The Sound Of Vinyl Launches New Way To Discover And Buy Records Through First-Of-Its-Kind Text Message Service

The Sound of Vinyl today launched in the U.S. with a first-of-its-kind music service that provides a personalized and curated platform for discovering and buying vinyl records.

The Sound of Vinyl (http://thesoundofvinyl.us) provides a powerful and convenient solution to help music enthusiasts discover vinyl and build their record collections. The service offers new and classic albums from a vast catalog of over 20,000 titles from all major labels and dozens of indie labels. In addition to being a full-service online store, The Sound of Vinyl provides an innovative recommendation engine that suggests albums based on a user's personal tastes, and features exclusive content and album suggestions from top music experts.

The Sound of Vinyl's recommendation service uses cutting-edge technology to send personalized album picks by text message. When a user enters their mobile phone number and creates a taste profile, The Sound of Vinyl begins sending daily texts with album recommendations that feature album artwork, information and price. Users can reply LIKE or DISLIKE to improve future picks, or simply reply YES to instantly buy an album, creating a seamless shopping experience. The service is powered by Seattle-based startup MessageYes.

The Sound of Vinyl will also host exclusive vinyl records from rock, jazz and classical to R&B, rap and hip-hop. Limited edition color variations of albums by Arrested Development, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Iggy Pop, KISS, Grand Funk, and The Go-Gos are slated for release, with more titles launching every month. Quantities are extremely limited; recent exclusives by Interpol and ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead sold out in less than a week.

Additionally, The Sound of Vinyl's website will host exclusive content from music experts including Henry Rollins, Young Guru, Don Was, Ahmet Zappa, and more, as well as artists, producers, radio DJs, and music journalists. The website will also feature videos, interviews, editorial, and hand-picked album recommendations. More content will be available on The Sound of Vinyl's blog and social media channels.

Henry Rollins, punk rock icon and accomplished author, and Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, renowned audio engineer and DJ, are The Sound of Vinyl's first featured vinyl curators. Rollins will recommend his favorite albums, share stories from his life in punk rock, and interview music veterans like producer Don Was and legendary Capitol Studios vinyl mastering engineer Ron McMaster. Young Guru will tap into his experience engineering music for iconic artists like Jay Z, Beyoncé, and Alicia Keys, as well as his deep history as a DJ and producer, to showcase albums that form the foundation of his work.

"Vinyl is the ultimate delivery medium for music's limitless greatness," Rollins says. "I came into music via vinyl, and that's how I'm going out! The Sound of Vinyl allows music enthusiasts of all levels of interest or experience to not only get records easily, but to learn about every aspect of vinyl from extraordinarily unique and informed sources."

Young Guru added, "Since the earliest days of DJs mixing on turntables, vinyl has played an important role in hip-hop's evolution. So many of the albums that built hip-hop's foundation were intended to be heard and experienced on vinyl. I'm excited to cast new light on some of these iconic albums and give fans new insights into classic records that built hip-hop." The Sound of Vinyl was created by Universal Music Enterprises, the global catalog division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the global leader in music-based entertainment.

Michele Anthony, Executive Vice President of UMG, said, "Until today, music fans haven't had a personalized and curated experience for discovering and buying vinyl albums. Sound of Vinyl solves that problem for consumers by providing daily suggestions tailored to their individual tastes, recommendations from music experts and exclusive albums and merchandise that can't be found anywhere else. With Sound of Vinyl, music fans will have a simple, easy and engaging service that provides instant access to the very best in vinyl."

"The passion for the vinyl experience remains contagious, and now, with Sound of Vinyl, fans will have a unique and accessible way to discover and buy vinyl albums tailored to their music tastes, without a membership fee," Bruce Resnikoff, President and CEO of Universal Music Enterprises, UMG's global catalog division. "Of all the music formats out there, vinyl most closely reflects the artist's original vision for the quality and experience of listening to an entire album. It's an experience that demands a listener's attention and provides a robust physical connection to the artist and music."

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Releases The Emancipation Procrastination, Third and Final Album in The Centennial Trilogy

Grammy nominated trumpeter, composer, and producer Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah will release the third installment of a trio of albums commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first jazz recordings. Collectively titled The Centennial Trilogy, the final album in the series The Emancipation Procrastination will be released on October 20th via Ropeadope.

"The Cypher," the second single from The Emancipation Procrastination just premiered at Mass Appeal. The track was first written for a 2016 Complex City Cypher video, featuring Christian alongside A$AP Ferg, Wiki, and Your Old Droog.

Stream or embed the track via Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/ropeadope99/christian-scott-atunde-adjuah-the-cypher

Ruler Rebel (released 3/31) presented to us the artist – WHO we are listening to.

Diaspora (released 6/23) identified the listener – ALL the people of the world.

The Emancipation Procrastination the third and final chapter in the trilogy deals directly with the social and political issues of the day. Rather than descend into identity politics, Adjuah sees many disparate cultures in New Orleans being underserved and exploited. This worldview transcends New Orleans, as Christian has traveled and toured the world for almost 20 years, starting as a child and performing with extraordinary players (McCoy Tyner, Donald Harrison, Eddie Palmieri).

