Legacy Recordings Announces Eclectic Assortment Of Collectible 7", 12" Vinyl And Cassette Titles For Record Store Day 2018 (Saturday, April 21)

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, today announces its most ambitious line-up of collectible releases for Record Store Day, to be released Saturday, April 21, 2018.

With 29 releases on 7" and 12" vinyl as well as cassette, this extraordinary collection of titles is Legacy's largest release slate in 11 years of celebrating Record Store Day with independent record retailers across the globe.

These exclusive releases celebrate some of the greatest acts in pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop, country and jazz, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers Band, Jeff Buckley, Eurythmics, Van Morrison & Joey DeFrancesco, Rage Against The Machine, Uncle Tupelo, Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead, Johnny Mathis, Wu-Tang Clan, Aaliyah, Soul Asylum, Marvin Gaye, Thelonious Monk and many more.

Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands of similar stores internationally. This year, Run The Jewels has been named as Record Store Day's Official Ambassador.

To locate your nearest participating RSD shop, please visit http://www.recordstoreday.com/Stores

Legacy Recordings' Record Store Day 2018 releases include:

The Allman Brothers Band, Live At The Atlanta Pop Festival, July 3 & 5, 1970 (4LP 12" vinyl – Individually Numbered – First Time on Vinyl)

The Allman Brothers Band was one of Georgia's top live acts still looking for a national break when they were hired to open the three-day Atlanta International Pop Festival. The band's Southern blues style, bolstered by jams that stretched to epic lengths, won over audiences—and two days later, after legends like Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and B.B. King took the stage, the Allmans were invited back for a second set. Recorded nearly a year before At Fillmore East established them as one of America's hottest bands, fans can now discover these landmark nights in Allman Brothers Band history with this individually numbered, limited edition box set, available on vinyl for the first time and packaged in an oversize slipcase with an eight-page booklet of photos and liner notes.

Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, It Takes Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (LP – Red Opaque Vinyl)

As hip-hop moved into the mainstream in 1988, Harlem duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock changed the game with "It Takes Two," one of the undisputed classic singles of the genre. The group's debut album It Takes Two, which featured the title track as well as the dance hits "Joy and Pain" and "Get On The Dance Floor," has been newly remastered in high definition from the original tapes and pressed on red opaque vinyl—its first appearance on the format since its original release 30 years ago.

Big Audio Dynamite II, On The Road Live '92 (12" Single – First Time on Vinyl)

The Clash's Mick Jones resurrected Big Audio Dynamite with a new lineup in the early 1990s, releasing The Globe, the band's best-selling album in America, in 1991. This five-track EP, available for the first time on vinyl, features performances from live dates in Chicago and New York—including a rendition of the band's U.K. No. 1 single, "Rush."

Jeff Buckley, Live At Sin-é: Legacy Edition (4LP 12" vinyl – Individually Numbered – First Time on Vinyl)

In a cramped club on the lower east side of Manhattan, armed with only an electric guitar, Jeff Buckley stunned audiences with his mysterious, emotionally uncompromising live sets, packed with eclectic covers and his own originals. The four-track Live At Sin-é EP, released in 1993, was his debut release for Columbia Records; here, it's expanded as a numbered, limited edition in a deluxe hard shell slipcase housing four individually designed LP jackets and an eight-page, full-color booklet of photos and liner notes. Live versions of favorites like "Grace," "Last Goodbye" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" appear here on vinyl for the first time.

Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition (5LP 12" vinyl – Individually Numbered – First Time on Vinyl)

"Hello…I'm Johnny Cash." With those four words, The Man in Black solidified his legend as outlaw country pioneer with two spirited sets recorded at Folsom State Prison in 1968 and released as At Folsom Prison, one of the most acclaimed live albums of all time. This special box set includes both full concerts available for the first time on vinyl, including performances by June Carter, Carl Perkins and The Statler Brothers. This numbered deluxe package, featuring individually designed LP jackets packaged in a deluxe hard shell slipcase with an eight-page, 12" x 12" booklet, also includes a bonus 12" single featuring previously unreleased audio of Cash and friends rehearsing at the El Rancho Motel in Sacramento, California, the night before the concerts took place.

Circle Jerks, Gig (LP)

Released during a four-year hiatus for the seminal Los Angeles punk band, Gig features live highlights from the group's tenure on the Combat label during the latter half of the 1980s. Gig is now available on vinyl for the first time in the United States, and features newly-restored album packaging.

Cypress Hill, Black Sunday – Remixes (12" Single)

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the best hip-hop albums of the '90s with this newly-compiled stash of rare remixes from Cypress Hill's breakthrough sophomore album Black Sunday. Includes alternate versions of "Insane In The Brain," "Lick a Shot," "When The Sh-- Goes Down" and "Hits From The Bong," plus the non-album track "Scooby Doo."

Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead, Dylan & The Dead (LP – Red and Blue Tie-Die Vinyl)

In 1987, two legends joined forces for an unforgettable tour. Now, Dylan & The Dead, featuring The Grateful Dead backing up Bob Dylan on seven of his classic songs, including "All Along The Watchtower," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Gotta Serve Somebody," is available on red and blue tie-dye vinyl for a trip unlike any other.

Eurythmics, 1984 (For The Love of Big Brother) (LP)

To be released on vinyl in the U.S. only for Record Store Day, the mostly-instrumental soundtrack to the British film adaptation of George Orwell's renowned dystopian novel (also released in 1984) is one of Eurythmics' most experimental works, as well as one of the duo's personal favorites. Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart's diverse electronic stylings accentuate the dark mood of the film, and "Sexcrime (1984)"—which was met with controversy from U.S. radio for its perceived content—became the duo's sixth consecutive U.K. Top 10 hit.

Marvin Gaye, Sexual Healing: The Remixes (12" Single – Red Smoke Vinyl)

In 1983, after a six-year absence from the upper reaches of the pop charts, Marvin Gaye re-established his soul supremacy with "Sexual Healing," an addictive romantic classic and the final pop hit of his lifetime. This EP, pressed on red smoke vinyl, includes seven versions of this unforgettable song (several making their vinyl debuts), including the original 12" single version, a rare alternate vocal version and remixes by Ben Liebrand, Kygo, SNBRN and more.

Jimi Hendrix, Mannish Boy b/w Trash Man (7" Single)

Recorded at New York City's Record Plant on April 22, 1969, this uptempo reworking of Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy" marks Jimi Hendrix's first recording session with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles—the trio who became known as Band of Gypsys, whose work with Hendrix had a significant impact on his remarkable legacy. First released on Both Sides Of The Sky, a new studio album of rare and unissued Hendrix recordings, "Mannish Boy" is issued here as a 45 RPM single backed with "Trash Man," an April 3, 1969 studio recording made by the original Jimi Hendrix Experience. "Trash Man" is drawn from Hear My Music, a Dagger Records "official bootleg" album not sold in stores and otherwise only available to fans via jimihendrix.com.

