Ted Nash Quintet Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola

Two-time Grammy–winning composer and saxophonist Ted Nash releases his first live recording in over 25 years. Known for his larger works (Presidential Suite, Chakra, Portrait in Seven Shades) this much anticipated release provides an opportunity for Nash to share his improvisational side. His inspired solos are impassioned and interactive. On this album he finds new areas of expression that will excite and move you.

These three nights at Dizzy’s were electric for me. I think you’ll hear in it the combination of great players, with history letting loose on music that has grown with me over the course of my career. On this album we share not just a night of music but the history of collaboration.

It was a wonderful opportunity to make music again with many of my favorite musicians. I have known Rufus Reid since I was 24, when we recorded an album featuring my mother and father (which never was released). Rufus always plays with tremendous instinct and flexibility and brings decades of experience to the music. Rufus appeared on my Mancini Project album (Palmetto).

I first met Matt Wilson when I was 18 and he 14, when I came to Rock Island, Illinois to play with Louie Bellson’s quartet. Of course I had no idea the skinny teenager I met that night would become one of jazz’s greatest contributors, appearing on more than 250 recordings. Matt has played on several of my albums, including Sidewalk Meeting, Still Evolved, La Espada de la Noche, In the Loop, and The Mancini Project.

This is the second time Warren Wolf and I have played in a quintet at Dizzy’s together. He is one of the most consistently killing vibraphonists I have heard; at once fiery and cool. He is also one of the most melodic players – on any instrument. I have always had a connection with the vibes, as my jazz teacher was the great vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, with whom I also played my first small band gigs, at the long-gone Donte’s in Los Angeles.

I have known Gary Versace for years, hearing him with many great ensembles, and have always wanted the chance to play in a small group with him. I got that chance, and the experience is something I will never forget. The moments he found on Emily, for example (which we played as a clarinet and piano duo) were rich, inspiring and truly original. I feel Gary is on the cusp of being acknowledged as one of piano’s superstars.

This performance was also a chance to revisit a couple original compositions in an entirely new context, and re-explore music by some of my favorite composers: Chick Corea, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, Johnny Mandel, and Henry Mancini.

Legendary Trumpeter Eddie Henderson Explores the Many Facets of Musical Vision on New Recording, Be Cool

Before he walks out the door on his way to a gig, 77-year-old trumpeter Eddie Henderson always gets two words of advice from his wife: be cool. The legendary trumpeter has taken that mantra to heart, and on Be Cool, his new release on Smoke Sessions Records, he shows just how hot cool can get.

Of course, if you're going to be cool it helps to surround yourself with the coolest of the cool, and Henderson has done just that: his smokin' quintet also features saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Mike Clark. Together, the band conjures smoldering funk, lush ballads, broad-shouldered swing, and bristling bop -- in all, a prismatic display of the many facets of cool.

"For me, 'be cool' means compose yourself and don't act jagged, musically or personally," Henderson offers. "One connotation is to not play so erratically, to push the envelope to the edge but not go over. It's like going fishing: if you're not prepared when you throw your line out there, you might catch Jaws instead of a minnow. Personally, it's about playing with people who love each other and share a good chemistry."

That's undoubtedly the case with the group Henderson has convened for his second Smoke Sessions outing as a leader. His relationship with Barron stretches back more than three decades, to the early days following his return to New York in the mid-'80s after a decade spent practicing medicine in San Francisco. He's been working regularly with Clark in recent years, especially in the Wolff & Clark Expedition, the drummers co-led band with pianist Michael Wolff. But they also share roots in the fusion bands of Herbie Hancock -- Henderson with Mwandishi and Clark immediately after with Headhunters. Essiet, meanwhile, has been a constant in Henderson's recent bands, while he's shared stages with Harrison under the auspices of the super-group The Cookers.

With compositions by Barron, Clark and Harrison, not to mention Henderson's wife and daughter, Be Cool recalls the title of the trumpeter's previous album, Collective Portrait. "I like my albums to have a wider scope than to just be a self-portrait of my musical taste," he explains. "This really is a collective portrait with a much wider spectrum of music. That's the nature of the game: you always want to grow each time you play, rather than just sit back and play what you feel comfortable with."

Henderson asks the same of his sidemen; hence, Barron's uncharacteristically funky "Smoke Screen," which opens the album on a lively note. "Usually you don't hear Kenny playing funky like that," Henderson says. "He's a consummate pianist and a consummate trio player, but he really rose to the occasion on this Horace Silver-type tune."

  

Penned by Henderson's wife Natsuko, "Be Cool" follows, its anthemic melody echoing her titular words of warning. A true family affair, the album also includes a contribution from Henderson's daughter, Cava Menzies -- the mysterious "Nightride," its intriguing contours enticing searching solos from the trumpeter as well as Harrison and Barron.

The familiar standard "After You've Gone" is usually played up-tempo, but Henderson transforms it into a poignant ballad, reimagining the classic melody as a funereal memoriam for lost loved ones. "Every time I play that tune people in the audience have tears running from their eyes," Henderson says. "Maybe they're remembering people they've lost. Sometimes it reminds me of my mother who passed and it's hard for me to finish playing the melody."

Clark's "Loft Funk" restores the buoyant mood with its gritty, deep-in-the-pocket groove. In the Wolff & Clark Expedition the song is typically taken at a breakneck pace, so Henderson opted to slow it down and evoke the taut pace of contemporary hip-hop. Henderson brings a similar feel, albeit with a more slippery melody, to his contribution, "The Sand Castle Head Hunter," highlighted by a captivating Essiet solo, exquisitely paired by Clark's coloristic accompaniment.

The burnished warmth of the leader's muted trumpet is a perfect match for Miles Davis' classic "Fran-Dance," which evokes memories of the iconic trumpeter's visits to San Francisco. "I grew up with Miles as a staple of my musical diet," Henderson says. "When he was playing at the Blackhawk he would stay at my parents' house, so seeing him play when I was a teenager is indelibly printed in my brain. I've always wanted to record that tune."

Another piece by a trumpet great follows: Woody Shaw's "The Moontrane." Henderson and Shaw were close friends, meeting shortly after Shaw recorded this piece with organist Larry Young. "I had a little group in medical school," Henderson recalls, "and we used to play that tune. I wanted to record it to pay homage to my friend, the late, great Woody Shaw." The trio of compositions by jazz giants concludes with John Coltrane's immortal "Naima," its achingly beautiful melody here accompanied by a more urgent, steelier tempo.

Henderson looks back on his days in Mwandishi with Hancock's "Toys," while "Easy Living" is another old favorite, especially in versions by Lee Morgan and Clifford Brown. The album takes a more exotic detour to close, with the entrancing Eastern European romance of Polish drummer Tomek Grochot's "Dla Juzi."

