases her virtuosic flair juxtaposing melody and improvisation. Sonically, the 7-song compendium of Again is a musical tour du force with "Bless the Name of Jesus” and “Prayer of Jabez” presented in two parts, the full-length version paired with a subsequent reprise in the form of a vamp.

To support Here We Go Again, Fostina is playing select shows with her band, New Blend, which features Todd Kilgoe on drums, Vincent Adkins on bass, and Kevin Benjamin on keyboards.

“A true original." Dr. Antoinette Handy, Author of "Black Women in American Bands”

“She is a player of impeccable control and skills with… highly independent ideas.” American Women in Jazz

Tour Dates

3/09 - Wilmington, DE @ Ubon (5pm)

4/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe (8pm)

4/30 - Wilmington, DE @ Ubon (5pm)

Audio

“Here We Go Again" (single) http://soundcloud.com/1888media/fostina-dixon-here-we-go-again

Here We Go Again (album)https://open.spotify.com/album/0owxpAo2taoTRE7yNWk3Bv

"Prayer of Jabez” (single) http://soundcloud.com/1888media/fostina-dixon-prayer-of-jabez

Video

“Prayer of Jabez” https://youtu.be/9Y7AEFxYLZc

http://fostinadixon.com

http://twitter.com/fossie123

http://www.facebook.com/Fostina-Dixon-Here-We-Go-Again-28767528461752

NEW RELEASES: THE EDDIE HIGGINS TRIO - SOULERO; CAROLINE FABER / RICHARD BONNET / ERIC DAMBRIN – GOT TO BEAR; THUNDERCAT - DRUNK

THE EDDIE HIGGINS TRIO - SOULERO

A great 60s album from pianist Eddie Higgins – one of his few records for Atlantic, and a set that definitely lives up to the seductive power of the title and cover! Eddie's maybe a bit more creative and open here than on some of his other records – more in a Chess Records trio mode than especially his later, more lyrical sides – with great work on rhythm from Richard Evans on bass and Marshall Thompson on drums! The album really reflects Higgins' placement on the Chicago scene of the 60s – and he's got a surprisingly strong left-handed groove at times – on titles that include "Soulero", "Tango Africaine", "Mr Evans","Love Letters", and "Shelly's World". (SHM-CD pressing!)  ~ Dusty Groove

CAROLINE FABER / RICHARD BONNET / ERIC DAMBRIN – GOT TO BEAR

An interesting singer, with an approach that's definitely all her own – one that has Caroline Faber singing alongside just the guitar or Richard Bonnet and drums of Eric Dambrin – both players who can be abstract at some points, and nicely laid back at others! We like that second style the most – as the instrumentation creates this very spacious quality that let's Faber's vocals spread out and flower – almost with a post-jazz sort of mode that reminds us of 70s records on the ECM and Saravah label! One track does pick up a nice, but spare groove – a wickedly cool remake of Marlena Shaw's "Woman Of The Ghetto" – and other tracks include the originals "Psychotic", "J'En Sais Rien", and "Il Bat" – plus nice takes on "Feeling Good", "Cotidiano", and Serge Gainsbourg's "Black Trombone".  ~ Dusty Groove

THUNDERCAT - DRUNK

Fantastic work from one of the most compelling mainstream talents in recent years – an artist who can get wide fame and acclaim, yet keep on pushing the boundaries into fresh new cosmic territory! This album may well be Thundercat's masterpiece – not just a summation of all the ideas and areas he's explored in the past, but also kind of a re-filtering of other modes as well – including the more spiritual and jazz-based territory that he's moved towards, especially when working with others! Yet there's nothing here that's an easy copy of another style, or another's work – as the whole thing bristles with a personal newness that's wonderful – even when Thundercat is getting help from guests who include Kamasai Washington, Flying Lotus, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, and Kendrick Lamarr – as well as some especially nice work from AOR legends Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Titles include "I Am Crazy", "3AM", "Rabbot Ho", "Bus In These Streets", "Lava Lamp", "Jethro", "Show You The Way", "Drink Dat", "Jameel's Space Ride", and "Tokyo". ~ Dusty Groove

 

NEW RELEASES: MAX ROACH – DRUMS UNLIMITED; GENE HARRIS TRIO – OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY; HERB ALPERT – BLOW YOUR OWN HORN