Hot Tuna, Live At The New Orleans House (2LP – First Time on Vinyl)

Legacy Recordings' Live From The Vaults series uncovers rare and unreleased concerts on vinyl, featuring classic bootleg-inspired jacket design with unique, artist-specific outer wraps (OBIs)! Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane first conceived Hot Tuna as a loose, easygoing side project showcasing the duo's favorite pre-war country and blues songs in an intimate, acoustic style. Live At The New Orleans House features alternate performances from the same weeklong run of shows in Berkeley, California that were used for the band's self-titled debut in 1970—all released here for the first time on LP!

Living Colour, Live At CBGB's, 12.19.89 (LP – First Time on Vinyl)

Legacy Recordings' Live From The Vaults series uncovers rare and unreleased concerts on vinyl, featuring classic bootleg-inspired jacket design with unique, artist-specific outer wraps (OBIs)! For the first time on LP, experience Living Colour's triumphant homecoming set at the legendary New York City punk club. Recorded at the end of the tour promoting the group's smash debut album Vivid, this hard-driving set also previews songs from the band's next album, Time's Up, released in the summer of 1990.

Kenny Loggins, Return To Pooh Corner (LP – Purple Swirl Vinyl – First Time on Vinyl)

Kenny Loggins' 1994 children's album featured tender, gentle renditions of songs like "Rainbow Connection," "Somewhere Out There" and "Pure Imagination," plus a re-recording of Loggins & Messina's classic "House At Pooh Corner." This album (featuring guest appearances by David Crosby, Graham Nash and Amy Grant) makes its LP debut, pressed on purple swirl vinyl.

Johnny Mathis, I Love My Lady (LP – Clear Smoke Vinyl – First Time on Vinyl)

In 1982, Johnny Mathis attempted one of the biggest gambles of his lengthy career: an album of disco-ready funk and bossa nova tracks, written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the founders of CHIC and hitmakers for Sister Sledge, Diana Ross and others. Unreleased for more than 35 years, the legend of I Love My Lady looms large. First released in Mathis' 2017 career-spanning CD box set The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection, I Love My Lady now makes its standalone debut, pressed on clear smoke vinyl and packaged in a jacket that captures the look and feel of a 1982 vintage Columbia Records release.

Thelonious Monk, Monk (LP)

Thelonious Monk's fourth studio album for Columbia Records, released in 1964, featured a sprightly mix of standards ("Just You, Just Me," "April In Paris") and originals ("Teo," a unique arrangement of "Children's Song (That Old Man)"). Monk would use this lineup (himself on piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, Larry Gates on bass and Ben Riley on drums) in the studio and in concert for the next four years. To close Monk's centennial year, rediscover this overlooked gem in his discography, newly remastered at high resolution from the original master tapes.

Van Morrison & Joey DeFrancesco, Close Enough for Jazz b/w The Things I Used to Do (7" Single)

This limited edition 7" single is a collaboration between legendary vocalist Van Morrison and jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, featuring a new version of Morrison's "Close Enough for Jazz" and a stunning rendition of Guitar Slim's "The Things I Used to Do."

Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy: Comedian (LP)

Recorded in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1983, Saturday Night Live superstar Eddie Murphy's raucous, no-holds-barred stand-up set tackled family barbecues, ice cream trucks and Reaganomics with the one-of-a-kind energy that quickly established him as one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars. That set became the acclaimed stand-up special Delirious and the album Eddie Murphy: Comedian, a Grammy Award winner for Best Comedy Album—now back on vinyl for the first time in more than 30 years!

Pink Floyd, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Mono) (LP)

The psychedelic debut album by Pink Floyd was their sole album completed with original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett and featured the early classic "Interstellar Overdrive." The original mono version of Pink Floyd's first LP, named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, is available on vinyl for the first time in more than 50 years.

Elvis Presley, The King In The Ring (2LP – Individually Numbered – Red Vinyl – First Time on Vinyl)

Elvis Presley re-established himself as The King of Rock and Roll with ELVIS, the widely-seen "comeback special" broadcast on NBC at the end of 1968. The show's many highlights included laid-back live performances recorded in the round before a small audience and featuring a powerful ensemble—including guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana, both part of Elvis' original, classic backing band. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of ELVIS, both electrifying, intimate "sit-down" sets will be released on vinyl for the first time in an individually numbered 2LP package with a newly created gatefold sleeve, pressed on red vinyl. The history of Presley's amazing "comeback special" is told in Elvis Presley: The Searcher, the new documentary premiering April 14 on HBO.

Prodigy, Keep It Thoro (Picture Disc)

As half of the iconic group Mobb Deep, Prodigy (1974-2017) was a key player in New York hip-hop's mid-1990s renaissance, delivering in-depth, uncompromising verses about life in the Queensbridge projects. Certified Classics honors Prodigy's legendary and undisputed legacy with a special picture disc release using the original artwork from his debut hit solo single, 2000's "Keep It Thoro," and featuring instrumental and a cappella versions of the track as well as a remix by Prodigy's Mobb Deep partner Havoc.

Rage Against The Machine, Democratic National Convention 2000 (LP – First Time on Vinyl)

Less than a year after the release of the album The Battle Of Los Angeles, Rage Against The Machine performed a concert in protest of the American political party system across from the Staples Center while the Democratic National Convention was held inside. Rage Against The Machine's set is now available for the first time on vinyl for Record Store Day.

Soul Asylum, Live From Liberty Lunch, Austin, TX, December 3, 1992 (2LP – Previously Unreleased – First Time on Vinyl)

Legacy Recordings' Live From The Vaults series uncovers rare and unreleased concerts on vinyl, featuring classic bootleg-inspired jacket design with unique, artist-specific outer wraps (OBIs)! This never-before-heard set features Soul Asylum's hard-driving performance at the legendary Austin venue Liberty Lunch, just months after the release of their breakthrough album Grave Dancers Union.

Bruce Springsteen, Greatest Hits (2LP – Individually Numbered – Red Vinyl)

Originally released in 1995, Greatest Hits was the first collection of powerful hit singles from the first two decades of Bruce Springsteen's career—and kicked off an exciting new chapter in his story with three brand-new songs recorded with The E Street Band after nearly a decade apart. Long unavailable on the vinyl format, this individually numbered 2LP set, pressed on red vinyl, is assembled from the brilliant remasters of Springsteen's discography by Bob Ludwig.

Uncle Tupelo, No Depression – Demos (LP – First Time on Vinyl)

Released in 1990, Uncle Tupelo's debut album No Depression was a genuine milestone in American rock and roll, a striking fusion of traditional folk and country with post-punk innovation and hardcore ferocity. For the first time on vinyl, fans can hear Jeff Tweedy, Jay Farrar and Mike Heidorn's legendary demo tape Not Forever, Just For Now, recorded in 1989, plus a demo of "No Depression" recorded a year prior.

Various Artists, Dogfish Head Brewery: Music To Drink Beer and Make Love To (LP)

Dogfish Head Brewery and Legacy Recordings' ongoing Music To Drink Beer To series is a Record Store Day tradition—and this year's entry offers a perfect playlist for refreshment as well as romance. Get in the mood with tracks from Teddy Pendergrass, Ginuwine, Jeff Buckley, Bill Withers, A Tribe Called Quest, Nina Simone and many more!