The scope of The Centennial Trilogy is not limited to the music; Adjuah uses broad strokes to present his vision of the world. Growing up in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward, he witnessed people enduring the same challenges regardless of their race or ethnic background: He saw a community of people undereducated to serve the tourist culture, facing food insecurity, yet viewing each other as different through the lens of race. Seeing this around him, Adjuah came to understand that race is a social construct, and that people could work together to build and move forward.

"I’m not interested in harming anyone," Adjuah says. "I have a responsibility as an artist to create a space where people feel welcome. When I walk outside this hotel room, that is not the reality. There is a difference when music is made with love. When people come into my space they are going to feel that. We are trying to figure out a way to treat each other better. We are all responsible for healing each other.”

The vision of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is clear – that this is an opportunity for all of US to come together and address issues that affect ALL of us. Emancipation Procrastination means that we all have an opportunity to liberate ourselves from old world ideas. Let the healing begin.

Christian is about to head out on a world tour throughout Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. 

US Tour Dates:

October 12 - Oakland, CA - The New Parish

October 13 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's

October 15 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA

October 24 - Jazz Market - New Orleans, LA

Saxophonist Justin Young’s “Blue Soul” powered by “High Definition”

Justin Young is hungry. The energetic and enthusiastic saxophonist is all about hustle and hard work. For over a decade, he’s put out quality soul-jazz albums, but his forthcoming disc, “Blue Soul,” captures an artist hitting his stride on the cusp of a major breakthrough. Mining his Detroit roots, Young’s fourth album, due November 17 via JustnTime Records, features a dozen new songs recorded live in the studio with premier musicians, producers and songwriting collaborators. Paving the way for the collection is the new single, “High Definition,” a vibrant R&B/pop confection just shipped to radio stations, a tune that Young penned with fellow soul-jazz saxman Jackiem Joyner and keyboardist Matt Godina.  

The release of “Blue Soul” caps a lengthy recording odyssey for Young. His approach for this outing was purposely different and taps into the Motown lore that influenced his musical discoveries while growing up.

“I started work on this album three and a half years ago. There have probably been about 40 different songs written for this album. In the past, I would write twelve songs, and then enter the studio quickly and put out an album. But for ‘Blue Soul,’ I wanted to take a different approach and put the absolute best songs out, really push myself to elevate the standard this time around,” said Young, who had a hand in writing all but one song on the album. “‘Blue Soul’ goes back to my roots in music, Detroit, the home of Motown. I loved the creativity of musicians recording together in the studio, creating an amazing vibe. The opportunity to put high-quality musicians together along with amazing producers has always been my dream. I watched this growing up and listened to the Motown stories. ‘Blue Soul’ goes back to my love of jazz and soul music. It’s organic, it’s played by consummate musicians and it truly is soul music with saxophone at its beating heart.”

Throughout “Blue Soul,” Young’s alto, tenor and soprano sax is embedded amidst rhythms and grooves constructed by the likes of bassists Alex Al and Hussain Jiffry, and the late drummer to the stars, Ricky Lawson. Former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist-vocalist Sheldon Reynolds is another notable player who fortified Young’s lilting harmonies and undeniable melodies. The first single, “Always There,” one of four cuts written and produced by Joyner - a Billboard chart-topper in his own right - hit the Billboard Top 25 and the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown. “Jazz Along The 101,” one of three tracks shepherded by gospel producer Noel Hall (Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond), kept Young’s momentum motoring along with both singles garnering daily spins on SiriusXM’s Watercolors. In response to Hurricane Harvey, he released the hopeful “Song For A Better Tomorrow” (https://youtu.be/PoL8NtcUwFw), donating the track’s proceeds to the American Red Cross. “High Definition” promises to take him into 2018 on a high note with a wealth of potential singles in the offing.

Young began in music as a drummer and was introduced to a wide array of styles - from R&B and pop to jazz and gospel – by his father, Jim Young, who led and played in a variety of bands, encouraging his scion to play sax. Landing his first professional concert at age sixteen, Young put himself through Michigan State University by playing weekend gigs. He issued his debut album, “Rendezvous,” in 2003. After winning a competition at the famed Capital Jazz Fest in 2007, he released “On The Way.” A move to Southern California helped his following multiply quickly when he booked a year-long residency at Spaghettini, a hot spot for the contemporary jazz crowd south of Los Angeles. Gigs on the national festival circuit ensued as did subsequent recordings, “Home for the Holidays” and “Nothin’ But Love.” Young previewed music from “Blue Soul” at a Detroit show held at Chene Park last July with 5,000 people in attendance and at a sold-out date in August when he returned to Spaghettini. Now based near Seattle, he will support the new record with a series of local concerts at nearby wineries this fall. Resourceful and brand savvy, Young produces and plies his effervescent personality as the host of “The Justin Young Audio Experience,” a podcast that teaches musicians about the business of music. For more information, please visit www.JustinYoungSax.com.

