Russian-Born Saxophonist/Composer Lena Bloch Creates a Beautiful, Thrilling Blend of Freedom and Wide-Ranging Inspiration on Heart Knows

True artists know to trust the instincts of their hearts before the knowledge in their heads. The title of Heart Knows, the new album by Russian-born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist Lena Bloch and her quartet Feathery, expresses that sentiment with succinct assurance. The same could be said for the music made by these four remarkable musicians, which conjures a singular and striking group sound from four individual voices given the freedom to follow their own hearts.

With one significant change, Feathery the group is an evolution of the quartet that appeared on Feathery, Bloch's 2014 debut. Heart Knows, out September 25 on Fresh Sound New Talent, welcomes back bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Billy Mintz, while adding pianist Russ Lossing, who also contributes half of the album's compositions (Bloch herself penned the remaining half). Though each of the pieces begins with written material, the sole guiding principle for Feathery was to leave plenty of space for what Bloch calls "spontaneous collective composing and instant musical communication."

In part that approach was inspired by one of Bloch's mentors, the legendary saxophonist and innovator Lee Konitz, who she says "taught me that improvising and spontaneity is what makes our music so fresh and timeless." But to a perhaps even greater degree, the spark that ignites in Feathery comes from her collaborators - whom she refers to, borrowing one of Lossing's titles, as her "Three Treasures" - whose fearlessness spurs one another on to ever greater heights of invention.

"We're not trying to produce something already contrived beforehand," Bloch insists. "Jazz doesn't have to be risk free - on the contrary, I think risk is a great factor! Because I trust the professionalism and experience of these people, risk and challenge only facilitate the result. The less safe we all feel, the better it is for the music."

The unique combination of following a spontaneous instinct wherever it might lead and creating a sound that stands on its own distinctive merits is captured by the band's whimsical name. It suggests something lighter than air, diaphanous - and Feathery's music is that, certainly. But as Bloch also points out, "A feather is something that drifts in the wind. At the same time it is a very beautiful, concrete object. The beauty of a feather is in its submissiveness and its openness to change, but at the same time it has beauty in itself."

The music itself draws on a wealth of inspirations - as Bloch points out in the liner notes, there are aspects of 20th and 21st-century classical music, Eastern European and Middle Eastern traditions, and of course modern jazz and improvised music. But all of these have been absorbed and emerge organically from the group's interactions with one another, with an intriguing freedom that calls to mind the work of the Tristano School or Paul Motian. The music moored by the compositions in the way a kite is moored by its string - kept in tenuous touch with the ground but allowed to float free and be carried along by the prevailing winds of the moment.

Another key touchstone is paid homage in the album's 12-minute opening track, "Lateef Suite." Bloch studied with the late Yusef Lateef in the 1990s, and there's no doubt that the revered multi-instrumentalist and composer made a lasting impression on her as a saxophonist and as a composer. But "Lateef Suite" doesn't draw on his teachings - which drew upon 12-tone serialism as well as Asian and Middle Eastern modes - as much as it does Bloch's more personal memories of her departed teacher. "It's not theoretically related to what he taught," she says. "It's more of an emotional impression of how I felt about his impact."

The title track follows, rife with an enticing but elusive lyricism. Mintz's shimmering brushwork sets the ethereal stage for Bloch's supple, keening tenor and the mysterious musings of Lossing's pianism. The aforementioned "Three Treasures" insistently returns to its exotic opening melody, putting the quartet through tensely recursive paces. Lossing's "French Twist" reharmonizes J.S. Bach's French Suite in D Minor, playfully referencing a stylish hairdo in its title.

"Esmeh" translates to "name" in Farsi, pointing to another unexpected shift in the wind that guided Bloch to a study of Persian music. Middle Eastern influences also emerge in "Munir," a dedication to the iconic Iraqi oud master Munir Bashir. Lossing's opening on muted piano strings evokes the sound of the oud, while Brown's bass line is an interpretation of a Bashir improvisation. Significantly for Feathery's ethos, Bloch says, "In the Middle East improvisation is equal to composing. Just like in jazz, you can't generally distinguish between composer credits and improviser credits. Bashir was a genius composer-improviser and I always loved his playing."

Lossing's "Counter Clockwise" is the album's most traditional composition, a poignant ballad that takes its time unfolding. The album closes with "Newfoundsong," which captures the pianist's first impressions of the remote and beautiful Newfoundland. As throughout the album's eight tracks, Bloch and her quartet freely blur the lines between composition and improvisation while maintaining an alluring cohesiveness - by trusting, always, what the heart knows.

Born in Moscow, Russia, Lena Bloch immigrated to Israel in 1990 to attend Rubin Academy of Music and Dance - and since then has traveled the world, performing in Israel, Holland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, England, Canada, Russia, Slovenia and the United States. Lena has studied with Yusef Lateef, Billy Taylor, Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, Dave Holland, and her most important mentor, Lee Konitz, at such institutions as UMass Amherst, Cologne Conservatory, Germany, and the Jazz Workshop in Banff, Canada. Since 1993 Lena has been leading her own quartet and trio, combining influences from the European Classical tradition, Middle Eastern and Turkish music, and jazz. She moved to Brooklyn in 2008, releasing her debut album Feathery (Thirteenth Note) in 2014. The quartet from that album has evolved into the band of the same name, which features the gifted improvisers Russ Lossing, Cameron Brown and Billy Mintz. Lena is also an active woodwinds and jazz improvisation instructor and clinician, a member of the Jazz Education Network, and a faculty member at Slope Music in Brooklyn.

Lenabloch.com

Acclaimed Torchbearer of Hard Bop, Richie Cole Presents "Latin Lover"

Alto saxophonist Richie Cole has covered a lot of stylistic ground since he left the Berklee School of Music in 1969 to join the Buddy Rich Band at age 21. Long known as a torchbearer for bebop, Cole started referring to his style of playing as "Alto Madness" in the 1970s, and that has been his motto ever since.