Wu-Tang Clan, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Cassette)

25 years ago, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) introduced hip-hop heads to one of the genre's most unconventional groups ever. Rediscover the debut of Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Method Man and all the rest, now available on cassette for the first time since its original release.

NEW RELEASES: MICA BETHEA - SUITE THEORY; MENAGERIE – ARROW OF TIME; FIRE (MATS GUSTAFSSON) - HANDS

MICA BETHEA - SUITE THEORY

On Suite Theory, composer and arranger Mica Bethea has turned a devastating, life altering accident into an inspired work of art. When he was just 21 years old, a car accident left him a quadriplegic, but his artistic drive and deep musicality remained unscathed.  This is Bethea’s third CD. His previous projects have established his reputation as a distinctive voice whose big band writing is infused with soulfulness and a satisfying complexity.  Although he’s drawn on personal experiences in his previous releases, Suite Theory is a thoroughly biographical project. It follows the arc of his life from before the accident until today.  Since this was going to be an extended composition, he decided to write it as a symphony in four movements with each movement corresponding to a period of his life. Although Bethea’s music is rooted in the big band genre, he has a voice that’s all his own. That’s largely because he writes for himself and doesn’t worry about categories or stylistic purity. His music is both fun and complex. It’s brimming with originality and technical sophistication.  Although his body is limited, his mind, heart, and artistic soul are flying free and unfettered in the musical cosmos. SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/mica-bethea/sets/suite-theory/s-Am2XV

MENAGERIE – ARROW OF TIME

Deep sounds from Menagerie – a group led by funky genius Lance Ferguson, who's given us wonderful work in a variety of styles over the years – but who here has turned his talents to the world of spiritual jazz, which he takes on brilliantly with this excellent ensemble! Menagerie have a classic vibe that really lives up to the cover of the record – a style that's in that post-Coltrane moment when jazz groups were getting even more sophisticated with both their performance and sense of composition – really pushing the boundaries with new ideas, and a much larger vision in jazz. Lance plays guitar in the group, but the fuller energy comes from the tenor, alto, and soprano sax of Phillip Noy, as well as the trumpet of Ross Irwin, and use of piano and Fender Rhodes by Mark Fitzgibbon – all excellent players who can really hit the right sort of crescendo in spirit! The leadoff track has some great vocals, and all others are instrumental – nice and long, and very deep – with titles that include "Evolution", "The Arrow Of Time", "Escape Velocity", "Spiral", and "Nova". ~ Dusty Groove

FIRE (MATS GUSTAFSSON) - HANDS

Fire may well be on fire more than ever before here – which is saying a lot, given the trio's previous run of really amazing records! The set features lots of bold work on electric bass from Johan Berthling – who almost seems out to transform the avant jazz combo into some sort of heavy rock trio from the Brit scene of the early 70s – inspired clearly by all the fuzz and dark tones of that generation, which makes an amazing match for the reeds of Mats Gustafsson and drums of Anreas Werliin! There's this amazing freakout vibe here – almost as if the ESP generation of the late 60s had drunk deep from the brew of early Sabbath – then commenced to merge outside jazz and rock in ways that Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp never could have imagined. Mats blows tenor, baritone, and bass saxes – and also plays electronics – while Werliin controls some feedback on the performance, which certainly adds to its ferocity. Titles include "To Shave The Leaves In Red In Black", "Washing Your Heart In Filth", "Touches Me With The Tips Of Wonder", "The Hands", and "When Her Lips Collapsed". ~ Dusty Groove

 

Van Morrison Joins Forces with Jazz Organ Virtuoso Joey DeFrancesco on You're Driving Me Crazy, a New Studio Album

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Van Morrison's new 39th studio album, You're Driving Me Crazy, a musical collaboration with Hammond organ virtuoso and trumpet master Joey DeFrancesco, on Friday, April 27.

The successor to Versatile, Van's chart-topping jazz album from 2017, You're Driving Me Crazy will be available in 1CD/2LP physical configurations. A limited edition 7" single--featuring Van Morrison's "Close Enough For Jazz" b/w Morrison's stunning rendition of Guitar Slim's "The Things I Used To Do"--will be available for Record Store Day 2018 (celebrated at independent record stores nationwide on Saturday, April 21).

  

A new milestone in Van Morrison's ever-expanding catalog of essential recordings, You're Driving Me Crazy finds the iconic Irish singer-songwriter-performer exploring a variety of jazz and blues standards and classics ("Miss Otis Regrets," "The Things I Used to Do," "Everyday I Have the Blues") alongside fresh interpretations of songs from Van's own catalog ("Have I Told You Lately," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Magic Time").

You're Driving Me Crazy finds Morrison collaborating in the studio with DeFrancesco and his band--including Dan Wilson (guitar), Michael Ode (drums) and Troy Roberts (tenor saxophone). DeFrancesco, who signed his first deal with Columbia Records at the age of 16, has performed with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Grover Washington, Jr. and many more while leading his own band, and is responsible for bringing the classic Hammond organ sound back to the world of jazz in the late 1980s.

The release of You're Driving Me Crazy caps more than a year of non-stop activity for Van Morrison, who released his 37th and 38th studio albums (Roll with the Punches and Versatile) in quick succession in the fall and winter of 2017. Roll With The Punches became his 13th album to reach the Top 10 of the U.K. charts, while Versatile topped Billboard's jazz chart.

The world of jazz has provided a vital ongoing influence on the music of Van Morrison, whose acclaimed 1968 studio masterpiece, Astral Weeks, showcased jazz musicians Connie Kay, Jay Berliner, and Richard Davis.  Inspired by the spontaneity, soul and sound of jazz, Morrison has performed on stage and/or in the studio with a variety of jazz and blues musicians including John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Bobby Bland, Solomon Burke, Jeff Beck, Georgie Fame, Robbie Robertson, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Maceo Parker, Candy Dulfer and others.

Joey DeFrancesco is a prolific American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist and Grammy-nominee who signed his first record deal (with Columbia Records) at the age of 16 and has gone on to release more than 30 albums. He has performed on stage and in the studio with a wide variety of artists including Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, David Sanborn, Arturo Sandoval, Larry Coryell, Frank Wess, John McLaughlin, Danny Gatton, Elvin Jones, and many more. DeFrancesco is a nine-time winner of the Down Beat Critics Poll (organ) and has won the Down Beat Readers Poll every year since 2005. He has won a number of JazzTimes Awards and is an inaugural member of the Hammond Hall of Fame.

YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY

1. Miss Otis Regrets (Cole Porter)

2. Hold It Right There (Terry, Grey, Vinson)

3. All Saints Day (Van Morrison)

4. The Way Young Lovers Do (Van Morrison)

5. The Things I Used To Do (Eddie Jones)

6. Travellin' Light (John Mercer, James Mundy, James Young)

7. Close Enough For Jazz (Van Morrison)

8. Goldfish Bowl (Van Morrison)

9. Evening Shadows (Van Morrison / Acker Bilk)

10. Magic Time (Van Morrison)

11. You're Driving Me Crazy (Walter Donaldson)

12. Everyday I Have The Blues (Peter Chatman)

13. Have I Told You Lately (Van Morrison)

14. Sticks and Stones (Titus Turner)

15. Celtic Swing (Van Morrison)

NEW RELEASES: MATTHEW SHIPP - ZERO; IVAN LINS & GILSON PERANZZETTA - CUMPLICIDADE; THE CONGREATION – RECORD COLLECTION

MATTHEW SHIPP - ZERO

Two sides of zero from Matthew Shipp – one CD of solo piano material, and a second disc that features spoken Shipp delivering "A Lecture On Nothingness"! As you might guess, we're most moved by the piano work – which is wonderful, and seems to have Matthew rediscovering some of his warmer elements, while still keeping things very angular, experimental, and full of surprise! There's these subtle colors here that could sometimes be missing from Shipp's music in points over the past decade or two – and there's some especially beautiful moments that almost have him working in territory of Herbie Nichols or Thelonious Monk – with lots of beautiful angles and shapes from the piano. Titles include "Zero Skip & A Jump", "Zero", "Abyss Before Zero", "After Zero", "Pattern Emerge", "Cosmic Sea", and "Zero Subtract From Jazz". ~ Dusty Groove

IVAN LINS & GILSON PERANZZETTA - CUMPLICIDADE

A really wonderful setting for the lyrical talents of Ivan Lins – a set that has the singer working alongside pianist Gilson Peranzzetta – but at a level that's maybe even more expressive than some of his recent albums with fuller arrangements! Gilson is a partner of Lins in a legacy that goes back to the 70s – and both artists play keyboards and piano here, interweaving rhythms and lines in this way that's light, but quite powerful – yet still spare, which leaves Ivan to dominate the proceedings strongly with his vocals – and remind us that his singing helped transform a generation, and open up a global market for his songs. Titles include "Abre Alas", "Antes Que Seja Tarde", "Lembra De Mim", "Ai Ai Ai Ai", "Love Dance", "Setembro", and "Temporal".  ~ Dusty Groove

THE CONGREATION – RECORD COLLECTION

The Congregation must have quite a big record collection – given the range of classic influences that go into their music – a wealth of sounds from Motown to Memphis soul, to some deeper blues currents that come from their Chicago hometown! The group are a tight little collective – able to burn slow, or burst out strongly on their horns – and this time around, they seem to have an even stronger southern soul vibe than before – all graced by the lead vocals of singer Gina Bloom. Titles include "Record Collection", "They Will Fall", "Sentimental One", "Until We Die", "Love Letter", "Better Days", and "The Bottom". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: SEAN KUTI & EGYPT 80 – BLACK TIMES; DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO – CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR; MONOPHONICS - MIRRORS

SEAN KUTI & EGYPT 80 – BLACK TIMES

Some of the most righteous and furiously funky Afro Soul since Fela Kuti's prime – and it's beyond appropriate for such a committed, perfect personification of a classic sound via a modern player come from Fela's own son Seun! As strident as Seun's approach is, much like his father at his best, the call for revolution is as personal and soulful as it is political – this is a universal that's as riveting as you'd hope. Joined by veterans of the Egypt 80 band that Fela helped form back in the day, and featuring guests as legendary as Carlos Santana – who sounds SO good in a supporting roll on an Afro Soul tune – and modern soul jazz heavy Robert Glasper, this is among the finest new albums on the Strut label in years. Includes "Last Revolutionary", "Black Times" feat Carlos Santana, "Corporate Public Control Department (CPCD)", "Kuku Kee Me", "Bad Man Lighter (BML)", "African Dreams", "Struggle Sounds" and "Theory Of Goat And Yam". ~ Dusty Groove

DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO – CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

An organ trio, and one with plenty of soul – romping drums, riffing guitar, and some mighty sweet work on the Hammond by Delvon Lamarr! This is the first we've ever heard of the group, but they're rock solid and right on the money – working with a lean, hard style that's completely classic, but also a bit contemporary too – maybe swinging in the best sort of space between the Jack McDuff Quartet of the 60s and the Sugarman Three group of Desco Records fame! David McGraw handles the drums with a clear love of funk, and Jimmy James is wonderfully wicked on guitar – never trying to dominate too much, as there's no need – given how much he brings to the overall groove. Delvon's a hell of an organist too – the kind that knows that a little can often go much farther than a lot when handling the electric keys – which he does to set up some sweet solos on cuts that include "Ain't It Funky", "Al Greenery", "Can I Change My Mind", "Walk On By", "Between The Mustard & The Mayo", "Raymond Brings The Greens", and "Little Booker T". (Black vinyl pressing.) ~ Dusty Groove

MONOPHONICS - MIRRORS

A nice little project from The Monophonics – one that has the group turning their fuzzy funk talents towards a host of classic cuts from the 60s and 70s – which they remake with a very distinctly different sound! You're bound to recognize most cuts here, but it might take you a minute or two – as the Monophonics bring plenty of instrumentation that wasn't on the originals – from heavy drums, to Hammond, Fender Rhodes, electric sitar, mini moog, Arp, and trumpet – along with vocals from a few different singers, both male and female. Titles include "Summer Breeze", "Lying", "I'd Be Nowhere Today", "California Dreaming", "My Heart Cries", and an especially nice version of "Beggin". ~ Dusty Groove

New Releases: AIRTO MOREIRA - ALUE; MARTINHO DA VILA – ALO VILA ISABEEEEL; LEVENTA POEIRA – AFRO BRAZILIAN MUSIC & RHYTHMS FROM 1976-2016 COMPILED BY TAHIRA

AIRTO MOREIRA - ALUE

One of the greatest albums in years from percussion Airto Moreira – a set that really lives up to the complex sort of grooves he first brought to our shores in the 70s! Airto's back home in Brazil for this set, and working with a really great lineup – a group that's heavy on acoustic elements, and which takes the musician back to the soaring spirit of his work in Quarteto Novo, and that time when both he and Hermeto Pascoal were getting the chance to start recording in America as well! There's none of the later fusion modes going on here – and production is nice and open, very organic – really allowing a fantastic flow from the mix of percussion, flute, guitar, saxes, and piano on the tunes. Honestly, the whole thing reminds us more of the album Seeds On The Ground or Natural Forces than it does most of Airto's records in later years – and titles include "Rosa Negra", "Misturada", "Alue", "Guarany", "Sea Horse", "Lua Flora", and "Nao Sei Pra Onde Mas Vai". ~ Dusty Groove

MARTINHO DA VILA – ALO VILA ISABEEEEL

Still-tremendous work from one of the greatest voices in samba music – working here in a set that's filled with lively rhythms, and which also features a few younger guests in the spotlight as well! Martinho's voice is full of charm, with this raspy edge that belies his maturity – but quite differently than when some of the older sambistas were making records in the 70s – maybe because the instrumentation is full of fresh colors and heavy on acoustic elements, which really keeps a youthful spirit to the whole thing. Martinho takes the lead on most of the record, but the set also features performances by Maria Freitas, Mart'Nalia, Dunga, Claudio Jorge, and Andre Diniz – on titles that include "Quatro De Abril", "Sempre A Sonhar", "Filho Fiel", "Palpite Infeliz", "Soy Louco Por Ti America", "Um Barraco Na Vila/Feliza Da Vila/Filho Da Vila/Isabel/Vilacete", and "Pagode Do Seu China". ~ Dusty Groove

