Ella Fitzgerald's Centennial Year Commemorated With A Global Ella 100 Celebration The First Lady Of Song Honored With Several Album Releases

The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Verve Label Group and UMe are pleased to announce some of the major initiatives confirmed as part of this year's Ella 100 centennial celebration honoring one of the most beloved and influential vocalists of all time, Ella Fitzgerald. Throughout 2017 to April 2018, the 100th anniversary of Fitzgerald's birthday (April 25, 1917) will be celebrated across the world with prestigious exhibits, a trove of new music releases and myriad independent tributes and concerts.

Fitzgerald's remarkable career and extraordinary legacy will be the focus of several exhibitions and events at institutions throughout the United States. In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, which since 1997 has housed memorabilia of Fitzgerald's demonstrating the scope of her achievements and character, will open a new display titled First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald at 100 on April 1st, kicking off Jazz Appreciation Month. The year-long exhibit will feature awards, letters, sheet music and costumes from Fitzgerald's archives as well as videos of her performances. The Library of Congress, home to the Ella Fitzgerald Collection, an archive that consists of Fitzgerald's entire music library and thousands of scores, parts, lyric sheets, and arrangements of works performed and/or recorded by Fitzgerald, will celebrate Lady Ella with a concert by award-winning singer Dianne Reeves on March 31. On the day of her centennial, noted jazz historian and Senior Music Specialist Larry Appelbaum will lead a multi-media homage to the beloved singer.

The GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles will celebrate the life, music and charitable legacy of the 13-time GRAMMY® winner and Recording Academy® Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, with the opening of a new exhibit titled Ella at 100: Celebrating the Artistry of Ella Fitzgerald. Opening on what would have been Fitzgerald's 100th birthday, April 25, 2017, the all-encompassing exhibit will commemorate the late icon with rare recordings, photos, personal telegram correspondences, wardrobe pieces such as her well-known Don Loper beaded gown and her GRAMMY Awards, all on loan from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. Fitzgerald holds the distinction of being the first African-American to win a GRAMMY® Award: In 1958 at the inaugural ceremony, she won two awards for her vocal performances on Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book and Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book. Ella at 100: Celebrating the Artistry of Ella Fitzgerald will be on display in the GRAMMY Museum's Mike Curb Gallery on the fourth floor through fall 2017.

Fitzgerald's Song Book recordings, widely considered her greatest achievement and a cornerstone of 20th century recorded popular music, are the focal point for the Great American Songbook Foundation's recently opened exhibit, Ella Sings The Songbook. Located in the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind., the exhibit, which runs until October, shines a spotlight on the classic recordings Fitzgerald made with Norman Granz at Verve between 1956 and 1964. Historic photos, sheet music, magazines and other artifacts, culled from both the foundation's own archives and on loan from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, tell the story of these career-changing albums. The exhibit also includes an interactive multimedia station with video of live international performances and more than 30 audio recordings. In conjunction with the standing exhibit, the foundation has also assembled a traveling display with educational materials that will be available on loan to local schools and community groups. For more information, contact the foundation at (317) 844-2251 or info@TheSongbook.org.

Verve and UMe will celebrate Ella Fitzgerald's centennial with a slate of exciting releases throughout the year and into 2018. On April 21, 100 of her most popular songs will be released as a new 4CD box set titled 100 Songs For A Centennial. The collection, which will also be available digitally, spans Fitzgerald's Decca and Verve years, beginning with her earliest recordings with Chick Webb and his orchestra in 1936 and culminating with the GRAMMY® Award-winning "Mack The Knife," her famous live recording from 1960's Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife. Some of the many highlights include "Summertime," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket,"  "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," and "I've Got You Under My Skin." 

Also on April 21, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George and Ira Gershwin Song Books, a collaboration with Nelson Riddle that is highly regarded as the pinnacle of her legendary Song Book series, will be released as a limited edition 6LP vinyl box set. A replica of the rare 5LP set originally released in 1959, the Ella 100 edition recreates for the first time since its initial release the original stereo box set on vinyl, the originally included five lithographs by French impressionist painter Bernard Buffet, as well as the hardcover book, Words And Music, which for this set has been updated with additional historical information and an afterword by noted author David Ritz. The 2017 collection was newly mastered by Ron McMaster at Capitol Studios in Hollywood where the album was originally recorded in 1959 under the supervision of Verve Records founder Norman Granz. A sixth LP enlarges the original 10-inch instrumental EP with orchestra tracks on Side One and additional material from the sessions on Side Two. One of the bonus tracks, a mono alternate take of "Oh, Lady Be Good!," is on vinyl for the first time. View the behind-the-scenes album trailer here: https://youtu.be/5oZKdy3KM6M.

Later in the year, all of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong's beloved duets, combining for the first time their Decca singles with three ageless Verve albums and bonus tracks, will be released as a 4CD/digital set titled Cheek To Cheek: The Complete Ella & Louis Duets. Further on, Verve will release a new album featuring Fitzgerald's classic vocal recordings accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the London Symphony Orchestra.

In an effort to present Fitzgerald's music in the best possible fidelity, the eight classic albums that make up the Ella Fitzgerald Song Books were made available on February 17 in a variety of high-resolution audio formats. The albums, which include Fitzgerald interpreting work by the most beloved composers of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and Hollywood – Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer and Rodgers & Hart – are available individually and for the first time as a hi-res audio bundle as Ella Fitzgerald: The Complete Original Song Books. Each album's cover art, inconsistent in all previous digital releases, has been restored to the original design and the albums are in the original sequence. A showcase for Fitzgerald's underappreciated talents as well as a celebration of America's great composers, the Song Book series debuted in 1956 with Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book and launched Verve Records.

Some of Fitzgerald's most cherished earliest recording will be brought into the digital age when the 300 singles she recorded for Decca from 1935-1955, nearly three-quarters of which never appeared on an album, will be made available digitally in the form they were released (A side/B side) for the first time on March 24. With more than half the tracks making their digital debut, the mammoth collection will be divided into four volumes that will encapsulate Fitzgerald's two-decade-long Decca career. Vol. 1, 1935-1939 includes songs teenaged Ella recorded as the featured singer fronting the world-renowned Chick Webb Orchestra while Vol. 2, 1939-1941 features 50 tracks credited to Ella and Her Famous Orchestra, when she took over the Chick Webb Orchestra following Webb's untimely death at age 30. Vol. 3 1942-1949 covers the 1940s, when Fitzgerald formally became a Decca solo artist in her mid-twenties and Vol. 4 1950-1955 chronicles the first half of the 1950s before Fitzgerald's manager Norman Granz created Verve Records and brought her on board.

Ella Fitzgerald's centennial will be celebrated across the globe at a host of official and unofficial tributes and concerts. Some of the key events include the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.'s two-night concert March 24-25 featuring acclaimed singers Sy Smith, Capathia Jenkins, and Montego Glover performing Fitzgerald's songs with the NSO Pops. In New York City, Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater, where Fitzgerald made her stage debut and won Amateur Night as a teenager in 1934, will each honor Fitzgerald with multiple nights of exciting programming. A continually updated list of events can be found at EllaFitzgeraldFoundation.org.

Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she sold more than 40 million albums and received most every honor a performer could dream of winning, including the Kennedy Center Honor (1979), the National Medal of Arts (1987), France's Commander of Arts and Letters (1990), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1992) and 13 Grammy Awards. In 2007, the United States Postal Service honored Fitzgerald with a postage stamp.

In her six decade long career, the Queen of Jazz recorded more than 200 albums and roughly 2,000 songs, making her the most recorded female – and the second most recorded – performer in history. Among those recordings are works with some of history's greatest musicians and legendary songwriters.

Fitzgerald's distinct style has influenced multiple generations of singers and her work transcends generations and musical genres. She had an extraordinary vocal range and flexibility and possessed a preternatural gift for pitch, rhythmic sense and flawless diction. Immensely versatile, she could sing it all from jazz and bebop to ballads, swing, pop and rock. With an unparalleled ability for mimicry and "scat" singing, Fitzgerald also produced melodic lines that put her in the category of great instrumental improvisers. Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless.

Fitzgerald performed her last concert at Carnegie Hall in 1991. She passed away due to complications from Diabetes, dying in her Beverly Hills home on June 15, 1996.

The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation was created and funded in 1993 by Ella Fitzgerald in order to fulfill her desires to use the fruits of her success to help people of all races, cultures and beliefs. Fitzgerald hoped to make their lives more rewarding, and she wanted to foster a love of reading, as well as a love of music. In addition, she hoped to provide assistance to the at-risk and disadvantaged members of our communities - assistance that would enable them to achieve a better quality of life. The Board of Directors of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation seeks to continue Ella Fitzgerald's goals by making charitable grants serving four major areas of interest: Creating educational and other opportunities for children; fostering a love and knowledge of music; including assistance to students of music the provision of health care; food, shelter and counseling to those in need and specific areas of medical care and research with an emphasis on Diabetes, vision problems and heart disease.

100 SONGS FOR A CENTENNIAL TRACK LISTING

Disc 1

1. Sing Me A Swing Song (And Let Me Dance)

2. (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It

3. Dedicated To You

4. Big Boy Blue

5. I Got A Guy

6. A-Tisket, A-Tasket

7. I Found My Yellow Basket

8. McPherson Is Rehearsin' (To Swing)

9. F.D.R. Jones

10. Undecided

11. I Want The Waiter (With The Water)

12. Imagination

13. Five O'clock Whistle

14. Cow-Cow Boogie

15. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street

16. I'm Making Believe

17. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

18. And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine

19. I'm Beginning To See The Light

20. It's Only A Paper Moon

21. You Won't Be Satisfied

22. Stone Cold Dead In The Market

23. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons

24. My Happiness

25. Baby, It's Cold Outside

Disc 2

1. Oh, Lady Be Good!

2. That Old Feeling

3. I Hadn't Anyone Till You

4. Black Coffee

5. Soon

6. There Never Was A Baby Like My Baby

7. Walking By The River

8. Taking A Chance On Love

9. Until The Real Thing Comes Along

10. You Leave Me Breathless

11. Lullaby Of Birdland

12. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

13. It Might As Well Be Spring

14. Miss Otis Regrets

15. You Do Something To Me

16. I've Got You Under My Skin

17. Moonlight In Vermont

18. Cheek To Cheek

19. Manhattan

20. Thou Swell

21. I Wish I Were In Love Again

22. Blue Moon

23. (In My) Solitude

24. Comes Love

25. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

Disc 3

1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

2. In A Mellow Tone

3. I Never Had A Chance

4. What Will I Tell My Heart

5. Summertime

6. Little White Lies

7. You Hit The Spot

8. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me

9. Let's Face The Music And Dance

10. Isn't This A Lovely Day (To Be Caught In The Rain)

11. Puttin' On The Ritz

12. You Make Me Feel So Young

13. Moonlight Becomes You

14. Let's Fall In Love

15. My Old Flame

16. They All Laughed

17. I Can't Be Bothered Now

18. My One And Only

19. I Got Rhythm

20. Stairway To The Stars

21. Misty

22. Hooray For Love

23. Out Of This World

24. Come Rain Or Come Shine

25. Stella By Starlight

Disc 4

1. I Hear Music

2. Love Me Or Leave Me

3. Hallelujah, I Love Him

4. The Very Thought Of You

5. Warm All Over

6. Almost Like Being In Love

7. All The Things You Are

8. A Fine Romance

9. Yesterdays

10. Honeysuckle Rose

11. On The Sunny Side Of The Street

12. Tea For Two

13. Trouble In Mind

14. See See Rider

15. Can't Buy Me Love

16. The Sweetest Sounds

17. Skylark

18. Something's Gotta Give

19. Dream

20. Cotton Tail

21. Duke's Place

22. Something To Live For

23. Whisper Not

24. Time After Time

25. Mack The Knife

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George and Ira Gershwin Song Books

Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set Track Listing

Vol. 1

Side A

1.  Sam And Delilah

2.  But Not For Me

3.  My One And Only

4.  Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

5.  Beginner's Luck

Side B

1.  Oh, Lady Be Good!

2.  Nice Work If You Can Get It

3.  Things Are Looking Up

4.  Just Another Rhumba

5.  How Long Has This Been Going On

Vol. 2

Side A

1.  'S Wonderful

2.  The Man I Love

3.  That Certain Feeling

4.  By Strauss

5.  Someone To Watch Over Me

6.  The Real American Folk Song

Side B

1.  Who Cares?

2.  Looking For A Boy

3.  They All Laughed

4.  My Cousin In Milwaukee

5.  Somebody From Somewhere 

Vol. 3

Side A

1.  A Foggy Day

2.  Clap Yo' Hands

3.  For You, For Me, For Everyone

4.  Stiff Upper Lip

5.  Boy Wanted

6.  Strike Up The Band

Side B

1.  Soon

2.  I've Got A Crush On You

3.  Bidin' My Time

4.  Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did?

5.  Of Thee I Sing (Baby) 

Vol. 4

Side A

1.  The Half Of It, Dearie, Blues

2.  I Was Doing All Right

3.  He Loves And She Loves

4.  Love Is Sweeping The Country

5.  Treat Me Rough

Side B

1.  Love Is Here To Stay

2.  Slap That Bass

3.  Isn't It A Pity?

4.  Shall We Dance?

5.  Love Walked In

6.  You've Got What Gets Me 

Vol. 5

Side A

1.  They Can't Take That Away From Mwe

2.  Embraceable You

3.  I Can't Be Bothered Now

4.  Boy! Look What Love Has Done To Me

5.  Fascinating Rhythm

Side B

1.  Funny Face

2.  Lorelei

3.  Oh, So Nice

4.  Let's Kiss And Make Up

5.  I Got Rhythm 

Bonus Vol. 6

Side A – instrumentals originally on box set 10-inch

1.  Promenade

2.  March Of The Swiss Soldiers

3.  Fidgety Feet

4.  Prelude I

5.  Prelude II

6.  Prelude III

Side B – all tracks not in original box set

1.  Somebody Loves Me – from the album Get Happy!

2.  Cheerful Little Earful – from the album Get Happy!

3.  But Not For Me – 45rpm single version

4.  Lorelei – alternate take/from pre-release sampler

5.  Love Is Here To Stay – alternate take/from pre-release sampler

6.  Oh, Lady Be Good! – alternate take/first time on vinyl

ellafitzgeraldfoundation.org  | facebook.com/ellafitzgerald

 

