Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers To Release The EastWest Sessions September 15

Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers will release their first studio album September 15th on Pretty Good For A Girl Records. Recorded over five days at EastWest Studios in Hollywood with legendary blues rock producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley (Led Zepplin, Joe Bonamassa, The Black Crowes, Aerosmith), the LP is a compilation of 11 gritty blues and rock tracks about adversity, triumph and life lessons. 

Two-time GRAMMY® nominee Mindi Abair enlisted master blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and 2017 Contemporary Blues GRAMMY® winner Fantastic Negrito to infuse their signature sound and style. The first single “Vinyl” is being sourced to AAA, Blues and Americana radio.

Since her debut in 2000, Mindi has released seven solo albums, and most recently, a live album with The Boneshakers. She’s collaborated on stage and in the studio with a wide cross-section of legendary peers, all helping to solidify her status as one of the most recognized and in-demand saxophonists. 

 During her career, she has garnered ten #1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two #1 spots on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz album chart. Following a two season run as the featured saxophonist on American Idol, resulting in her touring with Aerosmith, Abair released her solo album Wild Heart in 2014. The album, which included collaborations with the late Gregg Allman, Joe Perry and Trombone Shorty, showcased an edgier side to the saxophonist/vocalist and earned her a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. 

When it came time to tour the album, she recruited longtime friend and The Boneshakers founder Randy Jacobs (Bonnie Raitt, Was Not Was, Willie Nelson) to inject his brand of Detroit Blues Rock to the live shows. She and the band had an irrefutable chemistry that quickly lead to a permanent creative collaboration. Their first record, Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers LIVE in Seattle was recorded during their first official show together and released September 2015.

After touring non-stop for two years, Mindi and the band headed into the studio earlier this year to record their sophomore album. Five days at EastWest Studios resulted in an 11-song compilation that showcases her prowess, artistic versatility and wide-ranging musical influences. Bandmate Randy Jacobs commented “No one since Junior Walker has brought saxophone and vocals in one package to the forefront of modern music, with a raucous tone and abandon.”

Written in less than two hours with Nashville-based writer Jerry Flowers, the single “Vinyl” is a pulse thumping, rock fueled soul track that lyrically likens a needle fitting into the groove of a vinyl record with falling in love…“I’m in your groove like a needle on vinyl”. “Play To Win” written with Rob Kleiner (Sia, ZZ Ward, Cee Lo Green) and Patrick Windsor is an anthemic track featuring heavy-hitting, meaty guitar riffs and driving drums fit for an arena. 

Featuring modern day King of Blues Joe Bonamassa, on “Pretty Good For A Girl” Abair shares her disdain for the regularly doled out backhanded compliment, while making a statement about self-empowerment. This arousing track is peppered with boisterous sax and gritty, face-melting blues guitar riffs from Bonamassa. During a writing session in Oakland with 2017 GRAMMY® winner Fantastic Negrito, he played her “She Don’t Cry No More,” written for a women who was a mother-like figure to him. This emotionally evocative rootsy blues song chronicles her story of no longer being in pain and suffering after her passing.

“Everyone is such a force of nature in this band,” says Mindi. “I wanted to create the right vehicle to showcase everyone and capture the swagger of what we do live.”

Album Trailer (Watch): https://youtu.be/dCYRspvHp1s 

Track List: Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers The EastWest Sessions (available wherever digital music is sold)

1.    “Vinyl”
2.    “Not That Kind of Girl”
3.    “Play To Win”
4.    “Pretty Good For A Girl” feat. Joe Bonamassa
5.    “Let Me Hear It From You” feat. Sweet Pea Atkinson
6.    “Live My Life”
7.    “Freedom”
8.    “Had To Learn The Hard Way”
9.    “She Don’t Cry No More” feat. Fantastic Negrito
10.    “Done Me Wrong”
11.    “I Love To Play The Saxophone” 

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/user-266844656/sets/mindi-abair-the-boneshakers/s-4DEc4
Tour Dates: http://www.mindiabair.com/tour/

Website: http://www.mindiabair.com/
Facebook: @MindiAbair         Twitter: @MindiAbair
Instagram: @MindiAbair        YouTube: OfficialMindiAbair

The Very Best Of Diana Krall" Released Today On Vinyl In U.S. For First Time To Mark Album's 10th Anniversary

Verve Records/UMe are celebrating the legacy of the incomparable multiplatinum GRAMMY® Award-winning singer and pianist Diana Krall by releasing The Very Best of Diana Krall on vinyl for the first time in the U.S., as the greatest hits collection nears its 10th anniversary. The album is available today, July 28 as a two-LP set on audiophile-favorite 180-gram vinyl and follows last year's release of eight essential Diana Krall albums on vinyl as part of Verve's 60th anniversary celebration. Covering the years 1996-2006, this 15-track collection compiled by Krall in collaboration with her longtime producer, the late Tommy LiPuma, features highlights from her first decade as a recording artist, during which time the Grammy winning singer/pianist's expressive vocals and delicate, soulful piano work gained her international stardom.

"Easily the most high-profile female jazz artist of her generation," says The New York Times, Krall has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, making the Berklee College of Music graduate one of the best-selling jazz artists of all time. The Very Best on vinyl arrives as Krall celebrates the May release of her acclaimed new album, Turn Up the Quiet, and current tour that will last 2+ years, and take her around the world.

The selections on The Very Best range from intimate trio work to pieces recorded live with a full symphony orchestra. Krall delivers some deeply personal moments and reimagines timeless vintage standards by some of her favorite composers as George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Van Heusen and Cahn, and Bacharach and David.

Overflowing with career highlights, the album includes several tracks from Krall's towering 1999 international breakthrough, When I Look in Your Eyes: her mesmerizing interpretations of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Let's Fall in Love," and "Pick Yourself Up." That album, her Verve Records debut, was nominated for Album of the Year at the 42nd annual GRAMMY® Awards, the first time in 25 years a jazz singer was nominated in that major category. It won for Best Jazz Vocal and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical).

Throughout the album, Krall's artistry is highlighted on the Gershwin standard "'S Wonderful" and the Bacharach and David-penned title track from her 2001 GRAMMY® Award-winning album, The Look of Love.  This album put her atop her native Canada's all-genre albums chart for the first time and gave her the Artist and Album of the Year trophies at the Juno Awards in her home country.

The collection is also notable for Krall's imaginative take on Tom Waits' "The Heart of Saturday Night" and the dark and seductive "You Go to My Head" taken from The Look of Love sessions, both previously unreleased. It also features beautiful live renditions of "East of the Sun (West of the Moon)" and "Fly Me To The Moon," recorded with a symphony orchestra at Krall's sold-out concerts at Paris' Olympia Theatre for her remarkable live album, Live In Paris.