From now on, Eddie Henderson has a ready response whenever his wife chimes in with her regular reminder. With scintillating interpersonal chemistry, tasteful but captivating soloing, and a stellar melodic sense, one spin of this album is enough to prove that Henderson has taken the words Be Cool deeply to heart.

  

"Be Cool" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and recorded live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape using a Studer mastering deck. Available in audiophile HD format.

Eddie Henderson · Be Cool

Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: May 4, 2018

NEW RELEASES: ROBIN GRANT – GOOD GIRL; JAN STURIALE - ROADMAPS; CHARLIE PEACOCK – WHEN LIGHT FLASHES

ROBIN GRANT – GOOD GIRLS

Sensitive storytelling, in the opinion of many, is the most significant test of a singer. If that is the case, then a song has found a friend in Robin Grant. A native of Chattanooga TN, Robin has been delighting local audiences for many years. With the upcoming radio release of her first CD, 'Good Girls' there's no doubt she is about to garner international acclaim. Good Girls is a collection of original jazz songs reminscent of the all-time great standards but with a modern flair. Robin's soulful stylings may take her listeners back to the great Tinpan Alley days of the 1920's 30's and 40's, but it's with an edgy delivery and sizzle that resonates with the youthful in body & spirit. Her live shows showcase her flaming vocals  throughout her diverse repertoire of all-time-favorites mixed with her popular original compositions. Robin began her music career at an early age. She developed her performance ability through classical training, by earning her degree in Vocal Performance and by embracing musical theater.  She later transitioned into jazz with the help of her mentor, bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks is also a native of Chattanooga and toured for many years with Ella Fitzgerald. Robin's meticulously phrased singing and controlled but inescapable intensity is supported by her talented band, The Standard. Over and over they have proven their ability to captivate and move any audience.

JAN STURIALE - ROADMAPS

A new release from jazz visionary Jan Sturiale entitled "Roadmaps" which features 6 original songs performed by an outstanding band. "It was a privilege working with pianist Marko Churnchectz, saxophone player Jure Pukl and Miha Koren and Klemens Marktl as rhythm section. We recorded all my new music in 1 day at the Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, N.Y. a fantastic studio owned by John Davis. The record has been mastered by Alex De Turk at Strange Weather studio in Brooklyn. I started playing with Jure back in 2011 and we did lot of gigs together in these years so I decided to put together a band with him and go into the studio. I wrote a few new compositions and adding a few covers we've played live. I'm talking about Peter Gabriel's Mercy Street and Frank Zappa's Blessed Relief. For me music it's all about enviroment and creating relationship with other musicians...it's a huge aspect that's why I try to stay as active as possibile and challenge my self as much as I can. The record is out from December 23rd 2017 on all digital sellers." - Jan Sturiale

CHARLIE PEACOCK – WHEN LIGHT FLASHES

Recognized as “one of the most prolific cultural influencers to come out of Nashville” (Bright Revolution), Grammy® award-winning record producer Charlie Peacock adds another chapter to his diverse musical story – When Light Flashes, his 4th jazz recording (2/16/18). The album features saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones), Jim Black collaborator Hilmar Jensson on guitar, bassist Felix Pastorius, drummer Ben Perowsky and trumpeter Matthew White. As the sonic architect behind best-selling music duo The Civil Wars, Peacock is largely known for his deft and moving productions, including “Misery Chain” by the late Chris Cornell from the soundtrack of Twelve Years a Slave and “Hush,” the title theme to the AMC drama Turn: Washington’s Spies featuring Joy Williams and The National’s Matt Berninger. Peacock’s special guests on When Light Flashes include Nashville neighbors Jeff Taylor on accordion (The Time Jumpers, Elvis Costello), fiddler/mandolinist Andy Leftwich (Ricky Skaggs) and A-Team session phenom Jerry McPherson on electric guitar. Bassists Matt Wigton and Scott Mulvahill, synthesist Tony Miracle and drummer Jordan Perlson also contribute. In honor of his northern California roots, When Light Flashes includes a Peacock composition titled “Automatt” dedicated to producer David Rubinson and pianist Herbie Hancock. The Automatt was a Rubinson-owned studio in San Francisco where Hancock was based for several years. Peacock gives a nod to his mid-south Nashville roots, too, with “Wendell Berry in the Fields at Night,” a tribute to the celebrated southern agrarian-poet of the same name. Six more songs round out the collection including two covers, “Still Water” by Daniel Lanois and “Masters of War” by Bob Dylan.

Camille Bertault - Pas de géant

The album’s title is a homage, sidestep and claim all at once. It is the literal translation of Giant Steps, the legendary John Coltrane standard from 1959, which Camille Bertault made her own in a YouTube video, including every note of the saxophone solo and marking the start of her rise in spring 2015.

In the album Pas de géant, she turns this virtuoso exercise into a phenomenal, liberated vocal display, explaining, sharing and declaring her passion - the astonishing song Là où tu vas [Wherever You Go]. This funny, erudite text is both humble and provocative. She asked Ravi Coltrane for permission to put it over Giant Steps and record - “We met up, I explained my approach and he accepted”.

And what was her approach? Words, rhythms, notes, a staggering way of having its meaning rush around at breakneck speed over music at the top of its game; sweet, free and unbridled in style. In truth, Coltrane has a bigger influence on her than do singers, even Betty Carter or Ella Fitzgerald.

But it's also worth listening out for the clear paradoxes she writes into the lyrics for Certes [Sure] (“Certes, il faut ne pas trop penser / Penser en s’remplissant la panse / De vide gras et d’existence / Et se concentrer sur sa chance” [“Sure, don’t think too much/Think while you fill your belly/With fatty nothingness and life/And concentrate on your luck”]). And then there’s the textual farce of Comptes de fées [Fairy tales] (“Elle c’est la fée, lui c’est le comte / Des contes de fées, il en raconte / Sur le contrat, il conte fleurette / Vite fait bien fait à fée Clochette” [“She’s the fairy, he’s the noble/He tells fairy tales/About the contract, he woos Tinker Bell/Quickly and masterfully”]).

And she sings the aria from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations at full speed, covers Serge Gainsbourg’s Comment te dire adieu, the surrealist Conne by Brigitte Fontaine and La Femme coupée en morceaux by Michel Legrand, written and sung in Brazilian over some Wayne Shorter and in French over Bill Evans.

Her giant steps go in ten different directions at once, weaving Les Double Six together with Helen Merrill, Claude Nougaro with Meredith d’Ambrosio, the films of Jacques Demy with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Jacques Loussier with André Minvielle... Her thoughts: “I wanted an album which reflected me rather than one which reflected its own genre.”

