Danny Fox Trio releases third album The Great Nostalgist

Hot Cup Records announces the January 19, 2018 release of The Great Nostalgist, the third album by the NYC- based Danny Fox Trio.  Since its critically acclaimed 2011 debut The One Constant (Songlines) and 2014 follow-up Wide Eyed (Hot Cup), the group has continued to push the boundaries of the classic piano trio format.  The Great Nostalgist, recorded to tape in the living room of a 100-year old house in the Catskills, captures the band's uniquely personal, genre-defying original music in a warm, intimate setting with no headphones, isolation booths, or overdubs. Falling somewhere between jazz and chamber music, the album's ten pieces are replete with sonic surprises: quirky rhythms, jaunty yet catchy melodies, haunting harmonies, and out-of-the-box arrangements that spotlight the capabilities of each member of the group, all while maintaining tuneful melodies.  The modern yet tradition-embracing music filters themes of nostalgia, early influences, and old haunts through the lens of the present.

Formed in 2008, the Danny Fox Trio, featuring pianist Danny Fox, bassist Chris van Voorst van Beest, and drummer Max Goldman, is a true working band. Whether holed up in a Brooklyn basement rehearsing or touring around the country crammed into a sedan, the trio has spent countless hours developing a rapport that's immediately palpable in their music.

Though rooted in jazz, the three versatile musicians are also active in chamber music, bluegrass, electro, and New Orleans rhythm and blues, thereby giving the band a sound that is all-encompassing yet strikingly individual. Having committed these intricate and challenging compositions to memory and performed them scores of times, the influence and aesthetic of rock bands is readily appreciated.

The trio explores a wide range of novel techniques to eschew standard forms and roles.  The piano, typically both the lead melodic and harmonic voice, rarely performs these two roles simultaneously. Instead, Fox opts for textures that feature the abilities of his bandmates and explore the more extreme ranges of the piano. In addition to fulfilling the traditional role as rhythmic anchor, bassist van Voorst van Beest provides melodies, counterpoint, and coloristic arco effects adeptly. Goldman employs traditional drumbeats effectively, but often opts for a more orchestral approach, mimicking symphonic playing.

The ten pieces on The Great Nostalgist navigate through a vast array of grooves, harmonies, time signatures, tempo shifts, free improvisations, and dynamics while always remaining grounded in the thematic material, giving the music a seamlessness and cohesion that make it both challenging and highly listenable.

The album opens with the rolling piano figures, moody bass melody, and haunting cymbal howls of "Adult Joe," an homage to old friends and kiddie nicknames.  The first six bass notes plucked by van Voorst van Beest provide the theme that spins out into the various sections of the piece.  "Theme for Gloomy Bear," written for a giant pink stuffed

animal with claws, alternates between wistful ballad and pulsating trancelike grooves.  In the earliest version of the piece, Goldman conceived the shaker figure using a mint tin which burst open and left stray mints lurking in Fox's living room to this day.

"Jewish Cowboy (the Real Josh Geller)" summons Fox's love for minor-key country tunes, tapping into one of his earliest influences: the bluegrass of artists such as Doc Watson that his parents would play on car trips.  The ominous bass chords of the middle section evoke a dusty mountain range before the spirited hootenanny-like group improvisation closes the song.  The first of two ice cream themed titles, "Cookie Puss Prize," named for the Carvel mascot Fox won in a fifth grade ice cream eating competition, begins with a swirling contrapuntal duet between the piano and bass before the drums sneak in with a bouncy polyrhythmic Afro-Cuban groove.  "Truant" was composed in short bursts in the practice rooms of Harvard University amidst repeatedly being kicked out by a dour front desk attendant. The piece scrambles frantically with tumbling piano/bass melodies giving way to momentary respites of calm. The lone solo piano piece of the album, "Caterpillar Serenade" could be the underscoring for a movie trailer and flashes back to an early family home movie where Fox's brother sings him a happy first birthday on a caterpillar-shaped accordion.  "Preamble" begins with two short improvised piano and bass sections, each set against an off-kilter ostinato.  A similar figure resurfaces where the drums improvise over the squirrely, record-skipping rhythm.  Named for an impossibly neon green ice cream treat from the 80s, "Fat Frog" is a nostalgic, old-timey piece with an intro that conjures a theater curtain rising up.  The hopeful opening notes are quickly hijacked into darker terrain as the melody careens along a windy, breakneck path.  "Emotional Baggage Carousel," conceived at JFK Airport Terminal 4, explores themes of sentimentality and longing alongside a Rocky-like optimism (for receiving your luggage?).  Purely by coincidence, The Great Nostalgist closes in the same manner as the group's second album Wide Eyed: with a song inspired by laundry.  "Old Wash World," an imagining of an earlier, simpler time at Fox's local laundromat New Wash World, builds a boisterous yet sinister dance party on a simple piano riff mined from a long-ignored voice memo.

The Great Nostalgist is also a reunion of pianist Fox with recording/mixing engineer Tyler Wood, who recorded the first music Fox ever wrote while the two were at Harvard University in 2002. 

Pianist Danny Fox was born in New York City where he became immersed in the jazz scene from an early age. In high school, Danny was selected as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and went on to attend Harvard University during which time he became active in the Boston music scene. He formed the Danny Fox Trio in 2008 as a vehicle for his original compositions and since then the working group has performed steadily around NYC and the US, releasing the critically acclaimed albums "The One Constant" (Songlines) and "Wide Eyed" (Hot Cup).  Called a "pianist of diverse accomplishment" (NY Times), Danny has established himself as a versatile musician active in a wide variety of settings, co-founding the New Orleans rock and roll group Tubby, playing around the fertile Brooklyn roots and bluegrass scene, performing on Broadway, and collaborating with the cutting edge video artist Meghan Allynn Johnson.  He has performed with artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Cassandra Wilson, Michael Blake, and Kermit Driscoll.