Included on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums of the Decade list, The Very Best of Diana Krall is both the perfect sampler for the new listener and a reminder for her most passionate fans all the reasons Diana Krall is regarded as one of the greatest Jazz artists of her time.

The Very Best of Diana Krall Tracklisting

Side A

1. 'S Wonderful

2. Peel Me a Grape

3. Pick Yourself Up

4. Frim Fram Sauce

Side B

1. You Go to My Head

2. Let's Fall in Love

3. The Look of Love

Side C

1. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)

2. I've Got You Under My Skin

3. All or Nothing at All

4. Only the Lonely

Side D

1. Let's Face the Music and Dance

2. The Heart of Saturday Night

3. Little Girl Blue

4. Fly Me to the Moon

Robert Cray Teams with Steve Jordan and Legendary Memphis Sidemen for New Album

Robert Cray has been bridging the lines between blues, soul and R&B for the past four decades, with five Grammy wins and over 20 acclaimed albums. For his latest project, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, the Blues Hall of Famer traveled to Memphis with his friend, renowned Grammy Award winning producer Steve Jordan, to make a classic soul album with Hi Rhythm, the band that helped create that sound. Jordan and Cray met in 1987 while working on the concert film Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll, a tribute to Chuck Berry. Steve produced Robert's Grammy winning Take Your Shoes Off in 1999, and a number of other albums, including the exciting 4 Nights of 40 Years Live. 

He knew of Robert's deep love of O.V. Wright and other Memphis soul legends, and suggested they take up residence at Royal Studios, where Wright, Ann Peebles, Al Green, Syl Johnson, Otis Clay and many others recorded with the venerable producer, songwriter, arranger and engineer, Willie Mitchell. 

The core of Mitchell's Hi Rhythm band used on many of those landmark sessions was still around, though Mitchell himself had passed in 2010. Set inside an old theatre, the funky Royal Studios looks much as it did when Al Green was cutting those classics for Hi Records. Guitarist Teenie Hodges has passed away, but his brothers Rev. Charles Hodges (organ and piano) and Leroy "Flick" Hodges (bass), along with cousin Archie "Hubbie" Turner (keyboards), were still there. "It was a soul, rhythm and blues, fantasy camp for us. Those guys have been playing in that room for 50 years," says Jordan. Robert penned "You Had My Heart" and "The Way We Are," two stunning love songs. 

Many timeless soul songs were statements in a time of turmoil, and so it is again with Cray's "Just How Low." The album opens with a driving, soulful version of Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" that sounds as if it was originally from an old Hi Rhythm recording. Jay-Vee Records knows it's very lucky to have these powerful songs. When Robert chose two Tony Joe White songs for the album, White, a big fan of Cray, came up from Nashville to sit in. First up is the moving ballad "Aspen, Colorado" (the sister song of his "Rainy Night in Georgia"). The other end of the spectrum is the swirling psychedelia of "Don't Steal My Love." The tribute to O.V. Wright and Hi Rhythm is the horn-driven version of "You Must Believe in Yourself." Known for writing "Mustang Sally" and many other songs, Sir Mac Rice's "I Don't Care" follows on the album with an unforgettable hook, and Rice's funky "Honey Bad" features more guitar brilliance from Cray. Moving into early R&B from the 5 Royales, Robert performs "I'm With You Pt.1" then turns the guitar loose on "I'm With You Pt 2."

NEW MUSIC: ARTHUR ALEXANDER; THE DELFONICS – TELL ME THIS IS A DREAM; DIAMOND ORTIZ – BABY LOTION

ARTHUR ALEXANDER

Country/Soul pioneer’s 1972 comeback album—reissued and expanded! When The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Humble Pie, Dusty Springfield, George Jones & Johnny Paycheck, Bob Dylan, the Bee Gees and countless others cover your songs, you must be on to something. Arthur Alexander was a songwriter and song stylist, whose career took off in the early 1960s—writing and recording hits like “Anna (Go To Him)” and “You Better Move On”—some of the earliest hits recorded at Rick Hall’s Fame Studios and featuring the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. After a short break at the end of the decade, he released a self-titled,“comeback” album in 1972. Omnivore Recordings is pleased to reissue Arthur Alexander four decades later, expanded with six bonus tracks—two previously unissued. With new liner notes form Barry Hansen (better known to most as Dr. Demento), the package also features the piece he wrote for the album’s original issue. Arthur Alexander’s 12 tracks were produced by Muscle Shoals bassist Tommy Gogbill, and include a version of “Burning Love”—covered by Elvis Presley shortly after the album’s release. Alexander’s two Warner Bros. follow-up singles are also here, as well as a pair of tracks from the original sessions, unearthed and unheard until now. As Hansen wrote in the original notes, “Arthur is especially proud of the variety and versatility of his work on this album. All of it is strong medicine, and should be a fine antidote for a lot of bad scenes.” Arthur Alexander, inducted into the Alabama Music Hall Of Fame, is a music legend. Arthur Alexander is a legendary recording.

THE DELFONICS – TELL ME THIS IS A DREAM (EXPANDED AND REMASTERED)

Funky Town Grooves U.K. has an expanded edition of The Delfonics’ fourth album – their first with Major Harris in the line-up, and first without Thom Bell at the helm  Digitally remastered and expanded edition includes four bonus tracks. Tell Me This Is A Dream is the fourth album by American soul group The Delfonics, released in 1972 on the Philly Groove label. This album introduced singer Major Harris to the lineup replacing founding member Randy Cain. Lead single "Hey Love", with it's innovative and distinctive use of harmony, is often singled out as one of the group's greatest recordings. Also includes “Walk Right Up to the Sun” and has been expanded with bonus tracks: singles of non-LP side “Think It Over” (arranged by Norman Harris and Vince Montana), the rare “Delphonics” Arista single “Don’t Throw It All Away” b/w “I Don’t Care What People Say,” and the 45 version of the album’s “Baby I Miss You.”