Pianist Roberta Piket Revisits Jazz Trio Format With the Release of "West Coast Trio"

Roberta Piket West Coast TrioRoberta Piket, one of the most virtuosic and versatile pianists on the current international jazz scene, revisits the iconic jazz piano trio format with the April 6 release of West Coast Trio on her label 13th Note Records. Joining Piket is the consummate rhythm section of drummer Joe La Barbera and bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz -- part of the vibrant West Coast jazz scene centered in metro-Los Angeles and whose presence inspired the album's title. Guitarist Larry Koonse guests on two tracks.

In addition to debuting two new Piket originals ("Mentor," "A Bridge to Nowhere"), West Coast Trio includes inspired interpretations of an eclectic set of songs ranging from standards like "Falling in Love with Love," "Windmills of Your Mind," and "My Buddy" to the samba "Flor de Lis" by Brazilian singer-songwriter Djavan, as well as works by fellow modern jazz pianist-composers Chick Corea ("Humpty Dumpty"), John Hicks ("Yemenja"), and George Shearing ("Conception").

Serendipitously, West Coast Trio's release comes almost 22 years to the day that Piket entered the studio to record her debut album as a leader -- 1996's Unbroken Line (Criss Cross), primarily a quintet session, with Donny McCaslin, Javon Jackson, and Michael Formanek, among others -- and embarked on a career path now in its third decade. Along the way the pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader has explored with equal ease and equanimity a spectrum of stylistic settings ranging from the mainstream to the avant-garde, from acoustic to electric, from the solo recordings Solo (2012) and 2015's Emanation (Solo: Volume 2) to 2016's critically acclaimed One for Marian: A Tribute to Marian McPartland, a loving homage to one of her champions and mentors and, until now, the crown jewel of a multifaceted discography. A sextet project featuring Steve Wilson, Virginia Mayhew, Harvie S, Bill Mobley, and Billy Mintz, One for Marian celebrated McPartland's underappreciated body of work as a composer while offering Piket meaty material as an arranger.

Piket's first love and the format that inspired her early love for jazz was the piano trio, and she is at her most relaxed and commanding when she's stretching out with a bassist and drummer -- something she demonstrates with authority throughout West Coast Trio. "I definitely feel the most at ease in a trio," Piket confides. "What the trio means to me is intimacy. There's such a directness of communication between the three musicians. It's all about interaction and not knowing what's going to come next. It's the essence of jazz."

"The last few records I've done had more of an agenda with regard to the repertoire," Piket reflects. "On the two solo records I was thinking of ways of challenging myself. I wanted to choose pieces that force me to stretch, not just a bunch of standards. West Coast Trio is the first record in a while where I chose several tunes that are simply fun to blow over. Our only agenda was to make some beautiful music."

Roberta Piket Born in Queens, New York in 1965, Roberta Piket inherited a passion for music from both of her parents. Her father was the Austrian composer Frederick Piket, who made significant contributions to both the musical liturgy of Reform Judaism and the concert hall. Her mother, Cynthia, introduced her to the treasures of the Great American Songbook, and she learned by ear the tunes of Porter, Gershwin, Kern, Rodgers, and Berlin.

Piket enrolled in the joint five-year double-degree program at Tufts University and New England Conservatory, graduating with a degree in computer science from the former and in jazz piano from the latter. After a year as a software engineer, she realized that her calling was music and returned to New York, where an NEA grant set her up to study with pianist Richie Beirach. Piket made her recording debut on an album by jazz legend Lionel Hampton and gained invaluable experience during the formative years of her career performing as a side-woman with David Liebman, Rufus Reid, Mickey Roker, Benny Golson, and Ted Curson.

She performs regularly with the Scott Reeves/Jay Brandford Tentet and the Virginia Mayhew Quartet, in duo with Mayhew, and with Mintz's quintet/quartet with saxophonists Tony Malaby and John Gross, and bassist Hilliard Greene (with whom she also plays in his In & Out Ensemble) as well as focusing on solo piano performance.

Roberta Piket will perform with her trio -- bassist Harvie S and drummer Billy Mintz -- at Mezzrow, NYC, on Thursday 4/19. She'll also be appearing at Maureen's Jazz Cellar, Nyack, NY, on Saturday 4/21. 

 

Jazz-R&B keyboardist David Garfield seizes the opportunity to create “Outside the Box”

Four decades into an accomplished career that has seen him record and tour with many of the brightest stars in the contemporary jazz, R&B and pop galaxies as well as front his own bands and solo albums, keyboardist, songwriter, producer and arranger David Garfield still feels like an outsider.

“All my life, I’m just trying to make music that I really believe in and can get really excited about. It’s never fit into one particular category thus, in many ways, I’ve spent my whole music career outside the box. It’s never been intentional and it’s not like I’m trying to be different just to be different. I’m just trying to be creative while striving for the highest level of musical and artistic integrity. In the long run, my career has taken place outside the box,” said Garfield, about “Outside the Box,” the extensive collection of recordings that he’s curating featuring a stellar cast of A-listers and premier session players that will be released on his Creatchy Records label.

The multi-part, genre-crossing project spanning various types of jazz, R&B, pop, country and rock will unfold in a series of record releases beginning with the March 23 release of “Jazz Outside the Box,” a straight-ahead jazz set with performances by Randy Brecker, Michael McDonald, The Doors’ drummer John Densmore, Tom Scott, Jason Scheff (Chicago), Will Lee, Eric Marienthal, Steve Ferrone, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Clayton, Michael Thompson, Brian Auger and Charlie Bisharat along with the accompaniment of full horn and string sections.

The second outing, “Jamming Outside the Box,” slated to drop this summer, has already spawned a Billboard No. 2 single with “Go Home,” showcasing a sizzling lineup on the Stevie Wonder original comprised of Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, guitar aces Paul Jackson Jr. and Tony Maiden (Rufus), bassist Freddie Washington, fellow keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, and horn players Marienthal and Stephen “Doc” Kupka (Tower of Power).  This disc will be comprised of smooth/contemporary jazz cuts, including the second single presently climbing the charts, “Jamming,” a remake of the Bob Marley classic showcasing guitarist Mike Campbell (a member of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers) and saxophonist Brandon Fields (The Rippingtons, Tower of Power). Icons David Sanborn and George Benson are among the luminous guests on the album, the latter for whom Garfield has served as music director since 1986. Other prominent players in the mix are Rick Braun, Nathan East, Marcus Miller, Ray Parker Jr. and Rickey Minor.    

Presently rising up the Mediabase country charts is a preview of “Vox Outside the Box,” a set of vocal songs that will be the third release of the series. “I Lied” is one of two songs Garfield wrote for the project with legend Smokey Robinson and radio programmers have been swift to embrace the cinematically sweet ballad with adult contemporary crossover potential (http://bit.ly/2BolVeF).