Born in Pownal, Maine, bassist Chris van Voorst van Beest has been an in-demand presence on the New York music scene since moving to Brooklyn in 2005.  Chris received his bachelor's degree at the University of New Hampshire and a Master's degree in composition at City College of New York, where he studied with Pulitzer-Prize winning composer David Del Tredici. Known for his big sound, lyrical bass lines, and versatility in different musical settings including jazz, rock, contemporary classical, and bluegrass, Chris performs regularly around New York City with a wide variety of jazz, chamber, and new music groups.  He tours frequently to Europe, having performed extensively in the Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey and Italy.  An emerging composer, Chris is the founder of the chamber music project Hear + Now which features his original compositions for ensembles of various sizes. His most recent work Het Glazen Herenhuis, a sonnet for piano, cello and clarinet, was premiered in Brooklyn in July of 2017. Chris was a nominee for the 2016 Charles Ives Arts and Letters award.  In 2009 Chris was awarded a grant to compose the original score for the children's book "The Lamplighter," featuring narration by noted folk artist Sam Amidon.

Born in Rochester, NY, drummer Max Goldman was fortunate to study under local greats Jeff Lewis, Steve Curry and Rich Thompson. He moved to New York City in 2001, attending NYU and the New School, where he studied with Tony Moreno, Gerald Cleaver and Kenny Washington. Since graduating in 2006, Max has been active in Brooklyn's fertile creative scene. He spends much of his time touring Europe, South America, the US, and Canada with a diverse lineup of artists. In addition to the Danny Fox Trio, Max has performed and recorded with Becca Stevens, Tim Berne, The Elan Mehler Group, Old Time Musketry, Midnight Magic, Nomi Ruiz, and Eleanor Friedberger. He has been called "a seriously propulsive force" by the Chicago Reader and his drumming has been described as "beautifully melodic, even pianistic" by the New York Jazz Review.

http://www.dannyfoxmusic.com/

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PIANIST ALFREDO RODRÍGUEZ ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM THE LITTLE DREAM

“The Little Dream,” the title track of Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodríguez’s fourth studio album (Mack Avenue Records), gently builds into an uplifting statement – one that reflects the hope children hold in building a brighter future, where tiny dreams manifest into grandiose realities.

There is no better example of this than Rodríguez’s own personal journey: from his humble beginnings in Cuba to being discovered by Quincy Jones, ultimately leaving his family behind to immigrate to the United States and pursue his own dream. Over the past decade, Rodríguez has gone from a young local Cuban artist to a globally recognized Grammy®-nominee with three critically acclaimed releases on Mack Avenue Records: Sounds of Space (2011), The Invasion Parade (2014), and Tocororo (2016).

Over the years, Rodríguez’s worldwide tours have shaped his diverse global point of view. “I believe people are more similar than different. We live in a time where we have so many ways to inform ourselves, and yet some places – and people – choose to remain isolated. As a result, the world can lack peace and empathy, instead of showing unity and tolerance.”

In a time where governments want to build walls instead of bridges, and uplifting programs like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) are being rescinded, Rodríguez understands how important “dreams” are, especially for today’s youth – and the immigrant children known as “DREAMers” – for shaping a more unified future. He expresses, “the title of my new album, The Little Dream, is my response to our current world climate. The title comes from my fascination with the dream world, which is a beautiful manifestation of our reality. My greatest dream is one where all humans live happily and in peace. Children are the hope and the answer to creating a world of love, peace, unity and understanding.”

The Little Dream was recorded in just two days, with a majority of the songs being done impressively in one take. Rodríguez explains, “I don’t like perfection in the common sense of the word. For me, perfection is how we react to something initially, and that makes my music better and more honest. The most beautiful thing to me is when I play and the opposite of what I had intended happens, so I have to find a solution while I am playing! Music is like life, it’s about adaption and transformation in the moment.” Rodríguez’s commitment to improvisation is evident in his popular cover song videos, which have racked up millions of views on his social media channels.

Two musicians who join Rodríguez on The Little Dream and helped shape the album’s sound are Michael Olivera and Munir Hossn. “I’ve been touring and playing with Michael and Munir for the last several years, so The Little Dream is a testimony to the sound we have developed.”

Quincy Jones continues to serve as producer, and Rodríguez never stops learning from his teacher. “Quincy always impresses me, and for a young musician, it’s such an incredible opportunity to get to be around a legend. Quincy has affected my life in so many positive ways; he is my mentor, and the most open-minded musician I know. His influence has made me a better person as well as a better musician.”

As jazz music sees a resurgence in younger audiences, Rodríguez is leading the way for the new wave of Cuban musicians, including past collaborators Ibeyi and Pedrito Martinez. The rich musical history of Cuba is finally being exposed to a wider audience, which has always been a hope for many upcoming artists.

Rodríguez circles back on the title The Little Dream, which he concludes “is about the child that is within us all, and how imagination and creativity are messages for hope. No one knows better than me that a little dream can become a big dream, and big dreams can become reality.”

Alfredo Rodríguez · The Little Dream

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: February 23, 2018

Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters" Expanded Edition Releasing December 15 In Celebration Of 10th Anniversary

When Herbie Hancock's genre-defying River: The Joni Letters, won the 2007 Grammy® Award for "Album of the Year," beating out Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters and Vince Gill, it was a victory for musical exploration, inspired musicianship and the kind of creative spirit that the legendary jazz musician has carried throughout his incredible and influential five-decade career. A true milestone, the album was only the second jazz recording to win the top honors in the award's history, with the first being Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and João Gilberto in 1965, 43 years prior. The musical tribute to the iconic Joni Mitchell, which also won "Best Contemporary Jazz Album," soared up the charts where it peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200.

In celebration of the album's first decade anniversary, River: The Joni Letters, will be released as a 2CD expanded edition with four bonus tracks on December 15 via Verve Records/UMe with the digital release to follow on December 29. Last month, the album was released on vinyl for the first time in the U.S. 

Upon release, River was hailed by critics for Hancock's thoughtful interpretations of Mitchell's compositions, which he used as a jumping off point for extended musical meditations. The New York Times declared it "an intimate reinvention issuing from someplace deep inside the music" while NPR remarked, "Hancock is too smart to follow the tribute-record script. He doesn't radically overhaul Mitchell's songs — instead, he gently opens them up and lures the singers into fascinating free-associative conversations." New York enthused, "Hancock comes to these songs with uncommon sensitivity and understanding," adding, he "came of age when pop and jazz overlapped comfortably, and he's at his best when he shows us how they still can."