DIAMOND ORTIZ – BABY LOTION

A set that's as smooth as the baby lotion offered by the title – warmly laidback soul, with a definite old school vibe – and a style that almost feels like lost underground work from the LA scene of the early 80s! There's a funky core to most tracks, but one that moves nice and slow, too – stepping along at a pace that's just right for the keyboard flow and slight electro touches – which also include some vocoder work that's as great as the instrumentation! Titles include "Courvoisier", "Reeki Reeki", "Freak Nasty & Classy", "I'm A Rock Yo World", and "Hennything Is Possible". (Limited to just 300 copies!)  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW MUSIC: SYLVER LOGAN SHARP – THE GROOVEMENT; ERIC ROBERSON - WIND; VAN MORRISON – ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES

SYLVER LOGAN SHARP – THE GROOVEMENT

An extraordinarily soulful and expressive vocalist best known as the voice of Chic for her 20 years of touring and recording with Nile Rodgers’ funk/disco band, Sylver Logan Sharp brings a deep musical history and a supremely eclectic vibe to her contemporary jazz debut The Groovement. Recorded live in Stockholm, the collection features a playful mix of dance/funk, dreamy R&B, rock, pop and jazz. While her emotional original ballads and edgy pop tunes are compelling, listeners will also discover fresh depth in the lyrics and melodies of a generous handful of classic hits that Sharp magnificently re-imagines, such as her first Smooth Jazz single, Christopher Cross' "Sailing." When she’s not singing, Sharp designs her own line of custom jewelry called Sylverwear, which has many celebrity clients. Likewise, The Groovement is loaded with musical jewels every listener will be dazzled by. ~smoothjazz.com

ERIC ROBERSON - WIND

Eric Roberson's one of the few people who can make us fall in love again with his music from the very first note of a record – as he does here on the opening track, which is an incredibly soulful ode to the greatness of Clarie Huxtable! The set only gets better as it moves on – and once again proves that Roberson's one of the hippest, most positive artists around – the kind of contemporary soul singer that owes nothing to the past – and makes us maybe even more glad that we've grown up in his generation, than the era or Stax or Motown! If you've wondered where all the greatness in soul music has gone, you only need to lend an ear to this wonderful set – as Eric will win you over with his great vocals, sharp songwriting, and beautifully understated sound. The album features guest work from Kaidi Tatham, James Poyser, Will Downing, and Marcus Roberts – on titles that include "Claire", "Love Her", "Sky As Green", "If Only", "God In You", "Lyrics Of Pleasure", and "Heart Said".  ~ Dusty Groove

VAN MORRISON – ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES

Roll With The Punches – Van Morrison’s 37th studio album - sees him simultaneously hand-picking a selection of rhythm and blues classics (by the likes of Bo Diddley, Mose Allison, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Lightnin’ Hopkins among others) and recording a set of new self-written songs. It’s an album that features raw, intimate interpretations of some of the cornerstones of rock’n’roll alongside five new numbers by one of our most consistently brilliant recording artists. Roll With The Punches was produced by Van Morrison and recorded with an incredible team of studio collaborators including Chris Farlowe, Georgie Fame, Jeff Beck, Paul Jones and Jason Rebello. 

NEW MUSIC: THE JT PROJECT – ANOTHER CHANCE; WILL DONATO – SUPERSONIC; DAVE STRYKER – STYRKIN’ AHEAD

THE JT PROJECT – ANOTHER CHANCE

The JT Project: a multi-talented force of sound that brings forth a unique musical conceptualization: 'a new genre in music called JT'. Adventurous and bold, Jacob Webb (Keyboards/Bass) and Todd Schefflin (Saxophone), leaders of The JT Project, knew that it would take more than just a passing interest in music to become the creative force that they envisioned. Jacob commands each stroke on the keyboard to awaken the soul with a touch of fire, and Todd caresses the notes to life with every breath. Todd hailing from Philadelphia, and Jacob from Kansas City, the two musician's paths collided in 2007 at the prestigious William Paterson University music department in New Jersey. After an immediate musical connection, Jacob and Todd started writing music together, which eventually led to the formation of The JT Project in 2009. The JT Project has exponentially expanded into a musical collective, incorporating the most talented Jazz and Soul musicians in New York City.

WILL DONATO – SUPERSONIC 

National recording artist and saxophonist Will Donato is an exciting performer and award-winning composer, whose new CD release, "Supersonic," is his seventh solo CD release on Innervision Records. Will currently has a hit radio single, "Supersonic" which is the title cut off the new CD release. This CD is a virtual "Who's Who" of the very best in the Groove music genre including Jeffrey Carruthers, Darren Rahn, Tony Moore, Steve Oliver, Byron Counts, Tony Guerrero, Chase Huna, Tateng Katindig, Rod King, George Landress, Kay-Ta Matsuno, Christian Poezach, Eddie Reddick, JJ Sansaverino, Gary Stanionis, Eric Valentine, Roberto Vally, and phenom Darryl Williams! Grammy nominee George Landress is also featured!

DAVE STRYKER – STYRKIN’ AHEAD

Strykin Ahead, his 28th CD as a leader. Stryker augments his working trio of Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter on drums with vibraphone player Steve Nelson, all on-board for a second go-round after their stellar contri- butions to last year s Eight-Track II. Like the leader, Nelson is a preternaturally flexible and in-the-moment improviser with deep roots in the tradition who knows how to push the envelope without damaging the contents. Stryker internalized those imperatives on a 1984-1986 run with Brother Jack McDuff, and he received further invaluable training in the art of musical communication during a decade on the road with Stanley Turrentine, to whom he paid homage on the 2015 release Don t Mess With Mister T.

NAJEE'S New CD 'POETRY IN MOTION" Pays Homage to Prince & Al Jarreau & Unites Najee with All-Start Line Up Including Will Downing, Maysa, Eric Roberson, Incognito & More

"As a musician, there is always something new that I want to share with my audience," admits Najee, the multi-Platinum selling contemporary jazz pioneer who has made a career of reinventing himself, sparking trends and never resting on his laurels. "The ability to collaborate with different musicians and to continually find fresh approaches to my music is what keeps me inspired." 

The multiple Grammy-Award nominated instrumentalist, composer and quadruple threat who is equally adept on soprano, tenor and alto saxophones and flute, recently celebrated his 30th anniversary as a recording artist. Najee, who has collaborated with iconic figures Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and George Duke, will release his seventeenth album as a leader, Poetry In Motion, August 25, 2017. 

The anticipated CD is dedicated to two ground-breaking musicians who Najee has had the distinction of working with - Prince and Al Jarreau. "Both artists in their own way have changed the culture of music forever," shares the saxophonist. "Whenever I have worked with people of their caliber of artistry, I have always walked away with something that helps to shape my musical conversation." Poetry In Motion finds Najee nothing short of inspiration, as he calls upon a few all-star friends to create a dialogue well worth remembering. Najee's fourth recording for Shanachie unites him with such dynamic musicians as Will Downing, Maysa, Eric Roberson, Bluey of Incognito, Barry Eastmond, Bobby Lyle, Blake Aaron and Randy Bowland.     