The fourth component will be “Stretchin’ Outside the Box,” which Garfield describes as “more adventurous with extended intros and special arrangements, a record perhaps geared towards musicians and music enthusiasts. It’ll have more fusion plus bonus tracks and alternate versions.” Garfield is also planning a seasonal selection entitled “Holidays Outside the Box.”  

“Outside the Box” includes some of the final performances from the late guitarists Chuck Loeb and Larry Coryell. Their passings are part of what sparks Garfield’s inspiration for this enormous undertaking.

“The truth is we’re all getting older, and I wanted to gather all these great talents together while everyone is still alive, active and accessible,” said the St. Louis native and longtime Los Angeles resident. “I think that this will be the last time I’ll have the chance to do anything like this, especially of this scope and magnitude. The feeling I had throughout the project - from session to session, even as the personnel changed - was that we were collectively creating a powerful sense of community through the music.”           

Despite all that he has done and achieved, including composing music for television, film, commercials and several international organizations, “Outside the Box” feels like it will be a career capper for Garfield, a crowning musical statement that he hopes will have a lasting impact. “I’m thinking about both the present and future, putting these tracks out in the world for consumption now, but in the hopes that after we’re gone, musicians who come up years from now will know what it was like to set up a Fender Rhodes and a drum set in the garage and play. Despite all the technology we have at our disposal, that’s where the raw energy begins. That energy is the core and driving force behind these songs, which to me truly represent not just the incredible musical legacy of Los Angeles, but various music communities from around the world.”

Saxophonist Owen Broder's American Roots Project Offers a Stunning New Vision of American Folk, Bluegrass, Spirituals and Blues on HERITAGE

Our roots run deep, and keep us connected to and nourished by the soil of our birth. But they also twist, tangle and intertwine while feeding our growth and evolution. With his American Roots Project, saxophonist/composer Owen Broder explores the weft and weave of American roots music - from Appalachian folk to early blues, spirituals to bluegrass - through bold and inspired new interpretations envisioned through the perspective of another distinctively American musical tradition: jazz. On the American Roots Project's debut album, Heritage, Broder combines several of modern jazz's most acclaimed composers and arrangers with an outstanding ensemble of gifted musicians to create a striking blend of tradition and innovation.

Heritage (due out March 1, 2018 through ArtistShare) calls on the talents of an impressive roster of composer/arrangers. They offer striking new twists on familiar American folk tunes as well as their own new pieces, each inspired by its creator's deeply personal take on the country's rich musical tradition. In addition to Broder, whose two originals open and close the album, there are contributions from Ryan Truesdell, founder of the celebrated Gil Evans Project, who also produced the album; Grammy-winning pianist/arranger Jim McNeely, known for his long tenure with the renowned Vanguard Jazz Orchestra; composer/arranger Bill Holman, long associated with the legendary Stan Kenton Orchestra; in-demand trumpeter/composer Alphonso Horne; and Tokyo-born bandleader/pianist Miho Hazama, whose m_unit ensemble melds big band jazz and classical chamber music.

Broder's American Roots Project interprets these remarkable pieces through the voices of an exceptional eight-piece ensemble: Broder on woodwinds; Sara Caswell, a violinist who regularly bridges the worlds of jazz and Americana; trumpeter Scott Wendholt; trombonist Nick Finzer; vibraphonist and percussionist James Shipp; pianist Frank Kimbrough; bassist Jay Anderson; and drummer Matt Wilson. On three tracks the band is joined by the transcendent vocal trio of Wendy Gilles, Kate McGarry and Vuyo Sotashe.

"It's an amazing group of people who all have great relationships with each other," Broder says. "All of these composers really brought the musicians' personalities into their writing. I think we all prefer to write for the people that are going to be playing rather than just the instruments."

That's certainly true of the bandleader himself, whose "Goin' Up Home" begins the proceedings with an entrancing, gradually expanding piece that works as an introduction to the ensemble and the concept. Sparked by the work of contemporary Americana innovators like Chris Thile, Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss, the song dawns slowly, with Caswell and Finzer intoning the folksy melody over Shipp's tick-tock pulse. As it proceeds, the song builds in complexity, layering in jazz harmonies and infectious swing rhythms. Broder just earned a 2018 Herb Albert Young Jazz Composer Award for the piece.

Hazama's first contribution, the original "Wherever the Road Leads," is a singular meld of perspectives, coming from the sole composer who doesn't share the others' American background. Taking on the role of the inspired outsider, Hazama borrows rhythmic and melodic themes from Appalachian tunes and reimagines them via a twelve-tone harmonic progression, leading to a kaleidoscopic collage of folk idioms. For her second piece, Hazama gives Gillian Welch's "I'm Not Afraid To Die" an impressionistic gloss pierced by the gorgeous melody sung by Wendholt's flugelhorn.

Hank Williams' familiar "Jambalaya," is transposed from the Crescent City to a more urban jazz environment in Bill Holman's rendition - as Broder writes, "this swinging re-imagination of the Cajun

tune has closer ties to Birth of the Cool than the streets of New Orleans." McNeely, meanwhile, drew upon his love of bluegrass music for his radical remake of the folk song "Cripple Creek," taking a narrative approach that leads the tune on an adventure through an ever-changing landscape.

Frank Kimbrough's brooding piano sets the tone for Truesdell's take on the timeless "Wayfaring Stranger," which also introduces the sublime vocal harmonies of Gilles, McGarry and Sotashe. The cleverly-titled "Brodeo" is Truesdell's version of a foot-stompin' bluegrass tune, setting the scene for a somewhat abstract rodeo. Broder, who has worked with the composer's Gil Evans Project, praises Truesdell as a bandleader, composer, and as Heritage's producer. "Ryan's a leader on a level that few others are," he says. "He's such a perfectionist and so detail-oriented, with incredibly fine-tuned ears. As a producer he was invaluable."

Horne's soaring "The People Could Fly" looks at a different side of the American odyssey, taking a piece of Bantu folk music from South Africa through the travails of slavery as it survives to find a place in the African-American church. Broder returns to conclude the album with "A Wiser Man Than Me," a looser piece that reflects the improvisational storytelling tradition through a wistful group improvisation on a simple, gospel-tinged melody.

The American Roots Project scans the history of American music and, through the inspiration that Broder finds there, discovers a new path into a profoundly personal contemporary vision. Heritage is an apt name for this moving collection, at once an inheritance and a gorgeous new link in a continually growing chain.

"The strains of American musical tradition are as deep and diverse as the lands of our forebears," Broder writes in his liner notes. "Heritage celebrates that diversity and the different backgrounds that combined to shape an American cultural identity."