MAX ROACH – DRUMS UNLIMITED

The drums are certainly unlimited here – and the album's a really unique one, in that it shows Max Roach in 2 different settings – one with a group, and one that's simply solo! One batch of tracks has Max in the company of a tight group of soul jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Roland Alexander, James Spaulding, and Ronnie Matthews. The group is very tight, and they've got hard wailing sound similar to a Blue Note group, but with a bit more of a soul jazz feel. They play on two long tracks – "Nommo" and "In the Red". The rest of the tracks – "Drums Unlimited", "The Drum Also Waltzes", and "For Big Sid" – feature Max playing solo, which is a rare treat for a recording of this vintage. The tracks are great, with a very musical groove, and lively playing by Max that never gets too self indulgent. (SHM-CD pressing!)  ~ Dusty Groove

GENE HARRIS TRIO – OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY

One of the few rare albums by that "other" Gene Harris – not the famous leader of the Three Sounds, or later Concord Records fame – but a lesser-known 50s cat who was classically trained, but can really serve up a soulful swing on the keys! This Gene really knows his way around the keyboard, with a deftness that often comes across right in the very first few notes of a tune – but never in a way that's show-offy at all – especially once the easygoing rhythm duo gets into a groove! Bass is by Mike Long, drums are by George Herman – and titles include "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Let's Fall In Love", "Cheerful Little Earful", "The Girl Friend", "Out Of This World", and "Love Me Or Leave Me". (SHM-CD pressing!)  ~ Dusty Groove

HERB ALPERT – BLOW YOUR OWN HORN

Herb Alpert seems to have lost his shirt on the way to the photo shoot for the album – but it looks like he's still got his trumpet to keep him warm! Joking aside, the album's a great one from the later Herb – one of those sets that has him turning his strong talent for a trumpet solo in the direction of soulful fusion and R&B-inflected jazz – maybe taking a page from the book of Chuck Mangione or Maynard Ferguson in the process, but definitely giving things his own sort of spin! The arrangements are nicely tasteful – electric, but never clunkily so, especially for the time – and Alpert's trumpet really does a great job of warming things up. Titles include "Latin Lady", "Garden Party", "Paradise Cove", "Gently", "True Confessions", "The Midnight Tango", and "Sundown".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: SKATALITES – FOUNDATION SKA: 32 AUTHENTIC SKA HITS; KARRIEM RIGGINS - HEADNOD SUITE; THE RIGHT NOW - STARLIGHT

SKATALITES – FOUNDATION SKA: 32 AUTHENTIC SKA HITS

Foundation is right, in more than one sense of the word! The Brentford Avenue stalwarts are showcased here on a nice double album compilation of classic and groundbreaking early ska and rocksteady tracks that would become the template for so much Jamaican music to follow. The team of Coxsone Dodd with Don Drummond, Lloyd Brevett, Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, Jerry Hinds, Dizzy Moore and Johnny Moore was unstoppable– and it's hard to imagine where the reggae sound would be without this seminal music! 32 tracks in all, including "Dick Tracy", "Alley Pang", "Christine Keeler", "Fidel Castro", "Beardsman Ska", "Third Man Ska", "Simmer Down", "Exodus", "King Solomon", 'Eastern Standard Time", "I Should Have Known Better", "Hot Cargo", "Black Sunday", "Ska La Parisienne", "Don D Lion", "Third Man Ska", "Nimrod", "Cleopatra", "Addis Ababa", "Silver Dollar", "Killer Diller", "Naked City" and "Ringo's Theme". ~ Dusty Groove

KARRIEM RIGGINS - HEADNOD SUITE

A set that's got a lot more going on than you might expect from the "headnod" title – as Karriem Riggens is at his most dynamic here – offering up way more than just the hip hop instrumentals promised by the album's cover sticker! There's definitely a hip hop aesthetic in place, but it's probably more apt to think of these tracks as instrumental funk productions – heavy on beats, but also laced with lots of other interesting elements too – sometimes a bit of keyboards, sometimes a fuzzy bassline, sometimes some vocal snippets – and a few spots even feature guest appearances by Geri Allen and James Poyser on piano, and Robert Hurst and Derrick Hodge on bass. Titles include "Pay-gio", "Suite Poetry", "Chop Chop", "Other Side Of The Track", "Trombone Love", "Crystal Stairs", "Detroit Funk", "Oddness", "Tandoor Heat", and "Bahia Dreamin".  ~ Dusty Groove