  

Najee is a master storyteller. Whether the debonair multi-instrumentalist is engaged in a verbal or musical conversation, his alluring charisma has a way of seducing you into his world. His technical agility, grace, compositional prowess, unbridled passion and fearless genre bending have made him one of the most sought after musicians of his generation.  Poetry In Motion is a riveting sonic journey that finds the saxman doing what he does best - shape-shifting through diverse musical terrain and fusing the best elements of all the music that is close to his heart. "As a youngster growing up in New York City I was exposed to a multi-cultural musical environment," reflects the saxophonist.  "It was through these interactions that I was able to benefit from playing with people who played Latin music, Jazz but mostly R&B. This has become a part of my musical personality. I must admit at times I struggle to stay focused with one genre!" Lucky for us Najee does not have to choose and the result on Poetry In Motion is a beautiful expression of his musical curiosity and identity. 

Poetry In Motion opens with the buoyant and luminescent "Stratosphere," showcasing Najee's soaring, warm and supple soprano saxophone. Najee penned the intoxicating and inviting original with Barry Eastmond who lends his piano and compositional skills to several tracks on the CD.  Eastmond has produced and collaborated with everyone from Al Jarreau and Anita Baker to Freddie Jackson and Brandy. "I've known Barry for a very long time and working with him was one of the greatest joys of recording this album," shares Najee.  The irresistible and fun loving "Is It The Way," features singer Eric Roberson. "Eric is one of the brightest young R&B vocalists, producer, songwriter and performer in our industry and it was an absolute pleasure to have him contribute his gift on this record," shares Najee. Roberson's soulful vocals gel perfectly with Najee's bluesy soprano and Eastmond's buttery keys. 

Poetry In Motion also finds Najee collaborating with the brilliant producer, multi-instrumentalist and Incognito mastermind Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick. "Bluey is one of the greatest people to work with in the studio," shares Najee. "He is unique in his approach to getting the work done." Indeed Najee, Bluey and Incognito get the work done on the tour-de-force dance-floor number "Let's Take It Back." Najee changes the pace with the seductive and Latin-tinged "Noche Romantica," the perfect platform for the saxophonist to shine a spotlight on his gorgeous tone and impeccable phrasing. The syncopated intro with Najee on his flute calls to mind Chick Corea's "Spain," while his passionate and emotive tenor saxophone at times is reminiscent of the longing tenor of Gato Barbieri.  Najee enlists the "Prince Of Sophisticated Soul," Will Downing for the moving "We'll Be Missing You." He shares, "Over the years we have worked together on several records and have performed around the world. I could not have made a better choice to write and perform a song that honors Al Jarreau and Prince."

Downing also came up with the title of the album. The song "Poetry In Motion," is a memorable number that showcases Najee's agile flute and Bobby Lyle's funky and groove-heavy piano. "Song For The Ladies," will no doubt delight Najee's female devotees. The sweet R&B flavored ditty with a new jack swing is hard to resist. The Grammy-nominated and dynamic vocalist Maysa adds her sultry and honey-toned alto to "Don't Make Me Wait" which she co-wrote with Najee. The chemistry that Maysa and Najee share is undeniable. "Maysa is my sister musically speaking," shares Najee. "She is truly one of the best and most versatile vocalists in the music industry." A highlight on Poetry In Motion is the song "Running Away." It's air-tight groove, synergistic interplay and boundless joy make for one of the album's defining moments as Najee is joined by guitarist Blake Aaron and guitarist Randy Bowland, who penned the tune originally for Jill Scott. The album comes to the perfect close with the gorgeous flight of fancy "Duology."

In a business where trends and artists come and go, Najee's name is synonymous with innovation, consistency and the best in contemporary jazz. With two Platinum and four Gold albums under his belt, Najee has enjoyed a career spanning three decades and he is proving that the best is yet to come! An alum of the New England Conservatory of Music, Najee was mentored by jazz giants Frank Foster and Jimmy Heath as well as classical maven and flutist Harold Jones of the New York Philharmonic. Najee has also had the distinction to perform for Presidents Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela and made appearances on The Tonight Show and Good Morning America. "I have always tried to maintain consistency when it comes to music I've recorded throughout the years," confides Najee. "As an artist I have been fortunate to attract an audience very early in my career that has followed and grown with me. My challenge has always been to record music that I enjoy playing while at the same time meeting the requirements that I believe my audience would like to hear. I am always looking for something to help me continue to grow as a musician."

Born in the Greenwich Village section of New York City and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Najee's musical pursuits began in grade school.  "As a kid I was into the R&B and Jazz music of my time," he shares. "I familiarized myself with different kinds of music all the time." As I began to develop on my instrument, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Yusef Lateef and Hubert Laws on flute were some of the artists that inspired me. As an industrious and hungry young musician, Najee had the good fortune of coming through Dr. Billy Taylor's now legendary Jazzmobile program. While a student at the New England Conservatory (where both Najee and his brother attended) he studied jazz with George Russell and Jaki Byard.  When he finished school Najee returned to New York in the early 80s and was lucky to land a gig with Chaka Khan along with his brother and guitarist Fareed (who is now his manager). In 1987 Najee's Theme was released and the saxophonist earned a slot on tour with singer Freddie Jackson. 

The following year, Day By Day was released, and in 1991, Tokyo Blue, which is one of Najee's most successful and enduring recordings. Tokyo Blue (which was producedby Najee's brother Fareed) and Day By Day both went Gold and led to two Soul Train Awards for Najee (Best Jazz Artist in 1991 and 1993). Just An Illusion came in 1992 and around this time he collaborated with such iconic figures as Quincy Jones and a collaboration with jazz greats Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham and Larry Carlton resulted in the album Live At The Greek. Share My World came in 1994 and was followed in 1995 by a critically acclaimed tribute to Stevie Wonder's 1976 classic, Songs In The Key Of Life.  The CD was produced by George Duke and featured Herbie Hancock and Sheila E. among others. His CD Morning Tenderness, released in 1998, went to #1 on the contemporary jazz charts. 

For Najee, the late '90s were marked by extraordinary international experiences, from performing at Nelson Mandela's birthday celebration in South Africa to playing as a special guest of President Clinton at the White House at an event honoring President Jerry Rawlings of the Republic of Ghana. Najee also spent two years of touring (2001-2003) with Prince and appears on Prince's albums Rainbow Children and One Night Alone. In 2003 Najee released Embrace, featuring special guests Roy Ayers and BeBe Winans. My Point Of View was his follow up in 2005 featuring his good friend and vocalist Will Downing. 2007's Rising Sun joined Najee with Phil Perry and Mind Over Matter from 2009 paired Najee with singer Eric Benét.   The Smooth Side Of Soul followed in 2012, successfully covering such diverse terrain as Jimmy Heath and Ne-Yo and the follow-up, The Morning After, arrived in 2013 debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts and exploring the many sides of love.  You, Me & Forever was released in 2015 and united Najee with the likes of James Lloyd and Frank McComb among others.