Based in New York City, saxophonist/composer Owen Broder runs in a variety of musical circles as both bandleader and sideman. Broder's jazz quintet, Cowboys & Frenchmen, received critical acclaim for its 2015 release, Rodeo, and its 2017 follow-up Bluer Than You Think. Broder is a member of the Anat Cohen Tentet and has performed with internationally respected jazz artists including Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Project and Trio Globo; he has traveled with The Temptations and The Four Tops, and opened for Grammy Award-winner John Legend with his own soul band, Bitchin' Kitchen; in musical theater, he was a member of the pit orchestras for the German tour of Grease and the off-Broadway production For the Last Time, appeared with the band in David Bowie's Lazarus, and originated the woodwind chair in the U.S. Premier tour of The Bodyguard: The Musical. Broder holds a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music and a master's from the Manhattan School of Music and recently earned a 2018 Herb Albert Young Jazz Composer Award.

owenbroder.com

The Quest is the long-awaited third album from Guitarist Andreas Varady, a protégé of the legendary Quincy Jones

Resonance Records is proud to announce the release of The Quest, the third recording from twenty-year old guitar virtuoso, Andreas Varady. 

With the release of Questions (2010) and his eponymous CD in 2014, the native of Slovakia, and resident of Ireland, emerged from thin air and put the guitar playing world on notice that there was a new force on the instrument to be reckoned with. On The Quest, Varady's artistry has reached new heights, and it's staggering to behold. His unadulterated command of the guitar, his highly-developed skills as a composer, his rhythmic facility (which speaks volumes about his roots in Gypsy music), and his ability to craft an astonishing flow of single-note lines while traversing chord changes, all by ear, has attracted the attention of many legends of this music, not the least of which is Varady's mentor, manager, producer and friend, the esteemed Quincy Jones. The Quest, available on April 6, 2018, features Varady in the company of his father Bandi on bass, younger brother Adrian on drums, fellow Slovak Radovan Tariska on alto saxophone, and Venezuelan native (and current New York City resident) Benito Gonzalez on piano. 

At just twenty, Varady has already performed at major festivals and venues around the world. The next exciting new chapter in the journey of this uber-talented musician begins with the release of The Quest. Varady has expressed that this album, comprised of all original music, feels very much like his first fully realized artistic statement, and indeed it showcases Varady's evolution from child prodigy to consummate artist, one with an abundance of fresh, bold energy. "I feel like I'm giving you a piece of me on this album," said Varady. The album title, which also reads like a mission statement is, "about this whole quest that I'm on in music - seeking cool things, playing cool music in cool places, enjoying it all and having fun and doing what you wanna do," said Varady. The album is also his debut release on the boutique non-profit jazz label, Resonance Records, which signals a departure from his self-titled major label debut on Verve in 2014. Two other Quincy Jones protégés, Justin Kauflin and Alfredo Rodriguez, will also be releasing new albums in 2018.

Resonance EVP/GM (and executive producer on The Quest) Zev Feldman said about first hearing Varady, "Upon first listen, I was struck by his talent and artistry. Then getting a chance to meet him in Ireland, and spending some time talking with him, he just fits the mold of what Resonance is all about in terms of promoting younger artists and sharing their music. We're very happy to have him on the label. It's also a great honor to work with Quincy Jones and his team, and partnering with them to get Andreas' music out there is something we're very proud of. Resonance believes strongly in living artists also, not just those from a bygone era, and it's going to be very exciting to continue to watch him develop and we're thrilled to be able to add a chapter to his legacy on our label."

Varady has many influences. As expected, guitarists such as George Benson, Django Reinhardt, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Peter Bernstein have greatly impacted his playing, but Varady explains, "I've always been obsessed with saxophone players. I get as much influence listening to John Coltrane as I get from guitar players. But at the end of the day, I could list every musician that I've ever listened to as an influence. I act like a sponge that way. Whatever I listen to I always pick up some things, no matter if it's Radiohead or A Tribe Called Quest or Trane. It can be from hip-hop to rock and jazz...everything kind of all inspires me and influences me."

A child prodigy of Hungarian Roma descent, Varady picked up guitar at age four and quickly revealed his uncommon gift, learning Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" by ear. At age nine, he moved with his family to Ireland and by age 11, having already absorbed the influences of George Benson and Django Reinhardt, he began busking with his father on the streets of Limerick and Cork. Gigs around Ireland soon followed, mainly with drummer-producer David Lyttle, who produced Varady's first album, 2010's Questions. In 2011, at age 13, Andreas appeared with guitar master Martin Taylor at the Inishowen International Guitar Festival in Culdaff and later that year became the youngest headlining artist at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. Invited to play at the 2012 Montreux Jazz Festival by founder Claude Nobs, he performed for and met Quincy Jones, who signed him to his management company. He was signed to Verve Records in 2013 and his stateside debut, executive produced by David Foster and Quincy Jones and produced by Toto's David Paich, featured guest appearances from singer Gregory Porter and trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

The opener on The Quest, "Lost Memories," serves as a kind of mini-overture as Varady unleashes a fusillade of notes over the engaging theme. Up next is the dynamic "Radio Joint" establishing the flexible group chemistry while also showcasing urgent solos from Varady and Tariska over a driving 12/8 groove. Gonzalez pushes the envelope in his harmonically probing solo here, which is fueled by Adrian's intense, whirlwind attack around the kit. "He's in a huge growing place right now," says Varady of his younger brother. "He has this kind of ballsy playing style that I felt was the right thing for the tunes on this album." The 15-year-old further showcases his considerable drumming skills on the modal "Follow Me," which culminates in a kinetic call-and-response between the brothers. (By the way, that's Andreas playing double bass on the hip-hop flavored tag).

Varady combines speed and finesse combine on the driving 6/8 composition,"The Time Is Now" and utilizes some Frisellian backwards guitar effects on the evocative interlude "Patience." The adventurous title track is a centerpiece for this compelling album. Opening with a rubato free section that has Gonzalez playing inside the piano while his band mates add provocative colors and textures, it resolves to a buoyant theme with Andreas and Radovan tied together in tight unisons while navigating a tricky time-shifting terrain. "He's a great player," says Varady of the Slovakian saxophonist, "and I like his strong, darker sound."

The guitarist shows his urbane side on "Story" and the uplifting, melodic number "Her Dream." Then he swings unabashedly on the up-tempo "Radiska," a burner that also turns Tariska loose and has Gonzalez channeling his inner McCoy Tyner. "His soloing is swinging and very interactive," says Varady of the gifted pianist, who turns in a monstrous solo here. "That's the thing with all of us...we're very interactive on the album. No one is told, 'You do this, you do that.' It's more of a sketch and then see where it goes from there. So it was a natural process. This album was really open, like pure jazz...straight in the moment. That's what I was going for."