“Blue Soul” contains the following songs:

“Always There”

“Nothin’ But Love”

“Razzmajazz”

“Jazz Along The 101”

“Paradise Found”

“New Life”

“Blue Soul”

“Sorento”

“Sweet Release”

“India”

“Song For A Better Tomorrow”

“High Definition”

 

Wadada Leo Smith´s new album Najwa features tribute to past masters of creative music, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Ronald Shannon Jackson & Billie Holiday

The first two extended compositions that open the album are dedications to two great masters of creative music, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, and each takes the form of a mini-suite. "Each has a second movement within the context of the overall shape," says Smith. "They´re shaped like miniature suites within the context of a single album. And then the whole album has the shape of a tribute. It´s all about people and, therefore, it´s also organically unified, based around these people who I respect."

Next is the brief but touching "Najwa," followed by a dedication to the sometime drummer of Smith´s Golden Quartet, Ronald Shannon Jackson. The CD closes with the achingly beautiful "The Empress, Lady Day," one of Smith´s several compositions dedicated to Billie Holiday. "I´ve written more compositions for Billie Holiday than maybe any other person," Smith says. "She was a great performer/composer."

Although Wadada Leo Smith has worked with electric guitars in the past, including in his Organic ensemble and in Yo Miles! which he co-led with Henry Kaiser, Najwa puts the guitar in an even more central role. All four guitarists have worked with Smith before; Michael Gregory Jackson since Smith´s early years in New Haven in the 1970s, Henry Kaiser in Yo Miles!, and Brandon Ross and Lamar Smith (Smith´s grandson) in Organic.

In addition to the guitars, Bill Laswell´s electric bass takes a central role in the sonic world of Najwa and Laswell also played an important part in the post-production and mixing of the music on the album. Smith says that he enjoyed "the idea of making this session and then going back and re-recording some of the areas and then sitting down with Bill and allowing him to tweak it in certain ways and re-reference it in a whole different way. I very much like that notion, that idea or that philosophy." This was the first time Smith and Laswell recorded together but their collaborations have continued both live and in the recording studio.

Wadada Leo Smith´s new album Solo: Reflections And Meditations On Monk features his solo trumpet on four classic Thelonious Monk compositions

"Most people would never realize that I am closer to Thelonious Monk than to any other artist," says Smith. "What connects us is a vision of composition and its forms, music psychology, and our articulation of the ensemble as a trashing field for new information." From the time he listened to the early masters of modern jazz as a teenager, Smith felt that "It was Monk, his ideas of a band and composition, that were the closest to what I dreamed of being as an artist. His history of composition and his knowledge of how to use sound were a prime motivator, really, for me wanting to be a composer. I would go back and forth between him and Duke Ellington on this, but Monk had the upper hand in the end."

Smith´s fascination with Monk´s solo recordings began more than five decades ago, when he purchased the recording Thelonious Monk Alone In San Francisco. "The essence of Monk is, I believe, in his solo performances"says Smith. "All those pieces, the solo music, follow the primary formula of the compositions, but they all stray, they all lead to expansions and further explorations - allowing the compositions to grow and become renewed each time he plays them. The way in which I play Monk´s melodies on this recording, they are all personal: they are not based on chord progressions, they evolve essentially by proportion - long notes, short notes. Each of them is played, they move, in a way in which I can celebrate his melody, but seen through my expression of it."

In addition to four classic Monk compositions, "Ruby, My Dear," "Reflections," "Crepuscule With Nellie" and "'Round Midnight," the album includes four new compositions by Smith inspired by Monk and his personal history - whether real, imagined or dreamed. Together, the pieces form a unique collection wherein the two composers seem to communicate with each other through Smith´s solo performances.

Smith´s first recording as a leader was also a solo album (Creative Music-1 in 1971). Since that time, he has continued to perform solo concerts and record additional solo albums (Solo Music/Ahkreanvention in 1979, Kulture Jazz in 1992 and Red Sulphur Sky in 2001). Solo: Reflections And Meditations On Monk is, however, Smith´s first solo recording that includes another composer´s music. Smith has also begun performing Monk´s compositions live for the first time.

Wadada Leo Smith (b. 1941), who was part of the first generation of musicians to come out of Chicago´s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), has established himself as one of the leading composers and performers of creative contemporary music. In the late 1960s, Smith formed the Creative Construction Company together with saxophonist Anthony Braxton and violinist Leroy Jenkins and, since the early 1970s, he has mostly led his own groups, which currently include the Golden Quartet, the Great Lakes Quartet, Mbira, Organicand the SilverOrchestra, among others. In 2012, Smith released his most extensive recording to date, Ten Freedom Summers, a four-CD collection which was one of three finalists for Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2013. In 2013, he released Occupy The World (TUM CD 037-2), a two-CD recording of six extended compositions performed by Smith with TUMO, a 22-member improvising orchestra. The Great Lakes Suites (TUM CD 041-2, a double-CD with Henry Threadgill, John Lindberg and Jack DeJohnette) was broadly hailed as one of the top albums of the year in 2014 as was the duo recording with bassist John Lindberg, Celestial Weather (TUM CD 046), in 2015. In 2017, Smith received awards for Jazz Artist of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year (for America´s National Parks) and Trumpeter of the Year in DownBeat´s 65th Annual Critics Poll and was named Music

Acclaimed Recording Artist Latice Crawford Performs Special Tribute to Music Legend Oleta Adams on ‘Black Music Honors’

Acclaimed recording artist Latice Crawford is part of a tribute performance to multiple award-winning music legend Oleta Adams in the national broadcast of Black Music Honors on October 15th on the cable network, Bounce TV.  Additional airdates will run throughout the fall season. The award special recently aired a series of nationally syndicated broadcast dates throughout the country.