 In the course of a prolific career fast approaching the half-century mark, Cole has included Latin jazz tunes on many recordings, but surprisingly -- given his affinity for that style -- has never devoted an entire album to Latin jazz. Cole has now remedied that oversight with Latin Lover, his new album for Richie Cole Presents, which will be released on October 20. What's not surprising is the highly original stamp Cole places on arrangements and repertoire throughout. He's put together a wonderful and witty program of music that, in addition to four of his own compositions (including a reprise of "Island Breeze" from his classic 1978 outing Alto Madness), features versions of the traditional Mexican children's song "Cielito Lindo," a Mariachi band staple today; "Lonely Bull," a smash hit for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in 1962; Great American Songbook classics "Almost Like Being in Love" and "Harlem Nocturne"; and unexpected items such as "If I Only Had a Brain" from The Wizard of Oz, arranged as a samba, and Neil Sedaka's 1974 pop hit, "Laughter in the Rain." "I've always had a passion for Latin music and Latin-flavored embellishments, so it was time," Cole explains, though in keeping with his sense of humor he admits the album's title is ironic. "I doubt anyone would consider me a Valentino-type Lothario," he quips. As for some of the unconventional song choices on the new album, they share a common denominator: "What matters is that these tunes have great melodies and I can swing my ass off on them." As a teenager, Cole played in Machito's big band for two summers at the Concord Hotel, a famed resort in New York's Catskill Mountains. "Playing with Machito was my first real exposure to this music," he recalls. "I was kind of lost at first. The bassist never played on the one and that took a lot of getting used to. But eventually I got it. It was a great learning experience." 
Cole has played plenty of Latin jazz since cutting his teeth with Machito, including in an all-star festival band with Tito Puente alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. Coming of age on the East Coast, he was exposed to all manner of Latin sounds and has also toured Mexico numerous times (his son-in-law is from there), most recently with veteran trumpeter Luis Gasca. Bassist and producer Mark Perna is one of the "angels" who have been instrumental in facilitating Cole's artistic output since the saxophonist moved to Pittsburgh in 2014. "We really put a lot of thought into how to follow Richie's ballads album," Perna says, referring to last year's well-received Richie Cole Plays Ballads & Love Songs. Perna reassembled the simpatico cast from the Ballads album -- guitarist Eric Susoeff, who's worked with artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Ivan Lins, and whose primary focus is his Latin Jazz quintet Salsamba, founded in 1984; versatile drummer Vince Taglieri, whose extensive experience includes work with big bands, theater productions, and jazz artists such as Bobby Shew and Sean Jones; and Perna himself, a veteran musician who's recorded six albums under his own leadership and has worked with Don Aliquo, Emily Remler, and Ron Affif, among many others -- with the addition of pianist Kevin Moore, a Berklee alum whose musical travels have taken him to 60 countries and back to his native Pittsburgh. "The songs on Latin Lover aren't heavily arranged," says Perna, "but they're very much tailored to Richie. He's really one of a kind." Richie Cole was born on Leap Day in 1948 in Trenton, NJ. His father, a big band enthusiast, ran the Harlem Club, a local jazz joint, and the Las Vegas-style showroom, Hubby's Inn. Cole was 10 when he started playing the saxophone. At 16, he attended a music camp directed by alto legend Phil Woods before heading for Boston's Berklee School of Music on a full scholarship from DownBeat magazine.

After coming up in the big bands of Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, and Doc Severinsen, Cole formed his own quintet. In the early '70s, he began a long association with the great vocalist Eddie Jefferson that lasted until Jefferson's tragic death in 1979. Over the ensuing decades, Cole has toured regularly, recorded prolifically in myriad settings, and resided in numerous cities on both coasts and in between. Now comfortably ensconced in Pittsburgh, he's free to pursue his muse and unleash his creativity, Alto Madness and beyond. 

 

    

Erica Papillion-Posey to release new jazz recording: “From the DEEP”

Having released and co-produced her 2015 debut recording, “The Standard Reimagined, when jazz…” a carefully curated collection of love and heartbreak jazz favorites, “…an excellent first outing.”— [C. Michael Bailey | All About Jazz], Papillion-Posey has taken her talents further in From the DEEP with a bold journey into executively producing and songwriting on the new, global, vocal jazz album. Fashioning the text, as lyrics, from her 2015 book of poetry and prose, Musings from the Mind of a Mezzo, she has crafted five original tunes for the recording like the opening track, “War of Art”, a personal declaration on the constant battle of being an artist. The tune has a dual face that oscillates between neo-soul and a double-time swing and sets the tone for what is to come in the nine track album.

Papillion-Posey keeps stellar company on this global jazz recording with her writing partner and pianist extraordinaire, Tenia Nelson (who also teaches percussion), Brooklyn’s own, Eric Wheeler, a beast on upright and electric bass, Alex Tripp, a quiet storm on drums with special guests: Eric Natsuhiro Jordan, sax and clarinet, Natalia Perez del Villar, castanets, Zay Alejandro Ríos, djembe/conga and Al Chesis, harmonica. “These collaborations, these musicians were everything…: fun, fire and easy. I couldn’t be more pleased with the result.” says Papillion-Posey.

When discussing the album, Papillion-Posey exclaims, “Each selection is my Deep calling out to DEEP”, a cellular, bottomless expression of self through percussive rhythms, words and sounds most obvious in “JuJu”, a Zydeco-ish, second-line romp that pays homage to her Creole, Southwest Louisiana roots and “Tell Me”, a poignant, funk anthem that speaks to her, sometimes, hopelessness at the current racial and civil climate often ending in the senseless taking of black and brown bodies or “Chemistry”, a lush ballad wrapped in smoldering lyrics that you nestle into (“Meet me where the Alchemist dwells, between liquid heavens and Dante’s hell” ) with an elegant piano solo by Nelson and punctuated by delicate, ethereal flute figures.

Adding to its international appeal, From the DEEP comes full circle with some hip arrangements of well-known standards. Having played Clara (“Summertime”) in a 2016 production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Papillion-Posey reimagines the now jazz standard with an affecting, transparent voice and bass-only-performance which more than delivers. Included are sexy, bossa renderings of the Italian standard, “Estate” (Summer), sung in Italian, a love-letter to her favorite country and her extensive travels there and the “Habanera” (sung in French) a complete, fiery reinterpretation of the opera aria, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Love is like a rebellious bird) from Bizet’s Carmen, a signature role of the, also, classically trained Papillion-Posey. And there is so much more!