The closer, "Outro," featuring more backwards effects over a simple, serene melody, serves as a bridge to what Varady plans to explore in more depth on his next recording. "I thought it would be interesting to just add some of the elements that would be for my upcoming music," he explains. "I'm into a lot of electronic music, I'm into a lot of hip-hop. That's also a part of me, and I thought it would be cool to add that color to the album. It's almost like my one foot is solidly in jazz and on my other foot, my toes are in something else. And it's not like I'm crossing genres, it's more of like going from one of my styles to this other style and merging it all together to create this ultimate thing."

Bombay Rickey set to release new album Electric Bhairavi

“Delightfully outlandish, but never inaccessible, this pan-global cocktail is a true treat for the adventurous ear.” –TimeOutNY

A collection of sounds that take you on a trip around the world and through time is just the tip of the iceberg when describing Bombay Rickey’s newest release Electric Bhairavi. The album is a nod to surf rock, cumbia, Bollywood, and spaghetti-Westerns, and laced with soaring operatic vocals from the multi-talented lead vocalist Kamala Sankaram. Electric Bhairavi has a groove reminiscent of the 60’s beach vibes that grabs you and takes you on a listening journey.  Bombay Rickey is set to release their sophomore album, Electric Bhairavi on May 18 via Cowboys and Indian.

Now on their second album and with an opera under their belt, songwriting has become second nature to Bombay Rickey. The band is comprised of Kamala Sankaram (vocals, accordion, sitar), Drew Fleming (guitar, vocals), Jeff Hudgins (saxophones, vocals), Gil Smuskowitz (upright bass), and Brian Adler (percussion). Overflowing with talent, each member writes music and collaboratively they arrange the songs. This is most notable on the title track, “Electric Bhairavi.” Bhairavi is a classic Hindustani raga, and Bombay Rickey pairs the typical form of a classical Hindustani piece (alap, gat, and jhalla) with electric instruments. They match the traditional sitar with more prog rock and heavy metal riffs.  Having all come up via the New York and Texas indie rock/punk/experimental scenes, Bombay Rickey incorporates their rock n’ roll backgrounds and influences throughout the 10 track album.

Bombay Rickey started out as an Yma Sumac cover band. Yma Sumac was a Peruvian-American soprano who claimed a 5-octave range and was a national and international sensation circa the 1950’s. She released a handful of albums including the notable Mambo! Bombay Rickey’s Electric Bhairavi contains a few odes to Yma in the new album, including the notable “Gopher,” inspired by Yma’s famous “Gopher Mambo.” It is a surfy rendition and features Kamala singing a high E. Another standout and ode to Yma is “Virgenes del Sol,” an over the top surfy number that has a full opera chorus and appearances from the bari sax and Hammond organ creating the full sounds.

A few more standouts include, “Bhonkers” written by Adler, which captures the spirit of Bombay Rickey and features deep notes achieved by blowing on soda bottles. “Sa-4-5” is based on a composition (“Ranga Jinna Daro”), written in the raga Gujari Todi by Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, the noted Hindustani classical singer. This tune was taught to Jeff by Harriotte Hurie, a student of B. R. Bhatt, who learned the melody from Thakur directly. The lead single “Megalodon” was inspired by Kamala’s collection of prehistoric shark teeth collected from a beach in Manasota Key, FL. The psychedelic tune reimagines these ancient predators lurking beneath the water 40 thousand years ago.

With the new release, Bombay Rickey came back to Water Music in Hoboken to record with Gabriel Bento. For this record, they were able to use the newly restored Hammond A100 organ and Wurlitzer electric piano, which were out of commission for the first release due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. Overdubs were completed at LoHo Studios, the former Blue Man Group recording studio, with Rich Phillis.

The Brooklyn based band exploded on the scene in 2014 with Cinefonia, and earned the award Best Eclectic Album Vox Pop from the Independent Music Awards that year. From that time they have supported Dengue Fever, licensed a track for a Citibank ad, and have written and performed, both nationally and internationally, an opera based on the life of the legendary Yma Sumac. The show premiered at PROTOTYPE in New York with 7 sold-out shows, and traveled to Tête à Tête Opera's Cubitt Sessions in King's Cross, London. They are currently booked with the Mid-Atlantic Arts Fund’s Touring Roster this year.

Their live performance can’t be missed. Every performance is unique as the band improvises during each performance, and the band’s opening solos cannot be replicated. Bombay Rickey is set to tour this spring.

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Anat Cohen & Fred Hersch Present Their Debut Duo Recording LIVE IN HEALDSBURG

Anat Cohen and Fred Hersch, two of most prolific and celebrated artists in modern jazz today, proudly announce the release of their debut duo recording, Live In Healdsburg. The album, due out on Anzic Records on March 9, displays qualities these world-class artists, and expert collaborators, have in abundance: empathy, open hearts, big ears, quick instincts, and an ego-less approach to the music. Cohen and Hersch also have the rare gift of combining virtuosity and beauty, which permeates every note they play. 

As remarkable a clarinetist as she is, I have rarely played with a musician who listens so well. Often in the middle of a solo, she will stop playing and just check out what I am doing. She has amazing ears and such an ease with her instrument that she can really 'tell stories' in the moment. And Anat always imparts a sense of joy and passion to everything she plays. It is a true pleasure to make music with her! - Fred Hersch

Playing with Fred feels like swimming in an endless sea of possibilities. Fred is finely tuned to the moment and always ready to take the music in any direction - swinging, open, serious, humorous, groovy and always tasteful. Fred's incredible playing and his fascinating palate of colors and moods inspire me to jump in with my clarinet and go on an adventure together. It is a true pleasure to make music with him! - Anat Cohen

  

Live In Healdsburg comes on the heels of Anat's Tentet recording, Happy Song, and her two Brazilian albums, Outra Coisa: The Music of Moacir Santos (with 7-guitarist Marcello Gonçalves) and Rosa Dos Ventos (with Trio Brasileiro), both nominated for Grammy Awards this year. This trio of releases follows her previous album, Luminosa (2015). "The sound of Luminosa reflects my musical life in New York City," she explained. "I flow between modern and traditional jazz, between samba and choro - all maybe in a week's time. The title is Portuguese for luminous and to me, music is a luminous experience. Whenever I'm immersed in it, life lights up for me, no matter what else is going on." In a feature on Luminosa, NPR said: "Jazz musicians don't get much more global than Anat Cohen." Prior to that release came Claroscuro in 2012, another worldly collection that featured such guests as Paquito D'Rivera and Wycliffe Gordon - and garnered a four-and-a-half-star review in DownBeat Magazine. In 2009, Anat was the first Israeli to ever headline the hallowed Village Vanguard, a stand that yielded a quartet tribute to the Benny Goodman songbook in Clarinetwork: Live at the Village Vanguard (2010). Notes from the Village (2008) was a showcase for her multi-reed talents in quartet and quintet settings, and she released two albums in 2007, the orchestral Noir and string quartet-laced Poetica. Anat made her leader debut with the small-combo Place & Time (2005). Anat has also recorded four acclaimed albums as part of the3 Cohens Sextet with her brothers, saxophonist Yuval and trumpeter Avishai: One (2003), Braid (2007), Family (2011) and Tightrope (2013), with their work together landing them on the cover of DownBeat.