Crawford’s performance of Adams’ gospel song, “Holy Is The Lamb”, which Adams recorded on her Come Walk with Me album, released in 1997, moved the multi-genre artist to tears. During and following the taping, Adams expressed her gratitude to Crawford: “Thank you for transforming the Tennessee Performing Arts Center from an entertainment place to a place of worship. I forgot where I was; and felt honored just being there worshipping with you. With a gift so special much is required. Thank you for honoring me; and everyone else in such a beautiful way. I can still hear you singing.” The musical tribute also included performances by Avery Sunshine and Leela James.

“It was a huge honor for me to perform in the musical tribute to Oleta Adams,” says Crawford. “She is the epitome of musical excellence and an inspiration to me in many ways. She defines a lot of what I would like to do with my recording career—to sing jazz—and to sing songs about life that are positive and not derogatory.   I also like that I was able to appear on another television show that paid tribute to music and legends across multiple genres.”

In addition to Crawford’s concert schedule, she has ties to both the fashion and beauty industries. Crawford recently made her second runway appearance during New York Fashion Week with famed fashion designer Byron Lars for his “Fairy Tales Ending” Collection. Crawford is one of Lars’ go-to models for his various fashion events and presentations. Lars is well-known for his fashion designs for former First Lady Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Angela Bassett, Anika Noni Rose, Gabrielle Union, Katheryn Winnick, Cicely Tyson, Natalie Portman, and numerous others.

As Crawford begins the creative process to record her new album, the Stellar Award nominee continues to promote her current project, Diary of a Church Girl, which includes two top 20 singles, “Choose Me” and “Author.”  Best known as the second runner-up of Season 2 of BET’s Sunday Best, Crawford’s Diary is a follow-up to her 2014 debut self-titled album, which entered on three Billboard charts and peaked at No. 12 on the Gospel Albums chart. Diary of a Church Girl is written by Crawford and produced by Bruce Robinson (Alexis Speight, The Showers, Justin Bieber, and Brittany Spears).

Latice Crawford’s Website:

http://www.laticecrawfordonline.com/

 

Moppa Elliott's Mostly Other People Do the Killing Presents New Album Paint

Hot Cup Records is proud to present Paint, the first release by the piano trio configuration of Mostly Other People Do the Killing. Paint features seven new compositions by bassist/ and composer Moppa Elliott written after pianist Ron Stabinsky joined the ensemble in 2014. Also featured on the recording is drummer Kevin Shea. Each composition on the album is named after a small town in Pennsylvania that contains a color, and the town of "Paint, PA" lent its name to the title. All of the compositions are by Elliott, except "Blue Goose" which was written by Duke Ellington who apparently also had a fondness for strangely named places in the Keystone State.

Jazz listeners often remark that the piano trio format allows each of the members more space than other, larger ensembles, but in the case of MOPDtK, their unrestricted style is instantly recognizable in configurations ranging from trio to septet. The trio does afford each member more time in the spotlight, and none more than pianist Stabinsky who provides the lion's share of lead and solo work here. Elliott continues to eschew bass and drum solos, utilizing them only in compositionally specific sections of music. 
The album opens with the lilting "Yellow House," a composition consisting of four distinct sections and a melody that recalls the hard bop era of the 1950s.  The solo form of the composition alternates between the initial melody and an Afro-Cuban feel in a minor key.  Stabinsky's solo builds to a climax and dissolves the form before bassist Elliott restates the opening theme. The interplay between the members of the trio is easy to hear as drummer Shea and Stabinsky exchange high-pitched interjections.

The slow blues "Orangeville," written in 5/4 time, has undergone several revisions and represents the oldest composition on the recording. First composed for the original pianoless quartet configuration of the band, the tune was heavily rewritten for the band's current incarnation. The two solo sections are over vamps and Stabinsky was instructed to "play as many notes as possible" at the beginning of his improvisation before cuing a modulation leading to the bass solo.

"Black Horse" is based on a rising chord progression that provides the framework for both the opening vamp and the first melodic statement. The bridge of the tune is more blues-based and draws from the compositions of post-bop musicians of the 1960s. The ensemble maintains the up-tempo groove and moves through the different sections of the form before becoming stuck on a two-chord vamp which Elliott escapes by restating the melody. 

The Duke Ellington composition "Blue Goose" may or may not be named after the eponymous location in Pennsylvania, but Moppa Elliott hopes so. Regardless, Elliott composed a piece with this title only to find out that America's greatest composer already beat him to it. He changed the name of his composition to "Whitehall" (since the titles have nothing to do with the music, anyway) and decided to record a trio version of Ellington's piece. The original recording was made by the "Blanton/Webster" version of the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1940 and adapted for trio by Elliott.

The slow, minor key waltz "Plum Run" begins the second half of Paint. Elliott states the initial theme and takes the first solo over a form that alternates between a diminished chord section and the changes to the A section. Again, Stabinsky's solo builds to a spectacular climax before returning to the mellow, bluesy theme.