NEW RELEASES: BROWNSWOOD BUBBLERS VOLUME 12 COMPILED BY GILLES PETERSON; JUSSARA SILVEIRA & RENATO BRAZ – FRUTA GOGOIA: UNA HOMENAGEM A GAL COSTA; MARTIAL SOLAL & DAVE LIEBMAN – MASTERS IN BORDEAUX

BROWNSWOOD BUBBLERS VOLUME 12 COMPILED BY GILLES PETERSON

A dozen volumes in – and this wonderful series is still going strong – an incredibly solid, incredibly trustworthy collection of all that's great in the global underground! Gilles Peterson has been opening up our ears for decades, and he's never let us down – and, as before, there's a rich array of forward-thinking music here – from lyrically poignant club-ready soul, to neo classic spiritual jazz, to modern funk, and beyond – all tracks that have a sound that's way hipper than the mainstream, and a sense of class that few artists can touch. Titles include "Stop Rewind" by Slim with Ella Mae, "Refugee Song" by Buttering Trio, "Rosie" by Wayne Snow, "No Time To Lose" by Madison McFerrin, "Could You Be Me" by Kathy Kosins & Paul Randolph, "Gotta Get Out" by The Pendletons, "Red Planet" by Chip Wickham, "Are You In Peace" by Selebyone, "La Mano" by Stimulator Jones, "Flute Song" by Wildflower, "Love Falls Down" by Poppy Ajudha, "Turn My G Down" by God Colony, "2 Sides" by Oscar Jerome, "Should You Go" by Skinny Pelembe, "Above The Clouds" by Yisrael Trio, "Anxious Party People" by Blood Wine Or Honey, and "Differences" by Elisa Imperilee & Srigala. ~ Dusty Groove

JUSSARA SILVEIRA & RENATO BRAZ – FRUTA GOGOIA: UNA HOMENAGEM A GAL COSTA

A great little record – one that offers up a tribute to the music of Gal Costa in a style that's as evocative as its cover – and which finds all these wonderful ways to take off from the inspiration of the originals! Vocals are by Jussara Silveira and Renato Braz – sometimes singing together, but often alternating on different tracks – already a great approach in the mix of male and female voices on these tunes. Yet the singers also have something special, too – that way of capturing the simple, understated charms that Gal had in her later years – often in a style that's subtle, but completely powerful – maybe even more so when turned towards some of the songs from earlier years. Backing is by a small group on all numbers – Dori Caymmi plays guitar throughout, and other instrumentation includes a bit of accordion, solo alto from Teco Cardoso, and a small sax group on a few numbers – coloring in the tunes with some beautiful tones. The album's the best sort homage album in the Brazilian tradition – which, if you know it, is light years better than any sort of American modes – and titles include "So Louco", "Nao Identificado", "Baby", "Teco Teco", "Perola Negra", "Volto", "Passarinho", "Tema De Amor De Gabriela", and "Estrada Do Sol". ~ Dusty Groove

MARTIAL SOLAL & DAVE LIEBMAN – MASTERS IN BORDEAUX

Two giants in modern jazz, coming together here beautifully – on a record that may well be one of the most compelling from either musician in recent years! Martial Solal has definitely returned to the limelight with a strong string of releases over the past decade or so – but he sounds even more amazing here, next to the angular genius of Dave Liebman – whose way of crafting reed lines in the setting really blows us away! There's a really special sort of pairing going on here – like Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy – and the amazing thing is the way these guys can both be totally loose, yet also swong – coming together on brilliant reworkings of "Solar", "All The Things You Are", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Lover Man", and "Night & Day". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD – JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD PLAYS LALO SHIFRIN; THE KANDINSKY EFFECT – PAX 6; BURNT SUGAR – ALL YOU ZOMBIES DIG THE LUMINOSITY

JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD – JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD PLAYS LALO SHIFRIN

New takes on the famous soundtrack work of the great Lalo Schifrin – served up in a mode that's every bit as jazzy and groovy as the original! The set begins with some key cop and crime themes from Lalo's breakout years of the 60s and early 70s – and that music really sets the stage for the album, which unfolds in a set of tracks that stand as a strong tribute to the tonal color and rhythmic genius of the maestro! Jean Michel Bernard plays Fender Rhodes, piano, and Hammond – in a core group that also includes vibe, muted trumpet, and some reeds – and there also seems to be larger orchestrations on most numbers, but in a way that really lays in the background, and never gets in the way of the instrumental energy in the lead. Schifrin himself plays a bit of guest piano – and titles include "Mannix", "Bullitt", "Dirty Harry Suite", "The Cat", "Lalo's Bossa Nova", "Manteca", "Mission Impossible", "That Night", and "The Plot". ~ Dusty Groove

THE KANDINSKY EFFECT – PAX 6

A jazz trio, but one with a very unique vibe – given that, in addition to familiar saxes, bass, and drums – the group also uses a fair bit of effects as well! The drums are often echoey and thunderous, the basslines nicely bumping, and the tones of the saxophone can go off in all sorts of directions – always tuneful, but often with darker currents too – nice little sonic twists and turns that certainly make the instrument sound different than usual! Saxophonist Warren Walker also plays a bit of keyboards too, although those often seem wrapped up with the larger electronic palette of the album – and titles include "Astoria", "We Make Our Own Holidays", "Loops", "Iron Lion", "Re: Jungle", "Musicbox", and "Glass Bottles". ~ Dusty Groove