All About Jazz aptly called Anat "one of a kind," and she has won over the most knowing of jazz sages: Dan Morgenstern praised her "gutsy, swinging" style, Ira Gitler her "liquid dexterity and authentic feeling," and Gary Giddins her musicality "that bristles with invention." The late Nat Hentoff said: "Anat does what all authentic musicians do: She tells stories from her own experiences that are so deeply felt that they are very likely to connect listeners to their own dreams, desires and longings."

  

For Fred Hersch, Live In Healdsburg is the follow up recording to his latest CD, the double Grammy nominated, Open Book (his 7th and 8th nominations). This album with Ms. Cohen is also the latest recording in a stunningly impressive discography that dates back to the 1980s and encompasses more than twenty albums as a leader. Hersch has also appeared on more than twenty recordings as co-leader, over two dozen albums as a featured soloist (including the album Tightrope from The 3 Cohens, on Anzic), and more than sixty recordings as a sideman, for the likes of Art Farmer, Lee Konitz, Toots Thielemans, Eddie Daniels, Billy Harper and many others. Hersch, a Guggenheim fellow, recently released his memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly, which was featured in the Sunday New York Times and was named one of 2017's Five Best Memoirs by The Washington Post.

ANAT COHEN/FRED HERSCH - Live In Healdsburg

1. A Lark (Fred Hersch) 8:23

2. Child's Song (Fred Hersch) 7:21

3. The Purple Piece (Anat Cohen) 8:27

4. Isfahan (Billy Strayhorn) 8:05

5. Lee's Dream (Fred Hersch) 5:19

6. Peacocks (Jimmy Rowles) 10:25

7. Jitterbug Waltz (Fats Waller) 8:19

8. Mood Indigo - Encore (Duke Ellington) 5:13

Recorded live at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Raven Performing Arts Theater, Healdsburg, CA, June 11, 2016

Anat Cohen On Tour - 2018

March 2 - NYC @ The 92nd Street Y

March 10 - Cambridge, MA @ Sanders Theatre

Double Bill with Ben Wendel Seasons Group

March 14-17 - Davis, CA @ Mondavi Center for The Performing Arts

Fred Hersch & Anat Cohen Duo

March 18 - Boise, Idaho @ Boise State University

Fred Hersch & Anat Cohen Duo

March 20 & 21 - Seattle, WA @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

Fred Hersch & Anat Cohen Duo

April 5 - Lawrence, KS @ Lied Center of Kansas

Special Guest w/ KU Jazz Ensemble I

April 7 - Kansas City, MO @ American Jazz Museum

Anat Cohen Tentet

April 8 - Columbia, MO @ "We Always Swing"® Jazz Series

Anat Cohen Tentet

April 9 & 10 - Lebanon, IL @ Hettenhausen Center for the Arts,

McKendree University

Anat Cohen Tentet

April 11 - Dayton, OH @ Sears Recital Hall, University of Dayton

Anat Cohen Tentet

April 21 - Davie, FL @ Bailey Hall, Broward College

Anat Cohen Quartet

May 5 - Washington, DC @ John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts

Celebrate Mary Lou Williams featuring the Anat Cohen Tentet

May 31 - Sante Fe, NM @ Lensic Performing Arts Center

Fred Hersch & Anat Cohen Duo

Guitarist Perry Smith Makes Quintet Recording Debut with New Angel

At the core of everything that guitarist/composer Perry Smith does is the desire to create personal and musical connections with the artistic community. That's true of the community he's built around his inclusive weekly series in Brooklyn, "The Nest Session;" it's behind his decision to use social media as a means of reaching out, not cutting off. And it lies at the very heart of his third album as a leader, New Angel -- both in the close relationships he shares with his bandmates and in his desire to make the sometimes heady concepts of modern jazz something accessible and deeply personal.

New Angel (due out March 2 via Smith's own Smith Tone Records imprint) marks the debut of the gifted guitarist's stellar new quintet, which features saxophonist Jon Irabagon, pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Matt Aronoff and drummer Allan Mednard. While they've all played together in a variety of contexts, Smith's decision to bring together this particular group stems directly from their shared experiences at Nest Sessions jams, which he and Aronoff have co-led for more than three years.

"It's been a really wonderful experience," Smith says. "I've been able to play with so many incredible musicians each and every week, so I've formed a lot of strong musical relationships. Beyond my own quintet, though, it's really about bringing the community together and trying to create a diverse and inclusive space for every jazz artist in the city to feel welcome."

The creative and the activist stem from the same instincts in Smith's work. Though he insists that he didn't set out to make a "social justice" record per se, his response to our current divisive political moment comes through in meditative solo "vignettes" interspersed throughout the album. Titles like "Lullaby for Freedom" and "Hope for Peace" tell the (ultimately optimistic) story.

"I wanted a few of the tracks to represent the message that I wanted to get across," Smith explains. "One of the challenges you face as an artist is to figure out how you can make a difference with your art -- especially in jazz, which can be so theoretical and complex. How you can go beyond that to create work that has a deeper, greater meaning is something that I've been passionate about for a long time."

Translating similar instincts from the social to the musical lies behind Smith's decision to assemble his quintet. Following his two earlier quartet recordings, Stars and Cars (2009) and Street Sense (2013), he became drawn to composing for more voices, so the versatility offered by the combination of a guitar, piano and saxophone frontline became especially compelling. He found the specific possibilities offered by weaving his own voice with those of Irabagon and Zaleski, paired with the rhythmic imaginations of Aronoff and Mednard, especially thrilling. The album was co-produced by Sam Minaie, who played bass on both of Smith's previous releases and provided the unique insight of a sharp listener with a deep knowledge of Smith and his music.

In addition, the entire session was filmed and will be released as a series of videos through Smith's social media outlets. Seeing the shift in the way that listeners take in music, the guitarist wanted to be sure his music reached the widest possible audience in the most easily accessible form. While the full album will be available in more traditional forms, he hopes these videos will make a more immediate connection.