LEVENTA POEIRA – AFRO BRAZILIAN MUSIC & RHYTHMS FROM 1976-2016 COMPILED BY TAHIRA

Brazilian grooves from the rootsier side of the spectrum – tunes that are often a lot earthier than sounds you might know from bossa nova – with plenty of raw percussion to get the grooves going! The music here spans the space of a few decades, but it's united by a timeless vibe that really makes the cuts hold together – and even the few remixes on the record never make things sound too contemporary – they just extend the drums even more! Titles include "Brilhantina" by Renata Rosa, "Balao Azul" by Banda De Pifanos De Caruaru, "Kirie" by Georgette, "Baiao Destemperado" by Barbatuques, "Toda Menina Baiana (Tahira rmx)" by Gilberto Gil, "No Balanco Da Canoa (Chico Correa rmx)", and "Gode Pavao" by Coco Raizes De Arcoverde. ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: MFSB – THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION; XENIA FRANCE – XENIA; QUIN KIRCHNER – THE OTHER SIDE OF TIME

MFSB – THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION

Massive work from this legendary group – a studio ensemble who started out backing some of the best soul singers on the Philly scene of the 70s – but who soon got the chance to shine in the spotlight on their own! The musicians are all the cream of the crop of the city's scene – many with legacies that go back to the 60s, with work in a variety of formats – coming together here in a lineup that's tight, but never slick – sharp, but always able to open up and groove! The music here begins with instrumental tracks from the pre-disco years – music that's a huge change from the rough style of 60s soul instrumentals – and which adds in more sophisticated charts, a bit of orchestrations, and other elements – while still letting all the best soulful elements come through in the mix. The 2CD package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Zack's Fanfare", "Sexy", "Philadelphia Freedom", "KJEE", "Brothers & Sisters", "TSOP", "Love Is The Message", "Dance With Me Tonight (12" version)", "Let's Clean UP The Ghetto", "South Philly", "Back Stabbers", "The Zip", "Lay In Low", "My Mood", "Get Down With The Philly Sound", "Family Affair", "Manhattan Skyline", "Summertime", "Let's Party Down", "Mysteries Of The World", "MFSB", "Sunnin & Funnin", "Picnic In The Park", "Freddie's Dead", "Old San Juan", "Fortune Teller", "We Got The Time", and "Tell Me Why". ~ Dusty Groove

XENIA FRANCE – XENIA

A wonderful mix of Brazilian roots and contemporary soul from Xenia – a singer with previous experience in the groups Alafia and Capadoxe – but much more compelling on her own in the spotlight! The music has the kind of roots/futurist vibe you might expect from the cover – a very powerful presence from the lady herself on vocals, supported by a mix of live percussion and just the right electronic elements – often in a way that's quite nice and nice and spare – even when the beats get a bit bumping and bassy! All lyrics are in Portuguese – save for the English tune "Reach The Stars" – and titles include "Pra Que Me Chamas", "Preta Yaya", "Minha Historia", "Breu", "Nave", "Tereza Guerreira", and "Perfeita Pra Voce". ~ Dusty Groove

QUIN KIRCHNER – THE OTHER SIDE OF TIME

A mighty debut from Quin Kirchner – a drummer who's poised to become a key figure on the Chicago scene! Quin works here with help from some more familiar names – including Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Matt Ulery on bass, Nate Lepine on tenor and flute, and Nick Broste on trombone – all working at a level that's strongly spiritual – with rhythm patterns that Kirchner builds beautifully on drums, percussion, and kalimba – occasionally augmented by a few samples here and there, but mostly acoustic overall. Lepine's in great form throughout – as is Stein – and their long reed solos add these currents of personality to the record that really sends the whole thing home! Broste gets in a few powerful passages too – especially at some of the moodier moments – and Ben Boye plays piano on one track too. The whole thing's a double album that really needs the full space for expression – and titles include "Together We Can Explore The Furthers Beyond", "Mumbo Jumbo", "The Ritual", "Crossings", "Ripple", "Self-Portrait In Three Colors", "Drums & Tines (part 2)", "Flutter", "Karina", "Wondrous Eyes", and a version of Sun Ra's "Brainville". (Comes in a great tip-on gatefold sleeve, too – with art by Damon Locks. Limited to 500 copies!) ~ Dusty Groove

Singer Sara Serpa releases Close Up, a conceptual album inspired by experimentation and changing identities

Through a series of critically acclaimed releases over the past ten years, Lisbon, Portugal native, singer and composer Sara Serpa has continually defied the limitations of genre, implementing a singular instrumental approach to her vocal style. Her new album, Close Up, presents the compelling configuration of voice, saxophone and cello, exploring Serpa's own compositions. Accompanied by a stellar new trio, Serpa finds her partners in two innovative improvisers with distinct musical personalities: saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, one of the most significant voices in contemporary jazz and improvised music, and Downtown veteran cellist Erik Friedlander.

"The configuration of voice, saxophone and cello exposes each instrument with a precise vulnerability" says Serpa. "From within this exposure, we look for cohesion and collective sound. I write the material, but the music takes shape in the process of our rehearsals and the time we spend together, through discussion and collective experimentation."

The result is an album that resembles a high resolution photograph, a mesmerizing play on the idea of close-ups: the compositions, the musicians and their roles within the trio, and the recording process.

"The compositions also reveal close-ups of different episodes in my life," Serpa explains. Take the example of the poignant song "Woman," using the French philosopher Luce Irigaray's text. "It exposes the invisibility of motherhood. Because that experience is recent to me, the text resonated with my thoughts and feelings," Serpa offers. "Writing this song was part of a healing process, as I dealt with the realizations of the lack of support women artists receive as mothers, and of the paradoxical loneliness one can feel in one of life's most beautiful events."

All the compositions present striking atmospheres, glimmering with melodic and dissonant sounds, unified and transformed by the trio. Serpa, Laubrock and Friedlander play with their roles, alternating in creating backgrounds, to holding down bass lines, or to playing extremely long tones that become textures. "To find our place without a harmonic instrument was an interesting challenge and I enjoyed learning how to be independent, to be featured as soloist, or to act in ensemble, whatever each song was calling for." Laubrock and Friedlander are valuable partners in these roles; shifting with their unpredictable phrasing, extreme versatility, and attentive ears.

Iranian film director Kiarostami's film Close Up is cited as an influence in the album's liner notes. "The movie (a masterpiece itself) plays with the idea of actors who are in fact not actors but become actors of a fictitious film, providing a common thread between the film and the music I was creating at the same time I was watching it."

The quality of being still, of observing as nature unfolds, comes across in the song "Storm Coming," highlighted by Ingrid Laubrock's masterful solo improvisation. In the dark and ambient section, each instrument blends into the other, rendering the piece an impressionistic sonic experience, an image of dark clouds slowly gathering before a storm.