BURNT SUGAR – ALL YOU ZOMBIES DIG THE LUMINOSITY

The Burnt Sugar sound just gets more and more complex over the years – to a point where it's even more mindblowing than when it started, and where it's hard to tell where one influence starts and another one ends! In a way, the approach here is like a fully righteous extension of some of the modes explored by the black rock generation in the New York scene of the 80s – and its way of folding together soul, funk, avant jazz, and lots more. But under the helm of Luqman Brown, the Burnt Sugar groove moves onto whole new planets of sound – using a rich tapestry of funk, fuzz, wisdom, and knowledge to lay down sheets of sound that might take others years to create. Vocals are by a variety of singers – including Shelly Nicole Jefferson, Abby Dobson, Christina Wheeler, Julie Brown, and Mikel Banks – and titles include "That Bent Arc Do Be Slow", "Ziploc Latex", "RU Insane", "There Is A G", "Young Black & Vague", and "Ride Ride Ride". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: VIVIAN GREEN – VGVI; HOLOPHONOR – LIGHT MAGIC; CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS - CLEO

VIVIAN GREEN – VGVI

A fantastic new direction for Vivian Green – and a record that seems to have the singer setting her sound on fire all over again! In the notes, Green credits co-producer Kwame Holland for giving her career all new energy – and that claim definitely comes through in the music, which bristles with vitality throughout, while still holding onto the strong tradition of songwriting that Vivian's given us on her previous albums! There's a crisp crackle here that's really inspiring – a clarity that's followed through in every aspect of the record – and while we've always loved Vivian, the set has us taking new notice of her music all over again. Titles include "Vibes", "I Don't Know", "Sunglasses", "Supa Dope Fresh Beat Show", "Mutal Feelings", "Just Like Fools", "The 1st Time", "Happy With You", and "That's What Love Can Do". ~ Dusty Groove

HOLOPHONOR – LIGHT MAGIC

A group with vibes in the lead – which might already have been enough to win us over – save for the fact that everything else about the record is great, too – including its production by Wayne Shorter! Forget all about Shorter, though – because although he champions the group, they hardly need his help at all – as they're a wonderfully strong, very soulful ensemble who are very much headed in the right direction – with that kind of fresh, young voice in jazz that we maybe heard years ago when Black/Note first appeared on the scene – although these guys have a vision that's all their own, and a sound that gets nicely spiritual at times too. The group features vibes from Diego Urbano, alto from Josh Johnson, trumpet from Mike Cottone, trombone from Eric Miller, piano from Miro Sprague, bass from Dave Robaire, and drums from Jonathan Pinson – a big group, but one with a razor-sharp focus throughout – on songs that include "Santa Ynez", "Choose Your Adventure", "Three Song", "Pioneer", "Dream Space", "Light Magnet", "E Force 3", and "Invisible Cities".  ~ Dusty Groove

CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS - CLEO

Charlotte Dos Santos is a hell of a singer, and one with a really amazing range – able to float to the top of heavenly spaces with her light inflections in the music, but also tied strongly to the planet with a mellow-stepping soulful groove! The blend of lightness and depth here is wonderful – a nice change from the usual underground soul material, as is Charlotte's lyrical approach – almost as lightly poetic as her voice, but more solid too – with a vibe that's completely unique, and which (we hope!) means that we'll be hearing plenty from her in years to come! The album's got this wonderful recasting of Freddie Hubbard's classic "Red Clay" – plus the tracks "Summer Is Icumen In", "Good Sign", "King Of Hearts", "It's Over Bobby", "Watching You", and "Move On". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: KASAMI WASHINGTON – HARMONY OF DIFFERENCE; BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE – I TELL A FLY; KELELA – TAKE ME APART

KASAMI WASHINGTON – HARMONY OF DIFFERENCE

Pure fantasticness from the great Kamasi Washington – a set that's much more compact than his sprawling Epic, but which has an equally wonderful vibe overall! The album features material that Washington performed at the Whitney Biennial – to accompany paintings by his sister – but the whole thing stands alone beautifully, with that free-flowing, always spiritual vibe that's made Washington one of the strongest young jazz talents to emerge in recent years! The music resonates strongly with the work of some of his key LA contemporaries – like Ronald Bruner Jr, Miles Mosley, Cameron Graves, and Thundercat – all of whom perform in the large ensemble – helping Kamasi's tenor soar to the skies on waves of collaborative joy. Washington composed, arranged, and even produced the record himself – and in some ways, the tightness of the performance makes the whole thing even more satisfying than Epic – as we hope you feel too, on titles that include "Desire", "Humility", "Truth", "Integrity", "Knowledge", and "Perspective". ~ Dusty Groove.

BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE – I TELL A FLY

One of the most unique artists we've heard in years – and one who will no doubt be setting the world on fire for years to come! Benjamin Clementine's a singer, but also a poet – inspired by jazz and classical music, yet working here in neither – and instead, finding a path that's completely his own – borne out with incredible creative energy right from the very first note, and continuing through amazing territory with each new song on the set! There's some deft work on piano and electric harpsichord on the record – but there's lots more waves of dark textures and other tones – all to showcase Clementine's vocals, which are unlike any other singer we can think of. Benjamin's hardly just another voice with downtempo rhythms or modern production – as his lyrics are far richer, and his sound here already speaks volumes of his experiences on both the Paris and London scenes – although we're betting he's going to take the whole world by storm soon. Like nothing else you've ever heard – and we mean that in the best way possible – with songs that include "One Awkward Fish", "Farewell Sonata", "Better Sorry Than Asafe", "God Save The Jungle", "Phantom Of Aleppoville", "Paris Cor Blimey", "Jupiter", and "Ode From Joyce". ~ Dusty Groove

KELELA – TAKE ME APART

The stunning debut of Kelela – a singer who's been bubbling under for so long, she bursts out strongly right from the very first note! Kelela's ready to take on both the indie underground and the mainstream with this set – as the album's got a depth to rival some of the most compelling Neo Soul work from female singers in the past decade or so, but also has a tight crackle that could get her winning a lot more ears – especially given the strong reception for powerful female soul that's emerged in the past few years! The album's got a very layered sense of instrumentation – mostly produced by Jam City – and these sonic textures work really well with Kelela's voice, which slides into the mix perfectly – but never in a way that the lady buries the message in her music at all. Instead, the whole thing represents a real triumph of the contemporary – showing that there's still plenty of new territory to discover, if you know where to look. Titles include "Frontline", "Take Me Apart", "Jupiter", "Better", "LMK", "Onanon", "Turn To Dust", and "Truth Or Dare". ~ Dusty Groove

James Brown's legendary protégée Martha High releases her new album “Tribute to My Soul Sisters”

Record Kicks has signed James Brown’s original funky diva Martha High. Her new album “Tribute To My Soul Sisters” produced by Japan’s Osaka Monaurail is out November 17. 

Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown’s life and career for more than 30 years. After a lifetime spent shoulder to shoulder with the Godfather of Soul, she flew to Tokyo and teamed up with Japanese funk ambassadors Osaka Monaurail to record her new album “Tribute to My Soul Sisters” that hits the streets worldwide next November 17 on Record Kicks. You can now listen to the first single from the album “A Little Taste Of Soul”, originally recorded in 1962 by her soul sister Sugar Pie, available on digital download and limited edition 45 vinyl on October 20.

“Tribute to My Soul Sisters” was hatched back in 2014, when Martha High was visiting the producer Dj Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and tight collaborator of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. "I looked up to these ladies of soul" says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas would mean a lot to Mr Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage; they were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari’s advice, she partnered up with one of the hottest name of the new funk renaissance: Japan’s Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under the belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad’s, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

Throughout her career Martha shared stages worldwide with some iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton to name a few. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true Soul Sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.

Born in Victoria, Virginia and discovered by Rock & Roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha took off her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group "The Four Jewels”, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the “James Brown Revue” in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King’s assassination, she was by his side when he performed at renowned ‘Rumble in The Jungle’ event in Zaire and was on stage with him and "The Legends of Rock & Roll". Mr Brown produced several of Martha’s singles on his own label “People” such as “Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and “Summertime”; meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for “Salsoul Records”. 

Since then she released five albums under her name and, being one of the “hardest working woman in show business”, she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker’s legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MORPHIC RESONANCES

Morphic Resonances is the third Meta/MOD Technologies co-release of Adam Rudolph's music and the 23rd as a leader featuring his compositions. It is also the final installment of Rudolph's trilogy of CDs following on the heels of 2 other Meta/MOD Technologies co-releases: The Epic Botanical Beat Suite (2015) by his electro-world percussion ensemble Hu: Vibrational and Glare of the Tiger (2017) by his Moving Pictures Octet. 

The three releases sound very different from one another and Rudolph explains the trilogy connection this way: "I drew upon the same intervallic and rhythmic materials in creating the music for all three recordings. Using these materials as kind of musical DNA allowed me to create this trilogy of CD releases. Each sounds so different from the other because I used a different process to create the music on each. I feel that when we generate our own creative processes, then the music is bound to sound prototypical. It is what I call "organic music" whereby the spirit and the feeling can project through the music unencumbered by styles of the past. It sounds like itself."  

Morphic Resonances also reveals a new side of Rudolph's musical journey by putting the spotlight on his through-composed music. Some of the pieces were commissioned by the ensembles on this release, while others were written when Rudolph was living in Copenhagen as a recipient of the prestigious D.I.V.A. award from the Danish government. "I tried to project my inner voice and spirit as well as my experiences as a hand drummer and improviser into the compositions. Being an autodidact, it was interesting to use the "Western classical" notational system to do that. I was fortunate to have outstanding musicians from both the USA and Europe to bring this music to life." 

TRACKS

Morphic Resonances / Momenta String Quartet  13:18

Syntactic Adventures / Momenta String Quartet  13:12

Garden, Ashes / Kaoru Watanabe & Marco Cappelli  8:55

Strange Thought / Sana Nagano  2:45

Orbits / Odense Percussion Group  10:30

Coincidentia Oppositorum / Figura / Kammeratorkestret Ensemble  3:59

Lamento / Kaoru Watanabe & Marco Cappelli  3:50 

TOUR DATES:

Monday, October 2  

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Adam Rudolph with Hamid Drake and Ralph Jones

Tuesday, October 3 and Wednesday, October 4 

Jazz Gallery, New York City

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MOVING PICTURES

Thursday, October 5 

October Revolution Festival (opening for Sun Ra Arkestra), Philadelphia

Adam Rudolph with Hamid Drake and Ralph Jones

Saturday, October 7 

Angel City Jazz Festival, Los Angeles

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MOVING PICTURES and GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA 

conducted by Adam Rudolph and featuring Bennie Maupin  

Sunday, October 8 

Motherland Music, Inglewood

Adam Rudolph and Hamid Drake "Karuna Percussion Duet"

Tuesday, October 10 

Rhizome, Washington, DC

Adam Rudolph and Hamid Drake "Karuna Percussion Duet"

Wednesday, October 11

The Windup Space, Baltimore

Adam Rudolph and Hamid Drake "Karuna Percussion Duet"

Friday, October 20 

BOP STOP - The Music Settlement, Cleveland

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MOVING PICTURES

Saturday, October 21 

Edgefest Kerrytown, Ann Arbor 

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MOVING PICTURES

Sunday, October 22 

Lafontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MOVING PICTURES

Friday, November 17 

Firehouse 12, New Haven

ADAM RUDOLPH'S MOVING PICTURES   

 

Astrud Gilberto 5 Original Albums (Astrud Gilberto Album/Look To The Rainbow/Certain Smile Certain Sadness/Windy/I Haven't Got Anything Better)

A quintet of wonderful records from the legendary Astrud Gilberto! First up is the Astrud Gilberto Album – pne of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums of the 60s – a classic session produced for Verve by Creed Taylor, and featuring sweet gentle arrangements from Marty Paich, co-arranged with Antonio Carlos Jobim, who also plays guitar on the session next to the piano of Joao Donato! That's a mouthful of heavy-hitters, we know – but the result is a totally great session that has Astrud's light and gentle vocals drifting over some of the most magical bossa backings you'll ever hear. The whole thing's great, stuffed with bossa classics done in English – and titles include "Once I Loved", "Aqua De Beber", "O Morro", "Dindi", "Dreamer", and "Photograph". Look To The Rainbow is one of the moodiest Verve albums from Astrud Gilberto – a set that has some surprising arrangements by Gil Evans – working here on one of his few 60s dates with a singer! Astrud's blue-tinged vocals work perfectly with Evans' backdrops – and Al Cohn also takes over the helm on two of the album's tracks, but still does a very good job of keeping the groove. 