NEW RELEASES: MIKAEL - GROOVEOLOGY: THE FINALE; COLLECTIVE PEACE - INTRODUCING COLLECTIVE PEACE; GABRIEL GARZON-MONTANO - JARDIN

MIKAEL - GROOVEOLOGY: THE FINALE

Hailing from Dayton, OH, former lead guitarist from the famed Commodores for ten years, Mikael has now arrived at another leg of his journey and is launching his third album, “Grooveology (The Finale)”. This CD brings in flavors from Brazil, along with some Ohio Funk, to the sounds of Jazz as one might imagine would have been played behind the doors of the Cotton Club back in Harlem. If you want songs with romance, Mikael has covered that too in his remix of  “Sadie”, as well as in the melody of “If I Could”. These are just a few of the love songs found on “Grooveology (The Finale”. In total, there are 14 songs which also include his hit from a previous album, “Highway 105” as well as “All I Do”. Songs with the Latin beat are “Como Te Llamas” and “ By The Way”. The tempo in the first is wickedly fast and highly upbeat with a brass section that punctuates all the Latin flavors and showcases the brilliance of Mikael on classical guitar. Both of these songs are very exhilarating and sure to liven up any dance floor. Also, his title song “Grooveology” is quite electrifying and shows how well he blended in that crazy Funky sound from his days when he performed with Walter "Junie" Morrison of the “Ohio Players”.

COLLECTIVE PEACE - INTRODUCING COLLECTIVE PEACE

A very cool collective from the contemporary Detroit scene – one led by a soulful saxophonist, and a great female singer – working here with strong guest contributions from Amp Fiddler, Zo, Dwele, Marcus Douglas, and John Bibbs! Saxappeal handles the reed solos and production – and the album has this crispy blend of jazz and contemporary soul, put together without any commercial schmaltz – at a level that reminds us of some of Zo's own music, but with less of a keyboard focus overall. The presentation is wonderful – very fresh, especially in some of the rhythms and instrumentation – but with more than enough classic roots to appeal to our ears, too – and titles include "Love's In Waiting", "Let The Music Play", "Track VI", "Pillow Talk", "Let It Shine", "Soul Bounce", and "Sun Chaser". Japanese pressing features the bonus tracks – "You & Me" and "Let The Music Play (Jon Dixon rmx)". ~ Dusty Groove

GABRIEL GARZON-MONTANO - JARDIN

The Stones Throw debut of Gabriel Garzon-Montano – a soul singer with a nicely laidback vibe – one that lets his crispy, raspy vocals fall in nicely between the keyboard lines and spare rhythms that really set the pace for the record! The tunes are never too over the top – and Gabriel really knows how to to more with less – allowing his understated approach to flow into all the spaces between the notes in a really great way – a mode that might well be echoed by some of his contemporaries. Titles include "Sour Mango", "Fruit Flies", "The Game", "Long Ears", "My Balloon", "Cantiga", and "Bombo Fabrika". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: DONALD BYRD: LOVE HAS COME AROUND: THE ELEKTRA RECORDS ANTHOLOGY 1978-1982; LEON - BODY & SOUL; SOL - UPFRONT

DONALD BYRD AND 125TH STREET, N.Y.C.: LOVE HAS COME AROUND: THE ELEKTRA RECORDS ANTHOLOGY 1978-1982

A great chapter in the career of trumpeter Donald Byrd – his post-Blue Note work with the group 125th Street NYC – which is kind of a second chapter to the jazzy fusion style he developed at the start of the 70s! This time around, there's an equal emphasis on soul and jazz – often with some strong vocals in the lead, but also plenty of room for Donald to stretch out and serve up the kind of perfect solos he worked out with the Mizell Brothers in the years before – modes that are continued here with some great guest help from singers and musicians who include Syreeta, Isaac Hayes, Jim Gilstrap, Wah Wah Watson, and Greg Phillinganes! If you like Donald Byrd albums like Places & Spaces or Stepping Into Tomorrow, you'll find that the sound here is a continuation of that mode – taken into the leaner funk territory that would come to play in the 80s. 2CD set features almost all the best tracks from those years, including some single mixes too – and titles include "Thank You For Funking Up My Life (12" disco version)", "Marilyn", "Butterfly", "Gold The Moon White The Sun", "Sexy Dancer", "Love Has Come Around", "Loving You", "Love For Sale", "Star Trippin", "I Love You", "Midnight", "Your Love Is My Ecstasy", "Have You Heard The News", "People Suppose To Be Free", "Morning", "I'm Coming Home", "Sunning In Your Love Shine", "Everyday", "Falling", "So Much In Love", and "Forbidden Love".  ~ Dusty Groove

LEON – BODY & SOUL

With a new mini album, French multi-instrumentalist, musician and producer Stephane Voituret a.k.a Leon returns with another fine musical journey under the title Body & Soul. With a wide funk concept and unique style his music is blended with fusion touch. As always his cinematic point of view, but this time his music meets an ultra psychedelic rock with a jazz soul. The result? Well, Leon does what he knows best and with this album yes it sounds great! Tracks include: Body and Soul (Original Mix);  The River (Original Mix); Get on the Boat (Original Mix); The Meeting (Original Mix); Friend (That is Still Gone); Feelin' Groovy (Original Mix): and Sexy Toy (Original Mix).

SOL- UPFRONT

When you combine Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross and Musiq Soulchild, you get Sol! Upfront, featuring Gerald Albright. It is super strong from the first track to the last and no fillers, just great music. Some tracks make you want to dance, others make you just want to sit and listen. These songs and the interpretation of them will blow you away. Includes: That’s The Way I Feel You; Always; Invisible; Lovely Day; After The Sunrise; Golden Lady; Broken Record; Glow; and I Want You In My Life.

NEW RELEASES: KARYN WHITE DELUXE EDITION; SOUL LOUNGE 13; JACOB COLLIER - IN MY ROOM

KARYN WHITE - KARYN WHITE DELUXE EDITION

Big Break Records proudly presents the first ever deluxe remaster of Karyn White, which includes a staggering 19 bonus tracks, rare promotional remixes and exclusive interviews with Karyn White, Daryl Simmons and Jeff Lorber, and presented in a super jewel case complete with a 20-page booklet and detailed liner notes. Karyn White became one of the most successful international artists in R&B with this, her debut album, in 1988. The album enjoyed platinum sales and spun off five hit singles including “Siperwoman,” arguably the most popular and enduring soul ballad of the era. This 2CD deluxe edition marks the 30th anniversary of White’s first hit and features bonus songs and remixes. Karyn White began her career as a session singer for R&B artist O’Bryan, while they were supporting Cameo. After using former Tower Of Power vocalist Michael Jeffries’ studio, both White and Jeffries were signed as the lead vocalists for Jazz Fusion artist Jeff Lorber’s Warner Bros. debut album in 1986. The majority of the album was produced by LA & Babyface at the height of both their creative and commercial powers, including the New Jack Swing styled first single “The Way You Lover Me.”