Najee concludes, "As an artist and a musician I am always striving to evolve and grow. Most of all I try to maintain a unique identity in the music industry." With the release of Poetry In Motion, Najee confirms that he is still the King Of Contemporary Jazz and that his evolution is not done yet!

NEW MUSIC: MAX MERSENY - WORLD TRAVELLER; DJANGO BATES AND FRANKFURT RADIO BIG BAND – SALUTING SGT. PEPPER; MARK MURPHY - MILESTONES

MAX MERSENY - WORLD TRAVELLER

A good five years ago alto saxophonist Max Merseny had a sensational debut at age 23. His first album 'Thank Ya' All' was presented and praised in the major German press, and nominated for the Jazz Echo prize, as was the follow-up album 'Everlasting' (comparable to the US Grammy). Something of a German David Sanborn, Max Merseny revitalised American Soul jazz of the Eighties, modernized with elements of Rhythm & Blues and hip-Hop - his other two musical passions. And this with a virtuosity and a groove which nobody had expected from a German. His CD 'Word Traveller' follows this line rigorously, this time with the help of keyboard player Federico Gonzàlez Pena, who came on board as producer, co-author of three titles and as ingenious sound creator on diverse keyboards and synthesizers. The group is completed by well-versed guitarist Ferdinand Kirner, plus guests such as Grammy nominated rapper Phonte, vocalist Tami Samantha Hayes, guitarists Mike Scott and Wah Wah Watson, percussionist Alfredo Mojica and drummer Gene Lake. Rapper/turntablist Roger Reckless is at the turntables.

DJANGO BATES AND FRANKFURT RADIO BIG BAND – SALUTING SGT. PEPPER

Django Bates, in collaboration with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and Eggs Laid By Tigers, reimagines the seminal Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an album that is a landmark musically and culturally was a challenge Bates couldn't resist. Holding on to the original structures and keys, he gracefully folds his own colors, rhythms and sound into the music, resulting in a thoroughly kaleidoscopic examination of this iconic album.

MARK MURPHY - MILESTONES

Mark Murphy was the finest, hippest male jazz singer I ever heard. And I heard him a lot. Okay don't take my word for it. Dusty Springfield, Scott Walker, Peggy Lee, Betty Carter, Sammy Davis Jr and Matt Monro can also be listed among his close admirers, while Ella Fitzgerald was moved to declare: "He is my equal". The recipient of the 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 Down Beat magazine readers jazz poll for Best Male Vocalist of the Year, the six-time Grammy nominee was also popular with the British record-buying public, and in the world section of the annual Melody Maker poll, Mark was voted runner-up to Sinatra in 1965 and 1966. Enjoy this superb 2CD compilation including Milestones, My Favourite Things and Why Don't You Do Right?

NEW MUSIC: JOWEE OMICIL – LET’S BASH; PETER BERNSTEIN – SIGNS LIVE; (U)NITY – (U)NITY IS POWER

JOWEE OMICIL – LET’S BASH

Sweet reeds and plenty of Fender Rhodes – a set that has Jowee Omicil blowing soprano sax, alto, flute, and clarinet – over a set of tunes that move along with a gentle sort of groove! The album's got a nice polish, but is also hipper than smooth jazz too – with some rootsier currents from time to time, and just the right sort of use of electric elements, so that they never overwhelm the acoustic sound of the leader. Songs are dedicated to Ornette Coleman, Tinariwen, Roy Hargrove, and others – and titles include "Sur Le Pont D'Avignon", "A Si Pare", "Love & Honesty", "Something Clear", "Twa Groove", and "Pipillita".  ~, Dusty Groove

PETER BERNSTEIN – SIGNS LIVE

A strong double dose live set for Smoke Sessions led set by guitarist Peter Bernstein – in a quartet setting with Christian McBride on bass, Brad Mehldau on piano and Gregory Hutchinson on drums – reconvening the the line-up that recorded Bernstein's Signs album on Criss Cross back in the mid 90s! It's wonderful for several reasons – for one, in getting these amazing, incredibly busy players back together after all these years – and for fleshing out the material so greatly in a live setting! The Signs tunes really breathe here, with lots of air and space for each player to shine, most tracks running nice on long on the 2CD set. They're all Bernstein originals save for 3 Thelonious Monk numbers, and the titles include "Blues For Bulgaria", "Hidden Pockets", "Dragonfly", "Jive Coffee", "Pannonica", "Useless Metaphor", "Let Loose", "All Too Real", "Resplendor", "Crepuscule With Nellie/We See" and "Cupcake".  ~ Dusty Groove

(U)NITY – (U)NITY IS POWER

Unity through diversity from (U)nity – conceived as a 5-piece band in the mid 00s, and coming to expansive fruition a decade later as a far-reaching, yet strongly united collective! At the core, players Michael Valeanu, Axel Tosca, Chris Smith, Max Cudworth and Amaury Acosta bring a strong backdrop of Afro-Cuban inspired percussion, exciting early fusion-flavored electric guitar, sax and spacey keys, and with a huge group of contributors bring a lot more to the table – deeper layers of the core elements and more – from cosmic hip hop, to Latin, to deep soul and beyond! Largely instrumental, but with some strong vocal material, too, titles include "FEAR (Forget Everything And Rise)", "Perception", "Avenue 15" feat Pino Palladino & Petrito Martinez, "(U)nity Theme Song" feat Lauren Desber, "Penelope Ana (Love Interlude)", "New Cuba" feat Petrito Martinez, "Retrograde", "everlasting Belief" feat Jhoard, "Can I Get A Dollar", "Guarapachanga", "Ache" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

GUITAR VIRTUOSO TYLER REESE TAKES ON THE BIG APPLE, HEADLINING HIS FIRST NYC SHOW AT CLUB BONAFIDE WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9

The Multi-Talented 24-Year-Old Performer, Who Has Studied With Pat Metheny and Played With Music Legends Prince, Ernie Isley and Craig Morgan, Broke Through Earlier This Year with Reminiscence, Which

Debuted at #5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart

  

Tyler Reese recorded his first album in his mid-teens, studied with jazz legend Pat Metheny and has played with everyone from Prince and Ernie Isley to country great Craig Morgan. Now, still riding the accolades and buzz of his 2017 breakthrough album Reminiscence – which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart - the multi-talented 24 year old guitar virtuoso is set to make his NYC debut as a headliner at the famed Club Bonafide Wednesday, August 9.