Hancock first worked with Mitchell on the acclaimed singer/songwriter's Mingus record, an album comprised of collaborations between Mitchell and the great bassist and composer Charles Mingus. Together with Wayne Shorter, Hancock was part of the ensemble with which Mitchell tried to craft a new "conversational" approach to coupling lyrics with instrumental jazz.

"At this point in my career," Hancock said when the album was announced, "I want to do something that reaches into the lives and hearts of people." With River, he did just that. Hancock enlisted producer/arranger/bassist Larry Klein (a frequent producer and collaborator of Mitchell's), to help him go deeply into Mitchell's body of work to select songs that they could adapt to a genre-less and conversational musical approach, while trying to portray the breadth of Mitchell's gift as a musician and writer. To add another dimension to their picture of Mitchell's musical world, they also included two compositions that were important to her musical development, Shorter's asymmetrical masterpiece "Nefertiti," first recorded by Hancock and Shorter on Miles Davis' classic album of the same name, and Duke Ellington's prescient standard "Solitude."

Hancock and Klein worked for months, carefully reading through Mitchell's lyrics and music, eventually paring their list down to thirteen songs that they hoped comprised a panoramic view of the poet's work.  They then assembled a group of the top musicians in the world, including the incomparable Shorter on soprano and tenor sax, the brilliant bassist and composer Dave Holland, (a musical cohort of Hancock and Shorter's who shared their adventurousness, as well as the Miles Davis imprimatur), drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (a then-recent member of Hancock's band as well as having played extensively with Mitchell and Sting), and Benin-born guitarist Lionel Loueke, also a member of Hancock's band.

They went on to craft arrangements for songs like the often recorded "Both Sides Now," and "Sweet Bird" (from Mitchell's overlooked classic The Hissing of Summer Lawns) that transformed the songs into lyrical and elegant instrumental tone poems, devoid of the trappings of conventional jazz records.  "We wanted to create a new vocabulary, a new way of speaking in a musical sense," Hancock said. Klein added, "We used the words to guide us. All of the music emanated from the poetry."

They were also fortunate to be able to cast the vocal songs with some of the greatest singers in the music world. Mitchell herself sings the autobiographical musing on childhood "The Tea Leaf Prophecy," Tina Turner turns the beautiful prose of "Edith And The Kingpin" into a timeless piece of song-noir, Norah Jones delivers the wistful classic "Court and Spark," Corinne Bailey Rae turns the mournful Christmas classic "River" into an innocent and optimistic poem of bittersweet romance, Brazilian-born Luciana Souza becomes a dark third voice to Hancock and Shorter on "Amelia," and in a stark and cinematic closer, Leonard Cohen recites the brilliant and surreal lyric to "The Jungle Line" as Hancock provides film score-like improvised accompaniment.

The 10th anniversary edition of River adds four additional songs of Mitchells', previously released as Amazon and iTunes exclusives. The extra tracks span Mitchell's expansive career and include "A Case Of You" and "All I Want" (featuring Sonya Kitchell) from her masterpiece Blue, "Harlem In Havana" from her 1998 album Taming The Tiger and "I Had A King," the opening song on Mitchell's debut record Song To A Seagull. "Harlem In Havana" and "I Had A King" are making their debut in any physical format.

River: The Joni Letters represented a journey into a new world in Hancock's search for fresh ground – a world of words – and now with this new expanded release fans can revisit this stunning album again and dive even deeper into Hancock and Mitchell's timeless creations.

Disc 1

Court and Spark (featuring Norah Jones)

Edith And The Kingpin (featuring Tina Turner)

Both Sides Now

River (featuring Corinne Bailey Rae)

Sweet Bird

Tea Leaf Prophecy (featuring Joni Mitchell)

Solitude

Amelia (featuring Luciana Souza)

Nefertiti

The Jungle Line (featuring Leonard Cohen)

Disc 2

A Case Of You*

All I Want (featuring Sonya Kitchell)*

Harlem In Havana*

I Had A King*

* Bonus Tracks

John Raymond & Real Feels Expand on Original Compositions & Indie-Rock Meets Jazz Arrangements for Sophomore Studio Album Joy Ride

In the unfettered world of the jazz musician, having a long-time working group with a unique identity and sound is a rare thing. But for over four years now, Minnesota-born trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer John Raymond has done just that. His bass-less trio Real Feels, which includes guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer Colin Stranahan, evokes a sense of home, companionship and comfort that his Midwest roots might suggest. However, bringing together three musicians from three distinct musical backgrounds make the group a model of what defines American music -- a melting pot of influences tied together by a close bond of warm-hearted kinship. Their newest album Joy Ride accomplishes this in its fullest sense.

The majority of the music on Joy Ride was written during a self-imposed, month-long retreat in which Raymond spent hours composing each day. Among the priorities for the music was Raymond's desire to connect to his listeners, so rather than compose "heady" or complex songs, he focused on simplifying and writing music that people could sing along with. When the group was ready to record the new music, Raymond brought in Matt Pierson as producer to help streamline the recording process and help craft a stronger musical presentation.

The recording begins with the title track, "Joy Ride," a jaunty original that keeps both the band and the listener on the edge of their seats for the entire tune. The group's interpretation of Paul Simon's "I'd Do It For Your Love" provides a perfect setting for Raymond's flugelhorn on the sing-song melody and intriguing harmonic underpinning. Raymond's "Follower" evokes a Radiohead-esque vibe, with a steady groove and winding, mysterious melody. Justin Vernon's music is a huge influence on Raymond, as he was in Eau Claire when Bon Iver was just in its nascent form. Taking hints from a live Bon Iver performance in Brooklyn, the trumpeter rearranged "Minnesota, WI" into an incredibly poignant and resonant piece which features Hekselman stretching over his own guitar loops. The group's take on the hymn "Be Still, My Soul" starts out calm but gradually becomes more edgy and dissonant, ending with a collectively improvised release of acoustic and electronic sounds.