SOUL LOUNGE 13 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Latest volume in the attractively priced, ever reliable 3CD Soul Lounge series, with a strong line-up of soul, R&B and jazz artists, including Shaun Escoffery, Tony Momrelle, Simon Law featuring Caron Wheeler, Jarrod Lawson, Avery Sunshine, Incognito, Beverley Knight and Down To The Bone. Released for the first time on this album is a stunning, much requested live TV recording of Shaun Escoffery singing “A House Is Not A Home” at a Royal Festival Hall Burt Bacharach concert, as well as Jarrod Lawson’s Trevor Nelson BBC 1Xtra Live Lounge rendition of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor”, plus brand new track “Looking For” from Eric Roberson. Available on CD for the first time is the reunion of Soul II Soul writer/producer Simon Law and Caron Wheeler on the brilliant “Morning Love”, the Nigel Lowis remix of Shaun Escoffery’s “Healing Me” and the Ski Oakenfull remix of Bluey’s “Sky”. This latest visit to the Soul Lounge – with more than 3 hours of music on 3 CDs – is sure to find favour with those who like their soul and R&B with a touch of class. Released on the Soul Lounge label.

JACOB COLLIER - IN MY ROOM

22 year old Jacob Collier is recognised as one of the world's most distinctive, inventive and prodigious young musicians. Based in London, Jacob's music combines elements of Jazz, A cappella, Groove, Folk, Triphop, Classical music, Brazilian music, Gospel, Soul and Improvisation (to name a few), all of which culminate to create the world of 'Jacob Collier'. Jacob has embraced the world of the Internet to share his uniquely creative talent, becoming best known for creating his trademark multifaceted YouTube videos from his music room at home, wherein he sings all the parts, plays all the instruments, and visualises every component with a mosaic of screens. Since his first YouTube upload in December 2011, Jacob's online social channels have garnered over 62K international subscribers and more than 6 million views and earned him a global following. Some of his greatest fans are among the elite Jazz community and include Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Steve Vai and Take 6, to name just a few. Jacob has been recording and self-producing his debut album 'In My Room' and creating ever more videos to be shared on his online channels. He looks forward to meeting you, one day.

NEW RELEASES: PHILIP LASSITER – CHILL MODE; ERIC ALEXANDER TRIO – JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS; LORI JENAIRE - FRUITION

PHILIP LASSITER – CHILL MODE

A sweetly soulful set from trumpeter Philip Lassiter – a jazz musician at heart, but one who's blowing here with a strong range of contemporary R&B elements! Phil's trumpet is often processed a bit – with a cool, compressed sound that fits right in with the well-produced mellow grooves – handled by James Poyser, Jae Deal, Rodley Lil Rod Jones, Bobby Sparks III, and others – sometimes with a bit of vocals from Josephine Rojer, sometimes with more than enough "voice" from Lassiter on his horn! The set's got a nicely different vibe than other efforts of this nature, and is much deeper and is light years from too-familiar smooth jazz. Titles include "Bob Ya Head", "Cheers 2 Life", "Jungle Feva", "Chill Mode", "Hopscotch", and "Smilin Profilin".  ~ Dusty Groove

ERIC ALEXANDER TRIO – JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS

A totally wonderful setting for the tenor genius of Eric Alexander – a freewheeling trio, which is a format we're not sure we've ever heard him in before – really stretching out in an amazing way, with the sense of of imagination that we've always loved in his music, but with a depth that takes him farther than most of his usual recordings too! We're not sure what happened, but there's a new sort of edge in Eric's horn – one that might well come from the sublime work of Dezron Douglas on bass and Neal Smith on drums – but which might just be Alexander deciding to take off and really blow us away – which he does throughout the set, with a sense of spirituality that we haven't heard from him before. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Wise One", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "You Say You Care", "Beautiful Love", "Bessie's Blues", "Russian Lullaby", and "We've Only Just Begun".  ~ Dusty Groove

LORI JENAIRE - FRUITION

Vocalist and songwriter Lori Jenaire is emerging dramatically on the music scene, rapidly carving her niche in the world of neo-jazz and soul, as she boldly steps in the footprints of, Phyllis Hyman, Anita Baker and  Sarah Vaughn. Lori Jenaire is a statuesque 6-foot-tall beauty with scintillating vocals who conjures up images of divas from an era past. With her sophomore release, aptly titled, “Fruition,” on NBE Records, Jenaire co-writes the majority of the album and takes the jazz/R&B world by storm with her remake of the Mamas and Papa’s smash ‘California Dreamin’. Since Fruition’s release, she has consistently been on the R&R Jazz Indicator charts steadily climbing from her debut at No 26 and reaching No 7 on the Smooth Jazz.com indie chart. Radio & Records Magazine’s Carole Archer describes Jenaires’ California Dreamin as “a swingin’ and sultry version, that delivers big time”.

NEW RELEASES: DAVID BINNEY – THE TIME VERSES; BISCAY – BURNT MEMENTOS; SOIA – HIOP

DAVID BINNEY – THE TIME VERSES

A slightly different album than usual from saxophonist David Binney – a set that still features plenty of the leader's great work on alto sax, but which also includes a few electric textures, and sampled sonic moments – elements used sparely, on short tracks before the main instrumental moments – but in a way that adds a nice degree of color to the record, but without getting in the way of the jazz performance! The piano of Jacob Sacks is also a key part of the album's sense of sound – and the core group also features Eivind Opsvik on bass and Dan Weiss on drums. Jen Shyu joins on vocals for the track "Seen" – and other titles include "Fifty Five", "The Reason To Return", "Dawn", "Arc", "Strange Animal", and "Time Takes Its Time".  ~ Dusty Groove

BISCAY – BURNT MEMENTOS

Their songs can only be described as shamelessly retrospective, fusing jazz, funk and soul grooves. This contrasts with the songs contemporary subjects, which wryly bemoan the state of the modern world. Biscay thrive on this contrast - much like the part of the Atlantic from which they take their name, their music combines smooth sounds with the turbulence of 21st century urban life. Their debut, 6-track EP ‘Burnt Mementos’, due for release on Friday March 24th 2017, explores a range of topics from the flawed worship of good looks, the pointless pursuit of status, bad dates and worse relationships….the lyrics are also semi-autobiographical! The band are a flawless line-up of musicians hailing from London and Birmingham, with the driving force of writer/guitarist Phil Danter, and French lead singer Elea May who adds a soaring flavor of lead vocals which sit perfectly upon the grooves with both her tone and overall sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFhnOkA849c

SOIA – HIOP

Spacey soul from Soia – a European singer who works closely here with producer Mez – who served up some great beats on their previous record together! The vibe here is very similar – kind of a mellow take on broken modes from a decade before – with a slowed-down pace that allows for plenty of vocal and keyboard inflections, and a spacey production style that makes all the elements float together in a really beautiful way! At some level, the record's one that might sound best in the smaller hours past midnight – but some tracks also have a more urgent feel that demands rapt attention. Titles include "Habibi", "Hidden In Obvious Places", "Ignite Despite", "Tropical Jinx", "See Me Hollow", "1000 Layers", and "Roaming Deer".  ~ Dusty Groove

CLASSIC JEAN-JACQUES PERREY TITLE MOOG INDIGO TO BE REISSUED ON 180-GRAM VINYL // GROUNDBREAKING ALBUM FROM ELECTRONIC MUSIC PIONEER REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL ANALOG MASTER TAPES

Vanguard Records, a division of Concord Bicycle Music, has announced the vinyl reissue of Moog Indigo, one of the most iconic and influential titles from the catalog of French electronic music innovator Jean-Jacques Perrey. Available March 24th, the album was pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI from lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering using the original analog album master. This meticulously and faithfully reproduced edition will mark the first official hi-fidelity vinyl reissue of this title in the U.S. since the album’s original pressings in 1970. 