Tyler and his band, featuring bassist Gary Grainger (John Scofield, Acoustic Alchemy), drummer Toby Fairchild (Victor Wooten) and keyboardist Chris Fischer (Stevie Wonder, Temptations) are playing sets at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, plus at $1.95 fee. Club Bonafide, which is co-owned by famed Cameroon born jazz bassist Richard Bona (John Legend, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan), is located at 212 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

“When the opportunity to book my first ever New York gig playing my own music came up, I was obviously very excited, but didn’t realize till later that Club Bonafide is owned by Richard, whom I’m a huge fan of from his work with so many great artists,” says Tyler, who previously played with another band at The Friar’s Club in NYC. “Getting to play at Richard’s club my first time in the city is really cool, and I’m looking forward to our road trip up from the D.C. area and having fun playing with these guys, engaging the fans and meeting other great musicians.:

Tyler’s set will feature songs from Reminiscence, which was co-produced by Tyler and Jeff Silverman (Rick Springfield, Hiroshima, Tim Weisberg, The Allman Brothers Band). The album’s first radio single, the uplifting acoustic song “Moving On,” earned a Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA) nomination in the jazz category. Another track, the scorched earth electric guitar and brass fired “2 Funk,” received an HMMA nod in the production category. Tyler and the band will also mix in favorite classic jazz fusion numbers like Tony Williams’ “Proto-Cosmos,” written by Alan Pasqua.

Up until a recent move back to his hometown of Fredericksburg, VA, Tyler was a busy, first call Nashville based session player and touring guitarist who performed over 250 shows per year. During this period, he opened for Scotty McCreery, Joel Crouse, Bo Bice, Martin Sexton, Ron Holloway and Linwood Taylor while participating in numerous showcase events and festivals, including The Listening Room, Celebrate Virginia, Fontanel, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, the IEBA, Wild Horse, 5th & Porter, Tin Pan South and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

While studying classical piano, his first instrument, from the age of 3 to 18, Tyler received his first guitar, a Squier Stratocaster, at 10 and became a serious student of guitar at 13. He released his first full length CD Risus21, an exploration of progressive rock with dark, heavy riffs and high energy guitar, in 2010 at the age of 15. His discography also includes Because I Can (2011), a series of contemporary arrangements of traditional jazz standards with aspects of funk, rock and blues; and Life in 20, which he co-wrote with Prince backup singer Elisa Fiorillo-Dease and was produced by Silverman.

CRAFT RECORDINGS TO RELEASE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF LEGENDARY BLUES MUSICIAN JIMMY REED’S SIDES FOR THE VEE-JAY LABEL

Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles, celebrating the defining body of work of one of the most influential and popular blues musicians of the 20th century, Jimmy Reed. Due out August 4th, the 3-CD collection spans Reed’s most prolific period – from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s, and includes not only his biggest hits – all remastered in their original mono format – but also several rarities from newly discovered master tapes that have never been released digitally. An annotated discography, plus detailed session notes and liner notes have been meticulously compiled by the album’s GRAMMY® award-winning producer, Scott Billington, who, as a music historian and blues musician, offers deep insight into Reed’s artistic process. 

Jimmy Reed’s lazy drawl, paired with his unique harmonica stylings, and highly-accessible lyrical hooks are part of the bedrock of American roots music. Yet the musician’s story is also that of an unlikely hero. Born to Mississippi sharecroppers in the 1920s, Reed moved north to Chicago in search of work, and, despite suffering from epilepsy, slowly transformed himself from a street musician to one of the most popular blues artists in America, crossing over to the pop charts with songs like “Big Boss Man” and “Baby What You Want Me to Do.”

With his simple, yet effective songs, the self-taught musician influenced hundreds of artists on both sides of the Atlantic. Over the years, a wide range of acts have covered Reed’s compositions, including The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Sly and the Family Stone, Etta James and Elvis Presley. In his notes, Billington muses “Of all the blues musicians who began recording in Chicago in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Jimmy Reed might have seemed least likely to succeed … Yet, until B. B. King’s run of best-selling records in the late 1960s, no post-war blues artist sold more records or showed up as often on the Billboard R&B and pop charts. Jimmy Reed’s music was approachable and, at least on the surface, easy for other musicians to play.”

Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles will be available on CD, as well as across all digital retailers and streaming sites.

Four-time GRAMMY-Nominee BONEY JAMES Celebrates 25 Years With New Release HONESTLY Featuring Vocalists Avery*Sunshine & Eric Roberson

It’s been a full quarter-century since a young saxophonist and composer released his debut recording as a leader, Trust. Now, on September 1, 2017, Boney James will release his 16th album, this one titled Honestly. If you sense a direct line between those titles, you’ve already come a long way toward understanding what motivates the four-time GRAMMY nominee and multi-platinum-selling musician.

“I’m fighting the good fight to be my own artist and not be pigeonholed,” says the genre-blurring James. “With a record’s title I always try to find something that will communicate the feeling I get when I listen to it. The feeling I get with this music is a sense of sincerity and intimacy. The word ‘honestly’ really reflects how I aspire to live my life and create my music. One of the great things about music is how powerful it is. It can totally transport people. These are interesting times we are living in and the one thing I can do with the skills that I have is to make music that evokes a feeling and takes people somewhere… to do what I can to try and make the world a more pleasant place.”

Honestly follows futuresoul, James’ 2015 release which spent eleven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. The New York Times raved, “Boney James performs with panache...His arc as a soloist is emotional...he can paint a scene.”

Honestly, says James, is quite different sounding than the previous record. “It’s more exposed,” he says of the 10-track collection. “Some of the arrangements are not as dense. A number of the songs have a more buoyant, cheerful, happy quality to them.” James produced the record and co-wrote all but one track, his interpretation of the Johnny Mercer-Hoagy Carmichael classic ‘Skylark.’

James recruited collaborators and musicians whose work he admires, including chart-topping vocalists/co-writers Avery*Sunshine (on the title track) and Eric Roberson (on ‘If I Can’t Hold You’).

Each track on Honestly reflects a different side of James’ musical personality. “Songs like ‘Kicks’ or ‘Up All Night’ are much more boisterous sounding than the last couple of records,” he says. “Then there’s ‘Skylark,’ a song that I have always loved…a standard which I’ve never recorded before. The track Honestly (and first Urban Adult single) featuring Avery*Sunshine is straight up R&B.” Regarding Avery, James says, “I heard her at a festival we were both playing and then I heard her #1 single ‘Call My Name’ on the radio. I was instantly a fan and just waiting for the right song for us to collaborate.”