The bare, yet moving original "Fortress" further reinforces Raymond's indie-rock influences. Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" is a perfect pop song set up with a repetitive guitar riff that the group modulates both harmonically and metrically throughout. Raymond's soulful "En Route" is a lighthearted piece that breezily traverses the musical back roads. A tribute to a Minnesota legend, Raymond's pastoral take on Bob Dylan's iconic "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (to this day, still a powerful political statement) subtly shifts and bends, yet retains, the essential sentiment of the song. The recording concludes with "Hymn," a duo performance with Hekselman leaving the listener with yet another simple and sincere melody resonating in their ears.

"From the very beginning this band has had a special connection, not only to each other but also to listeners -- both jazz and non-jazz inclined," Raymond states. "The process of recording this album gave way to an even more tangible realization of this connection, and upon completion we all remarked to each other how unique this music was going to be." The urge to create a band with a deep chemistry was of high importance to John Raymond. The desire to play music that develops a unique and memorable connection to the listener was also a priority. Both of these are on full display in Joy Ride, a distinctive and highly listenable new recording that will further establish Raymond and the group as an important voice in jazz today.

Originally from Minneapolis, MN, John Raymond grew to appreciate musicians who wanted not only a connection with their audience but also with their associates on the bandstand and, taking this to heart, the trumpeter applied the sentiment when he created his own band, Real Feels.

Raymond moved to New York City after spending some time time studying music in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He was able to establish himself in the New York scene playing alongside well-known musicians like Billy Hart, Orrin Evans, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dan Tepfer and Linda May Han Oh among others. He also began to establish himself as a bandleader by releasing four albums since 2012, all of which receiving critical acclaim including nods from the Stereogum, New York Times, and Downbeat Magazine who named him a Rising Star Trumpeter in 2016.

Raymond formed Real Feels in 2014 by piecing together a trio comprised of flugelhorn, guitar and drums. Influenced by albums done by Art Farmer and Jim Hall, as well as the collaborations of Ron Miles, Bill Frisell and Brian Blade, Raymond called guitarist Gilad Hekselman who was a frequent contributor in Raymond's past projects. Raymond's decision to play as a trio without a bassist allowed Hekselman free reign to interpret the harmony of the compositions any way he chose. Providing the glue between Hekselman's harmony and Raymond's melody would be drummer Colin Stranahan, a formidable but elastic timekeeper who had an instant connection with Raymond and Hekselman. Together, the group would go on to release two albums in 2016, the self-titled Real Feels and a live follow up Real Feels: Live, Vol. 1.

John Raymond & Real Feels Upcoming 2018 Tour Dates:

January 17 - 18 / Indiana University Residency / Bloomington, IN

January 19 / Rudy's Jazz Room / Nashville, TN

January 20 / The Velvet Note / Atlanta, GA

January 21 / White Horse Black Mountain / Asheville, NC

February 7 / Jazz Standard / New York, NY

February 10 / The Liberty / Cincinnati, OH

February 11 / Mabel Tainter Theater / Menomonie, MN

February 12 / The Icehouse / Minneapolis, MN

February 13 / Jazz Showcase / Chicago, IL

February 14 - 15 / Luther College Residency / Decorah, IA

February 16 / The Mill / Iowa City, IA

February 17 / Noce / Des Moines, IA

April 4 / Twins Jazz Club / Washington, D.C.

April 5 / The Bop Stop / Cleveland, OH

April 6 / Cliff Bells / Detroit, MI

April 7 / BLU Jazz / Akron, OH

May 10 / The Dark Room / St. Louis, MO

May 11 / Dazzle Jazz / Denver, CO

May 12 / The Nash / Phoenix, AZ

May 14 - 15 / Blue Whale / Los Angeles, CA

John Raymond & Real Feels · Joy Ride 

Sunnyside Records · Release Date: February 9, 2018

Cult combo CALIBRO 35 announce the new studio album “DECADE” and celebrate 10 years

Italian cinematic funk cult band CALIBRO 35 announce the release of their sixth studio album “DECADE”, which will hit the streets worldwide on February the 9th 2018 on Record Kicks. Today the band unveils the first teaser, taken from the recording sessions at Milano’s Officine Meccaniche, album’s artwork by Solo Macello and tracklist.

“DECADE” marks 10 years of Calibro 35’s releases and it’s the very first album recorded by the band with an orchestral-inspired enlarged line-up that features horns, strings and percussions. Mixed and recorded by CALIBRO’s usual suspect and Grammy Award winner for The Muse Drone album Tommaso Colliva “DECADE” is CALIBRO 35’s “time capsule” and it is as rare and complex as a timeless work.

Active since 2008, CALIBRO 35 enjoys a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent band around. During their ten years career, they have been sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album and Jay-Z, they shared stages worldwide with the likes of Roy Ayers, Muse, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat, Headhunters and as unique musicians they've collaborated with, amongst others PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish and Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (Jet).

Described by Rolling Stone magazine's as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing that happened to Italy in the last years", Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide which includes VIP’s fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin’ Criminals).

Ray Brown Jr Shines On New International Jazz Recording

SRI Jazz is proud present a new album by Ray Brown Jr, cementing his place as one of the leading jazz vocalists performing today. Called a cross between Billy Eckstein and Al Jarreau, Ray Brown Jr. is the heir - apparent to the title of the best smooth jazz vocalist of our time and is the “Featured Artist” on the label’s website http://www.srirecords.com.

His new album is simply titled “This Is Ray Brown Jr .” , as it showcases this superb artist as he glides through thirteen creative renditions of classic jazz and blues songs combined with Ray’s warm and charming vocals making it this one of the best vocal jazz albums of the year.

Ray is one of those rare journeymen singers who, like his famous Mother (Ella Fitzgerald), is more at home performing than anywhere else. Most recently he has been working non - stop throughout Europe , Australia and the Ukraine ( where this album was recorded ) to sold out shows of adoring audiences with a terrific band of talented musicians who are thrilled to be working with this amazing artist.

“ This Is Ray Brown Jr ” was recorded at Fonia Recording Studios, Lviv, Ukraine during March & August 2017 with engineer Yuriy Melnik . Ray’s band of veteran musicians included Yuriy Seredin on piano, Andrew Arnautoff on bass, Frank Parker on drums, Dimitry Kovalenko and Vlad DeBriansky (on loan from the American Music Academy) on guitars, Bogdan Humeniuk on saxophone and Andy Valentine on percussion.