Serpa, whose natural instinct is to sing wordlessly -"When I lack words, I sing sounds, and emotions are conveyed through those sounds" - uses literature as inspiration in several of this album's pieces: Luce Irigaray for "Woman," and Virginia Woolf in "The Future." Portuguese poet Ruy Bello's "Pássaros," Birds, is the backbone for an eccentric and energetic piece. "The poem is about how birds are tree's fruits, and how birds make the trees sing. Imagining the trees singing is an inspiring image," the singer explains.

"Object," "Quiet Riot," and "Sol Enganador," exploratory and complex in their compositional nature, are all instrumental pieces, in which the voice functions as an equal to the cello and the saxophone.

Close Up reveals Serpa's voice as never before - her sound is full, consistent, and expressive. "Cantar Ao Fim," at the end of the album's journey, starts with a vocal improvisation that makes one wonder whether Serpa is singing right next to your ear, intimate and quotidian. "This song came out of an improvisation I recorded on my phone when I was out in the mountains, at night. That moment stayed with me, looking at the mountains and singing without thinking or judging what was coming out. There is something very powerful in singing alone in the nature."

Lisbon, Portugal native, Sara Serpa is a singer, composer, improviser who implements a unique instrumental approach to her vocal style. Recognized for her distinctive wordless singing, Serpa has been immersed in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music since first arriving in New York in 2008. Described by JazzTimes magazine as "a master of wordless landscapes" and by the New York Times as "a singer of silvery poise and cosmopolitan outlook," Serpa started her recording and performing career with jazz luminaries such as Grammy-nominated pianist Danilo Perez, and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow pianist Ran Blake. Her ethereal music draws from a broad variety of inspirations including literature, film, visual arts as well as history and nature. As a leader, she has produced and released seven albums; the latest being "All The Dreams" in collaboration with guitarist André Matos. Serpa has collaborated with an extensive array musicians including John Zorn, Mycale Vocal 4tet, Guillermo Klein, Mark Turner, Zeena Parkins, Andreia Pinto-Correia, Derek Bermel, Aya Nishina, Tyshawn Sorey, Nicole Mitchell, among many others.

CLOSE UP

1. Object

2. Pássaros

3. Sol Enganador

4. The Future

5. Listening

6. Storm Coming

7. Woman

8. Quiet Riot

9. Cantar Ao Fim

Sara Serpa - voice | composition Ingrid Laubrock - tenor | soprano saxophone Erik Friedlander - cello
Recorded live by Pete Rende, June 15, 2017, at Pete's House, Brooklyn, New York

Mixed by Pete Rende | Mastered by Luís Delgado Produced by Sara Serpa | All music by Sara Serpa

NEW RELEASES: AKIRA - TANA - JAZZaNOVA; BODY HEAT GANG BAND – BODY DISCO HEAT; NICOLE WILLIS & UMO JAZZ ORCHESTRA

AKIRA - TANA - JAZZaNOVA

Akira Tana, an elite jazz drummer since the mid-1970s, has been immersed in the verdant hothouse of Brazil’s surging rhythms and sensuous melodies his entire career. His new album JAZZaNOVA, reflects an abiding passion kindled by his formative experiences with some of Brazilian jazz’s foundational figures. It’s a treasure trove of Brazilian riches, with beautifully crafted arrangements designed to shine a lustrous new light on classic material. Featuring a cast of top-shelf Bay Area players, JAZZaNOVA was designed to showcase a superlative cast of singers and instrumentalists interpreting some of the Brazilian Songbook’s definitive standards and lesser known gems, with a couple of songs en Español included for good measure. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis or Cuban-born trumpeter Arturo Sandoval contribute vivid solos on almost every track, providing incisive commentary for the six extraordinary vocalists. Throughout the session, Tana renders the various grooves with taste and an unerring ear for textural support. As authoritative as he is behind the drum kit, he’s emerged in recent decades as a savvy producer who can turn a concept into a singular musical communion. With JAZZaNOVA, he’s staked a rightful claim to the Brazilian jazz

canon, joined by a redoubtable cast of collaborators.

BODY HEAT GANG BAND – BODY DISCO HEAT

"Body Heat Disco", the debut album by Italian collective Body Heat Gang Band, mixes together nu disco, boogie and funk with dance, house and electronic music. Originally founded in Milan, Italy in 2013 as an independent label, Body Heat is a multi-faceted, funk-fuelled dance project that developed into a club night and a collective of artists, musicians and producers united under the name Body Heat Gang Band. Masterminded by label boss, DJ and producer Rocoe, the intent of Body Heat is to create new music for the dancefloor, bridging the gap between funk, disco, boogie and the world of clubbing, house and electronic dance music. Entirely self-produced, "Body Heat Disco" is the first full album by Body Heat Gang Band, and brings together all the group's influences in 10 tracks that give a nod in the direction of commercial pop but with a firm foundation in the independent music scene. Synths, slap bass, soaring horn lines and bubbling arrangements create a cohesive and exciting collection of tunes aimed at the contemporary dancefloor but with a distinctly retro vibe. With their debut album Body Heat Gang Band draw from the past to step into the future, and you're invited along for the ride!

NICOLE WILLIS & UMO JAZZ ORCHESTRA - HAUNTED BY THE DEVIL / (EVERYBODY) DO THE WATUSI

Willwork4funk and Persephone Records proudly present new double-sider 45 "Haunted By The Devil" / "(Everybody) Do The Watusi" by American soulstress Nicole Willis together with UMO Jazz Orchestra. Nicole Willis' new double-sider 45 showcases two album favorites from recent full-length "My Name Is Nicole Willis" together with renowned Finnish band UMO Jazz Orchestra. This single is the first for Persephone Records in 7” format and will be a very limited vinyl pressing."Haunted By The Devil" exhibits the many influences of Ms Willis, touching on the challenges of establishing individuality in a seemingly compromised world. "(Everybody) Do The Watusi" is a song that was frequently performed live with The Soul Investigators, but had never been recorded. It's a Northern Soul dance tune that lends to heavy rotation.Both tracks are among those specifically written by Nicole Willis, Jimi Tenor & guitarist Pete Toikkanen for the album, which was produced by Ms. Willis.

 

FKAJAZZ - STEREOTYPE THREAT

With the release of his new album Stereotype Threat under the bold, fresh artistic identity FKAjazz (formerly known as…), NYC based saxophonist Samir Zarif lays the dynamic groundwork for the possibilities of what jazz is for his generation and provides a vision for what the cherished American art form can be moving forward. With a freewheeling energy driven by the still simmering melting pot of influences that drive his musical passion – traditional jazz, R&B and hip-hop – the full length collection is the culmination of a multi-faceted journey that transcends easy definitions. It’s always evolving with a sense of grooving and improvisational wonder and discovery.

Stylistically, Stereotype Threat is several worlds and hundreds of ultra-cool beats away from the multi-talented composer/musician’s 2010 debut Starting Point, which was released under his real name. That album featured musical snapshots he had been workshopping on the bandstand with The Story, the progressive, free jazz band with whom he had been touring. Performed with members of that group, the collection mostly featured odd metered material, but the final song “Keep the Faith” had an electronica vibe, a rock-flavored backbeat and Zarif on vocals. He developed this side of his artistry further when he joined forces with producer Brian Lindgren in 2011, and formed the electronic music production duo Pax Humana – which released the full length albums A Matter of Heart (2012) and A New Frontier (2014). His desire to expand to creative endeavors beyond jazz also led to his being commissioned to score a collection of short films by trans-media artist Donna Cameron, which were later presented and distributed by The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).