THE RIGHT NOW - STARLIGHT

A big step forward for The Right Now – branching out from the retro soul of their past work into a bigger, brighter neo-classic sound – but still firmly rooted in soul! Now, as always, the band is an excellent showcase for the powerful voice of singer Stefanie Berecz – and she's never sounded better – confident and commanding on the heavier songs, vulnerable and intimate on the softer ones. Production and arrangements wise, Starlight skews more modern than past records, and with more varied instrumentation – spacier synth and keys on some tunes, delicate string and flute on the more grounded ones. Solid stuff! We're proud to have them on the Chicago scene, but we'd be happy to see them make a dent on the mainstream, too – Stef's got the pipes of a pop soul diva, without the bluster or ego – fronting a solid, talented, real working band. Nice! Includes "Love You Better", "Postcard", "Up All Night", "LOVE (Lets Me Know)", "If It Was You", "Too Late", "Starlight" and "Hooked".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: HERB ALPERT & HUGH MASEKELA; JOSE JAMES – LOVE IN A TIME OF MADNESS; CAMERON GRAVES – PLANETARY PRINCE

HERB ALPERT / HUGH MASEKELA – HERB ALPERT & HUGH MASEKELA

Two top trumpet talents – coming together beautifully on this groovy late 70s set! Both Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela had a big rise to fame in the 60s – Herb, for his Tijuana Brass albums on A&M – and Hugh, for the way that he brought South African jazz currents to the American soul mainstream! Given that both had strong presence on the Cali scene in their time, the pairing here is a great one – and works well with some larger jazz backings that color things out in a mix of soul, fusion, funk, and some slight South African touches. Other players on the set include Lee Ritenour and Arthur Adams on guitars, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion, James Gadson on bass, and Hotep Cecil Bernard on piano – and titles include "Skokiaan", "Moonza", "Lobo", "African Summer", "Ring Bell", and "Happy Hanna".  ~ Dusty Groove

JOSE JAMES – LOVE IN A TIME OF MADNESS

Jose James has a very different look on the cover this time around – and he's got a very different sound, as well – something that might be underscored by the parental advisory logo in the bottom corner of the image! The music is far from the straight jazz or rootsy soul of previous albums from James – and has more of a slimmed-down, slightly-cosmic blend of keyboards and rhythm programs – often set to a slow pace that works perfectly with the depth of Jose's vocals, and given the kind of slight electro crackle that a few other underground soul artists were exploring in the previous decade. The approach is still very fresh, though – especially in the hands of Jose, whose vocals are often so great, they often really get to stretch out and flow in the spareness of the setting. Definitely more soul than jazz, and the album features guest appearances by Mali Music and Oleta Adams – on titles that include "Always There", "What Good Is Love", "Remember Our Love", "Ladies Man", "To Be With You", "Let It Fall", "I'm Yours", "Breathrough", and "Closer".  ~ Dusty Groove

CAMERON GRAVES – PLANETARY PRINCE

A fantastic debut as a leader from pianist Cameron Graves – an artist you might know from Kamasi Washington's album The Epic – and an even more tremendous talent when he gets his own chance to shine in the spotlight! Graves has a very bold, righteous vision here – a mode that's in the same California Get Down spirit as Washington's music, but with more focus on the structures built up by the piano – almost a post-modal approach, with soaring spiritual currents – served up not just by Graves on the keys, but also by Kamasi Washington on tenor, Philip Dizack on trumpet, and Ryan Porter on trombone! The three horns have a way of wrapping together as a core, then soaring to the skies – while Graves pumps up the movement with a great deal of energy, and the soloists break off on their own. The group also features bass from Thundercat on two tracks, and Hadrien Faraud on the rest – plus drums from Ronald Bruner. Graves produced – which gives the record a very different feel than other Mack Avenue releases – and titles include "Isle Of Love", "The Lucifer Rebellion", "El Diablo", "Adam & Eve", "Planetary Prince", "The End Of Corporatism", and "Satania Our Solar System". ~ Dusty Groove

The Louis Romanos Quartet Announces New Album Serenity

In simple and straightforward terms, Serenity, the new album by the Louis Romanos Quartet, is an utterly delightful musical experience - blending outstanding compositions, sterling musicianship and marvelous creativity at its most compelling. At a time when so much contemporary jazz expression seems to be fettered down in a bog of technical wizardry and pedantic complexity, the LRQ embraces the timeless classicism of emotional warmth, deep lyricism and the sheer undeniable joy of playing music together. Virtuosity abounds, but not to display itself to impress, but to tell captivating stories for the pleasure and edification of any listener in search of that special uplifting that only comes through joyful musical expression.

As Louis describes the LRQ’s mission… they play “original music for people who love music.” The LRQ is locked together in an exhilarating web of empathy and shared pursuit, built upon the blueprint that is laid out by Louis through his leadership with directions established by his terrific compositions and arrangements. Weaving Latin, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern influences into a jazz framework, further spiced with the unique multicultural landscape absorbed through his 15 years in New Orleans, Louis’ compositions are ideal launching points for spirited and viscerally rhythmic sonic improvisation.