“I’ve worked with some of the greatest names in Jazz and I’ve worked with Ray for many years and, as far as I’m concerned, this is Ray’s best work. This album is the culmination of the talents of Ray Brown Jr. and his years of non - stop performing. The man just keeps getting better as he is never satisfied and always wants to improve. This album ranks up there with his critically acclaimed SRI Jazz duets album, Friends And Family ”, stated Shelly Liebowitz, veteran producer and label President .

SRI Jazz, SRI Records and Flamingo Jazz are all part of SRI Label Group, celebrating twenty years of providing quality, collectible Blues, Jazz, Country and Rock & Roll from major artists past and present. As one of the first websites on the  internet to offer great new and collectible music, srirecords.com has established itself as a music pioneer on the internet. With industry veteran Shelly Liebowitz at the helm, SRI has strived to provide a standard of excellence in the world of music.

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Quartet Records and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents a very special new edition of Burt Bacharach’s timeless classic soundtrack for the 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale to celebrate its 50th anniversary

The infectious main theme performed by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass is just the starting point of an epic comedy ride that includes such highlights as the unforgettable “The Look of Love,” sung by Dusty Springfield, or the epic fight music at the end of the film. Produced by record industry legend Phil Ramone, the original soundtrack LP offered selected highlights, expertly edited to showcase the best parts of the entire score. Thanks to the legendary sound quality of the stereo copies, this record became one of the most highly sought-after collectibles in the industry.

Previously released on CD by several labels, including us (twice, both now out of print), this edition is an important landmark for this legendary score, and we can proudly say that it now sounds better than ever. This new edition has been produced, restored and mastered by wizard engineer Chris Malone, rebuilding the score from the ground up. Malone’s work has focused on addressing unintended technical anomalies (such as filling dropouts and covering analogue splices) rather than broadly applying a modern sound palette. He has eschewed dynamic range compression and retained the brilliance of the original recording. Because the LP program derived from the original film recordings (with some edits made for a more pleasure listening), we have included it on our CD and added all the music composed by Bacharach that was not on the LP to make a 77-minute CD. The bonus tracks are in mono (music stems are still the only available source to date), but Chris has worked them in a very different mood from our previous edition, respecting the mono without adding any stereo reverb and carefully restoring each track in a very warm way. We can say the sound is day and night compared with our previous edition. Live and learn.

  

This release includes a bonus track making its CD debut: the promo-single version by Mike Redway, and arranged by Bacharach, of the song “Have No Fear, Bond Is Here.” The CD also showcases all-new, exclusive liner notes from film music writer Jeff Bond, and new art design by Nacho B. Govantes in a 20-page full-color booklet.

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Burt Bacharach, Casino Royale: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack – 50th Anniversary Edition (Quartet Records, 2017) (Quartet Records / Screen Archives)

The Remastered Original Album (Stereo)

Casino Royale (Main Title) – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield

Moneypenny Goes for Broke

Le Chiffre’s Torture of the Mind

Home James, Don’t Spare the Horses

Sir James’ Trip to Find Mata

The Look of Love (Instrumental)

Hi There, Miss Goodthighs

Little French Boy

Flying Saucer/First Stop Berlin

The Venerable Sir James Bond

Dream On James, You’re Winning

The Big Cowboys and Indians Fight at Casino Royale/Casino Royale (Reprise) – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Bonus Tracks (Mono)

Casino Royale (Main Title) – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Open Cars Converging/To the Bond Chateau

The Black Rose

James Bond in Scotland

The Widow Duty of Lady Fiona/Wassail

The Grouse Shoot

Mimi’s Lament

Gymnasium Training

The Look of Love (Film Vocal) – Dusty Springfield

Proposals, Super 8 and Costumes

Sir’ James Trip to Find Mata/Temple Dance

Sitar Background

Old Berlin House/Mata Hari School for Spies

Bond Arrival in France

Vesper in the Shower

Le Chiffre’s Magic Act

Vesper’s Kidnapping

End of Torture Sequence

Fight in Casino Manager’s Office/Dr. Noah’s Headquarters/The LSD Room

The Big Fight at Casino Royale (Film Version)

Seven Bonds in Heaven/End Title (Have No Fear, Bond is Here) – Mike Redway

Have No Fear, Bond is Here (Single Version) – Mike Redway (Deram DM 124-A, 1967)

LEF Creates Soundtrack for Dystopian Multi-Media Project HyperSomniac Features Super Band with Bill Laswell, Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset

Singer-composer Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari (LEF) has made his mark as a powerfully expressive singer through a series of potent RareNoiseRecords releases, including Obake's Draugr, Seven Mutations and their 2011 self-title debut, Owls' The Night Stays, O.R.k.'s Soul of an Octopus, Somma's 23 Wheels of Dharma and Berserk's 2013 self-titled debut. But his own debut as a leader, the intriguing multi-media project HyperSomniac, is easily his most ambitious and impressive undertaking to date. LEF's music serves as the soundtrack for a dystopian tale, which he wrote with Pier Luigi Rocca, of a future society based on mind control. An online comic with stark, startling drawings by Nana Octopus Dalla Porta, is underscored by LEF's appropriately dark soundtrack performed by an all-star band featuring American bassist Bill Laswell, Norwegian guitar visionary Eivind Aarset, Norwegian future jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer, thunderous Norwegian drummer Kenneth Kapstad (of Motorpsycho), British saxophonist Rebecca Sneddon (of Free Nelson Mandoomjazz) and Norwegian organist Ståle Storløkken (of Supersilent, Motorpsycho and Reflections in Cosmos).

"I wanted to collaborate with a few extremely talented musicians I had the privilege to work with in the recent past." LEF explained. "That was also important for the sound I aimed to. I worked with Bill in the past on two projects led by my brother-in-music Eraldo Bernocchi - Somma and Ashes. Bill is god, enough said. Nils Petter Molvaer was in the Somma lineup as well. I'm a big fan of his unique and peculiar sound. Eivind had an important role in Berserk! We played live several times together and I also provided vocals to a piece from his last solo album. He is simply one of the most talented and visionary musicians out there. A lot of people are trying to emulate his peculiar guitar style and sound, but he is truly an original. I deeply love his musical view, which is somehow complementary to my own approach. Kenneth is a groove machine and has a very impressive personal style. Ståle is a keys and Hammond organ wizard and Rebecca was just the perfect sax player we were missing for the kind of sound I had in mind. She also provided the voice-over to all the HyperSomniac videos."