First instrumental single ‘Tick Tock,’ one of four songs co-written and co-produced with Jairus Mozee (Anthony Hamilton, Robin Thicke) is one of several on the album featuring a horn arrangement by Jerry Hey, who worked on Michael Jackson’s greatest hits, amongst others. “It’s a very funky track with an insistent groove and the arrangement goes places you don’t expect it to go,” says James.

 Although each track on the album has its own definitive feel, James points directly toward some of his greatest influences as having provided inspiration. “I think about Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and Earth, Wind & Fire,” he says, also mentioning such iconic R&B and contemporary jazz artists as the Brothers Johnson, Tower of Power and Grover Washington Jr. as having impacted him. “These are the bands that I grew up loving and the thing that they had was this method of arranging so the music is a character itself. That’s something I aspire to create on my records. The bass line can be a hook, or a horn line or keyboard riff that you sing in your head—that’s what I’m trying to create on the record. A tapestry of sounds that puts you in another world.”

James plays all of the tenor and soprano saxophone parts on Honestly and contributes keyboards and drum programming to several of the tracks. But his career might have turned out a lot differently had a music store in his native New Rochelle, New York, had his first choice in stock the day he walked inside. “I wanted to play trumpet but when we went to the store to rent a trumpet all they had were clarinets, so I went home with a clarinet. Two years later I guess I was the best clarinet player in a band full of clarinets and the teacher wanted a sax player so he leaned on me to pick up the saxophone. I didn’t want to do it because it was a much heavier case I’d have to carry. But as soon as I switched I loved it and it pretty quickly became my favorite thing to do. It still is!”

By the time he entered his teens, James was gigging with bands, and he turned pro at 19. He apprenticed as a sideman for artists like Morris Day and the Isley Brothers, picking up pointers on how to present himself onstage and off, and didn’t cut his first album under his own name until he was 30. The independently released Trust led immediately to a major label deal and a string of increasingly successful recordings and live dates.

His skill as a performer as well as a recording artist garnered this notice from the Boston Globe, “James swaggered across the stage like a blacktop hero draining treys on an overmatched opponent. He even weaved his way through the audience, never missing a beat and all but daring the crowd not to have a good time."

Over the years, James has racked up sales of more than three million records, four RIAA gold albums, four GRAMMY nominations, a Soul Train Award, nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and 10 CDs atop Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2009, Billboard named him one of the Top 3 Contemporary Jazz Artists Of The Decade along with Kenny G and Norah Jones.

 With Honestly, as with futuresoul and the GRAMMY-nominated The Beat before it, Boney James is making some of the most stellar, wholly realized music of his career. “I’ve just grown up, personally and musically,” he says. “I’m a lot calmer now when I approach making music and have more confidence. I’m a “give-110 percent” kind of person and I’m enjoying the process more now. I think that comes out in the music. Maybe that’s why this new record is so much fun to listen to. There are parts on the record that still make me smile.”

James lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 32 years, Actress/Director Lily Mariye and has written scores for her film projects.

ALFA ANDERSON, Former Lead Singer of Chic Releases MUSIC FROM MY HEART

Alfa Anderson is a soul and dance music icon whose voice defines an entire era of popular music. As one of the original lead vocalists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-nominated group, Chic, she helped producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards build a mountain of gold and platinum albums with hits like "Le Freak," "Good Times," and "I Want Your Love." To the delight of fans all around the world, Alfa's "soulful, sensitive delivery" (Billboard) takes center stage with the release of Music From My Heart (2017), her very first full-length solo album.

Music From My Heart spotlights an impressive range of songs that Alfa wrote and co-produced with the multi-talented Bert Price. The album's first single "When Luther Sings" features Alfa's rousing, heartfelt tribute to her longtime friend Luther Vandross, while powerful ballads like "Sending You Love" and sizzling club tracks like "Dancing Is My Release" add the exclamation point to Alfa's long-awaited solo debut, which she celebrated with a standing room-only album release show at Joe's Pub (NYC) on July 7, 2017.

A celebrated New Yorker by way of Augusta, Georgia, Alfa Anderson began her professional singing career alongside some of the industry's most talented vocalists and musicians. She had a featured role in Cannonball Adderley's Big Man (1976), which premiered at Carnegie Hall, and also starred in Lincoln Center's production of Children of the Fire, a piece scored by legendary trumpeter "Hannibal" Marvin Peterson. Throughout the '70s, she recorded background vocals for a variety of artists, including Nat Adderley, Ray Barretto, Odyssey, Major Harris, and Roy Buchanan. Alfa also sang on the Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack to The Wiz (1978) and Atlantic Records' Live at Montreux (1978) album produced by Arif Mardin and Herbie Mann.

Alfa Anderson's life changed when Luther Vandross invited her to a vocal session for Chic. At the time, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards had just formed the group with Tony Thompson on drums and Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals. She sang background on Chic's first two singles for Atlantic Records, "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" and "Everybody Dance," which both brought Chic to the top of the dance charts for seven consecutive weeks in 1977. After joining Chic on tour, Alfa was promoted to lead vocalist, a role she and Luci Martin shared from 1978-1983.

 The group's second album, C'est CHIC (1978), was a critical and commercial tour de force. It featured Anderson's two solo numbers, "At Last I Am Free" and the gold-selling single "I Want Your Love." Alfa and renowned session vocalist Diva Gray both sang lead on "Le Freak," Rodgers and Edwards' ode to Studio 54. The song not only became Chic's most successful single but, for more than 30 years, was the biggest-selling single in Atlantic's history. "Le Freak" topped the Hot 100 for three weeks and went to number one on both the R&B and disco singles charts, quickly earning gold and platinum certifications. C'est CHIC was later named "1979 R&B Album of the Year" by Billboard after it topped the R&B chart for eleven weeks.

 Risqué (1979) continued Chic's influence across all genres of music and spawned another number one pop and R&B hit, "Good Times." The song brought hip hop to the mainstream when it was sampled on "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. Alfa maintained a lead role in Chic on Real People (1980), Take It Off (1981), Tongue in Chic (1982), the Soup for One (1982) soundtrack, and Believer (1983). Between her many appearances with Chic on Soul Train, The Midnight Special, Top of the Pops, and New Year's Rockin' Eve, Alfa lent her vocals to Chic-produced sessions for Sister Sledge (We Are Family, 1979), Diana Ross (diana, 1980), and Johnny Mathis (I Love My Lady, 1981).

After Chic dissolved, Alfa Anderson continued her singing career with a variety of solo artists, most notably Luther Vandross. From 1982 through 1987, she was a member of Vandross' touring band and performed at Wembley Stadium, among many other prestigious venues around the world. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Alfa sang on albums by Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines, Mick Jagger, Teddy Pendergrass, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Bryan Ferry, and Jonathan Butler. 