                                                                        

The band's thrilling chemistry is vividly apparent from the opening moments of "Rise and Fall," whose title makes the tune's shifting moods and tempos sound deceptively simple. The gentle, memorable melody is prime evidence of Smith's gift for crafting compositions that embrace the listener while providing plenty of spark for improvisation.

"Deep Water" is a much knottier outing; its title, in fact, reflects the challenge that confronts the quintet in its harmonic complexity and sharp, treacherous angles. "Playing this song can feel like, 'We're in deep water right now,'" Smith admits. "That's always been a tradition in jazz: the idea that you're pushing yourself to try to explore something new while still trying to create something musical."

If the title track seems to hang in the air like an unanswered question, that may be due to the fact that it's the earliest piece on the album, one that Smith started working on as he turned 30, met the woman who would become his wife, and found himself facing many of the larger "what ifs" in life. "New Angel" may be a reference to his now-wife, but more broadly it's a reference to a spirit of freshness and change.

The spikiness of "Monk's World" immediately evokes the keen-edged genius and eyebrow-arched joy of the great Thelonious Monk. Smith wrote the piece on the chord changes of Monk's classic "Epistrophy" as a way of paying homage to the legendary pianist's outsized influence. "In my experience on the jazz scene in New York," Smith says, "musicians are always more excited about playing Monk's tunes than anybody else's -- more than even Coltrane or Wayne Shorter or Herbie. I think it has to do with the playful nature of his songs and the cool, creative melodies that he wrote, which open a lot of freedom in the landscape."

Presaged by Smith's introspective, soulful "Notes for Nostalgia," "The Old Road" is a wistful rumination on the composer's early days growing up in the California Bay Area. A similarly reflective spirit pervades "Lucid Night," where the incisive melody suggests a certain brooding clarity.

"Graceful Spirit" returns the album to the theme of connection and community. It was specifically inspired by the eloquence and example of former President Barack Obama, but more generally muses on the idea of grace and empathy as powerful and necessary qualities in a leader -- whether of the free world or of a scintillating and passionate jazz quintet.

Guitarist Perry Smith combines the tradition of jazz with broad influences from R&B, rock and folk to create his indelible signature style. Originally from California, Smith is now based in Brooklyn where he leads his own groups and is a sideman for several jazz and contemporary artists. He is also a founding member of the critically acclaimed New West Guitar Group, which has been performing internationally for 10 years and has been recognized as one of the premier guitar ensembles in the country. Smith received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and completed his Masters in Music at New York University, studying with the great John Scofield. His extensive performance resume includes notable venues and festivals such as the Blue Note Jazz Club, The Village Vanguard, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Java Jazz Festival in Indonesia, and the Philippine International Jazz Festival. Smith hosts a weekly series in Brooklyn called "The Nest Session", performing with a different group of NYC's finest jazz musicians every Wednesday, generously supported by a grant from KeyedUp.org in conjunction with the Jazz Foundation of America.

Jazz-R&B keyboardist Brian Culbertson releases "Colors Of Love"

Contemporary jazz-R&B funkster Brian Culbertson has had love on his mind essentially since last Valentine’s Day. Inspired by the occasion of his twentieth wedding anniversary last fall, the keyboardist began writing thirteen new songs about a year ago dedicated to his wife, Michelle, which make up his “Colors of Love” album that was released on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, by BCM Entertainment. Substituting the live band instrumentation customary of his recordings, Culbertson crafted an intimate set of ardent acoustic piano melodies using sensual synth grooves and textures. With the title track of his eighteenth album that he wrote, arranged and produced already in the Billboard Top 5, his attention is fixed on creating the highly-theatrical production he’ll take on the road for nearly three months beginning March 30 across the bridge from Philadelphia in Collingswood, New Jersey and concluding in Seattle on June 17.    

Culbertson showcases his proficiency as a multi-instrumentalist by playing virtually all the instruments heard on “Colors of Love” – piano, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 organ, synth bass, drum programming, percussion and trumpet. The only supplementation came from guitarist Isaiah Sharkey along with an ethereal accordion passage from Peter White on the song “In A Dream.” Impassioned tracks like “I Want You,” “Love Transcended,” “Don’t Go,” “You’re Magic,” “Let’s Chill,” “Desire,” “In Your Embrace” and “The Look” employ caressing melodies and sultry rhythms to allure, soothe and seduce. Even more revealing and evocative is the ravishing piano poetry of “Through The Years,” “Michelle’s Theme” and “All My Heart,” poignant solo pieces that Culbertson uses effectively to tell wordless stories of romance and amorous contemplation.   

As he lovingly conceived the cozy collection depicting the many different “colors” of romantic love, Culbertson envisioned mounting an elaborate concert presentation utilizing video and lighting to present the cherished material in an immersive multimedia experience.

“I’m in the midst of creating a stunning-looking show, working closely with my lighting director and visual designer. We’re using a Visualizer to play each track to design and run the lighting and videos as if it was a live show right there on our computer screens. It enables us to dial in every little nuance of the music so that each video and light is precisely timed to the music. The detail is really amazing. I am loving the process of creating the production for the tour,” said Culbertson, who will begin ten days of production rehearsals in Nashville with his band in mid-March.

Culbertson’s Colors of Love Tour has already announced 66 shows in 50 cities with more soon to be added to the itinerary. The nationwide trek includes a June 7 performance at Culbertson’s seventh annual Napa Valley Jazz Getaway, a five-day music, wine and lifestyle experience held in the heart of California Wine Country.

“The ‘Colors of Love’ show will be staged in three acts. The first and third acts will showcase the new album along with romance-themed selections from my catalogue. In fact, we’re going to be drawing heavily from my ‘It’s On Tonight’ album,” explained Culbertson. “We’re not planning to do any big horn section pieces during this tour like I’ve done in the past and did extensively during last year’s Funk! Tour, but the second act will be a slamming funk set guaranteed to get everyone up and dancing.”

Joining the keyboardist-pianist-trombone player on tour are drummer Chris Miskel, bassist Joewaun Scott, guitarist Tyrone Chase, keyboardist-vocalist Eddie Miller, and Marqueal Jordan on saxophones, vocals and percussion.

“I asked Marqueal to bring his soprano sax for this tour. The sound fits the intimate ambience of the music we’re going to perform. It’s the first time in over a decade that I’ve used soprano sax in my live show,” said Culbertson, who describes the “Colors of Love” album as “textural ear candy cinematic in nature.” 

As Culbertson shares his anniversary and Valentine’s Day gift to his wife with the world on record and during the upcoming tour, expect the architect of 30 Billboard No. 1 singles as an artist, producer and/or songwriter to add to that stat.

For more information, including concert dates, please visit www.BrianCulbertson.com.