While LEF's visionary project might recall similarly ambitious dystopian tales like The Who's Tommy or Pink Floyd's The Wall, HyperSomniac has a wholly fresh spin on the multi-media process. "My first solo is in many ways inspired by the mighty records that I loved in my youth - Pink Floyd among the others," LEF explained. "And the fact that it took me more than a good couple of years to release this project, I guess this kind of approach might have something in common with The Wall and Tommy. But there's more to say. HyperSomniac started as a concept and a story I wanted to tell. On one side, I wanted to investigate the obscure dichotomy between material and the immaterial along with the human mind's power for changing, distorting, even melting down reality in order to create visions and dreams. On the other side, I wanted to describe a dystopian future as possible result of the paranoid chaos of the current era. This could be the main affinity for me in creating HyperSomniac."

"It took me several weeks, months maybe, to elaborate the script," LEF added, "and thought it could work well to illustrate the story as some form of highly stylized drama. Nanà Oktopus Dalla Porta's drawing style was just perfect to elaborate a dark visual part, thus I had to re-write the script several times to communicate the exact way I imagined every scene. Later on I learned how to mold 3D models to animate the drawings and Pier Luigi Rocca (who helped me from the very beginning) is still writing the code to make the whole story live as an interactive web comic which will actually be the only way to read the full story."

The online interactive graphic novel HyperSomniac will be presented officially on November 14th on www.hypersomniacproject.com, and will be available to the public to read episode by episode from the end of January 2018.

The album HyperSomniac be available to pre-order from that date and will be officially released on December 8th, 2017. From the dark intimacy of the creepy and compelling "It's Alright" and "A Glimpse of Emma" to the tender opening of "Let the Sun Fall Apart," which is juxtaposed against the heavy metal-laden crescendo, this album soundtrack carries an operatic sweep. And the super band behind LEF delivers with pummeling power on highly-charged numbers like "Parallel Powers," "Therapy" and "First Day of Work."

"Having scored several soundtracks for music, art installations and advertisements, I see music itself as if part of a bigger vision," said LEF. "That's why we decided to produce a feature movie The Nightless City (directed by Alessandra Pescetta) for the Berserk! album (with Lorenzo Feliciati featuring Gianluca Petrella, Jamie Saft, Cristiano Calcagnile, Eivind Aarset and many other friends). Later on I started experimenting with 2D and 3D modeling and animations to produce the animated video for the O.R.k. tune 'Pyre'. Both of those projects gave me a strong connection to the world of movie production and had an effect on my solo multimedia project HyperSomniac."  

 

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem Presents The Savory Collection Volume 4: Bobby Hackett and Friends

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem's Savory Collection will release Vol. No. 4: Bobby Hackett and Friends exclusively on Apple Music and iTunes on December 15. The full multi-volume collection of historical archives will feature swing era jazz artists at the height of their artistry and previously unissued performances, all captured in superb sound quality by sound engineer and technical genius Bill Savory. Starting today, a sample track is available on Apple Music, and the album is available for pre-order on iTunes.

For 30 years, Loren Schoenberg, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem's founding director and senior scholar, chased down these essential recordings. This edition further emphasizes the importance and excitement of this series, of which the eminent documentarian Ken Burns said: "It's hard to think of many other historical discoveries that equal the incredible amount of new and vital information that comprises the Savory Collection."

"In being an integral part of this project since its inception, Apple Music is helping to ensure this wonderful music is not simply limited to jazz collectors' shelves but reaches a broader audience as well," said Schoenberg, of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

As the title emphasizes, the outstanding cornetist Bobby Hackett is prominently featured -- on three tracks with his own ensembles and four as a participant led by the fine clarinetist Joe Marsala, with whose group Hackett made his initial impact on the New York scene in 1937. Admired by trumpet giants from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis throughout his 40-year career, Hackett was already leading his own ensembles by the time of the recordings that open this album after gaining notoriety through his performance with Benny Goodman in his legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert.

Here he joins baritone saxophonist Ernie Caceres and pianist Joe Bushkin, with Carmen Mastren, Sam Shoobe and George Wettling on guitar, bass and drums respectively, all under Marsala's keen leadership for a quartet of rollicking extended pieces filled with dynamic ensemble work and inspired solos. These late 1937 recordings contain the popular standards "California, Here I Come" and "The Sheik of Araby," as well as blues classics "Jazz Me Blues" and "When Did You Leave Heaven" (also covered by heavyweights like Big Bill Broonzy and Bob Dylan).

A Hackett ensemble's participation on a 1938 Paul Whiteman radio broadcast bring us the beautiful Gershwin ballad "Embraceable You" and a stomping take on Kid Ory's "Muskrat Ramble," with Hackett joined by the brilliant Pee Wee Russell on clarinet, arranger/valve trombonist Brad Gowans, the piano/bass/drums team of Dave Bowman, Clyde Newcombe and Andy Picard, and legendary guitarist Eddie Condon -- whose equally legendary "Condon's Mob" included Hackett as an integral member. Two years later Hackett got together with an NBC house band to add his own brief but memorable contribution to the "Body and Soul" legacy (to be extended seven years later with his beautiful solo on Frank Sinatra's unforgettable version).

Listeners will also discover three extremely rare recordings by the immortal pianist Teddy Wilson's 13-piece orchestra, virtually unrecorded in live performances. Recently discovered and to this point the only excellent high audio quality (superb, at that) recordings of this group, these 1939 items feature such masters as tenorman Ben Webster, trumpeters Doc Cheatham and Shorty Baker, altoist/clarinetist Rudy Powell and the sparkling rhythm section of Al Casey, Al Hall and J.C. Heard on guitar, bass and drums. With Wilson's majestic virtuosity front and center, the band was structured for smooth transitions and elegant voicings, employing the rare -- for its time -- two trumpet/two trombone brass section creating a uniquely singing dynamic that was as graceful as its leader's singular artistry and presence.