"Green Briar" is an up-tempo tune based on several repeated note figures that are harmonized in a variety of ways. This performance serves as a vehicle for Stabinsky to improvise over a repeated form with relatively stable harmonic and rhythmic support.

The last composition written for this album was "Golden Hill," a lyrical melody in triple meter. The melody is played first by the piano followed by the bass with extensive embellishments featuring tremolos and other flurries of notes. This may be the most lyrical playing ever heard on a MOPDtK record, but the ending interplay between Shea and Stabinsky eventually removes any trace of sentiment.

The album ends with the aforementioned "Whitehall" that began life as Elliott's "Blue Goose."  The piece consists of a single melody that is reharmonized and expanded each time it is stated with short interludes in the key of A. The solo form incorporates all of the harmonizations of the melody as well as an open section over the note "A" used as a pedal-point.

Over the past thirteen years, MOPDtK, led by bassist/composer Moppa Elliott, has earned a place at the forefront of jazz and improvised music, performing in a style that is at once rooted in the jazz tradition and highly improvised and unstructured. Billed as a "Bebop Terrorist Band," their music melds history and tradition with cutting-edge vibrancy and the underlying imperative that jazz is alive and well, and most of all, fun. Their initial albums explored the intersection between common practice hard bop compositions and free improvisation, incorporating a kaleidoscopic wealth of other influences from pop music to the classical European repertoire. In 2010, Elliott expanded the group's framework and began exploring specific eras of jazz, resulting in 2011's Slippery Rock (an investigation of smooth jazz and fusion styles) and 2012's Red Hot (featuring an expanded lineup recalling the jazz and blues recordings of the late 1920s and early 1930s). 

2014 saw the release of Blue, a note-for-note recreation of Miles Davis' classic album, Kind of Blue that evoked a wide range of strong responses from both the public and critics and will likely be a part of the discussion of the state of jazz in the 21st century for years to come. In 2015, the band returned to a quartet format for the album Mauch Chunk, which explored the hard bop styles common in the 1950s. Since the release of Mauch Chunk, all four members of the core quartet have released solo recordings including Moppa Elliott's Still, Up In the Air, and pianist Ron Stabinsky's Free For One, both on Hot Cup Records. In February 2017 MOPDtK the band released the septet album Loafer's Hollow to wide critical acclaim.

Pianist Ron Stabinsky first joined MOPDtK in 2013 as part of a project at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam commemorating the anniversary of Eric Dolphy and Booker Little Live at the Five Spot. In addition to his work with MOPDtK, Stabinsky is an accompanist in virtually every possible context from classical recitals, to community choirs, to improvised music, jazz, pop, and rock. Stabinsky lives in Plains, PA and is a member of the Peter Evans Quartet and Quintet, Charles Evans Quartet (no relation), and recently recorded his first solo album Free For One on Hot Cup Records.

Kevin Shea was named "Best Drummer in New York" by the Village Voice and regularly tours with the noise-rock-improv duo, Talibam! Shea recently released a third album with the band People featuring Mary Halvorson.

Bassist Moppa Elliott teaches music at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, NY and double bass and trombone at the Long Island Conservatory.  He also produces and releases albums on Hot Cup Records including his solo bass recording Still, Up in the Air.

Drummer Mike Mitchell Reinvents Himself as Blaque Dynamite, Encourages and Embraces the Unorthodox on Hydra Rock/Hip-Hop/Jazz Debut Record

In a world of constant repetition and formulaic goals, there stands one young man's quest to exist however he wants, in any manner he deems fit. The mundanities of life hold back the true potential of this creative genius until he reinvents himself as a boundless force to be reckoned with: Blaque Dynamite. He is a guy who makes things come to life. He is a verified badass: "You gotta look badass. If you don't look badass, it's going to be hard for you." He is that guy.

With his debut album Killing Bugs, the drummer/vocalist/producer cleans out his closet and defeats the "insects" that plagued him in order to present to the world a worthy adversary keen on fighting off the transgressions of his own life: past, present, and future. But like many of the crusaders that preceded him, the tale begins with self-reflection, before Blaque Dynamite (a.k.a. Mike Mitchell) was fully realized and evolved into a more mature state of being. "I was a dick. No one else but me."

It is that admission of self-awareness which sets him apart from the rest of the crop: those who are unable to recognize their destructive qualities and grow from such realizations. With the advent of this reinvigorated spirit, Blaque Dynamite creates the same way he lives, by opening his heart and his ears to allow the unorthodox to happen. The man and the music are inseparable, with no clear beginning or end to the way he lives or crafts an album.

"For me personally, when I listen to recordings with two or three things in a row that sound similar, I get bored. To keep my attention, it needs to be changed," he explains. "The way I record is not for me to make an album for people, I'm making an album to explain to people where I come from musically. There are billions of people on earth, so there should be billions of different ways to express music."