Jean-Jacques Perrey, who recently passed away at the age of 87, is credited with being a key player in the development of modern electronic music. From his early collaborations with Gershon Kingsley, a former colleague of John Cage, to his latter day collaborations with French pop duo AIR, Perrey’s unique stylistic approach to the Moog synthesizer opened up a world of possibilities for generations of artists. Primarily employing a combination of the Moog synthesizer, magnetic tape, and the Ondioline  ̶  a French precursor to modern synthesizers  ̶  Perrey assembled space-age, sonic collages that inspired artists as diverse as hip-hop legends Gang Starr to contemporary Australian hit-maker, Gotye, whose Ondioline Orchestra recently paid tribute to the musician with a live performance of his best-known songs. The long list of Perrey’s notable contributions to popular music includes the song “Baroque Hoedown,” written with Kingsley in 1967, and later used prominently by Disneyland for the inimitable Main Street Electrical Parade, which is now making its triumphant return to the park after a 20-year hiatus. 

Released at the height of Perrey’s long career, Moog Indigo offers a kaleidoscopic array of sounds, blending funk, lounge, and the avant-garde, delivered with imagination and the artist’s signature playful sensibility. The centerpiece of the album, “E.V.A.”, has been heavily sampled by acts as diverse as Kool Keith (aka Dr. Octagon) (1996’s “3000”) and Pusha T (2014’s “Lunch Money”) to Fatboy Slim (whose 1997 remix of the song became a classic dancefloor staple) and stands the test of time with its space-age funk. Most recently, “E.V.A.” was included in the critically-acclaimed, sought-after 4-LP collection, Jazz Dispensary: Cosmic Stash, which was released exclusively for Record Store Day in April 2016. Rounding out the record is "Gossipo Perpetuo," a tape loop collage that combines chattering voices with a fast-paced synthesizer samba groove, creating a smile-inducing slice of electronic pop. Apple tapped this tune as part of 2016’s “Shot on iPhone” ad campaign.

  

Track Listing:

A1. Soul City

A2. E.V.A.

A3. The Rose And The Cross

A4. Cat In The Night

A5. Flight Of The Bumblebee

A6. Moog Indigo

B1. Gossipo Perpetuo

B2. Country Rock Polka

B3. The Elephant Never Forgets

B4. 18th Century Puppet

B5. Hello Dolly

B6. Passport To The Futuredigo

Jamie Saft Mines New Musical Territory Project With Guitarist Bill Brovold: Serenity Knolls

Jamie Saft has been a significant presence on RareNoiseRecords since the label's inception: as band leader on New Zion w. Cyro's Sunshine Seas (on piano, analogue keyboards, bass and guitar with percussionist Cyro Baptista) and on The New Standard (on piano and organ with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bobby Previte), on celebrated quartet collaborations with Wadada Leo Smith (Red Hill, on piano) and Roswell Rudd (Strength & Power, on piano), as well as on a number of deep free music collaborations involving Joe Morris (Slobber Pup, Plymouth, The Spanish Donkey, on organ and analogue keyboards).

Now, on Serenity Knolls, he stakes out some completely different territory. An intimate duo project with guitarist Bill Brovold, a former member of such New York no-wave bands as the Rhys Chatham Ensemble, the East Village Orchestra and the Zen Vikings, it features Saft alternating between playing dobro and lap steel on a set of 12 ambient type tunes with a distinctive heartland undercurrent to them.

An accomplished keyboardist-composer who has been widely acknowledged for his work with various John Zorn projects, including The Dreamers, Electric Masada and Moonchild, the Queens native and current resident of Kingston in upstate New York has nonetheless has maintained a longstanding relationship with the guitar. As he explains, "I've played guitar since I was a youth as well as bass guitar, so this isn't something new for me at all. In fact, my guitar playing is featured on many of my albums such as Breadcrumb Sins (Tzadik), Sunshine Seas (RareNoise) and Black Shabbis (Tzadik) as well as being prominently featured in my original score for the Oscar nominated film Murderball." 

On Serenity Knolls, Saft is paired with the legendary improviser, woodworker, instrument builder and leader of Larval, an influential Detroit improvising post-rock ensemble. "I met Bill in upstate New York where we both currently live in the Hudson Valley," says Jamie. "Bill is a beautiful and diverse friend and it's a pleasure to improvise music with him."

On spacious tracks like "Sweet Grass," "Saddle Horn," "The Great American Bison" and the title track, Saft creates that high and lonesome feel with his expressive slide guitar playing. He switches to lap steel on the droning "Bemidji", "No Horse Seen" and the minor key "Greybull."

"I've been fascinated by slide guitar styles for many years," he says. "Initially I was exposed to these sounds through Bob Dylan's music, which quickly led me to the universes of country and bluegrass music. I wouldn't say I have specific role models for slide guitar - for me it is a means to produce sustained events from a guitar. I take a more orchestral approach to the instrument. I'm far from a great technician on these instruments. I'd never profess to be in the same league in any way as the legends of pedal steel and dobro. But to me, they are sonic tools to achieve a particular goal."

Recorded at Potterville International Sound in Kingston, New York and mixed there by Saft and his colleague Christian Castagno (the same engineer who co-produced and mixed 2016's Sunshine Seas), Serenity Knolls carries a compelling vibe created by Brovold's atmospheric guitar in combination with Saft's melodic gems on dobro and lap steel. "This concept came from improvisations Bill and I were doing at house parties," Saft explains. "Combining the ambient feeling of Bill's unprocessed big hollow body Guild guitar through a Silverface Fender Vibrolux amplifier and the liquid sound of the dobro and lap steel guitar through a 1950's Alamo Amplifier with subtle tape echo enhancements was the intent. We sought to capture something inspired by the American landscape - the Great American Bison, endless highways, Plains drifting - filtered through a distinctly psychedelic lens. It began with the idea of making music that was 'Country Ambient' and arrived at something of an alternative state of consciousness." 