Returning from the Quartet’s highly acclaimed 2015 debut album Take Me There are guitarist Dan Sumner and Alex Noppe on trumpet and Flugelhorn. Joining them on this album is the remarkable string bassist Luca Lombardi. Sumner – who goes back some twenty years with Louis to 1997 when they co-founded the landmark New Orleans duo Permagrin – is an exceptional soloist and also provides a rich backdrop to the musical canvas with his brilliant aural coloring, often evoking resonant suspended charged chords that are akin to those spidery shower fireworks that linger in the sky long after the initial burst. Noppe is a master of richly lyrical warmth whose stunning solos are sometimes marked by emphatic flairs of bent notes and serpentine coils. Lombardi’s deeply resonant sound, impeccable rhythms and imaginative vitality roots the powerful groove of the music perfectly, complementing Louis’ drumming in splendid fashion.

Romanos is truly a great drummer, always inventive, rhythmically flawless and fresh, and thoroughly musical, not only providing the ideal firmament for the improvisational journey, but fully participating in its contextual evolution. His two solos are sensational – filled with lyricism, and vibrant in groove. And when you focus on his playing throughout the entire album, there never seems to be a moment where he falls back on basic time. He is always consummately creative, consistently adding luster and sparkle that deepens the tale being told.

And wonderful tales they are, beginning with the opening piece Just Pretend. A nicely syncopated trumpet and guitar line built upon a virile bass ostinato, it features an expressive rock-tinged guitar solo, a deeply wooded bass excursion and a vividly rhythmic drum solo spiced by afro-beat guitar, joined by the bass to bring it to climax. Funk is the flavor on Funkle Lou, rooted in a N’Orleans street beat, and also reminiscent of the classic hard bop funk of 60s Blue Note (including a long sustained bent bass note a la The Sidewinder). Luca also rips out a superpizzicato solo that would make Bootsy Collins smile. Alex’s plunger-muted trumpet sings out viscerally talking-blues in that Clark Terry/Cootie Williams mode, swinging mightily over souldrenched guitar, fervid bass and sparkling drums. Louis’ concluding solo is deeply funky with throbbing bass drum and singing toms.

Bossa is the groove for Klozola with genteel acoustic guitar and opulent arco bass setting the tone for Flugelhorn like the gentle warmth of a light tropical rain as it states the lovely and sensuous theme. Jobim-channeling guitar and sonorous Flugel solos add to the delectable texture.

Another gentle and soothing item is Take a Hike with its circular, almost rondo-like melody, deliciously sung on Flugelhorn and featuring a sonorous bass solo and a stately turn by Alex. Two beautiful ballads are included as well. The enchanting Home Again is offered by Flugelhorn and guitar slow-dancing in tight embrace, wrapped in the arms of sumptuous bass. Emotive and poignant guitar and Flugel solos further enhance the mood. Serenity in Dissolution is a lovely piece stated radiantly by Dan’s touching guitar, and includes his ballad/bluesy solo, warmly sensitive Flugelhorn, and swirls into a wonderfully atmospheric collective pastiche at its climax.

With a boogaloo style groove in homage to drum master Idris Muhammed, Old Soul features an intricate, but totally lyrical trumpet/guitar unison theme cooked in an intertwined bass/drums staggered rhythmic tandem, all culminating with brilliantly overlaid trumpet and guitar solos. Song for Charlie is a unique departure from the rest of the album. Launched by Louis alone, he’s joined by Alex’s plunger-muted trumpet for a fascinating two-man musical conversation filled with drama, wit, a bit of sarcastic repartee and even an occasional dirty joke here and there.

This enchanting album concludes with Witches Brew clearly calling to mind the closely titled Miles Davis album that changed music forever. This homage is appropriately muscular, biting, adventurous and exploratory, with trumpet soaring over a scintillating swamp-gut bottom of shimmering guitar, funkily strutting bass and subtly insistent rocking drums.

This wonderful album not only has something for everybody, it has everything any fan of great music could want.

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo releases "Peace" featuring special guests Peter Orins and Christian Pruvost from KAZE

With each new orchestra album, pianist-composer Satoko Fujii deepens and refines one of the most startling and singular concepts in large ensemble free jazz today. Peace (January 27, 2017, Libra Records), the fifth album with her 15-member Orchestra Tokyo, is no exception. A tribute to the late guitarist Kelly Churko, the recording features special guests drummer Peter Orins and trumpeter Christian Pruvost with whom Fujii and her husband Natsuki Tamura perform in the collective quartet KAZE. Together these friends and colleagues create one of the most personal of Fujii's 18 (!) big band albums.