One of FKAjazz’s contemporary inspirations is Grammy winning pianist and producer Robert Glasper, a fellow Houston native who attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) some years before the saxophonist. He and Glasper are blazing similar paths while remaining distinctive in their individuality and style.

“I’ve always looked to him as an older brother, because while the music he makes is different in a lot of ways from what I’m doing, in essence we’re coming from the same place, creating music that draws from jazz but is more the culmination of Black American music, a mix of old and new with a major hip-hop element. Because I grew up listening to music like A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Jazzy Jeff, that music is as much a part of my life as jazz. The goal is to take music beyond hip-hop, beyond jazz and create a whole new vibe from all of these influences.”

This desire to transcend easy genre boxes and categorizations inspired FKAjazz to create the perfect album moniker Stereotype Threat, whose opening track of the same name creates a unique generational crosscurrent by pairing the artist’s powerful sax melody with the spoken words of longtime James Brown bassist/vocalist Fred Thomas. “The phrase ‘Stereotype Threat’ literally means the fear of being reduced to a negative stereotype,” Zarif says, “and that fear can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if you don’t disrupt that way of thinking. It was the perfect title because of my many influences. As I was developing this sound, my worst fear was being labeled as ‘the next saxophonist that plays like every other saxophonist.’ It was something I had to overcome internally in order to finally understand how to be true to myself.”

“I’m always veering left to some degree,” he adds, “and I wanted to make sure that the tracking of the album was thoughtful and told a story from track to track even in its diversity. I wanted to tell a story from start to finish, while at the same time have each track encapsulate an aspect of my life. There’s the fear of being stereotyped and the need to overcome that, the fear of being in love again and the urgency to overcome that, the fear of not knowing my direction in life, among other themes. The overall story comes from the discovery of who I am, the journey of being able to take away all the layers of my experience and get to the core of myself as an artist.”

While providing a powerhouse platform for FKAjazz’s tenor sax, Stereotype Threat is also a showcase for his skills as a composer, producer and mixer. After creating the foundation of the tracks, he pieced together incredible contributions from his high level cohorts in NYC’s jazz scene, including guitarist Marcus Machado, electric bassist Lez Lemon, guitarist Julian Litwack, drummer Justin Swiney and keyboardist Noah MacNeil. Also featured is the high impact rap lyricism of JSWISS on “No Way To Go” and “Storytime Interlude.”

Highlights include the “Hard Times” intro that leads into “Brighter Days,” a tandem reflecting the importance of a measured optimism that understands that obstacles are opportunities to grow and learn from; “Angel Cake,” which began as a remake of D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” before FKAjazz flipped guitarist Marcus Machado’s guitar riffs to create a whole new celestial treasure; and “Wander as I Wonder,” whose title riffs on Langston Hughes’ autobiography “I Wonder as I Wander” and which addresses the challenges of deep relationships – and the importance of having a commitment that helps overcome them. The title of the moody and deeply grooving “F.A.F.” came from an Instagram fan’s spirited, off color declaration that the track was “Fly as F***.”

A musical wunderkind from the get-go, Zarif was raised by a mother who was an accomplished piano and vocal teacher and widow to an alto saxophonist that played in the Duke Ellington Band in the 70s. His Philly born father spent his formative years in Brooklyn as an accountant for both Malcolm X and the original Nathan’s Hot Dogs in Coney Island. Zarif played violin in elementary school, violin and sax in middle school, and was the principal saxophonist at HSPVA and Willowridge High school. He later moved to New Orleans to study jazz performance and composition at the University of New Orleans with trumpeter and film composer Terence Blanchard. While in New Orleans, he performed with Jason Marsalis, Aaron Neville, Nicholas Payton, and Jill Scott. After graduating from UNO, he moved to New York to attend the Manhattan School of Music as a grad student of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Performance.

Immersing himself into the NYC music scene, Zarif became a renowned recording and touring saxophonist for many notable artists and bands, including the Grammy Nominated Miguel Zenon's Identities Big Band, The Story, Soulful Symphony, Chrisette Michele and Hans Glawischnig Jahira Trio. He has performed at world-renowned venues, halls and festivals such as Carnegie Hall (NYC), Blue Note (NYC), North Sea Jazz Fest (Rotterdam), Newport Jazz Fest (Newport, RI) , and Bimhuis (Amsterdam).

Zarif’s emergence as FKAjazz and his unique perspective on the distinctly American art form has prompted him to reflect on the meaning of jazz, its development over the last century, and its influence on other styles of music. “Before jazz, there wasn’t such a thing as American music really,” he says. “There was nothing that truly defined our culture as Americans as clear and true to its spirit as jazz. It was the first complete melting pot of music that shaped who we are as people, what we represent and the possibilities unique to our country. Everything else that followed, from rock & roll to hip hop, are the children and grandchildren of jazz music.”

~ Jonathan Widran

GIANT STEPS MUSIC ANNOUNCES SOPHOMORE ALBUM: MUSIC ACTION COLLECTIVE – WHAT IF – TO BE RELEASED ON MARCH 8, 2018

Giant Steps Music, the San Francisco based organization where musical and social innovation collide, is back with the release of their sophomore album, What If. The album is slated for release on March 8, which also marks International Women’s Day.

What If is the result of Giant Steps’ Music Action Lab 2.0 that took place in the Fall of 2017 throughout the Bay Area, with the monthlong program ending in Ixtapa, Mexico. The Music Action Lab is an innovative residency uniting musicians from around the world to create social impact music, and to nurture the next generation of musical change makers.

Music Action Lab 2.0 featured nine musicians across the globe including GRAMMY-nominated drummer and founder of an ecocultural nonprofit (Ernesto “Matute” Lopez), an award-winning percussionist and global TED Fellow from Kenya (Kasiva Mutua), an Oberlin and Juilliard-trained cellist whose work as a global music educator has included work in Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkmenistan and El Salvador (Avery Waite), a cultural catalyst and multi-instrumentalist bandleader bringing Turks and Armenians together (Sevana Tchakerian), a semifinalist in the EuroVision contest (Rona Nishliu), a Sony Records recording artist alum and jazz saxophonist and composer (James Brandon Lewis), a Tanzanian multi-instrumentalist/percussionist (Kauzeni Lyamba), a Japanese-American pianist and flautist (Erika Oba), and California native and bassist (Chris Bastian). Full biographies of each member can be found at http://bit.ly/GSmac2-bios

Drew Foxman, the founder and executive producer of Giant Steps Music adds, “The primary inspiration behind the release is the unique and diverse talents of this year’s collective that joined the Lab for its second season to catalyze our mission to build a global community of musicians that create music to advance social change. Facilitated by leaders in the music and social impact industries, our collective gained insight, skills, and tools in a month-long curriculum that informs the creation of the music.” In one month of workshops and rehearsals dedicated to advancing social causes as part of the Music Action Lab, the Collective created a suite of eight original compositions and arrangements on the album What If that address issues of gender inequality, human rights, neocolonialism, and more.