As for the evocative album title, Saft explains: "Serenity Knolls is both an ideal state of mind as well as the name of the rehab center where Jerry Garcia died." That perfectly captures both the serene nature and expansive, searching attitude heard throughout this beautiful free-flowing recording of strictly guitar music. Serenity Knolls is not only unique in Saft's oeuvre, it holds a unique place in the ever-expanding RareNoise catalog.

TRACKS

1. Sweet Grass

2. Mitchimakinak

3. Saddle Horn

4. Wendigo

5. Thermopolis

6. The Great American Bison

7. Bemidji

8. No Horse Seen

9. Splintering Wind

10. Greybuli

11. Serenity Knolls

12. Silent Midpoint

Norwegian Sax Star Kjetil Møster and Celebrated Hungarian Electroacoustic Bálint Bolcsó Guest on Band's Second RareNoise Release

Following the success of their acclaimed RareNoise debut, 2014's Jü Meets Møster (a killer collaboration with renowned Norwegian saxophonist Kjetil Møster) the experimental Budapest-based trio of guitarist Ádám Mészáros, bassist Ernö Hock and drummer András Halmos once again bridges hellacious free jazz, throbbing hardcore rock and spacious world and ambient music on their ecstatic, envelope-pushing opus, Summa. Alternately calm (the 12-minute "Jimma Blue") and crushing ("Mongrel Mangrove," "My Heart Is Somewhere Else" and the blistering title track), Summa stands as another powerful manifesto against complacency by the renegade trio. "The original form for us is the trio form," says guitarist Meszanos. "The first album with Kjetil was more like a great adventure. This is just us, and this is the Jü sound." Møster does appear as special guest alongside celebrated Hungarian electroacoustic composer Bálint Bolcsó on the expansive 12-minute track "Partir," providing a bridge to the first album.

Another element that enters into the picture to a degree on Ju's sophomore outing is folk music, which can be heard on tunes like "Lady Klimax," with its presence of kalimba, and "Sinus Begena," fueled by Hock's sintir-like bass playing. "We listen to many kinds of traditional musics and like to see ourselves as folk musicians," says drummer Halmos. "Many times when we hear traditional music that is ancient, it sounds really raw and simple, even if it is actually complex. And the music is held together differently than in music that is based on a metronomic pulse. It's a question of being in the moment, so you don't want to control every part."

"For me, it was never a conscious thing to prepare for being able to play different styles," he adds. "I don't prefer any genre, just looking for music that I like and trying to play inspired by them. I'd like to avoid being labeled, as it often happens, as a noisy punk band.

While their first RareNoise release was recorded in a single day, the Summa sessions took place over the course of five days in the studio. "So we had time to find form for the songs," says Halmos. "If you heard us live recently, you could hear that we play these songs more or less in the forms they are on the album but as we use those forms as starting points to wherever we are taken in the moment. Even though there was a lot of improvisation in the process, the sounds of the songs and the themes are there as anchor points. Still, we always try to keep them fresh, so basically anything can happen while playing."

  

Formed in 2012, each member of Jü is an accomplished player on the Budapest scene. Beside dozens of Hungarian groups, the members have played with such internationally acclaimed musicians as John Zorn, Eugene Chadbourne, Charles Gayle, Chris Potter, William Parker, Hamid Drake, Pamelia Kurstin and Mikolaj Trzaska. As developing musicians in Budapest, they came under the sway of such American renegades as John Zorn (particularly his Naked City and Moonchild bands) and Last Exit, the renegade noise quartet of Bill Laswell, Sonny Sharrock, Peter Brotzman and Ronald Shannon Jackson. Says Mészáros, "Of course I used to listen to these bands a lot. They had a kind of punk appeal that I think of as more physical, so it offers Videosome kind of relief also in a physical way. And we are trying to do that in our own music while allowing for some small accidents to happen along the way that can take you out of your comfort zone, which I like."

"Basically, we are trying to tell the same story again and again which is not written word buy word," he adds. "Sometimes we forget something, sometimes we tell more. It's affected by who and when and were we are telling it but it's still more or less the same story."

Those stories are told with intensity and sheer abandon on the bone-crunching Summa.

TRACKS

1. Lady Klimax

2. Socotra

3. Summa

4. Keltner

5. Partir (featuring Kjetil Møster and Bálint Bolcsó)

6. My Heart is Somewhere Else

7. Jimma Blue

8. Mongrel Mangrove (for Boros Levente)

9. Sinus Begena

Pianist Mike Longo's New CD, "Only Time Will Tell," With Bassist Paul West & Drummer Lewis Nash

Connoisseurs of jazz piano trios will welcome the release, on March 31, of Only Time Will Tell, the new trio recording by piano master Mike Longo with Paul West on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. The disc is Longo's 20th for the CAP (Consolidated Artists Productions) label, and his 26th since debuting as a leader in 1962.

Included on the CD are two compositions by Dizzy Gillespie, with whom Longo worked as pianist and musical director for 26 years, until Gillespie's death in 1993. The up-tempo "Wheatleigh Hall" was first recorded by the trumpeter in 1957 on an album with Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt. The gently swinging "Just a Thought," written by Gillespie in the '60s as a piano feature, had never been previously recorded.

Longo's trio-mates had their own associations with Gillespie. West had done two stints with the trumpeter -- in the '50s with Dizzy's big band and again in the '60s with the quintet that included Longo. Nash had worked with Gillespie on several occasions in subsequent years.

Mike Longo Trio Longo, West, and Nash play two Thelonious Monk tunes -- "Nutty" and "Brilliant Corners" -- on Only Time Will Tell and also offer their takes on Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark"; "Exactly Like You," delivered at an ultra-slow tempo; and Eubie Blake's "Memories of You," which closes the album. Among the Longo originals are the bossa nova-propelled "Stepping Up"; "Conflict of Interest," first recorded for a 1994 quintet album dedicated to Gillespie; and the gently waltzing title track, inspired by a documentary about Lyndon Johnson. "I started feeling sorry for him and went to the piano and wrote it," says Longo. "The point of the title is that after the passage of time, things may appear different than when you originally perceived them." (Pictured at left: Lewis Nash, Mike Longo, Paul West.)

The son of a band-leading bassist father and a church organist mother, Michael Longo Jr. was inspired as a child by boogie-woogie pianists Sugar Chile Robinson in his native Cincinnati, and Jack Fina later in Fort Lauderdale, where the Longos had moved when he was in the third grade. While in Florida, Longo was later inspired by jazz piano master Oscar Peterson, with whom he would eventually spend six months studying privately.

After earning a bachelor's degree in classical piano at Western Kentucky University, in 1959, Longo spent two years touring with the Salt City Six, the Dixieland group, and was hired at the Metropole Café in New York as one of the club's house pianists. In his two shifts a day, he backed Coleman Hawkins, Gene Krupa, and Henry "Red" Allen, among many others.

Mike Longo Gillespie, who first heard the young pianist at the Metropole, hired him in 1966. Longo went on to make nine albums with the trumpet legend, beginning with Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac in 1967, and has also recorded with Astrud Gilberto, Lee Konitz, Buddy Rich, and Moody, to name just a few. He cut the first album under his own name, A Jazz Portrait of Funny Girl, in 1962; his last 20 have appeared on Consolidated Artists Productions (CAP), a musicians' cooperative label managed by Longo and his wife. He also has enjoyed a successful second career as an educator and creator of instructional books and videos.