In the late-'90s, Anderson and her husband Tinkr Barfield formed and produced Voices of Shalom, a group who explored spiritual themes through uplifting original compositions. They released two full-length albums, Messages (1999) and Daily Bread (2002), as well as a single called "What A Spirit" (2005), which featured guest vocals by Lisa Fischer and Keith Anthony Fluitt. Meanwhile, Alfa's voice continued to introduce the music of Chic to younger listeners through feature films like Shrek 2, Toy Story 3, Up in the Air, 54, Roll Bounce, and Spike Lee's Summer of Sam.

Alfa reunited with Chic vocalists Luci Martin and Norma Jean Wright in 2010 on "My Lover's Arms." The trio was also joined by Lisa Fischer, who'd previously sung with Alfa in Vandross' band and Voices of Shalom. Produced by Tinkr Barfield, "My Lover's Arms" appeared on Tinkr B. & Lu-Fuki's It Is What It Is (2011). The album included Alfa's lead vocals and songwriting contributions on "Money, Power" and "The Song That Captures Your Heart," laying the groundwork for her first solo single, "Former Lady of Chic" (2013), written and produced by Eluriel (Tinkr) Barfield, Eluriah Barfield, and Taurie Barfield.

"Former Lady of Chic" sparked a surge of interest in Alfa's career. Author James Arena devoted an entire chapter to Alfa in his best-selling book First Legends of Disco (2014), which led to Alfa's acclaimed appearance with Norma Jean Wright and Luci Martin at the "First Ladies of Disco" concert in Palm Springs. That same year, Alfa performed at Central Park SummerStage (NYC), the Grand Opera House (Wilmington, DE), The Cutting Room (NYC), Joe's Pub (NYC), and the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza, where she was a surprise guest during the venue's inaugural concert by Nile Rodgers.

Ibiza-based production team Aristofreeks produced a series of songs for a trio that Alfa formed with Norma Jean and Luci called Next Step. Featuring guest vocalist Kathy Sledge, "Get On Up" brought Next Step to #8 on Billboard's Dance Chart in May 2016 following the trio's headlining performance with Cirque du Soleil at Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas). Nile Rodgers also invited Alfa and Luci to sing on the first new Chic single in 23 years, "I'll Be There" (2015). Released on Warner Bros., the song topped the U.K. charts and bridged two generations of Chic Organization vocalists. While "Le Freak" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, Alfa received the G.E.M.A. Foundation's "Golden Mic Award" (2014) and a Citation from the City of Philadelphia that recognized her many contributions to music. 

NEW MUSIC: JOSH LAWRENCE – COLOR THEORY: JON DAVIS – HAPPY JUICE; WALT WEISKOPF – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

JOSH LAWRENCE – COLOR THEORY

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green".  ~ Dusty Groove

JON DAVIS – HAPPY JUICE

Top shelf jazz trio from pianist Jon Davis – an artist who might look pretty laidback, sipping wine on the cover – but who serves up some great original material as well as key takes on some classics! Working with bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Mark Ferber on this one, Davis earnestly sets out to pay homage to the 60s modern piano jazz genius of his five favorite players – and also manages to really show some of his own best work – a really impressive feat! The originals shine brightly – including "Happy Juice", "Slant Six", "As We Know", "Bred On Read" and "Mostly Minor" – and fit in seamlessly with the nods to classics by Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett – including "The Two Lonely People", "Tones For Joans Bones", "Speak Like A Child", "Search For People" and "Rainbow". Wonderful stuff!  ~ Dusty Groove

WALT WEISKOPF – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Walt Weiskopf is fast becoming one of our favorite contemporary tenorists – a musician who's not just strong on his own instrument, but able to place himself amidst a very fresh setting with each new release! This set has Walt working with a top-shelf lineup of Positone labelmates – including the great Behn Gillece on vibes, Peter Zak on piano, Mike Karn on bass, and Steve Fidyk on drums – musicians who do a really great job of soaring along with Weiskopf's sound, and finding all the right stops along the way! The blend of vibes, piano, and tenor is wonderful – Gillece is also one of our favorite contemporary players – and Walt's got this soulful presence that offsets the other two instruments beautifully. Titles include "Echoes Of The Quiet Past", "Backstage Blues", "Petal", "Hot Dog Days", "Heads In The Clouds", and "Double Date".  ~ Dusty Groove

Jazz Bassist Brad Cheeseman is set to release his new album, The Tide Turns, on Friday August 25, 2017

The album includes nine tracks, eight of which are new contemporary jazz compositions from the Hamilton bassist/composer. Joining Cheeseman on this album are frequent collaborators Robert Chapman (guitar), Sam Kogen (piano) and Marito Marques (drums), as well as JUNO award-winning saxophonist Kelly Jefferson. The CD will be available at performances, as well as digitally through Bandcamp and iTunes.

The album comes on the heels of Cheeseman winning the coveted Grand Prix de Jazz for his band’s performance at the 2016 Montreal Jazz Festival, which included a week of studio time at Montreal’s Studio 270. “It was a huge honour to win the Grand Prix, and a catalyst to document an important time in my life through music,” explains Cheeseman. “This is a very personal record for me, and is based on a year full of change, self-discovery and reinvention. There’s a lot of heart in this music.”

Brad Cheeseman is a jazz bassist, composer and educator that has been performing since the early 2000s. His lyrical bass playing and melody-driven compositions have earned him a reputation as an in-demand emerging artist in the thriving Toronto jazz community and beyond.

He has released three all-original albums as bandleader—including 2016’s Figurants EP (featuring compositions based on the landmark novel Infinite Jest), 2015’s Brad Cheeseman Group, and 2013’s Mixed Messages EP—and is currently planning a fourth to be released Summer 2017. These albums have received airplay across Canada, won two Hamilton Music Awards and have been nominated for several others. In 2016, Brad Cheeseman was honoured to win the prestigious TD Grand Prix de Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival with his acclaimed Brad Cheeseman Group ensemble.

In addition to his work as bandleader, Brad regularly performs with both the Brownman Electryc Trio (feat. Brownman Ali and Colin Kingsmore) and On Topic (feat. Aubrey Dayle and Kim Ratcliffe). As a sideman, Brad has had the privilege of  performing with many great Canadian jazz musicians, including Colleen Allen, Bruce Cassidy, Terry Clarke, Don Englert, Adrean Farrugia, John Macleod, Mike Malone, Reg Schwager and Nancy Walker.

Brad is an Honours graduate of both Mohawk College (’09) and Humber College (BMus ’13) and completed his MA in music composition at York University (’15).