The drummer cast the album as if it were a visual movie, with each song serving as its own scene. He's joined by special guests including vocalist/keyboardist Jon Bap, flautist Elena Pinderhughes, emcee Lord Byron, and guitarist/keyboardist Ben Hixon alongside longtime collaborators including vocalist Marissa Caggiano, keyboardist King Jojo, saxophonist Jonathan Money, guitarist Rami Ackerman, bassists Gax Merl and Matt Ramsey, and percussionist Ethan Worland. Now, envision a road trip were no one actually leaves the city limits, with many different personalities within the same vehicle battling for control but not one prevails.

The music presented on Killing Bugs has its own inner conflict to deal with. Instead of many personalities battling for control of the same vehicle, a vast array of musical genres -- spanning rock, hip-hop, jazz, and more -- compete for their own recognition in an unexpected harmonious statement. The songs themselves are the individual heads of the Hydra, and the album is its inscrutable body.

The complexity of the songs and the differences of emotions they bring from track to track demand undivided attention, much like the focus needed to defeat the many headed beast of mythos. "From song to song, everything goes from style to style," Blaque Dynamite explains. "If you continue to listen, you get more comfortable with it. Things happen in waves."

Blaque Dynamite is the pseudonym for award-winning drummer Mike Mitchell, born November 12, 1994. He began playing drums at just two-years-old, and by age 11 he already had a number of endorsements from various drum companies; and then he went on to attend Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX, a school that also fostered the talents of Norah Jones, Erykah Badu, and Roy Hargrove. Mitchell began touring the world with legendary bassist Stanley Clarke (a role which he retains) before he graduated high school, and has now toured the seven continents of the world with the likes of Erykah Badu, Derrick Hodge, Christian McBride, Christian Scott, and others, and even performed on a global stage at the 2012 International Jazz Day performance with Herbie Hancock.  

Blaque Dynamite · Killing Bugs

Ropeadope Records · Release Date: November 10, 2017

BlaqueDynamite.com

Fred Astaire's Greatest Jazz Recording, "The Astaire Story," Returns As Deluxe 2CD Set For 65th Anniversary Via Verve Records/UMe

In 1952, the famous dancer, singer and film star Fred Astaire teamed up with the brilliant pianist Oscar Peterson and an all-star jazz sextet to record jazz versions of many of the songs that he helped introduce and make famous in the 1930s and '40s. The original program, The Astaire Story, was an innovative three LP set comprised of 38 selections including three features for Astaire's tap-dancing and the rousing instrumental "Jam Session." In celebration of its 65th anniversary, the album will be released October 20 via Verve Records/UMe as an expanded 2CD version and digital collection boasting 41 tracks including a previously unreleased alternate version of "I Won't Dance," one of Astaire's trademark numbers (recorded with Peterson three years later) and three examples of Astaire's famed dancing. The album is presented in a novel way and has been reassembled to give it the shape of a soundtrack. The two "Blues" serve as bookends while the "Jam Session" is featured as an intermission.  Throughout, Astaire talks a little and sings a lot. 

While Astaire had made recordings as early as the 1920s, usually performing with studio orchestras, The Astaire Story is unique in that he is joined by a freewheeling combo comprised of Peterson, tenor-saxophonist Flip Phillips, trumpeter Charlie Shavers, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Alvin Stoller. The musicians, drawn from producer Norman Granz's Jazz At The Philharmonic, perfectly complement Astaire's vocals and the music swings throughout.

Astaire, who passed away 30 years ago in 1987, performed on Broadway as early as 1917 and had his big breakthrough in 1924 when he and his sister Adele were featured in "Lady, Be Good," the first Broadway musical by George and Ira Gershwin.  A household name ever since he began starring in movie musicals with Ginger Rogers (starting with 1934's "The Gay Divorcee"), Astaire was the epitome of class in his dancing, singing and acting. While his dancing gained the biggest acclaim, he was a personable singer who perfectly placed his notes, always swinging. Such composers as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter loved to have him introduce their songs in the movies because, while sticking to the lyrics and the melody, he uplifted every tune that he interpreted with his phrasing and classy personality.

The Astaire Story has the 53-year old Astaire, at the peak of his powers, singing such songs as "Puttin'On The Ritz" (which has some rhythmic interplay with drummer Stoller), "The Continental," "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," "'S Wonderful," "Cheek To Cheek," "Dancing In The Dark," "Top Hat, White Coat And Tails" (which concludes with Astaire's heated dancing), "I Won't Dance," an uptempo "No Strings" that features Peterson taking a celeste solo, and "A Foggy Day." He also reminisces a bit about some of the numbers. 19 of the tunes are from Astaire's movies with Ginger Rogers and the program includes ten songs by Berlin and eight composed by Gershwin. A special treat is hearing Astaire perform two of his own compositions: "I'm Building Up To An Awful Letdown" and "Not My Girl." On the latter, the multi-talented Astaire takes a very credible chorus of stride piano.

With solos sprinkled throughout by Peterson, Phillips, Shavers and Kessel and inspired singing by Astaire, the performances on The Astaire Story are as irresistible as the film performances of the great dancer-singer.