Since January 6, 2004, the anniversary of his friend Dizzy Gillespie's death, Longo has presented concerts every Tuesday evening in the Gillespie Auditorium of the New York City Baha'i Center. Longo will appear there 4/25 with his 17-piece New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble featuring Ira Hawkins. He'll be performing at Mezzrow 5/25 with Paul West. 

UNITED merges the talents of violinist JASON ANICK and pianist JASON YEAGER in a thrilling display of imaginative composition and world class musicianship

Meshing the outsized gifts of violinist and mandolinist Jason Anick and pianist Jason Yeager, United (to be released March 10, 2017 on saxophonist and jazz visionary Greg Osby's Inner Circle Music label) demonstrates how effectively today's most creative musical artists bloom outside the constrictions of genre and idiom. Rejecting the confining roles of strict categorization, the album draws on the wide swath of musical interests of its co-leaders, blending straight-ahead and post-bop jazz, world music, funk and pop, eagerly embracing what Anick and Yeager have defined as "jazz without borders." Displaying the virtuosic talents of both of these formidable instrumentalists, United also makes a thoroughly convincing claim for their roles as imaginative composers and inclusive conceptualists. 

Where Anick may be best known as a lynchpin of the acclaimed neo-Gypsy Jazz ensemble, Rhythm Future Quartet, and Yeager is a recognized exemplar of post-bop and third stream piano, their first project as co-leaders doesn't place either in strictly familiar roles. Primarily utilizing bassist Greg Loughman and drummer Mike Connors, as well as valued guests including the saxophonists George Garzone and Clay Lyons, trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist John Lockwood and percussionist Jerry Leake, United is a shining example of how the two Jasons engage the jazz tradition while gleefully expanding its purview.

The album roams freely among musical idioms, utilizing Israeli-inspired rhythms for the propulsive "Achi" and making vivid use of the Argentine chacarera beat for "La Segunda"; waxing a lyrical homage to Billy Strayhorn ("Sweet Pea"); training a rhythmically shifting gaze on George Harrison's "Something"; romping on the new jazz tribute to Joshua Redman, "Well Red"; duetting on a loping version of the Miles Davis standard, "All Blues"; and essaying two post-bop excursions by the innovative Polish jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert (one of which, "Turbulent Power," features the saxophone avatar George Garzone.) This stylistic diversity frees the leaders, allowing each to explore surprising and eminently satisfying aspects of their musical personalities.

For Anick and Yeager-friends since their teenage years, frequent collaborators, and now fellow Berklee instructors-United is both an artistic culmination of a long personal association and a statement of a shared musical aesthetic. "The album has been a great outlet for both of us," says Anick. "We get to stretch our instrumental voices within different contexts. We've always been in sync in terms of a creative vision where melody is never sacrificed to the demands of improvisation. We both believe that you can express yourself within the context of a song. There's a chemistry between us that allows us to create very special sonic soundscapes together."

"The album was also a means to honor and feature trusted musical associates and Berklee colleagues," says Yeager. "Clay Lyons, featured on "Bird's Eye View", Jerry Leake, and the third Jason, Jason Palmer, as well as Greg Loughman, Mike Connors and John Lockwood are all fantastic players who deserve wider recognition. For his part, George Garzone is just a force of nature!"  Indeed, the project's Berklee ties are manifest: Recorded by Professor Mark Wessel through a faculty grant at the college's state-of-the-art studios, Garzone, Lockwood, Palmer and Leake are all Berklee professors, and alto saxophonist Lyons is an alum.

Even with guests contributing so significantly to the success of the project, it always came back to the creative symbiosis of the co-leaders. "We were looking for different colors to add to the music, says Yeager, "but it was the thread that exists between us, that held United together."

One of the youngest instructors at Boston's Berklee College of Music and an award winning composer, Jason Anick is a co-founder and a featured member of the Rhythm Future Quartet, one of the preeminent neo-Gypsy Jazz outfits; he also leads his own contemporary jazz ensemble, and performs with the Grammy-winning guitarist John Jorgenson. With performances all over the world and renowned venues like the Montreal Jazz Festival, Blue Note, Scullers Jazz Club, Yoshi's Jazz Club, and TD Garden, Jason has proven himself to be a leader in the ever-growing contemporary string world. Anick's recordings as a leader include Sleepless, Tipping Point, and Travels.

Now based in New York City, Jason Yeager (whose own albums include Ruminations and Affirmation) has considerable personal and professional ties to the New England area where he was born and raised. Currently teaching at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where he is also one of the college's youngest faculty members, Yeager graduated with honors from a double degree program at Tufts University and New England Conservatory. At NEC he was mentored by such significant instrumentalists as Danilo Perez, Fred Hersch, Ran Blake, Frank Carlberg, Jerry Bergonzi and John McNeil. He has performed across the US and abroad in Argentina, South Africa, and Botswana. Among the artists with whom Yeager has performed are Greg Osby, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Linda Oh, Sara Serpa, Ayn Inserto and Ran Blake. He's also featured on Jason Anick's Tipping Point.

http://www.jasonanick.com/

http://www.jasonyeager.com/

Vocalist Patrice Williamson Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Ella Fitzgerald's Birth on Comes Love

April 25, 2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of an event that would have a profound impact on jazz and American song: the birth of Ella Fitzgerald. While the centennial of the First Lady of Song will doubtlessly be celebrated in myriad forms, few will prove as heartfelt or sincere - or as long in gestation - as Comes Love, the new album by Boston-based jazz vocalist Patrice Williamson. For the occasion, Williamson teamed up with guitarist and fellow Berklee College of Music faculty member Jon Wheatley for a set that pays particular homage to Fitzgerald's landmark duo with guitar great Joe Pass.

Due for release on Ella's birthday, April 25, on Williamson's own Riverlily Records and produced by pianist/composer Helen Sung, Comes Love features a dozen Songbook classics originally either recorded by Fitzgerald and Pass on one of their four studio albums or performed live by the duo during the course of their notable collaboration. Williamson and Wheatley never resort to sheer imitation (not that such a thing would even be possible given their two inimitable models), but instead conjure the warm elegance and graceful swing of the originals through the alluring chemistry of their own inviting rapport.

"I started listening to recordings of Ella during my sophomore year in college, and I haven't stopped." Williamson says.  "Jon has a vast knowledge of all the great jazz musicians and jazz guitarists, including Joe Pass. Our goal was to present how Ella and Joe have inspired our own musical development."

Fitzgerald and Pass first joined forces in 1973 for Take Love Easy (from which Williamson takes four of the tunes on Comes Love, including her renditions of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" and Billy Eckstine's "I Want To Talk About You"). They would enter the studio three more times over the next thirteen years, releasing Fitzgerald and PassŠAgain in 1976, Speak Love in 1983 and Easy Living in 1986. A number of live performances have also been released from that period, revealing the pair's genuine camaraderie, incisive wit and impeccable taste.