"I always try to come up with a special concept for each recording project," Fujii says. "When we recorded Peace, KAZE was in Japan touring. The two French musicians are very different from the Japanese musicians in the orchestra, so I thought it might be interesting to see how they all could draw inspiration from one another. I wanted to bring their voices into my Tokyo orchestra to get some kind of creative chemical reaction. I like how it came out. I think it succeeded."

Besides introducing special guests to the orchestra, Fujii also wanted to pay tribute to one of her most beloved collaborators, Canadian guitarist Kelly Churko, who lived in Tokyo for more than a decade and was a member of the Orchestra Tokyo from 2009 and the First Meeting quartet (Churko appears on the orchestra's 2010 release, Zakopane and First Meeting's Cut the Rope CD.) "He was an amazing person and such a talented musician," Fujii says.

Fujii wrote "Peace" in Churko's memory. From the title, you might not expect the full throttle intensity and explosive energy of the composition. Fujii showcases the entire sax section in a pulsating, triple forte collective improvisation to open the piece and the energy level never drops as baritone saxophonist Ryuichi Yoshida delivers a roaring solo, alto saxophonist Kunihiro Izumi swoops and wails and the drummers engage in earth-shaking duet. As Fujii explains, "Kelly loved noise music and crazy heavy metal sometimes, but he was the guy who was very peaceful and loved peace."

Churko died of cancer in 2014, so the sprawling half-hour composition "2014" has a tie to the guitarist as well. Working on a large musical canvas, Fujii has plenty of space to explore different aspects of the orchestra, from extended melodies to massive orchestral chords to subtle orchestrations. Fujii deploys duo and trio combinations of improvisers to enrich the written material. First up are the special guests Pruvost and Orins, followed by trombonist Yasuyuki Takahashi and tenor saxophonist Masaya Kimura. The energy level of the performance jumps suddenly as the drummers go at it together and then trumpeters Natuski Tamura and Toshihiro Koike chatter and soar before bright and bold full ensemble blasts. A trio improvisation with trumpeter Takao Watanabe, trombonist Haguregumo Nagamatsu and tenorist Kenichi Matsumoto unfolds over a funky beat before bassist Toshiki Nagata has the final say.

Tamura's "Jasper" opens serenely, with featured soprano saxophone soloist Sachi Hayasaka improvising almost a call to prayer. The music builds to an impressive full orchestra crescendo before retreating to the hushed drone that began the piece. "Jasper was a cat of our old friend's, Jane Wang in Boston," Fujii explains. "He was Natsuki's best friend. They could communicate somehow and enjoyed napping together."

The album closes with "Beguine Nummer Eins," a melodic dance number whose title is a legacy of Fujii and Tamura's years spent in Berlin. (They are now based back in Japan.) Trumpeter Yoshihito Fukumoto delivers a robust, lyrical performance.

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer Satoko Fujii as one of the most original voices in jazz today. She's "a virtuoso piano improviser, an original composer and a bandleader who gets the best collaborators to deliver," says John Fordham in The Guardian.  In concert and on more than 80 albums as a leader or co-leader, she synthesizes jazz, contemporary classical, avant-rock and Japanese folk music into an innovative music instantly recognizable as hers alone. Her most recent group, Satoko Fujii Tobira with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, bassist Todd Nicholson, and drummer Takashi Itani, released their debut recording Yamiyo Ni Karasu in 2015. "There are pulse-pounding rhythms, vibrant tones and dark chords woven together into a multi-shaded tapestry of soundŠWhat an absolute pleasure to listen to Satoko Fujii." wrote Travis Rogers Jr. in The Jazz Owl. Over the years, Fujii has led some of the most consistently creative ensembles in modern improvised music, including the ma-do quartet, the Min-Yoh Ensemble, and an electrifying avant-rock quartet featuring drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins. She has also established herself as one of the world's leading composers for large jazz ensembles, leading Cadence magazine to call her, "the Ellington of free jazz." Her ultimate goal: "I would love to make music that no one has heard before."

Although Fujii is renowned as a pianist, her keyboard playing is not heard on Peace. "For me, composing is one of the most delicious parts of being a musician," she says. "I compose the piece but the composition is more like the starting point for improvising. With my orchestra, conducting is my improvisation. I can arrange my compositions on the stage with a lot of inspiration from my bandmates' playing. I'm not playing piano as much with my orchestra now. Many times, I don't play at all. I am just too busy directing and cueing the band. My band is my instrument."

www.satokofujii.com