The Astaire Story Track listing

DISC 1

1. Overture: The Astaire Blues

2. Isn't This A Lovely Day

3. Puttin' On The Ritz

4. I Used To Be Color Blind                                                            

5. The Continental                                                                                                          

6. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off                                                                              

7. Change Partners                                                                                                         

8. 'S Wonderful                                                                                                 

9. Lovely To Look At                                                                                                       

10. They All Laughed                                                                                                       

11. Cheek To Cheek                                                                                                       

12. Steppin' Out With My Baby                                                                  

13. The Way You Look Tonight                                                   

14. I've Got My Eyes On You                                                                                      

15. Dancing In The Dark                                                                                                

16. The Carioca                                                                                                 

17. Nice Work If You Can Get It                                                                 

18. New Sun In The Sky                                                                                                

19. I Won't Dance                                                                                                            

20. Fast Dances (ad lib)                                                                                

DISC 2

1. Intermission: Jam Session For A Dancer                                                            

2. Top Hat, White Tie And Tails                                                                  

3. No String, I'm Fancy Free                                                                                        

4. I Concentrate On You                                                                                               

5. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket                                                               

6. A Fine Romance                                                                                                           

7. Night And Day                                                                                                             

8. Fascinating Rhythm                                                                                    

9. I Love Louisa                                                                                                 

10. They Can't Take That Away From Me                                                               

11. Medium Dances                                                                                                       

12. You're Easy To Dance With                                                                  

13. A Needle In A Haystack                                                                                         

14. So Near And Yet So Far                                                                                          

15. A Foggy Day (In London Town)                                                                           

16. Oh, Lady Be Good!                                                                                  

17. Slow Dances (ad lib)                                                                                 

18. I'm Building Up To An Awful Letdown                                                             

19. Not My Girl                                                                                                

Bonus Tracks

20. I Won't Dance                                                                                                      

21. Exit Music: The Second Astaire Blues    

Jazz great, former Oscar Peterson drummer Alvin Queen, denied entry into USA

Mount Vernon, New York native Alvin Queen was recently notified that U.S. Homeland Security will not allow him to enter the United States to perform at a prestigioius, long-planned concert in Washington.

Mr. Queen, the former drummer for Oscar Peterson, whose career includes memorable collaborations with a veritable who’s who of music royalty, including Nina Simone, Horace Silver, George Benson, Ruth Brown, Buddy DeFranco, Wynton Marsalis, Billy Taylor, Wild Bill Davis, George Coleman, George Braith, Larry Young, Harry Sweets Edison and Johnny Griffin, was set to perform at a concert in Washington, DC on November 15th, 2017, at the behest of The French-American Cultural Foundation.

The evening, entitled “JAZZ MEETS FRANCE,” has Wynton Marsalis as its Honorary Chairman, and Dr. David Skorton , Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution , is Master of Ceremonies. The event marks the centenary of the US entry into WWI and specifically honors the Harlem Hellfighters . Ironically, these were the African-American soldiers who served in WWI, and who introduced jazz music to France and the rest of Europe, yet whom were never officially honored, until now.

Mr. Queen, who has held a Swiss passport for thirty years, was informed this week that, due to a run-in with the law as a youth, a half century ago, while a minor, he would have to apply for a Waiver from the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security, despite the fact he was born in the USA. This would take months, making it virtually impossible to participate, barring Presidential decree, and we know that’s unlikely. But this is not “fake news.”

“Sadly, this doesn’t surprise me one bit,” comments Mr. Queen, 67, from his home in Geneva. “I’ve spent months preparing for this concert. Dozens of others are also implicated in its planning. Funny thing, I gave up my U.S. passport to make life simpler at tax time. I never dreamed I would one day be denied entry, and with such ridiculous reasoning. I am frankly disgusted to be disrespected in this way, after a half century devoted to music.”

Mr. Queen, who until 2016 held dual citizenship with the United States and Switzerland, has previously worked numerous times for the US State Department as a Cultural Ambassador, and participated in numerous tours of Brazil, Africa and Japan. Queen also performed at the American International Jazz Day in Paris several years ago.

Mr. Queen has held a U.S. passport, and regularly worked under the auspices of the American government, for over fifty years of his life. Like many citizens, he’s had brushes with the law, but these have never impeded his ability to enter and exit his native country. A one-time DWI charge and a minor drug offense both resulted in not guilty charges.

For this occasion, the US State Dept had only to apply for an “O1B Work Visa” in order for Mr Queen to enter in the United States. This was done correctly, but after the process was completed, fingerprints matching a 1967 FBI file were dredged up and presented as a reason to prevent him from entering the USA. So now we can see that the infamous “travel ban” is not limited to citizens of Sudan, Syria, and Iran. It extends to a then 16-year-old drummer who once sat in with John Coltrane.

How can you process someone fifty years later for charges that occurred when they were a youth, a mere child? And why punish this now acclaimed adult, a leading light on the international jazz scene, who is now 67 years old? He obviously forged a path and created a fabulous life for himself. Adds Queen, “I feel this is more about racial profiling than anything. It’s all about trying to control everyone. I am not a criminal and in fact never was. When I became a Swiss citizen, I “became a criminal” again in the eyes of US law enforcement. If I was undesirable fifty years ago, why have I been issued a fresh passport every ten years for the past six decades?” Indeed, this is the question.