There's a nice mix of sadness and lightness in the set – and titles include a wonderful version of "Berimbau" that actually features berimbau playing by Dom Um Romao, a great take on "El Preciso Aprender A Ser So" with English lyrics, and the titles "Bim Bom", "Lugar Bonito", "Frevo", and "Once Upon A Summertime". For Certain Smile Certain Sadness, Verve Records got the great idea of teaming up its (then) biggest Brazilian imports – vocalist Astrud Gilberto and organist Walter Wanderley – both of whom were selling plenty at the time! Astrud's lovely vocals are matched beautifully with the lean, rhythmic bossa grooves of Wanderley's trio – and the result is a record that's near-perfect in execution. 

Most of the tracks are quite short, as is the record itself – but it's a perfectly concentrated dose of the Verve bossa sound at its best, with tracks that include "Portuguese Washerwoman", "Tu Meu Delirio", "A Certain Smile", "Call Me", "Here's That Rainy Day", "A Certain Sadness", "It's A Lovely Day Today", and a vocal version of Wanderley's big hit "Summer Samba", redone here as "So Nice"! Windy is one of the hardest to find Astrud Gilberto records on Verve – and one of the best! Deodato, Don Sebesky, and Pat Williams did the arrangements – and the sound here is a bit different than some of the straighter Gilberto sets of the time – still very bossa-inspired, but also in a style that mixes in some great Sunshine Pop and 60s easy influences too – particularly on the tracks arranged by Williams! 

Tracks are all quite short, but get a heck of a lot of magic into a tiny space – and the album features some really wonderful songs that break Gilberto's pattern a bit – including versions of the Marcos Valle tracks "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" and "Chup Chup, I Got Away" – plus takes on "Windy", "Sing Me A Rainbow", "Never My Love", and "Where Are They Now?" I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do is one of the darkest albums ever recorded by Astrud Gilberto – her 60s last session for Verve Records, and a batch of beautifully moody tunes throughout! Arrangements are by Albert Gorgoni, who'd handled Gilberto's previous September 69 album – but the style here is a bit mellower, a bit sadder – touched with more adult themes of love, life, and loss – and very much in keeping with Astrud's tear-stained image on the cover! 

There's a sound here that almost mixes Gilberto's earlier bossa with the more baroque modes of Scott Walker at the end of the 60s – and as with Scott Walker's classic solo sets, the album shows a side of Astrud's talents that we never would have expected a few years earlier! Titles include "Wailing Of The Willow", "Where's The Love", "Wee Small Hours", "If", "Without Him", "Trains & Boats & Planes", "The Sea Is My Soil", and "Didn't We?".  ~ Dusty Groove

 

NEW RELEASES: DEVA MAHAL – RUN DEEP; MARIA JOAO – POESIA DE ALDIR BLANC; NINA MIRANDA – FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

DEVA MAHAL – RUN DEEP

Soul and R&B songstress Deva Mahal steps into the spotlight with her debut single "Run Deep". A rare combination of masterful songwriting and breathtaking vocal talent, Deva offers an introductory glimpse of her brand of pulse-pounding indie R&B. Her self-titled debut EP drops Oct 27, featuring two original tracks and a powerful cover of a 1970s Carole King penned hit. Upcoming appearances includes: 13th November - Jaxxdock - Prague, CZ; 15th November - The Pheasantry (London Jazz Festival) - London, UK; 18th November - Jazz Unterfahrt - Munich, DE; 19th November - Kulturhuset  - Stockholm, SE; 21st November - Duc des Lombards - Paris, FR; 22nd November - Duc des Lombards - Paris, FR; and 23rd November - Municipal Theater - Fontainebleau, FR.

MARIA JOAO – POESIA DE ALDIR BLANC

A sensitive tribute to the music of Aldir Blanc – the sublime Brazilian songwriter whose 70s collaborations with Joao Bosco helped elevate the music to a whole new level – and whose words really take on new sort of beauty here, thanks to very unusual handling by Maria Joao! Joao's always been one of the more interesting Brazilian female singers – equally skilled in jazz, and also open to more freely creative modes – which she really embraces here, as most tunes just feature one other instrument for accompaniment, leaving Maria's voice to handle a lot of the other elements of the songs. This doesn't mean that Joao just sings gently alongside a guitar or piano – instead, it means that Maria's expressiveness is pushed even further, to embrace the full scope of the songs, and make them come alive with her voice – as she does here on songs that include Aldir Blanc collaborations with Joao Bosco, Carlos Paredes, and Guinga. Titles include "O Coco Do Coco", "Sede E Morte", "O Bebado E A Equilibrista", "Linha De Passe", "Lendas Brasileiras", and "O Sonho".  ~ Dusty Groove

NINA MIRANDA – FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

You might remember Nina Miranda for her great work with Da Lata years ago – but since that time, she's only evolved even more as an artist – to a point where she's really finding her voice here in a freshly creative way! The record's got a very compelling mix of acoustic and electric elements – some of the beats you might expect, but also mixed with more live percussion, and even some field recordings and other elements that really create a deeper texture of sound next to Nina's lovely vocals. The record also features help from some great talents from the underground – including Kassin, Chris Franck, Xaver Fischer, and others who've helped bridge the gap between Brazilian roots and 21st Century expression. Titles include "Marsh Mellow Dreams", "Whole Of London", "Megalopolis", "The Cage", "Silken Horse", "Capoeira 2020", "Play", "Amazonia Amor", "Soundtrack To Venus Night Boat", and "The Surfer".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: WADADA LEO SMITH – REFLECTIONS & MEDITATIONS ON MONK; ERIC REVIS – SING ME SOME CRY; BRIAN CHARETTE - BACKUP