Powell wrote and arranged the lyrical and intricate "Cocoanut Groove," while Wilson arranged the delightful "Sweet Lorraine" and the romping "Jitterbug Jump;" the former marked by a lovely saxophone quartet and warm ensemble, with beautiful solos by Wilson and Webster; and the tenorman stretching out with an appropriately explosive offering on the latter.

Martin Block, famed for hosting terrific jam sessions (including the aforementioned Joe Marsala excursions) also hosted the two loosely structured, but highly energetic 1939 jams here, led by the spectacular trombone titan Jack Teagarden. Joined by Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Kenneth Hollon on tenor, pianist Bill Miller, guitarist Teddy Bunn, Johnny Williams on bass and the drummer and wildman scat-singer Leo Watson, they tear into two pieces perfect for jamming - Andy Razaf and Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose" and the Harry Warren/Johnny Mercer's then-current hit "Jeepers Creepers." As an added highlight on the latter, Johnny Mercer makes an unusual appearance alongside Teagarden and Watson for a highly spirited vocal trio.

This delightful album closes with three pieces (taken from two separate radio broadcasts) by one of the most popular of the Swing-era big bands, the Glenn Miller Orchestra -- all featuring the leader's right-hand man (and eventual successor after Miller's tragic wartime death) Tex Beneke on tenor sax and vocals. From 1938, Miller's arrangement of "By the Waters of the Minnetonka" follows in the tom-tom driven spirit of Benny Goodman's fabulous Carnegie Hall version of "Sing Sing Sing." The 1940 broadcast gives us two of Miller's most iconic pieces, "Tuxedo Junction" and "In the Mood." Although less jazz-oriented than the band would become after Hackett joined shortly after this broadcast, the exuberant sense of swing and joy that made the Miller orchestra so wildly popular is fully apparent throughout.

Of this latest essential release, co-produced by Loren Schoenberg and Ken Druker, with the superb original recordings raised to perfection through the restoration and mastering wizardry of Doug Pomeroy, Schoenberg says: "To be able to share never-before-heard music created by great American artists such as Teddy Wilson and Bobby Hackett is such a thrill -- just like an old wine, they improve with age! So much of the music of the Era was played in the musical equivalent of capital letters; these performances are such a joy to hear from bands that played with the lower-case letters too; so relaxed and flowing."

NEW RELEASES: RON CARTER - GOLDEN STRIKER; HERBIE MANN - THE VERY BEST OF HERBIE MANN: IT'S A FUNKY THING; OHIO PLAYERS - THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION PLUS...

RON CARTER - GOLDEN STRIKER

Ron Carter, for almost seven decades, the clever and sympathetic double bass player from Ferndale, Michigan, has been considered one of the most important, most creative and brilliant representatives of his profession and as the most recorded bass player in jazz history with over 2,221 albums on which he has performed. With his philosophy of absolute professionalism and reliability, he rose to become a model for entire generations of jazz musicians. Jazz bassists seem almost perfectly made for festive occasions. They exude elegance, nobility, discretion and prudence, reconcile and bring together. The diplomats of jazz. Consequently, what could be more fitting than to issue the new CD of the Golden Striker Trio on the occasion of Ron Carter's 80th birthday, recorded in the beautiful Theaterstübchen in Kassel, Germany in late October 2016? A gift for the many fans of the bass player, but also for himself. Because this trio has been one of Carter's favorite band line-ups since the beginning of the new millennium, despite or perhaps due to some changes. Perhaps the most serious resulted from the loss of the pianist Mulgrew Miller, who died suddenly at the age of only 57 years in 2013. In his place, Donald Vega now sits on the piano stool and plays with guitarist Russell Malone. From the universe of limitless music, Ron Carter has long since returned home to the songs of the Great American Songbook and his own originals. Hear Mr. Carter and his trio perform at their best on this special recording. Enjoy the birthday party! Track List: Laverne Walk;Candle Light; Golden Striker; Samba de Orfeu; Eddie s Theme; A Nice Song; and My Funny Valentine.

HERBIE MANN - THE VERY BEST OF HERBIE MANN: IT'S A FUNKY THING

Herbie Mann revolutionized the use of the flute in jazz. His legacy is revered for pushing the boundaries (like Miles Davis did) blending jazz, rock, funk, soul, and pop. This is the first collection to feature rare single edits of Herbie’s hits including “Philly Dog,” “A Man and A Woman,” and “Memphis Underground.” The CD also includes the hits “Hijack” and “Superman.” Featured vocalists include Tamiko Jones, Carmen McRae, Cissy Houston and Little Milton. Nine tracks are making their CD debut. 

OHIO PLAYERS - THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION PLUS...

For the very first time you can now get your hands on a Definitive Collection of the Funk sensation that was The Ohio Players. Robinsongs are proud to be the first label to combine the Capitol, Westbound, Mercury, Arista & Boardwalk repertoire to make this unique compilation, but we did not stop there, we have also included material from Band members: Junie Morrison, Sugarfoot & Shadow (Billy Beck, Clarence Willis & Diamond) to give you a total career overview of this exceptional Funk Band. This package also includes a 28-page colour booklet, that includes an essay by Christian John Wikane a New York based music journalist, with contributions by the band's drummer and architect of the Ohio Players beat James "Diamond" Williams. Robinsongs have divided the package in three parts "The Early Years", "The Golden Years" & "The Later & Solo Years", the early years kicks the package off with two tracks from the Capitol Records album "The Observations In Time" where we can see the direction that the Band is heading, onto Westbound where the Band recorded their breakthrough single 'Funky Worm', a R&B #1 which featured Junie as the voice of Granny, other standout Westbound tracks are 'Pleasure', 'Pain' & 'Ecstasy', DISC ONE finishes with two cuts from their first Mercury album "Skin Tight" including the hit 'Jive Turkey'. DISC TWO kicks off with arguably the band's biggest hit 'Fire' which went to #1 in the R&B chart and the Album went to #1 in the Billboard album chart, three other #1 singles feature on this disc 'Sweet Sticky Thing', 'Love Rollercoaster' and 'Who'd She Coo' which was also the Bands only UK chart single. 