While Williamson can wax rhapsodic about much of Fitzgerald's work (and dreams of following Comes Love with a series of tributes, each exploring a different facet of Ella's career from small bands to orchestra), she found herself particularly drawn to her work with Pass due to its vulnerability and purity.

"I loved the simplicity, vulnerability and command the duo had without the assistance of bass and drums. Some of the first recordings I heard of Ella were with big bands. So, stripping down to one accompanist allowed the pureness of her sound to come through clearly.  Joe provided harmony (chords) and bass.  Ella added melody and emotion.  They both had impeccable time, so together they delivered rhythm and swing. Their performances always sounded whole and complete which is a testament to their brilliance."

Comes Love has been lurking in the back of Williamson's mind for nearly 17 years, conceived at the turn of the millennium as she realized that Ella's centenary was fast approaching. But the seeds for the idea were planted long before, during the singer's childhood in Memphis. Her earliest memory of Ella came through the iconic vocalist's early-70s commercials for Memorex cassette tapes ("Is it Ella or is it Memorex?"), but she truly fell in love with Ella's voice as her choir director father played his cherished LPs for his music-loving daughter. "I liked the music," she recalls, "but I really liked how Ella scatted because I thought it was silly. That built the foundation for this inspirational person in my life."

Williamson's tastes turned more to the popular music of the time - Prince, Madonna, Janet Jackson - as she entered high school, but while studying classical flute at the University of Tennessee she fell in with the jazz crowd, who she says were "much more fun" than her classical classmates. Wanting to sing with her new jazz friends, she rediscovered her passion for Ella and began taking lessons. "I remember telling my teacher, 'I want to scat like Ella,'" she recalls. "She looked at me and said [sternly], 'Well, girl, you're gonna have to work.' Ella was there when swing and bebop were evolving, and she's a talent that we haven't seen again in the jazz vocal world. I just thought, 'Challenge accepted.'"

Encouraged by UT faculty jazz pianist Donald Brown, Williamson headed to New England Conservatory to focus full-time on her voice, under the guidance of award-winning RCA recording artist Dominique Eade. She's since become a favorite at Boston's celebrated Regattabar, joined the faculty at Berklee College of Music, traveled the world singing in such far-flung locales as Seoul, South Korea; Singapore; New Delhi, India; and Perugia, Italy; and co-founded the vocal trio E.S.P. with fellow singers Emily Browder and Sandi Hammond. Both of Williamson's independent recordings, My Shining Hour and Free to Dream, have received high praise from jazz critics around the country.

When she began searching for a collaborator to help her realize Comes Love, Williamson quickly discovered that Wheatley was on everyone's short list of recommendations. One listen to his understated, lyrical playing on the album reveals why, as does a resume that includes stints with jazz greats like Ruby Braff, Herb Pomeroy and George Masso. Williamson ran into the guitarist (in her telling, it's nearly an ambush) in the copy room at Berklee, and the two forged an almost immediate connection. "We played a little bit in his office and that's all it took - I was in love," Williamson enthuses. "That first little jam session was eye-opening because I was suddenly singing songs that I've been singing for the last 20 years in a completely different way."

Helen encouraged Patrice to choose a personal theme for the album.  Williamson, having recently ended an incredible relationship, chose songs with melodies and content that held a personal resonance.  She found this process to be remarkably cathartic.

Beyond the tribute to Ella, Comes Love uses Songbook standards to loosely trace the story of a long-term relationship coming to an end. A narrative shared by Ella and Patrice: "I've had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn't work out. I don't want to dwell on that and I don't want to put people down, but I think of all the fabulous places I've been, the wonderful things that have happened for me, the great people I've met - that ought to make a story."  - ELLA FITZGERALD

www.patricewilliamson.com

Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and the Persuasions join forces with "Kings of a Cappella" for new LP

Barenaked Ladies have announced a very special collaboration with the legendary "Kings of A Cappella" titled, Ladies And Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions to be released April 14, 2017. Produced by Gavin Brown, the album features 14 tracks re-imagined BNL's award-winning catalogue and the classic 'Good Times.' BNL recorded the album live off the floor with The Persuasions last Fall at Noble Street Studios in Toronto.

Ladies And Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions is available to pre-order on iTunes on March 10. Album and bundles featuring exclusive merchandise of Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions will also be available worldwide through PledgeMusic. Each pre-order includes four instant-grat downloads of "The Old Apartment," "Odds Are," "Keepin' It Real," and "Don't Shuffle Me Back."

The video streaming app Sessions X filmed the entire session and will feature full-length performances, interviews, and behind the scenes moments. Sessions X will launch their BNL content on Wednesday, March 22.

The seed for Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies & The Persuasions was planted when Kevin Hearn befriended The Persuasions at Lou Reed's memorial held at the legendary Apollo Theatre in 2013. The friendship led to an invitation for The Persuasions to perform with BNL at Central Park Summerstage during the Barenaked Ladies 2016 Last Summer On Earth tour. Both bands had such a fun time, they all agreed to "do more" together. Before hitting the studio together, and after running through about 25 songs from the BNL catalogue, both BNL and the Persuasions's excitement grew and the songs were narrowed down to the final 15 tracks featured on the LP.

Although The Persuasions enjoy a long, storied career, the group has admittedly never recorded an album in a room live, with the band performing the songs. Says Dave Revels, lead vocalist for The Persuasions, "…with Barenaked Ladies, [their] music is passionate so I guess that's why we identify with it…because we can feel passion so I think that's why it was a natural union."

Says BNL drummer Tyler Stewart, "To actually play with these guys who are veterans of music making for so long… everything that comes out of their mouths is dripping with soul and you can't help but absorb some of that when you're in the room."

Considering the once-in-a-lifetime feel of a musical project between two groups who have collectively released 40 albums across their careers, Sessions X, which is an online subscription music series that features intimate performances straight from the stage or studio, was an opportunity to document the recording session, all of which was recorded over two days in October, 2016 in Toronto. Tyler Stewart described the collaboration as "Top three most fun things I've done" in his twenty six years of performing. Dave Revels, lead singer for The Persuasions described the collaboration as a "beautiful chemical reaction".

Founded in 1962, The Persuasions first came together on the street corners of Brooklyn with a musical inventory deep rooted in gospel, with a major measure of soul, and a dose of pop. Featuring original members Jimmy Hayes and Jayotis Washington, along with Raymond Sanders and Dave Revels, their eclectic repertoire has drawn from country to blues to gospel to rock to jazz. The group has released 26 albums, performed in concert halls worldwide, and shared stages with such seminal artists as Lou Reed, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Richard Pryor and Frank Zappa.

Currently, Barenaked Ladies are putting the finishing touches on their 15th studio album, Fake Nudes, expected to be released later this Fall. More information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Track Listing - Ladies And Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions

01.  Narrow Streets

02.  Gonna Walk

03.  Don't Shuffle Me Back

04.  The Old Apartment

05.  Keepin' It Real

06.  For You 

07. Some Fantastic     

08. Good Times  

09. Odds Are

10. Sound Of Your Voice   

11. When I Fall   

12. Maybe Katie   

13. One Week     

14. Four Seconds  

15. I Can Sing