WADADA LEO SMITH – REFLECTIONS & MEDITATIONS ON MONK

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith never fails to blow us away – and even though he's captured our ear with recent higher-concept projects or other group work, he sounds equally mindblowing here in a completely solo setting! As you'd guess from the title, the set's based around the musical vision of Thelonious Monk – territory not often explored on solo trumpet, and handled beautifully here by Smith – both on his long extrapolations based on Monk's compositions, and on his own tunes dedicated to Monk – which are these bold, brilliant paintings in sound that the legendary pianist would have been proud to hear. We're not sure what's in the water over at Smith's house, but he's really had this amazing blossom of fresh creativity in recent years – as you'll hear on his compositions here, entitled "Monk & His Five Point Ring At The Five Spot Cafe", "Monk & Bud Powell At Shea Stadium", and "Adagio Monkishness – A Cinematic Vision Of Monk Playing Solo" – alongside versions of Monk tunes that include "Ruby My Dear", "Reflections", "Round Midnight", and "Crepuscule With Nellie".  ~ Dusty Groove

ERIC REVIS – SING ME SOME CRY

The bass of Eric Revis sounds better than we ever remember – and that's saying a lot, because we've really liked his other records too! Yet here, it almost feels like Revis is out to re-state himself as a musician – coming on strong with a tone that could put him up there with the giants of earlier years – and beautifully matched with drummer Chad Taylor, who's always been an amazing example of that rare quality of being tight and loose at the same time! Ken Vandermark blows tenor and clarinet – but in a way that really seems to respect the path taken by Revis and Taylor – as does the piano of Kris Davis, which punctuates the sound perfectly. Titles include "Sing Me Some Cry", "PT 44", "Good Company", "Rye Eclipse", "Rumples", and "Drunkard's Lullaby".  ~ Dusty Groove

BRIAN CHARETTE - BACKUP

Brian Charette's a contemporary organist who's always out to set himself apart from most of the rest – not by forcing any sort of experimental modes on the Hammond, or by trying to race up and down the keys – but just by relaxing into a tune, and really finding a way to deliver a performance that's clear and crisp, yet undeniably soulful! Whereas other younger Hammondists might be driven to work in the territory of the Jimmys – McGriff and Smith – or Jack McDuff – Charette's almost got more of the understated quality of Shirley Scott, especially on a trio date like this. Brian keeps his tone nicely in check – always playing with these round, fully-formed notes – even on material by artists like Larry Young or Joe Henderson – and he's balanced out here by the piano of Henry Hay and drums of Jochen Rueckert, in a way that uses the piano to almost underscore and echo the lines of the organ. Titles include "The Blessing", "Backup", "A Shade Of Jade", "Tadd's Delight", "These Are Soulful Days", and "Dahoud".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: BETTE SMITH – JETLAGGER; HERMETO PASCOAL – NOS MUNDO DOS SONS; OTTO - OTTOMATOPEIA

BETTE SMITH – JETLAGGER

The debut album by Bette Smith – a singer with a definite 70s look on the cover, and a definite sound to match! Bette was raised in Brooklyn, where she worked for years to hone her voice to a uniquely raspy style – but she recorded this album in Mississippi, with a deep soul vibe that really fits the spirit of her vocals – certainly different than if she were singing with a funk band up north! Jimbo Mathus is the second creative vision on the project – as he produced, wrote most of the songs, and even plays guitar and keyboards – with an overall vibe that maybe feels like some of the rootsier Malaco productions in the 70s. Titles include "Jetlagger", "Moaning Bench", "Shackle & Chain", "Durty Hustlin", "Manchild", "City In The Sky", "I Will Feed You", and a nice remake of Isaac Hayes' "Do Your Thing".  ~ Dusty Groove

HERMETO PASCOAL – NOS MUNDO DOS SONS

Fantastic sounds from Hermeto Pascoal – an artist who first set the world of Brazilian music on fire in the early 70s, and has continued to be one of its most creative talents for decades! One of the great things about Hermeto is not only his own talents as a composer and instrumentalist, but also his warmly collaborative style, and strong sense of mentorship – which often has him working with younger players who not only realize his vision perfectly, but help spur him on to new creative heights! This double-length set is a fantastic testament to that tradition – as it has Hermeto working alongside his son Fabio, who helped organize the date – plus other instrumentalists who provide a range of sharp sounds with the sort of fast changes and inventive timings that we've really come to expect from Pascoal at his best. Most tracks are instrumentals – in a mode that's somewhere near jazz, but very much in its own territory – but the set also has one especially amazing number with indivdual associates speaking a bit with very cool backing. Titles include "Viva Piazzolla", "Som De Aura", "Para Miles Davis", "Salve Pernambuco Percussao", "Viva Edu Lobo", "Um Abraco Chick Corea", "Rafael Amor Eterno", "Ilza Nova", and "Para Ron Carter".  ~ Dusty Groove

OTTO - OTTOMATOPEIA

That's a pretty clever title from Otto – but then again, the man's always been one of the most clever artists of his generation – and that's saying a lot, given that Otto rose up on a big wave of newly creative Brazilian talents at the start of the 21st Century! All the promise we've loved in his music is still strongly in place here – wonderful songwriting, of the sort that can make the tunes completely compelling, even if you can't understand their lyrical language – served up with inventive production that folds together acoustic and electric elements to resonate the gentle soul of the lyrics. We've always wondered why Otto's talents have never broken bigger on a global scale – but his underground status is maybe one of the reasons we've always enjoyed him so much too – as we greatly do this time around, on titles that include "Teorema", "Orunmila", "Bala", "Atras De Voce", "Caminho Do Sol", "Carinhosa", and "Meu Dengo".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: GABRIEL TAJEU – AN INTRODUCTION TO GABRIEL TAJEU; TRIBALISTAS – CAPA PROVISORIA; NICOLE WILLIS & UMO JAZZ ORCHESTRA – MY NAME IS NICOLE WILLIS