For now, those wanting to experience Alvin Queen’s jazz mastery will need to follow him to Montreal, Canada, where he is set to give a master class with pianist Wray Downes on Friday, Nov 3rd at 1:00 pm (free and open to the public) at Concordia University and then a full concert with his trio the following evening, at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill , on Saturday, Nov 4th, for two sets, at 7:30 and 9:45 pm.

Queen has the last word. “If someone wants to apologize to me and make this right, fine. But I’m not holding my breath.

In the meantime, I’ll bring my music, this American art form, to every other country in the world. I know they like me in Canada. I’ll start there.”

This coming week Alvin will be featured on The Jazz Network Worldwide http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com with a sneak peek of two singles from his CD re-issues of "Mighty Long Way" and "I Ain't Looking' At You" slated for late fall 2017.

The official website for Alvin Queen is http://www.alvinqueen.com to learn more about his current engagements and all things Alvin.

NEW RELEASES: JOOLS HOLLAND / JOSE FELICIANO - AS YOU SEE ME NOW; JAMILA WOODS - HEAVN; MINDI ABAIR AND THE BONESHAKERS - THE EASTWEST SESSIONS

JOOLS HOLLAND / JOSE FELICIANO WITH THE RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA - AS YOU SEE ME NOW

New album due out in November featuring a series of duets between Jools Holland and Jose Feliciano.  Tracks incluce: As You See Me Now; Treat Myself; Just To Be Home With You; Honeysuckle Rose; One More Drink; Midnight Special; Hit the Road Jack (feat. Ruby Turner); In My Life; Let's Find Each Other Tonight; You're So Cold (feat. Rita Wilson); Baby Can I Hold You; Believe Me When I Tell You; Feliz Navidad; and Happy New Year.

JAMILA WOODS - HEAVN

A fantastic debut from Chicago soul singer Jamila Woods – the kind of artist that makes us very proud to be located in the Windy City! Woods is an extremely inventive lyricist – strongly inspired by poetry, but also immediately trying to communicate in a wider spectrum with her sound – at a level that's maybe even smarter and more sophisticated than you'd guess from her look on the cover, which might make you think that she's just another pretty face in mainstream music! Instead, Woods seems ready to reinvent the role of the female singer in soul music – getting help from hip collaborators who include our hometown hero Chance The Rapper, as well as Nico Segal, Saba, Lorine Chia, and Noname. Titles include "Bubbles", "In My Name", "Popsicle", "Assata's Daughters", "Blk Girl Soldier", "Emerald Street", "Breadcrumbs", "Stellar", "Holy", and Good Morning" – plus "LSD", a tribute to our city's great lakefront!  ~ Dusty Groove

MINDI ABAIR AND THE BONESHAKERS - THE EASTWEST SESSIONS

2017 release. Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers return with a powerhouse blues rock album, produced by Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa) and recorded at this historic Eastwest Studios in Hollywood. Mindi Abair is a two time Grammy Award nominated saxophonist, vocalist, author, and National Trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Mindi was the featured saxophonist for the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol, performed with the rock band Aerosmith for their 2012 Summer Tour, joined Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg for a night at the Beacon Theater and played with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra three times on Late Show with David Letterman.

JIMMY WEBB - JUST ACROSS THE RIVER

Recorded in Nashville with a stunning group of multi-platinum legends, this newly recorded collection of some of the greatest songs in pop and country music history features Jimmy Webb and friends at their most romantic, poignant, lyrical, and inspiring. Each track stands alongside (and in some cases, surpasses) the beloved original hits. The music is contemporary, yet classically timeless. 

The arrangements serve the songs, and the incredible vocal performers who collaborate with Jimmy of the album of his lifetime. The critical acclaim composer Jimmy Webb has received during his more than forty years of success is as remarkable as the accomplishments they honor: Webb is the only artist to ever receive Grammy awards for music, lyrics and orchestration; he is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriter's Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame; and, according to BMI, his 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix', (sung on the new album in duet with Glen Campbell - the first time the two have ever recorded together) has been the third most performed song in the last fifty years. 

Webb's 'Wichita Lineman' (performed here with Billy Joel and Jerry Douglas) has been listed in the Top Fifty of MOJO Magazine's worldwide survey of the best one hundred singles of all time, and was singled out in the Oct/Nov 2001 issue of Blender as 'The Greatest Song Ever'. On 'Just Across The River, Jimmy also shares the mike with Mark Knopfler on the classic 'Highwayman'. Linda Ronstadt, who has recorded a multitude of Webb songs throughout her recording career, included four of his efforts on her double platinum album, 'Cry like A Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind'. She's on board here for a heartwarming, intimate closing duet on 'All I Know', the Webb standard made famous by Art Garfunkel. And that's just the beginning. As a performer Jimmy has released numerous critically-acclaimed albums over the years, earning distinguished reviews in all of the major publications, and unqualified praise following his appearances in concert halls and top cabaret venues. But he has never attempted a project like 'Just Across The River, where his singing and songwriting is celebrated by the collaborations of his peers, like Jackson Browne and Willie Nelson, as well as artists who have revered his music for years, like Lucinda Williams, Michael McDonald, and Vince Gill. There has never been a songwriter like Jimmy Webb. And there has never been an album of his songs like Just Across The River!