NEW RELEASES: FELA KUTI - VINYL BOX SET COMPILED BY ERYKAH BADU; MANKUNKU QUARTET – YAKHAL’ INKOMO; MAYLEE TODD – ACTS OF LOVE

FELA KUTI - VINYL BOX SET COMPILED BY ERYKAH BADU

Knitting Factory Records is proud to release the next installment of the long-awaited vinyl reissues from the FELA KUTI catalog. The inimitable Erykah Badu personally selected the seven albums featured in this fourth box set, which have been remastered from their original vinyl pressings. The artwork for each album has been meticulously recreated from original album artwork, alongside vintage vinyl label artwork. This box set includes: • 7 LPs, Yellow Fever (1976), No Agreement (1977), JJD (1977), VIP (1979), Coffin for Head of State (1980), Army Arrangement (1984), and Underground System (1992). • 20-page full-color booklet featuring: seven personal essays written by Erykah Badu, seven in-depth commentaries by veteran music journalist and Afrobeat historian, Chris May; song lyrics; and never before published photos of Fela Kuti • 16x24” Poster designed by Nigerian artist Lemi Ghariokwu, the creative force behind 26 of Fela Kuti‘s album covers

MANKUNKU QUARTET – YAKHAL’ INKOMO

Saxophonist Winston 'Mankunku' Ngozi's 1968 masterpiece Yakhal'inkomo stands in the front rank of global jazz recordings. A certified jazz classic in South Africa, it has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and has never been out of print. But like so many other crucial South African jazz LPs, it was never released outside the country, and went unheard at the time by the wider world. This reissue is the first time that this truly essential jazz recording has been properly available outside South Africa. Mankunku's masterwork is one of those rare recordings whose audience saw at once that it embodied the spirit of the age. The title, 'Yakhal'inkomo', refers to the bellow made by a bull just before it is sacrificed, and the mourning cries of its fellow cattle as they see it struck down. For South African listeners, the reference was understood as a cry against the violence and brutality of the times, and an act of mourning for all those who were suffering under the barbarity of apartheid. Mankunku's horn spoke eloquently and profoundly for and to an oppressed people, and like Coltrane's A Love Supreme, the album became the musical touchstone for a generation. From today's historical vantage point, Yakhal'inkomo appears as not just an indispensable lost element of the international jazz canon, but as one of the towering cultural documents of its time. Fully licensed, and packaged with a new sleeve note by Francis Gooding and prevoiusly unpublished photographs from the Basil Breakey archive, this trail-blazing release on Jazzman allows Mankunku's classic work to gain its deserved place on the international stage.

MAYLEE TODD – ACTS OF LOVE

Toronto-based songwriter, vocalist, producer, and multi-disciplinary artist Maylee Todd is best known for music that incorporates elements of disco, funk, soul, electronic, and experimental sounds. Her previous two albums Choose Your Own Adventure (2010) and Escapology (2013) brought her on tour across North America, Europe and Asia, charting worldwide, and establishing her as a breakout Canadian indie artist. Her third studio album Acts of Love sees Maylee wholly embracing technology and taking on the role of producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, recording and playing the bulk of the music in her home studio. From a sonic standpoint, the new album marks a departure from the harder-edged sounds of her previous work, boasting a more stripped down, synth-based production approach, with hypnotic beats and undeniably poppy hooks. The 17 track album covers a wide range of timely, topical and universal subject matter, including gender bias (From This Moment), addiction (One of These Days), solitude (Lonely), forgiveness (Eye To Eye), polyamory (Goat Wut U Need) and virtual reality (Virtual Life). This record is a bedroom record. I spent the winter writing and learning software, so creating can be limitless, explains the self-professed augmented reality nerd. Acts Of Love is essentially a tale of Maylee's metamorphosis, of constantly mutating and evolving musically, with the ultimate goal being to enlighten listeners on the symbiotic relationship between music, technology, performance art and human nature.

OTIS REDDING: THE DEFINITIVE STUDIO ALBUM COLLECTION

Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Otis Redding topping the charts with his signature song, "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay." Unfortunately the single's success was bittersweet, as Redding tragically passed away in a plane crash just weeks before its release. Leading up to the "Dock Of The Bay" milestone, Rhino will introduce a new vinyl collection that brings together all seven of the iconic soul singer's studio albums. Big O's biggest hits are all here, from "Pain In My Heart" and "These Arms Of Mine" to "Respect" and "Try A Little Tenderness."

The albums included in the collection are: Pain In My Heart (1964), The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (1965), Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965), The Soul Album (1966), Complete and Unbelievable...The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966), King & Queen - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas (1967), and The Dock of the Bay (1968).

All of the LPs replicate the original packaging, from the sleeve artwork down to small details like the original record labels (Volt and Stax) and catalog numbers, all housed together in a side-loading slipcase. Several of these albums are long out-of-print and back on vinyl in mono for the first time in years.

The music follows Redding's career from his 1964 debut Pain In My Heart up to The Dock of the Bay, which was released in February 1968, just a few months after the singer's untimely death in December 1967. Despite his short career, Redding recorded songs that helped define soul in the Sixties and beyond.

The albums are packed with Top Ten R&B hits: "Chained And Bound," "Mr. Pitiful," "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and his cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Another obvious highlight is "Respect," a song Redding wrote and recorded in 1965, which later become a massive hit for Aretha Franklin. Another essential is "Tramp" from his unforgettable duets album with Carla Thomas, King & Queen. As it happens, that's also the last album the singer would release during his lifetime.

Redding's music career began fatefully in 1962 when an unexpected opportunity to record two songs led to a contract with Stax Records in Memphis. Throughout his career, the singer was backed by the legendary Stax house band: keyboardist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, and drummer Al Jackson Jr.

www.otisredding.com

  

OTIS REDDING: THE DEFINITIVE STUDIO ALBUM COLLECTION

Album Listing

Pain In My Heart

The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

The Soul Album

Complete and Unbelievable...The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul

King & Queen - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas

The Dock of the Bay