The title of the album What If captures the heart of this release—addressing and exploring disparity and injustice through the lenses of gender and women, human rights, and water, while bringing across a message of inspiration by calling listeners to actively participate in ending injustice.

It is no coincidence that the album’s release day is on “International Women’s Day.” The lead off track “Overlooked” is an upbeat, uplifting representation of women in society—and the courage, strength, and resolve to face the indignity of discrimination and inequity with power and grace. Other timely and socially conscious themes run throughout the album. For example, the track “Monuments” builds over a haunting jazz-inspired groove that challenges the concepts of monuments as a physical structure, cautioning the celebration of war and violence over the fragility and transience of life, while “Agua” is a love song to water, our most precious resource on earth that calls listeners to treat it as if she were our mother, lover, spouse, or friend.

The title track “What If” is inspired by the global human rights framework and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. “What If” is a call to each and every one of us to actively work, support, defend, uphold, and persevere to protect the fundamental rights of all. This melodic ballad integrates spoken word in the spirit of African-American civil rights leaders to both point to the possibilities of fulfilling the human rights mandate—while freely revealing its shortcomings without a legal mandate to uphold it. “New Babylon” (for Delasi) is a tribute to Ghanaian rapper Delasi Nunana, who was refused entry to the U.S. after his selection to the Music Action Collective. “New Babylon” speaks to the inequities intrinsic to the nation-state system, and the inequality between the rich and developing countries, the global North and the global South. The song “Right Again” was created in a workshop with incarcerated men in San Francisco Jail #5, as part of the Music Action Lab global music residency, while “Kesaule (live)” is a traditional folk harvest song from Tanzania that is a percussive, upbeat, uplifting celebration of people working together as community to create safe, vibrant relationships and ways of living in unity. The song was recorded live from the Collective’s debut performance at Ashkenaz World Music Center in Berkeley, CA.

Although the Music Action Collective’s debut album Foundation received critical acclaim from The Huffington Post, KQED, and Jazz Weekly, What If takes the structure built from the first sessions and builds upon it. Foxman concludes, “The artistry is on a whole other level as we’ve grown up from our pilot season. This is less a compilation of songs from musicians around the world than it is a cohesive statement on rights and justice from the participating members who have come together to create a unified and quite unique sound. It fits nicely into our catalog since it touches universal social justice topics of rights.”

What If – Track Listing

Overlooked

Monuments

New Babylon (for Delasi)

Agua

What If

Kesaule (live)

Right Again

Utamaduni

Bassist MARTIN WIND Releases a Milestone Recording With LIGHT BLUE

Laika Records (Germany) will release Martin Wind's LIGHT BLUE today, March 2, 2018. The recording, his 20th as a leader or co-leader, features old friends: Anat Cohen (clarinet), Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Matt Wilson (drums), Scott Robinson (multi-reeds), Bill Cunliffe (piano), Gary Versace (piano, organ), Duduka DaFonseca (drums) and Maucha Adnet (vocals). There are milestones in a musician's career, and life for that matter, which pass without acknowledgement. What with rehearsals, travel, and recording sessions, a busy professional rarely has the opportunity to note a watershed moment. With the realization of his latest release LIGHT BLUE, Martin Wind registers the significance of this moment in time. This recording comes some twenty-five years after recording his first release as a leader, Gone With The Wind (September Records), twenty years since he recorded in New York, Family (A Records), and LIGHT BLUE is being released shortly before he turns fifty. Since that initial outing, Wind has released another 18 albums as a leader or co-leader and he has become one of New York's most in-demand bassists.

Wind recorded LIGHT BLUE with engineer Matt Balitsaris at Maggie's Farm in April 2017 in between a myriad of gigs including backing singers Dena DeRose and Ann Hampton Callaway, Ted Rosenthal's Monk Project, showcasing his quartet in Los Angeles, and performing with Pat Metheny and Matt Wilson at the Wichita Jazz Festival. The remainder of the year found him touring with Matt Wilson's "Big Happy Family" (performing Honey And Salt, the poetry of Carl Sandburg), presenting Schubert's "Trout Quintet" and the premiere of his composition "Looking Back" with the American Chamber Ensemble, and performing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with Ted Rosenthal and Phoenix Symphony. Somehow he also found time to tour with his partner, the legendary Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine.

LIGHT BLUE is actually two recordings. Side A: LIGHT features the Martin Wind Quintet with Scott Robinson, Ingrid Jensen, Gary Versace, and Matt Wilson, all musicians Wind has performed with on an almost continual basis. Wilson and Jensen can be heard on Wind's very first New York recording, and the bassist is a member of the drummer's quartet Arts & Crafts, as is Versace. Robinson has been a member of the Martin Wind Quartet since it's inception in 2007. Side B: BLUE is a new group of old friends called, "De Norte a Sul". This group shares multi-instrumentalist Robinson with LIGHT. Cohen and Wind formed the group NY3 with Wilson in 2014, and besides performing Brazilian music with Maucha Adnet and Duduka DaFonseca, Wind's son and their daughters have become great friends. This is the first time Wind's music has included a vocalist and lyrics written for his compositions. Adnet maneuvers the Brazilian-favored Portuguese and English lyrics with a remarkable beauty.

Besides being a master musician, Wind penned the ten compositions heard on LIGHT BLUE. There are seven new pieces and three that are new versions of some of his "classic" compositions, such as "10 Minute Song" and "Cruise Blues," both from his quartet recording Salt 'N Pepper (2008), and "A Sad Story" from Gone With the Wind (1993). His skills as an arranger are evident here, as they were on the critically acclaimed Turn Out The Stars (What If? Music, 2014), on which Wind performed music written or inspired by pianist Bill Evans with his quartet, plus the Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana.

The artist was born in Flensburg, Germany in 1968 and he took third place in the International Thelonious Monk Bass Competition in 1995. In 1996 he moved to New York. He earned a master's degree in jazz composition and performance in 1998 from New York University and now is on the faculty at NYU and Hofstra University. He performs solo, in duo with Philip Catherine and Ulf Meyer, leads his own quartet, and is a member Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts, Bill Cunliffe Trio, Bill Mays Trio, Dena DeRose Trio, and many others. He has also performed and/or recorded with the following artists: Guidon Kremer, Christoph Eschenbach, Mstislav Rostopowitch, Lalo Schifrin, Monty Alexander, Pat Metheny, Clark Terry, Mark Murphy, Slide Hampton, Toots Thielemans, Buddy DeFranco, The Metropole Orchestra, Radio Big Bands Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Berlin, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Curtis Fuller, Phil Woods, Bud Shank, Johnny Griffin, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mike Stern, Larry Goldings, Johnny Mandel, Frank Wess, James Moody, Hank Jones, John Scofield, Sting, Ann Hampton Callaway, Michel Legrand, Mulgrew Miller, Ken Peplowski, Anat Cohen, Benny Green, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and others.