GABRIEL TAJEU – AN INTRODUCTION TO GABRIEL TAJEU

A great introduction to the voice of Gabriel Tajeu – a singer who has this way of grabbing us right from the very first note, with a vibe that's classic enough to have made him huge way back in the 70s! Gabriel's music has a sound that's as sunny as the image on the cover – a style that reflects both his roots in Alabama, and his handling here by an overseas funk label – a mixing of modes that's maybe even greater than the sum of its parts, and served up at a level that's mighty fresh! Tajeu sings in a way that slides right into the lyric beautifully, and the backings are often light, but with a slight sense of groove – slightly jazzy around the edges to warm things up and maybe point just slightly towards 70s AOR territory. Titles include "Down To The Wire", "Raindrops", "Weight Of The World", "Someone To Love", "Sunday's Best", "The Beat Goes On", and "All I Want Is You". CD also features five bonus acoustic versions of songs on the album.  ~ Dusty Groove

TRIBALISTAS – CAPA PROVISORIA

Beautiful work from Tribalistas – that groundbreaking group forged from three Brazilian stars who rose in the 90s – Arnaldo Antunes, Marisa Monte, and Carlinhos Brown – who somehow found a perfect way to come together, and make their music even more special as a trio! We've always loved their records, but this time around there's something maybe even more incredible – this instant classic vibe that rings out right from the very first note, as the voices of the singers trade back and forth, and blend – and the instrumentation follows suit with this subtle weaving of acoustic and electric elements. Monte produced the record, but really with help from everyone else involved – and there's this close-up, collaborative spirit to the whole thing that maybe makes the record the most intimate, personal offering from the group – and maybe the most mature as well. Titles include "Diaspora", "Um So", "Fora Da Memoria", "Anima", "Feliz E Saudavel", "Lutar E Vencer", "os Peixinhos", "Baiao Do Mundo", and "Alianca".  ~ Dusty Groove

NICOLE WILLIS & UMO JAZZ ORCHESTRA – MY NAME IS NICOLE WILLIS

A wonderfully fresh change for the mighty Nicole Willis – who works here with the decades-old UMO Jazz Orchestra – who have been as important to the Finnish scene as Willis has with her music in recent years! The sound is still in that mix of soul and funk that Nicole's given us on previous records – but with the larger group, she also brings in some jazzier shadings too – really rising with a sense of majesty, over arrangements handed by Jimi Tenor, her longtime partner – whose vision has really helped Nicole's talents over the years! The set is both classy and classic – but not in any sort of easy-retro, or overstated way – as Tenor and Willis really know how to strike the best sort of balance to showcase the strength of Nicole's original material for the set – songs that seem to have even more righteous power than before. Titles include "Break Free", "Haunted By The Devil", "No Child Denied", "Together We Climb", "When We Go Down", "Final Call", and "One In A Million". CD features the bonus track "Still Got A Way To Fall".  ~ Dusty Groove

THREE-TIME GRAMMY® NOMINEE JOEY ALEXANDER HONORS JAZZ ICON THELONIOUS MONK's CENTENNIAL WITH JOEY.MONK.LIVE!

14-year-old pianist and three-time GRAMMY® nominee Joey Alexander will release, Joey.Monk.Live! on Motéma Music, in honor of jazz icon Thelonious Monk's 100th Birthday. The album will stream exclusively on Apple Music and be available for digital download on iTunes on Friday, September 29, followed by wider digital release on Friday, October 13.

Joey routinely cites Monk as his greatest influence. This trio project, recorded live at Jazz at Lincoln Center in June 2017, features fresh arrangements of seven iconic Monk compositions.  There are five stellar trio tracks - "Evidence," "Ugly Beauty," "Rhythm-A-Ning," "Epistrophy," and "Straight No Chaser" - featuring bassist Scott Colley and drummer Willie Jones III, as well as a pair of imaginative and lyrical solo excursions on, "Round Midnight," and "Pannonica."

To celebrate the new album and Monk's legacy, Joey will headline New York's Jazz Standard one-night only on Monk's Centennial, Tuesday, October 10, with fellow Motéma artist, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Joey's frequent collaborator Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums.

The weight of Monk's influence is evident in elements of Joey's unique piano style, his thoughtful approach to Monk classics on his first two albums, My Favorite Things (2015) and Countdown (2016), and in the growing body of compelling Joey Alexander originals, three of which were featured on his prior albums, with six more to be unveiled when his third studio album is released in 2018.

"Thelonious Monk taught me to groove, bounce, understand space, be patient, be simple, sometimes be mysterious but, most of all, to be joyful," reflects Joey. "In my arrangements, I tried to stay true to the essence of his music - to treat it with the highest level of respect. Thelonious Monk's music is the essence of beauty."

Since coming to the United States in 2014, the response to Joey has been astonishing. The Bali-born 14-year old has experienced one of the most rapidly ascendant careers in jazz history. Since releasing his chart-topping albums, My Favorite Things (2015) and Countdown (2016), Joey has earned a combined three GRAMMY® Award nominations, making him the youngest jazz artist ever nominated for a GRAMMY® Award. His musical adroitness earned him appearances on the GRAMMY® Awards, The Today Show, CNN, as well as CBS 60 Minutes profile by Anderson Cooper, fueling a rare level of public notoriety for Joey as a jazz musician, both within the jazz community and among the public at large.

"Joey.Monk.Live!" Track Listing

1. Round Midnight

2. Evidence

3. Ugly Beauty

4. Rhythm-A-Ning

5. Epistrophy

6. Straight No Chaser

7. Pannonica

Tour Dates:

September 28: Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Birmingham, AL

September 29: Donald W. Nixon Centre for the Arts, Newman, GA

October 10: Jazz Standard, New York, NY

October 13: Schermerhorn Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN

October 14: Loeb Playhouse at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

October 20: Orchestra Hall, Detroit, MI

October 21: Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Brookfield, WI

January 12: Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Florida

January 19: Singha Winter Jazz Festival- Singha Park, Chiang Rai

January 25: Collins Center for the Arts, Orono, Maine

February 17: Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

February 22: Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA

March 2-3: Appel Room @ JALC, New York, NY

March 23:  Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

March 30: Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ

March 31: Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City, UT

April 20: Schaeffer Auditorium/ Kutztown University

April 21: Strand Capitol Arts Center, York, PA

April 27: Musco Center, Orange, CA

April 28: La Jolla, San Diego, CA

April 29: UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA